Explore the pages filled with signatures from across our community. Pages 14-20
Mia
were just
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
Members of Freeport High School’s Class of 2026 proudly walked across the stage during their commencement ceremonies at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University on June 25.
A total of 555 students were a part of the high school’s 133rd graduating class.
The Class of 2026 was led by valedictorian Mia Martini, salutatorian Ava Smith and class president Angel Omokeni, all three of whom proved themselves to be adept in academics, as well as quality leaders and standout student athletes in various sports. Marti-
ni and Smith told the Herald previously that they plan to attend college, with Sacred Heart University and University of Massachusetts Amherst as their top choices respectively. Omokeni has received at least four district scholarships to attend college as well.
In addition to Omokeni, class officers were comprised of Lordia Bossman, vice president; Alyssa Donnelly, secretary; Abigial Hernandez, treasurer; and Alyssa Majano, student government representative. The Class of 2026 is also filled with students who have exhibited great promise based on their grades and character, with
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
Freeport welcomed its annual Pride Month celebration two weeks ago, known this year as the Nautical Mile Pride Festival. The celebration featured a variety of activities for those of all ages near and along the Nautical Mile, all encouraging freedom of expression and LGBTQ values.
The festival, on June 20, was the fourth celebration of Pride on the Nautical Mile, previously titled Pride on the Mile. It featured a motorcade down Woodcleft Avenue, led by queer musician Baddie Brook, its grand marshal.
Iman, the owner of Sparkle on Stage, applauded Freeport’s support for the annual celebrations, and emphasized that they are as important as ever.
“Not just pride, but people of color, people of different ethnicities, religions, are under attack,” Workman said. “I think it’s important to be able to celebrate diversity, pride included.”
t’s important to be able to celebrate diversity, pride included
RoByN WoRkmAN Organizer, Nautical
Mile
Pride Festival
Other pride-themed attractions and activities included Sparkle on Stage’s production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on June 19 and 20, children’s events and a family fun zone next to the theater, a music festival and vendor market at Sea Breeze Park, and other special promotions and events at several Nautical Mile businesses.
Even organizer Robyn Work-
Workman acknowledged that not all people— including Freeport residents — may accept or celebrate diversity and LGBTQ lifestyles, but added that she believes that diversity is central to the village’s identity.
“There are people who don’t agree with these things, either, but I was raised here in Freeport,” Workman said. “So I was pretty much raised in a very diverse community. But the whole world doesn’t think that way. So sometimes you just have to say, ‘Well, this is how I think, and there has to be enough room for that in the world.’ And if you don’t agree with that, you don’t have to
Continued on page 12
Courtesy Freeport Public Schools
Freeport High School valedictorian
Martini, salutatorian ava Smith and class president angel omokeni
three of the many well-decorated Class of 2026 graduates.
Tennis courts dedicated in honor of Moore
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
Roosevelt High School and the Roosevelt Union Free School District gave a special tribute to Freeport native and current Roosevelt school board member Emily Moore by dedicating the school’s tennis courts in her name. Moore, who is also an inducted member of the U.S. Tennis Association Hall of Fame and Black Tennis Hall of Fame, has served the Roosevelt communities as a championship winning tennis coach and physical education teacher.
Over the course of over 50 years, Moore has dedicated herself to education and tennis, winning conference championships in 1989, 1990 and 2003. At a special dedication ceremony for the tennis courts on June 17, school officials and other guests spoke highly of Moore’s career. One of those officials were Roosevelt High School Principal Keith Saunders Sr., who participated in Moore’s tennis camps in Roosevelt as a child.
“I stand here deeply honored to celebrate a woman with an impact that reaches far beyond these tennis courts,” Saunders said. “Although I did not pursue the sport of tennis, the lessons, discipline, confidence and foundations she poured into us have stayed with me for a lifetime.”
A representative of the U.S. Tennis Association Hall of Fame, Donyshia
Boston-Hill, also attended the dedication ceremony and offered her thanks and appreciation for Moore’s service to tennis and local communities.
“When I joined the USTA four years ago, I was informed that you could not participate in tennis and learning on Long Island without knowing and meeting Ms. Emily Moore,” Boston-Hill said
As we celebrate 250 years of our nation’s independence, we are reminded that strength is found in our communities.
For years, our home has been right here on Long Island. We are proud to stand alongside the local organizations, neighbors, and companies that keep our region thriving today.
Togeth�, we are building the next chapter of our story.
of Moore’s impact. “It is our pleasure to ensure that your memory lives on in the USTA Hall of Fame year after year, especially here on Long Island.”
Several local politicians attended the dedication ceremony as well, including Town of Hempstead Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby, Nassau County Legislator Scott Davis and New York State Sen-
ator Siela Bynoe. A representative from the office of Congresswoman Laura Gillen also attended.
Roosevelt school board President Belinda Monroe shared during the ceremony that this dedication had been in development for five years, and that the district had delayed it several times in hopes of getting one more tennis court added to the existing three at Roosevelt High School. Hindrances in those plans and Monroe deciding to not seek re-election to the school board this year, led to the decision to honor Moore now without any further delays.
A bronze sign, which will be installed in a large stone at the tennis courts entrance, marks the dedication and recognition of Emily Moore. The sign will read the following:
“In recognition of Dr. Emily Moore, a longstanding employee of the Roosevelt Union Free School District and a dedicated member of the Board of Education. Her service, leadership and unwavering commitment to the students, staff and community of Roosevelt have left a lasting and meaningful legacy.”
After attendees moved inside from the tennis courts to the high school cafeteria for a catered dinner celebration, Moore thanked the district and guests for their various tributes, and encouraged all to embrace the opportunities they may have to make meaningful change.
America
Celebrating 1776-2026
Courtesy Roosevelt Union Free School District
The Roosevelt school board honored fellow board member Emily Moore by dedicating Roosevelt High School’s tennis courts in her name.
Graduates close their high school careers
nearly 150 students receiving over 250 awards and scholarships combined for their classroom accomplishments and extracurricular contributions. Besides the school district, local organizations and businesses like the Freeport Police Benevolent Association, the Freeport Memorial Library, Gala Foods Supermarkets and the Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club gave out awards and scholarships.
A large portion of the class plans to attend a community college, university or trade school in the near future to continue their studies and later hope to obtain successful and rewarding careers.
Some of the common schools of choice for graduating students include Adelphi University, CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Electrical Training Center, Hofstra University, Molloy University, Nassau Community College, SUNY Albany, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Farmingdale, and SUNY Old Westbury.
In addition, four graduating students — Anthony Hankins, Diana Mejia Villalobos, Wilson Pacheco and Avriel Ramos-Lopesa — are planning to enlist in the U.S. Army.
Among the many supporters present for the commencement ceremony were Shakirah Miller, interim schools superintendent, and Gisselle Campbell-Ham, the high school’s principal.
While this was Miller’s first Freeport High School graduation, this marked Campbell-Ham’s last as principal, since she decided to leave the school district after this school year. She held the position for five years. Shomari Akil officially will assume her position, effective July 1.
Several graduates received awards and scholarships for their character and academic accomplishments.
Photos courtesy Freeport Public Schools
Freeport High School’s graduates will go on pursue college degrees and other career pathways.
Principal Gisselle Campbell-Ham, who’s leaving Freeport High School, passionately congratulated her students.
Graduating members of Freeport High School’s Symphonic Orchestra gave their very last high school performance.
FrOm PaGe 1
Students were cheered on by their families, teachers and other supporters as they crossed the stage and received their diplomas.
Freeport students have bright futures to look forward to after successfully earning their high school diplomas.
Crime watCh
Driving intoxiCateD
On June 21, an individual was arrested by Freeport police officers after they were stopped for a traffic infraction. Officers found the individual to be operating the vehicle while intoxicated and with a suspended license. The individual was transported to Freeport Police Headquarters for arrest processing.
On June 21, another individual was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated after being stopped for a traffic infraction. The individual was transported to Freeport Police Headquarters for arrest processing.
LarCeny
On June 16, Freeport police officers secured a report for a person who stole a bottle of Mountain Dew from a local business without permission or authority to do so. The individual
was banned from the location, but no arrest was requested.
On June 18, Freeport police officers secured a report for an individual who removed a bicycle from the victim’s possession without authority to do so. The bicycle was later recovered and no arrest has been requested.
On June 21, Freeport police officers arrested a person who was allegedly found to have removed property from a local business without authority to do so. The person was transported to Freeport Police Headquarters for arrest processing.
On June 22, an individual was reported to have entered a vehicle and damaged the steering column and ignition wiring without authority to do so, likely attempting to hotwire the vehicle to remove it from the premises. No arrest has been made or requested.
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.
news briefs
Declaration reading to be held in Village
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and residents of Freeport are invited to celebrate by gathering to hear a public reading of the document. The event will be held on Wednesday, July 8 at 11am on the steps of Freeport Village Hall.
Ellen Kelly, President of the Freeport Historical Society, spoke about the importance of the event in history.
“We thought it was appropriate to read the Declaration aloud in Freeport because our village hall is an exact replica of the one in Philadelphia,” she said. “Also, we picked July 8 because that was the date, in 1776, that it was read.”
Led by Mayor Kennedy, other elected officials, leaders and residents, a group of around 30 community members will each take part in reading a section, including the list of grievances against the King of England and the names of the people who signed the document.
–Justin Haberman
Residents will gather on the steps of Village Hall on July 8 for a community reading of the Declaration of Independence.
NCPD arrested man for gun possession
A Roosevelt man was arrested in North Merrick after Nassau County police said he was found carrying a loaded firearm while standing in the roadway on June 15.
According to detectives, officers responded to Elsie Avenue near Meadowbrook Road at about 9:30 a.m. for a report of a person impeding traffic. Upon arrival, officers found Naggie Ford, 21, of Roosevelt, acting irrationally in the roadway and removed him from the area.
During their investigation, officers
■ WEB SITE: freeport.liherald.com
discovered Ford was in possession of a loaded silver handgun, police said. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment.
Ford was charged with criminal possession of a firearm and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was scheduled to be arraigned June 16 in First District Court in Hempstead.
–Hernesto Galdamez
(516)
■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: freeporteditor@liherald.com
The Long Island Association Foundation and Optimum Business awarded grants to 40 Long Island small businesses during its third annual LOCAL Small Business Grant program. The businesses represent various communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties, including Freeport, and have received $5,000 each to help support financial growth and stability.
Theresa Aydelott, the owner of consulting firm Ayd-enVision based in Freeport, was the sole Freeport recipient, and expressed appreciation for the funding and acknowledgments the Long Island Association and Optimum.
Long Island, investment in artificial intelligence and other technology tools and the development of a “library-based outreach initiative” in Nassau County. She added that it is important to embrace a growth mindset amidst the adversity small businesses often face.
I am truly grateful and honored because it affirms the legitimacy of the business model I envisioned.
“Adversity is nothing new, it is the fuel to strengthen Ayd-enVision’s impact through innovation, agility and closely connected to industry partners and technology,” she said. “For me, that means continuing to listen carefully, refine my services and position them as real solutions to the operational and growth challenges businesses face.”
Aydelott, center, owner of Ayd-en Vision in Freeport, was one of 40 grant recipients across Long Island that represented local businesses.
“Being recognized in this way by LIA and Optimum is pivotal both personally and professionally,” Aydelott told the Herald. “I am truly grateful and honored because it affirms the legitimacy of the business model I envisioned for Ayd-enVision and the services it is designed to render to other businesses.”
ThERESA
AyDEloTT Owner, Ayd-enVision
Aydelott plans to use the $5,000 grant to expand her business operations on
Aydelott also acknowledged the New York Knicks’ recent championship win in the 2026 NBA Finals as “a reminder of the beneficial outcomes of persistence, drive and collaborative networks.”
Both Optimum and the Long Island Association spoke highly of the innovation and drive of Long Island small business owners ahead of their joint 2026 Small Business Summit on June 16.
“At Optimum Business, we’re proud to continue investing in the small busi-
nesses that help Long Island communities grow and thrive,” Andrew Rainone, senior vice president of National Business Sales at Optimum, said. “These 2026 grant winners reflect the passion, innovation and resilience of local entrepreneurs across Nassau and Suffolk counties.”
Long Island Association Board Chair Lawrence Waldman added, “Small businesses comprise the majority of busi -
ness on Long Island, and that’s why it’s so important to provide them with resources to help them grow and create new jobs across our communities.”
Two small business grand prize winners are expected to be announced later this summer, each receiving a $20,000 grant. The full list of grant recipients and information on the LOCAL Small Business Grant program can be found at optimum.com/business/local-2026.
Courtesy Raffaella Mazzella
Theresa
HERALD SPORTS
A salute to 2025-26 sports champions
By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com
It was a banner season for not only the New York Knicks but also for many high school athletic teams in the Herald’s coverage area. Listed are the top team accomplishments, in chronological order.
1. Seaford girls soccer
It was a full-circle moment for Kaylie Conklin and 11 other Seaford seniors. Conklin scored off a rebound in the 11th minute of the Nassau Class A girls’ soccer championship game Nov. 1 and that’s all the offense the Vikings needed to capture their second county title in four years, 1-0 over Plaindege. The lone goal originated from a corner kick off the foot of Meghan Stovall, and Grace Cullingford was credited with the assist. Goalkeeper Caden Calderaro had the shutout.
2. Oceanside girls soccer
Fresh off its first county title in 45 years, Oceanside’s girls soccer engineered another historic victory Nov. 2, fending off surging Syosset, 2-0, to repeat as Nassau Class AAA champions. The Sailors won it behind a lights-out performance from goalkeeper Ella Murray and goals from Ava Bowers and Gianna Visone. Bowers scored unassisted in the 9th minute and assisted on Visone’s insurance goal in the 51st minute. Oceanside also took its first Long Island title, defeating Northport 1-0 on Cathryn Evans’ overtime goal Nov. 8.
3. South Side girls soccer
South Side had to work overtime and beyond to capture its third county title in the past five seasons. For a second straight game, the Cyclones needed some penalty kick magic to emerge as Nassau Class AA girls’ soccer champions. After battling top-seeded Garden City to a 1-1 draw through 80 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime in the final, they outscored the Trojans 4-3 in PKs Nov. 2. Molly Barry, South Side’s sixth shooter, delivered the golden PK goal and immediately jumped into the waiting arms of goalkeeper Abby Gruner, who not only made two dynamic PK saves but also scored.
4. South Side girls volleyball
South Side’s 32-year wait ended. The Cyclones won the New York State Class A girls’ volleyball championship Nov. 22, outlasting Williamsville South 25-22, 18-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-12 in Glens Falls. It was their second state title in program history and first since 1993, when the program captured the Class B crown. The decisive fifth set embodied everything about the Cyclones’ resilience.
They fell behind 5-1 before storming back with a 7-2 run sparked by two kills and a serving ace from Keira Mullaney. They led 8-7 at the side switch, and after Williamsville tied it at 11, the Cyclones seized control by scoring four of the final five points to claim the title.
5. Seaford football
To win a county championship, the Seaford football team needed to exorcise some demons. On Halloween, the Vikings suffered their lone loss of the season to a scary good Plainedge team at their intimidating home stadium. In a true team effort, Seaford put the memories of that defeat to bed by defeating the Red Devils, 21-7, to capture the Nassau Conference IV title Nov. 22. Seaford’s opening statement was a 12-play, 65-yard drive in which quarterback Michael Spinella (165 yards, two touchdowns) went 7-of-8, connecting with Mark Villeck and Peter Barone as well as Brian Falk, who capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Vikings in front.
6. Wantagh football
Down 14 points to Bethpage early in the second quarter of the Nassau Conference III football championship game
Nov. 22, Wantagh didn’t flinch. The fourth-seeded Warriors cut the margin to one by halftime and eventually built a 14-point lead of their own before holding on for a 28-21 victory over the Golden Eagles. Luke Martini had three offensive touchdowns and an interception on defense. It marked the first time in program history Wantagh has captured back-to-back county titles. It lost 19 players from last year’s Nassau Conference IV and Long Island Class IV championship team.
7. Massapequa football
Massapequa’s football team made history Nov. 28, defeating Ward Melville, 14-12, to win the Long Island Class I title. The Chiefs joined William Floyd as the only teams in the Long Island Championship’s 33-year history to win three consecutive Class I crowns. The Colonials did so from 2005-07. And Massapequa, which topped Oceanside for the Nassau Conference I crown, did it by going undefeated for the ninth time in program history and the second time in the last three years.
8. Plainedge girls basketball
The No. 4 seed in the Nassau Class A girls’ basketball playoffs left no doubt
who’s No. 1. Junior-led Plainedge capped a sensational county tournament run March 6 with a resounding 48-28 victory over Floral Park in the championship game. “It’s really amazing and unbelievable,” said Allison Younghans, who led all scorers with 17 points. It’s the second county title in five seasons and third all-time for the Red Devils, who beat Shoreham-Wading River for the L.I. title. Maddie Belz scored 10 points off the bench, and Peyton Wise and Michela Netto added 9 and 7 points, respectively.
9. South Side boys basketball
In a packed Farmingdale State College gymnasium March 7, South Side gave Roslyn a taste of its own medicine, dropping a season-high 82 points in capturing the Nassau Class AA boys basketball championship game by a 15-point margin. Roslyn averaged 75 points but was held to 20 in the opening half and 67 on the night as the Cyclones captured their second county title in four years. South Side went on a 22-2 run from the last bucket of the first quarter to the end of the opening half, to take a 32-20 halftime lead. Trevor Walsh recorded eight of his career-high 23 points during the surge, while Ryan Schmitt, John Pericolosi, Connor Erickson and Kieran Vetter combined for the other 14 points.
10. Baldwin boys basketball
It was a freak accident at a practice in early January when Rian Gittens heard the pop in his knee and immediately thought the worst. “I thought my season was over,” the senior forward said. It was another example of adversity in a season full of it for the Baldwin boys basketball team. So when the Bruins were slow coming out of the gate and trailed by 13 in the second quarter of the Nassau Class AAA championship game March 7, it was just the latest obstacle for Baldwin to hurdle. Enter Gittens, who in his first game back from a torn MCL provided the needed offensive spark to help top-seeded Baldwin defeat Port Washington, 47-40, to win a sixth consecutive county title.
11. Baldwin girls basketball
In a Baldwin’s once-comfortable 19-point lead over Walt Whitman in the Long Island Class AAA girls’ basketball title game whittled down to five with less than three minutes remaining when its lone returning starter from last season’s state championship team made sure it wouldn’t be her high school finale. Senior guard Alyssa Polonia’s long trey from the top of the key with 2:46 to go provided the dagger in Baldwin’s 54-46 victory March 11. Her four free throws in the final minute sealed the program’s
Erik Lee/Herald
Massapequa won its third straight Long Island football title.
BRINGING LOCAL SPORTS HOME EVERY WEEK
HERALD SPORTS
Local teams celebrated historic seasons
eighth L.I. crown in head coach Tom Catapano’s 17 seasons at the helm. Polonia had a team-high 17 points, Malia Robinson added 11 and Ajeya Nicholas chipped in 8.
12. MacArthur flag football
Alexa Coppola caught a pass through the heavy rainfall from junior quarterback Gina Iannuzzi and toe-tapped in the back of the end zone to secure MacArthur’s first flag football county title May 23 at LIU Post over Plainedge, 13-9, in the Class B championship game. On fourth and goal from the 9-yard line, Iannuzzi rolled right and found a leaping Coppola, who got one foot down with just a few turf pellets between her toe and the white out-of-bounds line. The Generals went on to capture the L.I. Class B crown.
13. Massapequa girls lacrosse
Massapequa girls lacrosse ran away with the Nassau Class A championship May 27, defeating Syosset 13-5 to take the county title in convincing fashion. Savanna Appleton led the way with four goals and four assists. In a three-game playoff stretch that also included victories over East Meadow and Port Washington, Massapequa outscored opponents 43-10, a commanding run as the top seed. The Chiefs have won nine county championships in the last 11 years, including six straight since 2021.
14. South Side girls lacrosse
Tara Cody was unfazed when South Side’s girls lacrosse season hung in the balance in the final minute of the Nassau Class C final against Wantagh May 28. The senior goalie squared up for her
second free position shot in a matter of minutes in a tie game, but unlike the first attempt Cody made a crucial low stick save. Cody’s clutch stop, one of her eight on the day, set the stage for more heroics at the other end of the field when freshman Juliet Diorio scored with just 2.3 seconds left to propel South Side to an 8-7 victory and a repeat county title.
15. Massapequa softball
Dropping three straight games to Oceanside didn’t faze defending Nassau and Long Island Class AAA softball champ Massapequa. The Chiefs, who fell twice to the Sailors during the regular season and dropped the best-of-three county finals series opener, stayed alive with a wild come-from-behind victory in Game 2 and kept the momentum going in the third and deciding game for a repeat. Samantha Dolan went 3-for-4 with five RBIs, Sienna Erker scored three runs and pitcher Alexa O’Mallon scattered five hits as Massapequa squeaked past Oceanside, 7-6, May 29 for its fifth county title in six years.
16. Wantagh boys lacrosse
Wantagh captured its third straight Nassau Class C boys lacrosse championship June 1, rolling to a 15-7 victory over South Side. Warriors goalie Gianni Passaro came up huge, making 15 saves. Martini, Matt Giacobello and Sean Stachlik each had three goals and one assist, Joe Nicholson and Carter Loughman had two goals and two assists apiece, and Devin Paccione had two goals to lead Wantagh’s high-octane offense. The Warriors advanced to beat Sayville, 12-11, for their second straight Long Island title.
17. Wantagh softball
It was fitting the Long Island Class A softball championship game ended with a strikeout from Wantagh’s Lucy Olore. The junior pitcher fanned 12 and provided all the offensive support she’d need with a two-run single in the top of the first inning of the Warriors’ 3-0 victory over two-time defending champion Miller Place June 6. It was Wantagh’s third L.I. title and first since 1990 — also won on the same date that year.
18. Calhoun softball
Five days after capturing their first Nassau County title, the Colts added another chapter to the history books. Calhoun had never played for a Long Island softball title before June 6, but the Colts proved more than worthy of sharing the same stage with defending Class AA champion East Islip. Featuring a wicked curveball, sophomore pitcher Sophia Nicastro was dialed in. She struck out 14 and allowed only six baserunners in a dominant performance to lead a 7-1 victory.
19. Kennedy baseball
It was a dream season for Bellmore JFK baseball. After dramatically winning their first county championship, the Cougars claimed their first Long Island crown, defeating Hauppauge, 9-3, to win the Class AA title June 6. Ryan Yormack set the tone with a leadoff double in the first inning and scored on an error. A sacrifice fly by Matt Toliplano gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Dylan Babek got the win on the mound and Derek Yormack retired all six batters he faced for the save.
20. Plainedge baseball
With Plainedge’s Taylor Nitsch and Kings Park’s Everett Zarzicki on the mound, it wasn’t going to take many runs to come away with the Long Island Class A baseball championship June 6. And it was the bat of an unlikely source, Dylan Loccisano, who provided all the offense the Red Devils needed to capture their first L.I. title since 2012. The backup catcher’s two-run, basesloaded single to right with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning was all Plainedge needed to secure a 2-0 victory.
21. Massapequa baseball
Massapequa ace Jack Scannapieco was back and made sure the Chiefs were back on top of the mountain, defeating Liverpool, 7-1, to capture the New York State Class AAA baseball championship at Binghamton University June 13. Scannapieco earned the win, allowing one earned run on five hits, while striking out five with one walk in five innings. Joe Genova went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored for Massapequa, which defeated Port Washington for the Nassau County title and Connetquot for the Long Island crown.
22. Massapequa boys lacrosse
The freight train known as Massapequa’s boys lacrosse team made one final stop in Geneva. The Chiefs’ offense hummed like a locomotive once again, producing at least four goals in every quarter of their 19-9 victory over West Genessee in the New York State Class A championship game June 14. Rocco Spallina had four goals and Nolan Wieczorek and Jake Byrnes added hat tricks.
Continued FRoM PReViouS Page
Media Origin Inc./Herald
alyssa Polonia and Baldwin captured the L.i. Class aaa crown.
Erik Lee/Herald Kennedy’s baseball team made history with the program’s first county and Long island titles.
Rotary brings peace pole symbol to library
By JUSTIN HABERMAN Intern
A new symbol of peace now stands outside the Freeport Memorial Library after the Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club dedicated a peace pole Saturday morning. The pole reflects the Rotary’s mission to advance goodwill, understanding and peace.
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The dedication ceremony attracted Rotary members, library officials, community leaders and residents, including Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé, Rotary District Governor Elect Pamela Greene, outgoing Freeport-Merrick Rotary President Comfort Itoka and members of the Salvation Army. Attendees gathered for the ceremony, which celebrated both the installation and the values the pole represents.
Inscribed with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in multiple languages, the pole stands as a visible reminder that peace is both a gift and a responsibility. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but it is a foundation for human dignity, hope, progress and community.
Itoka said the message carries deep personal significance.
“I came to this country and lost everything, therefore, the word peace means so much to me,” Itoka said. “For those of us who have experienced conflict, we yearn for peace because we don’t want those things to repeat because it brings human suffering.”
During the ceremony, Greene explained that peace extends beyond the absence of war or conflict. She said Rotary members promote peace through service, by organizing food or coat drives, supporting veterans in need or helping students pursue higher education through scholarships.
“Each of us has something meaningful to give, whether it’s our time, our voice or once compassion,” Greene said. “Change begins the moment we show up and offer what we can.”
The Peace Pole was installed through a partnership between the Rotary Club and the Freeport Memorial Library. Library Director LeeAnn Moltzen said the library was a fitting location because it welcomes everyone.
“It makes sense because this is a place where we serve everyone,” Moltzen said. “It is a symbol of unity, peace and harmony in the community. This is a place that serves everyone, regardless of your race, religion or political views.”
Although this is the Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club’s first peace pole, Itoka hopes it will inspire similar poles throughout Freeport and Merrick, continuing the Rotary’s mission of service.
Maureen Lennon/Herald
Members of the Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club accept a citation from Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé
L.I. Choice Awards celebrate local success
By Maureen Fitzgerald
Presented once again by PSEG Long Island, the fifth annual Herald Long Island Choice Awards Gala has quickly become one of the region’s signature contests and business recognition events. The program brings together hundreds of businesses and organizations across categories spanning dining, healthcare, home services, wellness, professional services, retail, entertainment and more.
Hosted by RichnerLIVE on May 19 at the Crest Hollow Country Club, the evening featured a cocktail reception, networking, dinner and the highly anticipated live winner reveal — with honorees learning their placements in real time throughout the evening. From the moment guests stepped into cocktail hour, the atmosphere carried an unmistakable buzz as finalists mingled and snapped photos in front of the glowing LI Choice Awards LED sign.
The applause erupted repeatedly as winners crossed the stage to accept their awards, with cheers echoing throughout the packed ballroom.
For many attendees, the evening represented more than just an awards gala; it was a celebration of resilience, growth and community recognition after years spent building businesses across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
“This evening is about celebrating the people and businesses that make our communities special,” said Stuart Richner, publisher of the Herald and CEO of Richner Communications, during opening remarks. “It is the people in this room that are the economic engines of our communities.”
This year’s continued partnership with PSEG Long Island also reinforced the utility’s longstanding focus on supporting the region’s small business community through its Business First advocate programs, which provide guidance, energy efficiency resources and rebate opportunities to help local businesses grow and operate more sustainably. The utility company — ranked No. 1 by J. D. Power in business customer satisfaction — has granted over $3.5 million to help businesses lower operating costs, improve sustainability, and create jobs.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities,” said Veronica Isaac, Senior Manager Customer and Community Partnerships, during the evening’s program. “Without your hard work, we would not have so many thriving downtown districts and beyond here on Long Island. Investing in and promoting small businesses will power the future of Long Island.”
The event also underscored how the LI Choice Awards has evolved beyond recognition. Drawing hundreds of thousands of votes across the region during the months-long public voting campaign, the program has become a platform that strengthens visibility for local businesses while fostering new partnerships and meaningful connections across industries. For many of
A beautiful poolside setting provided the perfect backdrop for an evening of networking and
the evening’s winners, the recognition has translated into tangible business growth, customer trust and lasting community credibility.
“Winning the Long Island Choice Award five years in a row for Best Auto Repair Shop, has been incredibly rewarding for our business. Because the award is voted on by the public, it means a great deal to know our customers continue to support and believe in us,” shared Kevin Killelea,
owner of Rockville Centre Auto Repair.
“The recognition has helped our business grow and flourish, while reinforcing the trust and reputation we’ve worked hard to build within the community.”
Sharing the same five-year milestone win, the Theralympic Speech Therapy team celebrated by extending “A huge thank you to our wonderful clients for believing in us, and to our
dedicated team for the care, passion, and heart you bring every single day. We couldn’t do this without you!!”
“Winning the past few years is especially meaningful because it reflects the trust our patients place in us every day,” said Dr. Howard Goodman, Long Island Weight Loss Doctor.
This year’s winners and finalists can be found in the LI Herald 2026 LI Choice Winners Guide and online at LIChoiceawards.com.
Photos by Tim Baker/Melissa Baptiste/Michael Rechter
celebration.
Proud sponsor PSEG Long Island was represented by Matt Connors, left, Andrew Cacioppo, Jordan Isaac, Veronica Isaac, Krista Kester, Sean Galvis, and Amy Di Leo.
Photos by Tim Baker/Melissa Baptiste/Michael Rechter
Laura D’Amato, second from right, and Apple Bank team members bring home the win.
Winner Eric Krywe, owner of Beach Baseball Camp & Clinics LLC.
Winner Suzanne Mahoney of Beach Terrace Care Center.
The winning team at Burgerology RVC.
Taylor Maflin of Clarity Spa, a category winner and multi-category finalist.
Winners Allan, left, and Pam Rosenbluth, owners of Club Pilates, with their team.
The team at Discover Long Island, a proud supporting partner.
Winner Naala Royale-Holder, right, of Dunns River Lounge, Inc. with a guest. A proud moment for finalists Khalfan Kards.
The winning team at Maple Pointe Senior Living.
Bruce Levitt, of Mur-Lee’s Men’s & Boys’ Shop, a two-category winner.
Two-category winner Michael Pantano, right, owner of Pantano’s Gourmet.
RVC Auto Repair takes home a win and earns finalist honors across multiple categories.
Dr. Ryan Sugarman of Memorial Sloan Kettering, second from left, accepts his award.
Winner and owner of Raagini, Ram Bisht, right, celebrates with a guest.
The team at Safe Health Educators celebrates their victory.
PSEG attendees Krista Kester and Sean Galvis enjoy cocktail hour poolside. Rockville Bagels’ winning team is all smiles after their big win.
Photos by Tim Baker/Melissa Baptiste/Michael Rechter Tire Town Tire Pros wins big, claimed first place across multiple categories.
The winning team at Cabana Mexican American Restaurant.
Finalist Alan Teemer, of Teemer Moving and Storage.
Pride Month on the street and the stage
attend.”
Paul Bua, another festival organizer, expressed his appreciation for the support the organization and local queer people like him have received from the village — specifically Mayor Robert Kennedy, who attended the event.
“I’m a 55-year-old resident of Baldwin, grew up around Freeport and the Nautical Mile,” Bua said. “Pride is very important to me. I came out when I was 18, and it’s nice to see that where I originated from supports a strong community, is inclusive and celebrates our community in this way.”
Jade, Aaliyah Martinez, Ivy Stalls and Quinn Matthews were just a few of the colorfully clad Pride participants who gathered in front of Sparkle on Stage.
Tim Baker/Herald photos
Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy, Village Trustee Evette Sanchez, event organizer Robyn Workman, actresses portraying Glinda and Elphaba, of “Wicked,” and Ben VandeVere led the Pride motorcade.
Amy Fox, Diana Ferullo and Mandy Strobel enjoyed the Pride festival.
Chris Marlborough played Riff-Raff in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Mark Von Tess played Frank n. Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Sparkle on Stage.
Grand Marshal Baddie Brook and Harry Kritkos had a flashy ride to help lead the nautical Mile pride motorcade.
uniondale siblings Kande and Matej noel were among the crowd celebrating Pride on the nautical Mile.
LONG ISLAND’S 2026 STAYCATION GUIDE
Celebrate America’s 250th at the Cradle of Aviation Museum!
Summer 2026 Starts Here.
2026 Summer Bucket List
❑ See a real Lunar Module ❑ Watch a Giant-Screen Movie ❑ Walk the Air & Space Trail ❑ Discover Aviation History
❑ Sit in an Airplane Cockpit
❑ Eat Astronaut Ice Cream
This year, skip the airport lines, expensive hotels, and rising travel costs. America’s 250th anniversary is happening right here in your own backyard.
Join us for a summer-long celebration of aviation, innovation, exploration, and discover with special exhibits, family events, and full-dome films on Long Island’s largest screen!
From early air fields to the Moon, Long Island helped shape America’s story. Come celebrate where history took flight.
Scan the QR code or visit www.cradleofaviation.org/celebrate250 for a complete list of ongoing celebrations and special events.
LONG ISLAND’S 2026 STAYCATION GUIDE
AMERICA
By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
During the 250 years of its existence, the United States has experienced many domestic and global triumphs in large part due to the sacrifices and contributions of the millions of individuals who served in the military in various capacities.
In recognition of the ongoing service active-duty military members and veterans have offered this nation, several Long Island veterans shared their reflections on their service and what the celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary signifies to them.
Bill Morris, North Bellmore
Morris served in U.S. Army from 1962 to 1965, and was stationed in Arlington, Virginia, as a part of the Old Guard that watches over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial serves as a symbolic resting place for the many soldiers who died and whose remains were unidentifiable due to the state of the body, poor record keeping or technological limitations of the time.
DHe expressed that it was an honor to be a part of the Old Guard and serving the country in a unique way. In addition to guarding the tomb, he was a part of different ceremonies at the White House and parades at the Washington Monument.
espite all of our differences, the country goes on — and we celebrate our heritage and our victories.
— BILL MoRRIS
Morris also was a part of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s funeral in 1963 when JFK was assassinated in Dallas. When asked about what America 250 signifies to him, he reflected on how much history he had been a part of.
“It signifies that I’m getting old, because I remember the 200th anniversary,” he joked. “(The 250th) anniversary just shows that the country, despite all of our differences, goes on and we celebrate our heritage and we celebrate our victories.”
For America’s 250th, looking back on service
Photos courtesy Bill Morris
Bill Morris said he’s been “honored” to have participated in several emotional ceremonies, including the funeral of President John F. Kennedy.
Bill Morris has received several recognitions and awards for his service in the Old Guard.
Morris added that he hopes to see the U.S. government provide additional support for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and encourages the country to care more for veterans.
“There’s way too many veterans on the street,” he said. “Too many on drugs. They need more care, they need more mental health (resources), they need more benefits. And I know the Veterans Affairs are trying to do that.”
Lomonaco Angelo, Lynbrook
Angelo, a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1951 to 1955, also worked as a New York City police
Deliah Roberts/Herald Herald reporter Andrew Francis with U.S. veteran Marie Carmel Houanche at the 2026 Freeport Memorial Day Ceremony at Freeport High School.
officer for 20 years. He said that the nation’s 250th birthday is “meaningful” and he also hopes to see the legacy of veterans honored better.
“People, don’t forget the veterans,” he asks, mentioning “the different eras to World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, until the present.”
Angelo does his part to try to honor fellow veterans by volunteering at the New York State Veterans Home in St. Albans.
Marie Carmel Houanche, Freeport
Houanche was a nurse in the U.S. Army for 20 years being sta-
tioned in Houston, Texas and other areas of the country. Despite retiring from the military in 2011, she has remained tied to it by serving as chaplain at the American Legion’s William Clinton Story Post No. 342 in Freeport.
Despite having not been a typical soldier, Houanche said that her experiences were transformative since she was required to still meet the same physical fitness requirements that regular soldiers met. She also learned how to speak French, Korean, French, Creole, Spanish, English and a bit of Russian throughout her life of service.
Houanche said that America’s 250th anniversary is both a celebration of progress and independence.
There’s way too many veterans on the street. They need more care, more mental health resources and more benefits.
— BILL MoRRIS
“The reason that we celebrate the 250th anniversary is because we have our freedom and independence, and if it wasn’t for the military, all the different branches working together, we wouldn’t be free today.”
Stephen Nicolino, Freeport
Nicolino, who recently celebrated his 94th birthday, was a U.S. Air Force traffic controller from 1952 to 1956. After graduating from high school, the same day as the Korean War started, he reported to basic training at the now closed Sampson Air Force Base in Seneca Lake, New York, and went on to be stationed at bases in Massachusetts and England. Following his service, he went on to graduate from Hofstra University with a degree in business administration. When asked about America 250, he said that he and his family have loved the U.S. for over a century.
“My parents came from Italy in 1921 and never looked back,” Nicolino said. “He became a citizen within five years of being here in the United States.”
Nicolino’s family ties to service and patriotism extends to his brother Benedetto Nicolino, who was a Suffolk County police officer in the 1950s and 1960s who would become the first Long Island police officer with a K-9 dog.
Courtesy Marie Carmel Houanche Marie Carmel Houanche worked as a nurse in the U.S. Army for 20 years before serving as an American Legion chaplain.
AMERICA
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AMERICA
By HUNTER FENOLLOL hfenollol@liherald.com
Joe Gaeta remembers spotting mines off Normandy
When Joe Gaeta looks at the American flag today, the feeling is simple.
“I’m proud of myself,” he said.
The Wantagh resident turned 99 on March 9, making him one of the last surviving members of the generation that fought and served during World War II. More than eight decades after helping support the Allied invasion of Normandy, Gaeta still carries memories of the war — and of the unlikely journey that took him there.
Gaeta grew up in the Ravenswood section of Long Island City during the Great Depression. Life was difficult. His family of five lived in a one-bedroom apartment, and there was no refrigerator, only an icebox, filled with blocks of ice delivered to the neighborhood.
“We didn’t have heat,” he recalled. “We had kerosene, and all our clothes stunk of kerosene.”
His parents worked at a local cigar company, as did many of their neighbors. Gaeta attended P.S. 83 but never went to high school. Instead, he entered the workforce and later became a laborer in construction.
At 17, with many of his older friends already serving, Gaeta decided he wanted to enlist.
“All my friends were gone,” he said. “I told my father I wanted to go.”
His parents were not thrilled by the decision, but they signed the paperwork, allowing him to join the U.S. Navy.
T
Gaeta served aboard a ship that transported troops to Normandy during the D-Day campaign. While thousands of soldiers stormed the beaches, he spent much of his time below deck in the engine room, making sure gauges and equipment were functioning properly.
“I didn’t see nothing,” he said with a laugh. “I was in the engine room.”
But he certainly heard the battle. During breaks, the sounds of gunfire and explosions echoed around the ship. After the invasion, his vessel helped recover American soldiers from the water.
“We picked up a lot of dead bodies,” he recalled quietly. “I was 17-years-old.”
Gaeta was among the youngest men aboard his ship. While many of the sailors around him worried about wives and children back home, the teenager’s concerns were much different.
Veterans reflect on service, role in American history
“A lot of guys had families,” he recalled. “Me, I’m 17-years-old. I’m talking about the Yankees and the Giants.”
Decades later, he still remembers viewing the war through the eyes of a teenager.
“To me, it was a great adventure,” he said. “It really didn’t dawn on me until I was about 21 what I did.”
o me, it was a great adventure. It really didn’t dawn on me until I was about 21 what I did.
— JOE GaETa
One of Gaeta’s most important contributions came because of his exceptional eyesight. Navy officials recognized his ability to see long distances and frequently assigned him to the crow’s nest whenever the ship entered dangerous waters.
Twice, he spotted enemy mines.
The discoveries allowed naval crews to destroy the mines and alter the routes of ships following behind, helping protect countless service members.
“They made all the ships behind us take a different route,” Gaeta said proudly.
For his efforts, he received a reward that still makes him smile more than 80 years later: a day off and a steak dinner with the ship’s chef.
“They made a big deal out of me,” he said.
After the war, Gaeta returned home to a difficult job market as thousands of veterans searched for work. He found a path into the bricklayer’s union and built a career in the trades.
Today, he remains active with veter-
an’s organizations, including AMVETS and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. During local parades, he often rides at the front.
“I’m the only World War II veteran,” he said. “When I walk in there, they make a big deal out of me.”
For Gaeta, service was never about recognition. But he hopes younger generations appreciate the sacrifices made by those who wore the uniform.
“You’re giving your life for your country,” he said. “It’s not something everybody does.”
Seaford Legion leader on service, sacrifice after 9/11 return to duty
For David VanderWerf, military service wasn’t a single chapter in his life — it was something he returned to when the country called again.
VanderWerf, adjutant of Edwin Welsh Jr. American Legion Post 1132 in Seaford and first division commander in the Nassau County American Legion, first enlisted at 17 in the National Guard and Reserve. But after the Sept. 11 attacks, he found himself drawn back to active duty.
“The impetus behind joining the regular Army was 9/11,” he said.
Raised in Glen Rock, N.J., VanderWerf said his interest in the military began early through a love of history and military simulation games with his father. Family members also served, including an uncle who flew bombing missions in World War II and another who spent decades in the Army Reserve.
After reentering service in 2003, VanderWerf deployed to South Korea,
where he spent nearly three years stationed near the Demilitarized Zone. There, he worked in combat arms on M1 Abrams tanks, serving as a driver, loader, gunner and briefly a tank commander.
A typical day, he said, began with physical training before long hours maintaining and repairing tanks in the motor pool. But the job also came with moments of high tension. He recalled monthly alerts simulating a potential North Korean attack, including one during the period when North Korea conducted its first nuclear test.
“We didn’t know why we were on alert at the time,” he said. “We were just ready.”
He also remembers the heavy responsibility of training soldiers who were later deployed to Iraq, some of whom were injured or killed in combat.
Despite those experiences, VanderWerf said morale among troops remained strong, grounded in camaraderie and shared purpose.
Today, VanderWerf has continued that sense of service through the American Legion, where he helps veterans navigate benefits, assists with community programs and participates in military funeral honors.
“Veterans and their families sacrificed a lot,” he said. “Freedom’s not free.”
For VanderWerf, the transition back to civilian life led him into leadership roles in restaurants and, later, continued community service on Long Island. But he said the core lesson of his military experience remains the same: service does not end when the uniform comes off.
Wantagh honors Revolutionary War patriot Thomas Jackson
As Wantagh residents gathered to honor veterans this Memorial Day, one of the community’s earliest patriots was remembered once again: Thomas Jackson, a Revolutionary War soldier whose roots run deep in the history of the hamlet.
Born on Dec. 24, 1754, in a house that once stood near present-day Jones Avenue, Jackson became an active supporter of the American cause during the fight for independence. Historical records show that he signed Queens County’s “Petition of Association” on Jan. 19, 1776 — a local declaration of support for the colonies’ break from British rule.
Jackson served as a private in the 4th Regiment of New York troops and helped defend local interests during the Revolutionary War. On Aug. 13, 1776, he received bounty funds for men assigned to protect livestock in Queens County before the Battle of Long Island, preventing supplies from falling into Brit-
Courtesy Joe Gaeta
World War II veteran Joe Gaeta remembers his military service with pride.
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AMERICA
ish hands. He also participated in the capture of Fort St. George in 1780.
Following the war, Jackson remained a prominent local resident. In 1803, he built a large home in what is now Wantagh.
Jackson died on Nov. 29, 1842, and is buried in the Jackson Cemetery on Wantagh Avenue. More than 180 years later, his grave continues to serve as a reminder of Wantagh’s connection to the nation’s founding and the sacrifices made by its earliest patriots.
Reflecting on service during ‘forgotten war’
For Anthony Heckl, memories of military service stretch back more than seven decades, but some moments remain as clear as ever.
Heckl, a longtime Seaford resident and member of the Edwin Welsh Jr. American Legion Post 1132, served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War. Though he was only 19 when he enlisted, the experience left a lasting impression.
By ANDREW FRANCIS
afrancis@liherald.com
Laura Smith and Stacey Rose, whose ancestors have served in the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War, were named the co-grand marshals of the Village of Freeport’s Memorial Day Parade. Despite the parade being cancelled due to rain, the pair were honored during an indoor ceremony.
I’m just proud to know that I’m part of these courageous people’s bloodline, and it informs me.
StACEy RoSE
Co-grand marshal, Freeport Memorial Day Parade
Smith is an attorney who lives in Seaford and has many ties to Freeport, including owning a home in the village. She is a descendant of Revolutionary era figures Adam Smith and Benjamin Raynor, the latter the namesake of Raynortown, which eventually became Freeport.
Adam Smith joined patriotic brigades along the Long Island’s North Shore at 44 years-old, while Raynor was only 20 when he joined the fight for American independence.
Laura Smith said that she was tremendously honored by the invitation to be one of the grand marshals, and hoped that the values her family, and so many others, have fought for are maintained today.
“These guys kind of bucked a trend, since it was very loyalist around here on the South Shore,” she said, referring to
For generations of heroes, anniversary offers time to reflect
“I was 19 when I went in and 22 when I came out,” Heckl said.
A native of Manhattan, Heckl said his path into military service began almost by accident. During a New Year’s Eve gathering in 1950, a friend in the National Guard challenged him to enlist. Two days later, Heckl and another friend signed up.
His service took him from California to Korea and later Japan. Assigned to a construction engineer unit, he worked in supply, helping ensure soldiers had the equipment and clothing they needed.
The memory that stayed with him most was not the military work itself, but the devastation he witnessed in Korea.
“When I got there, it was the poverty and the devastation,” Heckl recalled. “It made me wonder what it’s all about. Why war?”
Korea’s harsh winters presented another challenge. Heckl remembered shortages of winter clothing and boots, making it difficult to keep troops supplied during the bitter cold.
One of his proudest accomplishments was helping make sure soldiers in his company had the gear they needed.
“We were trying to keep the troops in clothing,” he said.
Not every memory was difficult. Heckl fondly recalled helping build a 250-bed hospital in the city of Taegu. When the project was completed, he and his fellow soldiers were thanked by the nurses.
“At the end of it, all the nurses kissed us,” he said with a laugh.
Returning home after the war was not always easy. Unlike veterans of other conflicts, many Korean War veterans felt their service received little public recognition.
“At least the Vietnam veterans got cursed at,” Heckl joked. “They didn’t even know I was gone.”
Today, after more than 60 years on Long Island, Heckl remains active with the Seaford American Legion, where he continues to honor the friendships, service and sacrifices that defined his generation.
Grand marshals honor their Revolutionary War ancestors
Smith and Raynor. “It was kind of a dangerous thing to do, and certainly unpopular that they did go against the tide.”
Smith also added that the legacies of
her ancestors inspire her to want to see the values of independence and fair representation upheld in today’s America.
“The government should be behold-
en to the people and should adhere to what it is that the people want, and not to forget that it’s for the people of the country,” she said. “Some people, they seem to be forgetting that.”
Rose, who has lived in Freeport for 40 years, is a substitute teacher at John W. Dodd Middle School, also in the village. She is a descendant of Benjamin Lattimore Sr., an enslaved Black man who was freed and later served in continental armies in New York during the Revolutionary War.
Lattimore’s descendants leading up to Rose have been very involved military service, abolitionist movements and civil rights. She speaks highly of the inspiration that her relatives provide and boldly works with her family to honor their legacy through publicly discussing the harsh treatments that Black U.S. service members and citizens often faced during the past 250 years.
“There’s a lot of Black American’s who have served in various capacities,” Rose said. “(President George) Washington didn’t want us in the military, but we were losing.”
Despite the wounds of persistent racism, Rose added she is honored to “give voice to my ancestors and give voice to everyone who served and continues to serve.”
“I’m just proud to know that I’m part of these courageous people’s bloodline, and it informs me,” Rose said during the Freeport ceremony. “It informs me the work is not over. Democracy is always a work in progress, a fragile idea. Today’s patriots are those who give military service for our country. … Our 250th anniversary is a time to reflect and think about the sacrifice of those who are no longer with us.”
Deliah Roberts/Herald
Stacey Rose, left, and Laura Smith, right, the two grand marshals for the parade, with Marie Carmel Houanche, chaplain of American Legion William Clinton Story Post 342.
Andrew Francis/Herald
Despite the rain, Phillip Matragas, Mayor Robert Kennedy and Laura Smith were still able to briefly enjoy riding in a Mustang convertible after the Memorial Day ceremony.
Julianna M. Birch Elementary School
Samuel G. Birch Elementary School
Hannah N. Birch Elementary School
Maddy K. Birch Elementary School
STEPPING OUT
Block party
The nation’s story comes to life at L.I. Children’s Museum
By Abbey Salvemini
Excitement is building as we head into Fourth of July weekend. All ages can find meaning and inspiration in this milestone 250th anniversary: even play takes on a patriotic twist. Long Island Children’s Museum provides young visitors a hands-on way to connect with America’s story as only kids can — by building and imagining. Through creativity and play, children can explore the country’s landscapes, wildlife and enduring symbols that are found in the museum’s “Red, White & Blue Blocks” exhibition.
At its core, the exhibit, which runs through Sept. 6, is built around a concept children readily understand. For Aimee Terzulli, the museum’s vice president of program and visitor experience, the best way to introduce young visitors to the 250th anniversary was to frame it as a birthday celebration — one on a truly grand scale.
“Birthdays are such a big part of what kids love,” Terzulli says. “We wanted to recognize and really lean into the celebration.”
The exhibit features large blue foam building blocks paired with red, white and blue accessories that encourage open-ended creativity. Inspired by the stars and stripes of the American flag, block building lets kids imagine what futures they will build together.
Throughout the first floor gallery space, prompts invite families to build birthday cakes, create monuments and design perches for bald eagles, our national bird.
The museum also incorporated an environmental and geographic component by highlighting animals native to the United States.
Large murals showcase species including buffalo, elk, mountain goats, beavers and alligators, while children can use animal puppets and blocks to create habitats inspired by each creature’s natural environment.
“This country is just so beautiful,” Terzulli says. “There are so many environmental aesthetics and animals that are indigenous just to America.”
Everyone is encouraged to study the murals for inspiration and think critically about the environments different animals call home. Some may build rugged mountain landscapes for goats, while others design swampy habitats for alligators complete with rivers
and marshes. What begins as a building exercise often opens the door to deeper discussions about ecosystems and the natural world.
“It’s really beautiful to see families looking at the murals and saying, ‘I don’t know if I’ve spent enough time traveling America’” Terzulli continues. “Our landscape is so unique.”
The exhibit’s open-ended design encourages children to chart their own creative paths. While some build patriotic displays or towering birthday cakes, others tackle ambitious engineering projects, from roller coasters to replicas of famous landmarks. No two building sessions look quite the same.
Terzulli recalls one child attempting to recreate Mount Rushmore with the oversized foam blocks. Other visitors have become fascinated with beavers, constructing dams after discovering the important role the animals play in shaping ecosystems.
• Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• View the events calendar at licm.org for additional information or call (516) 224-5800
• Long Island Children’s Museum, 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
“The beautiful thing is they’re organic, and they allow the learning to spring up for whatever the family’s interest is,” she adds.
One particularly popular challenge involves designing perches for bald eagles.
“I’m loving seeing these perches for the eagle, because they get really competitive,” Terzulli says.
A cozy reading area stocked with books on geography, wildlife and state symbols extends the learning beyond the block-building space. The educational approach, according to Terzulli, reflects the museum’s broader vision for its America 250 programming — one that emphasizes exploration and celebration rather than history lessons. Her team intentionally took a different approach from many America 250 initiatives, focusing less on historical interpretation and more on helping children celebrate and connect with the country in age-appropriate ways.
“We’re not really doing the historical element,” she explains. “We felt like we’d leave that to historical homes and foundations. Ours is more about our country’s birthday.”
Beyond play, the exhibit and its companion programs are intended to foster shared family memories that can last a lifetime. Terzulli vividly remembers celebrating America’s Bicentennial in 1976 as a child and relates that today’s young visitors may someday reflect on the nation’s 250th birthday with similar fondness.
“I remember wearing a little bonnet and making a poster that said 1776 and marching with my siblings and cousins in [this] parade,” she recalls. “I want kids to remember where they were; so that when they’re my age, they’ll have a reflective moment.”
At its heart the exhibit is designed to foster the kinds of shared experiences that families carry with them long after the blocks have been put away. Amid the excitement surrounding America’s 250th, Terzulli sees the celebration as an opportunity to pause, connect and find joy together.
As Terzulli puts it: “Coming together and celebrating what makes life full of joy is important.”
Sky-high salute to America’s 250th
Jones Beach is ready to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with a spectacular three-day holiday weekend extravaganza. This year’s edition of the FourLeaf Air Show combines beachfront fireworks spectacle with one of the nation’s premier air shows, always an anticipated summer tradition. Festivities begin Saturday fireworks. The 25-minute display, presented by Garden State Fireworks, starts at 9:30 p.m. and will be synchronized to patriotic music. Sunday and Monday bring more excitement with the FourLeaf Air Show, headlined by the returning U.S. Navy Blue Angels. In a historic international tribute, the lineup also features the Royal Air Force Red Arrows making their first New York appearance, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds returning to Long Island for the first time since 2018, and the British Army Parachute Display Team Red Devils, among the exciting lineup. Together this is surely a signature semiquincentennial celebration that brings everyone together for a weekend honoring the nation’s history military service for a once-in-a-generation celebration.
Saturday through Monday, July 4-6. Jones Beach, Wantagh. More details available at fourleafairshow.com.
America’s birthday 19th century-style
Fourth of July is so much more than pyrotechnics. Step back in time into the 1800s at Old Bethpage Village Restoration for a more laid back type of holiday. The historic village transforms into a fully immersive living-history experience. Events include a patriotic parade through the village streets, military drills, and historical reenactments that bring the era to life. Guests can watch craft demonstrations showcasing traditional trades, enjoy storytelling sessions, and take in performances by a brass band echoing the music of the period. A reading of the Declaration of Independence offers a powerful reminder of the holiday’s origins, while old-time baseball — played by vintage rules — adds a spirited, hands-on touch of recreation. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and settle in with family and friends.
Sunday, July 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage. Visit oldbethpagevillagerestoration.org or call (516) 572-8409 for more.
Photos courtesy LICM
Imagination takes shape in foam and color as children build within the Long Island Children’s Museum’s “Red, White & Blue Blocks” exhibit.
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
JUL
Celebrate
America
Eisenhower Park welcomes all to the county’s annual July 4th celebration. Glenn Strange, Chicken Head and Let Freedom Rock perform, followed by drone show and fireworks.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 5:30 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
Freeport Fireworks
The Freeport Chamber of Commerce hosts a free fireworks show on the Nautical Mile. Join in the community celebration and honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
• Where: Woodcleft Avenue
• Time: After sunset
• Contact: (516) 223-8840
Bubble Magic
JUL
3
The Bronx Wanderers
Long Island
Children’s Museum welcomes families to the Bubbles exhibit for some extra sudsy fun! Through playful, handson experiments explore what makes a bubble form, what makes them pop, and discover new creative ways to make bubbles at the drop-in program. For ages 3+.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Contact: (licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Grooves with Louie Devito
Tropix on the Mile hosts an Independence Weekend salute with DJ performances by Louie Devito.
• Where: 395 Woodcleft Ave.
• Time: 2 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 204-5633
JUL
5
Tunes with The Mystic Tropix on the Mile hosts The Mystic.
• Where: 395 Woodcleft Ave.
• Time: 1-5 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 204-5633
Family theater
Lance the Eagle welcomes families to “A Semi-QuincentenEAGLE Birthday” on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage. In this original production, families are invited to celebrate his birthday. His message: As the national bird, this party will be
The Bronx Wanderers visit the Paramount stage for a night of classic pop, rock, oldies and their signature brand of comedy. What do you get when a father, his two sons, and two high school classmates come together to create a show? A wildly entertaining mix of hilarious personal stories, a powerhouse playlist spanning every genre and decade, and one unforgettable family’s journey through life and music. Meet The Bronx Wanderers — a high-energy musical experience that’s been bringing audiences to their feet for over 20 years. With a unique blend of rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia, modern hits, and dynamic storytelling, this band has mastered the art of connecting with fans of all ages in one sweeping, musical tour de force. The Bronx Wanderers have spent seven years as a Top 5 show in Las Vegas out of 223 productions. They’ve earned 12 “Best of Las Vegas” awards, were named Best Tribute Show by Las Vegas Weekly in 2022, hold a prestigious residency at the South Point Hotel and Casino, and were inducted into the East Coast Music Hall of Fame. Their on-stage chemistry and infectious energy they bring night after night prove they’re still having the time of their lives — and by the end of the show, you will be too.
happening throughout the whole month of July. Come to think of it, I did hear something about a birthday for the United States of America as well. Hmm... must be a coincidence! I’ll be throwing a parade through LICM’s galleries and a celebratory spectacle in the Theater. Come ready to party!” Keep an eye out 30 minutes before each show for a special interactive pre-show! For ages 3+. $5 with museum admission ($4 members), $10 theater only.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; also July 8
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
JUL 7
The Long Island International Film Expo returns July 7-16, bringing independent cinema from around the globe to local audiences. This year’s festival features 113 films representing countries including Spain, Hong Kong, Ghana, Wales, Singapore, Gibraltar and Nigeria, along with productions from across the United
States and a strong showcase of Long Island filmmakers. The festival opens with student film blocks at 6 and 9 p.m., including “Money Game,” winner of the 2026 Locust Valley Student Film Festival, directed by Justin Kwok. The diverse lineup includes documentaries, feature films, shorts, horror films, music videos and late-night screenings for mature audiences, along with workshops and more. Notable selections include “The Random Guest,” the final film featuring actor Peter Greene.
• Where: Bellmore Movies & Showplace, 222 PettitAve.,Bellmore
• Time: Varied, through July 16
• Contact: For a complete schedule and tickets, visit LIIFE2026.eventive.org
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
• Where: 46 North Ocean Ave.
• Time: 11 a.m.
• Contact: (516) 623-9632
Family movie night
Enjoy a movie under the stars at Eisenhower Park. See Disney/ Pixar’s “Elio.” The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: Movie begins at dusk
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov
Harmonize with Long Island Harmonizers
• Where: Faith Lutheran Church, 231 Jackson Ave, Syosset
• Time: Tuesdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
• Contact: Call: Rich, (516) 521-4779, or Dennis, (516) 680-8036, or visit longislandharmonizers.org
Walking Wednesdays
Freeport Memorial Library welcomes all to participate in 45-minute walk with the pace set by the group. All fitness levels are welcome. The goal is to meet people and keep moving. The library will arrange off-site meet-ups to encourage visiting other parts of the beautiful village. If it rains, walk at the Freeport Recreation Center.
• Where: 144 W. Merrick Road
• Time: 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• Contact: (516) 379-3274 or freeportlibrary.info
Oldies concert Eisenhower Park goes all out for an Oldies show. E’Stefano diSanto, Johnny Farina, Bobby Wilson, Vito Picone & The Elegants and The Brookly Bridge perform.
9
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov
50th Class Reunion
26
The Freeport High School Class of 1976 celebrates its 50th Anniversary at the Freeport Yacht Club, with all graduating members invited to attend. Register for the event at luma.com/event/manage/ evt-sHnBL62p5tU094B prior to attending. Ticket deadline is Sept. 12
• Where: 533 Guy Lombardo Ave.
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: admarkfl@gmail. com
JUL
8 Lights, camera, Long Island!
Declaration of Independence
Reading
Freeport Historical Society host a symbolic ceremony, celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. with a reading of the Declaration of Independence at Freeport Village Hall. Several community leaders, including Mayor Robert Kennedy, will participate in the ceremonial event.
Love to sing? So do the Long Island Harmonizers. The chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society is a chorus of more than 20 singers, now welcoming new members. The ensemble performs four-part a cappella harmony in the barbershop style, entertaining audiences at libraries, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and local events. All are welcome to visit one of their weekly rehearsals. Come listen, meet the chorus, and — if you’d like — join in and sing. No musical experience is necessary, just a love of singing and a desire to have fun making music together.
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.
Public Notices
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU
Deutsche Bank National Trust, Company, as Trustee for the holders of HSI Asset Securitization Corporation Trust 2007-HE1, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-HE1, Plaintiff AGAINST Burton Arthur
a/k/a Burton S. Arthur; Suzette A. Arthur; et al., Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 24, 2026 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 15, 2026 at 2:30PM, premises known as 80 Park Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520. 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 Freeport, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 54 Block 87 Lot 111. Approximate amount of judgment $615,396.10 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 619828/2023. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.” Oscar A. Prieto, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: May 13, 2026 90150 160623
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, CITIBANK, N.A., NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF THE NEW RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2019-6, Plaintiff, vs. LENORA BONNER, ET AL., Defendant (s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on April 15, 2026 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive,
Mineola, NY 11501 on July 13, 2026 at 2:30 PM, premises known as 32 MARYLAND AVENUE, FREEPORT, NY 11520. 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 Freeport, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 54, Block: 460, Lot: 128. Approximate amount of judgment is $833,752.15 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 617825/2024. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee’s attorney, or the Referee. For Sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.
MERIK AARON, Esq., Referee Halliday, Watkins & Mann, P.C., 6851 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 185, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff 160694
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF10 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NASSAU COUNTY, MONISHA MAPP AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF CECELYA V. MORSBY A/K/A CECELYA MORSBY, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered August 7, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM, premises known as 134 West End Avenue A/K/A 134 Westend Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of
Freeport, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 54, Block 318, Lot 209. Approximate amount of judgment $660,826.36 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #009443/2014. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.
Mark S. Ricciardi, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-004797 89905 160621
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
Avatar Nassau Retail Center LLC, Plaintiff vs. 175 Nassau Road Holding, Inc., et. al., Defendants (612130/2023)
Pursuant to the Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered April 23, 2026, the undersigned referee will sell at auction on July 14, 2026 at 2:00 P.M. at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, New York 11501, rain or shine, the premises at 175 Nassau Road, Roosevelt, New York 11575 (Section 55, Block 413, Lot 192), 163 Nassau Road, Roosevelt, New York 11575 (Section 55, Block 413, Lot 191) and the vacant land on Centennial Avenue, Roosevelt, New York 11575 (Section 55, Block 413, Lot 8). The approx. amt. of Plaintiff’s lien is $3,959,706.55 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold in one parcel and subject to judgment and terms of sale.
Charles Casolaro, Esq. Law Offices of Tae H. Whang, LLC, Attys for Plaintiff, 185 Bridge Plaza N., Fort Lee, NJ 07024, (201) 461-0300 160279
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on January 3, 2025. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on the 22nd day of July, 2026 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece, or parcel of land situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Freeport, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York. Premises known as 134 North Long Beach Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520. (Section: 55., Block: 384., Lot: 39) Approximate amount of lien $633,213.36 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 613787/2022. John Boklak, Esq., Referee. Stein, Wiener & Roth LLP
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 1400 Old Country Road, Suite 315 Westbury, NY 11590 Tel. 516/742-1212
Dated: May 15, 2026
During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. 160741
process to: 160 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY, FREEPORT, NY 11520
Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.
160822
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU LNV CORPORATION DBA NY-LNV, Plaintiff AGAINST KATHLEEN IRONS, MARTHA RITTER INDIVIDUALLY AND AS SURVIVING SPOUSE OF THOMAS M. RITTER, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 24, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on July 27, 2026 at 2:30 PM, premises known as 6 Lenox Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in Freeport, in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 55 Block 275 Lots 24 and 25. Approximate amount of judgment $440,551.18 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #618894/2024. David S. Dikman, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 24-002470 90215 160873
LEGAL NOTICE
obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the constitution. Pamela Walsh Boening Village Clerk BOND RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF FREEPORT, NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK, ADOPTED JUNE 29, 2026, AUTHORIZING THE PAYMENT OF TAX CERTIORARI JUDGMENTS, COMPROMISED CLAIMS AND SETTLED CLAIMS PAYABLE IN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2026, RESULTING FROM COURT ORDERS PURSUANT TO TAX CERTIORARI PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT UNDER ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE REAL PROPERTY TAX LAW, STATING THE ESTIMATED TOTAL COST THEREOF IS $775,000, APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT FOR SUCH PURPOSE, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF NOT TO EXCEED $775,000 BONDS OF SAID VILLAGE TO FINANCE SAID APPROPRIATION
LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the regularly scheduled meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals for July 16th 2026 at 6:30 P.M. in the Municipal Building, 46 North Ocean Avenue, Freeport, New York, HAS BEEN CANCELLED. BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Pamela Walsh Boening, Village Clerk 161031
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to §128-5 of the Freeport Village Code, a Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Freeport will be held to conduct public hearings on Monday, July 13, 2026 at 5:30 P.M., in the Municipal Building, Board of Trustees Conference Room, 46 North Ocean Avenue, 2nd Floor, Freeport, NY adjacent to the Mayor’s Office.
Five percent (5%) of the Bid. Such Bid Bond shall be satisfactory to the Freeport Housing Authority executed and sworn to by Surety Company authorized to do business in the State of New York, and shall be required to qualify in the sum equal to the value of the work as stated in the proposal of the Bidder for whom it is to act as Surety, shall insure the Freeport Housing Authority, in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the amount of the base bid proposal. Electronic Copies of plans, specifications, and Contract Documents may be obtained by contacting George Bella of GWB Architect P.C. on or after July 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM. Contact info is as follows:
George Bella, AIA 516.432.3406 Gbella@GWBArchitect. com
LEGAL NOTICE
REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE
SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU
LPP MORTGAGE, INC.
F/K/A LPP MORTGAGE LTD., Plaintiff - against - GERARD Y. OLIVIER
A/K/A GERARD
OLIVIER, et al Defendant(s).
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: LAWSTOLIFE LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 03/29/2026. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the
The resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on June 29, 2026, and the validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Village of Freeport, in the County of Nassau, New York, is not authorized to expend money or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this Notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the publication of this Notice, or such
The object or purpose for which the bonds are authorized is the payment of judgments, compromised claims or settled claims resulting from court orders on proceedings brought pursuant to Article Seven of the Real Property Tax Law that are payable in the fiscal year ending February 28, 2026. The period of probable usefulness is a minimum five (5) years and maximum twenty (20) years, dependent on the total amount of tax certiorari claims paid in a single fiscal year. The maximum amount of obligations authorized to be issued is $775,000. A complete copy of the Bond Resolution summarized above shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the office of the Village Clerk, Village of Freeport, Village Hall, 46 N. Ocean Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520. Dated: June 29, 2026 Freeport, New York 161030
Pamela Walsh Boening Village Clerk Issue Date: 7/2/2026 161029
LEGAL NOTICE FREEPORT HOUSING AUTHORITY PUBLIC NOTICE TO BIDDERS INVITATION FOR BIDS Sealed Bids will be received by the Freeport Housing Authority, at 100 North Main St., Freeport, New York 11520 until 12:00PM. on August 13, 2026, for all labor, materials, and work to be performed under the following contract: ROOF REPLACEMENT RE-BID
The Dr. E. Mitchell Mallette Senior Citizen Apartments 100 North Main St. Freeport, NY 11520 Required for: Freeport Housing Authority 100 North Main St. Freeport, NY 11520 In accordance with the Plans and Specifications and Contract Documents on file at the office of the Freeport Housing Authority, beginning at 10:00 a.m., on the 2nd day of July 2026. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at said offices at 12:00 PM on August 13, 2026. Each Bid must be accompanied by a DEPOSIT in the form of certified check, cashier’s check, or Bid Bond in the amount of
**Requests for contract documents should include the following: - Company name - Company Address - Company phone number - Contact name - Contact e-mail address
NOTE: ONLY BIDDERS WHO HAVE IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES IN WRITING TO GWB ARCHITECT P.C. VIA EMAIL ARE AUTHORIZED TO SUBMIT BIDS. BID DOCUMENTS OBTAINED THROUGH THIRD PARTIES ARE NOT VALID; SUCH BIDDERS MUST CONTACT GWB ARCHITECT P.C. DIRECTLY TO RECEIVE AN OFFICIAL BID PACKAGE.
Bids must be wholly filled out on the prepared Bid Forms furnished with the Contract Documents and must be contained in a sealed opaque envelope plainly marked on the outside by the title of the project to which they are relating, the name of the Bidder and his residence or business address, the number of the Contract and the nature of the work as set forth in the Instruction to Bidders. BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY.
Roosevelt hosts third Seal of Biliteracy ceremony
Roosevelt High School students who earned the New York State Seal of Biliteracy for demonstrating proficiency in English and one or more additional languages were recognized during the third annual Roosevelt High School Seal of Biliteracy ceremony.
Throughout the ceremony, students delivered speeches in multiple languages, shared personal reflections on their educational experience and highlighted the importance of biliteracy in their academic and professional careers. Their presentations displayed both linguistic achieve
ment and cultural pride.
High
The New York State Seal of Biliteracy honors students who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English and at least one additional language. Students who earn the distinction may have the Seal added to their academic records, recognizing their multilingual abilities and cultural understanding.
Roosevelt held its first Seal of Biliteracy in 2024, recognizing the first 21 students in the District’s history to obtain the recognition. Last year, the number jumped to 37 students.
”Earning the Seal of Biliteracy represents not only academic excellence, but also perseverance, cultural pride, and the ability to connect across communities,” Superintendent of School Shawn Wightman said. “We are incredibly proud of our students for reaching this milestone and grateful to our edu-
cators for fostering an environment where multilingualism is valued and celebrated.”
This achievement was made possible through the commitment of Roosevelt’s educators and staff, including Roosevelt High School Principal Keith Saunders Sr. and Director of English as a New Language/Bilingual programs and World Languages Aileen Torres Martin. The District continues to celebrate all the students who earned the New York State Seal of Biliteracy and looks forward to extending its language offerings. Roosevelt High School plans to further broaden its opportunities in Italian, American Sign Language and Mandan in the years to come, supporting students from different backgrounds.
–Justin Haberman
Public Notices
The Freeport Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any and all Bids or to waive any informalities or irregularities in the Bids. A required Pre-Bid Meeting to review the scope of work and project procedures will be held at the office of the Freeport Housing Authority located at 100 North Main St., Freeport, NY 11520 at 12:00 PM on July 30, 2026 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FREEPORT HOUSING AUTHORITY 161028
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE OF COOPERATIVE APARTMENT SECURITY BY VIRTUE OF A DEFAULT In a Loan Security Agreement dated December 7, 2021 executed by Kim T. Fakira, debtor to Wells Fargo, N.A., secured party via assignment, will cause a public sale of the security consisting of 490 shares of stock plus Parking Space and/or Garage, if applicable, of Hawthorne Gardens Owners Corp. all right title and interest in and to a Proprietary Lease between said Corporation and debtor for Apartment F26 in the building known as 153 SMITH ST
FREEPORT, NY 11520 together with all fixtures and articles of personal property now or hereafter affixed to or used in connection with said apartment on July 23, 2026 at 9:30am on the North Facing Front Steps of the Nassau County Court House, 262 Old Country Rd. Mineola, NY 11501, in satisfaction of an indebtedness. Apartment is sold “AS IS” AND POSSESSION TO BE OBTAINED BY THE PURCHASER. Said sale is subject to: payment of all sums due, if any, to Hawthorne Gardens Owners Corp. and the consent if necessary, of said corporation; any existing tenancy;
Students explore careers at Atkinson and New Visions
payment of all expenses and fees of the secured party with respect thereto; terms of sale and auctioneers fees; flip tax; State, City and County transfer tax. The secured party reserves the right to bid. Terms: an official bank or certified check made payable to Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC., for ten (10%) percent of the price bid. No cash accepted. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC. 900 MERCHANTS CONCOURSE WESTBURY, NEW YORK 11590 (516) 280-7675 161011
While learning directly from professionals in the community, students in the Freeport Public Schools had the opportunity to explore myriad careers at the New Visions and Caroline G. Atkinson School Career Day events.
At New Visions, students took part in interactive presentations and demonstrations that connected classroom learning with future career opportunities. Guests shared insights into their career paths, day-to-day responsibilities and the skills needed to succeed in their industries. Among featured presenters were members of the Nassau County Police Department Mounted Horses and K-9 Unit, law enforcement officers, a dentist, nurse, vice president of sales, hairdresser, nutritionist, restaurant owner, professional sports representative, yoga instructor and stretch therapist.
“Career Day helps students connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities and encourages them to dream big, ask questions and begin thinking about the many paths available to them
in the future,” event organizer and lead reading specialist Lisa Drury Cruz said.
Sixth grade students at Caroline G. Atkinson School gathered in the gymnasium to meet professionals from a wide range of industries, including law enforcement, graphic design, STEM and engineering, fitness and wellness, museum curation, professional athletics and music.
“Our Sixth Grade Career Day is designed to expose students to a variety of career paths and inspire them to begin thinking about their future goals,” organizer and school counselor Angelina Iaccino said. “Through this event, students have the opportunity to meet professionals from many diverse fields and leaders about the skills and education needed for success.”
Both events reflected the district’s commitment to offering meaningful opportunities that encourage students to explore their interests and prepare for future success.
–Justin Haberman
Courtesy Roosevelt Unions Free School District Roosevelt
School students were honored with the New York State Seal of Biliteracy for their proficiency in English and at least one additional language.
Photos courtesy Freeport Public Schools
New Visions students meet officers of the Nassau County Police Department Mounted Horses Division.
Students learn about careers in a hair salon with Ms. Herrera, a hairstylist from Elleven Hair Salon.
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP
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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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Why should we have to pay for changes?
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Q. We want your opinion. Who should pay for changes to our drawings in order for us to get our permit? We got a list of problems from the building department, and most of them seem pretty simple, but our architect is telling us these are changes, and he wants to be paid for doing the changes. They most include words to change, but there are some other things. The plans are too big for the property by only a few feet, and the height is more, because we want 10-foot ceilings on each floor. Why should we have to pay for changes? The architect should have known about this.
A. The answer to your question is another question. Whose building is it? Who wants the high ceilings that prompted the extra height? You, the owner, are the driving factor in the direction your plans went, and because of that, and the outcome you want to ultimately reach — approval, legality and a building you started out wanting — there is the price of services by each person you hire.
Many people have a misperception of the process of planning a building. They also have this commonly held belief that the builder knows the laws, the structure, the unique, unwritten requirements of the municipality. Owners place faith in a system they imagine works a particular way, and find out the hard way that things are often not what they assumed they would be.
I have had many experiences in which I warned clients that doing or insisting on certain things was going to get rejected, just to hear them say, naively, “Let’s try anyway,” doubting the advice, only to be turned back. In most cases, they insisted that the architect bear at least part of the cost for the redoing. That’s when you realize the personality of the person you are working for, when they cannot take responsibility for ignoring good advice.
Over the years, there have been many people who insisted that they “knew somebody” who would allow something that wasn’t ordinarily allowed. Very rarely did that strategy work. This question sounds similar, where you don’t want to bear the responsibility, yet the end result should be that you must.
Remember, going forward with the idea that changes may have to be made causes an even bigger problem. The changes have to be as thoroughly and thoughtfully addressed as the first time. Making constant calls to see if the work to change the plans has been done is frustrating, because if any issue, any note, any inconsistency is left that should have been changed, the construction project can take an ugly turn.
I have often wanted to put a note on the plans, in tall, bold letters, that “change is bad.” Changes unravel the best-laid plans. Others reading this should understand that municipalities are consistent, and if the architect, builder, electrician or plumber advises you to think twice based on trying to break a regulation, listen. Good luck!
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Every Fourth of July is cause for parades, hot dogs and backyard barbecues. But this year’s commemoration is special. It marks the unprecedented success of the greatest experiment in history: 250 years of representative government, which has provided more people with more freedom and opportunity, attained more international power and done more for justice and peace around the world than any nation in history.
I say this not as a super patriotic or chauvinistic extremist, but as someone who has studied history and experienced 28 years as a member of Congress. I know that even among too many of its own citizens, America is not held in universally high regard. Indeed, recent polling shows that only 29 percent of the members of one of our major political parties are proud to be Americans. Among many countries, including some we have liberated or defended, support for America is considerably less. This disdain, especially among our own citizens, is regretful and shameful — and
AOur first 250 years are worth celebrating
without foundation.
Unlike the overwhelming majority of countries that have been ruled by dictators and, in many cases, tyrants, the United States has always been a representative democracy, with the people having the final word in choosing our leaders. Having traveled to many countries during my time in Congress, including emerging democracies and countries liberated from Soviet domination, I’ve seen firsthand how much their people cherish the right to vote and being able to take part in the political process.
i’ve seen firsthand how emerging democracies want to emulate our freedoms.
Similarly, they admire and attempt to emulate our freedoms of speech, religion and assembly and a free press. Before the naysayers go apoplectic, I acknowledge the imperfections in our history. Women’s suffrage wasn’t achieved until the second decade of the 20th century. The evil of slavery, though ended by the bloody Civil War, will forever stain our history, as will the injustice of Jim Crow. The beauty of our system, though, is that our founding fathers saw America as an evolving experiment, as expressed in the words of the Constitution, “to form a more perfect union.”
Most uniquely, the U.S. is a nation of
Enough beating up on Joe Biden opinions
lthough Joe Biden’s presidency is now very far in the rearview mirror, there are attempts being made by both sides to keep his name in the public arena. Republicans invoke Biden as a scapegoat for all of President Trump’s missteps, and former first lady Jill Biden wants to rewrite history after the very bad end to her husband’s term of office. I approach the Biden legacy from a different perspective. I met Biden in the early 1980s, when one of his close supporters asked me to help raise money for Joe’s Senate re-election campaign, and we met at one of those events. I found him to be a pleasant and gracious man who enjoyed talking about his life in the Senate and his legislative priorities. He had one apparent flaw. He liked to talk and talk, and often needed a reminder that it was time to move on. Our subsequent contacts were infrequent but always warm and kind. I attended President Clinton’s second
immigrants from countless countries, many of whom were warring with one another before arriving on our shores. It hasn’t always been easy, but so many peoples from disparate cultures have come together to form a common union while maintaining their own traditions, resulting in a beautiful mosaic, a stained-glass window. Waves of immigrants give our nation new and needed lifeblood.
All my grandparents were immigrants who came here with no money and little formal education. Nothing was handed to them when they got here, yet they worked hard to achieve the American Dream, and each generation has done better than the one before it. At various times, of course, there have been intense debates over what our immigration policy should be.
At times those debates were shameful, such as when exclusion laws were adopted against Chinese immigration, and when the State Department refused to admit Jews attempting to escape Hitler’s Germany. There were also the dangerous excesses of the Biden years, when at least 10 million immigrants entered the country illegally, without examination for criminal or terrorist activity. I believe that while immigration brings needed
Tinauguration, and while in Washington I stopped by the senator’s office. He posed for some photos my wife, Suzan, and I, and then invited us to sit in on a Senate Judiciary hearing for new judges. Biden loved legislating, and his record during those years in the Senate is a very admirable one. Looking back at his accomplishments in the Senate, there is much to talk about. He was responsible for many important laws, dating back to 1994, when he spearheaded the Violence Against Women Act, which addressed domestic violence issues. That same year, he pushed through a major crime bill, which resulted in great success for law enforcement. Critics say it brought about mass incarceration, but its pros outweighed the cons.
sia’s expansion plans. Overall, Biden’s record in the Senate was historic for its scope and impact.
he Republican blame game is starting to sound a little hollow.
The early years of his presidency were marked by legislative success in many areas. He spearheaded the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion program that helped the nation recover from the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which created millions of new jobs rebuilding highways, bridges and other badly needed public-works projects. He signed the CHIPS and Science Act, which began the effort to get the country to accelerate the semiconductor industry. One semiconductor-manufacturing plant is currently under construction upstate.
energy and vitality, it must follow laws that are strictly enforced. A nation without borders isn’t a nation. And to the naysayers, I would note that more legal immigrants enter our country each year than any other nation.
In foreign policy, America tried to avoid foreign wars into the 20th century. Attempts at isolationism and Fortress America were shattered by two world wars and the Cold War, when we realized we could no longer rely on two huge oceans to shield us from “foreign wars.”
After World War II, when we had a monopoly on nuclear weapons and the world’s strongest economy, we adopted the Marshall Plan and established defensive alliances such as NATO to rebuild Europe and prevent Soviet expansion. In the ensuing eight decades, Europe has been rebuilt, the Iron Curtain has come down and, for the first time in centuries, there was no invasion of one European country by another until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
None of this stability would have been possible without American leadership. We have every reason to be proud of what our nation has achieved at home and throughout the world. Happy birthday, America!
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
Biden subsequently passed the Protect Our Children Act, which dealt with online exploitation of children. That was followed by major climate-change laws and anti-apartheid statutes. He was a strong supporter of NATO, and persuaded many of his fellow senators that the European alliance was critical to America’s interests In combating Rus-
After the death of his son Beau, a veteran who had suffered toxic fume exposure, Biden got the PACT Act passed to help veterans suffering from similar disabilities. He got bipartisan support for the first anti-gun law in 30 years. He succeeded in capping the cost of insulin, and helped expand NATO membership. And he appointed the first black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court.
All of those accomplished were blurred during Biden’s final year in office. The hardest thing for any politician to do is to quit public office, and obvious it’s even harder when you’re president. Giving up trips on Air Force Once and being treated royally wherever you go is a very big deal. But a combination of family pressures and staff members all anxious to keep their jobs kept Biden from recognizing that it was time to go. An added complication was his failing health.
But because he isn’t president anymore, the Republicans’ blame game is starting to sound a little hollow. They are making efforts to expose embarrassing recordings of conversations he had with a ghostwriter as a way to cover up for President Trump’s current failings. I have no doubt that history will treat Biden a lot better, but that takes time. The country has countless challenges to face, and it’s time for all sides to move on and let the man deal with his potential end-of-life issues.
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. Comments? jkremer@liherald.com.
HERALD
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The Declaration of Independence was first published on July 6, 1776, in a newspaper, the Pennsylvania Evening Post. We are proud to commemorate that high point in American journalism by reprinting that historic document.
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at
places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws of Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our Government:
For suspending our own legislature, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy of the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free People.
Nor have We been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor.
The Declaration was signed first by John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, and then by 55 others representing the 13 original states.
Ways we can ease the property tax burden
over the course of this state legislative session, I focused on the policies my constituents cared about most. Every session presents its own set of unique circumstances requiring legislative action, but this year it was abundantly clear that affordability was a top concern. The cost of groceries, utilities, insurance and housing continues to rise, making it increasingly challenging for many residents to make ends meet, especially on Long Island. But specifically among homeowners, one concern was raised time and again: property taxes.
For many Long Island families, property taxes represent one of the largest expenses in their household budget. Seniors living on fixed incomes worry about whether they can afford to remain in the communities they helped build. Young families trying to purchase their first home question whether they can keep up with the long-term costs of homeownership in addition to child care. The government has a responsibility to address those concerns with practical solutions that provide meaningful and tangible
relief.
Since property taxes fund a significant portion of local school district budgets, substantial state support is vital. School districts are continually facing rising costs, and school administrators work diligently to mitigate those costs to avoid burdening taxpayers. One of my top priorities this year was securing increased funding for our schools while reducing costs in order to bolster district budgets.
Record foundation aid investment. Every additional dollar New York state invests in local schools is a dollar that doesn’t need to come from homeowners. This year’s state budget provides historic funding for public education, ensuring that school districts receive the resources they need to educate students without relying as heavily on local property taxpayers.
lence that makes our communities so desirable.
Zero-emission bus mandate for school districts pause. I strongly support responsible environmental policies, but we must carefully consider the financial impact that major mandates can have on local communities.
s tarting with foundation aid and pausing the zeroemission bus mandate.
School districts across Long Island expressed concerns about the significant costs associated with purchasing electric buses, constructing charging infrastructure and upgrading facilities. Without additional flexibility, many districts could have been forced to absorb millions of dollars in new expenses in a relatively short period of time. Ultimately, those costs would have landed on the shoulders of local taxpayers.
Energy performance contracts. Energy performance contracts are an extremely effective tool that help school districts generate savings on energy upgrades. Currently, state law only allows recovery for up to 18 years, meaning schools often have to pass on projects that would generate longerterm savings. However, my bill A6318 would extend the allowable contract period to 25 years, making it easier for districts to undertake projects that lower costs without requiring large upfront expenditures. I’m proud to report that, for the first time since its introduction in 2019, this legislation passed both houses of the Legislature and is currently awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.
These investments allow districts to continue funding classroom instruction, special-education programs, transportation services, extracurricular activities, mental health resources and other essential programs. In short, increasing state support for education is one of the most effective ways to make homeownership more affordable while preserving the educational excel-
Framework by Tim Baker
I fought strongly for a pause in the zero-emission bus mandate because it just isn’t feasible at this time. The decision to pause implementation deadlines by five years gives the state more time to effectively plan a fiduciary responsible strategy of procurement, building the infrastructure and ensuring grid reliability. I will continue fighting to keep this pause in effect until the state agencies involved can lay out a comprehensive plan to implement EV buses, since taxpayers cannot bear the cost.
Real change happens when meaningful action is taken to address the burden of rising costs throughout our communities. Record foundation aid, pausing the zero-emission bus mandate and extending the time for energy performance contracts are just three of the ways to bring financial relief to Long Island families. I will continue fighting for policies that help families keep more of their hard-earned money, strengthen our schools and ensure that Long Island remains a place where people can afford to live, work, play, raise a family and retire with dignity.
Judy Griffin represents the 21st Assembly District.
