There were hundreds of people who came from all over the Bronx to be a part of the 20th Annual Bronx Parks Speak out. You were first treated to a roomful of tables by local Bronx organizations who wanted you to know just who they were and about their group. Lunch was then served to you, and you were able to sit down with many of the exhibitors for more details on them and their cause.
After lunch Mr. Dart Westphal (of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality) welcomed you, and gave a brief history of how the Bronx Parks Speak Out came about. He mentioned the different hosts of the event over the years including himself who hosted the first Bronx Parks Speak Out. He then introduced the first panel for a discussion about Pelham Bay Park.
Ms. Karen Argenti also a host of previous events took over for Mr. Westphal as she introduced Mr. Angel Hernandez of the Bronx Historical Society. Mr. Hernandez spoke about the "Greening of the Bronx" about how many of the parks came about to be. After this presentation Ms. Joyce Hogie another past host of this event introduced the second panel discussion on "Waterfront Access".
After the second of three panel discussion was over the audience broke out into three workshops.
When the workshops were over the third panel discussion which included Councilman Andrew Cohen and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz spoke about the Northwest Bronx.
I must say that in the second panel discussion there seemed to be a theme of "Anti Fresh Direct" who has been given government subsidiaries to relocate in the Community Board 1 area along the waterfront.
Left - As mentioned above this was the Boycott fresh Direct table.
Right - The BCEQ table with I.C. Levenberg (left) & Evan Camp.
Left - Community Board 11 member Bob Bieder is at the table for the Friends of Pelham Bay Park maned by Al Perez & Dan Clay.
Right - Community Board 8 member Laura Spalter is by the "Save The Putnam Trail" table maned by Matt Turov & Debbi Dolan.
Left - Natalie, Griseldai, Raimnunde, and Chris of the Friends of Van Cortklandt Park.
Right - A photo of the crowd. Click on any photo to make it larger.
Left - A map of the parks in the Bronx.
Right - Mr. Dart Westphal welcoming everyone to the 20th Annual Bronx Parks Speak Out.
