MARTIN LUTHER KING MEMORIAL
POSTED 1/2/12

     January 16th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The following is a link to the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial website. Here you can view a video of his memorial. This web site has also contains other aspects of the memorial that you may want to pursue.

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SAD SHARING
POSTED 1/24/12
     Lois (Rodriguez) Heinley's son, Ronnie, passed away on January 13th after a long illness. Lois worked at Laurel Park and East Kdg. and retired in 1990. Condolences may be sent to 681 Indian Oaks Dr,. Melbourne FL 32901.

JOHN MESSBAUER, TEACHER, WWII VET, DIES
POSTED 1/2/12
By Bill Bleyer

Originally published in,Newsday, December 29, 2011

   John J. Messbauer racked up impressive statistics in his long life.    During World War II, he was a bombardier on a B-17, flying 30 missions over Europe. He was an elementary schoolteacher for 27 years in Brentwood and Huntington, and he worked 55 summers as a Jones Beach lifeguard.
   Messbauer, 91, of Plainview, died Dec. 14 at the Hospice in Melville of Parkinson's disease....
To read more and view the entire article click here.

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SAD SHARING
POSTED 1/12/12     

     Carlton Copp, husband of Marina (Marilyn) LaChicotte Copp, passed away on January 5, 2012. The burial took place on January 9, 2012. Cards and condolences may be sent to 5 Glen Lane
Syosset NY 11791.

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Why did we do it? What was our purpose in taking on such an open ended “History Project”; the one for which we’ve evolved a script of questions with corresponding answers from over one hundred and fifty dedicated volunteers for nearly two decades?
      We couldn’t answer the question in ‘94 when people would ask “What are you going to do with the interviews?” All we could say was that for educational and informational purposes we had better document our record or lose any chance to preserve innumerable poignant accounts, humorous stories and touching tales told to us by exemplary educators and dedicated public servants, who shortly and for reasons unknown might soon be leaving our Brentwood for good.
     We decided to let time sort out the details as we commenced making appointments to ask questions and simply listen. Listen we did as this project evolved saving for subsequent generations the very essence of what it means to have been an educator or employed in a large student centered public school system during the latter half of the twentieth century. Brentwood remains an exemplar to all the others; a diverse microcosm and accurate reflection of the approximately one hundred and twenty seven neighboring school districts on Long Island and the thousands across this country. We’ve accomplished something here, something we can all be proud of having been part of, whether we were interviewed or not, ours is a claim of service that few other professionals in the State of New York are positioned to share in a like manner.
     INITIALLY the practice of sitting for an hour with the Subject of our interview and giving them one hundred percent of our focused attention for that period of time seemed a little threatening to many of our friends and former colleagues. So much so in fact that many declined repeated invitations to be interviewed as they left careers behind or retired from full time employ with the District. Despite all assurances that this was not to be about investigative journalism or invading their privacy, they’ve deferred. Until now, almost seventeen years after we began, some say they may finally be ready. We say, “Better late than never”. However, to all those among you who were willing to share openly not only your classroom experiences but personal stories, precious memories from your lives and fondest hopes for the future, we say thanks for allowing us to be able to continue the process of giving as we now are able to share interviews with you, with the community and with countless regional professional educators and researchers through tentative acceptance of ROBS offer of collaboration with The Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra University.
      You can now enjoy unlimited visits to www.robsny.org/ where you’ll see and hear segments from the History Project Interviews featured here in the ROBS History Project section on the Announcements Page archived each month thereafter for those wishing to return again and again.

SAD SHARING
POSTED 1/10/12
     Ann Mattausch, former secretary at the Ross bldg, has passed away. Ann would have been 100 yrs old next month. She retired in 1972.
     Viewing will be on Wednesday - January 11th 2-4PM and 7-9PM at BRYANT FUNERAL HOME
411 Old Town Rd, East Setauket
(473-0082)