Shoreham-Wading River: a special scout honored; senior class day of memories

Matthew Jakubowsky, a member of Cub Scout Pack 404, was recently presented the Parvuli Dei Medal, “Child of God,” at St. John the Baptist Church in Wading River. After many years of loyal service to the Cub Scouts, Matthew is now a Bear Scout. Congratulations to Matthew and his mom, Deanna, and his father, Christopher, and Katherine Jakubowsky. You make your parents proud, Matthew.

Lucille McKee, Judi Molinaro and Linda Blasko are three proud ladies in Shoreham who are working above and beyond the call of duty for the largest group of graduating seniors that has ever come out of Shoreham-Wading River High School. Lucille, senior class adviser, put together a day filled with fun and memories that included the senior breakfast, a barbecue, field events and an award ceremony in the evening. The field events were selected to mimic the elementary school field day.

A senior slide show is the custom and this year’s was unique in that Judi and Lucille gathered thousands of photos of seniors, starting in September, and put untold hours into compiling and crafting them into one magnificent slide presentation. Additionally, Linda, a technology teacher, also spent much time — often into the wee hours of the morning — making a fabulous yearbook, taking additional pictures of the students and staff and sharing the photos between the two projects. Lucille supplied the DVDs and a few parents volunteered to make a total of 275 copies for the students to take home.

The presentation was really fantastic, and the whole class got to enjoy a great day of walking down Memory Lane and signing each other’s yearbooks. Judi assures me the seniors had a wonderful year that included a trip to Disney, “but they now anxiously await the next chapter in their lives.”

Brian Heinz of Wading River has written a new chapter in his life and, along with fellow children’s book author Orel Protopopescu, he will present it to the public this coming weekend. On Saturday, June 18, there will be a dual book signing featuring Brian’s “A Coming of Winter in the Adirondacks,” published by North Country Books, and Orel’s “Thelonius Mouse,” published by Farrar, Straus. The signing will be from noon to 4 p.m. at 1 Sylvan Drive in Wading River, at the corner of North Wading River Road (park on the street, please). Both authors will have available a limited number of copies of their other published titles, so call ahead if you are interested in attending: 631-929-8148.

If you have any news to share with the community, please email me and I’ll be happy to include it in this column.

Until we meet here again next week, be well.