The Departments of Public Works, Parks Maintenance, and the Summer Playground Program are all seeking full-time temporary summer employees.

For an application or for more information, visit the Department of Public Works and Parks & Rec Offices at 145 Steele Street. You can also call (716) 483-7545 or (716) 483-7523.

Bergman Park Disc Golf Course Map

A new disc golf course is officially open at Bergman Park in the City of Jamestown.

The course currently has 12 holes, with an additional 6 to make a full 18-hole course expected to open in Spring of 2023.

City officials say the course utilizes many of the underused, open areas of the park, as well as some of the wooded areas around Bergman Park. City officials say use of the course is free of charge.

City Comptroller John Sellstrom said the $5,620 project was funded using Neighborhood Target Area Infrastructure monies as part of the Community Development Block Grant program. This funded the baskets for all 18-holes.

The City, in partnership with Twin Tiers Disc Golf, have applied for funding from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation to go toward purchasing discs and portable baskets for the Summer Playground program.

A free Disc Golf Youth Camp is also being planned for Tuesday, August 30 at Bergman Park. The camp will give kids ages 7 to 13 an introduction to the sport of disc golf. No experience is necessary. It will be taught using the Educational Disc Golf Experience (EDGE) curriculum.

The free program is being made possible by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr Legacy Funds administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

The link for more information about the camp can be found here: https://fb.me/e/5hv2miXDq

The map of the disc golf course can be found here: https://udisc.com/courses/bergman-park-x3mX.

The Jamestown Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department said while the playground program is ending today, August 5, that the summer feeding program through the Jamestown YMCA will continue through the end of August.

The free lunch program will take place Monday through Friday, between 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at Lillian Dickson Park. The meals are available to children ages 18 and under.

The Parks Department announced that due to the low number of children attending the program at Jackson-Taylor Park, the playground program will be held solely at Lillian Dickson Park on Falconer Street until the program ends on August 12th.

Program hours will remain the same at 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The free summer lunch program, provided by the YMCA, will continue to be distributed at both the Lillian Dickson Park as well as the Jackson-Taylor Park between 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals are available to children ages 18 and under.

The program for young children through adults runs through August 20.

Assistant Library Manager Danielle Bertolini said a bike rodeo with Pearl City Cycle from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. will kick-off the reading program this Saturday, “It’s really great for kids who are just learning to ride a bike or want to improve their biking and safety skills. They’ll have cones and an obstacle course. And I believe we’ll have JPD here as well to kind of talk about bike safety. And we’ll have a helmet decorating station, so it’s going to be a lot of fun. And then also on Saturday the 25th, we have our teen summer reading kick off which is a tie-dye and pizza party which is happening from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.”

Bertolini said kids can track minutes read on reading logs, “Basically, when they turn in their reading logs they’ll get entries for the grand prize drawing. We’re also doing a ‘Read for Beads’ program this year. So at the beginning of summer when kids start the summer reading program, they’ll get a lanyard and a little tag on it. And throughout the summer when they turn in their reading logs, they’ll get beads and charms as incentives for reading. So throughout the summer they can fill up a whole necklace, or maybe even a few necklaces.”

She said there also will be bingo sheet with literacy exercises. Kids prizes include lego sets, magna-tiles and pop-its. Prizes for teens include a 3D printing pen, light box, and lego set. The prizes for adults include at $50 gift card to Dots and a $25 gift card to the Good Neighbor Bookstore.

The library also will be bringing the reading program to Jamestown Schools‘ Summer LEAP program as well as the City’s Summer Playground Program.

The Summer Reading Program is free and folks can sign up at the Prendergast Library or find more information online at prendergastlibrary.org/summer-reading-program/

Jamestown Summer Playground Program (Photo by Jamestown Parks & Rec, 2018)

The Jamestown Parks and Rec‘s Summer Playground Program returns this season after being on hiatus for two years due to the Pandemic.

The program will take place at two playground sites that will rotate between Jackson-Taylor Park on Tuesday and Thursdays and at Lillian Dickson Park on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. The days are subject to change depending on attendance numbers. The program will be staffed by five college-age residents.

The playground program is free and also will include a free lunch program between noon and 1:00 p.m. at each site provided by the Jamestown YMCA. Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals will be available to children ages 18 and under.

The program for kids ages 5 to 13 will run from Monday, June 27th through Friday, August 12th between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Children must register the first time they attend their playground site. They are free to come and go as they wish after that point.

Activities will include bowling, a talent show, carnival, and the Playground Olympics. There will be arts and crafts; as well as games such as mancala, kickball, soccer, and wiffle ball. Equipment will be available at each playground site for the children to play with at any time.

The Nature Day field trip that will feature a tree planting will take place at the Lillian Dickson Park this year. The Parks and Rec Department is collaborating again with the James Prendergast Library to offer the Summer Reading Program at both playground program sites.

For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Office at (716) 483-7523.

Parks Manager Dan Stone said several meetings and sign-up dates have been scheduled for those interested in the city’s sports leagues, including the City Rec Youth Baseball League, “We’re looking at sign-ups for March 10 at City Hall and then here on Saturday at our place on 115 Fairmount on March 12. So we’re looking to get that going and get kids out playing again. And then softball leagues will be starting up the same time, so we’re going to look to have a meeting on March 9 for that to bring all the leagues together. Besides the regular Sunday Slo-Pitch league, we’re looking to bring back the Church leagues too.”

Stone said they also hope to have a Co-Ed softball league as well. In addition, he said the Parks department is planning to start up a co-ed kickball league for the first time, “We started gauging the interest in that last year and looked into what the City of Rochester does. And their programs has just exploded. They started about 15 years ago with four teams and now they play year round. There’s got to be 75 to 85 different teams in their leagues. So, hopefully we can get it started this year and grow.”

The informational meeting for the kickball league will take place at 6pm, Wednesday, April 6 at the Parks and Recreation Office at 115 Fairmount Avenue.

Stone said the Parks Department also is looking for summer laborers as well as Playground Program recreation attendants. Positions are open to those who are 18 years of age or older, with preference given to City of Jamestown residents.

Stone said summer laborers are used from early May until late August. The recreation attendants will work the six weeks of the Summer Playground Program from July into August.

Those interested in applying will need to fill out a Civil Service Application and return it to the Parks & Rec Administration Office located at 145 Steele Street, Jamestown. Those hired must pass a drug test as a requirement of employment.

For more information on employment or about any of the summer parks programming, contact the Parks Department at 716-483-7523, 716-483-7554, or by email at parks@jamestownny.gov.

Row 1: James Prendergast Library Executive Director Tina Scott, Recreation Coordinator Julia Ciesla-Hanley, Recreation Leader Amelia Dolce, Mayor Sam Teresi, YMCA of Jamestown’s Joe Michishima, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Program Officer Lisa Lynde. Row 2: Parks Manager John Williams, James Prendergast Library Public Services Manager Annie Greene, St. Susan Center Executive Director Jeff Smith, Jamestown Public Schools Buildings & Grounds/Transportation Director Carl Pillitieri, Jamestown Public Schools Athletic Director Ben Drake.

JAMESTOWN – Funding is now in place for the 2018 Summer Playground Program in Jamestown.

Monday night the city council approved a resolution to accept $5,960 in funding from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation to help pay for the program.

There are five playground program locations this year, including Allen Park, Fletcher Elementary School, Lillian Dickson Tot Lot, Lincoln Elementary School, and Ring Elementary School. The staff will consist of eleven city college-aged residents.

The playground program is free of charge. All sites will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The program is geared for children between 5-13 years old.

This year the program will include a free lunch program provided at each site by the Jamestown YMCA in conjunction with St. Susan Center.

Amelia Dolce of Jamestown will be serving her first year as the Playground Program Recreation Leader. She previously was a Recreation Attendant for the program.

The program will run from Monday, June 25 through Friday, Aug. 3.

For additional information, please call the Recreation Office at 483-7523.

Pictured left to right: Top Row – Chautauqua Striders Executive Director Peter Morgante, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Executive Director Randy Sweeney; 2nd Row – Council President Greg Rabb, Recreation Leader McKenzie Martin, Recreation Attendant Jeffrey Miller, Recreation Attendant Cory Tubbs; 1st Row – Chautauqua Striders Director of Education Michelle Waterman, Councilman Brent Sheldon, Girl Scouts of Western New York Community Engagement Specialist Laurie Marucci, Mayor Sam Teresi, James Prendergast Library Executive Director Tina Scott, Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation Executive Director Linda Swanson, Jamestown YMCA Operations Director John Barber, Recreation Coordinator Julia Ciesla-Hanley, Parks Manager John Williams

JAMESTOWN – The city of Jamestown has announced another season of the Summer Playground Program. This year will include a free lunch program provided at each site by the Jamestown YMCA in conjunction with the St. Susan Center.

The five playground programs participating this year are:

• Allen Park
• Fletcher Elementary School
• Lillian Dickson Park
• Nordstrom Park
• and Ring Elementary School

The staff will consist of eleven city college-aged residents.

The playground program is free of charge. This year’s program will run from Monday, June 27 through Friday, Aug. 5. The Ring Elementary School site will be open 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. All other sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The program is geared for children between 5-13 years old.

As in past years, there will be city-wide activities scheduled, including bowling, a talent show, carnival, and the Playground Olympics. At the individual parks, there will be arts and crafts, and games such as mancala, kickball, box hockey, and wiffle ball. Equipment will be available at each playground site for the children to play with at any time.

The Nature Day field trip that will feature a tree planting will take place at Nordstrom Park this year. Additionally, the Parks & Rec Department is collaborating again with the James Prendergast Library to offer the Summer Reading Program at all playground program sites. Chautauqua Striders and the Girl Scouts of Western New York are also doing a reading program on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays afternoons at the Fletcher Elementary School site.

The free lunch will be made available between 11 a.m. to noon at Allen Park, Fletcher Elementary, Lillian Dickson Park, and Nordstrom Park. Lunch will be served between 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Ring Elementary School. Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals will be available to children ages 18 and under.

Children must register the first time they attend their playground site. They are free to come and go as they wish after that point. Children with the best attendance records for the first two weeks of the program will be entered into a drawing, held on Friday, July 8, to win tickets to a Jamestown Jammers game.

The summer playground program is made possible through support from the City of Jamestown, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Jamestown Public Schools, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation.

For specific times call the Jamestown Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department at 483-7523.

Attached Photo (left to right): Top Row – James Prendergast Library Executive Director Tina Scott, Jamestown Public Schools Afterschool Coordinator Julie Poppleton, Recreation Coordinator Julia Ciesla-Hanley, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Program Officer Lisa Lynde, Recreation Leader Alyssa Leathers. Bottom Row – Parks Manager John Williams, City Council President Greg Rabb, Mayor Sam Teresi, Recreation Attendant Ryan Pollino, Recreation Attendant Ashley Wilder

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department is pleased to announce another season of the Summer Playground Program.

Alyssa Leathers of Jamestown will be serving her first year as the Playground Program Recreation Leader. She is pursuing her Bachelor’s from Ohio State University with a major in Early Childhood Education.

There are six playground program locations this year, including Allen Park, Fletcher Elementary School, Johnson Street Tot Lot, Lillian Dickson Tot Lot, Nordstrom Park, and Ring Elementary School. The Nordstrom Park location, which is located between Nordland Place and Livingston Avenue, replaces the Lincoln Elementary School site again this year due to continued construction at the school. The staff will consist of a number of city college-aged residents, many who hope to pursue a career path in education.

The playground program is free of charge. This year’s program started on Monday, June 29 and will continue through Friday, Aug. 7 with all sites open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is geared for children between 5 to 13 years old.

As in past years, there will be city-wide field trips and activities scheduled, including bowling, a talent show, carnival, and the Playground Olympics. At the individual parks, there will be arts and crafts; and games such as mancala, kickball, football, box hockey, and wiffle ball. Equipment will be available at each playground site for the children to play with at any time.

New programs this year include a Nature Day field trip put on by the Parks Department and Roger Tory Peterson Institute that will feature a tree planting on the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk. There also will be a trip to Diethrick Stadium to tour the facility and meet the Jamestown Jammers. Additionally, the Parks & Rec Department is collaborating with the James Prendergast Library to offer the Summer Reading Program at all playground program sites.

Additionally, the Jamestown YMCA will be providing a free lunch program at the Lillian Dickson Playground site from 11 a.m. to noon. The meals will be available to children ages 18 and under.

Children must register the first time they attend their playground site. They are free to come and go as they wish after that point.

The summer playground program is made possible through support from the City of Jamestown, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Jamestown Public Schools, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, and the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation.

For additional information, please call the Recreation Office at 483-7523.