_________________ FREEPORT _________________
Graduation Keepsake
Edition
June 25, 2026
HERALD Also serving Roosevelt
GRADUATES
Meet the
2026
Vol. 91 No. 26
Rotary installs new officers
Pre-Father’s Day fishing trip
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JuNE 25 - July 1, 2026
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Freeport gets $1.1M grant to combat flooding By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
Courtesy Laura Gillen
The Village of Freeport received a $1.1 million grant from Rep. Laura Gillen that will protect waterfront homes and businesses from extreme flooding.
The Village of Freeport has received a $1.1 million federal grant that will be used to fund anti-flooding equipment to protect vulnerable homes and businesses near the Nautical Mile. Rep. Laura Gillen secured the grant through a Community Project Funding request in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. During a press conference on June 18, Gillen and Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy announced that the federal funding will be used to construct a new water pumping station equipped with devices called check valves or catch basins. The devices will be connected to community plumbing, take in excess water from rising tides and send it back into the ocean, mitigating damage to roads, buildings and vehicles. “This investment will help protect homes, businessConTinued on paGe 10
NAACP youth leaders carry on Juneteenth’s legacy By JuSTIN HABERMAN Intern
As members of the community gathered at the Bishop Frank O. White Park last Saturday for a day of games, music and fun, members of the Freeport-Roosevelt National Association for the Advancement of Colored People were doing more than celebrating Juneteenth. The membersy were helping lead the event, continuing a long tradition of civic engagement and learning about their history, ensuring that it will be passed on to future generations.
The Juneteenth celebration brought together residents of all ages around the community for an afternoon of fun activities, including basketball, face paint, an open mic, a dance contest, free refreshments and even a raffle. Juneteenth recognizes June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when enslaved African Americans learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The holiday is significant because it not only celebrates freedom and , but also preserves history. Founded in 1909, the NAACP has servesd as a leading voice
in the fight for civil rights, promoting voting rights, educational opportunities and social justice through advocacy and community outreach programs. Jared Bermudez, president of the F ree por t-Roosevelt NAACP Youth Council, said the organization helps young people prepare for future success through education, advocacy and volunteering. “ T h e Yo u t h C o u n c i l ’ s responsibility is to push the youth to advocate and to also go into the most advantageous position they can get into,” Bermudez said. “By putting them into scholarship opportunities and volunteering opportuni-
ties, we allow them to get better chances of getting into colleges and better education.” Bermudez said events like the Juneteenth celebration help ensure that important parts of history are remembered. “History has a tendency to be erased and forgotten,” he said. “If we don’t take on the obligation of remembering it
and having events like this to help the community not only remember, but also celebrate it, we are going to forget it.” He added that understanding the past is essential to building a successful future. “We need to remember the past, the past in which we weren’t free. Without remembering ConTinued on paGe 3