4th of July Fireworks

Renewal Press Conference

A press conference was held today, Friday, May 27th, at the Bay Shore Marina. Hosted by Phil Nolan, Town of Islip Supervisor, at the Bay Shore Marina. The focus of this Press Conference is "4th of July fireworks renewal."

The Town of Islip will renew their fireworks for the first time since 1989; an annual 4th of July fireworks tradition was first started by the Bay Shore Lions Club in 1965. The money for the fireworks in those early years was collected the old fashion way-by “passing the hat” before the 4th of July fireworks started. These fireworks are raised and paid for by the Go 4th on the Bay Committee, a private group wishing to support America’s Patriotism and celebrate the Nation’s Independence.

Event Photo:
(Pictured L to R)

The Wiseman, B-103; Belinda Groneman, President of PRONTO; Kathleen Heinlein, President Captree Boatman Assoc.; Vivian Hart, Executive Director of PRONTO, Nina Felton, of PRONTO; Myself- Philip Butler Producer, Go 4th on the Bay; and Phil Nolan Town of Islip Supervisor.

Message from Philip Butler:

Our press conference held today at the Bay Shore Marina was a raving success. As a resident of the Village, I sincerely wish Patchogue would be able to enjoy and benefit the good will and media that this "Go 4th on the Bay" will generate for us all.

Concept - To create an annual 4th of July celebration for all Long Islanders to be proud of and enjoy. Each year we will salute one of our military services, with the U.S. Army our honoree for 2011; Marines for 2012; Navy for 2113; Air Force 2014, and Coast Guard 2015. Plans feature the Rising of the Colors with a Fly-over of the entire Great South Bay, and as the grand finale World Class fireworks by the renowned Gruccis of New York all to celebrate our Nations Birthday.

The Gruccis will be producing the 2nd annual Go 4th on the Bay fireworks program on our beautiful Great South Bay, to celebrate our nation's 235th Birthday. The best and most spectacular viewing of the 4th of July shows would be from the Captree Boat Fleet- www.captreefleet.com/; your own boat; for the landlubbers, good viewing would be from most of the Fire Island bay fronts and shorelines of the bay from Smith Point to Bay Shore.

Philip Butler

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Knight at the Races Cancelled

K of C Patchogue, NY

Due to the lack of enough advanced ticket sales, the Knight at the Races that was scheduled for this Sunday, May 29th has been canceled.

To have one of these events it takes a lot of effort, time and a significant amount of money that needs to be laid out in advance to purchase all of the food and supplies that are needed. We have learned in the past that we cannot just “assume” that people are going to come to one of these events, and with so few tickets sold, the council cannot afford to go forward and possibly lose the funds that are necessary for the initial cost.

We will let you know if and when another Knight at the Races will be held. Thank you for understanding, and have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend.

Michael Boehm

Knight at the Races Cancelled

K of C Patchogue, NY

Just a reminder, the K of C is holding a Knight at the Races on this Sunday, May 29th at the Council Hall.

Doors open at 6 pm and the cost is $15 pp for a BBQ dinner w/ beer, wine and soda all night. Please come down and support this very important fundraiser for our Council.

Call our Warden Bill F. at 988-3758 for tickets or more info.

CANCELLED!

S/K Michael Boehm
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Message From the Suffolk County Police Department:

Get $200. for your Illegal Handgun.

Remain completely anonymous; no questions asked.

Drop Handguns off on Saturday May 28, 2011, between 9AM and 12 PM.

Police Headquarters

30 Yaphank Avenue

Yaphank, NY, 11980, 631 852 6530

LIE to Exit 67 South

Travel one half mile

Police Headquarters is on your Right.

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Fireworks 2011 on the

Great South Bay

Of all of the Patchogue Community Events that I have ever attended, Just one event retains a permanent place in mind. I can recall Nine family members which include my Four Grandchildren, walking down Cedar Avenue toward the water. We ultimately found our way to the village park off of South Ocean Avenue. Everyone was reclining on blankets except my Grandchildren; they were busy tying everyone's "Glowing Necklaces" together . The glowing Necklaces were purchased from a vender, and my Grandchildren managed to convince everyone else's children to help them make a very long jump rope. The Grucci Fireworks started and everyone was enjoying the Fireworks Display, while a second feature show was also in progress at the same time. Thirty Five children were jumping rope amidst the sights and sounds of the fireworks display, using their custom designed "Glowing Jump Rope." It is events such as this that create precious memories because they include both family and community. Our village had the fireworks for about Eight Years and for some unknown reason the fireworks displays were simply discontinued. This just hurts my heart!


Last year Philip Butler from the Grucci Family applied to the Village of Patchogue, for a permit to present a Fireworks Display on the Fourth of July, from a Barge, off of Patchogue. The permit was granted and then rescinded. As a result the Fireworks display was moved to Davis Park on Fire Island. The residents of Davis Park were ecstatic, the residents of Patchogue would have preferred to have the fireworks in our home town. The entire display was paid for, not by the village of Patchogue, but by donations.


Why would I be disconcerted about not having Fireworks in Patchogue? Patchogue is an amazing community. Unlike many other communities, Patchogue takes on the persona of a quaint country village; which it is. Our village has an energy of its own and one can feel that energy at any of our many community events. And now the important part! Our children also respond to the overwhelming sense of community in our village.


Youth has a compelling need to belong to something. My father told me "son! you must be very careful to only "Hang out, with people that you admire, because you will eventually become just like your friends." It is obvious to me that the good example set forth by the community minded residents of Patchogue Village has had a positive effect on our children. Patchogue Village still enjoys a point Three Percent Crime Rate, when the national norm for a given city in America is One Hundred. This is not an accident, because our community, is also part of our extended family. Herein lies what is unique about Patchogue!


The annual Fourth of July Fireworks Display, that was re-initiated last year has the theme, "Salute to our Military." Every year we will pay homage to a different branch of our Military Service. What a wonderful idea!


Philip Butler is not a "Johnny come lately," that just decided to get involved with Patchogue Village. Philip has always been a relentless activist for Patchogue Village, our Chamber of Commerce, and the Catholic Community. You may still be waiting for Waverly Avenue to be paved, if it were not for the efforts of Philip Butler.


(Please read the following Blog Article.)

http://mapleavenuenw.blogspot.com/2009/04/county-road-19-construction-project.html#links

Granted that we have our differences of opinion; but I see no rational reason to let a disagreement on one issue, interfere with the resolution of a completely different issue. Hopefully we could resolve this issue, and let this years Fireworks Display go forward.


An annual Fireworks displays should be part of the "Patchogue Experience; if not for us, then for our children."

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The Patchogue Knights of Columbus is holding a 1950's Doo-Wop Dance.


The Dance will be held at the K of C Hall, located at 38 West 1st St. Patchogue (off Waverly Ave.)

We will be featuring the sounds of "Somewhere in Time", a live Band that has played all over L.I., including the Patchogue Theater with Mickey B..


Tickets are only $30 per person, and include a full buffet Dinner with unlimited beer, wine & soda and coffee and cake. The date is Saturday Night, June 18th, from 7 pm - 11 pm. Don't miss out on a night of music and fun, right here in our own back yard!


Call Mike Boehm @ 774-2605 for more info or to purchase tickets.




S/K Michael Boehm







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James Tate Should go to the Prom


Never in all the years that I have been on this planet have I ever seen such ridiculous, egocentric behavior, on the part of a school administrator. Beth Smith the Head Master of Shelton High School in Connecticut precluded James Tate from attending his Prom, because he taped a few cardboard letters to the side of the building, asking Sonali Rodrigues to come to the prom with him.


If James used spray paint to deliver his message I would agree with the Headmaster's decision, but absolutely no damage was done to the Building. James Tate did not use spray paint, and went out of his way to avoid defacing the building.

In 2010 I wrote an article about Graffiti in Hawaii, praising the Graffiti Artists for practicing their craft without causing any permanent damage. Graffiti in the Island if Hawaii is not done with paint, but with colored rocks. My wife and I were exuberant because we finally found a culture of young people that took a stand for civility, and absolutely refused to deface their environment. These Kids "did their Graffiti art" using White and Black rocks. It is James Tate's deliberate decision to protect our environment, by not defacing the School building, that sounded Bells and Whistles in my head. Finally the Hawaiian mentality manifests itself through James Tate, and he is punished!

To compound the injustice one hundred dissenting students were also punished! I have seen this type of behavior before; it is the Head Master of the school that should be reprimanded, not the students. James Tate, Sonali Rodriguez, and the One Hundred students that protested this injustice should forever be proud of their actions; they have crossed over to adulthood.


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Southwest Airlines Direct Flights


Going on Vacation, better check for flight availability as soon as possible; you may not be able to book a direct flight!


For many years my wife and I have had the good fortune, to have been able to book a nonstop flight to visit out relatives in Las Vegas. This year we were unable to book a direct flight from Islip McArthur Airport on Southwest Airlines, to Las Vegas.


I must admit that I have, for many years, taken direct flights for granted. In the past I got on the plane at Islip McArthur, and arrived in Vegas about six hours later. “How wonderful;” all I had to do was relax and listen to my Ipod for a few hours and voila, it’s party time in Vegas!


I always equate and compare the success of a given vacation to attending Boy Scout Camp; where the Scoutmaster takes care of the details, and I am free to run around in the woods with my friends, chasing Snakes and Frogs.


This year, due to the absence of a direct flight, I was forced to take a flight that required that I change planes in Baltimore, MD. At first I perceived this Plane change in Baltimore as a minor inconvenience; unfortunately it ultimately turned out to be a very unpleasant experience. The act of adding any amount of time to a flight, in the form of a layover/ plane change, can have a detrimental effect on a vacation. In my case, the first day of my vacation was transformed into a Biathlon. I go on vacation to escape from the details of life; any distraction from that end is not in the best interest of the customer or the airline.


The connection plane that was to pick us up in Baltimore, encountered some bad weather, and was two hours late. The two hour delay was just long enough to allow the storm to arrive at Baltimore, causing all routes to be shut down. If I had a direct flight, this could not have happened. Our departure from Baltimore also encountered additional delays such as sitting in our Plane while on the Tarmac, for two hours. What was originally scheduled to be a Seven hour flight wound up costing us Eleven and One half hours, including missing our Las Vegas transportation connection? None of this would have happened if we would have had a direct flight.


There is now an additional type of flight that you can book which requires a plane change, and in addition, a second landing, before proceeding on route to the final destination. For lack of a better term to describe this type of flight, I will call it a Triathlon flight.


It appears that the Airline Industry has lost touch with the desires of their customers; a Biathlon or Triathlon flight can totally disrupt a festive vacation. These new types of flights add additional burden, to people that have problems with air travel.


In all fairness to Southwest I must say a few good words about my return flight. My return flight was flawless. The crew from both legs of my return flight "entertained" the passengers. A stewardess sang a few funny songs, and made many witty comments, which had the effect of taking the "edge" off of the flight. Other crew members from both flights also created a casual "fun filled" atmosphere, by also making witty comments. Kudos to the Southwest crew for creating a casual and "fun atmosphere," on our return flight.


Southwest said that they do indeed have direct flights to Vegas, but I was unable to find one. My wife and I have been flying with Southwest for many years; hopefully they will find a way to foster more direct flights to Vegas.


May I suggest offering Direct Flights, six months in advance, advertised via online promotional material; this will help Southwest to fill the direct flight planes, and entice customers to book early! How about querying customers online, asking them when they plan to travel, and if they would like a direct flight; this would provide Southwest with valuable information. This is the online age, and Southwest should be able to take advantage of that!


I am praying that Burger King would go into the Airline Transportation Business, so that I could “have it my way.” “Please help send this boy to camp.”


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From the Fifth Precinct in Patchogue

Reminder:
Next Fifth Precinct Open Community Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Fifth Precinct, 125 Waverly Avenue , Patchogue.

(You do not have to be a community Leader, or be a representative of any group to attend this "Community Meeting.")


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