Bristol Pilot, Bristol PA
BRISTOL’S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER
Posted on Wed, Jan 16, 2008
This year it was meet, greet and laugh
By Regina A. McIntyre
The Bristol Borough Community Partnership (BBCP) hosted the Third Annual Meet & Greet Event, Wednesday, January 9, 2008, at the Grundy Recreation Center and the theme of the night was laughter and fun. Refreshments were provided in a café style setting in the large meeting room, where people mingled and enjoyed the festive atmosphere.
Local businesses contributed door prizes and Schmidt's Florist donated fresh flower arrangements to adorn the tables. Vincent Casmirri entertained the folk with soft music on his keyboard and John Bodner of Magic Sojourn Trick Shoppe dazzled the kids, while neighbors and dignitaries exchanged welcomes and greeted old friends. Chief Arnold Porter shared his excitement over the renovations underway at the police station. He stated that so far, and until the approximate completion date of September, the noise of the work in progress is music to his ears.
Sid Taylor of the African American Cultural and Historic Society (AAHCS), was there with his wife Joyce. They reported on their exciting plans of establishing a Cultural Museum in Bristol Borough that will serve the community as a site for connecting with the past and with one another. Sid, as always, has novel ideas; he envisions a sort of coffeehouse atmosphere, where visitors can relax while being educated.
Joe then introduced the officers of the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council (MYAC): Samuel Scalzo, President; Nikki Mosco, Vice President; and Vincent Casmirri, Secretary. Among the many activities the Council has been involved in this past year were Shop-With-A-Cop, the Borough's Ethnic Day Celebrations, BBCP Family Movie Night, and Historic Bristol Day.
Their main project, they said, is the distribution of the Summer Youth and Family Resource Guide, which is a listing of activities for the youth of the community during the summer. The Resource Guide is delivered to the schools throughout the Borough in June and is distributed to homes through the Bristol Pilot. Nikki announced the awarding of a Certificate of Appreciation to First Federal Bank of Bristol for making the Resource Guide possible. Accepting the award was President of First Federal, Bruce Iacobucci and Vice President, Bob Coffin.
Vincent announced an upcoming project, in honor of Martin Luther King Day of Service. BBCP will coordinate volunteers from MYAC, Student Ambassadors from Bristol High School, and members of the Community Collaborative who will collect food to stock our local food pantries during the "Souper Bowl of Caring." Letters of instruction regarding types of food and non-perishable items to be donated, along with bags to fill, will be distributed to residents throughout the Borough. Students will also design and prepare boxes for collection points. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, 2008, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the volunteers will collect the bags and bring them to a local church, where the items will be sorted and distributed to our local food pantries.
Loretta Vasso, Community Mobilizer for BBCP, manned the projector for the PowerPoint presentation and offered necessary cues, while Bobbie Enke, Chairperson for the Partnership presided as Master of Ceremonies. Bobbie gave a run-down on the list of activities the BBCP engaged in during the year 2007.
A stellar accomplishment of the year was the Bristol Borough Community Calendar. The project was initially undertaken by the Revitalization Task Force in partnership with the BBCP. The monthly calendar is now distributed throughout the community at various sites, including local stores, businesses and the Grundy Library. Bill Zukor, a Bristol resident, designed the format and collates all of the events in the Borough and surrounding area each month.
An alliance with The Family Service Association and Snyder-Girotti Elementary School took place in May for Family Fest. This year, Parents and youth were asked to sign a "Safe Home Pledge" to provide a safe haven for children, free from drugs and alcohol. Fifty-one parents and 71 students signed the pledge.
Mary Gesualdi, representing the Bristol Borough School District, in her capacity of Director of Federal Programs, addressed the audience at the Meet & Greet, with highlights of the Oral History Project. The project involves the seventh and eighth grade students in town, including the students of Bristol Middle School, St. Ann and St. Mark parochial schools, and students of Conwell-Egan who will participate in the technical aspects of the project. The students will interview long-time residents and collect the history of life in Bristol Borough.
The information will be presented publicly and then archived at Grundy Library. The technical component will involve generating audiotapes of the interviews and transforming the existing Bristol Cultural and Historic Foundation (BCHF) walking tour into an audio version. Ultimately visitors will be able to download the tour onto their personal MP3 players or those purchased by the grant that will be available for loan from the BCHF or Grundy Library. The kick-off for the project in December involved training about 40 volunteers and teachers, who were educated about the Oral History Project curriculum that meets the Pennsylvania Department of Education academic standards for reading, writing, speaking and listening.
A Certificate of Appreciation was accepted by Sam Griga on behalf of the Exchange Club, for their generosity and support of Family Movie Night. Bob McFadden, Manager of the Green Lane & Farragut Avenue WAWA was recognized for providing many of the beverages, not only for this event, but also for donating to worthy causes throughout the Borough for a number of years.
Bobbie Enke also noted that interns from Princeton University during the summer of 2007 and from Temple University, in collaboration with State Representative John Galloway's office, were greatly appreciated and extremely helpful.
Finally, Loretta Vasso awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to Bob Patrick, a Borough resident and volunteer, who she said had been extremely helpful throughout 2007.
The presentation concluded with testimonials of volunteers Jacquie Strand, Bridget Buckreis and Bob Patrick, speaking of the rewards of their work with BBCP, the example it sets for their children, and the enjoyment they derive. The laughter throughout the evening was evidence of the sheer fun that BBCP members have in their participation with this dynamic and important group.
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