FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com june 9, 2016 • The Queens Courier 3 BAYSIDE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI RALLY TO NAME A STREET AFTER A BELOVED SOFTBALL COACH By Briana Ellis [email protected]/@briinformed Bayside High School alumni gathered at the Queens Community Board 11 (CB 11) meeting in Bayside on June 6 to request that a local street be renamed after a beloved softball coach who died last February. Coach Stephen Piorkowski was remembered as a resilient, dedicated coach and mentor at Bayside High School for more than 20 years. Susan Hayes, widow of coach Piorkowski, recalled her husband’s passion and love for his girls softball and basketball teams. In January 2012 Piorkowski was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is a type of cancer, due to which he suffered a broken neck and went through months of extensive chemotherapy. During the public hearing session of the CB 11 meeting, held at Middle School 158 on Oceania Street, the group of about 40 students, family members and friends requested that the stretch of 204th Street The Courier photo between 32nd Former Bayside students and family Avenue and requested a street renaming 203rd Place in the memory of coach Stephen in Bayside Piorkowski be renamed as “Coach Stephen Piorkowski Way.” Board members at the CB 11 meeting recommended approval of the request. Several members of Bayside High School faculty as well as former softball and basketball players of Piorkowski shared heartfelt stories about the beloved man, who died at age 54. The Courier reported last February that Piorkowski was known throughout the athletic league for his winning teams, often leading Bayside’s junior varsity basketball team, the Lady Commodores, to the city championship with his 23 years of coaching expertise. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Piorkowski coached throughout his three-yearlong battle with cancer, gaining recognition by national sports publications like ESPN and MSG. The New York Mets also honored Piorkowski with their Spirit Award after his diagnosis. Piorkowski was survived by his wife Susan Hayes, daughter Katherine, younger brother Robert and younger sister Laura, according to MSG. Bayside’s Vivaldi still operational while seeking change to license agreement TWO QUEENS COMMUNITY CENTERS MERGING By Robert Pozarycki [email protected]/@robbpoz They serve thousands of people every day across two different areas of Queens, and now they’re joining forces to make their programs even better. Little Neck’s Samuel Field Y and Forest Hills’ Central Queens Y will merge together over the next several months, it was announced on June 3. It marks the next logical step for the two centers which have been jointly managed for some time, according to Samuel Field Y President Lawrence Gottlieb and Executive Vice President and CEO Jeri Mendelsohn. “Throughout these past several years, it has grown increasingly clear that a formal merger of the agencies — with our closely aligned missions — can enable us to pool our talents and resources,” Gottlieb and Mendelsohn wrote in a joint email that The Courier received. “With greater scale, the merged agency can advocate for community needs and harness philanthropic resources more effectively and, thus, have a greater impact on the communities we serve.” Based at 58-20 Little Neck Pkwy., the Samuel Field Y serves more than 35,000 people in northeast Queens through community programs out of 36 different sites. Services include educational and recreational activities, sports programs, camping, mental health initiatives and programs for individuals with special needs. It also operates the Tanenbaum Pool (formerly the Deepdale Community Pool) which opened last year. The Central Queens Y, located at 67-09 108th St., offers more of the same and has a nursery school for more than 300 children, day camps, teen leadership programs, adult education, cultural arts programs, a senior center and emergency food assistance. The 108th Street campus also boasts a full-sized pool and gym open to members. Both the Samuel Field and Central Queens Y’s also offer various Jewish cultural, educational and religious programs. The state must review and approve the merger agreement, a process that is expected to be completed over the next several months, according to Gottlieb and Mendelsohn. Both the Samuel Field Y and Central Queens Y are working with a planning consultant to facilitate all preparations for the organizations’ merger. Staff members at both Y’s will also be actively involved in the merger process. “The staff and board of both agencies will be working diligently on the process over the next eight months and there will be opportunity for community input,” Gottlieb and Mendelsohn wrote. By Briana Ellis [email protected]/@briinformed Vivaldi Ristorante in Bayside, which was once the home of silent-film star Rudolph Valentino, and later, of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, might see some changes in the future. According Meghan Lalor, a Parks Department spokesperson, the department and Vivaldi Ristorante has mutually agreed to an early termination of its license agreement. However, the operators plan on staying in the business. “The restaurant is operational and will continue to do so sic,” a representative from Vivaldi Ristorante told The Courier. The Parks Department told The Courier that they plan to release a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation, renovation and maintenance of the facility. The official expiration date of the license agreement is unknown. The elegant Italian restaurant, located at 201- 10 Cross Island Pkwy, offered a sprawling dining space and outdoor garden where birthday parties, communions, weddings, Sweet 16s, bridal showers and other events were held. Last month Vivaldi Ristorante hosted Taste of Bayside with 10+ participating restaurants from the area. In addition to the restaurant’s captivating views of lavish Clearview Golf Course, the location is one of the most scenic and historic sites in northern Queens. The historic Bayside mansion has been a revolving door of its operators in the recent years. In 2009, the operator Caffé on the Green was terminated by the Parks Department amid reports of mob ties and sloppy finances. Valentino’s on the Green took over after that, but was soon replaced by Patrizia’s in 2013. Patrizia’s shut down after less than a year in business, and Vivaldi Ristorante took over in May 2013. Photo: Google Maps
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