Category Archives: Parks

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. Nassau County Executive LAURA CURRAN wears a face mask with American flag design, at the county Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park commemorating 19th anniversary of September 11 2001 terrorist attacks. (© 2020 Ann Parry, AnnParry.com)

2020 Vision: Nassau County Remembers 9/11

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
September 16, 2020

Nassau County 9/11 Remembrance

Nassau County Eisenhower Park September 11, 2001 Memorial

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. The Nassau County 9/11 Memorial includes a tall metal sculpture representing the Twin Tower (seen at far right), two pieces of beams from the original Twin Towers, and a Survivor Tree. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. The Nassau County 9/11 Memorial includes a tall metal sculpture representing the Twin Tower (seen at far right), two pieces of beams from the original Twin Towers, and a Survivor Tree. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

9/11 Ceremony at Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater

VIDEO  – Greg Hoffman during Reading of Names :

During the Reading of Names of the 348 Nassau County residents who died as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on September 11, 2002, each speaker ended by sharing about the loved one lost. Greg Hoffman was one of those readers (from above video):

“For my identical twin brother, Stephen Gerard Hoffman: It’s been 19 years, Steve, when you took Madeline to kindergarten. She’s a teacher now. She’s 24, and she’s beautiful. You’d be so proud of her

“One thing special about, unique about, September 11 is that the day of terror doesn’t end.
This January we buried a young man, Jim Bass. He was NYPD.
Age 30 he went onto the pile
Age 49 he died of the cancer

“May they all rest in peace.

“May God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change
Courage to change the things we can
And the wisdom to know the difference.”

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. SUSAN HUTCHINS, at far left podium, holds up photo of her son Kevin Colbert, who died after a plane hit South Tower on September 11, 2001. Nassau County Executive LAURA CURRAN sits at far right, as county commemorated 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park.

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. SUSAN HUTCHINS, at far left podium, holds up photo of her son Kevin Colbert, who died after a plane hit South Tower in NYC on September 11, 2001. Nassau County Executive LAURA CURRAN sits at far right, as county commemorated 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. JOEY LABO, 16, of Wantagh, seen from back sitting on stage during 9/11 event, wearing a shirt in memory of his uncle Joseph G. Hunter, a FDNY 288 firefighter who died during the attacks, 9/11/01. Nassau County commemorated 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park, with names read of 348 county residents killed that day. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. JOEY LABO, 16, of Wantagh, seen from back sitting on stage during 9/11 event, wearing a shirt in memory of his uncle Joseph G. Hunter, a FDNY 288 firefighter who died during the attacks, 9/11/01. Nassau County commemorated 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Nassau County Police Emerald Society Pipe Band

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. Nassau County Police Emerald Society Pipe Band performs during the county's commemoration of 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. Nassau County Police Emerald Society Pipe Band performs during the county’s commemoration of 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

9/11 • 2020

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. At far right, PATRICK J. RYDER, Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department, is seated on side of stage as Nassau County commemorates 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. At far right, PATRICK J. RYDER, Commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department, is seated on side of stage as Nassau County commemorates 19th anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks with Remembrance Ceremony at Eisenhower Park. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

9/11 • 2020

Later at September 11, 2001 Memorial

After the ceremony I walked around the lake to the 9/11 Memorial.

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. At far left, TRICIA DEAN, widow of William T. Dean, of Floral Park, who died during terrorist attack on Twin Towers, sits at Nassau County Eisenhower Park September 11, 2001 Memorial, on bench across from plaque where her husband’s name is listed among 348 county residents killed by the attacks. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

East Meadow, New York, U.S. September 10, 2020. At far left, TRICIA DEAN, widow of William T. Dean, of Floral Park, who died during terrorist attack on Twin Towers, sits at Nassau County Eisenhower Park September 11, 2001 Memorial, on bench across from plaque where her husband’s name is listed among 348 county residents killed by the attacks. (© 2020 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

9/11 • 2020


FEATURE PHOTO at top of post : Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, NY. Sept. 10, 2020. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is wearing a face mask with an American Flag design at the county’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, ALL PRESENT wore face masks if they couldn’t social distance.


Nassau County 9/11 Ceremony 2020:  my PHOTO GALLERY

my VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/annparry/911hoffman

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Photo Illustration: Cammanns Pond in Merrick, New York, USA, © Ann Parry, FromLongIsland.com

Cammanns Pond: Or, New Year’s Eve in Space

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
December 31, 2018

Cammanns Pond

Tonight, ten days after the shortest day of the year, and hours before the stormy last hurrah of 2018 would become the dawn of 2019, I stopped at Cammanns Pond on my way home.

Struggling through the downpour, the light from the street lamp behind me surrendered before reaching water’s edge.

Merrick, NY, USA. Dec. 31, 2018. A raft of ducks sleeps hidden at Cammanns Pond during rainy New Year's Eve. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, NY, USA. Dec. 31, 2018. A raft of ducks sleeps hidden at Cammanns Pond during rainy New Year’s Eve. (© 2018 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Rain coated the windshield seconds after each sweep of wipers, and dashboard lights bounced on the glass and water, so my bullseye view was light from distant buildings slashing an abyss.

But, after countless visits, I knew waterfowl must be near. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I covered the instrument lights with an infinity scarf, I saw hints of a silent, nearly still raft of ducks midway between shores.

Aiming my iPhone from the space between steering wheel and windshield, I captured rain smeared photos of two bare trees standing sentinel in front of the pond.

Going outside, I stood behind one tree trunk then the other, to avoid throwing a shadow, and leaned out to take photos of the ducks, pond, shores and beyond.

Shores & beyond

Then I sat silent and still in my car as ducks slept at the Merrick pond, on the deluged south shore of Long Island…

on the northeast coast of the United States on Earth as it orbited the Sun, in a spiral arm of the Milky Way, in the Virgo Supercluster…

as we made our way in the universe this New Year’s Eve…

forty years after the world understood global warming and still had a chance to avoid the extreme, destructive weather Earth’s now experiencing due to the climate crisis.

No home is an island.



• NASA: Global Climate Change Resources
• Bloomberg: Climate Changed
• NYTimes: Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change
• United Nations: Environment, Disasters & Climate Change


fyi fLI
In 1890 Hermann Cammann bought the Carmen farm house property on the north side of Merrick Road and rebuilt a larger version of the house, across from where Cammanns Park is now.


Cammanns Pond:  PHOTO GALLERY

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Merrick, New York, USA. May 24, 2015. Two Kayakers paddle around fishing pier at Levy Park on Memorial Day Weekend (c) 2015 Ann Parry

Memorial Day Weekend at Levy Park 2015

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
May 28, 2015

Around 3:30 the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, I went to Norman J Levy Park & Preserve. After parking in the crowded parking lot, I headed to the path with the sign “Shortest Way to Top” – since I hoped to get a hilltop view of the Bethpage New York Air Show in progress at nearby Jones Beach.

Merrick, New York, USA. May 24, 2015. At Norman J Levy Park & Preserve, visitor point south to contrails in the sky over Jones Beach where planes are performing in the Bethpage New York Air Show, Memorial Day Weekend.  (© 2015 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. May 24, 2015. At Norman J Levy Park & Preserve, visitor point south to contrails in the sky over Jones Beach where planes are performing in the Bethpage New York Air Show, Memorial Day Weekend. (© 2015 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Earlier that day, I heard that Jones Beach filled to capacity before the air show even started, so major roads leading there were closed. So I wasn’t surprised to see groups of people scattered throughout the hilltop and pointing south to where planes were leaving contrails in the sky. The performers, too distant from Levy Park to identify, included Thunderbirds, Golden Knights, and GEICO SkyWriters, and more.

Merrick, New York, USA. May 24, 2015. Rev. DAVID YI, of Douglaston, Queens, fishes on the pier of Levy Park & Preserve during Memorial Day Weekend.  (© 2015 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com) 

Merrick, New York, USA. May 24, 2015. Rev. DAVID YI, of Douglaston, Queens, fishes on the pier of Levy Park & Preserve during Memorial Day Weekend.  (© 2015 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com) 

When the show ended, I headed south on the winding trail leading down to the park’s fishing pier.

At the far end of the 500-foot-long wooden pier, I enjoyed the cool breeze and watched kayakers in Merrick Bay, and chatted with fellow visitors Rev. DAVID YI and his parishioners. They had planned to fish at Jones Beach, but finding Meadowbrook Parkway closed, cast their reels at South Merrick’s Levy Park instead.

Memorial Day Weekend 2015:  GALLERY 

Site:  Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach State Park

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