[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23470-23471]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SALUTING THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF FOREST HILLS GARDENS IN 
      QUEENS, NY AND THE REDEDICATION OF THE COMMUNITY'S FLAGPOLE

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2009

  Mr. WEINER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the one-hundredth 
anniversary of the beautiful Forest Hills Gardens, the first planned 
garden community in the United States--one of which of which I am a 
proud resident.
  A bucolic extension of the Olmsteads' New York legacy, our 
neighborhood was designed by none other than Frederick Law Olmstead 
Jr., the son of the visionary who gave New York Central and Prospect 
Parks, two of our most cherished gifts. Much like those glorious 
testaments to Mother Nature, Forest Hills Gardens brings the natural 
world to the very heart of a New York City borough while being 
seamlessly integrated with its decidedly urban surroundings.
  While set apart from the thronging streets of Queens, Forest Hills 
Gardens has evolved to truly embody the diversity of the borough in 
which it lies, with Christians and Jews living alongside Hindus and 
Muslims--all of whom are proud New Yorkers and proud Americans.

[[Page 23471]]

  In tribute to the nation this community represents, Forest Hills 
Gardens recently rededicated their flagpole following a three-year, 
painstaking restoration. Madam Speaker, I rise also to recognize this 
historic occasion. The ninety-eight foot pole is the refurbished mast 
of the ship Columbia, the swift sloop that was the first to win the 
America's Cup consecutively, in 1899 and in 1901.
  A ship whose history is inextricably tied with New York's, the 
Columbia was designed by Nathanael Herreshoff and launched in 1899 by 
J.P. Morgan for the New York Yacht Club. It was sailed in the cold and 
choppy waters of New York Harbor by Captain Charlie Barr to two 
glorious victories against Great Britain and retired to New York's own 
little port at City Island in 1913.
  Towering high above the borough of Queens, the Columbia's restored 
mast tells us of past glory and of future promise. It symbolizes the 
resilience and ambition that has always and will continue to define New 
York and its people.
  I take this opportunity to present to the community of Forest Hills 
Gardens a new flag worthy of the Columbia's mast and salute the Forest 
Hills Gardens Corporation for ensuring that our flag continues to wave 
high over the greatest city in the world.

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