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UNIONDALE _____________
HERALD BEACON
Hem-Dale Christmas party
Sickle cell forum
Homes shine bright for holiday
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Vol. 76 No. 1
JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026
$1.00
Teens fill auditorium with sound and cheer By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
Stacy Driks/Herald
Choral director Juan Carlos Tavarez conducted Lawrence Road Middle School performers during the school’s winter concert, held at Uniondale High School’s theater on Dec. 18.
Students at Lawrence Road Middle School brought back the sound of classic holiday music, taking the stage with orchestra and choir performances during their winter concert held at Uniondale High School’s theater on Dec. 18. The annual event has become a seasonal tradition in the Uniondale community, built over months of fall rehearsals. The concert, which drew hundreds of parents, families and community members, featured more than 250 students, of all skill levels, from the middle school’s orchestra and choral proConTinUeD on page 12
A. Holly Patterson residents have a holiday visit to remember By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
Holiday visits have become a rarity for many residents of the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, in Uniondale, but 20 Uniondale High School students stopped by on Dec. 10, bringing songs, smiles and conversation to those who often need it most. The visit, organized by Barton Maxwell, president of the high school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, brought two generations together for a celebration themed “holiday cheer.” Student musicians performed and then stayed to chat with the residents.
“It was so rewarding — they were so happy,” Maxwell said, fighting back tears. “One lady said, ‘I haven’t had a visitor in so long.’ That was the whole purpose. The PT[//S?//]A wanted to bring holiday cheer, and so many people came together just to make sure these people were not forgotten.” The event was a collaboration between the high school Key Club, which focuses on community service, and the Tri-M Music Honor Society, which performed holiday favorites. “The students performed classic holiday carols, played instruments, and spent time socializing with residents, creat-
ing a lively and uplifting atmosphere throughout the facility,” a news release from A. Holly Patterson stated. For Maxwell, the project was deeply personal. His mother had spent months moving among hospitals and rehabilitation facilities before she died last year. What stuck with him most, he said, was how many of her roommates never had visitors. “It troubled me when I would walk into these places and no one received a visitor,” Maxwell said. “And now I thought, there are kids at the high school — why can’t they go and visit some of these people and just say ‘Merry Christmas’?” Uniondale High senior
Amaya Grier, president of the Tri-M chapter, said the idea for the visit started as a conversation about caroling. Some students had considered singing in the neighborhood, but after hearing about A. Holly Patterson from her mother, Ylana Grier —who’s involved with the PTA — Amaya offered to help organize a performance at the facility instead.
Tri-M, which is affiliated with the National Association for Music Education, encourages music leadership and advocacy among teens. Student musicians ranging from vocalists to strings and brass players rehearsed as a group, and Grier who plays trumpet, performed some solo pieces of her own, including “The Christmas ConTinUeD on page 8