Retro FHFD Chefs

The guys in the kitchen at the Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company Pancake Breakfast in the 1970s. Photo/screenshot of fire company yearbook
The guys in the kitchen at the Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company Pancake Breakfast in the 1970s.
Photo/screenshot of fire company yearbook

If you made it to the Fair Haven Fire Department Spaghetti Dinner last week, it probably brought back memories of those same guys as youngsters and their dads doing chef duty at the firehouse for many an event.

In this shot, the guys are captured preparing the food for the Pancake Breakfast. For the past near three decades, Angelo DePonti was the one in charge of the meatball prep for the FHFD Spaghetti Dinner. Sadly, he passed away recently. In honor of him, this year’s dinner was dedicated to his memory (more on that later).

But, Janet Lang Sneft reminded us that one of the head meatball makers back in the day was her dad, Bill Lang. He also did a lot of cooking at Stokes.

He’s not in this picture, but Mike Connor is, and he still runs the kitchen at the fair. He’s always cooking up a storm at the firehouse. It is pretty much tradition for the guys to make a lot of the food.

As I recall, a lot of the fire company kids helped run the coat room at special dinner events. I did that and clearly remember being very confused. I think a lot of people went home with the wrong coats.

Memories of special dinners or breakfasts anyone?

— Elaine Van Develde

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