Hempstead Town Notebook: Pool Safety, Summer Concert Series

Town Discusses Pool Safety

The town held a pool safety demonstration on Tuesday, June 28, at Blue Grass Lane Pool in Levittown. Town lifeguards demonstrated a pool rescue in the wake of a near drowning at a Long Island home, officials announced the availability of a pool safety guide and pool workers displayed a pool alarm and detailed important safety tips.

A free pool safety brochure, released by Hempstead Town in cooperation with Cablevision and King Kullen, is available at all town pools, at Cablevision customer centers and local King Kullen supermarkets. Residents can also receive a copy in the mail by calling (516) 812-3272. Some of the safety tips outlined in the brochure include:

• Never leave a child alone or out of sight at a pool
• If a child is missing, check the pool first
• Secure or remove steps on above ground pools when not in use
• Never use a pool with a broken or missing drain cover
• Keep emergency rescue equipment and emergency phone numbers by the pool
• A rope float line should be placed across the pool, alerting swimmers of the separation of the deep end from the shallow end

All pools must be permitted by the local town/jurisdiction and are required to have physical barriers surrounding them -- many other safety restrictions also apply.

A law passed by the town board in 2008 states that all homeowner swimming pools located in the unincorporated areas of the town must have an alarm that detects a child entering the water. According to the law, the poolside alarm must emit an 85-decibel alert and remote device that must be located at a second site of the home.

Town Announces Summer Concert Series

Every summer, the Town of Hempstead’s Summer Concert Series, hosted by the Department of Parks and Recreation, brings talented musicians to perform at the town’s neighborhood parks.

Listed below are the free outdoor concerts taking place this July. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted, and it is recommended that those planning to attend the concerts bring their own lawn chairs and beach blankets.

• Tuesday, July 5, at Acorn Lane Park, Levittown.
• Wednesday, July 6, at Speno Park, East Meadow.
• Thursday, July 7, at Dutch Broadway Park, Elmont.
• Friday, July 8, at Harold Walker Memorial Park, Lakeview.
• Tuesday, July 12, 7:30 p.m. at Oceanside Park, Oceanside.
• Wednesday, July 13, at Forest City Park, Wantagh.
• Thursday, July 14, at Seamans Neck Park, Seaford.
• Friday, July 15, at East Village Green, Levittown.
• Tuesday, July 19, at Terrace Gardens Park, Inwood.
• Wednesday, July 20, at Hewlett Pt. Park, Bay Park.
• Thursday, July 21, at Echo Park, West Hempstead.
• Friday, July 22, at Forest Road Elementary School, Valley Stream.
• Tuesday, July 26, at Coes Neck Park, Baldwin.
• Wednesday, July 27, at Merrick Road Park, Merrick.
• Thursday, July 28, at Uniondale Avenue Park, Uniondale.
• Friday, July 29, at Hendrickson Avenue Park, Elmont.
• Sunday, July 30, 7:30 p.m. at Baldwin Park, Baldwin Harbor.

More information for all of the summer concerts is also available on the town website at www.ToH.LI.

Veterans Receive Medal at Point Lookout Ceremony

The Veterans Medal was presented to the 2011 recipients of the award at the town's annual "Salute to Veterans" ceremony at Town Park Point Lookout on June 25.

The following are short biographies of each recipient:

Scott Beauchamp recently served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and was wounded when his armored personnel carrier was hit by an explosive device. While Scott is currently recuperating at Walter Reed Medical Center, he has managed to remain very active in East Rockaway's VFW Post 3350 and currently serves as the post's Alternate Delegate.

An active member of the Vietnam War Veterans Association, Charles Carlucci also serves as the Second Vice Commander of American Legion Post 1033 in Elmont and as a representative for the 82nd Airborne Association. He is an active participant in the collection of items for homeless and hospitalized veterans as well as those currently serving overseas.

Mario Dell'Aera has been a member of the American Legion Levittown Post 1711 for more than 14 years and currently serves as the post's 3rd Vice Commander. A long-standing member of the post's color guard unit, Mario is also a trumpeter at memorial services for fellow veterans.

Patrick Doyle is a 44-year member of the VFW, a 42-year member of the Disabled American Veterans Association and a 45-year member of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He is currently Sgt. Major of the 11th New York Regiment of the United States Volunteers and spends much of his time tending to the needs of patients at veterans hospitals.

A nine-year Air Force veteran, Dannette Mason utilizes her prior experience working for Medicaid to help veterans navigate through the government benefits process. Dannette continues to use her expertise to help veterans at the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency.

James Merritte is an active member of the Nassau County Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 82, American Legion Post 1487, VFW Post 7166 and the Disabled American Veterans Association. As an Agent Orange victim, James' driving mission is to reach as many veterans as possible and let them know that help is available.

A World War II veteran, Bernard Rader was once held as a prisoner of war for 47 days in a Nazi prison camp in France. Decades later, Bernard continues to tell stories of his World War II experiences at local libraries, senior centers, churches, synagogues and schools.

The criteria for the Town of Hempstead Veterans Award is based solely on humanitarian contributions made by recipients to fellow veterans. It does not take into consideration military record or activity.