[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE TURTLE BAY ASSOCIATION ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 
                        FIFTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 19, 2012

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of 
the Turtle Bay Association of New York, which celebrates its 55th 
anniversary this year. For over half a century, the dedicated members 
of the Turtle Bay Association, TBA, have served as passionate and 
conscientious stewards of one of Manhattan's most celebrated and 
historic neighborhoods.
  The Turtle Bay Association has worked tirelessly to improve and 
preserve the quality of life in its community. In 1957, community 
members created the Turtle Bay Association to give residents a platform 
for voicing concerns about the ways in which robust development 
affected their neighborhood. TBA members, which number nearly 2,000, 
have conserved their area's low-rise architectural cohesiveness and 
aesthetic beauty by successfully fighting for rezoning efforts. They 
have also undertaken numerous neighborhood beautification initiatives, 
such as the Turtle Bay Association Tree Program and the Beautification 
of Second Avenue campaign resulting in tree and flower planting and 
graffiti elimination. They have spearheaded major renovations of public 
spaces at Peter Detmold Park, MacArthur Playground, and Dag 
Hammarskjold Plaza. In the Plaza, they created the Katharine Hepburn 
Garden, a green and tranquil urban oasis named after one of America's 
most celebrated actresses.
  Turtle Bay Association members have preserved Turtle Bay's quality of 
life by serving as community watchdogs through vigorous involvement in 
the New York Police Department's 17th Precinct Community Council and 
volunteer efforts such as repainting street furniture and supporting 
the National Night Out Against Crime every year. They have worked 
closely with local elected officials and municipal agencies to secure 
optimum government service, and kept Association members informed 
through the publication of regular newsletters, the TBA website, and 
bulletin board displayed on Second Avenue. The Turtle Bay Association 
is known for hosting annually recurring events such as a holiday season 
toy drive and a ``Love Thy Neighborhood'' Valentine's Day Party.
  Currently, the Turtle Bay Association is keeping an eye on the impact 
of the many homeless shelters that are in and around the Turtle Bay 
area; and TBA continues to donate magazine subscriptions to the 30th 
Street Men's Shelter. The Association is also working to create bike 
lanes and improve security in the area to ensure the safety of 
pedestrians and cyclists in the neighborhood.
  The Turtle Bay neighborhood dates back to 1639, when the Dutch rulers 
of Manhattan Island granted two English settlers a land grant. Turtle 
Bay's natural beauty was noted by famous Americans from Horace Greeley 
to Edgar Allan Poe. Its iconic past is outlined in the 2008 book by 
former TBA board member, Pamela Hanlon, Manhattan's Turtle Bay: Story 
of a Midtown Neighborhood. Today, as the home to the United Nations, 
Turtle Bay is a fitting symbol of New York City's status as the capital 
of the world. Famous Turtle Bay residents, in addition to Katharine 
Hepburn, have included Walter Cronkite, Kurt Vonnegut, Dorothy 
Thompson, Tyrone Power, Maxwell Perkins, Mary Martin, Derek Jeter, and 
the brilliant Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. Today, the Turtle Bay 
Association's legacy of effectiveness and voluntarism is proudly led by 
its Board of Directors: President William E. Curtis, Vice Presidents 
Millie Margiotta, Dolores Marsh, and Bruce Silberblatt, Secretary 
Pascale Longuet, and Treasurer Dick Irwin.
  Mr. Speaker, I request that my distinguished colleagues join me in 
honoring the passionate and dedicated Turtle Bay Association members 
for their ongoing success in helping to make Turtle Bay a wonderful 
place to live, and in saluting them on the occasion of the 
Association's 55th anniversary.

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