Don Clark of South Butler loosens up the softball field at Father Marinaro Park in preparation for flattening and resurfacing on April 11, 2019.

Leaves, garbage and busted roofs at Father Marinaro Park cause one older gentleman's fist to shake.

Ralph Pincek swears his neighborhood park once looked much nicer, and its current state bothers him. He has lived by the park since 1979, he said. Then-Mayor Fred Vero dedicated the park to Marinaro just a year prior — in October 1978.

Pincek's house sits right where Lincoln Avenue ends and the park begins — he has watched nearly its whole history from his home.

He doesn't mince words in reviewing its current state.

“It's a city dump,” Pincek said.

But the city park's saga is not all bleak — even through Pincek's eyes. He touched on what many around it believe to be the antidote for the park's problems: community.

This is an excerpt — pick up Tuesday's Butler Eagle or subscribe online to learn more about the state of the parks, how park maintenance is funded and more.