Our NE NJ team is expanding our outreach in 2024 through street fairs.
Over the years NE NJ Regional Captain Bob Nordin and his wife Francesca Nordin have steadily nurtured many people in their COS roles. This has paved the way for our volunteers to locate new venues, register for them and sponsor an attractive booth with COS materials. This summer we were able to add the COS Activity Book For Kids coloring book to our display.
All members of the team are honing their skills in speaking to people. We are focused on engaging them in conversations that grant them an understanding of the value in calling for an Article V Convention and therefore signing a petition. So many of our team have learned how to open and close out our COS booth and maintain supplies in good order. The venue our NE NJ team identifies as the most fruitful for outreach are local street fairs so all leaders are determined to cover more in 2024 and beyond. The summer played out like a baseball game.
Runner on First Base
Regional Captain Bob Nordin and Francesca Nordin, DC for LD 26, led the summer effort by sponsoring a booth at Canal Day Music and Craft Festival on August 24 where we earned 109 signed petitions. Volunteers who participated with them are Bob Donald, Sean Smith, Ed Black, Claudia Cece, Tara Fleming & Chris Garzino. Francesca writes:
This is the fifth year that COS has sponsored a table at Canal Day. It's a keeper! We always have fun in the midst of this work. Invitations to see us at the fair were made to the attendees of our regional meetings, to NJ Legislators, local officials and all of our friends so many people sought out our booth to visit including Morris County Surrogate Heather Darling, Assemblyman Christian Barranco, as well as Chief of Staff Mr. Costanza to represent Assemblywoman Aura Dunn. Both Assembly members are COS Co-Sponsors.
Second Base Covered
Next Matt Albanese, DC of LD40, took charge to set up our booth for Wayne Day. Ed Black, our Regional Captain Team Member, helped Matt. Lisa Wiggins joined them along with Claudia Cece and Jorge Risquet. Matt reports:
We had a great day at Wayne Day. This is the biggest event of the year in District 40! There was a great turnout, the weather was great and Uncle Sam made an appearance! We had a lot of opportunities to educate people, get people engaged and get 40 petitions signed. We also got to meet Jack Ciattarelli running tor NJ Governor and Mayor of Wayne, Chris Vergano.
Team advances; runner on 1st, 2nd and 3rd base
Paul Gneco, DC of LD 39 secured a street fair in Upper Saddle River on September 28. Although a rainy day, the team secured 43 signed petitions. Paul writes: 
This would not have been possible without the dedicated support from Bob Donald, Frank Panny, Ed Black, Jose Gneco, Chris Garzino, Claudia Cece, Nancy Asdal, Gina Gneco and Hannah Gneco. We had the privilege of meeting the Mayor of Upper Saddle River, Arman Fardanesh, our COS Co-Sponsor Assemblyman John Azzariti, and Mary Jo-Ann Guinchard running for Congress in NJ Congressional District 5.
Grand Slam for NE NJ
A new Follow up Team member in 2024, Bob Donald, knew of a huge street fair so was the point person in COS hosting a table at Bottle Hill Day in Madison on October 5, 2024. We secured 209 signed petitions including one from the QR Code. Bob Donald and his children set up our booth. Chris Garzino and Paul Gneco covered until mid-day. Andy Deitch, Nancy Asdal, James Lyons, Bob and Francesca Nordin were the afternoon crew. New volunteer activist Rob Richardson visited as well as one of our COS Co-Sponsors, Assemblyman Christian Barranco. Volunteers reported a full day of non-stop talking to people about COS!
Great thanks again to Bob Donald who had enthusiasm for COS being at Bottle Hill Day, so much so that he even stayed all day helping us close out the event!
Bob reports: "Thanks to everyone who helped make our first Bottle Hill Festival one of the most productive this year. I think we may have had a little fun while we were at it!"
During October baseball playoff season, creating a new NJ record of 209 signed petitions in one day at Bottle Hill Day caused us to identify these events as a Grand Slam effort for team New Jersey.
We invite you to become a Volunteer Activist to learn more about the US Constitution's Article V and how the power within it works in our state. A comradery of fierce patriotism grows in our NJ team. Plus we have great fun while we network at our COS meetings and outreach events.
