Liberty Park group to honor 8 at 'birthday' event
tomorrow
Saturday, May 06, 2006
By JACK HERMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Ask John Tichenor about his proudest moment as president of the Friends of
Liberty State Park, and you'll get an answer that embodies the group's work.
"It's not called Liberty State Golf Course," he said, referring to the
successful effort to block development of 18 holes in Liberty State Park.
Tomorrow, the group Tichenor co-founded in 1988 will celebrate him and seven
others at its inaugural Fundraising Luncheon, at the Liberty House Restaurant.
"We're honoring people, who, over the park's first 30 years, are really the
most deserving," said Sam Pesin, the group's president since 1995.
Although the Friends tout the event as a birthday party, the park won't
officially turn 30 years old until June 14, the date when Gov. Brendan T. Byrne
opened the first 35 acres to the public in 1976 as New Jersey's Bicentennial
gift to the United States.
Activists had argued for years that the site provided a perfect spot for a park.
Thanks to the work of people like Audrey Zapp, Richard Sullivan, Ethel
Pesin(Ethel Pesin is getting a Lifetime Advocacy Award, but for this sentence
listing the pioneer founders, it should say Morris Pesin - note from Sam Pesin)
and Ted Conrad, all of whom will be honored tomorrow (Conrad posthumously), the
state eventually lent its support to the project.
Since then, the Friends of Liberty State Park have fought a number of attempts
to commercialize the area.
"The core history of Liberty Park is that people were not apathetic,"
Pesin said. "They understood not only the importance of urban green space,
but also the powerful symbolism of the Statue of Liberty."
Facing fewer major battles in recent years, the group now concentrates its
efforts on what Pesin describes as "positive events and projects." It
has focused on activities like its volunteer gardening program, the making of a
documentary, and fundraising.
Still, Tichenor cautions that the fight against development must never end.
"There's always the chance of more public encroachment," said Tichenor,
the group's president from 1988 to 1995. "I think we just have to be
vigilant. We just want it to be for the people, so all the people can use the
park."
Also being honored are U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, of Hoboken; Greg Remaud,
Preservation Director of NY/NJ Baykeeper,who has led preservation efforts; the
first NJDEP Commissioner Richard Sullivan, and Maria de Wakefield, LSP's
horticulturist and leader of the garden volunteers.