JULY-SEPTEMBER EDITION Message from Supervisor Edward P. Romaine INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Welcome to the July – September edition of the Town of Brookhaven Happy Talk Gazette. It was great seeing thousands of residents once again participating in our Senior Citizen Division’s Senior Citizen Picnic Photos 2 & 3 Annual May Rally and Senior Picnic. While we know great food and music always draws a crowd, the most gratifying part of these Senior Services 4 & 5 events is seeing so many Brookhaven residents connecting and re- connecting socially. Remembrance 6 Our Senior Citizen Division continuously focuses on providing programs and ser- Wood Carvers 7 vices that not only meet the needs of senior residents in Brookhaven Town, but also Group provide an avenue to meet other members of the community and engage with each Senior Club News 8 other socially. Please read through and enjoy this edition of the Town of Brookhaven Happy Talk Line Dancing 9 Gazette, and if you or someone you know could benefit from any of the programs Lessons or services provided by our Senior Division, please call (631) 451-9191. Acabellas Group Clear Captions Ad 10 Joke Corner May Rally Photos 11 Events Residential Rehabilitation Program 12 & Activities Brookhaven Town can provide accessibility and other housing safety im- provements to owner occupied, income eligible households through a mix of no- interest deferred loans and forgivable liens. Funding for the program is provided through the New York State Housing and Community Renewal Access to Home Veterans Grant (Access to Home), and Federal U.S. Housing and Urban Develop- ment Community Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Eligibility for the Access to Home accessibility improvements requires the veteran’s disability to be certified by the Veterans Administration. If, however, you are not eligible for Access to Home Funding, you may be eligible for the CDBG program. Please contact the Town of Brookhaven’s Department of Hous- ing and Human Services at (631) 451-6600, or visit our website for more infor- mation. http://www.brookhavenny.gov/Departments/Housing-Human-Services/ Home-Improvement JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 I S S U E P A G E 2 P A G E 3 Hot food and cold drinks were served to heart-warming company at this year's Town of Brookhaven Senior Citizens Division's Annual Senior Picnic. We would like to thank our sponsors: King Kullen and Sam's Club in Medford. P A G E 4 JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 I S S U E Located at the junction of Route 25A and Patchogue-Mt. Sinai Rd (Rte. 83), the Rose Caracappa Senior Center is the setting for a wide array of multi-generational activities such as: workshops, book discussions, game playing, bridge and mahjongg. There are also classes for exercise, yoga, dancing, foreign language, and introduction to the internet. Residents are welcome to drop in and visit the center. The center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00am—4:30pm (excluding holidays). Many of the activi- ties are free or have a minimal fee. Call the center for details at 631-476-6449 or 631-476-6431. The “Comfort Aids” organization lends medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, commodes, canes and shower chairs at no cost to Town of Brookhaven residents. Supplies are limited and distributed on a first-come first-served basis. Donations are accepted and greatly appreciated. These services are offered at the following Town recreation centers: Henrietta Acampora in Blue Point—631-363-5193 New Village in Centereach—631-732-2338 Robert E. Reid Sr. in Shoreham—631-744-2601 One of the most popular programs the Town offers to our Seniors is the Nutrition Program. You can participate at one of two locations. The North Shore Nutrition Center is located within the Rose Caracappa Senior Center at 739 Route 25A in Mount Sinai. The Bay Area Nutrition Center is located within the Mastic Recreation Center at 15 Herkimer Street in Mastic. Each site provides a nutritious lunch in a friendly, social atmosphere. A menu of delicious meals is planned by a registered dietician and served Monday through Friday. This program also gives seniors the opportunity to socialize, meet new friends, and participate in many activities that are offered at both sites. Transportation service is provided upon availability. For more information, please call 631-451-9081. The Nutrition Program also offers the Meals on Wheels service. Are you homebound? Would you like your meals delivered to your home? Or, would you like to become a Volunteer and make a difference in your community? If interested, call the North Shore Nutrition Center at 631-476-6446 or the Bay Area Nutrition Center at 631-281-7679. There is a suggested voluntary and anonymous contribution of $2 for lunch. Funded by Suffolk County Office for the Aging, New York State Office for the Aging & U.S. Administration for Community Living. P A G E 5 Helpline is a free telephone reassurance service for isolated or homebound seniors. Our program provides human contact with a daily reassurance call, letting clients know that someone is there for them. Helpline volunteers reach out with a friendly voice, asking how you’re do- ing, answering questions, providing information about Town or County ser- vices, or just lending an ear from one person to another. If you know a senior citizen in need of this service or would like to sign up, please call the Town of Brookhaven Senior Citizens Division at 451-9191. The Town of Brookhaven Jitney Transportation Program is a shared ride, curb to curb service provided to our residents who are 60 years of age and over or disabled, cannot drive, or have no other means of transportation. Transportation is provided to medical facilities and gro- cery shopping. Medical transportation is provided on a first-come first- served basis and is by appointment only. For more information and an application, call 631-451-9081 or 631- 451-9082, Monday-Friday between 7:00 am and 3:30 pm. There is a small fee for this service. Some restrictions apply. The Residential Repair Program provides senior citizens assistance with mi- nor home repairs that do not require the skills of a licensed craftsperson. THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY SERVICE. There is no charge for this service, however, client must purchase any materials required. When the work is com- pleted, clients are given the opportunity to make a voluntary contribution to the program. For more information and/or an application, please call 631-451- 9092. Funding is provided by the Suffolk County Office for the Aging and the United States Department of Health and Human Services through the New York State Office for the Aging. JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 I S S U E P A G E 6 A New York Story By Frank Petrignani When Anthony Gasparino was born in the Clinton Hills section of Brooklyn, New York on December 4, 1915, things were a little different than they are today. According to usinflationcalculator.com, what would cost $50 in 1915, would cost $1,240.33 today. “In those days we still had cobblestone streets and horses still pulled some of the fire engines,” Mr. Gaspa- rino said. “There were always horse and buggies in the streets.” When he was eighteen years old, Mr. Gaspa- rino’s first job was working in a printing shop. He was paid $17 for working six days a week. “Those were happy times,” he said. Mr. Gasparino reflected back to the days before television, when everyone in the neighborhood would sit on their front stoop and listen to the radio. “We would stay outside until ten o’clock at night and everyone in the neighborhood knew each other,” he said. In 1941, Mr. Gasparino married his wife, Delores, and they lived together for seventy years. Soon after marrying Delores, he entered the police academy, and his first day on the job was June 13, 1943. Mr. Gasparino worked out of the 88th Precinct in Brooklyn for more than twenty-one years. He and his wife had four children; three boys and one girl. Two of his sons became police officers, with one son becoming a captain and another son a sergeant. As a Yankee fan living in Brooklyn, Mr. Gasparino said some of his favorite players were Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. He was even at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 1956 when Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history against the rivaled Brooklyn Dodgers. A lot has changed since Mr. Gasparino watched that perfect game at Yankee Stadium almost sixty-two years ago. However, he still tunes-in to every game. “I listen to the Yankees every night,” he said. “I don’t see so well, so I listen through the television.” After living in Brooklyn and Queens, Mr. Gasparino moved to Brookhaven Town fifteen years ago pur- chasing a home in Port Jefferson Station, where he still lives today. He said the adjustment from city life has not been difficult. “I like it out here, it’s nice,” he said. At one-hundred and two years old, Mr. Gasparino said the secret to his health is simple. “Coney Island hot dogs and French fries. I was never big on the greens, so I never ate too much of them.” On June 26th Supervisor Edward P. Romaine honored Anthony Gasparino at the New Village Recreation Center in Centereach. Mr. Gasparino was born in Brooklyn, NY in December of 1915 during President Woodrow Wilson’s first term. If you have an interesting personal story you would like to share for consideration in an upcoming issue of the Happy Talk Gazette, please contact Frank Petrignani at 631-451-6547.