As a follow-up to the Class of 1974’s well-attended 50th Reunion held at Biagio's Ristorante on September 21, 2024, a few classmates thought "how about having a picnic reunion in June 2025?" So why not? Time is getting shorter and running quicker. We secured the permit as early as possible to get our choice of location and date. 36 people signed up. Classmates traveled from Avon, Indiana; Eden, Minnesota; Wilmington, North Carolina; Aiken and Hardeeville, South Carolina; North Bethseda, Maryland; exotic locations like Port Jervis and Warwick, NY, and all over NJ and even as far away as Elmwood Drive and Morningside Road just to name a few. Aside from the mid-90 degree weather it was a great day. Delivery girl got lost and stopped at the Zoo to find out the location.

Back row: Ken Lavenberg, Dave Ofshinsky, Mark Blackman, Carol Wilson Davis, Frank Fortunat (Class of '73), Ann Nolan, May Shark Dick, John Justiniano, Barbara Vilardi, Jim Signorini, Barbara Barrett, Gary Blackman. [50/50 chance I got the Blackmans right.]

Front row: Mary Schmelz Kraftt, Andrea Robinson Kopido, Stan Cohen, Nancy Suehnholz, David Salem, Nancy Goldfarb, Faith Heisler, Caryn Starr-Gates, Nan Meyer Lewis, Linda Weinstein Sprung, Barbara Paladino and canine companion, Lou Flores Stehle, Sue Swartz Reynolds. Not pictured but attended: Linda Amendola Dietz

And now for Thank You notes

Thanks to everyone who came from near, far and in between.

Next up thank you is to Super-Shopper Andrea Robinson Kopido for reconnaissance work scouting out prices and our initial first preview together of the Area I on June 9 counting tables and garbage cans. Then a preview of BJ's as I am not a member of it or Costco. This was followed by a visit to La Bella Roma to discuss food arrangements. Andrea did some preliminary shopping before our big trip on Saturday, June 28.

The Big Trip
First stop, revisit the Pavilion I, otherwise known in small print as Area I but with a big P9. Missed that detail on our first viewing, drove past the P9 parking area and had to park further away by the miniscule viewing area of Walden Pond*. No U-turn at that point. That's why I circulated the photos on Facebook and by emailer, so you, too, wouldn't get lost. This was the start of too much walking for me. Then onto to the actual shopping:  Stop 1 - Shop-Rite of Paramus, not all of what we needed; Stop 2 - BJ's Paramus for the bulk load of stuff we planned on; Stop 3 - Shop-Rite of Rochelle Park for the balance of stuff.

Name tags
Again, thanks to the efforts of Carole Leavey Moore for starting the project early and getting the job done and delivered all the while prepping for a family trip starting June 27.

Day of Picnic
Andrea and Walter already had the tables covered by the time my wife, Liz and I arrived. Thanks to Walter Kopido for being the IceMan with 5 bags full. And, lots of shlepping of stuff, like the Giantor 24 pack of bottled water.

And miscellaneous shlepping by Ken and Paula Lavenberg. And to everyone who helped break down, pack up, clean up.

And thanks to David Salem and Carol Davis for their initial support back in January to get the ball rolling.

And thanks to Kathy Nagle for making the block of rooms arrangements with the Fairfield Inn.

And to thanks to Liz Kassler-Cohen for her assistance before, during and after the event. By the way, who had the bright idea of piling the leftover desserts into our Subaru Forester for the ride home unbeknownst to me? It’s bad enough that I wear my own cooking, baking and bread making.

Anyone I left out, please, go ahead and fire me.

—Stan Cohen
 

* Anyone disappointed with the condition of Walden Pond and its state of over-growth left unchecked?

If you would like to voice your opinion regarding the conditions surrounding Walden Pond, here are two individuals to contact:

James Tedesco III (Class of 1971)
County Executive
Email: countyexecutive@bergencountynj.gov

Craig Dorsett
Chief of Staff/Acting Director of Parks
Email: cdorsett@bergencountynj.gov

Current view - June 2025


As seen in the Spring of 1974