This Week in Clarkstown

By Matt Veronesi

When I was hired to work in Parks & Recreation in New Windsor 20 years ago and was first introduced to the senior citizens, I told them that I would always treat them the way I would want someone to treat my grandparents. When I was hired in Clarkstown a little over two years ago and met with our seniors for the first time, I was a little older, so my message changed slightly. I told them I would treat them the way I would want someone to treat my parents.

Here in the Town of Clarkstown, our seniors are incredibly important to us. We have nine senior clubs with more than 1,000 members. In addition to their regular meetings, our seniors enjoy special events, dinners, trips, and many other opportunities to socialize and stay active.

Last week, we celebrated National Senior Citizens Day by hosting our third annual Senior Picnic & Health Fair at Lake Nanuet Park. We welcomed 450 senior citizens for a wonderful afternoon and served hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni salad, chips, cookies, and refreshments. In addition to the food, our seniors enjoyed live music from former American Idol contestant Tim Urban and had the opportunity to visit a variety of informational tables. We couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate our seniors.

The Parks & Recreation Department and the Department of Engineering & Facility Management staff did an amazing job making the event a success. An event of this size takes a tremendous amount of teamwork, from setup and preparation to operating the event and cleaning everything up afterward. Our staff worked incredibly hard to make sure everyone had an enjoyable experience.

Grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for 450 people is no easy task, and neither is serving that many people quickly and efficiently! Our team did an outstanding job.

During the picnic, one of our attendees experienced a medical emergency. Our full-time staff and Lake Nanuet lifeguards immediately sprang into action, providing assistance until the ambulance arrived. I am very happy to report that the individual was treated at the hospital, discharged, and is doing well.

As Superintendent of Parks & Recreation, I am extremely proud of the Town of Clarkstown staff for everything they did to make our Senior Picnic & Health Fair such a successful event. I also want to thank the Clarkstown Police Department and Clarkstown Auxiliary Police for helping keep everyone safe at the picnic, as they do at so many of our events throughout the year.

When I meet with our seniors ten years from now, I guess my message will have to change one more time. Instead of telling them I will treat them the way I would want someone to treat my grandparents or my parents, I will simply tell them, “I will treat you the way I want to be treated!” By then, I will more than likely still be working, and I will be a senior citizen myself!

While we love celebrating our longtime programs and events, in Clarkstown we are also always looking for new and exciting opportunities to offer our residents. We have several new programs coming up that we hope you’ll check out.

First is Dance Chi, a unique pop-up class for adults ages 18 and older. The class will be held Saturday, September 19, at 3:00 p.m. at the Street Community Center. This 50-minute session combines dance and Tai Chi with a focus on energy, movement, wellness, and you. The cost is $25 per person.

For our younger residents, we will be offering Introduction to Judo for children ages 6–12. Classes will be held Wednesday evenings from September 30 through November 4, from 6:00–7:00 p.m. at the Street Community Center. Judo incorporates grappling, throwing techniques, and groundwork similar to wrestling. This introductory class will teach the basics for white belts while helping participants develop coordination, concentration, self-confidence, and cooperation with others. The cost for the six-week program is $150.

Adults interested in learning practical self-defense can join us for our new Japanese Jujitsu Self-Defense Course, held Wednesday evenings from September 30 through November 4, from 7:00–8:00 p.m. at the Street Community Center. This six-week program will introduce participants to practical self-defense techniques adapted from traditional Japanese Jujitsu. The class will cover basic strikes, kicks, blocking techniques, escapes, and defenses against common attacks, while helping participants build confidence and enhance their personal protection skills. The cost is $150.

We are also excited to welcome Mighty Mike Simmel and his team of coaches for the nationally recognized Bounce Out the Stigma basketball program, designed for individuals with special needs. The six-week program is open to individuals ages 7–21 and will take place on Thursdays from October 1 through November 5, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at the Pascack Community Center Gym. The cost is $225 and includes a basketball and T-shirt.

Finally, just in time for Halloween, if you enjoy a good mystery, join the Town of Clarkstown Parks & Recreation Department for a Murder Mystery Lunch on Friday, October 23, from 12:00 noon–3:00 p.m. at the Street Community Center. This hilarious, interactive show gives audience members the opportunity to become part of the action and help solve a murder! Get into the Halloween spirit by coming in costume for a chance to win prizes for the best costumes. The cost is $35 per person and includes both the show and lunch.

There is always something happening in Clarkstown Parks & Recreation, and we hope you’ll take advantage of some of these new programs and events.

As always, if you have an idea for a future column or a Clarkstown event you’d like to see highlighted, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at m.veronesi@clarkstown.gov.

Have a great week, Clarkstown!