Jessica Meditz, Author at Queens Ledger

New Eagle Scouts congratulated by prominent figures

Jessica Meditz on June 22, 2022

From former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Pope Francis, four local Eagle Scouts were celebrated by numerous prominent figures both close to home and far away.

Massimo Accardo, Éamonn Dobey, Aidan Haran, and Oisin Haran from Boy Scouts Troop 45 of Woodside recently completed all the requirements, including their final projects, to become Eagle Scouts.

Their combined Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held at St. Mary’s of Winfield in Woodside on June 17.

The Eagle Scouts watched as Fred Coltrinari initiated the traditional Lighting the Eagle Trail Ceremony

All natives of Maspeth and Middle Village, the four young men dedicated their projects to serve local communities. Accardo and Dobey focused on the upkeep and preservation of Forest Park, Aidan Haran restored the backyard of Bonitas Youth Service in Manhattan, and Oisin Haran made renovations and repairs to the schoolyard of St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing.

“This is an occasion for pride and joy, as well as a time for serious reflection,” Fred Coltrinari, chartered organization representative of Troop 45, said.

“Eagle Scout is the highest recognition that scouting offers to scouts is earned. Only a small percentage of boys who begin scouting receive this honor,” he continued. “The wearer of the Eagle award is the epitome of scouting’s best efforts and beliefs.”

Throughout the ceremony and the various speeches given, the unique bond between the scouts, families, and troop leaders was apparent.

“All the faces that I recognize from throughout the years, you guys have really made this experience worthwhile. From Cub Scouts at six-years-old, these are the families and faces that I’ve seen since day one, and they’ve always been like brothers and sisters,” Accardo said.

“Other parents have been like parents to me, driving me to and from camp, taking care of me, and just looking out for me like I was one of their own,” he continued. “I really appreciate that; it goes a long way.”

From left to right: Éamonn Dobey, Oisin Haran, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Fred Coltrinari, Aidan Haran, Massimo Accardo, and State Senator Joseph Addabbo.

The four scouts expressed their gratitude to the troop leaders through the distribution of mentor pins and other sentimental items.

“I have known these boys for a long time, and I am so proud of their projects,” Marie Casalaspro, den leader, said.

“We had the quarantine during the pandemic, but that didn’t stop them,” she continued. “It was amazing to see.”

Donna Manetta, committee chairperson for Troop 45, made arrangements so the ceremony was extra special, including putting together a slideshow of troop photos from over the years, making poster board presentations for the four projects, and reaching out to noteworthy local, national, and even international figures.

The four Eagle Scouts received commendations from a long list of names, including the New York Jets, the Mets, NASA, Sen. Chuck Schumer, former president George Bush, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.

Other local elected officials including State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Councilman Robert Holden showed up in-person to celebrate the scouts’ achievements.

“I love Eagle Scout ceremonies because this teaches leadership, and we need good leaders not only in this country, but certainly in the city,” Holden said. “These were great projects, and I want to try to promote more Eagle Scout projects like this. Most of them are community service-based, which teaches the importance of teamwork and volunteering.”

Meng presented the scouts with American flags that have flown over the U.S. Capitol on behalf of them specifically. She said that these flags are reserved for only the highest achievements of constituents in the district.

Addabbo thanked the scouts for their community service, and presented each of them with a citation from the New York State Senate.

“The founder of Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, once spoke about boys and changing their attitude to go from what they can get to what they can give. As an elected official, that’s what we are so appreciative of,” Addabbo said.

“During these troubled two years with the COVID pandemic, so many people were in need. Scouts throughout our area were giving out food, helping those in need,” he continued. “Scouts are on a great path. Many are successful in life, and they’re good citizens. These citations not only acknowledge their achievement, going from ordinary to extraordinary and being there when the community needs them.”

Maspeth Pre-K student diagnosed with brain tumor

Jessica Meditz on June 15, 2022

St. Stan’s community supports August Vinti’s family

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

Like most four-year-old boys, August “Auggie” Vinti has a contagious smile, loves spending time with his family and friends, and has big dreams of being a firefighter when he grows up.

That’s why it was so devastatingly shocking for all who know him when he was diagnosed with aggressive Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG.

DIPG is a type of tumor that starts in the brain stem, which controls breathing, heart rate, and the nerves and muscles that help people carry out necessary functions. It has a survival rate of less than 2 percent.

Vinti’s family shared that the first signs of DIPG happened in May during school at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy in Maspeth, where he attends.

Like most four-year-old boys, Auggie Vinti has a contagious smile, loves spending time with his family and friends, and has big dreams of being a firefighter when he grows up.

School faculty thought he was having a seizure after waking up from a nap, and his parents immediately took him to the doctor, who told them he only had a sinus infection.

But his aunt, Nicole Vinti, knew there was something seriously wrong.

“I sent him right to the emergency room to a specialized hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian, because I knew they had a traumatic brain injury and neurology department,” Vinti said. “So we went there, and they found the tumor. His speech was slurred and he was off-balance.”

Vinti said that although the hospital was able to diagnose this rare, aggressive type of cancer, that fact unfortunately doesn’t give the family more optimism.

“We have clinical trials, so we might try those. But he’s in the middle of radiation right now,” she said tearfully. “It’s really scary, and who could ever think this could happen? You can’t imagine it happening to your family.”

To support the family through this difficult time, a GoFundMe was started on behalf of Vinti. At the time of publication, $57,760 had been raised.

In addition to the overwhelming community support for Vinti through the GoFundMe, the St. Stan’s school community came together last week for a Disney Dance-A-Thon and Bake Sale to raise funds.

The event raised an excess of $19,000 to benefit Vinti and his family.

Students, family, faculty, and community members came out for an afternoon of fun in support of August Vinti.

“It’s so amazing that our community comes together to have a good time, but at the same time raises a tremendous amount of funds for one of our own families who is going through what no family should ever have to go through,” Catherine Mangone, principal of St. Stan’s, said.

“This is what I love most about this school, and what we raised from today does not count what we’ve raised before this, and what will come after,” she continued. “The GoFundMe is right on our website, and there’s a tab and it will take you right to it.”

Vinti and his family attended the Disney Dance-A-Thon on June 6.

His mom, Bailey Overko, expressed her gratitude for the Maspeth community coming together to support her son.

“It’s very nice, what they’re doing. It makes us feel really good,” Overko said. “We’re lucky we chose St. Stan’s as a school in the first place because we didn’t expect any of this or the way they’re coming together as a community. It’s just really great.”

Class parents Daisy Montalvo, Ivana Perrone, and St. Stan’s Pre-K Education Director Joan Forgione.

Youth organization relieved after restoration of funds

Jessica Meditz on June 15, 2022

SAYA was slated to lose half its budget

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

South Asian Youth Action, or SAYA, is a 501(c)3 youth development organization headquartered in Elmhurst, whose primary mission is to provide immigrants and students of color with exposure to new opportunities.

It is among several other organizations funded by the New York City Community Schools Fund, which is essentially a partnership between school staff, families, youth, and the community to ensure that students have the tools they need to learn and succeed.

According to the Community Schools website, these services include “health care, mentoring, expanded learning programs, adult education, and other services that support the whole child, engage families, and strengthen the entire community.”

For a brief period of time these organizations and their respective school communities were worried, as they were slated to lose about $9.16 million of their allocated funds from the city.

But on Friday, the city reached an agreement on a $101 billion budget for the 2023 Fiscal Year, which will restore the funds and add an additional $14 million to support the initiative.

Youth organizations like SAYA, whose most expansive program serves the South Asian student population at Richmond Hill High School, were overjoyed by the news that they’d be able to continue their services.

“I think it made us a lot more hopeful about the advocacy that we do on behalf of our youth, and that as a coalition of organizations, when we work together, we’re able to affect change on a larger scale,” Saphia Najafee, chief development officer at SAYA, said.

“We’ll certainly be doing advocacy work to make sure that we’re all set for next year,” she continued. “We’re obviously really thrilled by everything, but we also know that there’s a lot more work we need to do.”

Richmond Hill High School houses SAYA’s largest program

SAYA is part of the Coalition for Community Schools Excellence, which rallied in front of City Hall in early June to call for the restoration of funds.

They were joined by City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, Councilwoman Alexa Avilés, Councilwoman Sandy Nurse, and Councilman Lincoln Restler.

“Community schools in my district have become the cornerstone of our community, providing much-needed health, mental health, and family services,” Nurse said at the rally.

“The fact is, our schools alone cannot provide the full support that students and families need for our youth to get the most out of their education. These schools need partnerships to help address the life challenges that our students and families are going through: homelessness, housing insecurity, poverty, and lack of access to health care,” she continued. “The community school model has proven to increase attendance, graduation, and college acceptance rates. We need the mayor to invest the $9.16 million in funding to the 52 community schools that are facing major cuts that will completely undermine their success.”

Through this funding, SAYA receives about $900,000 to carry out their work. With the proposed cuts, they were at risk of a $400,000 total decrease.

In addition to its programming at Richmond Hill High School, SAYA also serves local schools including Thomas Edison High School, P.S. 124, and J.H.S. 202 Robert H. Goddard, where they provide mental health services, outreach for student attendance, college access programming, and after school clubs.

Sonia B. Sisodia, executive director of SAYA, said that the reason for the proposed cuts was given last year when the funding formula was changed for Community Schools by the Department of Education.

“It was framed that the DOE had created a more equitable formula, but the formula is not very equitable when it results in cuts in a high need neighborhood made up of many immigrants and mostly folks of color. Richmond Hill High School is a large high school that really relies on partnership with SAYA and the services that we’re able to provide.” she said. “Fast forward to this year, we were under the assumption—given the focus of the city on things like mental health, getting students back into the school building, and enrichment offerings as students continue to get accustomed to school and life post-pandemic—that the cuts were not likely, since these are all the various services that the Community Schools model actually supports.”

Until more details about the city’s budget become available to the public, Sisodia did not comment on the restoration of funds.

She does, however, want people to remain aware of the situation and the overall goal of SAYA, which continues to offer essential services to students since its founding in 1996.

“Our mission is to really affirm our students and our young people who don’t typically have spaces that center them, that are for them. As a South Asian myself, who went to public schools, I never had that affirmation from my school community,” Sisodia said.

“It’s so important that folks have mentors and role models that they connect with … and I think that New York City really needs to invest more in nonprofits that are led by people of color,” she continued.

“There’s not enough investment in true community based organizations.”

St. Stan’s hosts 11th Hall of Fame Dinner

Jessica Meditz on June 10, 2022

School gym renamed ‘Rudzewick Hall’

On Saturday, the St. Stanislaus Kostka Educational Endowment Committee hosted its 11th annual dinner dance fundraiser, with parents, faculty and staff, families, friends, and other community supporters in attendance.

After two years of being unable to gather, the Committee eagerly presented eight honorees with awards: Rev. Monsignor Joseph Calise; Joan Forgione, education director of St. Stan’s Pre-K for All and the Maspeth Federal Savings’ Board of Directors; Daisy and Ray Montalvo, longtime parental supporters; Diane Marzuillo, Secretary of the St. Stan’s Board of Directors; Rachael Fitzpatrick, educator, lector, and eucharistic minister at St. Stan’s; and Louis Bekios, owner of Grand Florist and member of the Maspeth Kiwanis.

Honoree Joan Forgione and St. Stan’s Principal Catherine Mangone.

“As I look at the list of inductees, I see so many recognizable names: faculty members, former students, parents and grandparents of former and present students, and friends. Our parish community has been blessed by their efforts and I thank them for their work,” Catherine Mangone, principal of St. Stan’s, said.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Endowment Committee. The Committee does not merely support our school with their words, but does so with their actions and their financial support,” she continued. “Their love for this school, and their commitment to its continued success, are blessings for which I am extremely grateful.”

With increased support from the community each year, the Committee has raised over $350,000 for the school, which has gone toward a STEM lab, scholarships, computers, and Smart Boards, upgrades to the school’s electrical service, as well as school summer programs.

In true St. Stanislaus Kostka fashion, the St. Stan’s Players gave musical performances to bring cheer to attendees.
But before everyone enjoyed their dinner, Rev. Monsignor Calise and Michael LoCascio, vice chair of St. Stan’s Board of Directors, presented a plaque to longtime supporters and Maspeth residents Barbara Rudzewick, president of the Endowment Committee, and her husband Ken Rudzewick, committee member.

Given their continued support of St. Stan’s, Calise and LoCascio announced that the school’s gym would be renamed “Rudzewick Hall” in their honor.

Honoree Diane Marzuillo and Barbara Rudzewick.

“This family gives endless support, and we’ve been racking our brains for three years, trying to figure out how to honor someone who’s so humbled,” LoCascio said.

Calise added, “To make sure that the generations to walk through these doors know the appreciation that we feel for you, and the gratitude that we have for the work that you’ve done, this room is being rededicated Rudzewick Hall.”

The Rudzewicks are extremely grateful for the gesture.

“We’ve both been baptized here, got married here, and all our children received their sacraments here,” Barbara Rudzewick said. “We’re so blessed to be a part of this community.”

Ridgewood student hits milestone while achieving dreams

Jessica Meditz on June 9, 2022

Despite these uncertain times Kylie Gordon, 11, has clung to her passion for the performing arts. Considered a “triple threat”—skilled at singing, acting, and dancing—Gordon took things to the next level by auditioning for Broadway shows, eventually landing her first role in “The Lion King.”

Unfortunately, the very same week she was cast, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing Broadway to temporarily shut down. Because of that, she missed out on her big break.

“Unfortunately, now she is over five feet tall, which is too tall for children on Broadway,” Kylie’s Mom, Kimberly, explained. “We’re hoping she’ll have additional Broadway [opportunities], but now a lot is more commercial modeling and acting.”

Kylie Gordon, 11, aspires to perform on Broadway

Since the second grade, Gordon has been home-schooled through Time4Learning, which allowed her to get her education and pursue her passions of singing, acting, and dancing, all while continuing to enjoy being a kid.

Last month, the Gordon’s celebrated Kylie’s fifth-grade graduation and her transition into middle school.

“I get to spend a lot more time with my family than when I actually went to school, so it’s fun. I get to mess around with my sibling, and it’s great,” Kylie said.

Kylie’s mom, who plays an additional role as her teacher, said that the home schooling experience was quite challenging at first, but eventually, it got easier and helped the mother-daughter duo strengthen their bond.

“One thing I remember from kindergarten was math, which was really stressful. She didn’t get it; I didn’t get it. But with home school, I have to dive in and kind of understand it,” Kimberly said.

“Once I did, our relationship with schooling and understanding each other in terms of learning style improved greatly,” she continued. “It took some time, but I think we’ve gotten into a great groove and I understand when she needs a break, especially when she has a job or something of that nature.”

Since she was two years old, Gordon has loved singing and dancing.

Vocally, she trains with Craig Derry, a coach and producer who has worked with prominent artists including Foushee, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott, SWV, Al B. Sure, Tamar Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Mario, and more.

Gordon takes dance lessons at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where she says she’s made a lot of friends and developed a great passion for ballet dance.

“I love ballet dance because I get to show my technique, which I love. It’s so fun to do,” Gordon said.

“I like performing because I know that I can make people smile,” she added. “I love choreography too, because I can show off my moves and my pizzazz.”

Although sad she was unable to perform on Broadway, Gordon did not let that stop her tenacity and urge to create art.

Gordon, who sings under the stage name KylieBear, recently released a new single, “This Girl,” which she wrote with her mom.

“‘This Girl’ is about a girl who’s telling people not to just pay attention to her looks, but also to her feelings,” she said. “We had so much fun doing it. First, we just had a little melody, and then we started writing the lyrics, adding the details, and then I started singing it.”

“I like to show my feelings in my songs in ways I can’t actually speak them sometimes.,” she continued. “I like people to listen to them when I don’t think they can actually hear me.”

Gordon’s discography also includes original songs such as “Hey Mr. DJ,” “You Are My Friend,” and “Lights Camera Action.”

She said that her biggest musical influences are Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and the Broadway cast of Hamilton.

Kylie and her mom are extremely thankful for Time4Learning and the way they were supported throughout her rigorous schedule as a performer.

In fact, Gordon was able to interact with other students her age who were also graduating via the virtual graduation ceremony, hosted on YouTube Live.

As she moves on academically, Kylie also looks forward to advancing her performance career — and even has some big goals for herself.

“I want to perform all over the place, and hopefully have my own tour,” she said. “I want to have a bunch of people in the audience singing my name. I want to showcase myself.”

Local Girl Scouts save lives

Jessica Meditz on June 9, 2022

Glendale girl receives Medal of Honor

When thinking about Girl Scouts, cookies, crafts, or badges might come to mind. But for Suzanne Ramos, 15, of Glendale, and Kassandra Fjotland, 15, from the Bronx, the height of their scouting careers involves saving lives.

Both girls were presented with Medal of Honor awards for their quick, resourceful thinking.

Ramos was honored with a proclamation from New York City Councilman Robert Holden.

Ramos, a Troop 4015 member and a student at Maspeth High School, has been a Girl Scout since the fourth grade.

All the years of lessons and training as a Girl Scout came in handy when one day she realized her little sister was choking, and she had to step in.

“We were having dinner in our living room, and I heard my sister making noises. Sometimes my sister just makes random noises to herself, but the noise kept continuing. So I turned around to look at her, and her face was blue and her lips were purple,” Ramos said. “My mind was just so clear at that point of what to do.”
Thanks to the skills she learned from Girl Scouts, Ramos knew to perform the Heimlich maneuver on her then-9-year-old sister.

“My troop does a bunch of trips, and sometimes we learn multiple things in one day, like when I learned to do the Heimlich maneuver. On our first day, we learned CPR, Heimlich maneuver, we had suture kits and stuff like that,” Ramos said.

“When we were doing the first day training, they were ways to know if someone’s choking, like when their face is a different color, or they can’t speak,” she continued. “That’s how I knew that’s what I needed to do.”

In addition to her Medal of Honor, Ramos was honored with a proclamation from New York City Councilman Robert Holden.

“In a harrowing moment, Suzanne Cardona performed the Heimlich maneuver on her sister, who was choking and unable to breathe. Ms. Cardona did not hesitate to act and provide life-saving care,” Holden said.

“A credit to the efforts of her parents, teachers, and Scout Leaders, she personifies the very best qualities of a Girl Scout and a member of our community,” he continued. “I was very happy to present this extraordinary young lady with a NYC Council proclamation. Our city needs more people like her.”

Kassandra Fjotland, 15, received awards from NY State Senator Robert Jackson and Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa for her courageous deed.

Fjotland of Troop 3205, who’s been a Girl Scout for a decade, also came to the rescue of unsuspecting victims during a field trip to Fire Island.

She and two other girls were swimming further out into the ocean, until Fjotland realized that they were caught in a riptide.

“I knew I had to step in when the lifeguards were not noticing what was going on, so I started waving my arms and I was able to grab one of the girls,” Fjotland said. “The lifeguards were able to go into the water and get the girl from the sister troop who was deeper in the water.”

Although escaping a riptide isn’t something she learned from Girl Scouts specifically, Fjotland said that skills like reacting quickly and being resourceful are skills from the Scouts that helped her in that moment.

“Just knowing when to step in is a big factor with what I’ve learned in Girl Scouts,” she said. “Just helping others and if you were in that situation, you’d want someone to help you as well. So that was my mindset.”

In a ceremony, Fjotland was awarded with a proclamation from New York State Senator Robert Jackson, and a citation from City Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa.

“Kassandra and Suzanne are shining examples of the Girl Scouts’ training and leadership in action,” De La Rosa said. “Their bravery and heroism helped save lives and continue to inspire our community and their fellow troop members. As a community we are proud and as Councilmember I’m honored to celebrate their well deserved National Lifesaving Award.”

Forest Hills resident competes on ‘Jeopardy!’

Jessica Meditz on June 3, 2022

Tom Philipose with Mayim Bialik, guest host of “Jeopardy!”

Tom Philipose of Forest Hills made a national TV appearance last night on America’s favorite quiz show, “Jeopardy!”

The 18-year Forest Hills resident and writing professor at CUNY Guttman Community College is no stranger to TV quiz shows, as he’s also starred on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Cash Cab” in the past.

Philipose has taken stabs at “Jeopardy!’s” extensive audition process of interviews and tests in the past, and was excited to be invited to the show this time around.

He said that his job as a college professor and knowing a ton of trivial facts throughout his life is what helped him during his “Jeopardy!” experience.

“I always remind students that you want to be intellectually curious, you want to know things, you don’t want to act like you got it all figured out, and that you’ve got nothing left to learn. We should keep our minds open to new things,” Philipose said.

“I’m daily in that practice of practicing what I preach, because it’s good to know what’s up and what’s going on in the world,” he continued. “So I think I’ve been prepared for this experience.”

Since “Jeopardy!” tapes multiple shows in one day, Philipose knew he would be up against reigning champion Ryan Long, who is one of four players from this season alone to make the show’s Hall of Fame list with the most consecutive games won.

Philipose gave Long a run for his money in the first round, buzzing in with multiple correct responses in a row and finding the Daily Double, where he scored an additional $1,000. He finished the first round $200 ahead of Long.

“It was a real whirlwind rewatching the episode. I was watching and thinking, ‘I don’t know this answer,’ and then I saw myself buzzing in and getting it right,” Philipose said.

“I remembered that I didn’t get any questions wrong except for Final Jeopardy, but I just did not remember buzzing in and knowing some of them yesterday. It was really weird.”

In the Double Jeopardy round, Long’s performance picked up along with the help of a Daily Double, and Philipose went into Final Jeopardy just $4,000 behind.

The question in the final category, “UNESCO World Heritage Sites,” stumped all three contestants.

Philipose shockingly wagered all of his earnings, leaving him with nothing.

“I did that because I was down by a few thousand dollars, and I didn’t want to have any regrets. I told myself ‘This guy [Long] knows a lot and I didn’t like the category at all, but let me go all out,’” he said.

“I think for me, it was the right move, because I know that it didn’t matter what I bet because if I got it wrong, he was going to win anyway. All of my family and friends told me that they were glad I went all in.”

Although Philipose did not leave “Jeopardy!” a winner in the traditional sense, he is victorious in other ways.

During the show’s interview portion, Philipose discussed the time where he signed up for the bone marrow registry, and eventually donated bone marrow to a child who was dying.

“I was a copycat. My brother joined the registry first. We were told there were not enough or a lot of people of color on the bone marrow registry,” he said on “Jeopardy!”

“A few years passed, and we both got matched to children that we did not know and we were able to donate and help them out. I would recommend anybody join the registry because it’s a really easy way to save a life.”

The show’s guest host, Mayim Bialik, described his good deed as “unbelievable,” and the moment earned him a round of applause from the studio audience.

Philipose said that the interview portion of the show is the part he was most excited about.

“Regardless of what happened, I was at least able to get the word out about a really easy way to save people’s lives. The champion, Ryan, actually tweeted out some stuff about the bone marrow registry and gave me a shoutout, and that’s getting a lot of attention in a nice way like I was hoping for,” Philipose said.

When he’s not educating college students or starring on quiz shows, Philipose enjoys hanging out at all the staples in the neighborhood such as Nick’s Pizza, Forest Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and Forest Hills Gardens.

“The diversity is what I love most about Queens. Here we have real people. We hear 50 different languages every time we walk on a sidewalk … I feel comfortable and at home in a place like that,” he said. “They call it the ‘World’s Borough’ for a reason, and it’s got everything I’m looking for.”

Richmond Hill street co-named ‘Ivan Mrakovcic Way’

Jessica Meditz on June 2, 2022

Last Monday, community residents, leaders, family, and friends gathered at 114th Street and 85th Avenue in Richmond Hill to honor the life and legacy of Ivan Mrakovcic with a co-street renaming.

Mrakovcic, who died in 2020 after battling brain cancer, is remembered for his contributions to the community; he was an architect, preservationist, community leader, historian, activist, and the co-founder and president of The Richmond Hill Historical Society.

He also served as treasurer for the Forest Park Trust, chairperson of Community Board 9 for five years, and as a founding board member of the Friends of QueensWay Park advocacy group.

Arranged by Councilwoman Lynn Schulman, the street where his wife, Laura, and their two daughters, Hannah and Emma, still live was co-named ‘Ivan Mrakovcic Way.’

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz reflected on her time as Queens Borough President and her interactions with Mrakovcic.

“When Ivan came into Community Board 9, we were very happy to have someone show leadership, who understood the community, was able to negotiate and sit down at the table and get things done for the community,” Katz said.

“We didn’t agree on everything. We had our debates and our issues, but at the end of the day, we always supported each other,” she continued. “Ivan cared about the historic neighborhood of Richmond Hill and the history of our community.”

Mrakovcic’s preservation efforts and advocacy led to the establishment of the Historic District in North Richmond Hill on the New York State and National Historic registers in 2019.

In his honor, William Gati, an architect, Richmond Hill Historical Society member, former Community Board 9 member, and one of Mrakovcic’s closest friends, started the

Ivan Mrakovcic Scholarship Fund at the High School For Construction Trades, Engineering And Architecture in Ozone Park.

He did so to pay homage to his friend, and give back to local youth in a way he knows Mrakovcic would have loved if he were still alive.

(Photos By Jessica Meditz)

“It’s all really bittersweet; I wish he were here instead of the street being named after him,” Gati said.
“The reason this is so special is the people that came and were a part of his life, and how he touched their lives,” he continued. “Ivan was very kind, and he didn’t rule with a heavy fist, he ruled with kindness.”

Sherry Algredo, chairperson of Community Board 9, also remembers Mrakovcic for his kind and welcoming personality, and assisted in making the street co-naming happen along with Faiuze Ali, CB9’s Transportation & Traffic chairperson.

“When I first came to the board, Ivan was one of the first people to greet me and make me feel welcome. When he told me about the chicken coop he kept in his yard, I identified with that, coming here from Trinidad and Tobago,” Algredo said. “It resonated with me then, and means a lot to me now as chair of Community Board 9.”

Regina Schaefer Santoro, a real estate agent who works with Mrakovcic’s wife, Laura, said that he will not only be remembered for his contributions to the community and kind personality, but also for how unique and quirky he always was.

“One day, he put a tinfoil cap on his head in the middle of a thunderstorm. We toasted s’mores over it because we lost power while we were away on vacation,” she said.
“He was a crazy, quirky guy; he was the first one to be at a party, and the last to leave,” she continued. “He also always wore the craziest, funniest costumes on holidays. And of course, he was known for his chickens. He was in it to make people laugh.”

Four local scouts earn Eagle rank

Jessica Meditz on June 1, 2022

Four young men from Troop 45 of Woodside have recently joined the four percent of Boy Scouts in the U.S. to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.

Massimo Accardo, Eamonn Dobey, Aidan Haran, and Oisin Haran — all natives of Maspeth and Middle Village — have climbed the necessary ranks throughout their scouting careers to achieve this ranking.

Prior to planning their Eagle Scout projects, all of which serve local communities, they earned six rank advancements and a minimum of 21 merit badges.

The scouts were also responsible for finding, planning, and coordinating the entirety of their projects, as well as raising funds and purchasing all supplies needed.

Accardo and the troop worked to revamp some dilapidated conditions in Forest Park, Queens.

Accardo and Dobey devoted their projects to the upkeep and preservation of Forest Park.

Accardo, who’s been involved with the Boy Scouts for 12 years, got the idea for his project by reaching out to NYC Councilman Robert Holden, who referred him to Joseph Block, who is responsible for managing and overseeing the operations, inspections, and maintenance of Forest Park.

During a tour of the park, Accardo decided to work on an overpass on Myrtle Avenue which cuts through the park that hadn’t had any work done on it for nearly 10 years.

“If you look at my before pictures, there was foundation exposed, a lot of mold and rusting, and concrete that was crumbling. There was also a lot of dirt on the sides of the manmade trails that were not safe and very steep,” he said. “So our plan was to resurface the surface itself.”

Accardo and other members of the troop took ample time to scrape off old paint and mold, test for lead, and repaint the surface of the overpass.

They also added cribbing to the neighboring man made walking trail, which involves wooden planks embedded in the ground to use as steps for safer navigation.

Accardo said that this was the troop’s first project during the pandemic, which caused a lot of challenges, including mask mandates and social distancing. However, he is proud of the end result.

“We decided to resurface the entire wall itself, so both sides of the overpass had contrasting colors,” he explained.

“It made it not just look like a project, but like a detailed job, which is what I’m really proud of because it looked professional.”

Dobey took inspiration for his project in a similar fashion, and decided to restore a dilapidated trail in Forest Park.

He said that the path was hazardous for park goers, and was full of potholes, cracks, raised concrete, overgrown thorn bushes, and litter.

He added that the steps that lead to the trail were completely unsafe, with missing parts and slabs that had come off the foundation.

“We repaved all the slabs and filled in the cracks by recementing the whole thing,” he said. “For the trail, we cut back the overgrown bush, shoveled out the soil and added wood chips and mulch, and picked up the garbage that made it unusable.”

Dobey takes pride in the finished product, and said that the project aligns with the overall mission of the Boy Scouts because it focused on cleaning up the community and making it a pleasant place for people to enjoy.

Haran dedicated his project to making repairs to St. Mel’s in Flushing.

Oisin Haran also kept his project local by helping St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing prepare for the school year.

“The project was to repaint the outside fence into the playground, paint the vents on the lockers inside the classrooms, build a new wooden fence to surround the garbage area, and modify the iron railing leading down to the basement to make it safer for children,” he said.

He explained that the outside gate was rusted and needed to be repainted, as well as the bike racks that were damaged by being hit by a car at one point.

He feared that the schoolchildren could get injured as a result of these conditions, which is what inspired him to take on the project.

Haran feels immense gratitude for his fellow scouts and troop leaders including Scoutmaster TJ Kerins, COR Fred Coltrinari, and Anthony Chorzepa, who is a retired carpenter.

His twin brother, Aidan Haran, ventured out into Bonitas Youth Service in the East Village for his project, which he completed in November 2021.

Bonitas Youth Services is a student hostel that houses young people from around the world, and Haran discovered that its backyard needed intense restoration.

“The yard was all old bluestone set in dirt, which was uneven. There was also a lot of garbage that needed to be cleaned up,” he said.

“The project included digging up the old backyard, putting in poppies and a drywall for drainage, making raised flower beds, and leveling the backyard to place new patio blocks that made it safe to walk on and suitable to hold events,” he continued.

In fact, the new patio blocks that were put into the yard came via a job in the city, from Martha Stewart’s roof.

Haran made extensive renovations to the backyard of Bonitas Youth Service, which houses young people from all over the world.

To honor the heritage of Father Patrick Moloney, an Irish priest who resides there, Haran arranged for the patio blocks to be engraved with symbols like St. Brigid’s Cross and the ichthys symbol.

To honor their hard work, the four scouts will be recognized during their Eagle Court of Honor on June 17.

Accardo is excited to finally partake in his ceremony, and says that they are “long overdue” as a result of delays from the pandemic.

“An Eagle is made through their actions in their leadership, depending on what they can do to a group and with a group. As for accomplishing it itself, a big part of it is attributed to the leaders,” he said.

“They put in a lot of time, effort, and volunteer hours, and they’ve been like parents to us. They’ve had to deal with a lot of crap from kids who are just stubborn a lot of time, and it takes a lot of patience,” he continued. “So a big part of it is to respect those who have done so much for us.”

Forest Hills Parade returns

Jessica Meditz on June 1, 2022

People filled the street along Metropolitan Avenue on Sunday for the annual Forest Hills Memorial Day Parade. This year’s event was the community’s first in two years, due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Veterans, community groups, elected officials, and local residents gathered to honor and remember the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and coast guard who died in service to their country.

Parade-goers with the Richmond Hill Historical Society get dressed up for the annual Memorial Day Parade in Forest HIlls

“The invasion of Ukraine by a tyrant is a stark reminder of why we need a strong national defense,” Michael Arcati, commander of American Legion Continental Post No. 1424 in Forest Hills, said. “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance and you see the eternal vigilance here today as the veterans of this American Legion, those of us still on active duty, and the Naval Sea Cadets who may one day raise their right hand and take the oath to defend this country.”

In an opening ceremony, The Legion Post recognized this year’s Grand Marshals, Patrick Conley, a U.S. army veteran who served from 1978 to 1981, and Timothy Ducey, a Glendale resident and community advocate who owns Acey Ducey’s and Tap House pubs in Forest Hills.

Also celebrated at the ceremony were NYPD Sergeant Christopher Fulgieri with the 2022 Forest Hills American Legion Law & Order Award, retired Engine 235 firefighter Lois Mungay with the 2022 Forest Hills American Legion First Responder Award, and Louie Suljovic, an Army veteran and hero who saved an elderly woman from a knife attack outside Louie’s Pizzeria and Restaurant on Baxter Ave. in Elmhurst.

Several local elected officials came out to show their support, including Congresswoman Grace Meng, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York State

Senator Joseph Addabbo, NYS Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, and Councilwoman Lynn Schulman.

Many of them took the time to remind the crowd the true meaning of the holiday.

“Memorial Day is not about barbecues, hamburgers, or beaches. It’s a dedicated day for honoring our military personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice to afford us the freedoms we take for granted every day,” said Schulman, whose great aunt served in the Women’s Army Corps., uncle fought in WWII, and father was a soldier in the Korean War. “We also owe the Gold Star families our gratitude for their sacrifice, as it is never easy losing a loved one, and I hope they know their loss will never be forgotten.”

Rudy Markard, a Queens resident who served as a sailor in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966, has taken part in Memorial Day parades for several years.
He takes pride in showing off his rebuilt military Jeep and letting children interact with the vehicle.

“It takes me back 50 years when I had little kids, so it’s a connection with life. It’s just wonderful,” Markard said.