Casale's Corner
HICKSVILLE TIDBITS FEBRUARY 2009
January Was National Self-Defense Awareness Month
Hicksville Martial Arts School Among Those Offering Free Workshops
Martial Arts America in Hicksville, in affiliation with Black Belt School International - a leader in martial arts training schools with over 800 locations across the country, took action in January (National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month). They hosted free martial arts workshops every Saturday last month for children and adults.
In addition to helping participants become better able to defend themselves and get in better shape along the way, Martial Arts America is committed to help fight the growing problem of child abductions. According to www.lostchildren.org, 1,000 children are missing or abducted every day. Martial Arts America is showing kids and adults there is a fun alternative way to stay safe, be alert, and how to conduct themselves in any threatening situation.
Through physical discipline not only will individuals feel better, they will learn how to take care of their bodies.
"We want to teach people to be aware of their surroundings and show them how to protect themselves to get away from potentially dangerous conditions," stated Mike Donohue, owner and senior instructor of the Hicksville-based Martial Arts America. "Our workshop was a great way for beginners to learn the basics of self-defense." In the free workshops, participants learned the basic moves from the four effective disciplines in self-defense that Martial Arts America teaches:
- Tae Kwon Do (traditional Martial Arts)
- Kickboxing (techniques used in all ranges of self-defense)
- Hapkido Grappling (defensive moves from the ground)
- Fitness (to keep the students healthy)
Each student left the workshop with increased strength, conditioning and confidence. Students of martial arts programs typically improve their self-confidence, attitude, and self-esteem, giving them a better outlook on life.
By teaching children how to protect themselves, Martial Arts America hopes to help significantly decrease the number of abductions each year.
Anyone looking for additional information should call Martial Arts America in Hicksville at 932-5275.
Police: Drug bust at noted Long Island magic shop
HICKSVILLE, N.Y. - Police say a Long Island magic shop that helped inspire a young Criss Angel has recently been peddling drugs along with illusions.
Nassau County police searched The Magic Shop in Hicksville Saturday and arrested owner Philip Piacentini and a woman who lives with him, Danielle Lazaroff.
Police say the two repeatedly sold cocaine and marijuana to undercover officers at the store in the last five weeks.
The 58-year-old Piacentini and 39-year-old Lazaroff were arrested on drug sale and other charges. Information on their arraignments and legal representation was not immediately available Sunday evening.
Sarandrea Turns 80 Years Young
Congratulations to 47 year Hicksville resident Dorothy Sarandrea who turned 80. Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Rose Marie Walker attended the birthday celebration. Walker extended congratulations by issuing a citation on behalf of the town board.
Dorothy and her late husband have four children, seven grandchildren and Dorothy is anxiously awaiting her first great grandchild.
West John Street Improvement Project
Nassau County Legislator Ed Mangano announced recently that West John Street in Hicksville had been rehabilitated. The improvement project included the removal and replacement of deteriorated pavement and the installation of new pavement markings.
Hicksville School Officials Cut Ribbon on Woodland Addition
We reported previously about the renovation under construction at Woodland Avenue School. Superintendent Maureen Bright was at the ribbon cutting ceremony held in December. This was the largest capital project that took place last summer.
The second floor addition features two sizeable new classrooms, and two smaller instructional classrooms.
St. Ignatius Loyola Parish Gears Up For 150th Anniversary Celebration
The cornerstone for St. Ignatius Church came from a German community. Laid on August 21, 1859, the stone was the beginning of the foundation for the 25 by 50 foot church with the capacity to hold 100 parishioners. The current church was built in 1891. A full year of celebrations is planned starting with an Opening Mass celebrated by Bishop William Murphy in January.
Social events also planned each month include a cocktail party in February, the annual parish picnic in September, a dinner dance in November, and a closing Mass and reception in December. The church is located at 129 Broadway in Hicksville. For more information call 931-0056 or visit www.st.ignatius-parish.org.
Hicksville Student Designs Holiday Card
Each year, the Hicksville Public Schools Board of Education sends out a holiday card to community leaders and district employees. What makes the card so unique and special is the fact that Hicksville students design them.
This year, the invitation was extended to elementary level students, and the district is happy to announce that Riley Ward's design was selected. Riley Ward is a fourth grade student from Diana Germinaro's class at Dutch Lane Elementary School.
The design was replicated and colorized to create the beautiful holiday card the district sent to the community. Riley was presented with a commerative plaque bearing her holiday card design.
Read to the end . . . a new twist.....
- The bandage was wound around the wound.
- The farm was used to produce produce .
- The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
- We must polish the Polish furniture.
- He could lead if he would get the lead out.
- The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
- Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present .
- A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
- When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
- I did not object to the object.
- The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
- There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
- They were too close to the door to close it.
- The buck does funny things when the does are present.
- A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
- To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
- The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
- Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
- I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
- How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?
