When I was 18, I encountered Jim Crow for the first time. When the train I was traveling on left Washington, DC, all the black people began to move to the rear. I asked the conductor what was going on and he explained, “South of Washington, we have Jim Crow.”
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Both Walter and Joan Hobbs are feeling a little better. Both are 93 years old. Their son Chris is in charge of a large company of tree surgeons. Their daughter Meredith is on the administrative staff at The Green Vale School. Walter is very active in American Legion affairs.
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Laurie Gayson works for her parents’ business, Jack Gayson Plumbing and Heating Company. Her brother John has joined the New York City Fire Department.
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Mary Ann Guarino sings in the choir of the First Presbyterian Church in Mineola. Even though she lives in Oceanside, she travels every week to Mineola to sing. Earlier in her life she worked in the Mineola Assessment Office for 20 years.
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Good to see Jeff Clark, our fire chief, Jim Rudolph, and our mayor, Scott Strauss, on News 12 Long Island at Christmas time.
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Cheers for WPIX Channel 11 for giving us a commercial-free yule log and music every Christmas day.
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Weigand Brothers Funeral Home of Williston Park has been in business for 70 years. They have two funeral directors, Christopher Joyce and John Ciolko. The owner is Mary Weigand.
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Able Locksmith opened in 1946 and they provide quick service. I was recently locked out of my own house. When I called them they said they would be there within 10 minutes, and they were.
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Jade King Restaurant in Roslyn Heights has been serving Chinese and Japanese food for 46 years. They have a huge parking lot and free delivery.
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Robbin Valentine of Valentine Agency is a member of the board of directors of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce. His grandfather was one of the founders of Roosevelt Raceway. His dad was Al Valentine, who served as a major in World War II. Valentine Agency has been located on Mineola Boulevard for 99 years.
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With all the controversy about the police these days, our local force continues to do a good job, led by Inspector Sean McCarthy, and officers like Jim Dougherty, Wes Parker, Charlie Sellin, Sean Coffee, and the rest.
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A lot of people think Roe v. Wade is a decision George Washington had to make when he reached the Delaware River before his Christmas Day attack on the Hessians.
Editor’s Note: Lou Sanders, who has his journalism degree from NYU, and his wife, Grace, a graduate of Adelphi University, founded the Mineola American in 1952, giving the village its first successful newspaper. Lou and Grace have lived in Mineola for 59 years and his popular column is a signature feature of the newspaper.
