YOUNGSTOWN OCCHA marks 30th with awards dinner

The keynote speaker is a former Youngstown City Schools administrator.
BOARDMAN -- Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, the city of Youngstown's primary Hispanic social service agency, will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a dinner fund-raiser Nov. 1 at The Georgetown, 5945 South Ave.
The event begins at 6 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner and awards presentations. Tickets are $30 per person.
Master of ceremonies will be Ricardo Gonzalez, and the keynote speaker is Ruben Nazario, a former Youngstown Board of Education administrator.
Nazario served as principal of Woodrow Wilson High School and the former Lincoln Junior High and East High schools. In 1985, he served as the city schools' personnel director, a position he had until 1987, when he left the area to take an administrative position in the Dayton school system.
He also served on the Mahoning County Children Services Board and as president of the OCCHA board of directors. He received OCCHA's community service award in 1980.
This year's award recipients are outstanding volunteers, Luis A. Rodriguez and Benita Velazquez; special recognition, Atty. Miriam Ocasio; Hispanic business person of the year, James I. Berroteran; and OCCHA Academic Achievement Award, Mary Jayne Riffle.
Dinner committee
The members of this year's dinner committee are chairwoman, Rosa Tirado; co-chairman, Benito Velazquez; ad book coordination, Mary Ann Navarro and Judy Solomon; committee members, Antonia Caraballo, Porfirio Esparra Sr., Nellie Gonzalez, Mildred C. Montalvo, Elba Navarro, Francisca Ortiz, Juanita Rodriguez, Priscilla Switka, Leoncio Tirado and Fran Wilson.
Entertainment will be provided by Ritmo Caribeno and D.J. Chico. There will be a Chinese and silent auction.
XFor tickets and information call Mary Isa Garayua, OCCHA executive director, at (330) 781-1808 by Oct. 25.