December 21, 2022 - January 3, 2023 Nassau Zone 2

Jeffrey Pravato and Assemblyman Michael Durso joined the United States Marines Corp. in hosting Long Island’s largest

Toys for

Collection Drive.

Town And Marines Collect Over

for the less fortunate.

4th. In total, the Town of Oyster Bay collected over 30,000 toys

Supervisor Saladino stated, “The 30,000 of toys collected at this ‘CruiseThru Holiday Toy Drive’ and by the Town of Oyster Bay will bring giant smiles to the faces of children this holiday season. I thank our residents for opening their hearts and wallets to generously give back to children in need during the holidays. This collection drive was the all-time largest single day collection on Long Island and demonstrated the love

our community has for others.”

For those who still wish to donate an unwrapped toy, please visit collection boxes throughout the Town at the following locations: Oyster Bay Town Hall North, 54 Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay; Town Hall South, 977 Hicksville Road, Massapequa; Ice Skating Center at Bethpage Community Park, 1001 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage. For more information, visit www.oysterbaytown.com.

Long Island Arts Alliance Honors Two Syosset High School Students

The Syosset Central School District is pleased to announce that two Syosset High School seniors, Phoebe Albro and Sabrina Guo, are among the 20 students selected to receive an Award of Merit in the Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA) annual Scholar-Artist program. The goal of the program is to honor and showcase high school seniors

who are exceptionally accomplished across five disciplines: Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance, and Media Arts.

Phoebe Albro is being recognized for her accomplishments in theater, and Sabrina Guo for her accomplishments in music.

Selections are made from a pool of students nominated by Long Island’s

public school districts, and from independent schools. The Scholar–Artist program is endorsed by the New York State School Music Association, the New York State Art Teachers Association, the Nassau and Suffolk chapters of the New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education, and the Nassau and Suffolk Art Supervisors Associations

OVER 30,000 TOYS FOR TOTS COLLECTED - Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Councilman Tom Hand, Councilman Steve Labriola, Councilwoman Laura Maier, Receiver of Taxes Jeffrey Pravato and Assemblyman Michael Durso joined the United States Marines Corp. in hosting Long Island’s largest ‘Cruise-Thru’ Toys for Tots Collection Drive at John Burns Town Park in Massapequa on December 3rd and 4th.

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Councilman Tom Hand, Councilman Steve Labriola, Councilwoman Laura Maier, Receiver of Taxes Jeffrey Pravato and Assemblyman Michael Durso joined the United States Marines Corp. in hosting Long Island’s largest ‘Cruise-Thru’ Toys for Tots Collection Drive at John Burns Town Park in Massapequa on December 3rd and

Helping You Help Others

By Noelle Lambert

The Charity of the Month for December is EAC Network

EAC Network is a non-profit organization that empowers, assists and cares for individuals in need. Their objective is to reach individuals within our community through innovative programs that improve quality of life. They have five service areas:

It’s the holiday season; a time to be jolly. A time particularly for children to be happy. On Wednesday, December 14th, EAC Network stepped up to support children in need on Long Island who otherwise would not have the possibility to celebrate this Holiday season like every child deserves to by hosting a Holiday Shopping Spree at Walmart in Farmingdale.

More than a hundred children and young adults, from 4 to 19 years old, were able to get a $100 gift card to spend on gifts of their choice. The event was organized in collaboration with Bethpage Federal Credit Union (BFCU) who donated $10,000 and Summit Health-CityMD, who donated $5,000.

Malik and Adrian, both 14 years old, were so grateful to be part of the shopping spree. With sparkles in their eyes as they explored the isles at Walmart and admired the different items on the shelves, their first stop was at the electronic game area, where they eagerly looked at different options available. The feeling of gratitude for the possibility to acquire a game or two, along with other items, was palpable.

Volunteers from Bethpage Federal Credit Union and Summit HealthCityMD spent the afternoon with each child to assist them as they purchased gifts.

After picking up a game, with excitement and humility Malik said, “I now have only one item in my cart, but I have what I was looking for and it feels good. It feels great.”

Sadly, the number of children in foster care is rising throughout the United States. These children are at a much higher risk of incarceration, teenage

pregnancy, substance abuse, lack of self-esteem and of ending up on public assistance. However, EAC Network’s Chance to Advance program works to bring meaningful change to the lives of at-risk children and youth in foster care by providing positive outlooks and enrichment opportunities through oneon-one mentoring as well as life skills workshops and activities, with the goal of assisting, caring and empowering children to take control of their lives.

If you are in need and believe you can benefit from any of EAC Network’s offerings, please contact Robert Stricoff, Chief Development Officer at EAC Network at Robert.Stricoff@eacnetwork.org or 631.433.1662.

EAC Staff & BCFU Volunteers at the Holiday Shopping Spree

Sign-In Station at the Holiday Shopping Spree

Legislator Drucker Celebrates First-Week Success Of Winter Coat Drive

In its first week, the annual coat drive hosted by Nassau County Legislator Arnold W. Drucker (D - Plainview) has already netted dozens of donations for the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless. “At the dawn of a new holiday season, it is so wonderful to witness the tremendous generosity of Nassau County residents on display,” Legislator Drucker said. “Thanks to

these contributions, our coat drive is already off to a tremendously successful start - but our work has just begun. I encourage every resident to give what they can in support of our collective mission of ensuring that everyone has the warm winter coat that they need and deserve.”

Donors can continue to make their contributions at designated drop-off locations at the Syosset

Public Library, 225 S. Oyster Bay Road, Syosset, N.Y. 11791 and the Jericho Public Library, 1 Merry Lane, Jericho N.Y. 11753 during normal business hours through Wednesday, Dec. 21. Anyone interested in donating a coat can contact Legislator Drucker’s office at 516571-6216 or adrucker@ nassaucountyny.gov for details.

-

Clerk Rich

celebrated the success of the

Collection Drive in partnership with the Massapequa-based “Big Hy for Heroes” organization. Thanks to residents’ overwhelming generosity, DVDs will now be sent to those deployed and serving overseas in the United States Armed Forces, along with children in children’s hospitals. Chaplains, Commanding Officers, Sergeant Majors and Sergeants around the globe will oversee their distribution and arrange movie nights this holiday season. Supervisor Saladino also honored the Big Hy for Heroes Organization. Founded in 2002 by Massapequa resident and WWII veteran Hyman Strachman with the help of his son Arthur Strachman, Big Hy for Heroes has shipped hundreds of thousands of DVDs all around the world, and continues to do so today.

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Town

LaMarca

Town’s DVD

WINTER COAT DRIVE - Pictured above on Wednesday, Nov. 23, Legislator Drucker and officials at the Syosset Public Library display some of the donations that have already come in. Photo courtesy of the Office of Legislator Arnold W. Drucker

Legislator Lafazan, Jericho HS Unveils Anatomage Table

Joshua A. Lafazan (DWoodbury) joined with Jericho Union Free School District Superintendent Hank Grishman and Jericho High School teachers and students on Friday, Nov. 18 to unveil the district’s new anatomage table - a cutting-edge teaching tool that was purchased utilizing $75,000 in Community Revitalization

Program (CRP) funds.

Anatomage tables are equipped with a virtual library of human and animal cadavers, and in medical settings, can be used as a clinical diagnostic tool because of how it allows for the visualization of any Medical CT, CBCT or MRI scan.

“With this state-of-theart technology, students will now be able to use

this table to virtually dissect cadavers, practice procedures, and gain a greater understanding of the human anatomy that will serve them well in their scientific studies,” Legislator Lafazan said.

“It is always a pleasure to work with our local school districts to enrich the classroom experiences that are available to our students.”

Local Artist Finds New Success

Kristen Hadjoglou, a local artist from Eastport, New York, truly offers something different to the marketplace. Her signature personalized hand-made coloring books are what really launched her career as an artist, but she has expanded to offer various other products as well.

“I was born an artist,” said Kristen. “I always knew that growing up. I attended Rhode Island School of Design, where I earned a Bachelors of Fine Art in Painting. From there, I worked in multiple industries where I was able to express myself creatively. Life surprisingly led me into obtaining a career as a Financial Advisor, which has been very fulfilling since helping others is something I’ve always been passionate about.” However, Hadjoglou never lost her passion for the arts.

As a long-time Eastport resident, she grew attached to many of the local businesses and what made the town so unique. “One day I drew a few pictures on a couple of pages as a gift for our local general store, and it quickly turned into an entire hand-drawn coloring book, which spotlighted the main destinations in the town. What started as a fun project

I worked on in my downtime turned into something that ended up being sold in local businesses and even on Amazon. People love to open up a physical book and see visuals that bring back special memories, and I love being a part of that.”

Since then, Kristen started her own company, Underdog Nation, where she sells her coloring books, stickers, clothing items, journals, puzzles and other fun gifts (such as crayons in the shape of people and stars)! With recent success, she is starting to focus more and more on her career as an artist. The best part is that Kristen can make something for any age group to enjoy.

“I recently finished a project with the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, which was a custom coloring book that’s filled with drawings of local businesses. It brought the Chamber Members together in a special way and is being sold around

Patchogue.” Another special project Kristen recently produced is a personalized coloring book that was used by a local fireman’s foundation for fundraising efforts.

“If you dream it, I can probably find a way to make something fun with it,” said Kristen.

“Whether it’s a single page or a full book, everything I draw is by hand in my personal style and reflects how much I care about the project. I’ve been inspired by all things local and historic, and it’s been fun to find a new way to teach kids in our community about local history. Some other projects I’ve worked on came from my love of my Gen X childhood, whether that be vintage toys, movie quotes, thrift shopping or collecting. Each project differs, but I absolutely love what I do, and that means I usually get things done pretty fast! I’m living that dream phrase, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ Looks like I’m almost there.”

If you, your business, Chamber of Commerce, town or the like are interested in more information, please contact Kristen today at 631.245.8090 or kkhudn@ gmail.com.

You can also visit her website at www. underdognation.io.

ANATOMAGE TABLE UNVEILED -Nassau County Legislator Joshua A. Lafazan (D - Woodbury) joined with Jericho Union Free School District Superintendent Hank Grishman and Jericho High School teachers and students on Friday, Nov. 18 to unveil the district’s new anatomage table - a cutting-edge teaching tool that was purchased utilizing $75,000 in Community Revitalization Program (CRP) funds. Photo courtesy of the Office of Legislator Joshua A. Lafazan

Nassau County Legislator

How To Make Christmas Eve Special For Kids

Free Musical Performances At Local Libraries

Oyster Bay Town Councilman Steve Labriola announced that the Distinguished Artists Concert Series will continue through May 2023 with free performances at local libraries throughout the Town.

“The Distinguished Artists Concert Series provides free musical and dance programs for the enjoyment of our

residents,” said Councilman Labriola. “I encourage residents to take advantage of these wonderful performances offered by the Town for free at local libraries.”

Scheduled performance: Copperline on Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 3:00 pm at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library –Performing the music of

James Taylor. The Distinguished Artists Concert Series is sponsored by the Cultural and Performing Arts (CAPA) Division of the Town of Oyster Bay’s Department of Community & Youth Services. For the full concert schedule and further information, please call (516) 797-7925 or visit www. oysterbaytown.com/CAPA.

Winter 2023 Toddler Arts And Crafts Program

Online Registration Begins January 3rd

Christmas Eve is viewed differently by different people, even those who live under the same Santaready roof. Adults may see Christmas Eve as crunch time when they must prepare food for the next day or set up presents for their children to open in the morning. Children, on the other hand, are focused on Santa’s visit and little else.

Parents naturally want to make Christmastime as special as possible for their children, and that may involve ensuring that Christmas Eve is just as memorable as Christmas Day. The following are some ways to impart more magic on Christmas Eve celebrations.

birth of Christ when the calendar switches over to December 25. While it does make for a late night, it can be thoughtprovoking for kids and a unique experience, unlike any other.

Bake Fresh Cookies

Children like to leave out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. That makes Christmas Eve a perfect time to whip up a fresh batch of cookies. Explore different recipes to come up with a unique offering each year.

Read a Christmas story

mood.

Make A Batch Of ‘Reindeer Dust’

Why should Santa’s reindeer be left out when it comes to receiving treats? Reindeer dust, made from a combination of oatmeal, rice cereal, dried fruits, and glitter (if desired), is purported to attract Santa’s reindeer and provide them a nibble at the same time. Plus, it’s generally safe for other animals in the yard to eat.

Go Caroling

Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Vicki Walsh announces that the Town’s Toddler Arts & Crafts Program will return for Winter 2023, beginning on January 31, 2023. This 6-week program offers classes at the Town’s Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center Community Room and Hicksville Athletic Center, and is open to children ages 2 through 4.

“The Town’s Toddler Arts & Crafts Program is a wonderful way to help support your toddler’s development through nurturing their artistic expression,” said Councilwoman Walsh. “Classes will certainly fill up quickly as this program offers children a great wintertime activity.”

The Toddler Arts & Crafts Program is 6 weeks in duration, beginning January

31st, and residents who sign their toddler up for the program must choose one class per week, per child. Classes will take place on:

• Tuesdays at 10am for two-year olds and 11am for three-and-four-year olds at the Hicksville Athletic Center in Hicksville;

• Wednesdays at 10am for two-year olds and 11am for three-and-four-year olds at the Ice Skating Center Community Room in Bethpage; and

• Thursdays at 10am for two-year olds and 11am for three-and-four-year olds at the Ice Skating Center Community Room in Bethpage.

Registration will take place online at www. oysterbaytowncom/parks starting Tuesday, January 3rd at 9am. Residents must create an account on this

website to register their child and upload proof of residency and the child’s birth certificate. Registration will close when the program reaches full capacity.

Each class is approximately 30-45 minutes. The cost of the program is $35 per child who is a Town resident, and $45 per child whose care giver is a Town resident but not the child. A guardian must be present during the class. A smock and supplies will be provided.

The Toddler Arts & Crafts Program is run by the Town’s Parks Department, Recreation Division.  For further information, please call (516) 797-7945.

PUZZLE ANSWERS:

Attend Mass At

Midnight Practicing Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. On Christmas Eve, churches often hold celebrations that may include lateevening or midnight masses that celebrate the

Watching television or looking at a tablet or mobile phone before bed can be too stimulating when it’s time for children to wind down for bed. Choose a holiday tale or tales that can be read as a Christmas Eve bedtime story. Reciting the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas)” is a great way to set the Christmas Eve

Caroling may not be the norm, but some families may want to revive it. Close-knit communities can organize family-centric caroling opportunities and roam the cul-de-sacs and other pedestrian-friendly areas singing popular songs.

Christmas Eve is a great time to embrace various traditions that help to make the season even more special.