The Catskill Chronicle

Nick Meyer and Christine Babich, King and Queen of the 2010 Ice Carnival are joined by Brittnie Fredenburg, Jennifer Pomes and Danielle Fredenburg, as Barry Foster makes a few remarks.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

Kids having a great time under pulsating lights.

LIVINGSTON MANOR – One of the most eagerly awaited events of the yearly Livingston Manor Rotary Ice Carnival is the Ice Carnival Dance. The kids get a chance to kick up their heels a bit, as most of the girls danced the night away barefoot on polished floor lit by strobe lights, while as usually befitting teenage boys, a lot of them watched from the sidelines.

The highlight of the annual dance, part of the 51st Annual Livingston Manor Rotary ice Carnival, was the crowning of the 2010 King & Queen.

The yet-to-be-announced king and queen, last year’s royalty and members of the court entered the auditorium, four boys from the right and four girls from the left, walking singly down the aisles until they met as pairs in the center of the floor before walking up to the stage and into their rightful places in local history.

Manor’s principal Deborah Fox adjusts Danielle Fredenburg’s tiara.

At first, Stephen Rogers and Brittnie Fredenburg the king and queen of 2009 took center stage flanked on either side by the contenders for the 2010 title.

As Christine Babich and Nick Meyer, both 16-year old juniors, were announced as King and Queen of the 2010 Ice Carnival, they were crowned and took their places center stage.

The Royal Court of 2010: Austin Schneider-Kaner, Graig Godlewski, Danielle Fredenburg and Jennifer Pomes, all 11th graders.

In a first of its kind, a former Ice Carnival Queen crowned her daughter, as Diane Babich welcomed her daughter Christine to the throne.

Diane Babich, Ice Carnival Queen of 1980, crowns her 16-year old Christine as Queen of the 2010 Livingston Manor Rotary Ice Carnival.

“I’m happy to see that community pulls together for this, we couldn’t do it without the community and the sponsors” said Diane Babich of the annual ice carnival. “It’s all for the kids, and it’s free for them.”

Babich was in Manor’s Class of 1981, and as a junior was crowned Queen of the Ice Carnival of 1980.

“I had tears in my eyes, but I held them back,” she said after crowning her daughter. “She’s my baby.”

Barry Foster, 67, was at his best as master of ceremonies, and recalled that while a junior of the way to graduating with the Class of 1960, there was only an Ice Carnival Queen.

“The king was something new, about five or six years later,” he said, wiping away the mists of time, noting that his two sons, Ryan and Sims also graduated from, LMCS.

The 2010 Queen and King get their first dance.

His take on the annual carnival on ice?

“It’s run for 51 years now and that says it all, that’s a long time for anything to go on…the kids very important to us and they really seem to enjoy it, the kids are the strength of Livingston Manor.”

Lee Siegel, 90, graduated from LMCS in 1938 “the last batch from the old school,” followed a few years later by his three sons.

Siegel is one of trio of surviving members of the Livingston Manor Rotary Club founded in 1954, and as such is joined by Martin Schwartz and George Silverman.

“This means so much to me, I’ve been doing it for 50 years,” said Siegel. “These are good kids, not out ‘rowdying’ around the streets.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Dancing the Night Away visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.