BLACK HAWKS DOWN
USACE come to Saltaire
                          By Casey Licari


One Black hawk….

Two!!!


Another look


Event organizer JOSEPH VIETRI, USACE Director National Planning Center for Costal & Storm Damage, Chief of Policy and Planning for the North Atlantic Division of the US Army Corps of Engineers

The officials attending gather for a  meeting in the Firehouse

Clifford Jones, Vietri’s right  hand  man & Saltaire fire chief Harry Baker


A few words before they go in…..


You can come in and take a close look

Joe Vietri with son Robbie (right) and Nick Licari

BLACK HAWKS DOWN
USACE come to Saltaire
                          By Casey Licari

Saltaire, FI: For any fire islander, two black hawk helicopters landing in our community would be a big deal. However, for Kismet resident, Joe Vietri, along with Congressman Tim Bishop, Mayor of Saltaire, U.S Wildlife service officials, as well as multiple U.S army officials, it was just another day on the job.

On June 7th at approximately 10:30, two black hawk helicopters landed in the Saltaire baseball field, where the government officials held their meeting in the Saltaire Fire Department regarding the FIMP study. This study involves the reformulation of the 83 miles of land starting from Fire Island and extending to Montauk Point. There were different strategies discussed regarding beach erosion, storm effects, as well as other issues regarding the improvement of Fire Island. The two helicopters, originally based in Lakers, New Jersey, took off from Macarthur Airport in Islip this morning and flew around the Fire Island Inlet and the Shinnecock Inlet so everyone working on the project would be able to get a visual of the barrier beaches. For most of the passengers it was their first time on the island, so luckily Joe Vietri was able to point out specific areas along the 83-mile radius of the study.

It was certainly an event to witness as people gathered by the field to see what the commotion was about. “It’s not an everyday occurrence that two helicopters land in Saltaire,” stated Vietri. After the helicopters landed, the U.S Army officials opened them to the public so that anyone could get an up-close look on the black hawks, even allowing some people to sit in the pilot position. Saltaire resident Mario Posillico invited the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders from Woodhull Elementary School in Ocean Beach to witness the event, as it was certainly an educational experience for them.