Parents visit Lizzie at Elon University

Tish posted this photo from a Parents Weekend visit to daughter Lizzie at Elon University. Lizzie poses here with her cousin Phil, an Elon alum, and his fiance, Rebecca.

"We had a wonderful weekend," Tish writes. "Lizzie loves Elon, and has great friends!"

Walk to End Alzheimer's less than 3 weeks away

Shanna reports that our family team is well on its way to reaching its fund-raising goal for the Walk to End Alzheimer's, taking place Sunday, Oct. 20, in New York's Riverside Park.

2011 Walk

"Thank you all so much for your support," writes Shanna, who has organized our family's participation in this event for the past five years.

We hope you'll consider joining us for the walk, and/or contributing toward our family team's donation total. Visit Shanna's page or our family team page at the Alzheimer's Association web site for more details.

Fresh video: Chris & Darby Marching Band

Click here to watch the video

Cathy shares a video in which she tracked her son Christopher as he performed with the Hilliard-Darby High School Marching Band on Saturday, Sept. 21. Darby was hosting the competition and so was not eligible for awards, but did receive a point score that qualifies the band for the State Competition later this fall.

Dolores helps mark bicentennial of historic bridge

L'artiste travaille en plein air

Dolores was one of several artists who took part in a weekend-long event marking the 200th birthday of a landmark bridge in Western Maryland.

The festivities at Casselman Bridge State Park included living-history presentations, musical entertainment and "plein air" painting. Dolores was invited to participate by the Garrett County Arts Council.

On Friday, she and Hugh attended a dinner the celebration's kickoff dinner at the nearby Penn Alps restaurant. "Then all day Saturday, I painted the bridge," Dolores writes, "until the deluge that suddenly hit about 2 P.M. We had to pack up and dash for high ground fast! Happily I had just finished a painting, and framed it, before the storm arrived."

They returned on Sunday and Dolores worked on a second painting, under a clear sky but with a chilly wind. "We didn't quite freeze," she said.

The rain forced the organizers to cancel a Saturday parade of vintage vehicles across the bridge, which served for over 100 years to carry travelers on the National Road. When it opened in 1813, it was the longest single-span stone arch bridge in the United States. Its name is variously spelled as Castleman's, Casselman or Casselmans River Bridge.

This date in family history

Lorraine and Daniel, Sept. 22, 1951

Marching and playing, in NJ and Ohio

 The Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Marching Band gave its first official public performance of the season Saturday at halftime of the SPFHS Raiders football team's first home game. Andy is at center in the photo above, during a percussion feature in the show. That evening, SPFHS hosted a USSBA competition featuring 14 other bands from around New Jersey.

In Ohio, meanwhile, where band season started in August, the Hilliard Darby HS Marching Band also was participating in a competition Saturday. This photo of Chris and the band was taken a few weeks ago.

Take a walk in the park for Alzheimer's research

The annual Walk to End Alzheimer's is coming up on Oct. 20 in New York's Riverside Park, and once again Shanna is organizing a family team to take part.

Our team in 2012

"Please show your support as I walk in honor of my Grandma," Shanna writes. "Spread the word and please donate to this important cause. Thank you!"

Walking in 2011

This will be the sixth year that our family - which has been touched multiple times by Alzheimer's disease - has joined the walk.

In that time, we've raised over $4,000 for the association, which operates programs of support for patients and their families and helps fund research into the disease.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR TEAM!

Start of 2011 walk

The walk itself is a pleasant autumn hike through the beautiful park. The registration booths open at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies start at 10 and the walk gets under way at 11 a.m.

Please visit our family team page to make a donation, and join us in the park if you can!

Christopher's marching band takes the field

The Hilliard-Darby High School Marching Band is well into its 2013 season. Here's a video of the band's performance during halftime at a Darby Panthers football game on Sept. 6, sent by saxophonist Christopher's mom, Cathy. (Click the link below, not the button on the image.)

-> CLICK HERE to watch<-

Our Roster of Scholars, Fall 2013 edition

Here's our annual back-to-school rundown of teachers and students in our extended family. Some started classes during late August, others begin in the next several days.

Please let us know of any errors or additions.

STUDENTS:

Christine - Third year at Rochester Institute of Technology in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Patrick - Third year at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Lizzie - Freshman at Elon University in Elon, N.C.

Andy - Senior at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in New Jersey.

Christopher - Junior at Hilliard Darby High School in Ohio.

Shannon - Sophomore at Catholic Central High School in Troy, N.Y.

Stephanie - In 8th grade at Hilliard Heritage Middle School in Ohio.

Xander starts 1st Grade

Xander - In first grade at Battlefield Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Va.

TEACHERS:

Kathy - Teaching science at School of the Holy Child in Rye, N.Y.

Mary - Director and head teacher at Stillwater Head Start in Stillwater, N.Y.

Shanna - Teaching at the Ann and Andy Child Care preschool in Elmsford, N.Y.

Who are we missing? Let us know!

SPF Marching Band season is under way

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band wrapped up its preseason training and presented a preview of its 2013 show on Aug. 29. The band and color guard put in a lot of work over the summer, including two weeks of intensive practices at the end of August, and looked and sounded impressive for the start of the season.


Andy, in his senior year, leads the tenor drummers, carrying a six-drum set as he marches around the field.

FLASHBACK: Fifteen years ago, Andy's big brother Dan was also playing tenor drums, as a senior-class member of the Live Oak High School marching band, in Morgan Hill, Calif.