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Having fun at Field Day Page 2 Vol. 27 No. 27
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JUNE 27 - JUlY 3, 2024
Domestic ducks struggle to live in the wild pared to live on their own: They can’t fly, they don’t have natural camouflage and they lack the John Di Leonardo wants you instincts necessary for survivto know that releasing domestic al. Abandoned waterfowl, Di waterfowl into the wild doesn’t save them, but is instead a Leonardo said, are a problem particularly in the Town of death sentence. Last month, Humane Long Hempstead, where he and other Island, a nonprofit Humane Long a n i m a l - a dvo c a cy Island volunteers organization, have rescued hunreceived a call that dreds of birds in two domestic duckwaterways, parks lings had been spotand preserves from ted wandering Baldwin to Seaford. around Mill Pond “Unfortunately, on the Bellmorethese animals have Wantagh border. Di very low survivabilLeonardo, the ity there,” he said. group’s executive “The ones we’ve director, said that it rescued there, managed to retrieve JoHN Di lEoNARDo they’ve been in bad o n ly o n e o f t h e shape. We’ve resExecutive director, ducklings. cued ones with “I assume one Humane Long Island shattered wings, we died in short order, rescued ones with and then we were able to rescue bacterial infections, staph the other one,” he said. “So we infections, eye infections. They already adopted that one out to cannot survive without human a home on Shelter Island.” care.” Every year, Di Leonardo The spring and summer said, his organization rescues months are the worst, accordhundreds of domestic water- ing to Di Leonardo, because fowl, such as ducks and geese, ducks are purchased as Easter that are released into the wild gifts or used for hatching projon Long Island. He explained ects in classrooms, where, after that these animals are not pre-
By CHARlES SHAW
cshaw@liherald.com
T
Jordan Vallone/Herald
Adam Schefter, one of the most well-known media personalities in the NFL, who grew up in Bellmore and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, was honored last week by County Executive Bruce Blakeman as part of the county’s ongoing 125th anniversary celebration.
One of football’s best known faces honored by Nassau County executive By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
Nassau County is marking its 125th anniversary this year by highlighting influential people who have called the county home, and have made an impact or become highly accomplished. One of those people, Adam Schefter, was honored last week in the Ceremonial Chamber of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building, in Mineola, by County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Schefter, 57, who was bor n in Valley Stream but grew up in Bellmore, graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District in 1985, is a widely known sports reporter and analyst who covers the National Foot-
ball League for ESPN. He joined ESPN as an NFL insider in 2009, and now appears on a variety of programs. He has been named a “Top 40” NFL media member by Sports Illustrated in the past. Schefter is also known for his book, “The Man I Never Met,” released in 2018. It’s about his wife, Sharri’s, first husband, who was killed in the Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center, and Schefter’s experience joining the family after his death. It was a national bestseller and received many positive reviews. “As many of you know, we have so many people of accomplishment throughout our 125-year history of Nassau County, and we are honoring them,” Blakeman said at the CoNtiNuEd oN pAgE 4
hey’re as different from your wild ducks as your house cat is from a tiger.
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