FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 4, 2008

Contact:

Anthony Puglisi
973-621-2542

Lauren Shears
973-621-1590

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO INVITES CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ESSEX COUNTY’S 2008 FISHING DERBY

Free Events will be held on Saturday Mornings and One Evening at Locations Throughout the Essex County Park System

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invites the public to participate in Essex County’s 2008 Fishing Derby. The free events will be held in six locations in the Essex County Park System, with an evening fishing derby in Verona Park.

“Our fishing derbies are an excellent opportunity for our children to enjoy the historic Essex County Park System in a different and fun way. You’ll have a great time creating your own ‘big fish’ stories and spending some quality time with your friends and families in some of the most beautiful parks in the area,” DiVincenzo said. “I invite everyone to come out, cast their lines, Experience Essex and take a look at the improvements we are making to modernize and revitalize our parks,” he noted.

Sponsored by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, each derby is free and open to children ages 15 and younger. All children must be accompanied by an adult and bring their own fishing pole, bait, bucket and chair. Prizes in various age categories for catching the first and most fish will be awarded at the conclusion of each derby.

Five of the fishing derbies will be held on Saturday mornings. The fishing derbies will be held as follows:

• Saturday, May 3rd: Grover Cleveland Park Pond, Brookside Avenue and Runnymede Road, Essex Fells. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m., the derby begins at 9 a.m. and awards will be presented at 11 a.m.

• Saturday, May 10th: Branch Brook Park Lake (near the Prudential Lions), Park Avenue and Lake Street, Newark. On-site registration begins at 9 a.m., the derby begins at 10 a.m. and awards will be presented at 12 noon.

• Saturday, May 17th: Weequahic Park Lake, Elizabeth Avenue and Meeker Avenue, Newark. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m., the derby begins at 9 a.m. and awards will be presented at 11 a.m.

• Saturday, June 14th: Orange Park Pond, Center Street and Harrison Street, Orange. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m., the derby begins at 9 a.m. and awards will be presented at 11 a.m.

• Saturday, September 13th: Irvington Park Pond, Grove Street and Lyons Avenue, Irvington. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m., the derby begins at 9 a.m. and awards will be presented at 11 a.m.

• The evening Fishing Derby will start with registration at 5 p.m. Prizes in various age categories for catching the first and most fish will be awarded at the conclusion of the derby at 8 p.m.

• Thursday, May 15th: Verona Park Boathouse, Bloomfield Avenue and Lakeside Avenue, Verona.

The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 17 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, three off-leash dog facilities and a castle.

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