Restoration of the "Rocket Thrower" Sculpture in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens

The "Rocket Thrower" statue, designed by Donald De Lue for the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, has been restored through funds raised by The Municipal Art Society's Adopt-A-Monument program. The statue is the last from the original list to be restored, according to Jonathan Kuhn, the director of the Arts & Antiquities program in the Parks Department. The 43-foot high rendition of a man hurling a rocket into space with one hand, and grabbing a constellation of stars with the other, was designed as a permanent feature that would outlast the fair, according to Kuhn. The bronze sculpture had slowly turned green over the last few decades due to oxidation. To reverse this, conservator Steve Tatti, head of SAT Inc., and his crew heated up the cleaned bronze to about 175 degrees with a propane torch and applied a consistent layer of a petroleum-based wax mixture. All of the stars have been regilded as well. The 2 photos above were taken after the restoration and the image at the bottom made on August 4, 2013 shows the condition of the statue before restoration.

Dragon Boat Race at Meadow Lake in Queens

The 23rd annual Hongkong Dragon Boat Festival took place over the weekend at Flushing-Corona Meadows Park in Queens. The two-day event attracted thousands of spectators and participants. Nearly 200 teams competed with 2,500 participants at Meadow Lake. Dragon boating is a boat of several paddlers, a drummer and a steers person paddling to cross the finish line faster than their competition.

According to the event's official website, dragon boat racing is based on a legend of the ancient patriot-poet Qu Yuan who lived from 340-278 BC. He was a Court Minister who advocated reforms for his home state of Chu. The King of Chu, however, disliked him for it and banished him from the state. In exile, he wandered the country writing poetry expressing his concerns for his homeland and its people. In 278 BC when Qu Yuan heard that his home had been invaded, he jumped into the Ni Lo River and drowned himself. Legend has it that local fishermen raced out to the river to save him, but couldn't. To prevent his body from being eaten by the fish, they threw rice dumplings into the water as an offering to his heroic spirit. This was the beginning of Dragon Boat Racing. Today, rice dumplings are eaten on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, which is commemorated each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. 

Cooling Off Beneath The Unisphere (And The Rainbow) In Queens

The iconic Unisphere, a giant steel globe perched above the Flushing Meadows- Corona Park is a beautiful spot for Queens residents to stroll, play, relax, and cool off during the summer months. The Unisphere is centered in a large, circular reflecting pool and is surrounded by a series of water-jet fountains, attracting kids to cool off under the globe to beat the heat. Built for the 1964-1965 World's Fair as a symbol of peace, the Unisphere is also a reminder that the world does live in Queens, the most ethnically diverse urban area on earth. 

The Unisphere of Flushing Meadows - Corona Park in Queens

The Unisphere is a giant stainless steel globe perched in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York. The US Steel Corporation built it as a symbol of world peace for the 1964-1965 World's Fair. The Unisphere is 140 feet high and 120 feet in diameter. It weighs 900,000 pounds. Since the continents are the heaviest parts of the all-steel sculpture and they aren't evenly distributed, the Unisphere is top heavy. It was carefully engineered to account for the unbalanced mass. The Unisphere has remained popular among visitors, soccer players, museum and theater goers, Mets fans, and locals.