_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD Also serving Roosevelt
County holds Girls Summit
SPlASH and Scouts clean up
Freeport hosts spring festival
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Vol. 89 No. 24
JUNE 6 - 12, 2024
$1.00
Nautical Mile Festival brings joy to families By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
Tim Baker/Herald
The annual ribbon cutting, signifying the official opening of the Nautical Mile for summer, took place under the watchful eye and steady hands of Mayor Robert Kennedy.
It was sunny and summery for Freeport’s annual Nautical Mile Festival last Saturday, June 1. The village’s famous strip of cafes, restaurants, bars and gift shops was vehicle-free and walkable, and a variety of vendors, some 70 in all, did brisk business. Families took advantage of the beautiful weather, sipping on lemonade, indulging in ice cream, watching the construction of balloon animals and shopping along the sidewalks, with many staying for dinner on the Mile. At noon, a number of speakers gathered near Front Street to praise village officials and the event, and then Mayor Robert Kennedy cut the ribbon symbolizing the official opening of the Mile for the summer. “Today we’re celebrating our 34th Nautical Mile Festival,” Kennedy said. “Though we missed a couCoNTiNued oN page 10
German firefighters help village FD celebrate 150th By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
In a display of international camaraderie, firefighters from Freeport recently welcomed their counterparts from sister city Walldorf, Germany, to join in celebrating Freeport Fire Department’s 150th anniversary, solidifying a friendship that has flourished for decades. This unique bond — rooted in shared values and mutual respect — has already been celebrated through various events, including the Freeport Memorial Day parade, marking another chapter in their ongoing relationship.
Maximilian Bowitz of the Walldorf Fire De par tment traced the origins of this friendship for the Herald, while in the company of volunteers at Freeport Truck Company 1, at 76 Church Street, on Friday May 31. The relationship dates to when Freeport firefighter Allen Grosser was stationed as a soldier for the U.S. army in Heidelberg in Germany during the 1960s and met relatives of Walldorf emigrants living and serving as firefighters in Freeport. After discovering that these relatives were also firefighters, the two units forged a connection that has grown over the
years. “It’s hard to tell an exact date (for the start of the visits), but large groups visiting each other started in the ‘90s,” Bowitz said. “Walldorf had our 150th anniversary in 2015,” Bowitz added. “And we invited our friends from the Freeport Fire Department. And so they invited us also, of course, for their anniversary this year.” T h e s e e x c h a n g e s h av e become a tradition, with annual visits for events, such as attending German firefighters’ street festivals and recognizing significant anniversaries. “It was a great honor for us
to be invited to march with the Freeport Fire Department,” Bowitz said, recalling the touching moment when the crowd clapped and cheered for the German firefighters during the parade. The most recent weeklong visit — which included 48 German firefighters staying at the Firehouse at Freeport Truck
Company 1 and the Freeport Motor Inn — also highlighted the similarities that the two fire departments share, since both Freeport and Walldorf boast large volunteer contingents. This shared commitment to volunteerism strengthens their bond, fostering a sense of mutual respect and admiration. CoNTiNued oN page 16