Page 21 - Boca ViewPointe - December '22

December 2022 Viewpointe, Page 21

Boca Pointe Remembers Our First Responders

By Gail E. Haberman We were further grateful for the presence of our Fire spoke about the 911 First Responders (he was one of
Fighters from Station 56 appearing at our gathering with their them) and what it actually means to be a First Responder.
Boca Pointe honored fire truck and some of the firefighters along with Battalion This was the first of many years to come honoring our
our First Responders on Chief Alain Berlanger. First Responders on National First Responders Day!
National First Responders Also present was Ashley Shupe
Day, October 28, 2022. from Allied Universal.
Starting at 4 p.m. Marty Reyes and Liza Hemme were
at the porte-cochere there representing the New York City
of the Club at Boca Police Department. Marty graciously
Pointe our current and
former First Responders
gathered. These are
representatives of the
thousands of amazing
men and women who
give and gave selflessly Sol Moglon, founder of the
of themselves. They Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance
give people aid when
they are in distress and/or in danger.
We were also paying tribute to those First Responders
who perished in the 911 attack. We were fortunate to meet
and speak with some who survived that horrific day.
Thanks to the efforts of Sol Moglon, we had at Boca Rob Sitner’s specially painted 911 Marty Reyes and Liza Hemme, retired Jeff DeFranco, General Manager of The
Pointe the Fire Truck from Station 343 which is adorned Harley Davidson motorcycle NY City police officers Club at Boca Pointe and Sol Moglon
with the Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance – In Our Hearts
Forever – September 11, 2001, with the pictures and names
of all those First Responders who lost their lives that day.
Sol had all those present come inside the Boca Pointe
clubhouse and he showed videos of how and why the Wall
was created. In 2008, thanks to Actor, Gary Sinise and artist,
Peter Max, the portraits of the First Responders were added.
Gary Sinise has continually helped Sol raise money for the
K-9 Hero Dog Program.
As you can see in one of the photos, Boca Pointe resident,
Rob Sitner rode his “911” Harley Davidson motorcycle to the
event. Rob had the names of the First Responders engraved
on the gas tank of his motorcycle.

Wall of Remembrance

SW 18th St. Fire Station #56 fire truck Brooklyn Station 343 Wall of Remembrance fire truck
Clowns On Call

By Harriet Rubin, aka Memory Units for 60 years as a Speech Pathologist, I have
Florabelle the Clown a lot of knowledge and experience in this unexplored area.
So I’m going to share some of my thoughts with all of you.
December, 2022–Can Here’s a typical scenario. I’m in a nursing home, in
you believe it? Where clown, making what are called room visits. My purpose
have the past 12 months is to meet and greet, bring a smile, and move to the
gone? Our alley took part next room. What I choose to do in that particular room
in more events than in the with that particular resident is my choice and depending
past two years, but many on my personal experience as a clown, this will vary
of our regular gigs are still tremendously. Many new and seasoned clowns do not
not scheduled. Hopefully enjoy visiting this type of setting, for a variety reasons.
COVID has lessened sufficiently to encourage agencies It’s too close to home with many senior clowns, having
to go back to pre-pandemic events. experienced this condition with friends or family. Some
I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between do not like dealing with patients or residents with medical,
senior clowns and the elderly who are diagnosed with emotional, or memory problems, etc. But- for those of us
Alzheimers or some degree of Dementia. I don’t know of who have the desire to engage with this population, it is
any actual studies that have been published on this subject, a wonderful experience!.
but since I have been clowning for almost 30 years and have
worked in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities and Performance at the Fuller Center Clowns On Call on page 22