_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD
KOTLER’S WE BUY GOLD
Also serving Roosevelt
County honors Freeport activist
Cancer screening saves resident
Page 3
Page 12
Vol. 91 No. 11
MARCH 12 - 18, 2026
516-897-6003 kotlers.com
$1.00
SCAN ME!
Joseph Austin, of Freeport, turns 100 spread distribution. “He was the busiest man I ever met,” Austin said of Salk. He’s been a military pilot, a “I worked with him at Pitt (the spacecraft engineer and helped University of Pittsburgh) in his develop the polio vaccine. Long- laboratory… We didn’t realize time Freeport resident Joseph we were making history until Austin has filled his 100 years afterward. He was a nice man and really good to of life with meanwork with.” ingful work and Austin’s expericontributions that have changed the ence with vaccines world — and he has would later lead no intention of him to become a stopping. vocal proponent of Surrounded by the Covid-19 vacfriends and family, cine, particularly Austin celebrated in Freeport’s Afrihis 100th birthday can American comon March 3 at the munity. Bayview restaurant Au s t i n’s wo rk on the Nautical with Salk was Mile. interrupted tempoAustin has made rarily by another meaningful contriincredible endeavbutions to diverse or, when he trained aspects of science, RoBERt KENNEDy to become one of the U.S. military Freeport mayor the famed Tuskegand the local comee Airmen, the first munity. Black U.S. military His most notable contribu- pilots in history. His training tion to the world may have been was intended for future combat his work as a lab technician experience in the Korean War, with renowned scientist Jonas but an unfortunate crash took Salk, who he helped to develop him out of the program. the first successful polio vacWhen Austin returned to the cine in 1955. Salk, however, University of Pittsburgh to finchose not to patent it, in an ish his degree and work with effort to encourage its wideContinued on page 11
By ANDREW FRANCIS
afrancis@liherald.com
o
Courtesy Mia Blaise Photography
Reese Mistretta; his mother, the 2005 golden glove champion desi Mistretta; and Coach Joe Higgins celebrated Reese’s win.
Freeport Boxing Club raises funds to knock out cancer By REI WolFSoHN Correspondent
Professional and amateur boxers jumped in the ring on Saturday, Mar. 7, for the Freeport Police Athletic League’s (PAL) Ring Masters Championship, an event which raised $5,000 for two lifelong Freeport residents, Mitchell Kraeling and Tom Courtenay, both of whom are fighting cancer. All the event’s funds will go directly towards Kraeling’s and Courtenay’s treatments. The winner of the boxing tournament was another Freeport resident, Reese Mistretta, who is ranked third nationally in his weight class and celebrated a unanimous win in the last bout of the day.
Kraeling and Joe Higgins, president of the Freeport PAL and director of its boxing club, emphasized the club’s significance to the community. “To get the kids off the street has become such a big thing for the Freeport boxing gym,” Kraeling said. “The gym is packed every night, which is great for the community. They get some discipline.” Most of last Saturday’s bouts determined the quarterfinal winners in the Ring Master’s Championship, and some decided semifinals winners, some of whom may box at Madison Square Garden next month. The event started with a fight between two amateur volunteers who were not in the tournaContinued on page 10
nce you hear about all the things he’d done in his life, you want to learn more about such an extraordinary man.