t h e   m u l b e r r y   s i x

Dear LINA Members,

The September 13, 1999 New York Post has an article on the Little Italy tree situation.

It is on line at http://www.nypost.com/commentary/2050.htm.

That's right, the NY Post. On page 22, Gersh Kuntzman, the Metro Gnome, has a column about our efforts to get the Parks Dept. to plant trees on Mulberry Street along with others which were approved for the rest of Little Italy. According to Kuntzman, Tony Carbonetti, Mayor Giuliani's chief of staff, has guaranteed the six Mulberry Street trees will be planted!!

Kuntzman spoke with Debby Corper from LINA who spearheaded the tree planting program, Carbonetti from the Mayor's Office, Anne Compoccia, Feast of San Gennaro Festival organizer, and Felipe Medeiros, owner of Language on Mulberry Street. Various comments and theories about trees and the Feast are brought out. Compoccia claims that the Mulberry boutique owners want to plant trees to stop the Feast; Medeiros says the Feast could be better run.

As you know LINA's position has always been that the Feast is part of our neighborhood tradition. We certainly do not oppose it and are not trying to stop it, and yes, it needs to be better run. Right now there is no mechanism for the residents and businesses on Mulberry Street to be involved in the planning, give constructive criticism or resolve Feast-related problems when they come up. The neighborhood graciously supports and hosts the Feast every year, and we believe the Feast organizers should graciously entertain questions and concerns from their Mulberry Street neighbors.

Big thanks are in order for Gersh Kuntzman. Thanks also to others who called SAPO and Parks on behalf of the 6 trees: Alan Gerson of CB2, Tony D'apolito of CB2, and Councilmember Kathryn Freed. Also, a resolution was introduced for CB2 approval this month, calling on the Mayor and Parks to insure planting of the trees. Of course no trees would be planted this Fall without the work of LINA members who got tree applications to owners, and who wrote letters in support of the trees.

Suzanne Williamson for LINA