Congratulations to the Planting Fields Foundation as it begins its 50th Anniversary year long celebration which will include lectures and events and will culminate in a gala at this time next year. The foundation runs the educational programs at Planting Fields as well as supervising the 400 volunteers that keep the park running smoothly. That includes tour guides, museum guides, garden workers, gift shop volunteers.

The foundation funds educational classes and has been helping in the restoration projects in partnership with New York State.

Judith Chapman, was a member of the Friends of Planting Fields and is now on the committee for landscape and architecture review. She said, "It's wonderful to see this 'sleeping beauty' waking up. Everyone is getting excited to see what is happening including the work funded by the Hoffman Center to create a visitor center out of the Hay Barn, a very beautiful historic building here at the arboretum."

Ms. Chapman mentioned the interest Peter Tilles has shown, toward the arboretum. Both Ms. Chapman and Mr. Tilles appreciate the special world of horticulture. We are looking forward to seeing all the great events being planned to enrich your days and enliven your nights.

A great many people have been working together to create the new magic around Planting Fields and Coe Hall Mansion. That includes Richard Weir III and his wife Paula Youngs Weir who chaired the Spring Fling.

John Norbeck, Long Island State Parks Superintendent was at the Spring Fling. We were happy to report to him about our visit to Captree Cove at the eastern end of the Jones Beach Causeway on Saturday afternoon. There is a new food vendor and the lunch was delightful and reasonable and the scenery is grand, since you can watch the fishing boats coming and going with happy fishermen and women on board. Our congratulations to John Norbeck, LI Parks supervisor on getting things on the right track. They are involved in a restoration project for the Boardwalk restaurant that will take about two years to complete.

And, while we are talking about state parks, we sincerely hope next year the NYS Parks Department will return the name of Robert Moses to their Master Builder Award. We can understand why Bett Middler didn't want to accept an award from the man who ruined her local park, but driving to and from Jones Beach and Captree State Park all we could do was thank "the master builder" for his vision for Long Island. We hope Robert Moses will again be the namesake of the prestigious award.

There was excitement on June 6, Bay Day, at the Western Waterfront, a project of the New York State DEC, DOS and the Town of Oyster Bay. The WaterFront Center sponsored Bay Day and in spite of the weather it was a wonderful day at the beach. The Interact kids won the Wacky Boat Race, the Coast Guard crew won in the adult category and once again Augie O'Connor won in his category as a one-man racer.

Notable local, Billy Joel missed Bay Day, but he lent his boat the Red Head to the event. He was appearing at the Tony Award celebration shown on Channel 2. In his introduction he talked about the significance of June 6, the D-Day of our memories. Billy Joel thanked his father and all the other brave Americans who landed in France that day and changed the course of the world. It was the beginning of the invasion that won World War II, one of the most devastating wars we have fought. Andy Rooney that evening said on his segment of 60 Minutes that he visited the gravesite overlooking Omaha Beach and that the sight of so many white marble crosses of Americans who gave their lives for others cannot let us doubt the goodness of Americans.

-DFK