_________________ WANTAGH ________________
HERALD $1.00
Chabad hosts Hanukkah bash
A positive change at Forest lake
Suozzi announces gubernatorial run
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Vol. 69 No. 49
DECEMBER 2 - 8, 2021
He’s stopped and smelled the coffee
lighting up the beach The Magic of Lights holiday display at Jones Beach State Park kicked off in Wantagh last month. The two-mile-long drive-through light show features more than a million lights in the park’s West End. A walk-through area at the end of the display features three gargantuan Christmas trees. More photos, Page 3.
knalepinski@liherald.com
Y
Kate Nalepinski/Herald
Wantagh welcomes the season
Winter Wonderland returns to museum grounds By KAtE NAlEpiNSKi knalepinski@liherald.com
As “Carol of the Bells” played at the entryway to the Wantagh Museum, the scent of wood-fired pizza wafted through the air. As a group of residents walked under a blue, teal and white balloon arch created by Wantaghbased Sky High Balloon NY, they were greeted with a jolly “Happy holidays!” from Wantagh High School Key Club members.
“Coffees follow the same taste profiles as wines,” Gayer, who grew up in Bethpage, explained. The quality and freshness of “You can’t just say, ‘I’m a coffee coffee beans. Coffee production, roaster, I’m opening up a shop.’ grind and temperature. These It’s an art, and it takes years to are all ingredients of the perfect understand. I’m grateful I’ve cup of joe, Wantagh been able to develop resident Bobby that, and I have a Gayer said — but his very good palette as four decades in the a chef.” He is also coffee production the executive chef industry doesn’ t o f T h e M u r p h ’s hurt, either. Famous Bloody Locals can now Mary Mix and caters taste cups crafted by private events on the coffee connoisLong Island. seur at his new café, “Bobby has a pasthe Daily Roast, at sion for coffee unlike 1887 Wantagh Ave. anyone else I’ve ever The shop officially encountered,” Gayopened on Nov. 13. er’s longtime friend For over 40 years, Marty Piazzola said G a y e r, 6 2 , h a s with a laugh. “He’s worked as a coffee b e e n l iv i n g a n d roaster, shipping breathing this for beans across the U.S. BoBBY GAYER many years — coffee for various business- Owner, is in his DNA. His es. He got his start The Daily Roast nickname is even as a sales manager Bobby Beans.” for a roasting comThe Daily Roast pany and, later in his career, was offers freshly roasted coffees, executive vice president of a teas, some baked goods and major coffee roasting company. Lotus energy drinks, which are He currently works as a consul- infused with organic, planttant for the Texas-based coffee based mixes. roasting company Coldfire ManGayer, a Wantagh resident for ufacturing. Continued on page 10
By KAtE NAlEpiNSKi
After two children stepped out of an old-fashioned trolley car that had transported them from the Wantagh High School administration building, they dashed toward an inflatable gingerbread house, where they were offered cookies. The scene last Saturday was the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce’s third annual Winter Wonderland, which ran from 12:30 to 6 p.m. on the museum grounds.
“I think the turnout is incredible,” Chamber President Cathy Powell said. “It brings me joy to see all these families and all these people coming out and enjoying Wantagh, and seeing what we have to offer and just being happy, merry and outside.” “We have an eclectic group of about 60 vendors,” Powell noted. They ran the gamut, from Wingin’ It Creations’ traditional Continued on page 12
ou can’t just say, ‘I’m a coffee roaster, I’m opening up a shop.’ It’s an art, and it takes years to understand.