_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD Remembering Herbert Cohen
Rotary Club helps veterans
Maguire speaks to Chamber
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Vol. 88 No. 28
JUlY 6 - 12, 2023
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Freeport grad is recognized for her research
Coming soon to a sky near you The Freeport fireworks show, featuring pyrotechnics by Grucci, is scheduled for Friday, starting at 9:30 p.m., at the Guy Lombardo Marina. Spectators along the Nautical Mile will have the perfect vantage point for the show. In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Saturday. The village, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, is proud to host the event.
By MACK olMSTEAD Intern
Herald file photo
Madeleine Graham, a Freeport resident and a member of Sacred Heart Academy’s Class of 2023, has done extensive research on the psychology of happiness in the realm of education. Conducting a comprehensive survey of 150 students and 85 educators, Graham explored how the coronavirus pandemic affected attitudes and experiences in scholastic settings. She presented her findings at several events and was recognized with a number of awards for her work. Graham, who plans to become a teacher, found no shortage of
research on how Covid-19 affected multiple professions and walks of life, but she didn’t find much data on the pandemic’s impact on education. She wanted to demonstrate that it deserved to be studied just as much as other fields. She conducted her survey at Sacred Heart and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional School in Bellmore. “I couldn’t have compiled a successful adult sample population without both schools’ consent and cooperation, so I’m very grateful,” Graham wrote in an email. “I would especially like to thank Sister Jean Amore and Ms. Leeann Graziose, the principals of each institution, for their Continued on page 8
Honoring the Purvises at South Ocean Avenue and Archer Street By MoHAMED FARGHAlY mfarghaly@liherald.com
The Freeport community came together to pay tribute to the late Rev. Eugene Purvis Sr. and his late wife, Sylvia, with a new street name at the intersection of South Ocean Avenue and Archer Street, officially designating it the Rev. Eugene and Sylvia Purvis Corner. The proposal to rename the cor ner was unanimously approved at a village board meeting on April 17. Deputy Mayor Ronald Ellerbe initiated the motion, which was seconded by Trustee Evette Sanchez. The resolution to grant the honorary
name change serves as a testament to the lasting impact the Purvises had on the community. “Reverend Eugene and Sylvia Purvis dedicated themselves to enhancing the lives of others,” Mayor Robert Kennedy said. “From serving in the Army during World War II, being active in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Freeport Cares, AME Zion Church, the Salvation Army, the United Way, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Catholic Charities, Promise of Hope, Equity4LIYouth, Island Harvest, Rebuilding Together, All Boro, and running Freeport’s Children’s World Montessori School, the Purvises typi-
fied community service above all else. Their compassion and kindness is something we hope to strive for. They are an example to all. They will be missed.” Village officials, including Kennedy, along with State Sen. Kevin Thomas and Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Kevan M. Abrahams, joined the street name change ceremony. “It was a beautiful morning in Freeport for the street renaming for Dr. Rev Eugene Purvis and Dr. Sylvia Purvis,” Thomas said. “I was proud to join in honoring these respected educators and community leaders whose commitment to learning at the
Children’s World Montessori School still lives on today.” Eugene, a highly regarded U.S. Army veteran and pastor, devoted over three decades of his life as a pillar of the Freeport community. His unwavering dedication to the AME Zion Church, coupled with his profound commitment to education as the proprietor of the Chil-
dren’s World Montessori School, earned him immense respect. Alongside his wife, he owned and operated the school, providing invaluable education to countless students from pre-K to third grade. Born on June 18, 1923, in Salters, South Carolina, Purvis grew up on a farm, and completed his Continued on page 20