Friends of Williamsbridge Oval Fight for Continued Financing of Local Horticulture Program

Below is a letter that was sent by the Friends of Williamsbridge Oval to the Norwood News. The letters intent is to help the organization restore funding for horticulture programs that help keep the Bronx beautiful. With budget cuts everywhere we wish them well in their efforts. Please see below.

Gt

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Dear Norwood News Editor:

The community group, Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval, is deeply disappointed that Mosholu Preservation Corporation (a non-profit operated by Montefiore Hospital) has decided to eliminate their horticulture program in the Norwood and Bedford Park community. This elimination means that the new, beautiful plantings and new construction erected this last Fall in the Williamsbridge Oval’s new playground area by the Oval's Recreation Center will suffer greatly.

For the last few years, MPC has been an integral part of Norwood and Bedford Park by being invaluable in making our communities more livable, lively, and connected. MPC did creative and innovative work preserving and enhancing the neighborhood that hosts Montefiore Hospital's clients and employees.

After months of systematic distancing by Mosholu Preservation Corporation from the community, it is disheartening to know that MPC (part of a major and profitable neighborhood institution such as Montefiore Hospital) is abandoning the neighborhood via leaving its parks (which are, no doubt, the anchors for a healthy community) to fend for themselves while the Parks' Department "does more with less" while relying on private entities and local non-profits to help manage parks.

Sincerely,
Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval
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