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VOL. 88 NO. 13
MARCH 23 - 29, 2023
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Daniel Dean retires after long P.D. career By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com
Courtesy Randy Milteer/Freeport Public Relations
A TRUE SERVANT of the community, Freeport Police Officer Daniel Dean retires after 30 years of making his hometown a safer place.
Members of the Freeport Police Department and residents gave retiring Officer Daniel Dean a warm send-off as he took his final walk through the halls of the department and Village Hall on March 14. Dean officially retired after serving the village for 30 years. “I am just as proud of returning a kid’s bike as I would be chasing down a criminal,” Dean said reflecting on his career in law enforcement. “It goes without saying that it has truly been my honor and
privilege to have served with, in my opinion, some of the finest and most savvy police officers in the nation,” he added. “I have been blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to serve these great citizens in this town, (in) which I’m proud to say I was born and raised.” Dean was renowned for his unwavering devotion and allegiance to the community. As a field training officer, he played a significant role in training more than 200 young officers, imparting practical skills not taught in the police academy. Many of those officers had the privilege CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Nets team up with J.W. Dodd for basketball clinic By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com
The Long Island Nets, in partnership with NBA athletes, brought an exciting opportunity to Freeport students. A one-day basketball clinic was held at J.W. Dodd Middle School on March 11 offering students from grades four to eight a chance to improve their basketball skills through on-court lessons on dribbling, footwork, passing, and shooting. The Nets players also taught valuable lessons about teamwork, leadership, and responsibility through basketball. The event was free, ensuring that everyone
could participate regardless of their financial situation. By hosting the clinic, the Nets are striving to be a pillar of the Long Island community and focus on education, health and wellness, and community development. “The clinic is well organized and well received by the kids,” Richard Bloom, the director of health and athletics at Freeport Schools, said. “The kids just seem to be very happy, and they’re sharpening their skills, which is a plus.” The Nets organization believes in giving back to the community, and the clinic was just one part of their efforts. As
part of their community outreach program, they also offer education day games catered towards elementary, middle, and high school students. Wade Richardson, the Nets’ community relations manager, oversees the community outreach program and ensures that the organization is making a positive impact in the community. “These kids have a great time and enjoy themselves at an event like this,” Richardson said. “It’s a day for them to be out of school, but also to learn about the importance of basketball, mixed with STEM and just education as a whole.” As the students were coached
by Hananiah Damus and Myles Mills, they practiced passing and dribbling, and learned new techniques for proper footwork and shooting form. “It’s nice to learn from professionals and work on skills and technique, especially since basketball season is over,” Isaiah Richardson, a seventh-grader and and the middle school boys’ bas-
ketball team point guard, said. By organizing events such as basketball clinics and education day games, the Nets are making a significant contribution to the development of young people in the Freeport community and beyond. “The students are going to walk away today motivated to CONTINUED ON PAGE 4