A look back at Holloway’s former business block

The building at left housed the barber shop, post office and what I knew as the Silver Front Bar, with an apartment above for the bar owner. To the right was Rudy Fontana’s home and nightclub. Later, a bowling alley was added. Just about every kid in town worked as a pinsetter there until automatic equipment was installed. Fontana’s was known for its footlong hot dogs.

There are a lot of good memories in that block: riding bikes to get the mail and sitting on the steps talking; getting haircuts at Vic’s; buying potato chips and pop and playing the jukebox at the Silver Front; getting hot dogs, chips and pop at Fontana’s; and bowling.

Today, both buildings are gone. The village of Holloway now has a playground behind what was the Silver Front Bar. To the right of where Fontana’s stood is the building that houses the Holloway VFD firetruck and EMS vehicle.