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USP
NEWS
Park
Clean Team
Commences |
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A historic commons, a
beloved meeting place and a haven for residents and
visitors alike, Union Square Park is an microcosm of New
York City life. The
Partnership continues to ensure the preservation of
this popular green space with beautification and
maintenance initiatives. USP will be
implementing its special Park Task Force again this
summer to supplement the organization’s regular
neighborhood sanitation program and the efforts of the
Parks Department. From April through October, USP will
add five sanitation workers, including one supervisor,
to clean the Park exclusively. USP has also
contracted with a landscaping firm for the maintenance
of the lawn in Union Square Park. You will see a freshly
seeded, aerated and fertilized lawn in the Park.
And to help keep the lawn looking its best, a new
sprinkler system is also being installed. Green lawns
need colorful plant beds and USP has acquired the design
services of Lynden Miller, whose daffodil projects
inspired New Yorkers across the five boroughs following
September 11th. |
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Public Recycling
Pilot |
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You may
have noticed some colorful, new recycling receptacles in
Union Square Park. They are part of a
pilot program that the Department of Sanitation is
undertaking that targets busy commercial streets, parks
and transportation facilities where significant amounts
of recyclable materials, such as paper, plastic and
glass are being deposited in trash receptacles and
entering the waste stream. Union
Square Park was selected as one of the six pilot
locations in the five boroughs. The
purpose of the pilot is to test the effectiveness of
public recycling receptacles and to ascertain if they
have potential to become a major contributor to New York
City’s recycling efforts. The pilot
will begin on Tuesday, April 3 and end on Tuesday, June
26. Let’s make an effort to improve
the environment by using the blue and green receptacles
in Union Square Park and throughout the
City. |
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USP
Welcomes New Staff |
| This month, USP
welcomed two new staff members. Carin
Cardone joins the Partnership as Deputy
Director after five years with the Lower Manhattan
Development Corporation where she served as Director of
Tourism and Marketing and Director of Operations.
One of her primary focuses was
directing the Museums of Lower Manhattan Campaign, a $5
million program to brand and market 15 cultural
institutions in the aftermath of September
11th.
Alexis Confer joins the
Partnership as Executive Assistant/Marketing
Associate. Alexis is currently
pursuing a Masters degree at the NYU Wagner School of
Public Service in the evenings. After
graduation from George Washington University, she spent
a year in Nairobi, Kenya doing development work and
social outreach. Carin and
Alexis look forward to working with our partners to
make great things happen in the Union Square
community. |
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Presidential Classroom |
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Two young leaders from New York City had a
taste of what it’s like to be in US government and have
brought back a positive outlook to their
community. From February 26 to March 3, Gauisha Plaza and
Pierre Valentine (pictured above), of Washington Irving
High School, traveled to Washington D.C. to participate
in Presidential Classroom thanks to a sponsorship from
Con Edison. Presidential Classroom is a
program aimed at exceptional high school students from
the U.S. and abroad who have an interest in
government. Students get a behind the
scenes look at our nation’s capitol by participating in
seminars and discussions featuring members of Congress,
presidential appointees, senior military officials, top
business leaders and journalists. Students also observe
the United States Congress in action, visit monuments
and debate key issues with their peers. “We are
definitely going to take away the connections we made
and some great friends. It made us
more open to other people’s points of view,” Valentine
muses. Plaza agrees, “We were able to see the good
things that the government brings to our country and
look at it from a different perspective.” The students
said the highlight of the week was an inspirational
meeting with former astronaut, Buzz Aldrin. This is one
of the many education programs offered to WIHS by USP
and generously supported by Con Edison.
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| Union Square
Partnership |
| Union Square Partnership, a
non-profit organization, works to ensure the community's
vibrancy as a center for business, culture and education
and to improve the quality of life for its residents and
businesses, by providing supplemental public safety,
sanitation, business promotion and economic development
services throughout the district. Union Square
Partnership, comprised of a Business Improvement
District and Local Development Corporation, facilitates
economic development by spearheading educational,
economic development and park enhancements and acting as
a liaison between community, business and government
leaders.
For more information visit the
Union Square Partnership website at www.unionsquarenyc.org. | |
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Neighborhood
News
April
is National Garden Month |
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Union Square Park
is joining the celebration with the NYC Grows
festival. On Saturday, April 28,
2007, the New York City Department of Parks
& Recreation and the National Gardening Association
with local support from Union Square Partnership
will host the second annual NYC Grows Garden Festival.
Open to the public, the festival will take
place in Union Square Park on the
South Plaza at 14th Street.
The NYC Grows campaign is part of the National
Gardening Association’s mission to promote home, school
and community gardening as a means to renew and sustain
the essential connections between people, plants and the
environment. The festival will
feature Ranger Rick, a labyrinth, a raffle, adult and
kid-friendly demonstrations and workshops, exhibitor
booths and more.
This is a great way to continue to
make the Union Square neighborhood a “green-minded”
community. |
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International "Earthbox"
Day |
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The UN
Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) is sponsoring New York
City’s First INTERNATIONAL “EARTHBOX” DAY in
conjunction with the Growing Connection on
Sunday, April 15 from 11 am-5 pm in Union Square
Park. The Growing
Connection links people and cultures through a global
network of people growing vegetables and sharing
information to improve nutrition and break the cycle of
hunger and poverty. Central to TGC is
the EarthBox, a breakthrough
tool to grow high-value produce almost anywhere.
Low-cost, low maintenance, using local inputs, the
EarthBox consumes much less water than in-ground
cultivation. “Earthbox” Day will include
NYC Students demonstrating EarthBox planting and guest
speakers at 1:30 pm. This event
is open to the public.
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Maoz
Vegetarian |
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The recent
opening of Maoz Vegetarian in Union Square
is the first New York outpost of a chain that launched
in Amsterdam in 1991. Maoz offers an
array of mouth watering vegetarian options; most notably
their muffin shaped falafel and signature salad
bar. Located at 38
Union Square East, at 16th Street,
(212-260-1988) Maoz boasts a prime spot to
become a neighborhood favorite.
So, grab some tasty takeout and head over
for a picnic in the Park.
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Links to Community and City
Websites |
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The City of New York
Department of Parks and
Recreation
Department of Small Business
Services
Community Board # 2
Community Board # 3
Community Board # 5
Community Board #
6 |
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