I am writing this at  32,000 feet...on my way to paradise (figuratively speaking I hope!),  which gives way to some “lofty” thoughts...pun intended.

As we enter the fall season and our new and not so new board members try to serve you a recipe of enriching activities, it is evident that we have a tremendous opportunity to expand the richness of each other's experiences.

I believe the club and its members are a great resource for all of us. We read, hike, lunch, breakfast, garden, dance, sing, sew, celebrate, laugh  and sometimes even cry together.

I’d like to express my gratitude to all of you  who have contributed to my personal enrichment,  whether it be advice on how to successfully transplant a hydrangea, how to make homemade yogurt or on how to be a good president of WMNC.

The support we have is comforting to me and I hope will continue to be for all members when the need arises.

So let us enter the beautiful Autumn with some thoughts about how we could continue to be there for one another respecting our differences and celebrating the threads that pull us together.

To all I send my affection and look forward to meeting up again on my return.

With my aloha, Connie (La nueva presidente)

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS : Wishing continued health and happiness to: Julia Held - 10/28, Elaine Hossfield - 10/16, Bonnie Joachim - 10/29, Connie McHugh - 10/3, Carol Richards - 10/20, Annette O'Mahoney - 10/22 and Renee Weiss - 10/3.

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 13th, at the West Milford Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. Come and socialize beginning at 9:30 a.m. with coffee and refreshments supplied by the Club. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m.

Our program for our October meeting will be a “Brief History of the Long Pond Ironworks” presented by Hans Niederstrasser. Hans is Membership Chair of the Friends of Long Pond Ironworks and coordinates and leads student tours of the Long Pond Historic District. He may also be found returning from a hard day at his job at the Long Pond Furnace as a player during the Friends of Long Pond Ironworks popular Candle Lantern tours. In reality, Hans eagerly helps out wherever help is needed. Presently, Hans is doing research on Peter Hasenclever, first ironmaster of the Long Pond Ironworks, and Fr. Ferdinand Farmer, “The Priest on a Horse,” who in the 18th Century visited West Milford once a year.

Refreshments for this meeting will be provided by Pauline Docwra and Judy Mazur.

AUTUMN LIGHTS FESTIVAL: The Autumn Lights festival will be held on Saturday, October 10th this year! It’s the biggest and brightest event in town that celebrates the very best of West Milford. So there is no doubt that Newcomers will be a part of all the action.

We will have a table set up along Union Valley Road, somewhere between Shop-Rite and Bearfort Shopping Center. Newcomers will be greeting our neighbors and telling them all about our special club and sharing our experiences. In the past, we have benefited from getting some new members to join and also from having people in town know more about us.

But mostly, it’s just a fun time. We will be displaying photos of our activities, giving out candy to children, having a raffle for pizza and a movie, and just spending time catching up with folks as they come by our table.

We need folks to volunteer to be at the table for an hour or two. Don’t miss out on this festive event. Call me and let me know if you can join us for a portion of the day. Then you can spend a little time before or after, visiting all the other tables and enjoying the whole festival. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to be part of the community!

Maria-Elena Grant, Second Vice President

BABYSITTING: On-site babysitting is provided for $5 per family at our meetings with our super sitter Sharon Grady providing this service. Please pay our Treasurer, Pauline Docwra, when you come in, pack snacks and drinks for your own children and label their belongings, especially if they have their own drinking cup.

NEW MEMBERS: Please welcome our new member - Marcia Price. Marcia will be included in your coming Membership Directory.

DUES: Yearly dues of $20 should have been received by now from our current members if they are rejoining. In case this has slipped your mind and you want to be included in our 09-10 Directory, the absolute deadline to receive your checks is November 17th. Checks should be sent to The West Milford Newcomers Club, P.O. Box 635, Hewitt, NJ 07421 or you can pay at the November 10th meeting. Women new to the Club but interested in finding out more about us, may attend two meetings as well as our other activities before joining.

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS: As we have been doing for several years, we will include the advertising of our members’ or their husbands’ businesses in our Membership Directory. If you know of any other business that may want to advertise in our Directory, they are welcome to do so. Ads will run $25 for a half page and can be made from a business card . Please send both the ads and payment for them to our Treasurer, Pauline Docwra, at The West Milford Newcomers Club, P.O. Box 635, Hewitt, NJ 07421.

DIRECTORY AND E-MAILS: Each month, we send the current month’s newsletter and calendar by e-mail to all our members. Only those members with no e-mail will receive a postal mailed newsletter. We no longer used graphics in our newsletter so all members with e-mail should be able to read it on their computers. Also, our current month's newsletter can always be read at our website, www.newcomersclub.net. Many thanks to Blanche DeSimone for taking over our website and e-mails. We are very grateful to Jody Goldenberg for taking care of our technical needs for quite a few years. She did a super job!

RAFFLE: Members are encouraged to bring items to be raffled off each month. You can clear out the clutter from your house and help the Club at the same time. The money earned from these raffles goes into our Club treasury to help defray monthly meeting expenses.

SUNSHINE SQUAD: Having friends help you out during a bad time can mean a lot. Helen Rezzonico is once again chairing this wonderful service the club provides for its members. The Sunshine Squad helps out members during difficult times by delivering dinners to them after surgery, giving birth or a serious illness. If you willing to be called on to be of service to your fellow members at such times, please let Helen know.

New ideas are ALWAYS welcome! If there is another group activity you would like to see implemented, or if you have a special interest or talent that you would like to share with others, then ‘Please’ let us know either through the newsletter or email or at the monthly meeting.