Board 10 Member Retires After 27 Years of Service

April 5, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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Bay Ridge — Standing ovations are rare at a Community Board 10 meeting, as members are usually deeply involved in trying to solve quality-of-life issues like the lack of parking spaces and vandalism in local parks.

But at their March 19 meeting, board members gave a standing ovation to one of their own who is stepping down after more than two decades of loyal service.

Dino Lamia, a real estate agent who has been a Board 10 member for 27 years, recently resigned from the board to spend more time with his wife Ann and their family.

Board 10 Chair Joanne Seminara praised Lamia as a dedicated board member who always put the community first.

“The people in this room know what it is to be dedicated,” Seminara said, adding that those who work to make the community a better place appreciate their peers.

Seminara presented Lamia with a certificate of appreciation at the start of the board meeting, which took place at the Norwegian Christian Home, at 1250 67th St.

Lamia appeared to be overwhelmed by the tribute.

“I am humbled,” he said, adding that he decided to step down because he felt it was time. “There comes a time in everyone’s life when it’s time to change.”

Lamia recalled with pride issues the board had worked on during his years as a member, including the push to get the city to rezone a large section of the community. That effort led to the creation of the Special Bay Ridge District, a designation that means the community is protected against overdevelopment.

Lamia also said he was proud of the board’s fight against the proliferation of illegal curb cuts. Some homeowners don’t bother to obtain a city permit to cut the curb in front of their house and create a driveway. The result is an illegal curb cut and the loss of a legitimate parking space on the block, board members said.

Lamia said he would look back on his years on the board with happiness.

“The journey has been rewarding and memorable,” he said.

In an interview with the Bay Ridge Eagle, Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann, who has served in that role since 2003, said she had the pleasure of meeting Lamia even before she got her job.

Beckmann said she was a block association president who was seeking the board’s help in getting rid of cyber-cafes popping up on Fort Hamilton Parkway. The cafes brought a dangerous element to the area, she recalled.

“They were dark and dangerous looking. Kids would cut out of school and stay in there all day,” she said.

Beckmann said she was walking down her block one day when Dino Lamia drove up. He got out of his car, introduced himself as a Board 10 member and asked her to show him where the trouble spots were located.

“He made it clear that the board wanted to help the residents,” she said.