Month: October 2023

Sad News

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Nancy Connor, retired Northport High School Guidance Counselor, passed away on Sunday, October 29 at the age of 94. Before working as a guidance counselor, Nancy taught Spanish at Northport Junior High School, and many will remember her as Nancy Gutierrez.

Her daughter Cindy shared that her mother worked as a travel agent and lived in Mexico before working in Northport. After her retirement Nancy moved to New York City where she volunteered as a tour guide at the American Museum of Natural History and as a Spanish-English interpreter at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital .

Nancy requested that her family not have a memorial service after her passing. Donations in her name may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

R-UTN members with memories of Nancy they wish to share, email retirednorthportteachers@gmail.com. Please keep your commemorative brief and include your name and former school.

2023 Annual Picnic Was a Success!

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A little slice of heaven opened up for us at our annual picnic on September 21 ~ the sky was a brilliant blue, the view of the harbor from the Celebration Tent at the Vanderbilt a serene one. The food provided by Anderson’s Deli and Catering was varied and delicious and plentiful. Glenn Baldwin and his talented pal Neil played delightful music in the background. The beautiful raffle baskets put together by Nancy Wine and Jane McNamara made many a winner very happy and netted over $330 for our Scholarship Fund ~ hip hip hooray!

We feted our friend and colleague Paul Fazio on his 100th birthday, and Glenn spoke for all of us in his beautiful “living eulogy” for Paul. So many achievements in his life, this celebration was one of them.

Friends chatted with each other and caught up, as well as meeting and finding commonalities with others. A lovely time was had by those who attended. That was the one disappointment: the number of attendees was down to under 50, and that number included about a dozen RUTN Board members. We had ordered food for 65-70 people who had responded “yes”. Many simply did not show up. We were grateful to have had a large number of “doggie bag” boxes, so there was little waste. Much time and effort goes into the success of this picnic, a “free” event for our membership. However, it must be remembered that a part of our dues pays for the cost, and it behooves us to be sure our money is spent wisely. 

In any case, it was a wonderful day for all involved ~ thank you to one and all!! Enjoy the photos of our time together! Visit the Photo Gallery Page for more Picnic Photos.

RC 23 BUSINESS LUNCHEON

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R-UTN Board members Nancy Wine, Larry Ryan, Jane Flood, and Vickie Newell attended a business meeting of RC 23 Tuesday, October 3. It was held at Captain Bill’s Restaurant in Bay Shore, a beautiful setting, along with a delicious lunch and discussions of several topics important to all members.

Speakers Joan Perrini, president Ellen Burke, VOTE/COPE chairperson June Smith, and Jim Kinnier brought us up to date on a variety of topics such as the establishment of another charter school in Sachem and the campaign to Fix Tier 6. This tier in our pension system was added a decade ago, and since then over 100,000 NYSUT members earned SIGNIFICANTLY reduced pensions as compared to earlier tiers. See FixTier6.org  on the NYSUT website for more information.

It was announced that the NYSUT endorsements for Suffolk County offices in this year’s elections will be out next week. We were also reminded of the importance of supporting VOTE/COPE. New York State retired teachers have the “gold standard of insurance plans” with Medicare and NYSHIP and NYSUT works to keep it that way! VOTE/COPE contributions are used for mailing, phone banks, and supporting candidates who support education – everyone should consider an increase in contributions if possible.

The luncheon was very informative, and a pleasant way to spend a few hours with colleagues and friends!

Must See Art Exhibit

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Sunken Meadow State Park

Larry Ryan, R-UTN past president, and his wife Anne invite everyone to visit Suffolk County Oil Paintings, an exhibition of Anne’s oil paintings on view at the Smithtown Library Commack Building during the month of October. The paintings depict state and county parks in Suffolk, as well as one painting of the cultivated fields of a winery. The exhibit will be on display for the entire month, but Anne suggest you call the library before visiting, as they have many programs scheduled in the Community Room. The Library is located at 3 Indian Head Rd in Commack. The telephone number is 631-360-2580.