I've always been very fond of the lovely fountain in Academy Park near Eagle Street. It's elegant and refreshing (and not aging too well, but that's a story for another post). I even posed for a photo there before my senior prom. For some reason, I vaguely associated it with Albany's Tricentennial celebrations in 1986, but a recent search through the Times Union archives shows that it was erected in 1988. Well, no one's memory is completely perfect (though I do have some pretty vivid recollections from both years)
But, as often as I've admired the fountain, I never noticed this tiny plaque - a little smaller than a bumper sticker - affixed to a rock in the low shrubbery enclosing the fountain. I found it two days ago on my way to Lodge's and wondered just what it was doing there. The name Irving Kirsch was familiar...I knew he was a local attorney and philanthropist who passed away in 1999...but the little plaque didn't give a hint to why it was there.
Another search through the archives reveals that, in 1989, Mr. Kirsch donated $15,000 to help cover the expense of installing the fountain.
Oh, and for what it's worth, I completely agree with the sentiment on the plaque.
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