Islip now boasts two soon-to-be newly updated recreational facilities in the hamlets of Brentwood and Central Islip. In collaboration with Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R), Assemblyman Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood) secured a $600,000 grant through the state to replace the windows at the Brentwood Recreation Center and install a new turf field at the Central Islip Community Park.
“… there’s no Republican way to build a gym; there’s no Democratic way to fix a park. We just have to put our heads together and do it,” said Ramos, “and I think our community respects that, so this is going along that [bipartisan] line..”
The renovations are still underway in the community, but they are bound to have a large impact both socially/developmentally and fiscally.
“There will be a lot of nice facilities for the young people there,” said Ramos, referencing the planned soccer fields.
“But again, this is a situation where these facilities mean a lot more in our community than they do in wealthier communities. In wealthier communities, parents can afford to send their kids” elsewhere and for some “in our community people…parents many times don’t have the luxury to stay home with the children during the summer.”
Ramos also noted that the age of the old windows made them uneconomical since they were the original windows from the 1960s when the center was built. With water stains near the windows and rising heating costs, the new windows will save taxpayers in terms of heating such a large space and from repairs due to water damage.
The assemblyman hails from Brentwood, his family having moved to the hamlet in 1956. So his family has firsthand seen Brentwood transform into the diverse hamlet it is today.
When emphasizing why he chose this project, he referenced that these hamlets “have the biggest graduating classes in our schools,” in addition to the other tremendous impacts.
After-school programs provide a refuge for at-risk youth, helping to reduce crime rates, court costs, and other costs to the community. A report from the University of Chicago links after-school programs, which can be found in many recreation centers, with reduced drug use.
Additionally, the National Recreation and Park Association reports that with 560 million meals per year, parks and recreation organizations are the second-largest food provider for children behind schools.
Ramos has other projects on his agenda that he has completed and is working with his partners in town and county government to complete. Previously he was able to help in investing $650,000 into Ross Park and has plans to bring a concert series to the area.
