See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joanna DelBuono
Brooklyn Daily
SheepShead Bay
Shout outs to Sunrise Assisted Living resident Sylvia Covici, a lively centenarian who turned 100 years young on Sept. 23.
The birthday gal was surrounded by friends and staff at the cake-filled fete. Fellow birthday girl and resident Santa Italiano celebrated her 87th birthday, along with our pal Sylvia. Standing O was told by friend and fellow thespian Ada Wolbrum that Sylvia has been know to act a line or two in productions over the years. Amy Cordona, the activities coordinator at Sunrise, and friend AJ Lipschitz were happy to give Sylvia a smooch and a happy b-day hug.
Standing O toasts Sylvia — live, laugh, and laugh gracious lady! — and wishes her another 100 years of happiness.
Sunrise Assisted Living, [2211 Emmons Ave. at Dooley Street in Sheepshead Bay, (718) 616–1850].
Sunset Park
Weathering the odds
Hats off to 17-year-old Jonathan Ferrer, a borough son who is on a mission to save his neighborhood from climate change. Growing up in Sunset Park, a community surrounded by three big power plants, this savvy teen knows first-hand how his neighborhood is at risk. So what does he do? He volunteers as a core youth organizer at UPROSE, a community-based organization in Sunset Park, and at the Climate Justice Community Resilience Center. To get his fellow teens involved, Jonathan uses music, art, and social media to create events that entertain and enlighten them.
The kid is on a mission.
“No one is going to be impacted as much by climate change as young people,” said our pal Jonathan, a recipient of the 2013 Brower Youth Award, and the only awardee from Brooklyn, Standing O might add, to receive this tall recognition.
The award is presented to teen environmentalists and young activists, as part of the New Leaders initiative program of the Earth Island Institute.
Jonathan will receive his award on Oct. 22 in San Francisco, along with the other five teen leaders.
Standing O thanks Jonathan for helping to save our planet.
Gowanus
Eagle Scout soars
Standing O shouts out to another teen environmentalist Alex Lola. The high school senior and Eagle Scout candidate from Boy Scout Troop 815 in Gowanus is planning to build a new mobile greenhouse for the Gowanus Canal Conservancy to nurture vegetation that will be transplanted around the canal. The vegetation will beautify and detoxify the local environment.
In order to help out our pal, the Lightstone Group announced it will give the conservancy $1,000 on behalf of Alex to help with building costs.
It’s a mission accomplished for Alex, who conceived this project while volunteering for the Conservancy’s Clean and Green program.
“I’m well aware of the pressing need to clean up this area,” he told Standing O. “I am thrilled to be working with the nursery and the construction.”
Standing O wishes Alex a continued green thumb.
Bensonhurst
Another deserving teen
It looks like the young ’uns have it this week! Outstanding freshman Ashleigh McGregor is last, but not least, on Standing O’s roster of distinguished young people.
Congratulations to Ashleigh, who won the Bishop Kearney High School annual 9-11 Lay Faculty Association Scholarship.
Bishop Kearney High School [2202 60th St. at Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst, (718) 236–6363].
Borough-Wide
It is the power of pink
Once the leaves start changing and you switch out your iced coffee with hot cocoa, you can be sure Panera Bread will once again be rolling out its pink bagels — yup, pink bagels — to help raise money for breast cancer awareness. That wonderful bakery that makes the most scrumptious yeasty confections is again hosting its Pink Ribbon Bagel campaign that benefits Gilda’s Club NYC. Panera’s campaign has raised more than $1 million in bagel bites for breast cancer research, education, and vital support groups since its inception a bit more than 10 years ago.
So from this little yellow donut — “Come on down, get a dozen or more, and know that every bite you take helps defeat breast cancer.”
By the way, the pink bagel is a cherry-vanilla bagel — a brown-sugar sweetened, wholesome cranberry-cherry chip bagel — that is shaped into iconic “pink ribbons.” Delizioso!
Panera Bread [Kings Plaza, Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U in Marine Park, and at 345 Adams St. near Fulton Street Mall Downtown].