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Also serving Farmingdale, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge
Schools have fun at field day
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Pets, pets, pets
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VOL. 74 NO. 226
JUNE 18 - 24, 2025
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Massapequa BOE honors Challenger athletes and their Best Buddies By MIKE POLANSKI Senior Correspondent
Mike Polansky/Herald
The event committee: (L to R) J.P. Starsbrick, Linda Rouse, Stacy Roy, Janice Talento and Tim Ryan.
Massapequa community stands strong at fundraiser to support Chief identity By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
Despite less-than-perfect weather, the Save the Chief! Festival Fundraiser drew an estimated 2,500 people to the five-hour event held in the Massapequa High School parking lot June 7. Organizers said the event raised $12,500 to date. The funds will be turned over to the nonprofit Save the Chief Foundation to help supplement the Massapequa School District’s legal expenses related to its ongoing litigation aimed at preserving the Chief name and logo. “The community really came together,” said Janice Talento, who chaired the event committee. “We had just four weeks to pull this off.” The foundation was formed in April by Tara Tarasi, a 25-year Massapequa resident and mother of four sons “who couldn’t wait to be Chiefs.” The fundraiser featured 40 vendors, sev-
eral food trucks, bounce houses, a dunk tank, and the sale of “Save the Chief” T-shirts. Live music was provided by Center Stage. Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino was among the attendees and praised the community’s dedication to preserving the Chief identity. The school district, along with others, is fighting New York State’s ban on indigenous mascot names. “This is a caring community, and to take away our Chief logo is absolutely ridiculous,” Saladino said. “I too am a Chief. I proudly played for the Massapequa Chiefs ice hockey and football teams. Once a Chief, always a Chief.” Massapequa School Board President Kerry Wachter also took part in the event, thanking Talento and her team for organizing the festival and Tarasi for launching the foundation. Local event committee members included J.P. Starsbrick, Tim Ryan, Linda Rouse and Stacy Roy. “It’s powerful to see when a community comes together to stand up for what we beCONTINUED ON PAGE 2
The highlight of the June 5 Massapequa Board of Education meeting was the recognition of students in the district’s Challenger program and their Best Buddies, those general education students who volunteer to support their peers with special needs. The Challenger program, led by Ed Hoffman, chair of physical education and athletics at Berner Middle School, provides students with special needs the opportunity to participate in sports adapted to their abilities. “This program allows every child to experience the joy and teamwork of sports,” Hoffman said, thanking Superintendent of Schools William Brennan, the Board of Education, and other supporters. Hoffman, who also is the Nassau County coordinator for the Challenge Sports League, gave special recognition to the local Challenge program’s five coaches: Dr. Lauren Dean, Sal Calderone, Megan Porter, Kathleen Wagner and Nicole Pitta. Certificates were presented to all students who participated in Challenger sports, which include soccer, basketball, cheerleading and track and field. The program set a record this year, with 44 athletes filling 132 roster spots. Board President Kerry
Wachter praised the students for their spirit and determination. “These young people remind us every day what true courage looks like,” Wachter said. “They show up with joy, compete with passion and inspire us with their perseverance. We are so proud of each one of you.” The Challenger athletes who were honored were: Ayden Easton, Mary Willdigg, Jacqueline O’Connor, Arianna Fusco, Alize Pazaran, Nicolas Parada, Jake Petrucco, Sofia D’Agostino, Luca Trinchese, Lucas Clements, Rhylen Venezia, Colin Renne, Christian Dean, Matthew Reyes Sazo, Mengxue Pi, Liam Reinhart, James Parente, Anthony Sarandrea, Sophia Matos, Jada Maroldo, Tyler Owens, Kate Friedrich, Grace Brown, Jacob Fazio, Ryan O’Fee, Ryan Mangan, Matthew Dougherty, Nicholas Tucker, Cassandra D’Arcy, Lucas Friedman, Tyler Kirby, Johnny Maiorino, Karina Martin, Daniel McCullough, Olivia Razzano, Caitlyn Reece, Christopher Riviezzo, Joseph Riggio, James Kelly, Devin DeMicoli, Ava Gonzalez, Madison Buckvar, Kevin Dempsey and Sean Dempsey. Dean expressed gratitude to the Best Buddies who volunteered their time to assist the athletes. “This year would not have CONTINUED ON PAGE 4