{ title: 'The Altamont enterprise. (Altamont, N.Y.) 1983-2006, April 11, 1996, Page 12, Image 12', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/1996-04-11/ed-1/seq-12/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/1996-04-11/ed-1/seq-12.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/1996-04-11/ed-1/seq-12/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn86011850/1996-04-11/ed-1/seq-12/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Guilderland Public Library
v&&&V$®&* A v lit f& § I 1 » »• I ;lf£ i*y w. fetf-f »'? . Aa|* infection, which almost >iHe4 fe^thVjti&ft think he'd make**t„,He went through *\ \*iive surgeries and we almost IcsljIfBfcten times* fusing ,the three months *3Rask wa$ln the hospital he te- / \*ieive$ 3^00 carols and tetters from his ft*mda at Lynnwood Elementary School. a l swea/ 1 it, I'm here because «f ^hiem** «aid $iim. \Thinking of those kids and tteee-quartijri; of his colon ,£K~|J»» S wPsTR at Lynnwood, recounted? of Finn's first visit baolE at £yn- nwood, ?He said t^Mds are what kept Mm alive. The kids Jus> all flocked to Miaf^Eyery- ohe was crying and hugging.\ \It's not magic, It's just love\ • i 'Monday, Finn was wearing a black Puma athletic suit and white sneakers. He-6nc)i:|ar- ried 190 pounds on his six-foot frame, but lost 30 while hospi- talized. He now weighs 165, and just this week drove his car for the first time since his surgery. He hopes to start volunteering at Lynnwood on a regular basis again in May. Spectacles frame Finn's mild brown eyes. He speaks in gen- tle tones, but has forceful con- victions. When asked what makes him so eager to volunteer, he speaks of the jbys of working with kids. - flf %^s^if when he started helping out in Claudia Sum- n^fe|sl%usic; class. He's always enjoyed music, although he's had nOj formal training, Finn Wyi. 4 HVworkbd J first as an in- surance claims manager, dad later a? a fjffUff investigator for Schenectady Coun|y Social $er- vi^estl^ fill-': \?' v '<'. ' '*. 5 « \Shechad ^ cla§ s^wit% spepal \kids '—'w^M'^heni\ wbrftvin. ••.wlteel^'chaiit^^^inn recalls.' *She'd sifig to tnV1?niidren, and; > %eUr^%$atUlM wis *alsta§ug-'. fdej forsthe kids....l was ^sitting ,, .across the circle from tms one JV'little.^girl W&he1#aB the cu|est •^:th|ng, nujfc she didn't participkte. / She just Itared ^way] 1 got|be^ ^|djtd^she» aadfe alfca^ed^poying K he? hands with the music... ; \:-*l(ft». Sttmme3?s stated th^;.#ll|lroi!Jam,'''\ ;• •\ ' \;F^ f ^mbliitaed% : tt ifs not^ 1 ''ma^j^3^|| ; ib^-\ Peter Stephens DeanHotaling •ScfeilS lure ui aoodh'i m^k-mmim^wn^smimss: New Listing! WESTMERE LOCATION Jhtsm By ¥o»r Dim ftreplace in this 3-bedroom ranch w/fontia) dining room, hardwood floors throughout — gas heat plus central air conditioning. Convenient neighborhood on busline, near shopping district and churches. Call Pam for details! 456-5777 Office, 428-6909 Mobile - BLACKMAN *DE5TEFANO- RH-II Est il\ 1826 Western Ave. fiuilderIand,NY PAMWAKELEY \RESULTS YOU CAN COUNT ON!\ MM^£rmm~j5M^mt &i I 1 BOX 654, ALTAMONT, NEW YORK 12009 • , ' SEHOMCAYCiMl'SSUBSCRJPTIOM: ! • (ChKkflrHonflwOrdwEnckMtin : • t (CUckorHoiMyOrdtrEncIottd) I 4\ . ' '•• ' ,-,. ... ... V : A li| i-iiiiflMrti ii'mniMiiij, i i Win il l n-' IIT'-I'I iy»Hiil|jitnimiffl'«iil ..rtl iV WlkHQQ -^ -Z* l L-i-'.' •\•'• ••''•' N- r \\- V ; I ; -1 W Wiygr*ft,-T!l!iJ'W\>;iW) ii!i|i;iilmriiiiiiiiiniili|irii|.rriiiii^l ijli n H'III'DIHI IIH.WHIK *fl?/*W mm i win ; ill i HI c • 1 •* • . • «».'•;•, , - . t -„ ti . « I Her*** i. •»*«.'•. ; A. ..if ...... 'i-\ ii<. : j ,Mi ' ..:..,*.:''.••.; •\:'•'..!..> -• • In his wafletf |fnn carries a cdpy 'of an essay, called• \Grjansiipa Ja^k,\ wwttetf^asjk April by Lynnwood \studeiit Amy Berrpyer. \Gentle Voice, soft touch, kind; generous and caring -~ that's Grandpa Jack,*^it begins. \She was just a really sweet ^girl;\ said Finn of Berroyer. \She's in middle school hd^. w He recalls how he came;by the essay. \Every year, they have a special day../share aiad cele- brate'...I always come in. bast year, these four girls get up and : say they* have something to share. Amy\ started reading this to the whole assembly. I started blubbering like a baby. Here. I am naked in front of the whole\ scnbol.\ Finn gets strength and inspi- ration from the kids, even when he's an observer and hot the center of attention. \This year/ he recalled of student \Akithony Dugan, *this one little kid in the special _ musicclaSsbowled meover. He ' was confined to a motorized wheel chair..:He r could drive it himself and he. did real good. He was very plroud bf that....A COuple of weeks 'ago, :the first time I came back to school, I sat in thfe'back row, and \all of a sudden; I see a commotion at the door. I look up and here comes this kid, with crutches from his elbows to his hands ^— walking on Msown twtf'feet! \Out comes my; handker- chief. I just loved him so much. He's shch a beautiful persdn in- side — always smiling, always laughing.\ tt A dark spot in my heart\ Finn may enjoy most helping the students who straggle at school. He tells of \a tall, pretty girl\ he'd helped for two years who greeted'Bim when he first re- turned to Lynnwood after his illness by saying, \Grandpa I've got something to tell you...I love reading now and I'm do- ing much better in school.\ \That's all you can ask for,\ said Finn. Anotihee student's ies\say he treasures is one that came to him in the hospital at Christ- mas time from Jared Falvo. Falvo wrote, \*ls Grampa Jack here yet?\ I ask Mrs. Giambo. *Not Yet,' she said. When I heard those two words I suddenly felt a dark spot in my heart but when I felt it I noticed hOwmuch I care for him/.i: ^ \Grampa Jack taught us how to stand during the pledge of al- legiance because that's how he had to stand in the Army...'.When I wasn't there for a spelling test he would give it to me and he always said to look at his mouth when he said a word. When I needed help on my story or anything he would be there so fast. \After a while I would start to help people but I still needed hebp whenever I got stuck on something, Grampa Jack is always there. If I Was the Prin- cipal! would give Grampa Jack a reward for kindness. When Grampa Jacfc re^res h« will retire a hero for giving kids success ife their Wof\ ——.— -Roer Gefi), Cadie Keefe and Rachel Gottetman worMdbn this mural & direction of Datvti Clements, an artist-in-residence during March. \Jared was the very first one. I sat down with. hin>. I. said, •What are; |pu reading?* He said,JTm supposed to read this book.' I told him I could tell by the Tyay he said it'that he didn't much like it. ^He sajd, \Grandpa I hate reading....! hate being in school,.' I said, 'Whoa!' aadwe just took it one step at a time. To get this, four years later, it re- ally, flbbreii, me, I can*t' tjell you what it:;meax|t to/me*, said Finn, shaking .his \head at a momentary; loss ^ words. \Kids like this' are really neat.\ . nuTsnlg homes\ Where di4 Fiph get liis drive toheipQ&ei|i?\ \I suppose I got it from my mother.!., 4 \ he Said. \She was very peojple-Orierited.\ ; Finn went 6n^ of tlie neigh- borhood in Schenectady where he grifew up, in a family with five children, \We lived in an ethnic neighborhood. My mother took care of everyone when jthey were sick or hurting. It didn*t, matter »t %ey. were Iri^h or Polish or German.... \My whole life, I've always done for other people,\ Finn concluded. \It was the way I was dragged up,\ he said with a smile. Finn credits his mother, too, with instilling in him his love for books. \We always had books in Jfae hB use,\ Jbj.ev said. \And | weht:lo parochial school the first six years, which was heavy on reading.\ , Finn has a particular fond- ness for poetry, \He's gotten so many kids here Idying poetry, too,\ said Adams. Finn wonders why others his age haven't put their talents to use in the schools, \These people are languish- ing in nursing homes and old- age apartments, just sitting on their butts getting older, and they could -have so much fun, so much excitement in their lifes,\ he said. ?We tried to get volunteers into the school,\ said Adams, \because Grandpa was wearing himself so thin....The kids feel slighted if he doesn't do every room.\ Adams recalled, \We got a couple of people in, hut they left before they got going.\ \You need people who like (Continued on next page)- 0P|N-7QaysayVeek 9 am -5 pm m 861-6515 CBS ^rg;^ ; \ West on Rt 20 Left on RL 387 Altamont Accounting & Tax Service Tax preparation $35+ Seniors $25+ • In Home* Office?* Over Phone • Business & personal income tax, Bus. start ups, Bookkeeping, payroll consultations, computer training * 19 Qf0|n ffd.; A(tartiont^ N, Y: -4i • ¥ s^P: ... , -•* 1-t, tew '• •'-;•-•\' •\\*•,- '<-(v,»-.- ^ vp {?•* . •- t /\#*>*\' ' . • -* ''\'JFRtr ' ' tAiI \ ^ '' 111 Giambo'B class, and she aaked She said, 111 try you out;' 'I J
