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Vol. 31 No. 11
MARCH 7 - 13, 2024
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Post 44 honors law enforcement
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Local women balance families and businesses By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com
Ross Farber/Herald
The thrill of victory West Hempstead High School’s boys’ basketball team captured the Nassau County Class B championship last Friday night, defeating Carle Place, 54-45, at Farmingdale State College. Story, additional photos, Page 6.
Women-owned businesses are on the rise. The number of small businesses that are led by women has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, according to the National Association of Women’s Businesses — and some of them are in West Hempstead. Sagine Pierre Charles opened Sage and Angie Boutique, on Nassau Boulevard, in 2007. Her family moved from Haiti to the United States when she was 17. Now she is a mother, a business owner, and the president of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce. It’s important to Pierre Charles that her two daughters, ages 14 and 12, see their mother following her dreams. Continued on page 14
Nassau County veterans honor active-duty aviators By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
American Legion Post 44 in Malverne — as well as veterans and auxiliary members all across Nassau County — gathered at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck on Feb. 17 for the annual Military Ball and Post Commander’s Night. This year marked the first time the American Legions of Nassau County hosted the 69th annual Valor Awards presentation for active-duty service members of the American Legion Aviators’ Post No. 743. The program also acknowledged several distinguished
guests, including Department Commander Timothy Collmer, Vi c e C o m m a n d e r M i ch a e l Rodriguez, 10th District Commander James Trainor, Nassau County Commander Sean Hood, Suffolk County Commander Kenneth Dolan, Queens County Commander Casey Bileris and Nassau County Legionnaire of the Year Al Ficalora, of Baldwin Post 246. Members of the American Legion Auxiliary — the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization — the Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Riders were also recognized for their
contributions and service. The first Valor Award was presented in 1953 to U.S. Air Fo r c e G e n . H e n r y “ H a p ” Arnold for his leadership during World War II. Since then, recognizing military aviators who performed a feat of valor, as determined by the chief of staff of each of the U.S. Armed Forces, has become an annual tradition. In reco gnition of their accomplishments in the line of duty, this year’s Military Ball and Post Commander’s Night event reco gnized three esteemed aviators for their distinguished acts of valor. U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Com-
mander Zachary Bowers, a fleet standardization flight examiner and instructor pilot from Sacramento, California, was presented with the 2019 Aviator Valor Award for a Medevac rescue in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Despite poor visibility, high winds, heavy rain and engine anti-ice failure, Bowers and his crew helped rescue a 60-year-
old man with respiratory failure and a morbidly obese pregnant woman who was at risk of bleeding out if she went into labor. Both were successfully transported to a hospital in Anchora g e, Alaska. T he 60-year-old man was later diagnosed with tuberculosis, and if he had not been transported to Continued on page 14