The Valley Stream Board of Trustees meeting recognized an act of lifesaving heroism and honored three student writers on March 16.
Mayor Ed Fare and the board presented a village citation to Kevin Bennett for his actions during a medical emergency on Jan. 10 at a parish dance held at Holy Name of Mary Church. Bennett, a former Meadowmere Park Fire Department captain and firehouse chaplain, responded when attendee Bobby Flynn collapsed and became unresponsive.
Bennett immediately began administering CPR while a call to 911 was placed. Emergency medical personnel later arrived, intubated Flynn and transported him to a hospital. Attending doctors determined that Bennett’s quick response and continued CPR were critical in saving Flynn’s life. Trustee Sharon Daly, who was present that evening, was referenced as an eyewitness to the incident.
“I will say that being there that evening, I can’t tell you, the feeling of everybody in attendance was so overwhelmed,” Daly said. “We honestly thought we lost Bobby, and it just went on and on. It seemed like forever.”
The board noted that Flynn survived the episode, recovering and was currently in the room. The citation was presented on behalf of the mayor, trustees and village residents in recognition of Bennett’s actions.
The meeting also included recognition of the winners of the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library’s Black History Month essay contest.
“We have to celebrate and recognize Black History Month in March,” Fare said. “We were ready in February, but the weather didn’t cooperate. We didn’t want anybody to have to come out in that storm, and we didn’t think it was fair to give the citations via Zoom. We wanted it here in person.”
This year’s contest theme asked students to address the continued importance of celebrating and observing Black History Month. Fare said the winning essays highlighted the significance of recognizing the accomplishments of Black Americans.
The three winners announced were Maya Aladenoye, a second grade student at Shaw Avenue School; Chloe Forte, a fourth grade student at Forest Avenue School; and Maria Marrakchi Stitou, a seventh grade student at Memorial Junior High School.
Library staff noted that the contest has been held annually and draws strong participation from local students. Organizers said selecting winners is challenging each year due to the quality of submissions, and that entries are reviewed without identifying information to ensure fairness.
“It just so happened that these are three children who come to our library so regularly, to study after school at our tables and work together with tutors to do their homework and do their projects,” children’s librarian Jaclyn Kunz said. “And we have members of our book clubs here, and kids who really spent a great deal of time in our library. That was especially special for us as librarians to see that we know these are incredible students and young people. We were really, really proud of them.”
As part of the recognition, each winner received a citation from the village and a prize gift basket. The baskets were provided through a partnership with Green Acres Mall, which includes gift cards and other items assembled by mall staff.
Village officials and librarians said the event showcased both community achievement and student engagement, with the board concluding the presentations by congratulating the winners and acknowledging all participants in the essay contest.
