Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • September 4, 2013 Ridgewood Residents invited to honor Gold Star Mothers On Sunday, Sept. 29, the United States will honor Gold Star Mothers and fami- lies. In Ridgewood, the Gold Star Mother’s Day Committee will commemorate Gold Star Mother’s Day at Van Neste Park, where luminaria will be lit from 7 to 9 p.m. to honor Gold Star Mothers and their families. However, the committee’s goal is to have thousands of other luminaria lit throughout Ridgewood on Sept. 29 to honor the Gold Star Mothers and families. American Legion Post 53 (Ridgewood), Washington Elm Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 192 (Ho-Ho-Kus/Ridgewood), and Ridgewood’s Blue Star Families are committed to bringing awareness to the community and to commemorating the sacrifices these mothers and their families have made for the country. The community is invited to join in the event at Van Neste Park and to raise awareness for this event by talking to family members, friends, and neighbors. Donations in support of the Ridgewood event are welcome. Checks made pay- able to American Legion Post 53 that state “Gold Star Event” on the memo line, should be send to: American Legion Post 53, P.O. Box 1525, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. In the aftermath of World War I, Wash- ington D.C. resident Grace Darling Sei- bold formed an organization called Gold Star Mothers to support the women who had lost sons and daughters to the war. Seibold’s son, First Lieutenant George Vaughn Seibold, was an aviator killed in combat over France in 1918. In 1928, the small D.C.-based group decided to nation- alize its efforts. In 1936, a joint congressio- nal resolution established the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day. The Gold Star Mothers grew from a sup- port group of 60 women to today’s exten- sive nationwide network with tens of thousands of members and hundreds of local chapters. “As members of a grateful nation, we owe a debt we can never repay, but hold this sacred obligation forever in our hearts, minds, and actions,” the 2011 Presidential Proclamation commemorating this day states. “We honor their sacrifice, and stand with our service members, mili- tary families, and Gold Star families as they have stood for us.” Tennis instruction offered The Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department, in conjunction with All Pro Tennis, will offer tennis instruction to vil- lage residents. The one-hour classes are held at the Bellair Tennis Courts on Bellair Road. Youth participants may choose from Thursday or Friday classes, which will begin Sept. 12 and 13. Children in first and second grades will meet at 3:30 p.m. Students in grades three and four will meet at 4:30 p.m. Students in grades five and up will play at 5:30 p.m. Adult classes will meet on Fridays beginning Sept. 13. Sessions are available at 9:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. The fee for each six-week session is $115. All rain cancellations will be made up. Register by mail or in person at the Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The registra- tion form may be located on the recreation home page at www.ridgewoodnj.net/recre- ation. Checks may be made payable to All Pro Tennis. For additional information, contact Barry Ruback at (201) 568-3946 or call the recreation office at (201) 670-5560.