Neighbors of Note: Caitlin Keane Murphy and Peter Wenda

LBSH Alum Passes Bar Exam

Caitlin Keane Murphy, a 2003 graduate of Long Beach High School, passed the New York State Bar exam and will be formally admitted to the New York State Bar in 2011. Murphy received her Juris Doctor Degree from Touro Law School in May 2010, after receiving her under-graduate degree in political science and Asian studies from Fairfield University in 2007. At LBHS, she was an honor student and participated in varsity swimming, gymnastics and lacrosse. Murphy is employed with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank.

Allstate Owner Name Agent Hero

Peter Wenda, an Allstate agency owner in Long Beach, was recently named an Agent Hero by Allstate Insurance Company's New York Region, and was awarded a $500 grant for a local youth program.

Wenda donated the grant to the St. John's Home for Boys in Rockaway Park, a residential placement for 45 boys, ages 12 to 18, who have been placed in care by the courts due to neglect, abuse, abandonment or juvenile delinquency. The school's goal is to integrate educational, cultural, artistic and social activities directly into the curriculum during the school day. Wenda, a volunteer at St. John's, provided the boys with weekly lessons of African drumming, during which they learn how to beat the drum, work as a team, respect one another and find a calmness within the art.

The Allstate donation will fund four yoga sessions for all the resident youth.

"As an Allstate agent, I believe it is my responsibility to demonstrate the 'Good Hands Promise' in the community every single day," said Wenda, whose office is located at 511 Long Beach Blvd. "It is an honor to be able to donate this grant to the St. John's Home for Boys and hopefully touch the lives of the kids who are involved."