Cafeteria manager honored for saving youngster’s life
By bob fleming
Marlboro school district officials met for an impromptu gathering to present Pat Kilimnik, cafeteria manager, (l), with flowers as a token of gratitude for saving the life of third-grader Jeremy Malvin (r) on whom she performed the Heimlich maneuver when he was choking during lunch at the Asher Holmes School. Also pictured are Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Abbott, Asher Holmes Principal Patricia Dottori and Dianna Sullivan, manager of Chartwell’s Educational Dining Services.
Staff Writer
MARLBORO — Staff and student recognition took center stage at a recent meeting of the Board of Education.
Before a standing-room-only crowd, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Abbott recognized Pat Kilimnik, cafeteria manager at the Asher Holmes Elementary School, for an act of heroism in saving the life of a student there on May 9.
"We want to express our sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Kilimnik for her quick thinking and swift action in performing the Heimlich maneuver on a third-grader who was choking," Abbott said. "Without a doubt, she saved his life and is a hero in our community."
According to Robin Malvin, her son, Jeremy, 8, a third-grader, was choking on a piece of a breadstick when Kilimnik intervened to dislodge it. She said the family is grateful that Kilimnik was in the right place at the right time.
According to Jeremy, he was eating a breadstick when it became lodged in his throat and he was unable to breath.
"I tried to swallow it, but it wouldn’t go down," Jeremy said. "I went into the kitchen holding my throat, and Mrs. Kilimnik got behind me and pushed in on my chest, which caused me to spit out the piece of breadstick."
After the incident, Jeremy returned to his friends in the cafeteria and word spread throughout the school how Kilimnik helped the choking boy in need of assistance.
"I received a message on my answering machine at home after returning from work, to call the school nurse," Malvin said. "She informed me of what happened and assured me that Jeremy was all right."
Admitting that she was still a bit shaken by the incident, Malvin visited the school the next day to personally thank Kilimnik for her life-saving action and to present her with flowers as a token of appreciation.
For her part, Kilimnik, a Marlboro resident, attempted to downplay the incident, shying away from any recognition, saying, "I did what any mother would have done under the circumstances."
According to Kilimnik, that was the first time she performed the Heimlich maneuver. She said she never received formal instruction in the procedure.
"I was just aware of it from the posters that hang in the school and from instinct," Kilimnik said. "Jeremy was turning beet red and his eyes were bulging when he caught my attention in the kitchen."
Kilimnik said one of the food service employees, Angela Kornreich, was attempting to assist Jeremy when she (Kilimnik) noticed he was in distress, so she got behind him, performed the maneuver and made sure he was able to breathe on his own.
"I gave him a drink and sent him back to the cafeteria," Kilimnik said. "After that, I went back to work."
According to Dianna Sullivan, manager of Chartwell’s Educational Dining Ser-vices, which employs Kilimnik as a cafeteria manager at Asher Holmes, the company regards Kilimnik as a hero.
"Pat is an outstanding employee who has earned our gratitude and respect for what she did for Jeremy," Sullivan said.
During the recognition program at the board meeting, Dave Pethybridge, regional manager for Chartwell, credited Kilimnik for her quick thinking and fast action in preventing a near tragedy.
"We are very proud of Pat and are here to honor her tonight," Pethybridge said.
Following the presentation, Pethybridge told Kilimnik that Chartwell was sending her and her husband to see a Broadway play, including dinner and overnight accommodations, as well as travel expenses, courtesy of the company.
Surrounded by her husband Ken, son Joseph and his girlfriend Kathy, Kilimnik said she didn’t think she deserved all the attention she was receiving for her role in the incident.
"It’s something I will remember for the rest of my life," she said. "I’ll never think twice if this situation ever was to happen to me again."
In other news, a group of 10 fifth-grade students from the Frank J. Dugan Elementary School attended the board meeting and performed four songs as a preview of their spring concert held May 25, featuring a play titled, Let’s Hear It for the Heroes.
According to Yolande Allen, school principal, who accompanied the children to the meeting, the play is based on a losing team whose players feel dejected and turn to their coach for inspiration. The coach motivates the players by relating stories about the trials and tribulations of sports legends, including Arthur Ashe and Jackie Robinson.
The students included Ally Fucus, Christie Gallant, Jennifer Geist, Melissa Herman, Dana Klein, Scott Krull, Samantha Leon, Jennifer Marcucci, Sean Sullivan and Marissa Waingold.
Results of the Orlando Heritage Festival Competition, which members of the Marlboro Middle School Show Choir and Jazz Band participated in at Orlando, Fla., on May 3-6, were announced by Abbott during the meeting.
"I’m very pleased to share with you that the middle school’s show choir received the gold award and the jazz band received the silver award," Abbott said. "We’re quite proud of these students and their music teachers, John Manziano and Bar-bara Pollack, and the honor and recognition they have received for themselves and their school."
During the business portion of the meeting, board members unanimously approved Abbott’s reappointment as superintendent for a four-year contract, commencing on July 1, 2000 and running to June 30, 2005.
Abbott’s salary for the 2000-01 school year was established at $131,200 by the board. Salary information for the remaining three years of his contract was not available at press time.
In other business, board members approved a resolution thanking local developer Anthony Spalliero for his donation of land on Tennent Road. The property will be used as a site for the construction of an early childhood learning center. Board member Murray Hoffman abstained on the resolution of approval.

