Town & Village’s April 6, 1995 account marked the Block Association’s first anniversary. It described an organization formed by Arlene Harrison and neighbors, with personal safety, crime prevention and quality of life at the center of its early work.
The report recorded brighter street lighting, regular meetings with police, block-watch training and a children’s safety program. A town-hall forum connected residents with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Police Commissioner William Bratton. Community Affairs Detective Owen Hughes was identified as a key liaison.
At the anniversary gathering, Operation Interlock director Jo-Ann Poliso demonstrated a radio used in the building-to-police communication program. The article also looked ahead to further safety ideas. It captures the Block Association while its working methods and neighborhood relationships were still taking shape.
In a June 2016 remembrance, Arlene Harrison credited neighbor Audrey Sisson Kasha with suggesting that the community form a block association after the October 1993 attack on Harrison’s son. Neighbors from the buildings around the Park came together in March 1994 to establish the Block Association.
Kasha remained involved over many years. The remembrance recognized her as a founding member of the Block Association and, in a separate role, of counsel to the Trustees of Gramercy Park. Her contribution belongs in the account of how a personal crisis became a shared neighborhood commitment.
From the first year to daily life
That early network grew into the work neighbors support today: cleaner streets, cared-for trees, preservation advocacy, communication and practical help. The scale has changed; the personal connection to these blocks remains.
Sources
Sources include Arlene Harrison’s June 14, 2016 remembrance of Audrey Sisson Kasha.