East Northport Public Library, 185 Larkfield Road, East Northport hosts a Community Blood Drive on Monday, Aug. 28 from 1 to 7 p.m. Your donation will help save up to three lives. Appointments are preferred by calling 1-800-688-0900; however walk-ins welcome if capacity permits. For more information, call 631-261-2313.
Calling all job seekers! East Northport Public Library, 185 Larkfield Road, East Northport will host a Job Fair by Suffolk County One-Stop Employment Center on Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come meet representatives from various area companies to discuss job opportunities including:
New York Life
Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk
Express Employment Professionals – Farmingdale
Addus Home Care
ROTHCO
Northport Historical Society
Family Residence
Suffolk County Water Authority
Jobs by Joely
Suffolk County Police Department
Park Shore Day Camp
SCOPE Education Services
In addition to the list, companies who are not able to attend have sent flyers for openings available in all work sectors.
Bring your resume and dress for success.
Registration is underway at www.nenpl.org using code: NENR408
Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, call 631-261-2313.
On June 15, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-18th L.D.) joined with her colleagues, Legislator Manuel Esteban (R-16th L.D.) and Legislator Rob Trotta (R-13th L.D.), at the East Northport Public Library to host an Identity Theft Prevention Seminar. The seminar was led by various members of both the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and the Suffolk County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit.
The purpose of this presentation was to provide attendees with not only the latest information regarding the scams and tactics that are currently out there, but to provide them with the tools needed to avoid becoming victims. More than one presenter stressed how it is usually too late once a victim takes a scam’s bait, illustrating the value of taking certain simple preventative steps.
“People need to hear about the horror stories that are out there with respect to identity theft,” said Bontempi. “Some people are victimized and their lives are absolutely turned upside down. I urge everyone to educate themselves and share their knowledge with family and friends.”
Although scams can sometimes target certain age groups more than others, anyone can fall prey to them, especially when he or she least expects it. Because of the prevalence of identity theft-related crimes, law enforcement and their partners in government rely heavily on the feedback from the public. One way to report a potential scam is to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by phone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or via online at ftc.gov/complaint.
A great resource to learn more about identity theft and preventative measures is available at www.nysconsumer.gov
If you have been victimized by an identity theft-related crime, call your local police department as soon as possible.
On Wednesday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. Suffolk County Legislators Rob Trotta, Manuel Esteban and Stephanie Bontempi will host an Identify Theft Prevention Seminar at the East Northport Public Library, 185 Larkfield Road, in East Northport.
Assistant District Attorneys from District Attorney Ray Tierney’s Financial Crimes Bureau will address Identity Theft from an elder abuse point of view focusing on motor vehicle theft, forged documents, insurance fraud, and other acts of identity theft.
As a former Suffolk County Detective, I know first-hand how devastating identity theft can be for our seniors and that they are reluctant targets of such crimes,” said Legislator Trotta. “I encourage everyone to attend as anyone can be an unwilling victim,” Trotta added.
“Anyone can be the victim of ID theft, especially someone who is not equipped with preventive strategies. Hearing from and engaging with ID theft prevention experts is a fantastic way to avoid becoming a victim,” said Legislator Stephanie Bontempi.
Legislator Manuel Esteban Sr. said, “It is my pleasure to partner on another important community program to help our residents.”
The event is free and open to all. The library will be taking reservations via phone at (631) 261-2313 or through its website at https://www.nenpl.org/
Calling all job seekers! East Northport Public Library, 185 Larkfield Road, East Northport will host a Job Fair by Suffolk County One-Stop Employment Center on Wednesday, Nov. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon. Companies from several different industries will be available to discuss job opportunities. Bring your resume and dress for success. To register, call 631-261-6930 or visit www.nenpl.org.
By Melissa Arnold
Each Veterans Day, the country pauses to recognize the men and women who have served as members of the military. For some, it’s a day of pride and they’re humbled to be recognized. Others live with trauma, injury or regret and prefer not to talk about their service years.
Regardless of their circumstances or histories, the Northport-East Northport Public Library is honoring all veterans with a unique photography exhibit for the month of November.
The exhibit, titled Ink Stories: Symbols of Service, focuses on sharing veterans’ memories and experiences through photographs of their tattoos.
“My father was a Vietnam veteran who had tattoos. When he returned from Vietnam, he struggled to find acceptance in the community [because he was in the war],” said Kathryn Heaviside, community services librarian at the Northport-East Northport Public Library. “Hearing stories from his service and the stories behind the tattoos, I felt confident I would be able to find others who were willing to share.”
Heaviside said that art exhibits focusing on tattoos have been held in other places around the United States and believed the concept would be a great fit for the library because of its commitment to veteran outreach and proximity to the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The exhibit took nearly a year to plan, with flyers, email blasts, social media posts and word of mouth used to find local veterans.
“It was slow going at first, but once the word started to get out, we had more and more responses. The concept was really well-received by the veterans,” Heaviside said.
In all, 34 veterans came forward to participate in Ink Stories. They include 33 men and one woman from all branches of the military. The majority served in Vietnam, while others were involved in the Cuban Bay of Pigs invasion or the modern conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Among them is Eugene Casper, a 69-year-old Vietnam veteran from Ronkonkoma. Casper didn’t want to go to college and enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school in 1968.
“I knew I was going to end up in Vietnam, but I wanted to see what it was all about. I was 18, young and dumb,” Casper recalled. He spent one year in Vietnam, where he was exposed to Agent Orange and now lives with cancer and other health issues.
While many of Casper’s fellow soldiers got their first tattoo during basic training, it took decades for him to get inked.
“When I got back from the war, I had a bad taste in my mouth and pushed a lot of my feelings and experiences aside. But years later, this stuff will always catch up to you. I reached out for help at the VA and decided to get my first tattoo when I was 50.”
That first tattoo, the POW/MIA symbol on his left shoulder, was eventually followed by an eagle with an American flag background and his dates of service. Most recently, his granddaughter opened her own tattoo shop and did a piece on Casper’s forearm depicting a helmet, boot and rifle with the phrase “All gave some; some gave all.”
Casper and the other veterans came to the library over several scheduled days, where they filled out questionnaires about their experiences before posing for photos. Chris Cordone, a Huntington-based wedding photographer, volunteered to photograph the veterans for free.
“They would enter the room to be photographed and just totally open up. Some would cry,” Heaviside said about the photo sessions, which she described as emotional and moving. “The vets were thrilled to talk about their tattoos and share their stories. For some of them, it was the first time they had spoken about their history in 40 years. Some of them were hesitant, but once they started to share, they didn’t want to stop. I’ve formed a real bond with each of them through this experience.”
The exhibit is comprised of individual 24-by-36-inch framed posters featuring photos of each veteran, his or her tattoos and some of their own reflections as written and designed by Heaviside. Each veteran will also be presented with a blanket made by the library’s teen volunteers.
Casper was thrilled to be a part of the project after seeing an ad for it in a local newspaper. “I thought it would be a good thing to do. The more people that get to see what we went through, the better,” he said. “I’m 69 years old now, I have nothing to hide and I don’t care what anyone thinks. I’m proud to be a Vietnam veteran.”
He added that seeking support at the VA made all the difference for his well-being. “There is help out there for everything, but you have to look and you have to reach for it. Talk to your friends, talk to your neighbors, tell people what’s going on,” he said. “You don’t have to deal with things alone.”
Ink Stories: Symbols of Service is on view at the Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport and the East Northport Public Library, 185 Larkfield Road, E. Northport through Nov. 30. Identical exhibits are found at each library.
The public is invited to an opening reception at the Northport Public Library this Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. For library hours and more information, call 631-261-6930 or visit www.nenpl.org.
