and the landscaped picnic area. Creative construction by the landscaping crew made the retaining wall virtually invisible as raised block planters were built and filled with soil, trees, flowers and bushes in order to hide it.

The project was designed to make the large, black marble bust of former President John F. Kennedy (right in background) a prominent and highly visible feature of the plaza. The Environmental Services Division cleaned and refurbished the bust to its original luster.

Several problems were overcome during construction. At first, several old concrete support beams, left over
from the Sea Skate Pavilion ice skating facility, were found and cut through, while mounds of old beach sand had to be dug through in order to feed wiring and piping for electricity and irrigation. Then, 360 2"x4'x8' sheets
of Styrofoam were installed into the planters when weight problems arose on the Boardwalk. With a large volume of mulch and soil material, an off-site staging area was set up and trucks were used to transport the material to the planters.

Also, two five-square foot reinforced rebar footings with threaded rods at a depth of four feet were poured
under the Boardwalk. A professional surveying company was hired to identify the exact location for
the footings, which was critical so that the 872-square foot canopy could withstand winds up to 90 MPH.
Three concrete footings were poured to support flagpoles, which were designed to withstand winds up to
120 MPH.

The final stage of the project saw the installation of flowering garden cube archways (left), which serve as an entryway to the plaza. Then, 230 cubes filled with 25 Impatiens flowers were installed throughout the 12 the grower at the commencement
of the project before being installed three months later when
it was nearing completion.

This project turned an underutilized section of the Boardwalk into an open-air amphitheater and family entertainment facility and is clearly the Landscaping Division's finest accomplishment to date.

Throughout the summer season, ongoing improvements have been made to Joe McCabe Park on Texas and Fairmount avenues. Last summer witnessed a ribbon-cutting ceremony formally reopening the park after an extensive rehabilitation project. New Landscaping, decorative fencing, sidewalks, pavers, lighting and
children's play areas have been added.

This fall work will begin on new "greening lot" parks at States & Pacific avenues, Virginia & Atlantic avenues
and Mississippi & Artic avenues across from the world famous White House Sub Shop, where a new outdoor eating area and mural will accent the lush, green park.