5/31 Barnes & Noble All Day Celebration - Help Save Forest Hills Character!

FREE SPECIAL EVENT at Barnes & Noble at 70-00 Austin St. on SUN, MAY 31 from 10:00 AM to 7 PM

Barnes & Noble and Author Michael Perlman are proud to invite the community to Customer Appreciation Day. The eventful lineup will feature:

- A book “Buy-In” to help support Barnes & Noble, which is under threat of closing… Purchase any book all day long.

- Free food from Knish Nosh, Red Pipe Organic Café, & La Boulangerie

- Beginning at 10 AM: Raffle – Enter to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 7” tablet!

Free B&N tote bag for the 1^st 200 customers making a purchase.

- 2:30 PM: Children’s storytime with SKITTLES THE CLOWN, balloon animals & face painting 

- 4 PM: Performances by notable musicians LOU MICHAELS & DOUG LEBLANG

- 5 PM: Author MICHAEL PERLMAN will have a book talk & signing of his new book, “Legendary Locals of Forest Hills and Rego Park” & notable magician MICHAEL CHAUT will leave his audience spell-bound: www.facebook.com/LegendaryLocalsofForestHillsandRegoPark 

Barnes & Noble event listing: http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/4852693 

More to come! Please invite your friends.

And… Don’t forget to sign the petition to save Barnes & Noble: www.change.org/p/muss-development-barnes-noble-nyc-elected-officials-keep-barnes-noble-open-at-70-00-austin-st-forest-hills-ny

Press Roundup

Gothamist: http://gothamist.com/2015/05/28/barnes_noble_last_store_standing.php

DNAinfo: www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150528/forest-hills/locals-back-forest-hills-barnes-noble-during-buy-event-this-weekend

Forest Hills Times: www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/26642493/article-Don-t-close-the-book-on-B-N

Times Ledger: www.timesledger.com/stories/2015/22/books_2015_05_29_q_.html

Queens Chronicle: www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/future-of-forest-hills-barnes-noble-in-doubt/article_f0519671-a5ec-554f-851a-148a185ab37b.html

In Gothamist:
"Barnes & Noble in Forest Hills is more than a typical chain store," Michael Perlman said. "Rather, it feels like a 22,000 square-foot mom and pop shop, since patrons are not treated like a number, and there are a number of superb community events for all age groups."

May 17 Forest Hills Tree Giveaway To Donate 1,250th Tree To The Public

For Immediate Release

Contact: Michael Perlman

Forest Hills Tree Giveaway, Coordinator
Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance

Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair

Reserve a tree in advance at www.treegiveaways.com/4bnpa

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ForestHillsTreeGiveaways

unlockthevault@hotmail.com   

May 17th Forest Hills Tree Giveaway To Donate 1,250^th Tree

QUEENS, NY (May 2015) - As spring is in full swing, the Forest Hills Tree Giveaway has become a community tradition in MacDonald Park on Queens Boulevard and 70^th Avenue.  Locals among citywide residents will line up in the park on Sunday, May 17 between 1 PM and 3 PM, and take home a small tree or perhaps a few among 200 free trees. Adopters will then plant their tree(s) in their residential front yard or backyard, at an apartment building with permission, in a schoolyard, or at their commercial property. 

The Forest Hills Tree Giveaway, which is held annually in May and periodically in October, will be the seventh event since 2011, bringing the total of adopted trees to an approximate 1,250. Adopters can select from 5 tree species, which consist of American Elm, Yellowwood, Fringe Tree, Red Buckeye, and Dawn Redwood. This will add to the diversity of trees donated at earlier events, where names included Black Gum, Magnolia, and Tulip.

Flashback: Capturing the essence of the May 2014 Forest Hills Tree Giveaway 

“These are great native trees that provide shade, food and shelter to animals, or tend to offer classic shapes such as the ‘V’ of the American Elm,” said Mike Mitchell, New York Restoration Project (NYRP) Director of Giveaways. He continued, “A stately excurrent growth pattern can be found in the Dawn Redwood with its red, peeling bark, and stunning flowers can be observed on the Fringe Tree, Yellowwood, and Red Buckeye.” 

This event is made possible through Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance (4BNPA) in partnership with NYRP and MillionTreesNYC. Lead sponsors are Toyota and TD Bank, and lead partners are plaNYC, NYC Parks, and NYRP. A supporting sponsor is jetBlue. Volunteers are derived from the 4BNPA, Rego-Forest Preservation Council, and Trylon Vet Care.

NYRP began coordinating tree giveaways in 2008. As of 2011, 4BNPA had the mission of advocating for landmarks and curbing overdevelopment, but then realized how environmental preservation is a significant complement to the city’s architectural achievements, which led to their partnership. Preservationist Michael Perlman became the Forest Hills Tree Giveaway coordinator. Perlman stated, “After the spring 2015 tree giveaway season ends, the quantity of citywide donated trees since the founding of the giveaway program will be somewhat greater than 50,000, which is a miracle within itself.” 

Perlman explained, “As extreme weather patterns intensified in recent years with a macroburst and two hurricanes, numerous trees succumbed within seconds. Despite loss, it helped influence communities to preserve mature trees and plant new ones.” The extensive range of benefits associated with trees include enhancing property values, marking a community’s history, offering a serene and colorful setting, capturing stormwater, reducing runoff, filtering and cooling the air, and conserving energy.  

NYRP remains committed toward adding new tree species to the varied tree canopy of the 5 boroughs. Mitchell said, “Diversity in NYC is very important because of the risk of disease and pests. Having a lower percentage of all tree species in our city means we can avoid a single issue creating the terrible side effects of losing tree canopy, like an increase in summertime temperatures or stormwater runoff events.”  

Inspirational stories are often linked to tree giveaway events. Mitchell explained, “My daughter Wren Mitchell was born in April 2014, and this year we finally moved to an apartment with a backyard that our landlord allowed us to landscape. In honor of her birthday, we planted four trees, and each was planted with the help of my parents, my wife, and her parents.” He continued, “What a great way to gather and celebrate our daughter by planting trees that will grow throughout her lifetime.”

At the tree giveaway, adopters are routinely photographed with their trees. Additionally, tree adoption certificates name trees after local landmarks, historic streets, and notables, which helps foster a relationship among adopters and their trees.

“We expect that within thirty years, after most of the trees have grown to maturity, there could be more than 10 acres of tree canopy established in Forest Hills and Rego Park alone from 4BNPA’s efforts,” said Mitchell.

On May 17, 2015, those who wish to adopt a potted tree should line up earlier than 1 PM in MacDonald Park.

The public can reserve a tree by visiting www.treegiveaways.com/4bnpa or by registering for a tree at the event on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Like” Forest Hills Tree Giveaways on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/ForestHillsTreeGiveaways

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