Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss, Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira and trustee Dennis Walsh recently gathered with Avelino DeSousa, owner of 212 Jericho Tpke., to recognize DeSousa for donating the “Mineola Mustang” statue that stands in front of his building to the Mineola School District. Joining with the village board, DeSousa and his son, Tony, to help mark the occasion were Mineola School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler and Justin Burke of Winthrop-University Hospital.
DeSousa placed the mustang statue at the entrance to his office building as part of the building’s construction in order to honor the Mineola community and recognize its rich history and tradition.
The mustang statue will be donated to the school district, where it is expected to be relocated to Mineola High School.
“When Mr. Sousa told me he was interested in donating this beautiful mustang statue to our village, I thought ‘wouldn’t it be more appropriate to donate it to our schools?’” stated Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira. “When I approached Mr. DeSousa with the idea, he generously agreed that the statue would be a most fitting tribute to the Mineola Mustangs legacy.”
Hospital officials offered to fund the relocation expenses so that neither village nor school district taxpayers would have to bear the costs. Winthrop will soon become a tenant in the offices at 212 Jericho Tpke.
“Part of what makes our community great is the generosity that our residents and businesses express on a regular basis. Deputy Mayor Pereira, Mr. DeSousa, Winthrop, and our school district should all be commended for coming together to help make this a win for everyone in our village,” said Strauss.
