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Presidents Message -April 2003
With our March and April meetings falling so close together,
I have decided to report on both meetings in next month’s
newsletter.
As you read on, you will see that this past week has been an
incredibly sad one for ECB members, families and friends. I can
truly say that I cannot recall a time when so much sorrowful
news has come my way during such a short period. So, with a very
heavy heart, I report the following to you, and it is honestly
difficult to know where to start.
I would like to send our deepest condolences to Jim DiMarzio
and his family on the sudden death of his wife, Carol. Sincerest
condolences are also sent to Ennio Vespa and his family on the
death of Ennio’s mother, as well to Steve LaCount and his
family on the sudden death of his brother’s mother-in-law.
Our thoughts are with all of you and your families.
At the ACF Northeast Regional Conference in Philadelphia, this
unfortunate stretch of sadness continued. On Monday morning,
I was informed that ECB Junior Team member Todd Morneault was
rushed to Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia after
a terrible incident. It is crushing for me to have to report
that Todd passed away a few days later. The family, the Junior
Team, the ECB and The County Club are shocked and devastated.
The Morneault family has set up a scholarship fund in Todd’s
name for those who would like to send a donation, and you can
address those to: Brewer High School, 861 Eastern Avenue, Holden,
Maine 04429, Attention: Barbara Cox. A memorial mass will be
held soon in the Boston area, and when I receive the date, I
will announce it at our upcoming meeting. Our thoughts and prayers
are with the Morneault family during this incredibly difficult
time.
We also received news that Mike Kowalcyk, CEC of the ACF Jersey
Shore Chefs, passed away after a massive heart attack. Our heartfelt
sympathies go out Mike’s family and friends. And yet another
passing this past week was the father of Tom Sheehan, Mirror
Image’s bandleader and MC. Those of you who have attend
the ECB President’s Balls over the years will know of the
band and Tom. So, now I think you have an idea of what I meant
by too much sadness in too short a time. We need to keep all
of these members, along with their families and friends in thoughts
and prayers. It is times like these that our members can draw
strength from each other to help with all this sorrow, so don’t
hesitate to do so.
I announced last month that in April, ECB member Kevin Hanrahan,
CEC would be hosting the American Academy of Chefs Chair Scholarship
Fundraiser New England Region Dinner on Sunday, April President’s
Message Cont)
at The Brae Burn Country Club. Please note that unfortunately,
the dinner has been canceled.
Another note for all members who have marked their calendars
for the ECB Children Charity Golf Classic. The date has changed
and it will now be held on October 13th, Columbus Day.
The ECB April meeting will be our annual Scholarship Awards Dinner,
held at The Country Club in Brookline. Important Note: If you
would like to attend this meeting, you MUST CALL THE COUNTRY
CLUB at 617-566-0240 to make a reservation. Those are the only
reservations that will be accepted. Therefore, please do not
call the ECB reservations line or send your reservation via email
for this meeting. As in years past, this meeting will fill up
fast, so please make your reservations early so that you do not
miss out on a great evening. Please also note that for this meeting,
each member is limited to one guest only. The cost for ECB members
will be $20 and the cost for a guest will be $25. Thank you in
advance for your cooperation and I hope you will attend.
On a happier note, I would like to congratulate two members of
the ECB on becoming Certified Executive Chefs this month. They
are Chef Sean Doucet, CEC and Christopher Blanchard, CEC. Again,
congratulations on this outstanding achievement! Also, we’d
like to send our wholehearted congratulations to Chef Kevin Hanrahan,
who will be opening a new restaurant named “Bouchon - A
New England Bistro”, in Walpole. The opening is expected
in early May. We wish you the best with that, Kevin and hopefully
you’ll spot some of our members there in the near future.
Our sincere congratulations also go out to Larry and Bonnie True,
who were married on March 12th. Best wishes to both of them for
a very happy and long life together.
I would also, of course, like to recognize and congratulate the
ECB Junior Team, Coaches and Advisers, all of whom practiced
for many months and sacrificed long hours to prepare our team
to compete in the ACF Northeast Regional Conference in Philadelphia.
We are proud to report that as payment for their efforts, our
team received a silver medal. Great job, everyone!
In addition, I am very happy to tell you that the ECB received
a gold plate from the ACF for all the club’s work during
the past year. You will find my report on the ACF Northeast Regional
Conference further on in this newsletter.
I’d like to offer our deepest appreciation to Manuel Costa
and Costa Fruit and Produce Co. for their generous donation of
$1,000, which will support of our scholarship and member grant
programs. You are helping our culinary future with your generosity.
In closing, as I sit here reviewing this message to you, I can
hear in the background the news reports on the war, and I know
that we can only hope for it to be a short war, with as few casualties
as possible. As sad as this week has been for the ECB and the
country, I must say that more than ever, I find great solitude
in your friendships, and I thank you all for that gift, and also
for being there for each other. Stay well, God Bless You and
God Bless America.
Warmest regards,
Rico DiFronzo, CEC
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