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HERALD Vol. 72 No. 7
The power of kindness
Working toward a crucial victory
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FEBRUARY 8 - 14, 2024
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Spreading the word with art Children use posters to raise awareness of blood donations ed posters that were displayed at local businesses to raise awareness of the need for To help fight a national blood. For Lions President George blood emergency, the Seaford community came together last Brennan, it’s important to bring the community together weekend to raise awareness of the importance of giving blood to donate blood. “It’s our mission, with the — and to donate. help of the chilOn Saturday, the dren from the comLions Club hosted munity, to raise its annual commuaw a r e n e s s t h a t nity blood drive at blood is important Seaford High to donate,” BrenSchool. The disnan said, “and it’s trict’s Harbor and important to underManor elementary stand why we school PTAs codonate and where it sponsored the goes.” event in a joint During the effort to encourage drive, New York bl o o d d o n at i o n s Blood Center techduring an ongoing GEoRGE BRENNAN nicians screened nationwide short- President, donors for anemia age. According to Seaford Lions Club and checked their the New York Blood blood pressure Center, a low winter turnout has left it with no before they gave blood. According to Brennan, one unit — or more than a two-day supply of blood, and the center made an pint — of blood is enough to emergency plea last month to save the lives of three people. He added that the Seaford encourage people to donate. To promote the Seaford drive has traditionally been drive, the Lions and PTAs orga- one of the largest in the state. nized their annual poster con- Over the past 15 years, Brennan test, in which students in kin- said, the event has collected dergarten through fifth grade over 3,500 pints, enough to save at the elementary schools creatContinued on page 7
By CHARlES SHAW
cshaw@liherald.com
Mike Monahan/Herald
Celebrating the life of James McNaughton Friends and family of Staff Sgt. James McNaughton, an NYPD officer and Army reservist who died in 2005, gathered at Mulcahy’s Pub and Music Hall in Wantagh last Saturday for an annual tribute event to benefit charities and celebrate his life. Story, more photos, Page 3.
The end of a basketball era
Ralph Rossetti reflects on long coaching career By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
Not many could lay claim to have coached in the same school district for more than four decades — but Ralph Rossetti could. At 74 years old, Rossetti is completing his 43rd year as coach of the boys’ varsity basketball team at Seaford High School, and he plans to retire at the end of the season. He has accomplished much in his storied career, including 22 playoff appearances and five league championships, and Rossetti said he’s happy the Seaford School District allowed him to coach for so long. “I’m just very thankful for Seaford to give me
the opportunity to do something that I really loved for my whole career,” Rossetti said. His relationship with Seaford began around 50 years ago. After graduating from the University of South Dakota-Springfield in 1971, Rossetti landed a job at Seaford Middle School, where he taught technology. Having played varsity basketball for two years at East Meadow High School and for three years in college, Rossetti coached the middle school basketball team for five years before leading the district’s varsity team in 1981. Rossetti said his first year as varsity coach got off to a rough start, with nine straight losses. In his first six years coaching varsity, the team Continued on page 9
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eaford is not about to let an emergency situation occur in our backyard.