_________ Oceanside/island park ________
HERALD
Be S.M.A.R.T.
Save Money And Reduce Taxes
Get Results. Sign Up Today!
Honoring a coaching legend
Page 16
Page 3 SEPTEMBER 5 - 11, 2024
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
$1.00
1244491
VoL. 59 No. 37
All ducks in a row in I.P.
amos Español
A gathering to fight scourge of overdoses awareness and healing, including the planting of purple flowers by Oceanside Community In an effort to combat the Warriors, a group which cleans opioid crisis, Oceanside resi- up outdoor spaces among other dents gathered on Aug. 29 for a services, to commemorate the heartfelt and impactful over- lives lost to overdoses. Attendees painted positive dose-awareness event. This was messages on rocks, the fourth year that a n d we re i n t ro the Oceanside d u c e d t o a n ew SAFE Coalition has community art hosted an Overdose ef for t called the Awareness Day on Wish Flag Project. t h e s ch o o l h o u s e Eriksen explained green. The evening that it was inspired was part of a by Tibetan prayer broader initiative flags. to raise awareness, “The idea is that provide training, the wind car ries and foster a supthe messages into portive network for the environment those affected by ALI ERIKSEN and brings them to substance use dis- Project coordinator, Oceanside SAFE fruition,” she said. orders. The project is set to “This probably expand into the means the most to Oceanside school district, with me because it’s a reminder of why we started,” said Ali Erik- sixth-graders contributing to it sen, project coordinator for the during the groups Drug PrevenSAFE Coalition — the acronym tion Month, in October. The stands for Substance Abuse community’s messages created Free Environment. “… It’s our on the day will eventually be way of paying tribute and rec- displayed in the newly renovatognizing everyone we’ve lost, ed Oceanside Library. The event also served as a and a reminder of why we do venue to discuss the coalition’s our prevention work.” The event featured several ongoing initiatives, including activities aimed at promoting ConTinued on pAge 2
By KEPHERD DANIEL
kdaniel@liherald.com
Kepherd Daniel/Herald
Jeff Risener’s Big Time Basketball Camp, at St. Anthony’s Church, has been a summer fixture for kids on the South Shore for 30 years. At 72, Risener now feels it’s time to retire and focus more on his family and other interests.
Big Time Basketball Camp’s director, Jeff Risener, retires By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
For over three decades, Jeff Risener has been known in the local basketball community as the director of the Big Time Basketball Camp at St. Anthony’s Church in Oceanside. Last week marked the end of a 32-year run, all at the same location, the Roman Catholic Church on 88 Anchor Ave. Over the years, the camp attracted thousands of kids from across the South Shore, and the 72-year-old Risener’s retirement marks the end of an era for a program that has touched the lives of countless families. Risener, who has lived in Oceanside since 1988, has had a long career in education and coaching, including stints at Columbia University in 1983 to 1984 and John Jay College from 1984 to 1995 and assistant athletic direc-
tor from 1984 to 1998. But in 1990, by then a seasoned basketball coach, he noticed a void in summer youth sports programs. Driven by his passion for basketball and his love of working with children, Risener approached St. Anthony’s with a proposal to start a camp. What began as a two-week program quickly grew, and now runs from seven to 10 weeks during the summer, and weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., for those in kindergarten through eighth grade. “There wasn’t anything going on at St. Anthony’s in the summertime,” Risener said. “I spent part of my adult life working at basketball camps and I thought, why not do my own here?” The camp began with wooden baskets, which still sit in the church gym, but the facility has since been upgraded to modern ConTinued on pAge 10
T
his probably means the most to me because it’s a reminder of why we started.