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The Big Apple's Official Apple
November 30th, 2009

apple

Councilmember Jim Gennaro took a bite out of the big apple today — quite literally.

The Queens-based councilmember chomped into a juicy, green Newtown Pippin on the steps of City Hall this afternoon in order to convince his council colleagues that this Queens-bred fruit should be the city’s official big apple. Gennaro is pushing for a resolution that would only ceremonially give the Newtown Pippin — said to be a favorite of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — the title.

“A symphony of sweetness,” said Gennaro after a taste.

The apple was first grown in the Elmhurst section of Queens around 1730, according to Gennaro, and it has since gained popularity in Virginia, where it is grown on the former estates of two of the country’s founding fathers.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn declined to endorse the resolution today, saying only that she liked the fact that the apple was green — also her favorite color. Gennaro said this issue has not been on top of the council’s priority list (some might say reasonably).

The resolution, Gennaro said, is part of a push to give the apple a boost in popularity in the city. Gennaro, a local business, Green Apple Cleaners, and a group charged with the apple’s resurgence, Newtown Pippin Restoration and Celebration, have been working with gardens, schools and communities to plant new trees across the city.

Today, Gennaro plans on putting Newtown Pippins and apple muffins on council members’ desks — an attempt to tempt them into co-sponsoring his resolution.

By Courtney Gross on November 30, 2009, 2:28 pm
In category: City Hall, Environment, Gotham City, nextNY | No Comments »

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