By Bob Harris
Ryan Junior High School’s after-school and Saturday Beacon Program is up and running.
The program is sponsored by the Samuel Field YM-YWHA in Bay Terrace, the city Department of Youth and Community Development, Community Board 8 and Community School District 26. Each school district in New York City has after-3 p.m. Beacon programs. Community Board 8 has JHS 216 and JHS 168 as Beacon schools for the children and adults of the community.
Ryan has a homework/recreation period from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday afternoons the 107th Precinct conducts the recreation program. Other programs include Specialized High School Examination Preparation in language arts and mathematics, pre-algebra preparation, English As a Second Language, drama club, garden club, adult yoga, dance, Tae-Kwon Do, and basketball for girls and boys. Different programs are at different hours on different days. Programs change from year to year as the demand changes.
The Ryan Beacon program has an early evening weekday parents’ support group, adult evening basket ball, firefighters’ basketball, coed adult volleyball, and dance. The Beacon school is also open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with advanced dance, beginning and intermediate adult computer, teen dance, adult yoga, fun with books for the little children, arts and crafts, E.S.L for adults, and other offerings. All the programs are free.
There is also substance-abuse counseling for families, groups or individuals ages 13 – 21. You can make an appointment by calling Sera or Felicia at 718-445-6983.
The Ryan site director is Bill Jenal, the assistant director is Barry Moskowitz, and the site supervisors are James Ambrose and Felicia Fulton. The phone number is 718-445-6983; fax 718-463-5379; website, www.Beacon 216.com.
Community Board 8 has informed residents that the Department of Sanitation will collect leaf and yard waste on Saturdays this month and next. This organic material should be put into clear plastic bags or special 30-gallon paper yard waste bags. Do not use black plastic bags so as not to confuse with trash. Put these bags of leaves or tied-up bundles of branches and pumpkins out on Oct. 27, Nov. 10 and-or Nov. 24. This recyclable material will be picked up the next day (Sunday). Free mulch will be available next year.
CB 8 has been informed that Parking Enforcement issued these numbers of tickets in CB 8 during September: No stopping at signs or lights, 441; parking in a bus stop, 257;, parking in front of hydrants, 438; double parking, 72; parking in a crosswalk, 363; parking on a sidewalk, 41; and parking in front of schools during a school day, 56. Oh, the police are all working 12-hour shifts.
The 107th Precinct has several programs to prevent auto theft. They will etch your Vehicle Identification Number on the glass parts of your car and can enroll your auto in their Combat Auto Theft Program. Your bicycles can be registered at the 107th Precinct. Call Police Officer Iorio, the 107th Precinct Crime Prevention officer, at 969-5998.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK
Schools Chancellor Harold Levy has applied for federal disaster aid to pay for the cleanup, lost equipment, relocation costs, extra instruction and the costs of counseling which many children and teachers will need in the aftermath of Sept. 11. Some symptoms of the horror may not appear for weeks and months, although I know of one teacher who witnessed the burning towers with her children from her school in Queens who can’t sleep lately.
Unfortunately, the mayor cut the city’s school budget by $800 million, claiming there is too much waste. The state legislature and the governor still provides less money to our schools than to schools in wealthy areas of the state. We have this heavy cost burden from the damage the terrorists inflicted upon us. Seven schools were closed in Manhattan and 6,000 students were moved around. Thousands of children have lost at least one parent. The state has imposed higher test standards on the students yet does not provide the money to help the children learn.
This is a bad situation.
