ANNUAL REVIEW 2017 KEEPING YOUR PARK CLEAN, GREEN AND HEALTHY FRIENDS OF DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA EDITORIAL On January 21, 2017, the Women’s “Never for the sake of March put Dag Hammarskjold Plaza peace and quiet deny on the map with international media your own experience coverage, celebrity speeches and aeri- or convictions.” al photos of record-breaking crowds. Dag HammarskjölD, UN secretary geNeral Now, we’re asking city govern- Nobel Peace laUreate ment to heed the needs of this town square and UN gateway. In the face of The largest march in NYC history flled Dag Hammarskjold Plaza beyond capacity. terrorism and homelessness, city off- cials can ill afford to ignore the vulner- abilities of this 1.5 acre municipal park with a crowd capacity of 8000 people in densely populated midtown Manhattan. Bomb-resistant, shatter-proof trash bins have become de rigeur in central plazas and airports since the Paris bomb- ing. The rusty oil-drum bins in Hammar- skjold park are worse than a bad joke. At the Mayor’s Town Hall (9-26- 2017) for our district, we requested that Landscape architect Alexandro Zervos, NYC Parks & Recreation, presented the design Hammarskjold Plaza be designated scope of capital improvement project for review at CB6 and also at our Annual Meeting. an “anchor park” or base-lined in the budget to receive funding and resourc- BIG ACHIEVEMENTS, BIGGER NEEDS es from city government to address It’s been a banner year for the to start in 2019. When completed, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, park will be restored to its original and we wish to thank all of our mem- lustre. In addition, the capital project A Fond Farewell to Dan Garodnick Councilman Daniel bers and donors for their support. provides for new lighting to illuminate Garodnick was elect- Restoration of the Katharine Hep- the sculpture platform, access from the ed to offce in 2005 platform to the garden’s footpath via a and twice re-elected. burn Garden was completed on sched- Term limits end his ule (see page 6), and we scored $675K gated entrance, and a permanent fence tenure, and we will in capital funding from Councilman to replace the battered mesh fencing miss him. He protect- ed tenant rights and Dan Garodnick for infrastructure re- that protects the front fower border. supported a green pairs and improvements to be admin- Our advocacy efforts through agenda that resulted in better parks and a istered by the Parks Department. The Community Board 6 resulted in im- cleaner, safer environment. Dan generous- scoping process and community review proved support from Parks’ mobile ly supported our work with capital project took place this year. Next, the plan crew to supplement the cleaning ser- grants and discretionary expense funding. He participated in FDHP events, cooked at will be reviewed by the Public Design vices we contract from the Doe Fund. the greenmarket and staged a bike helmet Commission, then bid out to contrac- The fountain pedestals and seating give-away. You’re a Friend forever, Dan! tors in 2018. Construction is expected CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org 1 DAG’S PATIO CAFE Think Global, Act Local By Hanita Blumfeld Many New Yorkers have a sense of anomie, physically close and yet alone, captive to cell phones and electronic devices, experiencing the distance of living among strangers. So with this dystopian model of ur- COMMAND CENTRAL AT WOMEN’S ban life, Dag’s Patio Cafe is price- MARCH. Borough President Gale less in that it facilitates a sense of Brewer and Millie Margiotta sip cofee and witness history in the making. In connection. It’s the hub of the park, rear, wearing orange, sculptor Phyllis where we’re all neighbors. Hammond. The old adage, the way to turn (right) UN group meets at Dag’s Cafe. strangers into friends is through breaking bread together, works well here. The snack bar features a full The way to turn strangers into friends is breakfast menu, burgers, frankfurt- through breaking bread together... ers, chicken sandwiches and really good coffee. The $5 frozen margar- itas are a bargain, and the bar draws a mix of residents, diplomats and offce workers, especially for live music at Happy Hour. Reviews on Yelp praise the qual- ity of beef and wax poetic about the nearby fountain. Here, romances bloom and meetings convene over the noise of honking horns, church bells, barking dogs, chortling ba- bies and music. Toddlers make their needs known regardless of their na- tive languages. Operated as a lease concession by Hospitality Holdings, partners Mark Grossich and Kenneth Mc- Daniel Sefk, a musician for the hit show Hamilton, was one of many who tickled the keys of the Sing for Hope Piano, organized by Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. Clure live near by and often team up with Friends of DHP to tie-in the cafe with special programs such as this year’s Sing for Hope Piano. Next year, we envision Latin dancing and a salon-style program to feature luminaries from Turtle Bay in an intimate outdoor setting. Although we regret that the cafe is closing for winter, it’s not too soon to plan for spring. If you are a performer, a talent manager or an IMPROMPTU PICNIC: Manager Kenneth draws on his inner chef to produce a delectible array of dishes prepared with produce from the greenmarket. Ripe toma- events planner, let us know! toes, sauteed squash blossems.Yum! Our volunteers got very lucky!
2 Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org Toddlers make their DOGS OF DAG are not partial to pet purity; but truly needs believe that love conquers all. known By Hanita Blumfeld regardless Modern day pet families put to of their He was a rescue dog. When I rest the notion that men do not favor native frst saw him, he gripped my heart, small dogs-. Just look around! language. and I knew he was the dog that The regulars Pepina, Lexee, would be my special friend for life. Pogo, Van, Beauregard, Trixie, and Mazel loved Dag Hammarskjold Bacon among others help to bring Park. He staked out a claim on cer- together a diverse population and tain trees and knew their history by foster the community spirit that is the keen sense a hallmark of of smell that all this special park. dogs possess. And they cer- He even had tainly contrib- The Dag a kind gesture ute to the health Dog is for the pigeons and wellbeing topped with who knew better of their owners bacon, than to zero in on who cannot re- cheddar his treats. cheese, main sedentary fried Mazel is now in doggie heav- when the plead- onion and en, but he left me with an affection ing brown eyes mustard. for the pets who frisk and frolic in of Jasmine or this rare space with room to run and Rex communicate that they yearn sniff. to visit the park to greet friends and On parade are Standard Poodles spread good will among neighbors. with the requisite bows, French Bull The friends Dogs competing for most popular even include breed, Welsh Corgis, whose bark Virgie, the Par- may sport an English accent; tiny rot, who en- Yorkshire Terriers, who are con- sconced on vinced that they are the Alpha dogs, Steve’s shoul- and mixed breeds whose diversity der, looks on of physical type indicates that they with amusement at the antics of the dogs of Dag.
Hanita Blumfeld co-authored The OUTDOOR OFFICE: Parks horticulture chief (center) Mercedes Nunez meets with (left) Anne Dog Lovers’ Guide to the Good Life Hersh and (right) FDHP President Sherrill Kazan. with East Hampton artist Carol Saxe. The book profles venues that wel- come dogs. Hanita recently joined the FDHP Board of Directors and will be a regular contributor to our newsletter.
DOG RUN IN TURTLE BAY Want to run your dog off-leash? Peter Detmold Park offers a large fenced dog run next to open space with a gazebo and chess tables. Enter at 49th and FDR Drive or from Beekman Place via FDHP president Sherrill Kazan with sculptor a staircase. A footbridge provides ac- Phyllis Hammond (print shirt) and Bozena cess to the East River path. Massey, who curated the exhibit for the Plaza. At far right, Eleanora Kupencow, whose colorful Family afair: Bob and Mimi Stinson metal scuptures have also graced the park. with Oliver, a regular Dog of Dag. Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org 3 OKTOBERFEST AND AUTUMN GLORY MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS!
Moms, dads, uncles, aunts, friends and kids of all ages gathered in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on a spectacularly beautiful Saturday in October. Chrysanthemums were in full bloom, the fountains pro- vided the sound of cascad- ing water, and pigeons enjoyed the remains of bratwurst sand- wiches (though not the beer). The major draw and the symbol of this Oktoberfest were pumpkins. They lined the walkways in myriad sizes and visually yielded the full range of shapes and orange hues. (above) Membership Chair Kim Baker Children negotiated the size, is all smiles with never a dull moment. recognizing that they would Her eye-catching display paid off need to carry (mostly by their with donations and new members. Managing the tent: (l-r) Hanita Blum- parents) the large ones home. feld, Sherrill Kazan, Millie Margiotta Toddlers, just learning to walk and Consuelo Gallego. At kids table, and talk, imitated the older ones as Events Chairman Paul Crawford. they sat together to paint colorful images on what was seen as a simple canvas waiting for a child’s imag- ination, “new masters” of the art. Older generations lent a hand and grew nostalgic as they thought back to their initiation into paint- ing pumpkins and forming bal- loons into myriad shapes (as some would say “back in the day”). The Friends of Dag Hammar- skjold Plaza, a volunteer organiza- tion, provided a signature example of their commitment of time and en- ergy to foster the community spirit that makes this park so unique to our neighborhood. New friendships were formed, and many persons de- cided to join this dedicated group and help in whatever way they could. Most important, friends and neighbors from all over the globe demonstrated that Dag Hammarskjold Plaza will con- tinue to be a source of commu- nity cohesion in this ever chang- ing midtown neighborhood. Hanita Blumfeld VIVIAN GORDON PHOTOS: 4 Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org OKTOBERFEST AND AUTUMN GLORY MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS!
We wish to thank all who showed their support by becoming a mem- ber or making a donation. Every dollar helps further our common cause of making Hammarskjold park a clean, green and safe envi- ronment where a child’s joy and cre- ativity are at home with nature.
Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org 5 Escape the Concrete Jungle, Enter an Enchanted Woods
Did you know that Dag Ham- marskjold Plaza boasts the largest public garden on the east side of midtown Manhattan? Here, you can take a walk in the woods and fnd sanctuary, unplug and breathe! In 2016-2017, we carried out a major rejuvenation of the park’s Katharine Hepburn Garden, devel- oping a masterplan with noted gar- den designer Ronda Brands, who mapped and supervised the installa- tion of thousands of new plants. Public gardens are subject to die-out from natural causes and myriad abuses from humans. For the strolling garden, the coup de grace was a series of scoffolding incursions to meet safety codes for repairs to buildings above the re- DANIELLE CAMPISI BY GARDEN PHOTO taining wall. Although we worked with their managers and contractors to mitigate damage, compacted soil and loss of plant life was inevitable. This year, the transformation of the woodland garden began in May with four days of plant installations by professional landscapers. Then our volunteer gardeners installed On Saturdays, Allan rope stakes to keep visitors on the Levy arrives before path, which was relaid last year. the rest of us have In June, we enhanced the front fnished breakfast. He’s living proof that fower border with native species gardening is healthy to attract pollinators and expand for seniors! the color palette. In autumn, vol- unteer groups planted thousands of spring-fowering bulbs. Our committment to park beau- tifcation and advocacy efforts through Community Board 6 pur- suaded the Parks Department to provide a part-time gardener. As we put the garden to bed for winter, we’re already planning for next year. In the works are a fairy-garden mural, a book box for swapping good reads and garden Rain or shine, we plant! Green-thumb Danielle Teamwork: Kim Baker and Sandra McKee Campisini, Garden Chair Anne Hersh veteran tuck in native plants to extend the bloom sea- parties. It’s only 90 days till spring! gardener Bob Stinson. son, host pollinators and attract butterfies.
6 Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org Many hands make light work Volunteers are the lifeblood of VOLUNTEER OPENINGS our organization. Our home- team of gardeners helps provide OFFICE MANAGER We seek a computer literate routine upkeep while groups offce manager with organi- from the corporate and nonprof- zational skills who can work it community join in for special alone as well as manage vol- unteers. Retirees welcome! assignments like bulb planting, 10-15 hours per month, fexi- mulching and composting. ble days/time.
SECRETARY OF BOARD We seek an individual with writing and planning skills to record minutes at our board meetings (6 per year). Oth- er activities include sending meeting annoucements and preparing agendas. The Re- cording Secretary serves as an offcer of FDHP Board of (above) Ibis World volunteers enjoy “giving Directors. back” to the community.
(below) This youth group from The Temple in SOCIAL MEDIA GURU Atlanta did more than tour NYC, they provided community service as part of their educational Help spead our message program. Their supervisors helped too! through social media, vid- eos and newsmaking tweets. We’re building a team and need genius!
BE A PARK MONITOR (above) Wild-Type Creative Solutions engaged If you live nearby and like two mentoring circles as volunteers. Here the to be outdoors, help monitor group recycles Oktoberfest hay bales to mulch shrubs. Fresh air + exercise = brain power. and report on conditions in the park from cleanliness to ACKNOWLEDGMENTS homelessness and public hy- We thank Zeckendorf De- giene. Monitors document velopment (50 UN Plaza) for and report problems to Parks, their generous support, which NYPD and other agencies. made possible the masterplan and restoration of the park’s APPLY NOW: Katharine Hepburn Garden in Send an email with resume and/or 2016 and 2017. In addition, tell us about your skills, interests support from the Greenacre and availability. editor.hersh@ Foundation has sustained our hammaskjoldplaza.org. You may community garden program for also apply online at FDHP website, more than a decade. click on Volunteer.
Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org 7 EDITORIAL, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ACHIEVEMENTS, CONT. FROM PAGE 1 tion and make Dag Hammarskjold Plaza its special needs, enumerated with wall benefted from a pressure washer the shining jewel of the neighborhood. handouts containing graphic images. supplied and operated by Parks staff. “We are eager to build coali- Security Cameras None of these improvements tions with community groups and to Following the Town Hall, park would have happened without the form alliances with merchants, prop- offcials conducted a site visit to re- continued efforts of Friends. We are erty managers and owners,” notes view security cameras for the gar- citizen custodians and park watch- FDHP President Sherrill Kazan. den. We offered to purchase the dogs. We articulate the needs of Dag Parks=$ Green Neighborhood cameras more than a year ago and Hammarskjold Plaza. To fully repre- “Some of us would like more con- still await equipment specifcations. sent the community, we need YOU! certs, movies and other community Digital Bulletins What’s at Stake events. Others want after-school activ- Inquiries about electronic bulletin Park associations like ours de- ities for children. Security is always an boards to replace the damaged case- rive their funding from public and issue. We need a seasonal park custodian ments at each end of plaza fell on deaf private donations in order to supply to keep law and order and attend to the ears. Digital bulletins could alert the the programs and services that the many odd jobs that a heavily-traffcked public to mass rallies and disruptions. cash-strapped NYC Parks Depart- park requires. By working together, we ment cannot. Although the public/ can preserve and protect our neighbor- Where’s the Wi-f? private partnership model is criticized hood’s central green space,” she states. Wi-f is all over the city but not for creating inequities in the city’s Properties increase in value when in Dag Plaza despite the population it sprawling park system, it also en- attractive parks are within walking serves as a global destination. Why are gages neighborhoods as stakeholders. distance. In our densely populated other parks more deserving, Mr. Mayor? The success of conservancies that neighborhood, the Plaza is our out- Protection from Toxic Fumes rescued Central Park and Union Square door arena—and its garden, our sanc- tuary. Like any valuable asset, it Pollution from tour buses poses a “We are eager to build coalitions continuing threat to public health. On should be protected and preserved. with community groups and to a block with a church, a school and Dag’s Cafe, diesel fumes and idling en- form alliances with merchants, property managers and owners... Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Pla- gines aggravate respiratory problems. za is a tax-exempt nonproft 501(c)3 The bus companies pay the tickets is- to protect our neighborhood and its community organization. Membership sued by NYPD and continue to pollute. central greenspace.” is open to all who support our mission sHerrill kazaN, PresiDeNt regardless of sex, race, color or creed. Replace Trees NOW! OFFICERS Trees help mitigate air pollution are well documented, but even small President: sHerrill kazaN by absorbing toxic fumes and emitting parks like Abingdon Square in the West Vice President: lesley NaN HabermaN fresh oxygen. Yet some empty tree beds Village have been transformed by f- 2ND VP: braNDoN Himmel remain unplanted for more than a year, nancial support from nearby buildings, Treasurer: coNsUelo gallego collecting water which breeds mosqui- which beneft from a cleaner, green- toes and tripping unwary visitors, de- er park and a proactive community. Secretary: laUra mylott maNNiNg spite repeated phone calls and emails. Development: aNNe saxoN-HersH Community Listening Tour Speak Up! It’s Your Park Condos and coop boards, build- DIRECTORS In the coming year, we will con- ing agents, small business, corpo- kim baker, HaNita blUmfielD tinue our advocacy campaign in public rate sponsors and FDHP members all meryl broDsky, PaUl crawforD forums and media. Only by speaking have a role to play in determining the jUaN estebaN roDrigUez, bill HUxley up can we expect city and state of- future of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. allaN leVy, millie margiotta fcials to take appropriate measures. We are proud of our achievements, bozeNa massey, aVeeN NoUri Take heed Community Board 6, City AND with a larger fnancial base, we micHael resNick, reNee roberts Council and Borough President could do much more. In 2018, we are robert stiNsoN Gale Brewer. The needs of Hammar- embarking on a listening tour to en- skjold Plaza extend far beyond the gage stakeholders, exchange informa- NEWS EDITOR: aNNe saxoN-HersH neighborhood. aNNe HersH, eDitor PHOTOGRAPHER: ViViaN gorDoN
8 Friends oF dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 224 E. 47th St. Room 339, NYC 10017 ~212-826-8980 ~ www.hammarskjoldplaza.org