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It is very nice of you (shane612) to write these positive things about Frank Gallagher. He should be proud of his achievements, even if others don't recognize him for the good work that he's done. Let's hope that he is properly recognized in the future.

All praise to Frank Gallagher. He has worked hard and long to keep the park natural. Despite being a government employee, he has stuck his neck out time and time again to maintain the park as natural as possible. He gets little praise, few accolades, and a lot of heat from his bosses.

The Friends of Liberty State Park has passed him over each year for an award he richly deserves. Somehow politicians (Manzo) are seen as more valuable to the park the Frank Gallagher. Ah, the games that are played.

There's a Morris Pesin Drive, and an Audrey Zapp Drive, both individuals who got the ball rolling at Liberty State Park. But it's Frank Gallagher who deserves most of the credit. It's just that you may never realize it. He does it quietly and effectively.

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A keyboard jockey's duck pond.

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This is a nice story. Makes me smile. And the ducks are so lovable. Who doesn't like ducks?

Cleaned up pond area open at LSP

Monday, August 25, 2008
By LYSA CHEN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Visitors to Liberty State Park in Jersey City can now enjoy a taste of the freshwater wetlands that once filled the area before the arrival of high-rise condominiums.

A newly opened section of the park - a pond surrounded by paths and benches behind the Nature Interpretive Center on Freedom Way - marks the completion of the first stage of the park's wildlife restoration plan, said Frank Gallagher, administrator at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Parks and Forestry.

The $8-million project, funded by the state agency's Site Remediation Program and a settlement with Honeywell International Corp., involved removing chromium-contaminated soil from the marsh, refilling the pond and planting a variety of native plant species, Gallagher said.

Metal fences and "hazardous materials" signs surrounding the area came down two weeks ago allowing people to visit, but plants and other wildlife have been taking advantage of the wetlands for months, with three families of ducks and a snapping turtle moving in this summer, he said.

Gary Illman visited the pond Thursday to take photos.

"People in the Midwest think of this area as just high-rises. But if we post a picture of the Manhattan skyline with nature, it shows the city is not only buildings," he said.