Hope Community to Dedicate Community Reading Garden on the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Modesto "Tin" Flores Garden
Dedication ceremony for a new Community Reading Garden in East Harlem that will serve as a venue for poetry and music performances, weddings, and other cultural activities on Thursday, May 18 starting at 10:00 am
Council on the Environment of NYC is pleased to announce the opening of a new Reading Garden in East Harlem, created through the generosity of the landscaping company Troy-Bilt. The new garden will feature a gazebo, flowers and plants, benches, and walkways. In addition to serving as a venue for readings, it will provide a location for musical performances, weddings, Hope Community's annual Poetas con Café series, and many other events.
The Modesto "Tin" Flores Community Garden is located on the east side of Lexington Avenue just north of 104th Street. Representatives from Troy-Bilt, the office of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other local elected officials will be attending, as well as staff from Hope Community, Inc. and the Council on the Environment of NYC, students from Union Settlement and P.S. 72, and local performers from the Association for Hispanic Arts. Special guest speakers include Manhattan Borough Commissioner for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, William T. Castro and State Senator, José M. Serrano.
"The new reading garden will help preserve and enhance this historic community park and create a wonderful setting for neighborhood gatherings," said Bill Jacoby, Hope Community's executive director. "It will also serve as an inviting and peaceful setting for children and adults to read and to develop their appreciation of the local environment. The community reading garden will be designed and constructed by Troy-Bilt's expert Landscapes America team, and we are tremendously grateful for this wonderful contribution to East Harlem," Jacoby added. Beautiful spaces create beautiful minds," concurred Heidi Ketvertis of Troy-Bilt, a leader in lawn and garden equipment and a national sponsor of the Keep America Beautiful®'s Great American Cleanup* program. "Our aim is to inspire. We want to grow the idea of reading gardens across the country."
Technical assistance for this project is provided by the Council on the Environment of New York City, a privately-funded citizen's organization located in the Office of the Mayor. CENYC provides environmental awareness through its Greenmarket farmers markets, community gardens, and environmental education programs. Cultural support is provided by the Association of Hispanic Arts, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Latino arts, artists and arts organizations. The vest pocket park was first established in August 1981 and later renamed in honor of the late Modesto "Tin" Flores for his many years of service as a business owner, community gardener, and Hope Community superintendent and zone manager.
Other Garden Projects
On Friday, May 19th, volunteers from Credit Suisse and City Year New York will team up with Hope staff and tenants to revamp the agency's "Harlem Village" garden, located on 117th Street and Second Avenue. The scope of work will include top soil and landscaping, enhancing the outer fence, installing benches on either side of the garden's walk-way, and an area for BBQ grilling. Hope's aim is to develop the park as a suitable center stage location for an uptown "Poetas con Café" cultural program. Refreshments, tools and other materials will be provided courtesy of Credit Suisse. On Friday, June 2, Hope staff will team with volunteers from the Council on the Environment of New York City and volunteers from Goldman Sachs to work on another community garden at 2030 Lexington Avenue ("La Casita"). Work will include top soiling, planting and painting of existing benches.