Business Cards and Barbecue

Only six days from the start of summer (and with it, the summer shopping season), the Scotch Plains and Fanwood Business and Professional Associations will hold their joint annual barbeque this evening in LaGrande Park in Fanwood.

The event will also be used to announce the winners of the annual Scotch Plains Business and Professional Association's (SPBPA) scholarships, which support talented local high school students on their way to college.

Organizer Steve Goldberg, 56, vice president of the SPBPA, said in a phone interview that the event is "a good opportunity for some networking and camaraderie under the stars" (all interviews for this piece were conducted by phone). The two business and professional organizations decided to hold their barbeques together about six years ago, Goldberg said. He is expecting between 70 and 80 people to attend the members-only event.

Local business owners have welcomed the change. "I like it when Scotch Plains is involved because there are definitely more business opportunities," said Frank Constandi, 46, owner of Frank's Auto Repair & Body Shop in Fanwood.

Newer members relish the opportunity to meet some of the established businesses in town. "I just want to talk to some other business people in the area," said David Larkin, 28, of Merrill Lynch, who joined the SPBPA earlier this year. "It's been a while since such an event has taken place. It will be a good way to start the summer."

Peter Chemidlin, 49, president of the Fanwood Business and Professional Association, said that he canvassed local businesses to attend the event and make new connections.

But members who have attended previous barbeques say the event is not all business. "It's just a bunch of hard-working people who try to better the town. There'll be home-made hot dogs, fresh-ground burgers and sausages. A lot of people come to this that don't come to meetings. They see a nice barbeque and they come," said Vinnie Losavio, 65, of John's Meat Market in Scotch Plains, who has been a member of the SPBPA since its inception. "It has positive effects for the business community."

The SPBA will present four scholarships at the event: three $500 Scotch Plains Business and Professional Association scholarships, and the Ray Pardon Memorial Scholarship for $1,000. It is named after the first president of the SPBPA who passed away a year and a half ago. Goldberg said the scholarships, which the SPBPA has presented at its annual barbeque for the last 14 years, were Pardon's idea. The money for the scholarships comes from the annual Spring Fling dinner dance that the SPBPA holds in April.

The winners of this year's scholarships, all of whom are graduating high school this year, are:

SPBPA scholarships, $500 each

• Melissa Goldberg
• Christopher Smith
• Caitlyn Hoynes-O'Connor

Ray Pardon scholarship, $1000

• Bianca Chavez

The barbeque will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Fanwood's LaGrande Park, at the corner of LaGrande Avenue and Second Street. Entry for scholarship recipients and their guests are free. Association members and one guest have free entry, additional guests and members of the public are charged $10 per person.