Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe cheered on competitors at the Manhattan preliminaries on Saturday, watching players like American Bocce President Peter Rabito. Chef Lidia Bastianich from Lidias Italy helped kick off the event and awarded $1,000 in prize money to The Devils, the winning team from Queens.

The Citywide Bocce tournament brings New Yorkers out from every borough and from all age groups, Commissioner Benepe said. Bocce is sweeping the country and Parks is proud to bring this international sport to the City.

Queens-based teams swept the finals. Lidia Bastianich awarded the The Devils team members an $1,000 check. The team also won the chance to ride on the Parks float in the Columbus Day Parade. Queens Team Adriatica earned 2nd place overall and $300 in prize money. Manhattans American Bocce Club clinched 3rd place and $200. Last year, two teams from Brooklyn took 1st and 3rd place with participants from Queens earning 2nd place.

Participants from the Bronx played in Pelham Bay Park while Brooklyn players competed at Marine Park. In Manhattan, bocce enthusiasts gathered at J.J. Walker Park and in Queens, teams faced off in Juniper Valley Park. Winning teams from each borough dueled at Juniper Valley Park in Queens on Sunday, September 30.

The Citywide Bocce Tournament was presented by New York City Parks & Recreation, in conjunction with the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

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Contact: Warner Johnston /Trish Bertuccio (212) 360-1311

Collaboration among agencies is key to New York Citys disability access effort in parks and communities throughout the five boroughs. This announcement underscores Parks commitment to making City parks accessible to everyone and complements the Human Rights Commissions recent work in Brighton Beach and other communities on accessibility in residential buildings and stores.

Weve brought New Yorkers Wheelchair Football and Quad Rugby, a website designed for those with visual, hearing, mobility, and cognitive impairmentsand now we bring you the waves and the sand, said Commissioner Benepe. Today, we celebrate yet another example of Parks commitment to helping ALL New Yorkers discover how the Citys 29,000 acres of parkland can enrich their lives with programs, facilities, and now beach access.

Thanks to $130,000 in Mayoral funding, the Parks Department was able to install almost 2,000 feet of accessible Mobi-Mats at four beaches around the City: in the Rockaways at Beach 116th Street, Queens; Brighton Beach, Brooklyn; Orchard Beach, Bronx; and Midland Beach at Jefferson Avenue, Staten Island. All locations have accessible public transportation and accessible comfort stations.

The mats were laid on the sand and secured with 14-inch staples, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Find more information at: http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/accessibility/beach_trail.html.

These successful modifications create true mobility and independence, said Commissioner Gatling. People with disabilities have a right to participate fully in all areas of life and are protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations under the City Human Rights Law. We are thrilled today to join with Parks in making these City beaches available to all.

In 2006, the Human Rights Commissions Equal Access Program targeted Brighton Beach because of its large number of elderly and disabled individuals and high percentage of old residential multiple-dwelling buildings. The staff received numerous inquires about making the ocean reachable to individuals with disabilities, and within a few months, Parks had installed mats for a trial run. The Commission will continue to work in Brighton Beach until all the targeted buildings are accessible.

I congratulate the Parks Department on another victory for New Yorkers with disabilities, said Commissioner Sapolin. We are happy to celebrate yet another example of how the City of New York is becoming more accessible for all New Yorkers.

The Parks Departments goal is to provide access and opportunity, going above and beyond mere compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide access as well as increased opportunities for recreation and participation. Visit us at www.nyc.gov/parks for more information on accessibility, including playgrounds and centers with programming and field trips, free Aquatic Therapy Instruction, Wheelchair Basketball and Football, Quad Rugby, and more.

Parks has been aggressive in our goal of accessibility a few examples of Parks programs include:

• Playgrounds for All Children have accessible play equipment, and at many playgrounds, Parks has programming that reaches out to children with special needs from across the city. School field trips, a yearly carnival, and other special events include face painting, entertainment, and arts & crafts;
• Greenbelt Recreation Center in Staten Island and the soon-to-open Fowler Recreation Center in Queens have accessible equipment and features;
• The Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool and Ice Hockey Rink, opening in the fall, will have an Olympic-size public pool with adjustable floors to accommodate small children and people with disabilities. The NHL-standard ice hockey rink will be equipped for sled hockey.
• Owen-Dolen Center in the Bronx provides field trips for disabled children on Saturdays, as well as a summer day camp;
  Graniteville Outreach and Therapeutic Recreation Center in Staten Island provides programs and workshops for all special needs groups;
• Free Aquatic Therapy at five locations citywide;
• Wheelchair Basketball, Football, Softball, and Quad Rugby;
• Accessible camping every weekend in July and August with the Urban Park Rangers with accessible tents; and
• Accessible New York City beaches.
• This summers season of Its My Park on NYC TV documents a wide variety of free Parks activities for people with disabilities in every borough, including Wheelchair Tennis instruction in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. To watch Its My Park! videos on wheelchair accessible facilities in New York City parks, search at www.nyc.gov/parks.

The Citys beaches opened on Saturday, May 27, with lifeguards on duty daily, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Swimming is strictly prohibited at all other times. Beaches will remain open through Labor Day weekend.

City beaches span a total of 14 miles and include Orchard Beach in the Bronx; Brighton Beach, Coney Island, and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn; Rockaway Beach in Queens; and Midland Beach, South Beach, and Wolfes Pond Beach in Staten Island. All City beaches are free to the public.

"New York Citys beaches are in great shape, and we look forward to a fun and safe summer," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "We remind beach-goers to observe all beach rules and regulations, carefully monitor children at all times, and especially to never go in the water when there is not a lifeguard on duty."

Over the past four years, Parks & Recreation has spent $40 million on improvements to New York Citys beaches, and there is an additional $28 million worth of ongoing improvements. In the Bronx, a new lifeguard station is being completed to accompany the recently renovated main pavilion at Orchard Beach. South Beach on Staten Island is home to a new gazebo, shade pavilion and restored bathhouse, while Midland Beach boasts a new pier extending from the boardwalk into the Lower Bay of the New York Harbor. At Rockaway Beach in Queens, the City opened a new ocean-side skate park and playground in 2005, along with the City's first surfing beach. In Brooklyn, Parks is installing 95 historic boardwalk lights and will be welcoming professional volleyball to Coney Island for the first time this summer. Parks is also in process of lighting the famous Parachute Jump thanks to $1 million allocated by Borough President Markowitz.

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South Beach and the boardwalk have regained their glory days," said Commissioner Benepe. "With the opening of the South Fin Grill and the Vanderbilt catering hall, visitors and local residents have all the more reason to come down to the boardwalkany time of year."

The South Fin Grill and the Vanderbilt at South Beach catering hall opened their doors to patrons last summer and have become a popular destination for residents and visitors to enjoy a meal or attend an event with magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean and Verrazanno Narrows Bridge.

The Vanderbilt catering hall can host up to 400 guests and boasts expansive glass openings showcasing the views of Lower New York Bay. The South Fin Grill boasts cutting edge modern interior design and seats about 120 people. During warm weather visitors can enjoy al fresco dining on the adjacent boardwalk.

Next it was off to Conference House Park to cut the ribbon on nearly $9 million in improvements to Conference House Park. Commissioner Benepe was joined by Borough President James Molinaro and community residents to celebrate the transformation of the historic 265-acre park.

For most of its life, Conference House Park remained an undeveloped swath of land. Funding for this reconstruction went to giving the park an identity. An intricate pathway system creates a link to the citywide network of greenways and connects the historic museum buildings, while a bicycle path replaces existing paved routes within the park. Additional work included a new entry drive, pathways, fitness trails, and a boardwalk that facilitates bird watching.

A handful of historic houses within the park were also renovated as part of the reconstruction. The visitors center, which will serve as the parks hub and will eventually host a Native American educational center, was reconstructed and a new roof was installed. The nearby Biddle and Conference Houses underwent landscaping, while structural work was carried out on the Ward and Rutan-Feltch Houses.

Conference House Park sits on the location where British General Howe asked Benjamin Franklin to lay down his arms and not resist the British occupation during the Revolutionary War.

"All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oysters autobiography."

(1920-1993)

Bronx
Saturday, August 14 is National Marina Day. Hammonds Cove Marina, at Harding and Pennyfield Avenues, will celebrate the event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with games, rides, music, and delectable food. The Coast Guard will teach water safety, and chiropractors and masseuses will relieve your accumulated stresses of the week next to the beautiful waterfront.

Brooklyn
On August 14, 21, and 28, Brooklyns Wingate Park, at the intersection of Brooklyn Avenue and Rutland Road, will host Youth Day. From 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a poetry slam, Double Dutch contest, organized basketball games, a talent show, and food. The Departments of Education and Youth Services will also be there to provide information relating to youth issues.

Manhattan
An exciting and historical event taking place for the first time in Manhattan, KompaStage2004, a Haitian-American free music festival, will be held in Battery Park on August 15, 2004 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. "KompaStage Music Fest" celebrates Haitis 200th anniversary as a sovereign nation. Battery Park is located at Battery Place and State and Whitehall Streets.

Queens
Celebrate the cultural diversity of Queens at Outdoor Cinema 2004 in Socrates Sculpture Park, at Vernon Boulevard, Broadway, and 31^st Road. This annual festival of international film, music, dance, and food presented by Socrates Sculpture Park in collaboration with the American Museum of the Moving Image, holds free screenings every Wednesday until September 1 at 7 p.m. Created six years ago by Socrates Sculpture Park in cooperation with Partnerships for Parks, each evening in the six-part series focuses on a different country or culture. Local performing arts groups showcase the talents of their members, and area restaurants present regional foods.

Staten Island
On August 21 and 22, from noon to 9 p.m., Midland Beach, stretching from Fort Wadsworth to Miller Field, will host the Back to the Beach Celebration. This annual event celebrates the renovation of Midland Beach by offering two days of food, fun, and entertainment to the public. While artists craft creations in the sand, landlubbers can cruise the Midland Beach Promenade for deals on jewelry, T-shirts, and pocketbooks. Kids can bounce in blow-up castles, fly high on carnival rides, and satisfy their hunger with sausage and peppers, calzones, and funnel cake.

Citywide
Parks & Recreation is proud to present the 8^th annual Citywide Beach Volleyball Tournament. Borough preliminaries begin this Saturday in parks and beaches throughout the five boroughs. Saturdays top teams will compete for the citywide title and $3,000 in cash prizes on Sunday, August 15 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Coney Island Beach. Sponsored by Snapple, this rain-or-shine event is free and open to everyonelike all the Best Stuff in NYC.

Compiled by Citywide Special Events

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

The day began with a dedication ceremony at Fort Hill Parkthe site of a Revolutionary War fortificationwith City Council Member Michael McMahon. Parks & Recreation acquired the .78-acre plot of land with $525,000 in funds allocated by Borough President Molinaro and Council Member McMahon.

Fort Hill Park, once Fort Knyphausen, sits on a wooded hillside area, built by Prussian general Baron Knyphausen while Staten Island was under British occupation during the American Revolution. In 1780 British troops successfully repelled the American Continental Army when they occupied New York. Because of its neighborhood location, Fort Hill Park will remain a passive park and will likely feature walking paths and seating. The existing woodlands will be preserved for the neighborhood to enjoy.

After a break for lunch, it was on to Midland Beach and a groundbreaking with Council Member James Oddo for a new skate park. The new skate park is 200,000 square feet and will include 22 ramp components. The park was designed by Peter Beeton, with the help of local teenagers who had advocated for a skate park at Midland Beach. The Resident Engineer on the project was George Erickson. Funding for the $550,000 construction project was allocated by the Mayor and the New York State Environmental Protection fund. This is the first public skate park in Staten Island and the fifth skate park Parks & Recreation has opened in the past three years. The others are Millennium Skate Park in Brooklyn, Riverside Skate Park in Manhattan, Mullaly Skate Park in the Bronx, and Forest Park Skate Park in Queens.

Mondays events followed several other high profile events in Staten Island parks. In late June, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg joined the Borough President and Commissioner Benepe at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Greenbelt Nature Center, a $4.4 million visitor and orientation facility within the 2,800-acre Greenbelt. Just a month later, the Mayor was back in a Staten Island park to announce a $270,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for Mariners Marsh on the islands northwest shore. The grant, which will be used to complete environmental assessments and testing, is a key step in transforming the 107-acre brownfield into a revitalized park and protected open space.

Borough Commissioner Tom Paulo recognized the renewed focus on Staten Island parks. "It is clear that Staten Island parks are a priority to the Bloomberg administration," said Commissioner Paulo. "With the growing population, both new parks and renovated parks are playing a more crucial role in our boroughs quality of life."

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"the sweet peas cling
to their wet white string
on the whitewashed fences;
bumblebees creep
inside the foxgloves,
and evening commences."

Elizabeth Bishop
Excerpt from poem, "The Moose"

The Arsenal Gallerys newest exhibit, Going Coastal: The Beaches of New York City, offers viewers a look at the history and development of the Citys beaches. The exhibition features 92 archival and contemporary photographs, vintage postcards, historic renderings, as well as artifacts and memorabilia representing the vital role that beaches play in the life of the city.

Until the 19^th century, the Long Island Sound and Atlantic shorelines were pristine, rugged, and hard to get to. But in the 1820s, the first developments sprang up, beginning a long tug-of-war between private and public control of what was to become an increasingly valued resource. After the Civil War, the pace of development accelerated with the opening of fashionable resorts like the Manhattan Beach and Oriental Hotels at Coney Island. Sections of the wild dunes of the Rockaway peninsula in Queens and Staten Islands South Shore were also converted for recreation. By centurys end, with the help of improved rail and ferry transportation, a thriving amusement-park culture was serving the citys skyrocketing population.

By the late 1920s, the City had established Jacob Riis Park, the Coney Island boardwalk, and a few small waterfront parks in Brooklyn and Queens that catered mainly to day-trippers. But most of the shoreline was claimed and managed by entrepreneurs, whose taste often ran to the tawdry. At Wolfes Pond Park on Staten Island, and in portions of the Rockaways and Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, large and sometimes illegal bungalow communities took root.

When he became Parks Commissioner in 1934, Robert Moses set out to expand and make the beaches more wholesome. He emphasized the need for an orderly, healthful, and safe experience, which required razing the offending bungalows and kicking out poorly-run concessions, plagued by corruption. Before the Parks Department gained full jurisdiction of the beaches in 1938, he commented, "No inland lake, stream or pool can compete with the Ocean and its tributaries which surround the City." Vast improvements followed. In the Bronx, the water between Rodmans Neck and Hunter Island was filled to create Orchard Beachs wide crescent. New boardwalks went up at South and Midland Beaches, Coney Island, Rockaway, and Jacob Riis Parks. Public works like the Belt Parkway and the Marine Parkway Bridge improved beach access.

Moses was a victim of his success. Postwar beach attendance soared, and in response the City aggressively acquired coastland, including Manhattan Beach. By the time Moses left office in 1960, public beaches had increased from 1 to 17.96 miles. His successors have faced operational hurdles of almost biblical proportions as they have combated storms, fires, medical waste, and ordinary litter. In 1974, during the fiscal crisis, Riis Park in Queens and Great Kills on Staten Island were transferred along with Jamaica Bay from City to Federal jurisdiction as the Gateway National Recreation Area.

Now the increasingly post-industrial city has turned its attention again to its waterfront, an emphasis that has led to many public and private beach projects. At Orchard Beach, $3.3 million was invested in 1998 to rebuild the monumental bathing pavilions and terraces. At Midland Beach on Staten Island, an enormous capital investment has paid for boardwalk repair, a grand entrance plaza (2002), and a new fishing pier (2003). At Rockaway Beach, the City broke ground in 2004 for a new oceanside skate park, while Coney Island gained new comfort stations, information kiosks, music pavilions, and KeySpan Park (2001), home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. These amenities will help the 12 million visitors to the citys beaches cool off and enjoy themselves, ensuring that New Yorkers continue to go coastal well into the 21^st century.

Most of the images on display are from the New York City Parks & Recreation Photo Archive and Map File Collections. Images are also on loan from the Municipal Archives, and vintage postcards were generously loaned from the Staten Island Institute of Arts & Sciences. The exhibition is curated by Parks & Recreations Director of Art & Antiquities Jonathan Kuhn, with assistance from Public Art Coordinator Patricia Hamilton. Additional images or "outtakes" can be found in a virtual gallery presented on Parks & Recreations website at www.nyc.gov/parks.

"I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again."

Many students felt that parks could be improved with the addition of a few simple amenities. Lawrence from Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center wrote, "I would change the Thomas Jefferson Center. I would make it a lot bigger, and on the roof I would put jacuzzis, a mini pool, and a basketball court." Vianely, Joseph, and Franchesca from Highbridge Recreation Center thought that parks could be improved by painting murals reflective of particular community values.

Others would call upon local volunteers to improve their parks. "If I were Parks Commissioner, I would talk to the Mayor and get the parks cleaned up," commented Tito of Cromwell Recreation Center. "I would run a campaign to get the community involved...I would work for a New York holiday called Parks Day where there are festivities, food, and games." Kevin, also from Cromwell, would focus his attentions on shoreline restoration. "If I were the Parks Commissioner for the day, I would go to Midland Beach. I would gather volunteers from the community to help us clean up the beaches. We would clean up underneath the boardwalk and the sand to make sure that it will be a safer place for the kids to play."

Fabiola, of Metropolitan Recreation Center, would create a Disney World in New York City. "It would be wonderful, and any kind of people could go. If it was Christmas, I would put a big Santa and he would be fat. If it was New Years, I would put Mickey and Minnie in carriages and Minnie would have a shiny dress."

Emmanuela from Lost Battalion Hall had a more disciplinarian take on the role of the Parks Commissioner. She emphasized that good user behavior is essential to park upkeep. "People who are caught littering should be given a ticket or spend the night in jail," she wrote. "Littering makes everything look so dirty."

While some focused on physical improvements to parks, others thought changes should be made to their own AfterSchool programs. Julius of Lost Battalion Hall would "get an ice cream truck to come by every half an hour," while Nathaniel from Cunningham Recreation Center would have homework time "shortened to one minute." In contrast, Jamaal, from Pelham Fritz, would extend afterschool time and require more computer lessons. He would also "have waiters skating with trays" to deliver snacks. J. Hood Wright participant Harby, cognizant of the restorative power of mirth, would "make people laugh by singing the SpongeBob song from the beginning." Harby would then "tell kids to celebrate their life while they live."

A number of the students displayed a touching concern for the welfare of AfterSchool staff, with whom they spend hundreds of hours a year. Carl from Sorrentino Recreation Center writes, "If I were Parks Commissioner for a day, I would give all the staff members of each recreation center a raise in pay...Most of all, I would make sure that everyone that I hired has a good time with their jobs." Another Sorrentino participant would make sure that the staff were given foot massages when fatigued, while Jasmine of Cromwell Recreation would reward the best-performing employees from each borough: "If I were Commissioner of parks...I would take the five best employees from each borough and take them out to dinner."

Some students focused on special events. "When there are holidays, I will invite Beyoncto sing," writes Kenia from Metropolitan Recreation Center. Tarik from Pelham Fritz would have an eclectic array of "special guests," including P. Diddy, Ashanti, and Bill Gates.

Denzell, of Lost Battalion Hall was particularly concerned with communication between park management and park users. He wrote, "I would have my address on advertisements so you could write to me about any changes you want made. You would have to try your best to not write too many letters to me so my mailbox is not full and I have to take three hours looking through mail. Also, you have to remember that I cannot always do what you ask for, so do not get mad if I cannot change or add what you wanted to be changed or added."

"I long to be in the midst of the children, and have more pleasure in their little follies than in the wisdom of the wise

Thomas Jefferson

From an 1801 letter to his daughter

We need responsible, motivated, dedicated individuals to help safeguard the 11 million swimmers that take a dip in the Big Apple every summer, said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. Being part of the New York City Lifeguard Corps is a fun and rewarding summer job that really makes a difference. You will be working alongside a team of some of the best and most respected lifeguards in the world, and youll also learn valuable skills that will help you in any career.

As part of its efforts, Parks & Recreation has delivered letters and Lifeguards Wanted posters to every member of the City Council, State Senate, and State Assembly, and to the borough presidents. Posters decorate the hallways in New York City public schools, and a public service announcement campaign has been launched. Yesterday, Parks & Recreation made a presentation of its plans to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who hopes to raise recruitment numbers in his borough. Brooklyns Coney Island receives more beach visitors each year than in any other borough (Rockaway Beach in Queens ranks second), and Brooklyns 14 outdoor pools have the second highest attendance (after Manhattan, which has 16 outdoor pools).

Foreign recruitment has also begun. The program, started several years ago, brings foreign students in on a J-1 visa, which allows them to work for three months and travel for the fourth. Already, several new lifeguards have signed on to cross the Atlantic, mainly from Poland and Latvia, both of which have great reputations for top-notch lifeguards.

The requirements for the job arent easy, but the rewards are great especially as summer jobs for high school students. Lifeguards must be 16 years old when they begin working, must be able to swim 50 yards in 35 seconds, and must have minimum vision of 20/30 in one eye and 20/40 in the other without corrective lenses. Recruits who successfully complete the course are guaranteed a job and will be paid for time spent in training. The starting salary is $10.08 per hour, and lifeguards are expected to work six days a week, including holidays and weekends (when beach and pool attendance is the highest). Exams are held Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the 59th Street Recreation Center, located at 533 West 59th Street in Manhattan. Candidates who pass the exam will be able to participate in a free lifeguard training course.

Parks & Recreation manages 53 outdoor pools in all five boroughs and 14 miles of beaches. Beaches are open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and pools are open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., seven days a week. Last year, Parks & Recreation recruited and trained close to 1,000 lifeguards, and by July 4, 2003, the City was able to open all of its beach areas for swimming. Also, the number of returning lifeguards has increased each of the last two years, with a 75 percent return rate in 2002 and a 81 percent return rate last year.

This season, the beaches open for swimming on Saturday, May 29 and the pools open on Saturday, June 26. New York City beaches include Orchard Beach in the Bronx, Coney Island and Manhattan Beaches in Brooklyn, Rockaway Beach in Queens, and South Beach, Midland Beach, and Wolfes Pond in Staten Island. For more information about the becoming a lifeguard, or to learn more about the Citys beaches and pools, please visit www.nyc.gov/parks or call 311.

Written by Eric Adolfsen

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

Friends at hearths are drawn to the one warm air; strangers meet on beaches drawn to the one wet sea.

Marie Ponsot
Springing, 1961