Julius Spiegel, Brooklyn's Commissioner of Parks, to Retire

He's been Brooklyn's Commissioner of Parks since 1981! But all good things must come to an end and now Julius Spiegel is stepping down.
The New York Times lists some interesting factoids about Mr. Spiegel:

- He's the son of two Holocaust survivors, and he describes his politics as "left of left."

- He was on the Giuliani Hit List.

-He "buddies" with Charles Barron.

- Fixing the McCarren Park pool was the number one thing on his "to do" list for many years.

- He only knows the names of about two types of trees.

Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz issued this statement:

“From the restoration of the Coney Island boardwalk to the overhaul of McCarren Park in Greenpoint, Julius Spiegel understands better than anyone that our borough’s parks and open spaces define the character of Brooklyn. Who else would have the foresight to open the city’s first dedicated cricket field, at Gateway Mall, knowing how important the sport is to many of Brooklyn’s communities? Who else would have seen so much potential in a vacant lot in East New York that has become Robert Venable Park? He may hail from Montreal and favor smoked meat, while I’m a Brooklyn boy who prefers pastrami, but I can you tell that everyone in Brooklyn agrees that because of Julius Spiegel, our parks make the rest of America ‘green’ with envy.”

Borough Commissioner Julius Spiegel, left, playing the part of General George Washington, and Deputy Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey, playing the part of General Nathaneal Greene, in Washington Park, Brooklyn
on December 3, 2008

Photo by Malcolm Pinckney for NYC Dept. of Parks

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