On 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.
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In the debut show, we travel to four of the five Boroughs to meet Parkies and hear their stories about the opening months of the pandemic. From the South Bronx to Rockaway Beach, the NYC Parks team recalls what the early days of the COVID-19 era was like while they struggled at work. Interviews: Anthony Bromell, Minerva Del Real, Mona Fakahani, Woo Sung Park, Desiree Paulin, and Eric Peterson.