SCHENECTADY COUNTY Legislature OKs new day camp at Central Park BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Inner-city children will have a chance to swim, play tennis, boat, fish and more at a licensed day camp in Central Park this summer. The Schenectady County Legislature approved the project Tuesday night. The half-day camp is scheduled to run July 7 to Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will offer children ages 8-12 swimming, tennis, boating and fishing at Central Park, computer activities at Central Park Middle School and horticulture activities at the Schenectady Horticulture Education Center at Central Park. The camp will be staffed by up to six people, depending on enrollment. It is open to a maximum of 75 children on a fi rstcome, first-served basis. The county will charge $50 per child per week to attend. The camp, the first to be offered by the county and its Youth Bureau, raised concerns among county legislators, nonprofits offering similar programs and members of the Youth Bureau advisory board. Minority Leader Robert Farley, R-Glenville, criticized the program as helping only a select sector of the county, namely the inner city. “Tonight we see the commencement of yet another social services program that is not mandatory and which is competing with nonprofits that can do it better and more efficiently,” Farley said. Christian Engle, vice president of operations for the Capital District YMCA, told legislators Tuesday night the county never approached his agency to act as a partner prior to announcing the program. “We would rather see the county as a partner and not as a competitor,” he said. The YMCA runs a summer day camp in Jerry Burrell Park. Tuition for this full-day weeklong program averages $80 per child, he said. Legislator Gary Hughes, DSchenectady, called the summer day camp “a good idea.” He said the program would tie together the summer lunch program with recreation and educational programs. “Let’s try something creative for one summer,” he said. The Youth Bureau advisory board voted 4-4 Monday night to support the program, said board Chairwoman Betty Ewing. A ninth board member left prior to the vote. Ewing said Ed Kosiur, special assistant to the commissioner of social services, never discussed the project with the board prior to pitching it to the Legislature last week. “We saw the legislation for the first time yesterday [Monday],” she said Tuesday afternoon. The board’s vote is non-binding, as it has no authority over Kosiur’s actions and decisions, Ewing said. “We are an advisory board, but we do discuss and try to understand the direction things are heading. If we have real concerns about an idea and we voice our concerns, we hope we are heard,” she said. Ewing said the tie vote indicates the board believes the bureau should expand youth services in the community, but also hopes that someone other than the bureau will manage the summer day camp. Ewing said there are programs the youth bureau needs to do, such as helping youths develop leadership and job skills. “But we don’t want to be in competition with services already offered to children in the county, particularly to children in the city,” she said. Ewing said the advisory board also wants to see the summer day camp expanded to serve youths throughout the county. “We certainly are trying to keep an open mind and we see our role as youth development, but there is always a place for new programming,” she said. Kosiur is attempting to expand the Youth Bureau’s programming since his appointment Jan. 1. He replaced former Youth Bureau director Shane Bargy, who was popular and had developed several youth-development programs in the nearly six years he ran the bureau. Some youth-service providers are concerned Kosiur is changing the mission of the Youth Bureau by focusing more on direct-service programs. Kosiur said he is following the county Legislature’s direction to develop more robust youth services programming. County Legislature Chairwoman Susan Savage, D-Niskayuna, said the Legislature was unhappy with Bargy’s job performance, that he resisted changing and expanding programs to make the Youth Bureau more relevant. “We had years of the same old tired initiatives at a time when our county was looking for change and innovation,” she said. County Manager Kathleen Rooney, who was Bargy’s direct supervisor, had no fault with Bargy; she gave him exemplary marks during his last performance review. And Ewing, a Youth Bureau advisory board member for six years, said she never heard of any problem with Bargy’s performance. Ewing said she continues to support the programs and services Bargy developed during his tenure. Nonetheless, she said, “growth and change don’t have to be bad things. We want to deliver better opportunities for the youths we serve.” She said she hopes the county, Kosiur and the advisory board can work together on programs and avoid confrontations over direction.
By DAVID FILKINS, Staff writer Wednesday, May 14, 2008
SCHENECTADY - Schenectady County legislators, by a 9-4 vote Tuesday night, approved a summer day camp program in Central Park for this season.
The program would serve up to 75 children between the ages of 8 and 12. The sign-up date is June 2 at the Central Park Administrative Building, which is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The six-week program begins July 7 and ends Aug. 15. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday. The camp will cost $50 per week and includes activities such as swimming, tennis, boating, fishing, computer technology and horticulture. The program will cost the county $22,500 for expenses, including a camp director, personal administrator and recreation leaders. The four legislators who opposed said the city of Schenectady and nonprofits are better equipped and have more experience running such programs. Also Tuesday, a representative from the New York State Association of Counties talked about the state budget and how it affects counties, but did not discuss specifics for Schenectady County.
They finally found something for Kosiur to do at the expense of a hard working Bargy. Old Suzie had to make something up to justify getting rid of Bargy and the sad part is that the program is going to hurt the YMCA summer program. Politics as usual in Sch'dy.
I couldn't agree more shadow. There is clearly no need for a so called 'day camp' in Schenectady County. I can't believe that these incompetent leaders are actually spending taxpayers money to fabricate a program, to justify an $80K tax-paid, fabricated job. This is just a way of justifying Ed Kosiur's appointed, tax-paid position. It clearly has nothing to do with the inner-city kids. The kids are just the pawns the government will exploit and use to meet their personal political agenda.
And more to the point, how many inner-city families can actually afford $50/wk = $200/mo? Most of the inner-city families are on public assistance. Oh but wait...perhaps when the dictatorship realizes this, they will use the city surplus to fund these inner-city kids to attend.
I think the big tax-paid dark black hole has just gotten a bit deeper.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
This is exactly why our taxes are so high because every program that these not too bright individuals in our city/county government touch runs into the red.
Hey, look at it this way, at least the city isn't paying for this. That way, they can get out of debt faster. This is just another example of the rest of the county paying for what should be on the backs of the city residents. We're just money makers for the city residents.
I don't care if it costs the taxpayer ZERO! The point is that this day camp is NOT needed. There are programs EVERYWHERE. My opinion is this was created for Mr.Kosiur's newly created position.
I'm sure they have this all worked out, but who will be the 'day camp' workers? Who and how many will be trained in medical emergencies? Will there be law enforcement there to protect against predators?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Michael Lamendola’s May 14 article [“Legislature OKs new day camp at Central Park”] regarding the new day camp at Central Park begins with the words “inner-city children” and then goes on to say that the cost will be $50 per child per week. Get real!! That’s what’s wrong with our society today; those making the decisions about what’s important have no clue what people in the “real world” face on a daily basis! Nor do they apparently care about what the experienced professionals in the community — those who actually serve and interact with ordinary people on a daily basis — think about how the efforts and money could best be spent. Those individuals said quite clearly that this camp was unnecessary and could actually serve to diminish already existing, successful services to the people of Schenectady. But of course, our illustrious elected officials always think they know better, despite being proven wrong over and over! Remember Ed Kosiur’s [special assistant to the commissioner of social services] last well-known effort about what to do with sex offenders? We now have that fiasco and his resulting loss of the Assembly election to thank for the fact that county taxpayers are now charged with trying to keep him busy — to our own detriment! ANGELA MARCZEWSKI Schenectady
Posted on: 05/15/08 Ross Marvin, Spotlight Staff email: marvinr@spotlightnews.com
In a vote that split on party lines, the Schenectady County Legislature established a licensed summer day camp called the Schenectady County City Outreach in Recreation and Education, targeted at what legislators are calling disenfranchised inner-city youth, at its meeting on Tuesday, May 13.
For $50 per week, children ages 8 to 12 can swim, take computer and horticulture classes and play tennis at the six-week camp hosted in Schenectady’s Central Park.
The Legislature voted nine to four to go ahead with the pilot project that would also account for the hiring of up to six staff including a camp director. Enrollment in the camp, which runs from Monday, July 7, to Friday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be on a first-come first-serve basis.
While several area not-for-profits offer similar programs, SCORE marks the first county summer camp and the first camp administered by the Schenectady County Youth Bureau.
Earlier this month in committee meetings, Edward Kosiur, director of the Youth Bureau said the program would have no real costs to the county because of revenues.
Minority Leader Robert Farley, R-Scotia, disagreed.
He said a summer camp program should not fall under the county’s purview, but should rather be the business of the county’s not-for-profit agencies like the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA.
“The commencement of another social services program that’s not mandatory is really expanding our government,” said Farley.
Earlier this month, Kosiur said that he’d spoke with several of the county’s non-for-profits. At that time, he said that several of the programs were over-enrolled or wait listed.
But Christian Engle, vice president of operations for the Capital District YMCA, who attended the meeting and spoke during public privilege, said his organization was unaware of the proposed program until it appeared in a newspaper article in early May.
Engle said the YMCA runs three camps in the county and could accommodate an additional 75 children with ease.
He said that while the YMCA camp in Jerry Burrell Park costs children $80 per week, a number of financial aid programs are available as well.
He urged the county to reject the proposed camp.
“We’d rather see the county as a partner rather than a competitor,” said Engle. The Legislature’s Democratic majority maintained that the summer camp program had merit.
Legislator Gary Hughes, D-Schenectady, said that many not-for-profits had been contacted by Kosiur but had simply not returned phone calls asking for their partnership. Hughes also said that the summer camp would reduce crime and keep kids off the streets.
“These kids are in the middle of the street otherwise,” said Hughes. “Let’s try something a little creative for the summer.”
While Democratic Legislators from the county’s municipalities voted for the measure, Legislator Joe Suhrada, R-Rotterdam, took issue with the program’s focus on only a few neighborhoods.
“We have to look at the greater good for all taxpayers in Schenectady County,” he said.
The Youth Bureau-driven summer camp marks the second initiative backed by Kosiur in the past month that targets inner city youth.
The County’s Summer Youth Employment Cooperative, which took applications mainly from students in the Schenectady City School District, employs teens throughout the county during the summer months.
But Christian Engle, vice president of operations for the Capital District YMCA, who attended the meeting and spoke during public privilege, said his organization was unaware of the proposed program until it appeared in a newspaper article in early May.
Engle said the YMCA runs three camps in the county and could accommodate an additional 75 children with ease.
He said that while the YMCA camp in Jerry Burrell Park costs children $80 per week, a number of financial aid programs are available as well.
He urged the county to reject the proposed camp.
Thank you Christian Engle for telling us the truth. This just goes to prove that this so called 'inner city camp' program was initiated for Mr.Kosiur's sake only. Cause up until this point, the general consensus was that Kosiur wasn't doing anything for his $80K created job. But let's face it...there IS nothing for him to do. So the dictatorship had to fabricate something for Eddy Kosiur. Can't the guy just get a real job in the private sector or isn't he qualified? I don't think he is even qualified for this created position.Pathetic!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
1. Services to the public 2. Hours of operation 3. Security for homeowners and inmates in the jail 4. Reductions in our wallets so we dont have so much to spend frivously 5. ...
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