Generally Speaking: Bay Ridge’s blockbuster weekend

It only happens once a year here, but when it does, Bay Ridge is bursting with pride and excitement as the neighborhood gets set for the 50th anniversary Children’s Ragamuffin Parade this coming Saturday, and the annual Third Avenue Festival on Sunday.

Thousands of costumed preteens and toddlers are expected to join the line of march with marching bands, bagpipers, dance groups, clowns, twirlers and even Jolly Old St. Nick.

This year, the parade committee has invited prior grand marshals and those celebrated as either Ragamuffin man or woman of a particular year to help commemorate the golden anniversary. We had the occasion to meet many of these past parade honorees at the 50th Anniversary Gala held by the parade committee this past Saturday evening.

It was a pleasant surprise to meet Cliff Scanlon, Jr., whose late dad Cliff was the first president and one of the founders of the Ragamuffin Parade. We also have to give high marks to Laurie and Andrew Windsor for the superb photo show they produced and had run on the giant screen at the Bay Ridge Manor.

On Sunday, Bay Ridge will again be hosting one of the largest and longest street fairs, the Third Avenue Festival, sponsored by the Merchants of Third Avenue Association. The festival runs from Bay Ridge Avenue to 94th Street.

* * *The Bay Ridge Historical Society headed by Thomas McCarthy hosted the annual photo presentation of the Samuel Winter Thomas Collection at the Shore Hill Neighborhood Center on Shore Road. These photos were taken between the 1880s and the turn of the century on glass plate negatives which the society first had converted to 8 mm slides and ultimately to CDs.

Peter Scarpa, a past president of the society and now treasurer, provided the commentary. To give you a taste of what the time period looked like, we have included a photo of Third Avenue near 75th Street when Bay Ridge was a rural village. If you would like to add these photos to your personal library, they are available via three books published by the society and can be browsed and purchased at the BookMark Shoppe, 8415 Third Avenue. Proceeds go to the non-profit BRHS.

* * *Our congratulations to Democratic primary winners City Councilmember Mark Treyger and Dilia Schack who handily won their elections as district leaders of the 46th A.D., and to Incumbent New York State Assemblymember Pam Harris who also trounced her challenger, plus a nice primary win by attorney Odessa Kennedy in the race for Civil Court judge.

The Bay Ridge Inter-Agency Council on Aging is holding a debate between Congressmember Dan Donovan (R, C) and Richard Reichard (D), and Pam Harris (D) and possibly GOP challenger Lucretia Regina Potter. The event will take place at the Fort Hamilton Senior Center, 9941 Fort Hamilton Parkway, on Wednesday, October 5, starting at 9 a.m.

Also invited are New York State Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis (R, C) and State Senator Marty Golden, (R, C). Malliotakis and Golden do not have any general election challengers. The moderator will be Bay Ridge AARP President Peter Killen, and the timekeeper will be former 68th Precinct Community Council President Frank Grassi.