http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=782401
Gardens of delight need study
By FRED LEBRUN COMMENTARY
First published in print: Sunday, March 22, 2009
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This column is a bald-faced attempt to work up a little interest in what struck me when I first heard it as a fabulous idea for a major new attraction for our region.
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I just love this idea, which at the moment is being cautiously peddled to important people who might be able to do something about it by its originator, Brett Van Zandt. He’s a local, 37-year-old grant writer and Manhattan College graduate who fell in love with the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Not surprisingly, he is getting polite encouragement, but little else. He has no money. So far, he has no access to any, either.
Last week, Van Zandt brought the idea to Carol Ashe, commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and to Tom Alworth, the agency’s deputy commissioner for natural resources. A master plan for the future of the Saratoga State Park is being created, and one of the ideas under consideration after Van Zandt’s urging is the botanical garden. It’s unrealistic for Parks to tackle anything like this without Van Zandt bringing substantial funding to the table. Still, Alworth called it “an intriguing idea.”
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Van Zandt isn’t discouraged. He gets it. And he has the burning zeal of youth. He speaks of providing the sort of attraction that would supplement and rival our best, like SPAC and the flat track, and help keep fleeing college graduates closer to home.
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But as I belabored already, this is only an idea for now. The next step for Van Zandt is to raise about $150,000 for a formal feasibility study. Then we’ll watch the seed and see what happens. Unquestionably, this will take time, but good ideas like good seeds are hard to come by, and worth nurturing.
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Van Zandt, Brett [MC????]
[JR: Not really sure if he’s a Jasper. And, getting government money to do it? Better to go private. If it’s a good idea, why not get 15,000 to each pony up $100 for the study. Bet it could be done cheaper. I don’t like forcing taxpayers to pay for his dream. He doesn’t need them. imho!]
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Morris, Joseph (MC1995) Reports that it’s Brett Van Zandt (1994)
[JR: Thanks, Joe. Much appreciated. ]
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