Holiday Parties Continue: Seniors Celebrate at Elks Lodge

"I've seen this town deteriorate, I've seen it come back, and we're doing well now," said Florence Amato Tuesday night, as she was awaiting to be honored as Senior Citizen of the Year by the civic group Hoboken First at their annual holiday party for seniors at the Elks Lodge.

Amato, who was born into a Hoboken family of 12 children, has certainly done her share to help bring the city back. Together with her late husband, former Fourth Ward City Councilman Anthony Amato, the couple raised two sons and a daughter, who later combined to have seven grandchildren. Amato and her husband also ran numerous business involving real estate, dry cleaning, sporting goods and a cafe.

Even while caring for a growing family Florence Amato has had time to serve Hoboken in a variety of roles. She has been a member of the H.O.P.E.S anti-poverty foundation, started by her husband. Under Governor Jim Florio, she was the first woman appointed to be a commissioner of the Hoboken Housing Authority.

Amato is still working, now for City Hall with the Senior Services department. She arranges accommodations for seniors seeking assistance in traveling to medical appointments.

While she prepared to give her speech upon receiving the honors, Amato continued to reminisce about life in the city.

"I can remember when you could get a loft here for $500," she joked.

Certainly that has changed. But if, as Amato says, Hoboken has progressed for the better, it is in part due to her continued efforts at helping the community.

Seniors attend nice party

The seniors holiday party welcomed more than 200 guests, many from Hoboken, but also a contingent of 16 residents from the Paramus Veterans Home.

Each guest received a meal, a Christmas present and a poinsettia flower.

For entertainment, an emcee and a keyboardist serenaded the crowd with classics such as "That's Amore."

The musicians also played "The Hokey Pokey." Volunteer students from Hoboken High School danced to that tune in the center of the Elks Lodge alongside their elder statesmen and women.

About Town is a quick look at the not-quite-news but still-neat happenings that occur in Hoboken all the time. Seen something wacky, wild, cute, cuddly, funny or fun? Got an incidental observation or a minor celebration? Shoot it to alanskontra@hotmail.com. We want pictures too.

Latina magazine has just hired Today Show co-host and Hoboken resident Natalie Morales to write a monthly column.

According to a press release from the magazine, Morales' column, titled "Modern Mami," will focus on motherhood and family issues.

In addition to co-hosting the third hour of the Today Show each morning, Morales will also serve as a street reporter in Times Square for NBC's coverage of New Year's Eve. The program New Year's Eve with Carson Daly 2011 will air beginning at 11pm on December 31.

Pro Tennis Hall of Famer Michael Chang, who was born in Hoboken in 1972, witnessed the birth of his first child last Thursday. Chang and his wife, former Stanford tennis star Amber Lui welcomed daughter Lani, weighing six pounds, three ounces.

So what are we missing? Openings, closings, winners, losers or just plain strange, drop us a note, alanskontra@hotmail.com. And check back often.