People
Village doyenne Doris turns 90! Feted at Judson
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
It was the party of the year — and
we’re only 10 days in!
Decked out in a red velvet frock
with a “Happy Birthday” sash, Doris
Diether held court like a queen, her
glittery birthday hat festooned with paper
fl owers. Diether turned 90 on Jan.
10. She helped save Shakespeare in the
Park, fought Robert Moses, is a zoning
specialist and has been an active member
of Community Board 2 for almost
six decades.
The Washington Square Park Superstars
musicians, who jam regularly in
the park, set the mood in Judson Memorial
Church’s main hall. Park pianist
Andrew’s “Johnny B. Goode” got
the septuagenarians (boomers) onto
the dance fl oor. Colin Huggins a.k.a.
“That Crazy Piano Guy” performed a
Beethoven sonata on the grand piano.
Other park denizens joined in the
fun, including Elisa; Joe, the sand mandala
artist; Larry, the “Pigeon Man”;
and Ricky Syers, the marionettist, who,
along with Diether and a mini-Doris
marionette, is featured in AARP’s “An
Unconventional Friendship” video.
Wearing sparkly black, Sharon
Woolums, in her opening greeting, remarked,
“How do we love thee Doris?
Let us count the ways tonight!”
A bevy of local politicians were on
hand, and wouldn’t have thought of
missing the occasion.
In a personal, charming address and
a commendation, City Comptroller
Scott Stringer thanked Diether for an
education in zoning.
Preservationists, friends and fans
listened as citations and proclamations
gushed forth from City Council
Speaker Corey Johnson, state Senator
Brad Hoylman, Assemblymember Deborah
Glick and former Councilmember
Rosie Mendez. Mendez stood in for
Manhattan Borough President Gale
Brewer. All the assembled pols noted
Diether’s public and community accomplishments.
Naturally, Judson congregants were
there in abundance. Senior Minister
Donna Schaper paid glowing tribute
to Diether while Minister Micha Bucey
wrapped the C.B. 2 veteran in a red
feather boa as a symbolic gesture of
ordination.
The wine fl owed.
Staff from The Lantern, on Bleecker
St., mixed endless margaritas as guests
gobbled burgers and mozzarella/basil
sliders.
Community board members, including
Keen Berger and David Gruber,
toggled between the bash and C.B. 2
meetings.
The jamsters’ rock-and-roll played
Doris Diether blows out the candles on her birthday cake — chocolate, of course — for her 90th birthday,
at Judson Church.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson pays tribute to the Village’s legendary
zoning maven, Doris Diether — with “Little Doris,” the marionette
made by Washington Square Park performer Ricky Syers, in the
background.
on. Musician Richie Weintraub adapted
“Run Around Sue” with customized
Diether lyrics.
“I should’ve known it from the very
start,” he sang. “That woman must be
the queen of the park. Once you know
her for a while, her example makes you
smile.”
At another point, he sang, “Doris
may be 90 today, but she is always
ready to play!”
Diether loved every moment of it.
Marionette master Syers rocked out
with another original, “Every Day Is
Doris Day in Washington Square Park!”
And along with ongoing schmoozing,
Diether’s friends individually wished
her the best.
Much later, Le Souk set up a hotfood
table at the Judson Diether lovein,
featuring Middle Eastern fare like
couscous and vegetables.
Meanwhile, guests added their tributes
in writing at a table featuring
a blow-up pig, a throwback to 1960
when Diether appeared at a protest
PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY
with a live rented pig at Governor Nelson
Rockeller’s offi ce to oppose demolition
of older buildings.
And, specifi cally for Judson, a donation
box manned by two friends greeting
guests at the top of Judson’s classic
wooden staircase raised $2,800. The
funds will go toward replacing the elevator,
which Diether, along many
others, use to access Judson’s multiuse
sanctuary.
Then, they brought out Diether’s favorite
— chocolate cake — for her to
blow out the candles on top, and wind
up the party. There were fi ve more delicious
cakes — chocolate and white —
for everyone to enjoy.
Ten years ago, Sharon Woolums and
Suzanne Schropp organized Diether’s
80th birthday blowout extravaganza,
also at Judson. It was hard to imagine
that they could have topped that for
Diether’s 90th but — this time working
with Erin Rogers and Hellen Osgood
— they somehow did. They juggled the
myriad details of this special night for a
special community member, with Judson
volunteers’ assistance throughout
the evening.
Obviously, a great time was had by
all!
Refl ecting about Diether’s celebration,
Woolums said, “There was so
much love, sweetness and joy in the
room and a true feeling of community.”
32 January 17, 2019 TVG Schneps Media