bowling_club Here’s some happy news for a change. The Essex County Lawn Bowling Club doesn’t have to travel to Central Park anymore to practice its sport. The green in Watsessing Park, which was in disrepair and closed for six years, is open — and will be officially celebrated this Saturday at big ribbon-cutting ceremony and tournament with the county executive rolling the first ball (or “bowl.”) The club celebrates its 80th birthday this year.
lawn_bowling We went there yesterday, just as the club was packing up to go home, but the members were delighted to bring out their bowls and their jack (the little white ball that the bowls aim at) and demonstrated their sport. (Shown here, bowler Robert Urguhart.) They even let us take a crack.
The lawn bowlers told us that this is the only green in the state of New Jersey, and that bowlers from as far as Delaware will be coming to celebrate this weekend. It takes place at 10 am Saturday at the side of the park closest to Glenwood and Maolis Aves. The restoration of the green is a joint effort between the county and the Watsessing Park Conservancy, and is part of a multimillion-dollar Green Acres program to improve parks in the state.
The club plans to hold an open house, which will include lessons for the public, on the first and third Sunday of each month at 1 pm.