Middletown's neglect of Bicentennial Park is alarming

I have a habit of going to parks wherever I happen to be. I think parks reflect the areas where they are located. I went to New York today, and was surprised by the quiet that can be found on the Upper West Side. Meanwhile, last week, I made it my business to go take a look at Lake Carasaljo, in Lakewood.

Lakewood is reputed to be this terrible kind of place by reputation. While I do remember those days, it is clear that Lakewood is the kind of place that is truly on the way up and doing some remarkable things by way of transforming their community. But nowhere have I seen a more negligent approach to public property as in Middletown with Bicentennial Park.

Bicentennial Park is a monument to governmental neglect and mismanagement of both public money and trust. Middletown makes much of its reputation as being a special community. In fact, in many ways, its approach to public management is apparently lacking and short-sighted, as best exemplified by the town's abandonment of Bicentennial Park, on Highway 35.

More on Bicentennial Park in Middletown

Opinion:

The Middletown Township Committee should clean up Bicentennial Park. It looks pretty bad and it hasn't been done for a long time. This is apparent since there is plant life growing out of the broken walkway. This is not so good.

Some more shots at Bicentennial Park

Natural majesty like this doesn't happen by accident. It takes years of neglect to reach this level. If you click on the photo of the water, you can see it at full size. See if you can pick out the shopping cart, it's like finding "Waldo."

Bicentennial Park, a lost treasure of Middletown?

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — As I sometimes do, I am sharing some photos of my morning walks. This morning, I took my walk in Bicentennial Park, in Middletown. It was a cold morning but very sunny. Bicentennial Park is accessed through a Burger King on Route 35 across from my work. It was opened in 1976, and its attractions include, but are not limited to, a shopping cart overturned in the center of the water, a walkway that has plant life growing out of it, broken guides, a graffiti covered events kiosk, and an overgrown path to get to all of that action from the BK parking lot.

Hidden treasure? No, probably not. This is township park land. Its upkeep is paid by taxpayers. This upkeep is supposed to be done by the township, and the people who are supposed to oversee that things like this happen are...the Township Committee.

Way to go Middletown Committee. Keep up the good work.