Mounted night riders of the clan terrorized the countryside of Mineola and the Willistons in the late '20s. Spurred by the Democratic Party's nomination of Al Smith in 1928, the KKK unleashed their hatred of Blacks and Catholics. A cross was burned at Jericho Tpke. and Mineola Blvd., where the bank is now located. As we readied the centennial journal we touched upon this and other long forgotten things like the trolley line that ran eastward across Willis Ave., the Little League field and on to Westbury. Then there was the Goldbug Hotel at the corner of Old Country Road and Main St. ... the A & P on Jericho Tpke., later Klein's Five and Ten and King Kullen which occupied what is now the Knights of Columbus Building ... The San Su San in the East end where many of the famous performed ... how kids were given a half day off at the time of the old Mineola Fair ... the fire that consumed Richmond's Hardware and a bit later Jack's Hardware ... and Doc Barnes, who practiced until he was 92 years old.

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At Patrick's East Side Grille we met Martin, Mary, Kevin and Gerald O'Donnell and Trudy Orr, Mary's sister from Ireland. Martin and Mary own O'Donnell's Pub, the oldest Irish bar in Nassau County.

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Dick and Grace Morehouse have lived on Harrison Ave. for more than 60 years. In fact, Dick is the fourth generation of Morehouses in Mineola.

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Hai Nguyen was the sexton at Corpus Christi Church 10 years ago. When "Mr. "Hai," as we all called him, caught a man trying to steal the collection basket, he didn't hesitate and rushed the knife-wielding thief. He saved the collection, but was stabbed in the encounter. Mr. Hai was later honored by the ushers at a dinner. He was used to action, having served in the Vietnam War as a captain in their army.

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Dennis Bassert of Brown St. is a bartender and waiter at Eleanor Rigby's and before that he worked at the Davenport.

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Laurie Martin does a great job working at the Pet Pantry in Roslyn. She lives with her husband, Manny and children, Victoria and Olivia, on Bauer Place.

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Gary Kivatisky has owned the Blue Chip car detailing shop on Willis Avenue for six years. He and his wife, Tricia, and daughters, Jessica and Jenny, reside in Mineola on Seward Ave.

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A bit north of Blue Chip is the American Legion Hall where a plaque commemorates the old Motor Parkway. Here, there is a fine stretch of that old road which runs a fifth of a mile eastward.

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Maryann Ferron had a fine treat for her customers on St. Patrick's Day, a bit of her homemade Irish soda bread.

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Tilly and Noel of the popular Irish restaurant, the Recovery Room [they are just around the corner from the hospital], visited Ireland. She comes from Cavan and he from Mayo. Daughter Kelly had everything running smoothly on St. Patrick's Day.

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Former Williston Mayor Tom Muldoon and his wife, Carole, lunched at the Jericho Diner.

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Carl and Carole Marchese enjoyed dinner at Cugini's.

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I had a good time as the guest speaker at a recent Kiwanis Club breakfast at the Pancake House.

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Vinnie Lupinacci of McKinley Parkway was a NYC cop and later detective spending 32 years on the force. He would give most anything to be back on the job again, but age rules him out.

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Congrats to Mayor Martins for winning his lawsuit against the county. The county planned to sell parcels of land now used for parking by the courts south of Old Country Road and to build upon them. This would mean that all of these cars would come into downtown Mineola to park. Mineola is already choked with parked cars. The mayor has plans to help the downtown parking problem and the county's plan would have ruined everything.

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Our friend, Lud Odierna, won a convincing victory in Williston Park. I'm sure he will do an excellent job as mayor of that village.

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The old Irish lady had no love for Britain, but she crossed over to see an Irish horse run in the English Derby at Epsom Downs in the early '70s. When the Irish horse won, she cried out, "Thank God I have lived to see the English Derby won by a Catholic horse."