[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               MURPHY PARK HONORED AS URBAN SUCCESS STORY

                                 ______


                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 5, 1994

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, the 103d Congress has brought many great 
victories. But today, I rise to bring to the attention of my colleagues 
a small victory for a neighborhood back home.
  Quality of life in New York City faces many threats--crime, 
homelessness, air pollution, and the high cost of living are on the 
minds of New Yorkers every day. So it is inspiring when we can fix up a 
small parcel of land in New York City and reclaim it as our own.
  Three years ago, when I served on the New York City Council, I 
visited a small park in my district called Murphy Park, officially 
called Murphy's Brother's Park. I was saddened by what I saw. The park 
was dilapidated, the basketball rims were gone, the play equipment was 
hazardous, and graffiti and drug use were prevalent. The park had been 
overrun by the destructive forces in our city which threaten to drive 
the middle class away.
  As the mother of two daughters, one who is just 7 years old, I know 
that parents cherish places in New York where they can let their kids 
be kids. So I obtained capital funds to renovate the park. Thanks to 
outstanding work by the New York City Parks Department, Murphy Park is 
a sparkling gem that the entire community can be proud of. Tucked in 
the extreme east side of Manhattan adjacent to Stuyvesant Town and in 
the shadow of the FDR Drive, Murphy Park has been restored. It has a 
beautiful mini-baseball diamond where young children in the Peter 
Stuyvesant Little League play tee ball; a handball court, a basketball 
court, and all sorts of play equipment.
  When I visited Murphy Park in August, parents and children were 
sprawled all over the park--using the swings, playing ball, 
rollerblading on the basketball court. One small, blighted parcel of 
this city has been transformed into a field of dreams, just like in the 
movies. There was one small imperfection, Mr. Speaker. Whoever chose 
the day equipment apparently did not share my political affiliation. 
There is a plastic statue that children climb on in Murphy Park. It is 
the statue of an elephant. But a statue of a donkey is nowhere to be 
found. Perhaps that is one small consequence of having a Republican 
mayor.
  But I am happy to put partisan politics aside as long as the children 
benefit. If climbing on the elephant means having fun and staying out 
of trouble, then they can climb on the elephant all they want. For my 
part, I'll be shooting free throws. So I congratulate the Parks 
Department and the residents of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper 
Village for making New York City a better place to live, one acre at a 
time.

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