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VOL. 71 NO. 11
Jesse Findling returns to MHS
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Senior Correspondent
Mike Polansky/Herald
Massapequa Park voters turn out at polls despite uncontested races By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Massapequa Park residents turned out in notable numbers for the village election, even though all candidates ran unopposed. Almost 300 residents came to Village Hall to vote, according to unofficial results. The results, announced by Village Clerk Linda Tuminello, showed that Todd Svec had 286 votes and Dana Durso, 268. Village Justice Krista C. Palleschi, who took over the role following the death of longtime Village Justice Gerard Giannattasio last summer, received 277 votes. “I want to thank the residents of the Village of Massapequa Park for supporting me and trusting in me, and I will do the best that I can to keep our Village improving and going strong,” said Svec. Those who did come out to vote said they felt strongly about the importance of participating
in the process. Danielle Ocuto, a member of the Massapequa School Board, expressed surprise to even be asked about it. “I will always vote in every election big or small,” she said. “It’s my duty as a community member to support the process.” Similarly, longtime village resident Vinny Kreutz said that he voted “to show my support for the Village. If we sit back and do nothing, it shows that we don’t give a damn, but if people do show up then it proves that we do give a damn.” Tom Farley had a more practical answer to the question. “Todd Svec is a friend of mine, a good man who stands for the community,” he said. “You’ve got to vote just in case some scammers might come in with write-ins.” For Alyssa Jacobs, voting was a chance to show her daughters Charlotte and Olivia the importance of voting. As she cast her ballot at Village Hall, with the girls at her side, she said: CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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Celebrating Irish pride in Massapequa By MIKE POLANSKY
The winning team: Dana Durso, Todd Svec and Krista Palleschi.
Hablamos Español
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The Massapequa Chamber of Commerce continued a growing local tradition on Saturday, March 14, hosting the second annual Massapequa St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which drew thousands of spectators to Broadway. A total of 68 organizations participated in the parade, which began at Jerusalem Avenue and proceeded down Broadway to Veterans Boulevard. Chamber President Robin Hepworth, past President Keith Wilson and board member Tom Antonelli served as co-chairs of the event. Wilson announced the parade’s progress from the Town of Oyster Bay Showmobile stationed on Broadway at Pennsylvania Avenue. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder estimated that between 8,000 and 11,000 people lined the parade route. The parade’s grand marshal was Massapequa resident Brian Kilmeade, longtime co-host of Fox & Friends on Fox News. As is often the case with parades in Massapequa, the event concluded with local firefighters, as about a hundred Massapequa volunteer firefighters and members of the ladies’ auxiliary marched down Broadway, fol-
lowed by more than two dozen fire trucks sounding their sirens. Oyster Bay Town Councilman Tom Hand set the tone for the morning, joining others in saying that “it’s a great day to be Irish, it’s a great day to be in Massapequa, and we are honored that Brian Kilmeade has joined us to be our Grand Marshal today.” Town Councilman Lou Imbroto said that “everyone is Irish today,” and added that “the parade was wonderful last year and is even better this year.” Samantha Suter, of Massapequa Park, took the train one stop with her family to attend the parade. “We love the train experience, our son loves bagpipes, and we all love the parade,” she said, noting that her 2-year-old daughter Serena was especially enthusiastic. Hepworth said she was encouraged by the event’s continued success. “As the founder of this event a year ago, it was thrilling for me to see it come to fruition again this year,” she said. “It was an incredible day, a day for everyone to be Irish, and it was great to see Massapequa businesses, organizations and families all come together.” Hepworth added that she appreciated the opportunity to walk alongside Kilmeade. “He stopped to talk to everyone and made evCONTINUED ON PAGE 8