_______ Lynbrook/east rockaway ______
HERALD Also serving Bay Park
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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Ideas to INSPIRE
Marion Street salutes troops
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HOLIDAY DINING uide Gi f t G
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Vol. 30 No. 48
NoVEMBER 23 - 29, 2023
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Nine veterans inducted into Hall of Fame
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detailed the honoree’s activeduty service and his volunteer work in his community. The veterans who were recIn the spirit of the month in which we honor veterans, ognized were Pasquale Alesia, Assemblyman Brian Curran of Malverne; Ed Cook, of East hosted a ceremony on Nov. 19 at Rockaway; James Keane, of the Lynbrook Veterans of For- Rockville Centre; David Alexeign Wars post to recognize ander Rutkowski, of South nine veterans for their service Hempstead; John Sandrowicz, to the country and o f B a l dw i n ; E d to their local comShaw, of Lynbrook; munities by inductand Ken Weir, of ing them into CurLy n b r o o k . E a c h ran’s Veterans’ Hall was presented with of Honor. a plaque commemoMembers of Nasrating his inducsau County VFW tion, and a few of posts gathered with them spoke briefly, their families for expressing their the ceremony, and a JohN g ratitude for the lunch. In a poignant h o n o r, t h a n k i n g SANdRowICz reminder of prisontheir families and veteran ers of war and emphasizing their t h o s e wh o we n t commitment to conmissing in action, one small tinued service. table, displaying the flags of “I would like to challenge all each branch of the military the veterans here this afterand a POW-MIA flag, was left noon,” Alesia said, “to continue empty in the middle of the your excellent work in helping room. veterans and their families in The ceremony started with need.” the Pledge of Allegiance, and “I read that the American Toni Ann Butler sang the Legion said a little over 11 pernational anthem. Curran spoke, cent of the population was in and then each veteran was the military in World War II,” introduced by the mayor of his Weir said. “In Vietnam it was town or another dignitary, who CoNtiNuEd oN pagE 14
By JANET PRETE
Correspondent
ROC, LYN , MAL, FRA, BAL
Nicole Formisano/Herald
Jake McNichols, left, and Rory Falbee at HurriCon, the benefit comic convention organized by Bethany Congregational Church in East Rockaway. Rory’s favorite comic character is Harley Quinn, while Jake is a Superman fan.
Benefit comic convention HurriCon is a super time By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com
ROC, LYN , MAL, FRA, BAL
What do you get when you cross a comic convention with a hurricane aftermath story? HurriCon, of course. The seventh benefit comic convention at Bethany Congregational Church, in East Rockaway, last Saturday was a hit, as it has been every year since it was created in 2018. “It’s the best feeling,” Rich Drezen, who self-publishes his own comic series, said of the convention. “It’s almost better than
breathing. I say almost because I’m asthmatic, and I need to breathe.” More than 100 people from across the state gathered at the church for the muchanticipated event. What began as a fundraiser to repair the church’s floors — which had taken a beating when the building serving as East Rockaway’s resource center in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 — has expanded to the full-sized comic convention that it is today, while still maintaining its original purpose. CoNtiNuEd oN pagE 10
November 23, 2023
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s veterans, we have an obligation to our community.