Green-Wood Cemetery holds 25th Annual Memorial Day Concert

The 25th annual Memorial Day Concert by the ISO at Third Street Symphonic Band was held on May 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Green-Wood Cemetery. It was held near the landmarked Gothic Arch, which is situated at the cemetery’s main entrance on Fifth Avenue and 25th Street.

The program included welcoming remarks by Richard J. Moylan, who has been the president of Green-Wood for over 40 years. Paul Corn was the conductor and is also the assistant principal of performing  arts at Staten Island’s Susan Wagner High School. Brian Worsdale, founder, conductor emeritus and host of the ISO band, was the guest conductor.

The concert highlighted patriotic songs to honor members of the Armed Forces and musical compositions by some of Green-Wood’s permanent residents like Leonard Bernstein, Fred Ebb, Paul Jabara and James Weldon Johnson, and ended with a rousing rendition of John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Fifty-four bright and energetic high school musicians came together and delivered a top-notch performance.

Richard Moylan, whom I have known for many years, has announced he is retiring shortly, and the cemetery’s board of trustees has picked former NYC Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, an attorney and a Windsor Terrace resident, as the next president. 

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Kathryn Wylde, the president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, has announced she plans to retire as the chief executive of the Partnership in June 2026. She has never been elected to public office, but she has been a highly respected mover and shaker for nearly 40 years with the Partnership.  She also serves on the NYC Economic Development Corporation and the NYC Regional Economic Development Council. Still a proud Bay Ridge resident and for many, many years a prominent local civic leader. We have fond memories of her neighborhood accomplishments in Sunset Park and Bay Ridge working for Lutheran Medical Center, Anchor Savings Bank (formerly the Bay Ridge Savings Bank) and area housing rehabilitation and preservation groups.  

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Looks like anything goes on the subway these days! We recently saw a woman carrying a 7-foot rolled-up carpet on the R train. While the station elevators were primarily constructed to accommodate handicapped people, they are frequently used by bike riders. Even saw a rider with a big lithium ion-powered e-bike on the N train. Lately I have seen more dog owners carrying small dogs on their laps, and another with a large dog on a leash. MTA rules say dogs must be enclosed in a container (such as a bag or carrier) and carried in a manner that does not annoy other passengers.