Our "Hits"

Empire State Games

New York’s 30^th annual Empire State Games were played for the first time in Westchester from July 25 to 29, 2007 and Westchester County Parks was the lead agency in coordinating the games as well as one of the principal hosts. The games are the largest amateur sporting event after the Olympics, with some 6,000 athletes, ages 13 through 75, who competed in the nearly 40 events at 30 locations throughout Westchester.

Being the lead agency, the Westchester Parks Department hosted the opening ceremonies in grand style at Kensico Dam Plaza.  The ceremonies included marching of the athletes, lighting of the torch and a spectacular fireworks display. This once in a lifetime event was a huge success as 12,000 athletes, friends and families came together to celebrate the beginning of four days of competition.

The athletes played in facilities around Westchester, including many Parks facilities. Events that were played in county parks included canoe/kayak and rowing at Glen Island Park, New Rochelle; gymnastics at the Westchester County Center, White Plains; women’s ice hockey, Playland Ice Casino in Rye; masters rugby at Tibbetts Brook Park, Yonkers; shooting/trap and skeet at the Sportsman Center at Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. Along with the athletes, we welcomed more than 20,000 spectators, including thousands of family members. The Games put the spotlight on Westchester and its Parks Department and we were proud to have been the hosts of such a momentous event.

Friends

The Friends of Westchester County Parks is our not-for-profit partner which enables us to enhance parks activities and programs without burdening taxpayers. We revived Friends in 2004 and through a variety of fund-raising efforts the group has generated more than almost $2 million that has been invested right back into parks. Friends helped make possible The Rising, Westchester County’s September 11^th memorial, the Arts in Parks program, a new initiative that brings the work of renowned artists to various parks throughout the system, Screening Under the Stars movies, Camp Morty and other programs. In addition, Friends has provided support for a number of staff professional development opportunities, including the “PRC Academy,” a training program for managers and other personnel.

The annual “Celebrate an Evening with Friends” gala, held in May is fast becoming a must on the Westchester social calendar, which is great for Parks because that is a key fundraising event for the Friends. This year both County Executive Andy Spano and internationally known developer and personality Donald Trump were honored at this important event.

Friends has also started to market its own merchandise adorned with the logo of the group. Proceeds of the sale of merchandise are reinvested in Parks programs. Friends is reestablishing the grass roots support for Parks from our community and enhancing the parks experience in new and innovative ways.

In 2007, Westchester Concessions, a for-profit subsidiary of Friends of Parks, was created and began operating our Driving Ranges at Dunwoodie and Mohansic Golf Courses. The revenues produced by Westchester Concessions go right back into the operations of our golf courses adding to our quality of life.

The Greenhouse Effect

With a little help from our Friends (Friends of Parks that is), we plan to build and operate a Glass House Conservatory at Lasdon Park and Arboretum, which has become the horticultural focal point of Westchester. Lasdon Park is a 234-acre facility in Somers. The new conservatory, a giant greenhouse, will allow Lasdon to host public horticultural shows, displays and programs within a greenhouse environment. We will use this conservatory to bring a new botanical interest to the residents of Westchester and to help educate the public about plant conservation in our diverse world environment. The building will cost about $1 million. We plan to build and operate the greenhouse largely with gift contributors such as Friends of Parks and little or no tax levy support. In addition, an endowment will be necessary for the maintenance and operation of the building.

A Legacy for Future Generations

Ball fields are great place for young people to play together and have fun outdoors. As part of a multi-department team that includes the Planning and Public Works departments and various local officials we have created eight new ball fields where many future generations can play. These Legacy Ball fields, so called because they are a legacy that future county residents will be able to enjoy, are part of County Executive Andy Spano’s Legacy Program that was conceived in 2001 to preserve and protect open space. An important component of Legacy is to form partnerships between the county and its municipalities to develop facilities for active recreation.

The fields include the Miracle Field – the first baseball field in the county and the tri-state area designed specifically for children with disabilities. Located at Ridge Road Park in Hartsdale, the Miracle Field is a custom-designed field with a cushioned (insert picture) rubberized turf to help prevent injuries, wheelchair-accessible dugouts and a completely flat, barrier-free surface to ease access for visually impaired players or players in wheelchairs. The field opened in 2006 with the ceremonial first pitch thrown by County Executive Andy Spano.

The legacy fields that have already opened include the following

Louisa Street Stadium, Peekskill -- natural grass baseball field with lights

Saxon Woods Park, White Plains -- synthetic turf soccer field with lights

King Street Ballfields, Rye Brook --a multi-purpose, synthetic turf field for soccer, football, lacrosse and a natural grass football/little league field with lights

Virginia Road at Bronx River Parkway Reservation, Mount Pleasant --natural grass Little League baseball field

Tibbetts Brook Park (North), Yonkers -- three all-weather synthetic turf soccer fields in the north end of the park and two existing fields upgraded: one natural grass with irrigation for baseball and one all-weather turf for baseball

Skate Park, Rye -- a park for skating

Columbus Park, Port Chester -- a synthetic turf soccer field with lights

In addition to these fields, three facilities, Woodlands fields and a skate park both in Yorktown and Tibbetts Brook South in Yonkers, are under construction and scheduled to open in 2008. About a dozen other locations for fields are under consideration for legacy funding.

Camp Morty

Warm days filled with swimming, arts and crafts and playing ball. Cool nights sitting around a campfire, toasting marshmallows and telling scary stories. In 2007, kids from Westchester’s inner-city shared in the fun experiences of sleep-away camp at Camp Morty, Westchester’s new week-long camp for underprivileged children who are receiving services from the county’s Department of Social Services.

The first year of the camp was held at the large Blue Mountain Reservation, Peekskill, but in 2008 the camp will move to its permanent home in Mountain Lakes Park, North Salem.

The camp consists of three, two-week sessions of 100 campers each and helps them connect with the wonders of nature and enjoy the simple, enriching joys of the great outdoors experience. The camp is administered by Friends of Parks, County Parks and the Department of Social Services.

The Rising, Westchester County’s September 11^th Memorial

In 2006, five years after the tragic events of September 11, the people of Westchester dedicated The Rising, a soaring, 80-foot-high stainless steel sculpture designed by noted architect Frederic Schwartz of New York City. At the base of the structure are granite stones that bear the names of those Westchester residents who died in the terrible tragedy and an inscription about them provided by their families. The monument was the work of all Westchester Parks divisions working together as a team, as well as with other county and state departments. The monument has subsequently won five prestigious awards.

Report from the Commissioner 2006-07

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