Column

Help me select Valley Stream's Person of the Year

Posted

It’s almost that time of year again — time for the Herald to announce its Person of the Year. But who will that person be? Even I don’t know yet.

That’s why I’m reaching out to you, the residents of Valley Stream and the loyal readers of the Herald, for suggestions. Choosing the Person of the Year is a responsibility I take very seriously, and I want to make sure the Herald gets it right.

I’ve been with the Herald for more than five years now, and this will be my sixth time selecting a Person of the Year. I’m very proud of my past selections, as they have represented some of Valley Stream’s finest and most giving citizens.

In 2007, the honor went to two people — John Faust and Chris Viggiano of the Valley Stream Little League for their efforts in getting a new baseball field built at the Howell Road School. In 2008, I chose Jim Buckley for his years of dedication to the Historical Society.

Salvatore Spinicchia got the honor in 2009 for his commitment to numerous veterans organizations and the volunteer fire department. Carol Crupi, who has led the fight against the new flood maps implemented by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was our 2010 Person of the Year for her ability to organize community members and stand up for the average citizen. Last year was Ida D’Angelo, who given years of service to Friends of Bridge, the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library board and numerous other organizations.

These are some of the outstanding people that make Valley Stream a great place to live. But there are more people out there just as deserving of the honor, and I want to make one of them the Herald’s 2012 Person of the Year. Although I’ve been covering the community for so long and know many of these great people, there are also many I don’t know about, whose great deeds have gone unnoticed.

The requirements are pretty simple. The person should call Valley Stream home. They should not be an elected official, or someone who gets paid for their good deeds.

We want to give the honor to someone whose volunteer service is nothing less than exceptional. If the person is a member of a community organization, it should be someone who goes above and beyond the expectations of their position. Simply put, it should be a person who strives to make Valley Stream a better place.

The Person of the Year will be announced in our Dec. 27 issue on the front page. I welcome your nominations, which must be received by Friday, Dec. 7. Please tell me who you have in mind, and why they should be our Person of the Year.

You can call me at (516) 569-4000 ext. 265 or send me an email at ahackmack@liherald.com. I look forward to hearing from you and I look forward to selecting a Person of the Year.