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SO, WELCOME TO THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA.
AND WE'RE SO VERY GLAD YOU'RE JOINING US.
WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE JOINING US AND CELEBRATING THIS MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY.
WE'VE GOT A STRONG PROGRAM LINED UP.
WE GOT GREAT RAFFLE BASKETS, AND OUR SILENT AUCTION WILL RUN UNTIL WHAT TIME ANTHONY? 10:00 PM.
10:00 PM 'CAUSE I THOUGHT WE HAD TO BE OUTTA HERE, NOT 9 45.
WELL, THE SILENT AUCTION, WE'LL CONTACT, OKAY.
BUT I'M SURE YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR THAT.
YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR THE MATERIAL GOODS.
WHY ARE WE HERE? I'M GOING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR 2000, THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION'S MISSION WAS TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE ALUMNI AND FOSTER A LIFELONG CONNECTION WITH HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, OFFER OPPORTUNITIES, PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO DETERMINE FUTURE ALUMNI, AND TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS AND TO PROMOTE THE SPIRIT OF UNITY.
I WAS TAUGHT THAT PUBLIC SPEAK, WHICH I HAVE IN HASTINGS.
UM, THE HASTINGS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IS PROUD TO HELP COORDINATE AND PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR CLASS REUNIONS FOR, AND WE HOST BANQUETS.
WE HONOR OUTSTANDING ATHLETES AND ACCOMPLISHED ALUMNI, AND WE HAVE, WE RAISE ABOUT $30,000 EACH YEAR IN SCHOLARSHIPS.
YES, YOU CAN APPLAUD THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MAKES USE OF ANNUAL DUES AND DONATIONS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS AND TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AN ACTIVE NETWORK OF HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.
AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR 25 YEARS, AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE HERE.
YES, YOU CAN APPLAUD ON THAT ONE TOO.
NOW, BEFORE WE HEAR FROM OUR PRESIDENT, STAN MADEA, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE TO RAISE TO RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION, GOD INVIS, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NOW, AT THIS JUNCTURE, AT THIS JUNCTURE, THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FEELS IT'S TIME FOR A MOMENT OF REFLECTION.
NOW, WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH ON WHETHER WE CALL IT AN INVOCA, AN INVOCATION, OR A PRAYER.
AND WE CAN'T DECIDE BECAUSE WHATEVER WE CHOOSE, SOMEONE'S OFFENDED.
SO THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN TONIGHT BECAUSE THIS MOMENT IS ABOUT BEING THANKFUL.
AND BECAUSE TONIGHT, AS YOU LOOK AROUND, CAN YOU BELIEVE THE AMAZING NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS AND COINCIDENCES THAT GOT US ALL TO BE HERE RIGHT NOW IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
SO I WANT YOU TO JUST LOOK AROUND AND TAKE A BREATH AND THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SO HEALTHY THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO EVEN MAKE IT HERE
AND THEN WHEN YOU FEEL THE GRATITUDE, I WANT YOU TO LOOK TO GIVE THANKS.
AND I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU LOOK.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU LOOK AT TOWARD YOUR RELATIVES OR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU, OR IF YOU LOOK UP, I DON'T CARE.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT SHOULD DIVIDE US THIS MOMENT.
THIS MOMENT SHOULD GIVE US UNITY.
UM, SO LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO FEEL AT PEACE AND TO WISH THE SAME PEACE FOR EVERYONE AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.
THAT FORK DROP WAS LIKE RIGHT ON THE PUNCHLINE.
NOW I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE STAN MADEA, WHO WILL DELIVER THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS.
UM, YOU REALLY COVERED EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN MY REMARKS.
UM, WELL, GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING
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US TONIGHT.UM, THE, FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
UM, BEFORE I START, UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT TONIGHT, PLEASE RISE AND BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
YOU KNOW, WITHOUT, WITHOUT THEM, UH, WORKING ON ALL OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE DO, UH, WE WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, I, I'VE SERVED ON A COUPLE OF OTHER BOARDS AND, UH, THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH ON THIS BOARD ARE, ARE REALLY OUTSTANDING AND DO A SUPER JOB, UM, SHARING RESPONSIBILITIES AND MAKING THINGS HAPPEN FOR THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF IT, OF THEM AND THE WORK THEY DO.
UM, IT, IT'S A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT, UH, BUT, BUT WE ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOU.
WE'VE, WE'RE IN A GREAT LOCATION TONIGHT.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK, UM, MS. ILIA, UH, RECINA AND ANTHONY VISOR OF THE NEWINGTON UH, CROPS FOUNDATION FOR HELPING US JUSTICE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FURTHER, UH, ALL, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, DID, YOU KNOW, TOOK PART IN GETTING THIS TOGETHER TONIGHT.
UM, BUT WITHOUT THE WORK OF, UH, MY VICE PRESIDENT, ANTHONY CONSTANTINE AND NANCY GAGLIARDI, UM, THEY, THEY REALLY DID A WHOLE LOT TO ORGANIZE THIS AND THEN KEEP THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ON TRACK, WHICH WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CHORE, I THINK.
SO ALAN, UH, REALLY COVERED A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THE HISTORY, HOW WE STARTED OUT WITH, UH, A COUPLE OF, UH, OR A GROUP OF ALUMNI WHO WANTED TO, UM, HONOR THEIR COACH AND, UH, DO A SCHOLARSHIP IN HIS NAME, UH, RONALD W LINDERMAN.
AND IN 2000, WE HAD THE FIRST HALL OF FAME INDUCTION, UH, OF, UH, OF ALUMNI THAT WERE NOTABLE ATHLETES, UH, IN, IN THE HASTINGS SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, IN 2009, UH, WE BEGAN THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE, AND THAT WAS A, TO RECOGNIZE THE ALUMNI THAT HAVE GONE ON FROM HASTINGS AND WHO HAVE SUCCESSFUL CAREERS, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, A WIDE NUMBER OF, UH, DIFFERENT FIELDS.
UM, WHEN I, WHEN I LOOK AT THE PEOPLE IN OUR HALL OF EXCELLENCE, I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE MISSING IS AN ASTRONAUT.
WE'VE GOTTA WORK ON GETTING SOMEBODY UP IN SPACE.
UM, BUT IT IS JUST AMAZING, AMAZING, UM, ACHIEVEMENTS AND CAREERS.
UM, AND IN THE PROGRAM, YOU CAN SEE THE LIST OF NAMES, BUT IF YOU GO ONLINE, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE, HOH ALUMNI.ORG, AND GO INTO THE HALL SECTION, UH, WE HAVE THE, UH, PROGRAMS OF EVERY, UH, CEREMONY THAT WE'VE HAD.
UH, AND YOU CAN READ, UH, THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND WHAT THEY DID IN EITHER, UH, THE SCHOLASTICS OR IN, UM, IN, IN THEIR CAREER AFTER, AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, AND AS, UM, ALAN MENTIONED, UH, WE'VE GIVEN OUT OVER $450,000 IN, UM, SCHOLARSHIPS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING THINGS THAT I THINK THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, CAN ALL ATTEST TO IS THAT, UH, WE, WE LOOK AT, UH, THE APPLICATIONS FROM THE SENIORS AND, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE READ THROUGH THEM, UH, YOU, YOU SEE THAT YES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE QUITE A NUMBER OF, UH, CANDIDATES FOR THE HALL OF FAME WITH THEIR MARVELOUS ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS.
AND THEN WHEN YOU START TO READ WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IN THEIR FIELD OF STUDY IN COLLEGE, UH, YOU AGAIN SEE THAT, UH, IN YEARS TO COME, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MANY, MANY CANDIDATES THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE IN THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN TOO, UM, ARE THE STUDENTS OKAY? NOT EVERYONE IS IN THE HALL OF FAME.
NOT EVERYONE IS IN THE HALL OF EXCELLENCE, BUT THERE'S A VERY BIG COMMUNITY OF HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI WHO, UH, COME TO REUNIONS, UH, WHO COME TO OUR, UM, ALUMNI WEEKEND WHERE WE, UH, GATHER FRIDAY NIGHT, UM, AT THE, UH, HARMON CENTER.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST WATCHING, UH, WHAT
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GOES ON WITH THAT.UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO TO A HIGH SCHOOL CLASS REUNION, YOU'RE SEEING YOUR CLASSMATES, UM, EVERYBODY'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AGE.
WHEN YOU COME TO AN ALUMNI WEEKEND, YOU START TO SEE, WELL, OH, THERE'S SO AND SO WHO'S SEVEN YEARS OLDER THAN ME, BUT LIVED DOWN THE STREET.
UM, YOU, YOU SEE SOMEBODY THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UH, FRIENDLY WITH, UH, ONE OF THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS OR WITH, UH, THE HASTINGS RECREATION OR ANY OF THE OTHER ASSOCIATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, SUCH A PART OF HASTINGS.
AND, UH, JUST, JUST THE INTERACTION THAT YOU SEE AMONG PEOPLE.
AND YOU ALSO SEE, UM, NEW CONNECTIONS MADE.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY TALKS TO SOMEBODY AND, OH, YEAH, I REMEMBER YOU, AND, OR, I REMEMBER YOUR PARENTS OR WHATEVER.
AND, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TOO.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF OUR SMALL VILLAGE, WE'VE ALL KNOWN PEOPLE, UM, WITHIN THE VILLAGE.
AND IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO AGAIN, SEE THEM IN, IN THIS KIND OF A, A, YOU KNOW, RELAXED SETTING.
UM, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT I GUESS ARE, ARE MY COMMENTS.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, WE, WE DO A, WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH, UH, SOME REMARKABLE PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, 25 YEARS, UH, OF, OF GREAT THINGS.
UH, THE NEXT 25, WHERE ARE WE GONNA BE? THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UH, WE ARE WELL FUNDED WITH SCHOLARSHIP MONEY COMING IN.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO, UH, ENGAGE SOME OF THE YOUNGER CLASSES.
AND THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR US.
WE'VE GOT REALLY GOOD REPRESENTATION UP TO, YOU KNOW, THE 1990S.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY'RE GET INTO THE TWO THOUSANDS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STARTING FAMILIES, UH, THEY MOVE AWAY.
AND THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE BOARD WILL BE TO, TO HELP REACH OUT AND BRING THESE PEOPLE INTO THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, BE ACTIVE, UH, WORK WITH US ON, ON THE SCHOLARSHIPS AND, AND THE HALLS THAT WE HAVE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, 25 YEARS FROM NOW, UM, I MAY STILL BE HERE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY, UH, SO I'LL, I'LL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT 50 YEAR, WHO KNOWS? UH, BUT I, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR COMING TONIGHT.
AND, UH, JUST ONE LITTLE PLUG.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA FIT THIS INTO THE PROGRAM, BUT I KNOW I HAVE TO DO THIS.
IF YOU'RE IN TOWN THIS WEEKEND, UM, TOMORROW AT, UH, THE HASTINGS, UH, HISTORICAL SOCIETY, IT'S THEIR OPENING RECEPTION.
AND, UH, AMY, IT'S, IT'S WHAT HOURS? TWO TO FOUR.
TWO TO FOUR AT, AT, UH, THE HASTINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
YOU KNOW, ANOTHER INSTITUTION LIKE THIS WHERE YOU GO AND YOU, YOU WALK AROUND AND YOU SEE, AND YOU, YOU'RE AMAZED.
LIKE, THIS WAS HERE ALL THIS TIME.
UH, ALSO, STAN, YOU SOUND LIKE YOU WERE, YOU WERE GOING TO STOP BEING THE PRESIDENT.
DON'T, DON'T STAY, STAY WITH US.
UM, AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED, UH, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HONORED EVERYONE EXCEPT AN ASTRONAUT, BUT IT'LL BE SOON BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF SPACE CADETS IN HASTING
UM, SO I'M SURE ONE OF THEM WILL POP UP.
UH, ALSO, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT TREE GROWS, THOSE KIND OF PEARS.
'CAUSE THAT'S AMAZING HOW THEY DID.
THAT WASN'T, THAT WASN'T THE PEARS.
NOW WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE WITH US TONIGHT BERNIE O'BRIEN'S DAUGHTER, KATHY O'BRIEN.
TEAGUE, IS THAT HOW YOU SAY IT? AND, UH, HIS SON, PAT AND PAT'S WIFE, NANCY, AND KATHY'S GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT HER DAD AND HIS DEEP CONNECTION TO HASTINGS.
I AM BERNIE O'BRIEN'S, OLDEST DAUGHTER, MY BROTHER PAT, SISTER-IN-LAW, NANCY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE HASTINGS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR INVITING US TO THIS CELEBRATION TO PAY TRIBUTE TO OUR DAD.
ALTHOUGH RAFFLE CENTER BECAME HIS HOME IN 1960, HIS BIRTHPLACE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON ALWAYS HELD A SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS HEART.
HERE IS WHY DAD'S MOTHER WAS A 1918 GRADUATE OF HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL AND A NURSE AT ST.
HIS FATHER WAS A BUTCHER WHO GREW UP IN YONKERS.
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MARRIED AND LIVED AT 1 32 FAIRMONT AVENUE IN HASTINGS.UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIED ONE MONTH APART IN APRIL AND MAY OF 1941, LEAVING THEIR FIVE CHILDREN AGES 12, 10, 8, 5, AND THREE.
ORPHANED DAD WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF THE HASTINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT FIRE DEPARTMENT, NEIGHBORS AND TEACHERS.
AND BECAUSE THEY HAD AN AUNT AND UNCLE WHO LIVED IN HASTINGS, THE O'BRIEN CHILDREN WERE ALLOWED TO LIVE IN THEIR CHILDHOOD HOME BY THEMSELVES, FARFETCHED IN THIS DAY AND AGE.
IN A 2008 INTERVIEW WITH THE HASTINGS RESIDENT, SPIKE BARTON.
DAD RECALLED THE LOVE AND AFFECTION THE CHILDREN GREW UP WITH 24 HOUR POLICE PROTECTION AND THANKSGIVING DINNERS PROVIDED BY THE HASTINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT, CHRISTMAS PARTIES WITH THE HASTINGS FIRE DEPARTMENT, MEALS FROM THE COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORS WHO BABYSAT THE YOUNGEST ONE, AND HONEY AND FABULOUS TEACHERS WHO HELPED THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
THE CHILDREN GREW UP SPLITTING THE CHORES OF LAUNDRY, COOKING, CLEANING, AS IF IT WERE NORMAL LIFE.
THERE WAS ONE TEACHER IN PARTICULAR WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING DAD ON THE RIGHT PATH AND SERVED AS A MENTOR TO HIM.
THAT PERSON WAS COACH RONALD LINDEMAN.
COACH LINDEMAN USED DAD'S LOVE OF SPORTS TO HOLD HIS INTEREST IN SCHOOL.
THIS GUIDANCE LED DAD TO ATTEND BROCKPORT STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE FROM 1950 TO 1954, GRADUATING WITH A BS DEGREE IN HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND RECREATION.
HE BEGAN HIS CAREER IN 1956, TEACHING PHYS ED AND COACHING JV, FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL AT VALLEY STREAM, SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR, SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL I BECOMING THE DIRECTOR AT OF ATHLETICS IN 1959.
IN 1990, HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NASSAU COUNTY ATHLETICS UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN DECEMBER OF 1992.
DAD MARRIED THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE, MARYLAND IN 1960 AND RAISED SEVEN CHILDREN IN ROCKVILLE CENTER, JIM, BOB, KATHY, PAT, TERRY, SEAN, AND KEVIN.
HE WAS THE ADORING GRANDFATHER TO 24 GRANDCHILDREN.
DAD'S PROFOUND FAITH AND THAT OF OUR FAMILY IS WHAT GAVE US THE STRENGTH TO CARRY ON IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACK ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
WHEN WE LOST OUR OLDEST BROTHER, TIM, AND MY HUSBAND STEVE, NOT ONLY WAS HE THE ROCK FOR US, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE ROCK CENTER COMMUNITY WHO LOST 39 OTHERS.
I WILL NEVER FORGET HIM SPEAKING AT EVERY MASS ON THE SUNDAY FOLLOWING, THANKING THE COMMUNITY FOR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT BESTOWED UPON OUR FAMILY.
DAD ALWAYS WANTED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND ESPECIALLY HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
WITH THE BACKING FROM A SMALL GROUP OF FRIENDS, DAD RESTORED THE LONG ABANDONED ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, REMAKING IT INTO A 5 0 1 C3 TAX EXEMPT CORPORATION UNDER NEW YORK STATE LAW.
THE TRANSFORMED ORGANIZATION WAS GIVEN THE NAME HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCI ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED.
THIS GAVE ALL HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE GRADUATES ACCESS TO A BROAD NEW NETWORKING CONNECTION ON OCTOBER 21ST, 2000.
AFTER MANY MONTHS OF TIME AND EFFORT, DAD PRESIDED OVER THE FIRST CLASS OF 16 FORMER HASTING HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ATHLETES INTO THE RONALD WILSON LINDEMAN ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME.
IN 2001, DAD SOUGHT A WAY TO PAY IT FORWARD AND MADE IT HABIT HAPPEN BY ESTABLISHING AN ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE H-H-S-A-A.
THE SCHOLARSHIP HAS GROWN THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE DEVOTED HASTINGS ALUMNI AND HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $400,000 TO HASTING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE GRADUATING SENIORS DAD PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 10TH, 2020.
HE'S SORELY MISSED BY ALL WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF KNOWING THIS DEVOTED, LOVING, FAITH-FILLED AND DEEPLY RELIGIOUS MAN.
HE LIVED HIS LIFE AND TAUGHT HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN TO NEVER GET TO, TO NEVER FORGET TO FILL THEIR LIFE WITH FAITH, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS IN THAT ORDER.
HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IS DAD'S LEGACY.
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN, CARRY ON HIS VISION, STRIVE TO RETAIN THE CONNECTION OF DECADES OF HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI, PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND PRESERVE THE UNITY SPIRIT AND PRIDE OF THE YELLOW JACKET HERITAGE.
LASTLY, IN THE WORDS OF DAN FOG FOGELBERG, WE ARE ALL A LIVING LEGACY TO THE LEADER OF THE BAND.
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I HEAR THAT STORY, I CRY, I CRY A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU GOTTA IMAGINE THE KIDS RAISED THEMSELVES AND IT TOOK A VILLAGE AND IT WAS OUR VILLAGE THAT DID THAT.ANYWAY, UM, WE ARE NOW GOING TO BRING UP, UH, A SPEAKER.
UH, HIS NAME IS RICHARD TOM, CLASS OF 1954.
HE'S HERE TO SHARE HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT HIS HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.
AND I SEEM TO BE INTRODUCING RICHARD A LOT LATELY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? WELL, BECAUSE I'M DEAF.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR MYSELF ANYWAY.
OKAY? BUT, UM, I, EVERYBODY STOLE MY THUNDER.
OKAY? UH, THEY TALKED ABOUT BERNIE, THEY DID THIS.
SO I, RIGHT NOW I'M MED LIVING AND I'M, I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS I'M LUCKY TO BE HERE.
AND IT ALL STARTED, UH, ATTENDING GRAHAM SCHOOL, WHICH IS, UH, ORPHANAGE FOR SINGLE PARENT PARENTS.
AND, UH, UH, PEOPLE FROM ORPHANAGES.
UH, DEPUTY LONG DID AN ORPHAN.
AND THEN, UM, AFTER THE SIXTH GRADE, THEY SENT US TO EITHER HASTINGS OR YONKERS.
SO I WAS VERY LUCKY TO GO TO HASTINGS.
SO I WAS HERE SINCE THE SEVENTH GRADE.
SO LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT BERNIE.
IT STARTED WHEN HAD TO GO TO OUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.
NOWADAYS THE KIDS SAY GUIDANCE SUCKS.
OKAY? BUT I WENT TO SEE OUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.
AND COMING OUT, COMING OUT WAS A FELLOW WHO WENT TO GRAHAM SCHOOL WITH ME WHO LIVED IN THE NEXT COTTAGE.
AND BOB SAYS TO ME, HEY, RICH, LOOK AT THIS.
ONLY HAVE TO TAKE THREE COURSES NEXT YEAR.
WHAT YOU GONNA BE SAID? I'M GONNA BE A A PHYS ED TEACHER.
I GO INTO GUIDANCE IF YOU PE IF YOU PEOPLE REMEMBER MS. DAVEY, MS. DAVEY, I SAID, HE SAYS, WE WE'RE GONNA DO YOUR PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
SHE SAID, HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO? I WANT TO BE A PHY ED TEACHER.
SO I HAD TO TAKE ENGLISH SOCIAL STUDIES, AND I THINK I HAD TO TAKE ONE MORE SCIENCE COURSE, BUT THAT WAS A, THAT WAS EASY.
AND THEN, UM, SO THEN IT, THEN I GRADUATED.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I GRADUATED
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN I HAD TO MAKE, UH, A DECISION WHERE I'M GOING TO GO TO SCHOOL.
SO, UH, SOMEONE FILLED OUT MY APPLICATION.
I DIDN'T WANT TO EVEN GO TO COLLEGE.
UH, AND, UH, I THINK IT WAS MS. DAVY, UH, MS. DAVY FILLED OUT THE APPLICATION TO BROCKPORT.
AND IN THOSE DAYS, YOU HAD TO TAKE A TEST TO GO TO BROCKPORT.
AND THEN NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE A TEST, WELL, MAYBE IT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF ME, I HAD TO GO FOR AN INTERVIEW INTO NEW YORK CITY.
OKAY? SO WHEN I WENT INTO NEW YORK CITY, AFTER I TOOK THE TEST, UH, THIS GENTLEMAN FROM, UH, FROM BROCKPORT, HIS NAME IS DR.
GAYLORD, AND HE SAID, UH, MR. TOM, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BROCKPORT? SO I HAD TO THINK OF SOMETHING.
SO I SAID, WELL, UH, BERNIE O'BRIEN,
HE DIDN'T ASK ME ONE PERSONAL QUESTION,
AND, UH, AND I, WHILE WE WERE THERE, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, BECAUSE OF BERNIE.
NOW BERNIE GOT THE BROCKPORT BECAUSE OF COACH LINDEMAN.
COACH LINDEMAN KNEW THE HEAD OF THE PHYS ED DEPARTMENT.
SO LINEMAN HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH BERNIE GOING TO BROCKPORT.
NOW BERNIE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ME GOING TO BROCKPORT.
AND AFTER ME, BARBARA, GERALD GOES TO BROCKPORT AFTER HIM.
JACK KANE GOES TO BROCKPORT AFTER HIM WAS BOB MAHAN GOES TO BROCKPORT.
I HOPE YOU KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE, OTHERWISE I'M TALKING TO MYSELF,
AND THERE'S A GUY NAMED BOB DEMMLER.
AND FINALLY ONE GIRL BY THE NAME OF NANCY CALVERA.
SO THERE WAS AROUND 68 PEOPLE, HASTINGS ON THE HUDSON GOING TO BROCKPORT.
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OKAY, SO WHAT HAPPENS, UH, I WIND UP GOING TO BROCKPORT.BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THERE WAS A FAMILY HERE, UH, BY THE NAME OF MARSH.
SOME OF YOU PEOPLE MIGHT REMEMBER IF HE WAS A MUSIC TEACHER IN HOT, IN CHARGE OF THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS WAS IN THE LATE FIFTIES AND LATE FIFTIES, EARLY SIXTIES.
ANYWAY, HE WAS OFFERED THE JOB TO GO TO FREDONIA AND BE THE DEAN OF STUDENTS, EXCUSE ME, UH, THE DEAN OF MUSIC AND THE CHAIR OF MUSIC.
YOU WENT TO, UH, FREDONIA OR YOU WENT TO POT, STANFORD MUSIC.
AND IN THOSE DAYS YOU WENT TO BROCKPORT CALLING FOR PHYS ED.
AND IF YOU WENT ART, YOU WENT TO NEW PALTZ OR BUFFALO.
AND THEN, UM, SO, UH, I WAS, UM, I WAS ASKED TO LIVE WITH MR. MARSH.
I'M ONE OF FIVE PEOPLE THAT WERE QUOTE UNQUOTE ADOPTED.
SO HE GOES TO, HE GOES UP TO FREDONIA, I DON'T WANNA WORK.
I GO OUT TO INDIANA, GET MY MASTER'S.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I WENT AND GOT MY MASTERS'.
I GET MY MASTER'S IN COUNSELING.
AND THEN AFTER IT HAD ENDED, UM, I CAME BACK TO FREDONIA.
AFTER HAVING GONE TO BROCKPORT, BROCKPORT, I KNEW WHAT THE WEATHER WAS LIKE IN FREDONIA.
SO I SAID, BOSS, MR. MARSH, BOSS, I CAN'T, I CAN'T LIVE UP HERE IN FREDONIA.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY DON'T HAVE CHINESE FOOD.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? ALRIGHT, SO THEN, UH, SO I WOUND UP IN THE, ON LONG ISLAND.
AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UH, I WENT TO, UH, SOMETHING IN NASSAU COUNTY.
AND YOU MIGHT ALLUDE TO IT, UH, BERNIE BECAME THE, UH, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, COMMISSIONER OF ATHLETICS IN THE WHOLE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, OF NASSAU COUNTY.
THAT MEANS VARSITY, JV, GIRLS, BOYS, ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING TO DO WITH SPORTS.
AND THEN, UH, I WENT TO AN, UH, AN EVENT AND I'M DANCING WITH THIS PRETTY BLONDE, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I GET SHOVED ON THE DANCE FLOOR.
YOU JUST TAP THE GUY ON THE SHOULDER AND YOU CUT IN.
NOAH, THE SUCKER PUSHES ME EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE FLOOR.
SO I TURN AROUND AND BERNIE O'BRIEN, OKAY,
SO THAT'S HOW WE CONNECTED AGAIN.
AND THEN, UM, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, HE AND, UH, PAUL PERIN, HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW, UM, BOB, BOB GURSKY AND SUE O'BRIEN MM-HMM
THAT'S A LIKELY NAME, SUE O'BRIEN.
AND, UH, A, A FELLOW WHO WENT TO ANOTHER BOARDING SCHOOL, ANOTHER, UH, PLACE UP IN ST.
CHRISTOPHER'S INB IN DOBBS FERRY.
IN FACT, THAT I KNOW IF YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, OF, UH, UH, ORPHANAGES SUCH THAT WE HAD A BASKETBALL LEAGUE, WE PLAYED CHILDREN'S VILLAGE, WE PLAYED DO, UH, ST.
CHRISTOPHER'S, WE PLAYED ANDRES, WE PLAYED LINCOLN, AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
AND OF COURSE, DO I RUN INTO THE NAME MKA? YOU? HE WAS, HE WAS, HE WAS ONE OF THE, UH, THE EMPIRES OR THE REFS.
ANYWAY, UH, SO WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT, UH, I, I RAN INTO BERNIE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY HE ASKED ME TO COME UP AND HELP HIM WITH THE ASSOCIATION.
SO I SAID, WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT? SO WHEN I GOT THERE, UH, BECAUSE I WAS A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT PERMANENT RECORDS.
OKAY? AND, UH, I KNOW THE WHOLE SCAM.
OKAY? ANYWAY, SO THEN, UH, THAT'S HOW IT ALL STARTED.
I STARTED TO WORK FOR THE ASSOCIATION.
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, I'M DOING THIS AND I'M DOING THAT.
I WAS ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE, I WAS ON THE HELPING MYRNA GHOULISH WITH THE, UH, UH, HALL OF EXCELLENCE AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
AM I NOT BETTER? YOU NEED HELP? NO, NOT FINISHED.
THE LAST TIME I WAS ASKED TO SPEAK, THEY ONLY GAVE ME THREE MINUTES.
MEANWHILE, EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY ELSE TOOK, AND THIS TIME TOO
SO DID I DO MY FIVE MINUTES SHOT? YEAH.
THE REASON WE DON'T WANT TO BE RUDE, BUT THEY'RE GONNA CLEAR ALL THE PLATES AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT WHILE YOU WERE SPEAKING.
DOES HE BUY IT? I HOPE HE BUY IT.
[00:30:01]
ALRIGHT.ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE NOW GETTING READY FOR DINNER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER CLASS, OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ARE ALL ALUMNI.
WE'RE OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ARE ALL ALUMNI IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY'VE ALL COME BACK TO GIVE TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M GOING TO BE INTRODUCING OUR MAYOR SCHOOL SPIRIT CLASS OF 19 85, 85, AND UH, TONY GAG NOW A CLASS OF 7 4 74.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S START WITH, UH, MAYOR ECONOMIC, TAKE BACK MASON.
UH, TWO SIDE NOTES TO WHAT HAD TO SAY TONIGHT.
UH, MRS. CANAL TAUGHT THE CLASS OF 1994, MUCH BETTER AT, UM, ALSO WITH ME FROM THE CLASS OF 1990 IS A A BERNIE O'BRIEN STORY.
UH, HE CALLED MY CLASSMATE CHRIS DE MEO IN THE YEAR 2000, RIGHT? OR WHICH, YES.
UH, BECAUSE THE LINDEMAN PLAQUE NEEDED TO BE MADE.
AND CHRIS VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME AS A CARPENTER, UH, NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTER, ALSO AS A CARPENTER.
AND HE MADE THAT PLAQUE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS NOW DISPLAYED IN THE LOBBY OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO I WANTED TO JUST SAY THANK YOU IVAN.
CHRIS ALSO, UH, AFTER ALI MARETTE WAS A PART OF THE SUPER BOWL TEAM, UH, MADE, OFFERED CALLED NANCY GAGLIARDI AND SAID THIS HAS TO HAPPEN.
AND, UH, ALSO MADE THE ALI MARETTE, UH, STUFF ALL IN THE LOBBY OF THE COCHRANE GYM, WHERE HIS HELMETS ARE DISPLAYED, THE LOMBARDI TROPHIES DISPLAYED.
THERE'S JERSEYS ARE DISPLAYED THERE FROM HASTINGS HOBART, AND THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS.
SO CHRIS, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME.
I'VE BEEN INTERVIEWING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ALL DAY FOR CONGRESSMAN LATIMER.
THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE IN OUR SCHOOLS IN THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ALL WANT TO GO TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY, WEST POINT, MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY OR AIR FORCE.
AND I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT COMMITTEE AND I'VE BEEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT COMMITTEE FOR FIVE YEARS AS A VETERAN, AS A NAVY VETERAN.
SO MY VOICE IS GOING AND I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THIS IS A REALLY HEIST, UH, EXCITING TIME FOR HASTINGS AND FOR THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
THREE OF US THAT WERE JUST ELECTED, UH, TO REELECT OR ACTUALLY ELECTED AND, UH, ONE NEWLY ELECTED ARE ALL HASTINGS ALUMNI.
WE HAD THREE PEOPLE ON THE TICKET AND ALL WERE ALUMNI THIS YEAR.
AND NONE OF US ARE GONNA VOLUNTEER TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
UH, KRISTA BENEDETTO WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THOUGH YOUR BOARD.
UH, MYSELF, 1990 MALIKA SUNBURG ON THE, ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES NOW CLASS OF 1994.
GUTTMAN GATES AND THEN DOUGLAS ALLGOOD, UH, THE CLASS OF 1981 HAS BEEN REELECTED.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE SCHOOLS AND WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO HAVE CONTROL OVER OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, BUT WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO WITH THE PRIMARY THAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH IN JUNE, WE REALIZED THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN WANTING A CONNECTION TO THE VILLAGE.
AND THERE ARE SOME RELATIONSHIPS THAT I PROMISED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS THAT I MET WITH ALL THROUGHOUT THE LAST YEAR THAT WE, I THINK WE CAN BUILD AND WE CAN HELP OUT THE DISTRICT.
OF COURSE, WE'RE NEVER STEPPING INTO THE DISTRICT AND WE NEVER WANNA STEP ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S TOES 'CAUSE I THINK HE'S EXCELLENT AND I DON'T WANNA PUSH THAT GUY OUT 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD TOO MANY IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, RIGHT, NANCE? AND SO, BUT WE DID PLEDGE TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER THAT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH COMMUNICATIONS THROUGHOUT THE VILLAGE OR JUST SOME WAY TO PROMOTE SCHOOL EVENTS THAT JUST HAVEN'T
[00:35:01]
BEEN GETTING PROMOTED.AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, BECAUSE YOU SAW THE ENTIRE WA OR SURROGATE WING OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GET DESTROYED LAST YEAR.
AND THERE WAS NOT ONE VILLAGE, UH, MESSAGE THAT WENT OUT TO THE ENTIRE VILLAGE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A VILLAGE WIDE THING.
LIKE EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE NEEDED TO BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK GOING FORWARD, I THINK WE'LL PARTICIPATE.
YEAH, WE'LL PARTICIPATE IN, IN ASSISTING GETTING THE WORD OUT FOR THE SCHOOL AND FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING IN OUR VILLAGE.
OWL STUDIOS, UH, HAS BOUGHT THE GRAHAM SCHOOL PROPERTY AND IS IN THE MIDDLE OF CONVERT, OR THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLANNING PROCESS TO CONVERT THE GRAHAM SCHOOL PROPERTY INTO MOVIE STUDIOS, MOVIE PRODUCTION STUDIOS, WHICH IS VERY GOOD FOR BUSINESS AND TAXES, OBVIOUSLY HERE IN THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, THIS IS AN OPTIMISTIC ONE, BUT THE FINAL THIRD OF THE WATERFRONT IS GETTING CLOSE TO BEGIN REMEDIATION.
UH, THERE'S A PLAN IN PLACE, UH, HOW LONG THAT'S GONNA TAKE.
UH, RICHARD, TOM, LIKE, CAN YOU GUESS RICHARD FOR ME? HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO CLEAN UP THAT WATERFRONT AND BUILD SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW.
UM, MY FOCUS AS MAYOR IN THE VILLAGE, 'CAUSE I'M FROM HERE, IS THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF HASTINGS AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS VILLAGE.
I WANNA FOCUS BACK ON THIS VILLAGE.
UH, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT DID COME UP.
I ALSO DON'T WANNA LOSE THE NAME ON HUDSON, WE IDENTIFY WITH THE HUDSON RIVER AND THE PALISADES AND, AND, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT VIEW OF THE PALISADES AND THE HUDSON RIVER, ESPECIALLY FROM THE AQUEDUCT.
UH, THAT'S A PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY FOR DOUGLAS ALLGOOD AND I BOTH.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS ENCOURAGING VOLUNTEERISM.
I WAS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR 30 YEARS, BUT WE HAVE MORE THAN JUST THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN HASTINGS.
WE HAVE BOARDS, WE HAVE COMMITTEES, WE HAVE POLICE COMMISSIONERS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WORK WITH THE POLICE COMMISSIONER IN HASTINGS.
THREE, RIGHT? THREE POLICE COMMISSIONERS.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND, AND ALL FOUR FIRE CHIEFS CURRENTLY ARE ALL HASTINGS ALUMNI.
YOU HAVE MICHAEL GUNTHER, 1982, JOHN LINDER, 1980, UH, FRANK DEA, 1986 AND NICK CALLIS, 1986.
THIS IS THE STRENGTH OF THIS VILLAGE.
WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST IN THIS COUNTY.
UH, WE HAVE AN EMS CRISIS IN THE NATION, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE VOLUNTEER WORLD.
WE HAVE A VERY STRONG EMS SYSTEM IN HASTINGS.
THAT'S THROUGH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE, UH, FIREHOUSES IN THE V THIS VILLAGE, MY FIRE, MY OLD FIREHOUSE 'CAUSE I'M NO LONGER AN ACTIVE MEMBER.
'CAUSE OF THIS POSITION, UM, HAS MORE MEMBERS IN IT THAN SOME FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THIS ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO IT'S REALLY A TESTAMENT TO THE VOLUNTEERS IN THIS, THIS VILLAGE, UH, THAT ARE KEEPING US RUNNING.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE STAFF MEMBERS IN THIS VILLAGE WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT.
NICOLE'S NOT HERE, RIGHT? UH, ANTHONY CONSTANTINE, CLASS OF 2011, WHO'S ON THE BOARD THERE HE IS OUR MEDIA MOGUL.
IAN 1983, POLICE CHIEF DAVE DOON, CLASS OF 1985.
HIS, UH, SECOND IN CHARGE, 2005 TO 2000.
AND THEN THE VOLUNTEERS LIKE TONY GAGLIARDI AND CHRIS BEO AND OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS VILLAGE THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND IT'S NOT GLAMOROUS AND I KNOW IT'S DEFINITELY NOT GLAMOROUS, BUT MALIKA TOOK THE STEP.
NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE TWO TRUSTEE OPENINGS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO VOLUNTEER IN THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS.
YOU COULD RUN FOR TRUSTEE AND IT'S A LOT OF FUN.
EVERYBODY LOVES US, RIGHT? BRIAN? BRIAN NOW, EVERYBODY LOVES US.
WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS IN THIS VILLAGE.
SO I THINK, UH, WHEN SO MANY THINGS IN THIS WORLD ARE GOING NEGATIVE, I'M STAYING OPTIMISTIC.
I'M STAYING OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR FUTURE HERE IN HASTINGS.
I'M STAYING OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MY ALMA MATER AND IN THIS VILLAGE.
YOU KNOW, BEFORE I START TRUE STORY, WHETHER YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP, I ALWAYS TEST THE PODIUM WHEREVER I GO TO SPEAK BECAUSE MANY YEARS AGO WE WERE AT MY GRANDMOTHER'S FUNERAL AND MY
[00:40:01]
UNCLE GOT UP TO SPEAK AND HE FELL THROUGH THE PODIUMSO I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT REPEAT, BUT, AND I NEVER TRUST RAF
WITH THAT BEING SAID, GOOD EVENING.
I AM THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE, UH, VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS A VERY PROUD MEMBER OF THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1985.
IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO STAND HERE BEFORE YOU AND SPEAK ON THIS SPECIAL OCCASION.
HASTINGS ON HUDSON HAS ALWAYS HELD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART.
I ATTENDED EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN A DISTRICT FROM HILLSIDE SCHOOL TO FARGATE MIDDLE SCHOOL, TO HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
MY FAMILY HAS FOLLOWED IN MY FOOTSTEPS AND IT'S JUST BEEN A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS LIFE HERE IN HASTINGS.
DURING THOSE YEARS, I HAVE MADE COUNTLESS MEMORIES THAT I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH AND CARRY THROUGH WITH ME THROUGH THE REST OF MY LIFE.
IN JUNE, 1990, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING HIRED AS A POLICE OFFICER WITH THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TORI RISE THROUGH THE RANKS FROM OFFICER TO SERGEANT TO LIEUTENANT, TO NOW CHIEF OF POLICE.
AND I'VE JUST COMPLETED MY 35TH YEAR OF SERVICE.
THROUGHOUT MY TIME IN THE DEPARTMENT, I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE MANY FELLOW HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI.
TODAY OUR DEPARTMENT CONSISTS OF 21 MEMBERS, 11 OF WHOM ARE GRADUATES FROM HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
THE GRADUATION YEARS RANGE FROM 1985 TO 2018.
IT IS THEIR DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF OUR VILLAGE AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT THAT ARE INVALUABLE ASSETS THAT HELP STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY POLICING.
I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE HASTINGS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ON YOUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY.
AND MAY THIS MILESTONE BE JUST ONE OF MANY MORE TO COME.
NOW I'D LIKE TO WELCOME TONY GAGLIARDI FELLOW CLASSMATE TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
UH, I'M A LITTLE UNACCUSTOMED TO SPEAKING IN FRONT OF A BIG CROWD, BUT I AM SPEAKING FOR MICHAEL GUNTHER, BUT TOMMY ALREADY DID.
EVERYTHING THAT TOMMY SAID WAS IN MICHAEL'S SPEECH RIGHT HERE, EXCEPT THAT MICHAEL MENTIONED HIS FATHER, BILLY, WHICH THERE'S A CONNECTION BETWEEN BILLY AND UM, BERNIE O'BRIEN THAT GRADUATED THE SAME YEAR, 1950.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA MENTION SOME CONNECTIONS THAT MY UNCLE, UH, LARRY OR LUDAY, NOBODY, UH, UNLESS YOU'RE, UM, FROM HASTING 50, 60 YEARS AGO, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW HIM.
BUT HE WAS SOME CHARACTER HE GRADUATED WITH, UH, HONEY O'BRIEN.
THERE'S OTHER CONNECTIONS THAT WE MAKE.
AND MY MOTHER, SHE GRADUATED IN 1954 WITH, UH, MICHAEL TO, UH, MR. TOM.
SO, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF CONNECTIONS THERE.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR BRINGING PAST GRADUATES TOGETHER, SUPPORTING OUR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WITH GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIPS AND RECOGNIZING ACHIEVEMENTS ALONG THE WAY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON 25 YEARS AND MAY YOU HANG AROUND FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.
SOMETHING DIDN'T MAKE THE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM, BUT, UH, ANDY AND NANCY COLE GAVE, THEY ESTABLISHED A SCHOLARSHIP IN HONOR OF, UH, JAMES PRESLEY, WHO IS A, WAS A SCIENCE CHEMISTRY TEACHER.
AND UM, AND SO ANDY WAS SO CUTE BEFORE SAYING, OH, DON'T MAKE A FUSS.
WELL, WE WERE GONNA MAKE A FUSS AND WE APPRECIATE, I TALKED ABOUT GRATITUDE EARLIER.
BUT ACTUALLY IT'S MR. PRESLEY.
ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE READY FOR DESSERT.
UH, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS ON, UH, RAFFLES? UM, LAST CALL FOR MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL CALL DURING
[00:45:01]
TICKET TO PUT IN YOUR BED.SO IF YOU WANNA BUY SOME MORE, I'LL COME BACK AROUND AND THEN, UH, WHILE WE'RE BUY TICKETS, BYE BYE BYE.
UH, SO THANK YOU DESSERT TIME.
OKAY, THE FIRST THING IS YOU LOVE HASTINGS AND THE NUMBER IS 6 8 0 5 7.
FIVE TWO ARE THE LAST THREE IS THE ITALIAN FOOD BASKET 0 3 2 0 3 2 OH.
YOU GOTTA SAY WHAT? IT'S THE NEXT BASKET IS BON VOYAGE.
NANCY, WHAT ABOUT YOUR NUMBERS? OH, YOU STILL NEED TO HOLD IT.
RITA, LET'S PAY BETTER ATTENTION FOLKS.
[00:50:01]
7 2 1 7 2 1.AH, OKAY, THESE ARE THE STAR K WHITE SPECIALTY CHOCOLATES.
THE CASE, THERE'S 28 BOXES INDIVIDUALLY OF CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMONDS THAT ARE SPECIALLY MADE BY BEN KATZENSTEIN COMPANY.
SO WE'RE CALLING TWO, TWO WINNERS FOR THIS.
WHY DID WE DO 28 CASE? 28 INDIVIDUALS.
AND THE SECOND, THE SECOND WINNER IS 6 4 5.
AH, THIS IS SCRATCH OFF LOTTERY TICKETS.
A HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF THEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF TICKETS IN HERE.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE A HASTINGS RESIDENT FOR THE POOL MEMBERSHIP.
SO ARE YOU GONNA ASK THEM WHEN THEY WIN? IF THEY ARE 0 8 0, IS SHE A RESIDENT? YES.
WHAT? THAT'S THE, THE BLANKET.
DOGGY DREAMS. NOW THE CHIEF BEFORE HE LEFT SAID HE WANTS THAT.
MY HUSBAND 1 8 7 1 8 7 FOR THE DOGGY DREAMS. AH, MASSAGE THERAPY AND A BOTTLE OF WINE.
BUT ISN'T THE TICKET OR THE YELLOW? AHA.
OH YEAH, IT'S A YELLOW TICKET.
THE MICKEY MOUSE BAKING BASKET.
[00:55:04]
AND OUR LAST ONE IS THE JAMES HARMON COMMUNITY CENTER ROOM RENTAL.ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, THAT'S IT FOR THE BASKET.
BUT WE'RE ALL WINNERS HERE, RIGHT? WE'RE WE'RE ALL WINNERS.
ALRIGHT, SO I WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T WON, YOU'VE STILL WON ON THE WAY OUT, EVERYONE GETS A MUG WITH A HASTINGS ALUMNI COOKIE IN IT.
AND REMEMBER THAT THE SILENT AUCTION IS GOING UNTIL 10:00 AM TOMORROW.
SO GET IN YOUR CARS IN BID AND THEN DRIVE.
AND UH, WE WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT.
BREATHE, LOOK AROUND AND THANK THE CROP CITY.
SO THIS CONCLUDES OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA PROGRAM.
WE THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING, FOR SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS, AND FOR HELPING US CONTINUE OUR MISSION.
WINTER'S OUR SLOW SEASON, UH, AND WE NEED TO REST AFTER THIS BUSY FALL.
BUT WE'LL SEE YOU ALL IN MAY AT THE MEMORIAL DAY PARADE AND THEN AT THE ALUMNI WEEKEND, 2026 IN SEPTEMBER.