Florida Family Fun Fest announces honorees

FLORIDA — The Florida Family Fun Fest Selection Committee has announced this year’s Lifetime Achievement award winners, Citizen of the Year award winner and Youth Achievement award winners.

The Lifetime Achievement award winner is the Rosenberg/Cohen family, chosen for all the many contributions the family has made over the years to the Village of Florida. The present day Village Hall was donated to the village by the Cohen family. For many years the Rosenberg family has donated money to help defray the cost of the music and rides for Family Fun Fest day. It would be almost impossible to hold this day without these contributions.

The committee chose Shirley Coughlin as Citizen of the Year. Coughlin is a 50-year resident of Florida. She taught at S. S. Seward for 25 years, was a member of the Florida Public Library Board of Trustees for 23 years, and is presently secretary for the Fun Fest Committee, secretary for the Planning Board and Building Department of the village, a member of the Friends of the Florida Public Library, the Ladies Auxiliary American Legion Post #1250 and the Seward/Mapes Restoration committee.

This year the committee has five Youth Achievement award winners.

Wei Lynn Ng is a graduating senior at S.S. Seward, where she was active in many school groups such as band, Big Sister Little Sister, National Honor Society and Spanish Club. Wei Lynn will be attending the University of Pittsburgh this fall.

Two Eagle Scouts, Robert Matuszewski and Ben Grawi, were selected for their contributions to the community. Robert made picnic tables and benches for the area in front of the water treatment plant at Glenmere Lake. Ben has designed a walking trail on the parkland property.

Two younger students, Emily deJong and Searra Bell, were chosen for their project of redoing the courtyard at Golden Hill Elementary School. This area was in disarray and these two young ladies chose to rework the area and make it into a beautiful courtyard for students and adults to enjoy. Both Emily and Searra will be entering eighth grade at Seward in the fall.

The award winners will receive their awards at the Florida Family Fun Fest, which will be held on Sunday, Aug. 11, in the village.