Freeport Report 2006-11

              Freeport Kicks
off the Holiday
Season with Special
Events On the
Nautical Mile
This year the festivities sur-rounding
the holiday season in
Freeport will get off to a nautical
start on December 2nd, with a
Tree Decorating Party on the
Esplanade at 4-p.mrThis will be
followed by a caroling cruise at 6
p.m. on the Miss Freeport, and a
parade of boats on Woodcleft
Canal. Sunday, December 3rd, the
festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m.
with a Breakfast with Santa
aboard the Nautical Princess, fol-lowed
by a Magic Show at 2 p.m.
on the Esplanade. Pony rides, a
petting zoo, face painting and a
balloon artist will be available
from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the
Esplanade followed by a Nautical
Lights Parade down Woodcleft
Ave. Freeport Mayor Bill Glacken
will be the Grand Marshal of the
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parade. In the event of inclement
weather, the parade will be held
on December 10th.
The next weekend, Saturday,
December 9th, Freeport will hold
"itT~~annual~~"Holiday ~ Display
Lighting event at the Canon
Triangle in the center of the
business district at Sunrise
Highway and Church St. at 5 p.m.
The annual opening of Santa's
Workshop at 6 p.m. at the
Freeport Recreation Center locat-ed
at 130 East Merrick Road,
Freeport 11520 will directly follow
that event. The Freeport Skating
Academy will perform its special
Holiday On Ice show in the
Freeport Ice Rink at the
Recreation Center at 7 p.m. All are
invited to attend these free
holiday events.
Disposable Bags
available at
Village Hall
As we get to the final days of Fall
and the last Autumn leaves accumu-late
on the ground, please remember
not to sweep them into the road in
front of your property. All leaves must
be collected in plastic bags and placed
at the curb for yard waste collection.
Sweeping leaves into the roadway vio-latesivillagrcode
section' 120:5;*(bj(3)'
and carries a monetary penalty.
Residents who wish to purchase
leaf bags may pick them up at Village
Hall during regular business hours,
8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. They are
available on the first floor at the
cashier's counter in the Treasurer's
office.
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Freeport Report
New York lfe%ai-"'.SS^a 4 I
NOVEMBER, 2006 www.freeportny.gov THE HOME OF CHAMPIONS
Veterans Day Celebration Honors Tuskegee Airmen
Four of the five Tuskegee airmen present at the event are seated in the front row: Victor lerrelonge, Robert Olden, Spann Watson and Ed Monroe, the fifth Airman, William Johnson is not in the
photo. Second row: Hempstead CouncDwomen Angie Cuilin and Dorothy Goosby, Hempstead Town Clerk Mark Bonilla. Third row: American Legion officers Uncoln Parsons, Richard Cromwell
Stephen Nicofino, Fred Roger standing alongside Mayor Bill Glxkea American Legion officer Arden Socolov, Freeport Trustees Bill White Jr. and Don Mauersberger, and Freeport Police Chief
Michael Woodward. In the back are the members of the Freeport High School Chorale led by Director Stephen Pagano.
This year's event featured five members of the
Tuskegee Airmen who were recruited during
World War II to serve in an all African-
American unit of the U.S. Army Air Corps. The
group was led by long-time Freeporter, Lt.
Col. Ed Monroe (Ret), who is president of the
local chapter of the national organization
known as the Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated.
Other members who attended the
Veterans Day celebration included Captain
Robert Olden (Ret.), a former Nassau Deputy
County Executive, Lt. Col. Spann Watson
(Ret), Major Victor Terrelonge (Ret.), and
Capt. William Johnson (Ret.).
Each veteran recounted his experiences in
the service, with Spann Watson, who at 90-
years old was one of the original airmen,
describing his time in the service during WW
II. The airmen explained that segregation was
still in practice in many of the southern states,
and they experienced racial bias and preju-dice
even as American servicemen. In 1948,
President Harry S. Truman enacted an execu-tive
order that led to the end of racial segre-gation
in the military forces.
Mayor Bill Glacken, as one of the guest
speakers, thanked the men for their service
and dedication to the protection of the
United States and its citizens. "Just as many of
America's sons and daughters enlisted in the
service following the attack on Pearl Harbor,
so too did our young people rush to join the
armed services in the aftermath of the terror-ist
attack on September 11th," he said. "We
honor all of our veterans today who put
their lives and their careers on the line. These
brave men and women are examples of the
quintessential American. We owe these
patriots of all races, religions and back-grounds
our gratitude and devotion," the
Mayor concluded. The five veterans belong to
the Claude B. Govan Chapter, the local tri-state
group of the national association of
Tuskegee Airmen.
A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Freeport PBA Celebrates 69th Installation Event
first aviation cadet class began in July 1941
and completed training nine months later
in March 1942. From 1942 through 1946,
nine hundred and ninety-four pilots grad-uated
at TAAF, receiving commissions and
pilot wings.
The five Airmen honored at the
Veterans Day event all told stories of hav-ing
to overcome tremendous obstacles to
succeed in the Air Corps. They entered the
service at a time when segregation was
commonplace, both in the military and in
civilian life. Each accepted the challenge,
As a tribute to the veterans, Freeport
High School's Select Chorale performed a
special arrangement of a song that the
group's Director, Stephen Pagano, had dis-covered,
known as "A Soldier's Song." The
Chorale has recorded it on a CD and is
making copies available for a $5 donation.
The money raised will be used to help
servicemen and women at the Veterans
Hospital in Northport. In addition, the
group will perform at the hospital during
the holidays. If you are interested in pur-chasing
a copy of the CD, you may contact
This year's annual Veterans Day cele-bration,
held at the Freeport Memorial
Library, honored the Tuskegee Airmen.
Each of the five Airmen who were able to
attend the event, told the audience their
individual stories describing how they
were selected to join the all African-
American unit.
These young men, many of whom
were college graduates or undergradu-ates,
were trained at the Tuskegee Army
Air Field (TAAF) in Tuskegee, Alabama. The
tion, often while facing the humiliation
and indignation inflicted on them by acts
of racism. These dedicated heroes found
themselves fighting two separate battles -
one against an enemy force overseas, and
the other against bigotry at home.
By 1947, the newly formed U.S. Air
Force had successfully integrated its units,
and in 1948 President Harry S. Truman
signed an executive order directing that
equal treatment and opportunity be pro-vided
to all members of the armed ser-vices.
School by calling 516-867-5300.
Have a safe and happy holiday season.
Annual Halloween Parade at
Hi-Hello Childcafe Center
There were superheroes, princesses, and tiny lit-tle
doctors wearing picture identifications, celebrat-ing
Halloween with a parade around the grounds at
the Hi-Hello Childcare Center on Ocean Ave. in
Freeport.
The annual event draws a crowd of parents,
grandparents, friends and local officials who greet
the children and marvel at the originality and cre-ativity
of the costumes, many of them made by the
teachers and assistants.
Mayor Bill Glacken attended the event, along
with other local town and county officials.
Posing with a group of the Hi-Hello youngsters are Hempstead Town Clerk Mark Bonilla,
Hi-Hello Child Care Center's Executive Director Joanne Bousquet, Mayor Bill Glacken,
and Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray.
Hempstead Town Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby (center) and Freeport Mayor Bill Glacken, (right) congratulate President Shawn Randall (left) and the
other PBA officers. Also present are Deputy Mayor Renaire Frierson, Trustees Don Miller, Don Mauersberger and Bill White, Jr.
Mayor Bill Glacken was invited to swear
in Police Officer Shawn Randall as the
incoming president of Freeport's
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association at the
organization's recent Dinner Dance. Mayor
Glacken thanked outgoing president
Police Officer Philip "Mike" Flood for his
eight years of service to the PBA. Trustee
Bill White, Jr. presided over the swearing
in ceremony for the association's other
office holders: Vice President Timothy G.
Nolan, Recording Secretary Richard W.
Greenwood, Treasurer David M. Brodsky,
Corresponding Secretary Theodore D.
Circo, Trustees Joseph Ippoliti, Steven
Marigotta, Donnie Ethier, Range President
Michael B. Smith, and Range
Treasurer/Secretary Michael Capriola.
The Mayor thanked all of the men
and women of the Police Department and
• -their-families' for the-sacrifices-th£y-rTave
made for the community. "Freeport has
the best local police department in the
state," he declared. The PBA event also
honored local business leaders Michael
Rand and Marc Schwab of Rand and
Paseka Manufacturing Co., and Scott Rose
of Rose Fence Co., and conveyed Special
Recognition Awards to village employees
John Dixon and Jack Broems.
Freeport PAL Opens Youth Boxing Training Center
"It took a lot of work from all the volun-teers
to get this space in shape," said Joe
Higgins, the president of
the Police Athletic League
and director of the boxing
program, "but the results
are well worth the effort."
Higgins and a devoted
group of boxing enthusiasts
turned an unused garage at
Northeast Park into a first-rate
center for training
youngsters in the sport of
boxing.
Mayor Bill Glacken,
along with a number of
other officials, took part in
the opening ceremonies at
the center. "Bringing this
program to Northeast Park
where it can benefit local
young people shows how
well the PAL organization
fulfills its mission in this
community," said the
Mayor. "Joe Higgins, and all
of the volunteers who helped make this
dream a reality, are heroes to these kids."
Local businesses, along with other
groups, made major contributions to the
refurbishing of the build-ing.
Home Depot donated
paint; KWS Electricians
rewired the space, adding
the lights; the Everlast
Sporting Goods Co. sup-plied
the boxing ring at
half price; a private con-tributor,
John Coleman,
donated money, and
Senator Charles Fuschillo
helped provide funding
from New York State to
the PAL organization.
The Boxing Center
is located near the
Parsons Ave. entrance
to Northeast Park. The
hours are 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
Mayor Bill Glacken joined local business and public officials and PAL volunteers at the opening ceremony of the PAL Boxing Center in For weekend hours
Northeast Park, In the back row alongside the Mayor is Chamber of Commerce Treasurer Ed Friedman, New York State Assemblyman David „ j f urther information
McOonough, Coach Bernie Lenahan NYS Heavyweight Champion Cerrick Rossey, State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. Freeport Trustee Bill '
White, Jr.,Police Officer Mike Pomerico, the Executive Director of PAL. Standing in front are Jodi Hurley of PAL along with Coach Brendan Please contact Joe
HaUohaaNossau Legislator David Denenberg, PAL Football Coach Tom Clements, and Trustee Don Miller, Kneeling in front is PAL President H iggins at 516-379-5933.
and the Director of the Boxing Center Joe Higgins with youngsters in the program.