_______ Lynbrook/east rockaway ______
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Full ‘STEM’ ahead in 2021
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JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 3, 2021
Vol. 28 No. 4
E.R. native returns to director’s role Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards, and for which she earned a Golden Globe nominaEast Rockaway native John J. tion and other accolades. Kim Budion has signed on to direct stars in “Minari,” which is set his first film since he wrote, and for full release this year. Budion was behind the lens for, the said he saw it at the Hamptons award-winning “Rockaway.” International Film Festival, and Budion will deter mined that direct “Latchkey Kim was “perfect” Kids,” written by for the role in his Meaghan J. Cleary next project. and set to begin “I’m looking forfilming in June. It’s ward to their a dark comedy that dynamic because follows a bright in their own 9-year-old boy as he respective films, befriends an eccenthey are so unique tric teenage girl and phenomenal,” looking to escape Budion said. the troubling life JoHN J. BUdioN “ We ’ ve a l r e a dy that her mother Latchkey Kids’ director seen the industry has burdened her get really excited with. While that is about their potenunfolding, the police suspect the tial, and I just think their synerboy is killing his babysitters. gy with one another in scenes is “It’s a little dark, a little fun, a just going to be magical through little adventurous, and there’s a the lens.” little drama in there,” Budion Cleary said she worked on the said. “It’s a cross-pollination of script for many years, and she genres.” was excited to have the two For the two starring roles, young actors on board along Budion and Cleary landed the with Budion. Cleary, a Bedford two young actors they were hop- Hills, N.Y., native who now lives ing for in Elsie Fisher and Alan in Ridgewood, Queens, won Best S. Kim. Fisher rose to promi- Screenplay for “Latchkey Kids” nence in the movie “Eighth Grade,” which won Best First Continued on page 4
By MikE SMolliNS msmollins@liherald.com
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Courtesy Mike Graham
FlowERS BY MikE owner Mike Graham said it was “amazing” to be voted best florist in Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s Best of Long Island 2021 contest. He owns shops in Oceanside and East Rockaway.
Florist continues to grow neighborhood support By MikE SMolliNS msmollins@liherald.com
Two years after starting his business in Oceanside and another one in East Rockaway, Flowers by Mike owner Mike Graham is already seeing the fruits of his labor. Earlier this month, the business was voted the best flower shop on Long Island in Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s Best of Long Island 2021 contest. “It’s just amazing that the community’s been so influen-
tial to us, and they’ve been really behind us and keeping us going, and I just can’t thank them enough,” Graham said. “The support and the buying local is there, it’s coming, we see it, and it’s just a great thing to see the community come out and to win a big award with only two years in business.” Graham opened his shop, at 221 Mer rick Road in Oceanside, in January 2018, with the goal of being involved in the community.
Last April he launched a second Flowers by Mike shop at 338 Atlantic Ave. in East Rockaway. According to the contest website, Best of Long Island is “a roadmap to the best, topnotch businesses and services throughout both Nassau and Suffolk counties,” including restaurants, shops and family-run businesses. The residents and patrons who rely on the businesses determine the winners by voting on the conContinued on page 13
e felt from the get-go that this could be something really special.