FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 24, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
Bayside organization awarded $115k for community improvements
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A Bayside group committed to helping
Identical twins at Queens high school fi nish at top of graduating class
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Twin sisters from Fresh Meadows will
take top honors at their upcoming graduation
from an all-girls school in Jamaica
Estates.
Maya and Hannah Reyes have achieved
valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively,
at Th e Mary Louis Academy. Th e private
high school’s graduation ceremony
will take place on June 3.
Th e Queens natives attended Our Lady
of Snows and Divine Wisdom Catholic
Academy before attending the college
preparatory school, where they took all
honors and advanced placement classes.
For Hannah Reyes, the subjects that
most captured her interest were
English and math. Th e student
also dedicated time to
the school orchestra and soft -
ball team.
“I really liked English
because they have a
really good department,”
Hannah
Reyes said. “The
teachers were very
personable. They
got to know you.”
Maya Reyes, who
is also drawn to
mathematics, took
an advanced calculus
class this
past year — a
challenging but
rewarding experience. She also participated
in the school orchestra, where she
and her sister played the piano and the
drums.
“I really liked orchestra because we got
to play diff erent pieces, from pop to classical,”
Maya Reyes said. “We had a concert
last week and we played a bunch of
diff erent pieces. It was really fun getting
to know the girls there.”
Aft er receiving acceptances to multiple
top schools in the nation this spring, each
sister had a diffi cult decision to make.
In the fall, Hannah will attend
Northeastern University, where she is
enrolled in the school’s Honors Program
and will study computer science and business.
Maya will go to the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, where
she plans to study mechanical
and aeronautical engineering and
study abroad in South Africa or
Australia.
In the coming weeks,
each sister will have a
chance to address the
class of 2018 in a speech.
“Th ere were a lot of
diff erent ideas I was
thinking of in my head,”
Maya Reyes said. “But
I feel like when I fi nally
looked my speech
over — aft er a million
tries — I feel like what
I wrote is something
I’m really proud of.”
To celebrate their
achievements, the twins’ parents surprised
them with a trip to Hawaii. Th e
family will leave for the vacation shortly
aft er graduation.
“We’re extremely proud of them,” father
Nelson Reyes said. “Th ey’ve worked very
hard. Like every parent, we put them on
a path, but it’s really up to them to really
get to that end line. A lot of credit goes
to them.”
local businesses thrive received over
$100,000 in state funds to bring a series of
enhancements to the community.
On May 18, the Bayside Business
Association (BBA) was presented a
$115,000 check by state Senator Tony
Avella. Th e group, which currently has 65
member businesses, organizes beautifi cation
projects, networking and marketing
programming and is responsible for the
formation of the Bayside Village Business
Improvement District (BID).
Funds will go toward creating
“Welcome to Bayside” signage, according
to BBA president Ed Probst. Th ough
planning for the capital improvement
project is in its very early stages, the president
said the group is considering the
area where the Cross Island Parkway and
Northern Boulevard meet and by Francis
Lewis Boulevard “where the town lines
run” as possible locations.
Th e BBA is also exploring the viability
of creating a centralized kiosk to promote
local businesses and signage for its
headquarters at Bell Boulevard and 41st
Avenue, next to the Long Island Rail
Road’s Bayside station.
Th e group will also use the funds to
improve their website, create better networking
events for local businesses and
for general operating costs.
“I want to thank Senator Avella for
this grant that will go a long way in
helping us continue to grow our membership,”
Probst said. “From operating
our organization to fostering new
events, providing networks and forums,
and helping us give back to member
businesses in Bayside, this funding will
help us sustain our mission to continue
to grow.”
“Obviously I’m always very happy
when I’m able to bring money back to
the district, and especially for the BBA,
which just such a great job in maintaining
the vibrancy of Bell Boulevard,”
Avella said. “I’m very happy to give
them some money to continue and
expand their role.”
Just married!
Megan Weiner and Matthew Smith were married on April 22 in a ceremony at the
Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown, NY. Weiner, daughter of Jeff and Helene
Weiner of Plainview, NY, works in sales and events at Schneps Communications,
the parent company of Th e Queens Courier. Smith, son of Dr. David Smith of
Philadelphia and the late Marcy Smith, is a physical therapy aide. Th e happy newlyweds
reside in Glen Cove, NY.
Photo: Suzanne Monteverdi/THE COURIER
Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/The Courier
Avella presents the funds to BBA directors
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