J 339: Honoring Stephen Moore upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by HEARTS Port Washington on February 7, 2025

 Senate Resolution No. 339 BY: Senator MARTINS HONORING Stephen Moore upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by HEARTS Port Washington on February 7, 2025 WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve the best interests of their communities are assets beyond remuneration and cannot be sufficiently extolled; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Stephen Moore, upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by HEARTS Port Washington, to be recognized at its Annual Red Party at the Polish American Hall in Port Washington, New York, on Friday, February 7, 2025; and WHEREAS, HEARTS (Helping Enrich the Arts of Port Washington) is an independent, grassroots not-for-profit 501(c)3 community organization whose mission is to add meaningful value to children's lives and our community by supporting, promoting, and enriching the arts in Port Washington and its public schools; and WHEREAS, Since its founding in 2011, HEARTS has funded more than 180 grants district-wide, as well as scholarships for art and music students for college; the non-profit also provides interactive high-quality programming in theater, music, fine arts, creative writing, dance, and much more; and WHEREAS, HEARTS has created PortFest, a community art and music festival celebrating arts in Port Washington, as well as Curtains Up, an after-school musical theater program for elementary school students; and WHEREAS, The organization also created Dancing Classrooms, which is a partnership with the Creative Arts Department, HSA/PTAs, The Ed. Foundation, and the Port Washington Summer Music Program; and WHEREAS, Stephen Moore started his educational adventure at Highland Park Elementary in Salt Lake City, Utah; in third grade, he clearly remembers his teacher asking him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and of course, he immediately responded, "An artist!"; as a child, he would doodle, draw, and "design" machines; his first oil painting class in fifth grade was transcendent; and WHEREAS, At Utah State University, in northern Utah, Stephen Moore studied illustration and painting while driving a truck to pay for his education; after graduation, and on his way out of town, he stopped at his favorite professor's studio and bought a small painting as a talisman of inspiration; and WHEREAS, While on vacation in New York City, Stephen Moore knew he had found his home and moved there to become an illustrator, working for many publishers, including Scholastic, Dodd Mead, and The Daily News; the City's museums inspired him to return to school to study fine art at Pratt Institute where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree; and WHEREAS, Stephen Moore has shown his art at various venues, including the Bronx Museum of the Arts, P. S. 122, and SculptureCenter in Queens; in 1997, and much to his surprise, he was offered a teaching position at P. S. 132 in Washington Heights where he taught for seven years; and WHEREAS, For the past 21 years, Stephen Moore has been exceptionally fortunate to have John Philip Sousa Elementary School as his home for teaching art; he is known for creating large (sometimes too large) legacy art installations on the Sousa campus; and WHEREAS, Stephen Moore has found that teaching young children has been a joyful and extraordinary adventure; as a teacher, he has obtained National Board Certification and has received the Title I Distinguished Educator Award; he is extremely grateful to HEARTS for its support; and WHEREAS, Throughout the years of his community service, a period of constructive involvement, Stephen Moore has stood constant in dignity and good grace; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by individuals for the benefit of others which Stephen Moore has displayed throughout his life; and WHEREAS, It has always been the objective of this Legislative Body to honor and support those individuals who have displayed their commitment to the betterment of their communities, and it is the intent of this Legislative Body to inscribe upon its records this tribute to Stephen Moore, that future generations may know and appreciate his admirable character, his many benevolent deeds, and the respect and esteem in which he is held by his peers; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Stephen Moore upon the occasion of his designation for special recognition by HEARTS Port Washington on February 7, 2025; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Stephen Moore.