The Joseph Daniel Wilson Memorial Garden
and Project Harmony, Inc.
New York, N.Y. 10027
Extended Chronology:
1984-85: Project Harmony, a newly-formed grass roots organization, establishes an “Operation GreenThumb” Garden on lots 20 through 23 [7 lots in all, each 12.5 ft. wide on paper; in reality, each about 10 ft. wide] Block 1928, on 122nd Street between Powell and Douglass Boulevards. The garden lease is clearly a “one year lease to be renewed if gardeners develop the garden.” Gardeners are told they may eventually apply for “permanent” garden status. The original founders are Cynthia(Cindy) Nibbelink, a writer and teacher who’s lived in Harlem just a few years, and Mr. Joseph Daniel Wilson, her octenegerian downstairs neighbor and friend. Mr. Wilson, originally from Guyana, loved the earth, loved horticulture. He composted in his own way, had a backyard garden where he lovingly tended his peach tree and annual vegetables, as well as a stand of glorious hardy hibiscus. Mr. Wilson, who was fiercely independent had brought himself to the U.S. by doing hard labor in the interior of Guyana had, in the 1940’s bought a Harlem brownstone/rooming house for his mother, sister, and himself. He liked speaking of his older brother, John D Wilson, who had been a “right hand” to John D. Rockefeller, and who would gladly have financed Mr. Wilson’s coming to the U.S., but Mr. Wilson felt strongly about self-sufficiency, and had sought to come here on his own and making his own way. He regularly brought day lilies or other flowers from his garden to the little church on the corner of 7th and 122nd, where he was a faithful attendant. Cindy met Mr. Wilson through friends who had helped him with his house & who eventually purchased it from him.
1986: Cindy meets Haja Worley at Malcolm-King College where she teaches & he’s lead singer of the gospel chorus.
1986-1993: The garden flourishes, is becoming a small park with fruit trees, honey locust, maple, ornamental crab, dogwood and mulberry trees, lilac shrubs, roses, Russian olive, lush herbs, vegetables, and more. Cindy & Haja, who see eye to eye on about everything, marry in 1992. They and the gardens, despite struggle, flourish with immense determination!
In 1989 Project Harmony, Inc. acquires another garden site at the end of 122nd and 8th Avenue: this is a large space just inside 122nd Street. It is a major clean-up job, but eventually it becomes known as the George W. Brown Memorial Garden, full of beautiful flowering trees, perennials (lilies, roses, lilac, forsythia, barberry, winter berry, hydrangea of every variety, bridal wreathe, a great variety of herbs, vegetables and flowers. Haja and CVCs (City Volunteer Corps youth) & neighborhood participants paint large murals of Jimi Hendrix , Malcolm X, Winnie Mandela. When the building at the corner collapses, PH cleans that area up as well, planting shrubs, perennials, small flowering trees. This site is the location of concerts, harvest fairs and more. In 1997—‘98 it is rudely trampled and then bulldozed by developers/Giulianni—even though PH was not informed this would happen. A solid steel utility shed among beautiful trees and other specimens is loaded on a dumpster & hauled off. Soon a huge foundation hole is dug—and the huge hole, which becomes known to neighbors and others as “Giulianni’s Rat Hole,” remains that way for two years. The area, though somewhat better, remains a problem/challenge to this day (October, 2003).]
In the beginning…
Early 1990s: Project Harmony, Inc. receives awards from The Citizens’ Committee of NYC, TPL, The Greening of Harlem, and others for positive changes made in the community.
1993: Mr. Joseph Daniel Wilson, a native of Guyana and long-time Harlem resident who helped to found the garden, dies at age 97. The garden is re-named “The Joseph Daniel Wilson Community Garden” in his memory.
Mr. Wilson & Cindy’s mom, visiting from Iowa (left); Mr. Wilson & Cindy enhoying a holiday meal c. 1986 (right)
1994-95: Garden flourishes, continues to be center of children’s programs, summer festivals (the annual “Intergenerational Festival” and “Back to School Affair”) and block parties.
1995: Project Harmony receives a major award from the NYC Women's Foundation for its "Doers" organization of "women helping women helping themselves."
Also a Citizen’s Committee NEAP Award (Neighborhood Environmental Action Project) for its environmental impact. The women and girls make and sell preserves, garden crafts, dolls; they cook and sew and work hard to give themselves a “hand-up.” They’re successful too! Two of the women are able to start their own businesses and acquire apartments for their families.
1995: Project Harmony tries to get “permanent” garden status forget “permanent” garden status for the Wilson Garden. No replies from city offices ever received.
1996: Gardeners throughout the city are informed by the Giuliani Administration that the gardens will soon be demolished for housing development. Ironically, the “housing” to be developed is labeled “low income” though very few units of “low income housing” are scheduled to be built. Project Harmony “FOILS” the NYC Dept. of Housing Development and Preservation and finds that housing to be built on Harlem gardens is all moderate to high income housing.
1996-97: Gardeners around the city mobilize, outraged with the Giuliani Administration’s decision to get rid of community gardens. For gardeners, who are mostly low income, this has never been a housing versus gardens debate. Project Harmony, in fact, began as a pro-affordable housing grassroots organization. Project Harmony, with gardeners throughout the city, struggle on every front: letters, petitions, media attention, rallies; City Council hearings are attended by children and adults who testify on behalf of their gardens.
Meantime, the Doers continue to can, preserve, craft, and more… Now we’re making our own olive oil soaps too!
1996: Project Harmony receives a major Harlem Body Shop Award for its entrepreneurial initiatives with children and women. By now our programs for kids have evolved into an annual summer “Environment Ranger Camp.”
1997: The second garden[ George W. Brown Memorial Garden] founded by Project Harmony near 8th Avenue and 122nd, despite promises from HPD and GreenThumb, is completely destroyed by heavy construction equipment. A huge foundation hole is dug which remains open and unfenced for four years (residents and others call it “Giluiani’s Rat Hole”).
1998-99: The Wilson Garden has now established an annual “mulberry Festival” in late June. The garden grows and flourishes although tending the garden, working regular jobs, and struggling to save the garden become increasingly laborious.
Newspapers all carry articles about gardens and gardeners. The Daily News suggests Mayor Giuliani should bring pictures of gardens with him Upstate as he “unofficially” begins his Senate campaign—“He should say, ‘See, this is what people in my city do!’” the News editorializes. A NY Times editorial says “Bulldozing a working community garden is an act of neighborhood violence.”
During this time we learn—by way of research and a helpful “insider” in the Dept. of Real Services—that ½ of the Joseph Daniel Wilson Memorial Garden –while like the rest have long ago been abandoned—remain in the name of one Alex Saget, who also owns several other properties in Harlem, Brooklyn, and Queens. We learn that the “Saget lots” –which are not contiguous and thus cut through the garden in two different narrow strips-- have been sold by the City of NY into a “tax Lien Trust.” The “insider” provides us with name and telephone number of liquidator. The liquidator tells us he will let us know if he makes contact with the “titular owner.” I call the liquidator every couple months for an update. In ’98/’99 he informs me the titular owner has been contacted and he provides me with contact information We proceed to contact Alix Saget. There is at this time no response.
June, 1999: one-half of the Wilson garden is bulldozed. Cindy sees them out there early in the day, goes out and tells them she’s pretty sure we have a TRO (temp restraining order), which several groups are working on. That holds them off for a few hours, long enough to contact people on our telephone tree sand media. Soon a Greenthumb rep and all media and hundreds of on-lookers are up on 122nd Street. WBAI calls for “all New Yorkers to come up to 122nd Street in protest.” Hundreds come. Film-documentarians are on roofs.
The police are called—and they apologize to us that this is happening—one with tears in his eyes. Most of the trees and all the shrubs and perennials are lost; the “miracle” cherry tree, two mulberry trees, a plum tree, a poplar and two honey locusts remain on that half of the garden. The NY Times, Amsterdam News and Daily News are all there. The bulldozers stop short of taking the famed cherry tree when activist Ben Schwartz is seen lurking among the top branches and a mid-town gardener, Mary Atwood, sees the building next to it begin to give way: she runs out to tell the people in charge of the bulldozers the potential danger; they back off, but not after disastrous harm.
Seven gardens in Harlem are bulldozed that day. We are stunned.
HPD officials are seen the next morning stealing a hardy red rose, water barrels, and planters from the surviving portion of garden and carrying them off in their truck. Project Harmony files a pro se lawsuit for damages, against all parties involved.
1999: We succeed in making contact with Alix Saget. He acknowledges he is willing to sell lots 121 and 122. He claims to be a poor man with “only this little piece of gold” in NYC. (We have since learned he owns a substantial amount of property in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn). One of our board members—Francis Greenberger—agrees to have the lots appraised; they appraise for $25,000-$30,000 each. Greenberger offers Saget $75,000. Saget refuses, wants $150,000.
1999-2000: Gardeners pick up the pieces, raise money for a new garden fence which is crafted from laser-cut steel by sculptor Steven Schmerfeld. Steve also helps in the summer program, teaching children stone carving—a project the children absolutely love!
2000: Project Harmony receives awards from the Citizens Committee and NEAP for “Earthwatch 2000.” Project Harmony also receives a Fleet Charitable Trust Award for its work with neighborhood youth. Similar awards in 2001.
--The New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYCEJA ) and other environmental groups as well as Project Harmony stay in touch with Saget. Mr. Saget asks for letters from our “lawyers” We provide him with same, three times over—letters suggesting we sit down to negotiate. Our communication with Saget is always cordial, though we find him less and less trustworthy. Sometimes he’s willing to sell; sometimes not. He always insists that he does want a garden on the land. He has said this to us as well as to our neighbors. At one point Mr. Saget tells me his asking price is now $300,000. Later, he says he may not want to sell. Project Harmony and others talk with him to attempt to reach an agreement. Note that despite the letters from attorneys Saget asks for and receives from us, he never responds to any of them.
February, 2000, the State Attorney General succeeds in taking the city to court and getting a court-ordered Temporary Restraining Order (TRO)which will not allow any GreenThumb gardens to be sold or physically altered in any way.
2001: Project Harmony discovers that the city sold garden lots, including three of the Wilson Garden lots one day after the State Supreme Court issued a Restraining Order demanding “no gardens be sold or physically altered in any way.”
January-June, 2000: NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts collaborates with gardeners throughout the city to produce COMMON GREEN/COMMON GROUND—a musical dramatic production staged outdoors—at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, in the Bronx at Sustainable South Bronx, in the JD Wilson Garden, elsewhere. It’s a fabulous production—somehow reminiscent of “Township Fever.”
June, 2001: Bulldozers attempt to ram the fence of Wilson garden lots covered by the TRO. Staff from the AG’s office come to stop them, literally: T---C—stands in front of the bulldozer waving the TRO!
June, 2001: The AG’s office gets ready for a July court hearing regarding the status of the TRO. The Assistant AG meets with Project Harmony to review documents the city has kept from them. The Assistant AG remarks, “You would expect this [deception] from sleaze-bag attorneys, but not from Corp. Counsel!” The AG gets ready to file a motion of contempt against the city for violating the TRO ((the “midnight deal/sale”). The AG’s office is convinced they have ample evidence. They are overwhelmed with documents they’ve never before seen, presented by Project Harmony.
July, 2001: The AG begins to waver a little. This is unsettling, but hey, it’s politics! For reasons they do not explain they decide not to file a motion of contempt. Insiders say political maneuvering against the AG is going on. Someone close to the AG says, “It’s a little more nefarious than that.” They (AG’s office) ask Project Harmony and others to “compromise.” Project Harmony agrees to compromise if “it’s a fair compromise.”
July 25, 2001: The AG files a motion to “lift the TRO from the lots in question of the Wilson Garden, in exchange for the city giving the rest of the garden permanent status.” Project Harmony considers that fair.
July 25, 2001: Giuliani’s Corp Counsel wants the TRO lifted altogether and will not consider any modifications.
July 25, 2001: Supreme Court Justice Huttner decides the TRO will remain “status quo, ” in other words, in place/unchanged. No gardens can be sold or altered. Gardeners are mostly pleased. Project Harmony would have liked a compromise, for a fair compromise solution would seem to be the perfect model of housing and gardens working together especially in a community which badly needs both.
August, 2001: Project Harmony learns that the Attorney General has allegedly said he "will turn a blind eye" if the developer digs on the Wilson garden. An Assistant Attorney General tells Project Harmony's lawyer that if "you ever tell the Press" we'll "never do anything for you again."
We’re canning, preserving, soap-making as always. We’re making mulberry & raspberry wine now too!
August, 2001-March 2002: Project Harmony continues to try to reach a just out-of-court agreement with the developer, the NYC Housing Partnership, and HPD. None is forthcoming. Our attorneys and advisors tell us “:Don’t cave in!”
September, 2001-February, 2002: Project Harmony continues to write letters to government officials, developer, and elected officials urging “fair compromise.”
March, 2002: Project Harmony embarks on its first Capital Fund Campaign, hoping to purchase privately-owned lots ( “Saget lots” referenced above ).
April, 2002, The developer and the Housing Partnership come to the community to announce their plan to dig on the lots still technically covered by the TRO. Project Harmony urges them to help get the city to urge a fair compromise. Community members, already upset by the developer’s extremely poor maintenance of his on-going construction sites, are enraged by the Partnership and the Developer’s condescension.
April, 2002, The developer arrives with bulldozers. Project Harmony produces the TRO and stops them, along with More Gardens protestors and community residents, and the police who look at the TRO and agree, it must be adhered to. The developer (Desmond Emmanuel) is out there and very upset.
April, 2002: Community members (Block Association with Project Harmony) explore ways to save the garden and get the developer to do the job right. Project Harmony realizes the garden is in imminent danger, for if building proceeds with no compromise, they risk losing the entire garden. IF Project Harmony can raise the funds to purchase the privately-owned (reclaimed by payment of back-taxes) part of the garden, they will have assurance of saving the garden.
April 23, 2002: Once again the developer refuses to talk or return phone calls. Seven building sites of his on the block remain less than half-finished and are not being worked on. He has no work permits posted; the sites are filthy; the sidewalks are broken and dangerous. The garden is in imminent danger.
May, 2002: Project Harmony calls developer, who reluctantly returns call; a meeting is set up at his office w/ PH Board members. PH comes to agreement with Developer: PH will not enforce TRO if developer protects garden, replaces trees, takes appropriate safety and health protections
May 31, 2002: Oddly, Lot 22 of the Wilson Garden is on public auction; Edie Stone of GT gets it removed. Private owner’s son ( in telephone conversation with me) says his father intended to purchase it. Source asking to remain anonymous says she/he has info that Perkins knew about this. Maybe. Saget tells me that this lot “is really his because it is attached to his land.” We sense, again, he’s bullshitting.
June, 2002: The Pete Seeger Garden Concert raises over $5000.00 !
July. August, 2002: The Summer “Environment Ranger Program” is a great success; For “EarthWatch 2002” Project Harmony again received a small Citizens Committee NEAP Grant ($3,500).
August 2002: Rukaye calls one day to say she “talked to some men” who were measuring the width of the garden. Rukaye’s American name is Cynthia and this “man & his son”, say to her, “Oh, you must be Cynthia Worley.” She denies it, but does not tell them who she is. She’s upset they won’t tell her who they are or why they’re measuring the garden. Later that evening I call Mr. Saget.After a somewhat strange exchange (he thinks I’m someone else—a tenant, apparently, who’s giving him a hard time), his tone changes completely. Again, he says he wishes to “keep the garden” and that I should “tell my people” that he will give us a ten year lease.” If “your people” agree to that we can talk about rent and taxes. I act—as always—very naive and promise to tell “my people” what he’s offered. In discussing the size of the lots he seems confused as to how the lots are situated—or perhaps he’s trying to confuse me (impossible!!!!!) Of course, “my people” won’t hear of it [his 10 yr. lease suggestion] of which I nicely inform him.
September, 2002: We begin our after-school tutoring program with NYU students.
September, 2002: We’re informed that the JD Wilson Garden has received...
Gardener's Supply 1st Prize for beautification of a neighborhoOD....NATIONALLY!!
October, 2002: Tom Congdon of the State AG’s Office calls to tell us the JD Wilson Garden MADE THE “OFFER FOR PRESERVATION” list in the AG’s settlement with the Bloomberg Administration. We’re not home- free—but this is great news!! We’ll have to keep working very, very hard!!
We have a wonderful; “Safe Halloween” in the garden—26 kids.
November, 2002: We begin a postcard campaign to become part of Parks.
We receive an unexpected $2000.00 grant from Deutsch Bank, applied for on our behalf by NY Cares Volunteer Diedre Hinds.
December, 2002: We have a lovely holiday gathering—30
+ kids, 30+ adults, the eve of the Transit strike that wasn’t.
January—February, 2003: Heavy snows; extreme cold; much as we try to keep an area of the pond thawed, we’re not sure we’ve succeeded. The snow is 2-3 feet deep in the garden.
March, 2003: Great news! The Riverside Sharing Fund gives us a $5000.00 grant—the one they were not able to come up with right after 9/11. We’d long dismissed it as impossible.
March, 2003: “Dara” & “Nick,” NYU students, are referred to us to do Saturday programs with the kids. They’re both terrific; Dara may stay on as our “intern,” re the NEIP grant, since Karla can’t.
March, 2003: It’s still cold. Our NY Cares team plans to come April 12—they seem like an excellent group—very into doing this! We’ve spoken with Mr. Saget. He’s still willing to “sit down with us” he says. The seedlings are growing. A late frost killed a couple things we put out too early—over eager for spring. Our big push now is a good solar system, getting ready for the summer program, NY Cares work-day; and another or MORE fundraisers.
March-April, 2003: A call from Alix Saget to our message machine:Saget says we will have to negotiate because the city wants $200,000 from him in taxes for each lot. I look up the lots in the NYC Dept. of Finance website, and indeed no such thing is going on. While there is a strange glich where Lot 121 is concerned (the site lists its estimated 2003-4 market value at $200,000 --while all other lots this size the EMV is $21,500.00 ). In any case, taxes are based on assessed value, not estimated mkt value. I write Saget, including all downloaded info, and send it certified, return receipt and also by regular mail. Because he does not respond I re-send it two more times with a polite note saying I fear he didn’t receive
my letter. No response, no “return receipt” ever comes back to me.
April, 2003: gardening, workshops, fundraising!
April 12: Great day with NY Cares folks. We replaced greenhouse windows, set up the composter, fixed fences—got lots done. We’ve also vacuumed the pond. New snails and tadpoles arrive this week.
Planting workshops w/ the kids.
April 19 2003: Received another NEAP [Citizens Committee] grant: $4,500.00. Relief!!!
--
May, 2003: The garden is dazzling with spring blossoms! NY Cares helps re-do the path & much more.
June 2003: Rain, rain, rain! The wisteria blooms! Planting, sprucing up continues...
July 2003: Got to get active on total preservation; Environment Rangers Program July through 1st week of August: activities, activities, activities.
July-August: 2003: We have a wonderful summer—the garden flourishes; the summer program for our youth is better than ever( we have five adults working with approximately 26+ children aged 4 through 14. Two of the youths become our “urban forest” Interns via the Citizens for NYC NEIP PROGRAM (NEIGHBPORHOOD ENVIRONMENTAL INTERN PROGRAM)..
September, 2003: Lots of activities: A GG (Green Guerilla) & HUG (Harlem United Gardeners) Health Fair/ voter registration, etc.; A lovely garden party to welcome new neighbors & celebrate Cindy’s birthday & kindle/rekindle friendships old & new on Sept. 6th. A salon in the garden (More Gardens!) on Sept. 28th. Fall comes in lovely, hot & humid one day, cold the next. The fall garden thrives.
October, 2003: NYU Interns begin planning Halloween; Tutoring begins; a painting class is in the works with neighbor Diane. Dara working on video. Clark University students visit the 11th; NY Cares the 18th to begin routine fall mulching, pruning, etc.
October 25, ’03: Halloween party a great success; every week-end in the garden is busy Neighbor Diane Eamtrakul has begun a charcoal drawing class in the garden—going very well. The bulbs are arriving. Workshops on Urban Forestry with neighbors—will be a major planting of trees, shrubs, perennials this fall thanks to the Urban Forestry grant in which we participated via NYCEJA.
Nov. 2: More w/ neighbors on ordering trees & plants—good spirits abound. We’re dismayed, though, that Jack Linn of Parks Dept. thinks the hold-up on signing our license is because lots 122 & 121 are privately owned. Soon that issue is resolved.
November 7: Cindy gets sick, so everyone pitches in to keep urban forestry project going; all kinds of trees and perennials arrive during her hospitalization (2 weeks), but Haja, Rukeya, Rebecca, Grace and Lara really do the distribution well.
November 15
Bulb planting!! Massive bulb planting in garden (also bulb give-away via Urban Forestry Project.
December: Urban forestry Project goes well; many neighbors involved. Winter projects underway.
December 2003: We receive letter from Saget’s lawyers telling us to get off private lots by Dec. 31st. Antonia Bryson (environmental attorney) fires letter back saying that given history of garden and land, fact that we gardened with his knowledge and consent all these years, he has no right to evict.
January 2004: Saget attorney’s reply, demand we pay taxes plus $5000.00 rent per month on month to month basis. CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!
--ANTONIA DRAFTING STRONG RESPONSE: We’ll pay taxes, even back taxes; but our position is the land belongs to us.
--Letters written by Board members, GG’s, NYCEJA (Irene Shen); we’re considering a letter/petition asking mayor and governor to declare “Saget’s property “ public property by virtue of eminent domain.
--NY Lawyers for Public Interest find us a fine attorney—Itai Tsu—who is with Dechert. Price. We meet and discuss all angles. Lawyers suggest we keep a low profile in terms of responding to Saget; anything that costs him legal fees is not likely to go over well.
January 20, 2004: Antonia drafts letter in response to request for rent, essentially saying we believe the property to be ours, given the fact Saget abandoned it over 17 years without paying taxes, and never once trying to reclaim, or asking us to get off.
February, 2004: Dechert attorneys ask for an affidavit simply detailing our/my (Cindy’s) affiliation with the garden. Dechert will file for Adverse Possession if necessary. They advise we try to get parkland in permanent trust.
March, 2004: Late snows, but spring bulbs have sprung and spring clean-up is underway!
Arthur Sheppard conducts our Citizen Pruner classes here. GREAT! I think we all passed!
April, May, 2004: The garden is beautiful. With the help of NY Cares we repair fences, clean up, plant, vacuum the pond, say hello to the frogs and tadpoles and fishes. Many visitors come. More neighbors get involved. Valerie, Victor and Veronica set a new beehive. And, yes! a small NEAP grant will help us do the summer program—though we will need to do a bare bones program, I’m afraid—and need to scramble a bit for extra funds. Nonetheless, we’re blessed! Another thing: third and fourth graders from The School at Columbia present us with a check for $450.00—from their penny drive via Common Cents. YEA! The kids come to visit and plant.
Note: Saget has stopped paying taxes on property. Dechert says hold tight. Is this a good thing or not?
June, 2004: Beautiful blossoms, repairs, upgrades; Mario & Greg help us finish the back fence. Planting, planting, planting!
July, 2004: Lots of rain; the garden flourishes. Beautiful blossoms, repairs, upgrades; Mario & Greg help us finish the back fence. Planting, planting, planting!
July, 2004: Lots of rain, but the Environment Ranger summer camp, while shorter than usual, is dynamic. Valerie, Falicia(one of our kids grown up), Grace, LaNoris, Connie, Haja & Cindy are all on board to teach, guidem facilitate, counsel. The kids are wonderful & some of them truly excel. We’ll hope to have a mentoring program this winter.
We have cook-outs, neighborhood gatherings, friends, visitors—a blessed summer!
August, 2004: Veggies are ripening; herbs are blooming. The garden is lush & green with the aroma of tubular rose, Stargazer lilies & more. We’re planning another spa, a back to school ice cream social and more. We’re too happy & blessed that the neighbors who occupy the “new home” where the cherry tree once was are the best neighbors ever—Grace & children Grace & Mario.
September, 2004: We have a couple more cook-outs—a lovely garden party for Shannon & my birthdays.
October, 2004: Clark University students visit; we participate in the 9/11 Memorial Daffodil planting; we plant over 400 daffs with the students. Wonderful!
November, 2004: To our dismay, our NYCares team Leader, Lara, is leaving to pursue other things. She’s been an immense help; we’ll miss her.
November, 2004: NYCares helps to plant about a 1000 bulbs. In adition, via NY Cares Home Depot comes to help with a big project: they make us a bridge, re-do the pathway, set some new planters, help plant the bulbs—we are blessed! We use garlic and hot pepper to ward off squirrels! Hope it works.
December, 2004: No more news from Saget or attorneys. We hear his son has been involved in some real estate scam—selling homes not his/theirs (he & partners) to sell. He hasn’t paid taxes the last two years. Have to keep abreast of this. JoAnn gives a “natural skin products” workshop—all homemade stuff; Cindy gives a couple soap-making workshops.
January—February, 2005: we participate in Citizens for NYC workshops; write a proposal for funds essentially to work on neighborhood security and cleanliness. We’ll see.
Jan-March: 2005: Ordering seeds, deciding on plants; trying to raise funds. The exciting news is: Maria is about to facilitate a group for girls and young women, and The Soap Project is taking off in a little bit of a way! People love our handmade, hand-packaged pure olive oil (Castile) soaps & bath salts. Great!
April, 2005: Gardening is well underway. NYCares was here for a spruce-up—good job. We’ve embarked on a fund-raiser, since we limited our fund-raising efforts (thinking we had a foot in the door w/ a veteran funder) & it didn’t happen. So, on to bigger and better things. The garden is amazing—draws loads of positive comments and lots of use from friends and neighbors, old and new. Things look great!
Saget still has paid no taxes. Hmmmmm…. .
May-June, 2005: The water lilies are in bloom—breath-taking. The alium, peonies, and iris have finished and the lilies begin—lovely. Summer planting has been mostly accomplished. We’ve landscaped the bridge area—still a little more to do. Mulberries are falling! Haja has been visiting schools and school groups are coming in—the kids come back to the garden to collect mulberries, lemon balm, and more. Tomatoes, greens, herbs all doing well.
June 11th: A highly successful meeting of NYCEJA’s “Annual Meeting.” We note that SAGET is still not paying any taxes—is this a good thing? Dechert tells us to lie low—work toward purchasing from the City, if possible.
June-July: 2005:
It looks as though we will be able to have the “Environment Ranger Summer Camp” after all—our funding is coming in, slowly. We are blessed. Since this is our TWENTIETH YEAR we’re also going to do a series of workshops—all about health, environment, culture, open space, self- help, sustainable living—throughout the summer.
We’re also going to host a Wednesday night ‘Open Mike” series in the garden.
NY Cares is coming in July and August to help out with a couple major projects. Things are looking very, very good. We should be getting our signage [with official park number!] any day now.
August: 2005:
1) An excellent if short summer program; Counselor -teachers Rebecca, Tikki, Valerie, Jasmine, and Patricia helped out greatly, and Rebecca helped the kids put together a great newsletter!
2) NY Cares came in August—helped with late planting & composting/clean-up.
3) We had a fine jazz/blues concert w/ Ladel Mclin, several cook-outs, and more.
September: 2005
It’s back to school—very dry, so we have to water at least twice weekly. Things look OK. During the summer our (unfortunately) non-sympathetic “new homes” neighbor poured weed killer on the left/west side of the garden, so we had to renew the soil w/ compost and do some re-planting. They also put debris from their back yard behind!!!their back yard and behind the garrden, causing a significant rodent problem. We spent a lot on rodent prevention & seemed to have kicked the problem, but not without some exasperation!!
--NYCares came the last Sat. in September and did some lovely fall planting.
October, 2005: Clark U students scheduled to come to help plant bulbs, etc., Oct. 1.
Yea!!!!!!
October 15, 2005: About twenty Clark students came—we gave a workshop on community gardens; they planted about 1000 bulbs. A great day!!!
October 29, 2005: A great Halloween!! At Jamika’s suggestion, we packed bags for child victims of Katrina. A big thanks to everyone who pitched in! All bags UPS’d to the “Common Ground Collective.”
November 5, 2005: A wonderful NY Cares Saturday—8 volunteers; we planted bulbs (more of them), pruned trees, took in tender plants.
December 2005: The holidays! We actually have lights in the garden this year—hurrah! (battery powered—fantastic)!
The annual open house & toy drive was great, complete with Haj & my puppet Show:
“The All-Star Happy Kids’ Talent Show’ with special guests, Howie the Houn’dog, Lambchop, others.
January, 2006: Preparations for a great year—met w/ people from the Abyssininan Dev. Corp. re youth programming the 11th.
February, March, 2006: Haja continues workshops with members of Abyssinian Development Corp.—youth & opthers.The Harlem Educational Activities Funds chooses the Wilson garden as their project re a $1000.00 grant they received from State Farm. The youths are college-bound scholars, two of whom wrote the proposal themselves. They’re helping plant, clean-up, beautify—purchased some ornamental windchimes and other items for the garden. Truly a blessing.
April, 2006: Planting, cleaning & more: a brave troop of NYCares volunteers weathered the storm on EARTH DAY , April 22nd, and came out in force to help plant and clean up.
NY Cares is great!!!
May, 2006: The spring bulbs are glorious. The pond comes alive. We’re planting & praying!
June, 2006: A busy month, but the HEAF scholars have their final event—a cook-out with friends and families. We’re meeting hundreds of people—new residents as well as visitors, who love the garden. We see all the work to do, but it is a powerfully positive place. People feel the love.
July, 2006: I check Dept of Finance & it appears Saget has paid all the back taxes as of May 10th, 2006. This is unsettling. Is he planning to sell a bunch of property & needs to clean up his city record before he can do that? Will he try to sell these lots as part of a “package deal?” We know his son was indicted on a real estate scam—and our dealings with him showed him to be less than forthright. WHAT’S the deal?
July, 2006: We proceed with our Environment Ranger summer camp—fewer kids this year; we’re keeping it smaller—we have less money & fewer of us—but it’s really great.
We’re into “edible flowrers, studying the Environment, visiting Inwood Park (fantastic!), seeing othe gardens, interviewing gardeners, and more. It’s great!
A wonderful program—the E Rangers are busy & involved—we’re putting out a book of their words & pictures. They’re doing lots of hands-on stuff. We have certificates, awards, pizza and a wonderful day July 28th! Great! Now it’s on to prepare for the 1st Annual (we hope) Harlem Community Garden Tour with a jazz concert in the pm—neighbor Kenny Butler & friends featuring jazz legend Nat Jones. Lots to do: PR, flyers, list serves, all that…. .
--A few more dollars comes in for general support—the Noyes Foundation via Leslie Lowe; neighbor Diane; it all helps. We’re dreaming about getting Al Gore up here to, well, help get the message through, break it down—the environment matters, not only—it’s our life!!!
August 2006: A warm season—but we have lots going on—the pond has two new inhabitants—Amir and Fatima—turtles gifted to the pond by a friend. They LOVE the pond! The E ranger program is winding down; we still have lots of recreation and workshops going on…
August 26: We organize the first Harlem Community Garden Tour—excellent participation, despite a cloudy/sunny sort of day. In the pm we had a jazz concert with our own Kenny B & friends. Great!
September, 2006: The big deal this month was getting a small shed to house our 100 chairs. We ordered it on-line & got a good deal. The NYCares volunteers put the frame together; Fialka and three of her neighbors & Haja & Cindy finished it. Ahhhhh! A big job but worth the effort!
Canning, preserving, soap-making all continue. The wines are lovely this year (can’t sell them, of course, but folks love the taste—hmmm, holiday gifts, maybe? From us to our hard workers.
October, 2006: It’s been mild, but brisk enough for our Halloween Party marshmellow roast. The kids made their own skewers from limber twigs. We enjoyed the costumes, face decorating, “Pin the head on Dracula,” the bean bag throw—lots of fun stuff. Everyone pitched in—Mario & Billy & Haja supervised the marshmellow roast. Prizes & candy bags for all. FUN!
October, 2006: Bulb planting! Thousands of bulbs! We ordered lots plus we were early participants in the Daffodil Project, so the great thing was we could give bulbs to everyone who came out to help. We gave them daffs plus some of thje beautiful parrot tulips & frits we’d purchased.
November, 2006: It’s pretty mild. We scoop the pond empty—bucket by bucket—for cleaning & in hopes of finding Fatima who refuses to come out.
In the process find lots of new tadpoles & fisahies (pond-raised) who had pretty much stayed out of sight prior to this.
December, 2006: Still a mild winter. The bulbs are popping up all over! We have a glorious puppet show/ gift giveaway/Holiday Open House (for the kids) & birthday party for Haja on the 10th. A great time!
January, 2007: Have just placed a seed order—and our hardy passion fowers and hardy jasmine have arrived from Logees in mint condition. Will keep them near a south window til May planting time.
February-March, 2007: ordering seeds, busy with the Coalition, planning summer events.
March: Shawn & Team from Greenthumb replace badly needed east fence & decide to do the back fence as well—which didn’t really need replacing. So, since we didn’t know they were going to dig in the back, we’ve now lost some wisteria, clematis & roses. Oh dear!!
April: NYCares is here on the 21st, Saturday before Earthday. We have lots of community & NYCares volunteers—nearly 50—a great day! Much accomplished!
April, 2007: Shawn & pruning team come for much-needed pruning. WE NEED TO FUND RAISE TO GET OUR OWN EQUIPMENT, CITIZEN PRUNERS THAT WE ARE! They do okay, but chop the wisteria off—all the new little catkins—gone. Shucks!
May, 2007:
The “Frittalaria Triumphator” & “Lutea” are magnificent, as well as daffodils .everywhere & the gazillions of tulips, allium varieties coming—it’s paradise!
--Much help from Evette, Manny, Terri & friends, Casmir—what a team!
Roses beginning to bloom. A chopped off clematis is making a comeback, didn’t get dug out after all.
Amir & Fatima love the pond & this unusally hot weather! The frogs are jumpin! Planted two more water lilies, thousands of impatiens, collards, herbs, fig trees, all kinds of seeds—pumpkins are popping up (left-over from Halloween)—the garden is glorious & there’s soooo much more to do!
June/ July, 2007: Plants are gorgeous; our friend Jubal comes to lay a brick-way where we’ve placed the new arbor. The KITCHENTABLE group is growing. We have STORYTIME every Tuesday, MATH workshops Monday & Friday, KITCHENTABLE also Tuesday & Thursday, Environment rangers every day!
Our new intern, Raven Trotter, is terrific. She’s a 16 year-old foster child, an honors student—all teenager for sure(!)—but wonderful with nature, its creatures and plants, and an exceptional DOER! When the kids get restless she tells them, “Patience & persistence, patience & persistence!” Raven is great!
August, 2007:
Our big doings are the jazz concert & ice cream social—the 18th—
HARLEM GREEN, A Tour of Harlem Community Gardens
The NYC Community Garden Coalition and Harlem community gardeners will host “Harlem Green, A Tour of Harlem Community Gardens,” on Saturday, August 18th, 2007, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This event is free to the public. Gardens included in the tour are as follows:
10:00 AM: The P.S. 76 School Garden on West 120th Street near Adam Clayton
Powell Blvd.
10:30 AM: The Five Star Garden, West 121st Street btw. ACPowell & Frederick
Douglass Blvds.
11:00 AM: The Joseph Daniel Wilson Memorial Garden, West 122nd Street btw.
AC Powell & Frederick Douglass Blvds. COMPLIMENTARY BREAKFAST HERE!
11:30 AM: Garden Eight, West 122nd Street near Frederick Douglass Blvd.
12:00 PM: The Clayton Williams Memorial Garden, West 126th Street near
Frederick Douglass Boulevard
12:30 PM: The William B. Washington Garden, West 126th near St. Nicholas Avenue
1:15 PM: Harlem Rose Garden, 4 E. 129th Street near Fifth Ave.
1:45 PM: 130th Street Block Association Garden, 130th btw. 5th and Madison
2:30 PM: The Convent Avenue Garden, West 151st St. & St. Nicholas
3:00 PM: The Harris Garden, West 153rd Street near St Nicholas Avenue: BARBEQUE HERE!
Tourists will discover everything from cooling shade trees to tomatoes, beans, corn and more unusual crops, such as stevia (a non-sugar herb sweetener) & cotton, growing in these urban oases. There are grapevines, herbs & flowers of all varieties, fruit trees, and solar-powered ponds which host a world of water plants and water creatures.
Vistors are welcome to join the tour at any point along the way according to Tour Coordinator Haja Worley, who emphasized that the gardeners “…are grassroots developers who have worked long and hard to improve and protect our environment not only, but to keep our city—which consistently ranks worst in the nation for airborne pollutants—from becoming a concrete desert.”
For further information, please call 212. 662. 2878
Raven’s last day with us was August 9, but she stayed on a couple weeks, as we hosted other groups, like the “Science Adventure Kids” (thirty strong—smart kids!!!) from a program downtown.
August 20th, 2007: Uh oh. A call from a surveyor located in Mineola. The individual didn’t seem to know too much except they need access to “two vacant lots on 122nd Street” and “Cindy Worley is the point person.” When I questioned further, they hung up. I politely called back; they hung up again. I’ll get in touch with Vollins ( an attorney we’ve retained via New York Layers for the Public Interest), see what we can do.
August 21,2007: Vollins researched the Surveyor; that’s all we really know right now.
Haj & I thought we’d take our “summer vacation” today (usually several hours slumming in Chinatown) , but we went only a couple hours, had a lovely meal, with me, unfortunately anxious & on my cell with Vollins periodically.
August 26, 2007: A call from Greenthumb; the surveyor has called them. Edie of Greenthumb already e-mailed us: he says, “We probably can’t keep them from selling, but I think we can prevent them from building anything.” They tell GT: “We don’t want to cut the lock; we want to do it the right way.” Hmmm.
Vollins is on vacation this week—the surveyor’s want to come tomorrow—I finally call Leslie Lowe for advice (Leslie WILL know what to do!); Leslie advises: call the surveyor in the morning, simply tell them it’s your policy to get everything in writing ; thus, would they please, on corporate letterhead, let you know specifically what it is they intend to do & who will do it.”
August 27, ’07: I make the call. I’m very gracious but they don’t seem too pleased. I have much work to do this afternoon as school starts the 29th.
August 27, ’07. Get home from errands, a message from Saget’s attorney. I call him back; he seems at the outset very annoyed, but I’m nice & say we will do what we can to accommodate, but since we have women and children in the garden we will need this letter. He agrees and becomes slightly apologetic.
August 31: The letter arrives from the attorney, not the surveyor. It’s really incomplete—includes a COPY of a letter he sent to GT’s supervisor LAST August (’06) in which he says Saget wants in the garden to “fence off” his lots. He acknowledges, however, that the lots are not contiguous.
Well, this is all pretty scary and I feel heartbroken again. But we will fight. Fight. Fight.
Gotta pull out all the stops. Persist. Persist. Persist. That’s how I got here—dirt farmer’s daughter moves broke to Harlem. I’m not rich now, but I have my own brownstone. Haja says, “Cyn, You’ve carved out a little piece of the world and made it beautiful.” Well, not without LOTS of help, to be sure. Lots of good people. The good does trump the bad. But you can never, never ever give up!
September 4-7: Casmir writes an extraordinary letter—our intention is primarily for it to go to Oprah, but we’ll send copies to politicians, and other celebrities. Cindy spends a lot of time scanning pix! It’s a good package—we have to figure out how to get it to Oprah, others.
Cator and Fialka are helping to get signatures, mobilize the community. Fialka is awesome! The block association writes a letter-[petition, is doing an e-mail campaign, and Lane from Community Pride is doing his own petition. God bless these wonderful folks!
Yvette is going at it too—talking w/ people. She sees Bernadette P at the humane shelter where she volunteers—will get letters to Bernadette and Bette Midler.
This will be a long haul. Vollins is very, very good. Edie Stone got married and is away right now—we want GT to be on board, apprised of our moves, feel appreciated. That’s the word we’re sending out.
Tomorrow, Sept. 8 (my birthday) the Manhattan Boro Pres Scott Stringer is supposed to be uptown celebrating community gardens. We’ll present the letter there… .
September 10: The surveyor calls (“Nicoletti”). Also the Title co—(Northwoods Abstract), seeking a date for the survey. Cindy calls Jessie at Nicoletti & sets it up for Oct. 4, 10 am.
Vollins sets a meeting w/ Greenthumb for September 20th. The Block Association, Community Pride, et al , are quite a team—working very, very hard on this.
