VALENTINE’S GUIDE
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people making a BUZZ
COMPILED BY LOU PARAJOS AND TONIA N. CIMINO
Send us your announcements & pictures to: The Queens Courier c/o making a buzz: 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 • editorial@queenscourier.com subject: making a buzz
> WEDDING BELLS
> HAITIAN RELIEF
Patricia Mezeul (Peterson) Senior Vice President/Director of Government Banking, Flushing Bank and Gregory P. Peterson married on June 19, 2009.
is to raise 100,000 in $10 gifts from people everywhere. Please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/supportlowell to make your secure online donation today!
> HONORS AND AWARDS Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. joined hundreds of Queens residents and elected officials at the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee’s annual winter pride dinner. The event, which honors those who have contributed to the visibility of the LGBT movement in Queens, was held at the Astoria World Manor on Saturday, January 23. The Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee honored Councilmember Daniel Dromm and the Imperial Court of NY.
Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm A. Smith accepted a $50,000 check for Haitian relief from the Anheuser-Busch company on behalf of the New York State Senate. He is pictured here with Assemblymember Vito J. Lopez (far right), City Councilmember Mathieu Eugene (second from right), along with representatives from the Red Cross and Anheuser-Busch.
Photo Courtesy of The Lowell School
Students and staff from Lowell joined members of St. Mary’s Foundation, (left to right) Sugron Quamar, Elijah Phillips, Latif Sanders, Laura State, Raquel Rodriguez, Travis Mathias, Larry Martocci, and Cathy Vicital.
> ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
> VOLUNTEER EVENTS Allstate agent Garland Boyd of Queens Village organized a group of 10 volunteers to participate in activities for New York Allstate Give Back Day. The volunteers, some of who were dedicating their day off from school to do service, helped Allstate employees make over 350 head scarves for medical patients that will be donated to CUREchief, and wrote 64 letters to troops overseas.
Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, Councilmember James Van Bremer, Congressmember Joseph Crowley, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Assemblymember Michael Gianaris and City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. (left to right) attended the LGBT awards dinner. The Federation of Italian American Organizations (FIAO) in Queens held an installation of officers at the Istria Sports Club, 28-09 Astoria Boulevard, in Astoria. The Vice-Consul of Italy, Laura Aghilarre and the former president Thomas Bullaro joined State Senator George Onorato at the swearing of Joseph DiPietro as the Federation’s new president.
Photo by Walter Karling
State Senator George Onorato (left) swears-in Joseph DiPietro as the new president of FIAO.
Hillcrest High School Principal Stephen Duch (right) thanks Councilmember Jim Gennaro and Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall for their generous allocations for a new library at the school. Gennaro and Marshall were guests of honor at the January 22 dedication of the Helen M. Marshall and James F. Gennaro Library and Media Center. Gennaro allocated $250,000 for the new library.
> BLACK HISTORY EVENT In photo (left to right): (back row) Dethress Lesley, Charlene Smalls, Christina Walker, Karlease Smalls, Helena Campbell and Allstate agent Garland Boyd and (front row) Simone Boyd, Kenisha Smalls, Claressa Lesley, and Adrienne Boyd during Give Back Day. The Lowell High School in Flushing participated in its annual “Toy Drive” in December to benefit St. Mary’s Foundation for Children in Bayside. “We are so proud of the students, their families, and our staff for this recordbreaking endeavor in which more than 200 items were donated,” said Susan Klein, principal at the high school. Part of their Character Education Program, the December ‘Word of the Month’ was charity, which stressed the importance of giving to people in need. The Lowell School students are seeking support for the student-sponsored “Brick by Brick” Building for Our Future online campaign – with a $10 minimum tax-deductible gift. Their goal
B16 THE QUEENS COURIER | FEBRUARY 4, 2010 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM
York College Provost and senior vice president, academic affairs, Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, Ph.D. will be the guest speaker at the Black History Month Program of the 100 Black Men of Long Island, Inc. general membership meeting at the chapter’s headquarters on Wednesday, February 10 at 7 p.m. Griffith will speak on, “The Role of Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith Mentoring in the Obama Era!” The evening will also include the historic unveiling of the painting “Day of the last debate” by William West, artist and chronicler of Historic Events. The painting depicts the various events that took place around Hofstra University on October 15, 2008, the day of the last U.S. Presidential debate between candidates John McCain and Barack H. Obama.