Post 758 In the News–Power For The Troops III

Just so you didn’t think we forgot about the blog during our time off to recharge, your Vice Commander/blogmeister has been following up on details for “Power For The Troops III”.

Our friend Don Giovanni from WINR Radio (680 kHz AM) invited us to appear on his popular Italian Carousel program on December 1 around 10:30 am. 

We’ll also call our good “kumotre” Bill Flynn at Cool 100 on Sundays so we can remind those listeners about the drive.

On December 7, we’ll be making an appearance on WIVT-TV/DT (NewsChannel 34) at the Oakdale Mall around 5:30 pm to talk about our third annual battery collection drive to collect “AA” and “AAA” alkaline batteries for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On December 14, we’ll make an appearance on WBNG-TV/DT (Action News) on the 5 PM segment of Action News to talk again about the same subject.

We are working on an appearance on WNBF Radio’s (1290 kHz AM) “First News” program with Roger Neel,  Art Penird and Kathy Whyte.    Here’s the link, so you can listen live on Friday, December 14, around 8:20 am:

http://www.wnbf.com

All of this is to remind people to pick up another pack of “AA” and “AAA” alkaline batteries so they can donate them to be sent to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Alkaline batteries last longer than do batteries marked “heavy duty”.  In my real job I can attest to this.  When you think about the conditions under which they will be used, and by whom they will be used, it makes sense to get what will hold up and work in those conditions.

The Fairy Godmother Brigade has a bunch of the alkaline batteries that they will donate on December 16.  There’s plenty of time for you to get a pack of alkalines for those who stand between you and our enemies.  Couple that up with our legendary pancake breakfast buffet…and you have the makings of a great Sunday.

Legion Family Newsletter 4th Qtr 2007

Post 758 Family Newsletter for 4th Quarter 2007
http://jcnylegionpost758.wordpress.com

Dave McDonald, Post Commander-
We went through a lot of drama getting ready for the National Commander’s visit.  Things came together with a lot of hard work from everyone who replaced tiles, shined brass, painted doors and spruced up our 80 something year old Post Home.  I thank all of the people who came over to put in extra time.  I thank everyone of you who have renewed your membership, and ask that the rest of you take action so we can become a 100%  post.  We are on our way to becoming a 100% Post.  It’s not just about making membership quotas–it’s about building a Post where the members always feel welcome and respected, and a place where our veterans know they will receive a welcome and  support. We do this with events like the third annual Power for the Troops Breakfast and battery drive  on December 16.  I ask that you stop by with a donation of “AA” or “AAA”  alkaline batteries that Sunday, and stay for breakfast.  Merry Christmas and happy  holidays to all of you in the Post 758 family.

Lorraine Bailey, Auxiliary President-
With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, it starts a busy time for all.  The Children’s  Christmas Party will be held on Sunday Dec. 2nd at 11 am. It’s brunch with Santa. Children 8  yrs and  younger are free; there will be a small charge of $3.00 for parents and anyone else wishing to eat. The Ross Park Petting Zoo will also be there and we expect to have a  great time by all. Remember to send in your reservations for this event and don’t forget to give the name and ages of the child or children attending.  You can also call Carol McMurray at 607-797-3456 to register as well. I want to say I am sorry about the Holupki  Sale. I am still learning everything there is to know about the advertising end of things.  Have a very safe and the merriest of the Holidays.  For God and Country–Lorraine Bailey, President.

Jim Muska, SAL Squadron Commander-

POST MEETINGS: The 2nd Tuesday of each month from September through June.  Special meetings can be called at anytime.  We can use your good ideas, so please attend the meetings when you can!

BINGO:-Every Friday Night, 7 PM.

LEGION FACILITIES RENTALS:To rent Post 758 facilities for weddings and gatherings for private and non-profit organizations, call Jim Muska (607-797-3513)for more details and available dates. Members of our Legion Family in good standing get a discount on the hall rental.

ONGOING EVENTS:  Pancake Breakfasts are the 3rd Sunday of each month, 8am to Noon, from September through June, 2008.  Here’s the schedule for the next few months:
December 16, 2007–Power For The Troops III (BRING AA & AAA Alkaline Batteries for our troops!)
January 20, 2008
February 18, 2008
We can always use help with hall and kitchen cleanup.
What would YOU like to see our Post do?

NATIONAL COMMANDER’S VISIT: Martin F. (Marty) Conatser (Post 102, DeLand, IL), the 2007-2008 National Commander of the American Legion, visited Post 758 on October 28. There are pictures taken at the dinner in his honor on our Legion Blog and in the Commander’s Visitation section of the New York Legion website, http://www.ny.legion.org.

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY: Sunday Dec 2nd at 11 am . It’s brunch with Santa. Children 8 yrs and younger are free; there will be a small charge of $3.00 for parents and anyone else wishing to eat.

POWER FOR THE TROOPS III- Sunday, December 16.  Donate “AA” & “AAA” Alkaline Batteries, and get $1 off the price of breakfast (one discount per donation). Batteries go to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’ve sent 7,445 of them overseas in the past 2 years, and hope to send our 10,000th battery this year.  We need your help!

SPECIAL EVENTS: The Broome County Legion Family/Post 758 “Give Blood, Get Pasta” blood drive for the American Red Cross netted 35 gifts of life from those who donated–those donations helped 77 patientswho needed blood and blood products.  We are thinking about making this an annual event.  It would not have been as successful were it not for the inspiration of  2007-08 County Legion Auxiliary President Dorolyn Perry.  Good job, Madam President, Don and  Jane Sturdevant and to all of the volunteers from Post 758 and the rest of the posts in the county! President Truman’s words about getting things done without regard to who gets credit are really true!

BLUE STAR MOMS, DADS AND GRANDPARENTS: Please let your sons,  daughters and grandchildren  who are serving our country know  we would be honored to have them join our Post.

MEMBERSHIP: From a small start, the American Legion grew into the world’s largest veterans organization simply by other Legionnaires asking others to join our ranks.  We can do so much more with more members. If you have renewed your membership, asked an eligible veteran to join, or a member who left to return, thanks.  It’s never too early to renew your membership, or sign up for the Paid Up for Life Plan.   As for our Post quota, we have, as of November 12, 159 of 216 renewed. Just a few more and we can be a 100% post!!!

BOYS STATE:Do you know an outstanding young man who would benefit from the proven leadership experience at our Department’s Boys State program?  Let one of our officers know.  This is the time to search for applicants–not 2 days from the deadline in April.

POST EVERLASTING: We honor and remember those members who passed on to their final reward:
Henry Heiss, Jerry Krizka, Joseph Kaminsky, Robert Pierpont.

Please keep them and their families in your prayers.
Well done, good and faithful servants!

ADVERTISING: We have space available in this newsletter and on the Post 758 Blog  for advertisers who wish to reach our Post 758 Family (Legionnaires, Auxiliary Members and Sons) with their advertising message or show of support.  Please call the Post Home or e-mail the editor (2nd Vice Paul Kaminski) for rates, deadlines and requirements.  His e-mail address is motorsportsradio@msrpk.com.

MEMBERS FIRST: Last time we mentioned DISH Network’s discounts for Legion Family members.  The information was for the 2006 year.  In 2007 the discount is bigger, the offer is  better, and there’s a link on line for more information:
http://www.LegionDish.com
You can also call a toll free number, 1-877-307-6677. (Again, we provide this information as a service, and make no endorsement). As a post, we have to be useful to you, our members, or we won’t be able to keep you as members.

OUR NEXT FAMILY NEWSLETTER WILL BE PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY, 2008, with a deadline of FEBRUARY 10 for articles, etc.  The earlier, the better!
Published by Frank A. Johnson American Legion Post 758, 429 Main Street, Johnson City, NY 13790  Telephone 607-770-1979
  
IN BETWEEN NEWSLETTERS, YOU CAN GO TO THE POST 758 BLOG TO GET THE LATEST INFORMATION:
 
http://jcnylegionpost758.wordpress.com

ALSO, WE CAN SEND THIS NEWSLETTER TO YOU  BY E-MAIL AS A PDF FILE, WHICH CAN BE READ IN Adobe Acrobat, AND IS VIRUS FREE.  IT WOULD ALSO SAVE YOUR POST THE COST OF PRINTING AND MAILING, SO WE CAN USE THE FUNDS TO HELP OUR MEMBERS, OUR VETERANS,  OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN. LET US KNOW YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS SO WE CAN SIGN YOU UP!

Handicap Ramp Done!

The railings are now in, and the first patrons used the ramp for the County Legion Meeting last night.   This will help our present members who have mobility issues, and also our potential future members.  The Post and its Corporation is working to fix our Post Home.  It’s a pretty big building and has been open for more than 80 years; a lot of systems need TLC, repair or flat out replacement.  Be assured we’ll do our best to try to make a Post Home for you, our Legion family members, that is neat, clean and inviting.    

 

Membership Update November 2007

As of November 12, 2007, Post 758 has been credited with 159 of 216 members for its 2008 Membership Quota.  That’s 75% and the other 25% is more than possible.   Your renewal shows the powers-that-be at the Broome County level, that our post is making progress.   Not only do we need your renewal and those new members–the men and women of our Armed Forces who stand between us and our enemies need for us to renew and find new members, so places like Post 758 can be open for them when they get back. They aren’t letting us down; let’s not let them down.

Post 758 in the News–Veterans Day 2007

Here, as of Monday morning 11/12, are links to two of the media outlets which visited our Post on Veterans Day:

Action News, WBNG-TV:  http://www.wbng.com/local/11187426.html

 News 10 Now:  http://www.news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=126245

No link was up at the News Channel 34 site, but our Post’s ceremony led the video report.

Please remember that these links usually work for a limited time, and may not work after time. 

Veterans Day JC 2007 Breakfast and Ceremony Report

We had 120 paying patrons at Post 758 for breakfast, and among these were many members of VFW Post 2332 (named for Alfred and Henry Michalovic–two brothers from Johnson City whose names you will see on the monument out in front of the Post Home).  Their Commander, Doug Garner, mentioned the pancake breakfast in their newsletter, and we think that helped a bunch.  We also think  our semi regular appearance on our good “kumotre” Bill Flynn’s popular radio program (WCDW-FM, “Cool 100″) helped a bunch, too.  Our Assemblywoman, Donna Lupardo, was gracious enough to come and speak at the ceremony in front of the Post, along with Johnson City’s Mayor Harry Lewis.  Mrs. Lupardo stayed long after the ceremonies were over and chatted with members and guests.   Our Commander, Dave McDonald,  was interviewed by WBNG-TV (Action News); WIVT (NewsChannel 34), WICZ-TV (Fox 40) and News 10 Now (Time Warner Cable News Channel) and they also taped the ceremonial rifle salute. Newly re-elected District Attorney Gerald Mollen was kind enough to attend and enjoy breakfast.   State Legislative Chair John DePersis (Corporation Secretary) also spoke at the ceremonies. 

Usually your blogmeister will stay in the kitchen to help out.  But with this crew running the kitchen, the breakfast was in excellent hands:

Jim Muska, left, and Mike Arcangeli, right, in our busy kitchen, with the Hatfield Sausage and Bacon ready for the patrons at our Breakfast Buffet on November 11.  Jim is also the contact for rentals of our Legion facilities.  Mike also helps out in the member’s lounge where his talents as a mixologist are well appreciated.

 Also helping in the kitchen were Past Commander Dick O’ Donnell (bright and early), Past Commander Jim Bailey flipped the pancakes (he’s still fighting that cancer; keep him and Lorraine in your prayers), Past Commanders Stan Smith (back as our armorer) and Hal Chrisler  helped where needed, along with Jean Cannon.  Don and Jane Sturdevant kept the wheels of commerce running at the door…and everyone I spoke to enjoyed the breakfast.  

 We’ll link to WBNG, WICZ , WIVT and News 10 Now if they have video of the ceremonies on their respective websites. 

 

A Veterans Day Reflection from Mr. Justice Thomas

The following paragraph is excerpted “by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College (Hillsdale MI, www.hillsdale.edu ).”  In an interview with The Honorable Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice of the  United States Supreme Court, he answered a question about making unpopular stands.  The following excerpt is especially relevant to the Veterans Day that we commemorate on Sunday, November 11:

 ”Will we allow the people who have fought our wars for our liberty to have died in vain?  In recent years, I’ve had some wounded vets in my office, young kids who have come back from Iraq missing limbs, blinded, in wheelchairs.  And people say that I take hits?  Do I look wounded to you?  These kids have given a lot more.  What a price people have paid for us to be right here.  I think of them like I think of my grandparents.  One of the things I’m always trying to do is to make sure that everything they did was worth it–that if they were to appear right now they would say ‘You’ve made our sacrifices worth it.’  That’s all I want.”

Handicap Ramp Almost Ready

Post 758 will have a very busy few days beginning on Saturday, November 10 as we get ready for the Veterans Day Ceremony and Pancake Breakfast Buffet.  So we wanted to give you an in progress report on the Handicapped ramp, which replaced the steps on the West side of the Post: