Board Members Comments
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
I speak for myself and the entire PAL Board when I say we are looking forward, enthusiastically, to the 2009-2011 season and beyond. We each plan to bring our own specialties to this program which has been so successful thanks to Director/Detective Jackie Jones-Ford. She has been and continues to be a tremendous asset to both the Village of Hempstead, and the Police Department.
Tenured programs such as basketball (leagues/clinics), bowling, track, karate, kung fu, and our dance school will be infused with new experiences such as Girl Scouts, trips to the ice skating, water parks, museums and skiing just to name a few. Our youth will get the opportunity to see that their future has no limitations.
Sean Hamilton, President
Quick History/Bio
Sean K. Hamilton is a 19 year veteran of Law Enforcement, serving in both the NYPD and currently with the Hempstead Police Department. He has enjoyed numerous positions throughout his career from Patrol Officer to Community Policing, Investigations, and is currently a Detective in the Juvenile Aid Bureau, where he also maintains the Village Sex Offender Files.
Sean is also the current Hempstead PAL Board President, in second term and enjoys sharing with young people. He believes this sharing between past and present generations is vital for our society to move forward in a positive direction.
Mr. Hamilton has a passion for ice hockey (former SCPD-PBA Player) and is an avid golfer. He enjoys playing the guitar and attending concerts and spending time with his teenage daughter.
"The Hempstead PAL is a not-for-profit organization that is bent on making sure our youth have an opportunity to experience new and different things. Our youth, our future, who says you can't be President. They stand now before us as students, eager to grow and become greater men and women who will take charge of their own futures. We are just here to guide them in the right direction." J. Jones-Ford, Director
THE CONTINUED PARK ISSUE OVER SPACE/USE
Every year it becomes apparent that if you are not part of the "Democratic" team you will be stepped on and over. As every winter basketball season for the last 4 1/2 years it seems that the Mayor's CYO group takes priority over many other groups in Hempstead. For example PAL has been a fixture in Hempstead for over 19 years, the Hempstead SAL basketball team for over 13 years both servicing Hempstead Village youth.
I am curious to find out what the mission statements are of the CYO, and how about the charter and bylaws of the oganization, recently now called Hempstead CYO. I have also always been under the impression if you are part of the Catholic Church you pay a fee into the Arch Diosis , and would be granted certain gym facility use as well as use of their name. Strange practice for this particular group, they must use the local park in Hempstead taking up to as many as 6 days for practice, when other groups not associated to the Mayor are assigned just 2 days. This group also receives CDA funds to operate, just for informational reasons the PAL CDA monies were cut exactly 4 1/2 years ago by more than half. PAL operates over 27 youth and adult activities during the course of a year. We are also more than just basketball and track, we are about family.
I am very passionate about the children I serve and the function of the PAL, I will continue to push ahead and run our programs even if we will be forced to go outside of Hempstead to do so. I'm sue that wouldn't look good for this Village and the powers that be. As a long time former resident of the Village, who's parents still remain there it is so sad to see that politics are so much more important than children. As a member of law enforcement in the Village it is even more important to show our youth to stand up for something or yes, you will fall for everything.
