Bay Improvement Group Plans Encore Planting

The Bay Improvement Group (B.I.G.) had its annual Fall Planting & Garden Clean-up this past Sunday, October 26. According to Steven Barrison, who heads up the B.I.G., the event, though productive, was not as well-attended by volunteers as was expected. The small team of volunteers worked hard all day from 9 to 3, as originally planned and by 3:15 p.m., they called it a day. Unfortunately, all of the work had not been finished, even with the help of dedicated volunteers like Richie Arneman, who tirelessly serves as a one-man landscaping team.

Barrison says that there has been a poor showing of volunteers for the past two years and the community effort to keep Sheepshead Bay beautiful is suffering. He is keeping up hope that local residents are interested in this effort and is keeping this Sunday, November 2 free for everyone to get involved. The team will work on sections of Sheepshead Bay near Voorhies Avenue behind the train station, as well as a portion of Ocean Avenue.

According to the Gothamist Labs, there was a report of a slashing that occurred near Emmons Avenue and Shore Parkway this past Sunday. I asked Mr. Barrison if the situation had affected the B.I.G. planting. He said that he wasn’t aware of any emergencies around where they working and even if there was something major going on, they were so busy bent on their hands and knees planting bulbs, that they wouldn’t have noticed anything going on.

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can come on out and help out with the effort. If all goes well, weather-wise, the team will be finishing up planting in the areas that were missed the first time around.

Who: Volunteer Gardeners & Bay Enthusiasts
What: B.I.G. Fall Planting & Garden Clean-up Encore
When: Sunday, November 2, 2008
Time: 9 a.m. SHARP!
Where: Sheepshead Bay Road & Shore Parkway Intersection
Contact: The Bay Improvement Group (B.I.G.) 718-646-9206