By Paddy McCarthy
I have got a bag full of events this week in my Out&About that I am so excited to bring you as it is all just happening now. I am so happy to bring you some news from our friends and followers in Chicago who check out The Irish Examiner USA every week and especially my Out&About. I was asked to give this charitable event a shout in this week digital newspaper so here it is and the information is below for donations that I am sure we can all help with.
Chicago Gaelic Park is partnering with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for a clothing and household donations drive. Chicago Gaelic Park, (6119 West 147th Street in Oak Forest) will host a Society of St. Vincent de Paul donation drive event on Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14. Clean out your closets and change lives! They welcome donations of new or gently used items in boxes and/or bags. Donations such as clothing, jewelry, linens, lamps, toys, shoes, blankets, rugs, office supplies, household items, purses, draperies, tools, and books will support people in need. The truck will be in their east parking lot, accepting donations from 10 am to 2 pm each day and your support is very much appreciated. Please call Gaelic Park at (708) 687-9323 for more information or visit their website at www.chicagogaelicpark.com.
Chicago Gaelic Park is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Irish culture and offers the finest in Irish hospitality, dining, and entertainment. A premier event venue, Chicago Gaelic Park hosts weddings, private parties, and corporate functions. The facility is open to the public and features banquet rooms, outdoor event spaces, sports playing fields, a traditional Irish pub, and a beer garden for all to enjoy.
Now that I gave Chicago a good shout out it is now New York’s turn to hear what’s going on in the hospitality business and I am sure a lot will be waiting for positive news, so here goes.
The NYC Hospitality Alliance participated in a rally at City Hall before testifying at a City Council Hearing urging them to support and pass the “City of Yes for Zoning for Economic Opportunity Citywide Text Amendment”. The NYC Hospitality Alliance is a not-for-profit association representing thousands of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs across the five boroughs, and they strongly support the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity Citywide Zoning Text Amendment.
In particular, they urge the City Council to support the effort to remove restrictions on dancing from zoning as the next step in righting an historical wrong following the repeal of the cabaret law, which was a controversial law. Small businesses in far too many neighborhoods are restricted from having dancing and it is unjust.
“This is not Footloose, and the city of New York should not be telling businesses their customers can’t dance, rather they should encourage self-expression through dance and support our small businesses and performers, while implementing proper safety and sound protocols the law already requires at our local venues. We look forward to working with the City Council, Mayor Adams’ Administration, and other stakeholders to right this historical wrong, and get our city’s groove on by modernizing regulations to support a more dynamic economy and free expression.
“Additionally, we support other proposals in the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity Citywide Text Amendment that will modify antiquated regulations governing where certain types of businesses and uses may be located, to ensure that the city of New York evolves with the times and meets the needs and demands of an ever-evolving, dynamic, and innovative global city.”
Now I like that and I hope the City Council will support removing these restrictions so we can get the bars and restaurants back to where they should be and employing some more staff.
I did mention that I was at the event to mark the 1916 Easter Rising at the Irish Monument last week but here’s some more information that you may not know.
First dedicated in 1979 in a grove in the shadow of the Courts of Justice, the Monument is a living symbol of our determination to end bigotry and discrimination in Northern Ireland and to support efforts to achieve Peace with Justice in a united Ireland.
It is now topped with a harp, a symbol of Ireland, upon a mounting stone inscribed with the names of the 16 who were executed by the British, with seven lilies on the Harp symbolizing the seven who signed the Proclamation of April 24, 1916, and the strings etched into the Harp forming 32 spaces and lines to represent a united Ireland.
Beginning in April 2011, refurbishment now includes the installation of commemorative bricks along the walkway to the Monument.
Commemorative bricks are an excellent way to acknowledge and honor special people and events. Each brick can be inscribed with a personal message and installed decoratively on the Monument Plaza. Each of the brick pavers, which measures 9″ x 6″ and accommodates three lines of fourteen letters or spaces, is available for a tax-deductible donation of $150.00 to the Irish Monument Committee c/o Joseph Hyland 254 Nassau Blvd South, Garden City, New York 11530.
Each year at noon, on the Monday following Easter, a commemoration ceremony is held to honor the memory of those who have struggled for human dignity, human rights, and Irish unity.
Pipers and poets entertain all assembled to hear brief remarks by persons prominent in the Irish world. The Irish Monument Committee is comprised of representatives of Irish Community and Cultural Organizations: The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Nassau County Board, The Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk & Queens, Inc., Irish Northern Aid, The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on Long Island, the Police Emerald Society Nassau County, The Irish Cultural Society of Garden City, NY, The Brehon Law Society of Nassau County, Irish-Americans in Government, the Sheriff Emerald Society, Nassau County and the Irish Studies Program of Hofstra University.
In the meantime I hope to see you all again next week when I am Out&About once more…