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Champagne reception honors Bay Ridge’s civic service pioneers

Bay Ridge Merchants of Third Avenue Celebrate Leaders of Business

January 10, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Civic Award-winners Joanne Seminara (left) and Josephine Beckmann. Eagle photos by Arthur De Gaeta
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On Monday, Jan. 10 the Merchants of Third Avenue held a champagne reception and dinner at the Bay Ridge Manor to recognize this year’s pioneer honorees and civic award-winners. The committee selected a distinguished group of business professionals ranging from restaurateurs and real estate agents to journalists and lawyers.

The Brooklyn Eagle’s own Chuck Otey served as master of ceremonies along with attorney Bob Howe. The 2016 class of honorees included five pioneer award recipients, five civic award-winners and the first annual Larry Morrish Community Service Award, which was given to John Quaglione, deputy chief of staff and press secretary for state Sen. Marty Golden. The award was named in honor of Morrish, a respected and beloved community leader who died last year.

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Howe, president of the Merchants of Third Avenue, opened the ceremony by calling the Bay Ridge community “the envy of many throughout the city of New York, because we have a wealth of individuals who care about the community and invest their time and money to keep it the way it is.” He went on to say that some of the honorees own or run businesses that have been on the avenue for decades which has contributed to the stability of the neighborhood.

Howe acknowledged Otey for conceiving of the idea of honoring people in the community who have gone above and beyond what is expected of them. He thanked the members of the pioneer committee which includes himself, Otey, Lori Pedone, Ilene Sacco, Marc Hibsher, Mary Castro, Brian Chin and Rick Buttacavoli, for putting the event together.

Elected officials and civic leaders attending the event included Councilmember Vincent Gentile, Conservative Party Chairman and Golden’s Chief of Staff Jerry Kassar, Joseph P. Sessa of McLaughlin & Sons and vice president of the Merchants of Third Avenue, and Ralph Succar of the Bay Ridge Community Council and the Salaam Club of New York.

 

Pioneer award honorees:

  • Anthony Rinaldi, owner and executive chef of the Pearl Room restaurant

  • Patrick Gilbride, financial adviser at Edward Jones

  • Susan Chen of Angel Gift Nail Spa (who was unable to attend)

  • Pete Lekkas, owner of Elia restaurant

 

Rinaldi thanked everyone in the room and said that he was proud to be a part of such a close-knit community because “Bay Ridge has heart.” Gilbride said it was simply a pleasure to work with all the people in Bay Ridge. Lekkas said he could not believe that it has been nearly 20 years since he opened Elia, and credited his wife Christina with helping to make the restaurant a success.

 

Civic Award winners:

  • Sandy Vallas of Vallas Real Estate

  • Essa Masoud, owner Balady Foods

  • Joanne Seminara, partner in the elder law firm of Grimaldi & Yeung LLP

  • Helen Klein, editor of Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator

  • Josephine Beckmann, district manager of Community Board 10

  • Ted General, columnist for the Home Reporter and Sunset News

Vallas called Bay Ridge one of the greatest neighborhoods in Brooklyn and in New York City. Masoud thanked his brothers and mother who operate Balady Foods, the name of which “Balady” is derived from the Arabic word for “hometown.” Otey introduced Seminara as a former babysitter for his kids “who’s blossomed into an incredible lawyer and a fine civic leader who does things for other people.”

Klein, who has served as editor of the Home Reporter since 2011, said it was her pleasure and honor to cover Bay Ridge. General received a round of applause for having written for the paper for 45 years.  Beckmann said she was humbled to be among so many distinguished honorees.

Kassar presented Quaglione with the Larry Morrish Community Service Award and a proclamation from Golden’s office. Quaglione accepted the honor in memory of Morrish, who he said made Bay Ridge what it is — “the place that is attracting families from all over the city, the place where people want to come and live and raise their families because we have the best schools and the safest community and the best shopping and commercial districts.” Quaglione added that Morrish taught him that “you get involved where your heart takes you,” which led him to become co-chair of the Brooklyn March of Dimes Committee.

Community leader Justin Brannan provided closing comments. All honorees received a plaque with their name on it and citations from U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan, Golden, Gentile and state Assemblymember Pamela Harris.

 


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