OTTY Awards 2014

DEAR VALUED AND ENGAGED READER: Thanks for your commitment and interest in your local newspaper. For the past decade Our Town has been recognizing East Siders making a difference in the neighborhood with an OTTY (Our Town Thanks You) Award. We continue that long-standing tradition of the following pages. In trying to decide who to profile, we asked for suggestions from readers, neighborhood groups, companies and our reporters and editors: who should we highlight, shine a light on and interview about their work in the neighborhood? We think you'll find the following profiles of fellow Upper East Side New Yorkers enlightening. From William Marquardt, who ensures that unsightly graffiti and garbage in the neighborhood is disposed of, to State Sen. Liz Krueger fighting to halt the Marine Transfer Station, the stories of these amazing New Yorkers inspire each of us to push to do more for the neighborhood.

Some of the people profiled on the following pages you'll know, or have heard of. Like NYC Police Commissioner William Bratton and his wife Rikki Klieman, who's on CBS TV as a legal analyst. But others, like Beth Pereira, who has taught second grade at P.S. 6 for the past 14 years, make a difference in the lives of children and families here.

We salute each of them, and thank them for their service. We also thank our sponsors for their support of this community effort.

Warm Regards, Jeanne Straus President, Straus News ------ Carole Tweedy / Asphalt Green - Helping Kids Stay Fit
Hon. Liz Krueger / NY State Senator - Inspiring The U.E.S.
George T. McDonald / Doe Fund - Finding People Work
William Bratton / NYC Police Commissioner & Rikki Klieman / CBS Legal Analyst/Attorney - New York Love Story
Dr. Gary Butts / Mt. Sinai - Fighting For Diversity
Richard Wasserman / Vanderbilt Y - Getting Kids To Camp
Ian Wardropper / The Frick Collection - Art To The Masses
Fred Peters / Warburg - Good Ethics In Real Estate
Dr. Michael Brown / Marble Collegiate Church - Vulnerability In Life
Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski / The Schneerson Center for Jewish Life - Injecting Spirituality
Beth Pereira / PS 6 Teacher - An Innovative Teacher
Grace Balducci Doria & Joe Doria Jr. / Grace's Trattoria - Fresh Food and Family
Michael Lombardi / 19th Precinct - Connecting To Community
Dr. Roger Yurt / New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center - A Hero of Medicine; Helping burn victims heal