For Brendan Ryan, success has never been defined by limitations.
The 22-year-old martial artist from Garden City recently captured two gold medals and was named the 2026 AAU Para Athlete of the Year at the AAU National Taekwondo Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, capping a seven-year journey built on determination, discipline and a simple family philosophy: “No Limits.”
Ryan won national titles in the Senior Black Belt Para Traditional Forms and Senior Black Belt Para Creative Weapons divisions, earning recognition among the country’s top para athletes at the July 2 competition. The AAU — Amateur Athletic
Union — recognized him with the award not only for his competitive accomplishments but also for his character and commitment to the sport.
Ryan, who has Down syndrome, honed his championship form training at Champions Martial Arts Oceanside, under the guidance of Master Nadine Pace, owner and fourth-degree master instructor.
“It was an amazing week at nationals,” Pace said. “It wasn’t just given because he was a para athlete. He truly, truly earned it.”
For Ryan, however, the week was about more than medals.
“It was nice to see other people with Down syndrome from around the country who love taekwondo like me,” he said.
Although excited, Brendan admitted he
By ABIGAIL GRIECO & CHRIS COLUCCI of the Herald
The Long Beach Lions Club marked a century of community service earlier this month, and recognized three families whose commitment to volunteerism has strengthened Long Beach, Island Park and neighboring communities for generations. Two of the evening’s highest-profile honorees were from Island Park.
More than 200 guests gathered at the Lawrence Yacht and Country Club on July 18 to celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary, commemorating its founding in 1926 and a legacy of charitable work that has extended well beyond Long Beach.
MICHAEL
partnership with the Guide Dog Foundation, which has sponsored nearly 90 guide and service dogs for veterans and people who are blind or visually impaired.
Island Park Mayor Michael McGinty and his wife, Jeanne, received the club’s Lion of the Year Award for their unwavering support of Lions events and fundraisers.
Club President Allen Schwartz said that the McGintys have volunteered at virtually every club event in recent years, from food drives and bingo nights to fundraising events on the Long Beach boardwalk.
Island Park mayor
Throughout the evening, the Lions’ longstanding service was highlighted, including scholarships for local students, an annual Thanksgiving food drive that has helped hundreds of families and its decades-long
“When you say Mike and Jeanne, you don’t say one without the other,” Schwartz said.
“They’re one. They’ve participated in every single event we’ve had.”
Schwartz noted the symbolism of presenting the couple with a singular Lion of the Year award rather than sepaCoNTiNUed oN PAge 16
Courtesy Tom Ryan Brendan Ryan, 22, displayed his martial arts skills during the 2026 AAU National Taekwondo Championships in Fort Lauderdale,
he
two gold medals and was named the 2026 AAU Para Athlete of the Year.
AMERICA
“America means opportunity, freedom, and diversity to me. It is a place where people from different backgrounds can come together, share their ideas, and work toward their goals. America gives people the chance to express themselves, pursue their dreams, and make a difference in their communities. While it has faced challenges throughout its history, I believe America represents hope, perseverance, and the possibility of a better future.
My hope for America over the next 250 years is that it continues to grow as a nation that values freedom, equality, and opportunity for everyone. I hope future generations can solve challenges through innovation, education, and cooperation while protecting the rights and freedoms that are important to our country. I also hope America becomes more united, respects different perspectives, and works to create a better quality of life for all
Reflecting on 250: William Chiofalo, 50
people. By learning from its history and embracing new ideas, America can continue to be a place where people pursue their dreams and contribute to a brighter future
Having lived on Long Island my entire life (50 years- “Bicentennial Baby”), I have seen many significant changes. The population has grown, and many areas have become more developed with new housing, shopping centers, and businesses. When I was younger there were fields and open areas that are long gone. Technology has transformed everyday life, from the way we communicate to how we work and learn. Transportation has changed with increased traffic and constant congestion on the park -
WILLIAM CHIOFALO, EAST ROCKAWAY
ways. I have also seen greater cultural diversity, which has enriched our communities with new traditions, foods, and perspectives. Environmental issues, such as coastal erosion, flooding, and concerns about protecting local waterways, have become more important. While much has changed over my life time, Long Island has remained a place with strong communities, beautiful beaches, and a unique character that continues to attract families and visitors.
Long Island is also known for its strong sense of community, excellent schools, diverse neighborhoods, and rich history. People from many different backgrounds live here, bringing a variety of cultures, traditions, and local businesses to the area. The region offers opportunities for recreation, education, and employment while maintaining many family-friendly communities.
Many residents appreciate Long Island’s mix of small-town charm and modern conveniences. Whether it’s spending a day at Jones Beach State Park, Hunting the water ways and public lands, visiting local farms on the East End, or attending community events, Long Island provides a lifestyle that balances work, recreation, and community connection. Truly an amazing place to be able to call home.”
Long Island is a special place to live because it combines suburban communities, beautiful natural scenery, and easy access to a major city. Residents can enjoy miles of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound, parks, nature preserves, and waterfront activities while still being close to New York City.
AMERICA
For Irving “Bob” Miller, being an American has always been tied to service.
Born in 1923 and raised in Bellmore, Miller spent his summers at Jones Beach and joined the Junior Naval Reserve as a teenager, taking a bus to Freeport to attend training classes. His early interest in military service eventually led him into the U.S. Navy, where he served during World War II aboard multiple ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
Patriotism runs through generations of Miller’s family. His father served during World War I, his sister was an air cadet during World War II, Miller served six years in the Navy, and his son later became a submariner.
“Up until recently, it’s been the safest and most wonderful place in the world,” Miller said of the United States. “We’re very patriotic, the whole family, and we love this country.”
Looking back on his military service, Miller said he took pride in doing whatever was asked of him.
“I loved the Navy,” he said. “I would do everything they asked me to do, and sometimes I volunteered to do things that were not required of me because I felt it
Karakowsky
“To us, America means a chance to live freely and find success, whoever you are. The freedom to practice religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of commerce that are found in America are unparalleled!
We hope that America will become more united over the next 250 years, and that more people will start voting for G-d again and not just political parties! Above all, we hope to see a future where people care about each other, where people are happy and the streets are safe for our children.
We love living on Long Island for many reasons. We enjoy the easy access to our favorite stores and supermarkets and the (relative) lack of traffic! We appreciate our exceptional Nassau County Police (shoutout to the Fifth Precinct) and Fire Departments for always being there when we need them.
It is easy for us to get to the beach and enjoy the boardwalk, and
Irving “Bob” Miller, 102
IRVING “BOB” MILLER, BELLMORE
was my duty to do the best I could to save our country.”
Asked what advice he would leave future generations as America approaches its 250th birthday, Miller’s answer was simple.
“Each person should follow their heart,” he said. “I hope they think of protecting our country. I hope they think of living in peace, and whatever they decide, I hope they decide the right thing.”
Eliana, 26 and Avi, 25
ELIANA AND AVI
KARAKOWSKY, WEST HEMPSTEAD
the parking is surprisingly good, too! There are so many convenient amenities and activities to enjoy here, including our great local parks and excellent fitness centers. We also love going to concerts at the Jones Beach Amphitheater and attending local sports games at the Nassau Veterans Colosseum. Go Long Island Nets!”
Voices of Long Island
Olivia Marciano, 20
“America is not perfect, but what makes it meaningful is the freedom to question, improve, participate, and serve. To me, America represents possibility, responsibility, and the belief that each generation can help shape the country for the better.
My hope for America is that we become more united, compassionate, and willing to listen to one another. I hope we can move beyond division and remember that disagreeing does not have to mean disrespecting each other. Most of all, I hope future generations inherit a country they feel proud to improve and protect.
The biggest change I have seen on Long Island is how much faster and more connected life has become through technology, social media, and development. Even with those changes, Long Island still holds onto its strong sense of community and local pride.
Long Island is special because it offers the best of so many worlds.
OLIVIA MARCIANO, GARDEN CITY
You can spend the day at the beach, be close to New York City, experience beautiful landscapes, close communities, and endless opportunities all on one island.”
Seth J. Blau, 55
“To me, America is about opportunity, freedom, and the responsibility to give something back. I’ve always believed that strong communities don’t build themselves. Rather, they are built by ordinary people who give their time to improve the places they call home and help others.
The biggest change I’ve seen on Long Island is how much harder it has become to sustain volunteer organizations that have long strengthened our communities. Service clubs, volunteer fire departments, Chambers of Commerce, youth sports leagues, and veterans’ organizations all face increasing challenges attracting the volunteers who have long helped make our communities stronger. It’s not because people care less. Life today simply places greater demands on our time.
Researching our local history has taught me that every community has a story. The Long Island we know today exists because generations of ordinary people chose to give their time, share their talents, and become involved.
My hope for America’s next 250 years is that we never lose that spirit of civic involvement and volunteerism. Commu-
SETH J. BLAU, OCEANSIDE
nities don’t build themselves or thrive by accident. They are shaped by ordinary people who accept the responsibility to become involved and leave things a little better than they found them.”
NEWS BRIEFS
Beach reads come to life with Jane Rosen Long Beach Road corner sells
Jane L. Rosen, whose novels have become summer reading favorites for fans of contemporary fiction, will visit the Island Park Public Library on Aug. 31 for an evening of conversation about her writing career, creative process and the stories that have made her a bestselling author.
The program, which begins at 6 p.m., will feature a discussion of Rosen’s journey as a writer, the inspiration behind her novels and a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Rosen is the author of several bestselling books, including “On Fire Island,” “Seven Summer Weekends” and “Songs of Summer.” Her novels are known for their blend of romance, friendship and self-discovery, often unfolding in beachside communities where family relationships, second chances and personal growth take center stage. Her stories have earned a devoted readership for their warmth, humor and vividly drawn coastal settings.
al summer tradition is tested by unexpected life changes, was selected as the Long Island Reads book of 2025. The annual initiative encourages communities across Nassau and Suffolk counties to read and discuss works with ties to Long Island.
During the event, Rosen will share how she develops her characters, finds inspiration for her settings and transforms personal observations into fictional stories. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions about her novels, publishing journey and approach to storytelling.
The program is geared toward readers, aspiring writers and anyone interested in learning more about the creative process behind bestselling fiction. It also offers fans a chance to hear directly from an author whose work celebrates the enduring appeal of summer on Long Island and the relationships that shape people’s lives. The event is free and open to the public.
A newly constructed gas station and convenience store in Oceanside has sold for $7.74 million, marking a major commercial real estate transaction on one of the community’s busiest corners.
Bayridge Realty LLC, an affiliate of a Hicksville-based commercial real estate investor, purchased the 4,788-square-foot retail building and gas station located on 1.19 acres at 2962 Long Beach Road.
The property includes a triple-net ground lease with 7-Eleven that extends for the next 20 years. The sale price represents a 4.39 percent capitalization rate, according to a broker involved in the transaction.
The site, located at the southwest corner of Long Beach Road and Atlantic Avenue, had remained vacant for several years. It previously operated as a car wash and gas station built in 1996, with various operators leasing the property over the years. Most recently, it housed a Cumberland Farms gas station and convenience store, which closed in 2019.
Cumberland Farms sold the property for $4.25 million in 2022 to a partnership led by Great Neck-based Villadom Corp. That partnership later leased the site to 7-Eleven, which developed the newly built convenience store and gas station.
A newly constructed gas station and convenience store in Oceanside has sold for $7.74 million, marking a major commercial real estate transaction on one of the community’s busiest corners.
seller, 2962 Oceanside LLC.
“This is one of the most sought-after corners in the Oceanside submarket, and the kind of trophy asset that rarely trades,” Bigansky told Long Island Business News. “My buyer understands long-term value, and they were focused on securing a corner like this because of the visibility, the traffic and the strength of the tenant.”
“On Fire Island,” which follows a group of lifelong friends whose annu-
Protecting Your Future
— Abigail Grieco
Making the World a Better Place
The late Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, wrote extensively on making the world a better place. In his book, “To Heal a Fractured World”, he writes, “I have spent much of my life thinking about life, observing people, reading books, searching for teachers and exemplars...I make no claim to wisdom, but this I have learned:”
“That what counts is not how much wealth we make but how much of what we have, we share.”
“That those who spend at least part of their lives in the service of others are the most fulfilled and happiest people I know.”
“That moral health is no less important to the quality of a life than physical health.”
“That the best do good without thought of reward, understanding that to help others is a privilege even more than it is an opportunity.”
“That self-interest is simply uninteresting.”
“That pain and loneliness are forms of energy that can be transformed if we turn them outward, using them to recognize and redeem someone else’s pain or loneliness.”
“That putting others down, we diminish ourselves; lifting others, we lift ourselves.”
“That nothing is gained by less-thanethical conduct. We may gain in the short term but we will lose in the long, and it is the long term that counts.”
“That the ability to give to others is itself a gift.”
“That the privilege of wealth lies not in what it allows us to do for ourselves, but what it enables us to do for others.”
“That the world is a book in which our life is a chapter, and the question is whether others, reading it, will be inspired.”
ETTINGER LAW FIRM
Tom Bigansky of North Village Realty represented the buyer. Daniel Abbondandolo, Joegy Raju and Victor Little of Cushman & Wakefield represented the
Bigansky said the newly built 7-Eleven, backed by a 20-year corporate lease, represents a strong long-term investment opportunity in the South Shore market.
— Abigail Grieco
FIRE WATCH
The Oceanside Fire Department is always looking for help in serving our community. If you live here or in any one of the adjacent communities and are interested in joining or just have
July 19 — July 25
General Alarms: 9 Unit Calls: 4
Motor Vehicle Accidents: 2
Carbon Monoxide Alarms: 1
Medical Emergencies: 26
Mutual Aid: 1
Special Calls: 2
Total: 45
any questions, stop into Fire Headquarters at 65 Foxhurst Road in Oceanside, visit JoinOFD.net, oceansidefd.net, or call (516) 766-2717. For fire or medical emergencies, dial 911 or (516) 766-0245.
Year-to-Date
General Alarms: 260
Unit Calls: 102
Motor Vehicle Accidents: 58
Carbon Monoxide Alarms: 56
Medical Emergencies: 864
Mutual Aid: 28
Special Calls: 101 Total: 1469
Courtesy North Village Realty
JANE L. ROSEN
Courtesy Courtney Koehle
Dancers from To The Stage in Oceanside stepped into the world of Broadway when they had the opportunity to learn from Stephanie Klemons, a choreographer, global dance supervisor and original cast member and dance captain of the Tony Awardwinning musical “Hamilton.”
Dancers get their shot at Broadway magic
By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
Students at To The Stage in Oceanside stepped into the world of Broadway when they had the opportunity to learn from Stephanie Klemons, a choreographer, global dance supervisor and original cast member and dance captain of the Tony Award-winning musical “Hamilton.”
Klemons visited the theater school on July 17 for a special Broadway boot camp workshop, giving students firsthand insight into professional performance while teaching choreography from one of the most recognizable shows in theater history.
Courtney Koehle, director of To The Stage, said bringing Broadway professionals to work with students has become a yearly tradition.
“Every summer, I try to bring in a Broadway artist, either a performer, director or choreographer, for a Broadway boot camp workshop,” Koehle said.
Koehle said many of her students have a deep love for “Hamilton” and often ask about performing the musical themselves. While the rights to the show are not currently available for productions like theirs, she wanted to bring the next best opportunity directly to her students.
“I reached out to Stephanie Klemons, and she was just really receptive to it,” Koehle said. “She does workshops around the world, so we planned it about six months in advance and then she came.”
Klemons, who develops and maintains the choreography for “Hamilton” productions around the globe, worked with students during the three-hour workshop. She came directly from rehearsals with the Broadway and touring productions before meeting with To The Stage performers.
During the session, Klemons taught students the original choreography from
the song “My Shot” and held a questionand-answer session where students could ask about Broadway, “Hamilton,” auditions and advice for aspiring performers.
Koehle said the experience was especially meaningful because Klemons treated the students like professional performers.
“She was very, very professional and really treated them as if they were Broadway performers trying to audition for ‘Hamilton,’” Koehle said. “She took the workshop very seriously, so I think they were amazed and also a little bit in shock.”
For Koehle, providing experiences like this aligns with the overall mission of To The Stage, which focuses on building confidence, self-esteem, public speaking skills and a sense of community through theater.
The theater school, which is celebrating its 14th year, began at St. Anthony’s Church before moving into a storefront location as it grew. Today, To The Stage offers instruction in singing, acting and dancing, while also providing more advanced opportunities for older students through programs such as Broadway boot camps.
Koehle, who grew up in Oceanside, said creating a welcoming theater environment close to home has always been important to her.
“When I grew up in Oceanside, there wasn’t a theater school in our area,” she said. “My parents would have to take me into Manhattan to do it. I thought it was so important to bring my love of theater to where I grew up.”
Koehle said she wanted To The Stage to be a place where students could explore their passion without the intense competition she experienced growing up.
“This was something I wanted to be more welcoming for all students who are interested in theater and just have a love of it and want to learn more,” she said.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7 7:00PM
HERALD SPORTS
Crossovers fuel Nassau County football
By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com
Kickoff for the Nassau high school football season is just over a month away.
On Aug. 17, all 51 public high school football programs in the county will begin preparations for the upcoming season, scheduled to open Thursday, Sept. 3 with a Conference IV battle between Island Trees and Oyster Bay. The vast majority of openers will take place the following Thursday.
The biggest news of the offseason came in the spring when East Rockaway and West Hempstead announced it would be joining forces. Longtime Rocks head coach Russ Pajer adds Dom Carre, who served as the head coach at West Hempstead since 2010, as defensive coordinator. Carre played for Pajer at East Rockaway in 1997 and ‘98.
“Our JV teams combined last year and it was a great experience,” said Pajer, who enters his 32nd season as head coach. “West Hempstead’s numbers are down to less than 20, so it was a no-brainer. It was a seamless process with both superintendents on board. It’s a good thing and we expect to have a strong team.”
East Rockaway/West Hempstead is seeded fifth in Conference IV and opens at Valley Stream North. Three of its home games will be played under the lights at East Rockaway beginning Sept. 18 against defending county champion Seaford. West Hempstead will be the site of the Week 3 crossover against Elmont, and the game will serve as Homecoming. A Homecoming will also take place in East Rockaway Oct. 9. In 2025, the Rocks went 2-6 while the Rams finished 4-4 and qualified for the playoffs.
“We expect to have between 30 and 35 kids on varsity,” Pajer said.
Crossover games add intrigue
Seaford, along with three-time defending Long Island champion Massapequa (Conference I), ninetime defending county champion Garden City (II) and South Side (III) are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.
Massapequa and Garden City will clash in a muchanticipated crossover game Sept. 26 on the Chiefs’ home field at 1:30 p.m. The Trojans enter the season riding an amazing 66-game winning streak. The showdown, along with all the other crossovers between Conferences I and II, and III and IV, will carry a lesser power-ranking weight than the other seven games, Carey head coach Mike Stanley said.
Some of the other Week 3 matchups feature Carey at Oceanside, Long Beach at Farmingdale, South Side at Seaford, Plainedge at Lynbrook, and Freeport at Roosevelt (Thurs., Sept. 24 at 5 p.m.)
Seven teams switch conferences
Plainedge and Carey lead a group of six teams switching conferences for this season based on enrollment and size breakdown of each conference. Plainedge finished first in the regular season in Conference IV a year ago, going undefeated in the process, and bumps down to III. Carey was in III last fall but jumps up to II, essentially changing places with Glen Cove. East Meadow is no stranger to the top conference and heads there after a brief stay in II. Floral Park, Valley Stream North and Valley Stream South moved to IV from III.
Few coaching changes
Legendary Plainedge head coach Rob Shaver retired
Chaminade’s Luka Tomaszweski was
10 games to watch
Sept. 10 Long Beach at Carey
Sept. 10 Wantagh at Plainedge
Sept. 10 Lynbrook at Seaford
Sept. 19 Mepham at Calhoun
Sept. 26 Carey at Oceanside
Sept. 26 Garden City at Massapequa
Oct. 10 Oceanside at Massapequa
Oct. 17 Plainedge at South Side
Oct. 24 Massapequa at Farmingdale
Oct. 31 South Side at Wantagh
at the end of last season and the Red Devils are now led by former assistant Adam Hovorka. They’ll kick off at home versus defending Conference III champion Wantagh. And for the third time in four seasons, East Meadow has a new head coach with Matt Castaneda taking over. The Jets are seeded seventh in their return to Conference I and open at home against Hicksville. Former Elmont head coach Jay Hegi is the new head coach at Division.
Lucas DiDio and Oceanside take on Carey in what promises to be an exciting crossover game Sept. 26.
Michelle Ebel/Herald photos
on the move during 7 on 7 drills at Oceanside.
TOH promotes UV Safety Awareness Month
By CHRIS COLUCCI ccolucci@liherald.com
With July at the heart of every summer, its designation as National UV Safety Awareness Month is timely. When beachgoers soak in the sun and outdoor activities fill most days, skin care and cancer prevention tips are as critical as ever.
Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti held a news conference at the Town Park at Point Lookout on July 9, joined by partners from Northwell Health, to launch the town’s Summertime Wellness Series.
“This program offers residents convenient access to important health services,” Ferretti said. “We’re kicking it off today with a free skin cancer screening event.” From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., medical professionals from Northwell Health were set up with a mobile unit, providing free skin cancer screenings to 50 town residents. “We urge all of our town residents in the Town of Hempstead to get checked on an annual basis for skin cancer,” Ferretti explained, “Whether that’s here in a town facility or with your own dermatologist.”
Ferretti shared effective tips to mitigate UV exposure, including the use of sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher; aiming to stay in the shade during peak sunlight hours, typically 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and wearing proper clothing, sunglasses and headwear when outdoors.
Dr. Camila Villa-Ruiz, a dermatologist at Northwell Health, spoke at the conference discussing more realities surrounding skin cancer. “We estimate that one in five people will develop skin cancer by the age of 70,” Villa-Ruiz stated. “It is a very common, but preventable, cancer that has a high cure rate. Have your skin cancer screenings. Visit your dermatologist if you see anything that’s changing, growing, or bleeding.”
Goosby.
Individuals with tattoos, or anyone considering getting a tattoo, should take extra precaution. “It is harder to screen, especially when you have tattoos that are covering moles,” Villa-Ruiz said. “It is definitely harder, but we can still do it. I would highly recommend to not get tattoos over existing moles.”
A second wellness series event and free skin cancer screening will be held on July 16, from 11 a.m. to 1
p.m., at Veterans Memorial Park Pool in East Meadow. The series will conclude with a presentation on Four Ways to Save a Life — including how to administer CPR, how to use an automated external defibrillator and other potentially life-saving practices — from 11 a.m. to noon on July 23 at the Echo Park Pool Complex in West Hempstead.
Oceanside United Soccer Club
through U-8 MUNCHKINS (08/01/2022 - 07/31/2023)
The Munchkin program is an entry level program which is focused on developing both familiarity with a soccer ball and encouraging interaction with other boys and girls in the program. Soccer related concepts are introduced in a fun and engaging way by our professional trainers.
PEE WEE
(08/01/2021 - 07/31/2022)
The Pee Wee program builds upon the developmental concepts which are introduced through the Munchkin program. (Note, participation in the Munchkin program is not a prerequisite for enrollment in the Pee Wee program).
A further development of the basic soccer concepts of ball control, field positioning and team play will be led by our trainers. Game-style scrimmages that are supervised and coached by the training staff will help prepare our players for the “Developmental Soccer” program that lies ahead.
U-8 (08/01/2018 - 07/31/2019)
The last year of the “Intramural program”, involves one additional training session per week and continues to develop the abilities of the players in the program. First touch ball control, passing, movement on and off the ball and game awareness.
Chris Colucci/Herald
Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, at podium, was joined, from left, by Councilwoman Laura Ryder, Town
Clerk Kate Murray, Councilman Tom Muscarella, Dr. Camila Villa-Ruiz from Northwell Health and Deputy Supervisor Dorothy
Intramurals: Munchkins
Future firefighters train at Camp Fahrenheit 516
By ALYSSA R. GRIFFIN agriffin@liherald.com
Nearly 50 teenage volunteer firefighters from across Long Island spent part of their summer learning advanced firefighting skills at Camp Fahrenheit 516, a weeklong training program designed to prepare the next generation of volunteer firefighters.
The camp, sponsored by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, was held July 20-24 at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy in Old Bethpage. Forty-eight junior firefighters and explorers, ages 14 to 18, representing 25 fire departments in Nassau and Suffolk counties participated in five days of hands-on instruction.
“The camp is phenomenal,” Chief Paul Wilders said. “They get a little taste of everything that we put our regular firefighters through in firefighter one.”
Participants trained in a variety of firefighting and emergency response techniques, including search-and-rescue operations, forcible entry, emergency evacuation procedures, ground ladder operations, fire extinguisher drills, ropes and rescue skills, mask confidence exercises, two-minute drills and second-story bailouts. The program also included live-fire training involving propane, vehicle and warehouse fire simulations under the supervision of certified instructors.
The Nassau County Fire Service Academy and FASNY also hosted a media day during the camp, offering a firsthand look at the intensive training junior firefighters receive and highlighting the role they play in preparing for future volunteer service.
“It’s important to volunteer at any level,” Jerry Presta, chairman of the Nassau County Junior Firefighter Association said, “but anybody that wants to join and become a junior, they should contact their local fire department.”
Volunteer fire departments across
New York continue to face recruitment challenges as emergency call volumes increase. In addition to responding to structure fires, today’s volunteer firefighters regularly respond to medical emergencies, motor vehicle crashes, flooded basements, downed power lines and other public safety incidents.
“By these youth programs, this gives young potential firefighters the experience and helps them decide if they really want to become a volunteer firefighter,” Steve Klein, past president of FASNY said.
Teens from throughout the county came out, including Island Park’s Walker Casey, 16.
“It’s very good to get active, especially in your community,” he said. “If you want to be a firefighter, it is a totally great program to join.”
James Nurnbergur, 17, also of Island Park, echoed Casey’s sentiment, noting that the program helped participants “learn a bunch of new stuff.”
Fire service leaders said programs such as Camp Fahrenheit 516 help build the pipeline of future volunteers by giving teenagers interested in the fire service an opportunity to develop skills, gain experience and learn about the responsibilities of serving their communities before they are eligible to become active volunteer firefighters.
“We definitely need more people, and they have the drive to do it,” Emily Brown, president of Nassau County Junior Fire Association said. “As long as they’re having fun, that’s really what matters.”
Camp Fahrenheit 516 was established in 2015 through a partnership among the Nassau County Junior Firefighter Association Board of Directors, the Nassau County Fire Service Academy staff, Fire Service Academy instructors and FASNY. The program was created to provide junior firefighters and explorers with realistic, hands-on training while encouraging the next generation of volunteer firefighters on Long Island.
THURSDAY,
Courtesy Camp Fahrenheit 516
Dozens of teens came out to Camp Fahrenheit 516 to learn advanced firefighting skills.
AUGUST 13 • 10AM-12:30PM
CONGREGATION OHAV SHOLOM
145 S MERRICK AVE, MERRICK
FREE community event focused on health, wellness, and lifestyle
Meet trusted local exhibitors and service providers
Take advantage of on-site health screenings
Enjoy lively entertainment, fitness demonstrations and interactive experiences
Hear from experts during a panel discussion with Q&A
Win raffles, prizes, and giveaways
Snack station for all
*Boxed lunches for first 150 attendees
All designed to help you stay active, informed, and engaged at every stage of life.
Register for this FREE event: Merrick.eventbrite.com or email rbamgbose@liherald.com or call 516.569.4000 x273
Paint, sip and get creative at Masone Beach
By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
As the sun dipped below the horizon at Masone Beach, participants traded beach towels for paintbrushes during a relaxed evening of creativity led by artist and certified art teacher Frank Caprino.
The Paint by Sunset sip ‘n paint event on July 22 invited attendees to create their own beach-inspired paintings while enjoying music and their favorite beverages. Guided step by step by Caprino, participants transformed blank canvases into finished works of art — regardless of their artistic experience.
The classes are part of Caprino’s Sip N Paint with Frank business, which he launched about 12 years ago after being inspired by the popular Paint Nite events and television painter Bob Ross.
“I thought maybe I could do it in people’s homes,” Caprino said. “I guide them step by step from blank canvas to masterpiece.”
What began as a side business has since expanded to include restaurant events, fundraisers, children’s parties and programs for people with special needs. Caprino has also partnered with Masone Beach and the Island Park Public Library to host community painting events over the years.
Although only nine people attended this year’s beach class — fewer than previous events that sold out — Caprino said the intimate group made for an enjoyable evening.
“I was surprised only nine came out this time, but it is what it is,” he said. “Those that did show seemed to have had a great time.”
More than teaching painting techniques, Caprino hopes participants leave feeling relaxed and accomplished. He believes creating art offers a welcome escape from everyday stress.
“I think creating art is absolutely therapeutic,” he said. “You get lost in the process, stop thinking about the stresses of daily life for a little while and unwind.”
Caprino said many first-time painters arrive convinced they have little artistic ability, but he works to put them at ease.
“They say, ‘I can’t even draw a stick figure,’” he said with a laugh. “I tell them, ‘That’s OK, because we’re not making stick figures. Don’t worry — no one fails my class.’”
For Caprino, the greatest reward comes at the end of each session.
“A ‘thank you, I had a great time’ is the best compliment,” he said.
Caprino guided the group step by step as they created their own beach-inspired paintings during the waterfront evening event.
Yvonne Graci carefully worked on her painting as she followed along with Caprino’s instructions.
Brushes in hand, participants focused on bringing their paintings to life.
Angela Graci added her artistic flair to her canvas.
Loren Gubelli, Molly Edrich and Denise Casey proudly displayed their finished paintings after completing the sip ‘n paint sunset class at Masone Beach.
Holden Leeds/Herald photos
Artist and certified art teacher Frank Caprino, fourth from right, taught participants during a Paint by Sunset sip ‘n paint class at Masone Beach in Island Park on July 22.
SUZETTE GORDON President & CEO SCO Family of Services
THERESA PORCARO Vice President, Growth & Marketing Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine
LINDA MASHKABOVA, FNP Owner The Beauty Cellar NY
NATASHA ZAYTSEVA Founder & Executive Consultant CEO Lab
BEACH BAG SPONSOR
SPONSOR
MAE CAIME Co-Founder Diamonds & Pearls Alliance
HELEN HSIEH, MD, FACOG Founder & Medical Director, Vibrance 360
JESSICA RONDASH, MBA Director, Business Operations & Performance Holt Construction
PALMINA WHELAN Capital Program Director The New Terminal One
ELLY ROZENGURTEL, DPT Founder & CEO Ideal Body Med Spa
CATHERINE CANADEO CEO Health and Wellness Corp
TAMMY J. COHEN Founder & Messaging Strategist TC Brand Consulting
SUSAN GATTI Founder Disruptive Spark Group
CARLA ILIESCU Founder potential.
CHRISTINA M. ROSAS Member Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC
MEREDITH VANDEGRIFT, MD, FACS Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Vandegrift Plastic Surgery
SHARON WYMAN, CDME President & CEO Discover Long Island
MICHELLE MOREIRA-JODICE Vice President Market Manager, Valley Bank
CARRIE SKOWRONSKI Founder & CEO Leadology
KERRI WINANS KALEY CSA The Bristal Assisted Living
ELISA DE JESUS Senior Vice President, Private Client Advisor Bank of America
LILLIAN PALEY Vice President, Business Development Silver Lining Homecare
CARINA TOM President NU World Connect Title, LLC
KRISTYN HODGDON
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer Rescripted
A seven-year journey, and national awards
felt nervous before stepping onto the mat.
“I wanted to practice my forms again,” he said. “Ma’am (Pace) helped me calm down and told me I could do it.”
His father, Tom Ryan, said Brendan’s accomplishments reflect a mindset their family embraced long before he stepped competitively onto a mat.
Brendan was diagnosed with Down syndrome before he was born. From the beginning, Tom and his wife, Christine, decided they would never allow that diagnosis to define their son’s future.
“We said it wasn’t going to affect us or our family, so there were going to be no limits put on him,” Tom Ryan said. “He’s going to write his own story. Nobody else should tell him what his story is going to be.”
That philosophy has shaped Brendan’s life. Over the years, he has played basketball, soccer and lacrosse, become an accomplished skier tackling black diamond trails, attended Camp ANCHOR and eagerly embraced new experiences.
He discovered taekwondo in 2019 after asking his parents if he could take classes. They contacted Pace, who had previously worked with Camp ANCHOR participants and immediately welcomed Brendan into her school. “I said, ‘Of course he could. Anybody could do it,’” Pace recalled. “Everyone learns at their own pace.”
Pace’s son, who also has special needs, had previously known Brendan’s older brother through Camp ANCHOR’s swim program, making the introduction feel like a small-world moment.
During the pandemic, when martial arts schools temporarily closed, Brendan transformed his family’s living room into a training space, attending Zoom classes while practicing form and technique at home.
“He never faltered,” Pace said, “not for one second.
There are kids who lose interest or take breaks, but Brendan has been consistent for seven years.”
That dedication helped Brendan earn his black belt in June 2024. Since then, he has continued training in forms, breaking, weapons and bow staff while working toward his second-degree black belt. Pace recently invited him to join the school’s Instructor Club, where he helps younger students during class.
“It makes me happy to be a role model,” Brendan said. “I like helping younger kids and showing them what Ma’am taught me.”
Pace said Brendan’s impact extends well beyond competition.
“If you judged him by his disability, you would have counted him out from the beginning,” she said. “You can’t ever say that. There really are no limits for him.”
Earlier this year, Brendan qualified for the national championships at the AAU Metro New York National
Qualifier at Queens College before debuting his bow staff routine at the Champions Martial Arts Long Island Championships as a final tuneup before traveling to Florida.
For Pace, the award represented years of perseverance. “I’ve always believed in his potential,” she said. “Watching him win two gold medals and earn the AAU Para Athlete of the Year Award has been one of my proudest moments as a teacher.”
This fall, Brendan will begin another exciting chapter as a student enrolled in Molloy University’s Opportunity for Successful Transition, or MOST, program after graduating from Garden City High School in June. The inclusive three-year program helps students with intellectual and developmental disabilities prepare academically, socially and professionally for independent adult life.
Brendan already knows what comes next. “I want to earn my second-degree black belt,” he said. “I want to work with kids in a school and help teach them.”
His father believes those goals reflect the same determination Brendan has shown throughout his life. “This has never been about proving anyone wrong,” Tom Ryan said. “It’s about giving Brendan every opportunity to become who he wants to be.”
The medals and national recognition may define Brendan Ryan’s latest achievement, but those closest to him say they are only part of the story. His greatest accomplishment has been demonstrating that success is measured not only by championships, but by perseverance, kindness and the courage to embrace every opportunity.
And if Brendan Ryan has shown anything through his journey — from a young boy inspired by superheroes to a national champion — it is that the family motto has never been just a slogan.
For him, “No Limits” has become a way of life.
Courtesy Tom Ryan
Brendan Ryan celebrated with instructor Master Nadine Pace, owner of Champions Martial Arts Oceanside.
STEPPING OUT
For Michelle Taplin, seen here at a spring showcase, theater is about more than performance. Through Tap Into Your Passion, she is helping young actors develop the confidence, resilience and skills to succeed both onstage and off.
Opening doors to the stage
By Iris Wiener
Michelle Taplin has spent much of her life immersed in the performing arts, but her greatest role may be helping the next generation discover their own voices. What began as a longtime dream has grown into Tap Into Your Passion, a thriving coaching and arts education company that, more than a year after its official launch, is already making a lasting impact on aspiring performers across the region.
As Tap Into Your Passion marks its first year and a half, Taplin celebrates the milestone with a special fundraising gala on Aug. 10 in The Green Room 42 in New York City that reflects the heart of her mission: making quality theater education accessible to everyone.
For Taplin, the journey started long before she opened her Rockville Centre-based business. Growing up in Oceanside, she balanced voice lessons, dance classes, gymnastics, and community theater while nurturing two lifelong ambitions: becoming a theater educator and one day opening her own company. Inspired by Oceanside High School theater teacher Laura Gallo, she pursued degrees in theater and business at Muhlenberg College before earning an MA in theater education from Adelphi University. Along the way, she gained experience as a performer, director, choreographer, stage manager, and arts administrator while also spending six years with the Sunrise Association, where she developed an inclusive teaching philosophy serving children with cancer and their siblings. Those experiences continue to shape every lesson she teaches today.
Taplin continues to wear many hats. She teaches theater at both the middle and high school in Oceanside, and directs productions with the school district and community theaters, including Plaza Theatricals. She also advises student organizations and mentors countless young performers. Tap Into Your Passion has become a natural extension of everything she loves most about teaching.
“Tap Into Your Passion’s mission is to provide theater education without costing an arm and a leg,” Taplin says, explaining that she wanted to remove financial barriers for students pursuing careers in the performing arts. She offers three primary services: private coaching for performers ages nine and up; a comprehensive college audition program that guides students through every step of the competitive application process; and a monthly master class series featuring accomplished Broadway performers, choreographers, casting directors, and other industry professionals.
The response has been exceptional. Taplin credits much of Tap Into Your Passion’s early success to the generosity of the artists who have shared their time and expertise. Taplin explains that each workshop has
Theater coach celebrates a milestone
reinforced the lessons she teaches her students while helping to build a supportive network where young performers can learn directly from professionals working in the industry.
Rather than molding students into “cookie-cutter performers,” Taplin encourages them to embrace their individuality. She believes there is no single path to success in theater and exposing students to a wide variety of artistic voices helps them discover the techniques and perspectives that resonate most authentically.
That philosophy has attracted students from throughout Long Island and Manhattan. Students from Floral Park, Oceanside, Lynbrook, Sewanhaka, Elmont, Rockville Centre, East Rockaway, Garden City, and New York City, among other places, create a diverse community connected by a shared love of theater.
“Michelle always makes sure to put care and respect into all of her students’ work sessions,” says Kevin Kirley, a student from Rockville Centre who now attends New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “She has also been so integral to my journey throughout the college audition process. Her teaching has been extremely influential to me as a working actor, and I will take what I have learned throughout my training into my artistry.”
For Taplin, arts education extends well beyond singing, dancing or acting. She advocates that theater teaches empathy, collaboration, resilience, confidence, communication, and determination — life skills that benefit students regardless of whether they ultimately pursue careers on stage.
“It’s what the process teaches you,” she says, emphasizing that the personal growth students experience is often more valuable than the performances themselves.
Those values will be front and center shortly when Tap Into Your Passion hosts its Broadway Gives Back gala. The evening will feature performances by many of the Broadway artists and teaching professionals who have led Taplin’s master classes, each sharing a song that inspired their own theatrical journey. Beyond celebrating the company’s growth, the fundraiser will support Taplin’s goal of keeping coaching and master classes affordable for aspiring performers while demonstrating to students the passion that fuels successful careers in the arts.
As Tap Into Your Passion enters its second year, Taplin aims to continue expanding its reach while maintaining the close-knit community that has become its hallmark. She envisions welcoming more students, introducing them to even more accomplished professionals, and reminding every young artist that there is room for their unique voice in the theater world. Looking back on Tap’s remarkable beginning and the theater community’s willingness to help, Taplin relates that the experience has reinforced one lesson above all others: “The answer will always be ‘no’ if you don’t ask.”
It is a philosophy that has helped transform a childhood dream into a flourishing business, and one that continues to inspire the students following in her footsteps.
Visit TheGreenRoom42.VenueTix.com for tickets or more information about Where It All Began: Broadway Gives Back.
Double Vision: The Foreigner Experience
Comprising a group of exceptionally talented musicians and die-hard Foreigner fans, Double Vision has perfected the art of bringing to life the unforgettable hits that have defined generations. From “I Want to Know What Love Is” to “Cold as Ice,” Their renditions are a harmonious blend of passion, precision, and nostalgic energy. Drawing inspiration from Foreigner’s unmistakable sound and stage presence, Double Vision delivers a performance that pays homage to the band’s legacy while infusing their own charisma and enthusiasm. Their commitment to authenticity is matched only by their unwavering dedication to creating an electrifying experience for their audiences.
Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.
Vishal & Sheykhar
Brace yourself for a high-octane night with Bollywood’s most electrifying music duo – Vishal and Shekhar! VishalDadlani and Shekhar (formerly Shekhar) Ravjiani return to the states, following a completely sold-out U.S. run in 2025. Experience the energy and excitement of The Superhit Tour as acclaimed music duo Vishal and Sheykhar take the stage. Known for creating some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, the duo brings a powerhouse performance filled with fan-favorite songs, dynamic production and a concert atmosphere that will have the entire audience singing along. Expect a night packed with unforgettable music, stunning visuals, and the signature sound that has made them global sensations.
Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter. org or (516) 299-3100. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville.
Photos courtesy Michelle Taplin
Student Bella Romero performs at the spring showcase at The Green Room 42.
Broadway’s Krystina Alabado, right, leads a master class.
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
jul
Summertime
grooves
TOH brings its summer concert series to Oceanside Park. Touch the 80s plays hits from a decade like no other.
• Where: 3800 Mahlon Brower Drive, Oceanside
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Contact: (516) 292-9000 ext. 7255
‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’
The Madison Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” brings the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to the stage, retelling the biblical story of Joseph, his colorful coat and his rise from slavery to Pharaoh’s trusted advisor. Told entirely through song, the family-friendly production features memorable numbers including “Any Dream Will Do,” “Close Every Door” and “One More Angel in Heaven,” blending musical styles from calypso to countrywestern. Suitable for audiences of all ages, the show continues to be one of the world’s most frequently performed musicals.
• Where: Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
• Time: Various dates and times, through Aug. 2
Franz Ferdinand
The Scottish band brings their Greater Glasgow European Cultural Exchange Tour to the Paramount stage, in support of their latest album, “The Human Fear,” which dropped in January. Since emerging from Glasgow’s art-school scene — where the band famously staged illegal parties in abandoned buildings — Franz Ferdinand has built a reputation for bold sharp hooks, infectious riffs and a fearless approach to reinvention. The band’s sixth studio album explores the emotions that define the human experience, transforming fear from something to avoid into something that awakens us. From the vulnerability of new relationships to the courage required to embrace change, “The Human Fear” channels those moments of uncertainty into songs packed with energy, urgency and unmistakable Franz Ferdinand style. Following the retrospective collection “Hits To The Head,” their latest album marks a new chapter for the group — one that honors its signature sound while pushing forward. Expect a high-energy performance filled with the clever songwriting, driving rhythms and irresistible beats that have made Franz Ferdinand one of the most influential bands of its generation. At this point in their career, Franz Ferdinand definitely know who they are, and are relishing the vigor that comes with accepting that
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury
• Time: 2-3 p.m., also Aug. 12
• Contact: oldwestburygardens. org or call (516) 333-0048
• Contact: madisontheatreny. org or (516) 323-4444 Nature Connects Old Westbury Gardens welcomes families to spend an afternoon exploring, building and creating together! Seasonal Sprouts offers is a LEGO-themed adventure for young explorers. Children (ages 4–10) embark on a guided outdoor tour of Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects made with LEGO bricks. Everyone discovers the wonders of nature in a fun and hands-on way. After the tour, kids can unleash their creativity in a LEGO free-play area. $22 per adult, $20 ages 62+, $12 child. Registration required.
Summer sounds
Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series welcomes Grateful Dead tribute band Half Step. The Long Island-based band are dedicated fans and “students” of the Grateful Dead, capturing the spirit, improvisation, sound and complexity of Grateful Dead music. Half Step has been mastering their craft since 2004 while winning over crowds of veteran Deadheads, newcomers and non-Dead fans alike. Like the Grateful Dead themselves, the band is constantly pushing the envelope, growing together as musicians and performers.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
‘Grease’
Plaza Theatrical Productions welcomes all to Rydell High. Here’ the senior class of 1959: ducktailed, hot-rodding “Burger Palace Boys’ and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in
bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Head “greaser” Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their “Summer Nights” as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as “Greased Lightnin’,” “It’s Raining on Prom Night” and “Alone at the Drive-In Movie,” recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation. An eight-year run on Broadway and two subsequent revivals, along with innumerable school and community productions, place Grease among the world’s most popular musicals.
• Where: Elmont Memorial Library, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont
• Time: 7:30 p.m.; also Aug. 1-2
• Contact: PlazaTheatrical.com or call (516) 599-6870
‘Salute to Veterans’ Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series continues with the annual Salute to Veterans show. Desert Highway performs an Eagles tribute. American Bombshell also appears.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
Family theater
Lance the Eagle welcomes families to “A Semi-QuincentenEAGLE Birthday” on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage. In this original production, families are invited to celebrate his birthday. His message: As the national bird, this party will be happening throughout the whole month of July. Come to think of it, I did hear something about a birthday for the United States of America as well. Hmm... must be a coincidence! I’ll be throwing a parade through LICM’s galleries and a celebratory spectacle in the Theater. Come ready to party!” Keep an eye out 30 minutes before each show for a special interactive pre-show! For ages 3+. $5 with museum admission ($4 members), $10 theater only.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; also Aug. 5
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Summer tunes
Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series welcomes Lovesong, with an ‘80s New Wave tribute. The band offers a unique concert experience with electrifying performances of legendary music by Duran Duran, INXS, The Cure, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, Erasure, New Order and more.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
Family
AuG
5
Summer rocks on Eisenhower Park’s Summer Concert Series continues with The Outlaws. The southern rock legends bring more than five decades of guitar-driven classics to fans here. Formed in Tampa in 1972, the band became known for its signature triple-guitar attack, soaring three-part harmonies and enduring hits including “There Goes Another Love Song” and the epic “Green Grass & High Tides.” Led by founding singer, songwriter and guitarist Henry Paul, The Outlaws have continued to tour and record while honoring the band’s legacy with a revitalized lineup. Expect an energetic set blending timeless favorites with newer material, showcasing the musicianship and sound that helped define Southern rock
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov or (516) 572-0200
movie night
Enjoy a movie under the stars at Eisenhower Park. See Disney’s “Zootopia 2,’” the animated buddy cop comedy sequel. Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde, team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers.
• Where: Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow
• Time: Movie begins at dusk
• Contact: nassaucountyny.gov
Having an event?
Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.
GUEST COLUMN
OHS students help create model for stress relief
Oceanside School District is a part of Northwell’s School Mental Health Partnership. The partnership provides students and their families with access to mental health support, care coordination, connections to health resources, and educational opportunities for students, families, and school staff. The partnership provides students and their families with access to mental health support, care coordination, connections to health resources, and educational opportunities for students, families, and school staff. By partnering with Northwell, Ms. Patton’s College Ms. Patton’s College Psychology students had the ability to collaborate with Northwell’s Stress First Aid team of mental health professionals. Over the past three years, Oceanside High School students assisted this team in creating and strengthening an evidence-based Stress First Aid model that is appealing for youth.
This year, the College Psychology students met regularly with the Northwell Stress First Aid team in Oceanside High School’s Wellness Center. The students created a number of ideas to educate students about the core components of Stress
First Aid and resilience in order to support healthy coping methods. The majority of the student projects focused on delivering peer-led workshops to the students of Oceanside.
Throughout April and May, the College Psychology students delivered 17 workshops to more than 400 Oceanside students from kindergarten through middle school. The high school students not only created fun and engaging ways to introduce the concepts of Stress First Aid, they spent time with the younger students and offered their perspectives and ideas, which made the content relatable for the younger students. The presence of older role models who spoke about mental health and coping strategies was both inspiring and powerful. This led the younger students to be motivated to participate in the workshops.
engaged in interactive activities that encouraged them to think about the key components of resilience. These components include connecting with others, calming activities, paying attention to our strengths, encouraging hope, and promoting gratitude. Some workshops used themes like superheroes to teach the “superpowers of resilience” or flowers to teach the “flower petals of resilience” while others used game play as an approach for learning. Some visitors left with art they created and others left with tokens to remember the core parts of managing stress. All of the students left not only with a smile on their faces, but also the knowledge of how to understand their stress and how to manage it in an effective way.
students felt that they were able to present about what stress is, while learning coping skills simultaneously. “I was able to present to younger children in our district about the meaning of Stress First Aid and how to manage stress. Along with teaching them, I was able to learn ways to better manage my own stress,” said Lily Chiofalo, a 10th grade student in Ms. Patton’s College Psychology class.
The partnership between Oceanside High School and Northwell has been a beneficial tool in teaching students throughout Oceanside about mental health and how to cope with stressors.
The Oceanside students learned about identifying their stress and
This program not only impacted the younger Oceanside students positively, but also the College Psychology students. When asked about the experience, the College Psychology
— Olivia Benson is a sophomore at Oceanside High School and a student in Ms. Patton’s College Psychology class, where she participated in designing stress first aid presentations for younger students in the community. This collaborative project between our schools, Northwell and The Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation exemplifies the OHS Wellness Center’s mission: connection, collaboration, education, helpseeking, and fun.
OLIVIA BENSON
Public Notices
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK INDEX NO. 622198/2024 COUNTY OF NASSAU
FEDERAL HOME LOAN
MORTGAGE
CORPORATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR FREDDIE MAC SEASONED CREDIT RISK TRANSFER TRUST, SERIES 2017-2, AS OWNER OF THE RELATED MORTGAGE LOAN Plaintiff, vs.
BENJAMIN MINELLI, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF BIAGIO MINELLI; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF BIAGIO MINELLI any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; LONG ISLAND INVESTMENTS LLC;
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE-DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY,
“JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants.
Plaintiff designates NASSAU as the place of trial situs of the real property
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS
Mortgaged Premises: 30 TRUXTON ROAD A/K/A 32 TRUXTON ROAD, ISLAND PARK, NY 11558
Section: 43, Block: 027, Lot: 24-26 and 222
To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days of the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service of the same is complete where service is made in any manner other than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service. Your failure to appear or to answer will result in a judgment against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that a deficiency balance remains from
the sale proceeds, a judgment may be entered against you.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $285,750.00 and interest, recorded on January 23, 2006, in Liber M 29999 at Page 753, of the Public Records of NASSAU County, New York, covering premises known as 30 TRUXTON ROAD A/K/A 32 TRUXTON ROAD, ISLAND PARK, NY 11558.
The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above.
NASSAU County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county.
NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.
Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.
Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.
YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE
Attorney for Plaintiff Matthew Rothstein, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 161154
Place a notice by phone at 516-569-4000 x232 or email: legalnotices@liherald.com
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Town Law Section 181-a (1) and pursuant to General Municipal Law Section 35, (2a) the fiscal affairs of the Oceanside Fire District in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, for the period beginning on January 1, 2025 and ending on December 31, 2025, have been examined by Independent Certified Public Accounting firm of Craig, Fitzsimmons & Meyer, LLPSmithtown, NY. A copy of their independent audit report has been filed with the New York Office of the State Comptroller where it is available as a public record for inspection by all interested persons. In accordance with Town Law Section 181-a(4) the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Oceanside Fire District in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, has made this audit available for inspection by all interested persons at the Oceanside Fire District Office, 65 Foxhurst Road, Oceanside, New York, 11572.
Tricia Schields Secretary For the Board of Fire Commissioners Oceanside Fire District 161416
Generations of giving honored at centennial
rate honors, calling them inseparable partners in service. He also recognized their leadership as Island Park celebrates its own centennial this year.
“Jeanne and I are active with Tunnel to Towers,” Michael said. “The Lions Club raises money, principally, for guide dogs for veterans. In my mind, there’s nothing more important than our veterans. Nothing.”
He added that the recognition reflected the work of the volunteers who have sustained the Lions Club for five generations.
“In a world where volunteerism has gone the way of the dodo, here’s a group that has been together for five generations,” McGinty said. “They’ve given so much of themselves. They care. It’s incredible to watch the impact these volunteers have on our everyday lives. I’m very, very proud that the Lions Club has seen fit to honor us”
He praised the organization’s annual Thanksgiving food drive, describing the generosity he has seen firsthand as residents regularly return with donations.
“I can assure you that we’re going to continue working hard for the Lions, for all they represent,” McGinty said. Encouraging guests to support the evening’s fundraising efforts, he added, “Empty your pockets. It’s good for the soul.”
Members of the Natalello family — owners of Jack’s Pizzeria, in Island Park — were also recognized for their years of community involvement. Charles Natalello accepted the award alongside his parents, Nate and Josephine, and his sister, Michelle.
For nearly 15 years, Jack’s Pizzeria has supported local PTA fundraisers, youth sports teams, food pantries and families facing hardship. Charles Natalello said that learning more about the Lions’ mission inspired him to become even more involved.
“I realized how much they do for chil-
dren in the community,” he said. “My heart grew eight more sizes that day.”
The recognition, Charles said, belonged not only to his family but also to the restaurant’s employees and loyal customers. “We’ve always believed that a local pizzeria is more than just a place to eat,” he said. “It’s where families celebrate, friends reconnect and the community feels at home.”
He credited his parents with building a business rooted in kindness and generosity, and said that partnerships between local businesses and service organizations strengthen both Long Beach and Island Park.
“This award from the Lions Club reminds us how powerful it is when small family businesses and service organizations work together to strengthen our community,” Natalello said. “We’re inspired by your legacy and excited to keep contributing alongside you.”
The McAvoy family, whose ties to both the Lions and Long Beach date back to the club’s founding, was also honored. Charles McAvoy was a charter member in 1926, the same year he founded McAvoy Plumbing and Heating.
The celebration featured dinner, dancing, raffles and tributes to the club’s century of volunteerism before concluding with another act of giving. The club presented a $4,000 donation to Fans for the Cure, the prostate cancer awareness organization founded by baseball broadcaster Ed Randall, to support education and early-detection initiatives.
The evening underscored a common theme among the honorees: that lasting community service depends on neighbors, businesses and volunteers working together. For Island Park’s McGintys and the Natalello family, the recognition reflected years of quiet commitment to helping others — the same spirit the Lions Club has sought to foster for the past 100 years.
Chris Colucci/Herald
The Natalello family — Charles, Michelle, Josephine and Nate — were honored for using their Island Park restaurant, Jack’s Pizzeria, to serve charity and community, not just fresh slices.
CoNTINued froM Page 1
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Do we have to submit complete house plans just for a garage?
Q. We were recently told that our permit plans, to be approved, were going to have to include plans of the entire house, not just the garage area we are bumping out on the side. We were wondering if you have heard of this or whether we are being singled out. Our architect said that it may be because we have to go to the zoning board. Is this the reason, or did we say something wrong and are being punished? We asked, several times, for an update, because things are moving very slowly and we get the impression the building department just wants us to go away. They work for us and I think we deserve better service, frankly.
A. Trust but verify is now a common expression, and with good reason. What I have noticed over the years is that complete information is more often required, showing unrelated areas of the home, because many people have not been truthful about building changes or about how much work they have done, without permits, in other parts of the home. Because of this issue, many plans examiners ask for the big picture, not just the area you are interested in. It is obvious, when looking at file records in building departments and then comparing them to the actual dwelling during a walkthrough.
Your dilemma is due to the lack of trust between the authorities and the public. If the building inspector notices that the plans and the home don’t exactly compare, they can ask for “revised” plans to be submitted. It is frustrating, right at the end of a project, when people are ready to move on with their lives, to find out that the “simple, little changes” and side work they did require revised plans to be submitted to their building department. It is much worse to learn about changes or not following plans many years later.
Contractors and owners may get away with not communicating in the short term, but it does not pay, in the long run, to hide information. When someone realizes they bought a house with inherited, hidden issues which they are now responsible for, they feel taken advantage of. Worse than that are the costly corrections that have to be made because something that has existed for years may not be code-compliant. It happens all too often that unrelated portions of the building become a stumbling block to getting approvals for what you are really looking to do.
You are probably not being singled out, but you have been put in this position by previous workers and owners who did not take the record-updating seriously. People have told me, with a grin, that “By the time anyone notices, we’ll all be long gone.” I just came from a jobsite where work was done 16 years prior, the plans were not followed, and a structural failure is occurring that is going to be expensive to fix. The whole picture, not just part, is, therefore, important. Good luck!
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OPINIONS
The documentary on Steven McDonald is a must-see
Recently I saw a screening of the documentary about the late NYPD detective Steven McDonald, “Saint of the City.” McDonald was a true hero. In 1986, as a young police officer, he was shot and permanently paralyzed by 15-year-old Shavod Jones, whom he was questioning about a series of bicycle thefts in Central Park.
Jones shot McDonald three times, the third time while he was lying on the ground, shattering his spine and leaving him a quadriplegic, needing a ventilator to breathe.
McDonald not only survived, but forgave Jones and went on to live more than 30 heroic years of dedicated service, without complaint or self-pity, until his death in 2017.
Steven and his wife, Patti Ann, lived in Malverne during that time with their son, Conor, who was born just months after his father was shot. Patti Ann went on to serve two terms as Malverne’s mayor. “Saint of the City” was written by veteran Emmy-award winning WPIX-TV reporter Mary Murphy
and produced by Erin Mulvey, a former DEA agent. Filled with facts, emotion and perspective, the film captures the essence of McDonald as an outstanding human being who inspired so many.
I met with him over the years at various police events, at his home in Malverne and in Congress. Those meetings made vividly clear to me just how devastating his injuries were. He was not only confined to a wheelchair, but incapable of moving any party of his body except his head, and he had no sense of feeling anywhere. Once when he gave me a book he had written, he inscribed it for me with a Sharpie he held between his teeth.
The NYPD detective forgave the teen who shot him, leaving him a quadriplegic.
His breathing was labored, and required a ventilator. At any time he could be struck with severe spasms lasting 30 seconds to a minute. These were difficult to observe, never mind having to endure them.
As the film depicts, McDonald persevered through all of this. He regularly spoke at high schools and to young cops.
He was also an articulate voice for peace and justice in Northern Ireland, not just attending events in New York, but traveling to Northern Ireland to
Iurge those on all sides — Catholics and Protestants, pro-British and pro-Irish — to resolve their differences and pursue the path to peace. McDonald’s efforts were particularly beneficial in the months following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, when radicals attempted to shatter the peace accord with a horrific bombing attack in Omagh, Northern Ireland, that killed 29 civilians and injured more than 200. His presence at such a critical time delivered a strong message about the necessity of maintaining peace and allowing the agreement to be implemented.
I remember when Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern addressed a joint session of Congress and singled out McDonald, who was seated in the House gallery. At a reception later that day, Sen. Ted Kennedy asked me to introduce Ahern to McDonald.
The film also highlights how McDonald was sustained by his Catholic faith, and particularly by the advice and consolation he received from Father Mychal Judge, the chaplain of the FDNY who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, and Cardinal John O’Connor, who McDonald told me would visit him at his Malverne home
to help him through tough moments. McDonald also organized prayer groups that met regularly.
The “Saint of the City” screening took place at the Marymount School, in Manhattan. Among those in attendance were former NYPD Commissioners Ray Kelly and Keechant Sewell, former Detective Bo Dietl and many high-ranking police officials and officers who worked with McDonald or got to know him over the years. Magee Hickey of WPIX, WINS reporter Juliet Papa and Daily News columnist Michael Daly were also there.
From the sports world there was Mets all-time great relief pitcher Jesse Orosco, who, after pitching the final innings of the Mets’ final 1986 World Series game against the Red Sox, had thrown his glove high in the air. Days later, Orosco gave the glove to McDonald, a longtime Mets fan.
Most notable among the attendees, of course, were Steven’s widow, Patti Ann, and their son, Conor, who is now a captain in the NYPD. Both personify and carry on the inspirational legacy of Steven McDonald, who was truly a saint among us. Once it is distributed, be sure to see “Saint of the City.”
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
Why is the U.S. picking a fight with its best friend?
don’t know much about the tariff system, but I know enough about economics and politics to say that President Trump’s new proposed 50 percent tariffs on Canada would be the most foolish things ever done by a president in recent American history. I know these proposals are always subject to negotiation, but why pick on our second-largest trading partner at the worst possible time?
The Canadians have been our best friends for as long as I can remember. They were there for us during World War II, when they lost over 40,000 men in battle. They have contributed soldiers to many of our wars, and have stood up for us at the United Nations and around the world. One of the reasons behind the latest insanity is the president’s statement that he is mad at Canada because of the smoke that has drifted south to the United States.
The best way to describe the latest tariff proposal is that it would be a self-
inflicted wound that would hurt American consumers the most. There is a basic fact that we fail to understand. The average reader may think that new tariffs would punish Canadians, but when new duties are imposed on Canadian autos, wine, hockey sticks, dairy products and cement, American distributors have to pay them, and then they pass the cost on to American consumers. The family in Levittown that buys Bobby a hockey stick pays extra because of the tariff hike.
Tariffs on Canada in retaliation for wildfire smoke that drifted south? Really?
Lots of other bad things happen when new tariffs are imposed. Canada, in retaliation, has imposed its own 25 percent counter-tariffs on U.S. vehicles, steel and aluminum. These tariffs hurt American builders and potential homebuyers who can’t afford higher costs when they’re seeking to purchase their first home. Tariffs on auto parts disrupt production lines and costs manufacturing jobs on both sides of the border.
Tariffs have another impact on countries like Canada. China is eager to establish new relationships with nations that will buy its goods. In 2025,
Canada announced a new comprehensive trade agreement with China that, among other things, will allow the sale of Chinese autos in Canada. Industry specialists say that Chinese cars are high quality and much lower in price, and will be a potential threat to American auto manufacturers.
One of the worst results of our feud with Canada is its impact on American businesses. Tourism in many of our northern border states has been badly damaged by this unnecessary battle. And one of the biggest losers has been Las Vegas. Hotel operators have seen a 70 percent drop in Canadian visitors, which has caused large layoffs of hospitality employees.
When arbitrary tariffs are imposed on a friendly nation, there are other consequences. Other countries watch American actions and conclude that we can’t be trusted if we economically attack a longtime friend. To add to our unreliability, the U.S. has a trade agreement, negotiated by Trump six years ago with Canada and Mexico, which was scheduled to be renewed this month.
The president has stated that he won’t honor the terms of that agreement.
The crowning touch to the U.S.-Canada breach has been Trump’s threats to make Canada our 51st state, and his frequent statements deriding Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Trump supporters will say this is just the president doing his thing, and that he isn’t really serious, but words have consequences, and many Trump watchers around the world don’t have such an expansive sense of humor.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that the president didn’t have the unilateral authority to impose sweeping, open-ended tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and that only Congress has that power. Trump is now using a 1930 law to justify his actions, which will likely be challenged in court.
At a time when the nation is juggling a war with Iran, higher gasoline prices and the continuing issue of affordability, fighting with Canada is just plain dumb.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm.
Beacon and
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AbigAil grieco Reporter
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There’s always someone downwind
There’s a particular quality to the light when the smoke arrives. It goes flat and white, the sun turns into a coin you can look at directly, and the air smells faintly like someone three houses down is burning leaves. It has happened enough times now that Long Islanders recognize it.
The fires are in Canada. Ontario mostly, sometimes the prairie provinces — a thousand miles and more from here, far enough that the smoke spends days in transit before it reaches us. And it reaches us anyway. It settles over Rockville Centre and Garden City and Long Beach. It gets into the lungs of kids at day camp in Merrick who have never heard the phrase “boreal forest.”
There is something clarifying about that, if you let it be.
We are accustomed to thinking of our lives as local, and with good reason. This newspaper exists because the things that shape a day here — the school calendar, the traffic on Sunrise Highway, whether the field will be playable Saturday morning — are decided close to home by people you might run into at the deli. That proximity is the texture of life in a place like ours. The distance between a thing and its cause is usually short enough to walk.
LETTERS
Town supervisor candidate Scianablo deserves a serious look
To the Editor:
Barely a day goes by that I don’t receive at least one mailing from John Ferretti expounding on all of his successes as Town of Hempstead supervisor. He claims that he is hard at work for the people of the town. He claims to have lowered town taxes, that he is working to ensure that our water is safe to drink, and is working with Nassau County to protect religious institutions. Just because he makes these claims doesn’t mean they aren’t just alternative facts.
The truth is that since he became supervisor — with the questionable means by which he was made the incumbent for his election — town taxes have increased 12 percent, our
Smoke from a forest a thousand miles away is a different phenomenon. It did not come from anything anyone here did or failed to do. And at the end of that very long chain sits your daughter’s soccer practice.
Why more of it, and why now? Because the climate is warming and the northern forest is drying out as a result. Spring snowpack melts earlier than it used to. Summers run longer and hotter, and the peat and duff beneath the trees turn into something that holds fire the way a sponge holds water — slowly, deep down and for a very long time.
Fires that once burned themselves out now smolder underground through the winter and surface again in spring. More fire, more smoke. And the same atmospheric machinery that has always carried Canadian cold fronts down to the Northeast now carries the smoke with them.
The smoke isn’t doing anything unusual. It is riding the same currents that have brought us our weather since before there was a Long Island to bring it to — the northwest flow behind a front, the same air that gives us a crisp October morning and the frigid air of January. We have always been downwind of Canada. We simply had no occa-
sion to notice.
That’s what makes this worth sitting with. Not the fires themselves, but what they reveal about connection. Something we didn’t do, in a place most of us have never been, is now a feature of summer on Long Island.
And what we do continues downwind. The exhaust from the Meadowbrook, the fertilizer that leaves a lawn in Wantagh and ends up in the bay, the plume from a stack in Island Park — none of that stays put, either. Our runoff is someone else’s smoke.
There is a version of this line of thinking that curdles into helplessness, and we would steer away from it. Being connected to a place you cannot influence isn’t the same as being powerless. It is mostly an invitation to pay attention — to the bay, to the air, to the small local things that are, somewhere downwind, someone else’s inherited condition.
The sky has cleared — but it will haze over again. If not this summer, then next. And each time it does, it is worth taking a moment to notice the strangeness: that we are downwind of a forest we will likely never see, and that somewhere, someone we will never meet is downwind of us.
OPINIONS
Donnie Kreiss, ‘I carry your heart with me’
My husband, Donnie Kreiss, died on July 12, at home, just days after our 58th anniversary. He was 80, and had been living with pancreatic cancer since it was diagnosed in 2023.
Donnie did not go gently. As Dylan Thomas wrote, he raged against the dying of the light, from the moment he knew he had this relentless cancer until two Sundays ago, when he drew a quiet breath and then no more. Our son and daughter were with him.
My sister, Meryl Greenbaum, was with us. The loving good wishes of everyone he knew were with us.
He had been drifting away for the previous 10 days, suffering the side effects of three years of treatment. Still, in early June he was walking laps in our building, and in April the family had gathered for his birthday dinner. He pushed his athlete’s body beyond anyone’s expectation, and the night he died, we rang the bell for him, because every single day he lived since 2023 was a tribute to his courage.
LETTERS
water rates are up 33 percent, and our energy rates continue to climb. Due to the lack of transparency, we have no idea where our hard-earned tax dollars are going or to whom.
I met Ferretti’s opponent, Joe Scianablo, for the first time when he attended a parlor meeting at my home. I was impressed not only with his background, but also his sincerity and his desire to continue serving the public. Scianablo has spent his entire adult life as a public servant. He served multiple deployments in the Marines in East Timor, Eritrea, and Iraq, then was a New York City police officer, focusing on domestic violence cases, in which helped victims find safety and justice. He is a former prosecutor in the Queens district attorney’s office, where he advocated for survivors of domestic violence.
I believed Scianablo when he said his focus would be to ensure that our tax dollars and resources benefit all the people in the Town of Hempstead, not just the favored ones. He isn’t a career politician, but will be a politician who has made a career of service. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to meet him to do so. I think you will come away as impressed as I was.
CHERIE FEINBERG Lawrence
triumph over adversity.
HDonnie never felt sorry for himself. In his last days on earth he was reaching out to friends who had heartache, relationship woes, business setbacks or medical problems. He preached a gospel of positivity, insisting on finding threads of hope. He left a legacy of goodness and generosity, changing the lives of so many people along the way.
e always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw.
Donnie was a native Lawrencian. He was born in 1946 at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital to Lillian and Jack Kreiss, who lived at 16 Muriel Ave. in Lawrence. When he was 2, he contracted bacterial meningitis, which was usually fatal in those days. He was in isolation at St Joseph’s Hospital, in Far Rockaway, for two months. That was the first of his medical miracle recoveries, which included a fractured skull when he was 10, heart attacks at 40 and 50, bypass surgery, congestive heart failure and cervical spine surgery. He recited his near-misses enthusiastically, as if they were a resume, not of suffering but of
Donnie was a gifted athlete who ran track and played varsity football, basketball and golf. He was a beautiful man, and we fell hard in love as teenagers. We graduated together in 1964 from Lawrence High. When we married and settled in Woodmere, his second home was the Lawrence Golf Club, where his father was president and then, 50 years later, he was president. In recent years his home course was on Longboat Key, Fla., where last year he was named Most Inspirational Golfer of the Year, an award they created for him.
Don started his own business in 1969, selling slippers and bras and panties. He loved selling, and he was the best salesman because he could out-wait, out-talk and outlast any buyer he encountered.
He always found the best in others because, truly, that was all he saw. He drew on a deep well of generosity and kindness.
Our children, Jason, Rochelle, Jocelyn and Josh, were, as Auden said, his north, south, east and west. His grandchildren, Sabrina, Jacob, Elijah and
FRAMEWORK by Tim Baker
Emi, brought light and delight into his life. “Did you talk to the kids today?” was his mantra.
Despite his lifelong medical issues, Don was a rough and ready traveler, up for any adventure. We spent five summers exploring Montana when the kids were teenagers, and then for decades we traveled the world, from Komodo Island, in Indonesia, to the Alaska wilderness, from Bali to Singapore to Tasmania and New Zealand. Nothing stopped him.
Obituaries are the last public words written about someone. I never expected to write Donnie’s obituary, which I hope is more like telling the story of his life. Which is also the story of my life. As Cummings wrote, I carry his heart in my heart.
He trusted me to shepherd him through these last years, to get to the right doctors, to hold hands as we heard the diagnoses that limited his days. He wanted time, he said over and over again. I did my best, but time was not in my hands. I believe he would have wanted me to write this, the last words about him, from a place of love and longing, happy remembrance, and sadness that he did not have more days to grace our lives.
Copyright 2026 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
My Morning Jacket performed at the Great South Bay Music Festival, in Patchogue’s Shorefront Park, last Sunday.
