All articles were obtained from the Clippings File in the New Jersey Room of the Newark Public Library. Because they were clipped, certain data is often omitted. More complete references are provided in the bibliography.
July 1929 (newspaper source, page and full title not available)
"A good deal of sympathy is wasted on the children compelled by economic conditions or for other reasons to live in crowded cities. After visiting neighborhoods like that which centers on West Side Park, the lot of the city child does not appear to be so unhappy. If you harbor such a theory it would be well to pay a visit to West Side and note the unfortunate having the time of their young lives; perhaps a better time than do children who live in neat suburbs or in the real country."
"[Park is] surrounded by a good residential environment in which apartment houses and private dwellings are about evenly divided. It is a neighborhood that believes in children and keeping them outdoors as many hours as possible."
April, 1951 (Newark Star-Ledger)
An article talks about a new brick field house, baseball fields and concrete grandstand to be dedicated on May 24, 1951. The cost of the field house was $40,000, while the grandstand cost $35,000. A wading pool at the park is being replaced by basketball courts.
August, 1969 (Newark Sunday News)
The article hails a popular summer program that is a haven for "ghetto youngsters." The park hosts a multi-faceted program for 500 kids, ranging from pre-school through teenagers. The park director is Joseph Clark, a Paterson school teacher (who later became famous for his bat-wielding antics at Paterson Eastside High School and the subject of the film "Lean on Me."). Four adult leaders and four teen leaders comprise the rest of the paid staff. Specialists in arts and crafts, dance, charm, and athletics visit the park during the summer to help with programs. Other special programs include dancing and a charm clinic for girls to "enhance their femininity."
Approximately 400 kids attend the park every Friday for an afternoon cookout. Newark merchants contribute the hamburgers, hot dogs and soda for this popular event.
The article also notes that a new spray pool, one of the largest in the county, is to open soon.
April 1976 (Newark Star-Ledger)
The article identifies continued planning for improvements to West Side Park may soon receive funding. Thus, a park that "reveals battered ballfields and broken glass" could become "a model for the entire country." The article identifies that West Side Park is the most heavily used of all the parks in Essex County, and that park commission members admit it no longer can meet the recreational demands of the area.
November, 1980 (Newark Star-Ledger)
"10 years ago, West Side Park was a shambles. So messy and cluttered, residents derogated it with the name ‘Glass City.’" Article discusses anticipated funding for park improvements. If true, it either paints a completely different picture of the park than the 1969 article, or the impact from the 1967 riots was suddenly felt in how the county provided service, or in other ways.
March, 1983 (Newark Star-Ledger)
The article touts the groundbreaking for the community center. The cost of the facility is projected at $1.05 million, and it is scheduled for completion in the summer of 1984. The center will actually be an addition to an existing unused 1,900-square-foot bathroom facility. The idea of the center was initiated by neighborhood residents.
General
The articles, including the ones from the 1980s, identify the active participation of neighborhood organizations such as the West Side Improvement Association and West Side Area Neighborhood Preservation Council, West Side Park Community Center Advisory Committee. It would be interesting to find out if any of these groups continue to exist, or, as they likely do not, if any of the leaders from these groups are still in the area.
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