Rock Garden Park

The Daily Plant : Tuesday, January 22, 2002

12 PARK SUPPORTERS RECEIVE EMERALD AWARDS AT THE 9TH ANNUAL STATE OF THE PARKS

The Arsenal has served as Parks headquarters since 1934 when Robert Moses consolidated five borough park systems under one roof. On Friday, January 18, 2002, for the ninth year in a row, Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern marked this anniversary by delivering his State of the Parks address. He reported on a select top forty accomplishments of the Emerald Empire in the years from 1994 to 2001, touching on milestones such as the completion of 2001 historical signs and the investment of more than one billion capital dollars. The multimedia presentation was attended by Parkies past and present and friends of Parks from civic leaders to elected officials. Twelve supporters of Parks were presented with Emerald Awards. Over the next few days, The Daily Plant will share the citations that describe their contributions. Below are the first five.

James A. (Leonardo) Ortenzio’s dedication to the Hudson River Park began when Governor George E. Pataki appointed him as Chairman of the Board on March 4, 1999. Leonardo oversaw the creation of the Hudson River Park Trust and has been largely responsible for the organization’s growth and the park’s development. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani rewarded Leonardo’s dedication by re-appointing him as Chairman on April 4, 2001. Leonardo and the Hudson River Park Trust staff worked tirelessly to provide personnel, equipment, logistical support, and space during and following the tragic events of September 11. As a resident and business owner on Manhattan’s west side, Leonardo has shown an amazing ability to understand the concerns of all who have a stake in the park’s creation. In particular he has worked to foster a close relationship with Parks, ensuring the continued success of Hudson River Park.

Bruce C. (Forest) Ratner is the founding chairman of the City Parks Foundation (CPF) and a lifelong friend of Parks. Under Forest’s leadership, CPF grew from a staff of two with revenues of $298,000 in 1989 to an organization that now employs 47 full time staff and has an annual budget of $10 million. Working with Parks, Forest led CPF to meet its mission to improve the quality of life in parks throughout New York City, particularly in underserved communities. Forest has underwritten some of the Foundation’s most popular and successful programs. In 1995 he helped develop Partnerships for Parks. We are pleased that Forest will be leading the new Strategic Planning Committee, to ensure CPF’s continued success as it enters its second decade.

Dart (EastRise) Westphal has volunteered in parks for over 22 years. Working with organizations like the South Bronx Open Space Task Force, the Bronx Greenway Committee, and the Bronx River Restoration Team, EastRise has made it his personal mission to help communities along the Bronx River gain access to the waterway and to promote restoration projects along the river. In 1987, he began working with students from Middle School 80 and Dewitt Clinton High School to plant tulips along Mosholu Parkway. He is a former president of the Bronx Council of Environmental Quality, and a member of the Boards of the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park and the Harlem River Valley Development Corporation. He now serves as the Vice-Chair of the Bronx River Alliance. His ceaseless energy and good humor have inspired all those who work with him to create lasting change in the parks and open spaces of the Bronx.