Hails Cemetery Vols
To The Editor:

The Martin's Field Conservancy would like to thank the wonderful young people from Councilman John Liu's Youth Action Team for their splendid volunteer work at Martin's Field Memorial Park on Friday, August 17, 2007. Our president, Mandingo Tshaka, and our vice president, Robbie Garrison, were so impressed with the efforts of this team to clean up this beautiful resting ground and their eagerness to learn the history of this sacred place.

The Conservancy is in the process of organizing in order to preserve and protect the memorial park in perpetuity so that all will know the history and importance of this special site. We look forward to working with the surrounding community residents, the civic and community groups, the parks and police departments and our elected leaders in ensuring that Martin's Field Memorial Park is treated with the dignity and respect it deserves. The approximately one thousand souls who rest there eternally should never be forgotten. Vandalism and other disrespectful acts must not be tolerated at these hallowed grounds.

The Conservancy would like to thank all the many other people who have been so helpful and supportive of our objectives and goals. They include Councilman John Liu for all of his efforts in bringing us together, as well as Assemblymembers [Ellen] Young and [Rory] Lancman and [state] Senator [Frank] Padavan. We are very grateful to Borough President Helen Marshall for her leadership in setting aside money in order to erect a fitting and appropriate memorial so that all will know that this is indeed a burial ground.

We want to thank Hassan King, Partnership for Parks outreach coordinator for Northeast Queens, for all of his efforts. We look forward to working with him and others to ensure that proper signage is posted at the entrances of Martin's Field so that the site is appropriately identified as a burial ground where only respectful activities should be permitted.

Thank you also to Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg, former Councilmember Julia Harrison, Rev. Tweed of Macedonia AME Church, Linda Stone, surveyor, and Steve Whitesell, designer, for all of their help. Flushing Cemetery General Manager Charles Helly and the officers of the 109th [Police] Precinct have been opening and closing the site each day and deserve our gratitude.

Finally, we would especially like to thank two of our board members who have contributed so much of their time and energy to Martin's Field. Attorney Paul Kerson has given the Conservancy much legal advice and help that has enabled the group to form into a viable organization, and Eddie Abrams, who spends a great deal of his time at Martin's Field helping to make sure that the area is clean and protected, has been so helpful.

When good people come together to work for a worthy cause, everyone benefits. Remembering and respecting those who have passed is something worthy and important for all generations.
Henry Euler, Secretary,
Martin's Field Conservancy
Bayside