February 18, 2026 Massapequa

WHERE BETTER NEVER STOPS.

Introducing the most advanced, state-of-the-art health care experience the South Shore has ever seen.

Here at Good Samaritan University Hospital, “better” isn’t a finish line. It’s a starting point. A new beginning. A symbol of transformation our community deserves. And while our Patient Care Pavilion will feature an all-new, expanded emergency department, technologically advanced operating rooms, reimagined private patient rooms, and enhanced Trauma and Stroke centers, we know that better care isn’t just about the building. It’s about the people inside, and the hands that heal. Because better is something we live every day. And it never stops.

Clearing Snow And Ice Safely

(NAPSI)—While clearing snow and ice from driveways, sidewalks and parking lots is no small job, you can rely on outdoor power equipment for the heavy lifting. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) reminds home and business owners to use snow throwers safely. Learn more at: www.opei. org.

Identity Theft

(NAPSI)—Identity theft can happen to anyone, but you can protect yourself by using strong passwords and multifactor authentication, monitoring your credit and using Truecaller Caller ID and Scam Blocking app. Learn more at www.truecaller.com.

“Business First has saved us nearly $3,200.”*

—Lisa Basini, Baking Coach, Bellport

Lisa’s passion is baking. Opening a store was a big step—one she made with support from PSEG Long Island. She earned incentives for choosing a vacant space that reduced her monthly energy costs. Now, her thriving business has made life a little sweeter for all of us.

Reduce your energy costs. Get a free business energy assessment. psegliny.com/businessassessment

*Incentives, grants, and rebates will vary with every project.

FEBRUARY HAPPENINGS

THURSDAY, FEB. 19th

10:00AM-12:00PM

WINTER BIRD WALK: FAMILY PROGRAM

2026 Robert Moses State Park in Babylon, Winter Environmental Event Winter on the beach is one of the best birding times of the year! Dress for the weather and we will be walking on sand. Bring binoculars. Reservations required: Visit Eventbrite.com and search #NatureEdventure. If you are unable to keep your reservation, please call or cancel so others may have the opportunity to attend.

SATURDAY, FEB. 21st

1:00PM–4:00pm

HOLIDAY CHEER

BUS AWARDS CEREMONY

MAKE A SUBMISSION! Events must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event date and will run free of charge on a space available basis. For more information, please call 631.226.2636 x275 or send events to editorial@longislandmediagroup.com

sandwich, Macaroni and Potato salad, Tap beer, House Wine, Soda, coffee, Tea, Dessert. Music by DJ Ralph. Call Dot Kelly at 631-9576574 for ticket availability. Must be 18 or older to attend.

SUNDAY, FEB. 22nd

9:00AM–12:00pm

33rd ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST

The Mayor's Beautification Society of Lindenhurst is hosting their annual pancake breakfast at Fireman's Pavilion, 555 Heiling Blvd. Enjoy breakfast, lots of raffles and 50/50. Adults $12 and Seniors (60+) / Children (under 12) $10. Breakfast served until 11:00AM followed by raffle drawings. Purchase at door or email: LINDENHURSTMBS@GMAIL.COM

KiDS NEED MoRE will host its Holiday Cheer Bus Awards Ceremony to celebrate the volunteers, fundraisers, donors, sponsors, and community partners who made the holiday season possible. The event honors the “elves” behind the scenes who helped spread cheer to children and families across Long Island. Carney’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, 136 Broadway in Amityville. For more information, visit kidsneedmore.org.

7:00PM-11:00PM

DANCE TO THE OLDIES

MUSIC BINGO

317 Main Street in Farmingdale. All winners will receive a prize! Reserve your spot now and purchase your ticket! 21+ / Limited menu available during the event. For more information, please call 631-921-4670

THRU SAT. FEB. 28th

11:00AM-4:00PM HIDDEN HEARTS SCAVENGER HUNT

At The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 301 Main St. in Cold Spring Harbor. Find the hidden hearts and snag a prize! Free Event. For more information, please call 631-367-3418

SATURDAY, FEB. 28th

2:00PM

1:30PM–3:00pm BLACK EXPERIENCES IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR LECTURE

Will be held at the Wade-Burns VFW 7279, 560 N. Delaware Avenue in Lindenhurst. Tickets $40.00 pp includes: Hero

The New York State Parks’ Interpreter for African American History will present a special lecture program called “Black Experiences in the Revolutionary War” at Bethpage State Park’s Heritage Club in the Lenox Room. Reservations are required. To register, please visit Eventbrite. com and search by program title or #NatureEdventure. For questions, please call 631-581-1072

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25th

7:00PM BOY BAND & POP DIVA

MEGA MAGIC WITH MIKE D’URZO Award-winning magician and mentalist. Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood. The Theatres at Suffolk County Community College, in partnership with the Lively Arts Series, announce the Spring 2026 Season, featuring a dynamic lineup of performances presented at the Michael J. Grant and Ammerman campuses. Tickets and information available at sunysuffolk.edu/spotlight or by calling: Michael J. Grant Campus, Brentwood: 631-8516589, Ammerman Campus, Selden: 631-451-4163

Berner Keeps The Ball Moving In The Fight Against Hunger

As the annual Souper Bowl food drive came to an end on Feb. 6 at Berner Middle School in the Massapequa School District, the preferred team was obvious. The boxes for the Seattle Seahawks were filled significantly higher with donations of nonperishable goods than the boxes for the New England Patriots.

The annual charitable drive, organized by the Chiefs Challenge Club, was again a success with hundreds of items donated over the seven-day drive. The school community contributed a variety of food such as canned vegetables, cereal, pasta, rice and soup. All donations will be given to the Harry Chapin Food Bank at Long Island Cares.

As food was brought in each morning, students and staff could place the items in a box representing the team they expected, or wanted, to win the Super Bowl.

Chiefs Challenge members helped promote the drive by making posters to hang around the school and sharing facts about hunger on Long Island during the morning announcements.

Advisers Caroline Glynn and Juliette Happe said that Long Island Cares provided the boxes and also would pick up the donations at the end of the drive. They noted

that all of the food benefits local families.

“It’s really good that we’re helping people who need it,” said seventh grader

Michael Despagno, the Chiefs Challenge treasurer.

“It’s really awesome how people showed they care and donated a lot of food.”

This year, the Birch Lane Elementary School PTA also joined in, and boxes were placed there for donations.

To

Town Clerk LaMarca Announces Special Commuter Parking Sticker Weekends

Oyster Bay Town Clerk Richard LaMarca announced

his office will offer two special Commuter Parking Sticker Weekends on Sat., February 28th and Sun., March 1st, and Saturday, March 21st and Sunday,

March 22nd from 9am to 3pm at both Town Hall North in Oyster Bay and Town Hall South in Massapequa.

Residents are required to bring: A copy of the current vehicle registration (New York State plates only) Proof of residency such as a copy of a current home

telephone, utility bill (PSEG, water, cable, etc.), W-2 or paystub.

“Residents looking to renew their LIRR parking stickers are invited to visit either Town Hall locations during these two special Commuter Parking Sticker Weekends,” said Town Clerk LaMarca. “Please take advantage of these convenient weekend hours before your parking sticker expires on March 31st.”

Town Clerk LaMarca has offices located at Town Hall North, 54 Audrey Avenue in Oyster Bay and Town Hall South, 977 Hicksville Road in Massapequa. Commuter parking stickers are also processed daily, Monday through Friday, 9am to 4:45pm at both Town Hall locations. For more information, please call the Town Clerk’s Office at (516) 624-6332.

Berner’s Young Chefs Become Kitchen Savvy

For many sixth graders in the Massapequa School District, their Family and Consumer Sciences class is their first real exposure to the kitchen. The first semester wrapped up new cooking skills and confidence.

Family and Consumer Sciences is part of the sixth grade wheel courses at Berner Middle School, which also includes art, take two of those courses on an every-other-day schedule. Among the cooking projects this past semester were cookies, monkey bread, pizza rolls and roasted potato helped out with baking and cooking at home, but never took the lead until this class. They work in small groups, with each assigned a job including chef, assistant chef, kitchen aide and dishwasher. By rotating jobs throughout the semester, students get exposure to different responsibilities.

“It’s important to work together as a team,” sixth grader Amalia Hillebrand said. “Each role helps you understand what it’s like to be in a kitchen.”

Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Dani Shehada said that students learn how to prepare and read a recipe, and measure ingredients. Kitchen safety skills are taught before any cooking begins, and students are reminded to always keep a clean workspace.

“Throughout this semester, all of my students have shown

tremendous growth by becoming more confident and independent individuals,” Ms. Shehada said. “They have also developed skills such as communication, critical thinking, timemanagement and problem-solving.”

Christopher Brooks and Hudson Fodera, who were in a group together, said their favorite projects included pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies and a chocolate fudge dip. They enjoyed the class so much that they got together one day at Hudson’s house to make Funfetti sugar cookies on their own, using the recipe they learned in class.

Ms. Shehada said that the goal of Family and Consumer Sciences classes are to give students practical skills they can use in their everyday lives. In eighth grade, they also learn how to sew and participate in a career exploration project, in addition to cooking.

“In FACS, I learned new ways to cook and tried different recipes,” sixth grader Charlotte Ventura said. “I expanded my tastebuds and made new friendships along the way. I learned basic safety precautions when preparing food. FACS is important because as we grow older, we must know how to be safe in the kitchen and be able to prepare food ourselves. We must know the way to share roles and responsibilities in the kitchen and in life.”

“I know how to handle a kitchen better,” Hudson said, who added that the most important aspect is following the recipe. “One wrong ingredient, or if you forget an ingredient, it will mess up the entire recipe and might not be good to eat.”

WORDS

Find the words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backwords.

High School Seniors Impacted By Alzheimer’s

Invited To Apply For AFA’s Teen Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is offering scholarships of up to $5,000 to collegebound high school seniors affected by Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia-

related illnesses as part of its annual Teen Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship. Entries can be submitted at www.alzfdn.org/ scholarship and must be received by Sunday, March 1 at 5 pm ET.

Eligible teens are invited to apply for the scholarship by submitting an essay (1,500 words maximum) or submitting a video (no more than four minutes long) describing how Alzheimer’s disease has shaped their lives, what they have learned about themselves, their family and/or their community through their experience with Alzheimer’s, and how they plan to advocate

or raise awareness in the future.

The contest recognizes the emotional, academic, and personal challenges young people often face when a loved one is living with the disease. By amplifying student voices, the program aims to raise awareness, foster empathy, and support the next generation as they pursue higher education while honoring the resilience shown by families affected by Alzheimer’s.

Classifieds

Examples of ways that Alzheimer’s impacted a student’s life can include:

· Having a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia-related illness

· Helping care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementiarelated illness

· Volunteering or working in a care setting that serves individuals with dementia

· Raising Alzheimer’s awareness in their school or community

· Conducting Alzhei-

mer’s research

The program is open to current high school seniors living in the United States who will be attending a U.S. college or university this Fall. Students already attending college are not eligible to participate.

The top prize awarded is a $5,000 scholarship. Additional prizes are awarded for runners up and honorable mentions. More than $527,000 in college scholarships have been awarded since the program’s inception.

AFA provides these scholarship funds through the generous support of charitable donors. Individuals wishing to support this and other programs and services for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease can do so by visiting www.alzfdn.org/donate or calling AFA at 866232-8484.

Black Experiences In The Revolutionary War Lecture At Bethpage State Park

New York State Parks celebrates America’s Semi-Quincentennial.

On Sunday, February 22nd, the New York State Parks’ Interpreter for African American History will present a special lecture program called “Black Experiences in the Revolutionary War”. The program will be held from 1:30 – 3:00pm at Bethpage State Park’s Heritage Club in the Lenox Room.

Program Description: The Revolutionary War was more than battles. It was about people. Those saying no to England also said they did not want to be treated like slaves. Yet,

many of them in New York, from the elite class down to tenant farmers were enslavers. Blacks became soldiers for both sides. Black women and children were both laborers and refugees. This program takes a look at the Black faces of the war, people who traditionally have been left out of the story. Presented by Lavada Nahon, Interpreter of African American. Reservations are required. To register, please visit Eventbrite. com and search by program title or #NatureEdventure. For questions, please call (631) 581-1072.

2025 was a great year. I was honored to assist many people make their move in 2025. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my clients, customers, loved ones and friends for entrusting me with your journey. If you are thinking of selling or buying, please give me a call to discuss a strategy that’s right for you. 437212N021826