______________ VALLEY STREAM _____________
HERALD VOL. 35 NO. 32
V.S.24 unveils 2030 plan
Meet the Hall of Famers
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AUGUST 1 - 7, 2024
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One area civic leader thanks another ident, always seeks to keep abreast of what is happening in both communities. His involveHewlett Woodmere Business ment in both is partly a product Association President David of circumstances. He is a resiFriedman is lifting the next dent of the Village of Valley generation of civic service lead- S t r e a m wh o l ive s i n t h e H e w l e t t - Wo o d m e r e p u b l i c ers on the South Shore. Friedman took Amil Virani, school district. “Civic service is of Valley Stream, really just using out to lunch at Ay! your knowledg e, Caramba! on July skills, and talents 23 as a show of and using it to help gratitude for Viraother people and ni’s continued sergive back to one’s vice with the community,” said Hewlett-Woodmere Virani, who conBusiness Associanected with Friedtion and the Hewman in 2021 when lett-Woodmere Pubhe moved into the lic Schools EndowHewlett-Woodmere ment Fund. district from Cedar“ H e ’ s a v e r y AMIL VIRANI hurst, which is in c o o p e r at ive a n d Valley Stream the Lawrence very communityschool district. o r i e n t e d g u y, ” “I wanted to get to know the Friedman said of Virani, a 2019 graduate of Lawrence High community more — I wanted to get involved,” Virani said. “I School. The informal honor of being don’t want to be someone that taken to lunch is something lives under a rock.” Before graduating from high Friedman tries to do for local school, Virani volunteered at volunteers often. “We normally try to get stu- district events such as the icedents or adults who have been skating night hosted by Hewlett High. outstanding,” Friedman said. Virani also assisted in the Virani, a local advocate in Valley Stream and a Gibson resContinued on page 10
By PARKER SCHUG
pschug@liherald.com
I
Maureen Fitzgerald/Herald
Now, if we only had a Space Mountain Two mouse-eared audience members listened to the Valley Stream Community Band & District Symphony Orchestra play their final Disney-themed show of the summer at the Village Bandshell on Sunday.
Valley Stream’s Jazz Festival returns, better than before By JUAN LASSO jlasso@liherald.com
Dr. Herold Simon, an internist from Valley Stream, recalled stumbling into the vibrant and dynamic jazz world at 18. It was a small moment — a chance encounter with a street performer playing jazz on his saxophone at Manhattan’s 5th Avenue and 54th Street. But for Simon, it was nonetheless revelatory. As the years went by, Simon fondly looks back at that moment, now a distant memory, as the flashpoint for his lifelong fascination with “America’s classical music.”
In 2003, this fascination led Simon to open his home to jazz artists and musicians for an annual backyard concert with his family.
Turning a family tradition into a community celebration As the concerts grew and became more popular, Simon began to harbor aspirations to turn his private family tradition into a buzzed-about community event, moving from a corner of his house to a public stage. Even the name he chose to christen his in-house concerts — the “Valley Stream Jazz Festival” — hints at Simon’s ambiContinued on page 15
enjoy helping David. He just helps make things seamless or organized. It’s not hard to do.