[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n Monday, May 29, the town/village of Harrison honored those men and women who sacrificed their lives for the liberties we enjoy today. This year’s Memorial Day parade and ceremony was a wonderful tribute to fallen servicemen and women who courageously served in the armed forces and lost their lives. Ben DeFonce, U.S.M.C. Ret., Harrison’s commissioner of Veteran’s Affairs, should be commended for organizing this wonderful event. Our honored guests, from various military branches, gave heartfelt speeches, describing what active service has meant to them. It was a day to remember the fallen, as we celebrate our freedom, and it was an honor to be part of this special occasion.
On a related note, I would like to take this time to recognize the downtown, West Harrison and Purchase fire departments. All three departments recently held their annual Memorial Day ceremonies in remembrance of their members and fallen heroes. The ceremonies were respectful and did a wonderful job honoring all Americans who have died while in service to our country.
All residents are invited to join St. Anthony’s parish in West Harrison for a weekend of family fun at its annual festa. This unique event celebrates Italian traditions and Italian-American culture and will kickoff the summer season from Friday, June 2 to Sunday, June 4. For additional information, call the parish office at 948-1480.
Each year, The American Cancer Society holds a fundraiser, Relay for Life, to support the organization. It’s an annual, global event and is staffed and coordinated by volunteers. Team members raise money by taking turns walking around a track, or designated path, for an extended period of time. This year, our community is joining the fight against cancer at Harrison High School from Saturday, June 3 to Sunday, June 4. Teams can sign up at relayforlife.org/HarrisonNY. For additional information, contact Kait Chieco at kaitlin.chieco@cancer.org or 397-8842.
Our community will have the opportunity to meet two distinguished authors on Monday, June 5 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Harrison Public Library. David Hicks grew up in Harrison, and is a professor of English at Regis University. His short stories are widely published and “White Plains” is his first novel. Michael Balkind is the author of the “Deadly Sports Mysteries” as well as other novels. He graduated from Syracuse University and currently resides in New York state.
Please take note of the following announcement from our Department of Public Works: Commencing June 5, certain neighborhood roadways in downtown Harrison will be treated using a technique known as “micro surfacing”. An asphalt, “slurry seal,” is placed over the roadway which provides additional waterproofing and skid resistance and provides an enhanced aesthetic finish, similar to a hot mix overlay, at a substantially reduced cost. This is performed over a period of two consecutive days. Intermittent detours and or road closures can be expected during the performance of the work.
In closing, the 2017 Harrison Football Hall of Fame, HOF, dinner will be held on Friday, June 9 at Larchmont Shore Club. This year’s inductees include Vito Vendola Sr. ’49 (posthumous); Charles Strasface ’52 (posthumous); Peter Jurga ’72; Marco Albanese ’92; Ralph Saldiveri ’96; and Ryan Calandruccio ’99. The HOF dinner costs $115 per person, made payable to Friends of Harrison Football, PO Box 204, Harrison, NY 10528.
