Borough referred to as Nielsen Avenue Our old home on what the Boro referred to as Nielsen Avenue which in fact was a dirt road we called Spear Lane. The “proposed” Avenue was to connect Long Hill road to Grove Street for a main entry to develop the entire area. It was particularly a “sore spot” one day to us when a Survey crew hired by the Boro came through without asking permission and staked out a broad “right of way” right across our property, across our pond, up our driveway and down across our field, pounding rib boned survey stakes in the ground! We quickly went behind them and…
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An Ode to Our Doty Road Bridge
An Ode to Our Doty Road Bridge The current Doty Road Bridge has no soul and offers nothing to augment our wonderful memories. Made of the latest technology of steel girders wrapped in concrete, it is unable to recall Oakland’s glory days or even to inspire new ones. So sad. Thunder Bridge Is there a person among us that doesn’t have a fuzzy warm memory of the Doty Road Bridge? Is it just crossing it a thousand times? Or walking astride its beams to Pleasureland? Or perhaps it’s having a beer or two or three at the Pleasureland Pub, Auggie’s or Angie’s to some, at the foot of the bridge.…
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Antisemitism in Oakland
This interesting picture is what we call Jewtown Hey Ron, Considering that you and your family has lived in Oakland forever, I think of you often as THE SOURCE of Oakland info. Remember that I’m a relative newbie as I have only lived here since 1979. That said, I do have a question or perhaps a hypothesis that has been intriguing me for a while. It relates to the possible antisemitism in Oakland’s past. I’ll explain. My hypothesis starts with my possession of a photo of Klein’s Beach taken on 8/24/1932 by Mr. Bush. On the back in his handwriting is the following: “This interesting picture is what we call…
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A Brief History of CAMP GLEN GRAY
A Brief History of CAMP GLEN GRAY, Mahwah, New Jersey “Uncle” Frank Fellows Gray Uncle Frank, believed to be one of the founders of Scouting in the United States, and the namesake of our camp, was born near Syracuse, New York on December 31, 1863. He taught at military academies for boys on Long Island and upstate New York. He had relatives in Scotland that he visited regularly, and likely came into contact with the early development of Scouting by Lord Robert Baden-Powell in Glasgow, Scotland. Some people believed that “Uncle” Frank had served in the British Army, as he often wore a British medal. “Uncle” was a large and…