Vol. 82, No. 19
Friday, May 13, 2022
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When you’re ready for a change, I’m ready to h elp.
Tricia Shanno
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Licensed Asso ciate Real Estate Bro ker tricia.shannon@ compas
M: 516.978.683 2 O: 516.517.486 6
s.com
Tricia Shannon is a Licensed Associate Real Compass is a Estate Broker Licensed Real affiliated with Estate Broker Compass. and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity Laws .
FIRE DEPARTMENT INSTALLATION
Brothers create nationwide tutoring service BY GARY SIMEONE
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino recently attended the Jericho Fire Department Installation Dinner to recognize volunteers, officers and honor outgoing Chief John Lottes for 30 years of service to the community. Chief Lottes has held numerous positions including Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, Captain, Second Assistant Chief, First Assistant Chief and Chief of Department.
“Art in the Park” Craft Sale
The Town of Oyster Bay will be holding a new “Art in the Park” Craft Sale on Saturday, May 21, at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park & Beach in Oyster Bay. At the event, local artists and artisans will sell hand-crafted goods, ceramics, watercolors, and more, while live music, food trucks, and activities for kids will also be available for families. “We are excited to host the Town of Oyster Bay’s first-ever “Art in the Park” craft sale. Featuring hand-crafted goods, ceramics, watercolors, glass, jewelry, wood, leather, sculpture, and other beautiful items designed by local vendors, the event will offer some-
thing special for everyone and provides the perfect opportunity to purchase a handmade gift while supporting our small businesses,” Art in the Park is run by the Town’s Department of Community & Youth Services, Cultural and Performing Arts Division. It will be held on Saturday, May 21 (Rain Date of Sunday, May 22), from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park & Beach in Oyster Bay. Additional information is available on the Town’s website at www. oysterbaytown.com/capa or by calling (516) 797-7925.
The Jericho Syosset News Journal is published every Friday by Litmor Publishing Corp. Periodical Postage paid at Hicksville, N.Y. 11801Telephone 931-0012 - USPS 3467-68 Postmaster: Send Address Change to: The Syosset Jericho News Journal, 821 Franklin Ave., Suite 208, Garden City, N.Y. 11530 • Meg Norris Publisher
It was in March of 2020, right as the Covid-19 pandemic was picking up steam, when two brothers from Plainview decided to launch an online tutoring service. Mitchell and Zachary Meyer, two Plainview-Old Bethpage High School students, initially created Blast Off Tutoring as a way to complete community service hours for induction into the National Honors Society. “At the time, obviously there was no way for us to get our in-school hours for induction, so we had to think outside of the box to offer services to the community,” said Mitchell, now a senior at Plainview-Old Bethpage. “My brother and I had always done peer tutoring, so we worked it out with the NHS to put together a virtual tutoring platform to streamline the process.” With the help of his brother Zach, who had a background in web development, the duo formed Blastofftutoring.com. The online service was a way to provide students with free online tutoring sessions by their peers while giving community service opportunities for students looking to bolster their resumes. “As everyone knows, tutoring can be an expensive endeavor, and this online service offers free tutor-
ing sessions not just to school districts on Long Island, but to students all across the country,” said Mitchell. He said that last year was about getting the data sent out and getting the website up and fully operational. “Really, the beginning of this year was when we really got going, with services like virtual video chatting and whiteboard, and when a lot of students across the country joined the site.” According to his data, there are 412 total students on the website, with about half of them being tutors. Blast Off has tutors and students from all across the country joined on from Long Island to states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Michigan and Indiana. “On the site we have what’s called an inter-school platform and a national platform, where both tutors and students can connect from not just one school district, but from multiple school districts throughout the country,” said Mitchell. When students sign on to the website, they can connect with other students and tutors, and after each session, tutors will receive points for their community service hours as part of National Honors Society requirements.
'Back the Blue' ribbon campaign PAGE 3 Upcoming events at Jericho Library PAGE 8