Nassau Notebook: POW Ceremony, Hurricane Rebate Program

Candlelight Ceremony Announced for POW/MIA Recognition Day

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano will preside at the annual Candlelight Ceremony observing National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Saturday at 6:45 p.m., at the Veterans Memorial located in Eisenhower Park. 

Mangano will be joined by representatives of veterans’ organizations from throughout Nassau County, as well as elected officials, clergy and American ex-prisoners of war. Guest speakers will include George Sullivan (USMC), Navy Cross Recipient; Hon. Robert M. Blakeman and Mr. Ron Zoeller.  The solemn ceremony will feature the reading of the names of all POW/MIAs from Nassau and Suffolk.

The Vietnam War Veterans Association will display a Bamboo Cage, which symbolizes the Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in Southeast Asia.

For further information, please contact the Parks Public Information Office at (516) 572-0200 or visit the county website.

Rebate Program Announced for Hurricane, Tropical Storm Victims

Mangano announced Tuesday that New York State has set up an $8 million government rebate program for residents who purchase Energy Star or high efficiency appliances as a replacement of an appliance damaged in either Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee.

The money is available through the New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), to help pay for appliances ranging from dehumidifiers to furnaces. 

NYSERDA spokeswoman Dayle Zatlin says each family is allotted a maximum of $3,850 to replace their appliances and they will be spot auditing to make sure no one is taking advantage of the program.

The application process begins on Monday, Sept. 19. To apply for the rebate you must fill out an application online here or you can call 1-877-NY-SMART or 1-877-697-6278.

The process is expected to take approximately four to six weeks for a completed application. You must include original receipts with the application.

Ninth Annual Bikers for Babies Ride Announced

Dee Snider, lead singer of the popular heavy metal band Twisted Sister, will be holding his Nine Annual Bikers for Babies Ride at Nassau County’s Nickerson Beach Park on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m.

More than 2,000 motorcyclists are expected to join the Long Island Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Honorary Chairman Dee Snider, along with the March of Dimes in the fight against premature birth.  Registration for will begin at 9 a.m. and the bikers will hit the open road on a 45-mile, 60-minute route beginning at 11 a.m.

For Snider, the cause is personal, as two of his four children were born prematurely, and he’s leading the fight to help other babies be born healthy. He adopted the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies as his charity of choice and after riding with the Connecticut Chapter of the March of Dimes for three years, Snider saw a need and created and chaired the event that carries his name, Dee Snider’s Bikers for Babies on Long Island, N.Y.

If you would like to ride along, or make a donation to support Bikers for Babies, please click here.

Senior Softball Tournament Announced

The county is inviting players and teams to participate in The Long Island Senior Softball Championship Tournament at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale. The Tournament will take place on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Long Island Senior Softball Championship Tournament will consist of 20 teams divided into two divisions, the Golden Division and the Silver Division. All players in the Golden Division must be Age 50-plus as of Dec. 31, 2012, and all players in the Silver Division must be Age 60-plus as of Dec. 31, 2012. There will be 20 teams playing in the tournament with the guarantee of playing five games per team – three games on Oct. 1 and two games on Oct. 2. Division winners will be crowned the official Champions of Long Island.

Any teams or players interested in competing in the Long Island Senior Softball Championship Tournament at Mitchel Athletic Complex should contact Alan Finchley at 516-859-8444 or at www.newyorkseniorsoftball.com.

Darryl Strawberry Golf Outing Held

Mangano attended the Darryl Strawberry Foundation's Fifth Annual Golf Outing on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Proceeds from the golf tournament benefit the Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI), a not-for-profit agency headquartered in Smithtown with more than 40 locations throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties.

Serving nearly 1,000 children and adults with a diagnosis of an autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), DDI is the largest provider of services for individuals with Autism on Long Island. It provides educational, vocational, and residential programs, as well as medical and dental services for more than 5,000 children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. DDI also operates family-centered preschool programs for both children with disabilities as well as typically developing students.