Kinnelon's Eileen Gelenter: Our Living Treasure

Eileen Gelenter - 2011 Poetry Contest

Kinnelon is a rich community thanks to Eileen Gelenter, our Living Treasure.

We know her best for her intense participation in the Kinnelon Library annual children's poetry contest when she brings to life the joys of words, poems and lyrics. Most recently, Eileen treated the 2011 Poetry Recitation participants and audience to a performance of  "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", to illustrate that song lyrics are poetry.

If you've not taken part in the poetry contest, you may have met Eileen at the yearly Kinnelon Conserves Earth Day Celebration where she delights children as "Red the Tender Clown". [See 4th Annual Kinnelon Conserves Earth Day.]

There's more - much more - as I discovered thanks to Ariana Cohn from Kinnelon Patch who reported that Eileen Gelenter was a Woman to Be Honored As 'Living Treasure' given her more than 40 years of service to the Kinnelon community "teaching several programs at the Kinnelon Public Library, helping found the Jewish Congregation of Kinnelon, entertaining children as "Red the Tender Clown," and more."

The more is documented in Kinnelon's Gelenter Honored As Living Treasure, a 8.59 minute Patch video of Roberta Lane describing why she had nominated her friend, Eileen Gelenter, as a Living Treasure. Even former mayor, Glenn Sisco, weighs in. Note how firetrucks come up!

I bet many readers have their own stories to share about Eileen!

Eileen Gelenter Sings 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'

Here is my very short video clip of Eileen making her point about poems and song lyrics [sadly, I didn't get my Flipcam ready quickly enough to capture the full performance] titled Kinnelon's Eileen Gelenter, Our Living Treasure:



Thank you, Eileen, for all that you do for the Kinnelon community and our children. You make us very rich!

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