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AIMIefferson THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2008 VOL. 20 ISSUE 34 Always on the mark LAKE HOPATCONG HISTORICAL MUSEUM Residents remember Lake Hopatcong in the 1970s -A l1 PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAKE HOPATCONG HISTORICAL MUSEUM A beloved destination on Lake Hopatcong through the 1970s was Bertrand Island Amusement Park, especially its famous wooden roller coaster. The park closed in 1983, but the roller coaster's fame lived on when it was featured in Woody Allen's 1985 film "The Purple Rose of Cairo." BY LISE GREENE Correspondent Remember the 1970s? A loaf of bread, a quart of milk, and a gallon of gas were all about 35 cents, said Martin Kane, president of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum. The organization holds several popular dinner-and-slide events each summer, and Kane's topic on June 26 was Lake Hopatcong in the 1970s. After eating their fill of an abundant buffet at The Arlington, diners settled in for Kane's presentation.

As a backdrop for life around Lake Hopatcong, he reviewed what was happening in the larger world. Participants took a trip down memory lane as they relived those long-ago days. Movies, sports, politics, fashion, television shows, music, expressions, new businesses and inventions all brought laughs and groans of recognition as they appeared on the screen. One of those inventions was the lake weed harvester, which hasn't changed much in the past 35 years. Then it was on to the specifics of life in this community at the tail end of the lake's century-old status as a major vacation destination.

During the 1970s, hotels, public beaches, and family entertainment venues could still be found. Hotels, beaches, boats and restaurants Kane showed photos of two hotels that were still operating in that decade the Suomi Hovi and the Bon Air Lodge, also known as the Arrowcrest. Sadly, both burned down and ended the hotel era at Lake Hopatcong. Among the public beaches were Ack's Beach, Great Cove Park, Lee's Park Beach, and Hopatcong State Park. Of course, boating was a big draw in the 1970s as always, and a number of boatyards served the needs of the water-skimming population.

The larger ones were Prospect Point, Lakeland, Smitty's, PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAKE HOPATCONG HISTORICAL MUSEUM In 1976, the Suomi Hovi at Nolan's Point was among the last of the grand hotels to burn down, ending the hotel vacation era on Lake Hopatcong. Dawson, Wayne's, and Hockenjos. There were annual antique boat shows, usually at the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club, which celebrated its centennial in 2005. Restaurants and bars abounded then, as now. Here's a long list of some of the favorites, a few of which are still in existence: Betty Jane, Byram Road-house, Chabon's, Chalet, Charlie's Neighborhood Inn, Club New Orleans, Four Aces, George's Sail Inn, Governor's Inn, Jefferson House, Jolly Buccaneer, Lighthouse (which started as a dinner theater), Mad House, Martinique, Northwood Inn, Paterson House, Pirate's Den, Ridge, Royal Hawaiian, Rumble Seat, Sam's Place, Smitty's, Tierney's Corner, Village Barn, Vunder Bar, Westmoreland, and Windlass.

Entertainment The nine-hole Lake Hopatcong Golf Club in Hopatcong provided family fun in the 1970s. But the crown jewel for entertainment was still Bertrand Island Amusement Park. The nostalgia in the room was almost palpable as Kane showed slides of beloved rides, including the original carousel (one of only three of its kind ever built) and the famous wooden roller coaster. "It had a bit of a rattle to it," Kane reflected. After the park closed in 1983, the roller coaster gained renewed fame in Woody Allen's 1985 film "The Purple Rose of Cairo." A plaque commemorating the 25th anniversary of the park's closing will be installed on Bertrand Island later this summer, thanks to the efforts of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum.

In the 1970s, local realtors such as Bill Donegan, Walter Apostolik, and Bob Brandon were still busy accommodating the public's desire for summer homes. But the trend was quickly changing to year-round residency with its concomitant population explosion, housing developments, and traffic congestion. Upcoming events Two more dinner-and-slide events are scheduled for 2008: Thursday, July 31 The Boathouses of Lake Hopatcong, Jefferson House Restaurant, 6 p.m. Saturday, November 1 The Morris Canal at Lake Hopatcong, The Arlington, 6 p.m. The speaker, Martin Kane, has served as president of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum for 16 years.

He is the author of "Lake Hopatcong Then and Now" and other books about the lake area, which can be purchased at the museum. To see the photographs used in the 1970s presentation as well as other pictures and artifacts from Lake Hopatcong's history, visit the museum, located in the former Morris Canal lock tender's house on the grounds of Hopatcong State Park in Landing. The museum is open on Monday, July 14 and Monday, August 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. Regular weekend hours will resume in the fall. To make reservations for upcoming dinner-and-slide presentations or for more information about the museum, call 973-398-2616 or visit the Web site at www.hopatcong.orgmuseum.

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