Good morning! A tip of the beaver pelt hat to Ms. Mandy Edgecombe and her extraordinary breadth and wealth of knowledge about historic Dutch New York and its progenitors. Her enthusiasm for her subject was, dare I say, contagious, with a healthy dose of good-natured humor. She was evidently and easily comfortable working with the vast age disparity in our assemblage, from the NYC 4th grader and his family viewing first-hand his current virtual social studies curriculum, to our own elder Dutch Masters-styled foursome. Although the edifices of that period no longer exist, and the only structural remnants of those days are the in-ground cisterns and the pieces of the wall from the old fortifications in the South Ferry subway station, she vividly resuscitated the muck & mercantile lifestyle that dominated that period of our city's history. Thank you for making her available to us, and we look forward to more of Ms. Mandy. Well worth the wampum.
Richard A. Benson