Bay Ridge
Let’s hear it for student vollies in grades six through 12 from Xaverian for combining their talents and contributing to the very first and very successful Christmas Cafe Cabaret held at the school on Dec. 4.
The swinging yuletide extravaganza feted local seniors with dancing, music and refreshments. Favorite holiday tunes were performed by students in the Music at Xaverian program, including orchestra, jazz, and choir. Members of the dramatic society performed a scene from Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys” and twinkle-toed Rob Helbock (Class of 2015) cut a dashing two-step with a local senior, while Chan Chen Me (Class of 2018) served refreshments.
Xaverian Middle School and High School [7100 Shore Rd. at 71st Street in Bay Ridge, (718) 836–7100].
Downtown
Busting a record
The biggest news ever! The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce announced that it has reached an unparalleled new milestone by surpassing 2,000 members.
Rocco’s Tacos, BlocPower (one of NYU’s new tech incubators), and Team Brown Consulting recently joined the Chamber to become members 2,000, 2,001 and 2,002.
“The Brooklyn Chamber is so hot right now that we had three businesses tie as our 2,000th member,” said president and chief executive officer Carlo A. Scissura.
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is the largest in the state and one of the largest in the country, and its membership has grown by 177 percent in the last two years alone.
“To grow by 500 members in a single year is unheard of, so I’m very proud that we were able to make history today,” added Scissura. “Brooklyn is the greatest borough in the world, and it only makes sense that we have the greatest Chamber of Commerce as well. I want to thank our wonderful chairwoman Denise Arbesu, the entire board, our amazing staff and all of our members for helping us reach this incredible milestone. The sky truly is the limit for the Brooklyn Chamber, next year we may announce 3,000!”
Arbesu was equally delighted with the growth spurt.
“Reaching 2,000 members was an unbelievable accomplishment, particularly when you think of where we were just two years ago,” she said. “This accomplishment is an indication of how terrific the Brooklyn Chamber is.”
The chamber was on a “great path” based on vision, strategic plan, the Board and its leadership, Arbesu said.
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce [335 Adams St. at Myrtle Street in Downtown, (718) 875–1000].
Gowanus
Pasta ‘Soprano’
Steve Schirripa, better known as Bobby Baccalieri on the “The Sopranos,” will be stopping at Whole Foods Market on Jan. 2 from 4 to 6 pm. The Goomba with the golden wooden spoon will introduce his pasta sauce. The sauce is certified organic and made right here in the USA.
The best part, he said, is it’s made like his mama’s.
“She cooked her sauce for six hours, and we are doing the same,” he said. Mangia!
Whole Foods Market [214 Third St. at Third Avenue in Gowanus, (718) 907–3622].
Greenpoint
It’s a green plan
Cheers to the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund for granting five million smackeroos to the Brooklyn Public Library to build a new Greenpoint Environmental Education Center at its existing branch. The winners of the legacy grant were selected with community input and oversight from the Attorney General’s Office and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The plan calls for an accessible green roof featuring native plant landscaping and a greenhouse learning center, a 200-square-foot community composting space, and an increase of 80 percent in the public area. The building will also have LEED Silver Green Building Certification through green building components.
This new space at the branch will dramatically increase public space, in addition to providing state-of-the-art environmental education, said Linda Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Public Library.
“We are so appreciative that the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund and our neighbors in Greenpoint thought highly enough of our project and the work we do to award us the largest gift we have received in our long history,” she said. “We can’t wait to start conversations with library patrons and other neighborhood stakeholders about the design, not only of the building, but also of the environmental education programs we will be offering in our renovated and expanded space.”
