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Friday, March 28, 2025
Vol. 85, No. 13
HONORING BLUE STAR MOTHERS
Arena football’s return to Long Island highlighted BY RIKKI MASSAND
In honor of Women’s History Month, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and the Town Board recognized Chapter 14-NY of the Blue Star Mothers of America for their unwavering support of military families. A citation was presented to Andrea Nordquist, chapter president, celebrating the strength and dedication of mothers with children in the Armed Forces.
“Shed the Meds” event at Library disrupted by bomb threat
On Tuesday, March 11, participants in a “Shed the Meds” event at the Syosset Public Library, hosted by Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview) and the Nassau County Police Department’s Second Pre-
cinct, were forced to evacuate after the Library received bomb threat approximately at 6:15 p.m. Following this incident, Deputy Minority Leader Drucker and the Second Precinct are scheduled to return to the Library on Tuesday, April 29 to host anoth-
er Shed the Meds event from 5 – 7:30 p.m. that evening. In response to the incident, Deputy Minority Leader Drucker issued the following statement: “I was incredibly disappointSee page 8
The Syosset Advance 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 Syosset Advance, 821 Franklin Ave., Suite 208 Garden City, N.Y. 11530 • Meg Norris, Publisher
Peter Schwartz spent eight years of his career as the playby-play announcer for the Arena Football League’s New York Dragons, a professional team that played its home games at Nassau Coliseum. In 2025, he’s trading the broadcast booth for the front office, serving as general manager of the new Entertainment Football Association (ENTFLA) Long Island team. Reviving the Dragons name, the team is one of four in a new Northeast-based league branded as “the ultimate fusion of sports and entertainment.” Last Thursday, Schwartz spent the evening with the vibrant and growing Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce during the nonprofit organization’s March general meeting, held at Spice Hub Indian restaurant at 35 Jackson Avenue. Schwartz met five-time Syosset Woodbury Chamber President Russell P. Green at a networking event for Nassau County business leaders. Green invited him to speak to his fast-growing local chamber, which now boasts over 190 members. At the meeting, Schwartz told a few dozen attendees that season ticket sales are underway for the new football team, along with opportunities for corporate sponsorships and community partnerships. He explained the league’s distinctive, fast-paced, high-scoring style of play—there will be no field goals, punts, or place-kicking. Even the kickoff has been replaced with a “throw-off.” One surprising aspect for many attendees was Schwartz’s announcement that ENTFLA teams will recruit football players from their local areas—though not exclusively—as much as possible. Schwartz highlighted Long Island’s strong high school programs, such as Garden City, Carey, and Bayport-Blue Point. The goal, he said, is to keep the league “very regional” in its early stages, using local ties to grow the market. “The big reason to have most if not all the players from Long Island is to give us an opportunity to market or product during the week. The problem with New York Riptide (former professional lacrosse team on Long Island) was that if their sponsors and their partners were doing events there would be nobody from the Riptide there. They would have to bring over a front office person from the Riptide to do a lacrosse clinic. See page 9
Essay contest remembers late legislator PAGE 2 Flag football stars honored by NY Jets PAGE 7