FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 22, 2016 • THE QUEENS COURIER 57 Looking into the past and the future, with great gratitude vschneps@ gmail.com Dynamic $1500 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign DENTAL WORK CALL FOR FREE CONSULTATION THE INVISIBLE WAY TO SOME EXCLUSIONS APPLY STRAIGHTEN TEETH Third Generation Dentist ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� I screamed “Stop the presses, stop the presses!” as I looked at the very fi rst edition of the new Queens Courier. The front page photo was a black blob, and I wasn’t going to allow my fi rst edition to go out looking like that. So they stopped the presses, and, with my then-business partner, John Toscano, I ran to the car and got that front page photo. I brought it to the printer, who reshot it, made a new plate for the massive presses -- and soon the presses were buzzing again. They brought me the fi rst run of the paper, and this time it was perfect; my publishing career had begun. That was in 1985, and as we approach the new year, with my son (and business partner) Josh, I look back with gratitude on these many decades. Yes, dear reader, to paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of print’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Our weekly print editions, the Sun Courier, Ridgewood Times and Courier, included more than 160 pages last week. We also had 60 pages in three diff erent editions of our papers in Brooklyn. We are alive and well! We’ve grown from one newspaper to 20 newspapers. Keeping our eyes on the present and future, you can read our news on your mobile phones and computers. We have multiple digital properties and a social media staff . We have kept, and continue to keep, our fi nger on the pulse of the neighborhoods we serve to provide award-winning news on multiple platforms. Wanting to make a diff erence in the community has always been my mission. With that in mind, 15 years ago, I created a networking event for women in business. It was to salute them and put their work in the spotlight. This has led to our creating Power Women in Business, Kings of and Stars Under 40 events across Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island. Our networking events not only highlight business people, but they also allow us to raise money for local causes. Most recently, during our Power Women of Long Island event on Dec. 1, we raised money for two charities. Each of these causes was created by a woman who suff ered the loss of their child. My friend Susan Gruen Helsinger lost her teenage son to sudden heart failure. It turns out that he had a hidden heart problem that was undetected until it was too late. She set up a foundation which off ers testing for this heart problem to children going into high school. So far, 75 young people have been identifi ed as having that condition, and their lives were saved because Susan took her tragedy and made a diff erence in other children’s lives. How powerful and wonderful is that! We’re also proud to be the owners of the Bethpage Federal Credit Union Best of Long Island, adding to our Best of the Boro and Best of Brooklyn campaigns. More than 3 million people have gone online to vote! It’s jaw dropping to me to see these campaigns grow. With the holidays here, I feel the need to share my gratefulness for my family, my friends, my sensationally talented staff that make the business buzz, and the people in the communities who are making a diff erence every day. With all the craziness in our world aft er the national election, it’s great to take time just to be happy, to laugh and to be with people I love. It’s the most precious gift I have; indeed, it’s the most precious gift anyone could have. May you too cherish and hug the ones you love and tell them “I love you.” A hug goes a long way, so make sure you share many of them in the days ahead! Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas! Victoria’s Secrets Victoria SCHNEPS-YUNIS tweet me @vschneps The very first front page of The Courier in 1985 Joel and Debbie Levine, who founded Alley Oop for Autism out of their child’s needs, received the Community Activist Award at our Long Island Power Women in Business event. She’s pictured with myself and her husband. Terrie Magro founded the Michael Magro Foundation in memory of her son to help children with cancer.
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