________ Franklin square/elmont _______
HERALD
Experience & Expertise!
Get Results. Sign Up Today!
Author visits Alden Terrace
Page 10
Page 19
Vol. 26 No. 12
MARCH 14 - 20, 2024
MARCH 18TH
THE LEADER IN PROP ERTY TAX REDUCT ION
Apply online at mptrg .com/heraldnote or call 516.715.1266
$1.00
Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Grou p, LLC 483 Chestnut Street, Cedarhurst, NY 11516 Habl
1248637
Panel highlights women in sports
DEADLINE EXTENDED
amos Español
Long Island champions! Elmont captures Class AA title as time expires By ToNY BEllISSIMo tbellissimo@liherald.com
Ross Farber/Herald
Elmont’s boys’ basketball team, led by head coach Ryan Straub, right, and from left, Osagie Ekhator, Khalil Muhammad, Gemere Frias-Walsh and Arlyn Brown, won the L.I. title at the buzzer last Saturday.
Just in case the situation presented itself in the Long Island Class AA boys’ basketball championship game, Elmont head coach Ryan Straub introduced an inbounds play at last Friday’s practice for which the Spartans had just a few seconds from midcourt to execute a shot. So when Straub called timeout Saturday afternoon with 2.6 seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied at 51, it was go time. And junior Arlyn Brown delivered. He took the inbounds pass from senior Gemere Frias-Walsh, dribbled twice and lofted a shot just inside the threepoint line that banked in as time expired, giving Elmont an astounding 53-51 victory over Half Hollow Hills East before a crowd of more than 3,500 at COntInuEd On pAGE 6
Celebrating distinguished women in the community By REI WolFSoHN Correspondent
The many accomplishment of amazing local women are making the annual selections of Women of Distinction honorees tougher and tougher. Last Saturday, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages presented the Women of Distinction awards to 15 accomplished women in the 22nd district community. She noted that the selection of the women to every year as the number of nominations increases. The women are discovered through nominations from community members or are identified when
Solages and her team hear about them, sometimes through the Herald. “We spot people who are doing great things and we add them to the list,” Solages said. “We just uplift those in the community we feel need uplifting as well. Every year it’s so difficult. This year we honor 15 women, because we had so many g reat candidates we couldn’t choose from, so we picked everybody.” Solages presented the awards to: Yvette Allen-Campbell, of Valley Stream, Myrlande Alouidor, of Laurelton, Gabriella Burke, of Valley Stream, Lisa Burke, of Valley
Stream, Erika Cave, of Elmont, Dr. Jelisa M. Dopwell-Best, of Elmont, Patricia D. Eren, of Floral Park, Selene M. Ferdinand, of Elmont, Dr. Patricia Galaskas, of Franklin Square, Rahmat Khuteja, of Valley Stream, Trustee Porscha Lyons, of South Floral Park, Cynthia Nunez, of Valley Stream, Darlene Phillips, of Elmont, Magaly Polo, of Elmont, and Susan Saint-Joy, of Floral Park. Dopwell-Best is known in her community for her nursing skills and expertise. She specialized in geriatric care for the last six years and nursing in general for the last 12. She is also the Assistant Director of
Nursing and Clinical Operations for a New York health system. “It’s a very prestigious award and it’s important that we recognize what we’re doing in our communities, so it’s an honor,” said Dopwell-Best. “You always kind of underplay your role in the community, so it was nice to be honored and recog-
nized.” Dopwell-Best wants to increase health literacy in the community. She thinks it has to start with moms, dads, sisters and uncles of the patients. The ceremony recognized Eren for her work as director of the Floral Park Library. She wants to create a safe space COntInuEd On pAGE 5