SEA CLIFF CIVIC ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NEWCOMERS AT ANNUAL WELCOMING PARTY
September 22, 2015 -- The Sea Cliff Civic Association welcomed 54 new residents to the village at its annual Newcomers' Party this past Sunday afternoon. Hosted by Civic Association President Ann Dipietro and her husband Dan, the rookies were treated to a delectable array of hors d'oeuvres generously donated by Bill Long of the Metropolitan Bistro, a wide assortment of wines, and Sea Cliff Civic Association trivia - so challenging that even a Northwordnews reporter who covers SCCA events was stumped by a few.
The welcoming party for families that have moved into the village during the year has been held annually for the past several decades. Former Village Board Trustee Carol Vogt, who was there this past Sunday, recalled having attended such an event when she moved into the community 39 years ago. This year's class, a particularly large one, comes from as far away as Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and as nearby as Glen Head. A few returned to the community after spending years elsewhere, while others, having only recently discovered the charming village, relocated after a job change, and one, a teacher at Sea Cliff Elementary for many years, decided to join the larger Sea Cliff community. Ms. DiPietro kicked off the welcoming speeches describing the Bloomsday Tour that she and Dan organize each June, during which they take residents on an odyssey through the village, stopping at locations that mirror parts of the James Joyce's Ulysses hero Leopold Bloom’s passage through Dublin on June 16, 1904. "Like Leopold Bloom, each of you is beginning an odyssey," she said, "and just as he walked the streets of Dublin, hopefully you too will walk the streets of Sea Cliff and celebrate its beauty, cherish its residents , and overlook its faults." Trustee Ed Lieberman referenced another Irish author, George A. Moore quoting, "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." He explained that's the way he feels about Sea Cliff. Additionally, Mr. Lieberman spoke of Village Government and remarked that it is its closeness to its constituents that allows it to be responsive to the people, and encouraged the newcomers to attend village board meetings and conferences. "We're here to help each other," he said. In her remarks to the new residents, Ms. Vogt spoke of the many organizations within the village, in particular the Landmarks Association, and encouraged the new residents to become involved. Library Director Arlene Nevens talked about the variety of services at the library, including access to e-books and the availability of passes to museums in the City and on Long Island such as MOMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gugenheim, the Intrepid, Sea, Air and Space Museum, Long Island Children's Museum and Westbury Gardens. Mayor Bruce Kennedy, who arrived just in time before the party wrapped up, having just celebrated his birthday in Manhattan, offered remarks as well. He spoke of Sea Cliff's love of tradition, while being receptive to the new. And to warm each of the newcomers' new homes, each received cookbooks, ornaments donated by the Good of the Village Association and yoga gift certificates. In additioin to Ms. Dipietro, Civic Association members Chris Schatz, Christine Abbenda Hughes, and Jen O'Hare were on hand to welcome the newcomers and help serve. BACK TO WEEKLY |
