Niagara Honor Roll / Achievers and achievements
• Peg Addoms, of Niagara Falls, a member of the Auxiliary of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, recently was congratulated by hospital leaders as she celebrated her 50th anniversary as a medical center volunteer. Addoms joined the hospital volunteer department in 1958 and has served continuously since then. During he same ceremony, certificates were presented to registered nurse Ann Flack and dietary attendant Mark Wilkinson, who have worked at the hospital for 40 years.
• ONiagara County’s Federal Credit Union President and CEO Nancy Kasprzak-Whitmore and Chairman of the Board Paul Roman recently presented scholarship awards to Lauren Kraft, Patrick Teixeira II, Taylor Hall and Sam Provenzano-Heal.
Criteria for this year’s scholarship included each student’s academic performance, extracurricular activities, honors, community service and leadership.
Because Niagara County’s Federal Credit Union provides special savings programs for children through its Safari Club and for young adults, through its CU Succeed Program, additional points are earned for students’ history of membership with the credit union.
• The leader of the Lower Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce was recognized by the State Senate recently as a 2008 New York State “Woman of Distinction.”
Sandy Hays-Mies was the driving force behind the creation of the Lower Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce during its inception in 2005. Under her leadership as president, the chamber quadrupled its membership and continued an aggressive program to enhance the quality of life and business climate in Lewiston, Youngstown, Ransomville, and Sanborn.
Hays Mies was honored at a reception earlier this month in Albany, where her photograph and biography were on display in a special public exhibit at the Legislative Office Building.
The Senate’s “Woman of Distinction” program was created in 1998 to honor New York women who exemplify personal excellence, or whose professional achievements or acts of courage, selflessness, integrity or perseverance serve as an example to all New Yorkers.
• The EmStar Emergency Department of Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and Health Center recognized local Emergency Medical Service professionals at an award dinner recently.
“Best Save” Recognition was presented to:
Courtney Pollow of the Ransomville Fire Company and Sgt. Chris Soluri and Officer Craig Guiliani of the Town of Niagara Police Department, who in December 2007 aided a pedestrian struck by a car.
Officer Jesse Mack of the State Parks Police, who aided a potential suicide victim in February 2008.
The Niagara Falls Fire Department for its work in a rescue from the gorge on July 9, 2007.
Special Recognition Awards were presented to:
Jeremy Hardy, Jeremy Heary and Al Williams of Rural/Metro Medical Services; Lewiston Fire Company No. 1 and Upper Mountain Fire Company; and Capt. Tim Fogarty and the Youngstown Fire Department.
• PamelaJ. Beamer has been named the 2008 Diabetes Educator of the Year by the Western New York Association of Diabetes Educators.
A nutrition/diabetes educator for the Diabetes & Endocrinology Center of Niagara at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Beamer developed “Living With Diabetes,” a 10-hour diabetes self-management education course recognized by the American Diabetes Association.
In addition to coordinating the monthly teaching of that program at Memorial, she works closely with physicians to develop diabetes management plans for patients and meets with community leaders and other health care professionals to communicate patient and community needs for diabetes education.
For information about the Diabetes & Endocrinology Center of Niagara and “Living With Diabetes” classes, call 284-7592.
• The North Tonawanda Post Office has achieved the highest award given by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for workplace safety.
The office achieved Star status under Voluntary Protection Programs and was recently awarded “Star Among Stars” national recognition award for a best recognized work practice.
To commemorate their one year Star achievement and showcase their ongoing commitment to workplace safety, a tree was planted on the grounds in honor of postal employees — past, present and future.
“Every employee is an integral part of our postal family and the community we serve,“ said North Tonawanda Postmaster Norbert Rzeszutek. “We are committed to keeping each other safe in the workplace.”
The tree was provided by the town as part of the We Grow initiative in response to the 2006 October Storm tree recovery efforts. The National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 661 purchased the plaque dedicating the tree to the North Tonawanda postal employees.
• Paul Mullane, owner of Mullane Motors in Lockport, was recently honored by Orleans/ Niagara BOCES at the school’s annual Skills USA banquet.
Due to Mullane’s influence, the award winning Automotive Tech Prep program was created and housed at his dealership.
“This is a very important program for us,” said Orleans Career and Technical Education Center Principal Carolyn Bova. “It is in partnership with Niagara Frontier Dealers Association dealerships and Erie Community College. It has proven very successful in getting our students into the work force.”
This prestigious program only accepts students from the Orleans and Niagara Career and Tech Centers that have mathematics, science and English- language arts skills, as well as automotive talent.
Mullane also helped BOCES to start the Automotive Youth Educational Systems program, which places juniors interested in an automotive technician career in paid internships with a mentor at the dealerships.
• Two Niagara County Community College freshmen nursing students were recognized for their achievement in the classroom recently. Students were nominated by members of the faculty. Angela Lusthaus, of Kenmore, was awarded a $250 scholarship from the Forty and Eight Club for outstanding achievement in the nursing curriculum.
The second award was presented to Ronald Roy, of North Tonawanda, in honor of four dedicated and talented deceased faculty members. These individuals played an important part in shaping the nursing program and each May the NCCC faculty selects a freshman student whom they believe personifies the excellence these faculty members represented.
Garry Huff, a representative of the Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Co., has established a $100 award to be used by the recipient toward the purchase of a textbook of their choice.
• Niagara County Community College Technical Assistant for Student Life Luke Kantor recently received the Outstanding New Professional Award for 2008 from the New York Leadership Educators Consortium during the local higher education student leadership conference at University at Buffalo.
“I am honored that the hard work we have put in the LEAD [Leadership Experience Adventure and Development] team building program is getting some positive recognition,” Kantor said.
Kantor earned his associate’s degree from NCCC and has been a member of the student life staff for five years. He is currently completing his bachelor’s degree at Empire State College. The award recognizes outstanding contributions, service and commitment by a new professional to the field of leadership development and for significant contributions to their institution and community.
• Mirna Rackov, a junior in Niagara University’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, is the recipient of a student scholarship award from the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association’s Fred and Gertrude England Hospitality Education Foundation.
Presentation of the scholarship will take place at the 2008 Saratoga Summer Fundraiser on July 28 at the Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs.
A native of Lansing, Rackov started her career in the hospitality industry at age 14 at the Federal House Bed & Breakfast in Lansing. She currently works as a front-desk clerk at the Hampton Inn of Ithaca and recently was accepted into Niagara’s Lake Como work-abroad program in Italy.
• MountSt. Mary’sHospital has received the Get With The Guidelines — Heart Failure Silver Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association.
The recognition signifies that Mount St. Mary’s Hospital has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients with 85 percent compliance for one year to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/ American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for heart failure patients.
