On a gray and cloudy Earth Day, April 22, the preschool class at Concourse House in Kingsbridge contributed to the eco-friendly festivities occurring worldwide by planting flowers in their backyard.
“Yuck,” said a few children laughing as they dipped their fingers into the dark brown soil and instantly smacked their hands together to get the dirt off.
With their playground padlocked shut, two kids ran around benches and trees, playing with sticks.
That was the scene last Thursday at Sachkerah Woods, in the southeastern section of Van Cortlandt Park (at the corner of Gun Hill Road and Jerome Avenue), where the city has shut down a relatively new playground facility while the Parks Department works to fix a leaking underground water pipe.
That was the scene last Thursday at Sachkerah Woods, in the southeastern section of Van Cortlandt Park (at the corner of Gun Hill Road and Jerome Avenue), where the city has shut down a relatively new playground facility while the Parks Department works to fix a leaking underground water pipe.
Last week, we tried to cover a meeting of the Kingsbridge Armory Task Force, held at the office of Community Board 7. We were told that the state Open Meetings Law did not apply because the task force only makes recommendations and is not an official government body.
This is technically correct and we also understand that people sometimes feel more comfortable offering unvarnished opinions if they can do so without the press in the room.
The problem is that, too often, decisions get made in advance at these kinds of things without public scrutiny or even awareness. Then the formal "public review process" becomes a sham, a lesson in theater or both.
We hesitate to bring up disagreeable memories, but are compelled to do so by an overwhelming desire not to see history repeated.
This is technically correct and we also understand that people sometimes feel more comfortable offering unvarnished opinions if they can do so without the press in the room.
The problem is that, too often, decisions get made in advance at these kinds of things without public scrutiny or even awareness. Then the formal "public review process" becomes a sham, a lesson in theater or both.
We hesitate to bring up disagreeable memories, but are compelled to do so by an overwhelming desire not to see history repeated.
The winners of the annual Tiger Day reading challenge at PS 94 ("The Magnificent 7" pictured, from left to right,Caius Gillett, Kayla LaTorres, Anna Williams, Mahrukh Jaura,Maisha Haque, Melanie Carrasco, JImmy De La Cruz) read at least 10 nonfiction books, including five biographies, and completed a project to showcase their favorite book. The children read a wide variety of books about famous figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller and President Obama.
The city’s Parks Department announced last week that it was setting up a Central Park-like Conservancy in Van Cortlandt Park.
This is a bad idea.
Up until now, the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park have acted as independent caretakers of the park responding to community concerns, helping to organize upkeep, maintaining trails, advocating for park interests, fundraising, providing important programming and maintaining ongoing communication with the Parks Department.
So why does the city feel the need to add on a Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, right in the middle of the biggest economic downturn in a generation? One possible explanation is vengeance.
Mayor Bloomberg is mad at the Friends because they decided to oppose the siting of the Croton water filtration plant at Mosholu Golf Course. Unlike the mayor, they believe that the land use review process should be adhered to, that parks are not for sale, and that if land at Van Cortlandt Park can be alienated then it can happen elsewhere.
This is a bad idea.
Up until now, the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park have acted as independent caretakers of the park responding to community concerns, helping to organize upkeep, maintaining trails, advocating for park interests, fundraising, providing important programming and maintaining ongoing communication with the Parks Department.
So why does the city feel the need to add on a Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, right in the middle of the biggest economic downturn in a generation? One possible explanation is vengeance.
Mayor Bloomberg is mad at the Friends because they decided to oppose the siting of the Croton water filtration plant at Mosholu Golf Course. Unlike the mayor, they believe that the land use review process should be adhered to, that parks are not for sale, and that if land at Van Cortlandt Park can be alienated then it can happen elsewhere.