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VOL. 61 NO. 22
MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2026
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Golfers drive support for cardiac care By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
Michael Rechter/Herald
Strength in every step At the Friedberg JCC’s 5K Walk/Run on May 17, supporting Parkinson’s programs, Billy Richards, of Bay Shore, a Marine and Army veteran, competed wearing a 45-pound pack to symbolize the weight veterans carry as a result of their military service. Richards also carried a 3-foot-by-5-foot American flag, a tradition he has brought to more than 500 races worldwide.
No meat? No problem at new deli. By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
After years of serving plant-based comfort food at pop-ups and brewery events across Long Island, chef Tiffany Gordon has opened the first brick-and-mortar location of Secret Vegan Kitchen, in Oceanside, bringing vegan deli staples and meat-free comfort food to a community she once called home. The new deli, at 3116 Lawson Blvd., officially opened March 7 following a series of soft openings that drew larger crowds than Gordon expected. The 48-year-old chef said the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, even among customers who aren’t vegan. “People have been really supportive, really nice,
really interested in what we’re doing,” Gordon said. “Even if they’re not vegan, they’re really into trying the food.” Gordon, who grew up in Island Park and now lives in Fresh Meadows with her husband, Dominick, said the deli represents the culmination of a business initiative that began during the pandemic. A professional chef with a culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health and a bachelor’s degree in clinical nutrition from CUNY Lehman College, which she earned in 2007, Gordon spent years working in restaurants and private homes across Long Island and New York City. When the pandemic shut down restaurants and limited dining options, she began recreating vegan versions of comfort foods at home. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
More than 400 golfers, business leaders and community supporters gathered on May 11 for Mount Sinai South Nassau’s 42nd annual golf outing, raising more than $771,000 to support the expansion of advanced cardiac care services on the South Shore. The fundraiser, described by organizers as the largest annual hospital golf outing on Long Island, took place across three courses — The Seawane Club, Rockaway Hunting Club and Rockville Links Club — before guests returned to Seawane for a barbecue dinner, awards presentation and fundraising program. Proceeds from the outing will benefit the hospital’s “Bringing Heart Home” campaign, a threeyear initiative aimed at expanding cardiac services at the Oceanside campus, including the addition of open-heart surgery later this year. Hospital officials said the effort allows South Shore residents to receive advanced cardiac care closer to home instead of traveling to Manhattan or other parts of Long Island. “Our cardiology program, you’ll be able to get the same
exact care that people get in M a n h at t a n r i g h t h e re i n Oceanside,” said Tony Cancellieri, co-chair of the hospital’s board of directors and co-chair of the event. The hospital honored three community leaders during the outing. Justin Breslin, vice president of Breslin Realty Development Corporation, was recognized as the event’s honoree. Dr. Jay Itzkowitz received the Lifesaver Award, and Ralph Esposito was honored for community service. Joe Calderone, senior vice president of corporate communications and development and co-chair of the outing, said the annual event has continued to grow alongside the hospital. “It originally was one course, and then two courses, and then a few years ago, we went to three courses because of the amount of supporters,” Calderone said. “As South Nassau has grown — and now we’re part of the Mount Sinai Health System — our support has grown, and our footprint in the community has grown,” he added. Calderone called the outing both a fundraiser and a “friend raiser,” explaining that the event allows community memCONTINUED ON PAGE 9