Remembering Long Branch in its heyday
Armand Sarcomo
Guest Column

I was born and raised in Long Branch and remember Ocean Avenue as four lanes, center divider with cast-iron dual light globes, plus boardwalk retail, amusement fishing pier with merry-go-round and the dance hall at the end of the pier where Red Skelton sang ("Waltz Me Around Again Will Ya, the Marathon Dance will thrill ya"), Joey Chitwood's stock car shows at the stadium, and when Thomas Procter Co. moved the rafters from this dance hall to the new YMCA on Broadway next to the ice house in the early 1950s.

Broadway and Ocean Avenue were then design-functional, a resort town that not only catered to vacationers but was traffic/parking-friendly also.

After years of city fathers twiddling their thumbs, I have to say the improvements at the beach after 30 years of city neglect and deterioration are better than the rats' nests the city allowed to happen.

However, with just one look around, it's also apparent profit became the issue instead of design best suited for the city and people's needs.

Long Branch was a great Shore destination. It now looks like a Key West reject. No rhyme or reason planning, just hodge-podge without traffic or people-moving design built in.

With all the eminent domain news coverage, I came just to see what Mr. [Mayor Adam] Schneider and his quorum (City Council) improvement plans consist of.

I have to say for the money spent, the plan completed so far is lacking conceptual design - big time. People have the right to be upset.

The city-hired architect definitely is not showing talent and needs to collaborate with other professionals in his field, or city fathers are overriding sensible design for developer benefit.

When I think back of shoppers, Vogels, Miles shoes, the banks, theaters, Nat's Jewelers and people parked bumper to bumper, shopping, supporting all of it. Uptown and downtown people were out and about.

Parades with dozens of floats down Broadway, greased pole-climbing contests in front of Holy Trinity Church, celebrity visits to the beachfront. As a youngster, Zachary Scott, the actor, gave me his autograph in front of the old stadium on Ocean and South Broadway.

As a young boy, Chelsea and Cramer pools were our summer homes. We all had season lockers at the pools and could walk to beach and back through the tunnels under Ocean Avenue without traffic danger. Will Procter and Benny Cramer were our second dads, so to speak.

Under Ducky Deliss had all the lifeguards on the beach every morning at 7 a.m. raking them clean, and he inspected every one from Joline Avenue to West End. A dirty beach and you were out of a job. Ducky made you take pride

At night, droves of people were on the boardwalk, on the pier, playing amusements or trying for the brass ring or at an event at the stadium. Jazz City, Paddock Lounge, Green Grove Manor, West End, The Embers, Harbor Island Spa, all with people coming and going. That's what a resort town is, not a hodge-podge.

One last issue for the boys and girls of today at LBHS. Asbury Park was our No. 1 rival back when. Varsity football and LB cheerleaders. Big bonfire and pep rally was held at the JV field at Eastbourne and Indiana Avenue. Coach Army Ippolito was at the helm.

LBHS was a lot smaller then but a very big name in the entire state. Yes, kids were proud to be in school in Long Branch. Our football team, baseball team, track meets, even our tennis team were proud contenders.

Thanksgiving Day parade: Thomas Proctor/Jack Kiely supplied trucks for floats and town supporters lined Broadway. Cold, and sometimes snow, didn't matter, the stands were full. Full-length fur coats, cow bells, sirens, you name it, the fans brought it.

Arnold Elmore was our Jerry Rice and Janet (Recignio?) our star cheerleader, getting the fans of the 1950s pumped up with "March March on Down the Field." She was petite, big eyes, ponytail, ball of fire for Long Branch. LBHS was a lot smaller then but a very big name in the entire state.

Yes, kids were proud to be in school in Long Branch. Our football team, baseball team, track meets, even our tennis team were proud contenders.

It's all there somewhere. Heck, way back the Ku Klux Klan used to march down Broadway and into what is now Monmouth Park.

It's all there somewhere.

I'm not looking to take sides or cause problems for the city fathers or the local citizens. The news coverage on Long Branch is reaching out to all towns and cities. Many even in Florida are discussing it. Upon on-site observation, in reality it is easy to see citizens' lives are being disrupted by force for a not-so-good development plan. This in itself makes it not so worthwhile. I did drive Marine Terrace, the grotto is gone, Sammy Grasso's two-story is still there, and most of the homes and buildings are unkept, rundown from neglect. Then again, so is much of the entire city, a shame in itself.

Long Branch was amazing and could be again with some creative beachfront and Broadway corridors that make sense. A grand pier maybe, with ferry service to New York. There are many possibilities and available funds from entities with more vision than just Key West-style condos to implement additional tax-base increases.

Yes, I think people need to be reminded what Long Branch really was. Even Frank and Nancy Sinatra came for summer vacation - Grand Street, if I'm not mistaken. It's all there in the archives somewhere.

Armand "Tony" Sarcomo

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.