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Friday, December 4, 2020
Vol. 80, No. 49
Syosset Chamber mourns loss of board member
TOP 100 SCHOOL
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Syosset High School Syosset High School has been named one of the Top 100 Schools by the National Speech
Photo Credit: Syosset Central School District and Debate Association (NSDA). This is the most prestigious membership award the Associa-
tion can bestow on a school and is based on the high number of See page 14
Ways to celebrate the season (without large group gatherings) Due to the pandemic there are no holiday period gatherings of size planned by the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce and other local merchants this year. The annual downtown Syosset Tree Lighting and Holiday Spectacular event, which normally features performers from local dance
troupes, students of the Syosset Central School District and more has been cancelled for 2020. However this weekend, on Saturday December 5, the tree located at Sterling National Bank at 50 Jackson Avenue in Syosset (opposite the train station) will be lit up. Chamber President Maureen
Nickel, a longtime Woodbury resident and owner of BrightStar Home Health Care, tells the Advance and News-Journal: “Normally the Chamber would invite the entire community to our annual Tree Lighting Spectacular but due to safety and physical distancing protoSee page 14
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The members of the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce were shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Chamber board member Debra Parisi on Monday, November 16, at the age of 61. Debra was an active member of the Chamber board of directors for over 22 years, since its founding in 1998, and she worked tirelessly on behalf of the Syosset, Woodbury and Huntington communities. Parisi was recognized as an experienced Realtor with Signature Premier Properties, with her office at 33 Jackson Avenue, “downtown” and just north of the LIRR station and tracks. The Chamber, its executive officers and its membership both past and present remember her as a professional working in and around Syosset. Syosset Woodbury Chamber president Maureen Nickel, who saw firsthand Parisi’s commitment to Syosset/Woodbury, members of the business community and overall economic vitality of the local market, reflected on her passing in late November. “Debra will always be remembered for her gentle manner and profound kindness. Without hesitation, Debra would lend her expertise, her time and talent whenever possible. She was a wonderful friend and board colleague and working with her over the years brought laughter and joy to the Chamber. To say she will be missed is an understatement,” Nickel told the Advance and News-Journal. Parisi was a fixture at nearly every Syosset Woodbury Chamber event, from monthly meetings and membership networking nights to special occasions such as the 2020 Chamber Officers’ Installation Dinner and the Chamber’s 20th Anniversary Gala evening. Chamber Vice President Danielle K. Delgrosso shared sweet memories of Parisi as a “wam, loving, and thoughtful member of the Syosset Woodbury community, and as a dear friend” of hers. Delgrosso is assistant Vice President at Roslyn Savings Bank - a division of New York Community Bank -- with her office just seconds up the block from Parisi’s Signature Premier Properties See page 14
Syosset Model UN team wins awards PAGE 4 Novel ways to give the gift of travel PAGE 17