By Larry Lomonaco
Maybe you’ve noticed the gentle and smiling face of a man pushing his cart with recyclable cans and bottles ;)
around town. But then again maybe you haven’t. Either way, his name is Earl.
Earl is a veteran and a long time Smithtown resident whose early morning walks, covering two to three miles a day, helps keep Smithtown looking its best. Not that the town doesn’t do an excellent job of keeping the streets clean. But Earl has added to the town’s beautification by picking up litter he comes across on his journeys on Main Street, especially on weekends when the town crew is off duty. The town has never looked better…all thanks to Earl.
Earl also keeps neat and clean the memorial site, located at the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Main Street, in honor of Courtney Sipes. Courtney was a young girl whose life was senselessly ended too early. Now Earl can add to his memorial tasks by keeping the site for Seamus Byrne neat and clean of debris. Seamus Byrne was a husband and father of two. He was a Purple Heart recipient who was killed at a corner on Main Street early one Sunday morning after celebrating his 33rd birthday at Napper Tandys.
So the next time you see Earl, you’ll recognize him by his cap with the name of the ship on which he served - The Pawtucket, take a moment to thank him for his efforts in helping keep our town looking its best. But especially thank him for serving our country.