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. The article identifies continued planning for improvements to West Side Park may soon receive funding. 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. 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. The article touts the groundbreaking for the community center. The idea of the center was initiated by neighborhood residents. 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.