For over 15 years, Parks has been on the cutting edge of implementing workfare. Literally tens of thousands of new yorkers have received work experience and training with us and have contributed to the improvement of our parks. At the Parks Annual Awards Ceremony, we recognized one of the leaders of this complex and ever-changing initiative: Annika Holder, Chief of the Parks Opportunity Program (POP). Annika grew up in Trinidad and New Orleans until moving to Brooklyn, where she still lives, when she was twelve years old. She graduated with a BS in Psychology from Brooklyn College in 1998 and earned an MA in Urban Affairs in 2006 from Queens College. She joined Parks on December 1, 1999 as a Program Coordinator with the job Assistance Center (JAC) at the Brownsville Recreation Center. She has been steadily promoted since: in 2001 to Assistant Director of the JAC Program; in 2003 to Director of Education for POP; and finally in 2006 to Chief of POP. Annika directly manages a staff of 83 and oversees the counseling, training and job development of a workforce of 1,800 to 3,500 individuals at any given time. Throughout her career, Annika has demonstrated immense leadership skills and a tireless commitment to improving the lives of thousands of new yorkers in need. Under Annika’s direction, POP made a record 1,334 job placements in fiscal year 2007, a 25% increase from the previous year, with a real focus on placements in the private sector. Annika has emphasized skills training and education for our job Training Participants (JTP). JTPs now have access to GED classes and trainings with city agencies and private organizations including the new york City Department of Education, City University of new york, Office of Financial Empowerment, and private employers and training providers. In 2007, POP enrolled 1,862 JTPs in a variety of vocational training offerings and adult education classes.POP is a long-standing and critical partnership between the Human Resources Administration (HRA), Parks, and many non-profit and private sector organizations. Annika has shown the ability to strengthen, deepen and expand these partnerships. She has introduced many new programs to offer specialized services to POP participants including Youth Engagement Services (YES); New Directions, which focuses on participants with criminal backgrounds; and horticulture training (POP HORT). She greatly increased the number of job recruitment fairs we offer to introduce POP participants to private employers citywide. As importantly, she has earned the respect and trust of our partners at HRA. Beyond the many initiatives and programs, Annika’s greatest contribution has been her enormous personal commitment to the lives of her participants and to the development of her staff. Thanks to Annika and the whole POP team, Parks has helped steer a new course and offered hope to thousands of people who had been on public assistance. QUOTATION FOR THE DAY”The secret of eternal youth is arrested development.”Alice Roosevelt Longworth(1884 - 1980)

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First Pitch for Little Leagues
Play ball!Baseball season is underway. Not only for the stars of today, the Mets and Yankees, but for the stars of tomorrow, little leaguers across the city.To celebrate the beginning of the season, a ribbon cutting was held for a new state-of-the-art field at Highbridge Park in Manhattan. On April 5, Commissioner Benepe was joined by City Council Members Miguel Martinez and Robert Jackson, NYPD Manhattan North Chief Raymond Diaz, police officers of the 33rd and 34th Precincts, and young athletes to celebrate the opening day of the Police Officer Michael J. Buczek Little League’s 2008 season. To mark the 20th anniversary of the league, officials, coaches, and athletes cut the ribbon on a brand-new synthetic turf field at Highbridge Park. The league is named in honor of Michael Buczek, an officer who lost his life in the line of duty.The $900,000 field was constructed entirely with Mayoral funds. In addition to a synthetic turf field, the project added two misting stations, bleachers, new dugouts and gates, a players warm-up area improved site lighting and fencing, and accessible drinking fountains. Benefits of synthetic turf fields include improved safety, increased versatility and high durability to support more field use. The fields do not require weekly mowing, watering, fertilizing, seeding, or other time-intensive maintenance tasks. Additionally, they are useable year-round, and wear out much more slowly.Prior to the ribbon cutting, “opening day” festivities began with a parade of little league players and their families from P.S. 48 to the site at Highbridge Park. The Michael Buczek Little League hosts 30 teams with over 350 boys and girls, and is operated and coached by police officers from the 34th Precinct.The Parks Department also worked around the clock to prepare the City’s more than 800 athletic fields for their openings.Due to late winter rain and snowstorms, our operations staff began adding new clay and grading ballfields in March. The rakes, rotovators, tractors, and front-end loaders were put to work to open all fields by April 12.We remind new yorkers that it is as easy as ever to apply online for a ballfield permit at www.nyc.gov/parks. Fields cost $8 per hour and $16 per hour for lighted games. As always, children under the age of 18 play free and new yorkers are invited to play pick-up games when the fields are not being used by permitted groups.To learn more about fields in their neighborhood, new yorkers can contact their borough’s permit office: Bronx: (718) 430-1840/4; Brooklyn: (718) 965-8941; Manhattan: (212) 408-0226; Queens: (718) 393-7272/80; Staten Island: (718) 667-3545.QUOTATION FOR THE DAY”The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”Voltaire (1694 - 1778)

This Weekend In Parks
ManhattanDrums Along the Hudson: A Native American Festival and Shad FestSaturday, May 3Inwood Hill Park 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Inwood Hill Park has a long been known for its Native American heritage. Native American settlers fished on the shores of the Hudson and lived in the park’s rock shelters. Today, Inwood Hill is one of our city’s most beautiful parks and hometo the last natural forest and salt marsh in Manhattan.Honor the park’s heritage by coming out to “Drums Along The Hudson: A Native American Festival & Shad Fest.” It includes native drumming from around the world, as well as intertribal social dances like the Round Dance, the IroquoisSmoke Dance, and the Jingle Dance. Native American food, crafts, and art will also be for sale. The Shad Fest celebrates the annual return of spawning shad to the Hudson River. Shad Planking demonstrations by Chris Letts of the Hudson River Foundation and free tastings of this delicious fish will be offered.BrooklynFlax and Fleece FestSaturday, May 3Prospect Park - Lefferts Historic House1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.Visit the zoo and watch sheep as they are sheared. Then come to Lefferts Historic House to see how sheared sheep fleece becomes yarn. Help us wash, hang, card, and spin wool. Also plant flax for the next harvest or join in a weaving workshop. QueensCinco de MayoSunday, May 4Flushing Meadows Corona Park10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Come out and celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Queens. Take part in festive games and enjoy live entertainment, music, food and fun for the entire family at this annual favorite. BronxCanoeing the LagoonSunday, May 4Pelham Bay Park - Pelham Bay Ranger Station11:00 a.m.Join us for a special canoe trip along Pelham Bay Park’s lagoon as we explore the shore and ride the cool waters of the lagoon. We welcome all ages 8 and above to attend this event. Registration is required, please call (718) 548- 0912. Don’t miss out on this unique event!Staten IslandYankee Peddler DaySunday, May 4Historic Richmond Town1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.More than 100 vendors come to sell antiques, crafts, and collectibles at this popular outdoor event, presented by the Women’s Auxiliary of the Staten Island Historical Society. QUOTATION FOR THE DAY”Sweet April showers Do spring May flowers.”Thomas TusserA Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557

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Jonna Carmona-Graf Wins the Commissioner’s Award
Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council, over a billion dollars in capital improvements and investments are taking place in parks citywide. In many ways, we are receiving the capital investment we’ve always dreamed of. On the flip side, we now face a major test to make sure all these great projects happen. This year, the Commissioner’s Award, presented at the Parks Annual Awards Ceremony, goes to one of the leaders of this effort, Capital’s Senior Team Leader Jonna Carmona-Graf. Jonna earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Columbia University-Barnard College and has been with Parks since June 3, 1985. She began as a project manager and was promoted to Assistant Director of Architecture in April 1999 and Director of Consultant Project Management in 2006. In January 2007, Jonna took on a greater leadership role at Capital Projects as Senior Team Leader. Jonna works closely with the capital division chiefs, the borough team leaders, the directors of playground requirements and consultant project management, and many others, to push forward high-profile and critical design and construction projects. She has spearheaded our role in the Mayor’s Design Excellence initiative, while re-establishing our consultant management program. Jonna played a major role in one of Parks’ most exciting projects, the new state-of-the-art Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool & Rink, which just opened. From the onset, Jonna worked hand-in-hand with the Mayor’s Office, the Economic Development Corporation, architectural and construction management consultants, revenue, recreation, and borough operations to complete this complex $65 million project. As a bonus, she also helped coordinate the Mayor’s State of the City address at the pool. Jonna is now bringing her experience to a new challenge, PlaNYC. She is leading efforts to achieve the ambitious renovation of eight regional parks along with the synthetic turf and ’schoolyards to playgrounds’ initiatives. Jonna coordinated a rigorous schedule of internal and external presentations and community meetings to get consultants and in-house staff putting ideas to paper and moving these projects forward. In addition to improving parks spaces, Jonna has also taken time to help improve the working environment at the Olmsted Center. A well respected and skilled leader at Parks, Jonna is mother to three children, Jessica, Jacqueline, and Stephen, and married to retired Parkie Steve Graf.CIVIL SERVICE EXAMSThe following civil service exams are currently open for filing:* Certified IT Administrator (Database) - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08* Certified IT Developer (Applications) - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08* Chemical Engineer - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08 (Open-Competitive and Promotion for permanent Assistant Chemical Engineer)* Civil Engineer - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08 (Open-Competitive and Promotion for permanent Assistant Civil Engineer)* Electrical Engineer - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08 (Open-Competitive and Promotion for permanent Assistant Electrical Engineer)* Environmental Engineer - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08 (Open-Competitive and Promotion for permanent Assistant Environmental Engineer)* Mechanical Engineer - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08 (Open-Competitive and Promotion for permanent Assistant Mechanical Engineer)* Urban Park Ranger - 4/2/08 - 4/22/08* Environmental Police Officer - till 5/15/08* Correction Officer - till 5/15/08* Police Officer - till 5/15/08You can download applications from the DCAS website at http://nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/employment/monthlyexamschedule.shtml. Applications can also be obtained in person from the Department of Administrative Services, Application Center, 18 Washington Street, new york, new york, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can have an application sent to you by mailing a request along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to DCAS Application Section, 1 Centre Street, 14th floor, new york, new york, 10007. Requests must be received at least seven days before the filing closes. QUOTATION FOR THE DAY”Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.”Benjamin Franklin(1706 - 1790)

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