Friends of Read Lead Fight to Restore Park Curator Positions

In mid-November County Executive Rob Astorino released his proposed $1.7 billion budget for 2013. Among other things, the budget included the termination of 17 county park employees’ jobs – including that of Michael Gambino, curator at Edith Read Sanctuary.

By Bill Lawyer

In mid-November County Executive Rob Astorino released his proposed $1.7 billion budget for 2013. Among other things, the budget included the termination of 17 county park employees’ jobs – including that of Michael Gambino, curator at Edith Read Sanctuary.

Two other park curators (Lenoir and Cranberry Lake) and a wildlife/deer management project curator were scheduled for termination as well. Five vacant positions were also being eliminated.

Back in June of this year, the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC) held its annual meeting at Read Sanctuary. In addition to reporting on the group’s progress over the past year, the event featured a look at the Sanctuary’s exhibits, trails, and projects carried out by volunteers and researchers. All were highly praised.

Among those speaking at the event was Kevin Plunkett, Deputy County Executive, standing in for Astorino, who was unable to attend.

Long associated with Rye in his days as Corporation Counsel, Plunkett waxed effusively about the value of FCWC in promoting the County’s nature and environmental education programs. He singled out Read Sanctuary in particular, because of its being named in honor of one of Westchester County’s foremost champions of the environment.

However, when time came to prepare this year’s budget, the Sanctuary didn’t make the cut.

Immediately after the budget proposal became official, the Friends of Edith Read Sanctuary mobilized to get the curator position restored. Under the leadership of Rye’s Joy Reidenberg, postcards were printed up, and volunteers were recruited to collect signatures, write personal letters to the County Executive and Legislators, and attend the three scheduled budget hearings.

The budget process will be played out in the weeks leading up to December 27, when a final budget must be adopted.

On behalf of the Friends Reidenberg contacted the County Executive directly, stressing the negative impact that cutting the curator position would have on the operation of the Sanctuary – in terms of stewardship, security, education, and research.

In response, Janet Lokay, an assistant to the County Executive, replied that, “Mr. Astorino understands the important work done by the nature center curators and other staff members within the Parks Department and the need to eliminate some positions is in no way a reflection on anyone’s job performance. While there are to be some staffing changes the curators will remain available on a rotating basis among the various county facilities. Please be advised that none of the county’s parks or nature preserves are closing.”

The curators referred to by Lokay are those at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and the Marshlands Conservancy. The County has one other curator, but this person is involved in history-related programs, not a preserve.

Meanwhile, the Friends’ outreach efforts to convince the County officials to restore the cuts got into full swing. As of November 26, nearly 400 postcards had been signed, and a number of people had attended the first public hearing on the budget, held in Mamaroneck on November 20. Those attending included park visitors, educators, and children who have participated in the park programs.

The “talking points” they stressed are summarized in the message conveyed by the postcards that are being used to recruit support:

We oppose the proposed 2013 County budget cut of curators from Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenoir Preserve, Cranberry Lake Preserve, and County Wildlife/Deer Management. Our curators are essential for: wildlife/habitat conservation, education, volunteer management, storm damage repair, and safety.

Our parks need FULL TIME curators, not a timeshare of part-timers. The curators are already stretched to the limit with all they have to do, plus the additional burden of storm damage clean up. The remaining curators will not be able to handle the load of the four curators proposed to be cut. Rotating only two curators between all of the County parks, and covering the County’s wildlife/deer management position as well, is completely unacceptable.

In an interview with the paper, Deputy Parks Commissioner Peter Tartaglia reported that they are in the process of determining how to redeploy staff within the Conservation Division to make sure all the preserves will be able to handle all aspects of their operations. He said: “The public should rest assured that the preserves will be covered.” He pointed out that Croton Point Preserve is already being “successfully” managed by a non-curator member of the Conservation Division.

On the other side, Reidenberg argues that, “it would only take one accident by a visitor leading to a lawsuit to negate any short-term saving in the County’s budget.” And she noted that, even without any serious accident, “the roughly $230,000 that would be saved by eliminating the three park curator positions would result in a serious, and costly decline in services to the people of Westchester County.”

The final public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on Wednesday, December 5 at the County Office Building in White Plains. Chances are that by then the Legislators and County Executive will be well acquainted with the Friends of Edith Read Sanctuary.