Christmas Tree Lit at Washington Square Last Night at 89th Annual Ceremony | Some Notable Absences

Updated 6:47 p.m.

Tree was lit pretty promptly at 6 p.m.
Rob Susman Quartet
Washington Square Association President Anne-Marie Sumner
The crowd : view from the Fountain Plaza
Santa
group on left features: Parks Dept. First Deputy Commissioner Liam Kavanaugh (far left) and Wash Sq Association’s Anne-Marie Sumner (red scarf)

The tree was lit, people gathered, and sang carols by the Arch last night as the 89th Annual Tree Lighting ceremony at Washington Square took place. The event is hosted by neighborhood group, the Washington Square Association, and it was a bit different than the last few years that I’ve attended. Last year (and previous years), Manhattan Parks Commissioner Bill Castro attended and sang on the stage as did Washington Square Association President Anne-Marie Sumner. This year, not only did Bill Castro not sing, he was not there at all! Sumner stayed in the background.

Also not present was Washington Square Park Administrator Sarah Neilson (a city Parks Department employee and presently “Executive Director” of the “newly formed” Washington Sq Park Conservancy) nor any of the Washington Square Park Conservancy founders. (Were they perhaps hiding after the latest revelations as well as the “hot dog” hoopla?) First Deputy Parks Commissioner Liam Kavanaugh was there representing the Parks Department (but many people in the neighborhood do not know him). I saw Sharon Woolums, a “public member” of Community Board 2’s Parks Committee. C.B. 2 District Manager Bob Gormley was in the crowd, singing and being jovial.

The event started with words (very brief) by Washington Square Association’s Anne-Marie Sumner and led quickly to a count down by a group of children in the front row, and the tree was lit! The ceremony went right into carols with music by the Rob Susman Quartet. Many of the songs are sung in a truncated manner – portions of the songs versus the entire song – which is how it’s been for at least the last five years. According to some Villagers who attended the ceremony some years ago, a student jazz band used to be part of the ceremony. Not any more. The lights on the tree had been red for many years and were changed to white this year (I was not the only person who noted this!) — perhaps the Washington Square Association wanted to switch it up a little. But it all felt a little deflated.

In addition, there was some problem with the lights by the Arch so everything was darker than usual.

Some wonder if the Washington Square Association is consolidating into the Washington Square Park Conservancy with two members of their Board (Washington Square Association Chair Douglas Evans and Vice President Emily Kies Folpe) “recently” being added to the Conservancy Board. (Actually, Evans came before C.B. 2 in support of the Conservancy, but, even at that point, he knew he would be added to the Board at a later date, according to documents Washington Square Park Blog has obtained.*) Neighborhood restauranteur Mario Batali had been on the Washington Square Association Board for a long time – it’s unclear if he still is, he is no longer listed on the organization web site he (Wash Sq Assoc. says he was not on their Board … I always was under impression that he was.) has also recently been added to the controversial Washington Square Park Conservancy Board. What went on behind-the-scenes to get the Washington Square Association to support this private conservancy, which they knew the community very clearly did not want?

More holiday events upcoming at Washington Square Park:

Independent caroling event led by Terre Roche and Barbara Morillo at the Park Friday, December 20th at 6 p.m.

The Washington Square Association sponsors caroling Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24th at 5 p.m.

Both under the Arch.

Happy Holidays!

Photos: Cathryn

* More coming next on documents and what they reveal.

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7 thoughts on “Christmas Tree Lit at Washington Square Last Night at 89th Annual Ceremony | Some Notable Absences”

  1. Would you please publicize all the rat poison bait boxes in the park that will guarantee the death of the resident red-tailed hawks? Take a stand, for God’s sake!

    Reply
  2. Ann,

    I looked around the park and I’ve seen the clap-trap ‘boxes’ (tho’ I’m not a ‘fan’ of those either) and not the poison bait boxes. Where in the park are you seeing the other kind?

    Thanks.

    Cathryn.

    Reply
    • Hi…I have not been there in a while but several people have reported that there are many bait boxes. I will find out exactly where and get back to you
      You can also check rogerpaw.blogspot (or just type Roger Paw into google ) and check her archives. She was the one who first reported them. There has been a petition and a call in and Parks has not denied the precence of poison.
      Ann

      Reply
      • Hi Cathryn
        I checked the RogerPaw blog and she says there that she received an email from Sarah Neilson, the park administrator, who wrote her in an email that all the traps in the park contain Bromadiolone. This post was in “older posts” around Thanksgiving. I am sorry but I did not note the exact date. Is it possible that you are mistaking these for clap-traps?
        Ann

        Reply
      • Hello again Cathryn

        Roger Paw blog November 28 mentions 27 bait boxes. 27! If they all contain bromadiolone, the birds will die as they cannot possibly avoid getting the “wrong” rat with that many boxes. It is called “super warfarin” and it is an anticoagulant.
        Ann

        Reply
  3. Hi Ann,

    Thanks for the update!

    Maybe they changed the ‘look’ of the bait boxes – they had always been black and a certain angular shape. The gray ‘boxes’ I’ve seen are more rounded and … I was wrong… not called clap traps but SNAP traps! which makes more sense (although … grisly but so is the poison). I will look into it further. There are A LOT of these – if these grey ones contain poison, well, yes, that’s quite intense for one park. Before the recent changes in administration at WSP, there were never this many around of any type.

    I’ll get back to you.

    Thanks.

    Cathryn.

    Reply
    • Hi Cathryn,
      They look like grey rocks, like that’s supposed to fool us and make us feel better. Madison square park has 20+ of them, last time I looked (summer) and a Red-Tail died there a year ago and was found to have had prior exposure (bleeding that healed). Bromadiolone causes secondary rodenticide poisoning. I believe that its effects are cumulative. Rats do not die immediately but walk around for a day or two making them easy prey for hawks.
      Ann

      Reply

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