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Page 9 Vol. 90 No. 12
MARCH 20 - 26, 2025
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The Smith at Freeport rings in its first year
Kennedy elected as mayor for fourth term With Tuesday night’s votes tallied, Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy of Freeport has won re-election, beating out challenger Tamaria Pedlar for another four-year term and becoming the villa g e’s first four-ter m mayor. According to results not yet certified as of print time, Kennedy garnered 1,595 votes to Pedlar’s 203. The mayor, originally elected in 2013, has prioritized economic development and touted a steady tax rate, which he has attributed to the village’s efforts to obtain grants as well as unorthodox revenue-generating initiatives such as the development of a number of properties including the new MoxeyRigby apartment complex. In the race for village justice, incumbent Vincent Cacciatore won reelection to a four-year ter m over challeng er Marc Strauss. Unofficially, Cacciatore won by a vote count of 1,529 to 258. “I am honored that the voters are once again putting their faith in me and our administration,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Just because they’ve vo t e d f o r m e a g a i n doesn’t mean we don’t have a lot of work to do,” he added, citing future projects including flood mitigation and a planned trade school at the Freeport armory.
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During the past 43 years, the group has expanded across Long Island, managing more Options for Community Liv- than 160 residential properties ing is planning a one-year anni- and serving over 2,000 individuversary celebration for The als annually. The Smith at Smith at Freeport, F re e p o r t , at 2 0 6 an affordable housSmith Street, develing development oped in partnership that has provided with Lincoln Develstability and supopment Cor porapor t to some of tion, transformed a Long Island’s most vacant property vulnerable resiinto a 31-unit dents. affordable housing T h e M a rch 2 7 complex. Ten of event, which will these units are spetake place from 12 cifically designated to 2 p.m. in the fo r i n d iv i d u a l s building’s commure c ove r i n g f ro m nity room, will feaserious and persisture lunch, dessert tent mental health and remarks from conditions. staff, residents and YolANDA According to local officials. Vicki Perks, donor Established in RoBANo-GRoSS engagement man1982, Options for CEO, ager for Options, Community Living Options for the project has been w a s o r i g i n a l l y Community Living life changing for its founded in response residents. to the closure of “We were able to take 10 forpsychiatric facilities across the state. Many individuals strug- merly homeless individuals gling with mental health issues recovering from a serious and were left without housing or persistent mental health diagresources, prompting the cre- nosis and bring them into safe, ation of the nonprofit to pro- stable and permanent housing, vide safe, supportive housing. ContinueD on Page 4
By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ
mrafiq@liherald.com
I
Courtesy Rob Hallam
Rob and Mary Hallam, organizers of the People’s Food Drive, in back of the donation-filled truck, before heading to the pantry.
‘Move the Food Day’ to feed community By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
The Community Presbyterian Church of Malverne and the Long Island Council of Churches are gearing up for their 14th annual Move the Food Day, scheduled for March 29, at 10:15 a.m., at the LICC Food Pantry in Freeport, now at 353 W Sunrise Highway. The event is the culmination of months of food collection efforts, collectively known as the People’s Food Drive, which have brought together volunteers from churches and local businesses as well as
individuals to help combat food insecurity on Long Island. Robert Hallam, a sales manager at Nassau Door and Window who has spearheaded the drive with his wife, Mary, described the event as more than just a food-delivery effort — as a celebration of community and generosity. Move the Food Day is when all the food collected over the past several months is transported from the Hallams’ home in Lynbrook to the pantry. Hallam joked that it’s a day his wife looks forward to, because it means their house ContinueD on Page 7
t’s a tough time to kind of get your foot in the door somewhere, and make a home and make a life on Long Island.