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
*** 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.
The Friends of Williamsbridge Oval will be having a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, 9/21) at 7 pm near the bocce ball courts in the park. All are welcome, and bring fido too!
A quick rundown of the group's mission is below. They are always looking for more community-minded folks to join their group, so please feel free to stop by tomorrow's meeting!
Friends of the Oval is a volunteer-led collection of neighbors who care about and delight in their park. Membership is open to anyone and everyone who wants to preserve and improve the Williamsbridge Oval as a vital community resource for the thousands of adults, children and elderly who enjoy the park each week.
Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval is committed to using people power to assist the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in properly maintaining and supporting our park. As neighbors who love the Oval and our neighborhood, we work together with community residents, elected officials and neighborhood organizations to identify needs in the park, monitor repairs and renovations and sponsor activities to foster community connectedness.
The folks over at Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval have been working hard to ensure that the current construction projects at the park are moving along as quickly as possible. They've even begun hosting "Night Walks," which entail walking around the entirety of the park after dark in order to see which lights may need to be fixed or replaced. There's one this evening at 9pm - meet at the Keeper's Gate entrance if you're interested in helping out!
Below is a detailed update from FOWO identifying the current projects currently underway around the park:
As you may have experienced by now, the Williamsbridge Oval Playground is undergoing a vast amount of construction right now.Because of this construction, almost half of the park is off-limits to the public; the recreation center and its surrounding playgrounds have been dismantled and are being restructured.Unfortunately, completion of the new recreation center (details of its new amenities will be posted on the BD in the coming months) will be Spring 2011.But, the surrounding playgrounds are to be completed this coming Fall (late) 2010.Below is a plan of the playground areas sent to the Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval from the Department of Parks and Recreation:
After completion of Playgrounds 1 and 3, a new, improved dog run is to be constructed near the North entrance of the Oval Park:
The dog run plans were presented to the Friends of the Oval last August.The new dog run will be larger (than the current Oval dog run) with areas for both large dogs and smaller dogs.It will also have picnic tables and benches for people watching their dogs.Because of problems with the water lines in the Park, there will be no “Doggy Water Play” located in the dog run.The Parks’ Department is working very hard to install a dog-friendly water fountain in the Park near the dog run.Completion of this new dog run is scheduled for late Fall 2010.
Because of construction, the recreation center has been experiencing an increase in vandalism.I have seen many young adults break into the construction site, climb on the roof of the recreation center, and then thrown materials down.This is dangerous for the trespassers, wastes tax payers’ money, and prolongs construction.If you see anyone in the construction site (other than construction workers), please call the 52 precinct at (718) 220-5811 (I recommend having the number programed into your cell phones!).An increase in calls regarding any vandalism or the selling of illegal substances (alcohol, food without a permit, and drugs) on park grounds will only help convince the 52 that the Oval needs enforcement.
Also, the Oval Park is a beautiful park that is in need of community residents who will insist that the park be respected, cleaned, and maintained.Simply asking people using the Oval park to pick up after their dogs or to throw away their trash is a small victory in helping the Oval reach its potential.Please join Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval on facebook:
On Monday, August 23, Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval have organized a “Night Walk” to identify non-working lights in the Park.Please join us at 9 pm.We will meet inside the park near the Keeper’s Gate (the entrance at the north end of the park, across the street from the Keeper’s House, near Reservoir Pl.).Please bring cell phones, flashlights, pen and paper, and, of course, dogs are always welcome.The “Night Walk” should last less than an hour.
Thanks for the update and keep up the great work, FOWO!
The Friends of Williamsbridge Oval will be having a meeting on Thursday (7/22) at 7 pm at the Oval park in the picnic grove (between the bocce ball courts and the track).
A quick rundown of the group's mission is below. They are always looking for more community-minded folks to join their group, so please feel free to stop by Thursday's meeting!
Friends of the Oval is a volunteer-led collection of neighbors who care about and delight in their park. Membership is open to anyone and everyone who wants to preserve and improve the Williamsbridge Oval as a vital community resource for the thousands of adults, children and elderly who enjoy the park each week.
Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval is committed to using people power to assist the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in properly maintaining and supporting our park. As neighbors who love the Oval and our neighborhood, we work together with community residents, elected officials and neighborhood organizations to identify needs in the park, monitor repairs and renovations and sponsor activities to foster community connectedness.
The Friends of Williamsbridge Oval will be meeting this Thursday evening, 7/1, at 7pm at 3274 Hull Avenue.
A quick rundown of the group's mission is below. They are always looking for more community-minded folks to join their group, so please feel free to stop by Thursday's meeting!
Friends of the Oval is a volunteer-led collection of neighbors who care about and delight in their park. Membership is open to anyone and everyone who wants to preserve and improve the Williamsbridge Oval as a vital community resource for the thousands of adults, children and elderly who enjoy the park each week.
Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval is committed to using people power to assist the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in properly maintaining and supporting our park. As neighbors who love the Oval and our neighborhood, we work together with community residents, elected officials and neighborhood organizations to identify needs in the park, monitor repairs and renovations and sponsor activities to foster community connectedness.
The Friends of Williamsbridge Oval will be meeting this evening at 6:30pm at 3149 Hull Avenue, 2nd Floor.
A quick rundown the group's mission is below. They are always looking for more community-minded folks to join their group, so stop by tonight's meeting!
Friends of the Oval is a volunteer-led collection of neighbors who care about and delight in their park. Membership is open to anyone and everyone who wants to preserve and improve the Williamsbridge Oval as a vital community resource for the thousands of adults, children and elderly who enjoy the park each week.
Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval is committed to using people power to assist the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in properly maintaining and supporting our park. As neighbors who love the Oval and our neighborhood, we work together with community residents, elected officials and neighborhood organizations to identify needs in the park, monitor repairs and renovations and sponsor activities to foster community connectedness.
Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval is affiliated with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, a thirty year old activist organization committed to empowerment and social justice for Bronx residents. Friends of the Oval draws on the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of the Norwood neighborhood and needs the involvement of all our neighbors.
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