Verizon Paumanok Pioneers Hall of Fame

Ralf Krause
Ralf, a Pioneer since 1968, has held many positions with the Paumanok Chapter -- council vice president and president, chapter first and second vice president and president.

Ralf has been curator of the Paumanok Chapter Verizon Pioneer Museum since 1990. In fact, Ralf established the chapter museum in 1989. He provides guided tours through the museum for school children. He also conducts "911 Simulator" emergency calling training to school children on Long Island.

He created miniature wall telephone kits for Boy Scouts to make for their merit badges and can be found at many local fairs displaying telephone memorabilia. Ralf went on to create a piece of equipment to assist with companion dog training for challenged individuals. This device was a box that when you pressed a button, the sound of a doorbell or telephone would be simulated and could be used to train the dog to lead the person to the front door if the doorbell chimes or bring the phone over to their owner if it should ring.

As chapter president, he raised $10,000 for the Arthritis Foundation with an "Up-Up-and-Away" balloon program where balloons were sold for $1 each and released at fairs and other community events.

Ralf has received awards for time spent repairing Talking Books for the Library of Congress and for creating Companion Dog Training equipment.

Merle Steiner
With an instant friendly handshake and a warm smile, Merle greets one and all. He is characterized as dedicated, hardworking, amicable, knowledgeable, energetic and modest. He genuinely cares about people and gives unselfishly of his time and talent in the true spirit of Pioneering. Merle became a life member in 1988 serving each year either at the club, council or chapter level in some capacity, including chairperson for the Community Service, Environmental, Nominating and Information and Publicity committees. He also served as treasurer, vice president and president of the Sagamore Life Member Club.

Merle assists clients at nursing home bingo games twice a month, and delivers lap robes to nursing homes and food to the Outreach Center. He volunteers for the Special Olympics, "I Like Me" books, "Getting Kids on Track" and "Christmas in July" projects. Merle places and removes Memorial Day flags at Long Island National Cemetery, performs as an entertainer and sings Christmas carols at nursing homes and paints Pioneer playground maps. He volunteers at the Easter Egg Hunt and Apple Festival at Mill Neck Manor and the "Hole in the Woods" Chapter project. He prepares and serves food at Hicksville Inn, participates in the beach cleanup at Welwyn Preserve, and went on a Santa Goodwill Tour.

Merle donates blood for the Golden Donor and the Nassau Council Blood drive. He has assisted in the purchase of a Seeing Eye Dog for a blind person, instituted the purchase of "Spinoza Bears" for nursing home Alzheimer patients and gathered therapeutic games and videos for Daleview Nursing Home. He collects cancelled stamps for veterans and aluminum tabs to assist in sending a child with kidney problems to camp. Merle organized horse racing trips and fundraised for the Heart Association. He stuffs envelopes for the Chapter Sweepstakes and is on the mailing committee at St. Luke's.

Everett Meyer

Everett has been a Pioneer since 1956 holding chairs at the council, club and chapter level. He has received the Pioneer and Life Member of the Year Awards as well as several citations, including Suffolk County Executive for his help in refurbishing a room at the Kid's Court and volunteering for the March of Dimes, Special Olympics, Association for Help of Retarded Children, A.P.P.L.E., and the Masonic Lodge's "Getting Kids on Track." Everett shares his talents of laughter, magic and joy through his hobby of clowning. He taught a group of his peers and formed a clown troop giving advice on make-up application, balloon sculpturing, and their attire. He also performs magic tricks, and sing-a-longs for many of the charities on Long Island. His wife, also a clown, is always at his side. They are known as the "Duke and Dutchess." Everett has that something special and you can feel the love he has for giving joy to others. He is respected and admired by all those who have met and worked with him over the years. Truly the "Duke" is one tough act to follow.

Joe Caruso
Joe has been an active Pioneer since 1966. He's held many chairs on the executive board of the Nesconset Life Member Club, including vice president and president. He's currently serving as fundraising chairperson for his club.

Joe is one of the original team members who established the Paumanok Chapter Telephone Museum in 1989 and to this day continues to be an active volunteer. In 1985, he established the first annual summer picnic of his life member club. The event is still held and is very popular with the members.

Joe always has a smile and a kind word for all he comes in contact with. In the last three years, he has played a big part in the chapter’s Living History Program - Freedom Isn’t Free. He goes into local high schools and talks about his career in the Air Force during World War II. Joe works with his partner by his side and is still going strong at 85.

Linda Steuerwald Linda is a much deserving Pioneer. Her manner is quiet and reserved, but she is a powerhouse when it comes to answering the call of those in need. She served a two-year term as chapter president, was president of the Suffolk Council, and has held numerous council and chapter chairs. During her term as president, the chapter was awarded two Project of Excellence Awards for educational projects that included distributing more than 10,000 books in the communities. She has decorated graves at the National Cemetery, packed items to send to overseas troops, visited area shelters, played the role of Mother Goose when needed, spearheaded the seedlings project, ran the Mother's Day plant sales and painted USA Maps, just to mention a few of the projects in which she has been involved. She is a full time working mother of four and includes her entire family in many volunteer projects. Her actions personify what "Fellowship, Loyalty and Service" are all about.

	Charlie Coll Since 1966, Charlie Coll has been involved with talking books, his life member club, nursing homes and local soup kitchens. He has devoted his time repairing talking books, serving on his life member club, assisting at nursing homes and local soup kitchens. He can be found volunteering at the Lemon Street Soup Kitchen where he cooks, cleans, serves and speaks to the clients in their native tongue. Clients have established a trusting relationship with Charlie. Since his involvement with Pioneers he has donated more than 40,000 hours of community service.

John Kaiser

In his 25 years of being a Pioneer John has served on the executive Board of the Suffolk Council as fund raiser for five years, Community service member at large as well as fellowship member at large. On a chapter level on the executive board as fundraiser member at large for 15 years and historical member at large. On the club level he has been Treasurer for nine years and Entertainment Member at large.

In his spare time; He has worked every week at soup kitchens and Nursing Homes for the past 11 years, helped establish 20 head start libraries on Long island, worked on the renovations at the Hollis House for which he won the Pioneer Foundation award, headed the annual Chapter Sweepstakes for the past 20 years, chapter calendar raffles for 10 years and also sold merchandise at company locations and town fairs for the past 10 years- raising over $50,000.00 dollars in the past 20 years. John also volunteers at many walkathons such as Aids, March of Dimes, and M.S. Besides selling food at the Mill Neck Apple Fest to help the Mill Neck School for the Deaf he also put his carpentry skills to good use at the 4H Camp, Hole in the Wall, and Camp Horizon. In the past 25 years he was awarded the Pioneer of the Year, Life Member of the Year, the Bill Fundus award for outstanding service as a future pioneer and certificates of Appreciation from St. Patrick's and Berkshire Nursing Home.

John Kaiser

Judy Tharp
Judy became a Pioneer in 1983, and has accrued over 87,000 community service hours. She has held many chairs on council, club and has given her service as chapter president for 4 years.
In keeping with Verizon's focus on education, in her term, along with the clubs and council, donated over 10,000 personalized books to children grades K-2. She promoted the Open Airways Program (teaching children with asthma how to understand and cope with their condition), and instituted the 911 simulator program.
Her dedication to volunteerism also includes crocheting of afghans, lap robes and baby blankets. She volunteers annually at walkathons, Mill Neck Manor Apple Festival, holiday parties and the collection of food and clothing for the underprivileged. This is just a glimpse of some of the activities she has been involved with over the past several years. She truly goes the extra mile whenever called upon exemplifying the true spirit of Pioneering.

1992		Bill Elsasser
1993		Anne Kopsky
1994		Joan M. Kaiser
1995		Donna Tranchina
1996		Mary K. Smith
1997		Louise Protosow
1998		Gerrie Fitzpatrick
2000		George Ambrosio
2001		Hank Nowicki
2002		Judy Tharp
2003		John Kaiser
2004		Charlie Coll
2005		Linda Steuerwald
2006		Joe Caruso
2007		Everett Meyer
2008		MerleSteiner
2009		Ralf Krause


Anne Kopsky Anne worked for New York Telephone for 37 years in the traffic department. In 1966, Anne became a Pioneer and then a life member upon her retirement. Although deeply involved in all aspects of Pioneering, Anne's major achievement has been fundraising for Paumanok. Through her efforts, she has generated thousands of dollars for her club and the chapter. She also has held the position of president for her Sewanhaka Life Member Club. Anne has love, sincerity and devotion to Pioneering

Joan M. Kaiser Joan has made superior contributions to advancing the purpose and objectives of Pioneering over an extensive time span. She has been a Pioneer since 1979 and helped establish Paumanok Chapter. She has served as Council President, Chapter President and Life Member Representative, to name a few. She won the Pacesetter award for her work at A.P.P.L.E., a drug rehabilitation center, but has been recognized numerous times for her volunteering all over Long Island and beyond. One would be hard pressed to name a project that Joan was not involved with throughout the years. When there is a project going on, you can be sure Joan will be there. Now a Life member, she works tirelessly doing administrative work for the chapter while still keeping her community service as busy as ever.