Florida Family Fun Fest names Jeff Babcock citizen of the year

Florida - The Florida Family Fun Fest Committee has named Jeff Babcock as Florida’s citizen of the year. According to the committee, Babcock was born in Florida and still lives in Florida with his wife, Shannon, son Kevan and daughter, Zoe, and has been involved in the community in various capacities for many years. He currently is the president of the Thursday Night Colonial Men’s bowing league, chairman of Florida’s village parkland committee, member of the Town of Warwick recreation committee, member of the Fun Fest committee and current president of the Florida/Warwick Tuesday night golf league. He also is a 16-year member of the Florida Fire Department and past president of the department. He received the fireman of the year award in 1992 and was named outstanding member of the year in 1998. Babcock also is past president of Florida’s slow pitch softball league and past assistant coach of Florda’s Little League. The Fun Fest Committee also awarded its youth achievement award to Brian Goodrich, the son of Jim and Patty Goodrich. According to the committee, Goodrich has been an outstanding student at S.S. Seward Institute, a member of the National Honor Society, and has received scholastic recognition for excellence in his classes. He is active in many clubs, including president of the Spanish club; band and pep band member; vice-president of the photography club; vice president of the newspaper club; a writer for the school’s literary magazine; treasurer of the class of 2007; president of the library club; golf club member; and a member of the Building Leadership Team. Goodrich also is very involved with community service such as the Florida Public Library, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 2006. His Eagle Scout project was enlarging the platform and installing benches as we as a fire pit at the Village of Florida skating rink. He plans to study law in college. The committee also awarded a special lifetime achievement to John J. Kimiecik. Kimiecik was born in Florida in 1933, has been married to his wife, Dorothy, for almost 50 years and has four children: Greg, Jay, Sandy and Kathy. He is a graduate of St. Joseph’s, S. S. Seward Institute, Kings College in Wilkes Barre, Pa., and SUNY Albany with a master’s degree in English. He taught English in junior and senior high school for more than 30 years, including 28 and a half at Seward, where he also coached varsity baseball. Over the years, Kimiecik has been involved in many community affairs, including past director of the Florida Youth Recreation Program; manager of the Scarlet Reds League baseball team; playing manager of the American Legion Post #1250 baseball team and Florida Comets; member and president of the Seward Alumni Association’s Executive Board; charter member and of the Florida Historical Society; co-author of their book on the early history of Florida; and from 1988 to the present a journalist and photographer for The Warwick Advertiser. Kimiecik also is the unofficial curator of Seward Alumni memorabilia and unofficial authority on the lives of Samuel S. Seward and his son, William Henry Seward, and the S. S. Seward Institute. He shares his knowledge of the Sewards and focal history with the fourth graders of Golden Hill Elementary School as well as various other groups.