_____________ ROCKVILLE CENTRE ____________
DOGust 1st
HERALD
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Adoption Special
Girl Scouts earn Silver Awards
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Vol. 35 No. 31
JUlY 25 - 31, 2024
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RVC residents voice concerns New civic group brings community issues to the forefront Association, told the Herald she was motivated to form a civic group after seeing a number of Community members gath- concerns voiced by residents on ered at the July 18 village board various Facebook groups. “I see a lot of people talkmeeting in the hope of opening a dialogue with Rockville Cen- ing,” Cornell said. “I see a lot of complaining. I see a tre officials about a lot of spinning, if nu m b e r o f c o n yo u w i l l , wh e re cerns. there’s no two-way In anticipation communication of larger-than-northat seems to be m a l at t e n d a n c e, happening. So I M ayo r F r a n c i s thought, why don’t Murray and trustwe try to create a ees opted to relofo r u m fo r t h at ? cate the meeting to Why don’t we crethe Sandel Senior ate a venue through Center, and moved which we can start up the pubic comto try to come ment section to give JEANNEttEE together as a group, m o r e p e o p l e a DUNcAN coRNEll talk about what’s chance to speak. Founder, important to us and “It’s amazing to Rockville Centre create dialogue see so many people Neighborhood with you (the vilhere that are interlage board), so that ested in the con- Association we can understand cerns of residents,” Deputy Mayor Kathy Baxley what’s being done, what’s not said. “The board is always being done, and so you can ready to listen, to learn and to understand what people are answer any questions, explain concerned about.” When Cornell and her husour policies, our decisions, and we are always open to ideas and band, Steven, set out to form the civic association, their Facesuggestions.” Jeannette Duncan Cornell, book group had about 100 memfounder of the newly formed bers. In the weeks that followed, Rockville Centre Neighborhood Continued on page 13
By DANIEl oFFNER
doffner@liherald.com
W
Courtesy Island Harvest Food Bank
Linda Breitstone, right, formerly of Rockville Centre was the visionary founder of island Harvest Food bank. She is pictured here with Randi Shubin dresner, left, at island Harvest Food Bank’s taste of the Harvest celebration in 2009. Breitstone died peacefully on July 16 after a brief battle with cancer.
Linda Breitstone, founder of Island Harvest, dies at 73 By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
Linda Breitstone, a trailblazer in hunger relief and the visionary founder of Island Harvest Food Bank, died peacefully July 16 at her home in the Princeville area of Kauai, Hawaii, after a brief battle with cancer. She was 73. While living in Rockville Centre, Breitstone noticed that the food at 7-11 was being discarded at the end of the day. She could not stand to see this perfectly good food go to waste while women in a nearby shelter were struggling to find enough to eat. She was deeply moved and her personal connection to the issue spurred her to act. Armed with sheer determination, a sta-
tion wagon, and a few coolers, she began her mission finding many more food establishments that were discarding excess food and many more people in need of it, which led to the establishment of Island Harvest Food Bank in 1992. Randi Shubin Dresner, president and chief executive officer of Island Harvest since 2001, said that under Breitstone’s guidance the organization has grown to become the region’s leading hunger relief and social service organization. While food rescue is a legacy program, representing a small part of what Island Harvest does today, this year, it is expected to distribute nearly 20 million pounds of food, providing supplemental food support and related services to an estimated Continued on page 11
e’re a large group of people that care a lot about this community.