Behind the scenes last year the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for Summer Center worked tirelessly putting the actual program and scheduling together. The committee met once a week beginning in January-in the evening because some members have full-time jobs-to choose courses, name them, hire teachers, and do the scheduling.

Judy Pegno and Diane Roberts are co-chairs of the committee and work with members Mary Lou deVenoge, Donna diGruccio, Peggy Markham, Carolyn Kenlon, Mary Kay Connors and Michelle Tempesta. Some committee members no longer have children in the program but continue to volunteer their time believing it such a worthwhile cause. Elaine Mallios, director of Summer Center, Elaine Schaeffer, assistant director, Summer Center, and Dr. Jean Kendall, Munsey Park principal, are also members of the committee.

There was a crisis in 2004, in the wake of austerity, when the program was required to be self-supporting and therefore no longer funded by the school district. Diane Roberts said the program was reinstated through sheer will and determination of the parents and committee who shepherded Summer Center through very choppy waters and emerged with a program for which individual students pay a fee and which is run under the auspices of SCOPE, a nonprofit educational services company that the district contracts with to run the program. There were 583 attendees this year, "a very manageable number," claimed Mallios.

Summer Center has been a well-known Manhasset institution for 60 years. "I just recently received a call from a parent stating they had just moved into the district and their realtor told her about the summer program for their children," said Mallios, who added the woman loved that she lived in an area that provided so much for her children.

So many individuals have given of themselves over the years, and have received much as well. Tara Scalza Pinzino grew up in Manhasset, and married a native as well. Her husband Stephen Pinzino is involved with the Manhasset Youth Council and that organization wanted to sponsor a child on the School Community Association (SCA) scholarship list to enable a child to attend Summer Center, but instead they will donate funds to purchase games and toys for the primary grades that were destroyed in a flood in the Munsey Park basement about three years ago.

"This year there was a wonderful outpouring from the SCA," Mallios recounted, from Lisa Belinsky, executive vice president, and Mimi Donoghue, executive president. Mallios said Scope offers two scholarships and the SCA contributed money for additional scholarships. "Our mission is that every child in the Manhasset School District is able to enjoy all the academic, extra curricular and social programs available to them," said Belinsky.

"It's definitely a community affair," said Elaine Mallios, "nine of the teachers live in Manhasset, as do most of the teacher's assistants and most of the volunteers, which number over 20." The pre-K teacher grew up in Manhasset, the lifeguard at the Chaminade pool, where the children swim, is a Manhasset High student, and the assistant director's daughter, Elaine Schaffer, worked in the nurse's office from the age of 16 and is now one year away from becoming a doctor.

Brian Perna and Jennifer Kassl met as volunteers in the Summer Center program about 10 years ago and were married Aug. 6. Because they met at the Shelter Rock Elementary School parking lot, that is where Perna proposed.

Marissa Tempesta will be a Manhasset High School senior in September and began working at Summer Center the summer after ninth grade. She is considering becoming a teacher and loves the exposure to the classroom and seeing how it all works. This is Tempesta's second year working with Hilah Shah, pre-1, and "she makes the experience very rewarding for me because she teaches me how to interact with kids in a meaningful way. I'll be back."

Kaitlin D'Aversa completed her third year as a teacher's assistant this year in the pre-2 area. She said, "I've loved working here, it's more than a summer job for me." D'Aversa said she is motivated and inspired by the children and teachers and looks forward to becoming a teacher herself. "Seeing the children here every morning and being able to make a difference in their days makes me excited to become a teacher myself."

Victoria Belinsky was winding up her first year volunteering at Summer Center and she chose the job because the hours permitted her to do several other things as well. Also, she said, "I was not old enough to be paid this year and by volunteering I am guaranteed a spot next year." Belinsky assists the tennis instructor and said, "I love playing tennis and being with kids and the fact I get to do both is great." She said the other volunteers and teachers assistants are nice and that, "it's really fun. I don't consider it a job."

Mallios beamed, "We get it all. Everyone is connected for the best possible experience for the children. It isn't all fun and games either, there are math and reading classes for students who need support over the summer. It is so much a community effort."

Dr. Kendall agreed, "Summer Center was a wonderful experience for our Manhasset children who attended. Not only did they have opportunities for recreational enjoyment, they had enrichment as well. It was also a place where some of our Manhasset teenagers developed their first work experiences; they volunteered to help at Summer Center and learned the importance of accepting and fulfilling work responsibilities, having a structured work schedule, and taking care of others. Mrs. Mallios and her assistants Mrs. Schaeffer and Mr. LoBianco, with the entire Summer Center staff did a terrific job!"

Teachers involved in the program from Manhasset are: Shelly Levin, pre-K; Alyson Smith, cartooning; Kathryn Sarola, pre-2; Maureen McKeown, bowling; Linda Alimaras, sewing; Marissa Lascarides, learning lab; Donna DeGruce, substitute teacher and Louise Cazian, piano, clarinet and sax.

The teachers assistants are: Marissa Tempesta, Leon Kuly, Thomas Mallon, David Peterson, Sebastian Barrera, Tom Welsh, Chris DeCerbo, Shrayq Kumar, Victoria Piluso, Victoria Belinsky, Brandon Ilg, Stephen Cucharo, May Querci,Victoria Steck, Sarah de Venoge, Alicia Hannon, Kathryn Duvnijak, Sarah Pegno, Esteban Kim, Andrew Moricci, Carmine DiGruccio and Chris Bosch.