Bay Ridge

Community Council hosts Bay Ridge Great Debate

September 2, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (left), pictured with a local military veteran, Ted Montuori, in his district office earlier this year, is among the candidates taking part in the Bay Ridge Community Council debate on Sept. 23
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Now that Labor Day has come and gone, the political season is heating up.

Vincent Bocchino, president of the Bay Ridge Community Council, has announced that the civic organization will be holding its annual political forum, known as the Bay Ridge Great Debate, at the group’s first monthly meeting of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Holy Angels Catholic Academy, 337 74th St. Brooklyn, NY, starting at 7:30 p.m.

US Rep. Michael Grimm (R-C-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Staten Island) is among the candidates invited to participate in the debate. His opponent, former Democratic councilman Domenic Recchia, was also invited.

State Sen. Marty Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-southwest Brooklyn) and his Democratic opponent, James Kemmerer, will both take part in the debate. Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis (R-C-Bay Ridge-Staten Island) and her Democratic opponent, MaryBeth Menedez, will also go head to head on the issues.

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Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny (D-Coney Island-Dyker Heights-Bay Ridge) will find out who he will be debating when the results of the Sept. 9 Republican Primary are in. Two candidates, Lucretia Regina Potter and Stamatis Lilikakis, are both running for the GOP nomination for the right to run against Brook-Krasny.

Former Bay Ridge Community Council presidents Alexander Conti and Dean Rasinya, who serve as co-chairs the Civic Affairs Committee, are coordinating the debate. Rasinya will introduce the participants and Conti will serve as moderator. Community Council Executive Secretary Robert Kassenbrock will serve as the official the timekeeper.

The Community Council is urging residents who plan to attend the debate to submit written questions for the candidates to answer. The coordinators are also suggesting topics. For the congressional forum, the topics include immigration, homeland security, foreign affairs, the economy, taxes, Social Security, disaster relief, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. For the New York State legislative candidates, the coordinators suggested the following topics: education, environmental, housing and real estate, senior affairs, taxes, disaster relief and health services.

The Holy Angels site was selected because parking is available in the school yard, according to Conti, who said the location is served by two bus lines and is located three blocks from the 77th Street R train station.


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