The Leaf - Thornden Park Association

The Leaf
Page 1
A Publication of the Thornden Park Association, Syracuse NY
July 2014
Volume 1, Issue 1
Letter from the Co-Presidents
Inside this issue:
Park News
2
Board Member Introductions
5
Historical Focus
6
Fond Memories
8
Contact Us
9
I
t’s summer and our favorite time of year when Thornden Park just blossoms with activities and people. Your Thornden Park Association (TPA)
is no exception. At the Annual meeting in June, 5 wonderful new members were elected to the Board. These are Richard Park (editor of this newsletter), Matt Saufley, Matt Oja, Kiva Vandergeest, and Judy Oplinger. You
can read about them elsewhere in this newsletter. After serving as TPA’s
president for 7 years. Dan Sanders has stepped down to enjoy some much
needed “down time!” We thank him profusely for all the time and energy he
devoted to Thornden Park. The Board subsequently elected co-presidents,
Sondra Roth and Dale Avers. We are excited about the opportunity to work
with such a talented and committed board and look forward to hearing from
you, TPA members, about your priorities for the Park. The Board also elected Miranda Hine as Secretary and Marilyn Zaelon as Treasurer. We are
grateful for Carol Simson’s tenure as Secretary over the past couple of years
and Marilyn’s willingness to continue as Treasurer.
Developing a strategic plan for the Park that will drive grants and projects is
our first major task. If you have ideas for how to enhance or improve the
park, please let us know, keeping in mind our historical designation.
Special points of interest:

Read about the tremendous
gardening work done by all of our
volunteers

Kids Discovery camp is a hit
with kids!

Garden tour highlights local
private gardens

Learn about our Board Members, both new and old

Shakespeare in the Park is back
for another run in August

Memories of the Park from
various members

Special article about the history
behind the Carriage house
A little known program with big benefits is a free exercise class for adults of
all fitness levels on Mondays and Thursdays at 5pm for just 30 minutes. We
meet at the Carriage house and often exercise outside in the beautiful area
around the Carriage House. All you need to do is contact Dale Avers at
415 8436 or daleavers@gmail.com. It’s a great time to improve your fitness!
Another great way to enjoy the park and work on your fitness is to help with
the gardening. With the exception of mowing, all of the gardening
(including maintenance of the Rose Garden) is done by volunteers. The
times for weeding and planting are listed on the Park Association’s web site.
Please come and lend a hand for an hour or so!
Starting September 14th, Thornden park Association Board meetings will be
held on the third Monday of the month at 7 pm in the Field House. Any
member is welcome and it is an excellent opportunity to voice your ideas for
the Park. We recommend you call either Sondra or Dale if you plan to attend so you can be put on the agenda.
This newsletter has been in the works for the last two years. We have finally been able to get it finalized and into your hands. We hope it will inspire
you to get involved in one or more of the many projects that make our park
such an enjoyable place to spend time.
Enjoy….and Happy Summer!
Park News
Page 2
Volunteer Weeding & Maintenance
S
ince the formation of the Thornden Park Association, its mission has been to beautify
Thornden Park. For many years the E. M. Mills
Rose garden, lovingly cared for by Syracuse Rose
Society members, was the only floral display in the
park. TPA’s first efforts were at Madison Street entrance. In 1985 Paul Williams developed a planting
plan for the four beds at the original entrance to the
park and we have maintained these beds for nearly
20 years. In 1986, inspired by old postcards, we
turned our attention to restoring the Lily
Pond. This project was jump-started in
1988 when we secured a $1,200 Adopt-APark grant for plant materials. Our commitment to restoring Thornden’s landscape features continued in 2006 when we hired Dan
Reeder to design and install the landscape
around the Carriage House.
Today members of the community and
Thornden Park Association are responsible
for maintaining three spaces: the Madison
Street beds, the Lily Pond, and the plantings around the Carriage House. In addition TPA member, Lida Black, coordinates
the maintenance of the Herb Garden. We
are proud of the fact that the Lily Pond now
surpasses even the E. M. Mills Rose Garden
as a popular site for weddings and wedding
photography.
More Weeders to the Rescue!
T
his summer has been quite rainy. Perfect
weather for weeds to grow strong and
healthy. Most gardeners would agree. especially members of the Syracuse Rose Society,
who have a herculean job of keeping all the
raised beds in the E. M. Mills Rose Garden free of
weeds. To the rescue, on Friday, July 18, came
14 young, energetic, hardworking students from
Syracuse University (aka... “The Weed Killers.”)
These students, who are part of the federally
funded TRIO program, donated two hours of their
busy summer residency to help weed one entire
quadrant of the garden. They were joined by
their supervisors, two members of the Syracuse
Rose Society, two students from ESF and four
members of The Thornden Park Association. We
are so grateful to these students for their assistance. They made Syracuse a better place!
These landscapes are a huge undertaking made possible only by volunteers. We estimate the Lily Pond,
alone, requires 40 hours to weed the entire area. And
this needs to be done 3 or 4 times each growing season. A recent volunteer, who came to weed with her
husband and three children asked, “Why doesn’t the
city do this?” The Parks Department does not have
the budget to maintain gardens in all our city parks,
so it is up to us. The days of hiring 14-full-time gardeners for one city park are over. If you want these
gardens to continue and to be around for future generations, please join us at one of the following sessions. To receive reminders and updates please
email miranda@twcny.rr.com.
Thurs, August 7 at 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Lily Pond
Sat, August 16 at 8:00 am – 10:00 am Madison
Street
Thurs, August 21 at 8:00 am – 10:00 am Lily Pond
Sat, August 30 at 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Carriage House
Park News
Page 3
Garden Tour
O
n June 15th, for the 22nd season,
the T.P.A hosted its annual tour of
gardens. The gardens reflect what is
unique about the university neighborhood— the diverse interests of its residents and their particular talents. Our
special thanks go to Grace and Michael
Flusche, Lyn Simmer, Matt and Patricia
O’Reilly, Lida Black and the Bread and
Roses Collective Garden for so generously sharing their gardens.
What follows is the description of Matt
and Patricia O’Reilly’s lovely garden on
Allen Street.
We bought our house in early Spring of
2010. The property was covered in
snow but we could see its potential with the
large boulder staircase and retaining wall that
framed the ground level deck in the backyard.
When we closed on the property later in the
season we were delighted to find budding trees
and plants that covered every inch of the property. The front beds were more overgrown than
we liked so we first thinned out and removed
the unwanted shrubs and ground cover. We
added in variety of smaller shrubs that framed
the foundation rather than concealed the entire
entryway. The only grass on the property was the
strip of right-of-way so it only made sense to replace it with hardy perennials and natural mulch.
The melting snow had also revealed a simple water feature in the rear corner of the property
which added another opportunity. The water feature was expanded from a simple pond to a long
flowing waterfall with additional plantings. In addition to the expanded water feature and the existing Hawthorne, other elements were added to
what eventually became a certified wildlife habitat. Over the years we have had a variety of
birds, small mammals, butterflies,
honey bees and hummingbird moths
drop by the property. Our latest visitor includes a Northern Flicker.
Over 60 people purchased tickets to
view these five very different gardens
and over $700 was raised for our ongoing efforts to restore and revitalize
Thornden Park. We hope you will consider attending the garden tour next
year, when we will feature the private
gardens of ESF faculty members and
alumni. The date has been set for
Sunday, June 15, 2015.
Park News
W
Page 4
… Of course, “It’s a Bike Rack”
ith an eye toward increasing accessibility to Thornden Park, the TPA purchased
eight bicycle racks. The racks were installed throughout the park on July 17th;
the first park visitor to enjoy use of a bicycle rack was frequent pool visitor
Ellen Somers, who first brought the lack of bicycle facilities to the TPA’s attention two
years ago. The bicycle racks were designed by Raulli Ornamental Ironworks, a Syracuse
manufacturer of custom metal products. With cycling increasingly popular as a mode of
transportation, TPA expects the racks to be a useful and popular addition to the park. The
racks have been installed by Syracuse’s Department of Parks and Recreation at several
locations throughout the park with the goal of improving accessibility to a number of the
park’s attractions. Thornden Park’s pool, Carriage House, Field House, and the E.M. Mills
Rose Garden are among the locations in which racks have been installed. The bicycle
racks were purchased with funds from an UNSAAC grant. The University Neighborhood
Service Agreement Advisory Committee was created pursuant to a 1993 service agreement between Syracuse University and the City of Syracuse. UNSAAC disburses grants
funded by Syracuse University to University-area non-profit organizations. Thornden
Park is fortunate to have been a beneficiary of a number of UNSAAC grants over the
years; TPA is pleased to introduce the bicycle racks as the most recent capital improvement made possible by UNSAAC.
Y
es, "Twelfth Night" is playing the second and third weekends of August at the
Amphitheatre. It's the annual free presentation of a Shakespeare work by the
Syracuse Shakespeare Festival company that has expanded its generous offerings throughout the Greater Syracuse area for more than two decades.
The Amphitheatre was the locale in June for a delightful production of "Measure for
Measure" -- relocated to 20th Century West Texas! It rang true to the original script
and the wonderful performances on the green were enjoyed by hundreds.
Please come and be entertained by the wicked comedy of "Twelfth Night" -- it runs
Friday August 8th (5:30PM), Saturday August 9 (5:30PM) and Sunday August 10
(2:00PM) and at the same hours the following weekend Friday 8/15 through Sunday 8/17. Bring a blanket or some lawn
chairs as well as your own picnic food or cash to purchase refreshments on sale at the event.
And the Shakespeare is FREE!
Discovery Camp
F
or ten years the Thornden Park
Association has co-sponsored,
with The New School, its highly
successful and widely anticipated Discovery Camps in Thornden Park. Each
week twenty youngsters explore Thornden Park’s many features, and enjoy
outdoor activities which integrate, art,
science and language arts. Swimming at
the pool is included in their daily activities. Curriculum is developed by certified teachers around a theme. In the
past students have explored their 5
Senses, the animal kingdom, invertebrates, insects, and birds. In addition
community members and groups are
invited to come share their expertise. In
the past we have welcomed The Syracuse Peace Council, The Syracuse Fire
Department, Syracuse Rose Society, and
The Rosamund Gifford Zoo-to-You program. We have invited local artists to
conduct mini workshops at the E. M.
Mills Rose Garden and Lily Pond. The
Thornden Park Association’s mission is
to keep the registration fee modest and
to provide a quality camp experience for
children in their neighborhood. Scholarships are available. These camps fill up
quickly. To receive advance notice
please email
miranda@twcny.rr.com.
Meet the Board
Page 5
Meet the new 2014 Thornden Park Board. We have a mix of both incumbent as well as new members on our team.
From left to right: Richard Park, Judy Uplinger, Carol Simson, Marilyn Zaleon, Tim Rice, Paul Avilés, Matt Saufley, Sondra Roth, Dale Avers,
Kiva VanderGeest, Matt Oja (Not pictured: Miranda Hine)
Miranda Hine has been a member of the Thornden Park Association board since it was formed in 1983. Over the years she has enjoyed helping
to restore both the Lily Pond and the Carriage House as well as organizing the Garden Tours. More recently she has coordinated five weeks of
Discovery Camp for children in Thornden Park. Miranda is a teacher at The New School.
Judy Oplinger is serving her first term on the board. Born and raised in Syracuse, she came back in 1972 and retired in 2007 after 24 years as
Office Manager/Accountant at the Century Club. As a child and Camp Fire Girl, she remembers award ceremonies in the Amphitheater. Now,
Judy coordinates the care of the Baltimore Woods Herb Garden and one of the Meadowbrook endcaps. She also sings in the Syracuse Community Choir!
Richard Park is a new member to the TPA. He just moved to Syracuse last year from Seattle, Wa. Richard is an IT Project Manager at an
insurance company in Syracuse. He is excited to work with everyone on this Board to help make Thornden Park an awesome place!
Marilyn Zaleon has lived in the Westcott neighborhood for 38 years and grew up in Syracuse. She’s retired and works part-time at the Petit
Library.
Tim Rice has been a member of the TPA Board for a long, long time. The Rice family lived on Madison Street for 35+ years with Thornden Park as their wonderful playground and giant garden space. Both Tim's wives, Susan & Joanne, loved the Park. Tim represented the
greater Thornden area for 24 years in the County Legislature.
Paul Aviles is a native of Syracuse and a resident of the University area for the past 40-years. He is a writer and a semi-retired professor who
currently tutors at O.C.C. This is his third year on the TPA Board.
Matthew Saufley first came to Syracuse in 2000 to pursue a Master's at Syracuse University. Here he met his wife, Kate, who grew up in the
neighborhood adjoining Thornden Park, of which she has many happy memories. They now themselves live on the edge of Thornden Park with
their 5 children. The family loves to take advantage of every aspect of the Park, which has so much to offer! Matthew helped restore the Field
House, and is an avid fan of local architectural history. This is his first year on the board.
Sondra Roth is serving her second term on the board of TPA. She considers Thornden Park a vital part of the University/Westcott neighborhood and is committed to making the park a valued resource for neighborhood residents and visitors. Sondra is a school psychologist, an avidgardener, and she has experience on the boards of Jowonio, Westcott Community Center, Cooperative Federal, and Congregation Beth SholomChevras-Sha.
Dale Avers is serving as co-president of the TPA board. She has been a member of the Board since 2009. She is a professor of physical therapy
at SUNY Upstate Medical University and has a passion for promoting physical activity, especially out-of-doors. She started a free exercise class 5
years ago in Thornden Park which is still meeting twice a week at 5pm. The class is open to all adults. She lives on Sumner Ave with her 16-year
old daughter and enjoys gardening, especially growing roses.
Kiva VanDerGeest is serving her first term on the TPA board. Recently Kiva completed her Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture from
SUNY-ESF. She sees Thornden Park is a great asset to the Westcott Neighborhood where she resides. From days at the pool, games on the
courts, walks through the various gardens, and events in the amphitheater, she sees the park as a place where community happens.
Matt Oja is serving his second term on the board of TPA. He enjoys the park’s wide variety of uses, its views, and its canopy. In addition to his
work with TPA, Matt also serves on the board of the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, which promotes community wellness through participation in
the running sports. Matt is a Syracuse attorney and resides in Outer Comstock.
Carol Simson has been on the Thornden Park board since 1994. Her goal for this beautiful historical park is to restore every inch of it. She has
lived in the neighborhood for over 35 years and is very interested in creating a safe and playful place for children to explore in. Carol is a prekindergarten teacher for the Syracuse City School District. She has also been active on several other organizations in the community.
Historical Focus
Page 6
The Carriage House Reborn
I
t took fifteen years of vision, tenacity, and effort
to complete the restoration of Thornden Park’s
Carriage House, which has successfully provided the
community with a unique multi-use facility. Today,
this once abandoned building is scheduled throughout the year! For five weeks it is home to the Discovery Camp for children between the ages of 4 and
11, which is sponsored by The
Thornden Park Association and The
New School. The
Syracuse Shakespeare Festival will
host a camp for
middle schoolers
entitled “Kids Doing
Shakespeare” (KIDS). If
that isn’t enough, a
FREE exercise
class, for adults of
all ages and abilities is offered by
Syracuse Parks and
Recreation and
Thornden Park Association twice a
week.
Our fifteen year journey to save the Carriage House
has had many twists and turns. In 1988 The Thornden Park Association was told that the Carriage
House wasn’t worth saving, that there wouldn’t be a
need for or interest in the building. The Thornden
Park Association didn’t listen. First, we focused on
saving the historic building from the wrecker’s ball
because its roof was in disrepair. Then we started to
work in earnest on getting the building used and enjoyed by the community.
The Carriage House’s significance was confirmed by
Thornden Park’s listing on the New York State and
National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The
park is a significant historic site for two primary reasons. In terms of design, it is representative of the
transition in the design philosophy of parks, away
from the romantic ideal to the reform ideal. It is also
significant to the development of parks and open
spaces in Syracuse, an example of a municipal park
built at the city’s edge in the late nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries.
The Carriage House is our only remaining link to the
days when Thornden was a magnificent private estate, owned by the anglophile Major Alexander Davis.
Maps of the Davis estate show that the Carriage
House was located in Davis’ greenhouse complex,
and it is believed to be the last building constructed
on the property before its purchase by the city in
1921.
When the Thornden
Park Association was
formed in 1983, the
Carriage House was
used to house the
Parks Department’s
maintenance equipment. In time, the
roof began to give,
and use of the building
was discontinued. As
early as 1988 the
Thornden Park Association advocated for
the restoration of this
historic structure. In
1994 the association
received a $25,000
grant from the University Neighborhood
Service Agreement
Advisory Committee
(UNSAAC) to cover the cost of roof repairs. The association was convinced by the Commissioner of Parks
at the time to postpone work on the building until a
plan for its use was established.
After Thornden Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, additional funding
sources became available. In 1996, working collaboratively with the city, the association received a
matching grant of $48,360 from New York State, and
an additional $25,000 from UNSAAC to restore the
Carriage House and transform it into an urban educational and nature center.
In 1995 the overall lower structure was sound. However, the brick walls above the base were in need of
repair. The exterior walls needed only cosmetic repair. The original nine square windows were substantially intact, requiring minor sash repairs and extensive re-glazing. One barn-style, braced door required
only repair, but the other called for complete replication.
Continued on Page 7...
Historical Focus
Get Involved
Page 7
Continued from Page 6…
The roof had suffered the most serious deterioration. The replacement shingles had protected the lantern and
upper roof; however, the main roof’s lower sheathing and exposed rafter tails required substantial reconstruction.
The project included a small addition, which houses a unisex handicapped-accessible toilet and storage space
needed for programming. This addition was centered on the north wall and mimicked the scale and proportion
of the original Carriage House through use of dissimilar materials.
In 2006, taking into account current condition, historic significance, and future program requirements, several
historic features, including walks, drives, steps, and plantings were all reconstructed. The Thornden Park Association covered the cost of design, landscaping, and plant materials.
Weeping Beech Bench Raffle
O
ver 150 years ago, a weeping beech tree was planted by Major Davis in his estate
in Syracuse. In 1921 the Davis estate became Thornden Park and this tree was
loved by generations of park users. Sadly, in the spring of 2013, the main trunk
of this special tree succumbed to age and disease. From the wood of this tree, John Noviasky (pictured) has created a stunning bench and you could be its lucky owner!
We will be selling raffle tickets for $5 (3 tickets for $12) all summer. The drawing for this
bench will take place at the Westcott Street Cultural Fair on Sunday, September 21,
2014.
Mail ticket stubs and payment to the:
Thornden Park Association
PO BOX 6604
SYRACUSE, NY 13217
Raffle ticket may be cut out and mailed to
address above
Oral History
Page 8
Winter Memories
I
loved Thornden Park in the winter. The city closed off the street from the pool to the water tower road, so
it was safe for sledding. But it wasn’t steep or fast enough for us, so we would sled from the water tower
to the bottom of the hill by the pool, on sleds with runners, belly flopping. If that weren’t dangerous
enough, when we could find old candles, we’d wax our runners. Well after dark, when our feet had become
blocks of ice, we would make our way home, pulling our sleds. In our cozy kitchen, our mom would soak our feet
in cold water (supposedly a remedy for frozen feet). Our galoshes would be filled with ice. Our wool leggings
and coats would be drenched. We’d have “sock lines” and & “mitten line” on our ankles and wrists. Life was
good.
- Kathleen Parrish
Sledding in Thornden Park. It was the only hill in town as far as we were concerned. It should be renamed Suicide Hill. The bottom of that hill had no run out. We must have been crazy. What did we know? You wouldn’t
catch me doing that today. We had a great time over there!
– Tom Maltby
Before all of the trees grew up we used to sled on the back side of the water tower down to the road with the real
old fashioned sleds. probably dangerous but a lot of fun. Also, at one time the City flooded an ice rink right by
the field house. They had skates for rent, although most of us had skates, and hot chocolate etc. inside.
- Karen U
Flower Gardens
W
e have various park memories. From the yard at 219 where we lived from 1970 to 1975 we looked
over into a capacious circular flower bed, arranged in concentric circles. We especially loved the tall
red flowers on their long green stalks. There was, however, a very practical utilitarian convenience:
teaching our children to ride 2-wheelers around and around the pathways! Alas, the cost of maintaining the flower beds was too much for the park exchequer and so the flowers were beheaded. Humble grass
took over. -- Jeremy Jackson
Dueling Brothers
I
remember my brothers fondly throwing ski poles at one another as they reveled in
the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The water tower loomed behind like a
protective shrine to humanity. - Sam Jackson
The Pool
M
y favorite memories of Thornden Park are of opening days of the morning swim. I moved to
Syracuse in 2002 at the beginning of the summer with my husband. Carrying on a tradition from
two prior moves (to two different states), we found an apartment adjacent to a park. I used to joke that I
could roll out of bed from Greenwood Place into the swimming pool. For several years, I only swam in the
summer time so it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to that opening day. What a treat to
be able to swim 50 meters! Years later (and following a move a little further away from the park) I discovered that the Parks Dept. had other pools that were available year round to the public so I now swim at
the Valley Pool (and hope to return to the Nottingham H.S. Pool when it reopens). But I still enjoy and
look forward to the camaraderie and enthusiasm of people who swim every year early in the morning at
Thornden Park, even in the sometimes tooth-chattering temperatures at the beginning of the season. We’re so fortunate to have this in our neighborhood! – Ellen Somers
Contact Us
Page 9
Become a Member:
There’s a number of ways to get synched up with us.
Website:: http://www.thorndenpark.org/
Email: miranda@twcny.rr.com
Physical Mailing Address:
PO Box 6604
Syracuse, NY 13217
Facebook: https://facebook.com/Thornden
Twitter: Coming Soon!
I
The Thornden Park Association has faithfully cared for the park for
the past 30+ years. Help us stick around for the next 30 years by
pledging your support!
Joining is easy. Just send us your name, address, phone, email, and a
$10 check (annual membership fee) to:
Thornden Park Association
PO Box 6604
Syracuse, NY 13217
Also Please let us know if you are interested in any of the following:
 I would like to help with the garden tours next year
 I would like to help with the chili fest next year
 I am interested in volunteering for gardening and planting projects
 I am interested in helping with grant writing.
n 2002, The Thornden Park Association received a grant to write, design, publish and distribute a brochure that was titled: A Brief History of Thornden Park, A Walking Tour and Guidebook. This document highlights the major features in Thornden Park, and provides information
about its rich history. The Thornden Park Association commissioned artist, Roger DeMuth, to create a map for this brochure. Later the map was reproduced in large format and placed at the E.
M. Mills Rose Garden and at the Pool House. Signed copies of this map are available for $10. If
you are interested in purchasing please contact Miranda Hine miranda@twcny.rr.com.