The Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association (BWBA) will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Brooklyn Bar Association where it will honor City Councilmember Alexa Avilés.
This year’s theme for the event is, “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation” and it will feature a performance and bomba y plena dance lesson by the Segunda Quimbamba Folklore Center.
Avilés was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and grew up in East New York until she moved to Sunset Park approximately two decades ago. A community activist and Democratic Socialist, Avilés defeated five candidates to win her Council seat in District 38 in 2021. That district covers the neighborhoods of Red Hook, Sunset Park, Greenwood Heights, and parts of Windsor Terrace.
Avilés graduated from Columbia University and got her master’s degree from Baruch College. Though not an attorney, she was a dedicated member of the legal community prior to becoming a politician and has experience working for Justice, Equality, Human dignity and Tolerance Foundation, which focuses on mass incarceration issues and juvenile decarceration. She also was a program officer and program director at the Scherman Foundation, which advocates for human rights, reproductive rights and strengthening programs for the arts.
Avilés served on the Racial Justice Advisory Council of the Brooklyn Community Foundation and is a member of Community Board 7.
The Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association has hit the ground running this Fall as it has a Paint and Sip event scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 20. That event is being hosted by the BWBA’s Young Lawyers and Mentorship committees and it will take place at Fornino on Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association President Susan Mauro and her organization have been busy as they have hosted or plan to host three events this month and have two more on the schedule for next month. Eagle file photo by Mario Belluomo
On Sunday, October 9 at 8:00 a.m., the BWBA will continue its annual tradition to take part in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Coney Island. This event was started years ago with a dedicated group of attorneys, and it has grown each year since. Any lawyers, judges or court staff looking to join them should meet at the Coney Island Boardwalk at Maimonides Park at 1904 Surf Avenue.
Finally, on October 18, at 1:00 p.m., the BWBA will host a virtual “Lunch with a Judge” event with Justice Lara Genovesi, of the Appellate Division, Second Department.
Lunch with a Judge event is another tradition of the BWBA. Nearly every month, with a break in the summer, the BWBA will invite a member of the judiciary to sit and eat lunch with them. It gives their members an opportunity to meet and speak with the judges in an intimate setting. It also gives the judges an opportunity to talk about their courtrooms, their expectations of attorneys, and their careers.
SUNSET PARK — “As a resident of Marine Park, one of the great surprises I found biking around Industry City and visiting Japan Village was to discover Bush Terminal Park. I continue to be amazed at the serene hideaways that the city offers in some of the busiest places — and, still, with an iconic view.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — ‘A miracle that no one was killed …’ That’s what neighbors are saying about the collapse of the Hotel St. George marquee. Shown in this photograph are workmen beginning the removal and repair of the historic, old neon sign at the corner, referencing a relic of Brooklyn Heights’ past: the St. George Hotel.
ATLANTIC AVENUE — Exhausted shopper with cluster of bags and goods from mall at Boerum Place stops to look at huge construction site across the street. “Is that REALLY going to be a jail??” Her male companion is reassuring, “Nothing like Rikers … this is 21st Century.”
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Overheard in line at one of most popular pastry outlets on Montague Street: “Hope I can get them into a camp …” A mother with two pre-schoolers in tow was showing a friend the Dodge Y flyer for Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 18.
