The weather had gotten cooler and Halloween was behind us. The smell of pine is in the air and it seems the holiday decorations are coming out quicker and quicker even before Halloween is over. It was time for the members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association to host our annual Christmas lunch and resident party at the NJ State Firemen’s Home in Boonton, NJ. This is our most popular party of the year and an event that the residents of the home look forward to every year.
The NJ State Firemen’s Home Association in Boonton, NJ decorated for Christmas
The home was decorated so festively and put everyone in the mood for this afternoon. Is it what the holidays are all about?
The decorations around the home to create a festive environment
The holiday cheer around the building
In December our organization does not have a formal meeting but rather a members lunch shared by both the members and the staff so that we all could share in the successes we had this year. It was a productive and profitable year of fundraising and that will help us sponsor more programming at the home for our fellow firefighters who reside here.
This afternoon buffet is a way for members and their family and for the hardworking staff at the home to know how much we care for all their love and support of the residents who live here. None of us could do what we do without them.
Our buffet luncheon cooked by the Home’s in-house chef Prince
The delicious sandwiches and salads at lunch
After lunch was over, we joined the residents in the main recreation room for entertainment and our visit from Santa.
The recreation room decorated for the holidays
Our DJ and Master of Ceremony for the event, BCFHA member John McLoghlin was who was joined with the musical talents of member, Jerry Naylis’s granddaughters and resident favorite, Gigi in an afternoon of Christmas carols and songs.
Entertainer Gigi with Master of Ceremony BCFHA member John McLoghlin
Jerry Naylis’s granddaughters are a big favorite with the residents
Accompanied by their mother on the piano, it was a festive afternoon of songs and hymns
The girls singing “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer”
The girls singing “Walking in a Winterland”
The girls singing “Silent Night”
The girls singing “We wish you a Merry Christmas”
After the girls performance, entertainer Gigi rocked the room with a series of popular Christmas songs and warm holiday wishes to all the residents and their family members in the audience.
Gigi performing for the residents
In the middle of the concert, we had a quick pause as a very special visitor arrived from the North Pole as Santa led our break in the concert for gift gifting.
Santa arrived to help us distribute gifts to the residents
As the afternoon rolled to a close, we were treated by both Gigi and Santa a sing a long of ‘I’m dreaming of a White Christmas’.
The sing a long lead by Gigi and Santa with the song “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”
All good things come to an end plus Santa had to make his trip back to the North Pole and the afternoon wrapped up. The membership of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association took our annual group picture. I couldn’t ask for a greater group of men who are so dedicated to making the lives of our Brothers at the home so comfortable. We never want to forget the firefighters who came before us and set the tone for the Brotherhood!
The membership at the end of the festivities
We could not do all of this without the best Executive Board who are so dedicated to this organization. Thank you guys for everything!
The Executive Board of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association
John Kinner, Tom Simpson, Justin Watrel and Roy DeYoung
Merry Christmas everyone and a very Happy New Year!
I started October with one game plan, not to over do it this year with loads of activities. At this point, I had been to almost every activity in the area over the last five years and I needed to concentrate on work and my writing this time around. I was still catching up with blogs from the summer and work with my 102 students at the college was getting over whelming. I took it easy this Halloween and did not cram as much in as previous years.
That and the fact that over the last five years I have been to every haunted house tour, cemetery graveyard walk, themed meal event and musical performance that I can find in the tri-state area. I had been to them multiple times and I wanted to find new things to do. Plus work was taking up a lot of my time, so I learned to better pace things this year.
The month started off with a tour to see the foliage both in New Jersey and in Upstate New York. The first trip I made was for the Apple Festival at the Gandy Farmstead which I had toured during the Firemen’s Convention two weeks earlier and two weeks after that it was back to the Hudson River Valley for the Annual Sheep and Wool Festival.
My blog on the Apple Festival at the Gandy Farmstead:
I had a very busy weekend of running around South Jersey. I have been updating my blog on the Historical Sites of South Jersey and trying to visit as many of this small museums and special events venues before they close for the season. Like any of my blogging trips, I planned the weekend like “D Day”. I lucked out as the weather was wonderful both days, clear, sunny and in the mid 80’s. I could not think of a better time to go to the shore than post-Labor Day weekend. My goal was to attend the Apple Festival that I had heard about at the Gandy Farmstead Museum when I toured the home for my blog, VisitingaMuseum.com (see blog and reviews).
The JW Gandy Farmstead Museum at 26 Tyler Road in Greenfield, NJ
Two weeks after my initial visit to the Gandy House during the Firemen’s Convention, I returned for the Historical Society’s Annual Apple Festival on Saturday, October 4th. The event reminded me of the Brinckerhoff House Strawberry Festival I had attended in May , a very nice family and community event that attracted everyone.
The East Fishkill Historical Society-Brinckerhoff House Strawberry Festival 2025/Exploring Fishkill, NY blog:
Since there were a lot of shore towns I wanted to revisit while the weather was nice, I arranged to stay at an Airbnb in Ocean City so I had plenty of time to do what I needed to do and relax afterwards. Plus when the event was over, I could visit Ocean City and explore both the downtown and the boardwalk.
I could not believe how crowded the roads were as so many places were having either Fall festivals or October Fest. Route 9 was like a parking lot near Smithville, NJ as the town was having their ‘October Fest’ over both days of the weekend. Traffic was backed up for about two miles trying to get in so I got off Route 9 and traveled down the Garden State Parkway.
I got to the Apple Festival around noon and the parking lot was packed with people. One of the members said later that afternoon that he could not believe the consistent crowds as it was still busy at 2:15pm (the festival was over by 3:00pm). The crowds were filled with several generations of family members who I am sure were traveling from one event to another on this spectacular sunny morning. People were still arriving even as the event was winding down that afternoon.
The sign welcoming you to the event
When I arrived at the festival, the parking lot was still filling up so I had to park way in the back so I could get in and out easily.
On the Gandy family property on the other side of the home, they had an antique car show, a mini train ride around the tracks of this part of the property and a Caboose train car that you could explore.
The train tracks around the farm property
The train set up and tracks to tour around the farm
The train rides were really popular with both the small and ‘big’ kids
This small train trip had a nice sized line to it as families were really enjoying themselves
The back of the Gandy Farmstead with crafts and entertainment
Entering the Apple Festival with a Farmers Market and Apple sale
The Farmers Market of locally grown produce
There was a stand that was a mini Farmers Market with locally grown apples, pumpkins, squash and tomatoes on top of other produce. It was so nicely displayed and the prices were really reasonable.
They had a wonderful duo interesting the crowds that afternoon
There were all sorts of crafts stands around where the entertainment was performing
The local crafts people were really talented and included crocheted, painters, floral arrangers and jewelry markers. There were all sorts of handmade items and there were stands to buy homemade jellies and pickles and the prices were not like North Jersey, where a jar of jam at a Farmers Market will run you $15.00. The prices here were closer to $5.00 for certain items, which I thought was very fair.
One woman sold flowers from her gardens and arranged bouquets
This woman painted her own crafts and did beautiful work for both Halloween and Christmas
Here beautiful holiday crafts
I loved this Santa tree and was going to get it for my mom
This woman had the most beautiful handmade doll clothing and knit items for the holidays
What is an Apple Festival without food? I went to the concession stand for lunch and ordered a hot dog with a glass of locally made Apple cider and had an homemade Apple Shortcake, which I found out later the members had made the night before.
The concession stand where all the food was made
Enjoying my lunch. Both the hotdogs and apple cider were locally made and that’s why it tasted so good! The apple cider was from a local farm and I wished they had sold this at the festival. I think the farmer would have sold out!
Hot dogs taste so good off the grill!
The delicious homemade Apple Shortcake with homemade apple topping were made by the members
I also stopped off at the apple stand where cases of apples were being sold. It looked like many people were going to make pies and sauce with these and the stand looked like they were selling out.
I managed to buy one of the Mango sweet apples they were selling individually
The apples were so hard, fresh and sweet that it made the perfect addition to dessert. Nothing is better than a Jersey Apple right off the vine. I could not believe how fast they sold out of the boxes of apples and the individual apples were selling just as fast.
The Mango Sweet apples
Talk about delicious
After lunch, I ran into the Board members who had helped me with the tour two weeks early and I took a quick tour of the first floor of the home. The laundry room was not open the day of my private tour, so I toured this part of the house on top of taking a better look at the first floor.
Touring the outside grape arbor
The grape arbor on an early Fall day
Touring the first floor laundry room
An early washing machine
How to do laundry at the turn of the last century
After having lunch, touring the house and visiting all the vendors I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and listened to the entertainment perform. The duo performed a combination of 70’s hit songs, country music and some James Taylor.
The duo performing classic hits
The first part of the song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” from the 1970’s before people walked in the way
The rest of the song performed. They did an excellent job with it
Before I left just after 2:00pm, I stayed to see who won the Apple pie contest. There were only three contributors but I wanted to get a slice before I left. They did not slice them up while I was there. Bummer! I really wanted a piece of fresh Apple pie.
The winners of the Apple pie contest
The Apple Festival sponsored by the Upper Township Historical Society happens every October. It is a wonderful family event and fundraiser for the Historical Society. I know I had a lot of fun and it reminded me of the events that I went to as a kid in the 1970’s, which was long before cell phones.
It was funny that the only person who had a cell phone glued to his hand was me but then I was there to cover this event. It really was a relaxing and wonderful afternoon with good food and entertainment. It was just like the 1970’s all over again with families enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes I think that people underate these local events which are so much fun. I don’t know about everyone else, but I had a ball!
Two weekends later, I headed up to the Sheep and Wool Festival at the Duchess County Fairgrounds and the followed by the Graveyard Walk at St. James Church in Hyde Park. There is such much to see and do this time of year.
The Sheep and Wool Festival is not as big as the Dutchess County Fair but had a lot of the same food and merchant vendors. On a smaller scale, it is much more manageable but with the number of people who attend this every year, they could use more food vendors for the event.
The sign and directions in the fairgrounds
The foliage was so beautiful that afternoon
The Festival takes place the second week of October just when the Duchess County foliage is coming to its peak. The fairgrounds were covered in golds and reds.
Entering the Midway at the Sheep and Wool Festival where the food vendors were located. The foliage was at peak color.
The Midway was not as packed with vendors as the fair but is had a nice selection of food vendors
Entering the middle of the festival was getting busy
The foliage was amazing both inside and outside the fairgrounds
I got up to the fair late this time, not arriving until 2:00pm ( I thought the festival ended at 6:00pm but it ended at 5:00pm) and needed to get done lunch. Amongst all of my choices, I still always head to Janek’s, the barbecue/hamburger truck that has been my favorite for years.
Janek’s food truck is always at the same location
For years I have been getting the Piggy Back burger with Cheddar cheese and pulled pork on top(which I highly recommend) but I decided to do something different and have the Burger with freshly made Pastrami and Swiss Cheese. A very nice substitute.
The Pastrami and Swiss burger
The burger was perfectly cooked with slices of smoked pastrami on top
Yum!
After a good lunch and getting my energy back, I headed over to the animal pens and the craft stalls to see all the handmade products. My first stop was the Sheep pens, where sheering was going on and they were many contests to showcase the livestock. The Sheep were being shown, sheered and were talking amongst themselves as we walked around the pens admiring them.
I found that the sheep looked really relaxed and seemed to have more fun staring at us
This little guy kept smiling at me watching him
While the livestock contest was going on to a huge crowd, I toured the Crafts stalls. In the Summer for the fair, this was full of cows and goats, it now had all sorts of wool vendors, knit items, handcrafts and cosmetic items.
The colorful wool items on display
These wool dragon sculptures I thought were really interesting
After the show was over, I decided to tour around Rhinebeck. I just wanted to take a quick walk around the downtown before I took a tour I had done a few years earlier at the St. James Church graveyard. Since I was Upstate, I figured I would do both the same day since the weather was nice.
I got to St. James Church in Hyde Park at 7:30pm so I had plenty of time. I had taken this tour back in 2021 just as everything had opened up and it was a lot of fun, plus I wanted to update my pictures of the church and the graveyard. It also gave me time to talk to the docents and get some background on the church.
St. James Church before twilight at 6:15pm
The staff was just setting up the lights at the cemetery (technically a graveyard)
The inside of St. James Church in Hyde Park, NY, parish of the Roosevelt family
I got to the church an hour before my tour and just relaxed and admired the beauty of the church. I never saw an hour fly by before my tour started. Then darkness came and my tour started.
Darkness came by 7:30pm and the cemetery looked much different
We started the lantern tour with a talk of the spirits who were buried in the grave yard. Each of the actors was waiting for us at each stop. I still could not believe these actors were waiting alone in the dark in a graveyard for people to walk by the them.
Each of the actors told their tales of when they were living and stood beside the place that they were buried. It was very intriguing.
The first person we met was Mrs. Emma Victoria Pitkin Marshal
Mrs. Marshall was once known as the ‘Poet Laureate’ of Dutchess County. She was well known in the world of publishing.
The second spirit I met was Mrs. Harper, Mrs. Mill’s housekeeper up at the Staatsburgh mansion. She told us the story of her life working for the Mills and Livingston families.
Mrs. Catherine Kennedy Harper
Mrs. Harper told us about her life working for the Livingston family and her relationship with Ruth, who she was her nanny and then housekeeper.
Our conversation with Mrs. Harper
Our next spirit we visiting was the ghost of Gertrude ‘Gerdie’ Livingston who talked about her time in the Hudson River Valley and in New York City.
Gertrude ‘Gertie’ Livingston
Mrs. Livingston telling her tales of the Hudson River Valley
In between our conversations with the spirits of the past, we walked through the graveyard as twilight gave way to darkness. The graveyard was illuminated with lanterns and lights to follow the paths. It is easy to trip over a tombstone while you are walking around the paths. They did give us lanterns to light the way but there were not enough to go around.
The vaults are illuminated at night to follow the ghostly trail
Our next with the spirits was the ghost of Reverend John McVickar, who was the Rector at St. James Church starting in 1811. He married Eliza Bard, the daughter of Dr. Samuel Bard of Bard College and raised their nine children together.
The spirit of Reverend John McVickar telling his tales of his life in the church
Walking past the church at night
The last apparition we met that night was the spirit of Mr. Augustus C. Colman, the son of a sailing captain who invested heavily in Manhattan real estate on the advice of his boss. John Jacob Astor.
The spirit of Mr. Colman telling his tales of the City
Both himself and the Reverend went at it in the graveyard
The stained glass windows at the church
The church at the end of the tour
I decided to head home after the tour via the Kingston Bridge and drive into downtown Kingston, NY for dinner. I stopped at my favorite go to restaurant in The ‘Stockade District’ Wing Shui at 53 North Front Street. The food is consistently wonderful and extremely reasonable and you can sit down inside the restaurant.
Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant at 53 North Street in Kingston, NY
I was surprisingly hungry even after the big burger at lunch. It got cooler that evening so I ordered the Wonton Soup, the Steamed Dumplings and one of their wonderful eggrolls. It was such a great meal and really warmed me up. For such a small hole in the wall restaurant/take out place, the food is excellent.
My dinner that evening at Wing Shui
The Wonton Soup had for large wontons that you could barely fit in your mouth in the rich chicken broth. That warmed up after a graveyard walk in the dark.
The Wonton Soup with the oversized Wontons and rich chicken broth
The steamed dumplings were plump and moist and filled with spiced pork mixture.
The dumplings here are delicious
Their egg rolls are always a treat and are the first thing that I ever tried here years ago.
The egg rolls here are excellent
Yum!
I was nice to sit in the restaurant and just warm up. The temperature really dropped that evening and it was a rather cool October in comparison to other years. There is nothing like Chinese food after a long walk in a graveyard.
After dinner, I walked around Downtown Kingston some more and admired some of the decorations and store windows decorated for the holidays. It seems like Halloween is now the lead into Christmas rather than Thanksgiving (some places have already decorated for Christmas).
The ‘Jack Pumpkin’ decoration that looked like it out of “The Nightmare before Christmas” in Downtown Kingston, NY
A lot of windows were decorated for the Halloween holidays. The merchants in Downtown Kingston are so creative and here are some of my favorites.
This was displayed in the window on a North Front Street store.
The faceless entities in the windows
They face this witches hat
The skulls and pumpkins in the window. The merchants get quite creative at the holidays in the downtown area.
The Thursday before my birthday, we had a special late night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I finally got to tour the new Rockefeller Wing of the museum. After almost three years and COVID, the galleries have been mounted. The Oceania and African collections had been remounted with a new layout and pieces of the collection that had been in storage had been brought out. The collection looked a brighter and you could appreciate the art better.
I just needed an evening in the City to clear my head before my official birthday and I figured a night at The Met would help. It was nice to finally see these works again after several years of hiding. The galleries looked so much nicer and the works brighter and more vibrant.
Artwork that reminds you of the Halloween holidays
After I left the Met for the evening, I walked through the Upper East Side neighborhoods west of Madison Avenue and the creativity of the brownstone neighborhoods rivaled anything in that suburbs.
Walking on the Upper East Side before Halloween:
The Pumpkin glare
Black cats and Witches
From twilight to darkness, I walked all the side streets to see how people decorated. There were some very clever displays.
Outside of the grocery store
Then it got dark and the real magic began
Just at twilight
I walked down the Upper East Side from East 79th Street to East 60th Street from Madison to Third Avenues. It depended on the block but some streets were really competitive. These are the best displays I saw.
Guarding a building
Creatures that bump in the night
Halloween land
The doorway
The Headless Horseman
Guarding ghosts
Jolly pumpkins
I loved this ghoul guarding the house
I just hoped he didn’t come to life
Skeleton Parade
Ghostly lights
A happy ghost
More jolly pumpkins
The elaborate Halloween Kingdom
The Evil Witch guarding the house
Here is the witch explaining her wicked ways
More ghouls guarding the homes
A Christmas Halloween
From both angles
Boo!
Last year I did the ‘luxury’ birthday with dinner at Perrine at the Pierre Hotel and Afternoon Tea at the Lowell Hotel on top of my haircut at York Barber, and my trips to the Central Park Zoo and the Met. This year I was just content with staying home and relaxing. I have been doing nothing but running around from one thing to another in between classes.
Maricel asked me what I wanted on my birthday this year and I said ‘rest’. Having over a hundred students between three classes at various stages of their classes can be daunting for anyone especially for me. I had done the whole luxury birthday thing last year and on my birthday this year, it poured so badly during the day that I just stayed home and crashed. I stayed home and watched Michigan State get crushed by UCLA. That was rough!
For my birthday dinner that night, I kept it low key and went to Sofia’s, a Greek restaurant in Hasbrouck Heights. It was perfect because it was relaxing that night and the food was excellent.
For dinner I had the Shrimp Saganaki, which is a shrimp appetizer which is cooked in a tomato sauce and topped with cheese. I have loved this dish since they first opened.
The Shrimp Saganski appetizer
It is as delicious as it sounds
For dinner, I had the Gyro sandwich, which they put on their freshly made pita’s. Their sandwiches are delicious and they do not skimp on anything. I really enjoyed my meal.
My birthday dinner, the Gyro sandwich
For dessert, I had a change from the $35.00 slice of pink Dior cake at the Lowell and indulged in a slice of Baklava at Sofia’s, who much they make homemade and in house.
The Baklava at Sofia’s served as my birthday cake this year
This sweet cinnamon indulgence has layers of flaky and sugary phyllo and nuts and lots of honey. The perfect way to end the meal and the cap to my birthday dinner.
The next day Maricel took me out for a breakfast birthday at the IHOP in Hasbrouck Heights. I had not been there in a long time (and was a little shocked at the prices on the menu). I was just expecting pancakes, but Maricel knows me well enough and made the morning even more special. She greeted me with balloons. Turning 60 seemed to be a bigger deal to her than it was to me.
Maricel greeting me at IHOP on my 60th birthday
It is amazing how something as simple as this could mean so much. I love when my friends just do the simple things that touch me so much.
Now for people who say they do not like IHOP, you have never been to the one in Hasbrouck Heights. Their food and service is consistent and delicious. I have been coming here for years and have never once had a bad meal there. I love breakfast and could eat it all day long.
I had the “Two for Two” with two pancakes, two French Toast, two sausage and bacon and they even through in a side of toast. Talk about a perfect breakfast.
My birthday breakfast at IHOP at 111 Route 17 South in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
The staff got caught up in the excitement of our meal and came over to sing “Happy Birthday” to me and brought me a dish of Vanilla ice cream with a candle in it. I was really touched. Sometimes the simplest things people do are the most touching.
The staff at IHOP really made the morning special with kind words, a nice song and their delicious Vanilla ice cream treat! That is good customer service!
This is what a best friend is for!
She saved the best for last and gave me a birthday present. Folks, I hate getting presents! Everyone always gets me what they like and never what I like. I always have to fake a smile and my older brother says I am the worst at it.
Maricel surprised me with a Hermes gift pack of Verte cologne, which is my favorite. I used it for years at Macy’s and Tiffany’s when I could afford it. I swear she totally surprised me. I told her she ‘nailed the birthday and made it perfect!” I love when people can read me.
Maricel by the balloons
After my birthday surprise, I took turning 60 with a badge of honor. When I look at my grandparents at my age, they always so much older to me. I guess it was just the times and their life experiences. They had it so much rougher than I did and I am always grateful to them from what I can remember of the love and support they had for us when we were little. With the exception of my father’s mother, none of them lived into my adult hood.
October also meant Midterms, Team Projects and Term Papers, which some of my students just could not handle. It was a struggle in each class to get the students to do their homework. Let’s hope they get to the finish line on December 17th.
My blog on the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association:
The grounds of the NJ State Firemen’s Home decorated for the Fall holidays
The next weekend, I was in Boonton for our quarterly Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association meeting. Both the outside and inside of the Firemen’s Home was decorated for the Halloween holidays. They really did a nice job with it. After the meeting and entertainment were over, I went up to visit Downtown Boonton to see how it was decorated for Halloween. They do such a good job. The town was decked out with ghosts and ghouls all over the Main Street.
The horrible ghoul in the center of downtown
The town was not decked out for the Halloween and Fall holidays. It was not just the Halloween holidays but the beauty of the change of seasons and the Fall foliage.
The Hill section of Boonton
The Hill section of the town in October
The beauty of the Victorian homes
Each street was so beautiful
The homes were the colors of gold, red and copper
The businesses did a nice job with the scarecrows this year. The ghosts and ghouls dotted the downtown.
The Annabelle doll
The ghouls are out
The cat in the hat
Pumpkin head
Mars Attacts outside a restaurant
This strange Teddy was outside the library
Boonton does a wonderful job of decorating during both the Halloween and Christmas holidays. The downtown is decorated with all sorts of interesting and creative artwork and beautiful lights. I recently walked around the Downtown at the start of the holiday season and it was really festive. I always get a kick out of the scarecrows decorating the town.
My blog on Exploring Downtown Boonton (a very unique downtown):
The fire department, even after I retired after 19 years, still keeps me busy. We had our Fire Department Relief Association meeting the night of ‘Halloween in the Park’ and after our meeting was over at 7:30pm, I headed over to Woodland Park in our town and watched everyone get on hay wagons and ride around Woodland Park being chased by ghosts and ghouls. I do not think I have attended this since before COVID. “Halloween in the Park” is an event our town sponsors that bring hay wagons thorough Woodland Park’s small bundles of trees and woods and scares them with costume characters.
It used to be spookier but when neighboring town, Wood Ridge, built a series of condos on the border of our towns and they took down all the trees on their side of the park, all you see is the windows of condos at the back of the park. Still, its a lot of fun and residents get a kick out it.
Woodland Park in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ at night
Halloween starts for me in Hasbrouck Heights with the town’s Annual Halloween in the Park, an event that takes place each fall in Woodland Park in Hasbrouck Heights. First thing to note that since developers have built new condos on the parks edges, it has taken some of the allure from the park. You can see the lights and people moving around.
We ‘stand by’ with the fire department for lights for the event and emergency calls when we have to leave. Still it is a lot of fun watching everyone get on the hayrides and start screaming in the distance. We watch from the equipment while eating a pizza dinner which we share with our Ambulance Squad who is on hand incase someone gets hurt. The last ride of the night, we get to go on when everyone else has left.
Patrons waiting at the Pavillion
The fireplace roaring at the event
Ghouls waiting for you
The park decorated for Halloween
The DPW takes families around the park in hayride fashion with bales of hay in the trailers and everyone on the trailer is chased and harassed by various ghosts, ghouls and witches. You spend most of the evening being chased with someone with a knife or chainsaw.
The start of the haunted hayride
Video of Halloween in the park
Ghouls and creatures of the night chasing everyone
This popular event is always sold out and residents get such a kick out of it. I of course was working that night and got there in time for the last two rides and people were still screaming at 9:30pm.
Halloween in the Park in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ in Woodland Park
I did more traveling down the shore to see what was happening in both Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights beaches. The boardwalks were decorated for the holidays and there were scarecrow contests and pumpkin carving on the Boardwalks. The day started off sunny but then a giant cloud came over the towns which did not clear until 4:00pm. Just as I was leaving, the sun came out again.
Both Seaside Heights and Park and Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach are getting more active during the Fall Holidays as more people have moved down the shore permanently. There are a lot of events for kids and their families families to participate in.
When I visited Seaside Park and Seaside Heights, I stopped in just after a Scarecrow Making Contest. The contest was already over by the time I got there but people were still looking them over. The kids did a really nice job with the contest. While Seaside Heights and Park don’t have the activities that its northern neighbor Point Pleasant has, the activities led to some creative ingenuity of the kids and there were interesting decorations all over the towns over the Halloween weekend.
The town even decorated the Boardwalk more this year with skeletons and other creatures. There were not many activities on the Boardwalk on the Halloween weekend but the decorations were fun. Even on this warm afternoon at the shore, it put me in the Halloween spirit.
Skeletons on the Boardwalk
Zombies on the Boardwalk
The Boardwalk was busy with people who had just participated in a Pumpkin carving contest. The weather was overcast by the late afternoon but most of the businesses on the Boardwalk were open and there was a choice of places to eat and shop along the way. The two bars were packed with people who were watching the Giants game. I big change from when I was in Cape May and it is all Philly fans.
My full blog on Visiting both Seaside Heights and Seaside Park:
After my visit to Seaside Heights and debating on where I wanted to go to lunch, I drove up the coastal highway through the other beach communities to Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach. The downtown arts community always knows how to decorate the downtown and Jenkinson’s does a nice job on the Boardwalk.
When I visited Downtown Point Pleasant, I was able to admire the decorations on both the downtown Main Street and then walk to the Boardwalk. The downtown is always so nicely decorated and I love the whimsical scarecrows that decorate the downtown. The windows are filled with creative displays that always seem to be begging for Christmas decorations even before Halloween is even over (like most stores everyone wants to rush the holidays).
Downtown Point Pleasant in the Fall of 2025
The Point Beach Arts community gets very creative in Downtown Point Pleasant with the Gazebo decorated for Halloween
I walked their downtown and saw that their Arts Commission added more scarecrows to the downtown light posts.
The scarecrows from 2025
Another creative scarecrow
There was a lot of creativity in this downtown contest
The scarecrows came in all styles
Barbie display
The Phantom bride
More unusual scarecrows
They get very creative in Downtown Point Pleasant
When I walked to the Boardwalk a couple of blocks away, it was a little cooler than last year but there was still a good crowd walking around the Boardwalk. The afternoon activities sponsored by Jenkinson’s kept everyone active with their series of programs at “Boo at the Boardwalk”. They decorated the Boardwalk for the Halloween Holidays and kept all the stores and restaurants open adding to the festivities. With the Fall holidays getting warmer, it is a smart business decision to extend the Summer activities further into Fall.
Halloween is always fun on the Jenkinson Boardwalk. There was always something going on. The towns really get into the Halloween holidays. The park really knows how to celebrate the holidays.
My blog on Exploring both Point Pleasant Beach and Point Pleasant:
It was a lot of running around the shore from Boardwalk to Boardwalk but it is interesting the amount of activities these towns have been doing and the creativity that goes into them. This led me to visiting another shore town the next week when I visited Long Beach Island the Town of Beach Haven.
It was rather quiet in town when I visited Beach Haven the week before Halloween. Usually there was a lot more going on but it was probably reserved for the weekends. Some parts of the of the town were decorated for the holidays but I did not see the activities of the other shore towns that day. Still there were reminders of Halloween here and there throughout the town.
My first stop was Woo Hoo at 211 South Bay Avenue for some ice cream. The store was all decorated for the holiday, and they even had a specialty ice cream flavor for Halloween, Spooky S’mores. The ice cream here is a real treat as it is made in small batches on premise.
Woo Hoo carries some non -ice cream merchandise
They have now cut the menu down to just ice cream. There is no longer any ‘meal’ items like sandwiches and fries. The woman at the window explained, they will be only the homemade ice cream on their menu. I had no problem with that. Woo Hoo was preparing for the Halloween and the shop was decorated for the holidays.
Games for kids
They decorated the interiors
The store was surrounded by ghosts and ghouls
I looked over the menu and I saw a flavor I remembered from the past, Spooky S’mores, which I had when I visited the island a few years ago for Halloween. It is a Marshmallow Ice Cream with a Chocolate swirl with graham crackers and Halloween M&Ms and you only see it at this time of the year. I had to have that.
The Spooky S’mores flavor
It was delicious
The Spooky S’mores was loaded with graham and M&Ms in every bite and the ice cream was so rich and creamy. Going to Woo Hoo at the holidays is the best!
They now have ice Cream making classes
The service could not be friendlier. The staff is very accommodating and will help you make a selection from the various choices. Not only that but the staff knows the island really well and can point things out for you to see.
I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Beach Haven, walking through the stores and amusements areas which were still open this late into October. The warm weather over the weekend really attracted a lot of people and watching people play miniature golf this late into the season was interesting. The shore towns in New Jersey really are going full season.
Beach Haven Bay during the day
It was a nice snack to enjoy after walking on the beach or exploring the island. I walked down the block at the end of Dock Road and enjoyed the views and watched the boats sail by. I also got a great tan.
Beach Haven, NJ by the bay is just beautiful
Just sitting by the bay relaxing
Admiring the boats while I digested
The creative artwork by the shore
It was fun to just walk around Beach Haven’s downtown that afternoon and enjoy the warm weather. They had a Chowder Cook off going on down the road, so the town was packed with people that afternoon.
My blog on Exploring Long Beach Island and Beach Haven, NJ:
I saw by the weather report that Hurricane Melissa was coming up the coast and I knew that this would knock the foliage down all over the state so I made one last trip down the Route 46 Budd Lake to the Delaware Water Gap. I started at the Delaware Water Gap to take the pictures of the foliage in the sunshine and then I worked my way back, stopping at farms along the way and in Hackettstown to take more pictures. I wanted to get the pictures of the foliage before the storm knocked it all down.
The Delaware Water Gap at River Road off Route 209 in 2025
I was able to stop at the U turn on Route 80 West and park in the beginning of the trails that go through the park. Since it was so gloomy out and it was getting late in the afternoon, I stuck by the Visitors Center, which was closed for the season and walked along the river. Most of the foliage had been knocked off the trees by the two recent storms but there were still hues of gold and yellow with the trees that were left. It is a breathtaking view of the mountain range.
The foliage from the highway
When I returned in October of 2025, I timed it so that the trees would be at their peak and it was before a major rain storm the next day. I figured this would be the best time to come. Plus it was going to be the last nice day of that week. The trees were just past peak but because there had not been much rain that summer, the leaves changed earlier than in past years.
The mountains at the Delaware Water Gap from the Visitors Center in the Summer months
I continued my path down Route 46 East, taking pictures of foliage and stopping at the Marshall Farms to see the Halloween decorations. Sometimes you will pass a farm stand and you see the standard pumpkins, peaches and apples outside. When you pass Marshall’s Farm Stand in Delaware, NJ, you see a whole farm experience with orchards of fruit, corn fields and a property that is decorated for the upcoming Halloween holidays.
The side of the Marshall’s Farm Stand at 114 Route 46
The other side of the farm stand stocked high with pumpkins
The festive pumpkin sat on the roof of the building
The whole front of the farm was stocked with all sorts of early Fall produce, honey, jams and jellies and delicious baked goods including pies, cakes and rolls and their specialty, their mini Apple Cider doughnuts.
The fresh Jersey produce
The cream rolls and homemade pies, including apple, berry and Shoo Fly pies
The best is their mini Apple Cider doughnut. One bag of these and you are content for the afternoon. I can barely get out of the parking lot with indulging in one or two of them before my drive down Route 46 to the Delaware Water Gap.
The farm stands addictive Apple Cider doughnuts
These sugary delights are so good!
What I also enjoy is their delicious apple cider. I found out though that they do not make it in house but a farm close by makes it both for their farm and Marshall’s. It is sweet and very refreshing and only comes in gallon containers.
I love walking through the stand, walking past the pumpkin, produce and the crafts display.
The pumpkin display in the parking lot
After I put my purchases in the car, I walked around the farm, looking at all the decorations they had for the upcoming Halloween holidays. The farm has pumpkin picking, corn mazes and a hayride where the $5.00 cost includes along with the hayride a cup of apple cider and a doughnut. I could handle that.
The sign for the weekend hayrides
The witch sign in the parking lot near the Corn Maze
The witch painting at the start of the corn mazes
Ghosts decorating the field
The Corn Maze was still tall and green and I am sure led all around the property. Each part of the front part of the farm was decorated for Halloween festivities which would happen the next weekend.
The cemetery in the back of the farm stand
A horrible ghoul
All the Halloween decorations at the start of the hayride
Here is my blog on the whole trip down Route 46 East and West from Budd Lake to the Delaware Water Gap:
Hurricane Melissa came up the coast the week of Halloween and a lot of functions were either cancelled or had to move inside. I had no desire to go into the City when it was pouring rain. So I missed some of the museum and Central Park events that had been cancelled and stayed home. We really lucked out on Halloween night, and the weather was a brisk 58 degrees. It was clear and the perfect night for the parade. The parade this year went off without a hitch. I got to the parade after a long day at work and I made it into the City by 4:00pm.
We started the sign in for volunteers at 4:00pm
I met my counterparts at the start of the shift and I really lucked out. We had a really good group of people who would answer ‘no’ to people. I was able to see a little bit of the puppet rehearsals before people started to arrive for the event. There was a lot of excitement as everyone got ready to start the parade.
The puppets ate the beginning of the parade
Puppet rehearsal before the parade kick off at 7:00pm
I met many creatures, witches and things that go bump in the night at the beginning of the parade and they enjoyed showing themselves off.
This Sea Maiden joined us at the beginning of the parade
This group of friendly witches and warlocks joined the parade early
As the sun went down and the parade was about to begin, balloon creatures joined as the Good Witch led the way. The parade of costumed characters was in full swing by 5:30pm as people entered the gates for the parade.
The Good Witch with the balloon creatures
The Good Witch with the insect
Even Frankenstein joined the parade
Moon creatures joined this Witch of Darknes
Ghosts and ghouls with balloons
Then the parade start was getting closer between 5:30pm and 7:00pm, it got crazy at the gate and people tried every which way to get into the gate. I kept and to talk and finally yelling at people to keep it organized. I swear I have never seen adults act like little children. We have more people try to sneak through the gate with every excuse. I have learned to put my foot down and it is by pass only.
Then the golden hour of 7:00pm came and the parade started. As the floats were heading uptown, people were still scrambling, trying to get in. At 8:00pm, this woman walks up to the gate one hour into the parade and tells me she was here as a volunteer. I told her we were closed at that point and have a nice night and see her next year. It amazes me how people use excuses to get in.
Watching the parade from inside
We finally closed the gate at 8:30pm and the police took over security from there. I was able to walk in and watch where the parade begins. It is always interesting to see how the parade works and how this organized.
Watching the parade progress uptown from the sidelines
The chutes where the floats come out combined with the number of costumed people is carefully done and I have never seen so many people marching in the parade. Later on, someone told me the police were turning people away because too many people were showing up.
The parade from Dominick Street heading uptown
I could not believe how crazy it got in the park as the parade progressed. I have to give the guys who are the volunteers who coordinate the parade so much create. They do an amazing job. They really are worth their weight in gold.
More of the floats heading uptown
The video shows the true magic that goes into the parade from behind the scenes
The last of the floats heading uptown
The last of the floats start to head uptown by 9:00pm and after that, it is all costumed people, not just New Yorkers but people from all over the world who had come to walk our unique parade.
People walking uptown in full drag
The weather cooperated and their was an over flow of people marching and enjoying the parade
The costumers enjoying themselves
I loved the creativity of the costumes
The last of the floats heading uptown
I loved these costumes. The headless guy was pretty gruesome
A better look at the headless Spector
The last of the floats heading uptown
The last of the floats starting uptown before the costumers took over
I left the parade route and walked through the parade to get to at least 8th Street before I veered off on to Seventh Avenue. I walked uptown to join some of the volunteers after the parade for dinner.
Walking through the Village and looking at the decorated windows and homes
Some of the private homes are so beautifully decorated in Greenwich Village
Another great decorated home in Greenwich Village
The West Elm right next to the restaurant on West 12th street
I am sorry but to decorate your store to the hilt on Halloween night is really rushing the holidays. They did this the year before as well. Who ever heard of looking at a Christmas tree on Halloween night?
Still the store looked gorgeous and their visual people did a marvelous job
It was nice to sit down to dinner that night. I was starved rushing from work to the City and then to the parade route. I did not get to eat anything and was famished.
Joining friends for dinner at Da Umbertos at 107 West 17th Street
It was nice to meet some of my counterparts and swap stories about the parade.
Meeting with friends for dinner that night
The restaurant had a wonderful buffet that evening
The Penne Vodka and Sautéed Shrimp were wonderful
The dinner I enjoyed was wonderful
After dinner and some wonderful conversation, I said my goodbyes. I had been going strong since 4:30am that morning and was beginning to run out of steam. I just wanted to head home and go to bed.
I decide to walk back to the Port Authority from the restaurant since it was such a beautiful night. The weather really cooperated and it was a crisp and beautiful night.
Even the Empire State Building was decorated for the holiday
I was lucky that I walk fast. I made the 11:50pm bus out of Manhattan and got home by 12:30am. It had been a long night. The night was still young and I still did not see the spirits of the night except parading up Sixth Avenue.
Even when I reached Hasbrouck Heights, the decorations were still up and lit. It was nice to see that holiday spirit strong in town.
The houses were still lit and decorated when I got home
Residents love to decorate their homes in Hasbrouck Heights
It always amazes me of homeowners creativity
Post Halloween:
There were still traces of Halloween even after the holidays. Stores and homeowners kept their displays up but the lure of Christmas and the warm weekend meant that people started to take things down so the Christmas declarations could go up.
I went down to Mill’s Bakery to check out their Halloween treats and there was still some things left. The sweetest things were available in all the bakery cases.
The front of Mill’s Bakery at 275 Valley Boulevard in Wood Ridge, NJ
I loved the festive Frankenstein cake. Talk about creative!
The festive and creative cupcakes
The fun loving cupcakes
I loved the Halloween cookies and a little pricy at $5.00 each but were well worth it. I bought a few for snacks.
The mummy cookie was so good!
So was the Pumpkin
The ghost was good too!
Mill’s Bakery does such a good job at any holiday
I took my cookies and went back to Downtown Hasbrouck Heights to tour the window paintings from the contest a week earlier. The sweetness of the cookies gave me a sugar rush.
Walking in Downtown Hasbrouck Heights for the Halloween holidays
Downtown Hasbrouck Heights was still decorated for the Halloween holidays with festive window displays and the kids window paintings from the recent Window Painting contest.
Some of the window painting downtown
These kids are so creative
The weekend of Halloween (Halloween fell on Friday night this year), I took my best friend, Maricel to the “Pumpkin Blaze” on Croton on the Hudson, NY. I go to this annual event as part of my membership to Historical Hudson Valley. I love walking through the old Van Cortlandt Estate and seeing the creativity of the carvings and displays.
We started off early and had dinner at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants that I feature on my blog, DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com, Dong Happy Gardens at 440 South Riverside Avenue in the ShopRite Mall. The food and service are excellent and the family who run it are really nice.
I love the food here. It is white tablecloth quality for a small take out place in a strip mall.
I had the Orange Chicken with Pork Fried Rice and an egg roll and Maricel had the same with but with Barbecue Spareribs. I can’t tell you how wonderful the food is in this tiny take out place but you have to try it for yourself. I have never had a bad meal here.
The Orange Flavored Chicken with Pork Fried Rice is excellent
Then we shared some Panfried Pork Dumplings. They really hit the spot on a cool night.
The Panfried Dumplings were a nice addition to dinner
Dinner was a chance for us to catch up and talk. So much has been happening in our lives and we never get a chance to talk.
After dinner, we headed over to the ‘Blaze’ and then the fun began. The parking lot was packed with people and the weather really cooperated. It was cool but not cold and walking through the pathways was nicer than we thought.
The Spider display
A close up shot of the spider
Maricel in front of the rainbow flag that was on display at the entrance of the displays
We started our tour through the Blaze walking through the rows of pumpkin carvings. I noticed there were less of them this year than in years in the past. Still there was some interesting pumpkins.
The first row of carvings I thought were interesting
An interesting face
Another interesting face
The Haunted Pumpkin Windmill
Frog swimmer
The Pumpkin Octopus
Visiting the Hudson River Sites
Pumpkin sling shot
Me in front of the Statue of Liberty sculpture
The Statue of Liberty sculpture
Walking through the Light Tunnel
Maricel and I in the Tunnel of Lights
This is the experience you get when you walk through the Tunnel of Lights
Then we reached the Van Cortlandt Manor, home to the Van Cortlandt family. The house had been closed for years for touring since the renovation but been open for the Blaze.
The cemetery was moved from here to earlier in the tour with a Circus in its place.
The ‘Under the Big Top‘ pumpkin sculpture
The beauty of the Van Courtlandt Manor at night
The Wonderful Lightshow at the manor house
We then toured the amusement area. The Merry Go Round with its eerie sounds and glowing pumpkins made it foreboding.
The eerie Merry Go Round
The Merry Go Round
Maricel though it would be more cheerful with a picture of me
We then looked over the Halloween Circus train that passed us by. I loved looking at all the Circus animals.
The Haunted Circus Train
My video of the Circus Train
We then walked through the end of the display with all sorts of ghosts and ghouls that included a Pumpkin man and the Headless Horsemen.
The Headless Horseman
Chasing poor Ichabod Crane
The evil Pumpkin man showed himself towards the end of the tour
The end of the tour looking back at the lights and displays. There were all sorts of lit pumpkins as we exited the tour.
This was my favorite
Me at the end of the Pumpkin Blaze with one of the flying monkey’s behind me.
It may have been a Halloween with less activities and far less running around but it was far better than my years of Trick of Treating as a kid! Yuck!
The membership arrived at the NJ State Firemen’s Home to find the home decorated for the upcoming Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays. It seemed like yesterday we were up here for the Summer Barbecues.
The outside grounds of the NJ State Firemen’s Home
We had a lot to talk about at our October meeting with the Annual Convention behind us. There had been discussions on the Home and its expansion, renovations going on and the upcoming holiday season. I thought it was one of the best meetings we had in a long time.
The outside of the home decorated for the upcoming holiday season
Our fundraising has been coming along really well and we have exceeded our drive from last year. I think the word getting out about what we do and the Social media has been a huge help. We not only want to show our fellow fire companies where their money is being spent but how it is being spent.
We discussed also our upcoming reorganization breakfast at the Wyckoff Fire Department in November and the Annual Christmas party in December. Our Secretary, Tom Simpson discussed the gift this year and a planned lunch for both the staff and the membership. Everything is underway and planned for a great holiday season.
After the meeting was over, we joined the residents in the main meeting room where refreshments were being served and the entertainment had started.
Gigi entertained the residents on a stage decorated for the upcoming Halloween season
Gigi performed a series of Classic rock and Country music
Gigi performing the Patsy Kline hit “Crazy for you”
After ending her performance with ‘God Bless America’, we got up and introduced ourselves to the residents. We let everyone know about our upcoming Christmas party, which is always a huge hit with the residents and staff alike. We also we wished them well and for their years of service to the fire service, which they seemed touched by. Then we took our group picture.
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association
We ended the program with one of the employees of the home, Eleanor, singing with Gigi a heartfelt song., “I Believe”.
What I thought was interesting was one of the guys told me she had once been a backup singer to Michael Jackson. I thought that was really gift that this woman shared her voice and love for these guys.
It really was a wonderful afternoon and I want to thank everyone who made it possible. This is our gift to our fellow firefighters.
The Union Cemetery of The First Presbyterian Church of Ramsey, NJ
History of the Cemetery:
(from the church website)
Union Cemetery is a religious cemetery located at 316 Darlington Ave. in Ramsey, NJ. The cemetery is owned and managed by the First Presbyterian Church in Ramsey. As a religious cemetery, the cemetery is restricted under New Jersey state law and is not open to the general public. Only members of a Christian church and their immediate relatives may be interred at the cemetery.
The historic cemetery from the road. To the left is the oldest part of the cemetery
Entering the cemetery from Darlington Avenue
The newer part of the cemetery is to the right of the driveway
I was visiting the Union Cemetery in search of veterans of the Revolutionary War and found an interesting cemetery with a deep history in Bergen County. Many first families of Bergen County are buried here and veterans not just from the Revolutionary War but the Civil War all the way up to today are buried in this active town cemetery.
The older part of the cemetery is to the left of the driveway. These tombstones are from the early 1800’s.
The older part of the cemetery dates back to before the Revolutionary War
Many of the early family plots are located here with well known names like Hopper, Christie, Ackerman and the town’s namesake, the Ramsey family, whose family plot is in the oldest section of the cemetery.
The grave of Hannah Jane Ramsey in the Ramsey family plot
Part of the Ramsey family plot
The Ramsey family plot
The Union Cemetery to find the graves of Revolutionary War veterans and found some but not all of them. The tombstones are so worn after over two hundred years that they either had disappeared or were so worn you could not read them.
The oldest section of the cemetery where many veterans both from the Revolutionary and Civil War are buried. It was hard to read many of the tombstones. Some the veterans were buried in their family plots, others with their spouses separately. The burials were concentrated in the oldest part of the cemetery. Most of the veterans have been honored with American flags.
The first tombstones I found were from Ackerman family members
I could not make out the name of this Ackerman member but I figured it was one of the brothers wife
The grave of veteran John P. Post
The Post family history:
(from the Saddle River Historical Society website)
The Post family was of Dutch descent. The first Post was a soldier, who came here to protect the new settlements along the Hudson. They soon turned to milling; the name Post is attached to several mills in Bergen and Rockland Counties. Joseph Post, born in 1775, built a mill on the west branch of the Saddle River about 1800. He also opened a tavern and store on what is now West Saddle River Road, just north of Parker Place, across from the entrance to the mill.
The graves of members of the community at that time including the grave of John P. Post
The grave of veteran William Vanderbeck
The grave of a member of the Van Blarcom family, who was married to James Ramsey
I was not too sure who this was but by the veteran’s flower I am assuming the grave of veteran John Van Blarcom
The grave of Hannah (I believe Ackerman)
The Christie family plot
The Hopper family plot
The Hopper Family history:
(from the Saddle River Historical Society website)
The Hopper family is one of the oldest of European descent in Bergen County. Andries Hopper came from the Netherlands to New Amsterdam in the 1640’s. His widow and her son Hendrick were in the Polifly area (Hackensack) by the late 1600s. There was land to be had in the unsettled areas of what became Bergen County. Hendrick’s two oldest sons, Andries and Jan settled in the HoHoKus area (part of Paramus) around 1712. The Hopper name appears on many old homes and mills on early maps of the area. It was two of Andries’ children, Abram and Jan, who settled sometime around 1730 along the Saddle River in what is now Upper Saddle River.
Formerly The Ramapo Meeting House was organized in 1785 and built in 1798
In 1713, a small group of eleven German Lutheran families settled at the “Island,” so named because of extensive marshlands surrounding high, dry land. They formed a congregation in 1715, and c. 1720 built a log church. Prior to 1739, they built a larger, frame church.
Dutch, French, English and Scottish settlers of the Reformed faith came to the Island about mid-century and attended church in Paramus, 10 miles distant. In 1785, they organized The Ramapo Dutch Reformed Congregation at Ramapough in Bergen County.
After the Revolutionary War (1776-1783), the first task of the new nation was to repair the damages of war and neglect. Neither the Lutheran nor the Reformed congregation at the Island had sufficient means to build a new church. In spite of having fought on opposing sides during the War, they agreed to jointly repair and use the old Lutheran church. The arrangement was so successful that in 1798, they agreed to build the present church together.
Construction began on June 4th, and was finished in November. The last items purchased were “one lock and two keys” on December 12, 1798. The two congregations shared the church for fifty years until 1848, when the Lutherans sold their interest and moved to Airmont, NY and established the present Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church.
As soon as its doors opened to the public in 1798, the new Ramapough Meeting House became the heart of the daily activities. Social gatherings and civic meetings were held here all week long, and personal and official notices were posted on the doors. But on the Sabbath (from sundown Saturday to sundown Sunday) the building became a sacred place.
Ramapough – or Bellgrove, as it was called at this time – had four mills, several blacksmith shops, a general store, a stagecoach stop, and U.S. Post Office, one of the earliest in New Jersey (1797). The old Kings Highway of 1703 or Ramapough Road (Island Road) was part of the ancient 150-mile Albany Post Road from Paulus Hook (Jersey City) to Albany, NY. Dobbin & Tustin, est. 1797, ran a passenger and mail stage line on this road, right past the door of the Ramapough Meeting House.
In 1798, when pews and people were smaller, the Meeting House held 385 people. (Today, it holds 250). Though the old box-type pews are gone from the sanctuary, the gallery seats above still exist. The Island Church held an important place in the railroad hamlet of Mahwah throughout the 1800s. It was known simply as the Community Church until the 1950s, when suburbanization brought many other faiths to Mahwah.
One of the earliest public schools in the area, c. 1815, was operated on the church property until 1906, when the church sold land to the Township for the Commodore Perry School. In the cemetery is a roadbed of the old Kings Highway.
The Ramapo Reformed Church is the oldest public building in Mahwah, and a repository of more than 200 years of local and regional history. It is the older of only two remaining frame Federal-period churches in Bergen County, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The modern church sign
I walked through this quiet and reserved graveyard in search of ghosts from the past. The graveyard at the Ramapo Reformed Church, like many of these former Dutch churches, are steeped in memories of the past.
The historic graveyard in the back of the church
In the unique graveyard are the places of rest of many of the first families of Bergen County, NJ who not just shaped the county, but the State of New Jersey and the United States as well.
The oldest part of the graveyard surrounds the church
While the names Haring, Christie, Blauvelt, Demarest, Ramsey, Sutherland, Fox, Hopper, Van Ripper, DeBaun, Terhune and Tice may not similar to most people, to a generation of us were the names of farming families in Bergen County.
Their farms supplied us with fresh fruits and vegetables when in season and places for us to go during Halloween and Thanksgiving for our baked goods and much needed apple cider.
The 1980’s real estate boom put an end to many of these traditions but those names still live in the memories of an older generation. We see some of these traditions still hold tight at Demarest Farms in Hillsdale where hayrides and apple cider and fritters are still part of that experience.
For this trip though, I was in search of graves of our brave veterans of the American Revolution and in the faded tombstones surrounding the church, I found most of them.
The oldest part of the graveyard wraps itself around the church or faces the road, which at one time must have been a country lane.
Some of the oldest families from the community are buried closest to the church building
The graveyard is filled with family plots of most of the first families of the area once surrounded by old fences.
The graveyard is full of families and their memories. In some parts of the graveyard, family plots are organized by generations. To so the progression of mother and father to their children and grandchildren. The history of these families is in the rows of names and the intermarriages of all these families to one another.
The Fox family plot, where one of the members of the family was a veteran of the Civil War
Peter J. Ramsey was born on 23 November 1804, in Bergen, New Jersey, United States. He married Margaret Hopper in 1828, in Hohokus Township, Bergen, New Jersey, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 5 daughters. He died on 10 May 1852, in Ramapo, Bergen, New Jersey, United States, at the age of 47, and was buried in Mahwah Township, Bergen, New Jersey, United States (Family Search.org).
Closer to the church, I discovered the graves of our brave soldiers from the Revolutionary War whom I had been searching for.
The grave of John Suffern, who fought in the Revolutionary War and whose family the County of Suffern was named after
When John Suffern was born on 23 November 1741, in County Antrim, Ireland, his father, William Suffern, was 27 and his mother, Margaret Templeton, was 19. He married Mary Myers on 1 January 1766, in Burlington, New Jersey, British Colonial America. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Rockland, New York, United States in 1820 and Ramapo, Rockland, New York, United States in 1830. He died on 11 November 1836, in Suffern, Ramapo, Rockland, New York, United States, at the age of 94, and was buried in Ramapo Reformed Church Cemetery, Mahwah Township, Bergen, New Jersey, United States (Familysearch.org).
The graves of John Suffern and his wife
The Christie family plot, where John and James Christie who fought in the war were buried
When John W Christie was born on 7 May 1754, in Schraalenburgh, Bergen, New Jersey, British Colonial America, his father, William James Christie, was 33 and his mother, Catalijntje Demarest, was 32. He married Annatie Hannah Brinkerhoff about 1773, in New Barbadoes Township, Bergen, New Jersey, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 8 daughters. He died on 11 September 1815, in Bergen, New Jersey, United States, at the age of 61, and was buried in Bergenfield, Bergen, New Jersey, United States (Familysearch.org).
When James Willem Christie was born on 20 August 1744, in Bergen, New Jersey, British Colonial America, his father, William James Christie, was 24 and his mother, Catalijntje Demarest, was 22. He married Maria Banta about 1772, in Schraalenburgh, Bergen, New Jersey, British Colonial America. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 5 daughters. He died on 23 July 1817, in Bergenfield, Bergen, New Jersey, United States, at the age of 72 (Familysearch.org).
The grave of Lawrence Sutherland another Revolutionary War Veteran
When Lawrence Sutherland was born on 12 June 1763, in Harrington Township, Bergen, New Jersey, United States, his father, James Sutherland, was 21 and his mother, Marietje, was 19. He married Elizabeth Sutherland in 1786, in New Hampstead, Rockland, New York, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 3 daughters. He died on 9 October 1846, in New Hampstead, Rockland, New York, United States, at the age of 83, and was buried in Mahwah Township, Bergen, New Jersey, United States (Familysearch.org).
I have been shopping at Heights Flower Shoppe for many years for floral arrangements and gifts for the holidays. Ever since they moved from their smaller space further down the Boulevard to the new location at 209 Boulevard in a turn of the last century building (there are pictures of the building at various stages of downtown Hasbrouck Heights history on the wall), it has developed into a whimsical store of fresh flowers, beautiful arrangements, unusual knick-knacks, treasured holiday items and items from a local chocolate maker. When you want a gift that sways away from the standard present, you are sure to find it on the shelves of the Height Flower Shoppe.
Heights Flower Shop at 209 Boulevard at Christmas time.
What makes the story have such a nice feel is the way it is merchandised. Each of the tables and shelves of the store are created to be its own little display case. Everything is nicely arranged and not just plopped on the shelves. There are small stuffed animals next to frames or glittering trees next to hearts and bags of local chocolates. They are colorful arrangements that are pleasing to the eye.
Heights Flower Shoppe at The Open House in 2020
The store has won numerous awards for the window displays and at each holiday, they display an abundance of merchandise and props that showcase the event with much excitement to welcome in the holiday. Their windows have made them a member of the Hasbrouck Heights ‘Mayor’s Celebration Committee’ Hall of Fame.
The window display at Heights Flower Shoppe in 2024
Santa welcomes you to Heights Flower Shoppe in 2024
I recently attended the Holiday Open House at the store and that was amazing! The whole back counter was lined with small appetizers and platters of Christmas cookies. There was coffee, tea and “Library Punch” , which is fruit juice, lemon-line cola with sherbet. It is always refreshing and was a nice touch when doing your holiday planning and shopping.
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe during Christmas 2024
The hospitality at the store at the holidays is always welcoming. If it is a floral arrangement for a special event or small gift for a dinner party’s host, you are sure to find it at Heights Flower Shoppe.
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe in 2024. It is the land of Christmas
The Christmas 2021 Open House on December 5th was a pleasure. It is fun to enjoy the Christmas music and nibble on snacks as you walk around the store planning your purchases for the holidays for the home and as gifts. It is part of Hasbrouck Heights Holiday traditions in the Downtown.
Heights Flower Shoppe at the Christmas 2021 Open House
The Christmas display windows at Heights Flower Shoppe in 2021
The Christmas greeting at the 2021 Open House at Heights Flower Shoppe
The beautiful merchandise at the 2021 Christmas Open House
Whimsical Christmas merchandise at the 2021 Open House
The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House/Merchant Contest:
For Halloween in 2022, I ran the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House Decorating Contest and we created a Merchant Division this year. Heights Flower Shoppe was our winner.
Heights Flower Shoppe decorated for Halloween 2022
We were impressed by not just the windows but also by the inside decorations and merchandising of the store. It just was so perfect for the holiday season and was the perfect store to ‘bewitch’ anyone who was decorating for parties and get togethers.
The decorated windows at Heights Flower Shoppe were impressive
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe at Halloween in 2022
Halloween decorations and delights at Heights Flower Shoppe
Chairman Justin Watrel with Merchant Winner and owner Ray Vorisek
Winner and Owner Ray Vorisek in front of the winning store
The store was very impressive for Halloween 2023 as well with ghoulish decorations and the displays of things that go bump in the night. Ray won the award for a second time in 2023 and I very proudly awarded him for a second time for his creativity and spirit of the holidays.
The display windows in 2023 for Halloween.
The boutique of Heights Flower Shoppe at Halloween 2023
The beautiful merchandise for Halloween and Thanksgiving in 2023.
Ray won the contest again in 2023. He is with Chairman (& Blogger) Justin Watrel Chairman of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House Decorating Committee presenting him the award.
The Two time winner in front of his store.
Heights Flower Shoppe becomes even more festive the day after Halloween when the whole store is converted into Christmas merchandise and becomes the ultimate Christmas shop. All the beautiful and festive items line the shelves waiting for people to take them home and decorate with them.
The outside of the store is so beautifully decorated
The inside boutique is laden with Christmas decorations
The entrance is full of elegant items for decorating
The side shelves are full of gift items and wonderful chocolates
In Christmas 2022, the whole store looked like a Christmas Fantasyland of beautiful gift items and a wonderful place to buy presents.
In Christmas 2023, the store is looking more and more like Christmasland with its boutique like displays and merchandise.
Heights Flower Shoppe in 2023.
Heights Flower Shoppe Christmas 2023.
Ray is the three time in a row winner of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House/Merchant Decorating Contest in 2024. His windows set the example foe merchants in our Downtown during the start of the holiday season.
The front of the Heights Flower Shoppe during Halloween 2024
The winning Merchant window in 2024
The close up look at the winning window
The close up look at the winning window
HHMA Chairman Justin Watrel with winner Ray Vorisek at Halloween 2024
Three time winner of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association House/Merchant Decorating Contest in 2024
Ray always does a wonderful job with his windows during all the holidays and is impressive at Christmas and Easter as well. The store both inside and out are always decked out during the holiday season.
The blog on the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House/Merchant Decorating Contest 2024:
The beautiful merchandise at Heights Flower Shoppe at Halloween.
The windows at Christmas time December 2023.
The front window of Heights Flower Shoppe in December 2023.
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe in 2023.
Heights Flower Shoppe at Christmas 2023.
The Proposal for “Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Heights Flower Shoppe-We Keep Growing”:
When I needed to pick a small business to do a Marketing project on for my Business 101-Introduction to Business class, I wanted to keep it close to home as the Summer was winding down and did not want to travel too much to Paramus through all that traffic. So I approached Ray on this as I saw that he did not have much of an online presence nor a strong Digital Marketing display of all the wonderful things he sold in the store. We agreed to the things we both wanted to cover and we set the project up and I presented it to my class.
We were under a lot of time constraints just like the Summer One course in that we only had six full weeks of class, and we would miss two more days of class, so we were going to be rushing through this project. Funny though, this is what I told the students they will be experiencing for the rest of their lives. Last minute requests from both bosses and clients that you might have to achieve and finish in a weekend.
So I prepared the field trips. The first one was an optional extra credit trip the Thursday after I handed out the assignment and then the next Tuesday I met me students for a formal tour of Heights Flower Shoppe and then our Team lunch at Bella Pizza a few doors down. This is when the real work begins.
In a now in a class this quick, you do not have the time to goof around and I made my students fully aware of this. So I arranged the field trip with Ray and his staff, made sure that all my students attended and we started the tour of the store.
We started the tour with a discussion on the history of the store and Ray’s career in the flower business
The owner, Ray Vorisek, gave my students a talk first on the history of the store, his career as a florist and how the whole family participates in the business. Then he took us on a tour of the second floor that will be used for the new Christmas shop and bridal salon in the future. Then I let my students walk around and talk to the owner and his staff, who were working feverishly getting out orders that afternoon.
My students listening to Ray discuss the flower business
Ray explaining the assortment of flowers
My students touring the store and studying the merchandise
Our Team picture after the tour
The students had about a week after this tour to finish and present the project to myself and the owners niece, who would be working at the store as the rest of the family members would be away on vacation. We finished the visit in less than an hour.
As part of the tour, I took the students out for lunch five doors down at Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard for Cheese pizza and soda. I find that when a Team ‘breaks bread’ with one another, they gel together.
Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Our ‘Business Lunches’ are a way for the student consultants to get to know one another and start talking about the project in a more casual manner. There was a lot to discuss and it is easier over lunch with a few laughs.
The Special Events and Marketing Team having lunch
The Special Events and Marketing Team dining together
Members of the Marketing and Special Events Team dining together
Ray Vorisek and his daughter, Gabriella with our Senior Vice-President of Operations
It was a really nice lunch and I got to talk with Ray about some of the challenges of the business and catch up on ways he was promoting the business. Heights Flower Shoppe is a very successful business with a good following but the issue is that his core customer base was getting older and things like the way holidays were being celebrated were changing. It was going to be out job to tap into what the younger customers were looking for and how to reach them.
For the next ten days, my students worked hard, had challenges to overcome, co-workers who could be somewhat uncooperative and worked late nights to finish the project in time for our presentation on August 5th, 2025. I thought for a barely two week time frame, the student consultants did a wonderful job on the project and here is their hard work.
This was the commercial that the Marketing Team put together for store to promote it for the Digital Age:
The Commercial on Heights Flower Shoppe
The Team Presentation on YouTube
The Presentation was a huge success with both the Marketing Team and the Special Events Teams presenting their ideas with new logos, interesting Tik Tok and YouTube videos promoting the store and new special promotions such as ‘Children’s Bundles’ and holiday events highlighting Christmas, Easter and the Wedding season.
Ray’s niece, Nicole, attended the Presentation and gave us wonderful feedback on some of the ideas. Which ones were realistic and which ones would need more work. I do admit the students can be elaborate with the project and their ideas, but it is best to present all ideas first and then tailor them down to the clients budget and logistics.
The Corporate Picture for the Paramus Team-Heights Flower Shoppe with CEO Professor Justin Watrel at the end of the Team Presentation
After the Presentation was over, I hosted a small reception for both the students and our attending guests. I bake cookies, brownies and bring in snacks like chips, sodas and waters for the students and their guests for a job well. Our last time ‘breaking bread’ with one another for the conclusion of the project. It was a bit rushed but I think the Team did a great job.
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Corporate reception for the Paramus Team
The next week before Final Exam, we had the Team Wrap up and each student discussed what they learned from the project. This is where I get my insights on the project and where I need to tailor my CEO skills. Just as much as the students learn from me, I learn so much from them as well. “From the students we are taught” from the ‘King and I’.
Then I presented my President of the Division her official Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Presidential hat, of which she seemed very excited to receive. It was a very difficult project to do in less than two weeks and she was up to the challenge. Respect well-deserved!
The new barbecue grill has been the center point of our barbecues.
We could not believe how fast time had come and it was time for our second barbecue for the summer. These barbecues have become a huge hit with the residents and their families alike. One of the employees told me that the guys always look forward to our barbecues and that really made me feel good. Our members and their family members also have a good time.
The Maywood Fire Department organized George Steger’s 102 birthday party with a cake and a flyby by the State Police Department.
The front lawn of the New Jersey Firemen’s Home
We really lucked out with the weather. It was sunny, clear and warm and no humidity. The perfect day for a barbecue and we were packed with residents and their families.
The house’s Chef, Chef Prince, manned the grill again.
The Barbecue menu included hamburgers and cheeseburgers, barbecue ribs and chicken, hot dogs and bratwurst, baked beans, corn on the cob, macaroni salad and Cole slaw. I will tell you, people had quite the appetite that afternoon including myself. It was a combination of the wonderful smells of cooking food, excellent weather and wonderful entertainment on a relaxing Saturday afternoon that set the mood.
The chef cooking lunch
After myself and the other guys running around getting everyone their food, I finally got to sit down to eat and there was not much left. Not a lot of food ever goes back to the kitchen.
My lunch that afternoon and it was as good as it looks
Yum! What a great lunch! The Cheeseburgers were so perfectly cooked
Our entertainer that afternoon was resident favorite, Kelly Carpenter, who has entertained at our events many times. She played from the songbook from the 1950’s to the 70’s and really engaged the crowd.
Then it was time to bring up member, George Steiger, who is now a resident of the home. The members of the Maywood Fire Department really brought out the bells and whistles for their member and Kelly sang himself a very happy birthday to George.
Kelly Carpenter singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to George
Then the members of the Maywood Fire Department came up and read off proclamations and dedications in George’s honor including naming a street after him.
Our Vice-President Roy DeYoung of the Maywood Fire Department reading off the proclamation and holding up the sign for the road in George’s honor.
Then the State Police did a flyover in George’s honor which was a lot of fun to watch.
The video of New Jersey State Police flyover
All good things come to an end though and we started to clean up around 2:00pm. Some of the residents and their families lingered on this beautiful day. All our members wished George a very happy birthday and we took a group shot with him. This is what the Brotherhood is all about.
The Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association at the end of the picnic
Our Executive Board: Vice-President Roy DeYoung, President Justin Watrel, Treasurer John Kinner and Secretary Tom Simpson
It was another wonderful afternoon and the residents had a wonderful time. Another great event sponsored by the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association.
The graveyard at the church dates back to before the Revolutionary War. The graveyard has veterans from all the wars since the Revolutionary War to the current wars.
The Wyckoff Reformed Church was built with local fieldstone in 1806. The carpentry inside was done by Daniel Baldwin. The style features vernacular Early Republic, Federal architecture and the windows are done in the Gothic Revival style (Wiki).
The historic graveyard in the back of the church
The back of the graveyard that reaches further back into town
The part of the graveyard from the mid to late 1800’s. There are Civil War veterans buried here.
The back of the church from the 1800’s
The graveyard from the 1800’s
The Revolutionary War era section of the graveyard
The graves of the Revolutionary War veterans
The grave of Revolutionary War veteran Albert N. Van Voorheis
When Albert Voorhees was born on 24 July 1759, in Bergen, New Jersey, British Colonial America, his father, Albert Van Voorhees, was 54 and his mother, Cornelia H. Van Gieson, was 42. He married Rachael Hopper on 26 July 1788, in Acquackanonk Township, Passaic, New Jersey, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 6 daughters. He died on 17 October 1820, at the age of 61 (FamilySearch.com).
The grave of William P. Winter
The grave of Vanithy Van Voorheis, the wife of Albert Van Voorheis.
The historic part of graveyard right behind the church
The graves of Bridget Ackerman and Martin Myers
The graves of Jack Van Saun and his wife, a descendant of the Van Ripper farm family
The graves of the Van Ripper family
The family plots
The grave of David Stagg
The graves of Peggy Willis and Margaret and Abraham Van Voorheis
The graves of the Mickler family
The graves Abraham and Sara Ann Quackenbush
This historic church and graveyard are really interesting to walk around. It is a glimpse into the past of Bergen County, NJ and the entire State of New Jersey
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. logo of the Six Trees (based on the six founders of the company). Our Motto:
“A Tree grows from the strength of its roots and not from the top of the Tree” meaning that all employees opinions are noted and respected.
My boss contacted me after my Summer I class was done and asked if I could teach the Summer II class too with the same schedule After the success of our first class project, I said yes but with one catch. I had one less week to teach the class.
My first class’s final exam was on Monday and then classes started Wednesday. Because we met on Monday’s and Tuesday’s were the class days we would not meet until the next week and that fell on the Forth of July weekend so in the first two weeks of classes we met the first Tuesday of the second week of classes and that put us two weeks behind.
So on the third week of classes, we finally met with the full schedule. I had a lot of catching up to do. That being said, I had to get their Team project done and we were playing with time. I had to have at least two weeks to do the project and unlike the Critchley’s Candies project, I wanted to keep it closer to home.
The blog on the successful Critchley’s Candies Team Project:
I thought of three Merchants in Hasbrouck Heights that I thought could use some help with their Digital Marketing and Online presence. I talked with Roy Vorisek, the owner of Heights Flower Shoppe, who I have known for years and asked if he would partner with me this semester. I thought it might be a nice idea to promote one of our Merchants this time around. He loved the idea, but the only problem was that he would be leaving for a trip with his family before the Presentation and would not be returning until we finished class.
The Heights Flower Shoppe at 209 Boulevard in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ (decorated for Halloween)
I was concerned that no one would be there to see the Presentation but he could send one of his family members who worked at the store so she could give her opinions. We then worked out of game plan of things he wanted to promote and ideas for Digital Marketing that the students could work on. I presented him all my ideas based on his needs in the store and then I presented the Team Project to my students.
The Proposal for “Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Heights Flower Shoppe-We Keep Growing”:
We were under a lot of time constraints just like the Summer One course in that we only had six full weeks of class, and we would miss two more days of class, so we were going to be rushing through this project. Funny though, this is what I told the students they will be experiencing for the rest of their lives. Last minute requests from both bosses and clients that you might have to achieve and finish in a weekend.
So I prepared the field trips. The first one was an optional extra credit trip the Thursday after I handed out the assignment and then the next Tuesday I met me students for a formal tour of Heights Flower Shoppe and then our Team lunch at Bella Pizza a few doors down. This is when the real work begins.
In a now in a class this quick, you do not have the time to goof around and I made my students fully aware of this. So I arranged the field trip with Ray and his staff, made sure that all my students attended and we started the tour of the store.
We started the tour with a discussion on the history of the store and Ray’s career in the flower business
The owner, Ray Vorisek, gave my students a talk first on the history of the store, his career as a florist and how the whole family participates in the business. Then he took us on a tour of the second floor that will be used for the new Christmas shop and bridal salon in the future. Then I let my students walk around and talk to the owner and his staff, who were working feverishly getting out orders that afternoon.
My students listening to Ray discuss the flower business
Ray explaining the assortment of flowers
My students touring the store and studying the merchandise
Our Team picture after the tour
The students had about a week after this tour to finish and present the project to myself and the owners niece, who would be working at the store as the rest of the family members would be away on vacation. We finished the visit in less than an hour.
As part of the tour, I took the students out for lunch five doors down at Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard for Cheese pizza and soda. I find that when a Team ‘breaks bread’ with one another, they gel together.
Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Our ‘Business Lunches’ are a way for the student consultants to get to know one another and start talking about the project in a more casual manner. There was a lot to discuss and it is easier over lunch with a few laughs.
The Special Events and Marketing Team having lunch
The Special Events and Marketing Team dining together
Members of the Marketing and Special Events Team dining together
Ray Vorisek and his daughter, Gabriella with our Senior Vice-President of Operations
It was a really nice lunch and I got to talk with Ray about some of the challenges of the business and catch up on ways he was promoting the business. Heights Flower Shoppe is a very successful business with a good following but the issue is that his core customer base was getting older and things like the way holidays were being celebrated were changing. It was going to be out job to tap into what the younger customers were looking for and how to reach them.
For the next ten days, my students worked hard, had challenges to overcome, co-workers who could be somewhat uncooperative and worked late nights to finish the project in time for our presentation on August 5th, 2025. I thought for a barely two week time frame, the student consultants did a wonderful job on the project and here is their hard work.
This was the commercial that the Marketing Team put together for store to promote it for the Digital Age:
The Commercial on Heights Flower Shoppe
The Team Presentation on YouTube
The Presentation was a huge success with both the Marketing Team and the Special Events Teams presenting their ideas with new logos, interesting Tik Tok and YouTube videos promoting the store and new special promotions such as ‘Children’s Bundles’ and holiday events highlighting Christmas, Easter and the Wedding season.
Ray’s niece, Nicole, attended the Presentation and gave us wonderful feedback on some of the ideas. Which ones were realistic and which ones would need more work. I do admit the students can be elaborate with the project and their ideas, but it is best to present all ideas first and then tailor them down to the clients budget and logistics.
The Corporate Picture for the Paramus Team-Heights Flower Shoppe with CEO Professor Justin Watrel at the end of the Team Presentation
After the Presentation was over, I hosted a small reception for both the students and our attending guests. I bake cookies, brownies and bring in snacks like chips, sodas and waters for the students and their guests for a job well. Our last time ‘breaking bread’ with one another for the conclusion of the project. It was a bit rushed but I think the Team did a great job.
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Corporate reception for the Paramus Team
The next week before Final Exam, we had the Team Wrap up and each student discussed what they learned from the project. This is where I get my insights on the project and where I need to tailor my CEO skills. Just as much as the students learn from me, I learn so much from them as well. “From the students we are taught” from the ‘King and I’.
Then I presented my President of the Division her official Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Presidential hat, of which she seemed very excited to receive. It was a very difficult project to do in less than two weeks and she was up to the challenge. Respect well-deserved!
The front of Critchley’s Candies at 812 Kinderkamack Road in River Edge, NJ
Critchley’s Candies is an old fashion candy and chocolate shop with a modern twist. Many of the original ‘penny’ candies are still sold here along with new items like the ‘Dubai Bars’, which have become really popular lately.
The store carries all the classic candies like jelly beans, Swedish fish, licorice and chocolate bars but also has a line of homemade chocolates that are made ‘in house’ such as chocolate covered bark, marshmallows and Oreos.
The inside of Critchley’s Candies
The owner can also create all sorts of gift baskets and arrangements for special occasions and holidays.
The section of candies at Critchley’s Candies
The delicious homemade candies at Critchley’s
The selection of homemade candies are made fresh daily in the store and are all decorated by hand. They make a special gift for someone who enjoys homemade candy.
The store offers very personal service by the owner and her staff. They will work with you with special requests and offer a level of service not seen in too many stores today.
The history of Critchley’s Candies:
(from the store’s website)
Critchley’s Candies is located in the former Grace Lutheran Church of River Edge, NJ. If you look at the back of the store, you will see a decorative arch that has now become part of the store decor. This is where the original alter was in place. The building was converted to a chocolate and candy shop in 1957. Nicholas S. Phillips, and later his brother Ed, were two of the original owners.
They trademarked the “Mint Oritani” which was at the time our most famous treat! The store has changed ownership a few times over the decades, but each time it has kept the traditional chocolate recipes and added new delicacies. Critchley’s has become a one-stop shop with its expansive selection of gifts. Of course, there are still the old favorites like our large selection of chocolates, licorice, gummi bears, delicious chocolate covered strawberries and our newest favorite… hot cocoa bombs!
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Team Project the store partnered with me through Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ:
Touring the store with my students
Touring the store with my students
Our Project Team picture at the end of the tour
Having a candy sampling with my students
Video of our tour:
The Presentation my students made to the owner of Critchley’s Candies:
Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. presents: “Critchley’s Candies-We’re Making it”
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