36 TIMES • march 24, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com FEDERAZIONE ITALLO-AMERICANA DI BROOKLYN AND QUEENS, INC. 66-35 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385 My name is Michael Conigliaro and I am Managing Director of the Federazione Italo-Americana DI Brooklyn and Queens, Inc., which is located in Glendale. My organization was founded by the late Peter Cardella to assist senior citizens of this community. Our aid to the elderly, many of whom face daily and sometimes unforeseen challenges, is provided free of charge in an attempt to enhance the quality of their lives. Without our help, that quality would be sharply diminished. In addition, we have been proudly running the Fresh Pond Road Street Festival in Ridgewood for the past twenty-two years. Concerning this aspect of our work, I write in response to an article entitled “Ridgewood Group’s Crusade Against Fresh Pond Fest,” which appeared in the March 10 edition of the Ridgewood Times. At the outset, it should be noted that the area of Ridgewood in question has long been a beacon of multiculturalism, a neighborhood well known for its wonderfully diverse inhabitants and culture. A true rainbow coalition, the people of Ridgewood live and work together daily and in harmony as they pursue their own particular version of the American Dream. Indeed the people of Ridgewood are personifications of the melting pot that is America at its best. Along the way many of us have come to enjoy an annual four day end of summer tradition known as the Fresh Pond Road Street Festival. This celebration has been held during the first week of September for the past twenty-two years and is the fulfillment of the dream of a great man who loved Ridgewood dearly, the aforementioned Peter Cardella. Mr. Cardella’s goal was to create an event that could be enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities. Here they can enjoy good food, clean fun and safe rides, along with a fabulous array of musical talent and the many cultural contributions this event encourages - all of this right in their own backyard. Last year, I had the distinct honor of being named Grand Marshall of the Fresh Pond Road Street Festival. Together with the Board of Directors of the Federazione, I worked closely with Captain Mark Wachter, Detective Thomas Bell and Community Affairs Officer Charlie Sadler of the 104th Precinct Telephone: 718-366-9077 The Fresh Pond Road Street Festival – A Neighborhood Tradition ADVERTORIAL
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