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Parks & Recreation

2020 Summer Day Camp/Playground Program Cancelled – Virtual Summer Program Details Forthcoming

To the Linden Community:

It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that at last night’s City Council Meeting, it was announced that the 2020 Summer Day Camp/Playground Program will be cancelled. We had every intent to open this summer. We waited to receive the Governor’s Office Youth Summer Camp Standards. Upon review of the standards, which were released last week, we determined that it would have been extremely difficult to comply and provide a safe environment for our youth, families, staff, and community at-large.

Knowing that our youth have not attended school since mid-March, we were aware of the importance of the program in addressing their social and emotional needs. We were also aware that this program was vital to provide childcare for working families. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience that this may have caused any families that relied on us for childcare and for our youth that were highly anticipating another summer with their favorite counselors. With this being said, we are planning a virtual summer program. Details will be forthcoming.

For those families that registered for the Summer Day Camp Program, an email will be sent from the Department of Parks and Recreation with instructions for receiving a full refund. Again, we are sorry that an in-person program will not occur for Summer 2020, and we will do everything that we can to come back stronger than ever for Summer 2021. As always, we thank you for trusting us with your children.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
Ralph Dunhamn
Director of Parks and Recreation

Click here to view and/or download the original letter with this content.

Courtesy Senior Packet

Since March 17, 2020, all City of Linden buildings have been closed to the public due to COVID-19. Our Linden Department of Parks and Recreation wanted to keep our seniors updated with information regarding recreational indoor activities and nutritional facts. Each active John T. Gregorio Recreation Center member was provided with a packet of fun activities and useful literature to read and enjoy during the worldwide pandemic. Pictured here is Elouise Orange, a happy senior from the John T. Gregorio Recreation Center gives us the thumbs up once she received her senior courtesy packet. Click here for the official press release from the City of Linden.

Courtesy Packet to our Special Needs Bowling Program Participants

Since March, our Special Needs Bowling program has been closed due to COVID-19. Our Linden Department of Parks and Recreation wanted to keep our participants updated since their program was cancelled early. Each participant was provided with a packet of fun activities, indoor recreational activities, and useful literature to enjoy during the worldwide pandemic. Click here to see Karyn Griffin, a Linden bowling participant from our Special Needs Bowling program displays her appreciation in receiving her courtesy packet. Click here for the official press release from the City of Linden.

Linden Emergency Response System

As we continue to follow the CDC COVID-19 guidelines and sheltering in place, Linden Department of Parks and Recreation wanted to inform Linden elderly, handicapped, disabled and residents who live alone that we offer the Linden Emergency Response System (LERS), which is a an around the clock monitoring system for any medical emergency. It acts as an electronic guardian for instant communication in emergency situations.

For a nominal monthly monitoring fee, this program provides the recipient and the family peace of mind knowing that help is on the way within minutes with just the press of a button. Any Linden resident interested in the program can call the John T. Gregorio Center at (908) 474-8627, Monday through Friday between 9am and 4pm. For more information, click here.

Linden Parks and Recreation has put together a list of different activities and resources for families to utilize during COVID-19.

Visit parks, museums have all sorts of virtual adventures and do fun and interesting activities right from home.

Parks

Aquariums

Virtual Reality & 360 Degree Fun

Museums

Zoos

Projects, Great Reading, Activities, Other Live Cams & More

Celebrate Earth Day & National Park Week

Linden Parks & Recreation in cooperation with National Park Trust present these activities to Celebrate Earth Day and National Park Week.

Happy Earth Day and National Park Week! While we’d much rather be spending it outdoors at our favorite park, there are still lots of creative ways to celebrate from home. Earth Day began 50 years ago to focus on the importance of environmental protection and education.  Today we invite you to join us and participate in some environmental fun at home by getting a little dirty and building a veggie garden with our woolly mascot Buddy Bison. You can reuse materials from around your home and even use kitchen scraps to grow your own produce. In the spirit of National Park Week, we are excited to share 10 lesser-known amazing national park sites that you and your family can discover while earning Junior Ranger badges online. Stay healthy and safe!

Buddy Bison’s Veggie Garden

Make the most of kitchen scraps by creating your own vegetable garden with Buddy Bison! Decorate with natural materials and learn about different seeds that will flourish on your windowsill or on your counter. Download the instructions here. Post a picture of your garden and share it with us on Instagram by tagging @nationalparktrust or using the hashtag #BuddyBison.

Online Junior Ranger Badges

To celebrate National Park Week, we are thrilled to share 10 Junior Ranger badges you can earn from home. It doesn’t matter what age you are, just “explore, learn, and protect” your national parks online and become an official Junior Ranger and earn your badges! From Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas to Point Reyes National Seashore in California, you can learn about history, night skies, or even dinosaurs! Click here to learn more!

With any questions, please always feel free to contact Ralph Dunhamn, Director of Linden’s Department of Parks & Recreations.

Basketball Rims in Linden Playgrounds

On 3/23, to help stop COVID-19, temporary measures to seal off basketball nets were taken. Sadly, people undid those measures to play basketball, a contact sport in which the virus can more easily spread. For the safety of all our residents, all basketball rims in Linden playgrounds will be secured until further notice.