Nelson Ibanez passed away on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at the age of 69. Beloved Husband of Maria Rodriguez. Cherished Brother-in-Law of Natividad. Loving Uncle & Great-Uncle. Dear Friend. Mass of Christian Burial offered at St. Mary’s Church on Monday, October 3, 2022 9:30 AM. Private Cremation followed at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
By Stephanie Meditz
news@queensledger.com
Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur, Helen Arteaga and Dr. Mitchell Katz wished Elmhurst Hospital a happy 190th birthday.
Last Thursday, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst brought community members together to celebrate its 190th anniversary.
The celebration reflected on the hospital’s long history of serving all people regardless of class, race and immigration status, especially during times of citywide need.
Even before COVID-19 took the world by storm, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has helped the community fight numerous pandemics, including cholera, dengue fever, yellow fever, Spanish flu, polio and smallpox.
“It was very clear from our birth that Elmhurst was ready to fight every pandemic that hit our beloved New York City,” CEO Helen Arteaga said. “There was always a sense of responsibility in being determined and defenders of our communities, especially communities of color…Communities and groups that were told they were not good enough, that were told they’re not welcome, that were told they’re not American enough.”
NYC Health + Hospitals president Dr. Mitchell Katz ascribes his current position to his passion for giving all patients the highest quality of care in the simplest way possible.
“The single most important thing will always be the doctor, the nurse, the social worker, the tech, the person cleaning the room, the dietary person and the interaction with the patient,” he said. “I think Elmhurst really demonstrates that, that Elmhurst really is about providing the very best care for the individual.”
Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur, CMO, has 52 years of experience working at Elmhurst Hospital.
In 1964, she was the second resident in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine when she was assigned to Elmhurst.
Although the hospital was practically empty after her initial assignment, the hospital now hosts 785 workers with diverse skills, such as psychologists and nurse practitioners, and between 350 and 400 residents and fellows.
“I’m so proud and happy to say who we are here and how much we are able to provide our services to the community,” she said. “We are really and truly excited to use the best care of medicine in this borough.”
Joann Gull, CNO, also noted Elmhurst Hospital’s significant growth during her 51 years of working there.
“When I originally came, I had the normal plan of staying a year or two and then moving on. But what I found was something that was amazing. It was the culture of the institution, the mission, the people who we got to work with, having the experience of taking care of patients who were really in need…that, I think, was the secret sauce of Elmhurst that so many of us stayed all these years,” she said.
Moshirpur also noted the immense support given to the hospital by senators, borough presidents and other elected officials.
Joann Gull, Dr. Mitchell Katz, Helen Arteaga and Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur thanked Queens Borough President Donovan Richards for his generosity towards Elmhurst Hospital.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards donated $7.5 million to Elmhurst Hospital during his first 19 months in office.
“This is a hospital made up of immigrants and working class staff who serve the predominantly immigrant and working class residents of Elmhurst and our neighboring communities,” he said. “No matter what your socioeconomic status is, no matter what your zip code is, no matter if you’re documented or undocumented, if you’re a United States citizen or not, you get quality service here at Elmhurst Hospital.”
Judith Berdy, president of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society, presented on Elmhurst Hospital’s long journey from its founding to the present day, with special attention to the several pandemics that the hospital has fought.
Judith Berdy gives the crowd a history lesson about Elmhurst Hospital.
“These patients have nothing. They have very few visitors and, trust me, Dr. Katz will attest to how many lockdowns and quarantines we have,” she said, “Mentally, it really has been exhausting. We provide what we can for our residents. Health + Hospitals does a great job.”
Despite NYC Health + Hospitals.Elmhurst’s advancements in technology and the copious New Yorkers it has helped, its 190th anniversary is only the beginning.
“Let us imagine that new AI technology is accessible for all, that we have a state of the art emergency room, that we have a beautiful building full of light for our behavioral health towers…let us imagine Elmhurst speaking more languages than Google…let us be unstoppable in removing social and racial barriers for healthcare,” Arteaga said. “Our big dreams are just like New Yorkers’, and we are New Yorkers. So New York, we either go big or we go home, and I don’t think we’re going home.”
By Mike Porcelli
In my continuing mission to advocate for the availability of career training best suited to students, I constantly encounter groups dedicated to helping them discover their best career paths. Every school and family of young students should take advantage of the career exploration counseling services offered by these organizations. They represent many industries; most are widely available, and many are free to use.
This week, I introduce you to: https://techforce.org/ – a nonprofit committed to career exploration and workforce development for students and professional technicians in automotive, aviation, collision, diesel, marine and other mechanical technologies. It is composed of students, working technicians, instructors and industry professionals committed to empowering the industry workforce.
TechForce inspires young people to explore the technician profession, supports students obtaining the technical training to become workforce-ready and connects techs with resources, mentors and employers to advance their careers. They champion students through their technical education and into the trades by offering career exploration tools to middle and high school students and guiding future techs through their education, career development and job placement.
It is a hub for career exploration, workforce development and job placement of professional technicians, and is the largest nonprofit scholarship provider for those entering the industry. Since 2007, they’ve awarded over $17,000,000 in scholarships and grants to more than 40,000 aspiring technicians.
In order to better reach the students who can most benefit from their services, TechForce has built the first-ever social network dedicated to aspiring and professional technicians. The network is free to join and allows techs and students to connect with industry events, scholarships, and jobs, all while having fun. Explore TechForce’s social network at: http://techforce.org/Network/
TechForce and other such career development organizations recognize that students are all wired differently, that many can be better off not incurring the debt of a 4-year college degree, and there are many different paths to career success. It’s time for our schools to acknowledge these facts and restore respect for technical education, the skilled trades and the essential workers who keep America moving by expanding CTE programs nationwide.
In order to accomplish their goal to be the champion for all technicians, TechForce collaborates with every willing school, company, association and nonprofit across all industry sectors to identify solutions that help current and future techs successfully navigate their career paths, from entry to placement. They currently have working relationships with over 300 Partner Schools in the TechForce Network.
Readers should participate in local school board meetings to demand that school systems join with TechForce and similar services to maximize the development of every student’s natural abilities and talents so they can have successful careers.
For our economy and society to continue to prosper: schools must develop each student’s individual natural abilities and talents – whatever they are.
Academic & Trade Education are Two Sides of a Coin. This column explores the impact of CTE programs on students, society, and the economy.
Mike Porcelli: life-long mechanic, adjunct professor, and host of Autolab Radio, is committed to restoring trade education in schools before it’s too late. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-porcelli-master-mechanic-allasecerts/
Patricia Crane passed away on Monday, September 19, 2022 at the age of 78. Dear Sister of David (Betty Ann) Crane Jr. Loving Aunt of Dawn Crane & Michael and David (Marie) Crane. Cherished Great Aunt of Samantha (Samantha), Tiffany, Alfonso, David, Mikayla, Alyssa and Mikey and Great-Great-Aunt of Mason. Funeral Service offered at Papavero Funeral Home on Friday, September 23, 2022 at 10 AM. Interment followed at Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Adela Villalba passed away on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at the age of 83. Beloved Mother of Myrla Phillips, Cathia Phillips and Adolfo Phillips. Loving Grandmother of Catherine Ortiz and Cherished Great Grandmother of Max Ortiz. Funeral Services held at Papavero Funeral Home on Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 12 PM. Private Cremation followed at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Helen Falco passed away on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at the age of 84. Beloved Wife of Charles Falco. Loving Mother of Mary Ortiz and Helen Chambers. Cherished Grandmother of Melissa, Michelle, Robert and Jessica. Mass of Christian Burial offered at St. Adalbert’s Church on Saturday September 24, 2022 10 AM. Interment followed at St. John Cemetery, Middle Village, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Theresa H. Callahan passed away on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at the age of 82. Beloved Sister of Frances Wu, Joseph Hall and the late Gregory Hall. Loving Aunt of Beatrice (Benjamin) Wu, Anastasia Wang, Christine Wu, Felicia Hall, Anselm Hall and Antonia Wong. Private Cremation held on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at Fresh Pond Crematory, Middle Village, NY. Memorial Mass offered at St. Adalbert’s Church on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 10 AM. Interment followed at Mount St. Mary Cemetery, Flushing NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
By Stephanie Meditz
news@queensledger.com
Royal Star Theatre taking their final bows after a performance of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Last weekend, Royal Star Theatre brought audience members back to their childhoods with its production of “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
The four-show run at The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica was the company’s first full fledged production since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her directorial debut with RST, Alison Kurtzman made the difficult choice of what show to put on after two and a half years away from the stage and ultimately made the perfect decision — a lighthearted, universally loved production with a small cast.
“We put a lot of thought into what was the right show to do in terms of what cast we would have available, how comfortable people would feel coming down to audition or coming to see a show, all that casting,” she said. “It was just really exciting to be able to kind of help this and be the first show back.”
“I don’t think people realized how much they missed this until they came back to it,” she continued. “It’s just a really exciting time for all of us, and it’s really great to be able to be back in some semblance.”
The musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” consists of a series of vignettes that depict Charles M. Schulz’s beloved Peanuts in adorably funny situations that align with their infamous traits.
For instance, Linus van Pelt (played by Danielle Fleming) and his signature blanket led a lively dance number,”My Blanket & Me,” but not before he attempts and fails to walk away from it.
Lucy van Pelt (Aglaia Ho) stomped around and demanded the other Peanuts to participate in a survey to measure her crabbiness level.
Daniel Kuhlman especially shone in the titular role — from start to finish, he emulated an anxious child with every stumbling step and pout when the cute little redhead once again did not notice him.
“Most of Queens’ community theaters are just coming back this summer, so everyone was just so excited to be here that it wasn’t hard to get excitement out of the cast,” Kurtzman said. “It really didn’t take much to get them to have that exuberance.”
It was no small feat for this cast to adopt children’s body language in a convincing way — the Peanuts are all children (or dogs), but RST’s cast was made up entirely of adults.
“Characterization is super important in this musical because you’re remaking these beloved comic strip characters and all these specials that people watch around the holidays onto the stage,” Caitlin Leahy said, in reference to her role as Snoopy. “You have to be larger than life, especially since it’s a stage production.”
Leahy, who wanted to play Snoopy as soon as she found out about the show, screamed when Kurtzman called to tell her she got the part.
“I feel like Snoopy and I have a lot in common,” she said. “Very effervescent personalities, but Snoopy can be very sassy at times, so I’m trying to bring out that side of me more…There are a lot of times where Snoopy has this switch between being a calm and stoic personality and switching to this very funny, comedic, almost predatory dog who still has animalistic instincts. ”
Leahy, the youngest member of the cast, attended high school at The Mary Louis Academy and returned to its stage as a college student.
“As I’m still in the area for college, I’m always passing by,” she said. “I’m officially an adult now onstage, and it feels different because I’m working with different people and it’s a different production. And while the change was pretty drastic, I’m still at where I started my theater experience in freshman year.”
Although this was Leahy’s first show with RST, she had arguably the most difficult stage directions in the show, between standing atop her doghouse, chasing metaphorical sticks on all fours and finding a balance between human and canine movements.
The performance was held at The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica.
Daniel Kuhlman (Charlie Brown) likewise had a difficult role to play, given that his character was likely everyone in the audience’s favorite.
“I think more than trying to copy any previous idea of what Charlie Brown is, I tried to look at it more from ‘What does a seven-ish year old with anxiety look like?’ and just sort of use that as a base and go from there,” he said. “And then make sure that whenever I’m rehearsing lines at home or when I’m running the songs, I’m always keeping in mind that I am an anxious, very young child.”
Although Kuhlman never studied theater or pursued it as a career, it has been inseparable from his everyday life.
He posts niche theater content on his TikTok account, @dankuhlman, which boasts 12.9k followers.
“Anyone who knows me…knows that, at any given point, it’s not ‘What’s your next show?,’ it’s ‘What are you in rehearsals for right now?’” he said.
Royal Star Theatre dedicated its run of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” to Natalie “Cookie” Knisbaum, one of RST’s founding members who died recently.
To learn about Royal Star Theatre’s upcoming productions, visit their website at www.royalstartheatre.org.
By Mike Porcelli
Each year we start off September by celebrating Labor Day, the day set aside to honor the contributions of working people.
But few people know that it’s also Workforce Development Month, and the third Friday is known as National Tradesmen Day.
Last week I attended City & State’s Future of Work Summit, where leaders in workforce development explored how to produce the labor-force of the future.
A major focus of the day was the role of education in developing that workforce — something I have been promoting for decades.
The event featured many local and state officials, who spoke about the importance of training young people to fill jobs our economy needs — particularly trade jobs.
Like last month’s Education Summit, each speaker acknowledged that our schools are not producing enough graduates with trade skills.
We must correct that deficiency by expanding Career and Technical Education and guiding students into the careers they are best suited for. That must become our most important education priority — before it’s too late.
The theme of the day seemed to be, schools must provide training that is paired with students’ talents and abilities, something this column has repeatedly stressed.
The alignment of training that fits the needs of both students and industry must be the goal of our education system.
After decades of reducing trade training programs, leaders of government, education and industry are finally recognizing the error of that policy and actively seeking to correct it.
It was very encouraging to hear many of the speakers reiterate what I have been preaching for years, but there seemed to be a lack of awareness about how to achieve balance in the programs that schools offer.
I was greatly disappointed that none of the speakers were aware of the https://www.march2success.com/ program discussed here last week, even though it was featured at last month’s Education Summit, but pleased that several of the speakers promised to investigate how March2Success could help schools align their offerings with students.
In this month of recognition of the value of all workers, especially those who work with their hands and high-tech minds, with the skills to maintain the modern technology we all rely on every day for our very existence, it’s time to remember how dependent we are on their skills and honor all tradesmen as earlier societies did.
Every day should be Tradesmen-Appreciation-Day. They are among our most essential workers. Show them the respect they deserve and join the CTE Revolution to produce more of them.
Schools must develop each student’s individual natural abilities and talents – whatever they are.
Academic & Trade Education are Two Sides of a Coin. This column explores the impact of CTE programs on students, society, and the economy.
Mike Porcelli: life-long mechanic, adjunct professor, and host of Autolab Radio, is committed to restoring trade education in schools before it’s too late. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-porcelli-master-mechanic-allasecerts/
