By Lou Sanders

Over 3,000 people crowded Corpus Christi Church for the Mass of Transferal and the funeral Mass for Father Kenneth Winkler, the beloved pastor. One of the saddest things about his death due to cancer was that he was given so much hope. When he was diagnosed with the disease the doctors told him his chances of recovery were good due to early detection and his young age of 46. All during his suffering he never complained or felt sorry for himself or said, "Why me?" His Mass was concelebrated with 126 priests and with Bishop John McGann as principal celebrant. What a wonderful man was Father Ken. He will never be forgotten.

Fire Chief Jack Gayson, wife Karen and daughter Stacey dined at Eleanor Rigby's. Also at the same restaurant were Matt and Kitty Butler of Woodnut Place.

Tony Donnelly of Marcellus Road, head usher at Corpus Christi Church, was rushing off to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade when he passed out and hit his head. He spent eight days in the hospital but nothing was found wrong. As Tony joked, "They examined my head and found nothing."

John Fleming of Woodnut Place enjoyed lunch at the Jericho Diner.

Henning and Dorothy Anderson of Glen Head had lunch at LaCisterna. Henning was a 1935 graduate of Mineola High School and likes to come back to the old village now and then.

Julio Quijada, the busboy at Jericho Diner, has been promoted to cashier. We knew Julio would be advancing himself. Born in El Salvador he attends night school twice a week to improve his English and he is very knowledgeable. He lives in Elmont and having to take two buses it took him an hour to get to work. However, the kind lady who works at TK Gifts, Phyllis Alfiere, now gives him a lift every morning.

Helen Svoboda, the widow of John the former Scoutmaster of Troop 45, wrote to us for a copy of this paper when we had the write-up about her late husband. Helen who lives in Florida also wanted to share it with Walter Weismantel and Eugene Zaiser. Both live near her in Sun City Center, FL and are from our village.

What a pleasure it was to stop into O'Donnell's Irish Pub on St. Patrick's Day and share a pint of Guinness and some corned beef and cabbage with Martin and Mary. Best of all were the two beautiful colleens, Mary and the bartender Laura Blake. Martin, Mary and Laura are all residents of the village.

Vivian Schilling of Hicksville, formerly of Mineola, celebrated her birthday with family and friends at the Milleridge Inn. Among the friends were Walter and Grace Crosby of Mineola.

John Fleming, the old golf pro who died a few years ago, used to also work at the Davenport Press when it was really a print shop according to his daughter Margaret of Woodnut Place.

Irene Ignaczak is proud to be working at the new library. For the past 14 years she has worked at either Mineola or the Shelter Rock Library. She and her husband John live on Cleveland Avenue.

Tony Artusa of Jericho Collision on Sagamore Avenue also works as security at the USA Pro Wrestling matches. If you have ever met Tony, you know you wouldn't want to mess with him.

Andrew Reardon of Wilson Boulevard who I meet at the Shamrock Station on Herricks Road likes to talk about the Celtic Tiger (the economic boom that is taking place in Ireland). Also he is well versed on the Euro and the European Common Market.

The old Fichter Florist plot on Glen Cove Road in Carle Place that housed the florist for almost 70 years will soon be gone. Bud Fichter of Carle Place tells us that six houses will be built on the land.

Always good to see that happy-go-lucky Irishman Jim Agnew of Garfield Avenue around the village.

North Irish affairs are improving. They now argue about things such as which flag will fly over Stormont Castle. Irish Nationalists want the Irish Tricolor, the Unionists want the British flag, another group wants both flags and yet another wants no flag.

The Mineola Board of Education is searching for a new superintendent of schools. Among those under consideration is Sheldon Dumain. Sheldon, the former business manager, has been associated with our system for many years. He would make a great superintendent.