In autumn, thousands of volunteers across New York City join together to spruce up our public parks. In the Plaza’s Katharine Hepburn Garden, we plant flower bulbs for spring bloom, clean, paint, rake leaves and enjoy the beauty of autumn. No experience necessary, tools and supplies provided. Children age 9 and up are welcome under the supervision of an adult Public health guidelines remain in effect. Volunteers receive a souvenir floral postcard.
Arrive any time between 9:30 am and 12 Noon, and work for at least one hour. Please us know if you would like to participate so we can plan ahead!
HOW TO REGISTER: Email fdhp@hammarskjoldplaza.org and provide your contact info: name, phone and approximate time of arrival and departure. On event day, report to welcome table at garden gate behind Pink Moose cafe. Early birds, OK to show up at 9 AM. If weather is “iffy” check our website for updates.
Note: Fridays between 10 and Noon remain regular garden volunteer sessions.
Due to possible pop-up shower this Thursday afternoon, and 11 musicians traveling from all points, we cannot risk equipment and safety, so concert date is now Friday 8/20 at 6 PM.
Enjoy sensual rhythms of the New Trends Orchestra led by Corina Bartra, widely known in jazz circles as an acclaimed pioneer of Afro-Peruvian jazz with infusions of Latin trends. She has toured in Europe and USA, including appearances at the UN, Kennedy Center, and major jazz festivals.
Corina Bartra is back with the New Trends Orchestra after drawing a big crowd with the Peruvian Jazz Sextet. A singer, composer, orchestra leader and recording artist, she is widely known in jazz circles as an acclaimed pioneer of Afro-Peruvian jazz with infusions of Latin trends. Rain date: Aug. 20th.
Tonight National Night Out Against Crime takes place in 70 NYC locations, including Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. The 17th Precinct hosts the event from 5 PM to 8 PM, offering crime-prevention tips (watch out for those phone scams), kids activities, live entertainment and free food, courtesy of Ali Baba Restaurant. With all the hoopla, don’t get distracted from the subject at hand: how can we work together for the safety of our streets and parks?
Last week, the park lamps failed to light up after dark. As of last night, the plaza was still in blackout mode. Not safe. Ironically, the focus of tonight’s event is crime prevention. At what point does a 311 complaint escalate to an emergency? Are 311 and 911 our only option?
BLACKOUT: WHO’S IN CHARGE?
FDHP President Sherrill Kazan made phone calls. When she met Manhattan Parks Manager Wesley Hamilton at the Plaza to discuss the location of a sculpture exhibit, she asked, “who is responsible for repairing the electrical outage?” Hamilton said he would alert DOT (Dept. of Transportation). That was more than a week ago; the Plaza was still dark last night.
Linfei Yang, who frequents the park, stated, “It was pitch black, you couldn’t see what anyone on the benches was doing. I definitely wouldn’t feel safe walking the Plaza, and it’s been that way for at least a week.” An FDHP director who walks her dog on the Plaza at all hours sent SOS emails to CB6 and city officials, citing the large turn-out for tonight’s event. We reached out to CB6, Councilman Keith Powers office, and the 17th Precinct, alerting then to the electrical outage. Word finally trickled through and the lamps are back on. Yet we still don’t have a direct line to DOT to request service when this type of electrical failure occurs. In the past, we were told that the Department of Parks (DPR) is responsible for the lamps located on the Plaza while street lamps fall under the jurisdiction of DOT.
THE SAFETY OF PUBLIC SPACE
We encourage you to attend the 17th Precinct Community Council and Build the Block meetings. Get to know our 17th Precinct officers. NYPD has a big job on their hands and we need them to do their job. Our block officers Christopher Carlucci and John Lamneck do patrol the park but there’s no set schedule. We want patrolmen to get out of their cars and walk the beat. We understand that police authority is limited by civil liberties, but their presence helps curb illegal activity.
You also have a role to play. It’s time to speak up about the safety of the general public in our parks and streets. Public space is for everyone.
SHARE THE LOAD
We serve as community “watch dog” for Midtown East’s largest park and garden. FDHP custodian Raymond recently reported that 11 flood lamps on the retaining wall of the garden were out. He happened to notice when he left his cell phone in the park shed and returned at night to retrieve it. The city provides the power, but we purchase the light bulbs, expensive LED floods with a long-life. Just one of the many ways we keep our park clean, green and safe.
Join Friends to support the beautification and safety of our park by clicking on the green button below. Ask your neighbors to join too. Healthy parks make healthy neighborhoods.
THIS MESSAGE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY
FRIENDS OF DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA
a community-based, tax-exempt 501c3 nonprofit organization.
With a Thursday forecast of stormy weather and sunny skies expected Friday, the date of the final Salon Talk at the cafe in Dag Plaza has been changed to Friday, July 30 at 6 PM.
Getting to Know You, Turtle Bay
PAMELA HANLON, author of Manhattan’s Turtle Bay and A Worldly Affair: New York, the UN and the Story Behind Their Unlikely Bond; highlights neighborhood landmarks and history with behind-the-scene stories, including her interviews with celebrities like Broadway musical composer Stephen Sondheim. Pamela has given numerous talks and tours of the area and regards Dag Plaza as a neighborhood treasure.
Meet your neighbors and community organizations.
WHERE: Pink Moose Cafe in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47th St. betw. 1st and 2nd Aves.
Join us at Dag Plaza’s Pink Moose Cafe…NYC park architect GEORGE VELLONAKIS recounts his lunch with Katharine Hepburn at her family’s Saybrook, CT estate, and how he and Hepburn fan Millie Margiotta saved Kate’s bench from the auction block for the garden that bears her name. Vellonakis reflects on his design inspiration for the fountains, latticed pergolas, entrance dome and the park’s naturalized garden.
CHARLES HARRIS, architect from the prestigious firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, recounts the collaborative process, aesthetics, and “green design” of the United Arab Emirates building, which now overlooks the retaining wall of the Katharine Hepburn Garden, enhancing the Plaza landscape. The building meshes traditional New York City architecture with Middle Eastern aesthetics.
NEXT WEEK; July 29, author PAMELA HANLON talksabout historic Turtle Bay. Join Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and the Turtle Bay Association for a grand finale celebration of our community. More about Pam’s historical talk next week!
Enjoy the Garden’s Reopening: Now that the UAE construction fence has been removed, you can walk the entire garden path and enjoy Kate’s bench and the engraved stepping stones bearing quotes by Katharine Hepburn. Volunteers have been pruning and weeding under the guidance of Parks Gardener Maria Mendez and plantsman Robert Soret.
We appreciate your interest and look forward to a great summer in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. We welcome your feedback: email fdhp@hammarskjoldplaza.org
Today we’re “Going Ape” with Noa Bornstein’s Sculpture Talk 7/15, then we explore the Plaza’s Architecture and Gardens, ending with a talk about Turtle Bay. See you Thursday at the Pink Moose.
Even though skies are clearing, presenter TERI BLACK (Break A Leg Productions) could not risk the safety of her cast with pop-up thunderstorms and late last night (7/8/2020) bowed out of the Friday (7/9) Salon performance. Coordinating an outdoor production is no easy task, and all the Salon presenters, including Pink Moose Cafe, have been troopers, committed to bringing our community together in the park we love.
It’s all about building relationships. Just today, FDHP received a donation and the note: “This lovely park helped me get through this difficult year. I’m even happier there’s Pink Moose & live entertainment now. keep it coming!”
Next week’s Salon, July 15, 6 PM , (rain date 7/16) NOA BORNSTEIN entertains us with a family-friendly talk about the evolution of Peace Gorilla introduced by FDHP PresidentSHERRILL KAZAN, who plays a lead role in bringing sculpture to the Plaza under NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program. Noa Bernstein loves the interaction that public art offers and welcomes children to her lively talk “Going Ape”. Her public art projects include large murals in NYC and LA and animal sculptures.
July 22 Salon Talk,6 PM Park Architecture and Gardens, presents NYC park architect GEORGE VELLONAKIS and the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, designers of the stunning United Arab Emirates building, which now overlooks the retaining wall of the Katharine Hepburn Garden, contributing elegance to the landscape.
July 29, 6 PM: PAMELA HANLON’S Salon Talkabout Turtle Bay has been rescheduled for the last Thursday in July when directors of Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and the Turtle Bay Association join up for a grand finale celebration of our community.
Enjoy the Garden’s Reopening: Now that the UAE construction fence has been removed, you can walk the entire garden path and enjoy the engraved stepping stones bearing quotes by Katharine Hepburn. Volunteers have been pruning and weeding under the guidance of Parks Gardener Maria Mendez and plantsman Robert Soret. New signage and work on the foot path is underway.
State of NYC Parks: Now that the City’s budget has been passed and we have a new Mayor, stay tuned for news about the general state of NYC parks, the impact on our neighborhood, and Dag Hammarskjold Plaza.
We appreciate your interest and look forward to a great summer in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. We welcome your feedback: email fdhp@hammarskjoldplaza.org
THIS MESSAGE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY
FRIENDS OF DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA
a community-based, tax-exempt 501c3 nonprofit organization.
The staged reading presented by Teri Black, Break A Productions, will take place on Friday, 6 PM, at Pink Moose Cafe. Hopefully, the showers will run their course, leading to clear skies as we move into the weekend.
Arrive early on Friday to purchase “Grab & Go” sandwich/salad combo and take your seat. It’s gonna be a fun show with lively staged readings of Dog Park and Home.
Another rainy forecast for our second Salon Talk–both Thursday 7/8 and Friday 7/9 (rain date) has prompted cafe management to discontinue advance sales of picnic boxes and instead offer a “grab and go” sandwich, salad and beverage for sale before the show.
We will announce cancellation due to weather by 10 AM of scheduled date and post to website. The Salon series is a new program and we are working out the kinks in order to present an engaging series that celebrates our neighborhood and the park that brings our community together.
All who ordered picnic boxes will be issued a full refund for the amount of purchase. Please allow ample time for cafe to process.
