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15-year-old leads by deeds
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Vol. 86 No. 35
AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
Freeport P.D. hosts its first ‘Field Day’ By REiNE BETHANy rbethany@liherald.com
Reine Bethany/Herald
GATHEREd AT THE Field Day’s ribbon-cutting last Saturday were, from left, Chamber of Commerce Third Vice President Jaques Butler, school board President Maria Jordan-Awalom, Deputy Mayor Ron Ellerbe, Hempstead Town Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, Mayor Robert Kennedy, County Legislator Debra Mulé, State Sen. John Brooks, Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, and Trustees Jorge Martinez and Chris Squeri.
All day last Saturday, while Hur ricane Henri whirled threateningly up the East Coast toward Long island, Freeport shrugged off doom and gloom to enjoy the largest police-community event ever staged in the northern part of the village. The Community Affairs Division of the Police Department sponsored the event, but the enthusiasm of attending police, state troopers, elected officials, Chamber of Commerce members, representa-
tives of multiple community and health organizations and a daylong stream of villagers illustrated the town’s community spirit. Shortly after 11 a.m., a Nassau County Police Department helicopter thrummed overhead and landed on the green of the baseball and soccer field, where its operators kept it for several hours, giving brief tours of its interior. Along the main walkway between the baseball field and the tennis courts, a balloon artist attracted visitors to a FidelContinued on page 14
Elected officials, dignitaries rally to support Haiti By REiNE BETHANy rbethany@liherald.com
More than 100 federal, state, county and town lawmakers or their representatives joined local pastors and heads of helping organizations on Monday to raise more aid for Haiti. According to an Aug. 21 report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Haiti, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the southwestern sector of the island nation on Aug. 14 left 2,200 Haitians dead, 344 missing, 12,000 injured, 130,000 homes damaged, and many schools, churches and public buildings in
ruins. Tropical Depression Grace worsened the catastrophe with hours of driving rain on Aug. 17. About 650,000 people need emergency humanitarian assistance, including 119,000 who have no safe water. Medical facilities have erected tents to treat the injured because the ruptured buildings are unsafe. “There has been a lot of suffering,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said at the Aug. 23 rally. “We want people in Haiti to know that we are with them and that we will support them in any way that we can. We have a vibrant and thriving Haitian community right here in
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ever give up on Haiti. Never give up on each other’s humanity. CARRié SolAGES County legislator
Nassau County, and I know that the Haitian people are resilient.” The event was co-hosted by State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, of Elmont, and Dr. Frantz Dorsainvil, a professor of applied psychology at
New York University and the founder of the Gift of Writing Foundation, which sends school supplies to Haiti. The Rev. Edy Bichotte, pastor of Bethany French Baptist Church in Elmont, delivered the opening prayer, saying, “All that come here are of one spirit to bring healing to our country Haiti.”
Solages’s brother, County Legislator Carrié Solages, thanked Curran and Legislator Steve Rhoads for their continuing support of the Haitian-American community. “The United States and Haiti — our histories are intertwined,” Solages said, “so I want to remind everyone that we canContinued on page 12