Fort Hamilton Triangle

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Fort Hamilton Senior Center Is The Park Of The Month

Photo by Daniel Avila

For over 40 years, the Fort Hamilton Senior Center has provided the community with diverse and exciting programming, catering to all interests and skill levels. Located in Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, the senior center offers activities for both body and mind for its more than 700 members.

“The Parks Department is pleased to provide services not only for the young, but also the young at heart. We are proud of all that the Fort Hamilton Senior Center has to offer Brooklyn’s seniors,” said Commissioner Benepe. “It is important to expose all New Yorkers to recreation and education programs. With activities ranging from arts and crafts to dance lessons to computer classes, the Fort Hamilton Senior Center is an excellent gathering place for seniors to socialize and demonstrate their creative talents.”

The Fort Hamilton Senior Center has something for everyone. It offers a performance stage where plays and special performances are held, two game rooms, a kitchen, an arts & crafts room, and a computer resource center.

In addition there are daily activities that include arts & crafts, fitness programs, games, music lessons, dance lessons, movies and coming soon, sewing classes. The busy social schedule is filled with activities ranging from oil painting to line dancing to bingo. While the center is usually open from Monday through Saturday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., it stays open until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, offering additional access to its computers and fitness equipment.

Upcoming events at the center include a Spring Fling Barn Dance on Thursday, May 15, a May/June Birthday Party on Saturday, May 31, and the center’s 41st Anniversary Party on Saturday, June 21.

Constructed in 1967, the Fort Hamilton Senior Center was built as part of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge Project in cooperation between the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.

The Fort Hamilton Senior Center is located at 9941 Fort Hamilton Parkway, at 100th Street. For information on becoming a member, please call (718) 439-4296.

Park of the Month introduces some of our greatest parks and recreation centers to curious New Yorkers and visitors alike. Visit www.nyc.gov/parks for more information about the Fort Hamilton Senior Center and an archive of past featured parks.

FORESTRY & HORTICULTURE APPOINTMENTS

We are pleased to announce the following appointments in Central Forestry & Horticulture:

Bram Gunther, Deputy Chief. Bram started in Parks in 1991 as an Urban Park Ranger. In 1996 he became the Director of the Urban Park Rangers. In 1999 he moved over to Central Forestry and in 2000 became Deputy Director. He holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Management from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Jennifer Greenfeld, Director of Street Tree Planting. Jennifer started at Parks in July 1997 with Central Forestry when it was still located in the basement of the Arsenal. Her initial responsibilities were administering the New York Tree Trust and in 1999 became the Trust’s director. In January 2008 she became the Acting Director of Million Trees NYC until the position is filled. She will take on her new role as Director of Street Tree Planting this spring. She has a B.A. in biology and environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Forest Science from Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Richard Cabo, Citywide Nursery Manager. Richard started in Parks March 2001 as a CPW at the Citywide Nursery. He became an assistant gardener at the Citywide Nursery, and in 2005 became a gardener in Manhattan in charge of the grounds of Morris Jumel Mansion. In 2006 he moved to Gracie Mansion and later that year was promoted to horticulture manager for District 7 in Manhattan, which includes Theodore Roosevelt Park. Richard is a graduate of the Master Gardener program.

I am also pleased to announce the following appointments to the new title of Senior Forester. This position was created as a result of the considerable increase in street tree planting and staff due to PlaNYC. Senior foresters oversee the capital street tree planting program and personnel for each borough.

Joseph Kocal, Queens. Joe started with Parks in August of 2004 as a forester for Queens, and is now the Senior Forester for the same borough. He has a B.S. from U.C. Berkeley in Conservation Resource Studies.

Jonathan Pywell, Bronx. Jon started at Parks in September 2006 as a forester for Brooklyn. He has a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of Florida College of Agriculture.

Erin Roche, Brooklyn. Erin started with Parks in January 2006 as a forester for Staten Island. She has a B.S. from the University of Vermont.

Matthew Stephens, Staten Island. Matthew started with Parks in February 2007 as a forester for Staten Island. He has a B.S. in Horticulture and a minor in Economics from Illinois State University. He has a M.S. from the University of Delaware in Public Horticulture.

Michael Vacek, Manhattan. Mike started with Parks in February 2007 as a forester for Manhattan. He has a B.S. in Biology and a B.F.A. in photography from the University of Minnesota.

Please join me in congratulating them.

Thank you,
Fiona Watt, Chief of Forestry & Horticulture

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“Learning is not attained by chance,
it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”

Abigail Adams
(1744 - 1818)