web1_Fine-Arts-Fiesta-Poster-2017-RES-791x1024.jpg

Esther and Bill Davidowitz to receive ‘Friend of the Arts’ award

web1_Ryan-Rev-John.jpg

King’s College president’s new Notre Dame position: More work, no perks

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The city&#8217;s summer parks program won&#8217;t take a vacation this year after an outside organization offered to hire up to 30 kids as attendants.</p><p>The city cancelled the program last month and said the indoor pool at Kistler Elementary School would be closed to save approximately $40,000. The only hires would be for grass cutting and maintenance of the parks.</p><p>But at no cost to the city ResCare Workforce Services will train and pay teenagers to supervise kids at six parks and distribute food under a separate program coordinated by CEO and the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA.</p><p>During a press conference Monday afternoon at Coal Street Park Mayor Tony George thanked ResCare that operates out of the local state CareerLink office on East Union Street.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re here today because PA CareerLink stepped forward when they found out we weren&#8217;t opening our parks,&#8221; the mayor said.</p><p>The attendants, to be hired and trained after school gets out next month, will work at Coal Street, Miner, Frances Slocum, Iron Triangle and Parsons parks. In addition, the city will hire a supervisor for the summer.</p><p>Jerry Fallabel of ResCare said the company develops youth programs nationwide. Locally, it sent out flyers to guidance counselors at local high schools to let students between 16 and 18 know about the summer jobs that pay $8 an hour for between 20 and 25 hours of work a week. There are income guidelines for the positions, he said.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re hoping to put at least four in each park,&#8221; Fallabel said.</p><p>They&#8217;ll play games with kids, make sure they&#8217;re safe and act as eyes and ears to report problems, Fallabel said. In the process they&#8217;ll acquire valuable skills about holding a job, showing up for work on time and following instructions, he said. &#8220;It&#8217;ll be a nice learning opportunity for them,&#8221; he said.</p><p>It would have been lost if they had to rely on the city for work. The city is planning to maintain the parks and keep them open, but it doesn&#8217;t have the money to pay for attendants, the mayor said. For the past month and half, city employees have been removing hazards at the parks to get ready for the summer.</p><p>However, the indoor pool at Kistler Elementary School will be closed due to problems that arose last year. George said the city had trouble finding lifeguards. But there was another factor that led to the closing. &#8220;The lifeguards were afraid to go into the pool because there was gang activity starting,&#8221; George added. &#8220;We had the police down there just about every day.&#8221;</p><p>The ResCare hires will allow the Food-n-Fun @ the Park program to continue as planned, said Jim Thomas, executive director of the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA.</p><p>&#8220;We were looking to find a solution and so was the city,&#8221; Thomas said. If ResCare didn&#8217;t come through the program&#8217;s hours would have been cut, he said.</p><p>Instead, the attendants will work for four hours and distribute lunch and a snack to kids free of charge, Thomas explained.</p><p>Kids coming to the parks can also participate in the United Way&#8217;s summer reading program.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to have celebrity readings. So we&#8217;ll have people come in and do some kind of story time for the kids and through their library we&#8217;re going to be able to give out books,&#8221; Thomas said.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL050917Parks1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">During a press conference Monday, Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George, left, said ResCare Workforce Services came to the aid of the city to hire young adults for the summer parks program that was cut to save money. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL050917Parks1.jpg</photo0><caption0>During a press conference Monday, Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George, left, said ResCare Workforce Services came to the aid of the city to hire young adults for the summer parks program that was cut to save money. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Outside help steps up to staff summer parks program in Wilkes-Barre