__________________ Merrick _________________
June 26, 2025
HERALD
GRADUATES 2025
l icensed associate real estate broker
Over 20 Years of Experie nce & Dedication
MAMS grads moving up
Meet the
gus lafkas
Page 3
Vol. 28 No. 26
1289253
Graduation Keepsake Edition
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JUNE 26 - JUly 2, 2025
Russian pianist finds new stage Tate leaving mark at Cure of Ars into the Children’s Music School, where he performed his first recital at age nine. That night turned into a preVladimir Tate has been a mainstay at the Cure of Ars monition. “It was a big event because Church in Merrick for the past eight years, entertaining and it’s very rare for someone who enlightening the parishioners is that young can play a solo with his inspirational piano concert,” he recalled. “I played and organ playing. He performs everything by memory, the at the Sunday masses, as well whole program. It was about as weddings and funerals, and 30-40 minutes, and after that, even rented space in the Parish because it was successful as Center to start his own music well, I saw the reaction of the people and they school. liked it and everyBut what the conthing. I felt good gregants may not and, at that time, I know is that Tate, decided that that’s just 35, is also an what I wanted to inter nationallydo.” renowned musician Tate would go on who has performed to practice about all over the world -4-5 hours a day and collecting numer- PAtRICIA RyAN h i s h a rd wo rk o u s aw a r d s a n d Co-music director at would later ear n honors along the Cure of Ars Church h i m a m a s t e r ’s w ay - - a n d h a s degree at the Chelyreleased four albums that covered classical abinsk State Academy of the pieces by Beethoven, Bach, Culture and Arts, where he Mozart, Schubert, Chopin and studied under the person that would prove to be his mentor, Tchaikovsky among others. Born Vladimir Tiagunov in Professor Evgeny Levitan. “He had a huge influence on Temirtau, Kazakhstan, in 1989, Tate and his family moved to me when I was his student,” he Nizhny, Russia when he was said. “I was always listening to three and he began playing the his advice, and I would ask him piano under the tutelage of his questions and whatever was father, Boris, three years later. happening in my life as well Tate was eventually accepted Continued on page 2
By BRIAN KACHARABA
bkacharaba@liherald.com
Courtesy PFY
attending pFY’s 2025 pride gala at Westbury Manor on June 4 were tawni J. engel, center, pFY associate executive director; Marsha Silverman, left, glen Cove city councilmember; and Juli grey-owens, gender equality new York executive director. grey-owens and Silverman were honored for their commitment to LgBtQ+ advocacy.
PFY: ‘Now More Than Ever’ Local advocacy group emphasizes a call to action
By JACK SCHWED Intern
PFY, formerly Pride For Youth, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ communities, hosts a fundraising gala each year to celebrate Pride, but this year’s event also served as a call to action. The PFY’s 2025 Pride Gala, dubbed “Now More Than Ever,” was held at the Westbury Manor on June 4. “Now, more than ever, not only does our agency need support, the whole community needs support,” Tawni J. Engel, PFY’s associate executive director, said. “We need people who are willing to speak up and speak out.” Engel is responsible for securing corporate sponsorships for PFY fundraising events, such as the gala. In the past, she said, the organiza-
tion has received large donations, but this year, many corporations pulled out, resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars. “That speaks to these corporations that were very much, just last June, waving their Pride flags on all of their marketing materials,” she said. “This year, they’ve completely pulled out and said, ‘No, we can’t put our face to this anymore because it’s too controversial.’” PFY has also been receiving hateful comments on social media, Engel added. “There’s a lot that we’re facing on a daily basis that is very, very stressful,” she said. “(But) it’s just the tip of the iceberg of what’s going on across the country right now.” At the gala, she aimed to educate attendees about the current political climate and its Continued on page 11
I
heard him play and I thought, ‘Oh my God!’