__________________ Merrick _________________
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Thinking of Buying or Selling This August? Now’s th e Time!
Clavin resigns as town supervisor
Campers let off some ‘STEAM’
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Murphys’ field dream a reality Family still fundraising for amenities inaugural game brought tears, cheers, and a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished When John and Donny Mur- when a community unites for a phy threw out the first pitch on purpose. “Seeing the field and then May 21, 2024, at the new turf baseball field at Saw Mill Road watching the kids play on it for Elementary School, it marked the first time was very emomore than just the opening of a tional,” John Murphy said. facility—it was the “They didn’t play fulfillment of a the first game until dream bor n from we came back from loss, love, and comvacation, and we munity strength. threw out the first The field, built in pitch. It was very honor of Dylan gratifying knowing Murphy—who that all of our hard passed away from work and energy— leukemia at age 12 m o s t ly wh at my in September 2018— wife did with the stands as a tribute fundraisers—paid to the boy’s love for off so we can help baseball. A silhouthe community ette image of Dylan have a nice field for pitching, displayed JOHN MURPHy years to come.” inside a white circle The field was with unifor m No. built in just six 25, was provided by the Marty weeks and cost over $200,000, Lyons Foundation and now with the majority of funding adorns the turf in front of the coming from the North Merthird-base dugout. rick–North Bellmore Little The Murphy family spent League. Area restaurants and years rallying community sup- businesses also contributed. port, raising funds, and workGetting to that point wasn’t ing closely with the school dis- easy. Because the funding came trict to make the project a reali- from the private sector, the ty. Their efforts culminated in a Murphys had to consult with state-of-the-art field where chil- lawyers to determine whether dren can enjoy the national the work would be considered pastime—just as Dylan did. The ConTinued on pAge 3
By BRIAN KACHARABA
bkacharaba@liherald.com
S
Courtesy Andrew Jedlicka
Robert Funaro, left, and Andrew Jedlicka share a passion for cooking and The Sopranos.
Merrick author releases two new books, one with Sopranos’ Funaro By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO jdalessandro@liherald.com
Merrick resident Andrew Jedlicka is the founder of The Andrew Frank Group, a consulting firm managing several actors who starred in the primetime drama “The Sopranos.” He connected with the cast members during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, discussing business ventures they were passionate about and making them into a reality — perfumes, cigars, sauces, and most recently, a cookbook. Originally from Massapequa, Jedlicka coauthored two book releases this year, one of which was HomeMade, co-written with
Sopranos actor Robert Funaro and author James McCusker. The tightly knit trio shares a passion for bookmaking, fine cuisine and, of course, the Sopranos. Funaro played the role of Eugene in the Sopranos, and has starred in the Oscar-winning film The Irishman as well as American Gangster. When he is off the set, audiences follow along with his homecooked recipes on social media. “All of his fans were commenting, ‘when are you going to come out with a cookbook,’” Jedlicka said. “I was pushing Robert for years to do it. He’s such a talented actor, such a great person. I wanted him to share ConTinued on pAge 12
eeing the field and then watching the kids play on it for the first time was very emotional.