NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS PRESS RELEASES, OCTOBER-DECEMBER 1940 http://home2.nyc.gov/html/records/pdf/govpub/41951940_press_releases_part2.pdf Text extracted from PDF scan by pdftotext 3.03. Corrected by Frank da Cruz, July 2014. Original order preserved (reverse chronological). Paragraphs reformatted by recombining hyphenated words and filling to 78 cols. Some tabular material has been reformatted to fit within 78 columns. Duplicate press releases eliminated (quite a few were repeated 5 or 6 times.) Tabs converted to spaces. Coding: ISO 8859-1 (for cent signs and fractions). Search Terms relevant to New Deal [occurrences]: Work Projects [10] Works Projects [3] Works Progress [0] WPA [1] W.P.A. [0] W. P. A. [3] New Deal projects in this archive: 2 Oct 1940: Manhattan New playground at 120th Street and East River. 2 Nov 1940: Queens Construction of Maurice (Urban Water Supply) Park. 11 Nov 1940: Queens Reconstruction of Juniper Valley Park. 13 Nov 1940: Bronx Picnic areas at Hunters Island and Twin Island. 19 Nov 1940: Manhattan Restoration of Herald Square. 26 Nov 1940: Manhattan Reconstruction of Seward Park. 7 Dec 1940: Bronx Reconstruction of Claremont Park. 18 Dec 1940: Manhattan Repaving of Central Park West Drive 86-110 Street. (begin archive) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index January - June 1940 10/2/40 167 New playground at East 120th St., opened. 10/2/40 168 Bids opened for grading east of Sehmul Park, Richmond 10/5/40 169 Children of 18 playgrounds celebrate openings. 10/5/40 170 Demonstratio of magie to be in Central Park on Oct. 6. 10/9/40 171 Opening of new Boys Club of Harlem announced. l0/ll/40-172 Bids opened for repaving section of Grand Central Parkway extension. 10/11/40-173 Harvesting of crops in Children's Gardens announced. 10/15/40-174 Exhibition of handcraft begins Oct. 15. 10/23/40-175 Program of activities announced for fall and winter. 10/23/40-176 New members to be enrolled in playground children's bands and orchestras. 10/24/40-177 City-wide finals of roller skating contest announced. 1O/27/40-178 2,289 trees planted during the spring season. 10/28/40-179 Bids received for construction of new roller and ice skating facilities in New York City Building. 10/29/40-180 Pedestrian overpass at West l48th Street and Riverside Drive 26% completed. 10/30/40-181 Northerly part of Baisley Pond Park completed; to be reopened. 10/31/40-182 Birthday parties for children in 14 playgrounds arranged. NOVEMBER #183: Nov 1, 1940-Bids on contract for transplanting trees on a construction site; #184: Nov 2, l940-Dedication of Maurice Park on Nov 3 at 3PM #185: Nov 2, 1940-Annual fall chrysanthemum show in Prospect Park Brooklyn greenhouse, Nov 3; #186: Nov 2, 1940-Finals of volley ball tournament for girls Nov 2 at Heckscher playground; #187: Nov 7, 1940-Landfill operations on Nov 6 in development of Schmul Park; #188: Nov 8, 1940-Completion of "Animal Naming Contest" for new arrivals at zoos; #189: Nov 11, 1940-Completion of four baseball diamonds in Juniper Valley Park, Queens; #190: Nov 13, 1940-Completion of additional picnic facilities at Hunters Island & Twin Island in Pelham Eay Park; #191: Nov 16, 1940-IC4A cross country run to finish in Van Courtland Park Stadium, Nov 18; #192: Nov 19, 1940-Ceremonies for unveiling of Minerva & Bell Ringers in Herald Square, Nov 19, at 5:45; #193: Nov 20, 1940-Minutes of meeting of City Planning Commission, Nov 205 #194: Nov 26, 1940-Ceremonies for reopening of reconstructed Seward Park in Manhattan, Nov 26th; #195: Nov 26, 1940-Announcement of plans for a marker t© be erected on site of Cock's Hill Fort at southern tip of Manhattan; #196: Nov 27, 19400Memorial to be erected in Battery Park to Senators Marconi, inventor of radio communication; #197: Nov 29, 1940-Bids on contract for repairing rest of West Drive in Central Park; #198: Nov 30, 1940-Closing of ten municipal golf courses at dend of play, Dec. 1st. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DECEMBER, 1940 #199: Dec 3, 1940-Anniversary of official opening of 10 Parks Dept playgrounds with schedule of celebrations; #200: Dec 3, 1940-New Jersey State World's Fair Building at Flushing Meadow to be police precinct for Flushing Meadow Park; #201: Dec 4, 1940-Former World's Fair Bld to be health museum for NYC; #202: Dec 5, 1940-New police station completed which will be hdqs patrolmen serving Marine Park, Shore Parkway, and other adjacent Brooklyn areas; #203: Dec 7, 1940-Claremont Park, The Bronx--reconstruction completed; #204: Dec 10, 1940-Opening of Carl Schurz Park, Manhattan #205: Dec 10, 1940-Bids opened for bridge over Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn; #206: Dec 10, 1940-Winter sports program of Dept of Parks announced; #207: Dec 11, 1940-Robt Moses letter to City planning Commission concerning recent City Planning Dept suggestions for Master Plans of land-use, schools, highways, and parks; #208: Dec 14, 1940-Announcement of Christmas puppet show "Jack and the Beanstalk"; #209: Dec 17, 1940-Completion and opening of repaved West Drive in Central Park from 72nd St. to 110th St.; #210: Dec 18, 1940-Special Christmas programs of recreational activities from Dec 19 through Dec 31; #211: Dec 18, 1940-Work completed on two triangles: one at Avenue V and East 2nd Street, Brooklyn, and other at New Utrecht Avenue and 45th Street, Brooklyn; #212: Dec 19, 1940-Light of Christmas trees in five boroughs; #213: Dec 20, 1940-Annual Christmas Exhibit of seasonal flowers in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; #214: Dec 20, 1940-Badminton tournament, Dec 21 at Mullaly Park Recreation Bldg, The Bronx; #214-B Dec 20, 1940-Bids on lighting system for Park Drive W.72-El68 Streets. #215: Dec 21, 1940-Further scheduling of puppet show "Jack and the Beanstalk" #216: Dec 21, 1940-Bids for sign work on Grand Central and Interboro Pkways in Brooklyn & Queens; #217: Dec 27, 1940-Bids received for Flushing Meadow Park development; #218: Dec 30, 1940-Bids received for improvement of Coney Island boardwalk and beachfront; #219: Dec 30, 1940-Bids received for improvement of City Hall Park, Manhattan; #220: Dec 31, 1940-Bids received for lighting last section of Belt Pkway between Brighton Fourth Street & Plumb Third Street, known as Emmons Ave connection. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 21, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that since Monday, December 16, the recently formed troupe of Park Department puppeteers had given 10 of a series of 27 performances of the puppet and marionette show, "Jack and the Beanstalk". These 10 shows were presented to the playground children at designated locations in the Boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn as part of the Christmas program of recreational activities. Each of the productions, which consists of 3 acts and lasts approximately 50 minutes, is produced and staged with the precision and skill of professionals. Every performance is so well attended and enthusiastically received that the children have requested a second showing. Even the parents are captivated by this dramatic adventure into fairyland since many of them have added their supplications to those of the children for another appearance. The remaining 17 shows will be given in the Boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Richmond, according to the following schedule: PROGRAM MARIONETTES - "Jack and the Beanstalk" - Characters: Cow, Jack, Mother, Giant, Giant SCHEDULE Brooklyn Saturday Dec. 21 - 11:00 A.M. - Stillwell Ave. & Avenue U Playground 3:30 P.M. - 43 Street and 7 Avenue Playground Queens Sunday Dec, 22 - 2:30 P.M. - Von Dohlen Playground, 138 St. & Archer Ave. Monday Dec. 23 - 11:00 A.M. - Flushing Memorial Plgd, Bayside Ave. & 149 S 3:30 P.M. - Dry Harbor Plgd, 80 St. and Myrtle Ave. Tuesday Dec. 24 - 11:00 A.M. - i&iney Park Plgd, Vernon Blvd., 33 Road 3:30 P.M. - Jackson Heights Plgd, 25 Ave. & 84 Street Bronx Thursday Dec. 26 - 11:00 A.M. - Mullaly Plgd, Jerome Ave. & 165 Street 3:30 P.M. - St. James Plgd, Jerome Ave. & 191 Street Friday Dec. 27 - 11:00 A.M. - St.Mary's West Plgd, E.146 St. & St.Ann's Ave 3:30 P.M. - 141 Street & Brook Avenue Saturday Dec. 28 - 11:00 A.M. - Mosholu Plgd, Mosholu Pkwy. & Jerome Ave. 3:30 P.M. - Williamsbridge Plgd E.208 St. & Bainbridge Ave Richmond Monday Dec. 30 - 11:00 A.M. - McDonald Plgd, Forest Ave., Broadway,West 3:30 P.M. - McDonald Plgd Brighton Tuesday Dec. 31 - 11:00 A.M. - Levy Plgd, Jewett & Castleton Ave. 3:30 P.M. - DiMatti Plgd, Tompkins Ave., Rosebank ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE AUTHORITY FOR RELEASE Saturday, RANDALL'S ISLAND December 21, 1940 Bids were received today by the Triborough Bridge Authority at Randall's Island on a contract for sign work on the Grand Central and Interboro Parkways in the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The work comprises the renewing of existing signs, painting new texts, construction of new wood signs and frames and new enameled signs. When completed the new and improved signs will provide additional directional facilities made necessary by opening of the Belt Parkway, the Mid-Town Tunnel and other major traffic arteries. The lowest bidders for the work weret Item I 1. Bryant Sign Shop $1,187.35 134 East 60 Street New York, N. Y. 2. M. Barash 1,944.70 2132 Ocean Avenue Brooklyn, N. Y. 3. Charles Stumpf 2,884.70 355 Pine Street Freeport, L. I. Item II 1 Allen Morrison Sign Company $ 788,65 512 Fifth Avenue New York, N. Y. 2. M. Barash 1,617.00 2132 Ocean Avenue Brooklyn, N. Y. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 27, 1940 Bids were received today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on four contracts for development of the first section of Flushing Meadow Park, These are the first contracts to be let in the construction of Flushing Meadow Park. The work will be paid for from Capital Budget funds in the budget just approved by the City Council. The work will be carried on at Grand Central Parkway Extension and Willow Lake, adjacent to the Kew Gardens section of the borough of Queens, near the Independent Subway Yard. The work under these contracts consists of regulating, grading, construction of pedestrian walks and curb, erection of new chain link fence, construction of a children's play area including the supply and erection of equipment. Also the construction of a comfort station including all electrical, plumbing and heating facilities; fabrication and erection of a timber bridge ovet the creek at the southerly end of Willow Lake to provide a continuous walk to the proposed play area; erection of a flagpole, fifty feet in height. Also the construction of a pedestrian bridge across Grand Central Parkway Extension near 72nd Road, and topsoiling, seeding, planting new trees and transplanting existing trees throughout the construction area. The three lowest bidders on each of the four contracts were: GENERAL PARK DEVELOPMENT: 1. Melwood Construction Corp. $27,479.50 507 Fifth Avenue, New York City 2. Frank Mascali & Sons, Inc. 28,229.14 4634 Third Avenue, New York City 3. Slattery Contracting Company 30,261.50 72-02 51st Ave., Winfield, L.I., N.Y. COMFORT STATION: 1. W. E. Anderson & Sons, Inc. $20,110.00 1015 East 35 Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. 2. Melwood Construction Corp. 20,363,00 507 Fifth Avenue, New York City 3. Miller & Rothenberg, Inc. 20,635.00 11 West 42 Street, New York City TOPSOILING AND PLANTING: 1. Grand View Nurseries $ 6,597.05 6 Grandview Avenue, Mt. Vernon, N. Y. 2. Grant Park Construction Co. 6,628.00 65 Prospect Avenue, Hewlett, N. Y. 3. Syosset Nurseries 7,490.00 Syosset, New York PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE: 1. Foote Construction Company $23,391.72 100 Fifth Avenue, New York City 2. Melwood Construction Corp. 24,750.00 507 Fifth Avenue, New York City 3. Nolan & McSweeney 25,816.00 155 Avenue D, New York City * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Monday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 30, 1940 Bids were received today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on two contracts for the further improvement of the Coney Island Boardwalk and beachfront, Borough of Brooklyn. The contract for general construction provides for the fabrication and erection of a new fifty foot wide raised boardwalk from Coney Island Avenue for a distance of approximately 1400 feet across the former privately owned Brighton Beach; construction of new jetties, and placing of a new white sand cover from Brighton First Street to the end of the new beach area; construction of new boardwalk railing, benches; also the construction of new jetties, extension of sewers where necessary and a white sand fill from Stillwell Avenue to Seagate; fabrication and erection of additional drinking fountains, chain link fence and other incidental work. Upon completion of this work, all of Coney Island will be covered with new white sand, to replace the old brown sand which previously covered the area. 5,37 new acres of additional beach will be made available by this work. The other contract provides for the installation of all necessary lighting facilities for the new section of boardwalk. The three lowest bidders on each of the contracts were as follows: GENERAL CONSTRUCTION: 1. Tully & Di Napoli, Inc. $470,414.90 30-11 12th St., Long Island City 2. A.M. Hazell, Inc. & Fred L. Cranford 479,865.75 117 Liberty St., New York City 3. Melwood Construction Corporation 487,283.50 507 Fifth Avenue, New York City LIGHTING: 1. Charles Michaels, Inc. $7,942.00 116 Nassau Street , Brooklyn, N. Y. 2. Public Improvements, Inc. 8,843.00 409 East 17 Street , New York City 3. Supreme Electric Equipment Co. 9,200,00 27-35 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Monday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 30, 1940 Bids were received today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on a contract for the further improvement of City Hall Park, Borough of Manhattan. The work under this contract consists of the removal of the statue, Civic Virtue from its present location in City Hall Park, grading and restoring the site and erection of Civic Virtue on a site selected at the new Queens Borough Hall, Kew Gardens, Queens. The three lowest bidders on the proposed work were: 1. Melwood Construction Corp. $21,720.00 507 Fifth Avenue, N. Y. C. 2. Harry Hershon Co., Inc. 22,745.00 1860 Broadway, N. Y. C. 3. Thomas Rome, Inc. 25,063.00 8860 76th Avenue Glendale, L. I. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE AUTHORITY FOR RELEASE Tuesday, RANDALL'S ISLAND, N. Y. December 31, 1940 Bids were opened today by the Triborough Bridge Authority at the Administration Building, Randall's Island on the contract for lighting the last section of the Belt Parkway between Brighton Fourth Street and Plumb Third Street, known as the Emmons Avenue connection. The work under this contract provides for the construction and installation of all underground facilities including splicing boxes, conduit and cable, the erection of standard type parkway cedar light poles complete with sodium vapor luminaires, fabrication and installation of illuminated directional signs for motorists and for parkway police telephone signal boxes. Upon completion of the Bnmons Avenue section, motorists will have continuous uninterrupted passage on the Belt Parkway from Owl's Head Park to the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge approach, a distance of approximately 35 miles. The three lowest bidders for this work were the following: 1. Simpson Electric Corp. $58,278.00 71 East 116 Street New York City 2. Jandous Electric Equipment Co. 63,640,00 210 East 40 Street New York City 3 . H. Z. Altberg 64,379.00 1776 Broadway New York City *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 20, 1940 Bids were opened today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on a contract for reconstructing a portion of the lighting system in Park Drive, Central Park, Borough of Manhattan, between West 72nd and East 68 Streets. The work will be done in connection with the repaving of Park Drive in this area and when completed the new lighting system will extend from West 110 Street to East 68 Street. The remaining portion of the work will be done under contract in the near future. The work under this contract includes the relocation of existing light posts and addition of new lighting, construction of pull boxes, new conduit and cable, and relocation of traffic signal lights. The three low bidders on this contract are: Elco Electric Company $17,726.00 345 East 23 Street Jandous Electric Equipment Co. 18,350.00 210 East 40 Street Hittner Electric Company 18,644.00 415 Lexington Avenue * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 20, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that the city-wide finals of the badminton tournament conducted by the Park Department will take place at Mullaly Park Recreation Building, Jerome Avenue and 165 Street, The Bronx, on Saturday, December 21, at 2:00 P. M. Participants in this tournament have been divided into three age groups: 14-17, 18-50, over 50. There will be separate singles matches for the boys and girls, and men and women, within their respective age classifications. In addition, mixed doubles matches will be played in each age group. Eliminations in these various divisions have been held in each of the boroughs to determine the qualified entrants for the city championship next Saturday afternoon. Gold and silver medals will be awarded to the winners and runners-up respectively in each section of the tournament. The borough winners will receive bronze medals. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 20, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that the Annual Christmas Exhibit of the seasonal flowers is on exhibition in the Greenhouse in Prospect Park at Prospect Park West and 9th Street, Brooklyn. This year's display comprises over 2000 Poinsettia Plants in three varieties, white, pink and red, and groupings of other attractive flowering plants, such as the well known Cyclemen and Christmas Cherries. The exhibit will remain open to the public daily from 10 A. M. to 4 P. M. until January 2, 1941. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Thursday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 19, 1940 The Park Department announces that ceremonies in connection with twenty~one Christmas trees,, which are being erected and decorated in parks throughout the five boroughs, will take place on Friday, December 20, at 5:00 P.M. A special program will be held at the principal trees in each borough, which will be at City Hall Park, Manhattan; Borough Hall Park, Brooklyn; Joyce Kilmer Park, The Bronx; Queensborough Hall,Kew Gardens, and Borough Hal1, Richmond. At City Hall Park, the ceremonies will start at 5:00 p , M. and will be broadcast over Station WNYC. Mayor La Guardia will threw the switch that will light the tree at 5:25 P.M., officially starting New York City's observance of the Christmas season. Borough President Stanley M. Isaacs will also participate in the exercises. Selections will be played by the Department of Parks' Band and Christmas Carols will be sung by the Police Department's Glee Club, the Boys' Choir of the Sacred Heart Church and the Clearing House Choir. Borough Presidents Cashmore, Harvey, Lyons and Palma will light the trees in their re- spective boroughs where exercises will be conducted under the direction of the Borough Park Directors who have arranged appropriate programs. A special decorative scheme has been designed for the Park Department Headquarters at the Arsenal, Central Park, which will depict the Three Wise Men proceeding to the Star in the East, centered in a holly wreath ten feet in diameter. The trees will be lit each evening from 4:30P.M. to 2:00A.M. until January 2. Christmas trees will be erected at the following locations! Manhattan; City Hall Park Conservatory Garden - 104 to 105 Streets and Fifth Avenue Thomas Jeffers«n Park - First Avenue and 111 Street Roosevelt Park - Forsyth and Canal Streets Fart Tryon Park - Riverside Drive, Broadway and Dyckman Street Carl Schurz Park - 85 Street and East End Avenue Mt. Morris Park - Fifth Avenue and 124 Street Bellevue Hospital - East River Drive and 26 Street Bronx Joyce Kilmer Park - 161 Street and Grand Concourse St. Mary's Park - St. Ann's Avenue and East 144 Street St. James Park - East 191 Street and Jerome Avenue Brooklyn Borough Hall Grand Army Plaza - Prospect Park Leiv Eiriksscn park -67 S$.between 4th and 5th Avenues McCarren Park - Driggs Avenue and Lorimer Street Queens Queensborough Hall - Kew Oardens King Park - Jamaica Avenue and 151 Street Flushing Park - Northern Boulevard and Main Street Forest Park - Park Lane South and 108 Street Highland Park - Jamaica Avenue and Elton 3treet Richmond Borough Hall, Bay Street and Borough Place * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 18, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the completion of work in connection with two triangles, one at Avenue 7 and East 2nd Street, Brooklyn and the other at New Utrecht Avenue and 45 Street, Brooklyn. At Avenue 7 and East 2nd Street the work consisted of removing existing walks, paving with bituminous materials, replacing street curbs, installation of benches, landscaping and tree planting. At New Utrecht Avenue and 45 Street the improvement included resetting of street curbs, construction of new concrete sidewalks, the placing of benches and tree planting. These two small triangles came under the jurisdiction of the Park Department in 1937 under provisions in the new City Charter. The improvements were planned by the Park Department and the work performed by the Work Projects Administration. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 18, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that the children of Park Department playgrounds will participate in specially prepared Christinas programs of recreational activities, beginning Thursday, December 19, and running through Tuesday, December 31. While the spirit of gaiety will predominate all the programs, the singing of patriotic songs, pledges of allegiance and salute to the Flag will be included. The singing of well known Christmas carols, folk dancing, puppet shows, and dramatic productions portraying themes appropriate to the Yuletide Season, concerts by children's orchestras and recitations will form part of the program. Of course, Christmas parties, accompanied by group games, refreshments, and the exchange of gifts among the playground children will also be included in the list of events. Christmas trees have been provided by the Park Department for 50 of the playgrounds. Many of the Mothers Clubs have made arrangements for trees at the other recreational areas. All of these trees will be properly decorated and lighted for the parties. *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 18, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the completion and opening to traffic of the streamlined and repaved section of the West Drive in Central Park from 72nd Street to 110th Street. Work on this 2-1/4 mile stretch of pavement was divided between two agencies. Construction on the section from 86th Street to 110th Street was done by the Work Projects Administration and from 72nd Street to 86th Street it was carried out under a general contract which started in July, 1940. The pavement is of reenforced concrete, 33' wide providing three generous southbound lanes between slightly raised white curbs. Connections to the existing entrances and exits are bituminous top on reenforced concrete. The new alignment which in general follows the old drive has eliminated many dangerous curves although great care was used to save important landscape features. The former traffic hazard caused by the simple crowned surface of the old drive has been removed by providing banked curves. The roadway profile designed to insure rapid drainage necessitated slight cuts and fills which were blended with the adjacent topography by smoothly graded and seeded side slopes. In addition to paving the work also included grading, drainage, irrigation, walk, construction, lighting and planting. The range of plant material covered a variety of vines, shrubs and trees with the latter averaging about 2˝ - to 3 inches in diameter. Another section of the drive from 59th Street to 72nd Street and the connecting park drive at 72nd Street will be paved under a contract which is expected to be completed in the spring of 1941. In the meantime traffic will be maintained over this portion of the drive. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 14, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that this year's Christmas program of playground children's activities will be supplemented by 27 puppet and marionette shows depicting the famous fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk". With, the exception of Christinas Day, two performances will be given daily, one at 11:00 A. M., and the other at 3:30 P. M., at centrally located playgrounds in the five boroughs, beginning Monday, December 16, and running through Tuesday, December 31. Each show, consisting of 3 acts and lasting approximately 50 minutes, will be presented according to the attached schedule. For the past 6 weeks, the playground directors, assigned to give these shows, have attended regular rehearsals in order to acquire that ambidexterity and deftness so necessary to a skilful manipulation of the marionettes as well as to obtain the proper nuance for each of the various speaking parts peculiar to the characters that make up the dramatis personnae such as: Jack, Mother, the Cow, the Giant, and his Wife, the Harp and the Gypsy. While the stage and all the physical equipment was constructed in the Park Department shops, each of the characters, participating in the play, was made and costumed by the playground directors. During the intermissions, demonstrations in shadow puppetry and magic novelties portraying subjects befitting the Yuletide season, will be given by the recreation personnel in charge of children's magic clubs conducted by the Park Department. According to those who saw the recent preview of "Jack and the Beanstalk", the show is expertly done and the children are really going to enjoy every one of the 50 minutes adventure through fairyland. This initial puppet and marionette show is a forerunner to several other performances scheduled for the outdoors during the spring and summer season of 1941, when the stage will be set up on a truck and transported to designated playgrounds in the five boroughs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF PARKS SPECIAL HOLIDAY PROGRAM MARIONETTES - SHADOW PUPPETS - MAGIC NOVELTIES PROGRAM MARIONETTES - "Jack and the Beanstalk" Characters - Cow, Jack, Mother, Giant, Giant's Wife, Harp, Gypsy SHADOW PUPPETS - "Peter and the Bird" Characters - Peter, Bird, Cat, Duck, Wolf MAGICAL NOVELTIES - "Santa Claus' Offering" SCHEDULE Manhattan Monday Dec. 16 - 11:00 A.M. Mt. Morris East Playground Madison Ave, & East 120 Street 3:30 P.M. Mt. Morris East Playground Tuesday Dec. 17 - 11:00 A.M. - Gulick Playground Delancy , Broome & Sheriff Streets 3:30 P.M. Carmine Street Gymnasium Clarkson and 7 Avenue Wednesday Dec. 18 - 11:00 A.M. J. Hood Wright Playground West 173 Street & Fort Washington Ave. 3:30 P.M. J. Hood Wright Playground Brooklyn Thursday Dec. 19 - 11:00 A.M. McLaughlin Playground Bridge & Tillary Streets 3:30 P.M. McKibben Playground McKibben and White Streets Friday Dec, 20 - 11:00 A.M. Betsy Head Play Center Hopkinson and Dumont Avenues 3:30 P.M. Bill Brown Memorial Playground Bedford Avenue & Avenue X Saturday Dec. 21 - 11:00 A.M. Stillwell Avenue & Avenue U Playground 3:30 P.M. 43 Street and 7 Avenue Playground Queens Sunday Dec. 22 - 2:30 P.M. Von Dohlen Playground 138 Street and Archer Avenue Monday Dec. 23 - 11:00 A.M. Flushing Memorial Playground Bayside Avenue and 149 Street 3:30 P.M. Dry Harbor Playground 80 Street & Myrtle Avenue Tuesday Dec. 24 - 11:00 A.M. Rainey Park Playground Vernon Blvd., 33 Road and East River 3:30 P.M. Jackson Heights Playground 25 Avenue and 84 Street Bronx Thursday Dec. 26 - 11:00 A.M. Mullaly Playground Jerome Avenue and 165 Street 3:30 P.M. St. James Playground Jerome Avenue and 191 Street Friday Dec. 27 11:00 A.M. St. Mary's West Playground East 146 Street and St. Ann's Avenue 3:30 P.M. - 141 Street and Brook Avenue Playground Saturday Dec. 28 11:00 A.M. - Mosholu Playground Mosholu Parkway and Jerome Avenue 3:30 P.M. - Williamsbridge Playground East 208 Street and Bainbridge Avenue Richmond Monday Dec. 30 - 11:00 A.M. - McDonald Playground Forest Avenue near Broadway, West Brighton 3:30 P.M. McDonald Playground Tuesday Dec. 31 - 11:00 A.M. Levy Playground Jewett and Castleton Avenue, Port Richmond 3:30 P.M. DiMatti Playground Tompkins Avenue, Rosebank 12/10/40 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31A-1-10M-70840 CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF PARKS RELEASE: Wednesday ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK P.M. Dec. 11, December 10th, 1940 City Planning Commission Municipal Building New York City Gentlemen: I have reviewed the four Master Plan booklets issued by the staff of the Department of City Planning and ask that the full Planning Commission consider the following comments: I. MASTER PLAN OF LAND USE This represents the kind of Ivory Tower, Theoretical planning which dresses up revolutionary ideas in obscure and newly invented phrases such as "greenbelts" and "recentralization." It ignores the city's governmental and financial structure, and contemplates an entirely new charter along radically different lines. What else can the following quotation from the report mean? "This is done without any attempt to distinguish between public and private ownership and use and with fill recognition that important changes in taxation and other public policies may be required." The word "greenbelt" in particular intrigues us. It is, of course, a form of park planning. The property in a "greenbelt" is not going to be worth much to the present owner if the plan is carried out. Consider, for example, the following quotation: "A good deal of the additional land needed (for 'greenbelts') could be secured by utilization of vacant property which is not favorably located for residential or business development, and thus HAS NO APPARENT ECONOMIC FUTURE except for public or private reservations of the various types described." Bear in mind also that the report states clearly that it is planned to use the zoning ordinance to effectuate more and more the kaster Plan of Land Use. The following quotation leaves no doubt about this. "Zoning maps always refer primarily to present regulations, and should be changed progressively as the time becomes ripe for effectuating more and more of the Master Plan of Land Use." According to the figures in the staff report, you propose to increase the area of the "greenbelts11 by about 48,000 acres. You propose, by the adoption of this plan, to notify the owners of one third of all the taxable land in the city shown on the land use map as "greenbelts", that they are foolish to continue paying their taxes and that it's just like throwing money in the sewer, since the land has no "economic future" for residence, business or industry. Just what do you expect this to do to property owners and to the city's financial structure? No one in this city has greater enthusiasm for the expansion of park and recreation areas than I have, and this applies with equal force to the city and state officials who for years have labored to develop and coordinate the city, suburban, and state park and arterial program in New York. This group, as the result of long practical experience has developed a healthy contempt for the kind of water color planning which consists of splashing green paint at a map and labeling the resulting blobs as "open areas", "greenbelts", ""breathing spaces", etc. Actual accomplishments in New York City since 1934, and in the state and suburbs since 1924, were brought about by poople who labored day and night for limited objectives in the face of great difficulties. These accomplishments were not brought about by itinerant carpet bag experts splashing at a ten league canvas with brushes of comet's hair. I recommend that you file the "Master Plan of Land Use" and forget it. The city won't stand for it when its. implications become apparent. Everything worthwhile in this direction can be accomplished by the reasonable use of your zoning powers. II. hASTER PLAN OF SCHOOLS I agree that these schools should be made a part of the plan of the city, and particularly commend the proposal to provide adjacent to schools play areas of sufficient size to provide for neighborhood recreation. III. MASTER PLAN OF PARKS With the amendments already sent you, I endorse this proposal. IV. EXPRESS HIGHWAYS, PARKWAYS AND MAJOR STREETS I am opposed to many of the visionary plans proposed in this report. Fifty years ago, was there anyone who could accurately plan for the automobiles of today? Who can foretell the future of the automobile and the airplane half a century hence, and say what transportation problems we shall be facing then? Here again I believe that we should confine planning to limited objectives, and map only those projects which can be financed and built within a reasonable time. Certainly, even the most farsighted among those familiar with the problem must admit that there is no relation whatever between the projects here proposed and the ability of the city to finance land, design, and construction. In the meantime, these plans put a blight on the property immediately affected because the owner never knows what is going to happen and when, if ever, it will happen. In many instances, new routes are proposed where the city has not even completed projects only recently mapped by your Commission. Cithers are merely lines drawn on paper by Irresponsible staff members who have made no study of the details of the problem. Some of the worst of the proposals are commented on below. Where "express highway" is used, I believe you mean to remove all crossings at grade. MANHATTAN (a) A new connection to the Triborough Bridge at 110th Street. This is a preposterous suggestion involving, among other things, a breach of contract with the holders of the Triborough bonds, and a sheer waste of some $18,000,000. of public money to duplicate on Ward's Island the existing Triborough toll and mixing plaza at Randall's Island. It would destroy the plan for Ward's Island as a park, and for the pedestrian bridge to 103rd Street, Manhattan, and would involve tremendous property condemnation in Manhattan. This is a completely irresponsible proposal, (b) An express highway on Park Avenue from 96th Street north to the Harlem River Drive, with a new bridge over the Harlem River. This plan has been urged by a number of people in the Bronx, It would be enormously expensive since it would involve also complete reconstruction of the present railroad facilities toward which the railroads would certainly refuse to contribute. Moreover the adverse effects of making Park Avenue a speedway have not even been thought of. What sense is there in giving the impression to property owners and others affected that a scheme of this kind is actually contemplated by the city? BROOKLYN (a) You ignore the Borough President's plan (part of which is completed, and another part of which is under construction) for a widened artery along Tillary Street and Park Avenue, connecting with the Meeker Avenue Bridge. In place of it the report seeks to establish a new and unnecessary highway close to the East River from Newtown Creek to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. In Queens it is proposed to extend this new artery northerly along the shore line to the Triborough Bridge, Every study made so far by competent public agencies indicates that this plan is completely without merit at the present time, that it should be subordinated to the Meeker Avenue Extension already under way, and that if it is ever needed, it will be so far in the future that no one need worry about it now, (b) All crossings at grade are proposed to be removed on Atlantic Avenue from about Platbush Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue, I have been familiar with the Atlantic Avenue Railroad Grade Elimination Program for many years, prepared the original grade crossing amendments for the Governor of the State, was Chairman of the Committee on Highways, Parkways and Grade Crossings in the Constitutional Convention of 1938, and have represented the Mayor and Board of Estimate on the actual elimination program as it is being completed by the Transit Commission and Long Island Railroad, All reasonable incidental improvements are included in the present program financed largely by the state and in part by the railroad. The additional highway grade separations proposed by the Planning Commission excepting those at two or three main intersections, are unnecessary, inordinately expensive, and cannot conceivably be reached for many years. What purpose is served by putting them on an official plan of the city, and thereby serving notice on innumerable interested parties that there is some sanction back of the proposal? (c) Eastern Parkway is proposed to be extended as an express highway in a westerly direction to tie in with the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, and crossings at grade are to be removed from Flatbush Avenue to approximately Nostrand Avenue. No one who has the slightest knowledge of Brooklyn and a grain of sense would propose such a plan. (d) Crossings at grade are to be eliminated on Prospect Avenue between G-owanus Parkway and Ocean Parkway. This proposal is unsound, unnecessary, expensive, and therefore silly. (e) A new east-west express highway through the center of Brooklyn from 65th Street near Owl's Head Park is pro- posed, following the Bay Ridge Division of the Railroad to Linden Boulevard, east of Rockaway Parkway, then following Linden Boulevard to the Southern Parkway. It would be entertaining to know the estimated cost of this fantastic scheme which is quite impractical, and which could not possibly receive serious consideration by any Mayor or any Board of Estimate likely to hold office in New York in the twentieth century. (f) An express highway is proposed along Fort Hamilton Parkway from the east-west route mentioned above to the proposed Staten Island tunnel. Same comment. BRONX (a) All crossings at grade are eliminated on the Grand Concourse. The cost of this proposal would be so prodigious and there are so many other needed improvements ahead of it, that it might better be removed from the plan. (b) A new express highway is planned along the east shore of the Harlem River from the westerly approach to the Triborough Bridge to the southerly end of Van Cortlandt Park, This proposal is not inherently unsound, but here again, the possibilities of its construction are in the very distant future, and only confusion can result from mapping the project at this time. (c) Two new cross town east-west express highways are proposed, one at the southerly end of Van Cortlandt Park, and the other in the vicinity of 177th Street. Same comment. QUEENS (a) The Cross Island Parkway is incorrectly indicated as an express highway from 154th Street to the Bronx- Whitestone Bridge. This is a genuine restricted parkway, and should be indicated as such. (b) The Whitestone Parkway is incorrectly indicated as an express highway from the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge to the Flushing River. This also is a genuine restricted parkway, and should be so indicated. (c) The so-called Creedmoor Parkway between the Grand Central Parkway and Flushing Meadow Park is shown on this plan as an express artery. The only change seems to be in the westerly terminus. At the western end, it branches in two directions. One connects with Northern Boulevard at about Lawrence Street and the other with Horace Harding Boulevard. There is no need of a Creedmoor Parkway. It would mess up traffic to an appalling extent at Grand Central Parkway. It would cause endless confusion at the west- erly end at Flushing Iieadow Park, Horace Harding Boulevard, Northern Boulevard and Lawrence Street. Union Turnpike and Horace Harding Boulevard, widened to their ultimate capacity, will relieve traffic on the Grand Central Parkway. This traffic has already been relieved by the use of the Francis Lewis and Belt Parkways over the so-called northerly loop. The use of the Kissena corridor for drainage and park purposes should eliminate all consideration of the so-called Creedmoor Parkway. Here again nothing but confusion results from advocating officially something which sensible people know will not happen within any reasonable time. (d) In spite of the fact that the new Connecting Highway is in the process of being planned and constructed, the staff proposes a new highway parallel to the East River, from the Triborough Bridge to Nowtown Creek. I have already commented on this above in connection with the Brooklyn proposals. (e) On Queens Boulevard crossings at grade are proposed to be eliminated from the Connecting Highway to Jamaica Avenue, and a new highway with all crossings at grade removed, picks up at this point and follows the Atlantic Division of the Long Island Railroad to the Southern Parkway in Laurelton. It is safe to say that these improvements will not seriously concern any Board of Estimate for generations. (f) On Woodhaven Boulevard and Cross Bay Boulevard although these arteries are just being finished by the Borough President of Queens and the Park Department, it is proposed to eliminate all crossings at grade. The cost would be prohibitive. This is another proposal which will not merit consideration for several generations, and therefore needs no advertising now, (g) Beach Channel Drive is proposed to be converted into an express artery between Cross Bay Bridge and the Marine Parkway Bridge, The improvement of this drive is just being completed. It is quite apparent that nothing further is going to happen for an indefinite period. There are many arterial improvements reflected on your map which have just been finished, are still under way, or are about to start. In the aggregate they represent all that the city can do for a considerable time. To them should be added only projects where there are vital gaps in the city's arterial system, No good purpose is served by drawing lines on your plan representing ill-considered, dubious, and distant projects. Very truly yours, /s/ ROBERT MOSES Commissioner ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday P.M. TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 10, 1940 The Department of Parks announces its winter sports program which will include carnivals, skiing, ice-skating and coasting. Twenty-eight lakes are used for ice-skating in the larger parks, 187 additional locations, such as wading pools, tennis courts and other suitable surfaces will be flooded also for this sport. This represents an increase of 30 ice-skating areas over last season. Twenty-seven hills have been set aside in the parks of the five boroughs for coasting. Sixteen locations have been designated for skiing. Winter sports carnivals will be held in each borough on Sunday, January 5, 1941, at 2:00 P. M., at the following lakes: Manhattan - Conservatory Lake, Central Park, near 72 Street and Fifth Avenue Brooklyn - Prospect Park, near Empire Boulevard and Lincoln Road Bronx - Van Cortlandt Park, near West 242 Street Queens - Bowne Park, 29 Avenue and 155 Street Richmond - Clove Lakes, near Victory Boulevard and Clove Road, West Brighton These carnivals will feature the following events? Age Group Boys Girls Juvenile 9-11 years 60 yards 60 yards Junior 12-14 years 220 yards 100 yards 440 yards 220 yards Intermediate 15-17 years 220 yards 220 yards 440 yards 440 yards Senior 17-50 years 880 yards 220 yards 1 mile Men and Women over 50 years 880 yards (men) 220 yards(women) Figure skating for the following age groups: a) 16 years of age and under (boys and girls) b) 17 to 50 years (men and women) c) Over 50 years of age (men and women) As a fitting climax to the borough carnivals, a monster winter sports carnival will be held on Sunday, January 12, 1941, at 2:00 P. M. at Conservatory lake, Central Park. The first three winners of the various borough contests will be eligible to compete in these city-wide championships. Prizes will consist of silver cups, gold, silver and bronze medals. In the event of snow, contests in snow sculpture and snow architecture will be held during the months of December and January. Volunteer ski instructors, affiliated with the New York City Ski Council, will be assigned to the various Park Department slopes. The attached list contains the designated Park areas for ice-skating, skiing and coasting. *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CITY OF NEW YORK ICE SKATING AREAS 1940-1941 LAKES Manhattan Central Park 59 Street Lake " " 72 Street & West Drive Lake " " 110th Street Lake " " Conservatory Lake, 72 Street & 5 Ave. " " North of 79 Sti3et & Transverse Road " " Harlem Meer, 100th Street & West Drive Brooklyn Prospect Park Lake & Dyker Park Pond Queens Alley Pond Park Lake World's Fair Blvd. L Douglaston Parkway Bowne Park Lake 158 Street & 32 Ave e , Flushing Baisley Park Lake Sutphin Blvd., 125 Street opp. 153 St. Brookville Park Lake Brookville Blvd. & 143 Ave., Rosedale Crocheron Park Lake 35 Ave & 214 Place, Bayside Jackson Pond 108 Street & 30 Ave., Richmond Hill Linden Park Lake 41 Ave. & 103 Street, Corona Oakland Lake Alley Pond Capt. Tilly Park Lake Highland Ave, 85 Ave, & 165 St, Jamaica Twin Ponds Brookville Blvd & Merrick Road, Rosedale Bronx Springfield Pond Springfield Blvd., Sheffield Ave. 147 St Bronx Park, Twin Lakes Bronx Park near Mosholu Ballfield Crotona Park Lake Crotona Ave, & 173 Street Van Cortlandt Lake Broadway & Jerome Ave. Richmond Brooks Pond Slossen Ave. off Clove Road Clove Lake #2 Victory Blvd. & Clove Road LaTourette Pond Rockland Ave. & Forest Hill Road Martlings Pond Slossen Ave. & Clove Road Willowbrook Pond Richmond, Rockland Ave. & Victory Blvd. Wolfes Pond Park Holten & Cornelia Ave», Princes Bay TENNIS COURTS Manhattan Central Park 93 Street & West Drive Brooklyn Fort Greene Park Myrtle Ave. & St. Edwards Street McCarren Park Berry & North 12 Streets Queens Alley Pond Park Grand Central Pkwy., Winchester Blvd. Astoria Park 25th to 21 Avenue, Astoria Brookville Park Brookville Blvd. & So. Conduit Highway Cunningham Park Union Turnpike & 90 Street, Woodhaven Wayanda Park Hollis Ave. & Springfield Blvd., Hollis Equity Playground 89 Ave. & 90 Street, Woodhaven Baisley Park Sutphin Blvd. & 125 Street Bronx Bronx Park East Bronx Park East & Brady Ave. St. James Park Jerome Ave. & 192 Street St. Mary's East Trinity Ave. & East 145 Street Van Cortlandt Park Broadway & 240 Street FLOODED AREAS Manhattan East River Park East River Drive & Broome Street Riverside, 148 Street Park Queens Alley Pond Picnic Area,Grand Cnetral Parkway near 76 Ave. Atlantic & 88 St, (Softball Area) 95 Ave. & 125 Street Plgd., (Games Area) Broadway & 78 Street Plgd., ( Roller Skating Area) Braddock Plgd. (Softball Area) Braddock Ave. & 2403treet Grover Cleveland Plgd, ( Softball Area) Grandview & Stanhope St. Corona 111th St. Plgd. ( Softball Area) 46 Ave. & 111 Street Flushing Memorial Plgd. ( Handball Courts) 25 Ave, & 149 Street Jackson Heights Plgd. ( Handball Courts & Softball Area) 85 Street & 30 Ave, Jackson Heights Liberty Park ( Paddle Tennis Courts) Liberty Ave. & 172 Street Marconi Plgd.( Softball Area) 155 Street & 108 Ave, Maurice Plgd. ( Games Area) Maurice, Borden & 54 Ave., Maspeth O'Connell Plgd. ( Handball Courts) 113 Ave. & 196 Street Parkway North Plgd. (Softball Area) 114 Street & World's Fair EJ Rockaway Boardwalk & 79 Street Riis Park ( Parking Field ) 30 Road Plgd. ( Softball Area) 45 Street & 30 Road, Astoria Von Dohlen Plgd. ( Handball Courts) 138 St. & Archer Ave. Windmuller Plgd. ( Softball Area) 52 Street & Woodside Ave. Thompson Hill ( Games Area Upper Level) 47 Ave. & 43 Street Brooklyn Atlantic Ave. & Linwood Street Plgd. ( Softball Field ) Bushwick Plgd, ( Softball Field ) Putnam & Knickerbocker Ave. Douglas St. & Third Ave. Plgd. ( Softball Field ) Elton St. & New Lots Ave. Plgd. ( Softball Field ) Greenpoint Plgd. ( Softball Field ) Franklin & Dupont Sts. Kelly Memorial Plgd. ( Softball Field) Ave. S & E. 14 Street Lincoln Terrace Plgd. ( Softball Field ) Buffalo & E. N, Y. Aves. Marine Park ( Parking Space) Fillmore Ave. & Marine Parkway McKinley Plgd. ( Boy's Playground ) 75 Street & 7 Avenue Red Hook Recreation Center (Roller Skating Area) Bay & Clinton Bronx Pelham Bay Park, Pelham Pkwy,, Eastern Blvd. & Middleton Road Playground at Waterbury, Edison & LaSalle ( Softball Field) Playground at vTatson Gleason & Noble ( Softball Field ) Richmond Roller Skating Area, Schmul Plgd., Wilde Ave., Travis Parking Area, Silver Lake, Victory Blvd. & Forest Ave, Softball Field, Mahoney Plgd, Beechwood & Crescent Ave. WADING POOLS Manhattan Carl Schurz Plgd. E. 84 Street & East End Ave, Chelsea Plgd. W. 27 Street & Ninth Ave. Colonial Plgd. W. 152 Street & Bradhurst Ave, Columbus Plgd. Baxter & Park Streets DeWitt Clinton Plgd. W. 52 Street & Eleventh Ave. Ft, Tryon Plgd. Broadway at Dyckman Street Great Lawn Plgd. 85 Street & West Drive, Central Park Gulick Plgd. Columbia, Sheriff & Broome Streets Hamilton Place Plgd, W. 141 Street & Hamilton Place Highbridge, 167 St. Plgd. W. 167 Street & Edge comb Ave, Highbridge,, 180 St, Plgd. W. 180 St, & Amsterdam Ave, Highbridge,189 St. Plgd. W. 189 St, & Amsterdam Ave, J. Hood Wright Plgd; W. 173 St. & Ft. Washington Ave. John Jay Plgd. E. 77 St. & East River Kelly Plgd. W. 17 St, bet, 8 & 9 Ave, Wald Plgd. Cherry, Monroe & Gouverneur Sts McCray Plgd. W. 138 St, bet. Fifth & Lenox Ave. Mt, Morris East Plgd. E. 120 St, & Madison Ave, Mt. Morris West Plgd. W. 122 St. ft Nathan Davis Place Riverside, 75 St, Plgd. W. 75 St. & Henry Hudson Parkway Riverside, 97 St, Plgd. W. 97 St. & Henry Hudson Parkway Riverside, 102 St, Plgd. Wt 102 St, & Henry Hudson Parkway Rumsey Plgd. 72 St. & East Drive, Central Park Roosevelt Plgd. Forsythe & Broome Sts. Fnuer Memorial Plgd. E. 12 St, bet. Avenue A & B St, Gabriels Plgd. E. 35 St, bet. 1st & 2nd Ave. St, Nicholas Plgd. W. 141 St, & St. Nicholas Ave. Seward Plgd* East Broadway & Canal Street Thompson St. Plgd. 95 Thompson St. Thomas Jefferson Plgd. E. 114St. & Pleasant Ave. Tompkins Square Plgd. Avenue A & E, 10 Street Yorkville Plgd. E. 101 St, bet. 2nd & 3rd Aves, Playground E. 119 St, & East River Playground 83 Roosevelt Street Playground W. 130 St. & Fifth Ave. Pie yirr ound Lewis & Rivington Street Brooklyn Atlantic & Linwood Street Playround Avenue L & East 18 Street Playground Berry & South Third Street Playground Bay Parkway & Avenue P Playground Bushwick Park Plgd. Knickerbocker Ave. & Sudam Street Byrne Memorial Plgd. Third Street & Fourth Ave. Carroll Park Plgd. Carroll & Smith Streets Cherry St, 4 Vandervoort Ave. Playground City Park Plgd. Flushing Ave. & Navy Street Crispus Attucks Plgd. Fulton Street & Classen Ave. Dreier-Offerman Plgd. Cropsy & 27 Ave. Fort Hamilton Pkwy. 52 Street Playground Greenpoint Plgd. Franklin & Dupont Streets Heckscher Plgd. Grove Street & Wilson Ave f Hopkinson Ave. & Marion Street Playground Howard Ave., Dean & Pacific Street Playground Lafayette & Reid Avenues Playground Lincoln Terrace Park Plgd., Buffalo & East New York Aves, Lynch Street & Lee Ave. Plgd. Marine Park Plgd. Gerrittsen Ave. & Ave. X Marine Park Plgd. Fillmore Ave. & Marine Parkway McCarren Park Plgd. Berry & North 12 Streets McKibbin Playground Seigel & White Streets McLaughlin Park Plgd. Tillary & Jay Streets Neptune Ave. & West 28 Street Playground New Utrecht Ave. & 70 Street Playground New Lots Playground Riverdale Ave. & Sackman Street Ocean Parkway & Ave. P Playground Cwls Head Plgd. Colonial Road & 67 Street Prospect & Greenwood Avenues Playground Park Avenue & Taaffe Place Playground Rudd Playground Bushwick Ave & Aberdeen Street Schermerhorn & Third Street Playground Sheridan Playground Grand St & Wythe Ave. Stillwell Ave. & Ave. U Playground Shiplacoff Playground Pitkin Ave. & Sackman Street Tenth Ave. & 43 Street Playground Tompkins & Lafayette Aves. Playground Union " Van Brijnt Street s Playground Williamsburg Housing Playground Dahill Road & 38 Street Playground Bill Brown Memorial Playground, Bedford Ave. & Ave. X Leiv Eiriksson Plgd. 66 Street & 8 iivenue Prospect Place & Underbill Ave. Plgd. Queens Atlantic Ave. & 88 Street Plgd. Atlantic Ave. & 125 Street Playground Brookville Plgd. Brookville Blvd, & 143 Street Benninger Plgd. Madison Ave. & Fresh Pond Road Braddock Ave. Plgd. Braddock Ave. & 240 Street Corona 111 Street Plgd. 111 Street & 46 ;ve, Dry Harbor Plgd. 80 Street & Myrtle Ave. Highland Lower Plgd. Jamaica Ave. & Elton Streets Francis Lewis Plgd. 3 Ave., 147 Street to Parsons Blvd. Grover Cleveland Plgd. Grandview Ave. & Stanhope Street Jackson Pond Plgd. 108 Street & Myrtle Ave. Jackson Heights Plgd. 30 Ave. & 84 Street Jamaica 179 Place Plgd. Junction Blvd. Plgd. Junction Blvd. & 96 Street Juniper Valley Plgd. Dry Harbor Rocd & 62 -ve. Liberty Ave. & 102 Street Playground Liberty Ave. & 179 Street Plav?round Martins Field Plgd. 164 Street & Queens Ave. Marconi Plgd. 155 Street & 108 .ve. Newtown Plgd. 56 ..vs. & 92 Street O'Connor Plgd. 32 Ave. & 210 Street O'Connell Plgd. 113 Are. f 196 Street Parkway North Plgd. 114 St. &. Grand Central Parkway Thompson Hill Plgd. 47 Ave. * 43 Street Triboro 66B Plgd. Hoyt Ave. & 21 St. Triboro 66F Plgd. Hoyt Ave. & 2 Ave. Windmuller Plgd. Woodside Ave. & 54 Street Whitestone N.E. Plgd. Hurd Ave., 17 Road & 20 Ave, Van Wyck Plgd. 111 Ave. & 134 Street Von Dohlen Plgd. 138 Street & Archer Ave. 30 Rocd Plgd. 30 Road & 45 Street Bronx Alexander Ave. & E. 131 Street Playground Brook Ave. & 141 Street Playground Belmont Ave. & 182 Street Playground Bronx Park East & Waring Ave. Plgd. Cedar & Sedgwick Ave. Plgd. CrotonaPark East & 173 Street Plgd. Crotona Park East & Charlotte Street Plgd. Cauldwell Ave. & 161 Street Playground Ciccarone Plgd. 188 Street & Hughes Ave. Devoe Erst Plgd. University Ave. & Fordham Road Morris Ave. & 166 Street Plgd. Mullaly Plgd. 165 Street & Jerome Ave. Noble Ave. & 177 Street Plgd. Stebbins Ave. & 167 Street Plgd. St. Mary's West Plgd. St. Ann's Ave. & 143 Street Van Cortlendt Park South Plgd., 240 Street & Broadway Waterbury & Edson Ave. Plgd. Watson, Gleason & Noble Ave. Plgd. Williamsbridge Plgd. 208 Street & Brinbridge . , v , Zimmerman Plgd. Olinville Ave. & Britton Street Richmond Clove Lake Plgd. Victory Blvd. & Clove Road DeMotti Plgd. Tompkins Ave., Rosebank Levy Plgd. Jewett & Castleton Ave. McDonald Plgd. Forest Ave, & Broadway ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF PARKS SKIING AND COASTING AREAS SKIING LOCATIONS Manhattan Central Park Cedar Hill, 79 St, & East Drive Burns Lawn, 79 St. & Test Drive Brooklyn Prospect Park Lookout Hill, S,W. of Music Grove, Empire Blvd. Snt, Sugar Bowl Hill, S. of Picnic House, 9 St. & Prospect Park west Tennis House Hill, 9 St. & Prospect Perk West Long Meadow, 3 Street & Prospect Park West Entrance Maryland Monument Hill, 16 St, & Prospect Pk. W.Ent Owl's Head Park - Colonial Road & 67 Street Queens Alley Pond Motor Pkwy. - Bicycle Path towards World's Fair(Green & White House on Motor Pkwy.) Clearview Golf Course - Willets Point Blvd, & 22 Ave. (3rd Fairway) Crocheron Park - 35 Ave« & 214 Place, Bayside Forest Park Golf Course- Forest Park Main Drive & Interboro Pkwy». (3rd Tee) Kissena Golf Course - Fresh Meadow Road & 164 Street ( 9 & 14 Tee) Bronx Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course - 18 Tee & Fairway, Gun Hill Road East of Van Cortlandt Lake Silver Lake Golf Course - Forest Ave. & Silver Lake Roadway ( 7th Fairway ) LaTourette Golf Course - Rockland Ave. ( 2nd, 14th, & 18th Fairway) COASTING HILLS Manhattan Central Park - 83 St. & East Drive, Forth of Museum 79 St. & Erst Drive (For Small Children Only) 72 St. & East Drive, North of Boathouse 60 St. & West Drive, near Heckscher Plgd. 72 St. & West Drive ( For Small Children Only) 72 St. & East Drive, S.E. of Conservatory Lake Pilgrim Hill, 72 St. & 5 Av. S.W. of " " Cedar Hill, 79 St # & East Drive East Meadow, 99 St. & Fifth Ave. Burns Lawn, 79 St. & West Drive, S. of Transverse Rd. Brooklyn Same as above Queens Crocheron Park, 38 Ave. & 215 Street, Bayside Chisholm Park, Poppenhausen Ave. & East River, College Point ( Hill from Mansion to baseball Field) Forest Park Golf Course, Main Drive & Interboro Pkwy.,(l8 Tee) Highland Pork, Elton Street & Jamaica Ave. (Snake Hill) Alley Pond Park, Bicycle Path, Motor Pkwy. & Winchester Blvd. Astoria ParV, Ditmars Blvd. at 19 St. & 25 Ave. ( 23 Drive & Berclcy to Shore Road & Parking Field to Shore ..) Bronx Vnn Cortlandt Park Golf Course, 18 Tee I: Fairway Bronx River Parkway & 226 Street Richmond Silver Lake Golf Course - Forest Ave. A Silver Lake Road,(7 Fairway) LaTourette Golf Course - Rockland Ave., ( 2nd, 14th, & 18 Fairways) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday P.M. TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 10, 1940 Bids were opened today at the Arsenal Building, Department of Parks, on a contract for the construction of a low level bascule bridge at Hamilton Avenue over the Gowanus Canal, Borough of Brooklyn, Plans for the project were prepared by Waddell & Hardesty, Consulting Engineers. The work comprises the construction of two skew bascule spans each 50 feet iin width and approximately 47 feet between piers providing for a 42-foot open grating roadway and an 8-foot sidewalk. The steel spans will be separated by open water approximately 36 feet across above which the Hamilton Avenue section of the new Gowanus Elevated Parkway is now being constructed by the Triborough Bridge Authority. Included is the construction of new concrete piers on steel piles, fender piling, houses for gatetenders and operating equipment, mechanical and electrical facilities for operation of the spans, signalling and safety devices, and reconstruction of the adjoining approaches to the bridge carrying Hamilton Avenue traffic. Also included is the removal of the existing twin bascule Sherzer type spans and portions of the existing foots which must be removed to provide space for the proposed new construction. The work will require approximately nine months for completion. The three lowest bidders for the work were as follows: P. T. Cox Construction Company $1,910,501.00 270 Broadway, New York City P. J. Carlin Construction Co. 1,924,215.00 101 Park Avenue, New York City Thomas Crimmins Contracting Co. 1,932,700.50 734 Lexington Avenue, N. Y. C. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFICE OF THE BOROUGH PRESIDENT OF MANHATTAN and FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS December 10, 1940 Mayor La Guardia, accompanied by Manhattan Borough President Stanley M. Isaacs , Park Commissioner Robert Moses and other city officials today (TUES) inspected and formally opened to the public Carl Schurz Park, which extends along East End Avenue from 84th to 90th Streets. The Park was enlarged and extensively improved in connection with construction of the East River Drive, which forms its eastern boundary. More than h a l f of the old park development was redesigned and reconstructed in connection with the new tripe deck structure which carries vehicular traffic on the two lower levels. The spacious esplanade atop the drive is about 33 feet wide and has a row of benches on either side both of which face the water. The outer row forming a series of detached units adjacent to the open wrought iron overlook railing permits an unobstructed view of the river 35 feet below. Convenient connections from the promenade to these various areas are afforded at frequent intervals via broad granite stairways and stepped ramps. One may cross the deck to the adult court games area or the interesting landscape development of the informal park areas. Facilities provided in the adult court games area include badminton, paddle tennis and shuffleboard. Three large sandpits for children with ample benches for mothers are located in V-shaped offsets on the park side of the deck. A simple modern structure consisting of two units joined by a covered portico has replaced the old comfort station at the south end of the park. The main axis of the park centering on 86th Street has been developed as a broad mall with a central grass panel flanked by tree bordered entrance walks which lead to the elipitical stepped ramps connecting with the promenade deck. At the southeast corner of the park there is a children's playground with ample tree shaded seating areas for mothers. The remainder of the eastern half of the park consisting largely of informal landscaped areas provides several access points from last End Avenue which lead via the old walk system to the newly landscaped river front. The East River Drive at this point is constructed with about 600 feet of tunnel and 1,200 feet of roadway built over the East River in front of Gracie Mansion, where the beauty r>f this historic building and its fine lawns was preserved by depressing the viaduct, thus maintaining and improving the view of the river. The portico of the Drive opposite the Park reaches out into the East River and is of concrete with a foundation of steel shell caissons six to nine feet in diameter, filled with concrete and resting on solid ledge rock on the river bottom. These caissons are as much as 58 feet long and were constructed in a current of about five miles per hour. This part of the work was one of the most difficult and hazardous pieces of construction of the entire project. Because of the narrow space between the large apartment houses to the south and the United States Army bulkhead line at the river providing only a 40 foot strip in which to construct the drive, the southbound lane was built over instead of along side the northbound lane. The Mayor and his party also inspected the 91st Street Sanitation Dump; the ferry house at 78th Street and the East River Drive; another dump in the process of construction at 61st Street, and parks at 58th, 57th, 56th and 49th Streets. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 7, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the completion of work in connection with the reconstruction of Claremont Park, The Bronx, and the reopening of the entire park to the public on Saturday, December 7, 1940, This park has been redesigned by the Department of Parks and constructed by the Work Projects Administration to provide wider year round usage for all ages and groups of citizens of the surrounding community. Besides three new children's playgrounds which were opened on September 14 of this year, the old playground at the Bast 170 Street end of the park has been enlarged and provided with shuffleboard, volleyball and handball courts, a wading pool and play apparatus. There are also two large open play areas, one containing two softball diamonds and the other a softball diamond, basketball and volleyball courts, the surfaces of which can be used for roller and iceskating. Encircling this latter area is a one quarter mile bituminous surfaced bicycle and roller skating track. The balance of the park has been landscaped and provided with wide walks, benches and broad sloping lawns. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Thursday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 5, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the completion on December 5, 1940, of the new police station building adjacent to the Park Department's service and maintenance building on Shore Parkway, west of Flatbush Avenue, in Marine Park, Brooklyn. These attractive low, one story slate roofed buildings, the larger of which will serve the police and the other the Department of Parks, are constructed of hand made Virginia brick and fireproof materials and were designed to conform with the requirements of structures in parks. This new police station will serve as a headquarters for the patrolmen and other forces assigned to Marine Park, Shore Parkway, and other park areas adjacent to the parkway. The completion of this facility is not only another step in the improvement of Brooklyn Marine Park, but also is a good example of the proper coordination between various city departments in the planning of the development of new areas. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 4, 1940 Health Museum - Flushing Meadow Park The Department of Parks announces that a formal agreement has been reached today between the City of New York and the American Museum of Health which provides for the conversion of one of the Flushing Meadow Park buildings inherited from the World's Fair into a health museum. Thus was fulfilled the promise of Mayor La Guardia made at the dedication of the American Museum of Health in the Medicine and Public Health Building at the Fair to provide a permanent home in a City owned building. This contractual arrangement, signed by Dr. Louis I. Dublin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Museum of Health and Commissioner of Parks Robert Moses representing the City, specifies that the Museum will closely coordinate policies with the Department of Health and the Board of Education to provide instruction in matters of public health. Special emphasis will be placed on the structure and function of the human body and on personal hygiene. The result of about ten years of planning by leaders in medicine and public health education, the American Museum of Health came into national prominence because of the excellence of its World's Fair presentation. Over one quarter of the visitors to the Fair, approximately 11,800,000 persons viewed the various exhibits. In view of the general current trend towards increased interest in educational exhibits and museum displays it is believed that this facility, the first permanent one of its kind in the city, will render an important service in the field of health education which will be welcomed by an appreciative and enlightened public. The museum as well as the entire recreational plant of the city, though relatively insignificant in face of our present emergency cannot be overemphasized as a direct step in a long range program of national defense which is entirely dependent on a physically fit manpower. It is expected that the alterations to the existing structure which are now being made will be completed on May 1, 1941. In addition to the outstanding attractions from the Medicine and Public Health Building which are now being set up many new displays are being built for installation in permanent form. When completed these exhibits will constitute the most comprehensive and instructive collection of health and medical educational material in the world. Here the results of centuries of medical research along certain of its diversified streams of endeavor will be crystallized in easily understood visual form. It will undoubtedly stimulate the intellectual curiosity of the public for its general well-being and serve as a directive force to visiting students in their choice of profession. For the operation and improvement of the collection a considerable endowment will be required. Commissioner Moses stated that the Museum will be made available to the City without cost to the taxpayers. As a non-profit educational institution it will be financed through public subscription of funds and through memberships which will entitle the holders to special privileges. Since its incorporation, the Museum has received financial support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the John B. Pierce Foundation, nine large life insurance companies including, the New York Life, the Metropolitan, the Travelers, Aetna, John Hancock, the Connecticut General, the Connecticut Mutual, Guardian Life and the Provident Mutual Life. A large number of pharmaceutical houses including the Bayer Company, W. A. Baum Company, Inc., Ciba Pharmaceutical Products, Cherry-Burrell Corporation, Lederle Laboratories, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Mead Johnson and Company, Parke Davis and Company, I. R. Squibb and Sons, Winthrop Chemical Company and the Powers X-Ray Products, Inc., have financed various medical exhibits. Active cooperation has also been received from the American Medical Association and a large number of other health organizations, both national and local. The American Museum of Health was incorporated by the State of New York in 1937. George McAneny is president; Frederick Osborn, vice-president; Sam A. Lewisohn, treasurer. Other directors include Mayor La Guardia, Commissioner Moses, Commissioner of Health. Dr. John L. Rice, Dr. Louis I. Dublin, Dr. George Baehr, Dr. David J. Kaliski, Dr. Victor Heiser, Dr. Seth Milliken, Mr. James Marshall, Dr. Malcolm Goodridge and Dr. George E. Vincent. Homer N. Calver will be in charge of the Museum. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 3, 1940 By a recent legislative act the State of New Jersey has donated to the City of New York its World's Fair Exhibit Building which will be used to house a permanent police precinct for Flushing Meadow Park. This precinct will have supervision over the 1,216 acre park. Located near the east boundary of the park at the intersection of Lawrence Street and Horace Harding Boulevard, the building is ideally situated for police operations. From this point all parts of the park can be easily reached. Police authorities have stated that the floor plan can be easily adapted to their use. Contract plans for the necessary interior alterations are being prepared by the Department of Parks and the construction will be financed from funds which have been requested for the development of the park. Until the new quarters are ready the police are temporarily housed in the Boat House which is located on the east shore of Meadow Lake. The existing building, a fine replica of the pre-Revolutionary War Barracks located in Trenton, New Jersey, was built by the New Jersey World's Fair Commission, of permanent materials. Of North Jersey Colonial Architecture, the Barracks is a two-story, gable-roofed structure about 70 feet by 150 feet with two short wings forming a broad, shallow entrance court The soft harmonius colors of the 8 inch stone walls were attained, by using the red and brown shale which is characteristic of the Trenton site. A flagstone paved portico with wooden floor balcony lines the three walls of the court and is supported by 14 thin wooden square columns reaching to the eaves line. Typical colonial detail is found in the wide double entrance doors, the several double hung multipaned windows, the narrow slate roofed dormers and the six massive chimneys. A bronze plaque similar to the descriptive marker used at the Fair will be mounted on the end walls of one of the wings. In addition to recording the historical significance of the original barracks it will suitably recognize the State of New Jersey's generous gift. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 December 3, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that the anniversary of the official opening of 10 Park Department playgrounds will be celebrated by the children of these recreation areas during the month of December by participating in specially prepared Birthday Party programs. While the regular schedule of daily recreational activities including ping pong, checkers, chess, group games, dramatics and dancing will not be changed, the day's program will feature events of both a patriotic and festive nature such as: solo and community singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America", salute to the Flag, recitations, concerts by junior orchestras and a variety of birthday party games with refreshments and prizes for the winners. Plans for contests in snow sculpture and snow architecture and children's ice skating carnivals have also been prepared, should the weather permit the holding of such activities. The December schedule for playground birthday celebrations is as follows: Borough Playground & Location Opened Time of Celebration Manhattan 82 Street & Riverside Drive Dec. 4, 1937 4:00 P. M. Highbridge Playground, Edgecomb Ave. and West 167 Street Dec. 5, 1936 4:00 P. M. Brooklyn Underhill Ave. & Prospect Place Dec. 6, 1938 3:30 P. M. McLaughlin Park Playground, Bridge & Tillary Streets Dec. 11, 1936 3:30 P. M. Heckscher Playground, Grove Street & Wilson Avenue Dec. 19, 1935 3:30 P. M. Queens Broadway and 78 Street Dec. 24, 1936 3:00 P. M. Equity Playground, 88-89 Avenues near 90 Street Dec. 26, 1937 2:30 P. M. Bronx 177 Street and Noble Avenue Dec. 4, 1939 3:45 P. M. Watson and Gleason Avenues Dec. 4, 1939 3:45 P. M. Cedar and Sedgwick Avenues Dec. 19, 1935 3:45 P. M. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 30, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the closing of the ten municipal golf courses and the pitch and putt course at Jacob Riis Park at the end of play on Sunday, December 1. Due to the alternate freezing and thawing of the ground it would be impractical to keep them open beyond this date, as irreparable damage would be done to the grass by the players . During the past season more than 575,000 rounds of golf were played over the various courses, as compared with 604,000 rounds played during the season of 1939. The drop in the total rounds during 1940 was caused by the opening of the courses two weeks later than in 1939 and also by the rainy weather during the entire season. The Park Department also announces that after November 30 and through the winter months it will not be necessary to have permits to play tennis on the hard surfaced courts operated by the Department but players must furnish their own tennis nets. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 29, 1940 Bids were opened today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on a contract for repaving the remaining section of the West Drive in Central Park south of West 72 Street and part of the East Drive north to about 67th Street, Borough of Manhattan. The work consists of the removal of binder and top course of existing pavement and placing of new sheet asphalt; the construction of a bicycle path paralleling the main roadway; the removal of an existing underpass west of the southerly end of the Mall; the removal and transplanting of trees due to change in alignment; drainage; reconstruction of park paths; installation of new guard railing and other incidental work. On completion of this phase of the work, the entire West Drive, the connecting roadway at the southerly end of the park and the East Drive t o 67 Street will have been entirely renewed. The remaining sections will be rebuilt in the very near future. The three low bidders for the work were: 1. Frank Mascali & Sons, Inc. $106,989.75 634 Third Avenue, New York City 2. John Meehan & Son 118,266.70 90 West Street, New York City 3. J. Leopold & Co., Inc. 119,203.80 . 60 East 42 Street, New York City * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 27, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that in the reconstructed Battery Park there will be erected a memorial to the late Senatore Marconi, inventor of radio communication. This memorial will be sponsored and financed by the Veteran Wireless Operators Association through a Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. David Sarnoff, President of the Radio Corporation of America. The Committee has arranged to acquire the marble bas-relief of Marconi that was on the front of the Italian Building at the World's Fair. Studies of the new Battery Park development are being prepared so as to group this new memorial with the existing monument to the wireless heroes which is now in Battery Park. The construction of the Battery-Brooklyn Tunnel and the connection between the West and East Side Drives have made necessary the reconstruction of Battery Park and plans for the new Park which include the extension of the present bulkhead are now in the process of preparation. The Park reconstruction work will proceed along with the other operations in the area. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Thursday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 26, 1940 COCK'S HILL FORT - INWOOD HILL PARK The Department of Parks announces that plans are being made for a marker to be erected on the site of Cock's Hill Fort, Inwood Hill Park. Located near the highest point of land on the promontory which forms the northernmost tip of Manhattan Island, this old Revolutionary War battleground commanding views of the Palisades, the Hudson River and Spuyten Duyvil, affords a timely subject for memorial treatment. Consistent with departmental policy to permanently signalize for posterity those park areas which are of historical importance, this proposed development is of significant interest at a time when defense preparations hold national attention. Visible traces of this old fort, which was thrown up by the untrained and poorly equipped patriots as an outwork defense for the main position at Fort Washington, have long since disappeared but the location of the walls are recorded on topographical maps in the Park Department files. In the battle of Fort Tryon, November 16, 1776, the courageous but outnumbered defenders under General Washington were driven from "Cock's Hill Fort" by the Hessian allies of the British. With the fall of the main fort the eastern slope of Inwood Hill was used as camp sites for many famous regiments of British and Hessian Troops who maintained a battery at Cock's Hill Fort because of the protection it afforded the convenient landing places below on the east bank of the Hudson River. Preliminary sketches for the proposed memorial development of the site, which is roughly 80 feet square, indicate a 75 foot flagstaff supported by a simple granite base upon which a suitable inscription will be incised. Comfortable park benches will be arranged about the memorial under the fine old trees which shade the site. The development when completed will provide an interesting and pleasant retreat in the 167 acre park which includes the one remaining stand of wild woodlands on Manhattan Island. Consisting largely of a high rocky bluff rising to an elevation 230 feet above the river the park is richly endowed with thickly wooded valleys and hills. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Thursday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 26, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that ceremonies in connection with the reopening of the reconstructed Seward Park at Canal, Hester, Essex and Jefferson Streets, Manhattan, will take place on Tuesday, November 26, 1940, at 4 P. M. Besides Park Commissioner Robert Moses who will act as Chairman, Captain C. F. Robinson, Acting New York City Work Projects Administrator, Stanley M. Isaacs, Borough President of Manhattan, and Mayor LaGuardia will participate. This recreation area, one of the oldest and most extensively used in Manhattan, has been redesigned, reconstructed, and landscaped to provide wider all year round usage. Of the original layout, there remain only a fountain and walks along the Essex Street margin. In the center is a wading pool which may also be used for basketball. Flanking the wading pool on one side is a regulation basketball court, and on the other, play swings, slides and see-saws. On the Canal Street side is a completely equipped play area for small children containing slides, see-saws, play houses and a sand pit. On the north or Hester Street side, are recreation facilities such as horseshoe pitching and snuffleboard courts, a basketball court, and a large bituminous-surfaced open play area adaptable for roller skating, paddle tennis, and for ice skating when sub-freezing temperatures permit, for older children and adults. Development of the southeast corner of the park fronting on Jefferson Street and Strauss Square will not be finished until a later date. Here a combined brick recreation building and comfort station is being erected to replace the old outmoded structure razed when reconstruction began. Adjacent to it will be a farm garden, where next spring school children will grow flowers and vegetables under the supervision of the Park Department, The reopening of this playground designed by the Park Department and built by the Work Projects Administration, makes a total of 350 new or reconstructed playgrounds completed since January, 1934. At that time there were 119 playgrounds in the five boroughs; 53 of these have been redesigned and reconstructed. At present there are 415 playgrounds in the park system. *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 20, 1940 MINUTES of Meeting of the City Planning Commission, Held In Room l6, City Hall, Wednesday, November 20, 1940, at 2:30 P.M. Ihe Conmission met pursuant to adjournment, ::: PRESENT ::: R. G, Tugrrell, Chairman, John C. Riedel, Chief Engineer Board of Sstimate, Lawrence M. Orton, Cleveland Rodgers, Edwin A. Salmon, Arthur V. Sheridan, Commissioners. (Roll Call at 2:35 P.M.) No. 1, Favorable Report adopted, six votes. Nos. 2 through 5. Reports adopted, six votes, Nos. 6 through 12, Favorable Reports adopted, six votes. No. 13. Favorable Report, including resolutions adopted, six votes. Nos. 14 through 25. Resolutions adopted, six votes, Nos. 26 and 27. Hearings closed and matters laid over under Rule 105, six votes. No. 28. APPEARANCE: Arthur S. Hodgkiss, AssU, Executive Officer, Department of Parks. Hearing closed and matter laid over under Rule 105, six votes. No. 29. APPEARANCE: George Shannon, Esq., on hehalf of the Hew York Central Railroad, Hearing closed and natter laid over under Rule 105» six votes. No. 30. APPEARANCE: In favor: Nathaniel Coller, representing the South Ozone Park Civic Association, Hearing closed and matter laid over under Rule 105» six votes, Nos. 31 through 34, Hearings closed and matters laid over under Rule 105, six votes. No. 35· APPEARANCE: In Favor: H. W. 0rdeman, Consulting Engineer, Bureau of Engineering, President, Borough of Richmond. Hearing closed, six votas. Rule 105 waived, and Favorable Report (No. 1576, dated November 20, 1940) adopted, six votes. No. 36. APPEARANCES: Charles Tilgner, Ass't. Engineer, Bureau of Construction, Board of Education; Sol Herzog, Esq., attorney for the Metropolitan Garage Board of Trade; Arthur H, Haaren, Esq.; Mrs. J. Luger. Hearing closed and matter laid over under Rule 105, six votes. Nos. 37, 38, 39. APPEARANCES; H. S. Conncson, Esq., attorney for the Erostone Corporation; W, C, Vladeck, Director, Project Planning, New York City Housing Authority. Hearings closed and matters laid over under Rule 105, six votes. MATTER NOT ON CALENDAR CONSIDERED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT REPORT CITY MAP CHANGE Borough of Brooklyn No. 40 (OP - 1738) IN THE MATTER OF a proposed change in the City Map by establishing the lines of East 48th Street from Midwood Street to a point 100 feet northerly therefrom and by changing the grades of East 48th Street from Maple Street to Midwood Street and of Midwood Street between Schenectady Avenue and Utica Avenue, Borough of Brooklyn.. (On September 26, 1940, Cal. No. l68, the Board of Estimate referred this matter to the Commission; on October 23, 1940, Cal. No. 64, the Commission fixed Novcmber 13, 1940 for a hearing; on November 13, 1940, Cal. No. 23, the hearing was closed.) favorable Report, No. l601, dated November 20, 1940, adopted, six votes. THE COMMISSION THEREUPON ADJOURNED AT 3:30 P.M. TO MEET WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1940, AT 2:30 P.M., ROOM 16, CITY HALL. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 19, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that ceremonies in connection with the unveiling of Minerva and the Bell Ringers in Herald Square, as a memorial to the James Gordon Bennetts, will take place on Tuesday, November 19, 1940, at 5:45 P. M. sharp. Besides Park Commissioner Robeit Moses, who will preside as Chairman, Hon. Stanley M. Isaacs, Borough President of Manhattan, Colonel Brehon Somervell, New York City Work Projects Administrator, Mr. William A. Willis, President of the Owls of the New York Herald, Mr. William T. Dewart, Jr., Chancellor Harry Woodburn Chase of New York University, and Mayor LaGuardia, will participate in the ceremonies. Chancellor Chase will unveil the monument and present Minerva and the Bell Rinbers to the Mayor who will accept them for the City. The ceremony will end at 6:00 P. M. sharp with the striking of the clock, the ringing of the bells by Stuff and Guff, and the eyes of the owls blinking again for the first time in twenty years. The rehabilitation of the hour-glass intersection of Broadway and Sixth Avenue extending frora 32nd Street to 35tb Street is now completed. Elevated structures, and surface car tracks have been removed, building fronts cleaned, streets and sidewalks repaved and park areas rebuilt. Herald and Greeley Squares, the bulbs of the hour-glass, have been redesigned and reconstructed. Greeley Square, which lies at the south end of the improved area, has been planted and paved in a manner similar to Herald Square. Within it has been relocated the seated figure of Horace Greeley facing north and framed by 4 Hawthorne trees. The old Herald Square, bounded by Broadway, Sixth Avenue and 35th Street, has been enlarged on the Sixth Avenue and Broadway aides to provide an adequate setting for the new 50 foot granite monument housing Minerva and the Bell Ringers. In November, 1939, a number of businessmen in the Herald Square neighborhood formed a committee which raised $10,000. for the restoration of the old Herald Clock and Bell Ringers. Negotiations were started to permanently halt the wanderings of Minerva and her companions who started their exciting careers in France. Their sculptor, Antoin Jean Carles, commissioned by James Gordon Bennett Jr., to create the model and supervise the casting, completed in 1894 the group which was brought to this country and erected on the old Herald Building at a cost of $200,000. From atop this old landmark completed in 1893 from plans of McKim Mead and White the bell-strikers "Stuff and Guff" under the gaze of the "Goddess Of Wisdom" tolled the hours for 26 years establishing a tradition which oldttmers are happy to see revived. The group eventually became the property of William T. Dewart, President and Publisher of "The Sun", who presented it to New York University in 1919. Mr. Dewart considered the figures symbolic of the old Herald and deserving of a permanent and appropriate civic site. Accordingly it was hoped that the statuary would be enshrined in a group of University Buildings near the Hall of Fame as a tribute to the younger James Gordon Bennett, owner and editor of the New York Herald, considered one of America's eminent newspaper figures. Because of the inability to finance the plan in 1928 the group became part of the James Arthur collection of time pieces. The improvement of Herald Square afforded an opportunity for the realization of Mr. Dewart's plans for the clock group. The monument, of modified Italian Renaissance style, stands near the base of the triangle at the north end adjacent to 35th Street and faces the open square to the south. The bronze figures and bell, supported on a granite base 10 feet above the square, are partly sheltered by a granite niche flanked by two Copiathian columns. The simple and impressive pylon thus formed is surmounted by the granite housing which shelters the double faced, rebuilt Herald Clock. On either side of the 5 foot illuminated dial, facing outward, two green-eyed bronze owls blink continually during the dark hours. The south face of the 10 foot granite base has been incised with the following memorial inscription: A MEMORIAL TO JAMES GORDON BENETT (1795-1872) FOUNDER OF THE NEW HDRK HERALD IN 1835 AND TO HIS SON JAMES GOEDON BENNETT (1841-1918) THROUGH WHOSE VISION AND ENTERPRISE THE NEW YORK HERALD BECAME ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT NEWSPAPERS THE BRONZE FIGURES OF MINERVA AND THE BELL RINGERS ARE THE WORK OF ANTONIN JEAN CARLES. THEY STOOD, FROM 1895 to 1921, ABOVE THE CORNICE OF JAMES GORDON BENNETT'S NEW YORK HERALD BUILDING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF HERALD SQUARE AND TOLLED THE ACTIVE HOURS TO THE MILLIONS. IN 1928, THEY WERE GIVEN BY WILLIAM T. DEWART, PUBLISHER OF THE NEW YORK SUN, TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, THROUGH WHOSE GENEROSITY IN 1928 THEY ENTERED, ON PERMANENT LOAN, THE CARE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THAT THEY MAY BE HERE RESTORED TO THEIR ORIGINAL AREA OF PLEASANT SERVICE, AND TO THEIR PLACE IN THE HEARTS OF OUR CITIZENS. FUNDS FOR THEIR RESTORATION WERE PROVIDED BY SUBSCRIPTION OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE LIVES ARE DEEP-ROOTED IN TEE NEIGHBORHOOD OF HERALS SQUARE. MCMXL This monument housing the original group of Minerva, the Bell Ringers, and Owls, symbolizes the traditions of Herald Square. The bronze figures who tolled the hours for twenty-six years from the top of the old Herald Building, became an important part of the day and night life of old New York and of visitors from other lands and cities. Once again Minerva will watch over her original domain. Once more her companions will mark the hourly passing of time for millions of hurrying feet in one of the City's busiest squares, and again the Owls will blink at passers-by. The Park Department, under whose supervision the project was executed, is grateful to all who participated in this work and made possible the restoration of this symbol of Old New York. Our thanks go to the Work Projects Administration who carried out the designs and to Chancellor Chase of New York University, through whose efforts the group was presented to the City of New York. We are particularly grateful to the civic-minded business interests and individuals in the neighborhood of Herald Square who generously contributed to the restoration. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 16, 1940 I. C. 4A CROSS COUNTRY RUN TO FINISH IN VAN CORTLANDT PARK STADIUM The varsity cross country run of the Eastern Intercollegiate Association, known as the I. C. 4A, will be held Monday, November 18 starting at 3 P.M. and finishing in the Van Cortlandt Stadium. Instead of finishing at Broadway and 246 Street as in previous years, the runners will continue straight on into the stadium, entering at the north gate of the stadium, and finishing with one lap around the track. For the first time, the majority of the spectators will be able to see the finish of the run. This will eliminate crowding by spectators at the finish as experienced in past years and provide an adequate view of the finish to all using the stands which accommodate approximately four thousand. The admission is free. For the past thirty years Van Cortlandt Park has been the scene of most of the cross country runs held in New York City, including most of the championship runs of the colleges, public and private high schools and athletic clubs. Runners in the early days traversed part of the gel? course but the course was changed owing to construction of the Henry Hudson Parkway. The present course is considered to be one of the best in the entire country. The directional posts have three colors: yellow, red and blue. The yellow is for the schoolboy couse, 2˝ miles; the red is the college freshman, 3 miles; and the blue is a two mile course. Any number of combination courses can be made. The college varsity uses the combination of red and blue as the standard five mile course. The A. A. U. senior championship is six miles and is run two laps over the red course. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 13, 1940 Hunters Island Picnic Area The Department of Parks announces the completion of additional picnic facilities at Hunters Island and Twin Island in Pelham Bay Park. This former island which was joined to the mainland by hydraulic fill when Orchard Beach was constructed has been a popular retreat for basket parties although the facilities until recently have been inadequate. The Work Projects Administration under the supervision of the Department of Parks, has added 150 tables and 80 fireplaces to the existing units bringing the total to 205 tables, 85 fireplaces and 4 water outlets. The natural character of this comparatively undeveloped and wooded promontory with its winding trails and overlooks appeals to nature lovers who wish to escape the crowded conditions of the formal developments to the south. Complete utilization for anticipated needs requires a considerable program of future construction. The ultimate development will provide a restaurant, comfort stations, field house and play areas, boathouse and boat basin, paved walks and promenades, overlooks, benches and drinking fountains. Twin Island will be connected to Hunters Island by land fill operations and Orchard Beach will be extended several hundred feet eastward. It is expected that a vehicular connecting will be built across the north lagoon connection the northwest corner of Hunters Island with the Pelham Shore Road. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Monday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 11, 1940 JUNIPER VALLEY ATHLETIC FIELD The Department of Parks announces the completion of four baseball diamonds in 55 acre Juniper Valley Park, Maspeth, Queens. This field has been reconstructed during the past six months by the Work Projects Administration on the low area between Juniper Boulevard North and Juniper Boulevard South. Two regulation size baseball diamonds and two softball diamonds with chain link hooded backstops have been built in the newly seeded 10 acre oval field. It is expected that the grass will have developed sufficiently to permit the use of the field during the season of 1941. The 20' wide bicycle track which has been built around the athletic field connects with the existing playground to the east. Facilities provided here include a variety of court games and play apparatus, comfort station and wading pool. A five acre court games area is planned between this existing playground and 80th Street. Included in the development will be 15 tennis, 10 paddle tennis, 5 badminton, 5 handball and 8 shuffleboard courts. The existing playground at the eastern end of the park between 80th Street and Dry Harbor Road contains an oval skating track, a small play apparatus area and ample seating facilities. The western end of the park on the recently completed Sanitation fill will be developed as an open play field with playgrounds at the northwest and southwest corners. In order to provide adequate motor and pedestrian access to the various units of the park, the Borough President of Queens has agreed to a program of paving the boundary streets and walks. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 8, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the completion of the "Animal Naming Contest" which was conducted for elementary and high school children during the months of September and October for the purpose of selecting appropriate names for the new arrivals at the Zoos in both Central Park, Manhattan, and Prospect Park, Brooklyn. During this period, boxes were placed at several points in each zoo area. Every child who was desirous of participating in the contest wrote suggested names on a slip of paper, together with his name, address, age, school and class, and placed it in a box. Approximately 525 children took part in the competition and, judging by the multiplicity and variety of names submitted, this contest stimulated close observation and educational interest among the participants. All the suggestions were carefully considered by the board of Judges, consisting of Dr. H. F. Nimphius, Director of Menageries, John Kelly, Manager of the Central Park Zoo Cafeteria, and Richard O'Brien, Head Keeper of Central Park Zoo. The following names were chosen: Central Park Zoo Animal Winning Name Submitted By Black Leopard "Blackie" Nancy Armstrong, 58 West 57 Street, Manhattan, 8 years - 3rd grade, private school 2 Sea Lions "Dixie" & "Trixie" Catherine Stanton, 329 East 63 Street, Manhattan, 15 years - Julia Richman High School Thar "Kazan" Mary Berger, 329 East 63 Street, Manhattan, 15 years - Cathedral High School Antelope "Heda-La-Ma" Mary Smith, 42 West 64 Street, Manhattan, 12 years - 7A -Blessed Sacrament School Yak "To-To" Leonia Orloft, 2140 - 70 Street, Brooklyn, 14 years - 8B - P.S. 96 Deer(Buck) "Rusty" Janice Paulsen, 329 East 63 Street, Manhattan, 15 years -Julia Richman H.S.- 3 term Deer(Doe) "Reddy" Mary Berger, 329 East 63 Street, Manhattan, 15 years - Cathedral High School, 3 term Llama "Glamour" Rose Sacchi, 329 East 63 Street, Manhattan, 16 years - Julia Richman High School Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn Tiger Cub "Duke" Eleanor Driscoll, 116-21 116 St., Jamaica, 13 years, Our Lady of Wisdom Academy Lion Cub "Duchess" Tracy Rickers, 1241 East 32 Street, Brooklyn, 7 years - Berkeley Institute, 2 grade 2 Monkeys "Ko-Ko" & "Jo-Jo" James Atkins, 892 Green Avenue, Brooklyn, 14 years - 7B - P. S. 26 Antelope (Buck) "Buckeroo" Gloria Ellis, 309 Osborn Street, Brooklyn, 12 years - 7A - P. S. 84 Antelope (Doe) "Sheba" Julia Laura, 1017 Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn, 4 years old Ceremonies, at which the animals will officially receive the names chosen for them, will take place at both the Central Park Zoo, Manhattan, and Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn, on Saturday, November 9, at 2:30 P. M. Appropriate signs bearing the selected names will be hung in front of the animals' cages at that time. The awarding of silver medals to the winning contestants will also form part of the afternoon's program. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Thursday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 7, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that another step towards the completion of the final development of Schmul Park started on Wednesday, November 6, 1940 in the form of land fill operations to reclaim the salt marsh area at the easterly end of the partially developed eight and a half acre neighborhood park. This property, donated to the City by the Louis Schmul family, as a playground site is bounded by Wild Avenue, Pearson Street and Melvin Avenue and extends to Flaak Creek a tributary lateral of Fresh Kills Main Creek. The reclamation of this low lying marsh will permit a needed addition to the much used existing playground which was formally dedicated and opened to public use in April, 1939. The Otis Sand and Gravel Co. of 489 Bay Street, Staten Island, low bidders for the estimated 50,000 cubic yards of fill at a lump sum price of $14,982.00 will complete in thirty calendar days the contract for raising the ground level to approximate final grades. The existing trench drained, treeless meadow surface, lying just slightly above the adjoining creek level will be raised an average height of 6 feet. The area to be developed is approximately 300 feet by 700 feet, Upon completion of grading operations early in December the Work Projects Administration under the supervision of the Park Department will start construction on the completion of the existing boundary chain link fence, drainage facilities, provide topsoil, grass seed and trees and build two regulation size baseball diamonds, which are expected to be opened for play in the spring of 1941. The existing facilities, located in the 150' x 500' westerly section were developed under Department of Parks supervision by the Work Projects Administration upon fill provided jointly by the W. P. A. and the Borough President of Richmond. This section has three distinct areas. The first unit adjacent to Wild Avenue is reserved for small children and provides in addition to a brick comfort station, a wading pool, slides, jungle gym, seesaws and swings. The middle unit is for adolescent and adult use providing facilities for basketball, handball, shuffleboard and horse shoe pitching. The third and largest completed unit has a roller skating track and softball diamond. The new development which will adjoin this section will round out the playground activities to satisfy the active recreation needs of the community. The playground may be reached via Victory Boulevard which passes one block to the west. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 2, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that the citywide finals of the volley ball tournament for playground girls up to 17 years of age will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2:00 P. M., at Heckscher Playground, 62 Street and West Drive, Central Park. Teams from each of the 414 playgrounds have participated in a series of elimination matches during the last six weeks, throughout the five boroughs, in preparation for the city championship. The teams from the Boroughs of Manhattan and Queens have been victorious in all their scheduled matches and will play each other at the final game of the contest next Saturday afternoon. Gold medals will be awarded to the members of the winning team and silver medals to the losers. * * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 2, 1940 The Park Department announces that the Annual Fall Chrysanthemum Show in the Prospect Park Brooklyn Greenhouse, will open on Sunday, November 3 at 10 A. M, The Greenhouse, located at Prospect Park West and Ninth Street, Brooklyn, may be reached by way of the I. R. T. Subway, Grand Army Plaza stop; the Independent Subway, 7th Avenue stop; and the Vanderbilt and Smith Street car lines, Ninth Street stop; or by automobile direct to the Greenhouse by way of the east drive in Prospect Park. The Exhibit will be open every day from 10 A. M. to 4 P. M. and the Park Department extends a cordial invitation to the public to view the display which will be open for three weeks. More than four thousand pots of chrysanthemums will be on exhibition. The ground bed is laid out in groups of various formations with popular large bloom varieties in all shades of pink, yellow, red and bronze. Some of the attractive plants are the Pooketts, Turners, John S. Bush, Rise of Day and the Melba. Surrounding this feature of the display, banked on the sides of the Show House are numerous small size chrysanthemums in 75 varieties, such as the Pompons, the Anemone and the Single Daisy type. In the class of varieties in all shades of bronze, red, yellow and white, some of the outstanding chrysanthemums to be exhibited are the Crimson Red, Purple Queen, Red Rover, Orchid Beauty, Cleopatra and New York. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 2, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that on Sunday, November 3, at 3:00 P. M. Maurice Park (Urban Water Supply Playground) [in Queens] will be officially dedicated and opened to the public. Neighborhood civic groups and local representatives of the W. P. A. and Park Department will participate. There will be recreation activities in which the children will participate and music will be provided by the Park Department Band. The completion of this neighborhood park and playground which is bounded by Maurice Avenue, 54 Avenue, 63 Street and Borden Avenue will fulfill a recreational need of long standing. The future southerly extension of 61 Street through the park between 54 Avenue and Borden Avenue was abandoned by the Borough President as less desirable than a single unit park area. Every square foot has been well utilized in this intensively developed tract which was formerly the property of a privately owned Water Company. Acquired by the City in 1937 for unpaid taxes and assessments totaling $358,817.00, the property was placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Water Supply. Because the pumping station was inactive the Park Department, in February 1939, succeeded in having the property transferred for development as a park. Three types of active recreation areas are grouped about the formal central mall which serves as the main entrance to the park from Borden Avenue and divides the property approximately in half. There are four rows of Oak trees along the bench lined double promenade flanking the grass panels of this shaded resting spot. A flag pole with an attractively designed cast stone base accents the intersection of this north and south major axis of the development and the center line of a small brick comfort station which serves the adjacent play areas in the eastern half. For small children there is the typical battery of swings, seesaws, slides and a sand pit. Adjoining this area is a wading pool which also serves as a volley ball court for winter use. A larger unit for adolescents and adult use contains 10 handball courts, a multiple use section for open play, ice skating, softball and basketball, four horse shoe and six shuffle board courts. A small section of this unit also contains swings and slides for older children. The western half of the park contains a regulation size baseball diamond and concrete bleachers with seating capacity for approximately 1,000 spectators. Two football fields with removable goal posts and a softball diamond complete the development. The opening of this playground designed by the Park Department and built by the Work Projects Administration makes a total of 296 new playgrounds completed since June 1934. At that time there were 119 playgrounds in the five boroughs, 52 of these have been redesigned and reconstructed. At present there are 415 playgrounds in the park system. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 November 1, 1940 Bids were received today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on a contract for transplanting of various trees located on the site of the proposed construction shaft for the new Battery-Brooklyn Tunnel across the Narrows in lower New York Bay. The work will consist of the removal of the trees to new locations in Battery Park and in the improved portion of City Hall Park in Manhattan. The trees ranging from 8" to 18" in caliper are of a fine quality not easily replaced and will serve as a useful addition to the park facing the City Hall. The three low bidders for the work were The following: 1. Henry J. Tamke $2,795.00 475 Fifth Avenue New York City 2. Syosset Nurseries 3,133.81 Syosset, New York 3. Grand View Nurseries 3,337.50 6 Grand View Avenue Mt. Vernon, N.Y. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Thursday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 31, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that "Birthday Parties" have been arranged for the children of 14 playgrounds during the month of November in commemoration of their official opening to the public. These anniversary celebrations will include a variety of recreational activities such as: ping pong, volley ball, basketball, handball, and football games; also, checkers, chess, novelty races, roller hockey and roller skating contests. Group games, recitations, salute to the Flag, and community singing of patriotic songs will also form part of the programs. Time of Borough Playground and Location Opened Celebration Manhattan Thomas Jefferson Playground, East 111 Nov. 21,1935 4:00 P. M. Street and First Avenue Harlem Housing, West 150 Street and Nov.28,1937 4:00 P. M. and Harlem River Chelsea Health Roof, 9 Avenue and Nov. 27,1937 4:00 P. M. West 27 Street Brooklyn Dreier-Offerman Playground, Cropsey Nov. 9,1934 4:00 P. M. Ave. and Bay 46 Street Cooper Park Playground, Morgan Ave. Nov.16,1934 11:00 A. M. and Sharon Street South Third and Berry Streets Nov.12,1937 2 - 5 P. M. Shiplacoff Playground, Pitkin Ave. Nov.10,1937 11:00 A. M. and Powell Street Marion Street and Hopkinson Ave. Nov. 24,1938 3:00 P. M. Queens Flushing Memorial Playground, Bayside Nov.11,1934 10 A.M. - and 25 Avenues 5 P.M. Corona Avenue and 102 Street Nov. 12,1934 3:30 P. M. Bronx Devoe East - University Ave. and West Nov.22,1935 3:30 P. M. 188 Street East 183 Street and Ryer Avenue Nov.ll,1936 3:00 P. M. Crotona Park East and Charlotte Nov.11,1936 3:00 P. M. Street Bronx Park East and Reiss Place Nov. 1,1939 3:30 P. M. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 30, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the completion of the northerly portion of Baisley Pond Park between Sutphin Boulevard and Foch Boulevard, Queens, The park will be reopened to the general public on October 30, 1940 without formal ceremony. The thirty-acre lake in the park has been drained and cleaned to provide deeper water, and new boat landings have been constructed at intervals throughout its circumference. The lake will continue to be used for boating during the summer and for ice-skating in the winter. It is expected that a new semi-circular concrete basin along the lake will attract model boat enthusiasts. The park has a complete new system of walks and a number of new play areas have been constructed. There are now three children's playgrounds, two of which are new and the other remodeled, with handball courts, tennis courts, three baseball diamonds and a football field. There are four comfort stations, three of which are newly constructed and one remodeled. The southerly portion of Baisley Pond Park adjacent to the Belt Parkway will be the next section to be built. Already, as a part of the Belt Parkway improvement, 83,000 cubic yards of fill were placed in this low lying area and additional grading work is now going on in preparation for the landscaping and other park construction. This is the 414th new or reconstructed playground in the New York City park system. **** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 29, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that work on the pedestrian overpass at West 148 Street and Riverside Drive, which will serve as a connection from the Drive to the recreation areas in Riverside Park west of the railroad and the Henry Hudson Parkway is 25% completed. This overpass is being built at an estimate cost to the city of $70,000. Work is being done by the P. T. Cox Construction Company, Inc., and construction will be completed about December 1, 1940. At the present time the playground must be reached by a devious route over the old pedestrian bridge located a considerable distance north of the present site. The heavy use made of the playground made it essential that the city provide the funds to complete this portion of the West Side Improvement. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Monday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 28, 1940 Bids were received today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on a contract for the demolition of exhibits and for the construction of new facilities for roller and ice skating on the large floor area of the New York City Building, in Flushing Meadow Park, Borough of Queens. The work consists of the removal of exhibits and the construction of a fabricated sectional maple floor for roller skating. Also included is the construction of a portable barrier enclosure for an ice skating and hockey arena adjoining the skating rink. Other incidental work necessary for maintenance and operation of these facilities is part of this work. The work is to be finished and opened to the public by December 15, 1940. The three low bidders for the work are as follows: 1. Balaban-Gordon Company, Inc. $21,600.00 220 West 42 Street, N. Y. C. 2. Rolin Contracting Company 23,200.00 11 West 42 Street, N. Y. C. 3. Frank Teicher 25,464.00 1679 Madison Avenue, N. Y. C. ***** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Sunday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 27, 1940 The Park Department announces that 2,289 trees were planted on City streets throughout the five boroughs during the spring season of 1940. The planting of many of these trees(consisting of Oriental Planes, Norway Maples and Pin Oaks) was made possible through funds appropriated from the Capital Outlay Budget and with the cooperation of the W. P. A. under the direction of the Borough Presidents' offices of Queens, Bronx and Brooklyn. Private property owners planted 763 street trees after making application and receiving permits from the Park Department which assisted by assign ing one of their forestry representatives to inspect the planting site and recommend the quantity and species of trees most adapted for the location. The Park Department will cooperate and assit all property owners who contemplate street tree planting in the fall of 1940, which may be done from now until December 15. Application for a permit must be made to the Park Director in charge of the respective borough: Philip J. Cruise, The Arsenal, Central Park, 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, Manhattan Richard C. Jenkins, Litchfield Mansion, Prospect Park, Brooklyn George L. Quigley, Bronx Administration Building, Bronx Park East and Birchall Avenue, Bronx James J. Mallen, The Overlook, Forest Park, Kew Gardens, Queens A. M. Anderson, Field House, Clove Lakes Park, Victory Boulevard and Clove Road, West Brighton, Richmond A permit for breaking the sidewalk must be obtained also from the Permit Department in the office of the Borough President in the borough in which the planting is to be done. Heretofore, some of the Borough Presidents' Offices required a fee for this purpose; but this has now been waived where street trees are to be planted. **** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Thursday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 24, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that the city wide finals of the Roller Skating Contest conducted annually by the Park Department for both children and adults will take place at the roller skating rink in the Great lawn Playground, Central Park, located at 85th Street and East Drive, on Saturday, October 26th at 2:00 P.M. The following are the events of the program: Up to 16 years of age Boys Girls 4'8" and under 60 yard dash 40 yard dash 5'3" " " 100 " " 60 " " Unlimited(height) 200 " " 100 " " Over 16 years of age Unlimited(as to height 200 " " 100 " " and age) The first five winners of each event in the borough eliminations held last Saturday will be eligible to compete in the finals on October 26th. Silver cups will be awarded to those attaining first place in each event. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 23, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that arrangements have been made for the enrollment of new members in the playground children's bands and orchestras starting Wednesday, October 23. Any boy or girl, 18 years of age and under, who plays a musical instrument, is eligible to apply for membership in these juvenile bands or orchestras. The department has assigned an instructor of music to these playground musical units and he will interview eligible applicants at the official rehearsal centers located in designated playgrounds of the five boroughs at the time and on the day specified in the following schedule: Day Time Playground and Location Monday 3 to 5 P. M. Jay Hood Wright Playground, 175 Street and Fort Washington Avenue, Manhattan 7 to 10 P. M. West 134 Street Gymnasium, 35 West 134 Street, Manhattan Tuesday 5 to 7 P. M. Von Dohlen Playground, 138 Street and Archer Avenue, Queens Wednesday 3 to 10 P. M. Abraham Levy Playground, Jewett and Castleton Avenues, Port Richmond, Richmond Thursday 3 to 5 P. M. New Utrecht Playground, New Utrecht Avenue and 70 Street, Brooklyn 7 to 10 P. M. Taaffe Place Playground, Myrtle Avenue and Taaffe Place, Brooklyn Friday 3 to 5 P. M. Corona Avenue and 102 Street Playground, Queens 7 to 10 P. M. McDonald Playground, Forest Avenue, near Broadway, West Brighton, Richmond Saturday 10 A. M. to Noon Abraham Levy Playground, Jewett and Castleton Avenues, Port Richmond, Richmond 2 to 4 P. M. De Matti Playground, Tompkins Avenue, Rosebank, Kichmond *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 23, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that a comprehensive program of recreational activities has been planned for the fall and winter months at the various gymnasia, indoor pools, and floodlighted playgrounds under its jurisdiction. All the gymnasia have adequate showers and dressing facilities and are operated from 10 A. M. to 10 P»M, daily. The program of activities includes: basketball, handball, shuffleboard, volley ball, badminton, ping pong, track, calisthenics, gymnastics, group games, magic shows, club meetings, and social dancing, with music supplied by the WPA Federal Music Project. They are located as follows: Gymnasia and Locations Manhattan Carmine Street - Carmine and Tarick Streets Rutgers Place - 5 Rutgers Place Baruch - Rivington and Mangin Streets East 54 Street - 342 East 54 Street West 134 Street - 35 West 134 Street West 60 Street - West 60 Street, between 10 and 11 Avenues West 28 Street - 407 West 28 Street Cherry and Oliver - Cherry and Oliver Streets Brooklyn President Street - President Street and Fourth Avenue Richmond Cromwell Center - Victory Boulevard and Murray Hulbert Avenue, Tomkinsville, Staten Island Faber Park Recreation Building - Richmond Terrace at Faber Street, Port Richmond, Staten Island Basketball teams desiring to use these gymnasia are requested to apply for the necessary permit to the Borough Directors, whose names and addresses follow: Manhattan Philip J. Cruise - Arsenal Building, Central Park, 64 Street and Fifth Avenue Brooklyn Richard C. Jenkins - Litchfield Mansion, Prospect Park, Prospect Park West and 5th Street Richmond A. M. Anderson - Field House, Clove Lakes Park, Clove Road, West of Victory Boulevard, Basketball tournaments are being organized in all gymnasium centers for boys, girls and men of the surrounding neighborhood and medals will be awarded to the members of the winning teams. Playground directors are present to assist boys in various gymnastic stunts. A monster demonstration in gymnastics will be given by those attending these classes in the latter part of January. At the present time, a group of playground directors are being trained in the art of giving puppet and marionette shows. It is expected that, during Christmas week, the first of a series of shows will be presented by these puppeteers at the various gymnasium and recreation buildings throughout the five boroughs. Indoor swimming pools, which may be used free of charge, are located in each of the gymnasium buildings, in the borough of Manhattan, with the exception of the one located at Cherry and Oliver Streets. In addition, there is a Park Department indoor swimming pool at 23 Street and Avenue A., Manhattan, and at Metropolitan and Bedford Avenues, Brooklyn. Swimming classes are conducted for beginners at all these pools. Anyone wishing to learn how to swim is invited to register at the pool nearest his home. Lessons in Life Saving are also given to the advanced swimmers. At various intervals during the fall and winter seasons, swimming tournaments for all age groups will be held and they will include: relays, individual events, diving and water polo. Facilities are also available in all boroughs for such outdoor activities as: soccer, football, field hockey, roller hockey, roller skating; horseshoe pitching and handball. Seventy-two of the Park Department outdoor recreation areas are equipped with modern floodlighting equipment and their facilities may be used until 10 P. M. each night. *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Tuesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 15, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that an ejdaibition of handcraft composed of articles made by children of Park Department playgrounds, will take place at the City Information Center, located at 42 Street and Pershing Square, Manhattan, opposite the Grand Central Terminal, beginning Tuesday, October 15, and running through Monday, October 21. 3,812 persons visited a similar Exhibition at the Education Hall of the American Museum of Natural History, during the week of September 29. This handcraft display will reveal skilfuLleather, soap and chip carving, raffia, reed, bead, weaving and basketry work. Useful and decorative articles for home and school have also been made from such materials, as cork, wood, metal, leather, wool, crepe paper and felt. Discarded materials of various sorts have been salvaged from the waste heap by the young craftsmen and converted into instruments of practical value. Other contributions to the handcraft display consist of wearing apparel such as sweaters, scarfs, gloves and hats with singular designs and beautiful color schemes; also articles for household use such as table cloths, doilies, book cases, lamps and rugs. * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 11, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that on Columbus Day, October 12, at 2:00 P. M., harvesting of the crops in Children's Gardens, maintained by the Park Department, will begin in the following gardens: Manhattan Thomas Jefferson Park Garden - 114 Street and Pleasant Avenue St. Gabriel's Park Garden - 35 Street and 1st Avenue Highbridge Park Garden - 189 Street and Amsterdam Avenue Brooklyn Fort Greene Park Garden - Myrtle and North Portland Avenues Queens Highland Park Garden - Jamaica and Cleveland Avenues Medals will be awarded to the boys and girls producing the best vegetables in each garden. Hundreds of youngsters, ranging from eight to fourteen years of age, will harvest their second crop of the season, consisting of beets, corn, kohl-rabi, carrots, lettuce, escarole, fennel and swiss chard, which were planted during July. * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Friday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 11, 1940 Bids were opened today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on a contract for repaving a small section of the Grand Central Parkway Extension south of Horace Harding Boulevard, in the immediate vicinity of old Horse Brook Creek. The work consists of resurfacing with a bituminous macadam, including incidental grading and seeding an area which had become depressed due to proximity of the old creek and the heavy flow of traffic. The three low bidders for the work were: 1. Frank Mascali & Sons, Inc. $2,342.50 4634 Third Avenue The Bronx, N. Y. 2. Sicilian Asphalt Paving Co. 2,558.50 41 Park Row New York City 3. John I. Mattiello Contracting Corp. 2,987.50 1270 Sixth Avenue New York City *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 9, 1940 PARK FACILITIES ADJACENT TO NEW HARLEM BOYS' CLUB OF THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY The opening of the new Boys' Club of Harlem, under the jurisdiction of the Children's Aid Society will be another improvement in the recreation facilities in Harlem. The construction of this building and the recreation facilities that go with it will be a most welcome addition to those which have been supplied by the City of New York during the last six years. Although the Park Department has not been able to do everything it would like to do in the way of providing new and improved facilities in Harlem, it has been able to improve the situation greatly in this congested section of the Borough of Manhattan. Fifteen new play areas have been added to the system and seven old ones have been rebuilt and, wherever possible, expanded. The following are the Park Department accomplishments in Harlem since 1934: ENTIRELY NEW Name Location McCray Playground West 138th Street between Fifth and Lenox Aves. Playground West 150th Street and Seventh Avenue Playground East 106th Street and Fifth Avenue Playground East 106th Street btwn Third & Lexington Avenues Highbridge Park Playground West 167th Street and Edgecomb Avenue Playground West 130th Street and Fifth Avenue Harlem Housing Playground West 150th Street and Harlem River Health Center Roof East 115th Street between Third & Lexington Aves Mount Morris Park, West 122nd Street and Nathan Davis Place West Playground Playground West 151st Street and Seventh Avenue Playground West 140th Street and Lenox Avenue Colonial Park Playground West 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue Swimming Pool & Dance Area Marginal Playground Central Park at 110th Street and Lenox Avenue Marginal Playground Central Park at 108th Street and Fifth Avenue Marginal Playground Central Park at 110th Street & Central Park West REHABILITATED PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS Name Location St. Nicholas Park and West 141st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue Playground Morningside Park and West 114th Street and Morningside Avenue Playground Colonial Park West 153rd Street and Bradhurst Avenue Mount Morris Park East 120th Street and Madison Avenue West 134th Street Gymnasium West 134th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues West 134th Street Indoor West 134th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues Swimming Pool Jasper Oval West 135th Street and Convent Avenue Future improvements now being planned include the recreation areas that will be constructed in the proposed Harlem River Drive, and the playground acquisition in connection with Public School No. 117, East 115th Street and Madison Avenue. *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 5, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that a demonstration in Magic will be given by the children of Park Department playgrounds at the Mall, Central Park, on Sunday, October 6, at 2:00 P. M. Ten magic clubs, composed of 300 boys and girls, ranging from 6 to 18 years of age, have been organized in various Park Department playgrounds throughout the five boroughst All the members of these clubs have displayed unusual talent in the art of magic, and their regular attendance at the weekly classes has resulted in a marked improvement* Lesson plans and study aids have been compiled for use in the programs of instruction, supplemented by materials and bibliographies which have been collected and classified after extensive experiments and wide experience with thousands of playground children. The course of study includes a variety of subjects such as: unusual forms of paper tearing and folding, parlor tricks, puzzles, various phases of shadowgraphy, chalk talks, sleight of hand, rag, sand, and smoke pictures, optical and psychological illusions, juggling, Punch and Judy, marionettes, ventriloquism, and other forms of dramatic expression, Dantomines, magical games, plays, skits and stunts. In fact, there is some form of magic expression or activity for every age level and for every type of child. The magic review, scheduled for next Sunday afternoon, will be given by some of the outstanding playground magicians from each of the ten clubs. The program will be divided into three parts with each part under the super- vision of a prize winner in a former magic contest conducted by the department, and will include tricks taken from Indian folklore, mind reading, disappearing acts, ancient puzzles, ventriloquism, juggling, and many other demonstrations of mystery usually found in the repertoire of a magician. The Park Department Band will furnish the musical selections for the afternoon's entertainment. The complete program follows: Part One Seymour Eskow - "Magical Master of Ceremonies" Nicholas Stathes - "Adventure in India" - tricks of Indian folklore Harold Ryfas - "Ball Manipulations" - Disappearance of balls by skilled manipulation George Kanjo - "Chalk Talk" - Creative art Koss and Dorman - "Mind Reading" Bob Rice - "Magic De Luxe" - Ancient tricks demonstrated Part Two Jerry Nadel - "Magical Master of Ceremonies" Thimbleny - "Thimbles and Such" Meyer Hornstein - "Feats with Hands" Sol Stone - "Magical Moment" Tommy Down and Alicia - "Sophisticated Sorcery" Gymnastic Tricksters Accordion Selection Part Three Danny Morris - "Magical Master of Ceremonies" Murray Landsberg - "Prestidigation" Dave Call - "Miscellaneous Magic" Irving Tarr - "Color Changes" Richard Hillman- - "Slick Magic" Ruth Dore - "Feminine Magic" Band Selection ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Saturday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 5, 1940 The Department of Parks announces that the children of 18 playgrounds in various boroughs will celebrate the anniversary of the official opening of these play areas to the public during the month of October by participating in specially prepared "Birthday Party" programs. These anniversary celebrations are conducted primarily for the purpose of inculcating in the children a deeper sense of appreciation for the recreation facilities that have been made available to them; and also, to impress upon them that they have a civic obligation to cooperate in maintaining all parks and playgrounds in good physical condition. The programs for these "Birthday Parties" will include softball games, demonstrations in six-man football, roller skating contests, handball matches, horseshoe pitching tournaments, track and field meets, and gymnastic exhibitions. In addition, there will be feature events such as; tug of war, novelty contests embracing pie eating, banana eating and apple bobbing contests; treasure hunts, doll and carriage parades, handcraft exhibits, and obstacle races, some of which, will be: the wheelbarrow race, the egg and spoon race, the sack race, and the three-legged race. Community singing of patriotic songs, salute to the Flag, one act play contests, folk dancing, and musical selections by members of the playground children's orchestras will also form part of the day's entertainment. The schedule of October Playground "Birthday Parties" follows: Time of Borough Playground and Location Opened Celebration Manhattan Essex, Norfolk and E. Houston Sts. Oct. 5, 1934 2:00 P. M. Columbus Playground - Baxter and Oct. 12, 1934 2:00 P. M. Park Streets Lillian D, Wald Playground, Cherry, Oct.19,1934 2:00 P. M. Monroe and Gouverneur Streets Gulick Playground, Delancey, Oct.19,1934 2:00 P. M. Broome and Sheriff Streets Colonial Playground, Bradhurst Oct.16,1936 4:00 P. M. Avenue and West 153 Street Brooklyn Red Hook Playground, Dwight, Oct. 5,1937 4:00 P. M. Richand and Pioneer Streets Leiv Eiriksson Playground, 5th Ave. Oct.12, 1934 4:00 P. M. and 66 Street Bill Brown Memorial Playground, Oct.14,1935 4:00 P. M. Bedford Avenue and Avenue X Williamsburg Housing Playground Oct,27,1937 3:00 P. M. Manhattan Ave. & Scholes St. Crispus Attucks Playground, Fulton Oct.27,1934 2:30 P. M. Street and Classon Avenue Dahill Rd. and 38 Street Oct. 29,1937 3:30 P. M. Queens Tudor Field Playground, North Oct. 6,1938 11:00 A.M. to Conduit Avenue and 80 Street 5:30 P. M. Thompson Hill Playground, Greenpoint Oct.25,1937 10:00 A.M. to Avenue & 47 Avenue 6:00 P. M. Bronx Fort #4 Playground, Sedgwick and Oct.14, 1934 3:30 P. M. Reservoir Avenues Teasdale Place and E. 164 Street Oct. 14,1935 3:30 P. M. Spofford Avenue and Faile Street Oct. 14,1935 3:30 P. M. Macombs Dam Park South, Sedgwick Oct. 14,1935 3:30 P. M. Ave. & Exterior Street Pulaski Playground, East 133 Street Oct. 11,1939 3:30 P. M. and Willis Avenue ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 2, 1940 Bids were opened today by the Department of Parks at the Arsenal Building on a contract for filling and grading the easterly portion of Schmul Park, in the Borough of Richmond. The work consists of filling the present low salt marsh area with hydraulic material from the nearby channel or dry fill from other sources. When completed the area will be developed into ball fields for various sports. The following were the bids received for the work: Otis Sand and Gravel Co. $14,892.00 489 Bay Street, Staten Island Certified Construction Corp. 22,700.00 Box 107, West New Brighton Staten Island Brighton Contracting Corp. 23,485.00 16 South G-reenleaf Avenue West N ew Brighton, Staten Island * * * * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF PARKS ARSENAL, CENTRAL PARK FOR RELEASE Wednesday TEL. REGENT 4-1000 October 2, 1940 The Department of Parks announces the opening without ceremonies of a new playground at East 120 Street and East River Drive, Manhattan, on Wednesday, October 2. The Department of Sanitation surrendered this land to the Board of Estimate who turned it over in 1939 to the Park Department for playground purposes. This small playground consists of three handball courts and a free play area. It has been paved with permanent material to provide year round usage. The entire area is landscaped with shade trees and concrete benches have been provided. The opening of this playground designed by the Park Department and built and landscaped by the Work Projects Administration makes a total of 292 new areas completed by the Park Department since January 1, 1934. At that time there were 119 playgrounds in the five boroughs, 52 of these have been redesigned and reconstructed. At present there are 411 playgrounds in the City Park System. **** -----------------------------------------------------------------------------