One of the 42nd Annual Queens County St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the Rockaways deputy grand marshals is a native of the neighborhood: Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato.
Pheffer Amato was named as one of the 15 deputy grand marshals for the second-largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City during an installation ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Antun’s Banquet Hall in Queens Village at the 2017 Parade Dance.
The 23rd Assembly District — which Pheffer Amato represents — includes areas on the Rockaway Peninsula called “The Irish Riviera,” where a large percentage of residents can trace their ancestry to the “Emerald Isle.”
“I’ve been coming to the Queens County Parade since I was a kid, and my kids grew up coming. The parade is fun, it’s historic, and it’s one of the wonderful, festive occasions that make living in this diverse community such a delight year-round,” Pheffer Amato said. “To all of the Irish residents of the 23rd District, and to the Irish at heart, like myself: I am so proud and honored to join your parade this year as a deputy grand marshal.”
A grand marshal, a Gael of the Year, two honorary grand marshals and 14 other deputy grand marshals, recruited from local, regional and state leadership and from the Hibernian community, were also installed during the ceremony.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 4, and will start with a Mass for Peace and Justice in Ireland at St. Francis de Sales Church, located at Beach 129th Street and Rockaway Boulevard. The parade itself will begin at 1 p.m. at Beach 130th Street and Newport Avenue.
In another swearing in ceremony last week, Pheffer Amato presided over the swearing-in of the new Executive Board of the Rockaway Civic Association, on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Martin de Porres High School in Rockaway Park.
At the ceremony, Pheffer Amato swore in: Noreen Ellis, president; Ricky Savino, vice president; Harold Paez; Pat Wood; Liz Geraghty; and Bobby Zimmer.
“It’s truly an honor to preside over the inauguration of leadership for such an active, engaged Civic Association,” Pheffer Amato said. “My heartfelt congratulations to Noreen, Ricky and the entire board. We have so much important work coming up, and I couldn’t ask for better community partners in that work.”
