On a glorious, sunny last Saturday in June, the 25th, Cherry Grove celebrated LGBT Pride-and the 41st anniversary of the historic Stonewall Rebellion, which kicked off the Gay Liberation Movement-on the day before the Pride March in New York City, with a colorful 12th annual Pride Parade, twice around downtown Cherry Grove, and a first-ever, post-parade barbecued rib competition among the Grove restaurants.
Organizers of the parade were Denise Dell Harbin, who headed up a lesbian Gay Bouquet contingent, with SallyAnn Piacentino, Linda Dickerman, Barbara Hirsch, Pat Wagnis, Lyn Belensky, and Lynne Tunderman, dressed in colors of the rainbow, and Paul Jablonski-also one of the powers-that-be, along with the late Amelia Migliaccio, of the original 1999 Grove parade-who also coordinated the flag bearers, including Sherri Rase, Dr. Ellen Biggers, Grove Hotel Assistant Manager Wendy Lewis, and Top of the Bay's Paul Martinovic.
Symbolic heads of the parade, both from the Cherry Grove volunteer Fire Department, were Mr. Gay Pride 2010 Dominic DeSantis, stretched out on a couch, on his float, with a panda mascot, both of them wreathed in rainbows, and Mrs. Gay Pride 2010 Lorraine Michaels. Also gracing the parade were our lovely Homecoming Queen Beach DeBree, tossing Mardi Gras beads to the crowd; Harold Seeley, longtime Bishop of Cherry Grove; and Sybil Bruncheon, with her Kamp Fire Island, Gay Youth Corps banner.
A leather contingent that started out with Messrs. Fire Island Leather 2010 Rob Ferri, 2005 Joe Saporito, and 2001, this writer, as well as Ray and Brian, marching behind the Leather Pride flag, eventually swelled to eight, as Bob Verbrugge, and Ken and Mark joined us.
The Cherry's at the Bay contingent echoed Sybil's theme with a girl scout Troop Cherry's, with reigning Miss Fire Island Renée Flaming among the scouts. Roque Loret de Mola, Regis, and Jonathan rode a Top of the Bay float, and Frank, Mikey and Carmine rode the Grove Pizza truck. DJ Chuck McTague, made up by and disguised as Porsche, along with Dallas Dubois and Logan Hardcore, represented the Grove Hotel/Ice Palace. Island Breeze anticipated the rib contest with riders, Korissa Falco among them, in pig ears and noses. Ken Woodhouse drove the Island Breeze float and Taffeta Darling presided from a throne atop it.
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Into the Pines Kitchen contains 200 recipes from 100 contributors, including Pines notables Scott Bromley, Gilbert Parker, and Hal Rubinstein. As a nod to bygone days, the book also features a posthumous contribution from John Whyte, one of the Pines' founders. The book includes original photography of the island from Pines artists William Karam, Mark Lonsbury, and Barbara Sahlman. •More About this Book»
"Drag Queens Can Cook-Recipes to Sync Your Lips Around" is a new cookbook, being sold for a tax deductible $25, created by doctors and life partners Rick Byrd, PhD, and Patrick Fratellone, MD, as a benefit for the Elmer A. Lindsay Memorial Medical Center, the Cherry Grove Doctor's Fund. •Read More»