This Month's Featured Articles

"A Toxic Dropkick"- LI's Grumman Facilities Impact on Our Land

Many of us have probably passed the brown brick buildings and tall smoke stacks on S. Broadway while on the way to the gym, or to grab a bite to eat at McDonald’s. However, few understand these buildings' history and impact on our community. In 1936, Grumman and the US Navy would go on to create these facilities for different testing and research applications of aerospace technology. Throughout World War II and the Korean War, these facilities would create pivotal aircraft such as the Hellcat, Tigercat, and Albatross. Over 17,000 aircraft were produced by Grumman in Bethpage, making it a key facility for the military. These aircraft were vital in supporting US ground forces in both wars, objectively strengthening the power of our military tenfold and giving us true “air superiority”. The Bethpage Grumman facilities were also the creators of the Apollo Lunar Module, which would go on to complete the Apollo 11 Space Mission on July 20th, 1969. While it is said that this location would only house roughly 800 workers prior to the kickoff of WWII, by the peak of the war, this facility would reach upwards of 25,000 employees, leading to a major influx of jobs in the local community. In fact, the Apollo Lunar Module project required 9,000 employees alone! However, many would soon come to realize that the Grumman facilities were undeniably destroying the Island around them. 

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Patriots and Loyalists: A Family Divided

As we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our nation, a country born from what many have called one of history's greatest experiments in self-government, I am equally proud to pass down to my grandchildren another cherished title: Patriot.

Genealogy has been a passion of mine for more than twenty-five years. My maternal grandparents emigrated from Italy, while my paternal grandparents came from Germany. When I began researching my wife's family history, I knew I was about to uncover the treasure trove I had been hoping for. Her father's ancestry was primarily Irish and Polish, but it was her mother's family that opened an extraordinary window into America's colonial past.

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Etcetera for July 2026

Etcetera for July 2026

Check out this new video about the rejuvenation of Mid Island Plaza/Broadway Mall.  Click here

Emails from Readers:

I wasn’t notified about the combined ’66-’68 reunion recently, but I wondered if there was interest in a ’67 60th reunion.  
Cheers,
Rick Hasbrouck ‘67

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