The New York City Hall of Fame (yes, there is one) inducted its freshman class last weekend — and none other than Craig Hammerman, the district manager of Community Board 6, made the cut!
Hammerman, who has been the power behind the CB6 throne for 15 years, earned the recognition. Not Gehrig, Whitman or one of several Roosevelts. Hammerman.
Which raises an obvious question: How do you get to the New York City Hall of Fame? Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.
The Hall tapped the CB6 manager for his long record of donating his time to such groups as the Park Slope Civic Council, Prospect Park Track Club, the PS 372 PTA, the Police Department’s Honor Legion and even the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation, where he is giving his time to foster high-tech commercial development.
“I don’t separate my work from my life that much,” said Hammerman, a Park Slope resident. “There’s a very permeable barrier there.”
That kind of dedication impressed Hall of Fame founder and President Albert Stern.
“His bio is so long,” said Stern. ”The man has done so many things. It’s incredible.”
Neighborhood activists agreed.
“It’s a terrific choice,” said Ken Freeman, president of the Park Slope Civic Council. “Craig is an outstanding citizen and a tireless worker.”
Volunteerism is one of 12 categories established by the Hall of Fame, which appears to be the only municipal hall of fame in the world. Tito Puente, was chosen for his career as a local entertainer. Olga Bloom, the creator of Bargemusic — the concert space on a barge near the Brooklyn Bridge, was picked for making a “cultural contribution” to the city.
Anyone can nominate candidates for induction on the Hall’s Web site. A panel of 10 judges winnows the field down.
Saturday’s ceremony was held at the Hall’s temporary space in Flushing. Eventually, the museum will be located in Woodside, Queens — the geographic center of New York City. Stern hopes construction of a permanent space will begin in 2009.
Maybe Hammerman will volunteer to help him raise money.
Cream of the crop
Twelve New York “legends” were inducted into the new New York City Hall of Fame last weekend. The list of honorees may surprise you:
In
Craig Hammerman
Tito Puente
Olga Bloom
The heroes of 9-11
Frederic Schwartz
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Joanne Smith
Steve Huston
Dr. Deborah Asnis
Inge Auerbacher
Martha Benton DeSaussure
Mary DeSaussure Sobers
Lynne Brooks and the Big Apple Greeters
Not in
George Gershwin
Theodore Roosevelt
Lou Gehrig
Secretariat
Fiorello LaGuardia
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Humphrey Bogart
Herman Melville
Barbara Streisand
Norman Rockwell
Jonas Salk
Alexander Hamilton
Sarah Jessica Parker
