By Steve Lawrence —
Those driving past Brick Pond in Owego will soon see a construction project underway, and to those who might worry that there might be an effort to – in the words of Joni Mitchell – “pave paradise and put up a parking lot,” worry thee not.
What will be constructed is a 340-square foot, fully wheelchair-accessible observation deck that will, in the words of Chris Audette, the Executive Director of the Fred L. Waterman Conservation Education Center, “improve the entire facility, will catch the eye, and hopefully draw more people to Brick Pond.”
Nick Edwards – the owner of NJE Tree and Landscaping – added, “The observation deck will allow full access to this beautiful area, and will hopefully get more people outside to see more wildlife.” (The deck was designed by Delta Engineers.)
The project is being funded by John Abrams, a professor at the University of Texas Medical School. And while Abrams has lived in Dallas for the past 35 years, Brick Pond is – to him and his two sons – a sacred place.
Pictured is Cindi Ford, a 1974 OFA graduate. Photo provided.
In the mid-1980s, when John was in graduate school at Stanford, he was introduced to Cynthia Ford, a young woman who was raised in Owego (OFA ’74), but had moved to California to run her own landscape design business. When it became clear to both of them that the relationship was getting serious, “Cindi” brought John to Owego to meet her family. (Many Owego residents fondly remember Bob Ford, a respected Opthamologist, Bell Ford, the Executive Director of the Red Cross, and Allyson Ford, a fine athlete at OFA.)
Before making the introductions, Cindi brought John to visit Brick Pond, where she and so many of her friends had spent many hours while growing up. They hiked around the perimeter of the wetlands in the summer, watching the birds, catching frogs, pretending they were in some faraway place. They built bonfires in the winter, toasting marshmallows and gliding across the pond on ice skates, pretending they were Peggy Fleming, the figure skating gold medalist of the 1968 Olympics.
When she went off to college at SUNY Geneseo and then to California, Cindi returned to Brick Pond as often as she could, feeling a deep connection to a part of herself she hoped never to lose. When she brought John there, he felt it too, and he became increasingly connected to that sacred place, to Owego itself, and to the people who loved Cindi.
I am pleased to say that I was one of those people, and she was one of my dearest friends from the moment we sat together on a chairlift at Greek Peak when we were 13, to the day Cindi passed unexpectedly in 2021. I spent time with Cindi and John in California 38 years ago and watched them raise their sons.
Throughout the course of their 30 years in Dallas, Cindi, John, and their sons – Kevin and Spencer – came to Owego several times per year. The boys went to summer camp at the Waterman Center, and Christmas parties at Bob and Bell’s house were wonderful gatherings. Having children the same ages, I spent time with them, going to Binghamton Mets games, out for pizza, and – you guessed it – to Brick Pond. Many of Cindi’s friends joked that despite the fact that she lived in Texas, we saw her more often than we saw some friends who still lived in Owego.
An architectural drawing of the project. Provided.
At the time of Cindi’s untimely passing, her mom was approaching 90, and John put forth a big effort to spend as much time in Owego as possible. It was clear that he felt a deep connection to his beloved wife while in Owego, and even after Bell passed in 2022, John kept coming back whenever possible. Those of us who were close to Cindi loved the opportunity to walk the snowy streets with John at Christmastime, his presence helping us to embrace Cindi’s memory even more deeply.
And now, we and many generations to follow will be able to go to Brick Pond, sit on the bench dedicated to her, and breathe in a deep sense of gratitude. Gratitude for having known Cindi, gratitude to John for providing such a generous gift in such a sacred place, and gratitude to the Fred L. Waterman Conservation Education Center for working to manage and protect six different nature preserves (including Brick Pond).
The project – which is on track to be completed by July 4 – will be a beautiful tribute to a beautiful soul in a beautiful town on a beautiful planet.
I was one of the lucky people in Dallas to call Cynthia a friend. At our “fun” dinners we often heard about Owego and how much it meant to her, and we girls had plans to go on one of her trips back home. Thank you Steve for sharing your memories and John for keeping active all of our memories of Cynthia.
Thank you for the lovely article about honoring a beautiful place and wonderful person! My wife, Laura, and I were good friends with John and Cindi in Dallas. Even though we now live in Maryland, we’re still connected with John. We think of Cindi a lot. As your article highlights, she loved nature, she loved landscaping, and she was a great teacher. Just yesterday, when I was in our yard trying to decide the best way to treat a struggling plant, Cindi’s words came to me, “Just move the damn thing to a place where it’s happy!” I’m sure that Cindi would be happy to know that many more people will be able to enjoy Brick Pond because of John’s work.
John, thank you for creating the Brick Pond Observation Deck. What a fitting tribute to Cindi, a beautiful force of nature and one-of-a-kind. She spoke so lovingly of her mother and dear friends in Owego. It’s wonderful that all of you can enjoy this beautiful place. I.