Four Directors Elected, Bride and Groom Depart

Four new members of the Allentown Association’s Board of Directors were elected at the Association’s annual meeting after wedding bells signaled the departure of two hard-working members of the board.

Seven board members were re-elected and Christopher Brown has been elected to a second one-year term as president.

Monica Pellegrino and Brian Faix stepped off the board because they are moving to Niagara Falls after being married Nov. 3 in St. John de LaSalle Catholic Church at Niagara Falls. The reception was at Tempo restaurant in Allentown and the couple went to Toronto for their honeymoon. Monica Pellegrino, an Association vice president who served as chairperson of the Allen West Festival for the past two years, is employed by the Richardson Center Corp. which is revitalizing the Buffalo Psychiatric Center tower landmark. Brian Faix, a paramedic with Twin Ambulance, served on the board for six months and was chairman of the Safety Awareness Committee. The couple looked for a home in Allentown but decided to settle at the Falls in a house which had been the bride’s grandmother’s.

The new members are:

— Deborah Ellis, former Days Park Block Club president. She is the domestic partner and business assistant of Jamie Moses, Artvoice publisher. The couple has a daughter, Sarah, 5.

— Gina Maramag, a marketing and public-relations representative with Hospice Buffalo who lives on N. Pearl St.

— LaVerne Peakes, a graduate student in urban planning at the University at Buffalo who lives on Days Park.

— Matt Moscati, an architect with TRM Architect who lives on N. Pearl St. He is a former director returning to the board.

Re-elected to the board are: Melissa Dayton, Sarah Gilewicz, Ed Hogle, Holly Holdaway, Elizabeth Licata, Tim Riordan and Matthew Ryan. Board members are elected to a two-year term.

Wayne Parry and Lura Bechtel were elected vice presidents. Gina Maramag was elected secretary. Anthony Armstrong was re-elected treasurer.

About 50 persons attended the annual meeting Oct. 16 in Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum North Hall.

Among retiring board members, Peter Grine was given a metallic rendition of the Allentown “A” in gratitude for four years of service, in nearly all aspects of the Association’s activities such as heading salvage efforts and managing circulation of The Allentown Neighbor.

The slate was presented by Holly Holdaway, Nominating Committee chairperson. New offices were elected by the board on Nov. 13.

Beautification efforts during the year included hanging flower baskets, concrete planters, and a clean-streets program, Liz Licata and Wayne Parry reported. The clean-up is being conducted in cooperation with the Adult Learning Center by social-service recipients who clean up litter on Allen and Main Sts. and Elmwood and Delaware Aves. for up to three hours each week day.

The Association is looking for a replacement for the present office at 14 Allen St. because the Preservation Coalition, which shares the space, is closing its office, Chris Brown reported. The Association is seeking another non-profit organization to share space, or its own small office at a cost of no more than $300 a month, he said.