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The Daily Plant : Monday, June 27, 2005
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET…SWIM!
Malcolm Pinckney
Decked out with inflatable palm trees, potted plants, and cheerfully painted aquatic-themed planters, Thomas Jefferson Pool was the perfect location to kick off the start of the 2005 public pool season. On Friday, June 24, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe were joined by the Department of Education’s Director of Physical Education and Fitness Lori Benson and several hundred bathing-suit-clad school children eager to take their first dip of the summer. In addition to commemorating the pool’s opening, Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Benepe stressed water safety and provided pool-specific information. The remainder of the City’s 52 outdoor public pools opened Saturday, the 25th.
"All the City’s 52 outdoor pools are open seven days a week, free of charge," said Commissioner Benepe. "They are the best way to beat the heat in a safe environment, overseen by a cadre of trained lifeguards and maintenance and security staff, including PEP officers and the NYPD. To ensure a safe summer swimming season, we remind all swimmers to follow the rules, listen to lifeguards, know their limits, and, most of all, have fun."
Lori Benson announced the DOE’s commitment to teaching water safety to all New York City’s school children as part of the agency’s efforts to create more fitness and physical education opportunities for students. In partnership with Parks & Recreation, the Department will launch a school-year Learn to Swim initiative next fall, which will bring second and third grade students to Parks sites for ten-week swimming clinics. In addition to the weekly aquatic instruction, students will receive free annual memberships to Parks’ Recreation Centers.
The day’s festivities carried a luau theme, complete with a free cookout from Western Beef, drinks from Snapple, and live music courtesy of radio stations Power 105.1 and KTU. After the speaking program, Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Benepe, and Lori Benson jumped in the pool for some splashing around in the afternoon sun.
Pools are open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., seven days a week, from June 25 – September 5. For more information on locations, activities, and free swimming lessons, visit www.nyc.gov. New York City is also home to 11 indoor pools, and 14 miles of public beaches, which are open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. until Labor Day.
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RUN, FOREST, RUN
Parkies Compete in JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge
Parkies from all around the agency came out in force to participate in this year’s JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge on Wednesday, June 22. Wearing team t-shirts proclaiming, "Run ,Forest, Run," the 35 Park team members raced the 3.5 miles in Central Park against 15,000 other runners from 500 various companies. Commissioner Benepe spoke to the crowd of runners before the race, and he encouraged everyone in the race to push the Parkies to faster times. Marcha Johnson, landscape architect, led Parks’ top women’s finishers of Renee Lajeunesse, Megan Shane, Carli Smith, and Rebecca Smith. The men’s team of KC Sahl, Mahanth Joishy, Joesph Trimble, and Keith Kerman finished gallantly as well. After the race, teams from ConEd and the NYC Department of Investigations joined the Parkies for a party on the Arsenal roof with a lavish barbecue and chilly refreshments.
QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"Books have the same enemies as people: fire, humidity, animals, weather, and their own content."Paul Valery
(1871-1945)
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