LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring the life and legacy of Cesiah Toro
Mullane, distinguished citizen and devoted member of her community

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those individuals whose perpetual commitment and leadership
have contributed to the enhancement of their community and the entire
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor the
life and legacy of Cesiah Toro Mullane, distinguished citizen and
devoted member of her community; and
WHEREAS, To observe this most auspicious occasion, P.S. 65, in
conjunction with the P.S. 65 after school program of the Cypress Hills
Local Development Corporation, the parent association of P.S. 65, and
Cypress Hills Advocates for Education will be hosting a Leaders in Our
Community celebration in honor of Cesiah Toro Mullane on Friday, May 20,
2011; at the school in Brooklyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, Students at the Cesiah Toro Mullane School (P.S. 65) have
been learning about the life of Cesiah Toro Mullane and her advocacy
efforts in their community; to honor her and her beautiful legacy,
students have put together performances that they will showcase for
their parents as well as Cesiah Mullane's family and friends; and
WHEREAS, Cesiah Toro Mullane was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico, where
she attended High School; she completed high school in Rio Pieras and
went to the University of Puerto Rico for two years; she joined her
family in New York, where she worked at various jobs, including design-
ing and sample making; and
WHEREAS, As an adult, Cesiah Toro Mullane completed her Bachelor of
Arts degree in Spanish and Secondary Education at York College of CUNY;
she worked at the Legal Aid Society from 1977 to 1983, first as an
interpreter and bilingual assistant to the Director of
Personnel/Assistant Attorney-in-Charge, Civil Division, and later as a
Paralegal Supervisor in the Family Law Unit; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, a group of people who were concerned about the
decline of Cypress Hills came together and founded the Cypress Hills
Local Development Corporation (CHLDC); Cesiah Toro Mullane was one of
the founders and served on the Board of Directors for many years; and
WHEREAS, For more than two decades, Cesiah Toro Mullane collaborated
with the Cypress Hills Local Development Corp., the Neighborhood
Stabilization Program of the Commission on Human Rights, the Planning
and Development Committee of Blessed Sacrament Church, and community
efforts in advocating for a better quality of the life and the
construction of new schools in Cypress Hills; and
WHEREAS, Cesiah Toro Mullane devoted most of her time to working on
issues and efforts in the community; she served as a member of the
Twelve Towns YMCA Board of Managers, and later as Chair of the Board of
Managers of the North Brooklyn YMCA branch; and
WHEREAS, Former Chair of the Cypress Hills Community Coalition, Cesiah
Toro Mullane was a member of the Governance Council of the Cypress Hills
Community School P.S. 89 and member of the Board of the Cypress Hills
Child Care Corporation; she also served on the Planning Committee of the
Department of Probation's Neighborhood Shield Community Advisory Board
and as a member of Community Board #5; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, Cesiah Toro Mullane was a member of Cypress Hills
Advocates for Education (CHAFE); she wrote and translated for the commu-
nity bilingual newspaper, NEIGHBORS AND MERCHANTS, and translated

Blessed Sacrament Church's weekly bulletin; she also founded and joyous-
ly sang in the Spanish Choir of Blessed Sacrament Church; and
WHEREAS, The loving wife of Michael Mullane, Cesiah Toro Mullane was
the proud mother of five children, and grandmother to nine grandchildren
and five great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor the life and legacy of Cesiah Toro Mullane, distinguished citizen
and devoted member of her community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Cesiah Toro Mullane.