_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD Vol. 88 No. 52
Santa visits Freeport
Holiday show has pop star theme
Page 3
Page 10
DECEMBER 21 - 27, 2023
$1.00
Darrisaw-Akile wins national school award By MoHAMED FARGHAlY mfarghaly@liherald.com
Courtesy Uniondale School District
Uniondale Schools Superintendent — and Freeport resident — Monique Darrisaw-Akil’s three-decade commitment to education and her transformative use of technology set her apart, and she is one of 25 district chiefs nationwide who were named Superintendents to Watch.
Monique Darrisaw-Akil, Superintendent of the Uniondale School District, has been honored as a 2023 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. This esteemed recognition is reserved for superintendents with less than five years of experience who demonstrate innovative leadership and exceptional communication skills within their school communities. Darrisaw-Akil, a native of New York City who now lives in Freeport, stands out among her peers, joining a select group of 25 superintendents nationwide to receive this honor. Notably, she is the sole representative from New York state in the 2023 cohort. Darrisaw-Akil’s journey to becoming superintendent in Uniondale is marked by a three-decade-long commitment to education. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she embarked on her career as a high school social studies teacher. Her pasContinUeD on pAge 4
PSEG, L.I. Cares join forces to honor area veterans By MoHAMED FARGHAlY mfarghaly@liherald.com
PSEG Long Island and its employees embarked on a month-long mission in November to honor military veterans in collaboration with Long Island Cares. The effort focused on making a positive impact on the lives of veterans and their families through a series of initiatives aimed at providing them with essential items and fostering community support. Every Tuesday in November, and again on Dec. 12, PSEG Long Island sponsored Military Appreciation Tuesdays at Long Island Cares’ Harry Chapin
Food Bank pantries in Freeport, Bethpage, Hampton Bays, Huntington Station and Lindenhurst. There, veterans were treated to a range of offerings, including personal care essentials, fresh produce, winter jackets and pillows, LED light bulbs and reusable bags. Nearly 100 PSEG Long Island employee volunteers made sure that over 1,000 veterans and their families received assistance. PSEG employees also took part in Nassau County’s Veterans Stand Down, collaborating with the veterans’ assistance organization General Needs. Volunteers gave almost 500 veterans new winter coats, hats,
gloves, pillows, socks and undergarments, as well as LED light bulbs and information about the utility’s financial assistance and energy efficiency programs. In a pre-Thanksgiving collaboration, PSEG L.I. joined forces once again with Long Island Cares and with the government of Suffolk County to distribute Thanksgiving dinners. The Dennison building, in Hauppauge, hosted a drivethrough for over 350 veterans, who were given frozen turkeys, hams, pies, produce, and holiday-dinner trimmings. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone helped with the distribution.
“We are proud to sponsor these events and activities to help veterans throughout the month of November, the time of year when our nation recognizes the sacrifice of the men and women who have served our country,” David Lyons, PSEG Long Island’s interim president and chief operating officer, said. He also expressed
his gratitude to the company’s employees for their involvement. “Long Island Cares relies on corporate support to help fulfill our mission,” Jessica Rosati, Long Island Cares’ chief program officer, said. “This partnership has become a necessary lifeline for Long Island’s ContinUeD on pAge 5