By Cindy J. Roth
The recreation center, which was two and a half years in the making, is home to a multipurpose recreation room filled with games, a 53-inch big screen television, computer room and department offices. Village officials are hopeful the new facility will provide a place for younger East Rockaway residents to unwind, relax and socialize with friends, as well as stay out of trouble.
"This new recreation center is another giant step in the Village's commitment to expanding organized activities for the young people of East Rockaway," said village Mayor Charles Formont.
Year round the village recreation department, now located within the new center at 475 Atlantic Ave., runs organized sports leagues including baseball, football, kickball, soccer, softball and a variety of sports clinics. Finally with a full-fledged home of its own, the recreation center plans to expand the activities it offers to address the needs of all local residents.
"It's a big step for us," said Frank Pignataro, village recreation department director. "We run sports teams during the year and do trips. With this facility we're doing driver safety courses, offering dance classes and hopefully arts and crafts soon."
The building, located next to the East Rockaway Public Library, is owned by the village and was formally rented out to a printing company. For the last four years, the area was vacant and was used by the library and fire department, the recreation center's other neighbor, for storage while funds were being secured in the village budget for the renovation of the building.
The total cost of the new 40-by-60 foot recreation center included in the village budget was about $75,000. Pignataro said a lot of the posters and pictures hanging in the center were also donated and most of the work on the facility was done in-house by the village's department of public works, keeping costs down.
In addition to the foosball, air hockey, table tennis, skeeball, basketball shoot and football throw games in the center, there is also a meeting room open for residents' use and a computer room with six desktop computers.
"The purpose of the computer room is two-fold," said Pignataro. "We have games installed and we're going to bring down the pals group and teach them games. (The pals group is a 15-member group of local adult residents with downs syndrome.) The other part is I had programs installed so people can come down and teach themselves."
Although the center had its official opening in mid-June, it is only holding registration throughout the rest of the summer until a staff is hired to monitor the center during its hours of operation. No official hours are set, but Pignataro said the center will most likely stay open until 11 p.m. during the school year and increase its programming on nights and weekends and when school is out of session.
"With this facility we'll be able to do what we've been unable to do before," said Pignataro. "We want kids to come here and enjoy themselves and have a good time."
There is no cost for East Rockaway residents to use the facility. Residents are also warned that the department will have a strict policy when it comes to troublemakers.
"If you cause trouble, you're out," said Pignataro. "We have a zero tolerance [policy] for everything."
For more information or programming at the recreation center, call the recreation department at (516) 887-6321.
Above, Pictured from left are Sandra Torborg, village clerk-treasurer; Richard Meagher, village trustee; Joseph Millett, village recreation commission chairman; Joseph Carrigan, deputy mayor; Charles Formont, mayor; Frank Pignataro, village recreation director; Bruno Romano, village trustee; William Goodspeed, village recreation commission member; Pam Castellano, village recreation secretary; Edward Sieban, village trustee and Roy Clark, village recreation commission member.
