"Smashing, a winner, a treasure," are some of the superlatives to describe the 200-page Centennial journal. Everyone should have received their copy by now. It really was great.
* * * *
Talking to civil engineer George Sommer and his wife, Helena, they told me that years ago their son Karl was a ball boy for the Mets. Karl was an acrobat and before the game performed on a trampoline. The NY Post ran a picture of him captioned "Sommer's Summersaults."
* * * *
Bob Morrison, former president of the Ambulance Corps, his wife, Lorraine, and daughter, Michel, dined at Eleanor Rigby's. Bob owns RIM Industries and the family lives on Jackson Avenue.
* * * *
The Centennial quilt, which the ladies made, now hangs in CitiBank, 2nd St. and Mineola Blvd.
* * * *
Dorothy Onorato and daughter, Dorothy, enjoyed dinner at Cugini's.
* * * *
Remember McGurk's Tavern, owned by Hugh McGurk, where the Recovery Room is today, some actors used to stop by for a "pick-me-up" on the way to the playhouse. A few recall when Bing Crosby stopped by.
* * * *
Marine Cpl. Sean Debevoise, grandson of Walter and Grace Weismantel former Mineola residents, who was badly wounded in Iraq is getting better. We have suffered, 2,500 killed and 18,000 wounded in the war. Today, 90 percent of our wounded will survive. In WWII, many of these would not have made it. This was Sean's second tour of duty in Iraq.
* * * *
Barbara Stignari of Mineola is a great runner and a champion swimmer. She recently finished fifth in the LI Marathon.
* * * *
That new waitress at the Jericho Diner is Barbara Niemeyer of Garden City Park. Memorial Day was her first time on the job.
* * * *
Great job being performed by Justice John O'Shea and his assistant Dick O'Callaghan. The four meter people, Ron Rental, Stuart Goldstein, Laurie McCarrion and Richard Rodrigues keep traffic moving and add to the village funds.
* * * *
Doris Siraco of Birchwood Ct. was born in Mineola. She works in the school system as a teacher's aide in Special Ed. at MHS.
* * * *
John Jansen was having coffee at the Jericho Diner. He used to work at the Tpke. Deli. His parents are Joseph and Gilda of McKinley Parkway.
* * * *
Mary Parker is that helpful lady at the desk in the Mineola Library. She and her husband, Glenn, live in RVC, but she loves the five years she has spent here. Mary says that the people of Mineola are the best.
* * * *
Chris Lotito was buying a suit at Foresto's. Chris used to work for the NY Racing Association, spending time at Belmont, Aqueduct and what he likes most, Saratoga. He and his wife, Angela, have lived on White Rd. for 45 years.
* * * *
Tom Cooke, who used to own TJ Gifts on Jericho Turnpike, will be leaving Mineola and moving to Vero Beach, FL, July 1.
* * * *
You wonder if Ann Coulter really believes some of the outrageous things she says and writes. I think she is just trying to make a name for herself and I guess she is succeeding with all the buzz she gets. Years ago Westbrook Pegler wrote in a similar vein. Peg, however, was a brilliant writer; Ann is not.
* * * *
The above reminds me of the politician who said, "I don't care what you write about me, just spell my name right." He also said, "There is no such thing as bad publicity." He welcomed it all good or bad. I'm not so sure about that.
* * * *
Kay Murphy and Fran Dempsey enjoyed breakfast at the Jericho. Fran is the widow of Family Court Judge William Dempsey. Their daughter, the late Joanne, was a college professor of medieval English. Fran's son, Bill, is an assistant DA.