BIG TURNOUT FOR ALLERTON AVENUE HOMEOWNERS AND TENANTS ASSOC. DINNER

Saturday night February 28, 2015 the Allerton Avenue Tenants and Home held is 38th Anniversary Dinner Dance at Marina del Rey. As a proud and founding member since its inception in 1975 I believe I have attended every one of their dinner dances. My close friendship and respect for Sal Castorina, Founder and President of the Allerton Avenue Homeowners and Tenants Association goes back to the 1970s when his son Alfred was a student of mine at PS 121 also known as The Throop School.

Their mission has always been to preserve the quality of the Allerton Avenue community. From its founding the goal was to coordinate with elected officials, civic leaders, the Community Board, schools, the NYPD and all city agencies to keep the community strong and viable. The Association has succeeded. It has been instrumental in supporting elected officials who have been sensitive to the needs of the Allerton community.

At the dinner dance, three community and governmental leads were honored Those honored this year were Bill Newmark, Charles Johnson and Johnnie Goff.

Bill Newmark is Chairman of the Bronx Conservative Party. He is a lifelong Bronxite. In addition to his political activities he has been a community activist working with the Morris Park Kiwanis Club, Select Women’s Assistance Network which assists children and adults with developmental delays and serving the community in many ways.

Johnnie Goff served for many years as a teacher and as an educational administrator. She is very active with youth education initiatives including the Community Educational Political Business Alliance and the Northeast Community Advisory Council which she founded and chairs. She is a very active member of Community Board # 12. She is a member of the NYS Democratic Committee.

Charles Johnson is a dedicated and very professional educator. His career background was sports management. After graduating from Adelphi he began teaching physical education at the Woodland Mental Health Center for Emotionally Disturbed Children in Freeport, NY. He then decided to go on to being a teacher and then a very valuable administrator. He turned around many failing schools including Will Green Middle School in Community School District # 11.

Elected officials who attended included Congressman Eliot Engel, Bronx District Attorney Rob Johnson, Senator Jeff Klein, Assembly members Mike Benedetto and Mark Gjonaj and Councilman Jimmy Vacca.