#2: Locks and Worries



Basketball RimsOn this show we explore the first wave of the pandemic in 2020 and how we experienced the shutdown of many parts of New York City. As schools and offices closed, playgrounds were locked, and the fear set in. NYC Parks kept running. On this episode we meet veteran Parkies who faced new challenges every day.

Our interviews on episode #2:

  • Norman Chan, Director of Emergency Management
  • Martin Maher, Brooklyn Borough Commissioner
  • Lynda Ricciardone, Staten Island Borough Commissioner
  • Emily Chase, Assistant Commissioner for Public Programs
  • Captain Laurel Stanko, Parks Enforcement Patrol
  • Meira Berkower, Chief of Staff, Queens Borough Commissioner

We record our shows in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at McCarren Park Play Center in the Media Education Lab. Our team is using the Media Lab and Parks volunteers to share our history with listeners, presenting some of the more than 100 oral history interviews with Parkies.