The Glen Cove Boxing Club has reopened its doors to residents of the city who wish to learn, or perfect, the art of the Sweet Science. The grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 25, was hosted by the City of Glen of Glen Cove and club president Frank Pena, and attended by a number of boxing fans, neophytes, current pugilists and boxing greats, including six-time world champion Emile Griffith and former NABA heavyweight champ Chuck Wepner.

With the clip of a pair of scissors, the Glen Cove Boxing Club’s ring is ready to take on all contenders.

Glen Cove Parks and Recreation Director Darcy Belyea, herself a veteran of the professional boxing world (outside the ring), gave the opening remarks with obvious pride in Glen Cove’s long and illustrious history connected to the world of boxing. The city boasts amateur and professional pugilists including John Capobianco and his son Phil, Suje Nunez, Anthony DiMasso, Hubert Hilton,Allen “Junebug” Hudson and Howard “John-John” Davis, Jr., a gold medal winner at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, who was named Outstanding Boxer at the games and whose teammates included Sugar Ray Leonard and Michael and Leon Spinks. The most recent name from Glen Cove to make boxing news was Raul Nunzio, who won the Golden Gloves in 2007 in the 165-lb. novice division. The link between the sport and the city extends beyond the ring. Glen Cove High School Assistant Principal Allen Hudson is Junebug’s son and Robert M. Finley Middle School Principal Anael Alston was a Golden Gloves champion and cousin of former World Champion Zab Judah. Glen Cove grows some boxers and attracts some others.

But the name that is undoubtedly synonymous with the club is that of the aforementioned Frank Pena, who has kept the Sweet Science alive for the youth of our city for over 20 years, all for the love of the game. When he’s not fishing or relaxing at the Glen Cove Anglers’ Club, Mr. Pena can be found somewhere around one boxing ring or another, according to Ms. Belyea. Mr. Pena is a certified coach, trainer and referee, most recently honored to serve as an official for the 2008 U.S. Future Stars National Championships at the Olympic Training Complex in Colorado Springs, CO in March. Following that, Mr. Pena was honored at the 2008 Daily News Golden Gloves Finals at Madison Square Garden, receiving a plaque naming him USA Boxing’s “Referee of the Year” and he currently serves as a lead official for USA Boxing. Frank Pena’s love of the game is a reciprocal romance.

The Glen Cove Boxing Club is a two and one-half year project that has finally come to fruition. It has been, and continues to be, a labor of love for Mr. Pena, who wants the club to be a place for the city’s youth, or anyone interested in pursuing the sport of boxing, to call home. Mr. Pena has spent decades in the sport and has helped to direct many a young boxer on the straight and narrow. It’s better to hit a bag, or even a willing opponent in the ring, than to take out aggression on the street. One plan for the club includes its use as community service for a youth who finds him or herself before the bench in city court and can be given a stint at the ring rather than incarceration.

Mr. Pena has taken his passion for the Glen Cove Boxing Club and his love of the game beyond the ring and into the hearts of friends and associates who willingly offer him help, time, encouragement and their individual talents and skills. He recently met a young boxing enthusiast, John Labate, who was so taken with Mr. Pena’s enthusiasm that he now drives from Queens to Glen Cove almost every night to work at the club. Mr. Pena attended a meeting of Ring 8, the local chapter of the National Veteran Boxers Association, and left the meeting with full support of the organization.

Henry Wallitsch, president of Ring 8, was on hand for the boxing club opening and was proud to say that “Ring 8 has been around for more than 50 years and all we do is help fighters and ex-fighters.” Mr. Wallitsch is a big fan of Frank Pena and Ring 8 has donated hundreds of dollars in cash and equipment to the Glen Cove Boxing Club. In return, when Glen Cove hosts the Daily News Golden Gloves next year, Mr. Pena plans to donate its annual scholarship in the name of Ring 8.

The sense of camaraderie among the pugilists, some old friends and some new, was a sight to see, with handshakes, back slaps and laughter all around. Stories were retold, old fight cards were pulled from pockets and this reporter learned a few things about a sport with which she is not exactly familiar. On her nightstand now sits a copy of a new book titled Nine…Ten…and Out! The Two Worlds of Emile Griffith, autographed by both author Ron Ross and the champ himself, whose smile lit the room as he shook her hand with the hand that has done some damage to many an opponent.

Speaking with Chuck Wepner, she learned that the man has more than one claim to fame. Mr. Wepner was one of very few boxers to “send Muhammad Ali to the canvas.” Although Mr. Wepner lost his fight with the champ by a TKO in the final round, his achievement against such enormous odds inspired a struggling actor named Sylvester Stallone to write the script that came to be called Rocky, a fact affirmed by Mr. Stallone. You learn something new every day.

The club’s temporary home is located at the Carney Street Extension, off the Arterial Highway, next to the Glen Cove Child Day Care (Head Start) facility and The Glen Cove Boxing Club will be open weeknights from 6 to 9 p.m. for all interested individuals from the community who wish to train and learn pointers of the Sweet Science from trained and licensed volunteer boxing coaches. There is no fee for residents and minors to use the facility.

Speaking for Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi on behalf of the City of Glen Cove, Ms. Belyea said she wished to thank the City of Glen Cove Parks Department crew; the City of Glen Cove Department of Public Works, especially Labor Foreman Kevin Monahan; welder Sean Sheridan of Sherco; Joseph M. Basile Electric; Belnord Sterling; Maccarone Plumbing and the numerous other volunteers who contributed to the success of reopening of the club. Ms. Belyea singled out the Glen Cove Youth Bureau Summer Youth Employment Program crew of 2007, who, she said, worked at the club from the outset, involved in demolition work and often surrounded by rubble, dust and remnants of rodents. Labors of love know no bounds