Nearly 50 years ago, East Meadow and Salisbury residents were determined to give their unincorporated communities something their leaders felt was lacking — a shared identity.
They decided to establish the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations — better known as CEMCO — a civic group created to bring neighbors from both communities together to speak with one unified voice.
“The idea was to create an identity for East Meadow, boundaries being the East Meadow School District, to create unity — an organization that would bring everyone together,” Joe Parisi, CEMCO’s current president, told the Herald.
The organization is preparing to celebrate its golden anniversary on Sept. 27 at La Novella Ristorante, at 364 East Meadow Ave., organizers said.
Founded on Sept. 28, 1976, the nonprofit organization still serves residents living within the school district’s boundaries. The group's original bylaws guide CEMCO leadership, providing a forum for communication, civic engagement and the exchange of ideas; organizing community meetings on proposed developments and issues that impact East Meadow; advocating for the beautification of the East Meadow community; sponsoring programs encouraging harmony, unity, health and safety; and supporting initiatives that improve the greater East Meadow area.
CEMCO was created by Norma Gonsalves, an educator who later became a Nassau County legislator. Gonsalves, who died last year at age 90, helped oversee the creation of various committees, including the Crime Watch Committee, the Nassau County Jail Advisory Committee and the Nassau University Medical Center Committee.
Parisi, who became involved with CEMCO in the late 1980s, championed its Beautification Committee a few years later, in 1992.
Each June, Community Day is held at Speno Park on East Meadow Avenue, which has been a longstanding tradition that draws a large gathering, offering free food, activities, music and more. The Beautification Committee, Parisi said, tied itself into Community Day by planting a tree in the park, something that it has continued to do ever since.
Beyond planting efforts across the community, CEMCO’s beautification team maintains a berm site, a small triangular plot of land on the corner of Bellmore Avenue and North Jerusalem Road.
But perhaps the committee’s crowning achievement is the creation of the East Meadow Bird Sanctuary in the early 90s, a large plot of land with a water basin, behind Speno Park. The water basin has been protected, cleaned and transformed over the years, thanks to CEMCO’s efforts. Community cleanups, new fencing and local partnerships help maintain the space and allow nature to thrive.
“Year after year, we’ve been doing these cleanups, and now here we are in 2026,” Parisi said. “A lot of the vegetation came back. A lot of trees grew back. It became a very beautiful space, just by leaving it alone.”
Among its many committees, projects and initiatives, CEMCO remains true to its core values by holding meetings on issues that matter to the community, Parisi emphasized. Although meetings can sometimes be contentious, he said, they ultimately leave residents better informed.
Recent meetings have focused on the Regency Development, which transformed a shopping center on Hempstead Turnpike, as well as smaller projects around town and local issues, including a large bond proposal in the East Meadow School District that was ultimately approved by voters in March.
“I think the founding principles of CEMCO are just as important today as they were 50 years ago,” Parisi said. “It is an organization that tries to promote unity within our community. In this social media age, there is so much misinformation going out there. I know it’s kind of old-fashioned, but I think when we have a meeting, we try to bring together people who can bring the facts to the table.”
CEMCO’s modern leadership team consists of Parisi serving as president, Richard Bivone as first vice president, Richard Cardozo as second vice president, Dolores Rome as third vice president, Veronica Nicastro as recording secretary, Elizabeth Fries as corresponding secretary and Renata Crescitelli as treasurer.
“We are a quiet organization, but we do our work,” Rome said. “We care about our community. We care about what people think, and that’s why we have meetings.”
The organization is planning to celebrate its milestone anniversary on Sept. 27, from 1 to 5 p.m., at La Novella, during a gathering that will include a cocktail hour, buffet dinner, dessert and more.
Tickets are $75 per person, with proceeds helping support CEMCO’s community efforts. Although the organization’s annual expenses are minimal, it funds scholarships for high school students, provides a wreath for the community’s Memorial Day observance and sponsors other activities throughout the area.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for the dinner as well, and those interested in learning more can contact Parisi at CEMCO1976@gmail.com, or visit the group’s Facebook page, Council of East Meadow Community Organizations.
Many organizations in East Meadow contribute positively to the success of the community, but CEMCO truly “does it all,” Parisi explained.
“CEMCO is that civic presence,” he said. “We cover the gamut for the community. We are wearing many hats that are all important to the community, and I don’t think there’s any other organization in East Meadow that does what CEMCO does.”
