Health Department installs new public artwork in fi ve NYC parks
Empire City Casino has become the
leading gaming destination in the Northeast
and closest casino to New York City,
and there’s more in store as 2019 rings in.
With an infl ux of 950 new games on the casino
fl oor since the start of 2018 nearly 20%
of Empire City’s 5,200+ slot machines and
electronic table games (ETGs) are brand
new heading into the New Year.
The new games from IGT include Wheel
of Fortune: Jackpot Paradise, Jurassic Park,
and Fortune Gong while SG Gaming added
Kronos: Father of Zeus, Zeus: Son of Kronos
and Ultimate Fire Link - China Street.
All of the previously mentioned games
are penny denominations and all include
free games bonuses. Additionally, all but
one (Jurassic Park) have Local Progressive
jackpots, meaning those jackpots are
only available at Empire City (as opposed
to Wide Area Progressives available to win
across other casino properties).
Currently, a nearly $1-Million jackpot
($966,000+) is up-for-grabs on the wildlypopular
IGT Wheel of Fortune slot machine,
where a record $2.9-Million hit in March
2018. In addition, a jackpot over $500,000
is waiting to hit on the popular Bally’s Betty
Boop slot machine, where just a $5 max bet
could claim it!
Here the top fi ve reasons that make Empire
City Casino the ultimate destination for
celebrating new in 2019:
New Games: Newest additions include
IGT’s Jurassic Park and Fortune Gong, and
SG Gaming’s Kronos: Father of Zeus are
among the exciting new gaming technology
on the casino fl oor.
New Food Items: Crab Cakes and
Blackened Chicken Sandwich are among
the latest items added to the menu at Dan
Rooney’s Sports Bar, while Nonno’s Trattoria
now offers Chicken Penne alla Vodka and
Red Snapper Mediterranean Style.
New Comedy Line-ups: January’s headliners
for the popular Wednesday Comedy
Nights are Sam Morril (Jan. 16) and Vinnie
Brand (Jan. 30). Tickets begin at just $5 for
Empire Club Members, and include a complimentary
beverage.
New Promotions: Celebrate Fridays with
the casino’s Points-for-Free-Play promotion,
make sure to follow Empire City on social
media for their exclusive New Year/New
Money social media promotion, and guests
should be sign-up to be an Empire Club
Member to receive $10 Free Play and entry
into a $10,000 Cash Drawing! Full details
available at www.empirecitycasino.com.
New Racing Schedule: Live racing returns
on Monday, 1/7! The prestigious Yonkers
Trot and Messenger Stakes, Yonkers
Raceway’s signature Triple Crown events,
the Art Rooney Pace, the Dan Rooney Invitational
and the $1 million Yonkers International
Trot highlight the stakes calendar, and
nightly harness racing and simulcasting are
offered at the world-famous half-mile oval
featuring such leading drivers as Jason Bartlett,
Jordan Stratton, George Brennan and
Brian Sears.
* * *
Upcoming New York Botanical Garden
events and programs:
Holiday Train Show: Saturday, January
5, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, January
6, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: The New York Botanical
Garden’s Holiday Train Show® showcases
Lower Manhattan—the birthplace of
New York City—in the 27th year of this beloved
tradition. Enchanting model trains zip
through a display of more than 175 New
York landmarks, each re-created with bark,
leaves, and other natural materials—all under
the twinkling glow of the Enid A. Haupt
Conservatory.
Replicas debuting this year include the
historic Battery Maritime Building, vintage
ferry boats, the Battery Park Control House,
the Woolworth Building, One World Trade
Center, the Oculus, and the Terminal Warehouse.
The new Lower Manhattan replicas
will share the spotlight with old favorites including
the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island
Immigration Station.
Accompanying programs include a cappella
performances, children’s activities, and
Bar Car Nights.
Bar Car Night: Saturday, January 5, 7 to
10:30 p.m.: For adults 21 and over, the wintry
landscape of NYBG sets the scene for lively
outdoor adventures, with an after-dark viewing
of the Holiday Train Show as the centerpiece.
Visitors can purchase a drink from
one of our seasonal bars and a bite to eat
from the Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop-up,
then set out to explore the night’s offerings.
They can relax and warm up around the fi re
pits in the Leon Levy Visitor Center, watch
art emerge from giant blocks of ice during
live ice-sculpting demonstrations, sing along
to favorite tunes with dueling pianos in the
Pine Tree Café, and listen to roving a cappella
groups as they guide visitors through
the Garden. Performers vary each night and
advance tickets—Non-Member $38/Member
$28—are recommended. Check nybg.
org for details and to purchase tickets.
All Aboard with Thomas & Friends: Saturday,
January 5 and Sunday, January 6, 9
& 11 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.: Join Thomas
and Driver Sam on a fun-fi lled, sing-along,
mini-performance adventure. In Thomas’
Budding Adventure, kids will help Thomas
discover the steps to growing a beautiful garden.
Make sure to have a professional photo
taken with the Really Useful Engine to capture
the special day!
Seating is fi rst-come, fi rst-served, and
begins 30 minutes prior to your show time.
Admission to the Thomas & Friends performance
is included with the purchase of
select Holiday Train Show tickets; specifi c
timed tickets must be reserved.
Ticket includes entry to the Holiday Train
Show® immediately following the Thomas &
Friends performance.
Please note: When purchasing your
ticket, you must select the Holiday Train
Show® ticket that specifi es Thomas and reserve
a mini-performance time. While the
price of all Holiday Train Show® tickets are
the same, this is the only ticket type that allows
access to All Aboard with Thomas &
Friends™. © 2018 Gullane (Thomas) Limited
Evergreen Express: Saturday, January
5 and Sunday, January 6, 10 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.: Children step into Discovery Center
Depot to investigate samples of evergreen
tree branches and cones, mount a conifer
sample, craft a cone critter, and design an
evergreen swag (a miniature, simple evergreen
wreath with a bow) to take home. Children
can pretend to ride the rails aboard our
child-sized play train and put on a puppet
show in the Woodland Puppet Theater.
Putting Down Roots: Celebrating 30
Years of Bronx Green-Up: through April 28:
NYBG is commemorating the 30th Anniversary
of its community gardening outreach
program with a photo exhibit including 36
photographs from 15 of the gardens and urban
farms where NYBG’s Bronx Green-Up
works.
Bronx Green-Up supports more than
200 local greening groups, schools, and
community organizations in their missions
to improve their neighborhoods through
greening projects. In honor of this anniversary,
four teen photographers from the
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 36 ANUARY 4-10, 2019 BTR
Thomas & Friends at the New York Botanical Garde. Photo courtesy of the NYBG
Bronx Documentary Center’s Bronx Junior
Photo League—18-year-old Tony Baizan-
Garcia, 19-year-old Kayla Beltran, 18-yearold
Mitchell Harris-Dennis, and 16-year-old
Tianna Maldonado—spent the summer visiting
Bronx Green-Up community gardens
and urban farms, documenting the activity of
these organizations, from planting, weeding,
and composting to harvest and celebration.
Their dynamic photos will be on view showcasing
community-building and activism taking
place all across the borough.
Bird Walk: Saturday, January 5, 11 a.m.:
Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden
grounds with a bird expert. You’ll search for
our feathered friends and learn more about
bird-friendly habitats, passage birds, and
those that make a permanent home at the
Garden. Meet at the Refl ecting Pool at the
Leon Levy Visitor Center.
Winter Wonderland Tree Tour: Saturday,
January 5, 12:30 p.m.: Embark on an invigorating
45-minute walk to view the Garden’s
stately conifer collection and old growth
forest in the beauty of winter. Even in cold
weather there’s plenty of interest in our gardens
and collections. Meet at the Refl ecting
Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center.
Holiday Landmarks Tour: Sunday, January
6, 2:30 p.m.: This tour provides a fascinating
overview of the Garden’s history and
its importance as a vital NYC cultural destination
since 1891. With an expert guide,
explore the Tulip Tree Allee, the Fountain of
Life, and the Library. The tour concludes at
the Garden’s “must-see” destination—the
Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Meet at the Refl
ecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center.
The New York Botanical Garden is located
at Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) and
Fordham Road. For more information, call
(718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.
* * *
The City Island Library will offer the following
programs:
Circle Time: Children from birth to 3
years old and their caregivers can enjoy stories,
songs, and fi nger plays while spending
time with other toddlers. Limit of 15 children
with their caregivers. Craft included. Every
Tuesday from 11 to 11:45 a.m.
Play-Doh Time: Have fun exploring sensory
dough as well as making your own creations
with Playdough by kneading, rolling
and molding it! Ages 2 to 5. Playdough does
contain wheat products. Every Thursday at
11 a.m.
Read & Play: Children from birth to 3
years old and caregivers can take part in
wonderful stories, discover amazing toys,
and meet new friends in this fun, informal
program. Limit of 15 children with their caregivers.
Every Friday from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Craft-A-Way: Drop in and participate in
creating projects related to a theme or holiday.
Ages 2 to 5. Friday, January 11 at 11:30
a.m.
After School Lounge: Come to the library
after school for a chance to get a head start
on your homework before unwinding online!
Monday through Thursday from 3 . to 4:30
p.m.
Books & Bites Book Club: It’s simple: read
the selected book together then talk about it
while enjoying some yummy snacks! Ages
10 to 14. Every Thursday in January and
February at 4:30 p.m.
Friday Afternoon Activities: On Fridays,
at 3 p.m. a series of special activities to celebrate
the beginning of the weekend will be
held:
January 4, Makey Makey Extravaganza;
January 11, Wii and Board Games: January
18, Friendship Bracelets; and January 25,
Wii and Board Games/
City Island Calligraphy: Calligraphy is an
ancient form of communication and artistic
expression that has since taken on a wide
variety of styles and functions. Here at the
City Island Library, patron and volunteer Regina
Sanglier will teach you the basics, and
hopefully get you creating your very own
works of art. Registration required. Saturday,
January 5 and 19, at 10:30 a.m.
Mensa Mondays: Doing puzzles has
been linked to improved memory, better
problem-solving skills, and even lower
stress levels. Let us help you work off those
Monday blues by providing you with riddles,
crosswords, word searches, and number
puzzles to train your brain! Every Monday
from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
City Island Scrabble Club: If you’re looking
for some friendly competition, then join
our Scrabble Club! Come in and fl ex your vocabulary
muscles. Note: Limited to 12 participants,
registration required. Thursday January
10 and 24 at 1 p.m.
City Island Book Club: Call or stop by the
branch for more information. Monday, January
7 and 28 at 5 p.m.
The Island Writers: This is a group for all
who are interested in writing professionally
or personally. All are welcome, so come join
in on the literary fun! Every Tuesday from 1
to 2:30 p.m.
One-on-One: Computer, Tablet, and Resume
Instruction: Stop in, or call to make an
appointment for one hour of personalized
instruction that addresses your questions
and concerns. No computer? No problem!
We have computers available for instructional
use. Registration required.
Saturday Afternoon Movies: Feature
movie titles, varying in length, at 1 p.m.
January 5, The Pursuit of Happyness
; January 12, Eat Pray Love; January 19,
The Croods; and January 26, The Bucket
List.
/www.empirecitycasino.com
/www.empirecitycasino.com
/nybg.org