BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP MARCH 9 - MARCH 15, 2018 45
Bay Ridge Embraces Winter with
festival of arts and performances
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Arthur de Gaeta
Embrace Winter was a time for fun and entertainment,
as shops and eateries along Third Avenue opened their
doors to the festive event, welcoming the community in
for crafts and performances.
Royal Care opens multi-million
dollar Royal U facility to employees
BY VICTORIA MERLINO
EDITORIAL@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Royal Care is giving back to its
employees, one manicure at
a time.
The company’s new multi-million
dollar Royal U facility will provide
free salon and beauty services,
training and ESL classes to its home
health aide employees. Royal Care, a
home health care provider based at
6323 14th Avenue, opened the nearby
facility on Friday, February 16 with
a ribbon cutting ceremony attended
by Councilmembers Carlos Menchaca
and Laurie Cumbo and Public
Advocate Letitia James.
Royal Care is committed to putting
its employees first, asserted CEO
Josh Klein, who dreamed of creating
a restful place for his company’s
caregivers and of caring for his employees
just as his employees care
for their patients. “You have to see
their faces,” said Klein about when
Royal Care employees enter Royal
U. “Caregivers walk out sometimes
crying.”
“Any time I’m in a bad mood, I walk
into Royal U,” said Klein.
“I am extremely proud to have in
my district a company like Royal
Care, which invested millions of
dollars to build Royal U, a ‘first of
a kind’ facility where caregivers
can get the special attention they
deserve,” said Menchaca “Royal
Care’s commitment to delivering
its employees with fair and livable
working conditions must be followed
by other caregiver service providers,
especially considering that this is an
industry dominated by women of
color and immigrants, pillars of our
local economy.”
BY JAIME DEJESUS
JDEJESUS@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Bay Ridge has learned to embrace
even brutal winters thanks to a
growing tradition.
For the sixth year, the Bay Ridge
Arts and Cultural Alliance (BRACA)
hosted Bay Ridge's Embrace Winter
Festival. Held this year on Saturday,
March 3, the event was designed to
link local businesses with local arts
and cultural organizations and individuals,
to support each other and
offer the community a fun event that
promotes all participants.
"We started a week later to avoid the
weekends wrapping the mid-winter
school break though Regina Opera
had a kick-off performance the week
before on February 24," said founder
of BRACA Victoria Hofmo. "I think
that worked out really well. We always
have a good turnout."
Like last year, the event ran along
Third Avenue from the 60s up to 89th
Street with art exhibits and performances
at different local venues, as
well as activities and games.
Among the displays was artwork
from Guild for Exceptional Children
at Circle's Cafe (310 Bay Ridge Avenue),
and artwork from the Scandinavian
East Coast Museum at Cosentino’s
(6927 Third Avenue) . "All of the
artwork is still up too," said Hofmo,
adding, "We had wonderful artists."
Some of the highlights included kids
and their families working together.
"I think the question game was great,"
Hofmo said. "Anything that's interactive
is always good. Then we had arts
and crafts with the Friends of Owl's
Head Park. That went really well."
Performances began at 3 p.m.
"We had a really nice program
with Aeilushi Mistry, an Indian
dancer, and the kids learned some of
the moves. She showed them a very
stylized classical type of dance and
explained about it. Then we finished
with the Lovebutton Musical Duo at
Circles Cafe," Hofmo said. "I think it
went really well. We appreciate all the
participants who took the time to do
this. So many people also volunteered
and that's a really nice thing to have.
We have so many wonderful arts and
culture groups in the neighborhood
and it's so important to bring out the
neighbors to our local businesses."
Photo courtesy of Royal Care
The new Royal U facility features salon and beauty services,
such as offering manicures and pedicures.