Welcome to LottaWadda Beach.
Our history goes back to the late 40s, just after the war. Harry Wadderewski, a recent young immigrant, discovered an undeveloped stretch of beach and saw potential. He purchased as much of the property as he could afford and erected a lodge and opened for business. He named the business LottaWadda, after his beloved mother, Lottie Wadderewski. Harry and his wife, Berta moved into the back rooms of the lodge where they raised their three children. Over the years, Harry added shacks, cabins and cottages, all available for rent.
In the mid 50s, Harry added a boat dock and marina. He provided room for campers and trailers. Recreational boaters and fishermen found this little gem and flocked to be a part of it. Families returned year after year, generation after generation.
As Harry aged, so did the lodge. His children had all grown and moved to the city years ago and had little interest in the day-to-day running of the business. Years before, Harry had established a trust that would ensure the future operations, but that didn't provide the love and devotion needed to keep it in tip-top shape. Basic maintenance and repairs were kept up, but Harry was getting tired.
LottaWadda continued to be a popular destination for swimming and fishing or for just relaxing and enjoying nature. The swimming beach to the west of the marina was still wildly popular, and every day various vendors would arrive and set up their carts and stalls, selling food, sunscreen, surfboards and floaties. However, the more secluded beach to the east had somehow evolved into a "Clothing Optional" area. No one's quite sure how that came to be.
Harry wasn't too happy about this. It did little to enhance the family atmosphere he was trying to protect. He found there was little he could do about it. He ended up posting a huge sign so that no unsuspecting swimmer would see more than was ever intended. Children, however, found this secluded cove an irresistible attraction. More often than he liked to acknowledge, Harry found youngsters hidden in the bushes and trees atop the bluff, using Dad's binoculars or spyglass to get a glimpse of this forbidden sight. This was much better than National Geographic!
In the late 60s, a developer named Anthony Marcelloni discovered LottaWadda. He tried repeatedly to convince Harry to sell the property to him, but to no avail. Harry wasn't budging.
After some research, Marcelloni found that the brush and tree-covered bluffs to the west were owned by the state, but had never been developed. With a little arm twisting and a few "gifts" to some well-placed officials, the property was his.
Marcelloni brought in heavy equipment and within just a few weeks the land along the bluffs had been stripped of weeds, brush and many of the trees. A high fence went up. Trucks came and went, but no one knew what was happening behind the barrier.
Finally one day the fence came down. There stood huge, palatial homes, full of every luxury. Many used the same blueprints and floor plans, but each was different, yet equally opulent. A pristine white fence surrounded the property with a large gate across the road. The sign arching over the gate read "LottaWadda Beach Estates." Just inside the gates the cobblestone road branched into a rotary and inside the rotary was a beautiful fountain. It was a secure, gated community. The homes sold quickly as affluent families looked for a property equal to their perceived station in life.
Marcelloni lobbied unsuccessfully for years to have the adjoining beaches declared private, accessible only to the residents of the exclusive community. He was overruled each time and to this day, the beaches remain public, open to all. Marcelloni died in the early 90s and the management of the exclusive community passed to the residents.
As time went on, the residents of the estates came and went, victims of the vagaries and ravages of time and fortune. Today, only one home still houses the original occupants. James and Mildred Hobstable still live in the very first house inside the gates. Jim is a retired real estate salesman and entrepreneur. Their children have moved on to their own lives, but still spend many weeks each year in the old family home. Jim and Millie's grandchildren and great-grandchildren spend all their school holidays and summers with their grandparents. They love to play with the visitors to Harry's lodge.
Jim and Millie's home is still furnished much as it was when they moved in. They prefer comfort over style and when something wears out, they usually replace it with the same thing. Jim still drives the old Lincoln that he's had for years. Her name is Matilda.
The house next the the Hobstables is home to a young couple with several young children. Michael and Ashley Dubodnic had both worked dead-end jobs, but they each enjoyed tinkering. Ashley developed and patented a kitchen storage system that not only helped to keep food fresh, but also monitored the levels of bacteria and contaminants in the food and sent an alert to the computer system contained in the door of the refrigerator, warning of spoilage. She sold this system for over $2 million to the Blundermade corporation.
Michael also enjoys puttering in the workshop. One day he had a momentary flash of brilliance and developed one of those items that everyone wants and purchases, saying to themselves, "You know, I coulda' thought of this and made a fortune!" Micheal did just that. He developed a little gadget that fits on a key chain. One push of the button and all the doors and windows of your home would be locked and any monitored appliances (including stoves and irons) would be turned off. He called it the "Spousal Worry Reliever." He sold it for $1.6 million to an electronics company who promptly renamed it the "Little Peace of Mind."
Mike and Ash took their windfalls, bought a home at LottaWadda and retired to the beach at age 24 to raise a family. They now have four children, ranging in age from 2-7 and have twins on the way. The Dubodnics and Honstables are great friends and the Jim and Millie are honorary grandparents for the Dubondic children.
The Dubodnic's home reflects their own, somewhat quirky sense of style. Much of the decor is nautical. Their sons have a 9-foot working lighthouse in the corner of their bedroom. Most of their furnishings were chosen for their childproof qualities and durability. Mike and Ash have two cars. One is an old station wagon, just perfect for transporting a large family. They have no plans to replace this old warhorse (named Bessie) until they must. They just don't see themselves as "minivan" people. Mike also has a beautiful Pontiac 400 that is his baby. He calls him "The Flying Circus."
The house next to the Dubondics was just recently purchased by Thad Viceroy, the last heartthrob sensation of rock music and teen slasher flicks. Thad had grown up in the projects, the son of a single mom who was often high or drunk and seldom present. He long dreamed of being rich enough to have his own beach house where he could throw wild parties and live the life of the rich young stallion. That lifestyle lasted about 2 months. He soon found that this lifestyle was very tiring and that his so-called friends were only there for him when he had something to offer them. The drug and alcohol culture brought back too many painful memories from his childhood and he soon vowed to leave all of that behind. His recording and acting work as well as the myriad of personal appearances that his agent kept lining up for him soon kept him so busy that there was little time for partying.
Although he was able to maintain his public persona of a wild, out-of-control kid, at home he soon became just one of the neighbors. The Dubodnic children love it when he comes to their yard and romps with them and gives them bucking bronco rides. He too views Jim and Millie as the grandparents he never had growing up and is able to relax and be himself. Thad, Jim and Harry can often be found sitting on the dock with a line in the water. They seldom catch anything but enjoy their time together.
Thad's home is furnished in a very sleek, modern style - all black and white with lots of chrome and glass. He's not sure that this is really his style, but the decorator that his agent sent to design his home said that it is, so he'll live with it - for a while. Thad can't decide what kind of car is his style. At the moment, he's driving a Viper that he has named "The Asp."
The residents of the gated community and the visitors to the lodge have found a peaceful coexistence, sharing resources and activities. Harry Wadderewski and his wife Berta are nearing 90 and can still be seen rocking on the porch of the lodge or marina, although the day-to-day operations and eventual upgrades have been taken over by their great-grandson, Harry II (known as Dos) who never felt comfortable anywhere else other than right here at LottaWadda with his grandparents and the folks they've all come to love.
So, step on in to these pages and enjoy the pictures of the conception, design and construction of the MicroMiniature version of LottaWadda Beach.
