THE CLEANUP DAY WILL NOW TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 13TH FROM 9AM-2PM.

St. Nick’s Dog Run needs time to dry out!  It is full of mud and that is why we will be postponing our woodchip spreading until Saturday, March 13th from 9am to 2pm.

The St. Nick’s Dog Run clean up day needs all the volunteers we can get to help spread a huge pile of woodchips (below are pictures), clean up litter and repair the fencing along the Dog Run perimeter. The clean up day takes place from 910am to 2pm on Saturday, February 27th March 13th. If you have a pair of work gloves please bring them. We will have some available to those who don’t. Also, we will have bottled water and coffee for everyone.

It is usually better to come to the workday after you walk your dog. Dogs demand attention while in the dog run, and the workday will be more enjoyable if you can leave your dog in the comfort of his home. Of course, we understand if this is not possible and appreciate any help you can lend.

For information contact us at info@stnicholaspark.org.

An amazing website called The Origin of Species has chronicled sighting of Bald Eagles in Harlem and have up close-up photos of a Red-Tail Hawk in St. Nicholas Park. These, coupled with the recent sightings of coyotes in Morningside and Central Parks, make for an exciting winter in Harlem.

Below are the links to the these posts.

Bald Eagles recorded in HD along Hudson River near West Harlem Piers.

http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/2010/02/nyc-eagles-in-hd.html

More Bald Eagles in Harlem

http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/2010/02/more-harlem-eagles.html

Bald Eagle in Harlem

http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/2010/02/harlem-eagle.html

Photos of Red Tail Hawk in St. Nicholas Park

http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/2010/01/mystery-of-headless-squirrel.html

1. When entering the dog run, please study it carefully BEFORE unleashing your dog.
2. If you spot ANYTHING suspicious, IMMEDIATELY call the police, pep, and 311. Stay nearby until police arrive.
3. Do not touch anything suspicious and do not let any dogs near it.
4. Be vigilant right OUTSIDE of your dog parks. If someone truly intends to poison dogs, placing laced food near the dog runs is a way to avoid being easily spotted. Again- if you spot anything, report it immediately.
5. If you hear or see anything, please let the Friends of St. Nicholas Park know.

Again, this could be a hoax but just in case, please be cautious…

HISTORIC HARLEM PARKS FILM FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR (for St. Nicholas Park)

This point person organizes the few days of film screenings for St. Nicholas Park as part of the larger Historic Harlem Parks Film Festival. Duties include attending meetings, organizing film production company, coordinating permits, raising money and promoting the event for St. Nicholas Park.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR FOR SPRING/SUMMER PROGRAMMING

This person will work with parks and other area organizations to bring special events into the park. Securing permits, dates and times and promoting the shows will be part of the responsibility. Liaising with Park Manager to assure performance space is clean and prepared for events. Attending events is required as you will be responsible for collecting emails addresses and offering more information about our park to attendees.

WEBSITE, EMAIL AND BLOG UPDATES

This person will help in maintaining the Friends’ website and blog entries through a CMS (no need for programming experience). Graphic design and cutting of images helpful, but not required. This person will be responsible for taking news about St. Nicholas Park and its surrounding neighborhood and write about it on the website. Also, drafting emails and blasting emails to the Friends’ email list will be part of the your responsibility. Strong writing skills and knowledge of Harlem a must.

Dear Friends,

Carola Polakov’s beloved dog who has been a part of the St. Nicholas Park and St. Nick’s Dog Run family for years has passed. Below is a note from Carola announcing her passing. The Friends will miss Rumba dearly. Any condolences can be sent to Carola at carolix8@aol.com.

Dear friends and family,

Our beloved Rumba passed on to the other side Saturday night (1/09). She died in my arms, surrounded by her dear friends Vaneik, Julia and Kioko. Sylvia also spent some time with her that evening. Since she was diagnosed with cancer, the day after Christmas, she had a couple of bad days, but mostly good. There were days that she looked quite sprite and in good spirits. I had hopes that the homeopathic treatment would work, but her illness was too advanced and finally she was too weak to keep on fighting.

She has been cremated and in the next few days her remains will be sent to me. I’ll let you know when we can get together in the park to spread the ashes. I will keep some of them to spread in the creeks in the Catskills where she was so happy swimming and hiking. Rumba was a wonderfully loving companion and the sweetest girl I could have hoped for. She gave me and her many friends much joy during her time with us and I know that she will always be remembered. Soon you will be receiving a photo video montage that I’m preparing as a tribute to her.

Thank you all for your support, sympathy and kind words, and most of all for loving her.

With love,

Carola

Though fewer dogs and owners may use the run during the winter months, it still sees a lot of action. Below are some tips for what you can do to help us maintain our beautiful dog run.

Help keep the dog run clean and neat by:

- Bringing extra poop bags to fill our dispensers.

- Picking up trash (even if it’s not yours).

- Picking up poop (even if it’s not your dog’s).

- Filling in holes (no matter who dug them).

- Picking up stray cigarette butts.

- Picking up glass whenever you see it

- Volunteer on a Clean-up Day. (we always send out notices when we schedule them). Email us at dogpark@stnicholaspark.org if you like to be added to our list.

- Respect the rules of the Dog Run and work with other members of this great dog- owning community.

Contribute financially to support ongoing maintenance as well as future improvements to the dog run.

TO DONATE to St. Nick’s Dog Run:

Step 1: Write a check made out to: City Parks Foundation

In the memo of the check be sure to write “Friends of St. Nicholas Park”

Step 2: Mail the check with a cover letter describing your donation to St. Nicholas Park to:

Friends Of St. Nicholas Park
P.O. Box 195
New York, NY 10030

Celebrate Alexander Hamilton’s 254th birthday with the National Park Service and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation on January 10.

From 10 a.m to 4 p.m., the Morris-Jumel Mansion will recognize the day with a re-enactor portraying Alexander Hamilton, a presentation by an NPS Ranger on Hamilton Grange National Memorial, and period music. It will be a fun day for the whole family!

We are expecting the birthday celebration next year (2011) this event will take place at the Hamilton Grange in St. Nicholas Park.

The Grange received $2.4 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will enable the National Park Service to complete the interior restoration of the home. Work on the interior has begun and we expect to reopen the memorial to visitors in the fall of 2010.

The front entrance of the house has regained much of its original appearance. The porch is in place and the front steps are awaiting additional work. The front door frame has been returned to its exact original position in the home’s façade – a feat the National Park Service’s historic architect said he was extremely pleased with considering the structural changes that were made to the house and the door frame itself following its first move in 1889. Stylistically, it is interesting to note that the square pillars supporting the floor of the front porch exactly match the dimensions and placement of the columns supporting the porch roof so that they appear to be continuous vertical lines.

Stephen Spaulding, a historic architect with the National Park Service, meets with a contractor on December 2 to discuss how to best replicate the
faux finish Hamilton ordered for the lower level of the Grange.

The New York Horticultural Society plants trees before the winter sets in.

The rear porch has been installed and the risers for the rear steps have been completed. The only netting that remains on the house is in the rear.

Our last Coffee Bark of the year took place on Dec 5th and lots of dogs and people were in the holiday spirit, enjoying coffee and donuts during a chilly morning at the St. Nick’s Dog Run. Out next Coffee Bark will be in the spring. In the meantime, please help us keep the dog run clean by picking up litter and trash and disposing of your dog’s waste in the trash cans around the dog run perimeter.

Thanks again to everyone who helped with the Coffee Barks in 2010 including…

Sybil Ward
Yasmin Lauz
Mike Tosi and Diva Goodfriend
Julia Granacki
Vaneik Echeverria
Josh Greenberg
Jehanne Catalano
Phil Spletzer
T&J’s Bakery
Diane West and New York Tails Magazine
Uptown Vets