Bensonhurst Community Board 11 Chair Bill Guarinello was unanimously re-elected to another term as president of the Fort Hamilton Citizens Action Committee.This is the community-based panel tasked with mobilizing support to fight attempts to downsize or close Fort Hamilton.
While there is no current threat to close the city’s only active military base,the committee has fought tirelesslyalong with supportive elected city, state and federal officials in the past to keep this local military facility open.However, there has been some scuttlebutt in Washington about another possible round of base closings in 2015, if another BRAC (Base Alignment and Closure Act) commission is authorized by Congress.Additionally, Guarinello — who was awarded the 2013 International Brotherhood Award last February by the PTA of Public School 104(also known as the Fort Hamilton School) — is the President and CEO of HeartShare. This past month, Bill had a chance to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange as part of the 100-year commemoration of HeartShare.Other FHCAC officers re-elected for another term were Vice Presidents
Mike LongDave Martin and
Gene Russo;
Brian DolanCraig EatonAnthony GrigosGene Brody.Other current board members include Major
David RyanBob RoseBasil
CapetanakisMike GanimTom EdwardsCharles OteyBob PalisayKevin
FarrellLinda DuncanMaureen StramkaPeter ClavinHowie Dunn and myself. Duncan is a past deputy base commander. ***We joined General Rose and Duncan as FHCAC reps at Colonel
Eluyn Gines and Command Sergeant Major
Hector Prince’s New Year’s reception in the Community Club. Among some of the local luminaries we met enjoying the festivities — which also included a New Year’s toast by the garrison commander — were Bay Ridge Council President
Renee Dorsa and her husband
Dominick Ali, Congressmember
Michael Grimmand his aides
Fran Vella Marrone and
Liam McCabeJohn IngramPeter and
Patricia KillenJudy
CollinsKarina Costantino, Michael Bove, Mary Anne Cino, Rosa Casellaand State Senator
Marty Golden,plusGarrison Deputy Commander
Don BradshawRocco MandileJuan Caez and
Wallace Grant. ***We are not so sure our good friend
Vito Turso, a veteran member and currently deputy sanitation commissioner for public information, enjoyed the unexpected gift he received on his
birthday–a nice big snowstorm!U.S. Representative Grimm just lost his Washington-based Communications Director
Carol Danko, who was just appointed public affairs VP at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association in D.C.She had beenworking for Grimm for the past three yearsand before that for Representative
Peter King.We wish her every success with her new post. ***Brooklyn’s Cathedral Club will be holding its 114th Anniversary Dinner onThursday evening, February 6, in the West Side Ballroom of the New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway.The 2014 gala will honor
Louis MiloThe keynote speaker will be Reverend
Timothy ScullyThis year’s dinner is chaired by Monsignors
Jamie Gigantiello and
Kieran Harrington.Brooklyn Bishop
Nicholas DiMarziois the club’s spiritual director and
Marty Cottingham is the current president.
For reservations, call 917-402-9086. Individual seats are $300, and a table of 10 is $3,000. ***Local realtor
Susan PulaskiJanet Yellen. Yellen was also the Shore Road School valedictorian when she graduated in 1963.
