Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Fifth Annual Veterans History Project Breakfast Wednesday, November 2, 2011


34 veterans can be viewed in this year's official picture, taken by Sasha Vasilic, the Publicity and Graphic Design Coordinator of the Niles Library.

The veterans appearing in the picture are from left to right sitting in the first row: Gus Habighurst, Bernard Warchol, Bill Shipp, Martha Shipp, Donald Spitzer, Arthur Shapiro, Irv Blaszynski, and Mike Kozyra. In the second row from left to right are: Walter Gembala, Niels H.K. Larsen, Leonard DeFabio, Walter Tymczuk, John McCann, Matthew Wojtaszek, Max Kolpas, Judith Carlson (for Norman Berkman), Sam Schechter, and Irv Abramson. In the third row from left to right are: Robert Morris, Kenneth Radnitzer, David Shugan, Jack Weinberg, Charles Matz, Harry Webber, Jerry Levin, and Russell Zapel. In the fourth row standing from left to right are: Charles Borowsky, Robert Lavery, John Bugajsky, Chuck Jacobs, Matthew Potoczek, Mike McNulty, Rich Hyland, Marty O'Malley, Richard Vana, and Tom Vana. Present but not in the picture was Albert Dominick.

The delicious breakfast was arranged by the Library's Marketing Director, Sue Wilsey, who worked in concert with with the generous Regency Rehabilitation Center of Niles . Caryl Kiser, the Regency's Director of Marketing, and her assistant Grace Nowakowski pitched in to help serve the breakfast for the 35 veterans and their guests and 29 Niles Library patrons as 79 people in all attended the breakfast. The food and beverage service at the breakfast was coordinated by the library's Cyndi Rademacher.

Linda Weiss, the Director of the Niles Public Library, and Barbara Nakanishi, President of the Niles Library Board of Trustees, welcomed and congratulated the special guests. Mrs. Weiss announced a donation of $500 from the library and the Friends of the Library to the Honor Flight Chicago Program. Chris Hanusiak, the President of the Friends and a veterans sent his warm wishes to the day's honorees. Veterans Rich Hyland and Marty O'Malley of the Silver Helmet-winning AMVETS Post #18 spoke about the AMVETS work to establish the Honor Flight in Chicago. The Legacy Girls as the Andrews Sisters provided the knock-out entertainment to conclude the successful event.

Mr. Vasilic's post of the "5th Annual Veterans Breakfast" to TribLocal was selected to lead Niles's local coverage.

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