John Leguizamo forms New York park conservancy

Actor John Leguizamo and his wife have founded a conservancy in New York to help revitalise Washington Square Park. The Ice Age star and his partner, Justine Maurer, have teamed up with bosses at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to found a nonprofit organisation, which will reform the popular landmark in Greenwich Village.
Maurer tells the New York Post, “We want the park to be clean, safe and beautiful. We want to work with the community to make this park as great as it can be.”
The agency will help maintain lawns and regulate day-to-day operations with the help of private donors, but the formation of the group has outraged a number of locals, who fear the conservancy will destroy the square and its relaxed vibe by cracking down on buskers.
In a post on the Washington Square Park blog, one fan writes, “I always thought John Leguizamo was a good guy. He donated some money to a group I worked with, the No Spray Coalition, fighting pesticide spraying, at one point. But this is just wrong. I don’t think Justine realizes what she just walked into.”