Thank You

To the Editor:

My wife and I purchased our home in Garden City in January 2001. At the time, my wife was undergoing treatment for newly diagnosed breast cancer. We had a 6-month old daughter and a 2-year old son. Our incentive for buying in Garden City was, I’m sure, similar to most residents; the nice homes, great school district and main street that we could walk to with our double stroller. At the time of our move, we were optimistic for my wife’s full recovery and planned for a long, happy life in our new home.

After a lengthy battle, and efforts on her part that can only be described as heroic, my wife passed away on June 30, 2010 at the age of 40. During her illness my wife and I discovered another important reason why we loved our home and town, a reason that is never really given proper credit - the people of Garden City.

Last November my wife had surgery for disease that had spread to the brain. The surgery left her with limited movement on her right side and unable to drive. Since the time she came home from the hospital in December 2009 (over seven months ago), my family has had meals cooked for us on an almost daily basis. Many of these people we have never met aside from their warm greeting when they drop of the food. They are all people who live in the town and have heard of our story. With these meals, people have even provided groceries, school lunches for the kids for the next morning, and words of encouragement.

Imagine my difficulty working full time with a fourth grader and sixth grader involved in CCD, track, basketball, soccer and baseball and no one at home to drive them. This was all taken care of by friends of my wife’s and parents of my children’s teammates who would be emailing me telling me the kids schedule and what time they would be by to pick up my kids. It was a huge relief for both me and my wife to know my children were thought of and looked after. In many instances the question was not how would I get my child to an event or practice, but who should we select to get them there.

The outpouring of support I have received since my wife’s death has been remarkable. I am still receiving sympathy cards and baskets from residents expressing their condolences. While I do believe proper, individual thank you’s are a necessity, I do not practice what I preach. If I tried to name names, I would undoubtedly leave very important people out. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been so kind to my wife and me during her illness and who continues to support my family after her death. I do not believe community support like this exists in many places.

Christopher Molloy

Eagle Scout Project

To The Editor:

Hi, my name is Emmett Johnson and I am going into my junior year at Chaminade High School. I am a Life Scout in Troop 134, in Garden City and I am currently working on my Eagle Project. My project is to give a makeover to the play yard at Hour Children, located in Long Island City, New York.

Hour Children is a multi-faceted family service organization that provides housing, permanent and transitional, and a wide array of supportive services that transform the lives of women and their families involved in the criminal justice system. I am looking to collect old outdoor Little Tikes toys for the children to play with. I am doing my project on July 27 th and 28 th but I will accept donations past those dates. You can reach me by email at Johnsonemmett7@aol.com or by phone 516-747-1645. Thank you for your help.

Emmett Johnson

Save St. Paul’s!

To the Editor:

The Garden City Historical Society and the Committee to Save St. Paul’s recently presented a proposal to the board of trustees of the Village of Garden City that would preserve the structure of St. Paul’s for public use. The recent proposal and its merits will cost no more than demolishing the site.

The dedication to history that drove me to save the tomb of the “Defender of the Union” Ulysses S. Grant helps me identify with the cause of saving a cherished Garden City landmark, St. Paul’s.

Earlier this month, I met with Brian Pinnola and Al Intreglia from the Garden City Historical Society, who are working hard to save the historic school. At the meeting they discussed the value of St. Paul’s and the details of the plans to save the building. I share the same interest in preserving our historic treasures in a fiscally responsible manner.

This site is an architectural treasure that merits our attention. The status of St. Paul’s has been unresolved for over 17 years. It is about time we bring this matter to a successful resolution. I fully support the move to restore the site without further delay and to make it accessible to the community.

Please join me on July 25 at 1:00 PM at the lawn area in front of the main building at St. Paul’s on Stewart Avenue to hear about the effort to save St. Paul’s and my Congressional campaign.

Frank Scaturro,

Candidate For US Congress,

4th District

Autism Insurance Coverage

To the Editor:

If enacted, S.7000B/A10372 will require private health insurers subject to NY law to cover evidence-based treatment for autism spectrum disorder, with no age or dollar caps allowed. I know from personal experience that this will be a huge step forward for the families of New York dealing with the challenges of Autism. It is now critical to ensure Governor Patterson signs S.7000B/A10372, which have received unanimous legislative support, into law as soon as possible.

James E. Fahey

Garden City, N.Y.

New York State Advocacy Chair Autism Speaks