[Music] Welcome to Council Corner. I'm Council President Mary Sohor. And I'm Council Vice President Anita Greenberg Belli. On today's episode, we'll explore some of
Old Bridg's most beautiful parks and highlight their fantastic amenities. We're thrilled to share this information with you so you can fully enjoy everything these parks have to offer. So, today we start, we're at Catrell Park and we're happy this morning to
have the mayor join us and she's very much into keeping the parks where there's something for everyone here to enjoy. We have a splash pad. It's open from 10:00 a.m. in the morning till 7:00 p.m. at night. We have a great farm themed playground for the kids. We've
had the new bathrooms installed. This land was the original Catrell Farm, so it's been converted to this wonderful farm themed playground and splash pad. Also, additionally, this spring, we're going to be adding a picnic pavilion to the rear over here, as well as
additional walking trails. It's going to be something for everyone. We're going to put out our picnic tables very soon. We have bathrooms, we have changing rooms. It's a wonderful park. So, come out and enjoy it. Yeah. And it's so close to home. And it really is a beautiful, beautiful place. The mayor is
right. It is absolutely beautiful. There's great walking trails through the apple orchards. That's really nice. Really, you see it every change, every season. It's beautiful to say. We were so lucky to preserve the apple orchard. In addition, last year the shade tree came out. We planted some more
additional apple trees. So, it's always going to stay the original way it was with the apple trees. So, come and enjoy it. You have nice trails that walk through the apple orchard. Yeah, we're preserving history here for, you know, for the future. And I think everyone is so proud of that that the mayor along
with her administration and the council has done so much to try to preserve all of that for us and for our children. And now it's coming to fruition. Yes, was a farming community and we want people to always remember that. Actually, Elbridge is famous for producing Applejack
liquor, and they used to grow the apples here. Yep. You should really come out and see all of this. It is absolutely amazing. And in addition to all these wonderful amenities, we have preserved the original Catrell homestead over here and also the original barns, which in
the future, we hope to be able to use the barns for maybe fall festivals and things like that. And a lot of this was done with grant money. I would say most of it was done with grant money, which is important to mention. The fresh air is free and so is Catrell Farm Park. So, come on
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Here we are at beautiful Geke Park and our basketball facility. We're here today on the court. We have a nice um topping. It's called Mat Flex. It's really great on your legs and your knees. It doesn't bother so much. It's really good. Come out and play a few
games. Mayor, would you like to to also We're going to add a new picnic pavilion uh behind us. We should be starting very soon. So many amenities here. Really so much you can you can bring your family and enjoy. I have so many fond memories of Geke Park when my daughter was a
toddler from being on the playground to playing basketball and then when she was playing lacrosse right on this field. But if you come here, you will be amazed at how expansive it is. And there is something here for everybody. Whether it's the soccer field, the baseball
fields, lacrosse fields, basketball courts, you picnic area, the playground. It's it's really wonderful to get outside. Right now, we have two brand new turfed athletic fields that are lighted. We have a playground which is going to be changed with some grant
money. We're going to have an inclusive playground put in. So, there's many, many amenities here to be enjoyed by so many different people. And if you just want to be relaxing, you could actually just walk around the fields if you want to do passive recreation. It's very peaceful back here. Like I said, if you don't want to engage in sports, it's
nice just to walk back here. Absolutely. I think people find it to be a very restful, very peaceful place. And a lot of people, I'm surprised, really don't realize what's back here. If people don't know, this is the GE Park is located right next to the high school off of 516. You could enter by the camp.
It'll say Camp Robin and come in the back here. It's it's wonderful. A lot of people like Council President Mary Sar said they don't realize that this is back here. We're very lucky to have a Camp Robin in our town. Most towns don't have it. It's for the special needs population. It's a very well-run program
on Friday nights that they have activities for them and they go out on various places for activities and we're just very lucky to have one right here in Oldbridge and that's why we're having the inclusive playground put here at Gike Park because it's right next to the Camp Robin building. So when they come they'll be able to enjoy it. Yeah,
there's a lot here to do at GE Park. Come on out. I'll shoot some hoops with you.
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We're happy to have you at Menino Park. I remember when this was first being dedicated and kind of become a park and it's improved year after year. We now have lighted baseball fields. We should come out and watch a game. It's beautiful. some of the turf fields, we
have pickle ball courts, we have playgrounds, we have a dog park, we have basketball courts, and it's growing. Well, we just added three turf fields as well as the two natural fields that we have. They're all lighted. We have the pickleball courts that are lighted. We have the dog park. And coming this year,
we're going to have some new pickle ball courts over here that'll be lighted because pickle ball has become so popular. Any night that you come here, there's 80 to 100 people here trying to play. We're going to also add some botchi courts. So, a lot of the residents request it. And we're also going to add a cricket field here as
well. We're also adding a new playground for the children. It's going to be right over here by the baseball field. So, this way if a sibling is playing baseball, the younger child could enjoy the playground and the parents could watch both at the same time. So, we think it's going to be wonderful. And no worries. We have facilities here.
Bathrooms are too, so nothing to worry about. And if you don't feel like participating in sports, you could always come out here and take a walk. There's plenty of land to walk around. It's going to be an amazing place to come to. If you haven't been here, please come and take a look. The baseball fields are absolutely
beautiful. It's beautiful and it's quiet, peaceful. It's right off of 516 and you'll enjoy it. There's something here for everyone. Yeah. Please come out and take advantage of all the amenities that are here for you. Again, the township, the mayor, administration, and
the council are dedicated to making Oldbridge really a very big recreational area. And it has been, it's become very popular. A lot of people come out. Please come join us. It's wonderful to see everyone active, being motivated, their family, getting their kids
involved in different things. So, get off the couch and come on down and enjoy the outdoors. Yep. Spring is here. Yep. [Music]
Welcome to Veterans Park. This is another one of our beautiful parks here in Oldbridge for you to enjoy. Hopefully, you're going to see a lot of good things here. And come out and participate. Come on out and enjoy. The trees are blooming. It's beautiful out.
We have tennis courts, handball, baseball field, soccer. Come on out, enjoy our courts. It's the same mat flex that we try to use on all our courts to protect your feet and your knees. And we keep it in the colors of the town, black and purple all the
[Music] way. Veterans Park is located also off of 516 and it's very accessible. So,
please again come out and and partake of all the good things that are here. Bring the cake. 516 leads into Englishtown Road and you're right at Veterans Park. So, it's one loop. You can just you can try out all the parks all the way along and you'll really enjoy it. It's really
a nice and peaceful set in the back, trees surrounding you, and there's a playground for the kids also. And so, there's a lot to do here. Enjoy the park, everyone. Please.
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Welcome to John A. Phillips Park located off of Route 18 and Maple Street. Take Maple Street all the way to the end and you'll really enjoy this park. Phillips Park is a county of Middle Sex Park. There's so many amenities. There's over
100 acres here. We have baseball fields, biking paths, comfort stations, cricket field, playgrounds for the kids, soccer field, softball, and walking hiking trails. There's something here for everyone. I have a lot of clients that just come here to walk the dog, enjoy
themselves being outside. It's really beautiful. Every season has its reason, so to speak. In the fall, it's the foliage. It's absolutely amazing. In the spring, it's all the blooming flowers and trees. Please come out and visit. It is absolutely beautiful in here. It's
truly a peaceful, quiet haven back here. And also, I have a lot of memories from when my daughter ran cross country here. So, the schools utilize it for their field and track. And it's just it's just gorgeous. Even just sitting on a bench and looking around, it's really
peaceful. If you really if you go also to the U website of Middle Sex County for the park for Phillips Park, it'll give you an outline of all the events that are taking place so that all the families can really partake and enjoy of the whole park every season. They have
something new and eventful going on. So, please make sure you check the website and get yourself updated on all the things going on here in um Phillips Park. Please come out and enjoy this beautiful park. [Music]
Welcome to Oldbridge Waterfront Park here in Lawrence Harbor. It's beautiful being down at the beach just by the views of the ocean, the skyline at night, walking on the boardwalk, going out on the pier. It's really, really nice down here and I wish everyone would
come and experience it. It's right off of Lawrence Harbor Parkway and Route 35. It really is a little haven down here to be able to see the ocean, to see the skylight at night, the lights of the city, to walk on the boardwalk, go out
on the pier. There's things for the kids. There's a playground right on the ocean. There's also lighted basketball courts, another beautiful family place to come here in Old Bridge. There's plenty of recreation for the children. There's basketball courts. There's so
many amenities you really should come down and check out. Yeah, the basketball courts are lighted and just for the kids to be playing on a um recreation center right near to the water, but also we have a community center planned for the future here. New rec center. It's going
to be gorgeous. Um you can have host many different activities here and venues. It will be beautiful. There's a satellite for the Old Bridge Library here at the Amboy Bank uh building where you can also go and, you know, bring the children to look at books and read and
just enjoy the beautiful water. The atmosphere down here is so nice. Take a walk on the boardwalk. Everyone remember, come down to Lawrence Harbor here in beautiful Old Bridge, New Jersey. Please come out. You won't regret it. And I'm sure you'll come
again often. [Music] [Music]
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Welcome to Cheesequake State Park. We are so happy that Oldbridge is home to this state park. It is a beautiful, beautiful place to be. This park is exquisite. It comprises 1,610 acres, which equates about 2.5
square miles. So, there's something here for everybody. You could go swimming, you could go boating. It just is magnificent. It was opened in 1940 and it has been busy ever since. People come from all over. Excellent educational
place for the children. There's hiking trails all over. In fact, when I was hiking one more time here, I saw eagles and eagle nests. And it's also very diverse. During the winter, you could come here, you can go snowshoeing, you can do crosscountry skiing, um you can
go sledding. It's beautiful just looking in nature. There's a freshwater marsh, there's a saltwater marsh, there's lowlands. It's it's really gorgeous. and it's right off of the parkway, exit 120. In fact, the parkway bifurcates the
park. There's a road that goes from the park um under the parkway from north to south of the park. And the access is very easy. And as I said, they also have um camping here, you can go kaying, you go canoeing. Uh the trails, it it's
endless. You just being outside is so healthy for you. Yeah, you could spend the day here. They have an area where you can grill. They have places for for the animals, dog trails. There is so much here for everyone in the family. And you can spend endless hours just
enjoying the beautiful, peaceful scenery here. Please come out and partake of all that it's here to offer. Please make sure you keep in mind Cheesequake State Park. You truly will be surprised when you come here. [Music]
[Music] [Music] We hope you've enjoyed this episode and feel inspired to visit the parks and to
experience all they have to offer. Stay tuned for our next episode of Council Corner. [Music]
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