The Society of Old Brooklynites, which was founded in 1880, recently held its installation of elected officers and directors, in addition to its 145th anniversary luncheon, at the Bay Ridge Manor.
Former State Sen. Marty Golden swore in the board members. They included Dr. Fred Monderson as president; Theodore General as first vice president; Michael Spinner as second vice president, Sherman Silverman as treasurer, and Hyacinth Constance as secretary. Other board members sworn in were Ira Kluger, Robert Daniels, Joseph Fodor, Rickie James, Daniel Johnson, Ketriana Yvonne and Christopher Weicha.
The entertainment included opera performances by soprano Sabrina Paladino and tenor Doohyun Yoon, and ballet by the Young Dancers in Repertory, hosted by director Craig Gabrian. There was also a lively session called “The Brooklyn Trivia Challenge,” moderated by Brooklyn College Foundation official and historian Joe Fodor.
One of the pages in the printed program shows an early image of the Brooklyn Bridge and mentions that, in 1883, Brooklyn Mayor Seth Low, a Society member, conducted the dedication ceremonies for what was then the world’s longest suspension bridge. In 2008, another Society member, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, hosted the 125th anniversary of the iconic bridge.
On Saturday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m., on the top of the hill in Fort Greene Park, at the base of the 149-foot-tall Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument, the Society will hold its 117th annual memorial tribute to America’s first POWs from the American Revolution. It also occurs on the 249th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn. Under this towering monument the remains of 11,500 patriots are entombed in a large crypt.
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Have you met Bay Ridge’s Renaissance Man? A short definition of a modern-day renaissance man is a person with wide interests and expertise in several areas. Longtime Bay Ridge resident Marc Hermann, 43, easily fits that style and manner. He is an active historian and often dresses up as a World War I Army doughboy reenactor for Veterans Day, Flag Day and Memorial Day parades and other historical events.
He is a very talented, award-winning photographer, and was previously a Daily News photographer and photo editor.
During a couple of appearances on the American Veterans Memorial Pier for Pearl Harbor national remembrance days he suited up as a WWII petty officer wearing a photographer’s mate rating chevron.
The guy is a bundle of energy. I recently saw him performing at a salute to the Fab Four musical at the Heights Players theater, where he was acting, singing, dancing and playing a guitar. I later found out he is the Players’ historian and helps produce some of the plays, does costuming, is a lighting technician and sometimes is the sound engineer.
He is also affiliated with organizations. He’s an honorary member of the Veterans of the 7th Regiment, curator at the Fire Bell Club, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, to name a few. His current day job is as MTA media liaison and photographer.
Photo courtesy of Facebook
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