From Debra Jeffreys-Glass organizer of the day:

“So many hands made the work much lighter, and the smiles on the faces of the children and adults served as proof of the day’s success. Thank you, In no particular order….. Bob -as always….being the major mover and shaker and inspiration for all we do. Jessica, for the leg work of gathering yummy treats and creating relationships with new and old neighborhood partners [Roni-Sue’s Chocolates, Ceci Cela Patisserie, Joey Bats Cafe, Formaggio NYC, Pan D’Avignon, Essex Olive and Spice, and Trapizzino]. Jen and K for getting the all important carrots (aka candy) for craft participants. Irit for making sure that our scarecrow had his straw innards, courtesy of Stanton St. CSA’s Farmer Ted. Amy and Ryan for building our scarecrow, general tidying, decorating and setup, and sign creation for the stations. Ted – amazing signage and the ever-popular gross-out station (eeeyew). Alex for prep work and day-of hauling tables and other assorted getting the place ready tasks. Jim – all around help with gathering materials, moving, shaking, and general handiness. Alisanne holding down the fort at the bag decorating table – the perfect entrance to the event! K, Jane, Ted, for supervising different stations throughout the day. Everyone who invited passersby into the garden to participate  in the festivities. Our local high school partners – Millennium and Emma Lazarus HS students – their enthusiasm and energy kept the day going from start to finish.

Thank you, thank you, one and all!  Until next year…

ps – if you’re around on Wednesday, Bob and Debra will be outside the garden in the late afternoon giving out candy on Halloween!

The Caring Tree – Our response to hate

Prep:

We will enjoy our children’s joys.

And we’ll be making a ribbon tree: “Caring Not Scaring”:

Make a ribbon message to someone or something you care about to tie onto our Caring Tree.

These murals by Raul Ayala. Gorgeous & impactful.

Fancis Goldin co-founder Cooper Square Com/fought Robert Moses’ urban ‘renewal’. Re: 50% SPURA affordable housing:“not perfect but better than nothing.”

Clara Lemlich: “..I move that we go on a general strike” -in Yiddish at 23 to a crowd of laborers in 1909.

Strike of 20,000 teenaged women whose foes were the Triangle Shirtwaist factory.

Ryan Gilliam of Downtown Arts & FABnyc

NYTimes:

Microplastics Find Their Way Into Your Gut, a Pilot Study Finds

“Researchers looked for microplastics in stool samples of people from eight countries. “The results were astonishing,” they said.

In the next 60 seconds, people around the world will purchase one million plastic bottles and two million plastic bags. By the end of the year, we will produce enough bubble wrap to encircle the Equator 10 times.

Though it will take more than 1,000 years for most of these items to degrade, many will soon break apart into tiny shards known as microplastics, trillions of which have been showing up in the oceans, fish, tap water and even table salt.

Now, we can add one more microplastic repository to the list: the human gut…”

Come and let the 5th Precinct know what is going on in YOUR neighborhood.

Our two ‘beat cops’ are coming to listen to us tell them what’s going on.

And…it’s probably going to be a nice night to be in the park…

Towards a Declaration on the Promotion and Respect of the Rights of People of African Descent

Monday, 29 October 2018

1:15 – 2:30 p.m.

Conference Room 7

United Nations Headquarters

Speakers:

Michal Balcerzak

Chairperson, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (moderator)

Noureddine Amir

Chairperson, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

1. Tendayi Achiume

Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

Craig Mokhiber

Director, New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

In order to overcome racism, xenophobia and structural discrimination faced by people of African descent and promote full respect of their human rights, the General Assembly proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015–2024) with the theme “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development.” The General Assembly also adopted a Programme of Activities for the implementation of the Decade. Among others, it requests States to consider the elaboration of a draft United Nations Declaration on the Promotion and Full Respect of Human Rights of People of African Descent.

This event is organized by the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.

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DESCRIPTION

NYTimes:

“The young plaintiffs claim that the government’s actions, and inaction, in the face of global warming violate their “fundamental constitutional rights to freedom from deprivation of life, liberty, and property.” Their age is central to their argument: For older Americans, the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change are somebody else’s problem. But today’s children will be dealing with disaster within their lifetimes; the youngest of the plaintiffs, Levi Draheim, will be just 33 in 2040, the year by which a United Nations scientific panel now expects some of the biggest crises to begin.”

So…we can panic or we can get to work…Do something, get involved, build a garden or a neighborhood, enjoy ladybugs, insist that Parks Department become a model of sustainability and green practices…

This:

Not this:

Yesterday it was time for the turtles to leave for their winter home.