_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______ Happy New Year!
HERALD
Looking To Sell In 20
26?
Reach Out & I Will Help Turn Your Home From Sale To Sold!
Also serving Lakeview
Celebrating Kwanzaa
The season of giving back
Page 3
Page 10
Vol. 33 No. 1
Licensed Real Estate Salesp
erson
Free Home Evaluation
516-984-4933
gitelle.steinfeld@gmail
JANUARY 1 - 7, 2026
$1.00
123 Grove Ave. • Cedarh
.com
urst
Bridge Church salutes 75 years of worshipping By MADISoN GUSlER mgusler@liherald.com
Courtesy The Bridge Church
Celebrating The Bridge Church of the Nazarene’s 75th anniversary at the Sand Castle on Nov. 21 are, from left, church members Saadia and Sergio Navarro, Rich Barker and Frank Scorcia.
The Bridge Church of the Nazarene became a valued part of the Malverne community in 2007, when it established a ministry at a religious sanctuary on Norwood Avenue, which formerly housed the Malverne Jewish Center. But the church’s history extends long before that time, and members of the congregation marked its 75th anniversary during a gala celebration in November. “Reaching 75 years, it’s a reminder of all the folks who’ve come through the doors of the church,” the Rev. Humberto Chavez, the church’s lead pastor, said. “So to honor the legacy of the church, which is a loving, welcoming church in our DNA, meant so much.” The Bridge Church was originally established in 1949 as The Valley Stream Church of the Nazarene, an extension of the thriving East Rockaway Nazarene Church. Outreach by members and leaders quickly grew the CoNTiNued oN page 16
Hochul signs mental health bill for law enforcement By AlYSSA R. GRIFFIN agriffin@liherald.com
Joined by police leaders and b i l l s p o n s o r s, G ov. K at hy Hochul signed the Lieutenant Joseph Banish Mental Health Act into law on Dec. 18. Responding to an increase in suicides and post-traumatic stress disorder among police officers, the bill will establish new confidentiality requirements for law enforcement during peer-to-peer counseling sessions. Named in memory of State Police Lt. Joseph Banish, who died by suicide in 2008, the le gislation is intended to reduce the stigma associated
with mental health among first responders while ensuring that counseling communications are protected. “Protecting New York’s first responders and ensuring they are well-equipped with support to successfully fulfill their duties is an essential part of my public safety mission,” Hochul said in a statement. “Law enforcement officers who protect our communities during times of crisis deserve counseling services that are tailored to their unique experiences and conducted with discretion. By strengthening these programs, we are ensuring safe settings for honest conversa-
tions to improve the mental health and well-being of our first responders.” Sponsored by Assemblywoman Judy Griffin and State Sen. James Skoufis, the bill passed both houses of the Legislature last June. “I was honored to carry this legislation to establish a formal peer-to-peer mental health program for our police,” Griffin said in a news release. “This bill is about supporting the men and women who protect us every day by ensuring that they have the mental health resources they need to effectively serve communities across the state.” Suicide rates for police offi-
cers are more than 50 percent higher than the public at large, and the new law will provide them with confidential peer support counseling with trained police officers serving as support specialists. “Police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, yet too often they do not receive the
essential mental health support they need by nature of their profession,” Grif fin stated “This can exact a toll, both professionally and personally.” Throughout 2025, Hochul highlighted new resources to improve first responders’ mental health. They included a Responder Wellness Program CoNTiNued oN page 12