Autumn Years Summer 2024

F inal preparations have been underway for our annual Autumn Years Living Expo on May 22. We always look forward to seeing our Autumn Years fans who attend our expos because we hear feedback that helps us to better enhance the magazine— although most all of the comments are praise and adoration! In addition to the fun raffles and light breakfast and lunch, please join us to gather great information from our exhibitors. Take a break to listen and dance to the Forever Young band play golden oldies under the Red barn. It will be a great day seeing everyone gathering together and having fun. This issue is the start of our 11th year! I couldn’t think of a more appropriate cover feature than Audrey Meyers, CEO of Valley Health Systems. Valley was the first Autumn Years advertiser to take a chance on the idea of a publication whose mission is to celebrate life over 55, and it has upheld that commitment all these years. Audrey’s vision to relocate and transform the Ridgewood hospital to Paramus began many years ago. Through much planning, determination and dedication, Valley Hospital’s new location is in place to better serve its patients on many levels of care, including using leading-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, as well as its new approaches to a number of growing health conditions, such as AFib (see page 16 for information about Valley’s recently adopted approach that uses pulsed electrical fields for patients with AFib). And, not to be overlooked, read how Audrey began her career over 40 years ago and how her family plays an important role in her life. Now that baseball is in full swing, how fitting it is that Tim Adriance brings us the history of baseball in Bergen County. Up and down the county, learn about the different teams and enjoy the photos that show uniforms and styles back in the day. Learn about the “rooters” and how they came about to support their teams. And about the “cranks,” who “think baseball, talk baseball, dream baseball and do all but play it.” As Mark Wright aptly says, “When I’m learning and growing, I feel alive.” This sums up Mark’s lifelong motto to never stop learning. From his intuitive love of music to teaching filmmaking at Northern Valley Regional High School, we see how his life’s path brought him to his most recent accomplishment—restoring a church’s pipe organ that was severely damaged in a 1978 fire (that is, an organ with three keyboards with 61 keys each and 36 ranks, or complete sets, of 61 pipes—more than 2,000 pipes in all). I think it’s fair to say, Mark should now be considered a master pipe organ restorer! Take a trip with Franklin Lakes’ Bob Penna and his wife Angela as they journey through Armenia and Georgia, two countries not typically considered travel destinations but, as you will see, filled with historic sites and welcoming people. As Bob shares his experiences, you will get a glimpse of just how thoroughly they are filled with treasures that can delight any traveler’s senses. Enjoy this Summer issue, and we look forward to seeing you on May 22 at Crestwood Park in Allendale! Heidi Gross publisher’s letter

CELEBRATING LIFE OVER 55

READERS’ LETTERS

Congratulations on your 10th anniver sary. I have been a subscriber for most of that time and enjoy every issue. I’ve found a lot of helpful informa tion, of course, but more importantly I’ve discovered how truly amazing our county is. What a diverse, interesting, accomplished collection of neighbors we share. How fortunate we are to live here, and I want to thank you for helping us realize that with each issue. –Gert Porto Several years ago I was waiting for a friend to arrive at the Ho-Ho-Kus train station and was marking time by walking around the area just beyond the actual station. And there among a clump of trees I found a small collec tion of headstones with faintly marked dates that were well over 100 years old. Ever since then I’ve wondered about that small plot of land, and now I’ve found the answer in your Grave Mat ters article. I was happy to read that it’s a known Zabriskie family cemetery containing 12 graves and not a lonely and unidentified bit of history. –Monica Hobbert I was glad to read your article in the Spring issue on pet trusts. It’s a reminder that whatever your age or your pet’s, you should have a well thought out plan for their care even in case of a temporary emergency. –Mike Lewensky

Cover photo: Nick Benedetto, Nick@NBPro.Media

SUMMER 2024 I AUTUMN YEARS 1