Rebecca Furgeson

Due to an illness, I was unable to attend the presentation at Judson Memorial Church, but I was present for Ms. Furgeson's discussion of the park.

It was refreshing to meet someone who knew so much about Washington Square. I had never really thought about the kind of maintenance and in depth upkeep the park staff had to go through to keep it looking nice.

The thing I found the most interesting about Ms. Furgeson's talk was how she had to balance the needs of different groups of people in the park. As a public space, Washington Square Park often serves as a forum for peopel to express their opinions on various topics, or even perform music. Many times these desires clash, and a lot of Ms. Furgeson's job revolves around mediating the park so that it can function as a public space for everyone to enjoy.

Though I was initially against the renovations, she also kind of swayed me towards supporting them. The city seems to be doing a good job of making sure they do not disturb historical sights, and I believe that the park and the community will really benefit from the park's restoration.

-Jessica Roy