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HERALD Also serving Roosevelt
Eco rotary club looks at preserve
Village lights Christmas tree
Fire displaces 17 people
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Vol. 89 No. 51
DECEMBER 12 - 18, 2024
$1.00
Freeport Band brings joy with Holiday Soirée plished musician whose expertise has guided the ensemble since 2012. Under her leaderThe holiday season will ship, the band has flourished, come alive at the Freeport captivating audiences with a Memorial Library on Dec. 13 as mix of symphonic classics, show tunes, rockthe Freeport Comand-roll hits and munity Band takes patriotic marches. center stage for the Treasurer Ron library’s annual Sloman, who has Holiday Soirée. been with the band From 7 to 8 p.m., for more than a attendees can enjoy decade, emphasized festive music, dancthe variety of ing, and even a music audiences sing-along, markcan expect at the ing a joyful celebrasoirée. tion of community “We’re going to a n d s o u n d . Fo r do a mix of marchthose who cannot type music and holattend in person, iday music for this the event will also perfor mance,” he be live-streamed on said. YouTube, ensuring “One of them is everyone can share RoN SloMAN really interesting,” treasurer, in the festivities. he added, highlightT h e F r e e p o r t Freeport Community ing one standout Community Band, Band piece. “It has Milla 40-piece ensemble er-type music, with deep roots in Nassau County, has been a sta- swing band music mixed in ple of local music for decades. with Christmas tunes. I think Its members, ranging from high it’s called ‘A Miller Christmas.’” Glenn Miller was a famous school students to retirees, combine diverse talents to create a big band conductor of the early 20th century, who went missing rich and harmonious sound. Leading the band is conduc- in action and was eventually tor Sandra Vigliotti, an accomContinued on page 9
By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ
mrafiq@liherald.com
E
Courtesy Emily Margulis
Freeport-Merrick Rotary members Michael Horowitz, left, Kerry esmay, and ex-member emily Margulis volunteered at angela’s House’s holiday event.
Rotary brings holiday cheer to Angela’s House families By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
The Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club partnered with Angela’s House to bring joy and relief to families of medically frail children at the organization’s 12th annual holiday party last weekend at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 25 hall in Hauppauge. The event welcomed 500 families on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, offering food, entertainment and a festive atmosphere where parents, children and their siblings could connect and celebrate.
Angela’s House, founded in 1992 by Bob Policastro, of Hauppauge, after his one-yearold daughter, Angela, died from complications of medical frailty that resulted from severe brain damage she sustained during birth, supports families caring for children with chronic illnesses or disabilities. “He just wants every family to have … anything possible to lift any weight off of them,” Johanna Rotta, the organization’s director of development, said of Policastro, its executive director. “For some families, these are the only Christmas presents the kids will get because of the financial burden Continued on page 14
vents like this are very good for us to have an avenue for different generations to get together and mix.