Frank Syracuse, one of our meter people, has received a prestigious award for outstanding amateur photography. His winning photo was taken in Provence, France for a picture of women washing clothes in a stream. Frank will get his award in Washington, DC on Nov. 7.

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Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell and her husband enjoyed dinner at Napa and Sonoma restaurant in Garden City.

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Bill and Mary Von Blomburg live on Marcellus Road. Bill is active in the American Legion and occasionally attends Chamber of Commerce meetings.

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A man walking along the street meets another man with a dog and asks him, "Does your dog bite?" The fellow says, "No" so the man gives the dog a pat and the dog bites him. The man says to the other fellow, "I thought you said your dog doesn't bite." The man says, "Yeah, but this is not my dog."

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We attended the wakes of two old friends on the same night, mourning the death of Jim Galante, the retired New York City detective and husband of our former mayor Ann Galante and John Fleming who was a charter member of our old tennis club and a longtime friend. A sad time for both families.

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Al Ford, the founder of Willis Hobbies, and his wife Peggy were here from Florida for several months this summer. Al was able to attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting. He was in that organization for more than 30 years and was its treasurer most of that time. His son Steve is vice-president of the Chamber. Al and Peggy lived for many years at the President Apartments on Mineola Boulevard.

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Former Corpus Christi Church priest, Father Tom Murphy was visiting the library recently. He told me that he was in town to keep a doctor's appointment. Father Murphy now serves a parish on the North Shore.

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Jan Michael Daly is captain of the varsity football team at Memorial High in New Hyde Park. He is also an All Conference lacrosse player. Jan is quite an athlete who is 6 feet 1" and weighs 200 lbs. The proud mom is Laura Blake of Arlington Street and is a bartender at O'Donnell's Irish Pub.

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Marianne Martin of Andrews Road tells us that her late husband Harry's paintings are now displayed at the library. The exhibit can be seen downstairs.

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What a wonderful treat it was to see and hear the Black Velvet band that played all afternoon in front of Richie O'Shea's Irish Manor Shop in Stewart Manor. Richie, who has a wonderful voice, sang Danny Boy, The Rose of Tralee and One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus That's All I Ask.

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You know where we get the word robot from? From the Russian word for work - robotski.

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Frank DiPrima, like me, served in the combat engineers in WWII. Frank was with General Patton's Third Army and received the Silver Star in the Battle of the Bulge. Frank and his wife Josephine live on Foch Boulevard and celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on Sept. 15.

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Speaking of that same terrible battle, Edwin P. Melvin was wounded in that engagement and also received the Purple Heart. Edwin, who died recently in Florida, was the brother of Charlie Melvin of Mineola.

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Bill Handworth has been a police officer in the 3rd Precinct for 30 years. He says the precinct has given hundreds of summonses to people driving while talking on their cell phones. The Village of Williston Park has a drive on to eliminate illegal signs. It's called the battle against "visual pollution." Bill recently spoke about this problem at the Williston chamber and said that fines for those found guilty can be as much as $1,100.

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Our much traveled priest Father Tomaz Gomide, who would put Gulliver to shame, recently took a trip to Ireland and England.