Skip to main content

True Tales From Parks and Recreation - Not Facebook Official


Note: I work for a park slowly in continuing development in Manhattan that is five miles along the waterfront of the Hudson River. As a Public Programs Coordinator, yours truly handles anything public related in regards to permitting (athletic facilities, film shoots, photo shoots, weddings, and other small gatherings), and of course, dealing with any questions or inquiries from the public. The following series will present stories, e-mails, phone calls, conversations, interactions, and sights I've seen from the people of New York City in regards to a public park. And yes, these are all real! And are all true!

Welcome to another little snippet of Parks and Recreation.

The following true tale is an e-mail I received from a park patron who was disturbed by a message that was left in the park. The patron's e-mail gave officials a tip on vandalism in a certain section of the park. However, while one would think the person sent the e-mail in to report the defacing of park property, their  true focus of sending the e-mail was because of the message, or lack thereof, that was in the vandalism. It is e-mails like this that simply make you wonder where our society is headed.

"Somebody is defacing planking and sidewalk tiles on pier -- with a sidewalk painting, stencil machine leaving a message that "Life is better better [sic] with Havananians: in bright pink and yellow/orange - 5 or 6 stencils so far.  Message is signed Facebook/Havnanians, but I find no such entry on FB. I even checked other social media platforms. I would support a fine of $250,000 for this crime. How can they mislead the public if they are going to deface the park."

Hey, forget the fact that they defaced the park, the Facebook link they left in the vandalism does not work!

This takes the term, "Facebook official" to a whole other level. 

Recently Read

Would You Rather: Questions 121-130

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...

The Pondering 10 - Yankees All-Decade Team for 2010s

I thought I would stay away from the "all-decade" shenanigans, but I got suckered in after all. Around here, end of year rankings, reviews, and reflections rule, so why not compose a list that embodies it all? And why not put together a list around my beloved Yankees? Especially in a decade in which they DID NOT win the World Series. Gasp! With all of that said, please see below not only my list of the Yankees All-Decade Team (because everyone can filter by position), but also by importance and contribution throughout the decade.

Pondering Picture #68

Lay it on thick.