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Wantagh Herald 09-01-2022

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Jesse Kinch’s triumphant return

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Vol. 70 No. 36

SEPTEMBER 1 - 7, 2022

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Serving country with veterans, man’s best friend By KEPHERd dANIEl kdaniel@liherald.com

Kepherd Daniel/Herald

PETER CougHlIN JoINEd his wife, Dorothea, along with their service dog, Harrison, to help raise money through Veolia Environmental Services to pair other veterans with service dogs.

An inaugural fundraiser to help pair service dogs with veterans recently was held for an evening of fun and food at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh. Veolia Environmental Services launched its inaugural United Veterans Network fundraiser, which had been organized for the last three months, drawing more than 100 people to the popular pub throughout the evening to enjoy music from a DJ, and partake in an open bar, a buffet and raffles. Veolia is responsible for pro-

tecting Nassau County’s south shore environment through its operation of wastewater treatment facilities. Proceeds from the fundraiser went to America’s VetDogs, a Long Islandbased non-profit organization that helps match veterans with service dogs. Veolia has developed a long relationship with VetDogs, and Jon Arneth, director of operations at Veolia, said the fundraiser at Mulcahy’s made sense. “It’s just as simple as we wanted a great venue and everybody knows Mulcahy’s,” said Arneth. “I grew up on the island Continued on page 4

Mental health facility sponsors film about family tragedy By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com

The Southeast Nassau Guidance Center in Seaford, a nonprofit organization dedicated to treating mental health issues and fighting substance abuse addiction for almost 65 years, recently sponsored a film to help spread its message. The film, “Scattering CJ,” scheduled to premiere on PBS on Sept. 15, follows the story of a mother, Hallie Twomey, and her family healing from the tragic suicide of her 20-year-old son, CJ. “The family had not been wholly aware of CJ’s suicidal

thoughts, which is very typical of this kind of sad story and makes it even harder to cope,” said Brian Baldwin, a clinical social worker at Southeast Nassau. “This tragedy sent the family into unrelenting grief and guilt.” Twomey thought of scattering CJ’s ashes all around the world and making a film about it to raise awareness for mental health. She worked on it with filmmaker Andrea Kalin of Spark Media, who is the daughter-in-law of Milton Kalin, the executive director of Southeast Nassau. “We saw an opportunity to help tell a story that may hit

very close to home,” Baldwin said. “A normal family is suddenly struck by this awful thing caused by mental illness.” Baldwin added that the Twomeys were not even from Long Island, but that did not matter to the guidance center. “They could be a family from anywhere,” he said. “The people that have responded to this film are all over the world. People from seven continents accepted CJ’s ashes being scattered there, and wrote back to Hallie and her family.” CJ’s ashes were scattered in places like Mount Kilimanjaro, the pyramids in Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Wall of

China, and even on a rocket ship to space. The Southeast Nassau Guidance Center also runs an outpatient center in Wantagh dedicated more to fighting addiction. Southeast Nassau was founded in 1958 and has been the premiere location in Wantagh-Seaford for mental health awareness.

“We primarily serve southeast Nassau, as our name indicates,” Baldwin said. “But we help people from all over Nassau County who suffer from mental illness or substance abuse.” Situated on Jackson Avenue in Seaford, the center’s building is centrally located to feel like a natural part of the community, Continued on page 2


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