The Meadowlands History Project

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   The History Blog needs your help in identifying the objects below. NJMC staff came across them recently while working on construction of the River Barge Park and Marina in Carlstadt.

   We've been calling them channel markers, as they appear buoyant and might have once delineated waterway boundaries.

   They appear to be made of steel, and each marker has a person-sized door built into one side of the bottom half. The objects are hollow inside.

   If you know the proper name for these objects or what they were once used for, please leave a comment or email brian.aberback@njmeadowlands.gov. Any feedback would be appreciated.

   River Barge Park and Marina is scheduled to open in late Summer 2011. The public recreation area will feature a 30-slip marina, a boat ramp, and  kayak and rowing launch points. The marina will offer the first public motorized boat access to the Hackensack River in Bergen County in decades.

 

Local Notable: Carlstadt's Marc Rizzo

In his high school yearbook Carlstadt native Marc Rizzo listed his future plans as “Playing guitar every day for the rest of my life.”

Rizzo, a 1995 graduate of Becton Regional High School, has made good on his ambition. Now 33, Rizzo is a standout heavy metal and flamenco guitarist and has performed on stages around  the world with the bands Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy, and as a solo artist.

Rizzo began playing guitar while growing up in Carlstadt at age 8. He took lessons from fellow Carlstadt native and heavy metal guitarist Dennis Kimak. He  recalls performing impromptu gigs as a teenager in the Meadows along the New Jersey Turnpike. His band used generators for power and would play to as many as 500 people.

Rizzo also says he enjoyed visits to DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. Now a Sussex County resident, he notes Ralph’s Pizza in East Rutherford as his favorite Meadowlands eatery.

Rizzo is a devotee of two seemingly disparate musical styles. But heavy metal and flamenco guitar playing have more in common than one might think. Both genres require high-level musicianship to perform complex rhythms and nimble-fingered solos.

Rizzo’s guitar work with the metal bands Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy is loud and furious, featuring powerful riffs and lightning-speed solos. His flamenco playing showcases Rizzo’s softer side and passionate, note-perfect performances. (Photo of Soulfly at right, Rizzo fourth from left)

Click "Continue Reading ..." below for more information about Marc Rizzo and to see videos of his performances.

 

Fifty Years in the Classroom

    There’s a story in The Record today about Carlstadt kingergarten teacher May Bolcar Grady, who was recently honored for 50 years of service teaching in the school district.  

   Grady, who has taught kindergarten at the Carlstadt Public School since 1960, has taken only 11 sick days during her time in the classroom, an average of one sick day for every 4½ years! Congratulations May!  

   To read the article, click here.

   Photo courtesy of The Record

Carlstadt Historical Firehouse Museum

    We recently visited the Carlstadt Historical Firehouse Museum, a treasure trove for anyone interested in the history of Carlstadt and the Meadowlands.

    The museum, run by the Carlstadt Historical Society, houses a remarkable collection that includes archival photographs, written documents, news articles, clothing and other items that bring the borough’s colorful history to life.

   

    You can find everything from 1930s-era school pennants to early 20^th century fife and drum corp uniforms to a vintage breathalyzer (see photo at right) used by the police department. 

    There are also items from local businesses, wood carvings, historical texts and more, all  chronicling life in the  “friendly little German village on the hill.”

Click “Continue reading …”  below for more information on the Firehouse Museum and  photos.

Carlstadt: The Lahullier Brothers

 l to r: Craig, Jeff and Bobby Lahullier

     For Bobby, Craig and Jeff Lahullier, the Meadowlands of their youth was a giant playground. The brothers were raised in Carlstadt and spent countless hours exploring quarries, landfills and clay pits in Carlstadt and Wood-Ridge.

    Today, all three men retain close ties to the area. Craig is a Carlstadt Councilman, Jeff is a councilman in East Rutherford, and all three work at the family business in East Rutherford.

   In this audio interview, the brothers recall their adventures swimming, hunting, trapping and getting into all sorts of mischief in the Meadows.

   Click "Continue reading..." to hear the Lahullier Brothers' stories.

Carlstadt: Memories both poignant and humorous

    In the following audio interview, lifelong Carlstadt resident Estelle Rochat Oehlmann conveys a host of fascinating stories about her adventures growing up in the Meadowlands in the 1930s and 1940s.

    The stories include:

    *tales of hunting bullfrogs with her father.

    *how her grandmother backed down an alleged local gangster

    *when the carnival came to town.

   Click the hypertext below to download Estelle's memoirs of her Meadowlands childhood:

Download here.

   Click "Continue reading ...." immediately below to hear her stories and view two archival photos.

    In the following audio interview, lifelong Carlstadt resident Estelle Rochat Oehlmann conveys a host of fascinating stories about her adventures growing up in the Meadowlands in the 1930s and 1940s.

    The stories include:

    *tales of hunting bullfrogs with her father.

    *how her grandmother backed down an alleged local gangster

    *when the carnival came to town.

   Click the hypertext below to download Estelle's memoirs of her Meadowlands childhood:

Download here.

   Click "Continue reading ...." immediately below to hear her stories and view two archival photos.