________ Franklin square/elmont _______
HERALD Soccer team wins state title
Plattdeutsche holiday market
Students hold school elections
Page 5
Page 10
Page 18
Vol. 26 No. 51
DECEMBER 12 - 18, 2024
$1.00
Brothers achieve rank of Eagle Scout try and stocking them with food. Thomas said he dedicated his project to collecting money At just 15 years old, Thomas and food donations and giving Stavola is the youngest scout in them to a local senior center. The Stavola boys said it took Boy Scouts of America Troop 93 to achieve the rank of Eagle close to 500 hours to complete Scout. Before him, only one everything they needed to finally achieve the rank other scout achieved of Eagle Scout. the high-status rank “I think it’s really at such a young age up to you to become Nick Stavola, his an Eagle Scout,” older brother. Thomas said. “It’s According to all about determinatheir scoutmaster of tion and focus. It six years, Robert takes up a lot of Murawski, becomtime.” ing an Eagle Scout After completing is no easy task. the project, prospec“It’s extremely tive Eagle Scouts difficult,” Murawski must stand before a said. “It’s a prestiscout board for what gious position.” Bridget Stavola, the Murawski said boys’ mother, likroughly four percent ThoMaS STaVola ened to an interroof scouts reach the Eagle Scout gation. Eagle rank, a status “You sit in front which requires 13 merit badges in skills such as of a board that just kind of fires first aid, cooking, camping, questions at you,” Bridget said. Murawski said the board conswimming, and citizenship. Then, he said, scouts must earn sists of three to five scout board an additional nine badges and members who drill them on complete an Eagle Scout project three areas of questioning their Eagle project, their scout career that serves their community. Nick, now 17, said he dedicat- and scout history. In addition, Nic Stavola, the ed his project to building shelves for a church’s food panContinued on page 20
By RENEE DEloRENZo
rdelorenzo@liherald.com
I
Renee DeLorenzo/Herald
Rescuing Families founders Vincent and gina Centauro at their annual ugly Sweater Bingo party on dec. 6.
Charity raises over $12,000 to help those with disabilities By RENEE DEloRENZo rdelorenzo@liherald.com
The Rescuing Families charity held its annual Ugly Sweater Bingo Party at VFW Post 2718, in Franklin Square, last Friday night, raising over $12,000 to help those with disabilities. The night’s events included six rounds of bingo, an ugly sweater competition, raffles for an assortment of 36 gift baskets and a 50/50 raffle with a grand prize of over $800. Gina and Vincent Centauro, who founded Rescuing Families in 2016, said the evening’s
proceeds were above average compared with previous events. There were 205 guests, according to Gina, who came from all over Long Island. And, she said, many of them have been coming to the event since Rescuing Families’ first ugly sweater party five years ago. “One guest had emailed us and said it’s become their annual tradition,” Gina laughed. Her husband added that the event seems to be a hit in the community. “We found what people enjoy coming to and what they Continued on page 14
n the beginning I was really, really shy. I couldn’t speak loud at all. Now… now I have a voice.