Senate Resolution No. 338

BY: Senator MARTINS

HONORING Elise May upon the occasion of her
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 Elise May,
upon the occasion of her 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, Elise May, a former HEARTS Board Member, is an independent
Teaching Artist/Arts Administrator, educator, actor, singer, and writer
who has performed and taught domestically and internationally; she works
with actors, school districts, libraries, and corporations on
communication skills, community development, and the development of
educational programs, using theater arts for vocal empowerment; and

WHEREAS, Focusing on inclusion, Elise May has developed her local,
state, and national award-winning programs, Storytime Theater,
Expressive Elocution, Multicultural Voices, and Creative Readers; she is
President of the Board of Stage the Change: The Arts as a Social Voice,
a Steering Committee Member of the Arts for All Abilities Consortium in
New York City, and an Advisory Board Member for Books for Dessert, a
literacy program for adults with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Elise May has been a contributing writer for many
professional arts journals and a contributing author of "In It
Together--How Student, Family, and Community Partnerships Advance
Engagement and Achievement in Diverse Classrooms"; and


WHEREAS, Elise May has presented at the International Teaching
Artist Conference, Arts for All Abilities Consortium, Kennedy Center PD
for Art and Music Teachers, East End ENL/Bilingual Teachers Academy,
Annual Conference of the Bermuda Union of Teachers, Huntington Arts
Council PD and JOURNEYS, and NYSTEA Educator and Student Conferences;
and

WHEREAS, Additionally, Elise May is part of devising the creative
and performance team of Branching Out, an original sensory immersive
show for audiences on the autism spectrum, at Tilles Center for the
Performing Arts and Program Director for Theater for Dessert, a theater
program for adults with intellectual disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Elise May also co-produces and performs yearly in Landmark
Radio Theater, a 1950s-style live radio show at Landmark on Main Street;
she is extremely grateful to HEARTS for this honor and its support of
programs which she co-created (Master Class, Senior Sing-A-Long,
Landmark Radio Theater, and Theater for Dessert) as well as her
school-based programs; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the years of her community service, a period of
constructive involvement, Elise May 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 Elise May has displayed
throughout her 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
Elise May, that future generations may know and appreciate her admirable
character, her many benevolent deeds, and the respect and esteem in
which she is held by her peers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Elise May upon the occasion of her 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 Elise May.