By Cathy Miller

With the treasured Villa Roller Rink, located at 2121 Route 57 in Broadway, undergoing a recent change of ownership and an ongoing rejuvenation, the time is ripe to roll back the calendar for a peek at the nearly one hundred year old building’s story through the decades. Enjoy four distinct voices – an historian, a long-time patron, the new owner, and the retiring general manager.

Brenda Heinrich Higgins, author of “Stepping Back in Time”

William and Lelia Butler purchased the Villa property in 1921, from both the Oberly and Smith families. Over time, the Butlers, who also owned and operated Butler Park in Washington Township, built a restaurant and dance hall on the Easton-Washington trolley route, calling it the Interurban Villa.

The space could be rented out and was host to events that included a smoking event. Smoking clubs at the time allowed men a space to gather and enjoy tobacco products, often providing samples to try. However, a news story about the Interurban Villa’s “Smoker” ran in the local newspapers on March 25 and 27, 1930, featuring a colorful and intriguing headline:

Smoker Too ‘Hot’ So Troopers and County Officials Cool It Off
‘Unusual’ Movies Are Costly To 117 Fans…

The “Smoker” was shut down early by a police raid, and each “fan” in attendance was assessed a $5 fine and $1 in costs, in addition to their $1.50 admission ticket. It turns out, entertainment for the event was movies that weren’t quite … family friendly.

The owners and management of the hall denied any prior knowledge of the tawdry films being shown. It seems the smoker was not advertised in standard outlets – there were no posters or newspaper ads touting the brand of cigars, cigarettes and tobacco that would be used. The young men who rented the hall told the owner that a smoke to benefit the “Washington Independent A. A.” was planned, so he said he believed the organization to be reputable.

Two years later, the Singley family, relatives of the Butler family, opened the Villa Roller Rink in the former dance pavilion. According to historian Brenda Heinrich Higgins, “There is no record of money changing hands. Mrs. Singley (nee Nettie Butler) perhaps inherited the property from her parents.”

Heading into the 1960s, the skating sessions consisted of couples only, moonlight skating, reverse skating and backwards skating. Skaters could bring their favorite records which Mrs. Singley would play during the evening. The area in the center of the skating rink, between the rails, was a safe area for new skaters or anyone wanting to skate at a more leisurely pace.

The Villa Roller Rink continued to provide family fun for the community until May 5, 1967, when it was transformed for a brief period into TV’s Hullabaloo Scene, a dance club for 14 to 18-year-olds. The intent was for the Hullabaloo to replace the rink and continue in its stead. The entertainment included live music and go-go dancers. Brenda Heinrich Higgins said, “Aloysuis Singley and his wife Nettie must have entered into a lease agreement for the dance club in 1967. As I recall, the renovations were nothing outstanding. There were three, maybe four, elevated stage areas where both male and female dancers performed throughout the evening. Also, an area for the band. Other than that, the crummy seating and snack bar remained the same. The rental roller skates were apparently put in storage because they returned when the Packard family purchased the business. I believe that the Singley family realized this was a fad and perhaps when the lease ran out they found someone to purchase the rink and return it to a skating rink. The Singley family did not run Hullabaloo and I never noticed them on location the times I visited.” Who ran the dance club? Ms. Higgins replied, “Smart-looking city folk ran the business – in other words – outsiders.”

In April 1970, Francis and Jean Packard purchased the property from the Singley family. The Packard family happily resurrected the Villa Roller Rink upon the closing of the Hullabaloo Scene. Brenda Heinrich Higgins said, “Francis Packard was once our milkman. He delivered Port Murray Milk (a/k/a PM milk) to many homes in Broadway.” She’s not certain whether or not the Packards ever lived in the apartment behind the Villa, but noted, “They did once own a beautiful home in Washington Township, which was home base for his milk truck.” After running the rink for nearly two decades, Mr. Packard retired in January 1988 and sold the business to Jerry and Susan Robbins that November. In June 2004, in addition to the Robbins’ names, Stephen Grotenhuis was added to the property deed. Mr. Grotenuis became the sole owner in February 2018 and, in October 2019, he sold the rink to Edward and Daniela Gonzalez.

Dave Werkhiser, Patron and Employee

Dave Werkhiser, a lifelong resident and former mayor of Franklin Township, a talented musician and performer, and owner of an entertainment agency, spent many years at the Villa, beginning when he was just five years old. He laughed, saying he “practically lived” there, spending every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the rink. Even now, he still skates there, just not three days a week. Dave said the building should be historically preserved for all time. He mused, “If I was a movie producer, where would I make a movie about a roller rink in the 1950s? The Villa.”

The Singleys, Al and his wife Nettie, owned the rink into the 1960s, when it closed. Dave was eight or nine years old as he skated in their last skate. When it reopened as the Hullabaloo Scene, Dave’s mother actually spent $15 on an outfit to make him look 15 years old so he could gain entry to the club. Dave said the best band to ever play there was The Mothers’ Little Helpers, who regularly drew crowds of upwards of 300. The Hullabaloo lasted only a year or two, before going back to a roller rink.

One fateful day, Dave was riding his bicycle along Route 57, and a man in a milk truck offered him a job. The man hired Dave on the spot as his milk boy, delivering bottles of milk to houses along the route. This man turned out to be Francis Packard, who, with his wife Jean, bought the rink in 1970. Dave recalled, “Mr. Packard was wonderful, and so cool. He WAS the Villa Roller Rink.” His wife Jean took care of all “the responsibilities” of day to day business, and also played the records that the skaters brought in. Dave worked for Mr. Packard at the rink from the time he was 12 years old. When he was 15 or 16, Mr. Packard, being afraid of heights, asked Dave to repair the rink’s roof. Dave brought in a friend, and together they replaced the entire roof.

In addition to the open skates, the Packards ran skating marathons. In 1971, Dave won first place in a marathon, skating for 14 hours, 31 minutes non-stop. He came in second place the next time, at 23 hours, 10 minutes, because he needed a bathroom break.

Francis Packard died in August 2014, at age 87. Jean, at 94, now resides in a retirement home, where Dave regularly shows up to sing for her and all the residents.

In recent years Dave began organizing an annual skaters’ reunion at the Villa Roller Rink to pay tribute to Francis Packard, inviting all their old friends from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s to come and skate, reminisce, and reconnect. Dave provides the entertainment, playing music from back in the day. The next benefit is tentatively scheduled for March 2020, with all proceeds being donated in Francis Packard’s memory to an as yet undetermined beneficiary.

Ed Gonzalez, New Owner

After being run by Steve Grotenhuis for the past 23 years, with Donna Villa acting as general manager and the “face” of Villa, the iconic Villa Roller Rink is now under new ownership. After selling his business in Newark a year ago, Ed Gonzalez and his wife Daniela, who inspired the purchase of the rink, took ownership of the Villa in October 2019.

Ed said he wants to “bring the Villa Roller Rink into the new era for the kids in the area.” So many people have said they wished somebody “would fix it up,” so Ed’s goal is to “bring people’s expectations to life.” He explained, “We are excited about renovating and updating this local roller skating rink and making it a fun and welcoming place for everyone to enjoy. We want to make it a place for families to come and have fun skating while creating new memories together.” People have told him they met their spouses here. He knows grandparents who skated here and now bring their grandchildren to skate, and they are all very happy he’s maintaining the same atmosphere.

The Villa Roller Rink is currently closed for a few weeks for renovations, with an anticipated reopening early in January (barring anything unexpected). The rink will then resume birthday parties, fundraising events, group events and open skating, offering both roller skate and roller blade rentals. Ed is confident the community, and beyond, will like what they see.

Ed is not changing the floor plan; the rink will undergo more of a remodel and face-lift. The roof was just completely replaced. The bathrooms are getting a major overhaul. The floors will be redone, the ceiling tiles will be replaced, the walls will be painted, the concession area will be revamped. He envisions the front area to be a place for parents to sit comfortably and watch their children skate, replacing the long benches with more comfortable seating, perhaps even adding a couple large screen TVs. The large support beams around the middle of the rink will remain, as will the railings along both long sides. The skate rentals will move to the back of the building where the arcade games once stood. The DJ booth will be upgraded, but downsized, with a new DJ console using a laptop and subscriptions to DJ apps. An existing, attached, and unused storage space will undergo a serious remodel, transforming it into the new party room, a private space for birthday parties, and part of the Birthday Party Package. The arcade games will be relocated to the party room. The refreshments will remain the same: pizza, french fries, hot dogs, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, slushies, fountain sodas, hot chocolate and coffee.

Ed hopes to capture the teen market, feeling the remodel will make the Villa more attractive, with flashy graffiti decorating the walls, some new laser lights, and a modern sound system.

In time, for those wishing to book parties, it will all be done online, including payments, at www.VillaRollerRink.com. Previously, the only option was a phone call to the rink. Facebook will be the place to look for postings regarding the progress of the remodel.

Ed is seeking old photos, advertisements, or other mementos anyone would care to share. Contact him through www.facebook.com/VILLARollerRink/

Donna Villa, “The Face of the Villa”

Donna has been the face of the Villa Roller Rink for 23 years, having earned the honorary moniker of Donna Villa, a name synonymous with the small-town rink, full of hometown familiarity. Most people don’t even know her true name (which we won’t spoil by sharing here)!

Sharing a couple tidbits picked up from patrons, Donna said, “In the 1940s and 50s, there used to be a roller rink in Whitehouse, and after it closed, people would ride a bus to the Villa or a rink in Easton. There used to be an organ in the Villa years ago, as well.” The Villa Roller Rink has always been in the same location, although up until about 50 years ago, the address was Route 24, Broadway. It was renamed Route 57 in the early 1970s, running from the toll bridge on the Phillipsburg-Easton border to the T-intersection where it meets Mountain Avenue in Hackettstown.

In September 1996, Steve Grotenhuis, owner of Harmony Press in Easton, took over management of the Villa Roller Rink. Although the Robbins were owners, Steve tended to the day-to-day operations. Donna had been working at Harmony Press for about six months when Steve asked her one simple question, “Do you need something to do?” She replied, “Yeah, what do you need me to do?” So, she says, he put her in charge of everything at the Villa!

With the boss onsite Donna’s first year, she learned how to book and run the parties and the skate sessions, and how to tend to the customers. Gradually he was there less and less as he taught her how to do more and more. She began stocking and ordering supplies, scheduling repairs, and reporting necessary upkeep and maintenance to him. As she continued to learn about the Villa, she eventually became the rink manager. The Villa turned into a full-time job; Donna was on-call 24/7.

The activities at the Villa expanded with Zumba classes, and local roller derby teams have practiced there, too. A few years ago, line dancing was offered, but that didn’t work out at all.

In all her time there, Donna said she expected every patron to bring respect and manners into the Villa, no drama. She would nip potential problems in the bud, suggesting any troublemakers take their business elsewhere. Her main goal was to ensure the Villa was a safe environment, and that everyone had a good time. During her tenure, there were few fights. Donna recalls phoning the police only a couple times. The good experiences far outweighed any bad ones.

Donna said, “When you work with the public, it can make or break your day.” She figures around 90 percent of those patrons became her friends. She said they were all great to work with at their parties: “when they leave and everyone is happy, that’s a good party!” She recalled how the parents’ faces would light up if she remembered their kids! Donna shared one secret to a successful party – always talk to the birthday child – find out what they want for their party, what kind of games and music, even if they’re only five years old. She always tried to arrange an onsite meeting ahead of any parties, just so the family knew what the Villa was like, so there were no surprises. She loved showing the younger children their names on the big sign outside and bringing them into the DJ booth during their party to say “thank you” over the PA system. She’d meet the kids in grade school, lose a few in middle school, high school was fairly unpredictable, and then she wouldn’t see them until they brought their own children back to skate. She relished watching each generation learn to skate.

Did she ever partake in the fun? Of course! She and her daughter used to participate in the adult skate and she regularly skated during parties, she said.

The new owners, Ed and Daniela Gonzalez, offered Donna a job when they purchased the rink, but she felt it was time to move on after nearly a quarter century there. She said she’d help if they needed assistance, but her decision to retire was something she’d been contemplating for a while. She’s prepared to set out on a new path.

To add to the sentimentality of the occasion, Ed and Daniela arranged a special celebration in Donna’s honor, with an online invitation to the community:

If you have ever skated at the Villa you know who Donna is. She’s the woman that is there day in and day out, rain or shine. Donna is the woman who always gets the job done, who gives it her all and is there to make sure the skaters at the Villa have a safe and fun place to skate. Her dedication and commitment to the community of skaters that frequent the Villa is remarkable. Come out for Donna’s Farewell Celebration at the Villa Roller Rink (…) during open skate, as she starts a new journey in her life.

Donna spoke about her “Retirement Party,” held on Nov. 30, saying it was “very nice of [the new owners]” since she’d only worked with them for a month. “Customers brought cupcakes and came in to say goodbye.”

Over the days since, people have continued to come to the rink to say goodbye, bringing flowers and sweets for Donna. There was another get-together on Dec. 6, with the kids that regularly attend the public sessions on Friday and Saturday. They hand-made a big card for Donna and they all signed it. She felt honored that the kids thought so much of her: “It’s precious to me.”

Villa Roller Rink
2121 Route 57, Broadway, NJ 08808
908-689-6155
www.VillaRollerRink.com
www.facebook.com/VILLARollerRink/

Sources:

• “Stepping Back In Time” by Brenda Heinrich Higgins, pub. 2017
• In-person interviews with Brenda Higgins, Ed Gonzalez, Donna Villa, and Dave Werkhiser
• www.facebook.com/VILLARollerRink/
• www.VillaRollerRink.com

If interested in purchasing a copy of “Stepping Back In Time,” email Brenda Higgins at bhiggins7403@comcast.net