Cookies, cocoa and Santa at Village celebration
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
Last Friday, Santa’s sleigh traveled
down MacDougal Street at
42-feet long and with red lights
fl ashing, on his way to Father Fagan
Park. That’s how he rolls, New York
City style!
Descending from Greenwich Village
Hook & Ladder 5 (the fi rehouse is at
6th Avenue and Houston Street) with
a gold bag in hand, Santa was ready to
give candy canes to the eager waiting
children. But fi rst, he lit the Christmas
tree in the center of the park!
This is a dream come true for neighbor
Al DiRaffaele, who for years wanted
a tree lighting at the spot where
Sixth Avenue, Prince and MacDougal
Streets converge. And recently, DiRaffaele
wanted to thank his neighbors for
their caring and help during his recent
health issues.
With a grant from Partnership for
Parks for the tree and electrical hookup
(and printed fl yers), and Terese Flores
from the Parks Department on board,
and a very cooperative community,
DiRaffaele orchestrated a spirited festivity
to celebrate the season.
Additionally, the tree pits lining
6th Avenue were livened up. Jen Sale
with Friends of Father Fagan Park and
the horticultural team created pine
bough-strewn, lush, colorful winter
arrangements, brightening up the gray
days of winter.
For Friday evening, local chocolatier
Leading the huddled celebrants in song are The Show Timers.
Jacques Torres supplied the cocoa prepared
by new-restaurant-in-the-‘hood
Lola Taverna, whose pastry chef also
baked up batches of the yummiest
Greek Christmas cookies, while Trader
Joe’s supplied other cookie assortments.
Seasonably cool at nightfall, neighbors
drank hot chocolate and a chorus
of carolers from 20 Washington Square
North Greenwich House Senior Center
PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY
From his NYC style sleigh—atop the local firehouse’s ladder truck—
Santa arrives at Father Fagan Park.
led the outdoor party huddled on the
plaza in Christmas songs. A sense of
neighborhood grows in this corner of
New York City.
For years, a planned renovation of
the decrepit concrete walkway and a
few worn benches was delayed by a
plethora of issues from various agencies.
The little sliver Father Fagan Park,
previously Father Fagan Square but really
a triangle, initially was created as a
result of the extension of Sixth Avenue
beginning in 1925 and the de-mapping
of the southern end of MacDougal
Street.
It is named for a priest at the nearby
St. Anthony’s of Padua rectory who
died in a 1938 rectory fi re while saving
two of his fellow priests. The park also
commemorates three fi refi ghters who
died fi ghting a 1994 Soho apartment
building fi re.
The $1.9 million renovation was completed
in May 2018, and love and work
from community members continue to
make this tiny plaza park inviting. For
example, in warmer weather, neighbor
Allen Massano is regularly seen watering
plants and generally caretaking.
It had been decades since a light-festooned
tree added holiday cheer to the
wedge-shaped plaza and fi nally DiRaffaele’s
vision is realized.
“Special thanks to the fi rehouse’s
Lt. Tom Breslin for being such a good
Santa,” DiRaffaele said. “And what an
entrance! Climbing down from that
truck!” he recalled while beaming,
“And, people were so astounded!”
Let there be light! The tree gets lit.
4 December 12, 2019 Schneps Media