Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The end of another chapter...
The Miss Staten Island Pageant took place at its usual home, New Dorp High School, on November 13th. This was a special event as the organization celebrated its 45th anniversary.The Miss Staten Island Pageant is one of the longest local pageants in the Miss New York Organization. It is such an honor to be a part of this milestone as a former Miss Staten Island. As a little girl, I looked up to all the Miss Staten Islands as my role models, my big sisters, my inspiration. I wanted to be just like them; to grow up to one day become Miss Staten Island. And it finally happened in 2009. That crowning moment was something I have been waiting for my entire life. The opportunity to represent my hometown was an exhilarating feeling and an unbelievably experience. You can imagine I had the same excitement as Miss Richmond County. To have a legacy as the first Miss Richmond County to compete in the Miss America Organization is an encomium I will never forget. I also feel honored to be a part of new traditions not only for the Miss Staten Island Pageant, but for the borough of Staten Island. This was the first year the pageant crowned FOUR winners: Miss Staten Island, Miss Richmond County, Miss Staten Island Outstanding Teen, and Miss Richmond County Outstanding Teen. It is a wonderful opportunity that now two native Staten Islanders can represent the borough. I was ebullient to do so, and I know that future generations will appreciate the legacy that began with me.
Borough President James Molinaro and Jerry Ruggiero, President of the Miss Staten Island Pageant
Crowning my successor: Amanda Alicea, Miss Richmond County 2011
Amanda Alicea, Miss Richmond County 2011; Maria DeSantis, Miss Staten Island 2011; Shreya Jain, Miss Staten Island's Outstanding Teen 2011; Victoria Dugay, Miss Richmond County's Outstanding Teen 2011
Kimberly Cantoni, Miss Richmond County 2010
Jennifer Scacco, Miss Staten Island 2010
Miss Richmond County 2010 and 2011
Miss Staten Island 2009, 2010, and 2011
Claire Buffie, Miss New York 2010
Jeoffrey Watson, Mr. New York 2010
All the local and state titleholders present at the pageant
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Marriage Can Be Murder
Shortcake!
Teaching the Boot Scootin' Boogie
The Cast with the Winner of the Murder Mystery
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
New Smoke Alarm
Don't forget that today is ELECTION DAY! You still have time to get out to the polls and HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Reduction in Smoking-Related Deaths
Quitters can look forward to more immediate benefits, according to the National Cancer Institute. Levels of carbon monoxide in the blood, which restricts the travel of oxygen through the body, begin to fall within hours. Circulation picks up within weeks, and in that time quitters are coughing and wheezing less, and producing less phlegm. Heart rate and blood pressure start to decline to normal levels, as well.
Over the long term, stubbing out the cigarettes cuts heart disease risk and cancer. The younger you are when you quit, the lower your chances of dying from those diseases. Stopping by age thirty reduces your risk by 90%; stopping by age fifty lowers those chances by half compared to people who continue to smoke.
The damaging effects of smoking may be more permanent for people who pick up the habit in their teens because their bodies are smaller and therefore get more exposure to the toxic chemicals in cigarettes. This fact solidifies my platform's message on the importance for kids to never start smoking. However, five to ten years out from quitting, the risks for cancer or heart disease or stroke are pretty much the same as for a nonsmoker. So, it is definitely worth it to quit smoking.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Media Attention!
SPECIALIZED CARE CENTER GOES 'CASUAL FOR KIDS'
Staffers at Silver Lake Specialized Care Center, Brighton Heights, participated in the second annual Miracle Jeans Day. Kimberly Cantoni, Miss Richmond County 2010, and staffers teamed with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System Foundation to "go casual for kids by trading their business attire for jeans. Miracle Jeans Day was developed by the Children's Miracle Network, an international non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children's hospitals. Nearly $26,000 was raised for the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, which has partnered with CMN.