Bethpage-Tribune_1973-12-13

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OLD BETHB«GE
VOL. 8 NO. 4
also serving I S L A N D T R E ES
H-AINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD-Thursday,
December 13, 1973
Hi, My Name Is Stephanie
10 cents per copy
WOW! I just found out that I'm going to be the 1974 MARCH OF
DIMES POSTER CHILD! Get those camera's ready - cause here I
go.
I love the March of Dimes. Did you know that when I was only one
day old I had an emergency operation at the March of Dimes Birth
Defects Center at North Shore Hospital? Really, I was too young to
know than, but now that I'm four, I know that I was born with an open
spine (spina bifida) and water on my brain (hydrocephalus). I just
found out that I'm really not alone because there are 250,000 babies
born each year with birth defects. Now, I have a chance as the 1974
Poster Child to travel from Port Washington, that's where I live, all
around Nassau County (that's the world isn't it?) to represent the
children born with birth defects.
Soon I'm going to be Santa's special elf at the March of Dimes
Christmas Chanukah.party for handicapped children. You know,
Mom's helping the March of Dimes too in the Mothers' March in
January. Soon I'm going to meet "Dr. J" of the Nets to take pictures
because we're going to be together when we lead off thousands of
people in the April Walk-a-thon.
' Wow, it's really going to be a busy year for me. (Giggle, Giggle).
Santa's Show of Christmas gifts,
now in your Hometown Stores.
Get your "Lucky Couple" coupon
SEEPAGE 5
TOB Parks
Progress Report
The relatively warm weather
of recent days has helped us in
conserving fuel, but William H.
Brown, Superintendent of Parks
for the Town of Oyster Bay,
reports it has also helped the
completion of one of the many
important prpjects under his
supervision-the refurbishing of
the athletic fields at four of the
Town's Community Parks.
"Thanks to a break in the
weather and the alertness of the
Parks Department staff, the
athletic fields are ready for play
right now, Of the 550 acres of
parkland under constant at­tention,
the playing areas and the
picnic grounds take the most
traffic from early spring to late
" "1," Brown said:
'Previous to this year, the
jyir>& fields at; our, four Corn-unity
Parks were attended by
outside horticultural interests
making the lowest bid. I had
complete confidence my staff
members could do as well
without cost to the taxpayer. I'm
happy to report they did better in
serving the Town's residents,"
Brown said.
"Besides keeping the athletic
fileds in shape in the heaviest
playing schedule in years, our
people constructed a new football
field in the 52-acre John J. Burns
Park in Massapequa and. also,
built a new picnic area for the
residents utilizing the Plainview-
Old Bethpage Community Park."
While reconditioning a playing
field may sound like a normal
function to the average person, it
is a serious business to Brown
and his staff which must keep the
surface smooth and dear of
playing ruts with a healthy grass
growth underfoot. It is a far cry
from the lack-of-care, skinned
fields ofsome..o$: the New York
City athletic facilities.
Besides the conditioning
program, the Parks Department
of the Town of Oyster Bay has a
gigantic,task in trying to please
baseball, football, soccer and
lacrosse leagues in alloting
playing time at the various
parks, especially in football and
soccer.
The program embraces day
and night scheduling of teams for
action at all four Community
Parks. It marks the very
beginning of. sports competition
for some youngsters who may be
tomorrow's heroes in high school
or college.
For football and soccer alone
this past season, the Parks
Department's efforts to keep
everyone happy with playing
time seemed impossible, but it
worked out well considering the
heavy traffic of play.
At the John J. Burns Park in
Massapequa, bookings for
football play show four Catholic
Youth Organization tetania; four
traveling teams of the Mustangs'
L.I. Football Midgets League; 14
(Continued on Page 9)
Barn Raising At Old Bethpage Village
Seasons Greetings
An old fashioned barn raising
will highlight the activities at the
Old Bethpage village restoration
during the week between
Christmas and New Year's.
The event will take place on
Friday, December 28, at the Noon
Inn. The barn was originally'
located in Smithtown's Village of
the Branch and was donated by
Charles Rockwell. Its addition
will complete the Noon Inn unit at
the restoration.
To appropriately celebrate the
old fashioned event, a barn
raising party will be part of the
day,'s activities. The menu will
include a roast pig, covered
dishes and cider. While intended
primarily for the, barn raisers,
samples will be available for the
public. - ,
i "Open, House" holiday visits,
'once so popular in early America,
'will, be reenacted on Thursday,
jDecember 27. The normal
operating hours at the village will
be changed to 1:30 p.m. to 9:00
p.m., and the community's staff
will be ready to greet callers at
the village's candle-lit homes and
buildings. In addition, a concert
by the Fellowship Singers will
take place at 7:30 p.m. at the
village church. Refreshments
will be served at the Noon Tavern
throughout the evening.
The January 6, 1836, issue of
the Hempstead Inquirer had this
to say about the traditional New
Year's visits: "Hempstead, of
course, was somewhat lively; for
Hempstead has, within a few
years, 'grown quite large aiui is,
or means to be somewhat
fashionable withal.' The ladies
were, in due reason, ready to
receive visitors, and we were
among the callers. We did not, of
course, call upon all our friends;
that we trust would have been
impossible. We saw a sufficient
number, however, to keep us
cheerful for a whole week, and
next year mean to continue the
custom."
"Hog guessing," another ac­tivity
described in the december
25, 1833, Hempstead Inquirer,
will occur between December 26
and 28. For one cent, visitors will
have a chance to guess the weight
of a hog and win a prize.
The Old Bethpage village
restoration, operated by the
Nassau County Department of
Recreation and Parks, is located
on Round Swamp Road in Old
Bethpage. Admission is $1.50 for
adults and 75 cents for children.
It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
seven days a week.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the traditional
Salvation Army "Red Kettle" Program in Nassau County.
The first Red Kettle made its appearance on Main Street in
Freeport in 1923 and since that time the familiar Kettle and Bell
Ringer has been found each Christmas Season in every, major
shopping center in Nassau County, where funds are raised to
maintain t>J4> Awny's progrsOT^ef-narttviding food, clothing and toys
to families throughout the year.
Ralph Caso, Nassau County Executive-s© ntsmn above making the
first donation to this worthy program, and by so doing launches the
1973 campaign.
Shown with Mr. Caso is Mrs. Major Richard Dean, wife of com­manding
Officer of the Hempstead Corps and Peter Depp member of
The Salvation Army Nassau Advisory Board Finance Committee.