Our daughter belongs to a small Junior Girl Scout troop and we go and place an American flag on every gravesite for each military man and woman that is buried at the the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ. Our troop is among the many Daisies, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Cadets, Cub and Boy Scouts that do this every single year. We’re each given a section with an armful of flags, and at the strike of 5PM, we start to place the a flag on each site. It’s truly a moving part of the day and a personal favorite tradition that we take a part of each year.My dad loves to be a part of this, he pointed out a few where a wife was buried next to her husband. There was a freshly covered grave that the girls were looking and talking about. Afterwards, there was free hotdogs, chips and refreshments. It was really hot, the saving grace was the breeze, but a small thing considering what our military does everyday.
Our family is a military family, grandpa is a Ret. WWII Mst. Sgt. Army and still alive at the young age of 95+, my dad is a Vietnam Vet, Ret. Lt. Col Army, my cousin is Ret. Combat Navy Medic who was stationed with the Marines in Iraq. Once his time was up in the Navy, went into the Army, now he’s studying on the GI Bill at the Univ. of Chicago. My husband’s uncle was in the Navy, one of my daughter’s friends in our troop is Ret. Navy too. I’m proud of all the men AND women who are and have served and sacrificed for us.
Doing this small thing helps our children understand things a little more for Memorial Day.
https://www.deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/DeirdreRyanPhotographywww.deirdreryanphotography.com_0039.jpg602900Deirdre Ryanhttp://deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Logo.pngDeirdre Ryan2016-05-30 19:00:152019-10-17 18:04:02Bordentown Girl Scout Troop Remembers Our Military For Memorial Day
I was asked to photograph the Annual Bordentown St. Patty’s 5K Race and Family Fun 2 Mile Walk in March in Bordentown City, NJ. This is a fundraiser for the Bordentown Regional School District’s Board of Education, one that I’ve covered for before when working for The Register News under The Packet Publication. Our superintendent of the school district spoke, we had a gorilla mascot, Miss Bordentown ran, and volunteers to organize, set up and help run the event. It was great to see friends of mine with their kids in the race, we are a small community and there were other people from place in the surrounding areas. As our daughter is in the school here, this benefits her.
The race started in front of The Bordentown Home for Funerals and the Finish Line was in front of the Clara Barton Elementary and Macfarland Intermediate Schools(both schools are across the street from each other). After the race, the Family Fun Walk started as well as the awards ceremony in the Clara Barton’s All Purpose Room.
Since I live in the city, I walked over to where everything was. Packing light, I carried only my Canon 5D Mark III with the EF 70-200mm f2.8 L non IS lens and the Canon 6D with the EF 16-35mm f2.8 L lens packed into the Think Tank Retrospective bag(stashed this as well as my heavier jacket away someplace safe inside the school with other volunteers items), then when shooting used their modular belt system with the Hubba Hubba Hiney and the water bottle holder called RU Hot(love this thing!), with both cameras attached to the Black Rapid Double Slim camera strap. When I worked for the newspapers, travelling light was essential as well as having the right gear. True… if you were lucky enough to worked full time, the gear was given to you by the news outlet to use(it was theirs not yours) you always good gear and glass(lenses). But I own everything you see me carry.
Thank you to the Board of Ed for asking me to photograph this event for you, I enjoyed being out there for our community and I know that many of you all loved the images.
In the photo above is our daughter’s former kindergarten teacher running with a student, now THAT is awesome!!!
https://www.deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/13Bordentown5K2016Deirdre-Ryan.jpg900602Deirdre Ryanhttp://deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Logo.pngDeirdre Ryan2016-05-04 22:17:042019-10-17 18:05:11Annual St. Patty's 5K Run for Our Local Schools
Like many playgrounds, ours is in need of a major makeover. This is the Clara Barton Elementary School playground. It has not changed since I went there and for many other generations of kids and adults. Years ago, it went up to grade 8, and when I went there, it went up to grade 6.
The pavement is hot in the sun, there is no shade. The only place to really play is in the kindergarten play area, but that is closed off to the bigger kids during recess, because it is a safety issue with the smaller children. I understand this.
The reason for the fence in the middle of the playground was to keep the much older kids from the kindergarten areas. But now, there’s really no need for it. There’s some sort of outdated play things here and there that the kids bang on for noise, but the the most part, they are ignored. The basketball court is used, and so is the climbing wall. The school brings out jumping ropes, balls, and other items for the kids to play with during recess. But recess these days even for a school that is for grades Pre-K to 3 is limited because of curriculum. That’s hard because everyone, including the teachers and staff want the kids to play.
The kids play on this after school because they can actually have fun on this structure. Even when they come over from the intermediate school across the street that is grade 4-5. They come over to play on this playground and the rest because I’m told and many of the other parents are told that recess is terrible over there. I’m not there during recess, so I’m only hearing this from several of my daughter’s friends including her.
Honestly, does this look like fun? And really, we all want the best, but playgrounds are really $$$$. A single swing set is around $20,000! The pavement needs to come up and re-done, I mean we’re talking a complete overhaul.
This is where the Friends of The Ecological Schoolyard at Clara Barton comes in, my committee. We are a committee of parents, faculty and community residents dedicated to the responsible and ecological redevelopment of the Clara Barton schoolyard.
We started this while our children were in Clara Barton, some of my friends who are in the committee have children still there. But we are committed to getting this done. The playground here has been an issue for a long time. Money has been raised, but now we need more. What we have in our account isn’t enough and that is the sad and awful truth. Did I mention how much the swing set is?
What we want is something that will be lasting and beautiful for generations to come. Something that has been going on for years across the nation and around the world. A playground that is not only safe for our children, but a place for them to learn, an environment of sensory and visual wonders. Not your usual playground of swings and slides.
“Asphalt to Green Space: Clara Barton Eco-Schoolyard:Clara Barton Elementary School Project was conducted by a Temple University Senior Landscape Architecture Studio during fall 2014. The project involved a comprehensive study of the school to transform the site from an asphalted schoolyard to an eco-friendly school by integrating principles of green infrastructure and best management practices. The goal was to create designs for an educational and active environment for children, teachers, and the community.”
So this past spring, we purchased two Chinese Elm trees, our little city dug up the black top for us in the spots we wanted. They had to go through many layers before hitting dirt 😉 The day arrived and we had to find a way to get water for the trees, here are my friends, Karen and Harry with a boy who lives across the street getting it set up.
This is Mikki, she is also a member of our Tree Planting Committee here in town, and among other many talents(an artists, and skilled gardner), knows a lot about planting these.
Another friend, Debbie, told the many children volunteers what needed to be done, and they started to dig. That’s my husband, David with my other camera, shooting video.
Photo by Caroline Conroy. This is me and my daughter at this year’s past Green Fair. As you can see, we have the plans for the playground, we’re all very excited! And best of all we’re now 501C3!
This past summer, local artists, past and current students, friends, including myself, worked with artist, Stephanie Neuhaus, on her mural that is being painted on the back wall of Clara Barton’s school. It was hot, but we had a lot of fun being together, working on this beautiful project for the school and the community.
That’s my husband, David with my other camera, shooting video.
Here is Stephanie showing local artist, Al Barker what to do.
Hi Vikki!
My husband got some shots of me painting. I actually used to paint a lot back in the day, mostly in oils.
Stephanie’s husband, Mike, a local fine art photographer, taking some photos of us.
At the end of the day, we got together for a group photo, thanks Mike for the image!
Here is the next time we all got together, this time we used my camera for the group shot. Gotta love a self timer!
Each of us were assigned a colour that was a number on the wall to paint.
I love her heart shaped sunglasses!
The mural is not finished yet. What we all did was just blocked out the main colours with what Stephanie told us to do. Then she went back, and cleaned up the lines, and is still working on it. Adding in shading, more details, and other extras that as an artist only she knows what is needed.
What we now is MONEY and LOTS of it. Our committee is 501C3, so we are in the process of applying for grants, BUT we still need help. Contact me via this site or via our FB Page.
Thanks everyone, and subscribe to my blog to keep updated 🙂
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UPDATE:The dear sweet woman for whom this glorious event this was for, has passed away this evening, November 21, 2015. As you read this post and view these images, please think of her, her family, friends and the community. I met Kelly for a brief moment, and seeing how much she was loved, the photos on her Facebook profile, made me smile. Say a prayer, or a special thought for them all. From what I understand, these photos brought much comfort and joy to them, and I say to, that the honor was all mine. Please leave a lovely comment for the her family and her friends. Thank you everyone.
Our community does a lot of wonderful things for people. A woman, a daughter, a sibling, a wife, and a mother, has cancer, and is fighting hard. She just came home from the hospital. Battling cancer for 7+ years is hard. I don’t know her, but I want to now. My friend contacted me, because she put together a last minute fundraiser to help the family with meals and money to get through these days.
We met at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Bordentown Township, NJ. They walked a half mile to their home, and then another half mile back to the starting point, this included members of her family, including her mother. What transpired was amazing.
I got up on a very tall ladder and with the help of others, arranged all of these people and children into one large group photo.
Then the walk began.
The balloons were placed on their front lawn.
I was more towards the back of the walkers, but as you can see, the love of people towards the family was true.
That’s her daughter in the middle with her besties.
Family photo back at Holy Cross Lutheran Church where we all met and ended.
Our adult choir lost a dear friend, a fierce, fun loving, full of life woman last week. Today is her viewing, and tomorrow, we are going to sing her funeral Mass. It’s going to be so hard. So, I needed this event, and I know my friend was looking down on me yesterday, I can’t explain it, I just know it. Thank you everyone for letting me be a part of something truly wonderful.
https://www.deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/80.jpg601900Deirdre Ryan Commercial Photographyhttp://deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Logo.pngDeirdre Ryan Commercial Photography2015-11-09 16:25:542019-10-17 18:12:20The Pink Mile
Halloween is a big deal in my town, so big that we have a lot of events. Halloween decorating contests, we have a Ghost Walk, a parade, and a street shuts down just for that one night. Our local schools even have big Halloween events as fundraisers.
Our daughter is a Junior Girl Scout, she’s dressed up as Rumpleteazer from the musical Cats. My husband who sews, made the costume, wig, tail and did her makeup. She and her troop walked in the parade, threw candy to people along the route and had a good time. I got to walk and sit in the back on the pick up truck in front of us from the Daisy Troop in front of us. My husband’s costume was The Joker that he created from items he had already.
That’s our friend and my husband who dressed as The Joker.
Along the parade route both teams stop and perform their routines, and then at the very end there’s a contest.
Anytime he saw kids dressed as Batman, he ran away or had his photo taken with them.
Yeah he loves having his photo taken.
I see a lot of friends along the route who I love seeing 🙂 Here are the judges, the lady on the far left waving to me is the Grand Marshal this year, Mrs. Trout, my neighbor and who was my bus driver back in high school.
Here we have the dance off! This is The Baltimore Westsiders Marching Band facing off to the Camden Sophisticated Sisters.
And The Baltimore Westsiders Marching Band wins!
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The very last issue of The Register News that covers the Bordentown, NJ area featured Restaurant Week during March 29th. 2015-April 3rd 2015.
Below are the photos of what I shot during that Restaurant Week at Tuscano’s The Farnsworth House, The H.O.B., Marcello’s, Under The Moon, Jester’s Cafe, The Vault, and Oliver’s. What that week is was a Prix Fixe Menu price to sample all of the restaurants in town.April Sette and Dave Worth of Bordentown City enjoy dinner at Toscano’s on Sunday evening, and diners enjoy their meal at Toscano’s on Sunday evening, Sunday, March 29, 2015, the first day of Third Annual Restaurant Week that ran to April 3rd along Farnsworth Ave. in Bordentown City.
Colleen Gore of Bordentown City, Todd Radison of Middletown, NJ and Caryssa Horodysky of Philadelphia, PA enjoy their drinks while diners enjoy their meal at The Farnsworth House.L-R: Jim Tobik, Dean Buhrer, Mary Barnes, Samantha Barnes, Lane Hirschfeld, Jordan Schmidt, Walt Klauder and Karoline Heimbach, all of Bordentown City, are down at The HOB in the dining area in the back.Mario Acevedo of Trenton, NJ gets a tomato pie ready for take out at Marcello’s Restaurant & Tomato Pies, while diners enjoy their meal.Diners enjoy their meal at Under The Moon during the Third Annual Restaurant Week.A large group of happy diners at Jester’s Cafe.Lisa McGrady serves up dessert to L-R: Lisa Markhoff, Bruce Markhoff, Katie Kelly and Lucas Kelly(not shown) at The Vault Sunday evening.Suzanne Wheelock of Bordentown City enjoys an early lunch at Oliver’s Bistro March 31, 2015, during the Third Annual Restaurant Week.
It was sad for me because Bordentown has MANY great events that need to be covered and not just once a month. There are many reasons why I’m sure that The Register and The Messenger Press was shut down. It’s not my place or my business to speculate.
Below tells a little bit of the history of what many of us remember when it was called The Bordentown Register. This is from the link http://www.bcls.lib.nj.us/newspapers/bordentown/ which is part of The Bordentown Library:
“The “Bordentown Palladium” was founded in 1845 as a weekly community paper serving the Bordentown region of Burlington County, New Jersey, an area six miles south of Trenton. The newspaper was renamed “Bordentown Register” in 1851 and renamed again in 1966 to“Register-News”. Over its 160 years of publication, the newspaper has chronicled the history of the Bordentown region, including local news for surrounding towns of Fieldsboro, Florence, Roebling, Columbus, Chesterfield, Mansfield, and Yardville, marriages and death notices, legislative news, judicial announcements, business and social concerns of the area. Of special note is the news of hometown soldiers in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korean, and Vietnam Wars and subsequent.
However as of this year, 2015, The Register News would’ve been 170 years old.
I started with The Register News when I got out of college, using my Nikon FM film camera. My best friend, Vanessa was one of the many editors working for The Packet and it’s various papers back then. I was sent out to cover everything from grand openings to high school sports. Manual focussing, manual flash, manual everything 🙂 I was a part time photographer who used to cover what couldn’t be covered by their full time photographers including my friend, Phil McAuliffe.
I’m still with The Packet Press, but I haven’t been called in to photograph anything in a loong time. I miss this type of work because I got to go out, the crazy deadlines, getting all of the names(first and last), where they are from of everyone in the photos, meeting new people, and going to different places(sometimes I would shoot for different papers under The Packet Press). A lot of times, people got to know me, which was really nice.
The printed paper and magazine industry has changed a lot over the years. I know a lot of good men and women who have had to change with the times, re-invent themselves. I’m one of them.
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On Tuesday, January 27th, 2015, the children in Bordentown had a snow day due to the year’s first blizzard. The best place to have an outdoor activity is the sledding hill is Lime Kiln Alley, that goes toward the nature preserve alongside Black’s Creek. Children of all ages and their parents love to get on their sleds and race down the hill. The snow was perfect!
https://www.deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/p223795048-5.jpg7331100Deirdre Ryan Commercial Photographyhttp://deirdreryanphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Logo.pngDeirdre Ryan Commercial Photography2015-01-29 18:08:002019-10-17 18:22:09Kids Got A Snow Day For Sledding In Bordentown City
On December 13th, 2014 the Bordentown Historical Society sponsored the Annual Holiday House Tour. Local residents in Bordentown City opened their private homes fully decorated for the holidays so that visitors could walk through them. About 250 tickets were sold for the self guided and guided tour. The homes were open from 3:30 to 8:30PM. These were photographed for The Register News.
The home of Chris and Karen Hofrichter’s home was built in 1841 and had a gorgeous real 12 foot tree in their front parlor.
The home of Chuck and Judy Pesce decorated just about every room in their home that was built in 1901.
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On Tuesday, November 11, 2014, Bordentown, NJ held it’s Honor Veterans Ceremony and to never forget why the men and women in our country fight for us. Children from Clara Barton Elementary and MacFarland Intermediate School invited parents, grandparents, friends or other family members who are retired or active military to be a part of the ceremony.
Here each Vet is introducing themselves.
The principal of Macfarland Intermediate School.
This is my daughter and her grandfather, my dad, he is a retired Lt. Col Army, Vietnam Vet. I love them both dearly!
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National Night Out was celebrated in Bordentown Township at Joseph Lawrence Park on August 5th, 2014. The entire event was free, including face painting, police demonstrations, demonstrations, music, food and drinks. This awareness-raising event in the United States, is held the first Tuesday of August.
The events are typically organized by block watches, non-for-profit organizations, companies, and police departments. These events can be as simple as backyard cookouts to full-blown festivals like the one on the west side of Columbus, Ohio. The Ogden Block Watch in Columbus organizes one of the largest of this type of National Night Out festival which includes live music, food, and entertainment.
Bordentown Township Police Patrolman Kevin Guire demonstrates how their 3 year old, 100 lb German Shepherd, Boston, attacks a “criminal” Bordentown Township Police Detective Joshua Pavlov. Boston was purchased with seized drug money.
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At the end of the day, we got together for a group photo, thanks Mike for the image!
