Poem about an historic pome

From [on the matter of the newtown pippin] by Matthew Kremer

the 'newtown pippin'
is a species known
within the growing
community as a cultivar.
now, apple gardening is
admittedly far beyond
my powers as an armchair
moralist to comprehend,
but it seems powerful enough
of a phrase to think about
on a figurative level--
a matter of evolution
within confines.
the slow crawl.
as years went by,
aficionados took the tree
to virginia and renamed it
the 'abermarle.'
the origin of the thing
began at the farm
of gersham moore,
which occupied the corner
of broadway and 45th ave,
near present-day 'winner's bar,'
where few winners are.
the last time i was there
was during the nfc
divisional playoff games
in mid-january during a storm.
the man next to me placed
a $500 bet on philadelphia
to cover the 4 point spread
and was buying drinks for
anyone in his vicinity.
i took a stella artois
from him and sat there
for most of the contest
encouraging his resolve.
as the game slipped away
and new orleans piled on
a late insurance touchdown,
i saw him slumped over
on the stool texting away
and didn't say goodbye.

Parks doesn't want Pippin trees

From the Daily News:

An entrepreneur and a journalist have teamed to bring the Newtown Pippin apple - a Colonial-era delicacy - back to its Queens roots.

But David Kistner of Bayside and Eric Baard of Long Island City need a little help from Elmhurst residents.

...Kistner and Baard have thus far fallen short of their goal of rooting a Newtown Pippin in its historical home turf.

"That would be a thrill for us," said Baard, who now works for Kistner's company.

Baard thinks the "most wonderful location" would be at the new Elmhurst Park - site of the former Elmhurst Gas Tanks.

But the Parks Department generally avoids placing "fruit-bearing trees in public parks because they require a specific kind of care and maintenance," said agency spokeswoman Cristina DeLuca.

So Kistner and Baard are hoping someone in Elmhurst can suggest a suitable plot.

Our official apple?

From the NY Times:

The apple of the Big Apple is almost nearly always portrayed as red (despite City Hall’s recent environmental aspirations).

But what if it were actually green?

A coalition of local environmental groups and a city councilman are pushing for a lopsided, mottled green apple to be the “official apple of New York.”

The apple in question is the Newtown Pippin, which originated in what is now Elmhurst, Queens, around 1720 and then ascended to become a trademark apple for Colonial America. It is believed to be one of the only — if not the only — apple that originated in the five boroughs of New York City. But the Newtown Pippin has long faded from local orchards (though it has remained a niche product in Virginia under the name Albermarle Pippin).

Apply for a free sapling here.