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Outcry at PPL board meeting Staff, residents press library trustees over director search and safety lapses notice when she was getting ready to retire,” Caponi said. “Nothing was done, and she Residents and members of offered her services to be an the staff of the Peninsula Pub- interim to train a new director. lic Library, in Lawrence, spoke We still don’t have one.” She added that in her opinout about unsafe working conditions and the lack of needed ion, the board is offering too maintenance at the library’s low a salary, $70,000. monthly board of “They are offertrustees meeting on ing a salary that is Feb. 19. lower than some of The meeting the people that room was packed as work here and our 30 people gathered assistant director,” to share their Caponi said. “It’s thoughts and opinvery hard to find ions. people that are comThe library has petent enough to do been operating a job for very little without a director PERI CAPoNI money. It’s virtually since Carolynn Mat- Head of technical impossible. I ulewicz retired on wouldn’t be interservices, Jan. 31, after 18 ested in that job for Peninsula Public years in the posisuch little amount tion, despite the fact Library of money.” that Matulewicz Without a direch a d g i v e n t h e b o a r d f i v e tor, the library cannot order months’ notice. supplies or do any hiring. “We Peri Caponi, the library’s need a director,” Caponi said. head of technical services and “We needed it four months ago, a 17-year employee, was the and nothing has been done. The first of many attendees to voice board claims they are looking their concerns about condi- for one.” tions in the building and the According to Caponi, the lack of communication about board sent an email to the comthe search for a new director. munity about the open posi“Our director gave ample ConTinueD on page 9
By MELISSA BERMAN
mberman@liherald.com
W
Courtesy Ian Isseeks
Scott Bragin was a professional DJ who died in 2019, at age 48, after battling Stage Four colon cancer for six and a half years. The foundation Rhythm Forever honors his legacy with an annual virtual 4.6-mile run/walk.
Friends turn loss into mission Annual run honors DJ Scott Bragin’s lasting legacy By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
A tradition rooted in friendship, loss and purpose is set to return this spring, as the Rhythm Forever Foundation prepares for its annual McBalls Run. The Hewlett-based foundation was created by Marc Isseeks in 2023, in memory of his best friend, Scott Bragin, whose nickname was McBalls, and who died of colon cancer in 2019, at age 48. What began as a way to honor Bragin’s life has grown into a community-driven nonprofit supporting colon cancer research and awareness of Lynch syndrome, which also affected Bragin. Lynch syndrome is an inherited genetic
condition that increases the risk of developing cancer at a young age. Bragin fought his Stage Four colon cancer for six and a half years. “It’s been a labor of love for us to run this foundation,” Isseeks said. “Scott meant so much to so many people. How could we not do something to honor him and his legacy, and at the same time to prevent other people from enduring the nightmare of the horrendous disease?” The foundation is named Rhythm Forever in honor of Bragin’s profession as a DJ and his company, Rhythm of the Night Entertainment. The foundation’s goal is to let the music live on. ConTinueD on page 17
hen you ruin the books and ceiling, you get mold.