IRVINGTON, NJ — According to Recreation Department, Cultural Affairs and Parks Director Donald Malloy, Irvington’s parks are the place to be this summer.
“New this year is 40th Street Park for summer program,” said Malloy on Tuesday, July 17. “We renovated the building and enlarged the space with a new room, bathrooms and office area. We have enrolled over 400 kids this year in our program, with nine sites, and hired over 75 youth to actually work this year, between the ages of 14 to 17 years old.”
Amir Morris, who’s been with the department since 2007, is a township native familiar with what the programs have to offer.
“I grew up in Irvington. I’m a native. I was a big high school football star,” said Morris on Monday, July 23. “Irvington is a good place, where you can raise your kids. We’re one big family. You’ve got every ethnicity, from Haitians to Puerto Ricans to Americans of all races. A lot people come here, bring their kids here and enjoy this environment, especially me.”
Morris said he enjoys his job and loves being able to give back to his community, especially during the summer months, when the public schools are closed. He said the job has become a lot easier for the West Ward in the 40th Street Park, thanks to its recent renovation.
“This is far from the old 40th Street Park. They did a lot of renovations, as far as with the baseball field, new slides, the swings and things of that nature,” Morris said. “But I think 40th Street Park needs to be more like the Gatling Center, in terms of having more programs and activities available for children and families on this side of town. A couple more basketball courts would be good, too.”
Darrin Williams is the head counselor of the Irvington Recreation Department’s Summer Program in 40th Street Park and agreed with Morris.
“We’re a little away from everything, away from all the other camps and stuff, so we’re kind of like on our own island over here,” said Williams on Monday, July 23. “We do whatever the kids want to do. We do whatever is best for the kids. I have no problem doing this. I love to do this and I love kids. We just need to expand more.”
Sisters Jordyn Conner, 10, and Jamiyah Conner, 11, recently moved to town from Rome, Ga., and are participating in the 40th Street Park Summer Program for the first time. Both said they are really enjoying themselves this summer.
“This is a month. We’ve been in here for a month now,” said Jordyn on Monday, July 23. “I’m going to Chancellor School and I like this camp.”
Jamiyah echoed her sister’s sentiments.
“It’s fun and nice, because we do a lot of fun stuff here and it’s a lot of nice people here,” Jamiyah said.
Fellow campers Jada McLean, Johari Oddman, Kierstyn Conner, Emani Rouse and Andrea Demas all agreed that the camp is fun and the people running it are the best thing about it, aside from all their friends.
“I like school because I learned math and it makes me smarter,” said Emani, who attends Thurgood Marshall School and was wearing a shirt with the words “Fabulous & Amazing” printed on it on Monday, July 23. “I like the summer program, because I made new friends and it’s fun.”
Jada, who attends Tuscan Elementary School, also had a lot of good things to say about school and the 40th Street Park Summer Program.
“I like school because I get to learn and there’s recess and free fun,” said Jada on Monday, July 23. “I like the summer program because I have all these friends here and our counselors are really nice.”
Malloy said that was high praise, coming from the young people in the program. He added he would take Morris and Williams’ suggestions for expanding the programming at 40th Street Park to heart.
“This is one of our great, busy times, which is our recreation department’s biggest summer activity programs,” said Malloy on Monday, May 29, 2017, adding that the program runs “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.”
Vauss and Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers also urged township residents to enroll in the local programs and make good use of the township parks.
“It’s very important to continue programs for youth in the community,” said Vauss, who praised the township’s partnership with County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. and the county freeholders, 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 his department’s staff and volunteers, who are helping make the jobs of everyone in the Irvington Public Safety Department 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, along with his twin brother, on Tuesday, July 17. “It’s a tremendous outlet for the kids and proves to be safer than unstructured ones, like hanging out on the corners and streets.”
Malloy urged all eligible Irvington parents to register their children at the Chris Gatling Recreation Center, 285 Union Ave., Irvington, call 973-399-6597 or visit www.irvington.net.
“We have a big program and the best thing about it is the price,” said Malloy on Monday, July 23. “It’s very, very cheap to enroll for our Summer Program. 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 $40, one-time fee and that’s it.”
Photos by Chris Sykes
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