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Friday, June 5, 2026
Vol. 86, No. 23
SERVING BETHPAGE, OLD BETHPAGE, AND PLAINVIEW
Robotics team earns award
MacArthur student publishes wildlife photography book BY GARY SIMEONE
The Regal Eagles, Bethpage High School’s robotics team, welcomed Optimum representatives to the BHS Robolab last week, where it accepted the Optimum Innovator Award along with a $2000 grant
Photo courtesy of Bethpage Union Free School District
Congratulations to the Regal Eagles, Bethpage High School’s robotics team, which has been awarded a 2026 Optimum Innovator Award. The team welcomed Optimum representatives to the BHS Robolab last week, where it accepted the award along with a $2000 grant. The Optimum Innovator Awards are annual grants presented by Optimum to recognize and support local FIRST Robotics Competition teams. They honor student teams that demonstrate
excellence in STEM, technology, community impact, inclusivity and inspiration. The grants support the winning teams’ growth and creativity, as well as the development of materials for future build and competition seasons. Optimum has been a generous supporter of the Regal Eagles for many years and sponsors the annual Regal Eagle Rampage, which invites robotics teams from across Long Island to Bethpage High School for a practice tourna-
ment ahead of the official regional competition season. During the visit, the Regal Eagles demonstrated this year’s robot and its ability to lob balls (“fuel”) into a “hub,” a skill required for this year’s robotics challenge, “Rebuilt.” The team also shared the community initiatives it led this year, including plans to collaborate with the Extended School Year Program this summer.
The Bethpage Newsgram is published every Friday by Litmor Publishing Corp. Periodical Postage paid at Hicksville, N.Y. 11801 Telephone 931-0012 - USPS 3467-68. Postmaster: Send Address Change to: The Bethpage Newsgram, 821 Franklin Ave., Suite 208, Garden City, N.Y. 11530 • Meg Norris Publisher
Daniel Islam, a junior at General Douglas MacArthur High School, is now a published author after releasing his new book on wildlife photography. The book is entitled “Wildlife Photography: Frames From Kenya,” and is available on Amazon. Islam said that he was inspired to write the book during his trip to Kenya last February. “It was during a family trip to Kenya that I was inspired to take photos of the beautiful wildlife there and to categorize it in a journal,” said Islam. “I have always had an interest in wildlife and a passion for photography and really wanted to showcase it in this book.” He said that during his family’s two-week venture in Africa, he spent time visiting the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Ambroseli National Park and many of the local towns to document the Kenyan wilderness. “I had started developing a passion for photography last year and recently picked up this new camera, a Canon M50 with a super-telephoto lens. I
thought this trip would be an ideal time to use it as the wildlife in the country is vast and colorful.” He said that his main interest was in the native birds but was also able to photograph local species including elephants, lions, cheetahs and waterbucks. “My book mainly shows a lot of the beautiful birds including kingfishers, sandpipers and ostriches but also pictures of elephants and some of the other native species,” said Islam. His new book is twenty-five pages long and includes photos of the animals and detailed descriptions of their habitat and their environment. Islam was able to get his new book published and released through a family friend in Bangladesh who helped him in the book writing process. He said that one of his main objectives in putting the book together was to inspire people to travel more and to take an interest in different cultures. “My main goal was not just to showcase the wildlife photography but to help generate interest in beautiful places like Kenya and other wonderful countries.”
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