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The

Great South

Spray

Come for the Boating Education… Stay for the Friends℠

June 2016

A Publication of the

Great South Bay Power Squadron

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The Great South

Spray A Publication of

Great South Bay Power Squadron, Inc.

A Unit of the United States Power Squadrons

Chartered 16 May 1941

Commander Suzanne Mora, JN 631-312-2889 48 Twin River Dr., Oakdale NY 1769 Executive Officer Arthur Wallach, AP 631-543-3841 33 Sioux Dr., Commack, NY 11725 Educational Officer James M. Milton, JN 631-681-7650 57 Rocket Dr., Islip Terrace NY 11752 Assistant Educational Officer Michael Boland, AP 631-539-2551 3 Atlantis Ct., West Islip, NY 11795 Administrative Officer John Pergola, AP 631-758-4086 71 Highland Ave., Patchogue, NY 11772 Secretary Michael Becker, JN 631-472-7232 44 Burleigh Dr., Holbrook, NY 11741 Treasurer Steve Potestio, P 631-472-1647 287 Singingwood Dr., Holbrook NY 11741 Safety Officer Joseph Russell, AP 631-750-2754 11 Amelia Pl., West Sayville, NY 11796

The Great South Spray Staff

Karen Becker, P: Editor becker44@optonline.net

Carolyn Postel, Assistant Editor

Articles and opinions do not necessarily reflect USPS policy or endorsement unless so designated.

June 2016

Great South Bay Power Squadron

A Message from Commander Suzanne R. Mora, JN

As I write this, I’m thinking to myself “Oh my goodness, what a great weekend we just had!”

On 21 May, we had a great turn out for the National Safe Boating Week Ready Set Wear It Squadron picture at the Long Island Maritime Museum in the morning. We then headed over to Kingstons to continue the fun with lunch. From Kingstons we went home and got ready for the 75

th

Anniversary Gala, where we presented Life Member Awards to Lt Carol Huebner, S, P/C Marie DeVito, AP, and P/C Tom Piecora, SN. We also presented P/C Ed Wray, AP with P/C Wayne Overton, N’s 50 Year Membership Award. We are fortunate to have dedicated members! It was a wonderful event. I would like to thank Lt. Carol Huebner, S and Lt Joni Milano, S for making the centerpieces and to Lt/C John Pergola, AP and Lt/C Art Wallach, AP for coordinating the band and the rest of the evening!

Now, it’s looking ahead to the Memorial Day Weekend with the Raft Up in Zak’s Bay the Islip Memorial Day Parade and BBQ afterwards. It’s going to be another great weekend!! WOO HOO!!

Now on to business; the committee to improve NY State Boating Education is planning a trip to Albany to meet with legislators to promote our cause for a quicker phase in of the requirements for obtaining a boating education on Tuesday, 7 June. It will be a day trip leaving by bus early in the morning and returning late evening. Probably at the LI Park and Ride at Exit 49 on the LIE. Additional details will follow from District via Sail Angle.

If you are not able to participate in the bus trip, another option is to write your State Senator and Assemblyman in support of the change. This is an opportunity to change the law and contribute to boating safety and have some fun on the trip as well.

The Spring Picnic and Brunch is right around the corner at Watch Hill on 12-13 June. Get your reservations in for another great event!

If you are planning on attending Rendezvous East, the block of slips has now been released. Call Mitchell Marina in Greenport to get your slip reserved ASAP since they are now taking reservations from the public.

Congratulations to all of our members who were recognized at the 75

th Gala as well as those who have

celebrated Graduations and Communions! This is a great time of year for multiple reasons!

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A Message from the Executive Officer

Lt/C Arthur Wallach, AP

Hello Squadronites, Let’s heed the words of the unforgettable Robin Williams, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, Let’s party!"

Poster Contest – Announcing the 2016 National USPS Youth Annual Poster Contest. This year's theme is:"Make it Personal! It's Your Life ... It's Your Lifejacket!" For details check out: http://www.usps.org/national/membership/memcom/awards_index.html

District Events to Mark on your Calendar:

Ducks Game & BBQ – Come join fellow District 3 Squadron members, their families & friends Saturday, 4 June 4 2016 at 5:00 PM for an ‘All You Can Eat BBQ’ at Duck’s Stadium, see the flyer for details: http://www.usps.org/d3/LIDucks/2016DucksFlyerwithRegistrationTag.pdf

District 3 Council Meeting – 3 June. 1830 cocktails, dinner 1915, meeting, 2000 –Melville Marriot

Rendezvous East – USPS - District 3 Rendezvous East 2016 29 July – 30 July Mitchell Park Marina Greenport, NY - Get your reservations in for slips and activities – Event flyers on the D3 website (http://www.usps.org/d3/) District Events Tab

A Message from the Educational Officer

Lt/C James M. Milton, JN

As we prep for the summer boating season, our education department has wrapped up its spring activities.

Over the summer we are looking to run a Seamanship Course to be taught by P/R/C Angelo Giovanniello, SN-IN. If you are interested, please contact anyone in my department.

For the fall we will be looking to expand our reach in the community and are seeking new venues. If you have a suggestion, please speak with Teaching Facilities Officer Kathy Reynolds, AP and we will see if your recommendation can Be accommodated. Congratulations to Doreen Giuliano, P for passing the Piloting Exam in Florida over the winter and earning the grade Pilot! Boat safe!

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A Message from the Administrative Officer Lt/C John Pergola, AP

Finally spring has sprung! Our 333 Raffles have been doing quite well. Keep up the good work! It has been a whirlwind of a month

Our Spring Brunch was held on 1 May at the

Snapper Inn with 46 people in attendance. All

seemed to have a good time.

As part of Safe Boating Week we took our

Squadron picture on 21 May and had

approximately 25 people participated as well

as 4 pets. Thank you to Lt Joe Russell, AP for

organizing it.

Our 75th Anniversary Gala was held last

weekend and I think some of us are still

recovering. We had 114 people attend. 19

from other squadrons and 12 from the

National Bridge. The Band 247 did a great job

and we have our XO Art Wallach, AP to thank

for finding them. Thanks to Lt Carol Hubner, S

and Lt Joan Milano, S for their help with the

centerpieces and setting up. I would also like

to thank the Commander, because without her

I don’t think this event would have happened, I

know she worked very hard to get us to 114

people. So thank you Susanne.

The Memorial Day Raft Up at Zaks Bay had to

be canceled due to member safety concerns.

Maybe next year.

We will again be marching in the East Islip

Memorial Day Parade. We will step off at

1000. Please arrive at 0900 by Saxon

Avenue to line up and to help decorate our

float. Please wear Uniform D (white pants,

short sleeve white shirt, open collar, white

shoes with cap. If you don’t have a uniform

white clothes would be appropriate. Don’t

forget sun block!

Continued on page 5

All About Boating Safety

Lt. Joseph Russell, AP

This past November I cited reports of boating emergencies that underscored the importance of wearing life jackets at all times while boating. Recently, in anticipation of this year’s National Safe Boating Week kick off on 21 May, I again did a quick search for reported recreational boating emergencies. Unfortunately, I found six incidents in local waters. 27 August 2015 a 40 ft. fishing boat sank in the Sandy Hook New Jersey boat channel. The captain’s body was recovered two days later. 27 October 2015 a boat capsized in the Hudson River near Ossining, NY. A nearby ferry picked up the captain who was clinging to a floatation device. 8 November 2015 a 33 ft. Egg Harbor ran aground outside the East Channel just off Fire Island. Of the three adults and three children aboard, one adult hit his head and was unconscious and an eleven year old received minor injuries. Fortunately, no one was thrown overboard. 27 November 2015 seven people were thrown into the water when their pontoon boat capsized just outside the Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey. All were rescued by police and coast guard crews, two later died. 26 March 2016 a boat capsized ½ mile off the coast of Brigantine New Jersey, just North of Atlantic City. A search for 3 - 4 people seen in the water by a local fisherman and police was suspended after two days. 30 April 2016 a 26 ft. boat caught fire near the mouth of Great Neck Creek in Copiague. A man and a woman had to jump from the boat to escape the flames. One of them swam to shore and the other was pulled from the water by a nearby boater.

Continued on page 5

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Continued from Safety Officer page 4

As in November, it took me less than 10 minutes to compile this list from an internet search. Again, my purpose here is not to bring you up to date on boat rescues, but to make a point. Admittedly, from these reports I could not tell if any of the people in these incidents were wearing life jackets – however, their chances of survival would have been improved if they had been. That’s my point. No one plans to end up in the water unexpectedly, but it does happen. So remember the National Safe Boating Week’s theme, Ready, Set, Wear It! And encourage your family and friends to wear life jackets when on the water – before they need one! Recently, R/C Larry Postel, SN spoke to me about laser flares that could last up to 72 hours. When you compare this to the typical pyrotechnic flare kit with a total burn time of less than 15 minutes, factor in the cost of replacing flares that expire 42 months after manufacture, their classification as a hazardous material and having a device on your boat that produces a temperature of over 3000 degrees, purchasing a laser flare makes a lot of sense. Now, before you purge your stock of traditional flares, it’s important to remember that until laser flares get USCG approval, boaters will still need to have the requisite, traditional, day and night signals aboard their vessels. But that requirement doesn't preclude carrying laser flares in addition to the USCG approved pyrotechnics. After all, there is no such thing as too much safety equipment on board. On and off the water, be safe!

Continued from Administrative Officer page 4 Looking forward

The LI Ducks Game is right around the corner

on Saturday, 4 June. If you’re attending the

“All You Can Eat BBQ”, arrive at Ducks

Stadium at 1700. If not, gates open at 1735

and game starts at 1835. Come dressed in a

white t-shirt with your life jacket and get your

picture taken on the field at 1820. Hopefully,

it’s warmer than last year.

11-12 June will be our Annual Spring Picnic

and Blessing of the Fleet at Watch Hill. This

year’s theme will be hero’s and villains. We

will be holding a costume party on Saturday

and the winners will win a free brunch. We

will be serving hotdogs after the tent goes up.

For those of you who arrive on Friday we will

be having clams and chili. Lunch on Saturday

includes Italian or American heros (what else)

and lobster, steak and chicken with corn on

the cob for dinner. For all those leaving

Saturday night, there will be a ferry at 2200. I

hope to see you there.

16-17 July will be “The Raft Up“ on the

Connetquot River complete with a barge and

live band. A lot of planning is going into this

so please, if you plan on attending, let your

boating activities chair Lt Bill Harbert, S know.

It will be a multi squadron event. Before I put

it out to other squadrons, I would like to know

how many from our Squadron are interested.

If you think you are going to attend, please let

me know by phone, e-mail or just word of

mouth. We will be looking for volunteers to

help with food and tying up boats. We will cap

the raft up at 50 boats.

29-30 July will be Rendezvous East at Mitchell

Marina in Greenport. Flyers are available in

the Spray and on our website.

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As I write this article I realize that Memorial Day is next weekend. Most of our boats are in the water by now or will be shortly. With the beginning of boating season we all get a little excited to know that we’ll be back on the water enjoying hot days & warm nights. We welcome the good times with great friends! Nancy & Rich Baierwalter are once again new Grandparents. Their daughter Kathy & Son-in-law Chris gave birth (3 weeks early) on January 3rd to Connor Jameson Neglia, 6 lbs 5 ounces; everyone is doing great! Jason Becker, Michael and Karen’s son, is Captain of the Sachem High School East and Sachem High School North Robotics’ Team. Teams are given 6 weeks to create their robot. This year the team competed at the Robotics regional competition in Cleveland State University and Hofstra University in Hempstead. At the Hofstra University competition the team won First Place along with team alliances William Floyd High School and a High School team from Brazil. Winning the regional gave them entry to the World Championship in St. Louis at the end of April. Way to go Jason and his team! George Kravis had the privilege on 17 May to be part of the “Honor Flight Long Island (HFLI).” Twice a year, in Spring and Fall, a plane takes off from Long Island MacArthur Airport loaded with World War II veterans bound for the nation’s Capital. HFLI exists to bring members of the “Greatest Generation” to the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. .

They started with a flight into Baltimore, where the fire department greeted the senior patriots by shooting plumes of water in an arc over the aircraft. When “Honor Flight” was announced over the speakers in the airport, passengers left their gates to pay respect. People lined the concourse to applaud, shake their hands, and welcome them to Baltimore. Afterward the veterans, with accompanying guardians to assist them, boarded luxury buses escorted by motorcycles into D.C. They spent approximately 2 hours at the memorial reflecting, telling stories, and reading the different battles engraved in the granite. One longtime volunteer was Olga Smith, a 91 yr old WWII vet who spent 2 years with the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service). This honored everyone – from military heroes to factory workers. The memorial, completed in 2004, some 60 years after the end of WWII, is a special place for the Veterans, a cathartic trip. This is a free trip for the Veterans, from the flight to the snacks & buffet meal to the personalized book that each Veteran receives. A photographer is on hand to capture moments that are put into a hardcover book with the Veterans picture on the cover and presented 2 months later at a reunion. On the way back to Baltimore, they performed the “Mail Call” as it was during the war – when precious letters came that linked them to their loved ones back home. The Veterans were called by name & they were handed cards & letters written to them by LI school children & family members. They have no idea they are getting these letters from family members back home. Watching them open a letter & realizing it’s written by their grandchild or family member is very powerful, very touching.

Continued on page 7

The Rhumbline

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To all our June Birthdays!

Eileen Albanese, Edward Bauer, Mark Businski,

Carolynn Cairo, Anthony Canonico,

Edward Fergus, Luisa Ferruggiari,

Lorene Gagliano, John Gill, Carol Huebner,

Jake Kaplan, Luann Kazanecki, George Kravis,

Lisa Locascio, Melanie Murphy,

Thomas Piecora, Donald Salerno,

Barbara Schlussler, Cindy Schmidt,

Katherine Slodysko, Ruth Smith,

Bonnie Speciale, Gale Wallach, Edward Wray

Charles F. Gee 730 Walnut Ave., Bohemia, NY 11716

Tel # 631-750-3077 Cell # 516-979-0608 Spouse: Coleen

Boat Name: Two C’s Boat Make: Maxum LOA 28

Colleen A. Gee

730 Walnut Ave., Bohemia, NY 11716 Tel # 631-750-3077

Spouse: Charles E-mail: Cgee1021@gmail.com

Boat Name: Two C’s Boat Make: Maxum LOA 28

Kelly Gee

730 Walnut Ave., Bohemia, NY 11716

Megan Gee 730 Walnut Ave., Bohemia, NY 11716

Jaycie Snider

P.O. Box 517, Great River, NY 11739

Continued from Rhumbline page 6

Honor Flight LI has been around since 2007, and so far has taken 1,250 WWII veterans to the memorial. Approx. 11,000 WWII vets remain on LI. The next flight is planned for late Sept. George states that this was a “fabulous” experience, with spontaneous tributes everywhere they went. He was overwhelmed to uncontrollable tears at those demonstrations, especially with all the young children of grade school age & younger. George states he will never forget the day, topped off by the huge greeting they got upon return to at least a thousand cheering truly patriot Americans lining the airport. George states that “love of my country is what motivated me in 1943, and it was even more prominent in his mind that day.” He calls this “Day of Glory” an adventure never to be forgotten, and thanks to all those volunteers from the bottom of his heart. Of course because George is also such a wonderful cameraman, he has a bunch of pictures he took to memorialize the event, and would be glad to share them with anyone who contacts him. What a great experience for these veterans, done by so many dedicated volunteers, with all the school groups, boy scouts, girl scouts and so many other organizations who participate in this twice yearly patriotic event. May God Bless all our troops, and keep them safe on their missions, to return home to their loving families.

Patti Morrissey

AppraisinPat@optonline.net

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The Ship's Store will be at the next

The Ship’s Store will be at the Spring Picnic at Watch Hill on 11 June and at the General

Meeting at Rusy-Bohm on 24 June.

!!!ALL VINTAGE ITEMS ARE NOW

25% OFF!!! New merchandise has arrived - hats, jackets,

shirts. Burgees and ensigns are in stock. Please stop by, take a peek and support the Ship’s Store. If you don’t see what you want,

ask, and hopefully I can order it for you. And, as always, feel free to contact me during

the summer for any of your Ship’s Store needs. Thanks for supporting the Ship’s Store and here’s to a GREAT BOATING SEASON!!!!

Joni

2015

Award-Winning

Newsletter for 40 Years.

2016 VSC Examiners

Supply Officer Lt/C Joan Milano, S

72winner@optonline.net 631.587.7421

John Allison Carolynn Cairo Frank DeMayo Michael Dowgiallo Joseph Gagliano Angelo Giovanniello Luann Kazanecki Scott Krawchuk

Lawrence Postel Richard Torre

631-541-8585 631-581-4066 516-993-5228 631-921-5270 631-232-9378 631-661-5318 631-581-2290 631-697-4277 631-981-0273 516-731-6124

johntallison@me.com happytrails@verizon.net fdemayo1@aol.com singulpa@aol.com zeppo53@optonline.net descon@att.com lukaz@aol.com scottkraw1@verizon.net lawpos@optonline.net sawhorse66@verizon.net

Great South Bay

Power Squadron

SPRAY articles are due by the 15th of every month.

Jan/Feb articles are due December 15th

March articles are due February 15th

April articles are due March 15th

May articles are due April 15th

June articles are due May 15th

July/August articles are due June 15th

September articles are due August 15th

October articles are due September 15th

November articles are due October 15th

December articles are due November 15th

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Executive Meeting 1930

East Islip Library

2 3

D3 Council Meeting

2000 Melville Marriott

4

LI Ducks

Baseball Game 1700

Duck’s Stadium

5

New Moon

6 7 8

9

10 Spring Picnic

& Blessing of

the Fleet Watch Hill

11

Spring Picnic

& Blessing of

the Fleet Watch Hill

12

Spring Picnic &

Blessing of the Fleet

First Quarter

Moon Watch Hill

13

Watch Hill

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Full Moon

21 22

23

24

General Meeting

2000 Rusy Bohm

25

26

27

Last Quarter

Moon

28

29 30

Upcoming Events:

Day Date Event Uniform Time Location

Sat – Sun 16–17 July Raft Up Connetquot River Fri – Sat 28–31 July Rendezvous East D or E Greenport Saturday 6-Aug Raft Up Garbage Cove Sat. – Sun. 20-21 Aug Robert Moses Raft Up Robert Moses Field 3 Wed – Sun 34-28 Aug USPS Governing Board Pittsburgh, PA Wednesday 7-Sept Executive Meeting 1930 East Islip Library Friday 21-Oct D3 Council Meeting F 2000 Melville Marriott Fri – Sun 16-18 Sept Fall Picnic Atlantique Friday 24 Sept General Meeting F 2000 Rusy Bohm

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