Sunday, October 4, 2026
This year’s crowd at John Burns Park was the largest ever. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino and Firefighter Ken Haskell, Tom and Tim’s 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.
The problem, however, is that data centers are a legitimate challenge to elected officials who aren’t always capable of understanding what the centers do and how the public may react. It’s a balancing act that isn’t working well, and the public has now become fired up, because people are afraid of rising electricity rates and don’t want their water supply depleted.
Handling water scarcity is critical, because we need clean water for drinking, food production and our overall survival. This summer, Nassau and Suffolk counties have seen state drought warnings due to below-normal precipitation. Last month, the Suffolk County Water Authority asked residents to stop watering their lawns, warning that its infrastructure was reaching maximum capacity under the current combination of drought and heat. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Long Islanders use an average of 140 gallons of water a day per person, about 55 percent more than the national average.
Families, caregivers, advocates and community members from across Nassau County will come together Sunday, Oct. 4, at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow for the 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
For some students, the thought of going back to school in September is a dreadful one. But for Matty Mazzello, an 11-year-old from East Meadow, the first day of middle school marked a new beginning.
East Meadow resident Dr. Lincy Jojan has spent more than two decades caring for patients, teaching future health care professionals and studying how people with chronic kidney disease can take part in decisions about their treatment. On Sept. 17, she was among 14 women recognized for their service and leadership at State Sen. Steve Rhoads’ fourth annual Women of Distinction ceremony.
