By Nicole Falco
Mary Ellen Mellina and Bridget Pedini are two easily recognizable faces behind the circulation desk in the Henry K. Waldinger Memorial Library. Mellina worked in the library for more than 20 years and Pedini for almost 14 years.
"They are going to be missed," said Mamie Eng, assistant library director. "They are an active part of the library family and are longstanding members of the community. They both knew so many of our patrons."
Residents who've had the misfortune of having to answer a summons in the Village Hall courtroom might have had the good fortune to meet Jocelyn Moor, a court clerk for 20 years. According to Village Clerk Vinny Ang, Moor and Kathy Wallace, secretary to the mayor and Board of Trustees, both had difficult jobs that "required a lot of patience." Wallace worked for the mayor and board for about four years, but she worked for the village in other capacities for almost 20 years.
A number of familiar faces in the sanitation, parks and public works departments have also retired. None of the nine men retiring from those departments this year worked less than 20 years for the village, and the majority worked for 30 years or more.
Gino Patisso, Onofrio Monniello, Wayne Geist, George Kappel and Giovani Iannuzzi all worked in the Sanitation Department. "These guys had to be at work by 6 a.m., whether it was pouring rain, an ice storm or 100 degrees out," Ang said. "It's a tough job. Most people don't even want to get out of bed at that time of morning and these guys were already on the job."
Robert Riccardi and Patrick Foy worked for the Parks Department. According to Ang, both were hard workers and always on the job without complaints. "[Riccardi] is one of those people who never stops," Ang said. "He never takes a break. That kind of work ethic is hard to find."
James Leavey was a "low-key" kind of guy who spent more than 30 years in the Department of Public Works. Leavey, just like the men in the sanitation and parks departments, displayed the kind of attitude that others could learn from, according to both Ang and Nick Camarano, public works supervisor.
The final retiree is George Baker, Recreation Department supervisor. Baker worked for the village from 1981 to 1991 and again from 1999 to the present. Baker is credited with not only bringing a number of new programs to the Recreation Department, but also making sure they will be carried on after his retirement.
"They've earned their retirement," Ang said.
