Bethpage-Tribune_1980-08-14

              M H M
BETHPAGE OLD BETHPAGE ^ PLAINVIEW
ISLAND TREES PLAINEDG SEAFORD
VOL. 15 NO. 19 For The Week of August 14-20,1980 20 cents per copy
The Way It Was
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Grumman Aerospace Corporation. This story is in
commemoration. We, at the Tribune, salute Grumman on this auspicious occasion.
BETHPAGE, N.Y. MAR. 8,1945 -- During the Forties, the
Grumman War Production Corps did more than supply the
boys overseas the best fighters in the skies. Their spare time
was filled with volunteer work... from blood drives to bond
sign-ups to cigarette and care package shipments to en­tertaining
the wounded in local hospitals. These unselfish
acts touched thousands of GIs, but on one occasion in 1945,
their actions paid back handsomely for a little boy named
Jimmy who's dad was the head timekeeper in Plant 1. Here's
how PLANE NEWS, the company newspaper, reported the
event on March 8,1945:
Little Jimmy Brady is back in school today, a healthy,
happy youngster without a care in the world. Gone com­pletely
is every trace of lobar pneumonia which a few short
weeks ago had him confined to a hospital feverish and
gasping for the very breath of life. Jimmy, a normal 6 y2
year-old that he is, has probably forgotten all about that
bitter experience, but his dad, Frank X. Brady, and his
mother, will never forget. And they'll never cease to ap­preciate
that Grumman's "pull" with servicemen's hospitals
saved their son's life.
When their son came down with pneumonia, Frank and his
family doctor phoned every civilian hospital in the Long
Island area in a vain effort to locate a supply of the only drug
that could save him. The search went on for hours, with
Jimmy sinking rapidly. They learned that the nearest source
was Chicago, and that it would take 35 hours to get it to
Jimmy. That would be too late.
Finally, in desperation, the distraught father took his
problem to "Jake" Swirbul, one of the company's original
founders. Jake listened only long enough to get the facts and
then dispatched a half a dozen persons to get nearby ser­vicemen's
hospitals on the phone.
Employee Lee Sherbourne was the first to make contact.
After a few seconds, he signalled the others to hang up. The
search was over.
"As soon as I identified myself as representing Grum­man,"
Sherbourne later explained." the captain on the other
end of the wire said, 'sure we'll be glad to help you out. We'll
send two containers over right away.' The name 'Grumman'
seemed to be magic."
It was revealed later that the Grumman Follies, (scores of
Grumman volunteers who sang, danced and played music),
had put on a bang-up show at this very hospital a few nights
earlier and this same captain had been present in the
audience. He needed no introduction to Grumman.
Next, Ed Mulcahey of the auto emergency service was
notified and a Grumman car was sent on its way to the
hospital. Two hours later, Jimmy had had his first shot of the
drug and was already showing signs of improvement.
Twelve years later the same Jimmy Brady graduated from
Hicksville High School and became a riveter in Plant 2. After
an assortment of production jobs at Grumman, Jim moved
into planning and scheduling. When the company announced
plans to move the OV-1 Mohawk program to Stuart, Florida,
one of his old bosses asked him to go. So, in 1969, Jim and his
family moved south. Today, he is head of the Engineering
Drawing and Supply Department, handling all the drawings
for Stuart's versatile programs from the Mohawk to the new
Boeing 767 job.
Though he doesn't recall those three months in the hospital
back in 1945, Jim does remember people coming into his
room to take his picture and present him with a Grumman
Wildcat model and poster. "As a parent, I can understand
how happy and grateful my parents were to Grumman,"
says Jim. "It's hard to imagine-that 35 years ago, average
citizens couldn't get their hands on that drug."
What was that magical cure?
Penicillin.
Editor's Note: Ed Mulcahey Sr., retired from Grumman 18
years ago. He's now 84 years old and living in St, James,
Long Island. Jim Brady's father passed away six years ago
at the age of 72; his mother, 78, is living with Jim's family in
Florida. As with many people who came to work at Grum­man
during the war years, Lee Sherbourne left after the war;
his whereabouts are unknown. Jake Swirbul was the com­pany
president from 1946 until his death in 1960.
Let's Show Pride
In Bethpage
The following letter by Vera Coutard is in answer to a
Tribune letter of July 31st issue, which was written by John
W. Ackerson. We repeat, consider the following not as
criticisms but as observations of things that can be better.
Ed Wolfe
Answer to article in Tribune for week of July 31-Aug. 7 -
Let's Show Pride in Bethpage.
1. Additional blighted areas
a. Seaman Avenue near Broadway opposite auto repair
shops-small dilapidated park with two broken benches.
b. 'Round the hotel oh Broadway near RR tracks area
littered with broken bottles, beer cans, in spite of efforts to
keep it clean. The owner of the gold exchange next door to the
hotel has tried to bring beauty to his shop by planting
marigolds but people pull them up.
c. Amount of broken glass in area of RR station is
deplorable and dangerous.
d. Two shabby houses corner of Seaman ana Bway. make a
slum area of that corner in direct contrast to St. Vincent de
Paul building opposite.
e. Shopping area on Stewart Avenue dismal and dirty. Two
trash cans serve the entire area and both are at the one end
near the laundry and delicatessen. Carvel has two trash cans
inside the store near the entrance. But Carvel customers sit
outside the store and eat and leave their refuse: outside on the
pavement ~ too lazy and indifferent to take the garbage in­side.
f. Large, empty former supermarket adds to the general
unattractiveness of the area.
A FULLY RECOVERED JIM BRADY, 35 years after a life
threatening attack of lobar pneumonia. Jim is now head of
the Engineering Drawing and Supply Department at
Grumman's Stuart Operations in Florida.
Fire in Bethpage
Kessler Glass Factory in Smoky Blaze
2. SUGGESTIONS FOR
BETHPAGE.,
REMOVING THE BLIGHT OF
The Kessler Glass Factory on Broadway^Bethpage was the
scene this past Wednesday of a smokey fire which thei Beth-naee
Fire Dept. responded to at approximately 1:45 PM.
There was a mutual assist from the South Farmingdale,
Plainview and Levittown Fire Departments. There have
been several fires in the building in the past making the
building hazardous to firefighting. The building was unoc­cupied
at the time of the present fire. Damage was
unestimated at press time.
a. Good publicity campaign on local radio stations and
television channels, and newspapers enlisting the support of
every Bethpage resident to keep Bethpage clean by in­dividual
effort. The littering by individuals adds up to the
whole disgraceful mess.
b. The young school age people should be encouraged to
beautify their town. This could be done by adults and young
people working together in groups with assigned areas to
each group and incentive awards given to each group that
accomplishes the most.
c. Besides sprucing up the town there should be areas
where people can sit and rest. Not every resident drives a
car. Many walk to shop.
d. A good supermarket like Waldbaums is sorely needed. In
the six years I've lived in Bethpage, there has never been a
really good supermarket.
1. One was dirty and poorly stocked.
2. Another was poorly stocked- owners wanted to see how it
was going to work out not realizing that no-one is going to
bother to shop in a store that is lacking many essential items.
It's easier to go a distance to get everything you want at once
if you've got to go there anyway.
3. Another supermarket was on its last legs as a chain and
the stock revealed this.
4. One supermarket wanted quantity buying but since the
savings weren't all that great, quantity buying wasn't
practical. This store started out with excellent produce but
when the quantity buying failed the good produce dwindled.
5. One so-called store started out too small so that again
people just went where they could get everything. If one
wants carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and all you can get
are onions, soft tomatoes and weary looking lettuce the
shopper will go where all produce is available and is fresh.
If we're going to do anything with Bethpage economically
and aesthetically, there has to be concerted effort. This is not
the responsibility of any one age group or fraternal
organization. Some people can afford to give $25. and more
and this is fine but let's get a dollar from everyone which
would add up to a sizeable sum and let's educate the
residents to the fact that beauty and attractiveness of the
town is everybody's business.