Island Park Veterans Village (Tunnel to Towers) 2025
According to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, it has committed to providing long-term supportive housing to our struggling veterans nationwide. Over 35,000 veterans nationwide currently struggle with housing and access to supportive services.
Simply providing housing to veterans is not enough to make a substantial difference in these individual’s lives. In order to effectively rehabilitate and reintegrate our veterans back into society, we must also provide a platform where they have ready access to a wide range of needed services, geared towards diagnosing and solving root causes, and addressing their specific emotional, financial, and physical issues.
On August 20,2025, all the Nassau County Posts of the American Legion plus other organizations were all asked to attend a hearing to help support Tunnel to Towers so that they could build a housing village in the town of Island Park, New York. They had to have the building zoning board’s approval before they could build this project. The meeting was held at the old Town Hall on Front Street, Hempstead, New York, at 2PM. The site in Island Park was the Long Beach Motor Inn, in Island Park.
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Calhoun Awards Night 2025
Tonight, I presented two awards on behalf of the Merrick Post 1282, American Legion, at Calhoun High School. The Americanism Award went to Taylor Halvorsen and the Phil Williams, a scholarship was awarded to Brian Hammond. I stayed to watch some of the other awards and noted that all of the young men who we sponsored to Boys State in 2024 received awards.
Frank D. Pedagno, Second Vice Commander
Americanism Awards 2025
The Merrick Post No. 1282, American Legion, presented Americanism Awards to 10 local school children. Each student received a certificate and a medal for their accomplishments.
Those recognized were:
| Jillian Storz | Birch School |
| Oscar Soto | Camp Avenue Elementary School |
| Christopher Daloia-Diaz | Chatterton School |
| Grace Christian Academy | Nathanael Woolford |
| Emma Papandrea | Harold D. Fayette School |
| Shanna Soleymanzadeh | Levy Lakeside School |
| Austin Haffner | Merrick Avenue Middle school |
| Sofia Piazza | |
| Chase Bonilla | Old Mill Road School |
| Emma Doherty | St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton School |
| Taylor Halvorsen | Sanford H. Calhoun School |
In addition to the awards listed above, the Philip L. Williams Memorial Schlorship was awarded to Brian Hammond of Calhoun.
Frank D. Pedagno, Americanism Chairman
Rememberance from our Post Treasurer Mike Elliott
Rosemarie Elliott Obituary
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| Rosemarie Elliot |
| April 18, 1934 to January 30, 2025 |
Rosemarie Elliott, age 90, of Wyckoff, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Thursday January 30, 2025. She was surrounded by her family until the end.
Rosemarie was born April 18, 1934, in Paterson, New Jersey. She attended St. Joseph’s Nursing School and in 1956 she began her 53-year extensive career of caring for others as a Registered Nurse.
Rosemarie was predeceased by her husband John and is lovingly survived by her sons Andrew, Daniel and Michael, daughters-in-law Jackie and Karen, Grandchildren Stephen, Sean, Ryan, Erin, Rachael, Jake, Emma. Granddaughters-in-law Brooke and Alex. And of course, her loyal friend to the end Maisie.
Rosemarie was a member of St. Elizabeth Parish since 1964 and in lieu of flowers she asked that donations be made to St. Elizabeth RC Church, 700 Wyckoff Avenue, Wyckoff NJ 07481.