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Following are letters to the election committee from some of the seven candidates.
Sarah Cannady Chinn
To: Election Committee
Washington Market Community Park, Inc.
295 Greenwich Street #227
New York, NY 10007
January 7, 2002
To Whom it May Concern:
I am a native Texan who moved to NYC in 1996. I moved
to Tribeca in May 2000 from Greenwich Village. I was just about to give
birth to my first child and was absolutely thrilled to be a part of such
a family-friendly community. Also, my husband and I had been long-time
fans of Tribeca and could not wait to actually be members of the Tribeca
neighborhood. We purchased an apartment at 55 Hudson, and the fact that
Washington Market Park was right by our building played a major role in
our decision making process. Being raised in Texas has made me a real
fan of open spaces, and after living in the Village for a few years, I
was thrilled to be right next to an open, beautiful, grassy park.. While
on maternity leave in 2000, I spent every day of that summer in Washington
Market Park. Once I returned to work, my son still played in the park
almost every single day with his nanny—it was the one constant part
of our lives in Tribeca.
A little over a year later September 11th came, and the lives of Tribeca-dwellers
were transformed. We left for two weeks to stay with friends on the Upper
East side and were eager to return home. Washington Market Park was still
open when we returned, and it was the first place I walked to with my
son. It was eerily quiet and empty, yet it was also strangely comforting
to be within the gates of the park. Shortly after our return, the Park
closed. I was always grateful to have Washington Market Park, but at that
moment in time I came to realize just how vital Washington Market Park
is to our children and the vibrancy of our community.
I would be honored to serve on the Park Board, and am fully committed
to bringing Washington Market back to the way it was before 9/11, and
even better. To see the Park so empty is heartbreaking, yet there are
still many of us in the neighborhood who are not going anywhere and want
to see Washington Market Park flourish—it is essential to the lives
of families in Tribeca.
I am the Manager of Legal Recruiting at Sullivan & Cromwell, a law
firm located in downtown Manhattan. I have been at S&C since February,
1997, and plan to be here for many more years. I am in charge of the hiring
of all lawyers for the firm. I run the summer associate program for law
students, which has consisted of more than 125+ members the last few years.
In this capacity, I coordinate their orientation programs, mentoring programs,
all the social activities and am basically their surrogate mother for
the summer. More or less, I run a summer camp for 22-year-old law students,
and hope they will all return as regular associates when they graduate
from law school. I also coordinate the fall recruiting program, which
consists of getting the next bunch of summer associates for the upcoming
year. We interview at 30+ law schools in the fall and conduct 300+ in-office
interviews at the firm.
I have been in the law firm recruiting business for the past 7 years.
This job requires that you have very strong interpersonal communication
skills, and this is an area in which I excel. It also requires strong
organizational skills, which I also possess. I have a staff of 6 assistants
who report to me, and I work very well with them—we are like a big
family. I have 139 bosses, the partners of the Firm, so I am used to handling
multiple requests and tasks that change daily. I have a tremendous amount
of energy, and I would love nothing more than to direct large amounts
of it towards making Washington Market Park one of the most special treasures
in NYC.
I feel very strongly that the Park was already a precious jewel in Tribeca.
We now have an opportunity to bring it back to that state, yet enhance
it even further. I want to spend many years with my son and my future
children in the Park. For these reasons, I would like to be considered
to be a member of the Park Board. I am committed to getting our neighborhood
back to where we were before 9/11, but I also want to take the opportunity
we have at this time to come back even stronger than we were before all
the madness fell upon us.
I am more than happy to provide letters of reference or any other items
which may assist you.
Best of luck in your selection process, and may 2002 bring us all peace
and safety.
Sincerely,
Sarah Cannady Chinn
Karen Brodsky
Election Committee
WMCP, Inc.
295 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013
February 13, 2002
Dear Neighbors:
For the past eight years I have lived directly across from Washington
Market Park. During this time, I worked as a grant writer and fundraiser
for the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and taught Spanish at a private
girls’ school before having two children, now ages three years and
18 months. What was once a beautiful view for my husband and me, the Park
now plays a role in the daily routine of our family. As our children grow,
the Park continues to reveal new facets that help us to meet the needs
of raising children in an urban environment.
Last year, the largest issues I faced as a parent using the Park were
rodents, antiquated playground equipment, and the need for a traffic light
at Duane and Greenwich Streets. This year, I am concerned about the lack
of access to funds necessary to complete the badly needed renovation for
the playground. There is also a need for clear information regarding the
safety of the park. The newsletter is a wonderful way to provide information
about testing of air and soil quality in the park, and I would like to
see this newsletter reach as many members of our neighborhood as possible.
I would also like to see the Park’s programs continue to grow. The
sports programs, concerts, puppet festival, and other children’s
programs are all part of what make this neighborhood so livable. While
much of the Park is centered around children, the gardens provide a place
where adults can feel an intimate connection to the outdoors whether or
not they have children who play there. In addition to providing a valuable
resource to our community, the special programs that the Park offers could
provide us access to private grants or corporate sponsorships. For example,
the arts program could be funded by a grant through a company like Binney
& Smith, and there are many philanthropists who might sponsor a children’s
garden.
Washington Market Park has been our backyard, our town square, and the
view out of our window for eight years, and I welcome the opportunity
to dedicate my time and enthusiasm to the Park as a member of the Board
of Directors. I would be particularly interested in becoming involved
with fundraising and the gardening programs. Thank you for considering
my request to sit on the Board of Directors for the Washington Market
Community Park.
Sincerely,
Karen Brodsky
David Scott Drane
My name is David Scott Drane, and I would like to be considered as a candidate
for the board of Washington Market Park. Although originally from Maine,
I've lived in New York City for almost 13 years -- 8 years in the Village
and the last 4 in the Financial District. My partner of 12 years, Will,
and I have just this week relocated from John Street to 21 West, where
we plan to remain for the foreseeable future.
It is my hope that my somewhat varied educational (B.A., Bowdoin &
M.A., NYU) and work (NYC2012 and, currently, Goshow Architects) background
as well as, most recently, my architectural training (M.Arch., Yale) will
be of use to the board, park members and users, and those members of the
community still to discover Washington Market Park.
Mostly, I look forward to getting my hands dirty -- both literally and
figuratively -- in a great neighborhood park.
Thank you for your consideration.
David Scott Drane
Lawrence F. Wasser, M.D.
WMCP, Inc.
Greenwich Street #227
New York, NY 10007
ATTN: Election Committee
February 6, 2002
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a 3 year resident of Tribeca (Murray Street) with
a garden plot and tennis permit in Washington Market Park. I shop at the
Saturday Green Market. Though a physician by training, I have strong civic
interests. I have served on a Community Board (Staten Island), have been
a trustee at the Staten Island Botanical Gardens, and am currently a trustee
of the John A. Noble Maritime Collection at Snug Harbor on Staten Island.
I am very much committed to the improvement of downtown residential life.
Sincerely,
Lawrence F. Wasser, M.D.
Bill Watson
WATSON GOLD DESIGNS, INC.
Election Committee
Washington Market Community Park, Inc.
295 Greenwich Street #227
New York, NY 10007
February 12, 2002
To Whom It May Concern,
I am interested in serving on the board of Washington Market Park and
would like to have my name entered for consideration in the upcoming election.
I am a long-time resident of Tribeca with extensive garden and landscape
experience. Having worked for the last 12 years in city gardening and
owning a Tribeca- based landscape design/build company that focuses on
the design, construction and maintenance of penthouse and terrace gardens,
my years of experience have given me a special understanding of how to
plan and maintain gardens in an urban environment.
My daughter, Miranda attends P.S. 234; she and our family have taken great
delight in park events. Recently I coordinated the donation and planting
of nearly ten thousand tulip and daffodil bulbs for the garden spaces
at P.S. 234. I would like to be actively involved in helping the development
of the green spaces in our community.
One project that I would like to oversee at Washington Market Park is
the plant selection, their planting and the pruning of existing trees
and shrubs. It is important that proper pruning techniques are used and
that long-term planning is implemented to ensure the continued health
of the park’s plants. I have extensive experience working with arborists,
irrigation and hardscaping contractors.
I welcome the opportunity to serve on the Board of the Washington Market
Park.
Sincerely,
Bill Watson
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