Bethpage-Tribune_2004-02-06

              ^rib line Bethpage
SERVING BETHPAGE, ISLAND TREES, OLD BETHPAGE, PLAINVIEW, SEAFORD AND PLAINEDGE
VOL. 42 NO. 2 February 6-12, 2004 FORTY CENTS
A Tribute to Jaime Ortiz 19)4-2004
Joe DiMaggio signing an autograph for Jaime
n 1984, First Lady Nancy Reagan demonstrated her '
deep interest in the cardiac treatment of needy children
world-wide and the Rotary Gift of Life program. Morgan Fairchild with Jaime and grandson Nicholr
One of Jaime's award winning Tall Ship photos
Jaime Ortiz has resided in Bethpage
since 1962. For the last 25 years, the
company that bears his name has
developed marketing, promotional
and advertising graphics for major
corporations, banks, hospitals and
educational institutions in the region. He
previously co-owned asimilarfirmin
New York City employing a staff of 25
designers and production personnel.
The long time member of the Bethpage
Rotary Club served as its president in
1983, an affiliation which drew him to
the Gift of Life Inc., a charitable group
offering free open heart surgery in
the U.S. to endangered children
from the world-over.
Assuming a leadership role in the
group, he joined doctors from St. Francis
Hospital on two Latin American medical
missions to help save needful children.
He was twice elected vice president of
communications of the Long Island
Advertising Club, and assumed the
presidency of the Sociedad Hispanos
Unidos de Farmingdale for two years.
In addition, he was a Paul Harris
Follow recipient, one of Rotary
International's most prestigious honors
it confers on community leaders, he
Jaime Ortiz
November 14,1934 -2004
was also a member of the Nassau
County Hispanic Committee
(Coordinating Agency for Spanish
Americans), and a member of the
board of the Long Island Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Ortiz
majored in advertising art and photog­raphy
at the School of Industrial Arts,
and was also a graduate of the New
York city Community College, renamed
New York City Technical College on
whose faculty he had later served.
Jaime was also very proud the year
of 1979 marking the 10th Anniversary
of man's landing on the moon. In
observance of this prominent occasion,
the Rotary Club (together with some
assistance from Grumman) erected a
model of Grumman Aerospace Corps.
Lunar Module near the railroad station.
The model was 1/10 the size of the 23
foot original, but despite its bullet-proof
encasement, vandals nearly destroyed
the structure and it has since been
returned to Grumman. This project was
spearheaded by Jaime Ortiz, (former)
service director of the Club. Jaime
also brought Bethpage into the inter­national
limelight during the celebra­tion
ol America's Bicentennial. As a
Perry Commo with Jaime
lark Mr. Ortiz left for Bermuda to photo­graph
the tall Ships featured in
M
"Operation Sail" and ultimately his
photos appeared in Time & Life
Magazine as well as other magazines
in Europe and throughout the world.
It is impossible to list all the charitable
contributions Jaime and the Rotary
Club have made over the years, how­ever,
many towns have benefitted
from their generosity.
Mr. Ortiz was survived by his wife
of 48 years, Judith Vargas-Ortiz, and
their four children,
Jaime David Ortiz,
Jacqueline & Paul
Portuese, Judith &
Michael Manfredi and
Joeline Ortiz-Maresco.
His children presented
him with 8
grandchildren;
Christina & Chelsea
Manfredi, Zachary
& Logan Portuese,
David Jaime Ortiz,
Nicholas, Toni &
Michael Maresco.
THE COMMUNITY
OF BETHPAGE WILL NEVER
FORGET JAIME ORTIZ
Gas Leak Sparks Fire
On Central Avenue
On Monday, February 3,
Bethpage was host to an
impressive blaze that occurred
when a gas main which ran
along Bethpage State Parkway
erupted before rush hour at
around 4:00pm. C Central A venue
and the Parkway were shut
down, helicopters filled the
Bethpage skies and fire
equipment and police cars could
be seen everywhere as flames
from the leak shot up nearly 35
feet in the air. The exact anise of
the break was unknown although
some seemed to believe that the
frigid temperatures may have
played a role. The raging fire
seared power lines which run
over the parkway which knocked
out power to over 1,000 LI PA
customers for a very brief time.
KeySpan officials began to
shut down valves on Hempstead
turnpike and by about 7:45 pm
the fire had burned itself out. No
one was injured in the fire.
( Antral Avenue was still shut
down as too was the Parkway on
Tuesday which caused for a
messy commute in the morning.