Tag Archives: Parks & Recreation

seniors

POSTPONED: Join Us For The 7th Annual Power of Aging Well Health Festival

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Please note that due to weather forecasts, we will be POSTPONING tomorrow’s festival. We will report on a new date as soon as possible. Thanks!

In one week from today, Thursday, June 13, 2013, from 10 AM to 2 PM, Melissa, in collaboration with Metropolitan Hospital Center and NYC Department of Aging will hold their Power of Aging Well Annual Health Festival at Thomas Jefferson Park. Please join us for this annual festival that’s dedicated to our senior population. It is always a enjoyable day filled with entertainment, art, exercise and even health screenings. Please help us spread the word to your older family members or neighbors who could benefit from this festival. We hope to see you there!

powerofaging

WHO: Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, Metropolitan Hospital Center, NYC Department for the Aging, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation, and Metroplus Medicare
WHAT: The Power of Aging Well Annual Health Festival
WHEN: Thursday, June 13, 2013. 10 AM to 2 PM
WHERE: Thomas Jefferson Park (First Avenue between East 112th and East 114th Streets)

Para ver el volante del evento en español, haga clic aquí. 
To see the flyer for the event in Chinese, please click here. 

East Harlem’s Senior Pool Party to Launch Senior Hours in 14 City-Wide Pools

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We are delighted to announce that the Parks Department, Department for The Aging and Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs’ office will be holding the public launch of 14 city-wide swimming pools’ senior hours at our very own Thomas Jefferson Park Pool on Monday, July 9th at 10 AM. But the party doesn’t start then – the East Harlem Senior Pool Party will start at 9 AM on Monday, July 9th to kick-off our senior hours which will be every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 to 11 AM (July 9 – August 31).

In response to our local seniors’ requests, Melissa pushed for Thomas Jefferson Park Pool to be the first to offer dedicated hours to our seniors as a part of the Age Improvement District initiative alongside with New York Academy of Medicine last summer. Because of Melissa’s efforts, our community will no longer be the only one benefiting from senior hours at public pools, which promotes recreation and physical well-being, but now 13 other pools city-wide will be able to as well. Throughout the summer, a qualified instructor will be at each of these sites teaching organized water exercises and swim instruction.

“I am always proud when our community of El Barrio/East Harlem can serve as a laboratory for successful, innovative initiatives like this one,” Melissa commented.  “We were the first to launch an Age Improvement District with the New York Academy of Medicine and the first to offer dedicated hours at our public pool for seniors.  It is truly wonderful to see these senior pool hours being offered across the five boroughs this year.  I thank Commissioner Benepe and the Parks Department for expanding this program citywide, as well as all of our local partners who are helping to make our community a healthier and more livable place to grow old.”

So come join us for this pool party to kick-off a monumental swim season for our seniors. We welcome all those over the age of 50 to enjoy the free snacks and music with your neighbors.  To get the full list of pools participating in senior hours – click here. We hope to see you there!

WHAT: East Harlem’s Senior Pool Party & the launch of Senior Hours at public pools city-wide

WHERE: Thomas Jefferson Park Pool, First Avenue and East 112th Street

WHEN: Monday, July 9th; 9 AM (the launch of Senior Hours will be at 10 AM)

Melissa Celebrates Budget Restorations to Our City’s Parks

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Melissa, who chairs the City Council’s Committee on Parks & Recreation, issued the following statement regarding the budget deal announced between the City Council and the Bloomberg administration and the restorations to our city’s parks.  Altogether, the Parks Department’s budget will see an increase of over $37 million from the FY13 Executive Budget presented by the Mayor this past May.

“As we head into the summer months, New Yorkers can rest assured that our city’s parks will not see the severe reductions originally proposed in the Mayor’s Executive Budget for the coming fiscal year.  I am thrilled that the City Council was able to work in partnership with the administration to restore tens of millions of dollars in desperately needed funding to our parks.  This restoration will keep all our city’s pools open for the entire summer, make sure that our parks stay clean and well maintained and keep New Yorkers employed.  In particular, I am relieved that our restorations helped the City to avoid a plan that would convert Job Training Participants (JTPs) to Work Experience Program (WEP) status.  The restoration by the Council and the administration will also ensure that our street trees are better maintained by reducing the tree pruning cycle from 20 years to 7 years and will maintain the Council’s Playground Associates initiative which provides supervised recreation at our local playgrounds.

“This incredible restoration would not have been possible without the commitment of my colleagues to supporting our parks.  I would especially like to thank Speaker Christine Quinn and Finance Chair Domenic Recchia for prioritizing the Parks Department’s budget to ensure that the Department did not see cuts that would have severely impacted its ability to maintain the parks system that we all love.  I would also like to thank the Bloomberg administration, Commissioner Adrian Benepe, the City Council Finance staff and of course all of the advocates and members of the public who stood strong in calling for more resources for our parks.”