Morningside Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, October 5, 2000

“TREE CHEERS” FOR TREE RESCUE IN BROOKLYN

Hannah Condon, a very astute and environmentally-minded second grader, was walking along Union Street between Smith and Hoyt Streets in Brooklyn when she noticed the damage that tree guards were making to the trees. By voicing her concerns to her mother and to Assemblywoman Joan Millman, she found help for 28 trees in the area.

Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern joined Hannah and Assemblywoman Millman at the Union Street site on Wednesday, October 4 to announce the tree rescue effort. The work to be done in Carroll Gardens is part of a $30,000 program launched by Parks and the New York Tree Trust to remove these suffocating tree guards and allow city trees to grow and flourish. Seemingly small threats such as lights wrapped tightly around branches, or sidewalks paved to within inches of the tree trunk, can cause irreparable damage if not corrected in time.

Through the New York Tree Trust, a public-private partnership founded in 1994 to protect and preserve out city trees, Parks will be able to hire contractors to repair damaged trees throughout the City. Contractors will be resurfacing bare tree pits with granite block pavers, excavating small trees for transplant, smoothing hazardous surfaces with tree pits, and expanding small sidewalk tree pits. They will also be cleaning debris from the trees' canopies and unshackling trees strangled by iron or steel tree pit guards. Parks maintains over 500,000 street trees throughout the five boroughs and has already targeted several other sites where contractors can begin their work, but if anyone sees a tree in need of rescue, please call 212-360-TREE or 1-800-201-PARK to let us know.

BELOVED PARK SUPERVISOR DANNY MORRISSEY PASSES AWAY

Parks would like to offer its condolences to the family and friends of Danny (Big Man) Morrissey, who passed away suddenly on September 30. Danny was the third of six sons born to Edmond and Teresa Morrisey of Queens. He worked for Parks for 13 years, including many summers as a seasonal pool supervisor. A year ago he had been promoted to Park Supervisor in District 9 in Manhattan, where he focused on Morningside Park and St. Nicholas Park. Danny was well known for his can-do attitude and performing his job with a smile. He will be missed.

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO IN THE PLANT
(Thursday, October 8, 1987)

TRANSPORTATION WORKERS CAPTURE 3RD ANNUAL CITY GOLF TOURNEY

Based on the scores of the three best golfers from a number of city agencies with three or more participants, the Department of Transportation won the team trophy with a gross score of 231 at the Third Annual City Golf Tournament held at the Douglaston Golf Course in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on September 23. The Human Resources Administration took second with a 241 gross. Parks, which posted the lowest handicap with a 206 net score, came in a close third with a 242 gross.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

What we call luck is the inner man externalized. We make things happen to us.

Robertson Davies (1913-1995)