remember henry stern now

Should John Jay Park pool be renamed for former city Parks commissioner Henry Stern while he can still enjoy the honor or be renamed, as is usual, only after the honoree has departed this life? Community Board 8’s Park’s Committee voted a unanimous “yes” to renaming forthwith. But New Yorkers nevertheless need to hear about this longtime parks commissioner and his dedicated and visionary work for parks and the city at large. And, yes, Henry was a bit of an eccentric, which sparked more media coverage of places and concerns too often overlooked. And sometimes caused some misunderstandings.

And, remember as well, prior to being parks commissioner, Stern was a City Council member-at-large for Manhattan, and with Council Member Bobbie Wagner Jr. tried in vain to have subway station rails installed, Stern was a man for safe travel, in general, and his remark about city biking was a truth-in-a-nutshell, a Sternism. He said: “A bicycle can be more scary than a car, because it’s small, swift and silent and can come at you from any direction.” But among the few city officials who agreed was Police Commissioner Ben Ward who warned: “Scofflaw biking is scaring the public to death.” Stern did post “No bicycling” signs on pedestrian park paths, and pushed for greater park patrol enforcement but there’s still a long way to go.

Stern is being honored, of course, for his enormous contribution to parks citywide, including, the extraordinarily loving care he gave to park trees – city trees in general. And, he closely monitored the many recreational places, especially the safety of playgrounds, not to mention public swimming pools. But also endearing were the more personal things Stern initiated like giving park names to park-goers, his staff and others.

Stern, though, was a central figure in lawsuits alleging discrimination at Parks during his tenure, which the city eventually settled for tens of millions of dollars.

But, of course, there also was Stern’s strong commitment to public swimming pools, exemplified by his involvement with John Jay Park pool. The city’s public pools were lifesavers, he reportedly said, for those unable to travel to beaches. Yes, even in this affluent Upper East Side location there are such people, and they especially want the pool to bear Henry Stern’s name while he still can appreciate the honor.

Stern is reportedly in ill-health, due to Parkinson’s disease. And don’t we need to hear about that in a time when so many afflicted elders especially drop out of sight,of public view, even those who once so magnificently served the public like Henry Stern? Surely now it’s their care that needs close monitoring – their diseases and disorders which need more research to find better treatments and also cures - even if the population were not aging.

So these conditions must be seen, not hidden, for this to occur especially in a society which so inordinately values the young and fast movers and talkers. Again, we need to hear more about Henry Stern’s life now, ideally, to see him at those civic meetings he once so faithfully attended.

And how we need to hear Stern speak, however, haltingly, about the hard truths about Parkinson‘s and other disabling conditions which keep those afflicted away from these community meetings, at which decisions affecting entire communities are made. Time for a much needed change and with no one more qualified to lead it than an unparalleled public servant like Henry Stern at age 81.

It’s not an impossible dream, not if enough of us share it — and with the able-bodied enabling those who are not, to be seen and heard on a public level. And in general — to never let them be out of sight and mind — or forgotten.

dewingbetter@aol.com