_________ Oceanside/island park ________
HERALD Egg hunt fun in every basket
Wings, tunes and hot sauce
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VOL. 61 NO. 14
APRIL 2 - 8, 2026
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Friends of the Library mark Founders Day
learning and community engagement. “The Founders Day brings In a celebration of community, attention not only to the library service and a shared commitment and the Friends, but also to the to literacy, the Friends of the people we honor,” Schirrmacher Oceanside Library hosted its said. “It shines a light on what annual Founders Day Breakfast they are doing to better our comon March 22, honoring two local munity.” Each year, the leaders whose conorganization typit r i bu t i o n s h ave cally honors an made a lasting adult and a teen. impact: Oceanside The adults are recHigh School senior ognized for advancLaylah Brown and ing literacy and educator Jessica supporting the Keegan. library’s mission, Held each year, and youth honorthe breakfast serves ees are celebrated as both a recognifor their volunteertion ceremony and ism and energy. a key fundraiser for This year’s Friends, a nonprofit Founders Award separate from the was presented to library that sup- MERYL PEARLSTEIN the ports the facility’s Vice president, Friends of K e e g a n , Oceanside school programs and ser- the Oceanside Library district’s director vices through comof elementary munity events and teaching and learning, for her initiatives. Roughly 70 to 75 residents leadership in literacy initiatives attended the gathering, according and her ongoing support of the to Friends President Kathy Schir- library. In a statement prepared for the rmacher, who explained that it continues a longstanding tradi- event, Keegan was described as tion of highlighting individuals someone who “goes above and who embody the library’s mission beyond to preserve and support of promoting literacy, lifelong
By ABIGAIL GRIECO
agrieco@liherald.com
Courtesy Oceanside Schools
Oceanside High School’s varsity softball team debuted its new field with a ribbon-cutting and an inaugural game on March 27, celebrating the completion of a project that promotes pride in and dedication to student-athletes in Oceanside.
Beginning new era with new fields By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
Oceanside High School ushered in a new era for its athletic program March 26 and 27, unveiling newly refurbished baseball and softball fields with ribbon-cutting ceremonies that drew students, coaches, administrators and community members to the campus. The celebrations marked the completion of a years-long effort to modernize the fields into a cohesive, stadium-like complex designed to enhance the experience of using and visiting them for both student-athletes and the larger community. Following each ceremony, the Sailors took to their new home fields for the first time — the softball team falling 2-0 to Seaford on Thursday, and the baseball team dropping an 8-2 decision to Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK on Friday. For those who have spent decades in the high school sports program, the moment represented far more than just upgraded playing surfaces. “This project was really important to me,” said varsity baseball coach Mike Postilio, who
has coached in Oceanside since 2001 and led the varsity program since 2013. “We always had a pretty good program, but we really did not have a field to be proud of. If we were going to do it, my message was we had to do it the right way.” That vision is now realized in a facility Postilio described as one of the best he has seen in Nassau County. The old field, he said, suffered from a lack of basic infrastructure, including reliable irrigation, permanent fencing and functional dugouts. Over time, those shortcomings compounded, making it difficult to maintain consistent playing conditions. “We didn’t have water out to the field,” Postilio said. “We didn’t have electric out to the field. Now we have permanent dugouts with electric, with storage. Everything a baseball program needs, they built into this new stadium.” Athletic Director Tom Lehman said the project had been under discussion for roughly five years, beginning shortly after he took on his role. Early conversations with coaches and parents identified the need for significant CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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he more people who are involved, the stronger our library — and our community — becomes.
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