Submitted by Carol Lombardo
The Garwood Historical Committee held its first meeting of the year on January 28, 2019, and welcomed new members to its group. In addition to Carol Lombardo, Chair; Bruce Paterson, Vice-Chair; Adele Lewis, Treasurer; and Chelsea Brandt Rooney, Secretary; other members include Jennie Browne, Pat DiFabio, and Helen Laucius. Mayor Sara Todisco recently appointed three new members: Stephanie Bianco, Max Blanton and James Hart. Councilman Russ Graham is the Council Liaison for the Committee.
Garwood has come to be known as “The Small Town with a Big Heart”. There is the North Side and the South Side, now Garwood’s Historical Committee is looking to find its Sweet Side. Many years ago in 2003, Garwood’s Centennial Committee published a cookbook filled with recipes from its residents, including everything from soups to nuts, and it was a big success!
This time around, on a smaller scale, the Historical Committee is looking for Garwood’s sweet heart. The Committee is asking residents to bring out their favorite sweet recipes, from pies to cakes, brownies to ambrosia, and everything in between. The aim is to collect as many dessert recipes as they can so that they can create a wide-ranging compilation, reflecting Garwood’s sweet side. This endeavor is one of the Historical Committee’s fundraising projects, so that the Committee can maintain funds to preserve and protect its collection of Garwood’s memorabilia and artifacts.
The goal of the Committee is to collect the recipes over the next few months in order to have the recipe book ready just in time for Valentine’s Day 2020. If any Garwood resident, or business located in Garwood, is interested in submitting a recipe or two of your favorite goodies, please send them to garwoodhistory@garwood.org, or you can mail them to Garwood Historical Committee, c/o Carol Lombardo, 275 Fourth Avenue, Garwood, NJ 07027. There will also be a drop-off box located in the Garwood Public Library on Walnut Street. If you like, and the Committee encourages you to do so, please include a few sentences about the recipe, whose it is, why it’s your favorite, and how long it’s been in your family. You can even submit a picture of yourself or your relative who gave you the recipe. The Committee will make every attempt to include this extra information in the recipe book, depending on the amount of recipes received.
When submitting recipes, please include your name, and phone number and/or email in case the Committee needs clarification on your submission. Garwood’s “big heart” has a sweet side, and the Garwood Historical Committee is determined to show it off!
The Historical Committee is also planning a re-dedication of a memorial plaque, which was located on a rock, behind a fence in center field of the James Guerriero Baseball Field. The rock has since been relocated to a more prominent place near the Humenick Field House so that it can be appreciated by all who visit the area. This rededication is planned for mid-April and details will follow shortly.
When “Garwood Rocks” pours into town on Sunday, June 2, 2019, the Garwood Historical Committee will again have a booth, highlighting some of Garwood’s history. The Committee will also host the History Rock Hunt as it has for the past two years. Right after Memorial Day, brightly colored rocks will be hidden in plain sight throughout Garwood. The finder of each special rock is asked to bring it to the Historical Booth and they will be awarded a prize as well as a booklet containing the history of all 25 of the rocks. As the date gets closer, more information will become available.
The Committee wishes to thank all those who purchased the Series 2 Holiday Ornament, the last fundraiser of 2018 for the Committee. It was a great success and the Historical Committee has plans for a third and final set, which will be available later in 2019.
The members of the Committee urge residents to think of the Committee before tossing out what might be trash, but treasure to them. The Committee is always looking for memorabilia of Garwood, artifacts and old photographs of the town. Their mission is to preserve and protect Garwood’s short but rich history. The Garwood Historical Committee can be reached at garwoodhistory@garwood.org.
