Thanks to endless opportunities for recreation, Jackie Robinson Park is one of the citys most beloved neighborhood parks, said Commissioner Benepe. During Black History Month, I encourage all New Yorkers to take a stroll along the parks tree-lined paths and visit the monument to the great Jackie Robinson inside the parks recreation center in athletics and beyond, Jackie Robinson is a hero to us all.

Like its namesake, the park has brought the community together for recreation. Originally built as a neighborhood playground to encourage organized play for local children, it was one of the ten original city parks to receive a pool in 1936. A recreation center was created the same year, and is now equipped with traditional cardiovascular equipment, a weight room, and a gymnasium. The recreation center also boasts a library, Computer Resource Center, and an arts and crafts room, among other features. Annual membership to this and all city recreation centers costs $75 for adults, $10 for seniors and is free to youth under 18.

Outside, the parks amenities abound. Two baseball diamonds, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and two playgrounds, one with a water play area, provide residents with spots to compete and play. Continuing in the parks theme of play, a bandshell hosts scores of concerts throughout the warm season, keeping Harlems tradition of fostering local music alive and well. The bandshells seating area received a $400,000 facelift in January. The park has also seen recent improvements to its sidewalks, fencing, curbs and landscaping.

Jackie Robinson Park was acquired by the City of New York between 1894 and 1899 and opened as a playground in 1911. Originally called Colonial Park, its construction was part of a nationwide reform effort to provide organized play to children in inner cities. In the 1930s, Parks utilized the resources of the Works Progress Administration to further improve the park. Parks architect Aymar Embury II designed an additional playground, basketball and volleyball courts, roller skating areas, and a wading pool. The opening of the Colonial Park Pool, one of ten pools completed in 1936 by Robert Moses, attracted an audience of 25,000 people.

A bronze bust of Jackie Robinson by Inge Hardison was installed inside the pool and recreation center entryway at West 147th Street and Bradhurst Avenue in 1981. The park was renamed for Jackie Robinson in 1978 under a local law introduced by Councilmember Fred Samuel and signed by Mayor Edward I. Koch.

On April 15, 1947, Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson made history as the first African-American to play in a major league baseball game. Robinson went on to lead the Dodgers, as a second baseman, to six World Series appearances. He retired in 1956 with a lifetime batting average of .311. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson then became involved with a number of black-owned community enterprises. He was also active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and served as a special assistant to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

Theres not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.

Jackie Robinson
(1919 1972)

Thanks to endless opportunities for recreation, Jackie Robinson Park is one of the citys most beloved neighborhood parks, said Commissioner Benepe. During Black History Month, I encourage all New Yorkers to take a stroll along the parks tree-lined paths and visit the monument to the great Jackie Robinson inside the parks recreation center in athletics and beyond, Jackie Robinson is a hero to us all.

Like its namesake, the park has brought the community together for recreation. Originally built as a neighborhood playground to encourage organized play for local children, it was one of the ten original city parks to receive a pool in 1936. A recreation center was created the same year, and is now equipped with traditional cardiovascular equipment, weight room, and gymnasium, the recreation center also boasts a library, Computer Resource Center, and an arts and crafts room, among other features. Annual membership to this and all City recreation centers costs $75 for adults, $10 for seniors and is free to youth under 18.

Outside, the parks amenities abound. Two baseball diamonds, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and two playgrounds, one with a water play area, provide residents with spots to compete and play. Continuing in the parks theme of play, a bandshell hosts scores of concerts throughout the warm season, keeping Harlems tradition of fostering local music alive and well. The bandshells seating area received a $400,000 facelift in January. The park has also seen recent improvements to its sidewalks, fencing, curbs and landscaping.

- 30 -

With $753,000 in funding from Council Member Jackson, Parks was able to renovate the outdoor playground by installing new playground equipment, safety surfacing, and a tropical-themed spray shower area. Parks also renovated the indoor basketball courts and fitness and weight rooms.

The bathhouse in Jackie Robinson Park was constructed in 1935 as part of the WPA pool program that opened 10 pools in one season. Originally named Colonial Pool, the building was designed by Aymar Embury II. It is a masonry building with decorative bas-relief sculptures and turrets on either end, and a cathedral-like, vaulted main lobby. The building was later named after baseball great Jackie Robinson (1919-1972).

Robinson is legendary for his pioneering role as the first black professional baseball player in the major leagues. He was born in Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919, and raised in Pasadena, California. Robinsons success was foretold at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he became the first student to earn letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. He then played football for the Los Angeles Bulldogs before serving in the army during World War II. After the war, Robinson played baseball in the Negro Leagues for the Kansas City Monarchs. His talent was soon recognized by Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who signed Robinson on August 28, 1945 to join the Montreal Royals in the International League. The Royals were the Dodgers top farm team.

On April 15, 1947, Robinson made history as the first African-American to play in a major league baseball game. He paved the way for generations of black athletes to compete in Americas national pastime. Professional baseball, however, did not become fully integrated until 1959, when the Boston Red Sox signed Elijah Green.

Robinson went on to lead the Dodgers, as a second baseman, to six World Series appearances. He retired in 1956 with a lifetime batting average of .311. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson then became involved with the Chock-Full-O Nuts restaurant chain as well as a number of black-owned community enterprises such as Freedom National Bank (which he co-founded) and a land development firm. He was also active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and served as a special assistant to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. Robinson died of heart disease on October 24, 1972, at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut.

"We should have a great many fewer disputes in the world if words were taken for what they are, the signs of our ideas, and not for things themselves."

John Locke
(1632-1704)

The Socrates Sculpture Parks On the Waterfront Festival will screen international films on Wednesday evenings, July 21 to August 25. This festival, sponsored by the American Museum of the Moving Image, Partnerships for Parks, and Socrates Sculpture Park, will also feature musicians, dancers, and regional cuisine.

The August 4 screening of Federico Fellinis classic La Strada is a highlight of the festival. This Italian cinematic feat emphasizes both romance and realism in the story of a love affair that develops between a circus wrestler and his young female servant. The film is remarkable for its cinematography alone, and, for that reason, it fits in perfectly with the short film that will be shown before it. This, That, and Other Minor Misunderstandings is a personal film about the journeys of New Yorker Edin Velez. These screenings highlight the intersection between todays New York film avant-garde and their international cinematic and cultural influences.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Summer Film Series at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park will show both a feature and a short film every Thursday from July 8 through August 12 at 8:45 p.m. In addition to the films, which are free and open to all, attendees will be able to purchase refreshments, rent beach chairs, and enter raffles. The series, sponsored by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, offers a wide variety of films that are all related to Brooklyn.

The East River may not be home to the great white sharks that terrorize the New England coastline in Jaws, but Brooklyn is the birthplace of the films star, Richard Dreyfuss. Though the August 12 screening of Jaws probably will not inspire any trips to nearby Coney Island, no movie is more appropriate to watch outside in summer months. The screening is paired with the short film, Hic!, which follows a young Brooklyn girl through her neighborhood as she tries to cure a case of the hiccups. These films show the diversity of the Brooklyn experience from the perspective of both a child and a seasoned actor.

The Third Annual Historic Harlem Parks Film Festival: Through African Eyes presents films Wednesdays, July 7 through 28 at 7:30 p.m. Each screening will be held in a different Harlem park and will highlight both films and musical performances focused on people of African ancestry all over the world. This film festival celebrates the diversity of African experience through a variety of art forms. Harlem historically has served as a center of African American arts, and this festival highlights the variety of influences on the African American experience.

Next Wednesday, July 14, the festival comes to the 150th Street and Bradhurst Avenue basketball courts in Jackie Robinson Park for a performance by the Brazilian dance group Kurimbata Samba and the Congolese film, Pies D'Identit/Identity Cards. The film, a modern day fable complete with a king, his beautiful daughter, her Prince Charming, and even a dragon, is much more than a fairy tale. It deals with the complex issues of identity that face members of the growing African Diaspora not just in the Congo, but also in places like Brazil and New York City.

Riverside Parks Reely New York Series, presented by the Young Riversiders, offers a more light-hearted variety of comic films shot in New York City every Wednesday, July 14 to August 18 at 8:30 p.m. The films will be shown at 103rd Street on the Promenade.

In Ghostbusters, showing August 4, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray save the day by cleaning out the Big Apples ghost population. They may not be PEP officers, but these crazy parapsychology professors turned crime fighters are just as committed to keeping the city safe for New Yorkers to engage in everyday activities like, for example, attending film festivals.

Written by Rebecca Silverstein

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"A grass-blades no easier to make than an oak."

James Russell Lowell
Poet, editor, and diplomat (1819-1891)

Kelli J. Curry was the Commissioners Employee of the Month. Kelli is the AfterSchool Coordinator at Jackie Robinson Recreation Center in Manhattan and has been with Parks & Recreation since October 17, 2001. Kelli began her Parks career teaching a class in literacy and creative writing at Jackie Robinson. She quickly worked her way up to coordinating the entire AfterSchool program. Kelli has developed a strong rapport with the children, especially the ones needing extra motivation. She has engaged her participants with fun activities, such as building two thriving community gardens from the ground up and filming a cooking show that demonstrates recipes using vegetables from the gardens. Kelli has taught hundreds of children English skills as well as life lessons. Through her work, she has helped children at Jackie Robinson overcome challenges with creativity and persistence. She is also a capable and positive representative for Parks in her work with Derek Jeters Turn 2 Executive Council, which funds AfterSchool programs. For running an outstanding and prominent program, Kelli was nominated by Deputy Commissioner for Public Programs Kevin Jeffrey.

Carmen Colon was the Capital Projects Employee of the Month. Carmen works with the Systems & Analysis Team and has been with Parks & Recreation since July 1, 1994. She administers the Capital divisions citywide project tracking system, a vital tool for monitoring the status of hundreds of capital projects and millions of dollars. Focused on customer service, Carmen responds to myriad requests for information and updates each day and keeps the flow of information and progress going. She went the extra mile recently when a co-worker fell ill, doing the work of two people to avoid a backlog. Committed and dependable, Carmen was nominated by Deputy Commissioner for Capital Projects Amy Freitag and Assistant Commissioner for Capital Projects Nancy Barthold.

Chris Chapman was the Management Employee of the Month. Chris is an Analyst with the Central Work Experience Program (WEP) and has been with Parks & Recreation since September 17, 2002. A graduate of NYUs Stern School, Chris worked as a volunteer at St. Marys Recreation Center for two years before joining Parks full-time. Chris handles the daily operations of WEP citywide in addition to job development and purchasing for WEP and the Parks Opportunity Program. He has led the effort to recognize WEP employees by organizing Participant of the Month programs and arranging this years holiday party and toy drive, which collected toys for over 500 children. Chris also oversees the care of workfare vans and handles the ordering and distribution for WEP clothing. Chris has quickly emerged as a major contributor to the workfare programs including the Parks Career Training Program, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this month and has helped place over 4,000 people in steady jobs. Intelligent and driven, Chris was nominated by Chief of the Parks Opportunity Program Jill Weber.

Stephen Gomez was an Operations Employee of the Month. Stephen is a Maintenance Worker in the Brooklyn Shops and has been with Parks & Recreation since September 20, 1996. Stephen is responsible for the repair and maintenance of all boilers, radiators, heating units, chimneys, ventilation ducts, and A/C units in the borough. His skills range from starting single fire boilers in park houses to fixing the intricate, computer-board controlled circuits in the dehumidifiers of indoor pools. Stephen has helped keep Wollman and Abe Stark Skating Rinks functional despite their advancing ages. This winter, he often worked late into the night to repair leaks so that the rinks could open for the holidays. Stephen is an excellent hands-on worker who is willing to take on tough challenges and conditions. For his dedication and skill, Stephen was nominated by Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Julius Spiegel.

Mahanth S. Joishy was an Operations Employee of the Month. Mahanth began with Parks & Recreation on July 20, 2001 and is now the Citywide Operations Analyst. Mahanth helps coordinate citywide fleet operations. He prepares fleet analyses in areas such as special events and the Urban Park Services, readies charts for Parkstat+, and addresses countless repair and accident issues. Mahanth helped spearhead a number of major agency initiatives, including the creation of the first Field Operations Book and the implementation of the field training initiative. Mahanth also organized last years Best of Parks awards at the United States Tennis Association and is now focusing on the Enabling the Workforce efforts, which stemmed from the Operations retreat with the Centre for Innovative Leadership. From field to fleet operations, Mahanth is playing an important and growing role. And, of course, Mahanth grills some mean omelettes each month at the Employee of the Month ceremony. He was nominated by Chief of Operations Keith T. Kerman and Deputy Chief Dan Froehlich.

Rosemary M. Tavarez was Public Programs Employee of the Month. Rosemary is the Center Manager of Alfred E. Smith Recreation Center in Manhattan and has been with Parks & Recreation since April 15, 1996. Rosemary oversees a staff of 10 full-time employees and additional consultants, volunteers, and interns. With her fundraising and organizing efforts, Rosemary ensures that Al Smiths recreation programs thrive. She secured a City Parks Foundation grant last year for a marching band. She spearheaded a citywide talent show, AfterSchool programs, and job fairs that have attracted over 5,000 people, placing many of them in employment. Rosemary also helped initiate groups such as the Cub Scouts and Rising Stars cheerleaders. Al Smith has improved since she took over in 1998 with gains in membership, revenue, and attendance, and high ratings in the last two inspections. Enthusiastic and hard-working, Rosemary was nominated by Chief of Recreation Chris Clouden.

"In this world nothing is certain
but death and taxes."

Benjamin Franklin
Letter to M. Leroy, 1789

One of the folks brimming with pride during the renovation kick-off was Center Manager Jackie Rowe-Adams. "I think it's wonderful," said Rowe-Adams. "What park better than Jackie Robinson to receive the renovationthats highly used by many, many members of the community." Rowe-Adams, noting that the Center was "way overdue" for a renovation, believes that the improvements will help get even more members of the community involved in the "Mecca of Harlem."

The $700,000 renovation will provide something new for all of Jackie Robinsons visitors. Fitness buffs will enjoy their workout on the indoor weight room's new floor. Competitors playing indoor basketball will be floored by the courts brand new surface and with new lighting being installed, a game of one-on-one never appeared brighter. Council Member Jackson allocated the funding and construction is expected to be complete in fall of 2004.

The engineering consultant for the project is Dewberry-Goodkind, Inc. and Urbahn Associates Inc. is serving as the sub-consultant for architecture and landscape architecture. Parks & Recreations Resident Engineer Gabriella Ward is supervising the construction.

Parks Committee Chair of Community Board 10 Haja Worley and Vice Chair of the Jackie Robinson Conservancy David Weaver were also on hand at Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony. Assistant Commissioner for Community Relations Edward Lewis, Assistant Commissioner for Capital Projects Nancy Barthold and Manhattan Borough Commissioner William Castro were among the Parks' personnel who lent their support.

The Centers namesake, Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), is legendary for his pioneering role as the first African American professional baseball player in the major leagues. On April 15, 1947, Robinson made history as the first African American to play in a major league baseball game. He paved the way for generations of African American athletes to compete in Americas national pastime. Robinson went on to lead the Dodgers, as a second baseman, to six World Series appearances. He retired in 1956 with a lifetime batting average of .311. (Coincidentally, this number is also the Citys information line.)

Jackie Robinson Recreation Center is sure to inspire young people to reach for the major leagues in whatever field they chose. The "Center is so family orientated, there is so much warmtheven our contractor, we cant keep her away," said Center Manger Rowe-Adams. Jackie herself radiates this warmth; each person who walked in her path on Wednesday couldn't resist but to give her a hug.

"Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry."

(1703-1791)

The sixteen parks are located in Astoria and the Long Island City waterfront in Queens; Harlem in Manhattan; Highbridge in Manhattan and Bronx; and Red Hook in Brooklyn. These four neighborhoods, selected in part for their potential for improvement, will receive $5 million in private funds raised by the City Parks Foundation (CPF), and will benefit from an anticipated $20 million in capital projects that are either already funded by local and federal sources or expect funding over the course of the four-year project. In addition, Partnerships for Parks is expecting to leverage additional private funding. The new monies will be used for new programming, to hire additional staff in each region, and to fund capital improvements. Projects will vary from park to park depending upon the needs and the desires of the communities that surround each park.

In the Queens parks, which include Astoria and Long Island City DeMarco, Hallets Cove, Hellgate, Queensbridge, Socrates, and Rainey parks, funding will be used to improve existing recreational facilities and increase waterfront access. In Astoria Park, funds have already been secured for an erosion control project, as well as for a capital project that will reconstruct the drainage for seven tennis courts in the park. Ultimately, Parks & Recreation would like to work with the community to develop a plan for a continuous waterfront greenway that would link all seven parks.

A similar waterfront expansion program will occur in Brooklyns Red Hook region, which includes Red Hook Park and Recreation Center, Coffey Park, and Valentino Pier. Funding from the federal government and Borough Presidents Office is already in place to provide bicycle and pedestrian enhancements to Valentino Park, including connections to the proposed Brooklyn Waterfront Trail.

In Manhattan, funding has been earmarked for Jackie Robinson, Marcus Garvey, Morningside and St. Nicholas Parks, four historic parks that have shown recent revitalization, due to increased community involvement. At Jackie Robinson Park, the City has just started a $700,000 project to renovate the recreation center and pool. Other funding will be used to support the nascent Historic Harlem Parks Coalition, and possibly, to reconstruct Marcus Garveys park amphitheater. Marcus Garvey Park has already benefited from the City Parks Foundations attention; it was the site of a Partnerships for Parks pilot program which spurred the development of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and brought new cultural programming, including high profile events such as the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, now produced by City Parks Foundation.

Manhattan will also benefit from upcoming projects at Highbridge Park in both boroughs. New funding will be used to explore re-opening the High Bridge, which was once a functioning pedestrian bridge that connected parks in the Bronx and Manhattan. The City is already completing a $700,000 project to improve paths in Manhattans Highbridge Park, and is investing additional funds in parks on either side of the High Bridge. As part of this new initiative, Partnerships for Parks will also work to cultivate a coalition of groups interested in restoring the High Bridge and Highbridge parks.

Over the course of the next four years, City Parks Foundation will spend $5 million on cultural and recreational programming in each area. This will include concerts in Jackie Robinson, Marcus Garvey and Highbridge Parks; track and field instruction in Astoria and Red Hook Parks; puppet shows, readings and performing arts for kids in the Historic Harlem Parks; golf instruction in Queensbridge Park. The $5 million will also support dedicated staff for each of the four regions, to help with community organizing and technical assistance for parks volunteers and groups.