Silent reminders' of sacrifice

War monuments unveiled in Middle Country park

BY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON, North Shore Sun 6/25/10

Nearly 500 community members crowded Bartlett Pond Park in Middle Island Saturday for the unveiling of five new memorials honoring veterans of wars from the American Revolution to Vietnam.

The new monuments now stand with the previously dedicated World War II memorial for what community leaders
hope will be a reminder of the sacrifices 488 veterans have made through American history. Each stone bears the names of community members who served in six wars, including the Civil War, World War I and the Korean War.

"These monuments are silent reminders of the sacrifices made by those who fought for the peace we all enjoy," said Councilwoman Connie Kepert (D-Middle Island). There are plans to raise funds for a seventh monument to honor veterans of Desert Storm and the war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The American Revolution Veterans Monument was unveiled by Middle Island Fire Commissioner Jeff Davis. His father, Judson Davis, is listed on the World War II memorial."It's extra-special that it's happening on a Father's Day weekend," Mr. Davis said. "We're honoring our fathers, our grandfathers and all of our ancestors -- it's a great community event."

The Civil War monument was unveiled by Donald Bayles, a descendant of brothers Edward and Albert Bayles, who fought in that war. They lived across from Bartlett Pond Park and worked on the family farm.

"They probably took many a dip in Bartlett Pond on hot days, just like today," said Ms. Kepert. "Tragically, the Bayles brothers were both killed in the battle of Cold Harbor in 1864."

The World War I Veterans Monument was unveiled by Steve Trusnovec of Yaphank, whose grandfather and great-uncle, Paul and Percy Homan, are listed on the stone.

"Percy Homan fought under Gen. Pershing in the tank corps," Ms. Kepert said. "He survived the Battle of the Argonne Forest, one of the last battles of World War I, which lead to the signing of Armistice on Nov. 11 1918."

The Korea and Vietnam monuments were both unveiled by groups of veterans from those wars.

"A forgotten war no longer," said Ms. Kepert upon the unveiling of the Korean War monument.

"Many of these vets did not get a big thank-you when they came home from war," Ms. Kepert said of those who had fought in Vietnam. "So gentlemen, thank you."

The two-hour ceremony and the barbecue that followed drew many veterans, as well as town, county and state elected officials, all of whom said they were touched by the display.

"This to me is so important," said Suffolk County Legislature Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham). "It places something tangible in the community that our children and future generations can come and see and touch."

Tyrell Wilson, a World War II veteran who served in one of the military's first mixed-race units, said the event brought back a lot of memories.

"For all the guys that had served and didn't come back -- this means a lot," he said.

His son, Russel Wilson of Gordon Heights, said the ceremony got the Father's Day weekend off to the right start.

"We have a lot to celebrate," he said. "For me, I didn't serve and it brought tears to my eyes. All of these monuments that represent all of the wars -- it was very powerful."

"I'm very proud to see all these monuments," said Coram resident Ken Eliasen, a Longwood graduate whose name is inscribed on the Vietnam memorial. "It's very overwhelming."

The idea for the memorials can be traced back to a 1998, when World War II veteran James Eagle visited a Longwood Middle School history class. Mr. Eagle told the students in Paul Infranco's class about his experiences at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the day the American naval base and fleet anchored there were attacked by Japanese bombers. The surprise attack brought America into World War II. Several weeks after his visit, Mr. Eagle passed away.

The students, inspired by Mr. Eagle's life and death, decided to seek more information about the community's World War II veterans.

The World War II memorial was unveiled in 2007. It had taken the students nine years to raise the $10,000 needed to erect it.

The $70,000 cost of the five new monuments was paid through a grant from the Caithness Advisory Committee, which advises the town on community enhancement projects.

The Longwood Alliance, which helps all volunteer groups within the Longwood School District with community events, organized the event with Longwood history teacher Paul Infranco.

"It's a great feeling to honor these guys who've been ignored for so long," said Mr. Infranco.

Gail Lynch-Bailey, president of the Longwood Alliance, said that instead of hiring a military band for the ceremony, the veterans had asked students from the Longwood School District to perform.

The veterans "were so touched that the kids and the community saw this through," she said.

"The fact that the students did this is wonderful," said Vietnam vet Joe Cognitore of the Rocky Point VFW. "They did a great job. We need to see more of that throughout our entire communities."


 

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Town: Trash biz was run out of home

Code enforcers shut down dumpster operation in Ridge neighborhood BY PEGGY SPELLMAN HOEY -North Shore Sun

An allegedly illegal dumpster business that was operating on Whiskey Road in Ridge was shut down recently.  Brookhaven Town investigators have shut down a dumpster business they say was operating illegally out of a residential neighborhood in Ridge.

Officials looked into the matter at 654 Whiskey Road after receiving tips about several overweight vehicles, outdoor storage containers, scattered debris, piles of tires and other illegal structures, authorities said. As a result, the property owner was issued 21 tickets and is scheduled to appear in Brookhaven's Community Court at a later date, authorities said.

"The swift action taken by our Quality of Life Task Force sends a strong message to those who break the law that we will not tolerate illegal activity anywhere in our town," said Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko. "I commend our investigators for their hard work and the law-abiding residents who were vigilant and called in to report the alleged violations."

Brookhaven Councilwoman Connie Kepert, whose district includes parts of Ridge, called it unfortunate that some members of society "have no problem destroying the fabric of an entire neighborhood for profit."

"When an unscrupulous business person operates illegally in Brookhaven they will have to deal with our Quality of Life Task Force," Ms. Kepert said.  Residents who believe that a property owner is in violation of town code can file a complaint with the law department at 451-6500.

World Cup again puts Portuguese club, neighbors at odds: June 20, 2010
By PATRICK WHITTLE, Newsday

A roomful of teenagers clad in green-and-red soccer jerseys stood and sang "A Portuguesa" - the national anthem of Portugal - while their parents sipped espresso and nervously awaited the beginning of the World Cup. But a few times per year, when the club hosts outdoor parties and barbecues that sometimes attract several hundred people, the center's relationship with the community isn't so smooth, neighbors say.

Residents such as Robert Regan of nearby Country Greens Drive in Holtsville said the parties fill the air with blaring music and the smell of aromatic food.

"After about 40 minutes, you really don't want to have pork anymore," Regan said recently.

Club members, such as Antonio Melo, maintain that the center hasn't played outdoor music in years, and noise is limited to "just chatter."Melo said the Portuguese community needs the club "for our family picnics" and "as far as odor goes, there is no such thing as odor."



It was a typical scene in Farmingville's Portuguese-American Center, a quarter-century-old Portion Road social club that on most days blends into its suburban surroundings.

Brookhaven Town officials are trying to broker peace between the community and the club, which officials say has broken a handful of zoning covenants over the years. Violations include illegal tree clearing, constructing a gazebo without permission and disregarding a 157-by-337-foot buffer behind the club, officials said.

The town has asked the club to make some changes. Councilwoman Connie Kepert, who represents the area, wants the club to plant new trees on a new buffer that is about half the size of the original one. She also said the club should install some type of sound barrier.

The club will seek approval for a new site plan that meets the town's specifications, said Eric J. Russo, an attorney for the club.

But Kathleen Della Iacono of Holtsville, whose property is adjacent to the club, said she would not be satisfied by the changes. She said she wants the full 157-foot buffer zone restored.

"I don't want to look at a [sound] wall," she said. "I chose this particular piece of property because of the trees."

Members of the club, whose building also includes a ballroom and a school, and which hosts everything from weddings to political functions, say the center is a vital piece of Suffolk County's Portuguese community.

The club has evolved over the years from a men's club to a family-oriented center for the preservation of Portuguese heritage, said member Carlos Fernandes.

Melo, a native of northern Portugal who moved to America in the 1970s, described Suffolk's Portuguese community as small but close-knit. Almost 3,000 Brookhaven Town residents claimed Portuguese ancestry on the 2000 census, with about 1,000 of those residents living in Farmingville, Medford or Selden.

The area has for decades been home to Portuguese families, many of whom moved east from Mineola or Jamaica, Melo said.

"I really don't see a problem with us celebrating Portugal with parties and stuff," said Kevin DaPonte, 17, of Selden. "I think people are just being stubborn."

Kepert said she is confident the town can foster a compromise between the club and the neighborhood. But she said she knows neighbors fear the club will not "adhere to the limitations the town board is placing on them."

"This is a matter of trust.”  More Community news....