By John C. O'Connell
Announcing the official appointment of Bruce Abbate as executive director of the chamber, Fritzsche said, "We are taking a step in a better direction."
Praising the new executive director, Fritzsche reminded members that Abbate was an original founder of the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce and its first president ion 1972, and an active member for decades.
"Bruce has always done for the chamber," Fritzsche said, "and now he is asking again what he can do."
Abbate has been a member of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce for two years, and has been a member of the JFK Chamber for 12 years. He is on the board of the YMCA organization, and a vice president at LNM Printing in Valley Stream.
"I'm glad to be back," Abbate said. "I've missed the everyday action."
Fritzsche said that chamber membership had increased 45 percent in the last six months, but that an even greater rise in membership could be expected now that Abbate will be devoting his skills and energies to running the chamber's day-to-day activities, as well as launching a variety of networking and community-relations projects designed to revitalize the chamber.
Fritzsche also announced that village officials have told him of their plans to add parking spaces at the LIRR station. He also said that Operation Downtown has been halted because the county has stopped funding the program. He asked members to contact County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi's office to complain.
