_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD Welcoming Pride on the Mile
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VOL. 88 NO. 24
JUNE 8 - 14, 2023
For use at Freeport location ONLY. Not able with any other offer. One per Management reserves all rights combin customer. Excludes Delivery & Catering. Exp 7/30/23
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Prom dress and suit giveaway
$1.00
Nautical Mile Festival kicks off summer By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com
Randy Milter/Freeport Public Relations
AT THE EAGERLY anticipated 38th Annual Nautical Mile Festival, the streets came alive with music, color and excitement.
The eagerly awaited 38th annual Nautical Mile Festival kicked off with great fanfare last weekend, led by Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy, police officials and members of the Chamber of Commerce. Their collaborative efforts set the stage for a memorable festival experience. On June 3, the streets of the Nautical Mile came alive with a range of festivities, transfor med into a lively block party atmosphere. Residents and visitors from all over Long Island took part.
More than 100 vendors set up along the busy streets, offering a wide array of homemade crafts and other unique products. Participants immersed themselves in the festive spirit, and were eager to support local artisans. The Nautical Mile boasts the greatest concentration of outdoor restaurants, bars and cafes in Nassau County. This picturesque stretch is a popular destination for fishing and boating enthusiasts as well as visitors who just want to enjoy the waterfront. Live music serenaded revelers as they enjoyed amuseCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Nassau Poet Laureate Paula Curci leads celebration of craft By MOHAMED FARGHALY mfarghaly@liherald.com
It’s going to be a busy summer for Paula Curci. The award-winning Nassau County Poet Laureate is a Gracie Award winner and a host at WRHU, Radio Hofstra University. The Long Beach resident has been writing poetry her whole life, and views it as a powerful medium to express emotions and thoughts. Last June, she became the county poet laureate, realizing a longtime ambition. The event also featured an open mic poetry session for
adults and teens to share their own poetry. “The event was a celebration of National Poetry Month, which the Freeport Library holds annually,” Curci said. “As part of this tradition, an open mic session is organized to provide the community with an opportunity to express themselves.” Tammy Manor and Barbara Spinelli of the Freeport Memorial Library organized the event. The main focus of the night was to bring the community together and create a platform where individuals could step up to the microphone and have their voices heard.
Manor, the librarian and Spinelli, the library career counselor, are published poets themselves. Spinelli expressed her excitement about Curci’s presence at the event, believing she would inspire spoken-word poets and writers from the Freeport area and beyond. “She proved to be a highly expressive and captivating presenter,” Spinelli said. “She shared readings from her latest book and took questions from the audience. Prior to each reading, she provided a brief introduction, allowing people to ask questions about the poem’s inspiration and more. The audience was fully
engaged with her throughout the event. In fact, towards the end, she encouraged audience participation by having them contribute lines as part of collaborative poems.” Curci’s focus as Poet Laureate is to encourage people to explore poetry as a form of memoir. She shared poems about her mother and engaged
with the audience. National Poetry Month, established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, is celebrated in April to recognize poets and their significant cultural role. C u rc i ’s i m p a c t e x t e n d s beyond the library event. She recently received a $5,000 grant CONTINUED ON PAGE 2