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BROOKLYN WEEKLY, JULY 21, 2019
BY CHANDLER KIDD
The Parks Department formally
apologized to the family of a slain
cyclist after unceremoniously removing
a “ghost bike” memorial
from Marine Park that honored
the deceased biker.
“On behalf of NYC Parks, I sincerely
apologize that the Robert
Sommer’s ghost bike memorial
was removed without contacting
the family beforehand,” said Borough
Parks Commissioner Martin
Maher. “The removal was not
intended as an affront to those
mourning Robert’s passing. We
respect his memory, and will ensure
that other memorials in our
parks are handled with care and
sensitivity.”
Parks’ mea culpa follows
harsh criticism from a relative
of Sommer, who condemned the
agency for was she described as
an outlandish slight.
“Here we are today unable to
understand what I can only describe
as the equivalent of grave
robbery,” said Myrna Roman,
Sommer’s step-aunt. “This act is
heartbreaking and outrageous at
the same time.”
Park’s offi cials removed the
haunting tribute to the 29-yearold
cyclist — who a driver struck
on May 12 at Avenue U and E.
33rd Street near Brooklyn’s biggest
park — on July 9, according
to a spokeswoman, who claimed
the ghost bike violated park rules
banning “unattended personal
belongings.”
Following it’s removal, a representative
for the Parks Department
told the New York City
Street Memorial Project, which
installed the Marine Park memorial,
along with dozens of
other ghost bikes throughout
the city, that the agency allowed
“impromptu memorials” a onemonth
grace period before removing
them, leading member
Steve Scofi eld to complain that
the bike, which was installed on
June 25, had only been up for two
weeks.
A Parks Department spokeswoman
unday, November 13th, 12 to 3 PM
later confi rmed that the
rep had misspoke, and confi rmed
that a new policy instituted by
agency head Mitchell Silver in
April gives memorials a twoweek
grace period, before they’re
removed.
For the time it was allowed
to remain in Marine Park, Sommer’s
ghost bike provided a place
for the slain cyclist’s family to
gather and share their grief. Last
week, Sommer’s sister, Janine,
fl ew in with her family from Florida,
while his brother, Thomas,
drove down with his wife and two
daughters from upstate. They met
with Sommer’s father, Robert,
and stepmother, Carmen, to decorate
the memorial and remember
their lost loved one, according to
Roman.
“After we were done we said
a prayer. We thanked God for
the kindnesses, selfl essness, and
generosity of friends, strangers,
NYC Street Memorial Project,
and the Park Department Rangers,”
said Roman, who noted that
A “ghost bike” honoring slain cyclist Robert Sommer was taken down by the city
Parks Department on July 9. Myrna Roman
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local Parks Department rangers
stationed at the green space
had been supportive of Sommer’s
ghost bike.
“They assured me that as long
as there are no burning candles
and we keep the area clean and
safe the memorial could remain,”
Roman said. “There exist miserable,
malcontent misfi ts who only
understand destruction. Thank
goodness not all of us are like
them.”
This isn’t the fi rst time the city
has drawn heat for removing the
white-painted memorials to slain
cyclists. The Department of Sanitation
backed off a controversial
policy of trashing the bikes after
advocates rallied in 2010, leading
the agency to institute new rules
exempting ghost bikes from being
labeled as derelict, according
to a Streetsblog report.
Sommer was one of 15 cyclists
killed in the city this year,
of whom 11 died in Brooklyn, including
28-year-old Devra Freelander
and 57-year-old Ernest
Askew, who died just days apart.
CITY’S MEA CULPA
Parks Dept. apologizes for remocing bike memorial
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