See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Colin Mixson
Brooklyn Daily
The youth and senior activity programs in Marine Park just got 20 new bicycles, but the organization that runs the programs isn’t sure how they’re going to be paid for.
A mysterious donor arranged to provide the bikes to Millennium Development, but now the community group isn’t sure whether the enigmatic philanthropist is actually going to follow through and pay for the cycles.
“We’re not sure if it’s going down,” said Paul Curiale, executive director at Millennium Development. “[The bikes] have arrived, we have to go pick them up [Friday], but we’re not sure if we have to pay for them out of pocket.”
Curiale wouldn’t reveal anything more about the donor, and said he won’t until the deal’s been finalized and the vehicles are paid for.
Either way, Curiale says he’s happy to have the bikes, and has big plans for the cycling seniors enrolled in Millennium’s Active Adult program.
“We’re really excited,” he exclaimed.
The bikes will be stored at Marine Park’s Carmine Carro Community Center, and be reserved for children and seniors enrolled in the Bergen Beach organization’s activity programs.
For now, Millennium’s active adults will have to content themselves to cycling in circles around the Oval, a broad, paved walkway inside the park, but once the ever-evolving Greenway Project extends further south and east into Marine Park and Canarsie, Curiale looks forward to leading tours down to Canarsie Pier and Brooklyn’s biggest national park, Floyd Bennett Field.
“I like the Greenway, it doesn’t go through the streets, and once it gets going we’ll have trips and start traveling to Floyd Bennett Field,” said Curiale.
Junior high school kids will be collaborating with Millennium’s active seniors to assemble to bikes on Friday, and they should be ready to ride this weekend.
Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.