December 15, 2011
Show off your passion for Staten Island and
celebrate its history by attending the closing ceremonies for the
350th anniversary(Si350) celebration on
Sunday, December 18 at 3 p.m. at
St. John's University in Grymes Hill.
The celebration concludes the end of a year of collaboration
between cultural and educational institutions on Staten Island. St.
John’s University will be hosting final closing ceremonies with
music by the Richmond
County Orchestra Quartet and Curtis
High School Jazz Band, a photo slideshow and remarks
by honorees and dignitaries.
We will honor major contributors to the year's success. Students
from the three colleges will narrate the slideshow of the year’s
highlights with participation of the New York State National Guard (Color Guard),
the Staten
Island Knights of Columbus (Honor Guard). Borough
President James P. Molinaro and New
York State Assemblyman Michael Cusick are scheduled to
attend. Refreshments will be served.
Joseph Sciame, Vice-President for
Community Relations, St. John’s University, will be master of
ceremonies.
“As Vice-President for Community Relations for St. John's
University, I found that the diversity of the programs throughout
the year were an expression of the many facets of life on Staten
Island. And in many a case it was enlightenment for those who
may not have known of so many activities that exist on the Island,”
said Sciame. “Anniversaries are a time for reflection, both
looking back and ahead, and for such reasons Si350 was an important
time for all on Staten Island and off the Island to become even
more proud of its existence and founding.”
Honorees at the closing ceremonies will be: Patricia
Salmon, Curator of History, Staten Island
Museum and Adjunct Faculty,Wagner College;
Leticia Remauro, Chair, Community
Board One; Dorothy Myhre-Donahue, for
organizing and recording the SI Memories programs at all 12 NY
Public Libraries on Staten Island; Ann Merlino,
faculty emeriti, College of Staten
Island; Gerard McEnerney,
Assistant Vice-President and Executive Director,
Staten Island Campus, St. John’s University; the
Staten Island
Advance “for 125 years of bringing the world to our
doorsteps and strengthening Staten Island and its diverse
communities by promoting our civic, educational and cultural
initiatives,” and the Richmond County Savings
Foundation for their support of programs to celebrate
Staten Island’s Military History and the publication Discovering
Staten Island.
"The Staten Island Campus of St. John's University is pleased to
host the closing ceremony of the year long celebration of the 350th
Anniversary of Staten Island. The year has been filled with
exciting events with highlights such as the lighting of the Empire
State Building in honor of S.I. and a highly attended Academic
Conference. The culminating event on our Campus on
December 18th at 3 p.m. will be a
joyous time to acknowledge the past, present and future promise of
Staten Island," said McEnerney.
For more information regarding the Si350 anniversary
celebration and its closing ceremonies contact Lori
Weintrob or visit their web site at www.si350.org.
Interested media can contact Dominic Scianna,
Assistant Vice President for Media Relations at St. John’s
by calling (718) 990-6185 or e-mail inquiries to
sciannad@stjohns.edu.
Late breaking news and information regarding St. John’s can be
found by visiting the university web site at www.stjohns.edu/news.