By Winnie McCroy, 12/9
A rainy night did not deter residents from gathering at the Fulton Center Auditorium (119 Ninth Ave. at W. 17th St.) for the Dec. 2 full board meeting of Community Board 4 (CB4).
With many agenda items tabled, withdrawn or sent back to committee, the business portion of the meeting was quickly dispatched. The evening ended with a paper ballot election for new leadership for CB4. The only contested position was First Vice Chair, with Burt Lazarin and Ernest Moderelli vying for the win. Both men gave a short speech about their motivation for running, with Lazarin noting that he’s built upon what he’s learned in 10 years with CB4, saying, “I like listening to the community, expanding on the skills I’ve developed as a negotiator in private business, as a group facilitator and city planner, a flâneur, someone who watches what happens in the city, and uses that info. I think I will enjoy it.”
Moderelli said he was spurred to community activism by growing up in West New York, where “most people were not engaged, participated or concerned. Growing up in this area inspired in me a sense of civil engagement. I moved to the gleaming city, and after six years here, as a member of CB4 I’ve seen the district undergo a lot of changes and challenges. Confronting them requires the participation of people like ourselves.”
