St. Nicks Dog Run: Happy 2009 - Coffee Bark to continue in Spring - Tips for Winter

Happy New Year's! The Friends want to thank the St. Nick's Dog Run community in helping keep our dog run one of the best in the city. Our popular St. Nick's Dog Run Coffee Barks will continue in the Spring. Look out for our emails announcing the first one for 2009!
During the winter, fewer dogs and owners may use the dog run but it still sees a lot of action. Below are some tips for what you can do to help us maintain our beautiful dog run.

Help keep the dog run clean and neat by:

- Bringing extra poop bags to fill our dispensers.

- Picking up trash (even if it's not yours).

- Picking up poop (even if it's not your dog's).

- Picking up stray cigarette butts.

- Picking up glass whenever you see it

- Volunteer on a Clean-up Day. (we always send out notices when we schedule them). Email us at dogpark@stnicholaspark.org if you like to be added to our list.

- Respect the rules of the Dog Run and work with other members of this great dog- owning community.

Contribute financially to support ongoing maintenance as well as future improvements to the dog run.

TO DONATE to St. Nick's Dog Run:

Step 1: Write a check made out to: City Parks Foundation

In the memo of the check be sure to write "Friends of St. Nicholas Park"

Step 2: Mail the check with a cover letter describing your donation to St. Nicholas Park to:

Friends Of St. Nicholas Park
P.O. Box 195
New York, NY 10030

RIP Kansas

St. Nick's Dog Run is sad to learn about the passing of Kansas. Kansas and his Dad were one of the Dog Run regulars who helped plan, create and built our dog run. We will miss Kansas dearly. The photo above was sent by Kansas's Dad. He says "I love the attached picture of him in the dog run. Looks like he is about to get in trouble."

Josh Greenberg, Kansas's Dad, write us a message below:

All,

It is with much sadness that I am writing to let you all know about the passing of Kansas. For those of you that don't know him, Kansas was the happy yellow Lab, that had a passion for searching the run for all things that dogs aren't supposed to eat and trying to be romantic whenever he could. About a month and a half ago he was diagnosed with what the vet thought was cancer and unfortunately that turned out to be correct. Kansas was great up until about last week but as is true for most of us the illness caught up with him. Earlier this week I made the decision to have him put to sleep and of course being the stubborn Lab that he was, he decided to trump me by passing away this morning, a mere 4 hours before our vet appointment.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has asked about Kansas recently. You and your dogs were all key in making his life more enjoyable, especially near the end. I know he is in a better place because he deserves to be.

Thanks again.

Josh

Holiday Tree Lighting brings Cheer During Chilly Evening

On Saturday night the Friends of St. Nicholas Park hosted their annual Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting. Below is a link to some of the photos of the event. By the time our entertainment and activities ended, we had a brilliantly lit tree and very little cider or hot chocolate left.

Click here to view more photos of the event!

We want to call out a few individuals who helped make our event happen.

Special thanks to:

Risa Rottenberg who organized this year's event.

Michael Jones, who played Santa Claus.

Our Arts and Crafts staff, Laurel Peacock and Susan Mende.

Waldron Rick who entertained us with his brilliant trumpet playing.

The Dorothy Maynor Singers, and Byron McCray at Harlem School for the Arts.

The members of the Friends of St. Nicholas Park who volunteered and helped make this event possible including Julia, Carola, Josh, Adrien and William.

St. Mark's Church for providing their kitchen and tables. Without St. Mark's our events could not happen.

Tamara Tunie for giving another inspiring performance to get everyone into the Holiday spirit.

The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation and all those who have made donations to the Friends of St. Nicholas Park throughout the year.

December Coffee Bark - warm coffee helps the winter chill!

Eventhough it is not officially winter, the crowd at St. Nick's Dog Run were mighty chilly this morning. The dogs didn't seem to feel the winter in the air as there were lots of playing, etc.

Pictured above: Josh with Kansas

December Coffee Bark this Saturday Dec 6th from 9am-11am

The St. Nick's Dog Run Coffee Bark happens this Saturday, December 6th from 9am-11am. Come kick off the holiday season at the Dog Run with some coffee, donuts and fun while socializing with fellow dog owners and discussing issues concerning St. Nicholas Park and St. Nick's Dog Run. The St. Nick's Dog Run is located in the middle of St. Nicholas Park between 136th and 137th streets. If you are interested in volunteering for the Coffee Bark, contact us at info@stnicholaspark.org

HELP KEEP ST. NICK'S DOG RUN THE BEST IN NEW YORK!

Please help keep our Coffee Barks running. Donate to the St. Nick's Dog Run by filling out the form here and mailing it to the Friends!

http://www.stnicholaspark.org/PDFs/TreeOrnamentFundraising.pdf

The Friends of St. Nicholas Park will hang an ornament with your dog's name on it for a donation of $10 or more.

Friends' Holiday Festival and Tree lighting This Saturday Dec. 6th!

This Saturday, Dec. 6th from 3pm-6pm the Friends will be hosting our Annual Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting at the 135th Street Plaza in St. Nicholas Park. This year includes arts and crafts, and a visit from St. Nick (Santa Claus). Families will be able to have their picture taken with Santa Claus for a small donation to the Friends organization. Tamara Tunie - star of TV's Law and Order SVU will recite 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (also known as "A Visit from St. Nicholas"). Also performing will be dancers and a choir from the Harlem School for the Arts.

Saturday, December 6th marks St. Nicholas Day. This day marks a popular day in Germany where children had left a boot or stockings out for St. Nick to fill with goodies. The day is still practiced among German neighborhoods in the US.

Hot Chocolate and Apple Cider will be served at the event.

This year the Friends are also giving everyone who donates $10 or more to the group an opportunity to have a personalized message written on an ornament and hung on their tree. For more information click here.

HAMILTON GRANGE: Exhibit Design & Content Public Meeting

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input on the exhibit content and design for Hamilton Grange National Memorial.

Following the restoration of Hamilton Grange in St. Nicholas Park, the new ground floor level of the building will become a visitor center focusing on the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton and the home he built for his family in Harlem. Current planning and programming for the visitor experience at the Grange includes interpretive and interactive exhibits as well as an orientation gallery and short narrative film within this space. Guided tours of the restored and furnished historic spaces on the first floor of the house are planned to enhance and complement the interpretive exhibits on the ground floor.

The NPS would like to engage the public in the early stages of this design process to help generate ideas for interpretive themes, content development, and other thoughts for the future exhibit design for Hamilton Grange. The NPS is seeking input from a variety of stakeholders – including local community groups and neighborhood associations, educators and academics, park visitors and other interested parties – to inform and comment on this design process. It is anticipated that the design and fabrication of the exhibits will be completed and installed within the building in time for the Grange's re-opening.

We look forward to your participation in this important effort.

WHAT: Public Meeting – Hamilton Grange Exhibit Design & Content

WHEN: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

WHERE: Room NA 1/203, located on the first floor of the North
Academic Center Building at the City College of New York. (click link for PDF) Please enter on Convent Avenue at 138th Street.

Friends' Announce 2008 Holiday Fundraising Drive

DONATE AS LITTLE
AS $10 AND GET A PERSONALIZED ORNAMENT ON THE ST. NICHOLAS PARK HOLIDAY TREE!

For this holiday season, the Friends of St. Nicholas Park will be writing a message from you or your family on a personalized ornament and hang it on our tree.

Click below to download the PDF. Fill it in with all the information and send in to Friends of St. Nicholas Park and we'll get your ornament up on our tree.

The tree will be up until just after the New Year, so New Year's wishes are welcomed as well.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF OR ORNAMENT DONATION FORM

This form requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - a free program. Click to download it.

Convent Avenue Site Meeting Scheduled for December 11th 6:30pm-8:30pm

Per the Hamilton Grange update issued November 5 (see below), the National
Park Service is seeking public input on the use of the Convent Avenue site.
The public meeting has been scheduled for December 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
at the Harlem School of the Arts, 645 St. Nicholas Ave. We look forward to
your participation.

Public Input Sought on the Use of Convent Avenue Site

The National Park Service (NPS) develops a General Management
Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) that serves as a projected
long-term framework for the management and use of an NPS site. The GMP/EIS
for Hamilton Grange was published in 1995. The final plan called for the
relocation of the Grange from Convent Avenue to St. Nicholas Park and for
NPS to “restore the Grange, to the greatest degree possible, to its
appearance during Hamilton’s residency (1802-04).” This past June, NPS
moved the Grange and is in the process of restoring the home so visitors
can fully appreciate the historical context and significance of Hamilton’s
home.

The Hamilton Grange GMP/EIS also specified action for the redevelopment of
the Convent Avenue property once the home was moved. The plan called for
turning the existing site into a new structure for public and NPS uses.
However, this provision of the 1995 GMP/EIS is no longer feasible and will
be amended.

Amending the GMP/EIS will involve consultation with the public, both to
generate ideas and to comment on alternatives. NPS will ask the public to
help identify feasible alternatives for the Convent Avenue site. By the end
of this year we hope to begin the public scoping process, and will
communicate via a variety of media on opportunities for the public to
comment.

Visioning statement from 2005 shows much progress in St. Nick Park

The St. Nicholas Park visioning statement created in 2005 by Partnership for Parks and a coalition of area community groups, list major goals to be reached for the park in coming years. Three years later, some of the goals have been reached while others still need some work. Please download and read this important document. The Friends of St. Nicholas Park invites anyone to help us make all the goals on this document a reality. For volunteer information please email us at info@stnicholaspark.org.

You can also join our email list by clicking here to our join Google group.

Download the PDF of the 2005 St. Nicholas Park Visioning Statement

HAMILTON GRANGE: Restoration Update November 2008

Below is information send from Darren Bock of the National Parks Service. The information below is related to the renovation of the Hamilton Grange in St. Nicholas Park. The Grange is expected to complete a full renovation by Fall 2009.

Original 1802 Roof Balustrade

In the 1980 Historic Structure Report for the Grange, the principal
investigators surmised that the balustrade (decorative railing) shown in
the earliest photograph, ca 1860 (see below), was not the original location
of the balustrade. Their assumption that the balustrade had been relocated
was primarily based on the alterations that had been made to all of the
roofs prior to 1860 to increase the roof pitch to reduce water
infiltration.

To try and resolve the question of the original balustrade the NPS
restoration project team has conducted extensive investigations of the
remaining original flush boards (at the front facade, piazzas) and
clapboards (rear facade), which included analysis of the paint layers
(approximately 22 layers) and removal of later date clapboards and flush
boards to expose the original porch and piazza roof fastening and flashing
details. We located the attachment point of the balustrade at the north
facade over the former rear entryway. Paint analysis within the field of
the balustrade newel and rail attachment locations and the surrounding
clapboards revealed that the balustrade was attached here when the Grange
was originally constructed, as shown in the earliest photograph.

We have concluded that the 1860 photograph does represent the original
balustrade. This balustrade was removed, documented and discarded around
1937. The documentation of the balustrades appearance is sufficient to
allow restoration of the balustrade to the main roof, porches and piazzas.
The project team will continue its investigations to verify the attachment
method of the balustrade to the main roof.

New Roof Being Laid

The lower sloped roof will be clad with western red cedar shingles, 16"
long, widths from 3" to 6". The shingles will be individually hand dipped
with a full bodied stain, dried before laying with zinced roofing nails,
with 4" exposure. The wood shingle roof paint color is derived from the
original wood shingles found in the false chimneys.

The upper roof will be clad with a protective membrane and the false
chimneys will be clad with tongue and grove flush board siding and painted
to match the original finish. The project team will remove the later
layers of paint from the original chimney cladding to expose the painting
scheme for the original chimney for replication on the new protective
cladding.

HAMILTON GRANGE: Public Input Sought on the Use of Convent Avenue Site

The following announcement was made by NPS via Darren Bock:

The National Park Service (NPS) develops a General Management
Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) that serves as a projected
long-term framework for the management and use of an NPS site. The GMP/EIS
for Hamilton Grange was published in 1995. The final plan called for the
relocation of the Grange from Convent Avenue to St. Nicholas Park and for
NPS to “restore the Grange, to the greatest degree possible, to its
appearance during Hamilton’s residency (1802-04).” This past June, NPS
moved the Grange and is in the process of restoring the home so visitors
can fully appreciate the historical context and significance of Hamilton’s
home.

The Hamilton Grange GMP/EIS also specified action for the redevelopment of
the Convent Avenue property once the home was moved. The plan called for
turning the existing site into a new structure for public and NPS uses.
However, this provision of the 1995 GMP/EIS is no longer feasible and will
be amended.

Amending the GMP/EIS will involve consultation with the public, both to
generate ideas and to comment on alternatives. NPS will ask the public to
help identify feasible alternatives for the Convent Avenue site. By the end
of this year we hope to begin the public scoping process, and will
communicate via a variety of media on opportunities for the public to
comment.

>>Friends of St. Nicholas Park will continue to update members via email and on this blog. Stay tuned for future meeting information<<

November Coffee Bark Photos!

Hey all,

We had another successful Coffee Bark this past Saturday. Lots of people welcomed the very crisp weather with some hot coffee (thanks Mike), donuts, and lots of doggie play! Join us next month at the Coffee Bark on Saturday, December 6th. December 6th is a special Coffee Bark since we will be encouraging doggies to dress up in holiday costumes (antlers, Santa suits and more). More info to come. If you are interested in volunteering please contact us at info@stnicholaspark.org

Thanks!

November Coffee Bark this Saturday, Nov 1st 9am-11am

The St. Nick's Dog Run Coffee Bark happens this Saturday, November 1st from 9am-11am. Come enjoy the Fall weather at the Dog Run with some coffee, donuts and fun while socializing with fellow dog owners and discussing issues concerning St. Nicholas Park and St. Nick's Dog Run. The St. Nick's Dog Run is located in the middle of St. Nicholas Park between 136th and 137th streets. If you are interested in volunteering for the Coffee Bark, contact us at info@stnicholaspark.org

Hope to see you there!

It's My Park Day Success!

We had a wonderful time at It's My Park Day yesterday. We planted tons of Daffodils and Tulip bulbs at the 132nd Street entrance, at the top of the hill at 135th and at the 139th Street entrance. The weather managed to hold up with the occasional sprinkle, but nothing to bad until we decided to wrap things up. Just in time!

We would like to thank all of our volunteers and our gardener, Jennifer, for helping us make It’s My Park Day a success!

It's My Park! Day - next Saturday Oct 25th from 11am-4pm

Dear Friends,

Next Saturday, Oct 25th is It's My Park! Day in St. Nicholas Park. This day is devoted to planting trees, painting fences, and getting the park ready for the Winter and Spring. This year we are planting a couple of more gardens in the park and we need all the help we can get. The event is from 11am to 4pm throughout the park. An information table will be set up in the 135th street plaza (135th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue) providing info and water to participants.

Our event will take place rain or shine. Please dress appropriately in clothes suitable to working in the soil and planting. If you have a pair of work gloves please bring them, but don't worry if you don't - we'll have work gloves available for all volunteers. We'll also have water for all volunteers.

If you have any questions about tomorrow's event please let us know at info@stnicholaspark.org.

Thanks and see you tomorrow in the park!

HAMILTON GRANGE: Restoration Update October 2008

The Hamilton Grange restoration team has spent the past month uncovering
remaining historic evidence of the home’s original roof details. Based
upon this evidence the National Park Service (NPS) proposes to replace the
flat roof with non-historic material and to install stained wood shingles.

Details Emerge from Original Roof

When constructed in 1802, the Grange’s roof was flat and surrounded with a
lower (hipped) roof. We do know that the flat roof failed very quickly, as
the nails that were used for constructing the replacement hipped roof date
to approximately 1815, 13 years after the Grange was built. The only
definitive evidence we found of the original flat roof were small wrought
flashing nails, lead flashing, sealant, sheathing nails and balustrade
(decorative railing) base nails. Even with this evidence, we unfortunately
are unable to conclude what the original flat roof was actually made of.
Options from Hamilton’s day would have included wood shingles, lead sheets,
tin plates or canvas.

Since we cannot conclude what the original flat roof was made of, and given
the uncertain performance of any of the historic options, NPS is proposing
to install a roof made of modern materials that will ensure weather
tightness. The new roof material, which will be a synthetic membrane, will
match the off-white appearance of the historic wood shingles (ranging in
width from 2-3/4" to 5," with 4" exposed to the weather) previously found
on the sloped portion of the roof – see September 2008 update.
.
Additionally, we consider it possible that the roof’s balustrade, which can
be seen in a circa 1860 photograph, is not the original balustrade, and in
fact the original main roof balustrade may have been placed around the
perimeter of the flat roof, connecting the four chimneys on their inside
edges. The balustrade base nails (two large 6" wrought spikes spaced every
15-16" along the flat roof beams), completely flashed over at the
intersection of two flat roof beams, were instrumental in our
re-considering the location of the original main roof balustrade. The
spacing of the double nailing correlates with the balustrade newels and
intermediate bottom rail support blocks.

Temporary Reconstruction of Original Stair Components

When the Grange was moved in 1889, the original stair hall was reconfigured
to accommodate a new front door (the original faced St. Luke’s Church).
The reconfiguration entailed the replacement of the 1802 stair case, three
runs of stairs with two intermediate landings, with a new staircase of one
long run, a short run and one intermediate landing. To our great surprise,
and appreciation to the 1889 carpenters, replacement stairs used all of the
original stair carriages and one of the original landings. Last week we
“temporarily” reconstructed the original stairs, in order to determine the
extent of missing pieces, and verified that the re-used landing was in fact
the original.

Monthly meeting tomorrow night 7pm

Dear friends,

We have our monthly Friends meeting tomorrow evening at St. Marks church located at 55 edgecombe avenue (on thecorner of St. Nicholas park and 137th).

We need volunteers for our Fall festival as well as upcoming events including our holiday tree lighting in december.

The meetig starts at 7pm. If you have any questions contact us at info@stnicholaspark.org

Thanks,

Friends of St Nicholas Park

St. Nick's Dog Run Newly Chipped and Cleaned!

Thanks to the volunteers who came out on this gorgeous Saturday to help spread woodchips and spruce up the St. Nick's Dog Run. We have more woodchip piles for the run and may take those up in a couple of weeks during It's My Park! Day.

Below are some photos of the clean-up day. If you would like to volunteer for either a Coffee Bark or a Clean-up Day please contact us at info@stnicholaspark.org

Thanks!

St. Nick's Dog Run Clean Up Day This Sat. Oct 11th at 10am

Dear Friends,

We are holding the St. Nick's Dog Park Fall Clean-up Day this Saturday, October 11th from 10am to 2pm. We'll be filling in doggie dug holes, spreading new woodchips, replacing bag dispensers, and making sure the place looks great for the Fall season.

Your help is greatly needed and appreciated.

If you have a pair of work gloves please bring them. We will have some available to those who don't. Also, we will have bottled water and coffee for everyone.

It is usually better to come to the workday after you walk your dog. Dogs demand attention while in the dog run, and the workday will be more enjoyable if you can leave your dog in the comfort of his home. Of course, we understand if this is not possible and appreciate any
help you can lend.

Information on this Clean-up Day is below:

St. Nick's Dog Park
Clean-up Day
Saturday, October 11th
10am-2pm

At St. Nick's Dog Park
between 136th and 135th streets in the middle of the park

For more information visit our website at www.stnicholaspark.org

Thanks everyone for making this dog park one of the city's best!

Friends of St. Nicholas Park

October Coffee Bark - Fun for Fall!

There was a great turn out today at the St. Nick's Dog Run Coffee Bark. The cool weather certainly made the case for some warm coffee which went really fast (sorry for those who were a little late and could not enjoy the coffee). Thanks to all the volunteers who brought donuts, coffee (Mike that coffee was awesome this morning) and other items to make this another successful coffee bark. Below are some photos from today's bark.

The next coffee bark will take place on Saturday, November 1st from 9-11am. If you are interested in helping out please let us know at info@stnicholaspark.org.

St. Nick's Dog Run Coffee Bark Tomorrow Sat. Oct 4th from 9-11am

The St. Nick's Dog Run Coffee Bark happens this Saturday, October 4th from 9am-11am. Come enjoy the autumn at the Dog Run with some coffee, donuts and fun while socializing with fellow dog owners and discussing issues concerning St. Nicholas Park and St. Nick's Dog Run. The St. Nick's Dog Run is located in the middle of St. Nicholas Park between 136th and 137th streets. If you are interested in volunteering for the Coffee Bark, contact us at dogpark@stnicholaspark.org Hope to see you there!

St. Nicholas Park Hosts First Bloom with the First Lady

First Lady Laura Bush watches as participants in the First Bloom project at Hamilton Grange National Memorial discover the different things -- from bugs to twigs -- that can be found when you shake the branches of a shrub. Photo taken Sept. 24, 2008.

By Mindi Rambo, NPS (National Parks Service)

Hamilton Grange National Memorial in Harlem, served as the backdrop on September 24 for the second First Bloom event in New York City. First Bloom is a National Park Foundation (NFP) program that connects children to national parks through planting and gardening projects.

First Lady Laura Bush, NPF Honorary Chair, took a tour of the Grange, which moved June 7, and received a briefing on the historic building’s restoration from Stephen Spaulding, the National Park Service’s chief of architectural preservation division for the northeast region.

Mrs. Bush joined children from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Harlem and local schools on the grounds below the house and talked with them at a variety of “stations” where the children were learning about different aspects of gardening. At one table, she saw how they had planted seedlings in compostable pots. Kneeling next to the students at another station, Mrs. Bush took a keen interest in what they discovered when the shook a shrub and sorted what fell onto a tarp – mostly bark and insects. She also heard about their plans, which for one boy means growing up to become an architect.

“[First Bloom’s] a way to connect kids to their parks, their closest national park. And this, the Alexander Hamilton house behind us, is one of our national historic sites,” Mrs. Bush said. “And this neighborhood is going to get to watch while this house is restored. … There’s a historical architect who’s working on it, so it will be historical restoration. And while they watch the house being restored the kids in the neighborhood, and other community members, are going to be involved in planning the site.”

First Bloom was launched in 2007 by Mrs. Bush at the NPF Leadership Summit.
The program provides children in urban environments with the opportunity to get their hands in the dirt and experience planting and gardening in their neighborhoods and our national parks. It is believed that these efforts will “plant the seeds” of conservation and environmental stewardship in the next generation. Program partners include the NPS, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and community organizations that serve children.

The previous First Bloom event in New York took place at Castle Clinton National Monument on April 21, 2008

First Lady Laura Bush (far left) watches as Stephen Spaulding, chief of architectural preservation division for the northeast region of the National Park Service, talks with Nicholas Irving, a student who wants to be an architect when he grows up. First Lady Laura Bush arranged the introduction, when she learned about Nicholas' career plans during First Bloom at Hamilton Grange National Memorial on September 24, 2008. Photo taken Sept. 24, 2008.

HAMILTON GRANGE: Restoration Update September 2008

Original Roof Uncovered
The restoration of the Grange includes removing parts of the roof that were
added to the home after its completion in 1802. During the process of
stripping the roof back to expose its finishes and flashings, the historic
architects found evidence of the original 1802 balustrade, or decorative
detailing, that did not match existing photographic images of the home
taken in 1860. Also uncovered during the removal of the sheet metal
cladding of the two faux chimneys on the home were the original roof
shingles, 10" long hand-made pine shingles (see photo below). Both of these
‘discoveries’ will assist the National Park Service as the agency works
with great care and precision to restore Hamilton’s “Sweet Project” to its
former splendor.

Exhibit Design Firm To Seek Community Input
Following the restoration of the Grange, exhibits about the historical
significance and cultural meanings of the Grange and Alexander Hamilton
will be installed in parts of the home’s basement and first floor. To begin
this process, the National Park Service (NPS) will hire an exhibit planning
and design firm through an existing architectural/engineering contract.
The firm that is selected will be required to consult with scholars,
historical architects, NPS exhibit specialists and members of the Harlem
community, to gain an understanding of the diverse themes and stories
associated with the Grange. As an initial step, in a public meeting members
of the community will be asked to provide the designers their perspectives
and opinions. Information will soon be released on how you can participate.

Convent Avenue Sidewalk To Be Replaced & Reopened
The NPS is aware of the safety concerns and inconvenience due to the
continued closure to pedestrian traffic of the west side sidewalk on
Convent Avenue in front of the former Grange site. The NPS’ contractor,
which under their contract controls the property, has submitted permit
requests to the appropriate City of New York authorities seeking approval
to replace the sidewalk. Once the contractor receives the required permits,
they will begin work on the sidewalk within two days and should have it
completed within another three days. We apologize for the inconvenience and
thank the community for their continued patience.

STRAY DOG FOUND!

A stray dog was found in St. Nicholas Park this morning. If you recognize this dog and know who the owner might be OR if you are interested in adopting this dog, please contact the Friends of St. Nicholas Park.

Salon Sessions Success!

The Anthropologists' FIRST EVER Salon Session was presented Saturday, August 30^th at St. Nicholas Park!

The group collected 50 six-word stories in 4 different languages throughout the day and approximately 30 people joined us for the show and stayed for some delicious sweet potato pie from Harlem's famous Make My Cake. We had a fantastic time and hope that you enjoyed the show, the project, and meeting the theatre company.

Please visit their website (http://www.theanthropologists.org/Salon_Sessions.html) for upcoming performances in this, and other, series.

The Anthropologists Perform in the Park!

Salon Sessions
Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Anthropologists is a company of artists dedicated to the creation of investigative, socially relevant, and engaging theatrical work. They train together on a regular basis using Viewpoints and other physical theater techniques to devise organic, ensemble-based work. They are committed to researching topics from an anthropological perspective in order to break down and unleash cultural discoveries.

Starting in August, The Anthropologists started doing a series of free one-day events in various neighborhoods around New York City/Five boroughs. Inspired by SMITH Magazine’s book, Not Quite What I Was Planning, a collection of 6-word memoirs, their goal is to create a unique performance in the middle of the city. In their first round of performances, they are planning on visiting Harlem, Washington Heights and the Lower East Side.

Using storytelling and character-building techniques, a team of actors & a director go to each neighborhood, engage with community and invite people to write their own six word stories. From this text they create a six-minute play which will be created in an open rehearsal or "salon session" where community members can see the show they wrote being formed before their eyes.

The event provides a way for a community to connect with and through theatre by bringing theatre to their doorstep and providing opportunities to co-create as writers and audience members.

Now, they will be visiting St. Nicholas Park! Please see the details below and visit their website if you would like to know more.

Who: Jean Goto, Jennifer Moses, Sonja Sweeney, Allison Whittinghill, Melissa Fendell (Director)

What: A 30-minute performance transforming 6-word stories into a 6-minute play

When: collecting stories from 12pm-3pm, performance at 5pm

Where: St. Nicholas Park - the plaza at 135th Street

Cost: Free!

HAMILTON GRANGE: Restoration Update August 2008

Hamilton Grange National Memorial was sited over its new foundation on June
27, 2008. Since that time, the contractor has repaired the timber support
sills, girts and floor joists. In addition, the exterior and interior
masonry block foundation walls have been constructed up to the underside of
the timber support framing in all locations except where steel I-beams and
support cribbing/blocking remain.

During the week of August 4, Wolfe House & Building Movers will return to
St. Nicholas Park to remove the last of the I-beams and cribbing. The
contractor will then be able to finish the masonry block foundation. This
is a major milestone for the Grange as work on site utilities and drainage
can be completed. With all these pieces in place, the exterior restoration
of the home can then begin.

The past four weeks have also seen the replacement of street lights on
Convent Avenue and 141st Street as well as the final cleanup of the Convent
Avenue site. Over the next two weeks the National Park Service hopes to
complete the interim treatment for the Convent Avenue site. The interim
treatment includes site grading and seeding in addition to the replacement
of the iron fence and gate in the front and rear of the property.

The masonry block foundation has been constructed up to the timber support
framing of Hamilton Grange.

The Convent Avenue site where Hamilton Grange once stood has been cleared
of debris and will be graded and seeded in the coming weeks.

HARLEM HOP MEETS DIGGER’S DELIGHT GREAT SUCCESS

HARLEM HOP MEETS DIGGER’S DELIGHT was a great success on Tuesday night. Great weather, awesome beats and a great crowd. Check out the pictures taken by Joe Conzo.