Owen H. Johnson's Press releases

State Senator Owen H. Johnson honored Vivian Hart of Bay Shore at an Hispanic Heritage Award Ceremony on November 18, 2010.  Vivian is currently the Executive Director of Pronto of Long Island, Inc., a non-profit community outreach center in Bay Shore serving Brentwood, Bay Shore, Central Islip and neighboring communities.

“Each year we embrace the history, culture and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America,” Senator Johnson said. “This year I am very pleased to honor Vivian Hart for her work and tireless efforts serving our community and our country.”  Vivian was born in the Republic of Honduras and her mother and father are from La Lima and La Ceiba respectively.

Senator Owen H. Johnson was recently on hand for the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition’s (BBCC) Golf Skill Challenge Classic at the Sumpwams Creek Golf Course in Babylon Village.  The October 25th outing raised funds to benefit Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition’s many patient and community services.   

Pictured from left to right are:  Keely Harris, Golf Outing Chairperson; Tess Helfman, BBCC President; Karen Kunkel, BBCC Board Member; and Senator Owen H. Johnson.

The Mechanical Marauders Robotics Team from Bay Shore took first place at the 6th Annual Deer Park Invitational Robotics Competition sponsored by the Deer Park High School on October 16, 2010.   The competition was supported by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. and LI FIRST. 

Participating teams used the robots they built for the 2010 LI FIRST Regional Competition, which was held at Hofstra University in March.  Students programmed their robots to compete on a 27 by 54 foot playing field attempting to earn points by collecting soccer balls in goals.  Additional bonus points were earned for each robot suspended in air and not touching the field at the end of the match.

The Grand Opening of the Bay Shore Community Walking Trails took place at a ribbon cutting on October 16, 2010.  The Bay Shore Community Walking Trails are made possible through the key partnerships of the Bay Shore Wellness Alliance, the Bay Shore School District, the Town of Islip, the Chamber of Commerce, the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Summit Council and other major sponsorships.  For trail directions please visit www.bayshorewellnessalliance.org.

Left to right:  Mary Louise Cohen, Member of the Bay Shore School District Board of Education; Senator Owen H. Johnson; Evelyn Blose Holman, Ph.D. Superintendent, Bay Shore School District; and Donna Periconi, President of the Bay Shore Chamber of Commerce.

 John V. O’Shea, Executive Director of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, honored Senator Owen H. Johnson for his 29 years of service to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for his steadfast commitment to fisheries conservation.  

Senator Owen H. Johnson joined with local officials to applaud Roberts Plywood Co. for their enthusiasm about “Going Green.”   On October 2, 2010 the company unveiled a new Solar Panel System which will create clean and natural energy for the company’s operation without polluting the environment.  Roberts Plywood, located at 45 North Industry Court in Deer Park, is a family owned business operating for 33 years and dedicated to the preservation of the environment.

Photo left to right:  Norman Roberts, President of Roberts Plywood Co.; Scott Woodrick, President of Solar & Wind Concepts; and Senator Owen H. Johnson.

Senator Owen H. Johnson and Assemblyman Phil Boyle presented Luge Gold Medalist Aidan Kelly from Bay Shore with a New York State Legislative Citation honoring his outstanding achievements.    This past year, Aidan raced his way to a Gold Medal in the Adirondack Ice Breaker in Lake Placid.  Aidan is currently ranked #3 in the United States among youth luge athletes, which catapulted Aidan to the “C” team, known as the Candidate team.  Being named to a USA Luge team is a unique honor and experience for only a select few.  Only athletes with the talent, desire and work ethic necessary to excel in luge in the future are selected to the team.

Senator Owen H. Johnson and other state and local officials gathered with Leslie DeMarco, Secretary of the Long Island Blue Star Moms Chapter NY6 at the third annual Babylon to Beaches Soldier Ride which took place July 23, 2010.  Over 700 riders participated in the 22 mile trek from Babylon Town Hall to Overlook Beach in Islip.  Over $70,000 was raised for the Wounded Warrior Project. 

The Blue Star Mothers of America is a nonpartisan organization of mothers who have or have had children honorably serving in the military.  They provide support and programs for injured service members. 

Senator Owen H. Johnson presented the Bay Shore Lady Marauders and Coach Jim McGowan with a Legislative Resolution congratulating them on their New York State Class AA Championship.  The celebration dinner took place at Captain Bill’s Restaurant in Bay Shore on Aug. 11, 2010.

“Coach Jim McGowan has done a superb job in guiding and inspiring the Bay Shore Lady Marauders,” Senator Johnson said.  “The team members have proven themselves to be an unbeatable combination of talents and have made the community very proud!”

The Team’s overall record was 27-1.  They defeated Cicero-North Syracuse by a score of 4-0 for the Championship.