East Norwich is displaying yellow ribbons on the trees along Route 106 and 25A. The unincorporated village has taken the step to let people know they support our troops in Iraq. The display was spearheaded by Michael Peter Hayes of the MPH Salon in the Blueberries Shopping Center after a request by one of his customers.

Lee Bogart of Locust Valley asked Mr. Hayes if he would tie a yellow ribbon on his door in honor of her son Major Adrian Bogart and her grandson Private Thomas Morrow. "It was something I wanted to do and hadn't known what to do without causing conflicts, but at the same time, these are our men and women doing their job. We want them to come home proudly," he said. "I would like to see all of the area covered with yellow ribbons."

Mr. Hayes contacted the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce and they donated money toward the purchase of the ribbons. "Dodds & Eder sold us yards upon yards of yellow ribbon at cost. The merchants are coming in and asking for some ribbon to put around East Norwich and Oyster Bay," said Lydia Mediavilla, Mr. Hayes' wife.

Matthew Meng, president of the East Norwich Civic Association was at Michael Peter Hayes Salon for the yellow ribbon kickoff at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 29. "Michael was giving out free yellow ribbons to be put on trees in support of our soldiers in Iraq. The ENCA has donated money to the cause," he said. Dunkin' Donuts donated the coffee, and Bagel Boss donated the bagels for the morning event. Local merchants have also donated money for the ribbons.

Among those attending were Oyster Bay Cove Mayor Michael Peragine, Jack Scheick, president of the Committee for the Beautification of East Norwich, Nick DeSantis of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8033, and a member of the beautification committee, as well as Nancy Leftenant-Colon, a retired Air Force major who served as a military nurse during the mid '40s to '60s. Two judges, Roy Mahon and Jack Galasso, a new East Norwich resident, also attended and helped tie on the yellow ribbons.

"It was a cross-section of people from East Norwich as well as people from other communities," said Mr. Meng. He had made a lot of phone calls since he first heard about the idea from Mr. Hayes on Wednesday. "Word spread quickly. This crossed all party lines and all walks of life. Michael Peragine and his village trustees had already decided to purchase ribbons for all the trees in the medians of Route 25A on Friday. Lee Bogart is one of Michael's customers. She just wanted to make sure that these military people understand that we stand behind them whether we are behind the war or not," said Mr. Meng. "It went quite well. People came in during the day to get ribbons. Everyone's spirits are high for supporting the military."

"My heart goes out to the families," said Michael Peter Hayes' wife Lydia Mediavilla. "I have about 15 family members in the service," added Ave Maria, a hair stylist with the Michael Peter Hayes Salon.

The Bogart family has a long tradition of defending the country. Adrian Bogart served in WW II in the Pacific. During the American Revolutionary War his ancestor, Isaac Bogart served with a Huntington company; during the Civil War his great-grandfather Adrian Thomas "Peter" Bogart served; his late father, Adrian Thomas Bogart, served during WW I with the Merchant Marines.

Citizens are beginning to respond to the need to let our troops in Iraq know that we support them. U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy expressed the views of many when she commented on the March 19 Operation Iraqi Freedom. She said, "... upon the President's command, our courageous young men and women in uniform began military action in Iraq to relieve America and the world of the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.

"As a nation, we must now come together and strongly support our troops as they have been called to action to make the world safer, and to help the Iraqi people have the same freedoms as you and I.

"In the days and weeks ahead, I am certain our military will be successful in carrying out this mission, and I pray for their safe and speedy return home."

County Legislator Edward P. Mangano, 17th L.D., said, "My thoughts and prayers are with the brave men and woman of our armed forces as they fight to end terrorism. The very terrorism that brought down our World Trade Center murdering our friends, neighbors, firefighters, police and Port Authority officers must be met and defeated on foreign soil. We must stand united in purpose to eliminate the production of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons capable of mass destruction.

"Saddam Hussein has oppressed and murdered the people of Iraq, developed weapons of mass destruction and supports terrorist organizations. Saddam's continued failure to prove he has disposed of the weapons the United Nations concluded he had in 1998 cannot be ignored.

"I support President George Bush and our troops and remain committed to doing whatever is necessary to help them accomplish their mission and return home safely. In our neighborhood, I am committed to supporting all homeland defense efforts", he said.

To show that support for the American service people, the Town of Oyster Bay and the Town's Veteran's Advisory Council is sponsoring three rallies in support of the troops in Iraq. The first rally was scheduled for Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at the John J. Burns Town Park, Merrick Road in Massapequa. The rally will take place on the lighted soccer field.

The second rally was scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay. The rally will take place on the lighted ball field. The park has three entrances, at Larrabee Avenue, Audrey Avenue, and through South Street and Bay Avenue. Parking is available in the lot off Larrabee Avenue and by the LIRR train station. From that location you can walk to the ball field.

The third rally will take place on Sunday, April 6 at 4:15 p.m. at the Bethpage Long Island Rail Road Station south parking lot. It is adjacent to the Rotary Memorial Circle on Stewart Avenue. This event is co-sponsored by the Bethpage Chamber of Commerce. For more information please call the town at (516) 624-6389. You can also see them on the Internet at www.oysterbaytown.com

The Nassau County Young Republicans are also doing their part to support the troops in Iraq. They are sponsoring the "Support Our Troops - Rally For Freedom" on Sunday, April 6. This will be a nonpartisan demonstration to show support of the men and women in our armed forces. All those interested are welcome to attend.

Young Republicans' President Nina Petraro said, "This rally is an excellent opportunity to display so many people's feelings about the Operation Iraqi Freedom. You always see protests against this war, but very few pledging support. We want to display how Americans truly feel with our gathering. Recent polls indicate that as many as 70 percent of Americans feel that President Bush has chosen the right path in regards to the removal of Saddam Hussein. Putting that aside, our troops are fighting right now to protect liberty and they need to know that the people back home stand behind them 100 percent."

The event will begin at 2 p.m. at the Nassau County Supreme Court House on Supreme Court Drive in Mineola. Everyone from every political background is invited to attend with rally signs. People are also encouraged to bring friends and family members along who are willing to show their support for the service men and women.

More details and directions are available on the Young Republicans website at www.NassauYRs.com. If any one should have a question, please call Stephen Canzoneri at (516) 353-1108 or e-mail him at Webmaster@NassauYRs.com.