Queens County Farm Museum’s Winter
Wonderland opens for holiday season
St. John’s University appoints new president
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
St. John’s University has appointed
Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., as its
18th president.
The Vincentian university’s board
of trustees announced they came to
the decision unanimously elected Fr.
Shanley as the next president, succeeding
current President Conrado
“Bobby” Gempesaw, who announced
his retirement this summer after becoming
the first layperson in the university’s
150-year history to serve as
president.
“On behalf of the entire board of
trustees, I am absolutely delighted to
welcome Fr. Shanley to St. John’s,”
said William J. Janetschek, chair of
the board of trustees. “Fr. Shanley’s
steadfast devotion to Catholic education
and to student success were apparent
from our very first conversations
with him. He has a demonstrated
record of achievement as president of
Providence College, and we believe
that he is the ideal candidate to serve
as our beloved university’s 18th president.
We look forward to, and will be
grateful for, Fr. Shanley’s visionary
leadership in the years ahead.”
The selection of Fr. Shanley follows
an extensive national search,
overseen by committee of 18 individuals,
led by Janetschek, who represent
a cross-section of St. John’s University’s
constituencies, including faculty,
students, administrators, as well as
current and emeriti members of the
board of trustees. The university was
also aided in the search by WittKieffer,
one of the nation’s leading higher
education consulting firms.
Rev. Shanley will take the reins
beginning on Feb. 1, 2021.
“I am honored and delighted to
be elected by the board of trustees
to serve the St. John’s community
as president of the university,” said
Fr. Shanley. “I have long admired St.
John’s commitment to the founding
mission set forth by the Vincentian
community to provide a Catholic education
for first-generation students in
a diverse and inclusive environment.
I look forward to leading our community
to remain committed to that mission
amidst the unique challenges of
the current times.”
Prior to this role, Fr. Shanley was
the 12th and longest-serving president
in Providence College’s history, from
2005 until June 2020. While at Providence
College, he was credited with
making substantial improvements to
campus facilities and student services,
hiring large numbers of new faculty,
diversifying the student body and
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.22 COM | DEC. 4-DEC. 10, 2020
strengthening the college’s national
profile in academics and athletics.
Fr. Shanley graduated as summa
cum laude from Providence College
in 1980, with a degree in history. He
was later ordained to the priesthood
in 1987. He completed his Ph.D. in philosophy
at the University of Toronto,
and later joined the faculty at The
Catholic University of America. He
subsequently spent time at the University
of Notre Dame and at Emory
University.
“I am thrilled for Fr. Shanley. He
was such an impactful president during
his 15-year tenure at Providence
College, and he will long be remembered
as one of the best presidents in
the history of our college,” said Providence
College’s current President Fr.
Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. “He was an
amazing colleague, friend and mentor
to me. I know that he still had more to
offer, and I have no doubt that he will
do a wonderful job at St. John’s University.
On behalf of the entire Providence
College community, I wish him
the very best and every success in
this new endeavor.”
Founded in 1870, St. John’s University’s
first campus was located in
Brooklyn, but later moved to Queens
in the 1950s. Their main campus is
now located at 8000 Utopia Parkway
in Jamaica. The university also has
locations in Staten Island, Manhattan
and Hauppauge; as well as internationally
in Rome, Italy, Paris, France
and Limerick, Ireland.
The University currently has 1,400
full-time and part-time faculty, approximately
15,700 undergraduate
students, and 4,450 graduate students
who come from 45 states and 121
countries.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Queens County Farm Museum’s
one-of-a-kind Winter
Wonderland floral pop-up is
bringing vibrant color and
masterful designs making it
the perfect winter destination
for entertainment and
holiday photos.
Queens County Farm has
partnered with the Floral
Escape artistic design team
Azizan Ali and Laila Ahmed
for the one-acre Winter Escape,
now open to the public.
“It will be a ‘berry’ merry
holiday season at Queens
Farm thanks to our new design
partners at the Floral Escape,”
said Jennifer Walden
Weprin, executive director
of Queens County Farm Museum.
“Tens of thousands of
silk flowers are blooming to
ring in the holiday season.”
The Winter Escape will
run through Jan. 10, 2021.
It’s the only silk flower, outdoor
holiday installation in
New York City bringing new
holiday cheer to the historic
farm.
This colored outdoor holiday
adventure features 15
custom escapes including:
a Gingerbread Village with
vibrant floral sweets almost
good enough to eat; a Candy
Cane Rose Garden with 6-foot
floral candy canes; a Snowy
Peak Lodge; purple reindeer;
a 1971 white Austin FX4 enveloped
in pink cascading
flowers; and The Most Wonderful
Wreath of the Year offering
12-feet of glory.
Visitors can also snap an
‘elfie with Santa in his Jolly
‘Olly Throne Chair.
Also down on the farm,
visitors can take a hayride
and stop by the farm’s holiday
market which offers a
rich assortment of Christmas
trees, wreaths, poinsettias
and unique holiday gifts.
Shoppers can pick from
traditional games, toys and
handmade stuffed animals
for the lil’ farmer in every
family or choose from a
selection of Queens-made
gifts to help make the holiday
cozy. And, of course, a
visit to Queens Farm is not
complete without a leisurely
stroll across the grounds to
meet the farm’s goats, sheep,
steer, alpaca and hens — the
real stars of the urban oasis.
Visitors are also encouraged
to drop off healthy,
shelf-stable food to support
the farm’s annual food drive
benefiting Queens College’s
Knights Table Food Pantry.
The Winter Escape is open
Thursdays and Fridays from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays
and Sundays from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. through Jan. 10,
2021. Online tickets are $24
per person ($15 for children
2 to 10 years old). Admission
to Queens County Farm Museum
is free and the farm offers
free event parking.
Queens County Farm is
located at 73-50 Little Neck
Pkwy. in Floral Park. It is
open daily Monday through
Sunday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
on Christmas Eve. Queens
Farm is closed Christmas
Day and New Year’s Day.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718) 260–
4526.
Queens County Farm’s Winter Escape is the only silk flower, outdoor
holiday installation in New York City bringing new holiday
cheer to the historic farm. Photo courtesy of The Floral Escape
REV. BRIAN J. SHANLEY
link
