By:Karenlyn Barone
The dinner, at the Knights of Columbus St. Mary-s Council, was attended by village officials, Fire Department heads, educators and community leaders. This year-s honorees were police Detective William Straub, former Fire Department Chief John J. Crowley and Dr. Adrienne Garver. The master of ceremonies was Polly Talbott, president of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce.
Detective William Straub
With highly tuned instincts, unwavering vigilance and an ability to work confidential informants, Straub removed two drug dealers who were operating within the Village of Lynbrook in the past year.
Straub, in his 17th year with the department, made two major drug-related arrests. The first incident, last Aug. 22, involved an individual who was apprehended after Straub observed him acting suspiciously. When the man left the White Castle Restaurant on Sunrise Highway and was picked up by a woman in the parking lot, Straub stopped the car. After questioning, the man admitted to Straub that he was in possession of marijuana, the drug was found and he was arrested.
Straub also found two aerosol cans on the front seat, which, he determined, had no liquid in them. He discovered 52 bags of crack inside one of them and 63 packets inside the other. The woman was charged with possession of a controlled substance, and her vehicle was seized.
In February, Straub received information from an informant that a man was selling crack cocaine in the Lynbrook area. After investigating, Staub stopped the man and found some 80 packets and bags of cocaine, some of them in a potato chip container. The man was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and his vehicle was seized for law enforcement purposes.
Straub, who was awarded Officer of the Year distinction, can be credited with making the streets of Lynbrook safer and working toward the goal of a drug-free community. He attended the ceremony with his wife and his proud parents, Norma and Bill.
John J. Crowley Jr.
Crowley became chief of the Lynbrook Fire Department in 2003, having served as a volunteer firefighter for 26 years. Following in his father-s footsteps, Crowley joined Rescue Hook Ladder and Bucket Co. No. 1 in 1977. He left footsteps that his brothers, Richard, Stephen and Robert, all followed.
After being selected second lieutenant, Crowley went on to become captain in 1986, a position he held for two years. His extensive training and leadership skills proved an invaluable asset to his department. Among other accomplishments during his tenure as chief, he was the initial incident commander at the Nathan Hale Senior Citizens Housing fire, where he skillfully managed the volunteers and directed the evacuation of the residents. Just a week before his tenure as chief ended in April, Crowley aided in the delivery of a child to a grateful Lynbrook couple.
Crowley is a hazardous materials specialist with the Nassau County Fire Marshal-s Office. According to a Chamber of Commerce statement, There is no doubt that the Lynbrook Fire Department is a better place today for having John serve as their chief. He is an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty and served his community with dedication and commitment.
Crowley-s award, Firefighter of the Year, was presented by current department Chief David Pearsall.
Dr. Adrienne Garver
Garver began her career in education as a resource room teacher, attending to the needs of special-education students. In 1989 she became the director of special services in Lynbrook. In this position she oversees the entire special education program, including all in-district, out-of-district and preschool youngsters.
Garver also supervises all special-education teachers, psychologists and speech therapists. She is the chairwoman of the Committee on Special Education and the Committee on Preschool Special Education. She has been an advocate for children for the past 29 years, and Lynbrook has been happy to have her at the helm of special education for the past 15 years.
It is very satisfying to see students who started as preschoolers walking down the aisle at graduation, knowing the struggle that these students have endured, said Garver, who earned an undergraduate degree from Hofstra, a master's in special education from NYU and a doctorate in educational administration from Hofstra.
The Lynbrook chamber honored Garver as Educator of the Year. The presentation was made by William Metkiff, superintendent of schools.
