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HERALD
Your Home is Your Sanctua ry.
Don’t Let High Ta Chase You Away!xes
DEADLINE MARCH 31ST
A night honoring local women
Curtain up at Elmont Memorial
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Vol. 28 No. 12
MARCH 19 - 25, 2026
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UBS Arena hosts heartfelt baby shower By HAIlEY FUlMER hfulmer@liherald.com
Tim Baker/Herald
The Islanders partnered with Operation Shower to celebrate the mothers and mothers-to-be, highlighting the importance of supporting military families during this stage of their lives.
Baby gifts and colorful treats were spread across platters at UBS Arena in Elmont, where the afternoon centered on support for expectant mothers serving in the military and those in military families. The Islanders Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2003 that supports youth programs statewide, transformed the gathering into a communitywide baby shower, complete with baby supplies, decorations and a room full of encouragement. Operating under the leadership of the Islanders organization, the foundation hosted the event to celebrate the mothersto-be while connecting them with resources and a network of support. The women and their families were showered with support inside a premium suite, highlighting the “premium” treatment the expectant mothers received on March 11. Many of the volunteers comprised New York COnTInued On page 7
Elmont entrepreneur scoops up chamber award By HAIlEY FUlMER hfulmer@liherald.com
Leon Williams Jr. brings smiles and scoops in his Mr. Flavors ice cream truck, the growing Elmont-based business he founded. Williams, who has been named the Elmont Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Small Business Person of the Year, was recognized for the growth of a business that began with a single truck and has expanded into a brand serving communities across Long Island. The 28-year-old Williams, an Elmont resident, traces the start of his journey when he worked with his older brother,
Hakeem Joseph, operating an ice cream truck in Long Beach over the summer. “It actually started with my brother,” Williams said. “He had an ice cream truck, and that was my summer job when I was in college. So that’s what actually started off my journey.” After working on the beach for about two years, Williams said, he wanted to continue in the industry, and eventually came up with the Mr. Flavors concept — a space-themed ice cream truck that mostly caters private parties, camps and community events. The brand centers on the
idea of “ice cream that’s out of this world,” which Williams said reflects the care that goes into both the taste and presentation of his desserts. Along with traditional treats, he said, “We created a lot of different sundaes that you wouldn’t see on a typical ice cream truck, and a lot of different toppings. So that’s where the idea came from. It’s different.” Building the business came with challenges, particularly in its early days. One of Williams’s first major hurdles came when Mr. Flavors was booked to serve a large event at Rolling River Day Camp, in East Rockaway a few years ago.
Organizers requested service for about 1,000 people in less than three hours — something Williams realized would be difficult with just one truck. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. I need another truck,’” he recalled. To meet the demand, he borrowed money from f amily members and worked to build a
second truck before the event. “That was one of my hardest hurdles,” he said. “Being able to prepare for our first major big event.” Since then, the business has continued to grow. Marketing manager Lajiah Tyler, who has known Williams for more than 15 years, said she has worked COnTInued On page 5