Sweeton explains Pine Island Park rules

To the editor: I wanted to clarify a few issues raised by Mr. and Mrs. Vitiello regarding the Pine Island Recreation Program. First this is a Town of Warwick run program and the Pine Island Recreation Committee is a town-appointed group. When the Vitiello’s first called my office about this, I convened a meeting of the Pine Island Recreation Committee, the Warwick Recreation Committee chairperson and the Town Board liaison to recreation. We reviewed the policy of restricting access to the park during program hours, a policy which has been in place for at least 15 years and I placed calls to both the town attorney as well as the New York State Supervisor’s Association which is well versed in Town Law. They confirmed that it is legal for towns to restrict access to town parks as long as we do not discriminate, which we do not. The purpose of the policy is to ensure the safety of the more than 300 children from all over our town who participate in the six-week recreation program. The town provides similar park facilities at Union Corners Park, which is less than three miles from the Pine Island Park so that our residents can still enjoy themselves outdoors while the summer recreation program is in session. We live in a dangerous world and it only takes a second for a child to be snatched by even the most innocent looking people. Greater regulations regarding summer recreation programs, more screening of councilors, enhanced vigilance by our recreation staff and restricted access to the park have made the Pine Island Recreation program a safe and rewarding experience for many thousands of Warwick children over the years. Michael P. Sweeton Warwick Town Supervisor