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ION ERTY TAX REDUCT THE LEADER IN PROP
L.B. wrestler wins rare fifth Nassau title
County champions! Luke Pichichero and the Long Beach Marines captured the Nassau County hockey league title by sweeping Bellmore-Merrick in the best-of-three finals. Story, more photos, Page 8.
By ToNY BEllISSIMo tbellissimo@liherald.com
Erik Lee/Herald
Barrier Island Film Festival returns with eight local works By ChRIS ColUCCI ccolucci@liherald.com
The 2026 Barrier Island Film Festival is set to showcase some of the most talented filmmakers and performers from the Long Beach area. On March 7 and 8, the Long Beach Historical and Preservation Society will host the second annual festival — eight short films featuring local actors, directors and locations — as the museum’s latest fundraising activity. Long Beach resident Mark Montalbano, the festival curator, has had a hand in nearly every aspect of filmmaking — acting, writing, directing and producing. Not only can he be seen in
several of the featured films, but his semi-autobiographical entry, “Bound by Bushwick,” will cap the event with one showing on Sunday night. “It started because Mark and his colleagues featured in the murder mystery plays that we do as a fundraiser,” Jeanne Browne, director of the historical society, said. For more than five years, the museum has hosted annual murder mysteries as interactive fundraising events. This year’s film festival, Brown explained, “is an outgrowth of that that we started last year. It’s really a fundraiser for us.” This year’s films cover a range of genres. “Last Set” explores the life of an aspiring bodyContinued on page 7
Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez joined an elite list of Nassau County High School wrestlers last Sunday afternoon at Hofstra University’s Mack Sports Complex, becoming just the third five-time champion ever. The Long Beach High School senior defeated top-seeded Manhasset senior Will Russell in the 118-pound Division I title match, 1-0, to secure his fifth county championship in as many seasons. He joins former M a r i n e s s u p e r s t a r Ja c o r i Teemer (a 2018 graduate), a five-time New York state champion and four-time NCAA AllAmerican at Arizona State, and Syosset’s Vito Arujau (2017) in accomplishing the feat. “It feels awesome,” said Sibomana-Rodriguez, who is committed to attending the University of North Carolina next year but for now is setting his sights on adding a third state championship the weekend of Feb. 27-28 at Albany’s Times Union Center. “It’s an honor to join just a few others who’ve won counties five times,” he added. L o n g B e a c h c o a c h R ay Adams said he was anticipating a low-scoring title bout. The
Paul Grassini/Herald
LBHS senior dunia SibomanaRodriguez became the third fivetime nassau County wrestling champion last Sunday. lone point was a second-period escape by Sibomana-Rodriguez, who celebrated with a backflip. “Two really tough, strong kids,” Adams said. “I’m so proud of Dunia. That was a history-making victory. Sometimes you just have to grind it out and find a way.” Sibomana-Rodriguez took the fast track to celebrity status in the wrestling community, not only in Long Beach but nationwide, with his gripping life story, ranging from tragedy Continued on page 9