Education

This Valley Stream educator helps build 'bottle school' in Guatemala

For a week at the start of the year, Jack Mitchell traded Valley Stream’s familiar suburban scenery for the sun-bathed, sloping grasslands of Xetapan in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. It …

Education board trustees contemplate removal of one of their own

Schools are no place for vulgar words and name-calling, and neither should education board meetings. At least that’s what a number of parents are demanding in the wake of one Elmont education board trustee reportedly doing just that in the middle of a meeting — and now they want him to answer for his transgression.

On mending a broken heart

Longtime Freeport resident June Owen recently authored her first book, “How to Get Over a Broken Heart.” Owen, 71, who has been a psychologist for 30 years, did not always know that …

Oceanside rolls through the decades

The Oceanside Annual Roller Skating Show celebrated its 59th year in style this past weekend. The annual show, which was a team effort between the Department of Community Activities, the Oceanside …

North Shore students take ‘trip of a lifetime’ to Europe

The North Shore School District’s music department recently embarked on a remarkable journey across Europe, leaving a melodious mark in several cities across Italy, Serbia, and Croatia. The …

Our Lady of Lourdes food drive a 'souper' success

The basement of Our Lady of Lourdes R.C. Church in Malverne was filled wall-to-wall with donations as neighbors unloaded food from wagons while others sorted the donations into categories marking …

Rockville Centre prepares for 2024 St. Patrick's Day Parade

The Village of Rockville Centre is buzzing with excitement in preparation for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 23. Considered to be one of the largest parades on Long Island, …

Jake Steinfeld's 'Don't Quit!' Fitness Campaign makes waves in New York

Growing up in Baldwin, Jake Steinfeld, a 1976 Baldwin High School graduate, considered himself overweight and struggled with a bad stutter. But his life took a major turn when he was 13, and his father bought him his first set of weights.

Editorial

Celebrating L.I.’s rich Irish-American heritage

St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone, but there is much more to this annual holiday than just the vibrant green decorations, festive parades, pints of beer and corned beef. It is an opportunity to celebrate the rich tapestry of Irish-American heritage, deeply woven into the fabric of Long Island and its communities.

COLUMNIST

With AI, we’re through the looking glass

In “Through the Looking-Glass,” Lewis Carroll’s sequel to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” the author warns us to beware the Jabberwock. If he were writing today, he would probably warn us to be leery of artificial intelligence, with “jaws that bite” and “claws that catch.” The big difference is that AI has escaped the realm of fantasy.

Columnist

It’s me, not ChatGPT . . . at least I think so

Why should I work this week? No one works anymore, or if they show up, they bring attitude or the three stages of incompetence: Don’t care, don’t want to be here, don’t notice you standing there at my counter. (I don’t mean you, of course. Herald readers are all diligent, responsible people.)

Columnist

Whose are the votes that count?

In the United States, there are elections because of our Constitution. There is political bantering over everything, including whether the U.S. is much of a democracy or not. But make no …

Columnist

Wake up, Congress!

On the night of my victory in last month’s 3rd Congressional District special election, I promised my constituents that when I was sworn back into Congress, I would personally deliver their …

Columnist

Criminals aren’t in custody: Let’s reform bail reform

As a mother of four and a legislator deeply committed to public safety, I am compelled to address the recent horrific case in Babylon. This case — in which body parts were found in public spaces, including a park frequented by families, and a judge was unable to set bail and detain the defendants — highlights a disturbing trend: the prioritization of criminals over victims.