Undeterred by news reports that the Myrtle the Turtle sculpture by Newton artist Nancy Schon is burning children at Myrtle Street Playground on Beacon Hill, Newton City Councilor Vicki Danberg sent this letter to Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Christopher Cook
Dear Mr. Cook,
I understand that some parents want famous sculptor Nancy Schon’s Myrtle the Turtle removed from the Beacon Hill playground where it is beloved because it is too hot for their children’s bottoms.
If they succeed in convincing you, I’ll pay to have it moved to the Newton Centre Green. We treasure Nancy Schon and all of her sculptures and we can take the Heat!
Vicki Danberg
Newton City Councilor
Well that’s a great idea! But what happens when a child actually does get burned when they play on the sculpture? Is the City going to be liable? Is Councilor Danberg?
Like all of her work, Nancy Schon’s “Myrtle” is adorable. But if it’s hurting children, it should not be displayed. I hope there is a way to make the sculpture safe so that it can stay in the park that it was designed for.
Unlike the playground on Beacon Hill, parts of the Newton Centre Common are quite shady. Perhaps the same issues would not exist if Myrtle wasn’t in the sun all day?
#savemyrtle
#vickirocks
Just put the sculpture in the shade. Not an overly difficult problem to solve.
Myrtle might need a cover! Put her in the shade! Build a cover. But she is great.
If this turtle was in any other neighborhood in Boston we never would have heard about it.
Nicely done Vicki Danberg. Let’s hope the Beacon Hill residents don’t come to their senses soon and we can bring Myrtle back home to Newton.
Was I the only one listening to Boston Public Radio (Jim & Marjorie) on Friday? Nancy Schön called in. She said they’ll be putting an attractive tent of some kind over it to shade it.
I don’t understand why they didn’t just put it under a nice big deciduous tree in the first place. It would get the sun when it’s cold, and shade when it’s hot.
@Julia. I’d been wondering why nobody else had raised the option of placing Myrtle the Turtle under a large and spreading tree in the playground or at some nearby location. Thanks for injecting some common sense into the discussion.