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Ex-con creates new sobriety program ease on a scientific level.” Cook is now 38. He spent his days in prison reading scientifEast Meadow resident Spen- ic papers and studies about cer Cook wants to help people addiction and behavioral sciwho are struggling with addic- ence, and creating a sobriety tion. Cook struggled himself, program in which he would be starting when he was young, the first client. “I was doing it for my own and he got involved with illegal substances in early adulthood, self, for my own survival, out of a combination of which resulted in pure boredom and his arrest in a joint d e s p e r at i o n , ” h e operation by the recounted. “What Drug Enforcement this ended up Administration, the becoming was the FBI and the DepartSoberIn40 proment of Homeland gram.” Security in 2014, SPENCER Cook Cook’s program when he was 27. Creator, is designed to Initially facing a SoberIn40 “hijack the mind,” 20-year prison senhe said. He boiled t e n c e, C o o k w a s commuted under the Second his struggle with addiction Chance Act for a reduced sen- down to two problems: cognitence. In 2020, after six and a tive dissonance and emotional half years of incarceration and bias. Cook invested $700,000 of his a year under house arrest, he dedicated his new lease on life own money saved after three to becoming sober, rejecting the years working in various sales way he had lived his life up to roles into working with therapists and psycholo gists to that point. “I’m going to do everything develop the program after his in life that is completely oppo- incarceration. “It’s a new industry — comsite from what I’m used to and what feels normal,” he recalled putational psychology,” he said. thinking. “In order for me to do “We ‘learn’ you in real time, that successfully long term, I and our algorithms figure out needed to understand my disContinued on page 16
By JoSEPH D’AlESSANDRo
jdalessandro@liherald.com
Stu Goldman/Herald
Walking for a cure in Eisenhower Park Families affected by Alzheimer’s disease flocked to Eisenhower Park for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Among the walkers was ‘Team Carmen,’ featuring Monica Diaz, Awilda Crus, Rodolfo Cruz, Anthony Cruz, Jonathan Cruz and Camila Diaz. Story, more photos, Page 3.
School board trustees are recognized at October meeting By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
The East Meadow Board of Education marked School Board Recognition Week at its Oct. 8 meeting, while also updating community members on district safety and security and upcoming initiatives. Following a musical performance by band members from W.T. Clarke High School in the gymnasium of the Salisbury school, Kelly Nixon, the district’s director of music and art, introduced the community to the work of talented students. She also thanked the board for its support of music and arts education.
“Tonight, we celebrate and thank our members of the board of education for their time, effort and dedication to the students and community of East Meadow,” she said. “We thank you for your commitment to championing and celebrating all programs we have here in East Meadow, especially the arts. These programs play an essential role in shaping well-rounded students, in preparing them for the diverse and dynamic world ahead.” Students in Brian O’Neill’s AP Studio Art class at East Meadow High School created original landscape drawings and paintings, inspired by Long Island’s landscapes. “Each student explored the unique characterContinued on page 15
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his is my calling.