Shoreham-Wading River: American Heart Month, Friends of St. Patrick dinner-dance, conference day info

How do you create untold excitement in a child’s life? Announce on a Monday morning that they don’t have school and that they are snowed in. And how do you deflate that same level of excitement as they unconsciously wipe the sleepers from their eyes? Remind them they are on winter break, they have the day off anyway and that their first responsibility is to shovel the driveway.

For those of you who have escaped our present “life in a snow globe” and have left behind the snow shovels to sun it up in the deep South, we hope you are having a wonderful time. But as for the rest of us, let’s hope you enjoyed Presidents Day here locally and that the groundhog was right — spring is not that far off.

February is American Heart Month. Did you know that more women die of a heart disease every year than from all other cancers combined? Astoria Federal Savings in Wading River is part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign. You can vow to become more heart-healthy now by taking the American Heart Association’s GO RED Heart Check-Up at GoRedforWomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART for more details. Every dollar donated helps all women, plus Astoria Federal will match every dollar given up to $25,000.

Spring is not that far off, so the Friends of St. Patrick are preparing right now for the 61st St. Patrick’s Day parade by holding their annual dinner-dance reception and crowning of the parade queen on Sunday, Feb. 27, from 4 to 8 p.m. at East Wind Caterers’ grand ballroom in Wading River. There will be an Irish dinner, Irish music, dancing and a cash bar. Because tickets are not available at the door, there will only be three locations to purchase tickets: McCarrick’s Dairy and Gracie’s Restaurant, both in Rocky Point, and Hartlin’s Restaurant in Sound Beach. For more information, visit friendsofsaintpatrick.com.

Gail Longo from the Shoreham-Wading River school district sent me a note for all SWR parents. The superintendent conference day scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, has been canceled and the following will occur, based on weather conditions:
• If there is an additional snow day, March 30 will be designated a school day and all staff and students must report.
• If there is no additional snow day, March 30 will be a holiday for all students and teachers. Offices will remain open. Should you have any questions, contact your child’s principal.

Enjoy your week, think spring and we’ll meet here again next time.