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City Summer Playground Program To Start Monday

From left bottom row, Tina Scott, Julia Ciesla-Hanley, Amelia Dolce, Sam Teresi, Joe Michishima, Lisa Lynde; back row, John Williams, Annie Greene, Jeff Smith, Carl Pillitteri, and Ben Drake pictured at Fletcher Elementary School playground to promote the Jamestown Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department Summer Playground Program. Fletcher Elementary School is one of the five locations for the program, which also includes Allen Park; Lillian Dickson Tot Lot, Lincoln Elementary School and Ring Elementary School. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

There will be five locations in the city of Jamestown this summer for children who want to play, read and receive a free lunch.

City officials announced details about this year’s Summer Playground Program at Fletcher Elementary School, which is one of the locations for the program. The other four locations include Allen Park; Lillian Dickson Tot Lot, Lincoln Elementary School and Ring Elementary School.

Julia Ciesla-Hanley, city recreation coordinator, said the program will start Monday and run through Friday, Aug. 3. She said all sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. She added this year’s program will include a free lunch provided at each site by the Jamestown Area YMCA in conjunction with St. Susan Center.

The free lunch program is geared for children between the ages of 5 to 13, but all children under 18 can receive a free lunch at the program sites, Ciesla-Hanley said. The lunches will be served from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at all five sites. She added that the free lunch is an important aspect for the Summer Playground Program because all children during the school year who attend Jamestown Public Schools can receive a free lunch, so it is important to continue this when schools are closed.

Ciesla-Hanley said the James Prendergast Library will once again offer the Summer Reading Program at all sites. She said last year the number of children participating in this program doubled in size compared to the year before. Tina Scott, James Prendergast Library executive officer, said this program is important to offer because not all children can make it to downtown Jamestown to visit the library during the summer months when schools are closed.

Amelia Dolce will be serving her first year as the playground program recreation leader, Ciesla-Hanley said. This is Dolce’s second year working for the program. The staff will consist of 11 college-aged city residents. The program will consist of city-wide activities that will include bowling, a talent show, carnival and the playground olympics. At each individual playground 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. Ciesla-Hanley said there will also be a nature day field trip that will feature a tree planting at Allen Park.

The program is also made possible through support from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation; Jamestown Public Schools; state Office of Children and Family Services; and Chautauqua Works.

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