Newly planted memorial trees
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Members of the Nosenzo family plant two flowering dogwood trees on the property that used to belong to their family. The trees were stolen within days.
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stolen from Nosenzo Pond property
West Milford — On the last weekend in May, Linda Petronzio, her brother Peter Brayda and a few family members got together near Nosenzo Pond and planted two flowering dogwood trees in memory of Mary and Noreena Nosenzo, their mother and aunt, who had died last year at the ages of 88 and 92, respectively. The family looked at it as a tribute to the sisters and their grandparents, as well as a way to celebrate the wonderful times they had on the property growing up.
“We left feeling grateful for the wonderful childhood we all enjoyed and for the place in history the Villa Piedmonte played in the early days of West Milford,” said Brayda.
The grateful feeling didn’t last. Within two days the trees were gone.
“The man who cuts the grass for the diocese never even saw them,” said Petronzio, who is one of the only local family members remaining in West Milford. “I went back a week after we planted them just to check how they looked and saw they were gone. I don’t think they knew it was a memorial but they had the nursery tags on them so they had to know they were planted purposely.”
Petronzio said they had planned to put up a small plaque marking the trees, telling folks for whom they were planted. They didn’t get the chance.
The family got the approval from the diocese to plant the trees and chose the spot they did because it was out of the way of the mowing and right by the road at the corner of the lake.
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“My cousin came out from California with his son, and my sisters, cousin and I met at Nosenzo’s Pond,” said Brayda. “We came together to walk the property, reminisce and plant two beautiful pink dogwood trees. We planted them on the east side of the lake at the end of the dam, near a large oak tree that still stands tall and proud as it did during the years my grandparents owned the property.”
Their grandparents owned the property since 1916, farmed it and then turned it into a restaurant. Their grandfather, Ernesto Nosenzo, built the pond that bears his name.
“We chose the dogwood trees because they were my Aunt Noreena’s favorite,” Petronzio said.
She said they did not contact the police about the theft.
“What could they do?” she said. “We didn’t think there could be anything accomplished. They have enough to do.”
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They did talk to neighbors who had stopped by on the day they were planting the trees but no one saw them taken.
“I just hope that maybe whoever took the trees will see now that they weren’t just put there for no reason,” said Petronzio. “Maybe they’ll feel a little guilty if they know they were a memorial.”
Her brother, though, already has plans to replant.
“It truly breaks our hearts to know that someone would come onto private property and remove those trees,” said Brayda. “I will plant others in the same spot and this time place a simple plaque stating the reason these trees were planted there.”
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Anyone with information on the theft may call Linda Petronzio at 201-493-8585. Or log onto www.westmilfordmessenger.com and comment under the story.
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