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I'd like to commend Chris Rose for striking a serious chord on the forlorn conditions in Audubon Park-
at least in the areas that don't produce hard revenue for the Audubon Institute.
Anyone wondering what's ultimately in store for the deplorably neglected Hyams Fountain might peruse
"Audubon Park: An Urban Eden" by Ron Forman for insight.
Published in 1985, the book features a charming photograph of the once elegant Reilly Fountain, which stood
nearby until it was dismantled and removed by the Audubon Institute in the 1990's.
Also included are lovely photographs of the graceful, 100-year-old waterfall at the front of the park
(demolished and filled over in 1995), the Heymann Conservatory (demolished in 2001), and the arched bridge over the lagoon
(slated for closure this year).
Not pictured is the old park Boathouse, which the Institute sought to demolish last year, nor the Whitney
Young Pool, demolished in 1997.
Considering the fate of these non-revenue-producing parcels, can the destiny of the graceful old Hyams Fountain
be in doubt?
Seems that any park feature that doesn't turn a coin for the Audubon Institute belongs in the zoo's endangered species section.
Devra Goldstein
New Orleans
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