Page 19 - Work_Force_April_2018

Deer Park school bus driver helps man from railroad tracks
DEER PARK — Deer Park School District Unit bus driver Larry Hickam is being honored for his role in helping save a local man who was stuck on railroad tracks.
Hickam was on his way to his job earlier this year when he noticed a man in a wheelchair stuck on the railroad tracks in Deer Park. Media reports noted the man had been trying to get the attention of motorists.
While some would shy away or be overcome by fear, Hickam sprang into action. He immediately pulled his car over to the side of the road so he could assist the man.
Unable to move the wheelchair himself, Hickam flagged down another driver, who promptly also pulled over his vehicle to help.
As the two men were struggled to free the man in the wheelchair from the tracks, Hickam looked up to see a train quickly approaching.
Suffolk Educational Employees Local President Maria Navarro, Deer Park School District Unit bus driver Larry Hickam and Deer Park School District Unit President Larry Mangan.
It was then that he and the other good Samaritan got the idea to lift the wheelchair from the bottom.
Just as they successfully freed the man from the tracks and carried him to the side of the road, the gates went down and the train passed. No one was injured.
Hickam was recently presented with special commendations at a recent school board meeting in Deer Park, as well as in the Town of Babylon.
— Wendi Bowie
McDonough
scholarship
recipients
announced
Our union recently awarded six $1,000 Thomas H. McDonough Memorial Scholarship for Continuing Studies (one per region) to children of union members.
McDonough had served in numerous CSEA offices, including as our union’s executive
vice president. The scholarship in his
name is awarded annually to former Irving Flaumenbaum scholarship recipients who are pursuing higher education. Learn more about scholarships available to eligible dependents of CSEA members on Page 18 or at cseany.org.
Long Island Region:
Jillian Marchese-Schmitt, whose mother, Karen Marchese, is a school monitor at the Baldwin School District. Marchese-Schmitt is attending Binghamton University.
Metropolitan Region:
Dian Babu, whose mother, Nirmala Babu, is a claims examiner at the New York Liquidation Bureau. Babu is attending The College of New Jersey.
Southern Region:
Neil Patel, whose father, Prakash Patel, is a motor equipment mechanic at the New York State Department of Transportation Fleet Administration. Patel is attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Capital Region:
Susanne Prendergast, whose mother, Theresa Prendergast, is a teaching assistant at the Catskill Central School District. Prendergast is attending Syracuse University.
Central Region:
Caitlin Lashbrooks, whose mother, Christine T. Lashbrooks, is an account clerk typist at
the Lewis County Public Health Department. Lashbrooks is attending Siena College.
Western Region:
Danielle Gilfert, whose mother, Hope Gilfert, is a registered nurse at Wellsville Central School. Gilfert is attending Messiah College.
City unit member helps save residents, dogs from house fire
GLOVERSVILLE — City of Gloversville Unit member Virginia Cary is being honored for her role in helping several residents and dogs escape a house fire.
Cary, who is employed at the city’s Department of Public Works, was on duty in a city truck recently when she noticed smoke coming from a residence. At the same time, another passerby, Christopher Rizzo, also noticed the smoke and stopped.
After calling the fire department, Cary and Rizzo set out to alert the home’s occupants by honking their car horns and pounding on the front door.
As noted in media reports, at great personal
Ulster County Unit ratifies agreement
Ulster County Unit members recently ratified
a three-year contract. The deal includes wage increases in each year of the contract and includes a new provision allowing dependents health insurance coverage for a period of time if a worker dies while still employed. Other notable
items in the contract include improvements in on-call stipends for supervisors in the Department of Social Services, increased shoe and uniform allowances and an agreement to give part-time workers step movement in salary.
risk, they then pushed through the front door. They led the home’s three occupants and their three dogs to safety as the home was filling with thick smoke.
Soon, the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire that began in the gas furnace. The home’s damage was confined to the furnace and the residents were able to return to the home.
Fire authorities credited the keen observation and decisive action of Cary and Rizzo in saving lives and property that day.
April 2018
The Work Force 19
— Therese Assalian