Amityville Herald Record 07-30-2026

HERALD AMITYvIlle

ReCORD

Also serving Amityville, North Amityville, Amity Harbor, Copiague, and East Massapequa

ASD Schools hold reorg meeting

By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com

The Amityville Board of Education welcomed new leadership and returning members during its annual reorganization meeting on July 14, when trustees elected board officers, swore in new members and reaffirmed the district’s leadership for the 2026-27 school year.

Chris Nehring was sworn in as board president, succeeding Lisa Johnson, who did not seek reelection in May. Following the meeting, Nehring said his priority is to build consensus among board members and strengthen the district’s shared vision.

“I will work with the rest of the board to focus on our shared purposes,” Nehring said.

Angel Davenport was sworn in as first vice president, while Cheryl Quintyne-Best took the oath of office as second vice president.

The board also welcomed three newly elect-

ed trustees — Davenport, Quintyne-Best and Dr. Equasia Yard-Jean — each of whom will serve three-year terms through June 30, 2029.

Michael McDonald, who was elected in May to fill the seat vacated by former trustee Caroline Fanning after her resignation in August 2025, continues his service on the board after being sworn in following the election.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gina Talbert also took the oath of office, beginning her fourth year leading the district.

The board additionally recognized Amityville Memorial High School students Katherine Martinez-Lopez and Sarai Mullings, who were sworn in as ex officio student board members for the 2026-27 school year. In their roles, the students will represent the perspectives of the district’s student body during board discussions and meetings.

State to begin L.I. road project

By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com

New York State has begun work on a series of transportation improvement projects across Long Island, including resurfacing Route 110 through parts of Amityville and Huntington and rehabilitating a runway at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the projects, which represent a combined $58 million investment in the region’s transportation infrastructure, aimed at improving road conditions, enhancing safety and increasing mobility for motorists, pedestrians and air travelers.

B280 curb ramps to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

“By renewing and upgrading our roadways, intersections and airports, we are laying the foundation to strengthen our economy, create jobs, and support communities across Long Island and the entire Empire State,” Hochul said.

y renewing and upgrading our roadways, intersections and airports, we are laying the foundation to strengthen our economy, create jobs, and support communities across Long Island and the entire Empire State.

One of the largest projects will focus on Route 110, where the state will invest $17.6 million to resurface the roadway between Sunrise Highway in Amityville and Baylis Road in the Town of Huntington. The project will renew 35.8 lane miles of pavement and upgrade more than

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL

Amityville Mayor Michael O’Neill said the portion of Route 110 south of Sunrise Highway is also need of repair, but that will be done as part of the Village’s Downtown Revitalization Street Project. That work will include a redesign of the roadway to slow traffic through the Village.

“We know the road south of Sunrise Highway is also in need of repairs and we are currently awaiting the engineers report on this project,” said O’Neill.

“We have an agreement on

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Photos courtesy of the Amityville Union Free School District

Amityville Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gina Talbert was sworn in for her fourth year during the board of education’s reorganization meeting on July 14.

Amityville schools name new fine arts director

The Amityville Union Free School District has appointed Kimberly Musial as its new director of fine and performing arts, bringing more than 15 years of experience in arts education, music instruction and district leadership.

Musial most recently served as director of fine and performing arts for the Huntington Union Free School District, where she oversaw districtwide arts initiatives across multiple schools. During her career, she has led curriculum development, supervised faculty teams, expanded student participation in fine arts programs and helped school districts earn recognition for excellence in music education. She has also overseen multimillion-dollar investments in arts facilities and developed professional learning opportunities for educators.

“We are excited to welcome Kimberly Musial to the Amityville family,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gina Talbert said in a news release. “Her passion for arts education, innovative leadership and commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for students align with our vision of educating the whole child. The arts inspire creativity, collaboration and confidence, and Musial’s experience will help strengthen and expand those opportunities for every student.”

Before moving into administration, Musial spent more than a decade directing orchestra programs in New York and Texas, where her students earned top honors at the New York State School Music Association, Long Island String Festival Association, All-State and All-County festivals.

“I am honored to lead this department as we grow our programs, instill a love of the arts in all students, deepen our ties with families, and rise together as One Tide. One Vision.,” Musial said.

A professional violist, Musial earned

a bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the University of Houston before completing graduate performance studies at the Longy School of Music. She also earned a master’s degree in arts administration from Shenandoah University and advanced certificates in music education from CUNY Queens College and educational administration from St. John’s University.

Outside of public education, Musial founded Luminous Sounds, a New Yorkbased professional string ensemble, and Ensemble Consulting Co., which mentors aspiring musicians through the college audition process and supports early-career music educators. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and worked with conductors including Kurt Masur, André Previn and John Rutter.

Amityville Rotary to host annual Duck Race fundraiser August 8

The Amityville Rotary Club will host its annual Duck Race fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 8, at noon at Amityville Beach.

The community event raises money for the club’s charitable fund, which supports local service projects and community initiatives.

Participants can enter the race by sponsoring rubber ducks for $25 each

or five ducks for $100. Cash prizes will be awarded to the first three ducks to cross the finish line: $500 for first place, $250 for second and $100 for third.

Businesses and community members can also support the event through three sponsorship levels.

To purchase ducks or learn more, visit tinyurl.com/yvepatp4.

Kids Need More school supply

Help children start the school year with confidence. Kids Need More, Motivational Recovery Environments, Inc. will be collecting school supplies for children and families facing serious illness and other challenges.

drive

To donate or drop-off supplies in Lindenhurst, please text (646) 907-8473. Items needed include notebooks, pencils and pens, paper, paper clips, folders, pencil sharpeners, pencil cases and little lunch bags. The drive ends Aug. 6.

Courtesy Amityville school district

Kimberly Musial was appointed as the Amityville Union Free School District’s new director of fine and performing arts.

AMERICA

By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com

As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, Long Island’s role in America’s history of innovation and exploration continues to resonate — from the Revolutionary War to the space race.

Few people can say they have lived their dream. Even fewer can say they have gone into space.

But Kevin Kregel, 58, an inductee into the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Long Island Space Hall of Fame in 2015, has managed to do both.

Kregel, who grew up in Amityville, was inducted June 8. “It’s real humbling,” Kregel said in discussing the honor. “Especially when it’s someplace where you grew up and it is with people like ‘Gabby’ Gabreski.”

Long Island played a major role in America’s aerospace history, particularly during the Apollo era, when Grumman Aerospace in Farmingdale built the lunar module that landed astronauts on the moon. Growing up nearby helped shape Kregel’s fascination with space exploration.

Kregel first served at RAF Lakenheath, a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, England, from 1980 to 1983, piloting the F-111 Aardvark, a supersonic, multipurpose tactical attack craft. After that he served as an exchange officer flying the Grumman A-6 Intruder (the A-6E) with the U.S. Navy, at NAS Whidbey Island, Seattle, and spent time aboard

To promote his 1912 presidential campaign, former President Theodore Roosevelt embarked on a whistle-stop tour across the country on behalf of the Progressive Party. Traveling by train, Roosevelt made brief stops in towns and cities, including one in Amityville, delivering speeches directly to voters from railroad platforms and train cars.

The tour allowed him to build grassroots support while championing progressive reforms, including labor protections and women’s suffrage.

Known for his energetic speaking style, Roosevelt drew large crowds and used the campaign to connect personally with Americans. His extensive whistle-stop tour marked a departure from more traditional campaign methods and helped redefine modern political campaigning.

the USS Kitty Hawk super carrier.

Long Island’s Kevin Kregel reaches for the stars Presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt stops on LI

When he was growing up on Long Island, Kregel was enveloped in science fiction novels, as the lunar module for the Apollo mission was just a stone’s throw away from his home by Grumman Aerospace in Farmingdale.

“It was always on the news,” Kregel said, “and I was just enthralled.”

Kregel’s journey into space began with a letter he wrote to NASA when he was 9 or 10 years old, he recalls. “I asked them what it took to become an astronaut,” recalls Kregel.

The answer? All the astronauts were all military and in engineering. Armed with that information, Kregel set out the plan for his future. “The number-one reason I went into the Air Force Academy was to become an astronaut,” Kregel said.

Herald File Photos

Kevin Kregel is shown accepting his award from Joss Stoff (curator); Andrew Parton, exec. director of Cradle; Kregel; Anthony Fabbo, vice president of Curtiss Wright, the event sponsor.

Photo courtey Amityville Historical Society Presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt speaks to Long Islanders during his whistle stop tour in 1928.

CRIME WATCH

West Babylon man arrested in child exploitation sting

A West Babylon man was one of two people arrested Friday in connection with an alleged attempt to sexually exploit children online, according to New York State Police.

The arrests were the result of a coordinated operation conducted over several days by Troop L’s Computer Crime Unit and members of the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Police said undercover investigators used advanced cyber investigative techniques to identify people who used

online platforms to communicate with individuals they believed were minors for the purpose of arranging in-person meetings to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Edwin Antonio Sabillon Jr., 24, of West Babylon, and Anik Conley-Das, 36, of Norwood, Massachusetts, were charged with attempted second-degree rape, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, and first-degree attempted dissemination of indecent materials to a minor, police said.

Nine arrested after East Farmingdale street takeover

Nine people, including men from Deer Park and West Islip, were arrested after an alleged street takeover in East Farmingdale on July 17, according to Suffolk County police.

Police said the Suffolk County Street Takeover Task Force learned through intelligence gathering and social media monitoring that a street takeover was planned in the Plainview-East Farmingdale area at about 11:30 p.m.

At approximately 11:40 p.m., numerous vehicles shut down Central Avenue while drivers allegedly operated recklessly, performed stunts and did donuts and burnouts in the roadway, police said.

Members of the task force

responded and arrested nine people, impounded 12 vehicles and issued 46 traffic tickets for various violations.

Charged with unlawful speed contest, a misdemeanor, were Brian Fortune, 22, of West Islip, and Joseph Miller, 18, of Deer Park. Also charged were Logan Woodwiss, 23, of Merrick; Devanny Alvarezcanela, 20, of Merrick; Christopher Sosa, 31, of Corona; Davon Chavesmariano, 26, of Brentwood; Justin Jadunandan, 20, of Jamaica; Dale Richardson, 30, of Uniondale; and Maher Jaghab, 21, of Merrick.

All nine are scheduled to appear in First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.

—Carolyn James

SELF HELP/ CRISIS HOTLINES

Bereavement Support Group

Bereavement Support Group hosted by Our Lady of Grace Church, 666 Albin Ave., West Babylon, every Saturday through November 8, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. For more information, contact John Laszewski 631 874-0210.

Food Pantry/Clothing Closet

Offered by Hands Across Long Island, Inc. (HALI), Food Pantry and Clothing Closet work together to alleviate hunger, address food insecurity, and fulfill the basic need for clothing within the surrounding community. By offering a diverse selection of food items and clothing options, we support individuals and families facing economic challenges while promoting dignity, sustainability, and community support in times of adver-

OPERATOR LEAVES SCENE OF ACCIDENT

North Amityville: The owner of vehicle parked on Timmins and Jefferson streets called police at 9 p.m., July 16 to report that someone had struck his vehicle and fled the scene. Police are investigating.

PETIT LARCENY

Copiague: Representatives of Target department store called police to report that an unidentified woman stole an assortment of items from the store July 15. The report was filed at 3:39 p.m. and police did not indicate what the items were, nor their value.

A man walked into the pork store on Oak Street July 15 at 3 p.m. and stole two food items. Ihor Hazryliuk 44, of 3 25 4th St., Copiague was arrested and charged in that incident. was later arrested by police and charged with burglary.

BURGLARY

North Amityville: A resident on Miller Avenue called police at 11 a.m., July 15 to report that someone had stolen a package that was left at the front door of her home.

CHECK SCAM

Deer Park: A resident on Burt Lane called police to advise them that he/she had sent a check through the mail and that it had been intercepted and rewritten to another person in the amount of

$18,602. The victim notified the bank of the incident. For more information on reporting or preventing becoming the victim of a scam, go to: suffolkpd.org/ Information-and-Policies/SCAM-Alerts

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Copiague: Someone stole tools from a vehicle that was parked on Great Neck Rd., July 13. The theft was reported at 5 p.m.

ARRESTS

Driving While Intoxicated/Impaired

Malike Faines Spencer, 32, of 6 Spruce Rd., North Amityville; Christopher Dockery, 60, of 48 Lincoln Ave., Wyandanch (also charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident); Muhammad Adrees, 56, of 950 Dana Ave., Valley Stream; Jason Aguglaro, 41, of 139 Peach St., Islip; Jason Aguglaro, 41, of 139 Peach St., Islip.

ASSAULT

Tamika Cook, 44 of 23 Hilltop La., Wheatley Heights.

PETIT LARCENY

Jabaar Mirands, 33, of 198 Greeley Ave., Sayville; Robert Coleman, 567 of 78 Jamaica Ave., Wyandanch; Scott McGlone, 57, 9 Eagle La., Farmingdale; Anthony Anzalone, 56, of 220 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge; Ihor Havryliuk, 44, of 3 24 St., Copiague.

TRESPASSING

Hughlords Watson, 40, of 12 Orient Ave., Brentwood; Sean Rochford, 46, of 11 Brentwood Pkwy., Brentwood.

People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.

sity. For more information, go to: www. hali88.org or call 631-234-1925. HALI is at 159 Brightside Ave., Central Islip.

Residential Program:

Beacon House - Short-term, long-term and transitional housing is provided throughout Long Island in 58 group homes, emergency shelters, and select single-family residences. Those eligible include homeless veterans, veterans with families, veterans and non-veterans with substance abuse and mental health issues, women in need of supportive housing, and those living with HIV/ AIDS. Every veteran resident has access to intensive case management, transportation and daily living essentials. SFor assistance, call 631 665-1571.

■ WEB SITE: www.amityvillerecord.com / www.liherald.com/Amityville

rglickman@liherald.com

legals@liherald.com

EDWIN ANTONIO SABILLON JR.,

Learn more about how we’re helping communities thrive. psegliny.com/revitalization These two moms opened a spa. It had one big,

Mery and Sindy always knew they wanted to open a spa to bring beauty to customers. Little did they know it would have the same effect on the community. And Business First was there. We provided $23,000 in grants to help with much-needed renovations so Mery and Sindy could bring their vision to life.* Now, not only does their spa impact clients in a beautiful way, it gives the community an economic lift as well.

*Incentives, grants, and savings will vary with every project.

Mery Seminario and Sindy Catalan, ISSI Beauty Spa, Port Washington

Paumanauke Native American Festival

Experience Native American culture at the 44th Annual Paumanauke Pow Wow on Aug. 8 and 9 at Tanner Park in Copiague. On Aug. 8 the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with Grand Entry Ceremonies taking place at noon and 7 p.m. and Aug. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Grand Entry Ceremony at noon.

This event is hosted in partnership with the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts, BACCA, and the Town of Babylon.

Celebrating Native American heritage and traditions, this family-friendly annual event welcomes visitors of all ages for two days filled with vibrant cultural experiences, including traditional Inter-Tribal and Aztec dance performances, exciting dance

competitions, traditional drumming, Native American artisans, artists, crafts, authentic foods and specialty vendors.

Admission is $10 for adults. Seniors 60 and over and teens ages 12 through 16, the cost is $5. Children under 12 are free. There are no advance ticket sales and it is cash only at the gate.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Native American Scholarship Fund.

Tanner Park is located at 400 Baylawn Ave., Copiague.

For additional information, visit paumanauke.org or call (516) 495-6076. Information is also available through the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts at babylonarts.org or call (631) 587-3696.

NEWS BRIEF

West Babylon Lions Club 2026 Car Show and Fundraiser

The West Babylon Lions Club will be holding a car show and fundraiser to benefit St. Jude and autism on Sept. 13 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the former Kmart parking lot, 1000 Montauk Highway, West Babylon.

The event will include food trucks, beverages and a 50/50 raffle. A $20 donation per car is requested. There will be trophies for “Best in Show,” “Runner-up,” “Best Original,” “Most Unique” and “People’s Choice.”

ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH

147 Park Ave., Amityville Office Tel. 631-264-0763

The Rev. Thomas W. Cusanelli, Pastor

WORSHIP SERVICES: Sunday Worship & Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Wednesday Worship 7:30 p.m.

Accessible to the Physcially Challenged “The Friendly Church”

Photo CreativeMetro

Fr. Dale W. VanWormer, Rector

Woo Young Choi, Pastor

Column: Amityville Village Mayor Michael O’Neill

While there are plenty of exciting events happening throughout our village this summer, I also wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update on several infrastructure and revitalization projects currently underway.

Merrick Road culvert project

Deputy Mayor Owen Brooks and I met this past week with representatives from the New York State Department of Transportation and its engineering consultants to address our growing concerns over the pace of the Merrick Road Culvert Project.

We made it clear that the project has fallen behind schedule and that the village expects every effort to be made to get construction moving again as quickly as possible.

During the meeting, we learned that a breach occurred in the cofferdam — a temporary structure used to keep water out of the construction area — flooding the work site in early June. We expressed our disappointment that the contractor’s initial repair attempt was unsuccessful, resulting in additional delays.

We were advised that a specialized contractor has now been retained and is expected to be on site by the end of next week. Officials are optimistic the repair can be completed within a few days, allowing crews to pump the water from the cofferdam and resume construction.

Deputy Mayor Brooks and I stressed that we expect this project to move forward without unnecessary delays. We will continue monitoring its progress, remain in regular contact with the project team

and push for an updated construction schedule as soon as work resumes. We understand the inconvenience this project has caused residents and businesses, and we will continue advocating for its timely completion.

The DOT also advised us that crews will begin installing a new stormwater drainage system at the corner of Merrick Road and Ocean Avenue next week. During daytime construction hours, access between Ocean Avenue and Merrick Road will be temporarily restricted.

The Ocean Avenue shopping center will remain open and accessible from both the western Merrick Road entrance and Ocean Avenue. Please continue supporting our local businesses during construction. Flaggers will be on site from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to assist pedestrians and direct traffic safely through the work zone.

Questions about the project may be emailed to amityvillecreek@dot.ny.gov.

Downtown Revitalization Initiative

We are entering the home stretch of our Downtown Revitalization Initiative Façade Improvement Program.

Most exterior improvements have been completed, with new signage and awnings scheduled to be installed soon. Work has also begun on the Sterling Place corner store and deli, and that project is progressing well.

The final major component of this phase is our public mural program. The Request for Proposals is now available on the village website at www.amityville.gov,

and I encourage local artists to review the information and submit proposals.

We also continue working closely with the New York State Department of State on both the Long Island Rail Road Connector and the Complete Streets and Traffic Calming project. I expect to have additional updates on those initiatives in the coming weeks.

In addition, we are close to finalizing the design of our new village wayfinding signs. Once approved, fabrication will begin, bringing another important piece of our downtown revitalization to life.

Road-raising project

We are in the final stages of selecting an engineering firm for the road-raising project at the south end of South Bayview Avenue and Shore Road/Berger Avenue.

The project is being funded through a federal grant sponsored by Congressman Andrew Garbarino. Once the contract is finalized, design work will begin, and we look forward to sharing more details in the near future.

Beach ejector pump project

We recently met with grant administrators overseeing funding for an ejector pump system that will connect the Amityville Beach restroom facilities to the North Pavilion sewer system.

This project, also supported by Congressman Garbarino, represents an important investment in protecting the environmental health of our waterfront while improving the reliability of our beach facilities.

New police vehicle

We recently received word from Assemblyman Kwani O’Pharrow that our request for state funding for a new Amityville Police Department patrol vehicle has been approved by the Legislature. We are now awaiting the final paperwork so we can move forward with ordering the vehicle.

We are fortunate to have the support of so many of our state and federal representatives. Their partnership helps bridge funding gaps, allowing the village to move forward with important infrastructure improvements and community projects that would otherwise be difficult to accomplish using local resources alone. We are grateful for their continued support as we invest in Amityville’s future.

Let your voice be heard

The village’s Multiple Dwelling Unit Survey is now available at www.amityville.gov.

As many residents know, the village enacted a moratorium on new multiple dwelling developments to allow time for a comprehensive evaluation of the benefits, challenges and overall impact these projects have on our community.

As we plan for Amityville’s future, your input is essential. I encourage all residents to take a few minutes to complete the survey and share their thoughts on residential development. Your feedback will help guide future planning decisions and ensure they reflect the priorities and values of our community.

Omar Garcia named new assistant principal at Copiague High School

Copiague School District has named Omar Garcia as an assistant principal at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School, effective July 1.

Garcia joins Copiague from the Hicksville Public Schools, where he served as a middle school and high school Spanish language teacher since 2018. He also held the position of summer school principal in Hicksville last school year.

“I look forward to serving this school community,” Garcia said. “I believe that strong relationships, open communication and collaboration are the foundation of student success, and I am excited to work with our students, families and staff to create an inclusive environment where every learner can thrive.”

Garcia holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and literature as well as a master’s degree in teaching Spanish from Stony Brook University. In addition, he holds certificates in school building leader and school district leader from The College of Saint Rose.

Long Island Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival

Come take part in the Long Island Bluegrass and Roots Music Festival on Aug. 15 from noon to 7 p.m. at the Tanner Park bandshell in Copiague.

Hosted by the Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts, BACCA, in partnership with the Town of Babylon and the Bluegrass Club of Long Island, this will be an event to celebrate the rich traditions of bluegrass, Americana and roots music. This annual festival brings together nationally acclaimed performers, regional favorites and Long Island talent for an unforgettable afternoon of live music, community and family-friendly entertainment.

Headlining this year’s festival is Andy Falco Bluegrass Laboratory, featuring Long Island native Andy Falco—renowned guitarist and vocalist with the Grammy Awardwinning Infamous Stringdusters— joined by an all-star lineup of nationally recognized bluegrass musicians.

Community Pride

n eighbors. stories. ConneC tion. This is your town. This is your paper. Thank you for reading and supporting local journalism.

More than simply a concert, the festival offers bluegrass music workshops led by featured perform-

ers, providing attendees the opportunity to learn from accomplished musicians.

Festival goers who play an instrument are encouraged to bring it along and participate in the popular hosted jam area where musicians of all skill levels are welcome to play together throughout the afternoon.

Guests can also enjoy food and beverage vendors while taking in the beautiful waterfront setting at Tanner Park.

Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for military personnel, individuals with disabilities, BACCA members and youth ages 12–16. Children ages 11 and under are admitted free.

To purchase tickets, please visit bit.ly/libluegrass.

For more information, visit libluegrassfestival.org or babylonarts.org, or call (631) 587-3696.

Tanner Park is located at 400 Baylawn Ave., Copiague.

Courtesy Copiague School District

Omar Garcia has been named an assistant principal of Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School, effective July 1.

THURSDAY, JULY 30

•Amityville Rotary Club Meeting: 8 a.m., Brownstones Coffee, 55 Merrick Road, Amityville. For more information, please call President Carolyn Dodd at (631) 374-8712.

• Church Attic Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, Amityville. For information, call (631) 264-0152 or email amitychurch1792@gmail.com.

• Town of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting: 6 p.m., Town Board Room, Babylon Town Hall, 200 E. Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst. For more information, please call (631) 957-3012.

FRIDAY, JULY 31

• Simpson United Methodist Church Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 Locust Ave., Amityville. For more information, call (631) 789-2569.

• St. Mary’s Thrift Shop: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 175 Broadway, Amityville, enter from rear parking lot. Lots of collectibles, glassware, clothing and

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

other gently used items. For information, call (631) 464-4899.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1

• Amityville Village Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, Amityville. The market will be every Saturday until October 24. For more information, call (631) 264-0152.

• Church Attic Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, Amityville. For information, call (631) 264-0152 or email amitychurch1792@gmail.com.

• St. Mary’s Thrift Shop: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 175 Broadway, Amityville, enter from rear parking lot. Lots of collectibles, glassware, clothing and other gently used items. For information, call (631) 464-4899.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2

• Simpson United Methodist Church Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 Locust Ave., Amityville. For more

information, call (631) 789-2569.

MONDAY, AUGUST 3

• Town of Babylon Planning Board Meeting: 7 p.m., Town Board Room, Babylon Town Hall, 200 E. Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst. For more information, please call (631) 957-4434.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4

• Emotional Health Recovery and Support Group: 7:30 to 9 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9592, 55 Hickory Lane, Levittown. Free weekly, in-person meeting of Emotions Anonymous, a 12-step support group for anyone experiencing emotional difficulties. For more information, call Steve at (631) 332-0552 or Jill at (516) 220-7808. All calls are confidential.

• Church Attic Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, Amityville. For information, call (631) 264-0152 or email amitychurch1792@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5

• Town of Babylon Town Board Meeting: 10 a.m., Town Board Room, Babylon Town Hall, 200 E. Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst. For more information, please call (631) 957-3000.

• Town of Babylon Rental Review Board Meeting: 6 p.m., Town Board Room, Babylon Town Hall, 200 E. Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst. For more information, please call (631) 957-4434.

• Emotional Health Recovery and Support Group: 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free weekly, virtual meeting of Emotions Anonymous, a 12-step support group for anyone experiencing emotional difficulties. For more information, call Steve at (631) 332-0552 or Jill at (516) 220-7808. All calls are confidential.

• Church Attic Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, Amityville. For information, call (631) 264-0152 or email amitychurch1792@gmail.com.

Amityville woman named to N.C. Girl Scouts board

Girl Scouts of Nassau County announced that Amityville resident MiChaela Barker has been elected to serve as Member-at-Large on Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Board of Directors through 2028. MiChaela Barker was officially sworn in during the organization’s 61st Annual Meeting at Nassau Community College in Garden City. The Board of Directors is comprised of lifelong Girl Scouts, community leaders, and nonprofit and corporate executives who provide leadership, innovation and support to the Council and guide the organization’s vision and mission.

“Each year, Girl Scouts of Nassau County is strengthened by leaders who bring new perspective,

deep community commitment and a shared belief in what girls can achieve,” said Rande Bynum, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “These board and committee members will help guide our council as we continue creating opportunities for girls to lead with courage, confidence and character across Nassau County.”

Board members work together to provide strategic leadership and foster opportunities that help girls throughout Nassau County develop courage, confidence and character. They also play a vital role in support ing fundraising efforts that expand access to Girl Scout programs that empower girls socially, academically and emotionally.

Each year, Girl Scouts of Nassau County is strengthened by leaders who bring new perspective, deep community commitment and a shared belief in what girls can achieve,

RANDE BYNUM Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Nassau

MiChaela Barker is an entrepreneur, nonprofit leader and community advocate committed to youth development, education and service. She is the Found-

County

er and CEO of Matcha Scrubs, a mission-driven healthcare apparel brand, and works closely with Jim McCann, Founder of 1-800-Flowers, supporting initiatives at the intersection of business, leadership and philanthropy. Barker holds an MBA and a Master of Public Health from Yale University, where she served as President of Yale School of Management Student Government. She is also Co-Founder of the Melanated Business Alliance of Greater Lansing and is active in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Theta Iota Omega Chapter, Church Unleashed and the 2026 Summer on the Mile event benefiting the Ivy Foundation of Suffolk and Nassau County.

For more information about Girl Scouts of Nassau County or to learn how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit www.gsnc.org.

Local seniors receive Dellecave honors

Amityville Memorial High School seniors Beverley Polemon and Thaddeus Volcimus and Copiague high school seniors Victoria Abayev and Nigel Harris were among those honored for their achievements in academics, athletics and community service at the annual Dellecave Awards ceremony, held recently at Villa Lombardi’s in Holbrook.

Named in memory of the late Gaetano “Butch” Dellecave, a longtime educator, coach and athletic official, the awards are presented through a partnership among the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk Inc., the Butch Dellecave Foundation and Newsday. The program has recognized outstanding Suffolk County student-athletes for 26 years in collaboration with school districts across the county.

Each Suffolk County high school is invited to nominate one male and one female graduating senior who exemplify excellence in the classroom, on the playing field and through service to their community.

Students recognized from local schools were Peyton Logue-Boyd and Aidan Winter of Babylon High School; Victoria Abayev and Nigel Harris of Copiague High School; Taylor Gabel and Max Ferguson of Deer Park High School; Emma Burmeister and Anthony Severino of Lindenhurst High School; Keira Shaw and Tristan of North Babylon High School; and Ava Obloj and Conor Kenefick of West Islip High School.

“The Dellecave Awards shine a spotlight on exceptional graduating seniors from across Suffolk County,” Adrian Fassett, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, said. “These nominees have distinguished themselves through athletic excellence, academic commitment and service to others. We are proud to help celebrate their achievements and the promise they hold as future leaders in our communities.”

—Carolyn James

Food drive Aug. 8 at Amityville Farmer’s Market

The Bay Village Civic Association is encouraging residents to support neighbors in need during a special food and household supplies drive at the Amityville Village Farmers Market on Saturday, Aug. 8.

The “Stock the Ship” drive will benefit the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, collecting essential items to help individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity. A donation box will be available on the Great Lawn next to First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, throughout the market.

Organizers are seeking donations of paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, cleaning supplies, condiments, cereal, peanut butter and jelly, ramen noodles and pasta.

The Amityville Village Farmers Market is held every Saturday, weather permitting, through Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors can shop for farm-fresh produce, baked goods, breads, cheeses, empanadas, pickles and other locally made foods, while also browsing handcrafted goods from local artisans, including Amityville on the Bay apparel and accessories.

Parking is available in the municipal lot across from the market on Broadway, as well as along nearby streets.

For more information about the food drive or the farmers market, email bayvillagecivicassociation@aol.com or amityfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

Courtesy Nassau County Girl Scouts

MiCaela Barker who has been named Member-atLarge for NC Girl Scouts.

Amityville Memorial High School seniors Beverley Polemon and Thaddeus Volcimus were honored at the Dellecave Award Ceremony. They are shown with Butch Dellecave Foundation President Mark Dellecave (left) and Executive Director Guy Dellecave (right).

Photos courtesy Artist Lake Media, LLC

Victoria Abayev and Nigel Harris of Copiague High School were honored at the annual Dellecave Award ceremony. They are shown with Butch Dellecave Foundation President Mark Dellecave (left) and Executive Director Guy Dellecave (right).

Please meet some of our local scholars

The following students were recently recognized for academic achievements and graduation at their respective colleges:

• Jared Dieck of Amityville recently graduated from SUNY Canton with a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Criminology.

• The following students were recently named to the President’s List at the University of Rhode Island: Michael Deegan of Amityville and Leah Tilocca of Amityville.

• The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at the University at Albany: Michael Vaccaro of Copiague; Jelani Harris of Amityville; Amelia Cherrington of Amityville; and Alina Estevez of Copiague.

• Alyssa Mancuso of Copiague was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society at Louisiana State University.

• The following students were recently named to the Dean’s Honor List at the New York Institute of Technology: Jaylean Braithwaite-Diaz of Amityville; Jessica Rodriguez of Amityville; and Carla Vanegas of Amityville.

AI Generated

Compiled by Christie Leigh Babirad

Doug Warren Amityville Gilgo Beach is my favorite.

: Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

What is your favorite summer spot on Long Island

Deborah Ross Amityville

Geiger Park. I love the water park and gardens there.

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Litzy Andrade Amityville, age 14

Sunken Meadow Beach. My family and I go fishing there.

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Jack McDaniels

Amityville, age 3

Amity Play Cove.

Family

Michele Batista Copiague

The beach — Robert Moses Field 5 East. I do sunrise yoga there.

Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Photo courtesy McDaniels

STEPPING OUT

For Michelle Taplin, seen here at a spring showcase, theater is about more than performance. Through Tap Into Your Passion, she is helping young actors develop the confidence, resilience and skills to succeed both onstage and off.

Opening doors to the stage

By Iris Wiener

Michelle Taplin has spent much of her life immersed in the performing arts, but her greatest role may be helping the next generation discover their own voices. What began as a longtime dream has grown into Tap Into Your Passion, a thriving coaching and arts education company that, more than a year after its official launch, is already making a lasting impact on aspiring performers across the region.

As Tap Into Your Passion marks its first year and a half, Taplin celebrates the milestone with a special fundraising gala on Aug. 10 in The Green Room 42 in New York City that reflects the heart of her mission: making quality theater education accessible to everyone.

For Taplin, the journey started long before she opened her Rockville Centre-based business. Growing up in Oceanside, she balanced voice lessons, dance classes, gymnastics, and community theater while nurturing two lifelong ambitions: becoming a theater educator and one day opening her own company. Inspired by Oceanside High School theater teacher Laura Gallo, she pursued degrees in theater and business at Muhlenberg College before earning an MA in theater education from Adelphi University. Along the way, she gained experience as a performer, director, choreographer, stage manager, and arts administrator while also spending six years with the Sunrise Association, where she developed an inclusive teaching philosophy serving children with cancer and their siblings. Those experiences continue to shape every lesson she teaches today.

Taplin continues to wear many hats. She teaches theater at both the middle and high school in Oceanside, and directs productions with the school district and community theaters, including Plaza Theatricals. She also advises student organizations and mentors countless young performers. Tap Into Your Passion has become a natural extension of everything she loves most about teaching.

“Tap Into Your Passion’s mission is to provide theater education without costing an arm and a leg,” Taplin says, explaining that she wanted to remove financial barriers for students pursuing careers in the performing arts. She offers three primary services: private coaching for performers ages nine and up; a comprehensive college audition program that guides students through every step of the competitive application process; and a monthly master class series featuring accomplished Broadway performers, choreographers, casting directors, and other industry professionals.

The response has been exceptional. Taplin credits much of Tap Into Your Passion’s early success to the generosity of the artists who have shared their time and expertise. Taplin explains that each workshop has

Theater coach celebrates a milestone

reinforced the lessons she teaches her students while helping to build a supportive network where young performers can learn directly from professionals working in the industry.

Rather than molding students into “cookie-cutter performers,” Taplin encourages them to embrace their individuality. She believes there is no single path to success in theater and exposing students to a wide variety of artistic voices helps them discover the techniques and perspectives that resonate most authentically.

That philosophy has attracted students from throughout Long Island and Manhattan. Students from Floral Park, Oceanside, Lynbrook, Sewanhaka, Elmont, Rockville Centre, East Rockaway, Garden City, and New York City, among other places, create a diverse community connected by a shared love of theater.

“Michelle always makes sure to put care and respect into all of her students’ work sessions,” says Kevin Kirley, a student from Rockville Centre who now attends New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “She has also been so integral to my journey throughout the college audition process. Her teaching has been extremely influential to me as a working actor, and I will take what I have learned throughout my training into my artistry.”

For Taplin, arts education extends well beyond singing, dancing or acting. She advocates that theater teaches empathy, collaboration, resilience, confidence, communication, and determination — life skills that benefit students regardless of whether they ultimately pursue careers on stage.

“It’s what the process teaches you,” she says, emphasizing that the personal growth students experience is often more valuable than the performances themselves.

Those values will be front and center shortly when Tap Into Your Passion hosts its Broadway Gives Back gala. The evening will feature performances by many of the Broadway artists and teaching professionals who have led Taplin’s master classes, each sharing a song that inspired their own theatrical journey. Beyond celebrating the company’s growth, the fundraiser will support Taplin’s goal of keeping coaching and master classes affordable for aspiring performers while demonstrating to students the passion that fuels successful careers in the arts.

As Tap Into Your Passion enters its second year, Taplin aims to continue expanding its reach while maintaining the close-knit community that has become its hallmark. She envisions welcoming more students, introducing them to even more accomplished professionals, and reminding every young artist that there is room for their unique voice in the theater world. Looking back on Tap’s remarkable beginning and the theater community’s willingness to help, Taplin relates that the experience has reinforced one lesson above all others: “The answer will always be ‘no’ if you don’t ask.”

It is a philosophy that has helped transform a childhood dream into a flourishing business, and one that continues to inspire the students following in her footsteps.

Visit TheGreenRoom42.VenueTix.com for tickets or more information about Where It All Began: Broadway Gives Back.

Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience

Comprising a group of exceptionally talented musicians and die-hard Foreigner fans, Double Vision has perfected the art of bringing to life the unforgettable hits that have defined generations. From “I Want to Know What Love Is” to “Cold as Ice,” Their renditions are a harmonious blend of passion, precision, and nostalgic energy. Drawing inspiration from Foreigner’s unmistakable sound and stage presence, Double Vision delivers a performance that pays homage to the band’s legacy while infusing their own charisma and enthusiasm. Their commitment to authenticity is matched only by their unwavering dedication to creating an electrifying experience for their audiences.

Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.

Vishal & Sheykhar

Brace yourself for a high-octane night with Bollywood’s most electrifying music duo – Vishal and Shekhar! VishalDadlani and Shekhar (formerly Shekhar) Ravjiani return to the states, following a completely sold-out U.S. run in 2025. Experience the energy and excitement of The Superhit Tour as acclaimed music duo Vishal and Sheykhar take the stage. Known for creating some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, the duo brings a powerhouse performance filled with fan-favorite songs, dynamic production and a concert atmosphere that will have the entire audience singing along. Expect a night packed with unforgettable music, stunning visuals, and the signature sound that has made them global sensations.

Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter. org or (516) 299-3100. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville.

Photos courtesy Michelle Taplin

Student Bella Romero performs at the spring showcase at The Green Room 42.

Broadway’s Krystina Alabado, right, leads a master class.

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

Wendy Klemperer: Wrought Taxonomies

Vanderbilt Museum welcomes everyone to enjoy the exhibition of outdoor sculpture at the historic summer estate of William Kissam Vanderbilt II. Klemperer’s sculptures. a haunting assemblage of animal forms that span imaginary, endangered, familiar, and exotic species, celebrate natural history and the nonhuman world through evocative interactions with the surrounding environment. Using materials salvaged from scrapyards, she composes ecological narratives that respond to the history and collections of Suffolk County’s first public park and museum. Her brilliant use of gestural lines captures the spectator’s attention and invites museum-goers to reflect on the relationship between an interest in animal life and the incessant push of human industry. Visitors are encouraged to picnic on the grounds.

• Where: 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport

• Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Contact: vanderbiltmuseum. org or call (631) 854-5579

‘Everybody Loves

Raymond: Celebrating 30 Years’

Visit the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame for an immersive exhibit (designed by LIMEHOF Creative Director, renowned designer Kevin O’Callaghan). It features the 70-foot-wide set from the show’s recent 30th anniversary TV special on CBS, never before on display. Visitors can walk into the world of the Barone family and explore their home through original studio sets, which include the living room, the kitchen and other areas of the house. Also see a variety of iconic items, including original clothing, the famous fork and spoon, and the Christmas toaster, among other classic items from the series. Multimedia clips, including behind the scenes and rare out-takes and a range of related videos play in LIMEHOF’s surround sound theater.

• Where: 97 Main St., Stony Brook

• Time: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Contact: limusichalloffame.org or (631) 689-5888

Summer tunes

Franz Ferdinand

• Time: 5-6:30 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 661-5757

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Grab-and-Go Free Dinners

Free dinners are available at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, every Tuesday. Drive into the parking lot behind the church and a meal will be hand-delivered to you.

• Where: 576 Deer Park Ave., Babylon

• Time: 4-5 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 987-2896

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Summer sounds

jul 31

The Town of Babylon concert series continues with Zac Brown Tribute Band Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy a

The Scottish band brings their Greater Glasgow European Cultural Exchange Tour to the Paramount stage, in support of their latest album, “The Human Fear,” which dropped in January. Since emerging from Glasgow’s art-school scene — where the band famously staged illegal parties in abandoned buildings — Franz Ferdinand has built a reputation for bold sharp hooks, infectious riffs and a fearless approach to reinvention. The band’s sixth studio album explores the emotions that define the human experience, transforming fear from something to avoid into something that awakens us. From the vulnerability of new relationships to the courage required to embrace change, “The Human Fear” channels those moments of uncertainty into songs packed with energy, urgency and unmistakable Franz Ferdinand style. Following the retrospective collection “Hits To The Head,” their latest album marks a new chapter for the group — one that honors its signature sound while pushing forward. Expect a high-energy performance filled with the clever songwriting, driving rhythms and irresistible beats that have made Franz Ferdinand one of the most influential bands of its generation. At this point in their career, Franz Ferdinand definitely know who they are, and are relishing the vigor that comes with accepting that

night of entertainment for the whole family.

• Where: Tanner Park, 400 Baylawn Ave., Copiague

• Time: 6-10 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 957-3000

First Presbyterian Church of Babylon Food Pantry

This food pantry is available for anyone in need of a little extra support.

• Where: First Presbyterian Church of Babylon, 79 E. Main St., Babylon

• Time: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., ongoing

• Contact: (631) 587-5838 administration@firstpresbabylon.org, firstpresbabylon.org.

Fridays on the Greene

Come out to Greene Avenue in Amityville Village for their street party. Enjoy music featuring Acoustic Blue and One Nite Band and order in to have your dinner delivered from local Amityville restaurants. Tables and chairs are provided, first come/first served.

• Where: Greene Ave., at the corner of Broadway Route 110, Amityville

• Time: 6-10 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 264-6000

Thrift Shop

Stop by Simpson United Methodist Church’s Thrift Shop for some unique finds.

• Where: 30 Locust Ave., Amityville

• Time: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 789-2569

St. Mary’s Thrift Shop

Stop by St. Mary’s Thrift Shop to check out some found treasures. Choose from collectibles, glassware, clothing and other gently used items.

• Where: St. Mary’s, 175 Broadway, Amityville (enter from rear parking lot)

• Time: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 464-4899

‘Twelfth

Night’

Vanderbilt Museum’s Shakespeare in the Courtyard series continues with the Bard’s beloved romantic comedy of gender confusionIt’s performed by the Carriage House Players in the Mansion’s beautiful Spanish Revival courtyard. $20, $15 seniors and students..

• Where: 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport

• Time: 8 p.m.: also Aug. 2 and Aug. 5

• Contact: vanderbiltmuseum.org or call (631) 854-5579

• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington

• Time: 8 p.m.

• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

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Farmers Market

Stop by for fresh produce and products from various vendors.

Open every Saturday until Oct 24.

• Where: First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, Amityville

• Time: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 264-0152

Church Attic Thrift Shop

Visit First United Methodist Church for their weekly thrift shop.

• Where: First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway, Amityville.

• Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 264-0152 or email amitychurch1792@gmail. com

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Nourish Babylon SitDown Dinner

Every Monday Nourish Babylon holds a sit-down dinner at Christ Episcopal Church. All are welcome to attend.

• Where: 12 Prospect St., Babylon

The Town of Babylon’s concert series continues with Foreign Journey and Return to Paradise. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy a night of entertainment for the whole family.

• Where: Tanner Park, 400 Baylawn Ave., Copiague

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 957-3000

Copiague Fire Department Chiefs Golf Outing

Copiague Fire Department hosts a golf outing. $200 per golfer includes lunch, prizes, raffles and a dinner.

• Where: Bethpage Blue Golf Course, 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Farmingdale

• Time: Registration begins 11 a.m., shotgun start at noon

• Contact: (631) 445-9346 or email dbroyles@copiaguefd.org

Kid Zone

Children in grades Pre-K-5 are invited to First Presbyterian Church’s Kid Zone, weekly. Included is dinner, a Bible story, as well as crafts and games.

• Where: 79 E. Main St., Babylon

• Time: 5:30-7 p.m.

• Contact: (631) 587-5838

Having an event?

Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.

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Copiague honors retirees, newly tenured educators

Copiague School District recognized the service of its retiring employees and celebrated staff members earning tenure during its annual Retiree and Tenure Ceremony on June 22 at the Copiague Middle School auditorium.

Retirees and newly tenured educators were joined by district administrators, Board of Education members, colleagues, family and friends for an evening celebrating years of service, professional achievement and dedication to the students and families of the Copiague community.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bannon congratulated the honorees and thanked them for the lasting impact they have made throughout their careers. She recognized retirees for their years of leadership, dedication and unwavering support of the district, while acknowledging tenure recipients for reaching a significant milestone in their educational careers.

Throughout the ceremony, administrators shared remarks highlighting each honoree’s contributions

before recognizing them individually. The event celebrated the commitment and excellence that have helped shape the district and enrich the educational experiences of generations of students.

The district also extended its congratulations to the retirees as they begin the next chapter of their lives and to the educators who achieved tenure.

Those recognized for their retirements were Ann Marie Byrnes, Nancy Chieco, Jolie Dichter, Sylvia Grenci, Susan Kanuika, Jacqueline Kelly, Lysa Mullady, Jacqueline Oquendo and Maria Shanahan.

Newly tenured staff members included Sara Alba, Julia Boris, Ileana Castillo, Lauren D’Annunzio, Alyson DellaVecchia, Vienna Durao, Nicholas Fajek, Rita Fox, Amanda Guele, Jennifer Holownia, Marialena Iannolo, Julie Irizarry, Gina Johnson, Jonathan Krawchuk, David Leboff, KaraAnn Leone, Lenee Mason, Dawn McDonald, Kathryn Merola, Maryann Passeggiata, Hayat Pineiro, Stephanie Rafuse Schmitt, Deysis Rodriguez, Samantha Salvato, Amber Setelius, Kaitlyn Thompson and Stephanie Zirbes.

Courtesy Copiague school district

Copiague School District celebrated two important milestones in the careers of its dedicated staff members during its annual Retiree and Tenure Ceremony in the Copiague Middle School auditorium in June. Retired teachers are shown at right and tenured teachers on left.

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT

COUNTY OF Suffolk, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, not in its Individual Capacity but Solely as Indenture Trustee of CIM Trust 2022NR1, Plaintiff, vs. Dominick Amorese a/k/a Dominick J. Amorese, as Possible Heir of the Estate of Dominick Amorese, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on February 3, 2025 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline and Other Relief duly entered on May 26, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, North Lindenhurst, NY 11757 on August 13, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 44 Lafayette Avenue, Amityville, NY 11701. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Amityville, Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0101, Section 001.00, Block 03.00 and Lot 017.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $218,138.96 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #612025/2023.

Scott H. Siller, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 222278-2 26-154 7/15 22, 29, 8/5

Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing will be conducted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Amityville on Monday, August 10th, 2026 at 7:00 PM in the third floor Court Room of Village Hall, 21 Ireland Place, Amityville, NY for Introductory Local Law No. 3 of 2026, a local law to amend § 107-44 of the Village Code regarding the conspicuous posting of the company name and village decal on landscaping vehicles.

By Order of the Board of Trustees

Village of Amityville Catherine C. Murdock Village Clerk/Treasurer

7/22/26   2 x 26-159. 7/22, 29

NOTICE is hereby given that the PLANNING BOARD of the Village of Amityville will hold a Public Hearing in the Court Room of Village Hall, 21 Ireland Place, Amityville, NY at 6:00 P.M. on THURSDAY, August 6, 2026, to consider the following applications: Application of Harrison Lowe. Applicant seeks architectural review and approval for the proposed construction of a 34’ x 28’ detached 3-car garage pursuant to Section 24-6 A. (1) (h) of the Village of Amityville Code. Premises located on the East side of Bennett Place approximately 515 feet North of South Ireland Place in a "Residential A" District known as 72 Bennett Place a/k/a SCTM# 101-95-15. Application of Jennifer Rice & Joseph Portela. Applicants seek architectural review and approval for the proposed construction

of a new one-family dwelling pursuant to Section 24-6 A. (1) (h) of the Village of Amityville Code. Premises located on the West side of Braham Avenue approximately 445 feet South of Shore Road in a "Residential B" District known as 41 Braham Avenue a/k/a SCTM# 101-134-6.

By Order of the Planning Board, Village of Amityville Catherine Murdock, Clerk/Treasurer

26-160. 7/22. 29

The Town of Babylon Rental Review Board will hold a Public Hearing at The Town of Babylon 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, New York (East Wing Board Room) on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 6:00pm NEW APPLICATION

1. Jorge & Karilu Duran 54 33rd St. Copiague NY 11726 SCTM NO: 0100200-2-33 26-162 - 7/29

NOTICE OF PUBLIC AND/OR INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS BY THE TOWN OF BABYLON PLANNING BOARD

Pursuant to Chapter 186, Site Plan Review, and Chapter 213, Zoning, of the Babylon Town Code and Section 276 of the Town Law, notice is hereby given that the Town of Babylon Planning Board will hold public and/or informational hearings(s) at the Babylon Town Hall, Town Board Room, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, New York, on the Monday, August 3, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. prevailing time or as soon thereafter as can be heard to consider the following application(s):

PUBLIC HEARING/ SITE PLAN REVIEW

JOB#: HPLN-28 (2562A); Crescent Group Realty, Inc.: SCTM# 0100-198-02-029: Zone: G-Industry (Light): SEQRA –Unlisted Action, Uncoordinated Review: Proposes a revised site plan for the construction a new one-story 20,000sf (footprint) prefabricated metal manufacturing/warehouse building with 2,500sf of office space, 2 overhead doors, loading dock, and associated site improvements.: Property is located on the southwest corner of Strong Avenue and Chettic Avenue, northwest corner of Strong Avenue and Victoria Avenue, Copiague, Suffolk County, Town of Babylon, New York OB#: HPLN-35 (2560A); PPT Redeemed Properties, Inc.: SCTM# 0100-17802-042, 0100-178-02043, 0100-178-02-044 and 0100-178-02-045: Zone: C-Residence: SEQRA – Type II Action: The applicant is proposing site upgrades for a change of tenancy for a church in an existing 2,407.2sf (footprint) building, along with associated site improvements and legalization of shed and deck.: Property is located on the east side of Trouville Road, 70' north of Hollywood Avenue, Copiague, Suffolk County, Town of Babylon, New York All interested persons should appear at the above time and place by order of Patrick Halpin, Chairperson of the Planning Board, Town of Babylon, North Lindenhurst, Suffolk County, New York

PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Amityville Record: 07/29/2026 26-163 7/29

Carolyn James/Herald

Upgrades to L.I. roads coming

design in principle, and it would not have made any sense to include it in the Governor’s project and then have to rip it up again when we move forward with the Complete Street Project.

The Route 110 work is part of a broader $34.3 million investment to resurface 86 lane miles along State Routes 24 and 110. In addition to pavement improvements, crews will upgrade traffic signals with modern technology, install highly reflective lane markings and improve pedestrian crosswalk visibility.

State officials said the improvements are part of Hochul’s larger $1.2 billion investment in highway rehabilitation projects statewide during the 2026 construction season, including $107 million dedicated to Long Island roadways.

Another major project will take place at Republic Airport, where the state Department of Transportation will invest $6.7 million to rehabilitate one of the airport’s two runways.

The project will resurface Runway 1-19, which runs north to south, and include additional safety improvements designed to enhance aircraft operations at the Suffolk County airport. During construction, aircraft will use the airport’s other runway, Runway 14-32. Airport operations are expected to pause for about one week while crews complete work where the two runways intersect.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Republic Airport, which is owned by NYSDOT, serves as a hub for general aviation on Long Island, including 13 flight schools and charter operations.

Additional transportation improvements include a $10.1 million investment along State Route 25 in Suffolk County. The work will include concrete pavement repairs and diamond grinding along Sunrise Highway between Exit 38 (Belmont

LEGAL NOTICE TO BIDDERS

RFP No. 26-03 Downtown Public Mural Project

The Village of Amityville is seeking proposals from qualified artists or artist teams to design and install

Avenue) and Exit 39, Hubbards Path, as well as improvements near Old Northport Road along the Sunken Meadow State Parkway in Smithtown.

The project also includes intersection reconfigurations designed to improve safety and traffic flow, with major work expected to be completed by summer 2027.

Local officials praised the investment, citing the importance of maintaining aging infrastructure.

“These investments will strengthen connectivity, support economic growth throughout the 11th Assembly District and beyond, and ensure our communities benefit from a safer, more reliable transportation network for years to come,” Assemblymember Kwani B. O’Pharrow said.

State Sen. Monica Martinez said maintaining Long Island’s transportation system requires continued investment to support residents, visitors and the regional economy.

“The condition of our roads is a critical quality of life issue for our communities,” Assemblyman Steve Stern said. “This project, along with improvements at Republic Airport, will enhance public safety.”

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said the funding will help address infrastructure needs and improve safety for residents and businesses.

Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer also welcomed the improvements, saying the projects will lead to safer roads and smoother commutes for residents.

“We appreciate the continued partnership with the governor and NYSDOT in keeping our community moving forward,” Schaffer said.

Public Notices

public murals at designated locations within the Village’s downtown business district. Instructions to bidders are provided at Amityville.gov and may be seen or procured at Village Hall, 21 Ireland Place, Amityville NY

11701.

Sealed proposals will be received by the Village Clerk, Village of Amityville, at Village Hall, 21 Ireland Place, Amityville, New York, 11701 or may be emailed to Mayor@ amityville.com in PDF

format, by Wednesday, August 12th, 2026 at 2 p.m. (prevailing time). By Order of the Board of Trustees

Village of Amityville Catherine C. Murdock

Village Clerk/Treasurer

7/29/26   1 x 26-164. 7/29

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced several major roadway projects on Long Island including work on Route 110, north of Sunrise Highway.

LAMI1

Help Wanted

DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time and Part Time Positions Available!

Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers.

Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience.

Hours Vary, Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $21 per hour Night Availability is a Must. Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239

MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP

Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

EDITOR/REPORTER

Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com

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Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $35,360 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

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Do we have to submit complete house plans just for a garage?

Q. We were recently told that our permit plans, to be approved, were going to have to include plans of the entire house, not just the garage area we are bumping out on the side. We were wondering if you have heard of this or whether we are being singled out. Our architect said that it may be because we have to go to the zoning board. Is this the reason, or did we say something wrong and are being punished? We asked, several times, for an update, because things are moving very slowly and we get the impression the building department just wants us to go away. They work for us and I think we deserve better service, frankly.

A. Trust but verify is now a common expression, and with good reason. What I have noticed over the years is that complete information is more often required, showing unrelated areas of the home, because many people have not been truthful about building changes or about how much work they have done, without permits, in other parts of the home. Because of this issue, many plans examiners ask for the big picture, not just the area you are interested in. It is obvious, when looking at file records in building departments and then comparing them to the actual dwelling during a walkthrough.

Your dilemma is due to the lack of trust between the authorities and the public. If the building inspector notices that the plans and the home don’t exactly compare, they can ask for “revised” plans to be submitted. It is frustrating, right at the end of a project, when people are ready to move on with their lives, to find out that the “simple, little changes” and side work they did require revised plans to be submitted to their building department. It is much worse to learn about changes or not following plans many years later.

Contractors and owners may get away with not communicating in the short term, but it does not pay, in the long run, to hide information. When someone realizes they bought a house with inherited, hidden issues which they are now responsible for, they feel taken advantage of. Worse than that are the costly corrections that have to be made because something that has existed for years may not be code-compliant. It happens all too often that unrelated portions of the building become a stumbling block to getting approvals for what you are really looking to do.

You are probably not being singled out, but you have been put in this position by previous workers and owners who did not take the record-updating seriously. People have told me, with a grin, that “By the time anyone notices, we’ll all be long gone.” I just came from a jobsite where work was done 16 years prior, the plans were not followed, and a structural failure is occurring that is going to be expensive to fix. The whole picture, not just part, is, therefore, important. Good luck!

Stuff HERALD

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The documentary on Steven McDonald is a must-see

Recently I saw a screening of the documentary about the late NYPD detective Steven McDonald, “Saint of the City.” McDonald was a true hero. In 1986, as a young police officer, he was shot and permanently paralyzed by 15-year-old Shavod Jones, whom he was questioning about a series of bicycle thefts in Central Park.

Jones shot McDonald three times, the third time while he was lying on the ground, shattering his spine and leaving him a quadriplegic, needing a ventilator to breathe. McDonald not only survived, but forgave Jones and went on to live more than 30 heroic years of dedicated service, without complaint or self-pity, until his death in 2017.

Steven and his wife, Patti Ann, lived in Malverne during that time with their son, Conor, who was born just months after his father was shot. Patti Ann went on to serve two terms as Malverne’s mayor. “Saint of the City” was written by veteran Emmy-award winning WPIX-TV reporter Mary Murphy

and produced by Erin Mulvey, a former DEA agent. Filled with facts, emotion and perspective, the film captures the essence of McDonald as an outstanding human being who inspired so many.

I met with him over the years at various police events, at his home in Malverne and in Congress. Those meetings made vividly clear to me just how devastating his injuries were. He was not only confined to a wheelchair, but incapable of moving any party of his body except his head, and he had no sense of feeling anywhere.

The NYPD detective

forgave the teen who shot him, leaving him a quadriplegic.

Once when he gave me a book he had written, he inscribed it for me with a Sharpie he held between his teeth.

His breathing was labored, and required a ventilator. At any time he could be struck with severe spasms lasting 30 seconds to a minute. These were difficult to observe, never mind having to endure them.

As the film depicts, McDonald persevered through all of this. He regularly spoke at high schools and to young cops.

He was also an articulate voice for peace and justice in Northern Ireland, not just attending events in New York, but traveling to Northern Ireland to

Iurge those on all sides — Catholics and Protestants, pro-British and pro-Irish — to resolve their differences and pursue the path to peace. McDonald’s efforts were particularly beneficial in the months following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, when radicals attempted to shatter the peace accord with a horrific bombing attack in Omagh, Northern Ireland, that killed 29 civilians and injured more than 200. His presence at such a critical time delivered a strong message about the necessity of maintaining peace and allowing the agreement to be implemented.

I remember when Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern addressed a joint session of Congress and singled out McDonald, who was seated in the House gallery. At a reception later that day, Sen. Ted Kennedy asked me to introduce Ahern to McDonald.

The film also highlights how McDonald was sustained by his Catholic faith, and particularly by the advice and consolation he received from Father Mychal Judge, the chaplain of the FDNY who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, and Cardinal John O’Connor, who McDonald told me would visit him at his Malverne home

to help him through tough moments. McDonald also organized prayer groups that met regularly.

The “Saint of the City” screening took place at the Marymount School, in Manhattan. Among those in attendance were former NYPD Commissioners Ray Kelly and Keechant Sewell, former Detective Bo Dietl and many high-ranking police officials and officers who worked with McDonald or got to know him over the years. Magee Hickey of WPIX, WINS reporter Juliet Papa and Daily News columnist Michael Daly were also there.

From the sports world there was Mets all-time great relief pitcher Jesse Orosco, who, after pitching the final innings of the Mets’ final 1986 World Series game against the Red Sox, had thrown his glove high in the air. Days later, Orosco gave the glove to McDonald, a longtime Mets fan.

Most notable among the attendees, of course, were Steven’s widow, Patti Ann, and their son, Conor, who is now a captain in the NYPD. Both personify and carry on the inspirational legacy of Steven McDonald, who was truly a saint among us. Once it is distributed, be sure to see “Saint of the City.”

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.

Why is the U.S. picking a fight with its best friend?

don’t know much about the tariff system, but I know enough about economics and politics to say that President Trump’s new proposed 50 percent tariffs on Canada would be the most foolish things ever done by a president in recent American history. I know these proposals are always subject to negotiation, but why pick on our second-largest trading partner at the worst possible time?

The Canadians have been our best friends for as long as I can remember. They were there for us during World War II, when they lost over 40,000 men in battle. They have contributed soldiers to many of our wars, and have stood up for us at the United Nations and around the world. One of the reasons behind the latest insanity is the president’s statement that he is mad at Canada because of the smoke that has drifted south to the United States.

The best way to describe the latest tariff proposal is that it would be a self-

inflicted wound that would hurt American consumers the most. There is a basic fact that we fail to understand. The average reader may think that new tariffs would punish Canadians, but when new duties are imposed on Canadian autos, wine, hockey sticks, dairy products and cement, American distributors have to pay them, and then they pass the cost on to American consumers. The family in Levittown that buys Bobby a hockey stick pays extra because of the tariff hike.

Tariffs on Canada in retaliation for wildfire smoke that drifted south? Really?

Lots of other bad things happen when new tariffs are imposed. Canada, in retaliation, has imposed its own 25 percent counter-tariffs on U.S. vehicles, steel and aluminum. These tariffs hurt American builders and potential homebuyers who can’t afford higher costs when they’re seeking to purchase their first home. Tariffs on auto parts disrupt production lines and costs manufacturing jobs on both sides of the border.

Tariffs have another impact on countries like Canada. China is eager to establish new relationships with nations that will buy its goods. In 2025,

Canada announced a new comprehensive trade agreement with China that, among other things, will allow the sale of Chinese autos in Canada. Industry specialists say that Chinese cars are high quality and much lower in price, and will be a potential threat to American auto manufacturers.

One of the worst results of our feud with Canada is its impact on American businesses. Tourism in many of our northern border states has been badly damaged by this unnecessary battle. And one of the biggest losers has been Las Vegas. Hotel operators have seen a 70 percent drop in Canadian visitors, which has caused large layoffs of hospitality employees.

When arbitrary tariffs are imposed on a friendly nation, there are other consequences. Other countries watch American actions and conclude that we can’t be trusted if we economically attack a longtime friend. To add to our unreliability, the U.S. has a trade agreement, negotiated by Trump six years ago with Canada and Mexico, which was scheduled to be renewed this month.

The president has stated that he won’t honor the terms of that agreement.

The crowning touch to the U.S.-Canada breach has been Trump’s threats to make Canada our 51st state, and his frequent statements deriding Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Trump supporters will say this is just the president doing his thing, and that he isn’t really serious, but words have consequences, and many Trump watchers around the world don’t have such an expansive sense of humor.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that the president didn’t have the unilateral authority to impose sweeping, open-ended tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and that only Congress has that power. Trump is now using a 1930 law to justify his actions, which will likely be challenged in court.

At a time when the nation is juggling a war with Iran, higher gasoline prices and the continuing issue of affordability, fighting with Canada is just plain dumb.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm.

HERALD

tThere’s always someone downwind

here’s a particular quality to the light when the smoke arrives. It goes flat and white, the sun turns into a coin you can look at directly, and the air smells faintly like someone three houses down is burning leaves. It has happened enough times now that Long Islanders recognize it.

The fires are in Canada. Ontario mostly, sometimes the prairie provinces — a thousand miles and more from here, far enough that the smoke spends days in transit before it reaches us. And it reaches us anyway. It settles over Rockville Centre and Garden City and Long Beach. It gets into the lungs of kids at day camp in Merrick who have never heard the phrase “boreal forest.”

There is something clarifying about that, if you let it be.

We are accustomed to thinking of our lives as local, and with good reason. This newspaper exists because the things that shape a day here — the school calendar, the traffic on Sunrise Highway, whether the field will be playable Saturday morning — are decided close to home by people you might run into at the deli. That proximity is the texture of life in a place like ours. The distance between a thing and its cause is usually short enough to walk.

Smoke from a forest a thousand miles away is a different phenomenon. It did not come from anything anyone here did or failed to do. And at the end of that very long chain sits your daughter’s soccer practice.

Why more of it, and why now? Because the climate is warming and the northern forest is drying out as a result. Spring snowpack melts earlier than it used to. Summers run longer and hotter, and the peat and duff beneath the trees turn into something that holds fire the way a sponge holds water — slowly, deep down and for a very long time.

Fires that once burned themselves out now smolder underground through the winter and surface again in spring. More fire, more smoke. And the same atmospheric machinery that has always carried Canadian cold fronts down to the Northeast now carries the smoke with them.

The smoke isn’t doing anything unusual. It is riding the same currents that have brought us our weather since before there was a Long Island to bring it to — the northwest flow behind a front, the same air that gives us a crisp October morning and the frigid air of January. We have always been downwind of Canada. We simply had no occa-

sion to notice.

That’s what makes this worth sitting with. Not the fires themselves, but what they reveal about connection. Something we didn’t do, in a place most of us have never been, is now a feature of summer on Long Island.

And what we do continues downwind. The exhaust from the Meadowbrook, the fertilizer that leaves a lawn in Wantagh and ends up in the bay, the plume from a stack in Island Park — none of that stays put, either. Our runoff is someone else’s smoke.

There is a version of this line of thinking that curdles into helplessness, and we would steer away from it. Being connected to a place you cannot influence isn’t the same as being powerless. It is mostly an invitation to pay attention — to the bay, to the air, to the small local things that are, somewhere downwind, someone else’s inherited condition.

The sky has cleared — but it will haze over again. If not this summer, then next. And each time it does, it is worth taking a moment to notice the strangeness: that we are downwind of a forest we will likely never see, and that somewhere, someone we will never meet is downwind of us.

opinions

Donnie Kreiss, ‘I carry your heart with me’

My husband, Donnie Kreiss, died on July 12, at home, just days after our 58th anniversary. He was 80, and had been living with pancreatic cancer since it was diagnosed in 2023.

Donnie did not go gently. As Dylan Thomas wrote, he raged against the dying of the light, from the moment he knew he had this relentless cancer until two Sundays ago, when he drew a quiet breath and then no more. Our son and daughter were with him.

My sister, Meryl Greenbaum, was with us. The loving good wishes of everyone he knew were with us.

He had been drifting away for the previous 10 days, suffering the side effects of three years of treatment. Still, in early June he was walking laps in our building, and in April the family had gathered for his birthday dinner. He pushed his athlete’s body beyond anyone’s expectation, and the night he died,

we rang the bell for him, because every single day he lived since 2023 was a tribute to his courage.

triumph over adversity.

Donnie never felt sorry for himself. In his last days on earth he was reaching out to friends who had heartache, relationship woes, business setbacks or medical problems. He preached a gospel of positivity, insisting on finding threads of hope. He left a legacy of goodness and generosity, changing the lives of so many people along the way.

H

e always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw.

Donnie was a native Lawrencian. He was born in 1946 at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital to Lillian and Jack Kreiss, who lived at 16 Muriel Ave. in Lawrence. When he was 2, he contracted bacterial meningitis, which was usually fatal in those days. He was in isolation at St Joseph’s Hospital, in Far Rockaway, for two months. That was the first of his medical miracle recoveries, which included a fractured skull when he was 10, heart attacks at 40 and 50, bypass surgery, congestive heart failure and cervical spine surgery. He recited his near-misses enthusiastically, as if they were a resume, not of suffering but of

FraMework by Tim Baker

Donnie was a gifted athlete who ran track and played varsity football, basketball and golf. He was a beautiful man, and we fell hard in love as teenagers. We graduated together in 1964 from Lawrence High. When we married and settled in Woodmere, his second home was the Lawrence Golf Club, where his father was president and then, 50 years later, he was president. In recent years his home course was on Longboat Key, Fla., where last year he was named Most Inspirational Golfer of the Year, an award they created for him.

Don started his own business in 1969, selling slippers and bras and panties. He loved selling, and he was the best salesman because he could out-wait, out-talk and outlast any buyer he encountered.

He always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw. He drew on a deep well of generosity and kindness.

Our children, Jason, Rochelle, Jocelyn and Josh, were, as Auden said, his north, south, east and west. His grandchildren, Sabrina, Jacob, Elijah and Emi, brought light and delight into his life. “Did you talk to the kids today?” was his mantra.

Despite his lifelong medical issues, Don was a rough and ready traveler, up for any adventure. We spent five summers exploring Montana when the kids were teenagers, and then for decades we traveled the world, from Komodo Island, in Indonesia, to the Alaska wilderness, from Bali to Singapore to Tasmania and New Zealand. Nothing stopped him.

Obituaries are the last public words written about someone. I never expected to write Donnie’s obituary, which I hope is more like telling the story of his life. Which is also the story of my life. As Cummings wrote, I carry his heart in my heart.

He trusted me to shepherd him through these last years, to get to the right doctors, to hold hands as we heard the diagnoses that limited his days. He wanted time, he said over and over again. I did my best, but time was not in my hands. I believe he would have wanted me to write this, the last words about him, from a place of love and longing, happy remembrance, and sadness that he did not have more days to grace our lives.

Copyright 2026 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

8.04.2026 • 8:30AM - 3:30PM

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