Massapequa Career Fair Opens A World Of Possibilities
The post-graduation options are aplenty for Massapequa High School
Happy Holidays
students, who recently got to explore multiple pathways for success at the 16th annual Career Fair on Dec. 5. Hundreds of students stopped by the upper gymnasium during the twohour event, which included about 50 vendors.
classes came to the fair, along with 28 Berner students in the Technology Club and seventh and eighth grade Robotics Clubs.
representatives from more than 100 colleges, both locally and throughout the country.
This year’s Career Fair included businesses, colleges and trade schools, as well as branches of the Armed Forces, emergency services, BOCES programs and local organizations. Each table included a sign-up sheet for students interested in learning more about those respective opportunities, so the school could help connect them for internships, mentorships, facilities tours and more.
School-to-Career Coordinator Denise DeLury said that the event featured something for everyone, with careers that students can enter right out of high school, to professions that require master’s degrees.
In addition to the high school’s 10th, 11th and 12th graders, several students from the Ames Campus and Berner Middle School attended. Nearly 40 ninth graders from Design and Drawing for Production
Students could attend panel discussions in the cafeteria, which allowed them to learn about apprenticeships, engineering and nursing. Each session featured practical advice along with time for questions.
The event also showcased several career-focused programs at Massapequa High School such as business education and culinary arts.
The Career Fair followed a pair of college fairs in September, which featured
“The annual Career Fair gave students a wonderful opportunity to network with educators and professionals in a wide array of fields,” Superintendent Dr. William Brennan said. “The Massapequa experience is all about nurturing the individual aspirations of our students and providing them with the necessary tools to achieve success. The Career Fair showcased the wealth of options that our learners and leaders can take to achieve post-high school success.”
Massapequa Superintendent Dr. William Brennan greeted students at the 16th annual Career Fair on Dec. 5 at Massapequa High School, featuring about 50 vendors. Photo courtesy of the Massapequa School District
DECEMBER HAPPENINGS
THROUGH DEC. 31st (Daily)
ANIMIATED CHILDREN'S WALKTHROUGH STORY
Hicks Nurseries, 100 Jericho Turnpike in Westbury. Open during normal store hours. Located in the Christmas Gallery. The Christmas story features Santa, his elves and friends as they prepare for the big day! Please bring a donation of a non-perishable food item(s) for Long Island Cares and it drop off at the end of the walkthrough. Free Event. For more information, please call 516- 334-0066
THROUGH JAN. 1st (Daily)
PORT JEFFERSON FESTIVAL OF TREES at Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 East Broadway in Port Jefferson. Free Event. See beautifully decorated Trees by local businesses, groups, and non-profits! This event is presented by The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. Title Sponsor - Hanover Bank. Co-Sponsor: The Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson. For more information, please call 631-4731414
THROUGH JAN. 4th (Daily)
12:00NOON-3:00PM
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday ANNUAL MODEL TRAIN DISPLAY
The Town of Babylon History Museum and Babylon Town Historical Society, feature an interactive model train display (240 sq. ft.) that highlights historic points of interest from around the Town of Babylon. Admission is FREE. The
MAKE A SUBMISSION! Events must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event date and will run free of charge on a space available basis. For more information, please call 631.226.2636 x275 or send events to editorial@longislandmediagroup.com
Town History Museum is located at the historic Old Town Hall, built in 1918 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. For more information, please call 631-587-3750
THURSDAY, DEC. 18th
6:00PM-7:45PM WINTER GREENERY WORKSHOP
At the Wantagh Public Library, 3285 Park Avenue in Wantagh. A winter greenery workshop to celebrate the season! RSVP to PaumanackeGC@ gmail.com to receive details and to register. Lite refreshments will be served after the workshop.
SATURDAY, DEC. 20th
6:00PM-10:30PM
BRUMIDI’S CHRISTMAS PARTY at Sons & Daughters of Italy, 2075 Deer Park Ave. in Deer Park. For more information and reservations, please call Linda at 516-356-0949, www.sonsofitalyli.com
MONDAY, DEC. 29th
9:00AM-3:00PM
HOLIDAY DISCOVERY DAYS 2025 Sweetbriar Nature Center will be offering daily natural science programs over the school breaks for elementary school children from 9:00am-3:00pm.. Each day will be a different natural science theme. Each day is chock-filled with fun hands-on activities, interaction with our resident non-releasable wildlife, crafts, games, and much more. Sweetbriar Nature Center is located at 62 Eckernkamp Drive in Smithtown. For more information, please call 631-979-6344
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31st
11:00AM-12:00NOON NAUTICAL NEW YEAR
Did you know the New Year's Eve ball is based on an old nautical timekeeping tradition? Join us to countdown to 12 noon, and enjoy festive self-serve crafts all day during gallery hours. Included with Admission. The Whaling Museum & Education Center Of Cold Spring Harbor, 279 Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. For more information, please call 516.282.6426, 631.367.3418 x12, Email cainslie@cshwhalingmuseum. org
6:30PM-8:00PM
EARLY NEW YEAR'S EVE BALL DROP/ CELEBRATION
Farmingdale Village is hosting an Early, Family Friendly New Year's Eve Celebration - Ring in 2026 with a New Year’s Eve free celebration. Free admission, free hot cocoa, free noisemakers .& Live Music ... on the Village Green, 361 Main St, weather permitting. Bring family & friendsall ages. Thanks to the Farmingdale Business Improvement District, Farmingdale Village Fire Department, Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, Farmingdale Village Board, all involved. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ events/32564875029824369
8:00PM-1:00AM
RING IN THE NEW YEAR
Brumidi Lodge-Sons & Daughters of Italy, 2075 Deer Park Ave. in Deer Park. For more information, please call Linda 516-356-0949, wwsonsofitalyli.com
The Origins Of Christmas Stockings
The holiday season is rife with tradition. Some holiday traditions, such as holiday lighting displays, are easy to notice, while others are more subtle and possibly even unknown to many celebrants. One tradition that falls into the latter category involves the placing of oranges into Christmas stockings. The origins of Christmas stockings are rooted in legend and one of the more popular tales involves a widowed father of three beautiful girls. According to Smithsonian.com, this father struggled to make ends meet and was concerned that his financial struggles would affect his daughters' ability to find a spouse. As the legend goes, St. Nicholas was wandering through the man's town and heard of his concerns. Recognizing that the man was unlikely to accept charity, St. Nicholas slid down the chimney of his house and placed three gold balls in the girls' recently laundered stockings, which were hanging by the fire to dry. The value of the gold balls, which were discovered the following morning, was enough to ensure the girls could eventually wed. So what does that have to do with oranges? Those who wanted to replicate the tale could not so easily come upon gold balls to place in stockings, so they chose something similar in appearance: oranges.
Celebrate Christmas
It’s time to Start a New Chapter in Life! Join us for Liftoff and go on a New Mission.
Thursday Morning, December 25th 11am Mission Possible
Buckle up as we look into the amazing story that has been told for over two thousand years. On that rst Christmas night, God sent His own Son to earth in the form of a baby, to offer us the gift of eternal life and a relationship with Him. It truly was a holy night and the great news is that God is still with us today and has great plans for us to ful ll and enjoy. Blast off with us and take a leap of faith and begin to see the miraculous working in your life!
Aidan Alonso Dominic Antonelli Giovanni Antonelli Lucas Banushi
Jon Burik
Chris Bascetta Joe Brooks Alex Bartolo
Tyler Byrnes Aiden Carozza
Michael Castellano Ryan Chabus
Kieran Connolly
Jackson Crudele Ryan Decker Anthony Di Nello Massimo D’Onofrio Aiden Enright Gavin Farley
Justin Farrell Sean Florentz Luke Garguilo Shane Gein Brady Gilchrist Casey Gilchrist
Lorenzo Giliberti Luke Hutchinson Michael Ippolito Ethan Kaminskey
Ryan Knapp Brady Kemper
Joey LoBello Nick Lopez Michael Mauceri
Jason LaRosa
Cole Melillo
Dylan Milio
Christian O’Hara Joe Palmer
Andrew Pedalino
Jack Mulligan
Kellen Reilly
Logan Sakowski
Danny Schiereck
Dean Scicutella Blake Seidenstein
Nick Scannapieco
Sean Smith
Jake Spina
Tristan Tarasi Chase Tirino Alex Van Schuyler
Giovanni Tarasi
Michael Verdi
Eddie Waldron
Nolan Wieczorek Matt Wipperman
Carlo Kurz
Dan Walsh
Cole Villalta
George Zouloufis
Peter Konstantinakos
Massapequa Unites To Keep Youth Healthy And Safe MTAC Spearheads Red Ribbon Week And National Drug Take Day Efforts
This fall, Massapequa residents participated in substance misuse prevention activities with Massapequa Takes Action Coalition (MTAC) in observance of Red Ribbon Week and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Take Back Day.
Red Ribbon Week is a yearly, national prevention campaign that runs from October 23rd to the 31st and serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth, promote healthy choices and encourage participation in substance misuse
prevention. This year’s theme “Life is a Puzzle, Solve it Drug Free!” guided local activities across the district and community.
Schools across Massapequa celebrated Red Ribbon Week (RRW) with a variety of engaging activities. Elementary and middle school PTAs organized coloring projects and bulletin board displays featuring decorated puzzle pieces with drug-free messages. Elementary schools also held daily RRW themes, encouraging students to dress up each day. At the middle and high schools, SADD clubs led
Registration
Oyster Bay Town Councilman Lou Imbroto invites residents to participate in the Town of Oyster Bay’s Winter Athletic Programs for basketball, badminton, and volleyball, which kickoff in the new year. All athletic programs run for 10 weeks, are co-ed, and are open to individuals 18 and over. Online registration for Town residents visit www. oysterbaytown.com/sports.
“The Town’s athletic programs offer a great
opportunity for residents to take to the court, improve their skills, and make new friends,” said Councilman Imbroto. “We have various sessions scheduled for each sport, giving residents several opportunities to have fun while staying active.”
Basketball pickup games will be held on Thursdays from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturdays from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and Sundays from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., beginning
morning announcements to highlight the purpose of RRW. At Massapequa High School, the Chief Challengers club decorated MTAC-provided puzzle pieces with prompts like “I stay drug-free by…” and “I stay healthy by…,” which were displayed as a visual reminder of the community’s commitment to prevention. Community efforts included local businesses such as Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Bagel Cafe and Eatery, Memory Nail and Spa, Umberto’s, Leonardo’s Pizza and Restaurant and The Coffee Grind putting red
ribbons on their windows and displaying drug take back flyers. MTAC also hosted a Drug Take Back Event on Saturday, October 25th at YES Community Counseling Center in Massapequa, partnering with Legislator Kennedy, the ELKS and Nassau County 7th Precinct Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Unit with over 150 attendees. The National event provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of unused or expired medications, while also educating the general public about the potential for misuse of medications and
how community members can prevent accidental ingestion, injury, or overdose in the home. MTAC’s next Take Back event will be held in April 2026, but residents are encouraged to visit any Nassau County Police Department and dispose of them in a drop box in the lobby year round or the DEA’s website (https://www. dea.gov) to locate secure medication collection sites.
About MTAC Since 1997, MTAC has collaborated with Massapequa Public Schools, parents, residents, law enforcement, clergy, private and non-profit agencies, businesses and
Open For Winter Sports programs
on January 4, 2026. The Basketball program runs 10weeks and costs $40 for residents and $75 for nonresidents.
Badminton is offered in two sessions, of which registrants select one. Classes start Sunday, January 4, 2026. Session 1 takes place Tuesdays from 8:45 p.m. to 10:05 p.m., Fridays from 8:45 p.m. to 10:05 p.m., and Sundays from 6:10 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. Session 2 takes place Tuesdays from 10:15 p.m.
to 11:35 p.m., Fridays from 10:15 p.m. to 11:35 p.m., and Sundays from 8:20 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. The Badminton program is 10 weeks long and costs $90 for residents and $125 for non-residents.
Volleyball is offered in one of two sessions. The first session will be held on Mondays from 8:45 p.m. to 10:05 p.m., Wednesdays from 8:45 p.m. to 10:05 p.m., and Saturdays from 6:10 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. The second session will take
place on Mondays from 10:15 p.m. to 11:35 p.m., Wednesdays from 10:15 p.m. to 11:35 p.m., and Saturdays from 8:20 p.m. to 10:20 p.m.. The volleyball program is 10 weeks long, costs $90 for residents and $125 for non-residents, and is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 5, 2026.
Registration is available by visiting oysterbaytown. com/sports. You must upload proof of residency (tax or utility bill) and a valid identification
federal, state and local governments to enhance efforts to prevent substance misuse and to promote a healthy Massapequa. We live in challenging times with a drug epidemic that must be faced head on through guidance, support and education. Working together, MTAC and the Massapequa community promote a healthy Massapequa by addressing drug use, underage drinking and addiction so our youth grow up drug free. For more information about MTAC, visit www. mtacoalition.org
card such as a driver’s license. Proof of residency is required for resident discount. The schedule is subject to change – if a session is cancelled, makeup day(s) will be attempted.
For more information, or to inquire about special holiday scheduling, please call (516) 797-7945 or email tobparks@oysterbayny.gov.
Members of Massapequa Takes Action Coalition pictured with bags of prescription medication collected at the coalition’s Drug Take Back Event.
The Red Ribbon Week display set up in Massapequa High School (Main Campus) by members of the Chief Challengers.
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Give The Gift Of Life By Donating Blood On December 23rd
With hospitals facing a nationwide blood shortage, Oyster Bay Town Clerk Richard LaMarca invites residents to attend a Blood Collection Drive on Tuesday, December 23rd, from 1 pm to 7 pm at the Hicksville Athletic Center, located at 167 S. Broadway in Hicksville.
Clerk LaMarca stated, “Blood supplies are critically needed for local hospitals to meet the demand and continue saving lives. Please consider participating in this blood drive to help bolster our blood banks and ensure as many people as possible can be helped. Together, we can give the gift of life through a simple blood donation.”
Appointments are preferred for the Town’s Blood Drive. To qualify as a donor, a person must be between the ages of 17 and 75 years old (16 with parental permission and 76 or older with a doctor’s note), weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have donated
Massapequa School District To Host Special Olympics
Spring Games On May 2, 2026
Partnership With Special Olympics New York
Massapequa School
District is excited to announce that a date has been set for the Long Island Region of Special Olympics New York Spring Games!
On Saturday, May 2, 2026, the district will host the first of two annual Spring Games as part of a new partnership with Special Olympics New York and thousands of spectators and volunteers for an unforgettable celebration of athleticism, inclusion and community spirit.
The district’s Berner
Major Regional Competition To Massapequa Community
Middle School will serve as the venue for the major competitions, providing a premier setting for athletes to showcase their talents and determination. From the Opening Ceremony to when the final medals are handed out, the games are certain to be a festive and inclusive community event, uniting students, families and neighbors in support of these incredible athletes.
“We are honored to host the Special Olympics New York Spring Games and to partner with Special
Olympics New York and the Town of Oyster Bay to make this event possible,” said Superintendent of Massapequa School District Dr. William Brennan. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students and community to witness firsthand the power of sports to inspire, unite and celebrate the abilities of all individuals.”
The Spring Games will feature a variety of athletic competitions and will offer numerous opportunities for community members
to get involved, including volunteer roles, fundraising efforts and event sponsorships. Local businesses, organizations and families are invited to be part of this inspiring event.
“We are thrilled to bring the Spring Games to Massapequa and to partner with a community that so clearly shares our passion for inclusion,” said Stacey Hengsterman, President & CEO of Special Olympics New York. “When schools and
SOUTH BAY’S NEIGHBOR SERVICE DIRECTORY
blood within the last 56 days. Anyone who received a tattoo within the past three months is ineligible to donate. It is recommended that donors eat well (low-fat) and drink fluids in the days before the Blood Drive. Additionally, all donors will receive a voucher for a free Blizzard at Dairy Queen.
Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino added, “It’s quick, easy, and safe to donate a single pint of blood, which can save up to three lives. Donating blood at the Hicksville Athletic Center is an incredible way for all of us to pitch in and give back, to help ease the burden of our Healthcare Heroes as they continue to provide lifesaving efforts.”
For additional information regarding the Town’s Blood Drive, contact (516) 624-6380. To make an appointment to donate at this Blood Drive, sign up today at www. oysterbaytown.com/blooddrive
local leaders come together to celebrate our athletes, they create more than just a day of competition. They embrace a culture of acceptance, respect, and joy that extends far beyond the playing field.”
“The Special Olympic Spring Games provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase the hard work, dedication, talents, and tremendous athletic achievements of these special athletes, while also paving the way to eliminate social barriers
and stereotypes differentlyabled individuals face,” added Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “The Town of Oyster Bay is very proud to be a partner with Special Olympics New York and thank the Massapequa School District for their assistance in making this year’s event a great success.”
Additional information about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities and ways to support the games will be available in the coming months.
