http://www.dnainfo.com/20110617/washington-heights-inwood/bette-midler-honored-for-work-on-upper-manhattans-parks

By Paul Lomax

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Last night in Washington Heights Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined the Fort Tryon Park Trust in honoring Hollywood star Bette Midler for her work through the non-profit New York Restoration Project that has rejuvenated the parks of Northern Manhattan.

Midler was presented with a silver tree spade, designed by Miguel Lopez-Castillo and fabricated by the artist at The Green Foundry in Maine.

Michael Bloomberg presented the spade, accompanied by NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Fort Tryon Park Trust Board Chair Joseph Pierson, and Vice Chair Edith Kean.

"Miss Midler has done so much for this park and all the uptown parks, so it's just fantastic that Mayor Bloomberg could be a part of Miss Midlers' special occasion," said Jennifer Hoppa, Northern Manhattan Parks Administrator for the Parks Department.

The evening began with cocktails at the New Leaf Cafe where Mayor Bloomberg took to the podium to praise Midler's work in revitalizing uptown parks, encouraging investment in the local area and galvanizing resources to improve Fort Washington Park and Swindler Park in Sherman Creek to name just a few.

Dinner was then served at the David Rockefeller Linden Terrace where over a hundred guests enjoyed garden salad followed by Filet Mignon and chocolate dessert.

The Fort Tryon Park Trust was formed in 1998 to forward the preservation and to maintain the 67-acre, Olmsted Brothers-designed park.

"I'm so thrilled to be here tonight," added Jo-Anna Robinson, 29, a photographer from Australia. "I'm a huge fan of Bette Midler and this is such a wonderful event. Every time I visit New York I always go to the New Leaf Cafe for brunch and then take a walk through this fabulous park."

Matthew Parker, 29, a local singer, actor and model, said he often comes to Fort Tryon Park to "escape the hustle and bustle of Manhattan."

Anne Straton, 34, who attended the dinner and cocktail gala accompanied by her 72-year-old mother Suzanne, said, "It's truly fantastic what Miss Midler has done for Fort Tryon park."

Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20110617/washington-heights-inwood/bette-midler-honored-for-work-on-upper-manhattans-parks#ixzz1ROND1y7t

Bette Midler Denies Al Pacino Romance

Bette Midler wants you to know that her and Al Pacino are not bumping uglies in the wee hours of the night.

Last month, HBO announced that Midler and Pacino were teaming up for a new film on the life of record executive Phil Spector.

PICTURES: Al Pacino Back To Work After The Globes

We all know how the tabloids can get when you have two hot co-stars working on a project together, so Midler looked to start and end rumors of a romp with Pacino before they could even develop.

"No truth to rumor that I’m romantically involved with Al. But feel free to spread it around; haven’t been on a tabloid cover in years," she joked.

We have to give Midler credit: starting a rumor and ending it in the same sentence takes some talent.

Like us on FACEBOOK & follow us on TWITTER

RumorFix | 1 Comment | Share Article | Email Articl

Bette Midler & Mick Jagger - Beast Of Burden

Bette Uptown medley

Bette before "THE ROSE"

Before entering the film industry, Midler established a devout following focused on her singing and an outrageous personality modeled after Mae West, Sophie Tucker, and Rosalind Russell. Known as "The Divine Miss M," she projected an image of brassy vulgarity, aggressive humor, and bawdy sexuality.

Bette Performing At The Baths

In 1970, Midler began singing at the Continental Baths, a gay bathhouse in the city, where she became close to her piano accompanist, Barry Manilow, who produced her first major album, The Divine Miss M in 1973.
Despite the way things turned out [with the AIDS crisis], I'm still proud of those days [singing at gay bathhouses]. I feel like I was at the forefront of the gay liberation movement, and I hope I did my part to help it move forward. So, I kind of wear the label of 'Bathhouse Betty' with pride.
—Bette Midler, Houston Voice

BEGAN HER CAREER AT THE CONTINENTAL BATHS

“I'm certain that whatever I may do in my life, whatever I may achieve, the headline of my obituary in the New York Times will read: BETTE MIDLER DEAD; BEGAN HER CAREER AT THE CONTINENTAL BATHS.” --Bette Midler