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Saturday, September 18th was a lovely evening for a centennial edition of FSP and WSM's Annual Party for the Park, which took place in and around the Tea Pavilion
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Friends of Stewart Park has an important goal for 2021!
This year — Stewart Park’s Centennial as a public park — FSP set out to raise $150,000 to match the gift Mayor Stewart made to the City of Ithaca in 1921 that established Stewart Park as a public park.
With the park’s hundredth anniversary in our minds, we decided to raise these funds predominantly through grassroots giving by community members to the Mayor Stewart Centennial Challenge, $100 at a time. And we knew we wanted these centennial funds to go towards a number of necessary park revitalization projects, some big, others small. All important!
One example of a small project? Safety surfacing. The rolling slide on the new accessible playground is incredibly popular. No one, however, anticipated that the sides of the slide would be used by kids running up to get back on the slide, or by parents walking down to assist their child with sliding. As a result, the grass won't grow there, leaving a muddy and slippery slope. Money from gifts to the Centennial Fund will go towards installing safety surfacing along both sides of the rolling slide, making the area safer and more attractive.
An example of a large project? Money from the centennial fund will help build new accessible bathroom building in the heart of the playground!
Friends, we are just under $100,000 for the Centennial Fund.
Won't you join the Mayor Stewart Centennial Challenge today and make possible a number of vital enhancement projects in Stewart Park?
Rick Manning,
Executive Director, Friends of Stewart Park
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FSP is pleased to present Andrew Zepp, Executive Director of the Finger Lakes Land Trust, for another informative virtual presentation in our Centennial series. Andy will discuss the water quality of Cayuga Lake, why the prevalence of toxic algae, FLLT’s landslide conservation efforts to enhance the Lake's water quality and other strategies for improving the health of Cayuga Lake.
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Friends of Stewart Park is hosting a volunteer cleanup event in Stewart Park on Saturday, October 16 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon (rain date the following Saturday, October 23rd, same time).
Tasks will include: Trimming Lakeshore vegetation; adding playground fibar surfacing; shoveling, sweeping and raking the sand play area, and litter and brush cleanup.
Bring gloves, hand loppers, pruners and hedge trimmers, wheelbarrows, pitchforks, yard rakes and iron rakes, depending on the type of work you'd like to do!
Meet in the parking lot between the Picnic Pavilion and the Wharton Studio building to sign in and get directions.
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Join local historian, Corey Ryan Earle, as he introduces us to Patrick “Patsy” Conway, whose early 20th century Ithaca Band toured the country and the world, though one of their favorite venues was right here in Stewart Park. Discover Ithaca's very own "Music Man" and his impact locally and nationally during the Golden Age of Bands.
This presentation is brought to you in partnership with Wharton Studio Museum as part of Silent Movie Month -- happening every October in Ithaca since 2012!
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In 2012, Mayor Myrick signed a proclamation making October Silent Movie Month in the City of Ithaca. Wharton Studio Museum invites you to celebrate Silent Movie Month this October — and this year we’re including November — with local historian Corey Earle's talk on silent film's contemporary, Patrick Conway and his Famous Ithaca Band, as well as other events currently in the works. For all the latest, visit whartonstudiomuseum.org and WSM’s page on Facebook.
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Thanks to the Lifelong Walkers who came down to explore the historic side of Stewart Park last week! The tour was led by FSP's Rick Manning and WSM's Diana Riesman. If you'd like to explore the history of Stewart Park on your own, you can take a Pocket Sights walking tour by downloading the Pocket Sights app or going to their website for the: Stewart Park Tour or Wharton Studio Silent Film Tour.
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The Cayuga Waterfront Trail has a new mural by Brittany Johnson, featuring Harmony Malone, also known as Ms. Harmony. Ms. Harmony has influenced the lives of countless youth in our community, spreading her #blackjoy everywhere she goes and in everything she does. She runs Ms. Harmony's Dance Studio (formerly UNITED), choreographs for Running to Places and local school productions, leads church worship and exudes positivity in every endeavor. We are so happy to see her honored along the trail. Find the mural under the Route 89 bridge, and check out these videos of the mural by Uplifted Ithaca, both in progress and as it's nearly done.
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Thanks to all who came out for this year's 6th Annual Party for the Park Saturday, September 18th. Along with good food, drink, lawn games, music and a raffle, the evening included thoughtful remarks and a special citation in honor of Stewart Park’s centennial as a public park from Assemblymember Anna Kelles and the presentation of the Friends of Stewart Park StewarTship Awards. These annual awards recognize our wonderful partners and volunteers who make important contributions to the ongoing revitalization of Stewart Park and to Ithaca‘s parks and waterfront as a whole.
Congratulations to 2021 Honorees, Todd Edmond of Iron Design, Jeanne Grace of the City of Ithaca, Susan Holland of Historic Ithaca, Steve Lauzun of Parkitects, Tim Logue of the City of Ithaca, Erin Marteal, formerly of Ithaca Children’s Garden, David Herrick of T.G. Miller, Andy Sciarraba, formerly of T.G. Miller, and Charlene Temple, FSP Volunteer.
Hope you'll join us for next year's party!
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BEST OF ITHACA
Thank you for voting Stewart Park your favorite place for a birthday party! Pick up a copy of the Ithaca Times to check out Stewart Park and the rest of the Best of Ithaca. We'll link to the full article once it becomes available online.
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HUG Celebration 2021
In celebration of Dr. Greg Eells' life and legacy, HUG Celebration 2021, is a free community wellness event held at the large pavilion in Stewart Park on Sunday, October 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. It will feature food, fun and music, wellness stations and an optional 5K walk/fun run along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. The first 200 guests to register online through Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/3EH6pso will receive a free HUG t-shirt and a commemorative wristband good for free refreshments from Luna Inspired Street Food. Walk-ins the day of the event are also welcomed and encouraged.
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PUBLIC TRANSIT TO TRAILS
Last month, TCAT announced the release of its new TCAT to Trails map, which details how to get to various natural areas and parks throughout the county from TCAT bus stops. The map is the result of a collective effort between Myra Shulman, a former Cornell University senior researcher, and several Cornell students, all with the aim of addressing equitable access to nature.
Read more about it By Jessica Wickham's article in Tompkins Weekly.
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THANKS TO OUR CENTENNIAL SPONSORS FOR
MAKING THIS YEAR'S FESTIVITIES A REALITY |
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