Rite Aid announced on April 30 it is now administering the COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, spanning more than 2,500 stores in 17 states. Following the latest guidance from the Biden Administration, all those aged 16 years or older are now eligible for vaccination, and Rite Aid encourages everyone to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
While scheduling appointments in advance is recommended to reduce wait time and guarantee availability of the vaccine, Rite Aid is now also accommodating walk-in vaccines on a limited basis in every store. Enabling walk-in appointments supports customers that may not have access to internet while also meeting the need for flexibility for customers. People interested in a walk-in appointment are encouraged to visit their local Rite Aid to confirm availability.
“The availability of vaccines in every Rite Aid location is a major milestone in our ongoing effort to fight COVID-19. We’ve been on the front lines since the beginning of the pandemic, working across our store footprint to bring testing and vaccines directly to local communities,” said Jim Peters, chief operating officer, Rite Aid. “Vaccine availability is improving every day, and our pharmacists are ready to administer vaccines safely and efficiently, providing the benefits of pharmacist-administered vaccines in a safe and sterile environment right in your neighborhood. Also, in addition to the grassroots efforts we’ve undertaken with our community partners, the availability of these walk-in appointments provides another way for those with limited or no technology access to more easily obtain COVID vaccines. We encourage everyone to make an appointment, or walk-in, today.”
Through its participation in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and as an Official COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider, Rite Aid has accelerated its COVID-19 immunization efforts as allocation has expanded. Rite Aid’s certified immunizing pharmacists are administering the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines.
Individuals ages 18 and over can schedule appointments using the Rite Aid scheduling tool found at www.RiteAid.com/covid-19. Those ages 16 and 17 can schedule an appointment with guardian consent at any store administering the Pfizer vaccine by contacting the store’s pharmacy directly. Those stores can be found here.
For more information about Rite Aid’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts, please visit www.RiteAid.com/covid-19.
Members of the Harbormen Chorus in Stony Brook will serenade beloved mothers for Mother's Day.
Coming off a successful virtual singing Valentine program, the Stony Brook-based Harbormen Men’s Chorus is back in business with their offer of online entertainment for all beloved Mothers. Call 631-644-0129 to order this special Mother’s Day Love Song by an ensemble from the Chorus. It can be accessed at any time from any device for only $35. Satisfaction is always guaranteed. And Happy Mother’s Day! Also, you can keep up with the Harbormen Chorus at www.Harbormen.org
County Executive Steve Bellone with Dr. Gregson Pigott in front of the vaccine pods in Hauppauge. Photo by Julianne Mosher
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) is encouraging residents to get their COVID-19 vaccines.
On Thursday, April 29, he joined Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Dr. Shaheda Iftikhar, deputy commissioner for the Department of Health Services and Holly Rhodes-Teague, director with the Suffolk County Office of the Aging outside the H. Lee Dennison Building to announce the second phase of the county’s “Take Your Shot” campaign.
With vaccine hesitancy on the rise, the multi-media campaign will utilize TV, radio and targeted digital advertisements to address misinformation and build trust for those still on the fence.
Bellone said at the press conference that as of April 29, there were 271 new cases of COVID-19 within the last 24 hours out of 15,628 tests.
“That’s a positivity rate of 1.7%,” he said. “That is huge.”
He added the last time the county saw a number nearing the 2% mark was at the start of the virus’ second wave back in the fall around Halloween — before the Pfizer vaccine became available.
“We are below 2% positivity, but we’re back in that 1% range where we were throughout the summer last year, when we were still dealing with the pandemic with no vaccines,” he said. “So, this is significant.”
Bellone noted maintaining the lower number is proof that the vaccines are working.
Aline of people ready to get their vaccines. Photo by Julianne Mosher
“We want to get to the point when we say this virus is behind us once and for all, and the vaccines are the key to reaching our goal,” he said. “You need to be doing everything that we can to get people vaccinated to #TakeYourShot.”
The first phase of the Take Your Shot initiative was originally launched late last year in an effort to foster public awareness and designed to encourage county residents on the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccines.
The second phase launched last week will continue to help remove potential barriers for people getting the vaccine.
“As of yesterday [April 28], more than 660,000 residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Suffolk County,” he said. “That’s nearly 45% of our residents. While we’ve made tremendous progress over the last few months, at this point, there are no excuses, vaccines are available to everyone 16 and older.”
Right now, the Pfizer vaccine is the only shot eligible to teenagers, and Bellone said he’s encouraging high school juniors and seniors to do their part.
“We have a lot of school-related activities that are opening up and coming back — prom, graduation — and we’re very excited that those are going to happen,” he said. “Getting vaccinated is a way to reduce the spread of the virus and make those big gatherings safe.”
Bellone had another message to young people.
“You have a stake in this county,” he said. “You can be part of the effort to completely defeat this virus in and help save lives.”
The county also announced walk-in vaccination appointments available at select county vaccine pod locations.
“Our residents are busy, they want flexibility,” he said.
Started on April 29, residents can visit the Selden campus at Suffolk County Community College and get their vaccines anytime between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.
“We’ve seen promising progress,” he said. “As more of our economy continues to open up, we want to return to normalcy.”
This week, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) officially signed a new law stating that drivers must give bicyclists a 3-foot distance on the road.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
We think it’s great, and know how important it is to share the road. No one wants to hurt someone who’s riding for leisure or exercise.
But what concerns us the most are the riders who might feel entitled, who don’t follow their own rules of the road.
Yes, vehicle drivers — especially on Long Island — can be awfully aggressive and distracted at times. But to play devil’s advocate, it isn’t just the car drivers. We have seen some aggressive bike riders, too.
There are times that sharing the road on a busy street like Route 25A or Nesconset Highway is near to impossible. The driver of the vehicle slows down traffic to abstain from the biker, who is weaving in and out of their bike lane.
Not all bike riders are bad, and again we think it’s great they are staying fit and not thrusting carbon dioxide fumes into the air. But, just as there are bad apples to everything, we are begging those riders to not take this new law in vain.
While car drivers are now more responsible for keeping a safe distance from a bicyclist, we are asking the rider to do the same.
Please don’t ride your bike in traffic, and please pay attention, yourself. Please don’t be a nuisance to the people trying to get to work during rush hour, and please, please, please stop at stop signs, too.
If we all abide by the rules of the road, all of us will be safe and laws like this won’t even have to be considered down the road.
Loretta Criscuoli keeps herself busy as the new owner of Port Jefferson’s The Spice & Tea Exchange. But there is more to this local entrepreneur than just owning a business.
When the store located at 106 W. Broadway closes at night, Criscuoli heads home to Kings Park where she starts her second shift as a volunteer EMT ambulance driver and 1st lieutenant for the Kings Park Fire Department.
She said she has been with the fire department for 12 years.
“So, I’m here all day, and there all night,” she said.
Loretta Criscuoli in full gear volunteering with the Kings Park Fire Department at the height of the pandemic last year. Photo from Loretta Criscuoli
Criscuoli was furloughed from her full-time real job during the COVID-19 pandemic and that’s when she realized she wanted to start something new. A fan of the brand, she found out through the franchise there was an opportunity in New York where the doors to the village’s spice and tea shop had been closed for about a year. She decided to take over as its newest owner.
This West Broadway location is the first and only store in the state.
“I jumped right on it and it happened very fast,” she said.
After signing the paper work in October, she officially opened up her doors on Nov. 13. The Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce — of which she is a member — hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 15.
The Spice & Tea Exchange franchise was founded in 2008 and offers 140 spices, 85 exclusive hand-mixed blends, over 40 exotic teas, naturally flavored sugars, salts from around the world, gourmet gifts and accessories. It also houses a tea bar serving dozens of hot and iced teas with classics like chai, and unique flavors with names like the Berry Bouquet, Chocolate Caramel Candy Bar and Hazelnut Cookie. There are more than 70 franchises across the United States.
“Our blends are made in-house and we have over 75 of them,” she said. “We do everything including peeling the lemons, oranges, limes, we dehydrate them, and we grind them and add them to all the different recipes.”
Criscuoli said she always loved to cook and was always a tea lover. This opportunity was a perfect fit.
“I love it all,” she said. “Our guests are wonderful — it’s everyone who is into cooking and it’s working out really well … I am enjoying it.”
Part of the shopping experience there is to enjoy the aromas of the different smells.
“All the jars are here to be open and to smell,” she said. “That’s an important part of it. It really goes to all your senses. So, you have to come and experience it. It’s like a field trip coming through here where you get to smell all the fragrances and see the ingredients.”
The store will be open now Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Three Village Dads Foundation recently signed an official pledge with Stony Brook Children’s Hospital to donate $100,000 over the next 5 years to the Child Life Services program. A check in the amount of $10,000 was presented on April 21 in partnership with Jeff Hendel of Hendel Wealth Management.
Photo from TVDF
“Two years ago when our Foundation began it’s local philanthropic efforts, the Children’s Hospital was actually our very first recipient. What initially was supposed to be a small Three Village Dads group BBQ where I figured we could perhaps raise a few dollars for a great local cause, turned into something so much more. That event was wildly successful as we were able to raise $12,000 which opened our eyes to the effectiveness us Dads could have on our community,” said David Tracy, Three Village Dads Foundation President & Chairman.
“When we established that relationship with Stony Brook’s Child Life program we immediately felt as connected and dedicated to their mission as their wonderful staff do. To now be in a position where we are able to deliver so much more to this great organization truly means a lot to myself, my board members, and our amazing donors. Jeff Hendel of Hendel Wealth Management joined as a co-donor with this presentation. It is generous donors such as Mr. Hendel that have enabled us to do the good we strive to do in Three Village,” he said.
Pictured from left, Elisa Ruoff, Development Officer of Advancement at Stony Brook Hospital; Michael Attard, Child Life Specialist at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital; Vince DiCarlo, Three Village Dads Foundation board member; David Tracy, Three Village Dads Foundation President & Chairman; Jeff Hendel, Hendel Wealth Management President & CEO; and Three Village Dads Foundation board members Chris Carson and David Bitman.
Above, a humpback whale breaks the surface of the water. Photo from Eleanor Heywood/National Marine Fisheries Service permit no. 21889
By Daniel Dunaief
The waters off the South Shore of Long Island have become a magnet, attracting everything from shipping vessels, recreational boaters, fishermen and women, potential future wind farms, and humpback whales.
While the commercial component of that activity can contribute to the local economy, the whale traffic has drawn the attention of scientists and conservationists. Whales don’t abide by the nautical rules that guide ships through channels and direct traffic along the New York Bight, a region from the southern shore of New Jersey to the east end of Long Island.
Left, Julia Stepanuk with a drone controller. Photo by Kim Lato
Julia Stepanuk, a PhD student at Stony Brook University in the laboratory of Lesley Thorne, Assistant Professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, is focusing her research efforts on monitoring the humpback whale’s use of this habitat.
“This can help us understand how we focus our energy for monitoring and conservation,” she explained in an email. If the whales are traveling, it helps to know where to minimize human impact.
Ultimately, the work Stepanuk, who also earned her Master’s degree at Stony Brook in 2017, does provides ecological context for how whales use the waters around New York and how old the whales are that are feeding in this area.
In her dissertation, Stepanuk is “looking at the biological and ecological drivers, the motivators of where the whales are, when they’re there, specifically, from the lens of how human activity might be putting whales at risk of injury or mortality.”
Each summer, whales typically arrive in the area around May and stay through the end of October.
When she ventures out on the water, Stepanuk uses drones to gather information about a whale’s length and width, which indicates the approximate age and health of each individual. Since 2018, she has been gathering information to monitor activity in the area to track it over time.
With the research and data collected, she hopes to help understand the ecology of these whales, which will inform future policy decisions to manage risk.
Stepanuk’s humpback whale work is part of a 10-year monitoring study funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which includes four principal investigators at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. The study looks at carbonate chemistry, physical oceanography, fish distribution, and top predator abundance, distribution and body condition, Thorne explained.
“My lab is leading the seabird and marine mammal aspect of this project,” said Thorne.
The grid over the whale demonstrates how members of Thorne’s lab measure the size of the whale from drone images. Photo by Julia Stepanuk
By documenting the ecological ranges of whales of different ages, Stepanuk may provide insight into the age groups that are most at risk. Many of the humpback whales that travel closer to shore are juveniles, measuring below about 38 feet.
Stepanuk has seen many of these whales, either directly or from the drones she flies overhead. She has also gathered information from events in which whales die after boats hit them.
Mortality events off the east coast have been increasing since 2016 as numerous whales have washed up along the coast. About half of the humpbacks in these mortality events have evidence of human interaction, either ship strike or entanglement, Stepanuk said.
“There have been many more strandings than usual of humpback whales along the east coast” in the last five years, Thorne explained.
Humpback whales likely have appeared in larger numbers in New York waterways due both to the return of menhaden in nearshore waters, which comes from changes in the management of this fish stock and from environmental management more broadly, and from an overall increase in the humpback whale population after 40 years of protection, Thorne suggested.
Ultimately, Stepanuk said she hopes to use the scientific inquiry she pursued during her PhD to help “bridge the gap between academic, policymakers, conservationists, interested parties and the public.”
A part of Stony Brook’s STRIDE program, for science training and research to inform decisions, Stepanuk received training in science communication, how to present data in a visual and accessible way, and how to provide science-based information to policymakers.
For Thorne, this study and the analysis of the vessel strikes on humpback whales could be helpful for understanding similar dynamics with other cetaceans.
Julia Stepanuk and Matt Fuirst, a previous master’s student in Lesley Thorne’s lab, release a drone. Photo by Rachel Herman
“Understanding links between large whales and vessel traffic could provide important information for other studies, and could provide methods that would be useful for studies of other species,” said Thorne.
Stepanuk offers some basic advice for people on a boat in the New York Bight and elsewhere. She suggests driving more slowly if visibility is limited, as people would in a car in foggy weather. She also urges people to pay close attention to the water. Ripples near the surface could indicate a school of fish, which might attract whales.
“Slow down if you see dolphins, big fish schools and ripples,” she said. “There’s always a chance there could be a whale.”
If people see a whale, they shouldn’t turn off their engines: they should keep the engine in neutral and not approach the whale head on or cut them off. For most species, people can’t get closer than 300 feet. For North Atlantic right whales, which are critically endangered, the distance is 1,500 feet.
She suggests people “know the cues” and remember that whales are eagerly feeding.
Stepanuk has been close enough to these marine mammals to smell their pungent, oily fish breath and, when they exhale, to receive a residue of oil around her camera lens or sunglasses. She can “loosely get an idea of what they’re feeding on in terms of how bad their breath is.”
When she was younger, Stepanuk, who saw her first whale at the age of eight, worked on a whale watching boat for six years in the Gulf of Maine. An adult female would sometimes leave her calf near the whale watching boat while she went off to hunt for food. The calf stayed near the boat for about 45 minutes. When the mother returned, she’d slap the water and the calf would race to her side.
“Experiences like that stuck with me and keep me excited about the work we do,” Stepanuk said.
Sixth grader Katelyn Murray with Ramsey.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Melissa Levine
Suffolk County lawmakers last week unanimously approved a proposal by Presiding Officer Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue) to designate April 30 as “Pet Therapy Day” in Suffolk County.
Nationally recognized as a day to celebrate therapy animals through the efforts of Pet Partners — the nation’s leading organization registering therapy animals for animal-assisted interventions — Calarco felt it was important to mark the day on the county level to recognize the local groups working to improve the health and well-being of Suffolk residents through animal-assisted therapy and activities.
Legislators approved his resolution to designate Pet Therapy Day in Suffolk County at their April 20 general meeting.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
“Therapy animals and their human companions bring joy and healing to people of all ages in many different settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools and funeral parlors,” he said. “Designating April 30 as Pet Therapy Day is our way of saying thank you and recognizing all the good these animals and their handlers do to bring moments of joy to people in need in our community, especially given the difficulties of the last year.”
A furry friend joins a middle school class
Since the onset of the pandemic, Comsewogue School District’s staff and students have endured the same challenge that thousands of schools across the globe are facing recreating normalcy in a time of chaos.
Comsewogue special education teacher and student character liaison Andrew Harris is no stranger to the many benefits that come with therapy dogs.
“Normally we visit Stony Brook Hospital’s adolescent psychiatric unit on a weekly basis,” he said. “The kids get a great deal from our visits.”
Harris has been training dogs for over 20 years, so he has grown incredibly familiar with the contagious charm and health benefits that dogs like his dog, Ramsey — a licensed therapy pooch — can bring to people of all ages.
“It’s funny because the nurses and doctors are always the ones who rush in and cuddle the dog before the kids. After all, they too might be having an especially stressful day,” said Harris.
Once invited into a particular institution, the dog is able to comfort people in hospitals, nursing homes and schools.
After a few months of careful planning, Harris devised a therapy-dog-based proposition for the visits at the district’s schools. It didn’t take long to convince the administration to let Ramsey in.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Ramsey proudly wears his Comsewogue picture ID and therapy dog bandana upon entering John F. Kennedy Middle School.
Harris said he has taken much time to develop this program for school visits.
“We have several progressive and successive lessons each time we come into a class,” Harris sad. “On the first visit, it is more of a meet and greet and demonstration of what the dog is capable of.”
When Harris was tasked with getting his therapy dog certification, he had no idea how elaborate it would be. He went on to describe how certain tasks tested the dog’s ability to remain calm in stressful situations — something Ramsey is great at when demonstrating for students of different abilities.
Harris takes ample time to show the students the difference between a therapy dog (they are for you) and a service dog (they are for the owner). He also demonstrates some typical things a service dog might do by performing tasks like dropping crutches and asking the dog to pick them up and bring them to him.
The dogs are capable of accomplishing many other feats too, like assisting people up staircases when requested, or alerting someone to wake up who has sleep apnea.
“When we visit a class for the second time, I have the students do more of the work, instead of the dog and I doing it all,” Harris said. “The students can start by introducing themselves or reading aloud to the dog. Then on our final visit, we sit the dog in the back of the room and have the students do full speeches or presentations.”
Photo by Julianne Mosher
The most important thing for Harris is that the students enjoy and learn during the time they spend with Ramsey.
Melissa Levine is a senior at Comsewogue High School
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook Medicine, Dr. Miguel Saldivar, wants residents to make vaccine decisions based on scientific information, rather than Internet speculation. Saldivar, who joined Stony Brook just months before the pandemic hit Long Island, sees improvement in the overall infection numbers, which have declined in recent weeks to about two to three percent from closer to five to six percent. In a wide-ranging interview (which can be seen online at tbrnewsmedia.com), Saldivar answered a host of questions.
TBR: Do you have any concerns about the number or percentage of people who are not lining up for vaccination?
Saldivar: In general, what we are more concerned about is the amount of misinformation that is out there. If you go on social media — if you go just on the internet, period — there’s a lot of people who are spreading lot of information that is really frankly inaccurate.
TBR: What are Stony Brook and others trying to do to counter misinformation?
Saldivar: There are a number of things we hear fairly frequently, probably the more common one I personally have heard, because Pfizer and Moderna are based on mRNA technology, everybody hears the term RNA and is worried that it’s going to change my genetic code and turn me into a mutant or cause a disease down the line. The first thing to understand about that, the way both of those vaccines work, it’s a set of instructions being given to the body cells, the moment it’s been delivered, the mRNA dissolves. It has no way of getting into the deeper part of the cells to change your genetic code.
TBR: Black and brown communities have a distrust of the federal government after some well known problems regarding Tuskegee Experiment and other issues. Is there broader acceptance now compared with a month or two ago?
Saldivar: Statistically, if you compare how this disease has affected minority communities, the risk of a severe outcome, hospitalization intubation and death is almost universally higher among minority communities. That has a number of factors, not just the disease itself. It’s also the fact that within those communities, it is more frequent to find some of the risk factors, meaning diabetes, obesity, preexisting pulmonary disease so on and so forth … What I have been personally involved with is reaching out to the community, we have found a lot of community centers have been very ready and willing to engage in a conversation. We have found places of worship to be wonderful places to have that conversation
TBR: What does the data tell you about the pandemic?
Saldivar: The last numbers I heard from the meeting this morning were between two to three percent positivity. We’ve been there for a week. Before that, we were staying pretty stable at like five to six percent or thereabouts. It looks like finally, this may be the effect of the vaccine, the numbers are finally starting to little by little trend their way down. We’ve been cautiously optimistic. There seems to be a little bit of a light at the end of the tunnel.
TBR: You have a bachelor’s degree in classical guitar performance. How did you wind up in infectious disease?
Saldivar: Through the nonprofit circle, I landed a job with the medical center at UCLA. That’s where I met a very, very good friend and mentor. She was key to helping me shape the path. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this profession.
Attendees gather around Selah Strong's grave after the unveiling.
Assemblyman Steve Englebright says a few words at the ceremony
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine says a few words at the ceremony
Jack Strong says a few words at the ceremony
Above, from left, Supervisor Ed Romaine, Assemblyman Steve Englebright, historian Bev Tyler and Ray Strong III watch as Selah Strong's great-great-great grandson Jack Strong unveils the plaque
The new marker, courtesy of Tri-Spy Tours
Descendants of Selah Strong gather around the new plaque
Assemblyman Steve Englebright, members of the DAR and historian Bev Tyler
St. George's Manor Cemetery is a private cemetery still owned by the Strong family.
By Heidi Sutton
This past Saturday, members of the community gathered at St. George’s Manor Cemetery in Setauket to pay tribute to Judge Selah Strong with the unveiling of a commemorative graveside plaque. Margo Arceri, owner of Tri-Spy Tours, dedicated the bronze marker which honors the judge’s contributions to the local community, 205 years after his death.
“Strong was one of the first patriots in the community. He was best friends with Culper Spy Caleb Brewster … During theBattle of Long Island, he was arrested by the British for assisting the Continental Army. After the war, he had a long and illustrious career in public service. The Strong family wanted him to be recognized for his efforts during the Revolutionary War and after. It was a great honor to place the marker for them,” said Arceri after the ceremony. “This is an important moment in our community’s history and for the Strong family.”
The event was attended by representatives of the Three Village Historical Society including President Steve Healy, Director of Education Donna Smith and historian Beverly C. Tyler; members of the Anna Smith Strong chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; and several descendants of Selah Strong. Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, and Brookhaven Town Historian Barbara M. Russell were also in attendance.
Selah Strong is buried in a family plot next to his first wife, Anna Smith Strong, the only female member of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring, known for her famed clothesline.
“It’s always been a bit of a shame that not too many people payed attention to Selah because they were so interested in Anna and her story, but actually he did an awful lot,” said John (Jack) Temple Strong Jr., Selah Strong’s great-great-great grandson, who had the honor of unveiling the plaque.
Supervisor Romaine agreed. “Born on Christmas Day, 1737, died on the Fourth of July, 1815, he packed into his life things … we see of a man who was dedicated to his community, someone that at the tender age of 26 was elected Town Trustee and would wind up spending 35 years in office, most of them, certainly from 1780 on, as President of the Trustees, which is the equivalent of Supervisor,” he said.
Selah Strong also served as Suffolk County Treasurer, judge for the Court of Common Pleas, and was a New York State Senator for four years. “This is a man who served his community … I am here to pay my respects to someone that paved the way because as we look around today, a lot of what we have over the last 200 years would not be here if not for men of this caliber,” added Supervisor Romaine.
“When we think about patriotism we think about Selah Strong, Anna Smith Strong and the personal sacrifice, the amount of risks that they took for their country — true patriots,” said Raymond Brewster Strong III, Selah Strong’s 6th generation grandson who made the trip from Houston, Texas, to attend the ceremony. “[George] Washington’s motto was ‘deeds, not words’ and when you think about Selah Strong’s [accomplishments], those are true deeds, not words.”
“The Strong family continues as tradition bearers, and Tri-Spy Tours and the Three Village Historical Society are also important parts of passing to the next generation a sense of place and a sense of continuum,” said Assemblyman Englebright. “I am just honored to be here to bear witness to this wonderful occasion. This is altogether a respectful moment that should be remembered, as Selah Strong should be remembered.”
*Editors note — St. George’s Manor Cemetery is a private cemetery still owned by the Strong family.
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