About Town: Summer Camp in Fort Lee

Fort Lee Patch is happy to report that the world did not end as predicted, and we have to applaud Metropolitan Plant Exchange for their great sense of humor about it all. Their sign read, “World Still Here Sale!” Bravo Metro!

Okay kids, Memorial Day is this weekend and we all know it’s the unofficial start to summer. Pools are opening, schools are buzzing with excitement, counting down the days until vacation, and camp registration will be starting June 1.

Having attended the Fort Lee Recreation’s Summer Camp program, and being an alumni camp counselor from back in the 70s and early 80s, we can’t say enough good things about the Camp program that Cheryl Westeyn runs. First of all, let’s talk cost. Fort Lee charges $25 per child for five weeks of summer fun. That’s $25 for the entire program! Look at the costs of the summer camps in our bordering towns—by comparison, their summer camp programs are costly. Leonia charges $500 per child, Edgewater charges $260 per child and Englewood Cliffs charges $125 per child with trips an additional cost. $25 per child? That’s incredible!

The Fort Lee Summer Day Camp program is a five-week program beginning on Tuesday, July 5, and continuing through Friday, August 5. Camp is open to Fort Lee resident children only. Proof of age and residency are required at the time of registration, unless your child’s information is already in the Recreation Department’s computer database. If this is the first time you’re registering your child, please bring a birth certificate or passport for proof of age.

For proof of residency, only a lease, deed, property tax bill, maintenance agreement, most recent cancelled rent or maintenance check or a Community Center I.D. Card will be accepted.

Camp will be held at the following locations:

Recreation Center (Stillwell Avenue): all children entering Kindergarten or first grade in 2011, or who will be five years old by December 31, 2011.

School No. 1 (Hoym Street): all children entering second and third grades in 2011.

School No. 4 (Anderson Avenue): all children entering fourth and fifth grades in 2011.

Community Center (Inwood Terrace): all children who will enter sixth through eighth grades in 2011 and who are no older than 13 years old. 

Wading Pool Information

There are four wading pools in Fort Lee: Inwood Terrace Pool in Inwood Terrace Park, Stillwell Avenue Pool at the Recreation Center, Westview Place Pool in Coytesville and Gerome Avenue Pool in Firemen’s Park. Pools open Monday, June 27, and close Friday, August 19. Pools are open, weather permitting, seven days a week. The hours are 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Only children 12 and under are permitted to use the wading pools. Badges are required. They may be obtained at the Recreation Office with appropriate proof of Fort Lee residency, which would include: lease, deed, property tax bill, maintenance agreement, recent cancelled maintenance or rent check or a Community Center ID card. Pool badge registration evening hours are Monday through Friday, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., from June 13 through June 24. Daytime registration hours are Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., starting June 27.

So mark your calendars and get set for registration, and get set for summer!