Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, together with members of the Town Board, honored 10 extraordinary recipients at the eighth annual Town of Oyster Bay "Women of Distinction" Awards Ceremony March 28. The award recognizes the outstanding achievements of women who either live or work in the town.

"A distinguished awards committee, once again, had the difficult task of selecting exceptional designees as the 'Women of Distinction' in one of eight categories," Venditto said. "This year marked the first that the Town had 10 recipients of this award.

"The 'Women of Distinction' Program has certainly proven to be a memorable tradition, honoring women who stand as role models for the younger generation in the Town of Oyster Bay," Venditto continued. "These women are a shining example of the outstanding citizenship that has made the Town of Oyster Bay such a special place to live and raise a family."

This year's designees include, on a local front, Beth Dalton-Costello, Valerie Pakaluk and Jo Ann Miltenberg.

Beth Dalton-Costello is co-owner of the Thomas Dalton Funeral Home chain, which has locations throughout Long Island. Throughout the years as a business owner in areas such as Hicksville and Levittown, she became very involved in numerous organizations in those communities.

Dalton-Costello is active in Nassau Community College's Mortuary Science Advisory Board, the Island Trees High School Advisory Board and is a former member of the Yours, Ours, Mine Community Center. She is vice president of Friends of the Bay and has received the Small Businessperson of the Year Award in Hicksville and Levittown.

In her hometown of Hicksville, Dalton-Costello has been active in organizations such as the Hicksville Community Council, where she was honored with the Presidents Award; is a member of the Hicksville Kiwanis Club and led the steering committee of the Hicksville Interfaith Nutrition Network.

Valerie Pakaluk has quite a record of community service. She served as a highly efficient managing editor for the Litmor Publishing Corporation, during which time she supported numerous local organizations and their ongoing programs.

Pakaluk was instrumental in organizing and serving as the founding president of the Hicksville Historical Society and was a trustee of the Hicksville Gregory Museum, where she also served as an officer. She was a member of the Hicksville Community Council, where she served as a vice president for many years, and of which she is currently President. Pakaluk has been affiliated with the Charles Wagner Post 421 of the American Legion and St. Ignatius Church. As busy as Pakaluk was with her Community Council leadership and all other endeavors, she took on a trustee position on the Hicksville Library Board following the death of another local civic leader.

Pakaluk brings intelligence, organization, cordiality and courage to her many leadership roles. Her interest in the significant history of her hometown community led her to help local historian Richard Evers with the creation of a pictorial history book of Hicksville. Pakaluk's unwavering dedication to her community continues to shine every day.

Hicksville resident Jo Ann Miltenberg is a distinguished math instructor who has been teaching for nearly 30 years, about half of which she has taught in the Farmingdale School District. The U.S. Department of Education recently honored her as New York's recipient of the American Star of Teaching Award, which is presented to only one teacher from each state in the country. Miltenberg was selected over thousands of entries to be honored for her classroom creativity.

She was one of the first teachers in the entire region to receive training on the scientific calculators that are now used in nearly every high school math classroom, and she, in turn, trained her peers as a Technology for All Students instructor.

Farmingdale's Superintendent of Schools has said that Miltenberg sees teaching as a calling, not as a job. Jo Ann's students and colleagues agree. She devotes time outside the classroom to her students in Farmingdale and also assists many in her hometown of Hicksville. She is a gifted, caring and dedicated individual with a superb mathematical background and extraordinary teaching skills that reach every child in her classroom.

"These fine honorees have dedicated themselves to service and achievement, and their remarkable accomplishments are an inspiration to us all," Venditto said. "Young women throughout the town do not need to look to Hollywood actresses or pop stars for their role models, they can look right here in the Town of Oyster Bay."