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Sending trees to troops for 22 years By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
Courtesy DHL
Students from Oceanside elementary schools shared their handwritten holiday letters that were shipped, along with Christmas trees, to U.S. service members stationed oversees in the Trees for Troops initiative organized by Dees’ Nursery in Oceanside.
Bagpipes echoed across Atlantic Avenue on Dec. 8 as uniformed officers stood at attention along with hundreds of community members who had gathered at Dees’ Nursery, where more than 400 Christmas trees were formally sent off to U.S. service members stationed overseas. The 22nd annual Trees for Troops ceremony opened with the Nassau County Police Department Emerald Pipe Band and color guard, followed by the American Bombshells’ rendition of the national anthem. The Rev. Henry CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Friedberg JCC Winter Market makes triumphant return By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
The Friedberg JCC, in Oceanside, brought back its one-day Winter Market for the first time since before the pandemic on Dec. 4, transforming its building into a bustling, cozy marketplace and encouraging neighbors to shop small
and give back before the holiday rush. After a six-year run prior to the pandemic, the market returned by popular demand from families eager for a community-centered holiday event. More than 60 vendors filled JCC’s auditorium and hallways, offering clothing, jewelry, desserts, candles, art and more
2025-26 HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS PREVIEW December 18, 2025
— far surpassing expectations. “We’ve heard feedback from families in the community wanting to do something like this,” Andrea Ahearne, senior program officer of JCC’s early childhood, said. “We really wanted to have some outreach to our families and give them the opportunity to check out our building, shop from local
vendors and give those vendors business in the best way we can.” Ahearne said staff members initially estimated they might attract somewhere between 10 and 15 vendors. But word spread quickly on social media, turning the revived market into a major draw. The JCC, which serves close
to 900 families, earmarked vendor table proceeds toward its programs for the coming year — including wellness classes for people with Parkinson’s disease, support programs for families raising children with disabilities, and “Ga’avah” — meaning “pride in Hebrew — the organization’s LGBTQ+ CONTINUED ON PAGE 10