Star Qualities That Really Shine

Nicole's Mom Jo and Good Citizen Nicole

The votes are in! The ballots cast and the winner is... Nicole. Nope...not Richie, or Miller or even Kidman but...Vutera.

Unlike the Grammys or the Tonys or even the Oscars, the JFK Citizenship award was voted on and given out in each of the graduating classes in Mandalay's 5th Grade. I am sorry I can't report the other winners, but I know for a fact that in one of the classes, this award, which is far more valuable than anything that Hollywood could possibly devise handing out, Nicole Vutera was the undisputed winner. And unlike the ugliness of the Oscars, she did not flood the ballot boxes with emails touting her qualities or try to get People Magazine or even the Wantagh Citizen to post incriminating pictures of the other contenders. Nicole didn't even vote for herself. Because in her own words to her mom, "that just wouldn't be fair."

I remember this award from my own graduating years. It was a highly coveted award, voted on by the classmates and given to the one student that you felt had the qualities of true citizenship: good sportsmanship, kindness, fairness, respect for others and a general overall spirit of enthusiasm. Wow. Try giving THAT one out in Hollywood--- no one would ever take it home. That award show would last for years.

Nicole's good friend, JFK

The really cool thing was Nicole really does embody all those qualities and more. I've known this kid since before she was born and you never met a nicer more perfect representative of a JFK Citizenship award in your life. JFK himself would have really liked Nicole.  But an important thing to remember is she didn't just "hatch" into a good citizen: she learned by example. Her parents are also really good citizens. So are her grandparents. I don't know why through the years that became a quality that embarrasses people, but I know as a cop's kid, I was always taught that was something to be proud of.  

Citizenship isn't a word you hear a lot about these days. People don't turn to each other and say, "You know that Mike, he's one heck of a good citizen." But you know, they should. We all live in our towns, we all work together, we all are part of the greater good. Being a good citizen is something that we should be doing on a regular basis. Opening doors. Helping the elderly. Being polite. Picking up trash, even when it's not ours. Being respectful. What in the world happened to that?

Being a good citizen is also about changing things that you can do something about, in your own little world. It doesn't have to mean going to Washington D.C. If there is something that makes you unhappy, be a good citizen and see about changing it. It could be something important like putting a street sign up or a stop sign where there isn't one. Or it could be like bringing spirit back to an event that fell asleep. That's what I did.

About 8 years ago I was surprised how our Wantagh 4th of July parade had suddenly lost it's spirit. I grew up going to that parade and loved seeing the Veterans march with pride, the firemen, the Wantagh Marching Band. You felt proud to be a citizen of Wantagh when that parade marched by. My mom always dressed us in red, white and blue. But through the years people sort of went out of habit, rather than respect. The crowds dwindled and few stayed to watch the Miss Wantagh crowning, the highlight of the parade's end. I was stunned. Where were the floats of my childhood? The kazoo band from the Community Church (always a favorite)! The bell ringers? The clowns? The daughters of the Revolutionary War?

I wanted this hometown parade tradition for my own son who was growing up in the town so I gathered a group of boisterous women over the age of 40 and together we woke that parade right up. We called ourselves the Long Island Sweet Potato Queens, created a float, borrowed a CD player and blew up some plastic palm trees, stuck some wigs and tiaras on and drove down main street.  People stood there surprised and then laughed. Every year we pick a new theme. We don't go in it to win a trophy. We go in it to bring smiles. Now  every year Wantagh townspeople look for us and wave and there are even signs that say "We love the Long Island Sweet Potato Queens."

The Sweet Potato Queen!

We didn't do it for the glory, we did it to bring the spirit back to the town.  We're being good citizens and ensuring that something that is important is staying in good shape for the next generation. Now every year there are more floats. More music. More people. The crowds are back. The excitement is back. You see the kids jumping up and down and saying, "here it comes, it's the parade, the parade!" Being a good citizen is something everyone can strive for every day in their own little world.

I'm so glad that in a time when so many preteen and teenage girls are trying to emulate poor examples of Hollywood's behavior, somewhere in Wantagh there is a 5th grader so happy to simply be good citizen. It's like a fresh breath of air breezing through this area. I'm proud that someone like Nicole is a citizen of my town.

How wonderful her classmates recognized these wonderful qualities and rewarded it. How even more terrific that Wantagh Middle School will now be getting several JFK good citizens from schools across the area. Congratulations to all JFK Good Citizen Award Winners. Maybe with more good citizens in the world, there is hope that people will emulate your good qualities.

And on a personal note, congratulations Nicole. I wish I had a giant Flashing Glittering Good Citizen Award and a big fancy Glitzy Hollywood Red Carpet for you to walk down. But being the good citizen you are, you'd probably let your big sister Julie walk the carpet for you, and let your younger sister Sabrina play with the statue.

Thanks Nicole for being a such a good citizen. I hope the other Nicoles (Richie, Miller & Kidman) learn a thing or two from you.