News
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 54, has agreed to conduct vessel safety checks on Saturday, March 27, from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm at the Delray Beach Municipal Marina, 159 Marine Way, Delray Beach. All safety checks are valid for a calendar year and will be conducted at no charge.
The City of Delray Beach welcomes any boats that may be on the Intracoastal that day or from the Delray Yacht Club to come by to have a Vessel Safety Check. Any sailboats, motor yachts and/or motorized craft that would like to take advantage of a safety check, at no charge, will receive a 2010 Vessel Safety Check decal to indicate to law enforcement agencies that their boat has complied with all U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment requirements.
Florida experiences a disproportionate number of boating accidents and fatalities related to the number of registered vessels in the state. The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is tasked with providing a safe boating environment, both for recreational and commercial vessels. Safety Awareness is stressed.
For more information, please call Alberta Gaum at (561) 243-7136 or email Alberta at gaum@mydelraybeach.com
The Catherine Strong Park, 1500 SW 6th Street, will host its first Spring Break Camp starting on Monday, March 29, 2010.
Adventurous and educational field trips and activities will be provided. The camp will run from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday until April 2, 2010. The Spring Break Camp is available to the first 15 participants that register and pay camp the Camp fee - $60 for Delray Beach residents and $65 for non-residents or $12 daily. The cost includes all field trips and lunch each day.
Register at Catherine Strong Park or online with a MasterCard or Visa.
For more information please contact Abby Murrell or Erik Lawson at (561) 243-7194 or email Abby at murrell@mydelraybeach.com.
On Monday, August 17th, the bathrooms and showers at Atlantic Dunes Park, located at 1605 South Ocean Blvd. (just north of Linton Blvd. on A-1-A) will close for renovations for approximately 120 days. The park which includes handicap parking, metered parking lot located on the west side of A-1-A, and beach access will remain open during the construction. Temporary restrooms will be available.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact Tim Simmons, Parks Superintendent at (561) 243-7251.
The Delray Beach Parks and Recreation Department opens registration for the Out of School Program on July 27th for Delray Beach Residents only.
Registration Open:
Mondays through Fridays, 9:00 am -12:00 pm and 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Delray Beach Community Center.
There will be a one time registration fee of $25.00 per child, plus a monthly fee of $55.00 per month/per child. Parents must bring the completed application, proof of residency, registration fee, first month payment, birth certificate and a picture (head shot) of each child (which will not be returned) to registration.
The Out of School Program is open to children 5 to 12 years old, and is a 9-month program beginning this school year and will include after school, day camps, ½ day camp, holiday and spring camps, and summer camp (summer camp monthly payments will be determined). The Out of School Program also has a partnership with the ARC for an inclusion program for children with developmental disabilities; they are given the opportunity to interact in classrooms and social settings with peers of their own age who are not developmentally disabled.
Transportation will be provided from the Palm Beach County District Schools to the Parks and Recreation After School sites during the After School Program and ½ day camps. Parents will need to provide transportation to the centers for day, holiday, spring break, summer camp and winter camp. Snacks will be provided for the After School program and lunch and snacks will be provided for summer camp.
For more information contact the Out of School Office at (561) 243-7249. The Delray Beach Community Center is located at 50 NW 1st Ave., Delray Beach.
The ARC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults who have developmental disabilities through services, advocacy and education
The City of Delray Beach has recently been designated a “Playful City USA” community. Only 93 communities across the nation have received this distinguished honor. The City was selected for this award due to its dedication and creative commitment to “play.” One of major projects that was cited in earning this honor was the City’s efforts to rebuild Miller Park, 1905 SW 4th Avenue, which is expected to be completed in May 2010. This facility will be reconstructed to include a new Miracle League ball field to provide “special needs” children with an opportunity to “play” in a structured baseball league.
“We, as a City, are committed to creating a generation of children who are happier, healthier, and smarter through outdoor recreation while offering safe and quality play areas,” Delray Beach Mayor Nelson S. “Woodie” McDuffie said. “We also hope to increase awareness as to the benefits and availability of play in our community through this initiative.”
This community honor was awarded to the City of Delray Beach by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Playful City USA communities, like Delray Beach, create best practices and serve as role models for other communities.
“Our country is facing two monumental deficits: a lack of unstructured play among children and a lack of resources to address this very issue,” said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO and Co-founder. “Delray Beach took a stand and determined that the future of their community??"their children??"deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future.”
For additional information about the City’s Playful City USA designation and/or information about Miller Park, please contact Rodger Ribeiro, Parks and Recreation Department, at (561) 243-7256.
KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers ??" a national network of individual advocates for play. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also have offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.
The United States of America Netball Association’s 21 and Under Women’s Netball Team will be training at Pompey Park Recreation Center, 1101 NW 2nd Street, Delray Beach, from July 11th through the 15th. On July 12th the public is invited to attend when the USA team takes on the Wales, England Club team at 3:30 pm in an exhibition game also at Pompey Park.
The USA National Team will be competing in the 2009 world Youth Netball Championship in Rarotonga, Cook Island from August 11th through August 18th.
The invention of Netball was inadvertently aided by James Naismith who invented basketball in 1891. In 1895 Naismith sent a copy of his basketball rules to a sports teacher in New Orleans, Clara Baer.
Baer interpreted Naismith's drawings of the court and players as meaning that players could not leave certain areas. Baer's interpretation of the game became Women's basketball in 1899.
Women's basketball was taken to Britain and the empire where the game transformed into a passing no dribbling game called Netball. It has grown to be the most popular women’s team sport in the world.
For additional information, please contact Sonia Rodney with the Netball Association, at (561) 738-3174 or email Sonia at netballusa@aol.com.
On June 16th Delray Beach Mayor Nelson S. McDuffie proclaimed July 2009 as Parks and Recreation Month in Delray Beach, Florida.
We call upon park and recreation supporters to join us in recognizing the importance of our nation’s parks and recreation facilities and to learn more about how to support the places that bring our communities a higher quality of life, safer places to play and healthy alternatives through recreation programming for everyone.
Also, during Parks and Recreation Month we encourage all citizens enjoy what their community has to offer by taking part in their favorite sports, visiting the outdoors, spending time with family and friends or just relaxing.
For more information on programs and activities offered through Delray Beach Parks and Recreation please call (561) 243-7250 or visit our Programs and Activities Pages.
On December 17, 2008, the Florida Beach Patrol Chiefs Association awarded the 2008 Beach Patrol of the Year designation to Delray Beach Ocean Rescue. Since 1993, the award has been given to the top Ocean Rescue Agency in the State of Florida. This will be the unprecedented 4th time Delray Beach Ocean Rescue has received this honor. Criteria for winning the award includes: level of certification and training, professionalism, community involvement and education, contributions to ocean lifesaving, and agency achievements for the year.
Delray Beach Ocean Rescue will receive the award at the 2008 Florida Surf Lifesaving Awards Banquet on March 20, 2009, held at the Delray Beach Golf Club. The awards banquet is presented by the Florida Beach Patrol Chiefs Association and the United States Lifesaving Association/Southeast Region. Additional awards and recognition will be given for the efforts and achievements of the State of Florida’s Ocean Lifeguards for protecting the over 60 million visitors to Florida’s beaches this past year.
The Beach Chiefs Association was formed in 1983 to promote professionalism within Florida’s ocean lifesaving agencies. The founding members recognized the need for increased cooperation and communication among Florida’s professional ocean lifeguards. Worthwhile projects began to emerge from the ‘Chiefs’ including public education, promoting legislation related to ocean lifesaving, and raising standards of training and certification. The “Lifeguard of the Year” and “Beach Patrol of the Year” awards were created to honor the best lifeguards and lifeguard agencies in the State of Florida.
The City of Delray Beach Parks and Recreation Department has boat storage spaces available on the north end of the beach for sixty (60) sailboats. The existing permit holders will be able to renew their permits for one (1) year at the Delray Beach Community Center, 50 NW 1st Ave., starting October 1st between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday. Remaining permits will be sold beginning November 3rd.
The cost of the annual permit is $200.00 plus sales tax. Before you purchase a permit your boat MUST be inspected by the City’s Parks and Recreation staff. Appointments may be requested by contacting Bob Taylor, Ocean Rescue Superintendent at (561) 243-7352 or email taylorb@ci.delray-beach.fl.us. All applicants must show proof of boat ownership by providing a bill of sale. One (1) permit per person, per family, will be sold.
All boats must exhibit a properly attached and valid City permit by Monday, November 30th or the boat will be removed from the beach at the boat owner’s expense (i.e., towing and storage).
For further information, contact Gail Vanhove at (561) 243-7257 or vanhove@ci.delray-beach.fl.us.
