News & Events
Lecture by Diane Warmsley, Genealogist
7:30–8:30pm
Zoom Presentation
Meeting ID: 893 5083 2126
In celebration of Black History Month, the Valley Stream Historical Society is pleased to present a lecture by professional genealogist and family historian, Diane Warmsley. In 2012, Warmsley, who lives in Laurelton, launched Roots Run Deep, an organization that provides professional services to clients and advances genealogy education through classes and lectures. See you virtually on the 8th!
Friday, December 30, 2022
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Pagan-Fletcher Restoration
143 Hendrickson Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580
Sunday, December 4, 2022
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Pagan-Fletcher Restoration
143 Hendrickson Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580 Brooklyn's Thirst, Long Island's Water
Lecture by Dr. Jeffrey A. Kroessler
7:30 pm
Valley Stream Village Hall
123 South Central Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580
Our upcoming lecture is super interesting! Please join us for Dr. Jeffrey A. Kroessler's lecture on the Brooklyn Waterworks! The creation of greater New York City in 1898 promised a solution to the problem of supplying Brooklyn, and to a lesser extent, Queens, with water. In the 1850s, the City of Brooklyn tapped ponds and streams on the south side of Queens County, and in the 1880s, dug wells for additional supply. Ultimately, salt water seeped into some wells from over-pumping, lowering the water table and causing problems for farmers and oystermen. Frederick Reisert, who owned a large farm where the Green Acres Mall and the Mill Brook (aka Green Acres) community stands today, sued for damages. He suffered from the over-pumping and eventually had to sell his farm. This was an unfortunate moment in Valley Stream's history. By the end of the 19th century, the Brooklyn Waterworks had reached its limit. Prevented by the state legislature from tapping the aquifer beneath Suffolk's Pine Barrens, the only solution was to connect to New York's supply from upstate, which was accomplished in 1917. Some ponds and surrounding lands became part of the Robert Moses State Park system. In the 1950s, the Delaware Aqueduct was completed and NYC shut down its Long Island pumps and wells. Dr. Kroessler is a professor and Interim Chief Librarian in the Lloyd Sealy Library at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. An author of many publications, Kroessler is also active in historic preservation circles in NYC for over 40 years. Our lectures are free to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted and appreciated. For further information please call (516) 872-4159 or send us an email. HALLOWEEN FUN
Sunday, October 30, 2022 2:00 pm — 4:00 pm Pagan-Fletcher Restoration 143 Hendrickson Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580 Lecture by Dennis Raverty, Art Historian
7:30 pm
Valley Stream Village Hall
123 South Central Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580
Please join us for this special evening! Mr. Raverty will explore such topics as race and colonialism in relation to Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. He'll also discuss art and the general influence of the fair.
About Dennis Raverty
Art historian Dennis Raverty is engaged with exploring how the canon of twentieth-century art came together at midcentury, who was left out, and why. In his book, Struggle Over the Modern, (Fairleigh-Dickinson University Press, 2005), he demonstrated that not one, but several "modernisms" were all vying for predominance during the first half of the century, and how abstraction, once the "dark horse" of American art during the 1930s, came to dominate the field after 1945. Dr. Raverty's recent research involves broadening this received canon on several fronts: African American artists residing in Paris between the wars; depression-era Social Realism's eclipse with the decline of the American Left; and more recently, the history of American illustration during the 19th-century. His articles and criticism has appeared in Art Journal, Art in America, The International Review of African American Art, Art Criticism, The New Art Examiner, Prospects: An Annual of American Studies, Source: Notes in the History of Art. and Art Papers, where he was a contributing editor. He authored four entries for the most recent edition of the Grove Encyclopedia of American Art, published by Oxford University Press (2011). Dr. Raverty is an Associate Professor at New Jersey City University where he teaches 19th and 20th-century art history, the art of West Africa, the diaspora and African American art, as well as the Renaissance and Baroque periods in Europe. An award-winning teacher, Raverty lives in New York City, and is currently co-authoring a book on American illustration with Dennis Dittrich, former president of the Society of Illustrators.
For further information: vshistorical@gmail.com
FLYING FORWARD - Valley Stream and the Golden Age of Aviation
Lecture by Tom Barry
7:30 pm
Valley Stream Village Hall
123 South Central Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580
For further information: vshistorical@gmail.com
Friday, September 16, 2022
Saturday, September 17, 2022 Sunday, September 18, 2022 About Yuliya: To view Yuliya's art, please visit her website: Yuliya's art GRANNY'S ATTIC
Sunday, July 10, 2022
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The backyard of the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration will be open to vendors for the sale of their wares.
Interested parties should email the Society for further information at vshistorical@gmail.com. Space is limited.
The historical society will also be selling items from their Country Store such as postcards, mugs, medallions, totes, and notecards.
SHARE YOUR STORY: Valley Stream in Pictures
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Valley Stream Village Hall
123 South Central Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580
Pagan-Fletcher Restoration
143 Hendrickson Avenue / Valley Stream / NY 11580
Mike Stanko Art Exhibit + Gallery Invite
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm complimentary admission
Pond Gallery, St. James; Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton; the Mistretta Gallery, Locust Valley; the Empire State Building in New York City; Windsor Whip Works Art Center near Binghamton; the Ripe Art Gallery, Huntington; and the Reboli Center for Art and History, Stony Brook. Stanko has appeared in media interviews, ticket purchase
For more information: vshistorical@gmail.com
516.872.4159
7:30 pm
Valley Stream Village Hall / 123 South Central Avenue / Valley Stream, NY 11580
For further information: vshistorical@gmail.com
HOW THE WEST WAS SOLD - Lecture by Dennis Raverty
7:30 pm
Valley Stream Village Hall
123 South Central Avenue
Valley Stream, NY 11580
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 GILBERT HANSON - The Geology of Valley Stream Zoom Replay: Geology of Valley Stream - Zoom Lecture
Sunday, December 5, 2021 GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST The Society’s Annual Gingerbread House Contest will be held on Sunday, December 5. 2021. Because of COVID rrestrictions, there will not be a icing demonstration this year. Masks are required for admission to the Restoration. Hours for the Restoration will be from 1pm to 4pm. For information about when to bring houses to the Restoration for the contest, please call 516-872-4159 and leave a message or email the Society at vshistorical@gmail.com. A board member will get back to you. PICK UP YOUR CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL MUG AT THE COUNTRY STORE THAT DAY - WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
Wednesday, November 10, 2021 7:30 pm Bill Bleyer, author, historian, freelance reporter, and former Newsday reporter, will present a lecture on George Washington’s Long Island Spy now referred to as the Culper Spy Ring. Learn the true history of the Culper Spy Ring. History buffs have long been fascinated by the operation of the Long Island-based Culper Spy Ring during the American Revolution, especially since the airing of the AMC series "Turn." Over the years, there have been many legends, such as the role played by Anna Strong's clothesline, and suppositions about how the spies operated to support George Washington's Continental Army. This lecture separates facts from fiction and details the ingenious operation of the intelligence work that helped the Patriots win the war.
Bleyer retired from Newsday in 2014 where he was a staff writer for 33 years. He was a member of the Newsday team that won a Pulitzer Prize for its spot news coverage of the crash by TWA Flight 800 in 1997. Bleyer was the first inductee into the Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame in 2015. He graduated in 1974 from Hofstra University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Wednesday, October 20, 2021
DAVE MORRISON — The L.I.R.R. Babylon Branch and the Valley Stream Train Station
7:30 pm
Zoom Meeting
Join us to learn about:
Dave Morrison is a retired L.I.R.R. branch line manager and railroad historian. He is a charter member of the Railroad Museum of Long Island and Co-Chair of the Oyster Bay Railroad Station Restoration Committee. "Images of Rail: Long Island Rail Road: Babylon Branch" is his most recent book.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88241052507?pwd=U0dUMk5iWm1vWHlFa1dscDZ3MnYxQT09
Meeting ID: 882 4105 2507Passcode: allaboardOne tap mobile+16465588656,88241052507#, *276251641# US (New York)Dial by your location+1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 882 4105 2507Passcode: 276251641Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbDDXP4tJO
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
LIZ BAILEY — Water Wisdom: Some Basic Information about Long Island's Aquifers
7:30 pm
Zoom Meeting
Elizabeth Bailey, a Trustee of the Society, will present: Water Wisdom: Some Basic Information about Long Island's Aquifers. This presentation will cover basic information about Long Island's aquifers, which are the source for our drinking water. Trends in pumpage of water will be discussed. Nassau and Suffolk Counties each have issues with drinking water, but their situations are different. These differences and the reasons for them will be explained. The talk will also include information on the most effective ways that residents can conserve water. Bailey was a recepient of the "Make A Difference Award" in 2013 for her work with the Garden City Bird Sanctuary. For 30 years she worked on assorted air quality issues for the Tennessee Valley Authority ("TVA") in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Bailey earned an undergraduate degree in Chemisty from the University of Rochester and is an accomplished organist. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83200884466Meeting ID: 832 0088 4466One tap mobile+19292056099,,83200884466# US (New York) +13017158592,,83200884466# US (Washington DC)
The Henry Waldinger Memorial Library Presents:
STEVE ORICH — Composer, Orchestrator, Tony Nominee for Jersey Boys and Valley Stream Native Wednesday, January 13, 2021
7:30 pm
The Henry Waldinger Memorial Library is pleased to host a Zoom visit with Valley Stream native Steve Orich. Steve will discuss his background, including his music teachers while attending local Valley Stream schools and his accomplishments in the professional world. This past December, Orich was the Musical Director and Arranger for Asolo Rep’s outdoor production of We Need a Little Christmas, performed in Sarasota, FL. He also recently arranged for NBC’s One Night Only: The Best of Broadway (now available on HULU).
For questions or Zoom instructions, please contact Library Director Ms. Eng: mailto:hwmlcontact@hotmail.com
Steve Orich Zoom Visit
Happy 100th Birthday Adele Melillo
July 23, 2020
The Society congratulates Adele Melillo on her 100th birthday. Adele was born in Italy and emigrated to the United States in 1940. She married Anthony Melillo in 1948. After living elsewhere, they settled in Valley Stream in 1960. Adele and Tony were hard working members of the Society. Each served as a member of the Board for several years. Adele was known for her magic as a seamstress, which she applied to her job with Rubie’s Costume Company until retirement.
In Memoriam The Society announces with profound sadness the passing of Mildred Claire Donahue McMahon on May 1, 2020, at the age of 90. Ms. McMahon prior to leaving Valley Stream for Florida was the Chairman of the Board of the Society for two years. Claire, as we knew her, joined the Society in 1976. She was President for two terms, Vice President for innumerable times, served as Secretary and Treasurer, and was a member of its Finance Committee. McMahon was a signer to the original contract with the Village to operate the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration.
Claire attended Holy Name of Mary School in Valley Stream and St. Agnes Cathedral School in Rockville Centre for high school. She earned her degree at Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy now known as the College of White Plains and taught or substitute taught for more than twenty years in Central High School District Number 1 with the exception of the Brooklyn Avenue and South High Schools. Her children attended these schools hence the reason for not teaching at either of them.
McMahon was actively involved in helping troubled youth. Besides teaching she was a bookkeeper and receptionist at an iron works company for 15 to 20 years. Claire was predeceased by her husband. She is survived by their children, Elizabeth Ann, Kathy, Michael, and Andrew. McMahon also leaves behind eight grandchildren. Claire was buried next to her husband in Pinelawn Cemetery. Photo at Pagan-Fletcher Restoration 6/28/1997 Be a Witness to history! Share your COVID-19 experiences May 15, 2020
We are living in a historic moment in time! The COVID-19 crisis is reshaping our daily lives and our communities. In the future, others will look back and learn from our experiences. This is why it is so important to begin recording the history of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on New York State's people and communities. What is happening to us right now must not be forgotten! We need to document our experiences so that they can inform the response to future crises. Click here to participate:
COVID-19 Experiences
In MemoriamFrancis J. Duffy May 4, 2020
The officers, trustees, and members of the Valley Stream Historical Society extend their condolences to the family of Francis J. Duffy, age 90, who succumbed to COVID-19 on Sunday, April 26, 2020.
Francis and his wife, Joan, provided the Society with many interesting programs over the years. Joan, who passed away in 2012, was the editor of Panorama.
He was a maritime historian who was responsible for conducting each year an observance at the memorial located in Manhattan to the victims of the 1904 General Slocum tragedy which resulted in the loss of more than 1,000 lives.
Francis served as the Executive Vice President of the Maritime Industry Museum at the State University of New York Maritime College located in the Bronx. He was a founding member of the Long Island Chapter of the Steamship Historical Society and served as New York editor of its publication, Steamboat Bill, for close to 30 years.
He co-authored The New York Harbor Book with William H. Miller and authored Always on Station: The Story of the Sandy Hook Ship Pilots. Additionally, Francis provided photography and public relations services to the shipping industry in New York. His photography took him to many unusual places. One, for example, consisted of climbing on the scaffolding to the torch of the Statue of Liberty while it was under renovation. In short, Francis was a very accomplished individual.
May the road rise to meet you,
and the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm on your face
and the rains fall softly on your fields.
And until we meet again
May God hold you gently in the palm of his hand.
An Irish Blessing
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
7:30 pm
Valley Stream Village Hall Auditorium
123 South Central Avenue / Valley Stream, NY 11580
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Know Your Consumer Rights—Lecture by Ken Heino 7:30 pm
Valley Stream Village Hal
l123 South Central Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11580 Ken Heino, the Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Consumer Affairs is our January guest speaker. Heino, a native of Valley Stream, and a graduate of South High will be discussing consumer rights. Since 2004, Heino has organized and assisted many Consumer Affairs undercover operations and crackdowns that were featured on NBC Dateline, ABC Primetime, and Good Morning America. These sting operations and crackdowns included unscrupulous home improvement contractors, pornography sales to minors, illegal charging of sales tax, and illegal use of pesticides by landscapers—to name a few. In addition to his Consumer Affairs position, Ken is the Commissioner to the Nassau County Commission on Human Rights, making him Nassau County's first LGBTQ commissioner. Heino devotes much of his time to the LGBTQ community advocating on behalf of Nassau County residents. He is also a board member of the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce and has served as the President of the Valley Stream Youth Board since its inception in 2001. Please join us for the historical society's first meeting in 2020, and the first lecture to be held at the Valley Stream Village Hall on Central Avenue! Our lectures are free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted and appreciated. For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or (516) 872-4159.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Candlelight Tour of the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration 6:00 pm - 8:00 pmPagan-Fletcher Restoration143 Hendrickson AvenueValley Stream, NY 11580 The Historical Society's annual Candlelight Tour is soon upon us! Don't miss this special holiday evening. Please bring donations of non-perishable canned food for the local food pantries. There is no fee and donations are accepted and appreciated. For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or (516) 872-4159.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Gingerbread House Contest & Bake Sale
Pagan-Fletcher Restoration
143 Hendrickson AvenueValley Stream, NY 11580 GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST AND BAKE SALE, presented by the Valley Stream Historical Society. Please bring your gingerbread entries between 10:00-11:00 am that day. Vote for your favorite gingerbread house—winners get prizes! Join us for Mayor Ed Fare's decorative icing demonstration at 2:00 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are always welcome! For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or (516) 872-4159.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
ZONTA INTERNATIONAL—Rediscovering the Zonta Club of Long Island Lecture by Millicent Vollono 7:30 pmValley Stream Community Center—at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park123 West Merrick Road (corner of South Franklin Avenue)Valley Stream, NY 11580 Millicent Vollono, this month's esteemed guest speaker will share her research and knowledge on Zonta International, and more specifically, the Long Island Chapter. Zonta ("trustworthy" in Lakota, a Sioux language), a women's service organization, was founded in 1919 by a group of businesswomen. From the get-go, the organization's mission has been the advancement of women. Zonta has always tackled compelling issues and norms of the day: child labor, pay disparity between men and women, and gender-specific office culture—to name a few. More recently, the organization's causes include child marriages, human trafficking, and unsafe migration. Since its inception, Zonta has provided more than $41.2 million to empower women and expand their access to education, health care, economic opportunities, and safe living conditions. The Long Island chapter, founded in 1935, had an active presence in Valley Stream—which makes Vollono's lecture all the more interesting. In the 1950s, Zonta often held their meetings at the Wayside Home for Girls on Dutch Broadway. Wayside, a residential community for at-risk adolescents and young adults, was also the recipient of Zonta's goodwill and charity. There were a handful of Valley Stream residents that were members, as well. Mary Gear (1916-2011), a Zonta member, was the Director of Music for School District 24. Mary and her sister Florence are fondly remembered for their devotion to charity and helping others.
Vollono, a native of Freeport, was the Music Librarian, and later, the Head of Readers’ Advisory and Reference Services at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library for a combined tenure of 31 years; retiring in 2016. During her three-plus decades at the library, Vollono designed and maintained the library’s website and blogs, and began the digitization of the library's local history collection. Her work resulted in “The Five Towns” (Arcadia Publishing, 2010), a wonderful compilation of local images and information. Vollono also collaborated with her daughter Lauren Drapala on “Designing Suburbia: Olive Tjaden on Long Island,” published in the December 2016 issue of the “Nassau County Historical Society Journal.” Tjaden was a pioneering architect that was long overdue for recognition.
Please join us for an exceptional lecture and learn more about the Zonta Club of Long Island—still going strong after 100 years! Free admission, refreshments, and a door prize for a lucky winner. Vollono's “The Five Towns” will also be available for purchase. Donations gratefully accepted and always appreciated. For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or email vshistorical@gmail.com
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Kid's Halloween Costume Contest 3:00 pmPagan-Fletcher Restoration143 Hendrickson Avenue Please join us for this time-honored Valley Stream Historical Society tradition: the KID'S HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST. Wear your costume and join the fun! Adult participation encouraged. Prizes for best costumes! The annual Ragamuffin Parade will be held at 3:00 pm, weather permitting. Admission is free, but donations are welcome! For further information please call 516.825.7157 or 516.872.4159.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
AMELIA—Vanishing into Thin AirLecture by Professor Howard Erhlich and Professor Harvey Sackowitz 7:30 pmValley Stream Community Center—at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park123 West Merrick Road (corner of South Franklin Avenue)Valley Stream, NY 11580 Amelia Earhart, an American aviation pioneer, and author was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1937, Earhart and navigator Fred Noonon disappeared during an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight around Earth. This month's guest speakers, St. John's University professors Howard Erhlich and Harvey Sackowitz will share their theories regarding the fate of Earhart and Noonan and other interesting details of Earhart's life. Earhart will forever be connected to Valley Stream. In 1929, Curtiss-Wright Airport (now the Green Acres Mall) and six hangars opened for business. That year, the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of licensed women pilots (named for the 99 charter members) was also founded at that location. The Ninety-Nines set up shop on the second floor of hangar two; two years later Earhart was elected their first president. In 1993, hangars one and two were demolished to make way for Home Depot. (The other four hangars still stand.) Please join us and let us know if you think the professors turned sleuths have solved the greatest mystery of the 20th century! Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. Donations gratefully accepted and always appreciated. For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or email vshistorical@gmail.com And the next time you visit Home Depot? Pause for a moment and remember Amelia. Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Early History of Malverne—Lecture by Don Pupke 7:30 pmValley Stream Community Center—at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park123 West Merrick Road (corner of South Franklin Avenue)Valley Stream, NY 11580 TONIGHT—the first lecture of the Valley Stream Historical Society’s 2019-2020 season.
Don Pupke, a 1977 graduate of South High, and whose family has lived in the village for over 100 years, is our guest speaker. Pupke will talk about the early history of Malverne, Valley Stream’s neighbor to the east. Don, who moved to Malverne in 1991, is writing a history book about his adopted village. He will share with us Malverne’s early roots, including topics relevant to Valley Stream—Tigertown (a squatter’s community), Westwood, and the Southern Railroad. A graduate of St. John’s Law School, Pupke currently sits on the Malverne Historical Society board. Past positions in Malverne include Deputy Mayor, Trustee, Police Commissioner, and Fire Commissioner.
Please join us at the Community Center in Hendrickson Park at 7:30 pm and help keep local history alive. There is never an admission fee, but donations are always appreciated.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
An Evening at 195 Rockaway Avenue
7:00 pmVillage of Valley Stream Municipal Building195 Rockaway Avenue (corner of East Jamaica Avenue)Valley Stream, NY 11580 The Valley Stream Historical Society (“Society”), in partnership with the Village of Valley Stream, invites you to “An evening at 195 Rockaway Avenue,” on Tuesday, June 18th at 7:00 pm at 195 Rockaway Avenue, Valley Stream. The evening begins with membership sign-ups and renewals, followed by the installation of the Society’s 2019-2020 officers and trustees.
Kate Sherwood, AIA, is the featured guest speaker. Ms. Sherwood’s lecture, “Architecture: A Sense of Place,” will be moderated by Carol McKenna, Village Historian. Sherwood will discuss the renovation and adaptive re-use of 195 Rockaway Avenue from a bank building into a courthouse. An architect with Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm, Sherwood designed the first floor and mezzanine. Kate will also delve into the less tangible aspects of architecture—its influence and relevancy on culture, civic pride, commerce, and collective memory. Sherwood’s familiarity and appreciation for vintage architecture runs deep—she was born and raised in a 1790 Greek Revival in the historic village of Winchester Center, Connecticut. Her father, chair of the Winchester Historical Society, helped shape Kate’s sensibility regarding local history and the art of preservation. Sherwood's early exposure to architecture, coupled with her education and professional experience helped create an interior that authentically replicates a courtroom from the 1920s.
A Q&A will follow the lecture, moderated by Ms. McKenna. Ms. Sherwood will then lead a tour of the building, highlighting the interior’s redesign. The evening will conclude with the Society's annual social, featuring Itgen’s ice cream, strawberries, pound cake, and fresh whipped cream!
Admission is $5.00 per person but will be waived for those that join or renew their membership that evening. To learn more about membership, or to join online, please visit https://www.vsvny.org/historical and click on the Membership & Donations link. Membership tiers: Students ($10), Individual ($15), Family ($20), Organizational ($50), Lifetime ($100). RSVP, if possible, by email or call/text: vshistorical@gmail.com; 203.558.1882. Walk-ins welcome, too.
Invite: An evening at 195 Rockaway Avenue
Press Release: An evening at 195 Rockaway Avenue
Sunday, May 26, 2019Military Exhibits Honoring Valley Streamers—by Chris Critchley and John Urgo 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Pagan-Fletcher Restoration143 Hendrickson Avenue Valley Stream, NY 11580 A special exhibit at the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration has been created in honor of Memorial Day. Chris Critchley, a social studies teacher at Central High; and John Urgo, historical society board member, and exhibit designer extraordinaire, have teamed up to create an artistic and compelling display honoring Valley Streamers that served in the military. Featured in the exhibit is Jacob Matthew Reisert. "Jake" was born 1921 to George and Anna Reisert, who owned a 128-acre farm (located in the present-day community of Mill Brook in South Valley Stream, and the Green Acres Mall). In 1939, Jake graduated Central High School and in the fall, began his freshman year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In the summers of 1940 and 1941, Jake earned his civilian pilot license. In March 1945, Lt. Jacob M. Reisert led a division of Grumman Torpedo Bomber Fighter Avengers from the carrier U.S.S. Bellevue Wood in a long-range mission against the enemy in the Nansen Shoto Islands of Japan. Reisert was wounded with anti-aircraft fire as he scored two direct hits. He flew the nearly unflyable bomber with open bomb-bay doors and ruptured gas tanks for more than two hours to reach a rescue submarine. Reisert gave his life to save his fellow crewmen and was posthumously recommend for the Congressional Medal of Honor several times but was denied. He ultimately was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy’s second-highest honor. Please stop by and say hello. It's a great way to demonstrate support of your nation and hometown. For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or (516) 872-4159.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019Lost Firehouses of Nassau County—by Michael Capoziello 7:30 pmValley Stream Community Center—at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park123 West Merrick Road (corner of South Franklin Avenue)Valley Stream, NY 11580 Michael Capoziello, a life-long resident of Elmont, has familial roots that date back to the 1940s. Capoziello's lecture, "Lost Firehouses of Nassau County," will cover the 36 ex-firehouse buildings still standing in Nassau County. Perhaps you have driven by some of these buildings without knowing their provenance? Capoziello will also share his knowledge of the three oldest active firehouses in the county. Capoziello once served as Elmont's Fire Chief. He is proudly serving his 32nd year as an Elmont volunteer fireman in addition to his role as Historian for both the Elmont Fire Department and the Nassau County Firefighters Museum. For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or (516) 872-4159.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019Dr. Lawrence Cardano—History and Evolution of the Hearing Aid 7:30 pmValley Stream Community Center—at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park123 West Merrick Road (corner of South Franklin Avenue)Valley Stream, NY 11580 Ear trumpets! Conversation tubes! Vacuum tubes! Transistor hearing aids! Cochlear implants!
On April 16th, Dr. Lawrence Cardano, Au.D., FAAA Doctor of Audiology, will be our featured guest speaker. Director of the Hearing Center of Long Island, Dr. Cardano is actively involved in community service through his work with "Lions Lend an Ear," the Nassau County-based chapter of Lions Club International. He helps those that cannot afford hearing devices.
Hearing aids came into existence in the 17th century. In 1640, an Italian nobleman wrote about a trumpet-shaped horn that directed sounds towards someone’s ear. Most of these early prototypes were made from animal horns or seashells. Circa 1800, companies started to manufacture ear trumpets specifically for people with hearing loss. The movement toward modern hearing aids began with the creation of the telephone, and the first electric hearing aid was created in 1898. By the late 20th century, digital hearing aids were the norm.
Join us for this important lecture. There is never an admission fee, but donations are always appreciated. For further information please call (516) 825-7157 or (516) 872-4159.
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