Honoring Rep. Manderino in Roxborough

As community members filed into the Roxborough Development Corporation office along Ridge Ave. on a chilly Thursday night, they were greeted with the soft sounds of saxophones and the sight of holiday lights strung across the room.

It was an annual holiday celebration put on by the Roxborough Development Corporation, complete with an art show, a silent auction and wine, food and beer tastings. 

Bernard Guet, executive director of the RDC, said the party was a way to give back to the community.

“We want to recognize all the volunteers and all the businesses on Ridge Ave. because we support the businesses on the corridor. It’s a way to say thank you,” said Guet.

A big part of that “thank you’ went to Democratic State Rep. Kathy Manderino, who, after 18 years in office, served her last day as a legislator for the 194th District this week.

“All good things must come to an end and sometimes the trick is knowing when to pass the wand or the baton to somebody with a lot more energy,” said Manderino in reference to her Democratic successor, Pam DeLissio.

DeLissio beat out Republican candidate Timothy Downey and Green Party candidate Hugh Giordano in the general election last month.

Guet credited Manderino in playing a key role in the revitalization of Roxborough.

“Kathy Manderino was very helpful to get us money, landscaping for parking lots, beautification, all these things,” said Guet.

Manderino quickly shifted the praise to the Roxborough community.

“It’s really all of you that make it all work,” said Manderino. “You have given me as much or even more as a community than anything I gave.”

 

For more information on the Roxborough Development Corporation, visit www.roxborough.us.