By:John Borrelli
Henry Hagens named president of East Rockaway Chamber of Commerce
The East Rockaway Trade Association met last month for what might be the last time. At the April 26 meeting, the officers present voted unanimously to dissolve the organization.
Henry Hagens, vice president of ERTA, was selected by attendees of the meeting to be president of the East Rockaway Chamber of Commerce. Papers have been filed by Hagens, on behalf of several East Rockaway merchants, allowing him to form the organization and use the Chamber of Commerce moniker.
Hagens said, "It's not official yet. A group of merchants has applied to the Nassau County Council of Chambers. We're not incorporated yet. We have had no official meetings. We're waiting for Guy Donza to finalize his business with the trade association." Hagens expects that the chamber will begin its business the first week of June.
According to the minutes of the trade association's meeting, the primary reason for the dissolution of the organization, formed in 1989 by Donza, owner of the Donza Funeral Home in East Rockaway, is "lack of interest...foremost was no attendance at meetings, to the point of embarrassment on behalf of the four or five officers who would attend."
Another reason the association gave was "negative publicity" surrounding a lawsuit filed in 1999 by former ERTA president John Wolfsohn, who claimed that elections the group held were unfair. ERTA won that case, but Wolfsohn has appealed the decision and said that the appeal is "to be decided by a Brooklyn appeals court shortly."
Wolfsohn, who served as president of ERTA from 1994 until 1999 said, "The litigation of the September 1999 election has not yet been finalized. Therefore the dissolution of the trade association is obviously not a result of the litigation. The excuse that the ongoing litigation was a reason to dissolve is preposterous."
In its decision to dissolve, ERTA members present at the meeting voted to pay all expenses outstanding and donate any funds left "to the East Rockaway Kiwanis Club for the...purpose of supporting the Ronald McDonald House, a very worthy cause."
Wolfsohn said that these are indeed worthy causes, but "such a donation would be inappropriate in this case. The East Rockaway business community loses."
Hagens knows that the pressure is on to make the chamber's presence known. "If I don't have something for the next holiday, we will be no better than what we're replacing." He said he hopes that the Chamber of Commerce will be able to do more for the village. Membership in the Nassau County Council of Chambers gives local chambers access to information about such things as events planning and insurance. "If we want to have a carnival here, " Hagens said, "I can call and they'll help me find the right people to get in touch with. They help make sure things run smoothly."
Hagens, an East Rockaway resident for 28 years, expressed concern about the look of the village, particularly real estate that is for sale or lease. He said that "boarding up buildings is detrimental to the community. What is this, Fort Apache, the Bronx?" Hagens said that he plans to contact property owners and discuss ways to safeguard the vacant buildings without making them look so unattractive.
Wolfsohn and Hagens have worked together on ERTA. "I wish [Hagens] well," Wolfsohn said. "As long as he includes all of the business community, he has the opportunity to succeed. I support anyone who truly represents local business interests."
Hagens has seen Wolfsohn's accomplishments as ERTA president, and said, "I would enjoy having Mr. Wolfsohn as a director. He should run. He has good ideas, and a lot of energy. He'd be a real asset."
