With Board Member Angela Cusato’s Charitable Gift,
A New Water Feature Springs to Life; Dedicated to Jaxe, her German Shepherd
Rye Brook, N.Y. -- August 2021 Crawford Park will soon be even more beautiful and tranquil. A new fountain, made possible by a gift from Friends of Crawford Park Board Member Angela Cusato, will soon begin flowing in the park’s Sunken Garden.
The water feature fulfills the vision of Friends Founder Eleanor Herman, an artist and avid gardener who painted a picture of the Sunken Garden with a fountain in the center oval. Until now, the fountain remained only in the picture. As an active member of the Friends for the past five years, Cusato was inspired by Herman’s artistry to make the fountain a reality in the park.
“The fountain concept immediately struck me as a special and missing piece of the park ‘bones’ based on the founder's vision, which was often times discussed at Board meetings,”said Cusato.
The fountain, a solar-powered, bubbling birdbath, will be activated this spring. “Thanks to Angela’s generous donation, a beautiful, calming water feature will serve as the centerpiece of the Sunken Garden—a blooming niche for quiet reflection and a soon-to-be oasis for the many birds that live in the park,” said Friends of Crawford Park President Laura Klein. “It looks like the fountain was meant to be because it has been on our wish list for the garden for years,” she added.
As a board member and volunteer, Cusato says her relationship with the Friends “puts me in my happy place.” She intends to dedicate the fountain to her 3-1/2-year-old German Shepherd Jaxe, her faithful companion during walks in the park.
The Rye Brook estate of the late Edna and Everett Crawford, now known as Crawford Park, was donated to the Town of Rye in 1974. The Friends of Crawford Park is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 organization created to enhance and maintain this jewel of the community.
Individuals and businesses wishing to donate to the park’s ongoing beautification and walking-path restoration may contact the Friends through its website: https://www.friendsofcrawfordpark.org/