_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD $1.00
Rotary sets up relief for Haiti
Christine Wolf is a Hometown Hero
Hochul helps first responders
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Vol. 86 No. 39
SEPTEMBER 23 - 29, 2021
Expert looks at TikTok ‘challenges’ By MaRCia CaToN and REiNE BETHaNy rbethany@liherald.com
Since the early 2000s, children have increasingly used social media to connect with others. With that increase has come the trend of internet challenges, most recently those on TikTok. Launched in 2016, ■ The cinnamon TikTok has roughly challenge tells users 800 million active to swallow one tableusers globally, and spoon of cinnamon more than 2 billion without water in 60 downloads on seconds. But during Google Play Apps the act of swallowand the App Store. ing, cinnamon dust More than 50 percan enter and damcent of users are age the lungs. It can between ages 16 and also trigger an asth24, and 90 percent matic attack, and use the app every consuming larg e day. Even some preamounts of cinnateens use the app to MaRCia mon can damage the connect w i t h CaToN, PH.D. liver and kidneys. friends. Freeport ■ The skullTypically, TikTok breaker challenge a l l ow s u s e r s t o dares one person to watch, create, and share 15- to 30-second videos jump straight upward while two recorded on smartphones. The others kick the jumper’s legs content ranges from music, before he or she lands. Too often, dance, exercise and history tuto- the jumper can’t land normally, resulting in broken wrists and rials to humor and parodies. Always present on social Continued on page 10
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Courtesy Freeport Memorial Library.
a 1963 FREEPoRT Stadium program displays 1962 racing champions, including Marty Himes in the Novice category, lower left.
Race car champ donates memorabilia to museum By REiNE BETHaNy rbethany@liherald.com
When Marty Himes was growing up at 61 Hanse Ave. in Freeport, his proximity to the Freeport Municipal Stadium put him on track — pun intended — for his lifelong career: racing cars. The event that hooked Himes was a humble soapbox derby. “In 1952,” Himes, now 82, said in a recent interview, “I pushed my brother Reggie
around the stadium while he steered with a rope.” They painted 777 on their wooden soapbox car. Himes went on to a career that included a championship at the stadium 10 years later (see box, Page 12), honors at raceways from Riverhead to Pennsylvania to Connecticut, and photo ops with the likes of Guy Lombardo and Mickey Rooney. Early on, Himes had the foresight to do a rare thing: In 1975, while still actively rac-
ing, he established the Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia on his own property in Bay Shore. He had bought the property the same way he had lived his life: He saw an opportunity and pounced. “I had no complaints — I enjoyed my life in Freeport,” he said. “But the time came and I picked up on the opportunity. This house was $10,990. I saw it on the cover of a Continued on page 12
media are challenges — and the more outrageous the challenge, the bigger the bragging rights and the larger the number of followers. TikTok has become a new platform for posting challenges that have long had detrimental effects on children. Some of these challenges are listed here.
ikTok has become a new platform for posting challenges that have long had detrimental effects on children.