Seniors: Celebrating Halloween — Silver Circle style

The Silver Circle, a private club for the Island’s older seniors, is known for its parties — monthly birthday parties, holiday parties and its Halloween costume party, which was held this year on Wednesday, October 26.

Some club members opted for costumes that reflected previous real-life careers. Cinnie Labrozzi, for example, was dressed as a nurse since she was, in fact, a nursing supervisor at Southampton Hospital. Unfortunately she couldn’t find her cap for the Halloween blast.

Kay Corbett was a WAC private during WW II, serving in the Quartermaster Corps. A difficult assignment towards the end of the war when our troops were headed  either for Europe or the Pacific Theatre of operations. Kay knew where her boys were going based on the kind of clothing she gave them.

Other club members dressed in more traditional Halloween costumes. Vera MacDonald was the devil incarnate with spangled horns and pitchfork. Karoline Kilb was the palest and saddest of witches.

Still other club members wore costumes memorable for their opulence. Pat Reilly was a palm reader, dressed by her daughter in a shimmering silk coat and turban. Joe Salsedo sported an intricately embroidered sombrero, one of three given to him by a friend, and carried a large sheathed knife that he had the good sense not to unsheath at the party.

While the costumes may have provided the color for the party, two other “happenings” should be noted. CKarl Cassman, a former volunteer now living in Sag Harbor, returned to embrace old friends and call the numbers for bingo as he used to in the good old days. And we had pizza from Bella Vita for lunch.

As you know, the kitchen at the Senior Activity Center has been closed by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services since August 2009. And we can’t cook. But that’s another story.

This year’s Halloween party had everything we could want — old friends, new friends, soul food, color and class.