"A FUNNY THING HAPPENED" AT THE COLUMBUS DAY PARADE THIS YEAR

This year, MSNJSA State Pageant Director, Johanne Santori, requested a vintage car for Queen Bernadette. Here they are pictured in the shiny green convertible, vintage ala late 1920's, with MS STAFFORD 2009, standing alongside.

Delores Puzio NJ CAMEO CLUB President and MSDESA 2008, also found a vintage car, courtesy Seaside Parade Marshal. She is seated in white fur, with Josephine Araniti, MSNJSA 2007, and Jo Ann Gordon, MSNJSA 2008. They are pictured smiling and wavng, but the article

below, reveals a different story.

The weather on Sunday, October 11th, was perfect, sunny and unusually warm, and there was hardly any breeze. The New Jersey Queens began to feel warm, so they shed the weight of their fur coats, soon after these photos were taken. NJSA State Director, Johanne Santori had a friend who lives in Atlantic City and owns that green vintage automobile. While she and her husband Adeo drove up the Garden State Parkway in their stylish car, (and who knows how fast he drove), her friend could only drive his car 35 miles all the way to Seaside. What a friend indeed!

Delores Puzio, NJCC President, and MSDESA 2008, also arranged for another car from Lester Glenn Hundai, so that this year, Queen Bernadette Dudek, MNNJSA 2009, might have a royal entourage to follow her. However, here's where the story took a turn for the worse. The car dealer backed out at the last minute, because there was no 2010 convertible available for them to advertise, and he wouldn't allow last year's model to be in the prade. So, Delores spoke to the Parade Marshal, who then made a few phone calls, and found another friend who also had a vintage car.

So, all should have turned out fine, right? End of story. Well, not so fast. No sooner did Delores Puzio, MSDESA 2008, Josephine Araniti, MSNJSA 2007, and Jo Ann Gordon, MSNJ 2008, get into that buggy, when steam began to emerge from under the hood. They took the photo above, smiled bravely, and hoped for the best. But, alas, it was not meant to be. The car's owner declared that he couldn't fix the car on the spot, and needed to call for a tow truck. Therefore, they were out of a car, and subsequently, out of the parade. The three ladies kissed Queen Bernadette and Johanne, and wished them a happy parade, and went home.

It was reported later, that Bernadette, received many cheers and bravos along the parade route. She looked beautiful and radiated such warmth as she waved the "queen's wave", and threw kisses to all her constituents. It was her day, and she was great. As for the three queens, they had our day. Their only regret was not to to have been able support her on her day. The idea of having a queen's entourage was good, and hopefully, Delores can try again next year.