Bethpage-Tribune_1987-04-09

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VOL. 31 NO. 50 April 9,1987 to April 15,1987 20 cents per copy
Fr: Piiiarelli Speaks To Bethpage Youth
Bethpage High School held a special program featuring
Fr. Frank Pizzarelli, Executive Director of Hope House
Ministries in Port Jefferson, on T|i«rsday, April 2.
Fr. pizzarelli has spent sixteen years as an educator,
school administrator, and community activist. The last
seven years have been spent exclusively working with young
adults in crisis and bringing his message — that people must
have the courage to reach out to one another in care and
concern — to youth groups and Junior High and High
School students.
As a Montfort missionary, Fr. Pizzarelli initially worked
in the inner city. When he was transferred to Suffolk
County, he discovered that there is a more destructive pov­erty
than the poverty of dollars. The poverty of sensitivity,
care and concern is speeding the drug, alcohol and suicide
epidemic among youth today.
Fr. Pizzarelli's turning point came when he was given a
suicide note written by a young man, a high achiever and
student athlete, who hung himself when he believed he had
no one to turn to for care and concern. "We share responsi­bility
for these tragedies," he told the attentive audience.
This tragedy led him to found a community residence pro­gram
and counseling center which has reached 50,000
students.
He related a story of a seventeen year old boy who was
killed in an automobile accident on the evening of his high
school graduation, after attending a party where beer, alco­hol
and reefers were available. Fr. Pizzarelli told the grievers
at his funeral that there were 150 graduates at the party, yet
no one who had the courage to keep him from driving drunk.
"If "John" was really your friend he wouldn't be lying there
in front of you," Father said. He had buried twenty-three
other adolescent crash victims since then.
At the end of his presentation. Father invited twenty five
students onstage to hold hands in a solidarity chain, "In the
palm of your hand you have the power to make a difference
and it really does count," he said.
Father Pizzarelli's talk was positive and upbeat, focusing
on building a sense of community among youth as a means
of preventing substance abuse and adolescent suicide.
Fr. PizzareUi poses with students after taik.
West Germany Will Free Murderer of U.S. Navy Diver
U.S. Senator Alfonse M.
D'Amato (R-C-NY-) has
expressed his outrage at
reports the West German
Government will free
Mohammed Hanadei,
charged with the brutal
murder of U.S. Navy Diver
Robert Slethem,
Senator D'Amato, co-
Chairman of the Senate
Anti-Terrorism Caucus, was
joined at a Washington
press conference by Patricia
and Richard Stethem, the
victim's parents. Senator
Alan Dixon (DIL), Caucus
co-Chairman,^ and by sev­eral
of his Senate colleagues.
D'Amato quoted U.S.
Government sources as say­ing
West Germany is con­sidering
trying Hamadei on
less serious charges that he
would face in the United
States, which would serve as
a prelude to an exchange of
Hamadei for German
Nationals now held by ter­rorist
groups.
In demanding that West
Germany extradite Hama­dei
to the United States to
stand trial for murder,
D'Amato said "Failure to so
so would have serious con­sequences
for the relation­ship
between our two
countries."
Hamedei, arrested at the
Frankfort Airport in Janu­ary,
is one of four men indi­cated
in the U.S. for the
June 1985 hijacking of a
TWA Jetliner and the cold­blooded
murder of Stethem,
a passenger on the flight.
Stethem was bound with
an electrical cord by the
hijackers, beaten uncons­cious,
and shot in the head.
His body was then dumped
on a Beirut Airport runway.
In a letter to the West
German Government,
D'Amato pointed out that
Germany is bound under a
treaty with the United States
to extradite persons charged
with an offense under U.S.
law, if punishable by impri­sonment
for a year or more.
D'Amato said, "While the
treaty would give Germany
the right to refuse extradi­tion
if the accused were sent­enced
to death, the U.S. has
already given assurance that
the death penalty would not
be imposed and that makes
the obligation to extradite
Hamadei mandatory."
In response to reports of a
trade, the Senator intro­duced
a resolution which
labels any exchange of
Hamadei for German
nationals as "unacceptable"
and calls upon the President
to exercise strong, persona!
leadership in this matter.
"While I'm not proud of
our trading arms for hos­tages,"
D'Amato concluded,
"that certainly does not, and
should not, give the West
Germany a license to trade
away hostages for terrorists.
That would be absolutely
unforgivable and uncons­cionable."
Help Save Lives In Your Neighborhood
April is Cancer Control
Month and the American
Cancer Society, Long Island
Division is searching for
you, to special velunteer, to
serve as a Life Saver in your
neighborhood. A desire to
help fight cancer and the
ability to reach friends, fam­ily
and business associates
with life saving information
are all that are needed to
perform this vital job.
As part of the 1987 Cru­sade
the American Cancer
Society hopes to reach every
family iij your community
with valuable information
about cancer prevention.
early detection and early
treatment, as well as the
Society's many service and
rehabilitation programs.
This year's Cancer Cru­sade
will bring good news to
the women of Long Island.
A folder entitled, "Now
Breast Cancer Has Virtually
Nowhere To Hide," pro­vides
and important mes­sage
on how women can find
breast cancer early, when
chances of survival are
almost 100 percent. In addi­tion,
each family will be
given the opportunity to
offer financial support for
local cancer control pro­grams
and patient services.
This support makes it possi­ble
to maintain much
needed programming for
thousands of Long Islanders
who cope with cancer on a
daily basis.
Your help is needed in
reaching as many families as
possible in this annual cru­sade.
Each assignment is
small, consisting of visiting
the neighbors on your block,
in your apartment complex
or at your place of business.
Become and American
Cancer Society Life Saver,
and help bring vital cancer
fighting information to your
community.
For more information
please call 385-9100 ext. 317.
Leo's Lines explains
the Ward System.«Pg«4
Electric Trains Begin
By
Matt Rufrano
On Thursday April 30th,
The first Long Island Rail
Road electric trail to leave
Bethpage will depart the sta­tion
at 6:07 AM-and arrive
in Penn State at 6:49.
According to Don
Malone, spokesman for the
LIRR, there will be 9electric
trains initially serving com­muters
from Bethpage.
There will be 2 morning rush
hour trains. In addition to
the 6:07 AM trian menti­oned
above, there will also
be the 7:54 AM train which
will arrive in Penn Station at
8:46 AM. The evening rush
hour will have 1 train
departing Penn Station at
4:55 and arriving in Beth­page
at 5:50 PM. In addi­tion,
during the day there
will be 3 off-peak trains
from Bethpage to Penn Sta­tion
. and 3 from Penn Sta­tion
to Bethpage. The sche­dule
for the Off-Peak trains
has not yet been established.
The nice thing about the
new service is that it will not
be necessary to change
trains at Hicksville or
Jamaica if your destination
is Penn Station. Mr. Malone
advised that the schedule
will be improved as more of
the stations along the Main
Line become electrified. As
soon as Farmingdaie has
electric service, train service
will be extended to include
the Farmingdaie commuters.
Eventually, the line will be
electrified to Ronkonkoma
with a target completion
date of December 1987.
Walkamerica '87...April 26
Walk America '87, the March of Dimes iSth annual walk-a-
thon, will be held Sunday, April 26 beginning at 8:30 a.m.
at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County, and Happauge High
School in Suffolk County.
This year, some 10,000 Long Islanders will walk 25
kilometers to help prevent birth defects, making the 1987
walk-a-thon the biggest and best Walk America event ever!
"Just as last year, we'll have energy snacks and thirst-quenching
beverages at checkpoints along the Walk routes,
thanks to the initiative of WalkAmerica Refreshment
Chairman Jeff Irving of Global Sysco Foods. At the finish
lines, each walker will be greeted with: a fresh, hot frankfur­ter,
courtesy of Beatrice Companies, nestled on a hot dog
roll provided by American Bakeries Company; and a soft
drink from 7-Eleven/The Southland Corporation," said
WalkAmerica Director Toby O'Brien.
On WalkAmerica SUnday morning, photographers will
be ready near the check in tables to shoot free team photos.
Volunteers will also be waiting for you, handing out free
gifts from Midas Muffler to each walker, so you can Walk
with the Midas touch.
Along the route there will be entertainment, and you'll
have the chance to meet many new friends, as people from all
walks of life put their best feet forward to help prevent birth
defects.
March of Dimes Poster Children Cheryl LaFalce and
Meghan Courieri will also be at the two Walk sites, cheering
you on and serving as happy, smiling reminders of the goal
-a healthier tomorrow for the children of America.
The Nassau route is the same as last year. You will meet at
the Eisenhower Park Field House and follow a route across
and out of the park, winding through streets surrounding the
park and ending, 25 kilometers later, right back where you
started. Checkpoints will be located at Hofstra University,
Bowling Green Elem. School and East Meadow High
School,
In Suffolk, the new starting point for the Walk is Hap­pauge
Senior High School and Middle Schools located at
Lincoln Blvd. & Town Line Road. Walkers will register at
Hauppague Middle School and follow a route along Rt. 347
and through the streets of Smithtown, ending back at Hap­pauge
Middle School. Suffolk checkpoints will be located at
Nesconset Nursing Center, Smithtown Dept. of Highways
and L.I. Trust on Mt. Pleasant Road, with an extra refresh­ment
stop at McDonald's.
"When you send in your registration card for the Walk
(call us at 496-2106 if you have not received a sponsor sheet)
we will send you complete information on parking, drop-off
locations, and directions lo the Walk site of your choice,"
Ms. O'Brien said.