14 TIMES • AUGUST 27, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com Howard Beach native elected governor of NY Kiwanis BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua After one year acting as lieutenant governor of the Queens West Kiwanis, Stephen Sirgiovanni realized he wanted to make a bigger difference. The Howard Beach native accomplished this when he was elected governor of New York Kiwanis on Aug. 15. Sirgiovanni’s campaign trail spanned across all of New York state, from his hometown in Howard Beach to Niagara Falls. His father was one of the founding members of the Howard Beach Kiwanis and Sirgiovanni grew up volunteering around his community. He raised $18,000 for juvenile diabetes as lieutenant governor and also raised money for local Howard Beach nonprofi t New York Families for Autistic Children. “I started to run for governor because I knew I could make a difference and implement what I want to do,” Sirgiovanni said. He will start his position as governor elect on Oct. 1 and shadow New York District Governor Forbes Irvine for one year as he learns how to take over an organization with more than 7,000 members and 250 clubs. Sirgiovanni is looking forward to attracting more members and expanding Kamp Kiwanis, a free summer camp for 800 children 8 to 14. He also wants to raise money for the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center, which aims to reduce trauma-related death and injuries for children. Pediatric lyme disease, cerebral palsy and autism are among the causes he wants to raise funds for. Support from the Howard Beach community, including elected offi - cials, has poured in, he said, because his community involvement has been extensive. Though he was deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy, Sirgiovanni still found time to deliver food to relief centers all across Queens. “The work that I do, I do for the community and for the children,” Sirgiovanni said. Photo courtesy of Facebook/Joel Harris Stephen Sirgiovanni (left) was elected governor of New York Kiwanis on Aug. 15. RIDGEWOOD TIMES/File photo Ridgewood is set to host two street in festivals this September, the Fresh Pond Road Street Festival and the Myrtle Avenue Fall Street Festival. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport Get ready to party in the streets of Ridgewood this September as the community gears up for two annual street fairs, the Fresh Pond Road Street Festival and the Myrtle Avenue Fall Street Festival. The four-day Fresh Pond Road Street Festival, sponsored by the Federazione Italo-Americana di Brooklyn and Queens, will take place from Sept. 3 to 6 along a fi ve-block stretch of Fresh Pond Road, between Menahan and Woodbine streets. One of the newest attractions for this year’s Fresh Pond Road Street Festival is the fi rst poetry and art contest, hosted by the Federazione Italo-Americana di Brooklyn and Queens. This contest allows schoolchildren who are enrolled in a New York City public or private grammar, intermediate or high school to submit their art on the topic, “Growing up ______ American in Queens,” (i.e. Growing up Italian-American in Queens), with an alternate topic of “What community means to you.” Prizes adding up to $1,200 will be divided among the winners of the contest. “This contest is going to add a new dimension to the festival and the people who visit Ridgewood,” said Michael Conigliaro, managing director-adviser of the festival for the Federazione Italo-Americana di Brooklyn and Queens. The Myrtle Avenue Fall Street Festival, sponsored by the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) in conjunction with Clearview Festival Productions, will host more than 200 merchant and vendor displays along Myrtle Avenue from Wyckoff Avenue to Fresh Pond Road on Sept. 13 from noon to 6 p.m. The street festival is designed to showcase the community and attract more than 20,000 shoppers to Myrtle Avenue with children’s rides, game booths, health providers, local nonprofi t and civic organizations and local artists. Antique and custom cars will be on display from East Coast Car Association and Riviera Owners Association. Joe Fuoco’s Music Center and Ridgewood Dance Studio will provide entertainment at the 71st Avenue Plaza from noon to 5 p.m. Representatives from the Department of Transportation’s Go Smart NYC Program will be on hand to register people for the program and inform them on how to get rewards at participating local businesses. Celebrate festival season in Ridgewood this September
RT08272015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above