On Tuesday, Abingdon Square was full of activity and excitement as the annual summer planting and tree pruning were completed. You can view a slide show of the summer planting and tree pruning.
The plants were chosen based on their beauty and the Square's different site conditions. (Some areas are sunny while others have a lot of tree cover.) Other considerations such as bloom time and plant height are also factored in.
Like all activities in the Square, the annual summer planting and tree pruning are made possible by you, our donors. The West Village wouldn't be what it is without the Square. And the Square wouldn't be what it is without you!
We would like to specifically recognize this year's Adopt-A-Bed donors, whom are some of the Conservancy's most generous contributors, adopting one of the Square’s ten flowerbeds for one, two or all three growing seasons.
Three Growing Seasons
Mark Kucharski & Todd Hittle
Two Growing Seasons
Joan Ellis
Stephen Foster & Russell Saray
Frank Schwarzer
Lois Teich
One Growing Season
Anonymous
Deirdre Barry
Susan Boland & Kelly Granat
Kaya Chwals
Nian Fish
Stephen Klein
Kate Lavin
Julie Lerner, in honor of Dan & Lyn Lerner
Barbara Lorber
Jeff & Cynthia Penney
David Salvatore
Jo & Henry Strouss, in memory of Watty Strouss
Kathleen Welch
Learn more about or join the Adopt-A-Bed Program.
Thankfully our long, cold, snowy winter and chilly spring are now nothing more than a memory. While this year's beloved, but fleeting tulip display has come and gone, we trust that the summer flower and plant display will bring you lots of wonder and joy for the next four months.
Thank you again for your support!
About the Conservancy
Abingdon Square Conservancy, a 501(c)3 non-profit charity, receives no public funding and is solely dependent on private donations for its operations. Our mission is to maintain and enhance the Square as a scenic and historic landmark and as a friendly gathering place for all in the West Village, in all seasons. The Conservancy employs a horticulturalist to design and cultivate its plantings, and a groundskeeper to maintain the Square.
West Village Celebrates Its Square...And Spring (Slide Show)
The Third Annual Tulip Celebration was an overwhelming success! On a spring-like evening with the tulips in full bloom just a couple of blocks away in Abingdon Square, more than 200 of your neighbors and other friends of the Square celebrated our park, our community....and the highly anticipated arrival of spring. You can view a slide show of the festivities.
Thanks to our generous donors, the event generated more than $25,000 in revenue for the Square. And we have some additional donations to our Adopt-A-Bed Program in the works. You can still join the Adopt-A-Bed Program and play a central role in the Square's blooming seasons.
Huge thanks to the event sponsors, Bakehouse, Diptyque, Imperial Vintner, Li-Lac Chocolates, Mole and Pizzeterria Brunetti for making the Tulip Celebration possible. Please show your appreciation for their commitment to our community by thanking them for serving as sponsors and by patronizing all of their businesses.
Kindly mark your calendar for the Fourth Annual Tulip Celebration on Wednesday, April 27, 2016.
Best regards,
H. Todd Hittle
Chair
Board of Directors
You're Invited to the Third Annual Tulip Celebration
Please join your neighbors for an evening of fun, fellowship, food and drink. Net proceeds will help keep your Square vibrant in all seasons.
When: Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 6 - 8 pm.
Where: Industria Superstudio, 775 Washington Street (between Jane and 12th Streets).
RSVP: Click here or call (914) 420-8084 by April 21.
Cost: $50 per person in advance, $60 at the door.
Sponsors: Bakehouse, Diptyque, Imperial Vintner, Li-Lac Chocolates, Mole, Pizzetteria Brunetti.
Can’t Attend? Please visit abingdonsquare.org to donate or learn more.
About the Conservancy
Abingdon Square Conservancy, a 501(c)3 non-profit charity, receives no public funding and is solely dependent on private donations for its operations. Our mission is to maintain and enhance the Square as a scenic and historic landmark and as a friendly gathering place for all in the West Village, in all seasons. The Conservancy employs a horticulturalist to design and cultivate its plantings, and a groundskeeper to maintain the Square.
Just Planting a Seed: Tulip Celebration, April 28
Save the Date
Third Annual
Tulip Celebration
A Member Appreciation Event
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
6 - 8 pm
Industria Superstudio
775 Washington Street
Formal invitation to follow
Thank You
Thank You.
As another year comes to an end and we look back, we want to thank each and every one of you for supporting Abingdon Square. You didn’t let torrential rain keep you from the 2nd annual Tulip Celebration in April. You made the Pumpkin Patch wonderful, funny and incredibly sweet with your inventive and whimsical carvings at Halloween. And rain and cold were no obstacles for you to welcome Santa at our inaugural holiday tree lighting ceremony earlier this month. You are the reason that our all-volunteer board of directors, the members of our advisory board and numerous other tireless, unpaid stewards of the Square work hard to make every experience that you have with your Square, in every season, an enjoyable one.
Wishing you and yours a 2015 full of good health and joy!
Best regards,
H. Todd Hittle
Chair, Board of Directors
Abingdon Square Conservancy
Ready for a Greener, Cleaner, More Vibrant Square in 2015?
Dear Neighbor,
Happy holidays! The Conservancy raises the entire annual operating budget for the Square, so we need your help to continue maintaining and improving the Square. Together let’s make the town square of the West Village even cleaner, greener and more vibrant in 2015.
If you haven’t done so already, please make a tax-deductible, year-end donation today.
Thank you for your support,
H. Todd Hittle
Chair, Board of Directors
Abingdon Square Conservancy
Help Nurture Your Square—and Your Community—with a Year-End Donation
Dear Neighbor,
Did you know that Abingdon Square Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization, raises the entire annual operating budget for Abingdon Square? It is only through private donations that we are able to keep our beloved Square beautiful, clean and vibrant.
The Square’s lush lawn, seasonally changing flower displays and clean bluestone paths provide a serene escape to West Villagers every day all year round. So many of your neighbors get so much from the Square—whether enjoying the magnificent tulip display every April or catching up with a friend over a cup of coffee on a sunny park bench.
Click here now to help keep your Square beautiful and clean in 2015 and beyond by making your year-end 100% tax-deductible donation! And please know that every contribution helps, no matter the amount.
My thanks, in advance, and warm wishes for a year of good health and happiness for you and yours.
Best regards,
H. Todd Hittle
Chair, Board of Directors
Abingdon Square Conservancy
Year-End Appeal: Your Square Needs You!
Dear Neighbor,
This time of year, as I reflect on those things for which I’m grateful, I think about how glad I am to have settled in the West Village a dozen years ago, and how relieved I am to finally have our neighborhood back today. After two years of construction to upgrade the Eighth Avenue water main, the road crews and chain-link are gone, trees freed from their cages, and Belgian block cobblestones returned to West 12th Street. A sense of peace and tranquility has been restored to the neighborhood around Abingdon Square.
Now it’s time to build on the progress we’ve made toward upgrading the Square.
In 2014, thanks to the generosity of our donors, Abingdon Square Conservancy was able to implement its most significant horticultural programming ever, including expanded plantings in the East and West perimeter beds. Hundreds of annuals and perennials, flowering shrubs, and evergreens were installed, adding to the lushness of the Square. A record number of bulbs—over 9,600—were planted this fall and will burst into bloom next spring.
But there’s still more to do.
The Conservancy has increased its budgetary goal for 2015 in order to further improve the seasonal plantings in the Square, including increasing plantings in the northern perimeter beds and adding a colorful fall display. The Conservancy also seeks to maintain a higher level of maintenance in 2015, which now includes a part-time groundskeeper who assures that trash is collected twice daily and the bluestone paths are swept daily and washed weekly during our busiest time from April to November. We are are also seeking to establish our first reserve fund, which would be monies set aside for operating expenses in the event of a financial emergency or for specific capital projects and improvements in the future.
We need your help to maintain, as well as improve, the Square. Because the operations of the Square are dependent on private donations, its improving condition is possible only because of the generosity of neighbors like you.
Membership in the Conservancy begins at $50, which includes an invitation to our annual membership appreciation event, our Third Annual Tulip Celebration on April 29, 2015.
A Conservancy membership also makes a marvelous holiday gift!
So many of your friends and neighbors get so much from the Square—whether catching up at the Saturday farmers’ market, snapping photos of the Halloween pumpkins or enjoying the Times over a cup of coffee on a sunny park bench. Won’t you please remember your Square and its importance to our community during this season of good cheer and gratitude?
Click here to help keep Abingdon Square beautiful and clean in 2015 by making your tax-deductible donation before December 31!
My thanks, in advance, and warm wishes for a year of good health and happiness for you and yours.
H. Todd Hittle
Chair, Board of Directors
Abingdon Square Conservancy
On Rainy Night, Over One Hundred Gather for Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
Over one hundred children and children-at-heart celebrated the holiday season at Abingdon Square, the town square of the West Village, on Friday night. Joyous and wet Villagers drank hot chocolate and ate cookies donated by Mole Restaurant, sang carols, enjoyed a visit from Santa Claus and watched the lighting of the 18-foot-tall Frazier fir tree in the center of the Square. The crowd included a couple that came down from Inwood, saying, "This is way more fun than the mob scene at Rockefeller Center!"
Special thanks to Mole Restaurant and to all of the volunteers for their hard work in organizing this first-ever event, which we hope will become a West Village tradition.
Adair Mueller, Jeanne Bucknam and Jane Stouffer
Co-Chairs, Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony Event Committee
About the Conservancy
Abingdon Square is dependent on private donations for its operations and maintenance. The Conservancy receives no public funding. Its mission is to maintain and enhance the Square as a scenic and historic landmark and as a friendly gathering place for local residents—young and old. The Conservancy employs a horticulturalist to design and maintain its plantings, and a groundskeeper to keep the Square clean.
Support Your Square
Help us maintain your Square as a vibrant part of our shared community. The Conservancy is a non-profit public charity exempt from federal income tax. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Please donate and learn more atabingdonsquare.org.
Join Us for a Jolly Tree Lighting this Friday
Please join Abingdon Square Conservancy
for its inaugural
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
Friday, December 5
7:00 - 8:00 pm
Complimentary hot cocoa and cookies
Caroling
Tree-lighting at 7:30pm by our special guest Santa Claus
Photos with Santa (bring your camera)
Abingdon Square is dependent on
private donations for its operations.
Please support your Square by visiting
and making a donation.
Thank You for a Boo-tiful Night!
Thank you to all who carved pumpkins and hauled them to a chilly Abingdon Square on Halloween night. Thank you to everyone that stopped by, adding to the fright and fun!
To view a slide show of the festivities, please click here.
We’re also grateful to D'Agostino's for donating pumpkins and Li-Lac Chocolates for donating treats for the legions of girls and boys that paraded through the Square.
We hope that all of you will be back next Halloween to bask in the glow and good cheer of the Conservancy’s 9th Annual Pumpkin Patch!
Thank you,
Jeanne Bucknam
Master of Scaremonies
Board Member, Events Committee Chair
Abingdon Square Conservancy
The Pumpkins Are Coming!
The 8th Annual Pumpkin Patch Is Tonight!
Be forewarned! If our terrifying tradition holds true, tonight, tens of Jack-O'-Lanterns will mysteriously appear in Abingdon Square!
Do you dare bring the kids? Is it safe to stop by and take photos?
Those brave souls and scaredy-cats that dare to venture onto the haunted grounds of the Square from 6:00 - 10:00 pm will receive a treat from Conservancy board members and volunteers!
Happy Halloween!!
Jeanne Bucknam
Master of Scaremonies
Board Member, Events Committee Chair
Abingdon Square Conservancy
Update and Thank You
Dear Neighbors,
Happy fall from Abingdon Square Conservancy! As we approach the end of the new Conservancy’s second full year of operations and put the gardens to bed for the winter, we'd like to provide an update on our progress and say thank you very much to all our donors for gifts both large and small. Because the operations and maintenance of the Square are dependent on private donations, its improving condition is only possible because of the generosity of people like you.
Update
As part of our efforts to make the Square more beautiful and welcoming in all seasons, the Conservancy has embarked upon a multi-year project to increase the variety, density and health of the plantings. We are also focused on the cleanliness and improved overall maintenance of the Square.
Plantings & Gardening
Susan Sipos, principal of Gardens of Distinction, serves as the Square's Horticulturalist and Landscape Designer. The following horticultural tasks were completed in 2014:
- East and West perimeter garden beds were redesigned in the spring (North bed delayed until 2015 due to budget constraints); mature evergreens and flowering shrubs were planted, including boxwoods, yews, pieris and azaleas;
- Hundreds of flowering summer annuals were installed in the center island, and new shrubs and perennials planted in the perimeter garden beds;
- Much-needed pruning of all understory and London Plane trees was completed;
- Compost, soil and fertilizer were added to all of the garden beds in the spring and fall;
- Ongoing care for the plantings was performed: weeding, deadheading, pruning and replacement;
- About 9,600 spring bulbs were planted this month, including tulips, windflowers, crocus, chionodoxa, galanthus and allium; and
- Eight yards of mulch was distributed to tuck in the bulbs for the winter!
Groundskeeping & Maintenance
The Conservancy employs Ramon Valdez as the Square's part-time groundskeeper. In addition to the City's trash collection, Ramon and his crew haul out garbage and sweep in the Square once or twice daily during "high season" from April 1 to November 30, and provide other maintenance as needed, including:
- Sweeping paths and clearing trash from the gardens;
- Hosing down the bluestone paths weekly;
- Emptying NYC garbage receptacles outside the Square;
- Ongoing repair and maintenance of irrigation system;
- Repainting post & chains around garden beds and lawn; and
- Clearing fall leaves from paths and gardens.
Special Thanks
Residential Buildings
A few buildings near the Square, recognizing the value to residents of having a beautiful and well-maintained park nearby, have contributed to Abingdon Square annually for several years, providing a critical foundation of support and continuity. This year, our newest neighbor The Abingdon has joined in support:
- 299 W 12th Street
- 302 W 12th Street
- 75 Bank Street
- 320 W 12th Street (The Abingdon)
Adopt-A-Bed Donors
The following individual donors made significant contributions, adopting one of the Square’s ten flowerbeds for part or all of the three growing seasons in 2014.
Three Growing Seasons
- Susan Boland and Kelly Granat
- Rich Lo and Joe Mayock
Two Growing Seasons
- Stephen Foster and Russell Saray - in honor of George and Joan Saray
One Growing Season
- Anonymous
- Lynne and Larry Block
- Kate Bostock
- Samuel Deutsch and Alexander Lopez
- Madeline Dowling
- David Lapham and Clark Mitchell
- Barbara Lorber
- Jeff and Cynthia Penney
- Herb Sambol
- Lois Teich
Advisory Board
Founded in February 2014, the Advisory Board is composed of leading members of the West Village community who have made an extraordinary commitment to the Conservancy's mission of restoring, enhancing, and maintaining the Square. The Advisory Board’s current membership is as follows:
- Virginia Davies, Chair, and Willard Taylor
- J. Goodwin Bland and Michael Katovitz
- Susan Boland and Kelly Granat
- Natane Boudreau
- Ginevra Caltagirone
- Dan and Brooke Neidich
- Herb Sambol
And finally, thank you to the local businesses and each and every one of the hundreds of individuals who have contributed to our Conservancy's efforts this year (See ASC’s 2014 Annual Report for a complete list of donors). Thanks to you, 2015 will be our best year ever. See you in the Square!
Best Regards,
H. Todd Hittle
Chair, Board of Directors
Abingdon Square Conservancy
8th Annual Pumpkin Patch
Beware of the Square!
On Halloween Night,
Enter the Square If You Dare!
The 8th Annual Pumpkin Patch Pick-Up
Starts Friday at 10 am!
Our 8th Annual Pumpkin Patch gets off to a spooktacular start this Friday, October 24! We’ll have 80 pumpkins—courtesy of our local D’Agostinos—available first-come, first-served.
1. Come pick up your free pumpkin at A-BOO!-ngdon Square beginning Friday at 10 am.
2. Take home your ghoulish gourd and carve a fangtastic masterpiece.
3. Bring your jack-o’-lantern back to the Square anytime on Halloween, Friday, October 31 and we’ll bring it to life at sunset!
Wishing you a Haunting Halloween,
Jeanne Bucknam
Master of Scaremonies
Board Member, Events Committee Chair
Abingdon Square Conservancy
Conservancy Elects Board of Directors and New Chairman
The Abingdon Square Conservancy is pleased to announce its new Board of Directors following the election at its annual meeting on September 10, 2014.
Chairman
H. Todd Hittle
Vice-Chairman
Bruce Mastalinksi
Immediate Past Chairman and Treasurer
Joe Mayock
Secretary
Jeff Fitts
Director and General Counsel
Collin Glidewell
Manager of Contracts, Clinical Trials Office,
Columbia University Medical Center
Members-at-Large
Jeanne Bucknam
Adair Mueller
Russell Saray
John Solum
The Board of Directors is just one part of a large group of dedicated West Villagers that I would like to thank for their service and generosity. The other leaders include the members of the Conservancy’s Advisory Board, committee chairs and committee members – all volunteers, and our generous donors, who together make the Square the tranquil oasis that it is.
The Conservancy has been through tremendous change in the last couple years. As we continue to grow and evolve as an organization, we remain committed to our central long-term goal to develop broad and lasting community support for the Square. As the leaves begin to change, we’re already planning for another exciting year in 2015!
Best regards,
H. Todd Hittle
Chair, Board of Directors
Abingdon Square Conservancy
ASC Seeks Bookkeeper / Administrator
The Administrator organizes and manages the business functions of Abingdon Square Conservancy. The responsibilities for the position are broad and varied.
Responsibilities include:
Bookkeeping & Financial Reporting / Planning
- Check/electronic payment processing, expense reimbursements
- Banking & Deposits
- Monthly Financial statements & Bank reconciliation
- Invoicing (occasional)
- Budgeting / Forecasting
- Year-end Form 1099 preparation
- Annual audit prep
Administrative
- Data entry and maintenance of donor records in CRM database
- Donor thank-you letter preparation and mailing
- Analysis of donation trends and goal performance
- Preparation of reports/metrics on donations, campaigns, events, mailing lists and donors (e.g., new, lapsed)
Outreach
- Assistance with planning and execution of events and follow up
- Execution of direct response campaigns (10-12 emails per year)
- Coordination of direct mail campaigns (annual fundraiser, year-end appeal)
- Use of online survey technology to conduct community outreach
- Facilitation of fundraising efforts through research
Setup -- One Time Only
- Advise re: Financial software selection
- Assist w/ setup: Chart of accounts, Vendor & Donor information
Qualifications
- Knowledge and experience in basic bookkeeping, internal control, and financial reporting for non-profit organizations
- Excellent organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and projects in a timely manner with minimal supervision
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and accounting software like QuickBooks is required Experience with a fundraising CRM application is preferred. (ASC uses eTapestry as its fundraising CRM application)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of information and exercise discretion
- Ability to work collegially with volunteer board of directors and committee members in support of the organization’s mission
Time Commitment
The position is part-time, and is expected to require 5 to 10 hours per month. In the weeks before our annual fundraiser in late April, hours may increase to 20 hours or more.
About the Conservancy
The Abingdon Square Conservancy is a non-profit park conservancy dedicated to maintaining and enhancing Abingdon Square, New York City’s third oldest park. Because the Square is dependent on private donations for its operations, community support is essential to the park’s well-being. Re-formed in 2012 and until recently fiscally-sponsored by Open Space Institute, the Conservancy obtained recognition from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charity this summer and will begin independent operations October 1.
If you are interested in supporting the Conservancy's mission to maintain and enhance Abingdon Square as a scenic and historic landmark and community gathering place, as its part-time bookkeeper / administrator on a volunteer basis, please send an email outlining your interest and your qualifications to info@abingdonsquare.org by Friday, October 10.
Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Square's Reconstruction: Make a Donation Today!
On this day, ten years ago, a ribbon cutting ceremony, led by state, city and NYC Parks Department dignitaries, was held beneath the Doughboy statue in Abingdon Square. The event celebrated the Square’s reopening after a yearlong reconstruction project.
From the 1970s until its renovation, the Square had been a dilapidated, forlorn, all-blacktop wasteland. Today, our donors can see the tangible results of their generosity and take pride in the well-kept and welcoming public space that their gift has made possible.
Keeping the Square beautifully landscaped, well-maintained and clean is a never-ending job that is dependent on private funds. While the Square is a public park, virtually all of its annual operating budget is funded by private donations from individuals and businesses. We need your continued support, as there is still much more to do. For example, this year, due to limited resources, the Conservancy only landscaped and planted two-thirds of the flowerbeds on the Square's perimeter.
One of the best ways to help maintain the Square is to join the Adopt-A-Bed Program. Please click here for more information.
Please donate today and help keep the Square beautiful now and for decades more to come! It’s quick and easy to make a donation. Just go to abingdonsquare.org and click on the “Dough-nate” button, named in honor of our Doughboy statue. Every gift – no matter its size – counts!
Thank you, in advance, for your generosity. I hope you're enjoying your summer and your Square.
Kind regards,
Joe Mayock
Chair, Board of Directors
Abingdon Square Conservancy
Your Donation at Work: Summer Planting Completed Today
This summer, Abingdon Square’s gardens will be really full of themselves! Today, the Conservancy completes its most extensive summer planting ever. Now your early morning or late afternoon stroll along the park’s winding paths will be extra special.
The Square has been transformed into a lush and verdant oasis only because of donations from the Conservancy’s generous donors. These donations help to underwrite the flowers, shrubs and other plants that have been installed this past week. They help to pay for the horticultural and gardening services involved in designing, implementing and maintaining the symphony of color that visitors to the Square will enjoy from now through September.
Please excuse any inconvenience as planting will in progress throughout the day.
Despite Monsoon, Community Celebrates Town Square
Last night’s second annual Tulip Celebration was a great success. Despite 4.97 inches of rain – the 11th rainiest day in New York City history, we had 115 attendees and raised over $16,000. We have some additional donations to our new Adopt-A-Bed Program in the works.
Thank you to the event sponsors, 632 On Hudson, Bakehouse, Diptyque, Imperial Vintner, Kazuya Morimoto, Li-Lac Chocolates, Mole and Pizzeterria Brunetti for making the Tulip Celebration possible.
Kindly mark your calendar for the third annual Tulip Celebration on Wednesday, April 29, 2015.