The Holiday Extravaganza ~ A Cultural Renaissance in Saddle River For West Bergen Mental Healthcare & The Bishop House

The weekend before Thanksgiving a cultural renaissance took place at the Bishop House in Saddle River, hosted by the Saddle River Junior Woman's Club and sponsored by Bergen Jaguar, Steinway & Sons, Greenland & Hartger’s Jewelers.

On Friday the cool night air outside the heated Barn and tent was filled with the lyrical voices of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players Wandrn'g Minstrels performing a musical review.  A dessert reception with the cast followed.  Saturday evening found the Barn alive once again, while Steve Cohen, Ten Dizzy Fingers,  played background music on a Steinway concert grand piano during a wine tasting hosted by Chuck Russo’s  Wine and Spirit World of Ho-Ho-Kus.  During the festive soiree, guests nibbled on delectable cheeses served by Trader Joes of Paramus & appetizers compliments of Aldo’s in Wyckoff.  The party was topped off by a delightful jazz concert of Gerry Mulligan standards performed by the Ron Vincent Quartet featuring Warren Vache.

On Sunday afternoon, Bookends attended to Mary Higgins Clark as she graced the Bishop House with her presence and signed many books for her adoring fans.

Saturday and Sunday the house was alive with early holiday shoppers meandering through the quaint rooms purchasing gifts from the likes of  Hartgers Jewelers & Eurica of Wyckoff, Levato and Gaudiomonte Opticians, JMcLaughlin and many other local merchants. 

Two lucky event attendees were winners of a “Jaguar For the Weekend” while a third won a Steinway Essex Player Piano in her home for 6 months.

Steinway & Sons provided music inside as well, with a beautiful baby grand playing in the background while visitors browsed and shopped, some stopped by to have silhouettes created by a silhouette artist while others made arrangements to have pen and ink portraits done of their homes.  While guests shopped and browsed inside the Bishop House, outside on the grounds Bergen County mounted police watched over the festivities.

All this happened because the Saddle River Valley Junior Woman's Club firmly believes in supporting the local merchants within a healthy well-rounded community.  The event  gave many a chance to mingle with artists, writers, musicians, and singers.  The weekend also gave residents a chance to connect and reconnect with many local merchants. 

West Bergen Mental Healthcare and the Bishop House Foundation were the recipients of what looks to become an annual event and a Saddle River tradition to benefit the community while holding the past and future in the best light.

1. Kate Sadaka and Leslie Lahoud will be working with Chairwoman Toni Mendiburu on the Home/Life Committee.  This committee will be responsible for planning and conducting social events for families and children. 
2. Julie Belardinelli will be our Chairwoman for membership.  She will be responsible for promoting the club and increasing membership so we can further strengthen our group. If anyone is interested in teaming up with Julie on this committee, please let her know. 
3. Stephanie Canariato will be Business Meeting Secretary.  She will be responsible for providing an update on the website for recent news for Junior’s from the last meeting.
4. Jocelyn Minervino will be Board Secretary which is now named the Technology Director.  Jocelyn, we can’t thank you enough for all you have already done to improve the look, feel and functionality of our website!  www.srvjwc.org
5. Regarding Community Outreach, Joanne Florio will be organizing and conducting a food drive that will span several months, beginning in the Fall. 
6. Midnight Run will be thrilled to hear that they have Maryanne Arber, Julie Belardinelli, Jeanine Matthews, Judi Mottle and Malissa Piazza working with them in October to help the homeless in NYC.

May 2010  Plant Sale
Our Annual Plant Sale chaired by Virginia Halprin and co-chaired by Denise Mercier was a blooming success! While delivering the plants, residents had big smiles and commented on how beautiful and healthy the plants were.  If you didn’t order this year, be sure to next year!  Thank you to those who devoted time to this important event.  We would especially like to thank Carey Golick for the use of her driveway & garage to sort the plants.  We appreciate the help of the members that helped sort and/or deliver:  Alexandra Vargas, Debbie Musolino, Joanne Florio, Denise O’Connor, Nicole Reimbauer and new member, Judi Mottle.  Proceeds will be donated to local emergency service organizations. 

Plant Sale Photos