At 1:40 am, October 13, 2006 I listened to the shots of tree limbs as they broke away from the 200+ year old oaks and chestnuts of Johnson Park. Smaller, sharper shots were heard as the young pear trees also gave way to the heavy snow. It was as rapid as popcorn on a stove and it lasted for hours.
Throughout the night, into the morning, I would venture outdoors and watch the limbs drop the snow in what appeared to be a flurry and then succumb to the weight, landing on the Green. My heart sank with each shot, watching as these wonderful friends, trees that have existed since the time of our first mayor’s contribution of this land as Buffalo’s first park in 1837, gave up the ghost.
The morning after, as the sun rose bright, the survey of the debacle was more than one could digest. In between all the trees stood piles of limbs and leaves, some reaching a height of six feet, with barely enough room to walk through. How would we ever clean this up? How could we save the Green underneath the debris from the heavy equipment it would take to load these piles?
The answer came on Thursday morning when I received a call from Jim Pavel of the City of Buffalo and Keep Western New York Beautiful. Could we use a crew from Buff State to clear the center of the Green to the edges? Considering the Green is approximately one acre and the residents of Johnson Park are mostly comprised of either multiple dwellings or elderly homeowners, how could I say “no?”
I quickly got on the phone and obtained three “Jugs O’ Joe” and pastries donated by the Delaware SPoT Coffee folks. The Hampton Inn baked cookies, also a donation. Neighbors from Whitney Place (Sharon Heim, David Wahl, Laurie Feldman, and Anne Gareis) provided more cookies, donuts, and potato chips. Mark Brown of Prospect Avenue brought a case of water. Tom Gleed and Bryan Ball from West Tupper delivered the SPoT donation and then took up shovels and brooms to assist in the clearing of the curb areas to assure the sewers would have proper drainage. Collectively we added pop and more water along with a cash donation to the pizza the kids would enjoy later at Buff State. Neighbors and businesses coming together to say “Thanks” to this great group of young people donating their time, sweat, and muscle to clear the center of the Green.
Fifteen students and their Dean arrived promptly at 9:30 and we loaded as much sugar 
and caffeine into them as possible. They cleared enough of the center to make the parkland passable and usable and then assisted some elderly homeowners in clearing large limbs from their back and front yards.
By 11:30 these 15 kids had cleared a mountain of debris while maintaining a great attitude and offering any other assistance. We cannot express how much we appreciate their efforts.
Although the clean up also provided a clearer picture of the damage to many trees, it gave the residents of the West Village a shot in the arm that there were others out there in our city that truly care about our green space as much as we do.
Newell from Buffalo Rising stopped by after the students had left and we talked about how trees and green spaces were as much a cultural asset to a community as performances. This park always performs for us. Whether a place for the neighborhood kids and their families to use for play and picnics or for events and other outdoor activities, Johnson Park provides an area of respite for many residents without the transportation to larger parkland.
A child’s view of swaying branches in the summer breeze can provide a myriad of imaginative one-act plays. The scattering and chattering of the wildlife found in the trees provides a view of nature that we soon overlook being so close to the city’s center. The view of the Peregrine Falcon as he hunts for his family weekly gives local youngsters an advantage of all aspects of nature in the city. The sounds that emanate from the wildlife and the trees have a soothing musical nature to them that cannot be ignored. These are the simple, natural experiences that folks of every age can enjoy. These are the experiences that Mayor Johnson wanted for the city’s residents when he established our first park in what was becoming an area known as a city.
I don’t know if the students that cleared the park land realize the contribution they made to our city today, but I hope they all have a chance to read this and see what it means to us. From the oldest to the youngest, from the poorest to the richest, we have overcome one phase of park remediation to ensure its continued use as a great public space for the future.
After all was said and done, there was still a single wildflower left where the Victorian Garden was. It gave us plenty of room for meditation. But without the 
efforts of these young folks from Buff State, that flower would not have surfaced. Without Jim Pavel’s call from City Hall on Thursday, it would be quite a different task ahead. And for all these efforts, the residents of the West Village are forever grateful.
In Other Words... 
