Historical Society Honors Three Long-time Supporters - Around GC ...

Maureen Clancy, Kris Harder and Mayor John Watras to be recognized at the May 2 spring capital campaign benefit.

The Garden City Historical Society will proudly acknowledge three well-known Garden City residents and long-time supporters at its Spring Capital Campaign Benefit, Thursday, May 2, at The Garden City Hotel.

The special honors go to Maureen Clancy, Kris Harder and Mayor John Watras.

A Garden City resident since 1960, Maureen Clancy serves on the boards of Winthrop-University Hospital and New York Community Bank. She also serves as a member of three nonprofit boards: The Garden City Historical Society (where she also served as president), RotaCare and the Garden City Chamber of Commerce Foundation. A parishioner of St. Joseph?s Church, she had been active on the Parish Council and as chair of various Appeals.

Maureen was the first woman elected to a trustee seat on the Village Board of Trustees, and served as deputy mayor. She?s currently an appointed member of the Village Board of Ethics. Nominated by Village Administrator Bob Schoelle, Maureen became the first woman member of the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club in 1987, and was the first woman to serve as its president in 1993.

A licensed insurance broker since 1959, Maureen and her late husband, Cummin, founded Clancy & Clancy Brokerage Ltd, located on Seventh Street. She serves as Chief Financial Officer and manages the insurance agency with her daughter, Maura.

As a business owner, she became a member and then a director of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, and served as president from 1995-1997.

Maureen is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Garden City Jaycees Bob Hogan Citizenship Award (1982), Garden City Citizen of the Year (1989) and the Distinguished Alumna Award (Rosemont College, 1998). Maureen was a recipient of the Town of Hempstead Pathfinder Award for a Woman in Business (1998) and a New York State Woman of Distinction, twice: honored by State Sen. Kemp Hannon in 1999 and State Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt in 2009. For her long-time association with the Girl Scouts, she was honored with the Juliette Low Award of Distinction (2002).

While she attended Rosemont College, she met Cummin, who had come to the United States from Galway, Ireland, after being ?discovered? in the 1948 London Olympics. Married for 58 years, the couple has five children and seven grandchildren.

An astute businesswoman and dedicated community volunteer, Maureen is honored to have been a trailblazer for women by her accomplishments, but considers her greatest honor and blessing to be her wonderful husband and family.

An Indiana native, Kris Harder graduated from Purdue University where she met her husband, Frank, who grew up in Hempstead. They married in 1950 and moved to Levittown. Now 50-year residents of Garden City, Kris and Frank are well known for their business, Harder Tree Service, family owned and operated since 1922.

The first business of her own that Kris initiated was The Garden Bench, which was located on Seventh Street and sold outdoor benches and garden-related products. She founded and owned The Pear Tree, originally located on Nassau Boulevard, Garden City South. The shop sold needlepoint wool and offered classes and then branched out to selling antiques, one of Kris?s passions. The Pear Tree eventually relocated to the west end of Seventh Street, before settling in at the currently location just steps from Franklin Avenue.

Kris became a member of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce and was influential in advancing the notion of a community Homecoming Parade. She co-founded TWIGS, Winthrop-University Hospital?s Auxiliary and its signature Golden Goose Boutique. In addition, she was recognized by the American Cancer Society as Volunteer of the Year (1989).

Kris recalls that even before she joined the Garden City Historical Society, Harder Tree Service helped in the monumental move of the Historical Society?s building in 1988 to its current location on Eleventh Street from the property of the Cathedral of the Incarnation.

As a member of the board of trustee, Kris chaired the Society?s Spring Garden Tours and Christmas Candlelight Walking Tours, initiated its commemorative brick campaign and spearheaded the start of its annual June Flea Market. With her artistic touch, she decorates the Historical Society Museum with beautiful floral arrangements for holidays, special occasions, lectures, art exhibits and annual meetings.

In 2005, Kris founded the Society?s successful consignment shop, the A. T. Stewart Exchange. Proceeds from the shop supplement the Society?s annual membership drive to support operations and maintenance of the Museum, an 1872 structure and an original building erected during the time of Garden City founder, Alexander Stewart.

Kris and Frank have five children, three of which live in Garden City, and 12 grandchildren. A visionary and unwavering volunteer, Kris can still be seen assisting at the Exchange, contributing at board meetings and sprucing up the Museum for all occasions.

Village Mayor John Watras has volunteered his services as a village trustee for the past 10 years. He has served in numerous capacities, including trustee liaison to the Garden City Historical Society, the Garden City Public Library, Board of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, Zoning Board of Appeals, senior citizens and the Environmental Advisory Board, and has held the board position of finance chairman. He is the only trustee to have served as fire commissioner and police commissioner simultaneously. From April 2011 until his installation as mayor on April 1, 2013, he served as deputy mayor.

Along with his fellow western section trustee, Gerry Lundquist, John proposed and helped establish the volunteer Citizens Budget Review Advisory?Committee. He spearheaded the roller rink project at Community Park and supports the expansion of space for senior citizens. He initiated the creation of the community garden, located behind St. Paul?s School.

John joined the Western Property Owners Association (WPOA) in 1995 and has remained a dues paying member for these past 18 years. Prior to his election to the village board of trustees, he served in various directors? positions and as president.

A graduate of Hofstra University with a business administration degree, John has been involved in the securities industry since 1986, and is a past director of The New York Stock Exchange. He is currently a partner and managing director for a brokerage firm.

During his career, his responsibilities have included institutional sales and money management for corporations and he held compliance and principal responsibilities on the trading desk for Blackford Securities Corp.

Garden City residents since 1994, John and his wife, Beth, have two grown children. He serves as chairman of the Development Committee for Little Village School and is a member of the board of directors of the Tanners Pond Environmental Center (the Garden City Bird Sanctuary).

John believes in preserving tradition while embracing new ideas. He has been a dedicated supporter of the Garden City Historical Society and faithful attendee at its events, and continues to serve his community.

The Society is taking reservations for the May 2 cocktail reception (6-9 p.m.). Please join us in acknowledging our honorees?visionaries and tireless community members. Admission is $75 per person; reservations can be made by April 26 to Society president Albert Intreglia (750-3214, business hours) or to Society secretary Gloria Jones (248-0042 or 917-446-6131).

The Benefit Committee is sponsoring a 50/50 Raffle; the winner will be drawn on the night of the event (winner need not be present). Raffle tickets are $10 or three for $25, and can be purchased at the event, in advance at the A.T. Stewart Exchange, or by contacting Mary Jane Caldwell at 248-5917.

A Chinese Auction will include such prizes as a vintage, designer ermine woman?s white fur coat; a rendering of a winner?s home sketched and painted by local resident and artist?Suzie Alvey; a Trader Joe?s gourmet gift basket, complete with fixings for the winner?s next spring soiree; a gift basket from Covert Avenue?s Salone di Capelli; a special basket of goodies from Pellegrini?s Prime Meats and much more.

For further event information, visit us online at gardencityhistoricalsociety.org.

Submitted by the Garden City Historical Society

Source: http://gardencity.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/historical-society-honors-three-longtime-supporters

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