Head of the Passaic photos
If you missed this year’s ninth annual Head of the Passaic regatta – or if you just want to relive the spectacle of Passaic River rowing – check out this Head of the Passaic slideshow from photographer John Bruno.
Passaic River makes Jeopardy
The Passaic and Raritan rivers were an answer on Tuesday, October 6th’s installment of Jeopardy. The category was “State of the Rivers.” Contestants had to identify the state that was home to the two rivers in each answer. Contestant Nicole Labruto from Spring Lake Heights, N.J. nailed it. Nicole went on to lose in Final Jeopardy, but she did New Jersey proud. And we thank the folks at Jeopardy for showcasing the Passaic.
Tales and memories of the Passaic River
I grew up along the Passaic River in North Arlington. As a kid, I mostly steered clear of the river because, well, because I grew up in the sixties and back then the Passaic was even dirtier and creepier than it is today. But even though the Passaic scared me, it touched me too. I wasn’t sure what had happened to the river, how it had come to be so filthy and forgotten. But I was pretty certain, even as a kid, that whatever had happened to the Passaic hadn’t been the river’s fault. I was afraid of the Passaic, but mostly I felt sorry for it. I wonder if anyone else out there remembers feeling that kind of compassion towards the Passaic. If anyone out there has a story or a feeling or memory about New Jersey’s longest, crookedest, most historic and abused river, would you share it? Here’s mine.
Fed dollars to purchase flood-prone Passaic River homes?
Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-08) announced recently that the U.S. House of Representatives approved an Energy and Water Appropriations bill which includes $5 million to buy up private homes in extremely flood-prone neighborhoods of Wayne and Pompton Lakes. The homes, about 30 in all, sit in the Passaic River watershed.
For the last few years, the Army Corps of Engineers has been buying up and removing floodplain houses as part of the Passaic River Basin Flood Management program. That program will get a big shot in the arm if Rep. Pascrell’s bill can make it through the U.S. Senate. “I am thrilled by the support of my congressional colleagues who voted in favor of funding the full $5 million earmark to provide an additional option these troubled homeowners,” said Rep. Pascrell, a longtime friend of the Passaic, who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee. “I’m especially looking forward to the restoration of the overdeveloped floodplain that will make the river safer for everyone.” Here’s hoping.
Head of the Passaic
Rutherford’s Nereid Boat Club held its ninth annual Head of the Passaic regatta last weekend (October 3 and 4). More than 140 crews – and some 400 rowers – from the New York Metropolitan area turned out on a beautiful autumn day. The regatta is a wonderful celebration of shell racing that recalls the nineteenth century heyday of Passaic River rowing. Back then, most riverside communities boasted their own rowing teams, and enthusiastic locals would crowd the riverbank on weekend afternoons to picnic and cheer on their hometown favorites. The four-man team from the Passaic River Restoration Program, rowing in honor of their late manager, Bob DeVita, took the first place trophy in the Men’s Masters Novice Four category. You can get complete 2009 Head of the Passaic results and lots of photos from the weekend’s festivities at the Nereid web site. Read the Nereid excerpt from This American River. And check back for Head of the Passaic regatta pictures from This American River‘s own photographer John Bruno.