Eagle Scout Dean Bauer Honors Memory of Sarah Long-Harte

By Chris Biancaniello

You don’t have to be a former student of Sarah Long-Harte’s to understand the impact she had on the peopleDean Bauer around her. Mrs. Long-Harte passed away after her battle with breast cancer almost 2 years ago, and yet her legacy will not soon be forgotten. In her name she already has a scholarship, a garden, and now a white picket fence in front of St. James Elementary where she taught for six years.

Dean Bauer and Alexander BeckerSmithtown East sophomore and Eagle Scout Dean Bauer created the new white picket fence that can be found in front of St. James Elementary. He was a student of Mrs. Long-Harte in 3^rd and 4^th grade when she was simply known as Ms. Long. “Everything she did was to help the kids,” Dean said just before giving an emotional speech about his project, “She’d want me to do something, at this school, to help and that’s why I built this fence.”

A pancake breakfast and a carwash held in front of St. James Elementary were responsible for raising the $3,000 necessary to create the 200-foot long fence. With the help from his friends Alexander Becker (Alex is in the process of creating a memorial garden for the St. James Fire Department for his project), Gregory Becker, and Dean’s family, he was able to complete the fence in just three days time. The fence was important because the gaps in the shrubbery permitted people to pass through and walk across the bus path. This was especially dangerous for some of the younger students.

Dean Bauer and Mrs. LongMrs. Long-Harte’s mother, Mrs. Long, was in attendance at the dedication of the fence on Thursday, June 14. Mrs. Long mentioned that students are still sending her letters stating that they have donated to breast cancer foundations in her daughter’s name. “We try to do everything we can to keep her memory alive, it’s very easy to do with the support we have.” Two scholarships were given out last week to two of Mrs. Long-Harte’s former students who decided that education would be their college path; the scholarship is called the “Sarah Long-Harte Memorial Scholarship.”

Dean’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor will be held tonight (Friday, June 15) at 6:30 in the Smithtown High School East Auditorium.

(Editor’s note - the photo captions initially mislabled have been corrected)

Comments

[David Bauer]

Thanks so much for the great article on my son's Eagle Project dedication.

I'm sure most people will not notice but under the pictures it states my name rather than Dean's. People say he looks like I did when I was his age but he still should get all the credit for what he did (well...and all those that helped him)

David B.

[Nancy Vallarella]

Great job Dean! We really miss Mrs. Harte. She was a great teacher and should never be forgotten.