_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______
HERALD Also serving Lakeview
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dECEMBEr 25 - 31, 2025
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vol. 32 No. 52
HERALD PEOPLE oF ThE YEAR Maureen Mahoney and neaL rosenbLatt
Lifetime residents foster community Keeping the West Hempstead communities safe and clean every day By Madison Gusler
Malverne Mel shares a winter prognostication Page 6
In mid-July, West Hempstead residents began voicing their concerns about Halls Pond Park on Facebook. The park, at the intersection of Nassau Boulevard and Hempstead Avenue, is a central green space in the community, but the manmade pond, which also serves as a stormwater discharge basin, had been overwhelmed with litter and silt buildup. Residents called on Nassau County and local legislators to take action, clean up debris in the pond and help beautify the public park. Maureen Mahoney and Neal Rosenblatt, who, as president and vice president of the West Hempstead Community Support Association, had been working to improve Halls Pond Park for years, were excited by community he’s always members’ determination. looking for “Halls Pond is the entry way to our hamlet,” Mahoney said. “We want our more ways to best foot forward for the community and visitors. Halls Pond is not a project help our small that started this year — it is the culmitown. nation of years and many previous leaders making improvements to the park.” Sarah alvarado With their guidance, residents gath- WHCSA treasurer and ered at a town hall meeting in late July, Maureen Mahoney’s and over the ensuing weeks, debris in daughter Halls Pond was cleaned up, the flooring of the children’s playground was replaced, and the state of the park continues to improve. Mahoney and Rosenblatt are not only steadfast advocates for the park, but regularly raise their voices for the entire West Hempstead community. For all they have done and continue to do, from planning holiday events to focusing on keeping residents safe, the Herald is proud to name them its 2025 People of the Year. Mahoney, 65, and Rosenblatt, 68, have both lived in West Hempstead nearly their entire lives, attending West Hempstead schools and continuing to be active in the community for decades. Mahoney, who works part-time in an office, joined the WHCSA over 10 years ago, when her father, Henry “Ed” Miller, who served as treasurer, could no longer fulfill the position. “She felt it was important to follow in his footsteps, to make sure the town continues to thrive through the WHCSA,” Sarah Alvarado, Mahoney’s daughter and the organization’s current treasurer, said. Mahoney served as treasurer until she took over as president following Rosalie Norton’s retirement in 2020. “She’s extremely motivated,” Alvarado added. “If you ask her
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School district honors Martin Luther King's impact Page 10
Whelan Park opens to public with grand opening event! Page 14
For BrEAKING NEWS go to liherald.com
to get something done, she does it with pride, and as quickly and efficiently as possible. She’s always looking for more ways to help our small town, and do as much as she can with the limited resources we have as a volunteer group.” Mahoney organizes monthly meetings of the WHCSA board to plan community activities, formalize the group’s budget and discuss community issues. She oversees the annual West Hempstead Community Street Fair, the Memorial Day Parade, the Sept. 11 Memorial Service and the Holiday Children’s Party and Tree and Menorah Lighting, as well as biannual community cleanups at Halls Pond Park. “We’re an organization that supports the community,” Mahoney said. “We’re all volunteers and have a vested interest in our community, so we try to effect change.” Rosenblatt, a retired retail manager and the former WHCSA quality of life chair, joined the organization about 15 years ago. In that role, and as its vice president, he has worked with the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County on resolving local issues. He also helps new residents in the community navigate living in a hamlet. Continued on page 2 Madison Gusler /Herald
Maureen Mahoney, back left, and Neal Rosenblatt, right, with student volunteers who helped clean up Hempstead Avenue in October.