Maya McFadden Photo
It’s been five years since Doreen Abubakar (pictured above left) started creating a greenspace at the corner of Hazel Street and Shelton Avenue in Newhallville. She was joined there Thursday evening by other green-minded New Haveners who celebrated a quarter-century of working together creating similar oases in spots throughout the city.
Newhallville Alder Delphine Clyburn, joined Abubakar and members of Urban Resources Initiative (URI) and The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (CFGNH), and Common Ground High School’s Green Job Corps for the thank you celebration.
“It’s a partnership. We provide the expertise about plants while the community provides the expertise about the neighborhood,” said URI director Colleen Murphy-Dunning.
Chris Ozyck, Community Greenspace Manager, presented a newly installed bench that honors both the City of New Haven and CFGNH, which Alder Clyburn, William Ginsberg, CFGNH president/CEO, Mayor Toni Harp, Murphy-Dunning, and Abubakar (pictured above) put to use. The bench is a thank you to the partners for their longtime support. Ozyck said CFGNH has put nearly $1 million into the greenspace-creation program over the span of 25 years; the city has granted the group the permissions to do the community work throughout New Haven on city-owned properties.
“Thank you for 25 years of empowering our communities,” said Harp.
Among the participants at Thursday evening’s event were two New Haven Promise intern scholars who supervise high-schoolers in the Green Corps program: Gaston Neville and David Okeke, both students at the University of Connecticut.
Abubakar (above) said she “adopted” Newhallville as a member of the Community Place-making and Engagement Network. Abubakar was rasied in New Haven and dedicates herself to the Newhallville project to make the community safer with her partner Aaron Goode.
For the past five years, Abubakar has been working to improve the greenspace for the largely residential neighborhood made up of majority residential properties, turning vacant and sometimes problematic lots into gardens and community gathering spots. The Shelton-Hazel spot was once an infamous drug-dealing zone known as “The Mudhole.”
Alongside the project space is a flyer booth known as the communication tower. Abubakar said the tower was designed by high school youth who came up with the Newhallville 211 campaign. The tower is meant for community members to seek out and share local posting of all sorts.
“We don’t want to just beautify the space. We want to offer a networking center for skill building for all,” Abubakar said.
The Community Greenspace program has collaborated to create and maintain urban oases around the city to promote community action and involvment. The oases are garden beds made up of native plants and wildflowers. Harp mentioned one of her favorites being at the Cherry Ann Park project.
Paul and Katie Hawkins came to the event to support another New Haven greenspace. Paul said he has been working on what use to be a vacant lot on Orchard Street for about 20 years now. He said neighbors now relax, study and nap in the space.
Abubakar said she is currently working with her partners to add a bike rack and bike repair station to the Hazel-Shelton space, a seating area, and a concrete turtle statue for young children and families to play on.
“I love this proejct because it gives us so much to do now,” said Jen Ette a community member.