Children playing in the new playground in Irvington Park across from the D. Bilal Beasley Community Center on Saturday, June 16, during the Friends of Irvington Park’s annual Father’s Day cookout in the park. Programs such as these will be offered throughout the summer months.
IRVINGTON, NJ — Mayor Tony Vauss lauded recreation department Director Donald Malloy during his inauguration speech on Sunday, July 1, then put him back to work organizing the township’s schedule of summer programs for residents.
“This is one of our great busy times, which is our recreation department’s biggest summer activity programs,” said Malloy on Sunday, July 1. “That program starts July 2, which is on a Monday preceding the Fourth of July, and we will run that program until Aug. 18, which is the end of our program, because we like to give our kids at least two weeks before school starts, so that they can spend some intimate time with their mothers and fathers, their regular families.”
Malloy said registration is currently under way for the township’s summer activity programs, adding that its affordable price puts safe, high-quality recreation within reach of every township family.
“It’s very, very cheap to enroll for our summer program,” said Malloy. “It costs an Irvington resident only $40 for the whole summer. Now that’s a bargain and that’s morning to afternoon. We start at 9 a.m. We end at 5 p.m. and we serve you breakfast in the morning and we serve you lunch five days a week, all for a $40 one-time fee and that’s it.”
Malloy also touted the arts and culture programs, including dance, taught by Instructor Fiona Best at the Chris Gatling Center on Union Avenue, in addition to a host of other programs and activities on the summer schedule.
“If you think outside of the box, you can get more done, like the art classes that we’re having at the Gatling Center,” said Malloy on Monday, May 28. “We have an art instructor that does stuff. Miss Best is on the other creative side, which is the dance. We have a person over there that’s teaching even pool lessons. We have a person that’s doing table tennis, taekwondo, vocal lessons, piano — all of these are a part of our art program at the Chris Gatling Center and it’s going wonderfully well.”
“We have a big program and we are registering right now,” said Malloy on Sunday, July 1.
Vauss also urged all township residents to enroll in the programs. He and public safety Director Tracy Bowers said there are important reasons why it’s always best to keep as many township children and young people as active and engaged as possible this summer.
“It’s very important to continue programs for youth in the community,” said Vauss on Monday, July 16. “From employment to the Explorers program, we have several initiatives for our young people here in Irvington.”
Bowers praised Malloy and the Recreation Department staff and volunteers that are helping to make his job and everyone else in the PSD easier.
“It’s always good to have kids in a structured environment for recreation,” said Bowers, an Irvington native who grew up playing baseball, football and other organized sports in town, on Tuesday, July 17. “It’s a tremendous outlet and proves to be safer than unstructured ones, like hanging out on the corners and streets.”
Both Bowers and Vauss said having a good rec department is an integral part of their annual summer policing plan to fight crime. Vauss urged residents to enjoy what Irvington’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department has to offer this year, including the new state-of-the-art playground outside the D. Bilal Beasley Community Center in Irvington Park and the new basketball court on the other side of it.
“You see, we’ve got the sprinklers in the background, we got all new equipment, we’ve got rubberized surfaces here. If you look, we have a brand new building over here, the D. Bilal Beasley Community Center, named the great mentor of mine, D. Bilal Beasley. If you look down at the tennis courts, we got brand new tennis courts, blue and white Irvington colors. We’ll go up the stairs (and) you’ll see the new track that’s around the basketball court.They’re new basketball courts with new rims,” said Vauss on Saturday, June 16. “I’m really proud of the work that we’ve been doing here in Irvington and many people don’t know. If you see this, you come on out, you check out Irvington Park. It’s beautiful. It’s a fun place to bring your children. It doesn’t cost you anything.”
Malloy agreed, saying, “We put $250,000 into a new playground on Grove Street and you’re going to be very proud of it. I’m telling you it’s wonderful. That’s what they’ve been wanting over there by the school and we’re delivering it.”
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