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Kilmeade to lead St. Patrick’s Day parade 2026
Courtesy Massapequa Park Village
Todd Svec and Dana Durso
Svec and Durso announce they’re running for reelection By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Massapequa Park residents will vote to fill two of four Village trustee seats on Wednesday, March 18. Incumbent trustees Todd Svec and Dana Durso are both seeking re-election. Svec has lived in Massapequa Park since his parents moved from Flushing when he was less than a year old. A 1981 graduate of Berner High School, he attended Nassau Community College and earned his degree from St. John’s University Pharmacy School in 1987. “I still have a strong feeling for St. John’s basketball,” he mentioned, “and I went to the Garden a couple of nights ago ago to see them beat Seton Hall.” Durso grew up in West Babylon and graduated from West Babylon High School in 1997. She and her husband, State Assemblyman Mike Durso, have two daughters. Nicole, 14, is in eighth grade at Berner Middle School, and Taylor, 10, is in fifth grade at East Lake Elementary School. Svec was inducted into the Massapequa
High School Hall of Fame in 2022. “I have lived here my whole life, and have worked here my whole life,” he said. “I love Massapequa Park and I never want to leave.” Durso is a licensed realtor with Signature Premier Properties in Massapequa Park and assists her father, who owns Vincent’s Pizzeria in Farmingdale. Svec began working at Arlo Drug Store on Park Boulevard at age 15, later purchasing the business and owning it for 30 years. Although he no longer owns the store, he continues to work there 50 hours a week. He and his wife, Roseanne, a fellow Berner and St. John’s Pharmacy School graduate, work side by side at Arlo. They have four daughters — Ashley, Lauren, and twins Kristin and Heather — all in the medical field, and seven grandchildren, with an eighth expected in March. Durso has served on the Village Board since 2020 and said her decision to run “just kind of happened. “I wasn’t very happy with things that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Brian Kilmeade, a bestselling author and nationally known broadcaster who has called Massapequa home for decades, has been named grand marshal of the 2026 Massapequa Chamber of Commerce St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Chamber announced Kilmeade’s selection last week, citing his ongoing ties to the community. Robin Hepworth, president of the Chamber, said the chamber is delighted and honored to have Kilmeade serve as grand marshal. “We selected Brian not only because he is of Irish descent, but also because we believe he truly represents the spirit of Massapequa,” said Hepworth. “While he is a nationally known broadcaster and author, he never lost touch with his hometown, which he actively supports and cntinues to give back to in many ways.” The parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2026. Kilmeade, a 1986 graduate of LIU– C.W. Post, built his career in television and radio while remaining rooted in Massapequa, where he lives with his wife and three children. He’s often seen around the community, including on the sidelines of local soccer games — sometimes as a coach. He joined Fox News in 1997 and is a longtime cohost of “Fox & Friends,” which airs weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. He also hosts “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” a nationally syndicated radio program, and “One Nation with Brian
Courtesy Massapequa C of C
Brian Kilmeade Kilmeade” on Fox News Channel. He is the author of seven books, six of which were New York Times bestsellers, including George Washington’s Secret Six and The President and the Freedom Fighter. Before his time with Fox, Kilmeade worked as a sports anchor and reporter in Los Angeles and served as a correspondent for the high school news network Channel One. The Massapequa Chamber launched its inaugural St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2025. Organizers say they expect an even larger turnout this year and plan to release more event details in the coming weeks. For information on the Chamber and this event call 516-541-1443 or go online to massapequachamber.org.