ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
The listed local students have been recognized by their colleges or universities for the following achievements:
GRADUATIONS
Excelsior College
Ilir Marko of Ridgewood – BS
Miriam Weiner of Kew Gardens – BS
Donna Gravesande of Laurelton – MA, Liberal Studies
India L. Jackson of Far Rockaway – Associate in Science in Nursing
DEAN’S LIST (spring semester)
Babson College
Kylie Lam of Great Neck
RE-ENLISTMENTS
Major General Patrick A. Murphy, the Adjutant General, announces the recent reenlistment of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of the Army National Guard.
Staff Sergeant Myung Lee from Astoria; Staff Sergeant Jorge Lopez from Whitestone,
Specialist Fernando Febus from Woodside; Private 1st Class Raymond Fuentes from Maspeth; Master Sergeant Amable Arboleda from Ridgewood; Specialist Pablo Rivera from South Ozone Park; Staff Sergeant Celeste Brevard from Bellerose; Sergeant Kenneth Matthews from Queens Village; Specialist Ronald Rivas from Jamaica; Sergeant Lashima Turner from Rockaway Beach and Specialist Pedro Martinez from Rockaway Park.
SCHOOL EVENTS
The School for Language and Communication Development (SLCD) students gave thanks and celebrated Thanksgiving with a special turkey lunch compliments of the PTA. Students made hats for the celebration and filled up on turkey and all the fixings on November 23. SLCD provides special education services to children with language disorders including those along the autism spectrum continuum. For information on SLCD, visit www.SLCD.org.
HOSPITAL HAPPENINGS
Representatives from the North Shore-LIJ Health System, Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center and Varian Medical Systems recently unveiled an innovative new system called TrueBeam™ that offers a radically different approach to treating cancer with image-guided radiotherapy. The TrueBeam™ system opens the door to new possibilities for the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, head, neck and other cancers that are treatable with radiotherapy. It makes it possible to deliver treatments more quickly while monitoring and compensating for tumor motion. For more information, contact the Department of Radiation Medicine at LIJ at 516/718- 470-7190, or go to www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/Cancer+Landing+Page.
Cutting the ribbon on LIJ’s new TrueBeam™ system were, from left: David L. Schwartz, M.D., vice chair of radiation medicine; North Shore-LIJ executive vice president Lawrence Smith, M.D.; Louis Potters, M.D,, chair of radiation medicine; Regina Stanzione, senior administrative director of radiation medicine; LIJ executive director Chantal Weinhold; and Dow Wilson, executive vice president of Varian Medical Systems.
HOLIDAY DOINGS
The RagaChitra Foundation held its Sixth Annual Day on Saturday, November 20 at the Tamil Cultural Center at the Tamil Church in Middle Village. RagaChitra was celebrated with Carnatic vocal, veena performances, mini vocal concerts, kathak and Bharatanatyam dances, presented by RagaChitra students. Parents, guests and music lovers were enthralled by wonderful performances for about six hours. For more information about RagaChitra Foundation, classes and upcoming events go to www.ragachitra.org
SEEN AT VALENTINO’S
Actor Chazz Palminteri and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly recently dined at Bayside’s Valentino’s on the Green. Both Palminteri and Kelly joined Valentino’s proprietor, Giorgio Kolaj, along with family and friends, for a delicious meal prepared by top chefs Don Pintabona and James Canora.
Giorgio Kolaj with actor Chazz Palminteri.
Giorgio Kolaj and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly.
HONORS & AWARDS
Queens Community House (QCH) held its second fundraising event at the Acela Club at Citi Field. Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and author Jimmy Breslin, Queens market president of Capital One Giselle Cahalan, and former QCH vice president of the board of directors, Aino Jonah were honored. Awards were presented by participants and volunteers for QCH’s programs for youth, immigrants and older adults, who shared their personal stories about how the community house has improved their lives.
Jimmy Breslin, QCH executive director Emeritus Lew Harris, QCH board member Joe Hennessy and QCH supporter Vincent Nicolosi
Allstate agency owner Paul Collura, whose office is located at 149-15 Union Turnpike in Flushing was recently named an Agent Hero by Allstate Insurance Company’s New York Region, and awarded a $500 grant for a local youth program. Collura donated the grant to the Long Island chapter of the Little People of America (LPA), an organization which helps those who are diagnosed with one of 300 types of dwarfism, and their families, assisting with medical guidance, educational needs, physiological assistance, social interactions, academic scholarships and informational publications.
LPA LI chapter vice president Karen Petruzzelli, Jake Petruzzelli and Allstate agent Paul Collura from left to right.
SCIENCE FAIR
Over 150 fourth graders from Police Athletic League’s (PAL) Centers throughout the five boroughs gathered for PAL’s 1st Annual Science Fair at PAL’s Webster-Giannone Center on Webster Avenue in the Bronx. From lightning and air pressure to snowstorms and the greenhouse effect, the weather whiz kids conducted experiments and shared their knowledge about their assigned weather topics with their peers. Throughout the month of November, the young scientists explored the wide world of weather at PAL’s After School Programs throughout Queens. For more information visit www.palnyc.org.
Young forecasters from P.S. 214 discussed the concepts of warm and cold fronts.
