Ranney School Dedicates
Richard G. Leister Field on Opening Day
The Ranney School varsity baseball team opened its season on April 19
Vintage Wedding Gown Exhibit Reopens This Month
12 MAY 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ
Each May, mothers, daughters and powerful women are celebrated, making
this a perfect month for the Shrewsbury Historical Society to reopen
its Vintage Bridal Gown Collection. The dazzling display of gorgeous
gowns opened last year to eager crowds, and since its winter hiatus, the
collection has grown even larger. Seven dresses have been added, along
with more historic photos and wedding accessories. New additions include
wedding attire worn by family members of local residents – one belonging
Some of these spectacular gowns date back more than 100 years. Each
has been lovingly and painstakingly restored by stylist and garment restorer
Judi Buncher. Buncher is an expert in restoring period and historic clothing,
and she has poured hundreds of hours into bringing these treasures back to
their wedding day glory. Many gowns feature the original veils and accessories,
and visitors can also see many wedding pictures of the brides wearing their
dresses, along with the historic descriptions of the garments and the brides.
The exhibit was one of the most popular ever hosted by the Shrewsbury
Historical Society. Many visitors came back again and again with friends to
marvel at the handmade and hand-sewn details of these dresses, and now
there are even more to see. The exhibit is free to the public, although donations
to support the Shrewsbury Historical Society are gratefully appreciated.
The exhibit will reopen Memorial Day weekend. Hours for Saturday,
Sunday and Memorial Day are noon to 4 pm, and COVID-19 protocols
are in place. Future hours will be announced this month.
The Shrewsbury Historical Society and museum are located at the
Shrewsbury Municipal Complex, 419 Sycamore Ave. in Shrewsbury,
across from Christ Church.
and honored a beloved member of the Ranney Operations Team as the
Thanks to the generous philanthropic support of Ranney School parents
Gary and Joanne Chropuvka, of Red Bank, (Charles ’22, Curtis ’25, and Hold-
"We love contributing to the momentum and growth of the Ranney
School baseball program. Ranney student athletes have always been offered
stellar academics, and now the baseball facilities can meet the same
high standard,” the Chropuvkas said. “Coach Pat Geroni has done a fantastic
holds a special place in our hearts just as Richie Leister does for our entire
community. He was the face of Ranney, and we could not think of a better
where he constantly cheered on the students.”
In addition to Ranney families, faculty and staff, the event was attended
by Richard Leister’s wife, Patricia; their sons, Conor and Kieran, as well
to my father. My mother, brothers and I are touched by the gesture, one by
which I'm certain he himself would be profoundly humbled. The baseball
team's huge victory made it all the more enjoyable, and we look forward to
the day that Richard G. Leister Field is home to the Class B Central champions.
On behalf of my family, I'd like to sincerely thank everyone at the
Ranney School that played a part in making it a truly special day that we
will always remember and cherish, especially the Chropuvka family and
my father's beloved coworkers in Operations. Go Panthers!"
-
door batting cages, as well as the addition of a new scoreboard and live
streaming through PlaySight Interactive, the leading global sports video
technology platform. PlaySight’s technology will provide high-quality
live streaming for families and fans across the country. All home games
will be live streamed and also available on demand through the Playsight
website and app, which provides an opportunity for student athletes
to be watched by family, as well as to showcase their talents to
college baseball coaches across the country.
“Athletics are an integral part of a Ranney education, providing
myriad opportunities for our students to build resilience, character and
-
bly grateful to the Chropuvkas for their support of our baseball program
and for choosing to honor the memory of our friend and colleague Rich
The improvements were also made possible by the generous support
of Ranney parents Andres and Tayler Gracia (AJ ’23); Philip and Celia
Celler (Steven ’22, Joseph ’24, and Richard ’25); and Bill and Ellen
Presutti (William ’21 and Alexandra ’24), as well as other donors to the
Ranney Fund.
The Ranney Panthers went on to defeat Brick Memorial, 14-8.
/TheJournalNJ.com