Never Too Many Chefs In This Kitchen: New Culinary Lab Sizzles

Mount Vernon, NY— Mount Vernon City School District Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton is generally referred to as Doctor Hamilton. While he was helping students to christen Mount Vernon High School's brand new state of the art culinary lab and classroom, however, the school chief was referred to by the simple moniker of "Chef Ham" - for one night only.

The extensive renovation and construction project at the facility was funded by a $1 million capital improvement grant through the office of New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi. The upgrade included the demolition and replacement of outdated floors, ceilings and kitchen equipment, as well as major fire safety improvements.

"It is such a bright light into a dark moment in time to be able to stand here," Sen. Biaggi said of the project. "It feels a little surreal, remembering the state that this kitchen was in. The transformation that has happened here is in line with the moment that we’re in, which is the moment to really take the opportunity of everything falling apart and building from it. It's an opportunity to make the world work the way we know it should work. In my family, as an Italian American, food is love and we all need a lot of love right now."

For his part, "Chef Ham" couldn't have sounded prouder of the new teaching kitchen or the sous-chefs in training who assisted him in treating those gathered to a bit of culinary flare. Guests were treated to a repast which included ingredients grown by fellow students.

"Once a very successful, thriving program in the District, our culinary arts program fell into disrepair and interest was lost," Dr. Hamilton explained in a statement unveiling the new facility. "Cooking is one of the most professional opportunities for our children to enter into as an alternative to traditional pathways to careers. And, tonight, what you are seeing is children who have been in the program who now have a state-of-the-art facility that they can enjoy and experience, and when they leave this high school, they will be able to enter the culinary arts with professional background and experience."