This Week’s “This Week in Chelsea”

In Order of Appearance:

W. Chelsea park’s new garden club / Chelsea Garden Club meeting  / CRDC and Move the Money / Hudson Guild seeks talent / Free tax prep

New Garden Club at CCM-Seal Park |  From CCNews’ stalwart supporter and longtime insider info provider Allen Oster comes this good news, via a recent email: “Several members of the newly formed Clement Clarke Moore-Seal Park Garden Club met Sunday, March 14, for a spring cleanup inside the park as well as the tree pits around the park. Many thanks to neighbors Phyliss Waisman, AJ Michel, Laura Solimene, Maria La Macchia and Allen Oster. The Garden Club is looking forward to improving the plantings inside the park and surrounding tree pits and working with NYC Parks and the W400 Block Association to make our beautiful Chelsea park oasis even more enjoyable for all. We welcome new members and if interested in joining, please contact Allen Oster at aoster@earthlink.net.”

Sat., March 20, 11am in Hudson River Park | Spring Meeting of the Chelsea Garden Club | A familiar name sprouts up in this event listing—for those beloved readers who consume “This Week in Chelsea.” Such discerning souls will recall that moment in time, 30 seconds or so ago, when Phyllis Waisman scored a shout out for her role in helping Clement Clarke Moore Park’s new Garden Club bloom. Herein, Waisman provides this notable quote, as a spokesperson for Chelsea Garden Club.

Asked how the Club maintained its mission during the COVID-19 pandemic, Waisman recalled, “COVID-19 offered an opportunity for Chelsea Garden Club members. Gardeners were anxious to be outside and enjoy creating beautiful tree beds. In 2020, the tree beds looked so glorious because the gardeners were able to focus more time than usual to maintain the tree beds. Only 1 or 2 gardeners tend to each tree bed so social distancing and mask wearing are not issues. The only event we missed in 2020 was our Annual Garden Tour, which we hope to resume this year.

Whether active members, ardent admirers, or potential tree bed adopters all are invited to help celebrate the Club’s work, and talk about this year’s gardening mission. “Feel free to bring a friend,” they said, in a recent press release, along with “any extra seeds (for planting) and snacks (for eating). Oh, and definitely wear a mask.”

For more info about the March 20 event and other Garden Club activities, send an email to cgc.nyc@gmail.com. The rain date (as if the fates would do that to them) is March 27. Either way, you’ll find them at the benches and tables on the boardwalk next to the carousel at the 22nd St. entrance of Hudson River Park, and West of the skate park.

Thurs., March 18, 7-9pm via Zoom | Move the Money—NYC | Join the Chelsea Reform Democratic Club (CRDC) for an engaging conversation with New York City Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez and Move the Money NYC—a growing coalition of nearly 60 New York City labor, peace, community, faith-based, environmental, political, and veterans’ organizations, all working together to ensure the success of Council Resolution No. 747A-2019. Originally introduced by Councilmember Rodriguez, the resolution calls on the federal government to reduce military spending and redirect that money toward a wide spectrum of human needs, including healthcare, education, and affordable housing. Those advocating for its passage foresee another victory, in the form of the ripple effect it will have on other states eager to reexamine where their tax dollars are going and whether those military dollars might go to shore efforts to win the war at home (i.e., further funding for healthcare, education, and affordable housing). Important links addressing Move the Money—NYC’s origin, mission, and past activities can be found by clicking here. To attend the March 18 Zoom meeting, click here.