Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Preparedness is particularly important for Long Island residents. We know that severe weather can bring flooding, dangerous winds and extended power outages. A house fire or medical emergency can happen without warning. And while we canât always be ready for anything, having a plan, and the right supplies, can make a significant difference.
This yearâs crowd at John Burns Park was the largest ever. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino and Firefighter Ken Haskell, Tom and Timâs brother, spoke. There was mournful violin music, stirring patriotic songs sung aloud and prayers from local clergy. I was privileged to be asked to speak. The ceremony concluded with a helicopter dropping white roses on the crowd. It was particularly moving afterward to talk with family members and friends of 9/11 victims who were once again reliving the horrors of that fateful day, but had never lost their faith in America.
Recently Iâve come to believe that the strongest influence on developing human beings is the times in which they live. Try as I might, summoning all the empathy I possess, I simply canât know what it was like to endure the London Blitz during World War II. Or the Dust Bowl in America, or the Holocaust, all of which changed the way people lived and thought.
For two decades I have worked with children, parents and families. Whether in my office, giving a speech, leading a workshop or discussing parenting on social media, I hear remarkably consistent hopes. Parents want their children to become happy, successful and independent adults. I would argue that happiness and success depend, at least in part, on independence. And one quality runs through all three â resilience.
A state of emergency is in effect on Long Island as a powerful norâeaster has brought heavy rain, strong winds, coastal flooding and dangerous rip currents through the weekend.
Hewlett High School seniors David Balzac and Ivan Reznikov were named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program after earning top scores in New York.
More than 300 Five Towns residents gathered for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New Yorkâs South Shore Inaugural last week at the Seawane Club in Hewlett. The Sept. 16 awards dinner âĶ
