The Barn Blog

The 73rd Barn Night was presented by Pepe Cardona of the band Alive N Kickn’. Alive N Kickn’ is best known for their 1970 hit single “Tighter, Tighter” which reached #7 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Pepe and his son Tim took us on a musical journey from the 1950’s through present day. Pepe told stories and shared entertaining anecdotes from rock history, including the story of his own one-hit-wonder. Pepe and Tim rocked the Barn to a standing ovation. The evening also included an honoring of Ben’s 50th birthday with a roast from several barn guys with gifts, cake, and a musical birthday salute by Pepe.

Rob Simonetti is a Concrete Batcher at Ferrara Bros. Building Materials. Rob began by telling us the difference between cement and concrete. He explained how concrete is made and delivered to job sites. Rob showed some great photos and videos of the mixing and pouring process. He told some entertaining stories about the business and some of the unusual demands of his customers.

Peter Tocco led this networking event with some assistance from Donato Vaccaro. Peter began by sharing his research and experience on the topic. He quoted various sources and gave us some tips for more effective networking. Then Donato spoke about the use of LinkedIn. A lively Q&A followed. At that point we took turns coming up in front of the group and sharing what we do for a living, and in some cases who we’re looking to meet. Peter and Donato ended the event by announcing the creation of the “Ben’s Barn LinkedIn Group” to leverage the relationships built in and through the barn.

Mike Hynes is the owner of Mickey Spillane’s, Molly Spillane’s, Maggie Spillane’s, and Nelly Spillane’s. He told the story of his life, coming to this country from Ireland as a young man and achieving success in business. Mike shared some entertaining stories and humorous anecdotes about the restaurant business.

Motorcycle enthusiast, John O’Leary led a discussion about Motorcycles. He began with an audiovisual presentation describing different aspects of motorcycle riding and competitions.  Then he gave a hands-on demonstration of helmets, clothing, and safety gear. Then we went outside where 21 motorcycles were gathered on display!  John led an interactive discussion whereby each motorcycle owner spoke for a minute about his bike. Approximately 50 guys attended this barn night, which everyone agreed was one of the best.

We continued our annual tradition of BBQ night in the barn. We enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, steak, chicken, various side dishes and beer. A small group stayed until 4am, after a lively “wrap up”.

John Afordakos of OnForce Solar, Inc. installs solar panels on homes and businesses. Because of various government subsidies, this can often be done at zero cost to the owner. The result is reduced electrical bills, and a reduction of our carbon footprint.  John discussed his plan to install solar panels on the barn. As a result of this talk, he set up appointments with several other barngoers to see if their homes are eligible for free solar power. John’s website is http://www.onforcesolar.com.

Tommy Taylor of Inside Car Buying told his story about spending 12 years as a salesman for various car dealerships. He shared many of the tricks used by dealerships to jack up the price. Tommy talked about his current business which helps consumers negotiate the lowest price possible on their car purchase or lease. For those who didn’t attend, Tommy’s website is http://www.insidecarbuying.com.

Eastchester Town Historian, Dick Forliano discussed the history of this area. He shared the history of Eastchester and the surrounding towns dating back to the 1600’s. Dick showed us pictures of old houses nearby and told stories of interesting historical characters. At one point he donned a wig and did a little reenactment, which was very entertaining.

Several years ago Dave Tosi gave an amazing barn presentation on beer making. This time he presented on one of his other skills: preventing cyber attacks. Dave shared some interesting stories about the widespread cyber criminals who are based primarily in Eastern Europe. He described them as having “rock star” status in those countries. Dave explained some basic steps we can take to dramatically reduce the chances of being a victim. For example using passwords that are difficult to guess.