A top-flight birthday celebration

To celebrate Dan's milestone birthday this year, he and Julie hosted a gathering of family and friends at the Empire State Building.

The group spent an hour or so taking in the sights from the Observatory on the 86th floor, in brisk but clear weather with good visibility. Then they returned to earth for an early dinner at the Heartland Brewery restaurant in the building's base.

Here are just a couple of Dan's photos from the observatory and snapshots of the gathering.



The location had a special meaning to Dan.

"Once on my birthday - and it may have been exactly 50 years ago - Nana took me on a birthday outing to Manhattan.

"The Empire State Building was the second of what she might have planned as several stops that day, but once I got a look at the city spread out below me, I was so fascinated that I didn't want to leave.

"I was completely absorbed in watching the buses and cabs moving through the streets, looking like a scale model in motion. Nana was so indulgent that day, I think we must have spent three hours on the observatory."

Vivien and CJ are engaged!

August file photo

There's big news about one of New York's most fabulous couples.

The Birch Street Web can report exclusively that Vivien and CJ are now engaged!

Celebrating with Kathy, Genevieve and John

"We are both soo happy," Vivien tells us. "We got engaged in the hammock outside our house in Noyac, and then had dinner at the American Hotel. I was so surprised!"



Both have recently made career moves, as well. CJ is now a district manager for real estate firm Related Management, overseeing four apartment properties in Manhattan. And Vivien will soon be starting a new job as a catering coordinator at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

We walk to end Alzheimer's

Our family was well represented at this year's Walk to End Alzheimer's, at New York's Riverside Park on Sunday.


Team leader Shanna reports that our team raised some $1,200 for this year's walk. And contributions can still be made toward our team's tally by visiting its web page.


Over six years, our team has now raised more than $5,000 to support the Alzheimer's Association's programs of support for patients and families and for research into combating the disease.


We fielded eight walkers this year - and as always, we walked to win!

This year's team: Dan, Kathy, Brien, Kathy, Kevin, Genevieve, Shanna, Rick

Band tries out the field for Super Bowl XLVIII

Far more entertaining than watching the Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday was watching the USSBA Yamaha Cup marching band competition at MetLife Stadium on Saturday! Andy was on the field with the Scotch Plains-Fanwood band.

Closer view of Andy, center

The band will return to the stadium for its final competition of the year on Nov. 9. When the Super Bowl is played on the same field in February, the students can watch and say, "Been there!"

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.

Cousins get together on Shelter Island

Brien and Dan paid a visit to Nanette this week at her home on Shelter Island.


Nanette moved to the island in April last year, after being named executive director of the Shelter Island Historical Society. She's enjoying being back where she spent so many summers in the past -- and as a four-season resident. Winter in the area is beautiful, Nanette said, and surprisingly busy with year-round activities.

Nanette's home faces an inlet. The house is behind the trees in this view from a dock at the foot of the property.

Brien and Dan were making a brief trip to take care of some chores at Birch Street East and get some sand between their toes. They visited the ocean beach in Bridgehampton on Tuesday and stayed until dusk.

Brennan is back Stateside with his family

After a nine-month deployment in Japan, Brennan returned to North Carolina a few weeks ago, his grandmother Pat reports.

Above, Brennan, his wife, Shauna-Rae, and their daughter Brooklyn - who will turn two in December - are out for dinner at a local restaurant. At left, Brennan helps Brooklyn with a puzzle on the kid's menu.

Brennan is based at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Base. He's on a leave right now, and he, Shauna-Rae and Brooklyn are up in the Saratoga Springs area visiting their relatives.

Meanwhile, Brennan's sister Shannon has started sophomore year at Catholic Central High School, having transferred from Saratoga Springs High School. Her new school is not far from where her mom, Mary, works as director of the Head Start center in Stillwater, N.Y.

Here, Shannon poses with her nephew Cash, son of her sister, Brienna, and Clay. Cash turned two on August 6.

Back-to-School season is under way

A new school year has begun for some of our family's scholars.

In Ohio, Christopher began his junior year at Hilliard Darby High School on Aug. 20, while Stephanie began 8th grade at Hilliard Heritage Middle School.

Here, Stephanie shows off her smile after having her braces removed earlier this month.

In North Carolina, Lizzie began her college career at Elon University. (See separate article.)

In Rochester, Christine began her third year of studies at Rochester Institute of Technology this morning (Aug. 26). Over the weekend, her dad helped her move in to her new University Commons apartment, which she shares with three other students.


By chance, Christine's cousins Liz and Rebecca were both in Rochester as Christine arrived. RIT grad Rebecca is living and working in the area, and her sister was visiting for the weekend. They joined Christine, her dad and her roommate Catherine for dinner at a local barbecue restaurant.

Dan enjoyed being seen in the company of these beautiful young women.

Please send updates on our family's other scholars!

Lizze joins Elon U. Class of 2017

This past weekend, Owen and Tish helped their daughter, Lizzie, move in to her dorm room at Elon University, where she's about to start her freshman year.

It was a sunny, warm weekend on the beautiful campus in Elon, N.C.
Lizzie plans to major in education, with a minor in dance.