Veterans salute a memorial in Northport Village on Memorial Day. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
Assimilating back into everyday life is one of the hardest jobs that we ask of those in the military. Returning home to a normal routine can’t be comfortable for anyone who just spent years in a combat situation, having to kill — or assisting those who are wounded. Unfortunately, incidents like the one at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where a veteran took his own life in the hospital parking lot, are not uncommon.
Thankfully, events designed to gather as many veterans in the same place in an overwhelmingly positive setting are also becoming the norm. Army veterans Frank Lombardi and Chris Levy paddled kayaks from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Port Jefferson Aug. 27 — a 22-mile trek — in the name of raising awareness for veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. On the same day, the Veterans Comedy Assault Team hosted a night of stand-up comedy performances to benefit a veteran and her family who needed some extra assistance.
That comedy team is the brain child of a 501(c)3 nonprofit called Project 9 Line, which is an organization dedicated to reintegrating veterans back to civilian life and helping those suffering from PTSD.
Depression and suicide among veterans is a significant societal problem. Events like the two this weekend serve a major purpose, though they cannot be the only plan of attack. It is the responsibility of all citizens of this country to keep an eye on their neighbor, friend or relative to make sure they don’t feel like they’re alone. Military operations are always carried out by teams. Better treatment of veterans returning home should be a team effort among those they protect.
For more information on veteran support organizations:
www.project9line.org
www.sailahead.org
www.vocwny.org
www.facebook.com/dwyerproject/
From left, veteran Frank Lombardi, Alex Rohman from Time Capital and veteran Chris Levi work to raise awareness for veterans’ mental health issues. Photo from Frank Lombardi
By Colm Ashe
There are more convenient ways to travel from Connecticut to Port Jefferson than across the Long Island Sound on a kayak, but taking the easy way is not an option for two Army veterans.
Chris Levi and Frank Lombardi kayaked from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Port Jefferson Aug. 27 in an effort to raise money and awareness for veterans suffering from mental health issues.
The 22-mile trip took more than six hours to complete. “It was a long day,” Lombardi said with a laugh.
The distance between Bridgeport and Port Jefferson is less than 22 miles, but the pair traveled the extra mileage because of the number’s significance. According to 22Kill, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about veteran suicide and post traumatic stress disorder, 22 veterans commit suicide every day on average. Many of these suicides are directly related to PTSD-induced stress and depression, according to the organization’s website.
Lombardi said he was horrified by the statistic and is motivated to change it. “If we can give hope to just one veteran and prevent them from taking their own lives, we will consider the trip a huge success,” he said.
22Kill, along with four other regional and national nonprofit organizations collaborated to make the event happen.
Among the team of organizations was the War Writers Campaign, a publishing company on a mission to get veteran stories published. Levi and Lombardi raised $5,000 for their campaign by enlisting the help of local businesses like Southampton-based pool and environmental company the Tortorella Group.
“We called John [Tortorella, owner of the Tortorella Group] asking for a $500 donation,” Lombardi said. “He heard what we were doing and gave us $1,000.”
“They are true American heroes whose strength and perseverance can provide hope for the many veterans who need support to pick themselves up and show the world that they can do amazing things.”
— Alex Rohman
Time Capital donated another $1,000 and sponsored a kayak for the event. Alex Rohman, a partner of Time Capital, is an active supporter of the War Writers Campaign. He also recruited Levi and Lombardi for the kayak trip.
“I called Chris and Frank to see if they would be interested in supporting the trip and they immediately agreed,” Rohman said. “Within one day, they wanted to do more to not only support the War Writers Campaign, but wanted to expand the level of awareness to other organizations as well.”
Levi and Lombardi then reached out to other local businesses and organizations to further the cause. Angela’s House, W.B. Mason, Terranova Landscaping, the IGHL Foundation and the Ann Liguori Foundation contributed the remaining donations to the War Writers Campaign.
“Both Chris and Frank represent unconditional support for all veterans and have dedicated their lives to help those who are less fortunate,” Rohman said. “They are true American heroes whose strength and perseverance can provide hope for the many veterans who need support to pick themselves up and show the world that they can do amazing things.”
Beyond the War Writers Campaign and the event, Levi and Lombardi are both deeply involved in their own philanthropic pursuits.
Lombardi is an executive for Independent Group Home Living Program, a group that provides alternatives for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. He also serves on the National Advisory Board of World T.E.A.M Sports, an organization striving to bring together disabled and able-bodied citizens to participate in sports like mountain climbing, white-water rafting, bicycling and kayaking.
Levi is a frequent participant in World T.E.A.M. events. As a disabled veteran himself, Levi has overcome adversity in a big way.
In 2008, he was leading a convoy in Iraq when his Humvee was hit with rockets and IEDs. Levi lost both legs and took significant damage to his right hand and arm. He spent many years in numerous hospitals, but after countless surgeries and a difficult rehabilitation process, his spirit prevailed.
Since then, Levi has strived to become an inspiration in the lives of those who are suffering as an activist and an example. Levi’s goal during the 22-mile paddle across the Long Island Sound, was clear. He said he wanted to “show our fellow veterans that there is hope out there and with the right support, they can truly ‘Climb to Glory.’” This is also the motto of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division in which both Levi and Lombardi served.
Lombardi believes the 10th Mountain Division’s motto represents “hope for all veterans who are suffering that they can climb out of the darkness and rise to achieve great things.”
What is left of the foundation of the Brookhaven Sand and Gravel Company in Mount Sinai. Photo by Edna Giffen
By Edna Giffen
When doing a project to benefit present and future generations, a municipality uncovered an item from the past.
As part of a stormwater mitigation project, the Town of Brookhaven has cleared a large area on the northeast corner of Mount Sinai Harbor adjacent to Shore Road. During this clearing, a cement structure was uncovered: the last remnants of the Brookhaven Sand and Gravel Company.
During the early 1900s, cities were expanding and cement was needed in ever-increasing amounts, with Long Island sand being considered the highest quality.
Companies looked all over Long Island for easily accessible quantities of sand, and in February of 1909, The Port Jefferson Echo, the local newspaper at the time, started reporting on activities concerning mining in Mount Sinai.
On Feb. 6, 1909, New York parties purchased a small piece of bayfront for a dock in the northeast corner of the harbor. This group had already purchased a total of 64 acres of sandy hills across Shore Road, and the American Sand and Gravel Company brought in a pile driver to build a 200-foot dock. A mud digger was brought in to dig a channel to the harbor entrance on the northwest side of the harbor to permit barges to come and go as needed. A railroad trestle was started near the mining area.
In 1910, the American Sand and Gravel Company, which had started this process, sold everything to the newly formed Brookhaven Sand and Gravel Company.
The company moved quickly. The railroad trestle was torn down and rebuilt in a more substantial manner to stand 16 feet above Shore Road, and a building for refining the sand was built on the property. The original plan was for the refining plant to help with housing development, but it became apparent that it’s real purpose was a full-scale mining operation.
Equipment was brought in, including a steam shovel, a donkey engine train and cars to carry the sand over the trestle. Crews of men were brought to work on the construction and the sand mining. By 1912, everything was ready to start the mining operation.
While the work was being done, there were concerns as to the benefits of the operation to the village, as evidenced by an item of Mount Sinai news in the Echo dated April 17, 1909.
A piece in the paper read: “The question whether the sand pile operation at Mount Sinai will bring into the village more money than would the desirable resident community, which they may drive away, is still being canvassed by the inhabitants. There is, however, no doubt of the dismay which has been created in the minds of some of those residing near the proposed sand dump, whose property is already seriously depreciated. On the other hand, it is claimed that if the talk of dredging of the harbor should prove to be of such a character as to be of benefit to the public, as well as to the sand company, the villagers will have cause to be grateful.”
Despite this, sand mining finally began in August 1912.
During the night of Sept. 3, 1912, the plant and part of the trestle were destroyed by fire. The cause was never discovered, the company did not rebuild and everything was left as is.
In 1913, local and summer residents petitioned the Town of Brookhaven to have the lease of the Brookhaven Sand and Gravel Company cancelled as the company was no longer in operation.
The steam shovel, donkey engine and cars were taken to the Miller Place Railroad Station and sent to Canada in July 1916.
Finally, in November 1917, the trestle over Shore Road was removed.
Up until a few years ago, the wooden pylons from the dock were visible and the cement was recently exposed. The foundation of the refining plant is all that is left of this once controversial episode in Mount Sinai history.
Edna Giffen is a 12th-generation Miller Place resident now living in Mount Sinai. She is a local historian, archivist and current president of Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society.
Senator Chuck Schumer is taking wireless network companies to task for poor service in areas of Long Island. File photo by Elana Glowatz
Frustrating dropped calls, undelivered text messages and slow loading web pages may soon be a thing of the past on Long Island if one U.S. Senator has anything to say about it.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) submitted a list to wireless carriers of more than 200 ‘dead zones’ for cellular service on Long Island Aug. 25. The list was accumulated by Long Island residents identifying areas where frequent lapses in service occur to Schumer’s website over the course of several months. North Country Road in Port Jefferson and Setauket, Main Street in Northport, Route 25 in Smithtown, Shore Road in Mount Sinai and Hawkins Avenue in Stony Brook were among the North Shore locations residents pegged for spotty service according to a press release from Schumer’s office.
Infographic by TBR News Media
“When it comes to cell service on Long Island, these dead zones are proof carriers need to —quite frankly— raise the bar,” Schumer said in a statement. “A heavily populated region like Long Island shouldn’t be home to over 200 dead zones. Just a stone’s throw away from New York City and home to several universities, thousands of businesses and more, Long Island’s cell phone coverage must remain uninterrupted. Now that Long Islanders have submitted critical dead zones locations to my office, our wireless carries must make sure they are fixed. I will share these locations to carriers and am urging them to come up with a solution that meets the needs of both Nassau and Suffolk residents.”
Spokespeople from wireless carriers T-Mobile and AT&T did not respond to requests for comment regarding Schumer’s list. Andrew Testa, a public relations manager for Verizon Wireless’ northeast market, deferred questions regarding the Senator’s list of dead zones to international nonprofit CTIA — The Wireless Association, who has represented the wireless communications industry since 1984. CTIA spokeswoman Amy Storey declined to comment on behalf of any of their members, which include Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.
One company addressed Schumer’s concerns.
“Sprint is committed to making sure Sprint customers have a great experience on our network and we’re investing to improve our coverage and reliability on Long Island,” company spokeswoman Adrienne Norton said in an email Aug. 26. “We share Senator Schumer’s goal of better service for Sprint customers and look forward to working with him to enact legislation that will reduce barriers to network deployment.”
Norton added that more Sprint cell sites, or towers should be expected on Long Island in the next nine months, which should improve service.
Schumer said lapses in cellphone coverage could create dangerous situations if GPS technology fails, and could deter business owners from setting up shop or tourists from visiting Long Island if problems persist. He called on wireless companies to come up with solutions to alleviate the issues.
Check out this 1968 Ford Mustang on Sunday. Photo from Mike Basile
The Mustang and Shelby Club of Long Island will present its 9th annual Mustang Car Show at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 E. Broadway, Port Jefferson Sunday, Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over 50 cars from 1965 to present will be on view inside and outside the center with live music by Our Generation (’60s, ’70s, ’80s rock and roll). Free admission. Sponsored by the Port Jefferson Conservancy and Ramp Ford. For more information, call 631-371-1432 or 631-802-2160.
It was just about two years ago that Mindy Carman stopped into the Port Jefferson Village Center to ask about showing her work at the center’s gallery. She was surprised to find out that, first of all, the center was booked two years in advance. Second, the gallery is so large that a group show was suggested to her.
It didn’t take long for Carman to reach out to some of her artist friends and put together Celebrating the Beauty and Spirit of Long Island, a show of approximately 75 pieces that will run from Sept. 2 through Sept. 28. “Two years went by so fast,” said Carman who is now getting ready for the opening.
While the group’s common theme is the beauty of Long Island, each local artist approaches the theme in a very different way. Of the five artists, Carmen herself is a photographer. “Nancy and Charlie are my best friend’s parents,” referring to photographer and watercolorist Nancy Kapp and steel sculptor Charlie Kapp. Rounding out the artists showing their work are Mary Jo Allegra, landscapist in oils, and Moriah Ray, a watercolorist.
‘Lobster Pot’ by Mindy Carman
Carman noted she “mainly concentrates on capturing the beauty of our everyday surroundings [showing] us amazing images we take for granted living here in the coastal and agricultural towns of eastern Long Island.” This is evident in “Lobster Pot” an ordinary object found along the shore but seen from her very unique perspective.
Carman, who minored in photography in college, graduating from Stony Brook University, added, “capturing the moment in time, there’s something super-neat about that … It’s very gratifying when someone buys [a piece of my work].” She uses both film and digital media to capture that special moment in time. “I put pictures in old boat port holes as a frame,” said Carmen, noting that she also works in multimedia. “I design with sea glass and then pour resin on it.” There will be several of these multimedia pieces in the show as well as her photographs.
‘Floral Study, Avalon’ by Moriah Ray
Ray, who grew up in Port Jefferson, attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She returned to Long Island with a master’s degree in art. A professional artist who works in art restoration and conservation, Ray will have approximately 15 of her watercolor paintings in the show. “I just love watercolor. It’s my favorite medium,” she said.
Ray did studies of wildflowers in Avalon Park in Stony Brook for some of her works. “I try to keep the light in there, keep it the way the flowers are in the landscaping,” she added. A palette knife is Allegra’s tool in creating her abstract landscapes. Usually a palette knife (a thin, flexible, blunt blade) is used to mix colors of paint on a palette. But some creative artists use the knife to apply paint to the canvas. Allegra, who is an art teacher at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, also teaches children’s and adult’s workshops during the summer in her Sun Porch Studio at her home in Stony Brook. Allegra attended Pratt Institute for undergraduate work and Columbia for a master’s degree in teaching and works primarily in oils.
The paints “move like butter, spreading across the canvas,” with the knife, she said. “I have a love affair with color and shape and how colors relate to each other.” She added, “The shapes in nature are an armature for applying color … I’ll mix a whole variety of colors that appeal to me … a palette of colors I’m attracted to. I let colors decide where they’re going on the canvas.” She added that the personality of each color “changes depending on who they’re hanging out with.” Quilters, stained glass artists and other artisans can relate to this, knowing that colors appear differently depending on what other colors they’re paired with.
Allegra’s canvases are small, in the six- to eight-inch range. Approximately 10 of them will be in the show. “I’m a playful person and my art definitely illustrates that. My hope is that when the people see my paintings they feel that,” she added.
‘The Wandering Star’ by Nancy Kapp. Photo from Milinda Watson
Nancy Kapp, of Sound Beach, once worked in her husband’s ironworking business in addition to her photography and watercolors. “Photography has been my passion my whole life.” Her watercolors “are from my own photos — they’re all original.” Long Island, she said, “that’s my inspiration, the beauty of the area.” Kapp added, “My husband and I, as a couple, are boaters and skiers and that’s reflected in our art.”
Charlie Kapp, an ironworker by profession, “started the artistic side [of ironworking]” just a few years ago. “He does some freestanding work, up to about three feet,” but for the show, only pieces that can be hung on the wall are included, his wife said. “It’s something he always wanted to do.” She added that some of his work is also in a gallery in Vermont.
Ray summed up the show when she said, “Everybody’s pieces are so different. Long Island has such a rich culture.”
An opening reception, to which all are invited, will be held Friday, Sept. 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. The Port Jefferson Village Center is located at 101A East Broadway and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, call 631-802-2160 or visit www.portjeff.com.
Mackedon and Woodruff with their winners trophies. Photo from Port Jefferson Country Club
By Joseph Wolkin
Entering Port Jefferson Country Club’s 2016 club championship spanning the first two weekends of August, South Setauket’s Gerry Mackedon had a winner’s mind-set. Before he even stepped foot onto the course, he believed he could come away with the win.
Golfing shortly after he started to walk as a toddler, Mackedon grew up a golf addict. His work ethic on the course has remained constant over the years, providing him with the skill set needed to become one of Long Island’s top prospects from an early age.
The 18-year-old walked onto the green with a pep in his step, looking to win on the course his father, Bill Mackedon, has worked at as the head golf professional for nine years.
“It was extremely hot and humid,” Mackedon said of the championship day, Sunday, Aug. 14. “I think the heat index was over 100 degrees. It was tough, but it was all worth it in the end. The conditions don’t really bother me. I just go out there and play. Everyone plays in the same conditions, so they don’t really bother me as much as others.”
With father by his side, the younger Mackedon he was able to win the tournament, one of several he has been triumphant at throughout 2016.
“My dad has always been there,” Mackedon said. “He hasn’t just been supporting me, but he’s been teaching me the important parts of life — and not just with golf. It’s good to have him next to me, having him teach me everything.”
The Ward Melville High School graduate helped lead his school team to the Suffolk championship this past season. During the Long Island Cup against Manhasset at Bethpage Black, Mackedon shot 2-over-par 73, leading the Patriots to a 415-427 victory.
Gerry Mackedon, who will be playing golf at St. John’s University. Photo from Gerry Mackedon
Mackedon had been on the radar of college coaches throughout his high school career. When the time came to decide where he will play collegiate golf, he opted to attend St. John’s University, which offered him a scholarship to play at the Division I level.
“I don’t need to feel recognized,” Mackedon said while discussing his scholarship. “I just like to go out there and play my best. I just want to enjoy the game and have fun.”
While Mackedon remains humble about the opportunity to play golf in college, his new coach, Mal Galletta, is thrilled to have him with the Red Storm.
“Besides knowing his family a little bit — that’s a big factor for me also — I start recruiting kids during their junior year,” Galletta said. “By then, I have an idea of what kind of student they are.”
As far as the golf end, the coach said he watched Mackedon in person for the first time in a tournament playing at a junior event.
“He shot a 64 that day, so that was a pretty big eye-opener, especially when you can shoot that low on a challenging golf course,” he said. “And it’s not only watching his demeanor on the golf course, you have all these ingredients.”
For Mackedon, the goal is to compete on the PGA tour. Practicing day in and day out, he believes the goal is attainable.
“I practice for hours every day, play every day,” Mackedon said. “I played in lots of tournaments over the summer. … Golf is a very large and important part of my life.”
In August 2015, Mackedon played in the Met Open Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck. He finished tied fourth out of the 17 amateur competitors who made the cut at that tournament, his best result in a USGA-supported event.
The Port Jefferson Country Club’s ladies championship was won by Donna Woodruff, of Port Jefferson. The deputy director of athletics at Stony Brook University, she scored a total of 245 to come home with the trophy.
“It being the club championship, every year you look forward to it,” Woodruff said. “It’s an opportunity to compete, and if you’re fortunate enough to play well over the three rounds, it’s nice to have an opportunity to contend for the championship.”
Woodruff considers herself an avid golfer. Though she didn’t grow up playing golf, her brothers and father began to play after she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990, and then the game appealed to her. As she began to learn how to play, the skill level came naturally.
Winning the tournament for the second straight year, Woodruff now has four championships at the Port Jefferson Country Club, something she never expected would happen when she started playing.
“It is a great opportunity to represent the club as its champion,” Woodruff said. “I feel honored to have done that; the competition for all of us is a great thing. Several people have the opportunity to win the championship, and I was just glad that I came away this time as the winner.”
Eric Huner of East Setauket and owner/operator of Captain Fish Port Jefferson, a fishing charter that runs out of Port Jefferson, caught this 35-lb striped bass Aug. 13. Using live bunker, Huner reeled in the striper at Stratford Shoals by the lighthouse in the middle of the Long Island Sound at sunrise.
Kristin Laudicina of St. James is the winner of TBR's Adult Coloring Contest
Dear Readers,
We recently held our first adult coloring contest in conjunction with Melissa Arnold’s Aug. 8 article, “A technicolor world: How coloring brings fun and freedom to adults.” Readers age 21 and older were asked to color in the cover of Arts & Lifestyles.
The response was overwhelming, and we received many colorful entries from readers all along the North Shore who used many different types of medium, including colored pencils, markers and glitter to create their masterpieces. Even two of our employees joined in just for fun!
Kristin Laudicina of St. James is the winner of TBR’s Adult Coloring Contest!
Along with her entry, Anne Groben of Stony Brook enclosed a wonderful letter describing how she took up adult coloring as a form of art therapy after being confined to bed rest after hip surgery. She writes, “I found that this was indeed therapeutic and had many fast-paced hours of enjoyment.”
Linda Sardone of Sound Beach was inspired by stained glass windows, using acrylic paint, marking pens and metallic inks to color in the design. Susan Saviano of Selden added gold and pink glitter to enhance her coloring page, and Rosemarie Lang of Setauket commented, ‘T’was Fun.’
Although it was extremely difficult to choose a winner as every entry was unique in its own way, Kristin Laudicina of St. James edged out the competition with her beautiful shading skills and receives a three-year subscription to the Times Beacon Record. All other entries will receive a one-year subscription. Congratulations to all!
So on that note, let’s keep the momentum going with a new contest for adults!
Design a unique graphic for our readers to color in and enter to win a three-year subscription to the Times Beacon Record (a $99 value). Contest is open to ages 21 and older. Mail your entry to Times Beacon Record Newspapers, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 or email a high-resolution image to [email protected]. Please include your name, age and town. Deadline to enter is Sept. 17. The winner will be announced in the issue of Sept. 22. Questions? Call 631-751-7744, ext. 109.
The Bonacasa family and members of the North Shore Jewish Center get together after the ceremony. Photo by Donna Newman
When Rabbi Aaron Benson of the North Shore Jewish Center in Port Jefferson Station learned of the passing of a North Shore resident in Afghanistan, he knew he wanted to help, he just wasn’t sure how at the time.
“Some events bring the news home to you in a personal and direct way,” Benson said. “This one struck me personally.”
Benson recalled learning of the death of Staff Sgt. Louis Bonacasa while attending Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s (D) inauguration Dec. 30. Bonacasa was a local hero from Coram who left behind a widow and 5-year-old daughter when he was killed by a suicide bomber four days before Christmas last year. Benson wanted to do something to help the family.
He called upon congregant Doris Weisman, chairperson of military support services at the synagogue, to form a plan of action. Weisman, is a member of a military family and became widowed young.
“Having had so much military around me all my life, it was natural for me to reach out to Deb,” she said of contacting Bonacasa’s wife Deborah. “I will do everything I can to help her and [their daughter] Lilianna find their way, which they are doing. They have a lot of good support.”
A fundraising effort began thanks to the efforts of Benson and Weisman.
At a ceremony held Aug. 19 at the Jewish Center, Benson welcomed Bonacasa family members, and led a prayer for Louis Bonacasa, lit a memorial candle for him and presented a check to his widow.
Benson gave Lilianna a hamsa, which is a palm-shaped amulet popular in the Middle East and North Africa.
“[It] is meant to represent the hand of God as a source of protection and blessings as a reminder of our love for your family and respect for your father, whom we all admire very much,” he said to the child.
“It’s a way to show concern, to bring something good to the lives of others, to increase the love in the world.”
—Aaron Benson
Members of the congregation had little trouble getting behind such a worthy cause.
“I have never been so proud of our North Shore Jewish Center congregation for reaching out to someone in the community who needs our support,” congregant Beverly Kasper said. She also brought a gift bag for Lilianna.
Benson echoed that sentiment in a telephone interview. He recalled his Jewish New Year sermon last fall in which he challenged members of the congregation to go above and beyond at tikkun olam, a Hebrew phrase that refers to performing acts of kindness in an effort to perfect or repair the world. He asked people to make an effort on the 18th of each month to do something positive beyond what they’d normally do. The 18th was symbolic because in Hebrew, 18 spells “chai,” which means “life.”
He named this effort Team Malachim, the Hebrew word for angels, with the intent to encourage people to reach out to someone they didn’t know, someone who might not be looking for help but could use some.
Helping the Bonacasa family clearly fit his outreach plan to go beyond the synagogue and into the greater Long Island community, and he was proud of the response he got.
“It’s a way to show concern, to bring something good to the lives of others, to increase the love in the world,” he said of the fundraising effort and the desire to help.
Other North Shore communities also reached out to the Bonacasas.
The Sound Beach community welcomed the family into their new neighborhood in June, after Rocky Point VFW Fischer/Hewins Post 6249 Commander Joe Cognitore and Landmark Properties owner Mark Baisch helped build a home for the family, which came with a reduced, more affordable mortgage.
There was a local outpour from neighboring hamlets, which came bearing welcome home gifts for the Bonacasas, such as gift cards, toys and a new bike for Lilianna, when they receivedkeys to the home.
North Shore Jewish Center president Andy Polan agreed that Jewish values need to extend beyond the walls of synagogues and homes.
“It’s very important for all [religious] denominations to encourage members to do things for our country as a whole,” he said. “We learn tolerance, to embrace others and to be sensitive to other people’s tragedies. It really shows what the United States is all about.”
Design a unique graphic for our readers to color in and enter to win a three-year subscription to the Times Beacon Record (a $99 value). Contest is open to ages 21 and older. Mail your entry to Times Beacon Record Newspapers, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733 or email a high-resolution image to 
Prev
