Watsessing Park Conservancy

Watsessing Park Cleanup April 30, 2011!

2011-04-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Bloomfield Open Space Trust Fund Committee (OSTFC), Watsessing Park Conservancy (WPC), and Watsessing Heights Neighborhood Association (WHNA) are planning a park and river cleanup on Saturday, April 30.

The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission’s River Restoration division will be on hand to clean up the river, provide garbage bags and gloves for volunteers, and to haul the debris to Newark.

For those not familiar with the park, Watsessing Park is located on 69 acres in the Townships of Bloomfield and East Orange. The meandering Second River, joined here by Toney's Brook, flows through the long open park that was designed in 1899 by the Olmsted Brothers firm and expanded in the early 20th century, also under the auspices of the Olmsted firm.

When: April 30, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Volunteers will meet at the "W" garden at the park entrance at the intersection of Maolis and Glenwood Avenues, by the Lawn Bowling building.

Refreshments (donuts and coffee) will be provided to the volunteers. We hope to see many members of the community on the 30th and look forward to a successful cleanup!

Watch this space for any updates

2009-07-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Your input is needed at a public meeting hosted by Essex County on Monday, July 27, 2009, at the Senior Center building in the park at Conger Street at 7 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting is to present the County's plans for constructing a combination soccer/la cross field with artificial turf, lighting, seating, and partial fencing, in the section of Watsessing Park bordering Bloomfield Avenue between the Parkway and the area around the bandstand.

A second artificial turf field would be constructed in the central area within the boundaries of the running track in the section of the park between Glenwood Avenue and Cleveland Terrace.

Please come to the meeting and express your opinion about these plans. Thank you.

Holiday Park Decorations Dec. 8

2007-11-30T18:02:00.001-08:00

Every year the Watsessing Heights Neighborhood Association and the Watsessing Park Conservancy join forces with the County to put up holiday decorations all around the fences of Watsessing Park.

This year's event will be held on Saturday, December 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Coffee and donuts/bagels will be provided for those who come early. Meet at the entrance of the park on Glenwood Avenue, at the foot of Maolis Avenue, by the bowling green.

Volunteers are needed, so we hope you can join us!

Sad News

2007-10-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Former President of the Watsessing Park Conservancy, Jane Myers, passed away on Tuesday, October 16th. She had battled multiple sclerosis for many years.

Jane was passionately dedicated to Watsessing Park and was a driving force in the creation of the Watsessing Park Conservancy. She served as its first president before she had to step down due to health issues. She also worked hand in hand with the county in getting the Watsessing Dog Park built as well as having the historic band stand restored in the park.

Jane was a supporting member of the Watsessing Heights Neighborhood Association from its early inception and made many valuable contributions to our neighborhood and the Township of Bloomfield. She will be sorely missed.

There will be a memorial service for her this Friday, October 19th at O’Boyle’s Funeral Home which is located at 309 Broad Street in Bloomfield, NJ.

You are invited to pay your respects from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. From 3:00 pm-4:00 pm there will be an opportunity to share your remembrances of Jane in an informal setting.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be sent to either the Watsessing Park Conservancy or the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Greater North Jersey. Both organizations are tax deductible 501(c)(3) organizations.

Concert in the Park on Tuesday, August 7

2007-07-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

Tueday, August 7 is National Night Out and also the annual Concert in Watsessing Park, provided by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.

This year's concert, Serenade Under the Stars, stars Lonnie Youngblood. Please come out and join your neighbors!

The concert will be held at the corner of Watsessing Park that borders Llewellyn Avenue and Cleveland Terrace and will start at 7 p.m.

Annual Summer Social in the Park - July 28

2007-07-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's summer and it's time for the annual Summer Social in the Park, sponsored by our sister organization, the Watsessing Heights Neighborhood Association.

Bring your blanket or chairs, something to eat and something to drink, and join your neighbors in the park at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 28.

We'll be meeting at the "W" garden at the park entrance on Glenwood Avenue at the foot of Maolis Avenue. Hope to see you there!

Reminder! WHNA/WPC Theatre Night Saturday!

2007-05-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that this Saturday, May 19, is the anniversary gala at 12 Miles West.

If you haven't yet sent in your money, don't despair! There are tickets available, so just call us at 973-680-WHNA and reserve your tickets - you can pay at the door on Saturday night.

Don't forget to be there early - we are starting at 6:30 for a wine and cheese reception, followed at 8 p.m. by the play, Tales of an Urban Burb, which received excellent reviews in both the Star Ledger and the Montclair Times. Hope to see you there!

Thanks for a successful park cleanup!

2007-05-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Park Cleanup on May 5th, particularly Ralph and Tony from Essex County, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, Coach Carter and his Bengals, and the Essex County Department of Corrections! And of course, neighbors like you!

In addition to cleaning up the litter in the park, we planted the "W" garden and the flower barrels at the entrances to the park, as well as the Island in the middle of Prospect and Glenwood Avenues.

Here are a couple of scenes from the event:

Volunteers planting the Island:

Planting the "W" garden

Watsessing Park Cleanup This Saturday May 5!

2007-05-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

View of the bowling green in Watsessing Park in the early 20th century.

There will be a park cleanup this Saturday in Watsessing Park, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 2 p.m.

Please meet at the "W" garden at the entrance to the park on Glenwood Avenue, opposite Maolis Avenue (by the lawn bowling building).

We will be supplying coffee and donuts to those who come at 10 a.m.! There will also be lunch served at the end for all those who have worked up an appetite cleaning up our park!

We will also be doing some plantings so if you have an extra trowel and want to help plant, please bring it along. We'll be supplying some trowels for those who don't have one but want to help plant.

There will also be gloves and bags provided to pick up garbage, and waders for those who are willing to go into the brook and pull out debris.

Looking forward to a great day, hope to see you there!

Housekeeping - How to comment!

2007-04-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

We just realized the comments were set up to only allow registered users to post a comment. This has been corrected. If you wish to post anonymously without registering on Google, you just click Anonymous and you can post.

Please feel free to comment on the blog or on any park-related subject. We are looking for feedback and suggestions to continue to improve Watsessing Park and its environs. Thanks!

Now you can donate to help the cause!

2007-04-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

We have added a donation button through PayPal on the righthand side of the website, below the map.

Money donated through PayPal will be transferred directly to the WPC bank account, and is fully tax deductible since the WPC is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

After several years of benefiting from Green Acres funding, the WPC was not awarded a grant this year. So any new work that is done in the park in the coming year must be funded by the County. The more funds we can contribute, the more that can be accomplished. Immediate needs include:

Pruning trees, removing dead trees
Replacing them with new, sizable trees
Repairing bridges
Upgrading the "W" Garden
Planting new gardens/shrubs

Thank you for your support. Remember, together we can make a difference!

Important Upcoming Events

2007-04-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

Mark Your Calendars!

May 5: It's the annual Watsessing Park Cleanup! The WPC is sponsoring the annual cleanup this year on the first Saturday in May.

The Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission will be on hand supplying equipment and bags, the Essex County Department of Corrections will be there bright and early to do their part, and our dedicated Essex County Park workers will be helping out and disposing of the garbage that is collected. We also hope to have the Bloomfield High School student volunteers again this year. And, of course, neighbors like you!

We will also be planting flowers on the island in the middle of Glenwood Avenue and Prospect Street. If you would like to help with this task, please bring an extra trowel if you hae one.

Volunteers should meet at the Glenwood Avenue entrance to the park across from Maolis Avenue, at 10 a.m. There will be a welcome table set up with donuts and coffee. Please report there to sign in and receive your gloves and bags. Lunch will be provided to all volunteers.

May 19: Guess who’s turning ten this year? The Watsessing Heights Neighborhood Assocation! Yes, the WHNA is marking its 10th anniversary as an organization! It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed. We have accomplished so much, and there is so much left to do.

One of the more exciting accomplishments of the WHNA was the creation of the Watsessing Park Conservancy. We are a full 501(c)(3) (charitable) organization dedicated to the preservation and upkeep of Watsessing Park.

Partnering with Essex County, the WPC has received Green Acres funds over the past several years that have been used to refurbish the historic bandstand and the field houses, replace the running track with state-of-the art material, upgrade the playgrounds, and more.

As part of the celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the WHNA, the WPC and WHNA are working together to hold a gala fundraiser at 12 Miles West to benefit the WPC. Green Acres grants are becoming scarce and the WPC needs new funding to continue its mission. Funds are needed to plant new trees and repair the bridges in the park, among other projects.

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, May 19th as the WHNA/WPC and 12 Miles West present “Tales of an Urban Burb.” This world premiere play by Rose Caruso is also part of the New Jersey Playwrights Festival of New Plays. Come and see how the urbane and “sub” urbane clash in this rollicking comedic look at life in and out of the city. This promises to be an evening filled with laughter!

Tickets will be $30 each and are partially tax deductible. We will also have a pre-theater wine and cheese gathering as well as a post- theater “Meet the Artists” reception, which are included in the price of your ticket. The pre-theater event starts at 6:30 and the play starts at 8 p.m.

If you are interested in attending, please e-mail us at WPCEssex@yahoo.com with your name and number of tickets needed. Or you can call 973-680-WHNA and leave the information there. Payment can be made the night of the show; we will accept cash or checks payable to “WPC.”

Seats are limited and you must e-mail or phone to reserve your tickets, so don’t delay – contact us today! We look forward to sharing this evening with you.

Launching the WPC Website

2007-04-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is the official website of the Watsessing Park Conservancy. The WPC was formed as an offshoot of the Watsessing Heights Neighborhood Association in 2004 in order to partner with Essex County to preserve, protect and care for Watessing Park and to focus more attention on the needs of the park. It is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax-deductible.

With the help of Essex County, the WPC has received several Green Acres grants to upgrade the park. Improvements so far include:

Renovation of the historic bandstand
Installation of a new running track in the southern section of the park
Renovations to the field houses
New rubberized surfaces in all playgrounds

The WPC partners with the WHNA each spring and fall in a massive park cleanup, which is done with the help of Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, the Essex County Department of Corrections, students from the Bloomfield High School, and neighbors like you.

The purpose of this site is to keep you informed of all upcoming events and news regarding the park, and allow a forum for comments, suggestions and discussion pertaining to the park and its environs.

Longer term we hope to allow for donations to be submitted on line.