Category Archives: government

Blogpost Feature Photo: Garden City, New York, U.S. April 27, 2026. The Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus has a Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi, District 3. Postcard is shown. Early voting for the Democratic Primary is from June 13 through 21, and Election Day is June 23rd. (© 2026 Ann Parry, annparry.com)

Postcards from the Centrist – Rep. Tom Suozzi

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
May 30, 2026              

Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi at Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus meeting

When you’re actively involved in elections – regardless of the political party you may support, and whether you’re a candidate, volunteer… or photographer covering them – you know activities gear up as primaries approach.

The Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus recently reached another milestone on its long journey to New York Election Day 2026 by having its first Postcard Party

On May 27, all tables in Nassau County HQ meeting room were filled with volunteers addressing and personalizing postcards urging Democratic Primary voters to re-elect Rep. TOM SUOZZI of Congressional District 3.

“Postcards for Tom Suozzi

Garden City, New York, U.S. May 27, 2026. Standing at left rear in suit, GRAHAM MUSYNSKE, Democratic candidate for Nassau County Legislature, District 18, is talking with Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus leader DOLORES SEDACCA;  seated at back, in B&W dress, writing on postcards, is KIM KEISERMAN, candidate for NYS Assembly, District 16; and standing at right in suit, & talking with volunteers, is JARED BEHR, Democratic candidate for Nassau County Legislature, District 16, visit during the NWDC’s Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi. (© 2026 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Several area candidates stopped by to introduce themselves to the volunteers, to listen to their concerns, and to answer questions:

JARED BEHR for Nassau County Legislator, District 16:

•  facebook.com/VoteJaredBehr

KIM KEISERMAN for New York State Assembly, District 16:

•  facebook.com/kimkeiserman

GRAHAM MUSYNSKE for Nassau County Legislator, District 18:

•  facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580587757373#

JOE SCIANABLO for Town of Hempstead Supervisor:

“Postcards for Tom Suozzi

Garden City, New York, U.S. May 27, 2026. Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus members, standing L-R, LORRAINE ATTIAS, holding a TOM DINAPOLI for Comptroller lawn sign; SUSAN KAYE; and CLAUDIA SWARSKY; and, kneeling, JOE SCIANABLO, Democratic candidate for Hempstead Town Supervisor, pose for a photo during the NWDC’s Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi. (© 2026 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

– Postcard Party for Tom Suozzi –

“Postcards for Tom Suozzi

Garden City, New York, U.S. May 27, 2026. Democrats, L-R, GRAHAM MUSYNSKE, candidate for Nassau County Legislature, District 18; DOLORES SEDACCA, leader of the Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus; KIM KEISERMAN, candidate for NYS Assembly, District 16; and JARED BEHR, candidate for Nassau County Legislature, District 16, pose for a photo during the candidates’ visit to NWDC’s Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi. (© 2026 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

– Postcard Party for Tom Suozzi –

“Postcards for Tom Suozzi

Garden City, New York, U.S. May 27, 2026. The Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus has a Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi, District 3. Volunteers shown at table include CLAUDIA BORECKY, CLAUDIA SWORSKY, LENNY GOLDSTEIN (who attended with his wife Francine Goldstein), and LORRAINE ATTIAS. (© 2026 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

BTW, this is one of FromLongIsland.com’s rare posts with photos I captured exclusively with my iPhone.


FEATURE PHOTO: Garden City, N.Y., U.S. May 27, 2026. The Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus has a Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi, District 3. Front of postcard is shown. Early voting for the Democratic Primary is from June 13 through 21, and Election Day is June 23rd. (© 2026 Ann Parry, annparry.com)


New York elections info 2026:

New York Primary Elections Day:  June 23, 2026
Early Voting:  June 3 – June 21 
ballotready.org/elections/new-york-primary-election-7169e8bd-c43e-4c91-8c34-13e4a9ada9b7

Ballotpedia: NY governor & lieutenant governor election: ballotpedia.org/New_York_gubernatorial_and_lieutenant_gubernatorial_election,_2026

General Election Day: November 3, 2026
• Early Voting: October 24, 2026 – November 1, 2026

2026 Political Calendar  elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2025/12/2026-political-calendar-quad-fold-12.9.2025-final.pdf


“Postcards for Tom Suozzi

Garden City, New York, U.S. May 27, 2026. Democrats, L-R, GRAHAM MUSYNSKE, candidate for Nassau County Legislature, District 18; KIM KEISERMAN, candidate for NYS Assembly, District 16; and JARED BEHR, candidate for Nassau County Legislature, District 16, pose for a photo during the candidates’ visit to NWDC’s Postcard Party for Congressman Tom Suozzi. (© 2026 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

More useful links:

Postcard Party for Suozzi, NWDC: my Photo Gallery

Congressman TOM SUOZZI – District 3: 

N.Y. Comptroller TOM DiNAPOLI:

Nassau Women’s Democratic Caucus:
facebook.com/nassauwomensdemocraticcaucus

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Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. A Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron cadet runs a mile at Wantagh High School during the squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron SOARS

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
July 25, 2025 

• Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron 288:  ny288.cap.gov

Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary meeting

“We at CAP like to boast that we are the nation’s ‘best-kept secret’ youth program.”  – Captain L. Tom Chen, CAP – Deputy Commander, Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron 288, 2025

When I first read Capt. L. Tom Chen’s email suggesting I cover the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron in Wantagh, my immediate reaction was:

A U.S. Air Force Auxiliary program mainly for teens?

Here on Long Island?

AWESOME!

So, on July 21, I attended its weekly Monday night meeting at the Church of St. Jude.

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. At front are two of the senior cadets leading drills in the main meeting room during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Arriving early to the meeting, I enjoyed listening to a few adult leaders who enthusiastically shared information related to the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron.

For example, I didn’t know until the squadron meeting that Roosevelt Field was named in 1919 after Quentin Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt’s youngest son, a U.S. Army Air Service pilot who died in aerial combat during World War I. (That reminded me about how my dad wanted to be a pilot during WWII.)

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. At center, a senior cadet leads drills in the front room during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

• Instruction & Drills

Attendance at the Wantagh CAP meeting was about a third of the usual size because many cadets were upstate at the annual weeklong NY Wing Encampment, which was held this year at the Hancock Field ANG Base in Syracuse, NY.

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. Speaker shares information during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. At left, two senior cadets lead drills during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. Senior cadets take care of business during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting at Church of St. Jude. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. Senior cadet, seen from back at right, speaks with cadets during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting at Church of St. Jude. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

• Physical Fitness

Running the mile

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025.  A Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron cadet runs a mile at Wantagh High School during the squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025.  L-R., Officers ROBERT STEIDEL and WILLIAM BROCHU supervise two cadets from Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron fulfilling their required one-mile run, at Wantagh High School. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025.  After running a mile at Wantagh High School, two cadets take a cool-down walk during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s  Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Calisthenics

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025.  Cadets do jumping jacks during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

Public speaking

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. A cadet (not shown) will give a speech on “Dehydration and the Importance of Hydration” during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

• Games – sportsmanship

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. Cadets are in the middle of a round of Musical Chairs during the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

• Wrap Up

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. Standing at left, Capt. L. TOM CHEN, Deputy Commander of Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron, addresses cadets during the squadron’s Monday night meeting at Church of St. Jude. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. L-R, 1st Lt. RICARDO GOMEZ NIETO and Officer WILLIAM BROCHU chat during the end of the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

CAP

“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. L-R. Aerospace Education Officer 1st Lt. CARL YANNUZZI and Officer ROBERT STEIDEL chat during the end of the Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Now I’m looking forward to covering one of the squadron’s cadet orientations flights at Republic Airport. Though it’ll be a while before the squadron’s next flight session. I expect it will be worth the wait.


FEATURE PHOTO (at top of post): Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025.  A Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron cadet runs a mile at Wantagh High School during the squadron’s Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)


Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron meeting:  my Photo Gallery

Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron:  ny288.cap.govcalendar

CAP Program at a glance: gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/cadets

blogpost about my dad’s military funeral:  Final Salute for Papa Les

CONTACT ME


“Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron

Wantagh, New York, U.S. July 21, 2025. The Civil Air Patrol U.S. Air Force Auxiliary NER-NY-288 Lt. Quentin Roosevelt Cadet Squadron has its weekly Monday night meeting. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Farmingdale, New York, U.S. January 10, 2014. Military funeral of veteran at Long Island National Cemetery. (© 2014 Ann Parry, annparry.com)

Final Salute for Papa Les

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
June 25, 2025

18 videos of Dad talking about his WWII photos are near end of this post

a photographic memory

Dad died January 6, 2014, eight years to the day after Mom died.

Aunt Clare, our family powerhouse, came to Long Island from Maryland to help. My brother Lou’s family in North Carolina also wanted to come.

But I was so overwhelmed just thinking about what lay ahead, I asked Lou to wait until he could help me pack up the family house. He and his wife Sarah were teachers, and I knew they couldn’t take off from work twice. Lou agreed to wait.

So I captured photos during Dad’s military funeral and made sure that family, especially Lou, saw “straight out of the camera” images right away. 

I didn’t feel up to working on Dad’s funeral photos back then, but they were popping up in my mind more and more lately, so I finally processed them.

Today I sent Lou the link to this post.

Long Island National Cemetery 2014

Long Island National Cemetery

Farmingdale, N.Y., U.S. January 10, 2014. Honor Guard, holding bugle, salutes during final farewell for veteran SSgt Lester Parry at Long Island National Cemetery. (© 2014 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com) 

Dad wanted to be a pilot in the U.S. military during WWII. However, a fly ball hit one of his eyes when he was a teenager, causing blindness in that eye for months, and he didn’t qualify for pilot in the military eye exam.

(It was a great disappointment, but it might also have been great luck. If Dad had passed the eye exam and become a bomber, the most dangerous position for U.S. military, the odds of him surviving the war and going on to have a family would have been much lower.)

When Dad’s Army General Classification Test (AGCT) performance showed he had a photographic memory, he was assigned to intelligence in the U.S. Army Air Force, a member of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.

Long Island National Cemetery

Farmingdale, New York, U.S. January 10, 2014. Honor Guards fold an American flag into a triangle during final farewell for veteran SSgt Lester Parry at Long Island National Cemetery. (© 2014 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com) 

The simple, solemn Honor Guard ceremony during his military funeral was a moving thank you for Dad’s service to our country.

Three generations of our family heard the Honor Guard play taps on the bugle and witnessed them slowly, precisely fold the American flag into a triangle.

Long Island National Cemetery

Farmingdale, New York, U.S. January 10, 2014. Honor Guard salutes during final farewell for veteran SSgt Lester Parry at Long Island National Cemetery. (© 2014 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com) 

As cemetery staff removed the engraved granite plaque from the niche in the columbarium, my younger daughter Laurie held that flag, and my older daughter Sue helped keep her toddler son – Mom and Dad’s first great-grandchild – entertained. When Sue herself was a toddler, she was the first ever to call Dad “Papa Les.”

Long Island National Cemetery

Farmingdale, New York, U.S. January 10, 2014. Staff member removes granite plaque covering niche for ashes in columbarium, during final farewell for SSgt Lester Parry, with family attending, at Long Island National Cemetery. (© 2014 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com) 

It was my honor, my duty to place Dad’s ashes in the niche. Looking back, it was one of three times in my life – once before and once after that day – that I absolutely had to dissociate my mind from my emotions to do what had to get done. 

Long Island National Cemetery

Farmingdale, New York, U.S. January 10, 2014. On the ground, a granite plaque for SSgt Lester Parry and Mary Ann Parry is ready to be placed over niche in Columbarium A1 Row C Site 47 during military funeral at Long Island National Cemetery. (© 2014 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com) 

open house

Along with the small family gathering at the military funeral, we had an open house celebrating Dad’s life.

Dad was a member of Merrick Post #1282 American Legion, and my daughters and I were members of the Auxiliary. So we warmly welcomed fellow members who joined the celebration 

Months earlier, Past Post Commander (Robert) Tom Riordan – a dear, supportive friend of our family – had his own final roll call, and I like to think Tom had already signed Dad up to the American Legion post in their new neighborhood. 

close-up of orchid plant from Lou

Long Island, New York, U.S. June 22, 2025. This moth orchid, seen in close up, arrived from my brother Lou when our dad died 11 years ago. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com) 

Lou, Sarah, and their daughter Elizabeth sent a potted moth orchid that arrived in time to take an honored place in the living room bay window during the open house.

And months later, instead of packing up the family house, I decided to stay there. Our younger brother John had tragically died decades earlier, and Lou made it incredibly easy to buy his half of the home.

So the orchid plant still sits in the bay window, blooming pale pink flowers each winter.

Orchid plant from Loud

Long Island, New York, U.S. June 22, 2025. This moth orchid now resting between blooms, arrived from my brother Lou when our dad died 11 years ago. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com) 


Video Showcase 2011 

In this series of short videos from 2011, Dad tells about his WWII photos and related mementos, childhood photos, and recites from memory the poem “Mully Pounds the Keys” by his French American Banking Corporation colleague Walter Anderson.

 • CLICK “Start watching” at bottom of first video – or – scroll down this showcase to the video you want to watch:


FEATURE PHOTO (at top of post): Farmingdale, New York, U.S. January 10, 2014. Honor Guard begins ceremony of folding American Flag during military funeral of veteran Lester Parry at Long Island National Cemetery. (© 2011 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)


Final Farewell to Papa Les (2014):  my PHOTO GALLERY

Orchid Plant (2025):  my PHOTO GALLERY

Video Showcase (2011) Lester Parry WWII:  vimeo.com/showcase/10056436

Lester Parry recites “Mully Pounds the Keys” by colleague Walter Anderson: vimeo.com/annparry/parryanderson

Long Island National Cemetery: cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/LongIsland.asp

Merrick Post #1282 American Legion: merrickpost1282.org

Veterans Crisis Hotline:  call 988 and select 1  •  text 838255
• more info:  veteranscrisisline.net

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