GENERALLY SPEAKING: Week of March 29

Bay Ridge St. Pat’s Parade lucks out!

Irish eyes were certainly smiling on Fifth Avenue for Bay Ridge’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Despite dire weather forecasts for off-and-on showers, the parade took place with nary a raindrop. A color guard from the Fort Hamilton Army Base led the parade, followed by Bay Ridge’s own Clann Eireann Pipe Band.

Among the host of elected officials marching with 2012 Grand Marshal Monsignor Kevin NooneMike BloombergJohn LiuJoe Bova and Kevin Peter CarrollMarty GoldenNicole Mailliotakis and Alec Brook-KrasnyJohn Ingram and parade officials.

Hizzoner marched a few blocks alongside Mary Ann Walsh

Further down the parade line was City Councilmember Vinnie Gentile with his official drumbeater, Justin Brannan carrying a large Irish Flag. Also marching were Conservative Party leaders Mike LongJerry Kassar and Fran Vella-Marrone.

Among the local musical contingents were Xaverian High School Pipe and Drums, and the school’s concert band at the reviewing grandstand, Fort Hamilton High School’s award winner marching band under the leadership of Tom OberleLee Anderson.

The FHHS Band had just returned from participating in a major band competition and a parade at Walt Disney World in Florida where they copped top honors. Peter Clavin once again did a splendid job emceeing and providing color commentary from the parade reviewing stand.

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We stopped by for Opera Night at the Del Corso Restaurant, 7022 Third Avenue, to listen to some marvelous performances by members of the Bay Ridge-based Martha Cardona Theatre Group.

Tenor Neil Darling sang arias from Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci,” Puccini’s “Tosca” and Verdi’s “Macbeth.” Soprano Christina Hager sang a piece from Cilea’s “Adriana Lencouvreur” and later a Cole Porter tune, “Every Time We Love Somebody.” Soprano Kristen Chambers performed an aria from Puccini’s “Tosca.” Then Darling and Hager teamed up for a piece from Puccini’s “La Boheme.”

Chambers, when not singing in an opera company, is a sales manager for a New York City image consultant firm, and is an avid bird watcher. Hager is a member of several book clubs and is about 100 pages into a novel she is writing. Darling is an amateur gourmand who is challenging his own culinary efforts as goes from cover to cover with each recipe in America’s Test Kitchen cookbook. Daniel Cardona is the founder and director of the local theater group.

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Our hearty congratulations to Vincent and Lisa GentileCarmine

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Also kudos to Bay Ridgeite John Heffernan

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James Nania has once again been designated parade chairperson for the annual Brooklyn Independence Day Parade, on Saturday, June 30, along 13th Avenue. This will mark the 107th edition of the patriotic march which salutes the founding of America.

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According to Bay Ridgeite Sherman Silverman

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To reach Ted General via the Internet, his e-mail address is:

General@Journalist.com

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