Edgemont Memorial Park
Encyclopedia
Edgemont Park is a park
in Montclair, New Jersey
, in the United States of America.
The park has had problems over the past few years with Canadian Geese and their droppings. It shares a name with the nearby Edgemont Elementary School
.
The park is surrounded by roads on three sides, and by the rears of residential lots on the remaining southern side. To the north is a street named after the park, Parkway, and to the West, Edgemont Road. Across this road is Edgemont Elementary School
. On the East, Valley Road borders the park. In the eastern part of the park there is a pond
with fountain
s, fed and flowing into Toney's Brook
. The pond is artificial, created by a dam
, and has severe growth of algae and scum. This scum has damaged the health of Toney's Brook Downstream. An accessible children's playground
is here.
with the World War I
memorial on it. Edgemont park is known for its World War I
memorial, which is one of the landmarks of Montclair. The main memorial, created in 1924 by Charles Keck
, is a tall obelisk with bronze sculpture
s of Winged Victory
on top and the Billy Boys on the bottom. On the sides of the obelisk are etched the names of those who fell in the First World War, to whom the monument is dedicated. In front of the memorial there are small plaques
that have the names of those who died in the Vietnam War
and Korean war
and World War II
.
es, laser
s, balloon
s, loud noises, plywood coyote
silhouettes, and fake goose corpses were used. Sabotaging goose eggs was tried. Eventually chemicals were put into the water in an attempt to scare the geese away, had a short effect, and then ceased to work. These measures were also used in Montclair's Yantacaw Brook Park
, which had similar problems with geese. Eventually the decision was made in 2007 to round up the geese and electrocute
them, after which they were turned into food. despite these controversial measures, there are still geese defecating and attacking people in the park. The non-lethal measures also were a danger to Heron
s and Egret
s that live in the park.
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, in the United States of America.
The park has had problems over the past few years with Canadian Geese and their droppings. It shares a name with the nearby Edgemont Elementary School
Montclair Public Schools
The Montclair Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Township of Montclair, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States...
.
History
A committee for park construction in 1906 decided to purchase the land for the park with a $100,000 bond issue, following a town referendum. The effort to buy the land was led by William B. Dickson, who backed a quarter of the bonds issued. The land which comprised the park was originally a golf course, built 10 years prior to the park's founding. Edgemont was originally name the Harrison Tract park. The memorial was dedicated in 1925.Overview
Montclair Public Schools
The Montclair Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Township of Montclair, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States...
. On the East, Valley Road borders the park. In the eastern part of the park there is a pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
with fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s, fed and flowing into Toney's Brook
Toney's Brook
Toney's Brook is a tributary of the Second River in Essex County, New Jersey in the United States.Toney's Brook originates in Montclair just northwest of the Upper Montclair railway station. In Montclair it is joined by two tributary streams and continues through Anderson Park, Edgemont Memorial...
. The pond is artificial, created by a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, and has severe growth of algae and scum. This scum has damaged the health of Toney's Brook Downstream. An accessible children's playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
is here.
Memorial
The most prominent feature of the park is the pond and the small islandIsland
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
with the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
memorial on it. Edgemont park is known for its World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
memorial, which is one of the landmarks of Montclair. The main memorial, created in 1924 by Charles Keck
Charles Keck
Charles Keck was an American sculptor, born in New York City. He studied in the National Academy of Design and Art Students League with Philip Martiny and was an assistant to Augustus Saint-Gaudens from 1893 to 1898. He also attended the American Academy in Rome. He is best known for his...
, is a tall obelisk with bronze sculpture
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
s of Winged Victory
Nike (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Nike was a goddess who personified victory, also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was Victoria. Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as the daughter of Pallas and Styx and the sister of Kratos , Bia , and Zelus...
on top and the Billy Boys on the bottom. On the sides of the obelisk are etched the names of those who fell in the First World War, to whom the monument is dedicated. In front of the memorial there are small plaques
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
that have the names of those who died in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and Korean war
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Amenities
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
/softballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
diamonds
- Pond
- Shelter house with restrooms and kitchenKitchenA kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
- Children's playground
- BikewayBikewayA Bikeway is a route, way or path which in some manner is specifically designed and /or designated for bicycle travel.-See also:*Bicycle boulevard*Bicycle trail*Bicycle transportation engineering*Foreshoreway*Greenway* List of cycleways...
s and FootpathFootpathA Footpath is a thoroughfare intended for by pedestrians but not by motorized vehicles. The term is often for paths within an urban area that offer shorter quieter routes for pedestrians, they may also provide access to the surrounding countryside or parks...
s - Ice skatingIce skatingIce skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
in the winter, outdoor - Band concerts
- Fourth of July picnic
- Holiday memorial services
- Memorial Obelisk
- Cherepovets Garden
Electrocution of geese scandal
The park has always had trouble with the many non-migratory Canadian Geese which live in the park, rendering it unpleasant and unusable with their copious excrement. The first plan was to discourage the public from feeding the birds while having a worker go to the pond every once in a while and shoo the geese away. Then it was decided to install devices that annoyed the geese: stuffed foxFox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
s, balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
s, loud noises, plywood coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
silhouettes, and fake goose corpses were used. Sabotaging goose eggs was tried. Eventually chemicals were put into the water in an attempt to scare the geese away, had a short effect, and then ceased to work. These measures were also used in Montclair's Yantacaw Brook Park
Yantacaw Brook Park, New Jersey
Yantacaw Brook Park is a town operated park located in Montclair, New Jersey, United States. The park takes up of land. It has a small pond and the stream that feeds it and is surrounded by trees and small sloped hills with benches, with paths going through. The stream that empties into the pond...
, which had similar problems with geese. Eventually the decision was made in 2007 to round up the geese and electrocute
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
them, after which they were turned into food. despite these controversial measures, there are still geese defecating and attacking people in the park. The non-lethal measures also were a danger to Heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s and Egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s that live in the park.