GENERALLY  SPEAKING: Bay Ridge Community Council will be trading places

For more than two decades, the Bay Ridge Community Council has been holding its annual June dinner dance in Mill Basin at the El Caribe catering hall. Due to escalating costs and to lessen the long trek, the Dinner Dance Committee with the approval of the council’s executive board has decided to hold this year’s event at nearby Sirico’s on 13th Avenue.

Prior to 1990, this major bash was held on Staten Island at the former Shalimar catering facility on Hylan Boulevard.  The council’s 64^th Anniversary celebration will take place on Thursday evening, June 4, 2015.

Disturbing news about the Ebola crisis:  According to Congressmember Michael Grimm, the 11th Congressional District which he represents, has the largest Liberian population in the United States.

This really brings this situation to the forefront and very close to home, and is all the more reason, the federal, state (New York and New Jersey) and city governments have to ramp up strong protection efforts at our local hospitals, police precincts, fire stations, schools and Newark Airport.

Hopefully, a spouse, relative or close acquaintance visiting from one of the West African countries will be closely checked for any of the disease symptoms and be immediately quarantined.

When the Brooklyn monument to the victims of 9/11 was erected on the American Veterans Memorial Pier in 2005, it included a powerful search light which was designed to shine through the top of the bronze monument from 9 to 11 p.m., every night!

Apparently, this light mechanism has not been working for several years. It is high time repairs to the electrical system are done so this beacon of tribute to those nearly 3, 000 people who were killed on 9/11 once again beams towards the heavens. Here’s hoping the elected and appointed officials, and community leaders that represent this area, will band together to get it fixed as soon as possible.

I’m beginning to think it was faster to construct the Narrows Verrazano Bridge than it is taking for the New York City Department of Transportation to finish the rehabilitation of the Bay Ridge Avenue Bridge. This small bridge over the Belt Parkway also leads to the American Veterans Memorial Pier at the foot of Shore Road and 69th Street.

Perhaps some good news is in sight. A sign posted near the bridge construction site reads it should be completed by November of 2014! After visiting the area, I saw the construction crew had raised one side of the bridge and widened the westbound traffic lane.

Currently, the height clearance under the bridge is 12 feet and eight inches and should be another foot higher when it is completed. They will also be lighting up the space under the crossing that is a vehicle, bike and pedestrian pathway to the 69th Street Pier.