_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD
Easy. Honest. Accurate.
Save on your property taxes with Nassau County’s trusted tax reduction experts.
Also serving Roosevelt
Suit filed against Nassau map
Page 9
Page 10
Vol. 90 No. 1
JANUARY 2 - 8, 2025
$1.00
THE LEADER IN PROP ERTY TAX REDUCT ION
Sign up today. It on ly tak Apply online at mptrg es seconds. .com/heraldnote or call 516.715.1266
Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Grou p, LLC 483 Chestnut Street, Cedarhurst, NY 11516 Habl
1282973
Gearing up for Mulchfest
amos Español
Freeport marks 150 years of fire fighting By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
Courtesy Ray Maguire
Attending the 150th anniversary dinner on Dec. 5 are members of Freeport’s Excelsior Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 who have racked up more than 50 years of service: from left, Chief George Mulholland, Hon. Chief John Bruscino, Hon. Chief John Mauersberger, Hon. Chief Anthony Fiore, Chief Stephen Wenk, Chief Donald Mauersberger, Hon. Chief Joseph Falco and Chief Richard Holdener.
The Excelsior Hook & Ladder Company No. 1, the cornerstone of the Freeport Fire Department, is marking its 150th anniversary this month with the release of a historical journal that captures the storied legacy of the organization and its volunteers. The company, founded in 1874 as a bucket brigade to combat the ever-present threat of fire in a rapidly growing Freeport, has evolved into the bedrock for the community’s safety and protection. Excelsior was formed before the 1892 incorporation of the Village of Freeport and prior to the establishment of the Freeport Fire Department in 1893. Regina Feeney, Freeport’s village historian, emphasized the critical role Excelsior played in shaping the community. “Our Freeport ancestors lived with fear, a fear of fire,” Feeney explained in an article documenting CoNtiNuED oN pAGE 5
Symposium to shine light on human trafficking By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
In recognition of January’s designation as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow is partnering with Pepper Martin, head pastor of Destiny House Christian Center, in Freeport, and the founder of Women Intended for Excellence, to host a Human Trafficking Prevention Symposium on Jan. 9. The event will take place at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building, in Mineola, from 6 to 9 p.m. “Human trafficking inflicts
unimaginable violence upon its victims, robs them of their dignity, and relies upon silence to enable such heinous crimes to slip through the cracks of our society,” Koslow said. “Working with Dr. Pepper Martin and our community partners, it is our hope that this symposium during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month will raise awareness and spark critical conversations about combating this ongoing humanitarian crisis.” Martin, who has been deeply involved in the battle against human trafficking and has addressed related issues through her ministry and
W
e can’t address an issue until we are educated and aware. PePPeR MARtIN Head pastor, Destiny House WIFE, a nonprofit, has spoken extensively about the importance of raising awareness of the problem. “Human trafficking is big, and it’s big on Long Island, but a lot of Long Island residents
didn’t realize it,” she said. “The nature of trafficking is so subtle that you don’t even realize that somebody — if you’re going in to get your nails done, as an example, the person working on you may not be an employee. That person working on you may be a trafficked individual working there for free. They’ve been brainwashed and told that
they have to work off debt.” Women Intended for Excellence has supported numerous survivors of domestic violence and trafficking. Martin explained how the issues intersect, and how trafficking victims often face compounded trauma. “There are three basic reaCoNtiNuED oN pAGE 8