[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE FRIENDS OF DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA, THE TURTLE BAY 
              ASSOCIATION AND THE KATHARINE HEPBURN GARDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 1, 2004

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of 
the Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and the Turtle Bay Association, 
who on May 22, 2004 will unveil in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Park a bench 
once owned by the late actress Katherine Hepburn. The ceremony will not 
only honor Ms. Hepburn's incomparable career, but will also recognize 
her role as a conservationist and community leader in the Turtle Bay 
neighborhood.
  The bench will be placed in an area of Dag Hammarskjold Park that in 
1997 was dedicated to the late actress and renamed the Katherine 
Hepburn Garden. The garden, built during an extensive renovation of the 
park, has since become a gathering place for Turtle Bay residents, many 
of whom were longtime neighbors of Ms. Hepburn and knew her personally. 
The garden includes a collection of stepping stones engraved with 
quotes from some of Ms. Hepburn's most memorable movie roles; 
additionally, Ms. Hepburn's biography is posted at the garden's 
entrance. I am quite certain that Ms. Hepburn, who was an avid 
gardener, would be very pleased with how the garden's abundant shade 
plants have provided her neighborhood of over 60 years with a lovely, 
tranquil green space--a rarity indeed amid the bustle of midtown 
Manhattan.
  Following the garden's dedication, George Vellonakis, the park's 
architect, and Millie Margiotta, a board member of the Friends of Dag 
Hammarskjold Plaza and a longtime member of my District Office staff, 
toured Ms. Hepburn's Fenwick, Connecticut estate and chatted with Ms. 
Hepburn on the very bench that will be dedicated on May 22. 1 am so 
grateful that this wonderful piece of history, which at one time was 
scheduled to be sold at auction, will now be available for the public 
to enjoy.
  During the upcoming ceremony, Bill Curtis, the President of the 
Turtle Bay Association, will share fond memories of Ms. Hepburn's 
efforts to save the Turtle Bay neighborhood's trees when city planners 
sought to widen 49th Street, along which Ms. Hepburn's townhouse sits. 
Though she was protective of her privacy, Ms. Hepburn actively 
supported the Turtle Bay Association's appeals to preserve the 
character of her neighborhood for future generations to enjoy.
  Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in honoring the 
Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Park and the Turtle Bay Association, whose 
ongoing efforts to preserve the Turtle Bay neighborhood are a fitting 
tribute to the legacy of a true American icon, the late Katherine 
Hepburn. To the dedicated volunteers and friends of these fine 
organizations, I offer my continuing admiration, respect and support.

                          ____________________