Search autocomplete is currently not responding MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Bay Shore man pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a July 2014 crash in which two of his passengers were seriously wounded in a single-car crash on the Wantagh Sta...Read on... MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Hicksville retailer was arrested yesterday for a massive trademark counterfeiting scheme after an investigation by the NCDA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Hom...Read on... Keno Jamell Ramsay allegedly attacked sleeping man and struck him with blunt object MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Cambria Heights, Queens, man was indicted by a grand jury on seven counts relate...Read on... Wilkens Thelusma allegedly struck victim who had just crashed a box truck into the center median MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Farmingdale man who allegedly fled the scene of a fatal accident on...Read on... MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Baldwin man who allegedly struck a home with Molotov cocktails in two November attacks was arraigned on a 21-count grand jury indictment today. Joseph Fer...Read on... Deborah Tangredi used money to pay personal credit card bills, car and home equity loans MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Floral Park woman who stole approximately $467,000 between 2009 and 2014 fr...Read on... Emil Best, a repeat offender, faces up to 25 years in prison MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Long Beach man was convicted yesterday afternoon for repeatedly sexually abusing an eight-year old chil...Read on... Anthony Trimble was found guilty by Nassau jury in 15 minutes MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a known Bloods gang member was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possessing a handgun on a Hemps...Read on... Deon Ewers allegedly shot the man within an hour of arriving on a cross-country flight MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced the indictment of Deon Ewers, who is accused of murdering a 34-year old man on Nov...Read on... Edward Korona, Jr., 53, allegedly lied on four occasions to attain County jobs MINEOLA, N.Y. – Acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a high-ranking County government official was arraigned today on a 12-count indictment ...Read on... www.heroinprevention.com Travis Eddy was no stranger to the drug game: The 33-year-old mechanic from Long Island had been hooked on heroin off and on for nearly half his life he unwittingly began smoking crack laced with xylazine — the powerful anim.. Outside a building on East 126th Street in East Harlem one of two safe injection sites in New York City known as ‘tranq,’ in his illicit drugs Study reveals widespread use of fentanyl among people who inject drugs in New York City despite overwhelming preference for heroin late on a recent Saturday night a crowd of young party-goers formed a line outside the bathroom as punk music blared in the background A group of activists and grieving family members who've lost loved ones to fentanyl are putting their pain on full display at one of the most iconic landmarks in the country government will pay for a large study measuring whether overdoses can be prevented by so-called safe injection sites places where people can use heroin and other illegal drugs and be revived if they take too much Terrance Dougherty allegedly stole escrow funds from 20 individuals and spent the funds at adult entertainment clubs – Nassau County District Attorney Anne T Donnelly announced that a Floral Park real.. Matthew Whyte was driving nearly 100 miles per hour while impaired by marijuana on the Southern State Parkway in November 2022 when he crashed into another vehicle Anthony Calvo allegedly struck his former Beech Street Taxi coworker in the head Donnelly announced that a Long Beach man w.. Jaden D’Souza was allegedly impaired by cannabis and driving approximately 123 miles per hour when he lost control of his vehicle killing his 21-year-old sister and another 23-year-old woman – Nassau County District Attor.. Samuel Gutierrez Orozco allegedly drove drunk and at a high rate of speed on Peninsula Boulevard in September 2023 lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree – Nassau County District Attorney Anne T... a former employee of the Northwell Health Sleep Disorders Center allegedly recorded patients in several bathrooms using a hidden camera inside a smoke detector at two facilities; five victims identified Kyle Matthews and Isaiah Gonzalez conspired to and carried out a fatal shooting outside a party venue in August 2023 Donnelly announced that two men were convicted of fatally shooting a man .. Marlon Rabanales Pretzantzin allegedly punched violently shook and dropped his 2-month-old daughter Donnelly announced that an Inwood man was indicte.. allegedly told an older couple they needed a new roof increasing the construction price more than 5000% in five days and providing them with a fraudulent insurance claim approval for the work Joshua Pena pleaded guilty in January to driving while intoxicated on the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway and killing 23-year-old Xavier Pena Donnelly announced a Valley Stream man was sentenc.. THE NASSAU COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT UNIT ACCEPTS CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS ELECTRONICALLY AND BY MAIL A MEMBER OF OUR LEGAL STAFF WILL CONTACT YOU.. OFFICIAL REQUEST FOR INFORMATIONOFFICIAL REQUEST FOR COMPLIANCE Read on... Phone: 516-571-3800 Contact Us pictured with Valley Stream South Principal Michael Swinson won the “Celebration of Suburban Diversity” essay contest hosted by Hofstra’s suburban studies program A Valley Stream student has taken the top spot in an essay contest that asked teens to identify issues related to diversity in Long Island’s suburbs and how it affects them a sophomore at Valley Stream South High School won first place in the 15th Annual “Celebration of Suburban Diversity” essay contest hosted by the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University Herricks High School sophomore Sreya Sanyal won second place and a $2,000 scholarship while Bay Shore High School senior Cristal Castillo Ruiz won third place and a $1,000 scholarship “Long Island schools are becoming increasingly religiously diverse yet students who practice visibly distinct religions are not entirely accepted,” Ali wrote in her winning essay which significantly impacts one’s sense of place and self-esteem.” welcomed essays of up to 500 words and was open to students in grades nine-12 across Long Island Winners were recognized during a November banquet at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury From breaking news to special features and documentaries the NewsdayTV team is covering the issues that matter to you By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy associate vice president and executive dean of Hofstra’s National Center for Suburban Studies said the contest allows students to confront the challenges of growing up and succeeding in a world that is not always hospitable to them because of their race or religion personal experience and sophisticated academic research,” Levy said “Their talent and determination gives us hope for the future.” The South Country Central School District has unveiled a new logo created by Luke Graser a senior at the district’s Bellport High School It will be used on the district’s newsletters Graser was named the winner of a districtwide contest and his logo incorporates the area’s nautical roots with an image of a clipper ship and ship’s wheel He created it using the program Adobe Illustrator “I think it’s pretty cool that my design was selected,” Graser said “I like that it is going to be around for a while.” Longwood High School recently unveiled a $433,000 fitness center featuring “the most advanced and up-to-date equipment,” school officials said which replaced a smaller and outdated workout room spirit and heart that we officially open this fitness center to our students as it exemplifies our continued commitment to providing students with the tools they need to reach their potential — both on and off the field,” said Longwood School District Superintendent Lance Lohman Vandermeulen High School recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new lab featuring 24 high-performance computers intended for projects in the fields of science The new lab is expected to fast track students’ STEM careers as well as support and facilitate school electives involving cybersecurity and esports “The opening of our new computer lab is a significant step forward in enhancing our STEM curriculum and providing students with the resources they need to thrive in today’s technology-driven world,” said Port Jefferson School District Superintendent Jessica Schmettan Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months Within the suburban village of Valley Stream is the waterway that gave the village its name and one of its tributaries is Clear Stream whose name is preserved on a street and school Nearly the entire course of this brook has been drained and channeled beneath the surface At Fir Street the course of the creek appears as an alley owned by the village with a drain that contributes to the watershed of Clear Stream This undeveloped parcel marks the former aqueduct that provided water to Brooklyn in the 19th century The actual stream is a few yards to the east a meandering property line behind backyards where it flowed prior to suburbanization the GIS service for Nassau County shows property boundaries in pink with the aqueduct path and streambed easily visible among the single-family unattached homes the dead-end on Albert Street is a reminder of the stream’s presence there are many such examples where a phantom stream appears in dead-ends and curves of streets The aqueduct’s path is assigned to the Village of Valley Stream which keeps the grass trimmed but for some reason has not developed this six-block path that runs from Merrick Road to Fir Street I can see it designated as a park for pedestrians and bikes Considering the paucity of parks in the suburbs The natural course of Clear Stream is very narrow and dry for most of the year It is hard to imagine how this ditch had ever lived up to its name It flowed for nearly two miles through farmland that became a village bordering on the great city to its west more people moved in and the village became nearly indistinguishable from the Queens neighborhoods next to it and full numbers on homes rather than hyphens At Cedar Street the streambed is wider and I would like to see how it appears on a rainy day when Clear stream comes back to life but for a brief period Clear Stream was a minor contributor to this system with its reservoir at Merrick Road An image of Clear Stream Reservoir from the Brooklyn Museum collection shows the reservoir in 1874, taken by George Bradford Brainerd far from the big city that would eventually expand to the border of Valley Stream it was connected to the Catskill-Croton-Delaware aqueduct and became less dependent on the old Brooklyn Water Works its gatehouse on Merrick Road was demolished There are no historical signs in Arlington Park to speak of its history and its namesake is a street bordering this park Looking north from the reservoir site on Google Earth we see the stream’s course snaking behind homes These trees receive their water from the creek that flows under the surface The aerial survey from 1950 on the Nassau LRV shows the street grid and homes filling in the spaces within the blocks. Highlighted here are Sunrise Highway, Merrick Road, and Central Avenue, the main roads in Valley Stream. From left to right, the blue lines mark Simonson Creek, Clear Stream, and Valley Stream with a much stricter and more expansive grid of roads To the south of Sunrise Highway is Curtiss Field To the south of the railroad tracks and Sunrise Highway is Green Acres Mall which opened in 1956 on the site of an airport Operating in the early years of commercial aviation this site had a series of names: Advance Sunrise Airport it hosted pioneering aviators Jimmy Doolittle, Amelia Earhart Charles Lindbergh, Elinor Smith, Frank Hawks and Wiley Post The names of the businesses have changed and the appearance of the mall has been updated but essentially it is still isolated from the surrounding communities and appears as sets of buildings separated by parking lots The mall is connected to bus lines serving Queens and Nassau but it does not appear friendly to pedestrians With changes to consumer culture resulting from online retail malls are adapting by welcoming entertainment attractions and redeveloping as mixed-use complexes that include parks and residential units so it’s possible to have a daylighted stream coexisting with a shopping mall During the Great Depression, business at the airfield declined and architect Clarence Stein proposed a residential community on this site The six airport hangars on the western edge of the site were preserved for commercial use This plan appears in his 1951 book titled Toward New Towns for America we see Valley Stream flowing the the southeast of this neighborhood To the south of the mall where Stein failed Irwin Chanin found success with single-family homes on cul-de-sacs that shared walkways between Woodfield and Flower roads To discourage shoppers from disturbing their subdivision streets in Green Acres do not connect to Green Acres Road that encircles the mall Clear Stream emerges on the surface as a tidal inlet near Brook Road Park Their water then flows into Hook Creek and then Jamaica Bay Chanin’s Green Acres subdivision is better known to residents as South Valley Stream, to distance itself from the shopping mall and its reputation for crime. In 2014, the state designed a linear waterfront park for this community along the bank of Valley Stream I wish to see such park along other backyard creeks in Nassau County My leading source on Valley Stream history is the Valley Stream Historical Society, which includes local resident author Bill Florio he developed an interest in history at a young age shared his findings online and then went to print with it When your village borders on the big city, it’s not easy to give it the attention that it deserves. Fortunately, Valley Stream Historical Society has plenty of documentation on its history and waterways. For more on this community read my essay on Valley Stream’s namesake creek LikeLike Hi – are you the person with the class action law suit for bus tickets LikeLike Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Sergey Kadinsky is an analyst at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and an adjunct professor of history at Touro College He is a licensed tour guide who paid his way through college atop the double-decker Gray Line buses Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker “Henry and Henrietta Swan” glide along with their young family on the creek near Mill Brook Park in South Valley Stream my parents bought a house in South Valley Stream overlooking a tidal creek My wife and I bought it from them in 2002 when they retired out east I know it was hard for them to leave the creek “Like being on vacation every day” my father would say On the opposite bank is a public walking path called Mill Brook Park Lately we’ve been seeing a lot of swan tourists here in vacationland stopping on their evening strolls to take pictures of Henry and Henrietta so we’ve called all their descendants by those names they built their nest under a bridge along the path in an area engineered after Superstorm Sandy to be a spillway for flood water tossing the eggs into the surrounding marsh people stood on the bridge watching the swans circling their nest Though I knew it was probably a lost cause a young neighborhood environmentalist and I pulled on wading boots and tried to put the eggs back in the nest one swan went missing for a few weeks and the other was patrolling the creek alone Since their comparative sizes are generally the only way to tell them apart we assumed it was Henry keeping things under control while Henrietta was on a nest somewhere downstream But we also feared that it could have been Henrietta worriedly pacing the creek after the sudden disappearance of her mate You’d think we’d know by now not to get drawn into swan drama A roundup of highlights from Newsday's Opinion Department We were delighted when our swans showed up with two baby cygnets especially since this is likely our last year on the creek trading in South Shore salt life for upstate mud life Our son and other family members are there already The house we bought four years ago in the little hamlet of Copake Falls New York sits on a hill 850 feet above sea level This fact was a major selling point for people who lived through Sandy “Sure wish we could take the creek with us.” We’re OK with leaving our neighbor Valley Stream South High School with its twice-daily parade of noisy car and foot traffic Students walk the creek path to get to school there’s an occasional group of knucklehead boys who need to be told (in Long Island vernacular) not to throw rocks at wildlife they were in the weeds below the path throwing rocks at the cygnets Henry charged violently across the water at them hell-bent on injuring them before they injured his family I know now that Henry and Henrietta have got this Reader John Duffy lives in South Valley Stream SEND AN ESSAY about life on Long Island (about 550 words) to expressway@newsday.com Essays will be edited and may be republished in all media Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North dunks after a fast-break turnover against Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu soared toward the basket and jammed the ball through the hoop with his right hand putting a rim-rocking exclamation point on the best scoring game of his varsity career 10 in the home white uniform showed up everywhere in the big picture Friday night delivering 36 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to power Valley Stream North to a 63-49 win over Valley Stream South in their Nassau Conference A-VI matchup “It was a pretty good game,” Obukwelu said humbly Valley Stream South coach Mike O’Brien described the 6-4 senior guard/forward’s offensive output this way: “Felt like about 60.” He’s now averaging a team-high 21.3 points So why is this two-time Newsday Top 100 player so good “Because he’s the hardest-working player that I’ve coached,” Spartans coach Mike McVeigh said He’s asking me if there’s extra gym time [so] he can come before He’s pulling the freshmen aside to talk to them 8-0 Nassau A-VI) could claim their first conference crown since 2017 They also could contend for the program’s first county title “We’re not really the team that worries what’s going to happen later in the year,” McVeigh said every time I see the ball go through the hoop that’s when my confidence goes all the way up,” Obukwelu said Teammate Vincent Rienzie scored seven of his 17 in the second period The lead swelled to 17 before the Spartans settled for a 34-19 halftime advantage scored five in a 10-0 third-quarter run that cut it to 39-32 But Obukwelu countered with five in a 7-2 burst that put Valley Stream South up 46-34 Valley Stream South fell for the second time to Obukwelu’s team 3-5) are still shooting for a Class A playoff berth “I think if we play the way we’re capable of playing Scenes from a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game between Valley Stream South and host Valley Stream North on Friday Vincent Rienzie of Valley Stream North breaks the press and dribbles into the Valley Stream South zone during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Vincent Rienzie of Valley Stream North looks for an open teammate as he drives through the paint against Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North grabs a rebound in front of Brady Delvalle of Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North is seen on the bench during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game against Valley Stream South at Valley Stream North on Tuesday The Valley Stream South cheer squad poses prior to a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game against host Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dillon Wallace of Valley Stream South fouls Tristan Mitchell of Valley Stream North as he drives to the net during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North dunks after a fast break turnover against Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North splits the Valley Stream South defense during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North hits an uncontested layup after a fast-break turnover against Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Brady Delvalle of Valley Stream South drives past Omarion Holder of Valley Stream North during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Jaden Pryce of Valley Stream South hits a layup in front of Noah Obukwelu during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North prepares for a free throw during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game against Valley Stream South at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North grabs a rebound in front of Dillon Wallace and Milan Mabry of Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North dunks after a fast-break turnover against Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North shoots from the paint as Brady Delvalle of Valley Stream South defends him during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Noah Obuwelu of Valley Stream North and Lonnie Creech of Valley Stream South contest a loose ball in the fourth quarter of a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday Dominic Obukwelu of Valley Stream North extends for a layup in front of Jaden Pryce of Valley Stream South during a Nassau Conference A-VI boys basketball game at Valley Stream North on Tuesday The batter stepped into the righthanded box on the field at Malverne High The legs were evenly balanced in an upright stance and the bat sat just about parallel over the right shoulder for this first at-bat But there was one giveaway that this was no ordinary hitter for Valley Stream South’s varsity team wavy hair flowed down from out of the back of the helmet This was indeed a girl playing among the boys And the boy waiting on deck happened to be her older brother a 14-year-old girl who looked completely comfortable in her surroundings an eighth-grade starter in leftfield and at second base in a season that just ended Thursday She is a 5-4 girl with tall dreams and a desire to keep improving “I just want to focus on not making errors and not focusing on if I do make an error or do strike out not focusing on that and just focusing on the next play and doing better.” Nick Simone started in centerfield for the second straight season and pitched and caught a bit this year The 15-year-old sophomore’s presence helped his sister’s transition from JV to varsity early in the season “We’ve been playing on the same team since who started playing baseball when she was around 4 or 5 “It’s definitely a lot easier because first time going on the team [it] was a lot easier to get in a groove with them and get to know them more.” Valley Stream South coach Rich Hess had also delivered a message to these boys: And they did — throughout a season in which they finished 9-10 They don’t not include me because I’m younger and I’m a girl.” She was called up for the fourth game of the season April 3 against Lawrence and came in to play two innings at second base Then she played one more JV game before returning to the varsity to start An injury had created an opening and she was deemed best to fill it Her first four starts came in leftfield before she moved and opened the final 10 games at second Simone welcomed her quick graduation from being the JV shortstop “I was really happy because I love baseball,” she said and I’ve been working really hard for it." The siblings teamed up nicely May 2 in a 10-0 win over Nassau Countywide I opponent West Hempstead pitched the first three innings for the victory Giada helped him keep West Hempstead scoreless turning a 6-4-3 double play to close the second and pulling off an unassisted double play to end the third Then she delivered a single and a double and scored three times in the following game against West Hempstead especially in eighth grade to play with us It’s just really cool and fun to play with my sister.” He hit .360 with a .522 on-base percentage including six steals in a game at Malverne “I’m just looking to run all the time,” he said His sister also looked the part from the start helping the cause with some tangibles and some significant intangibles Giada had to adjust to varsity pitching and finished with five hits in 32 at-bats She gained a reputation for having good at-bats I’m hoping her mental toughness rubs off on the rest of us I could put Giada at almost any position and I’m confident as well as the other guys on the team that she’s going to make plays “Giada was phenomenal,” the Malverne coach said after his team swept a three-game series “… I was very impressed for an eighth-grader You’re an eighth-grader and you know the game that well The Yankees are her favorite major-league team Asked if there’s a player she patterns herself after “I’ve been playing baseball since I was younger “I never really liked smaller fields anyway When I moved up to juniors for Little League it was a lot better because it’s a bigger field and it’s not as small as the softball fields “And I also just find it a little more fun.”  — The Valley Stream South girls soccer team held a meeting in June and laid out the goals for the season Four things written on a board: Conference champions Ambitious goals for a team that lost in the second round of the playoffs the season before and was placed in Nassau AB-V out of six conferences in ability-based alignments But the Falcons believed everything listed was achievable then this isn’t the place for you,’” coach Demetri Adrahtas said “If this is not your goal and you don’t think we can achieve this then don’t come along for the ride because this is where we are going.” as Valley Stream South capped off its undefeated season with a 1-0 victory over Jamesville-DeWitt in the Class A state championship Sunday afternoon at Cortland High School to win its first state title in school history we knew that we were going to get here,” said senior defender Lindsey Smith “We were going to work no matter what to get here.” as the Falcons entered the postseason as the No With the championship game scoreless after 80 minutes Valley Stream South struck with 27 seconds left in the first overtime period with Kayla Camacho heading in the winning goal off a corner kick from Bryana Pizarro “I put the ball down and I said ‘This is going to be the one and we’re going to win this game.’” “I knew it was my chance to make it count,” Camacho said “I knew this was our opportunity to make it count and that’s what I did.” Hailey Roberts and Allyson Camacho with Natalie Peralta in net played a strong game limiting the chances for Jamesville-DeWitt (22-1) in the Falcons’ 16th shutout of the season “I don’t think there are any words that match what just happened,” said Peralta The Falcons had history on their minds from the first practice and finished the season 21-0 our whole lives have been leading up to this,” said senior midfielder Yasmin Voytelmgum “So it’s just great to actually come out and finish this season strong and end it right.” “We had a feeling the whole year that we were going to make history and that’s what we did,” said sophomore midfielder Mia Asenjo they’ll be telling our story in the future because we worked so hard for this.” Police said a lockout at Valley Stream South High School was lifted Monday after officers were involved in an investigation and search after a 911 call reporting “a suspicious person” near the school was received at about 10:10 a.m Nassau County police said the lockout was initiated by the Valley Stream Central School District out of “an abundance of caution,” but could not provide additional details on the incident Nassau police said there was no credible threat A statement issued Monday afternoon by the school district said a member of the school maintenance staff “observed a suspicious individual attempting to get onto the South High School grounds” — and said that staff member “immediately notified the school administration,” which then placed the building on lockout “Nassau County Police were immediately notified and we are currently working with them as they conduct an investigation on the whereabouts of the individual,” the district said in that statement  “At no point were students in danger." Valley Stream South celebrates their 1-0 victory against Islip in the LI Class A Finals The Valley Stream South girls soccer team had a clear ‘Don’t let anybody write your story for you Don’t let anybody tell you what you can do capable of.'”  coach Demetri Adrahtas said A moment that was unexpected by many when the season began but became a clear reality as the season went on 18) to win a county title in Nassau girls athletics history the Falcons celebrated a trip to the state semifinals after defeating Islip in the girls soccer Long Island Class A championship/Southeast regional final Saturday evening at Islip High School Valley Stream South (19-0) advances to play Vestal in the state Class A semifinal Saturday at 3 p.m “We are definitely trying to prove that we are all we have but that’s all we need,” said sophomore midfielder Mia Asenjo We don’t need all these other people because we know in our hearts that we have this and these teams are not expecting anything.” who scored twice in the Nassau Class A championship continued her impressive season with the game’s lone goal striking from about 30 yards out to the top-left corner of the net off a touch pass from Yasmin Voytelmgum with 23:55 left in the second half “And then I said ‘This is the one,’ and I shot it and it just went in.” And even though the Falcons pictured themselves playing - and winning - a Long Island title from their first fall meeting the moment still surpassed their expectations “It’s something we had in mind,” said forward Bryana Pizarro “I just think they played 80 minutes of pure intensity there was no let up there,” said Islip coach Mike Reilly Nia Anjou and Hailey Roberts with Natalie Peralta making three saves in net And as the Falcons have been doing since September they look to continue to make history in Cortland with goals of bringing home the school’s first state championship Adrahtas added one the most impressive parts to him about the team's success is playing without standout midfielder Jessica Sierzega who tore her ACL the fifth game of the season but consistently picks up the team from the bench “We’re proving a group of underdogs can succeed,” Pizzaro said “And not to give up on your dreams and to look at the picture ahead of you and don’t stop working until you get there She came one game away from finishing in first place in Nassau VI last year which would have sent the Valley Stream South softball team to the playoffs Her goal is to end her senior season with that title “What I really like about the team is that everyone’s always at practice,” Barkolas said “There’s not a day where the whole team is missing or anything It gives us the chance to really work on what we have to do.” Barkolas and the Falcons took another step toward their aspiration with an 18-6 Nassau VI win over Malverne in five innings at Malverne High School Barkolas’ desire for the conference title was clear beyond her words she led off the bottom of the fifth by hustling to extend her single into a double It was her second double of the game as she laced one in the second inning clearing the bases for Valley Stream South (10-1) The right fielder went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs against Malverne (9-5) “I was thinking about my mom because she’s usually at every game that I’m at,” Barkolas said ‘It would be great if I could tell her I hit a home run or something.’” Trinity Smiley kept constant pressure on Malverne’s pitchers “Intensity,” coach Demetri Adrahtas said when asked about what he learned about his team today and I think to finish off as intense as we played today I think you’re going to need that through the last two weeks Because sometimes you can kind of tail off with the intensity and the focus.” Barkolas added that the team had an extra push today because of the change in venue the game was scheduled at Valley Stream South High School but was moved since Malverne’s field was “in better shape,” according to Adrahtas the Falcons were the ''home team" and batted in the bottom half of innings “I feel like it gives us a little more of a motive now,” Barkolas said so we got to show out and do our best for their spectators.” Katie Sharkey of Lynbrook makes the catch to end the inning during a softball game against Valley Stream North on Monday Lynbrook rallied to defeat Valley Stream North in a non-league softball game played at Valley Stream South High School on Monday Lynbrook (11-0) orchestrated a five-run fifth inning to remain undefeated Tiffany Melendez led off the bottom of the first for Valley Stream North with an inside-the-park home run Cianna Nadal hit a two-run triple and scored on a wild pitch to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead “Energy was down early,” Katie Sharkey said “But we’re a team that is capable of a big inning so we were able to bring the energy up and keep it there.” Lynbrook went hitless for two innings before Sharkey hit her first of three singles but she was stranded at third base to end the inning VSN's Emily Rung added an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to extend its lead to 5-0 “We try to not be overly confident and treat every game equally,” Lynbrook's Bianca LoBosco said “We told each other to just keep fighting and always punch back.” Sharkey singled to drive in Daniella Inserra LoBosco followed with an RBI single and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5 Angelina Macchia stole a base and scored on a wild pitch and Kylie Schroeder hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Jessica Ferrara and put Lynbrook ahead 7-5 “We were able to get runners on and keep passing the baton,” LoBosco said “Everyone seemed to get pumped up seeing the person in front of them get on.” The first two batters of the fifth reached base for the Spartans but LoBosco threw out a runner attempting to steal third Sharkey made a sliding grab on a ball headed for centerfield to end the sixth “Our defense is very important,” Sharkey said “I place heavy emphasis on trying to get strikes for my pitcher and keeping the ball in front of me to control runners,” LoBosco said Valley Stream North (5-7) loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh Jamie Deitch induced a weak grounder and fired it to first base to seal the victory “It’s been a fun season so far,” Lynbrook coach Peter Toscano said West Hempstead coach Dom Carre knew his team had potential but wasn’t sure how it would all come together this fall 7 seed in Nassau Conference IV after dealing with injuries last year West Hempstead finished its regular season with a 48-16 home win over Valley Stream South on Saturday The win marked West Hempstead’s first seven-win regular season since 2012 second in the Nassau Conference IV standings the Rams are set to host a playoff game for the first time since 2013 “As long as we’re there for each other I think we can beat anyone,” said senior running back Jonathan Balthazard who missed seven games last season with an injury Balthazard rushed for 70 yards on six carries against Valley Stream South and scored both of his touchdowns in the first quarter who led West Hempstead’s offense with 95 rushing yards “We’re super talented," Chatman said Jurrel Hall ran 35 yards into the end zone on the second play of the second quarter Gavin Lee intercepted a Valley Stream South pass and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown Corey Pierre added a 54-yard touchdown run with 6:56 to play in the second quarter lifting West Hempstead to a 41-0 lead before halftime "We have people who can play multiple positions and we run a unique offense,” Balthazard added “Mix that with our athletes and our talent The Rams forced Valley Stream South into five consecutive three-and-outs to start the game Prince Meeks scored the Falcons’ first touchdown with 1:30 left in the third quarter Andy Dorant scored Valley Stream South’s last touchdown of the afternoon and Declan Cole scored West Hempstead’s only touchdown of the second half Carre congratulated his team on a good regular season and reminded them to focus before the win-or-go-home playoffs “They do things naturally that we don’t even teach them just because they’ve played together for so long,” Carre said West Hempstead lost in the first round of last year's playoffs to a Cold Spring Harbor team they beat during the 2021 regular season The Rams will use last year's playoff experience to prepare for this year’s postseason “Just because you beat a team once doesn’t mean you’ll beat them again,” Pierre said Dean Zulkofske joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Syracuse He previously freelanced for The Athletic and The Post Standard Tori Daniels of Valley Stream South legs out a win in the girls 300-meter dash during the Nassau Class C indoor track and field championships at St Tori Daniels calls them ‘the power reserves.’ That’s the energy source that Valley Stream South junior sprinter taps into before kicking her legs into high gear and taking a race home the reserves were activated with 150 meters left in the 300 at the Nassau Class C indoor track and field championships at St "I definitely wanted a stronger start but I’ve always been a strong finisher," Daniels said I just had to go to those power reserves .. getting those knees up and those arms driving but you have to be able to keep that technique so you could move those legs and get the win." With her reputation as a closer firmly intact Daniels called her start in the 300 ‘a work in progress.’ but it’s definitely something I have to work on in the future," she said She ran 40.17 seconds in December at The Armory in Manhattan performance-by-performance," she said we have state qualifiers and that’s what I’m focused on right now." Daniels was also on the 4 x 400-meter relay that Friends Academy won the girls team championship with 80 points Olivia Carden won the 55-meter hurdles in 9.55 seconds Wheatley’s Julia Schriefer won the 1,000 in 2:56.77 and the 1,500 in 5:02.16 but needed to hold off Aislinn Frazer in the 1,500 so that definitely made me push it and lengthen my stride," Schriefer said Schriefer barely missed matching her personal-best in the 1,000 turning in an impressive time with little competition on a flat track She ran 2:56.3 on a banked track in December "I wanted to dip lower into the 2:50s Clarke (119 points) won their first county title in program history Clarke dominated the field en route to the historic championship Nikhil Panickssery won the pole vault (8-6) and Liam Farrell won shot put (42-8.75) and the weight throw (50-6.5) Seaford’s Anthony Munro won the 55 hurdles (8.02) and the triple jump (39-8) Wheatley’s Scott Schmuck won the 1,600 in 4:47.12 The slow pace of the opening laps caused Schmuck to toss his initial race plan aside but he was still able to lose North Shore’s Sam Sturge on the final lap so [my coach] said ‘just ditch the race plan and win,’" Schmuck said "I just went back to the basics of what I know and I just decided to progressively get faster each lap Valley Stream South celebrates their 2-0 victory over MacArthur at the Nassau Class A girls soccer finals at Cold Spring Harbor on Wednesday Ask anybody on the Valley Stream South girls soccer team when they thought winning a state championship was a realistic possibility and you’ll get the same answer — the last time they lost After an undefeated regular-season (13-0-1) playing in Nassau AB-V in 2017 winning its first playoff matchup before pushing North Shore the eventual Long Island Class A champions the Falcons knew they had the talent to play with the best teams on Long Island we were disappointed,” said senior goalkeeper Natalie Peralta I think that moment from then on was ‘We’re going to win a state championship next year because these girls just don’t like losing.’ And from that moment on we were so determined to come back,” added senior midfielder Yasmin Voytelmgum The Falcons confidence and chemistry continued to grow throughout this season as Valley Stream South won its first state championship in program history in the Class A state final at Cortland High School Nov Valley Stream South also received a boost with new players such as Alexxis McNeil who played for Holy Trinity the season before there’s so many good players on that team,”’ Asenjo said “So when me and Alexxis McNeil came to this team The road to the championship wasn’t easy for the Falcons but they knew entering the season what the had to do After — again — being placed in Nassau AB-V in ability-based conference alignments Valley Stream South needed to win its conference and then an opening game as the No Bryana Pizarro of Valley Stream South chases down the ball during the Nassau Class A girls soccer finals against MacArthur at Cold Spring Harbor on Wednesday the Falcons needed to knock off second-seeded South Side in the opening round of 16 game to begin its playoff run led by Kayla Camacho’s goal late in the first half to break the tie at 1 “They’re not the kids you want to tell ‘You can’t do something,’” coach Demetri Adrahtas said “This is not the group to say ‘You’re not good enough’ to." With a strong backline featuring Lindsey Smith Kayla Camacho and Asenjo with Christina Hillery filling in well after losing standout midfielder Jessica Sierzega early in the season with an ACL injury 18 seed and needing to defeat higher ranked teams from the higher conferences the Falcons never considered themselves underdogs this is a Cinderella story because they kept doubting us,” Peralta said Our actions showed it and they still doubted us Remove all graphics and images from the website so that only the text and links are visible Reverts to original layout including graphics and images The Fairfax County Park Authority has begun a trail maintenance project in South Run Stream Valley Park culvert replacements and related improvements to enhance safety and usability occasional trail closures may be necessary to ensure public safety The Park Authority anticipates the repaving of the trail segment will be complete by Nov Trail edge stabilization and other related work will continue through December but the work should not require trail closures The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year Trail users are urged to obey all posted signs and avoid construction zones for their safety. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and use the FCPA Trail Buddy app to locate alternative trails in the area South Run Stream Valley Park is located at 8299 South Run Road in Springfield For questions or more information, please contact FCPA Project Manager Isabel Villarroel at Isabel.villarroel@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-324-7195 703-324-7329 Website Accessibility Translate Download Mobile App ADA Accessibility FOIA Requests Website Administrator Fairfax County Public Schools Economic Development Authority Visit Fairfax Council of Governments Commonwealth of Virginia USA.gov Mia Asenjo (10) of Valley Stream South is congratulated after her second goal during the Nassau Class A girls soccer final against MacArthur at Cold Spring Harbor on Wednesday The Valley Stream South girls soccer team had two choices entering the season: Sulk in the girls soccer Nassau A championship at Cold Spring Harbor High School to cap off an undefeated season in Nassau play “The rest of the world might not have known it the rest of the world might not have believed it,” coach Demetri Adrahtas said [the county title] was the goal from day one.” 18 seed despite an undefeated season after playing in Nassau AB-V in an ability-based conference alignment is the lowest seed to win a county title in the history of Nassau girls athletics the Falcons needed to win their conference to earn a postseason bid and face a difficult postseason schedule the lowest seed to win any championship of any kind in Nassau County,” Adrahtas said turning it into motivation and outscoring opponents 87-5 Saturday at Islip High School in the Long Island Class A championship / Southeast regional final a sophomore who transferred back to South from Holy Trinity last season scored both goals in the first 20 minutes for Valley Stream South “All of these people are going to say they watched her play when she was in 10th grade Asenjo said the chance to play for a county final for her hometown school was a key reason she transferred the players never lost the belief they could achieve greatness “We knew because we had heart,” Asenjo said “We had a reason to play for and we were all on the same page and making sure we were pushing each other to make sure that we got here.” with Natalie Peralta making five saves in net which placed second in Nassau AB-II in the regular season But up next for Valley Stream South is a chance at a Long Island title “We’re just trying to prove that we’re a really talented group,” Smith said Valley Stream District gymnast Kaylei McDonald completes her balance beam routine in Oceanside on Monday gymnast and two-year captain of the combined Valley Stream District team McDonald’s skills have shined brighter and brighter on each event McDonald is searching for a top spot on the Nassau state team as an All-Arounder “I don’t like the spotlight that much,” McDonald said The girls look up to me because of my skills so I help them choreograph routines or just help on certain events.” McDonald may not be a fan of sitting centerstage but her statistics propel her in that direction The sophomore from Valley Stream South has been a member of the state team for the past two years as a vault specialist This season showcased McDonald’s skills as an All-Arounder She scored a 9.35 on floor exercise in a meet against Syosset She’s won the All-Around at multiple meets ranging between a score of 34 through 36 “She’s a gymnast that does everything with such grace,” said Coach Paige McCarthy “She’s young but she has great leadership qualities She’s the backbone of the team and she models what it means to be a gymnast.” McDonald saves her practices for last putting the other girls on team before herself McCarthy dubbed McDonald an unofficial assistant “I go to club practice after varsity practice so I don’t worry about my routines as much,” McDonald said “I get in my practice after I help the other girls.” cheering them on and giving out suggestions She remembers to teach them the little things 13 at Oceanside and she’ll be competing in every event but if you ask her she’d humbly reply as long as she works she can win it all “I’m going to make states again on more than one event hopefully as an All-Arounder,” McDonald said “I’m definitely going to be on the team for the rest of high school I wat to continue to grow and help the girls on the team grow as well I’m really proud of all that we accomplished and there’s definitely more to come.” Rifle team members in Nassau high schools; Amisha Mangal and Priya Mangal of Memorial Junior High School The 3 positions in air rifle shooting are: offhand Matthew D’Arcio has great memories of West Point from 2018 D’Arcio competed as a sophomore for the Valley Stream District air rifle team that won its eighth state championship that year at the United States Military Academy who have a combined record of 28-0 the last two seasons qualified for the state championships on March 7 Valley Stream District punched its ticket to West Point after capturing its 14th Nassau title (and fourth in the last five years) since the 1994-1995 season “I was excited to be [at West Point] again,” said D’Arcio and I’d be happy as long as I did my best for us.” The state championships -- with schools from seven sections across the state that compete in the coed sport -- feature both team and sectional titles Valley Stream District finished second behind Clarence (Section VI) in the team event and Nassau (Section VIII) was second in the state sectionals behind Section VI Newsday's weekly newsletter takes you on the field and inside the high school sports scene across Long Island D’Arcio placed ninth in the state in the standing position and was 14th overall (aggregate) He was joined by teammates Nicholas Cavaliere (Valley Stream North) who was second in prone and eighth overall; Amisha Mangal (Valley Stream Central) who was fifth in standing position and 13th overall; and her sister ninth-grader Priya Mangal (Memorial Junior H.S.) also competed on the varsity for the Eagles while members of the Nassau sectional team included Victoria Xikis (Glen Cove) Sierra Shim (Freeport) and Brianna Utz (Massapequa) “I’m glad that we participated in the state championship both as a district team and a sectional team,” Amisha Mangal said Awards and honors bring to mind Long Island high school athletic programs that dominated their respective sport The list could include Miller Place in badminton The Valley Stream District air rifle team is worthy of some consideration for that group as well with a record eight state crowns The coach behind that amazing run was Blake McCauley a long-time PAL rifle coach and instructor Heather Zawislak -- a former standout at Garden City -- has been the Eagles head coach the past two seasons “I’ve always just loved the sport,” said Zawislak who competed against and met her husband Stephen “My whole life is intertwined with this sport in one way or another When the job opened up [at Valley Stream District] I had to go for it are one of eight teams that compete in air rifle in Nassau (No Suffolk high school has competed in air rifle since the 1970s according to Newsday high school sports historian Andy Slawson.) Zawislak always has a go-to person when it comes to riflery -- her father “He talks to me all the time," Zawislak said The beginning of the season can be a stressful time for Zawislak “Because of video games like Call of Duty and games like paintball which is really tough to do,” said Zawislak who says she keeps between 10-to-12 members on the varsity team (There is also a junior varsity team.) “I want to make sure each athlete gets the right amount of attention so they can get better.” When it comes to air rifle in Nassau and the state few programs have better pedigree than Valley Stream District “It’s good to know I’ll be remembered with other exceptional athletes,” D’Arcio said “I’m just keeping the tradition going -- the Valley Stream legacy.” each team has six athletes that take 20 shots (all while standing called offhand) with their air rifle from a distance of 10 meters The bull’s-eye of an air rifle target is about the size of a silver dollar Athletes have 29 minutes to complete the 20 shots and only the top four scores count toward the team’s final score athletes take 30 shots -- 10 each in three different positions: offhand (standing) Credit: Composite: Getty Images / Astrid Stawiarz They grew up on Jefferson Avenue and Hungry Harbor Road They were Newsday paperboys and hung out at Green Acres Mall musicals and concerts at their high schools spot-on impressions and kooky characters were born in Valley Stream Some of today’s most successful actors and comedians hail from Valley Stream All but one of them attended Valley Stream Central High School (Miller graduated from Valley Stream South) and caught the acting bug as teens Miller and Dale had a common goal growing up: To make people laugh The comedians reflected on their childhoods and revealed how Long Island audiences helped them hit it big it all started at Valley Stream Central High School’s annual skit night He remembers his best friend at the time wanted him to perform one of his impressions on stage for their peers: Eddie Murphy got his start while performing at Valley Stream Central High School and now has a residency at The Paramount in Huntington I went to see him at Westbury Music Fair when he was only about 18 or 19,” Breuer said “It was before he came out with his comedy specials The fact that he was almost the same age as me was so inspiring.”   hadn’t performed too much at his high school until then “I didn’t want anything to do with plays because I thought it was too corny,” he said But he agreed to get in the spotlight at skit night He stepped out on stage and played Eddie Murphy “I became the most popular kid overnight,” he said Breuer delivered Newsday in his neighborhood He said he wasn’t exactly stellar at the job — “There are people still that owe me at least nine weeks of delivery,” he said with a laugh He graduated from Central in 1985 with fellow “Saturday Night Live” cast member Fred Armisen That was the craziest thing I’d ever seen in my life.” Breuer said Valley Stream offers a good foundation for comedians because of the diversity in its residents’ backgrounds “It’s a very blue-collar and very hands-on neighborhood,” he said “And it also came from descendants of Brooklyn But he said despite the indefatigable work ethic of the community members there wasn’t “a whole lot of optimism to go extremely far.” “I think that mentality of busting chops and being funny — for guys like me and Freddie [Armisen] and Larry Miller Breuer still regularly performs on Long Island His next show at The Paramount is coming up on Saturday and his residency there was recently extended with a fifth show to take place in June “[Long Island] is one of the most electric places in the whole country for me to play,” he said while looking back on his Paramount performances “It felt like an after-wedding celebration Before his breakout role as a schmoozy shop clerk to Richard Gere in “Pretty Woman,” Larry Miller could be spotted performing in Valley Stream South High School’s production of the classic musical “The Boyfriend.” But he wasn’t on stage — Miller played percussion in the orchestra pit Larry Miller grew up on Hungry Harbor Road in Valley Stream and has since launched an extensive comedy and acting career But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t steal the show “I loved adding things if I thought it was funny or if I thought it was interesting.” So during a scene where he was supposed to briefly play some chimes to signify a doorbell ringing “Even the teachers were laughing and shaking their heads,” he said He remembers the chairman of the music department at the time approaching him after the show “I remember him coming up to me and saying Miller drew comedic inspiration from the quick wit and biting satire of Long Island-based comedian Alan King Miller said he would often wake up early just to read King’s books Miller recalls laughing so hard and not being able to stop Miller later starred in an HBO comedy special titled “Larry Miller “I’ll never forget that because that was the first time I was ever aware of the joy and power of comedy,” he said I don’t think even comedians know or the audiences know how strong it is.” Miller lived in Valley Stream for more than 40 years he took his life experiences and started crafting them into stories all felt like comedy material to me,” Miller said Miller opened for Peter Allen at Westbury Music Fair and Buddy Rich at My Father’s Place in Roslyn Although stand-up is his favorite way to communicate with an audience Miller has character actor chops that have also landed him in film and on television Highlights include his performances as the mouthy doorman in “Seinfeld,” Anne Hathaway’s visionary stylist in “The Princess Diaries,” and the protective father in “10 Things I Hate About You.” he feels lucky to have had a positive upbringing who’ve talked about some of the bad things in their lives in the neighborhoods they grew up in but it was never that way for me,” he said I started in New York and I’ve worked here and there and all over the country it all sounds and feels like Valley Stream to me.” Up-and-coming comedian Thomas Dale may be best known for a video that went viral in 2012, titled “[Expletive] Long Island People Say.” While he was working at Morton’s Steakhouse in Great Neck as these types of videos were becoming popular at the time Rising comedian Thomas Dale incorporates his hometown of Valley Stream into his routines I would love to but I don’t want to just do it how everyone else is doing it,” Dale said Dale created characters to deliver each “Long Island saying” in the video He and some friends filmed it around Valley Stream and Malverne and the finished product hit YouTube within just 19 hours I wound up getting a strong Long Island fan base,” he said Dale attended Valley Stream Central High School and the Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts in Syosset Dale said he performed in three productions at the same time: “West Side Story” at BOCES and he was recruited back to Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School to play Fagin in its production of “Oliver!” “Three very different characters!” Dale said with a laugh Governor’s of Levittown and The Brokerage in Bellmore became home to Dale while he was living on Long Island He performed stand-up in New York for six and a half years before moving to Los Angeles He still returns to his favorite clubs whenever he can most recently stepping on the Governor’s stage in December “There are a lot of people that have been coming from when I first started comedy where you need to bring people,” Dale said “Now they see me like I actually know what I’m doing and I have a unique voice It’s like family; it’s like me performing in my living room for all my favorite aunts and uncles and they’re all strangers but they become aunts and uncles.” Dale’s identity plays a huge role in what he brings to his live performances he talks about what it was like being gay growing up in Valley Stream He said he’s received positive feedback from Long Island audiences including regulars who keep coming back to take part in bits he routinely does with the crowd “I’ve had men thank me for opening them up to a different lifestyle,” he said “a perspective they never would have been comfortable with had I not been in this type of personality.” Dale will be featured in Comedy Central’s “This Is Not Happening,” where comedians tell live crowds their favorite stories — from embarrassing to poignant and everything in between Dale is also in the early creative stages of a new series which he described as a “dramedy” about growing up in an “alpha-dominated environment.” I learned to keep it real and just be honest with all the color,” Dale said So that’s how I incorporate it — by just being me.” A Valley Stream student recently held a series of presentations educating residents on the importance of water quality preservation a junior at Valley Stream South High School held six summer sessions at the Henry Waldinger Memorial Library in Valley Stream where her discussion topics included the molecular structure of nitrates and ways to absorb excess nitrates so they don’t reach local groundwater pursued the project as part of her Gold Award which is the highest achievement attainable in the Girl Scouts of the USA She is a member of Troop 2033 and a member of the leadership committee for the Girl Scouts of Nassau County which are a form of nitrogen that can cause toxic algae blooms if it’s in warm water,” said Gajraj “Not many people know that nitrates are a common contaminant and how to prevent it.” The 1½-hour presentations also incorporated experiments that covered topics like chlorine testing and a craft project in which attendees built model rain gardens using items including pipe cleaners and cotton balls are a “beautiful way” to absorb excess nitrates who last year attended Lawrence Woodmere Academy was captain of the school’s robotics team and a member of the Student Council and STEM Honor Society She is on Valley Stream South’s varsity volleyball team and plays flute in the Valley Stream Community Band Valley Stream South senior class president Keirra Laube is attending Princeton University this fall #ndproms https://t.co/nEpMI9ODRu Credit: @AndrewCoen Keirra Laube showed off a smile at the Valley Stream South High School senior prom Wednesday night that at first glance would make someone think she doesn’t have a care in the world But that smile is more a sign of her perseverance and during her junior year at Valley Stream South High School she lost her father Laube has maintained a positive outlook on life On Wednesday evening she celebrated graduation week at the school’s prom at Floral Terrace in Floral Park with classmates and teachers that have been by her side through the tough times is forever grateful for the emotional support friends and staff have provided Teachers surprised her this year with a Best Buy gift card to purchase a laptop before heading off to college this fall at Princeton University “My high school was definitely a support system,” said Laube “Everyone surrounded me with so much love.” politics and crime stories in Nassau County The support Laube received helped her stay focused through the pain of losing a second parent as she excelled academically while juggling multiple activities Laube was president of Students Against Destructive Decisions and the Character Action Team She also was a starting defender on the combined Valley Stream District’s varsity girls lacrosse team “You would never know she has had such tragedy in her life,” said Valley Stream South principal Maureen Henry plans to study either economics or public policy at the Ivy League school the influence of her late parents will remain “I still keep them in my thoughts all the time,” she said 2021 at 1:54 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Carries Solages seeks his fifth term in the Nassau County Legislature NY — Election Day is fast approaching and Patch is giving you a look at the candidates on the Nov Nassau County's 3rd Legislative District features Democratic incumbent Carrie Solages Solages is being challenged by Bernadin Fleurima Patch asked Solages where he stands on important issues affecting the community Does anyone in your family work in politics or government Graduate of Georgetown University and Boston College Law School Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office To continue strong advocacy for the needs of my constituents The single most pressing issue facing our (board The Belmont Arena Project presents a major opportunity for development and economic revitalization for the Elmont and greater Nassau County community In order to make sure that the project is a benefit and not a burden for the community that I represent I advocated for a fully functional train station and I happy to see that the State has constructed a station there however it is on the north side of the project away from Elmont which is a large working-class community That is why I am advocating for a rapid bus transfer system with the NICE Bus company and the State in a partnership to make sure that resident can connect from Hempstead Turnpike to the train station on the north side of the project The more efficient commute time we can create for residents means more time they get to spend with their families That is one-way constituents can benefit from the project in addition to a community center and job training program that can be sponsored and funded by the developer I have led petition drives and press conferences and other methods that focus on organizing the community with one clear voice demanding that the State and the developer do right by the community I am asking constituents to continue advocating for a community center which is a part of a plan by the project developers but not yet a reality I have also helped to ensure that constituents benefit from the project by advocating that the developer create a downtown Elmont beautification improvement bureau the developer and local Government support such entities that are responsible for litter removal beautification effort and provide local jobs I would like to see that because litter removal debris and such quality of life issues are very important issues to the constituents that I serve The State and the Town of Hempstead have not done a good job in addressing quality of life and beautification issues along Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont The road often has much litter and the Town is not enforcing or providing timely cleanup The Town has given up on removing illegally placed posters on the street poles for example Many constituents call my office regarding this issue I am thankful for their responsiveness but they must develop a better plan to address this issue I ask constituents to join me in this push to make sure that we all benefit from the project What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post I have a proven professional record of accomplishments as a Legislator--experience matters in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency) How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus What if anything would you have done differently I think local officials prevailed and did excellent job--they put their personal and family lives at risk Local officials did not politicize wearing a mask as leaders did on a national level We must continue to provide free test and vaccine sites Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform Making our communities safe in terms of public safety is an issue Providing assistance with quality of life issues is another major issue What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job Traffic Safety:Traffic and road safety has been and continues to be a priority in my role as Legislator I have advocated for and secured infrastructure improvements across LD3 that will make our communities safer and improve our quality of life A major component of his work has focused upon road repaving and traffic safety The County recently completed resurfacing on a nearly mile-long span of North Central Avenue in Valley Stream between Hendrickson Avenue and the Southern State Parkway - the centerpiece of an aggressive road-repaving schedule for Valley Stream’s county roads Portions of Hungry Harbor Road and Mill Road were completed as well the County has re-paved portions of Doughty Boulevard and Rockaway Turnpike School Road and Meacham Avenue in Elmont have been completed and the majority of Dutch Broadway has been resurfaced or is scheduled to undergo work soon the County is continuing its work to implement recommended traffic-calming recommendations from the January 2020 Elmont Traffic & Pedestrian Safety Project I am looking forward to several new traffic improvements to make our roads safer including a new traffic light at Dutch Broadway and Diamond Street in Elmont and a new traffic light in front of the senior living facility named Dutchgate in North Valley Stream we must all engage and promote safety education and law enforcement as well Reducing Crime:I am proud to say that the 3rd Legislative District gained two new PALS (Police Activity League) programs That was due to the partnership of County Executive who is committed to assisting our community by improving our relationship with local law enforcement In addition to improving our relationship with law enforcement as a community I have promoted many other efforts to help reduce crime I have funded through my supportive funding votes as a Legislator to fully fund such programs and providing more resources to our law enforcement through technology I have led the efforts to equip our Nassau County Police Officers with body cameras I have also funded efforts to have more auxiliary police cars in our community to patrol and show a visible law enforcement presence I have funded and supported efforts for the use of Shot Spotter which has detected gun use in our community which much be treated as a priority because we see rising gun violence in the metro NYC area What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions I feel blessed to serve the constituents of the 3rd District I am supportive of better Law Enforcement and Community relations Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Valley Stream South's Dana King controls the ball against Lawrence on Friday Dana King scored 24 of Valley Stream South's 31 points in the fourth quarter and overtime and finished with 47 in the Falcons' 78-74 win over visiting Lawrence Friday night King shot 5-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final minute of regulation to erase a 63-59 deficit tie the score at 64 with 9.6 seconds left and force overtime King's three-point play with 2:52 left in overtime gave the Falcons (6-2) a 70-64 lead Lawrence (3-6) would get no closer than three the rest of the way "He's Mariano Rivera," coach Matt Johnsen said He's been the best player in our school's history." Lawrence has struggled with Marcus Saint-Furcy sidelined with a knee injury but the Golden Tornadoes "have been in almost every game," coach Lou Robinson said "This win helps a lot," King said who picked up his second foul late in the first quarter after scoring nine of the Falcons' first 11 points came back into the game and scored eight points during the spurt His three-point play with 3:48 left gave the hosts a 24-22 lead King also assisted a two-handed slam by Hall Elisias that gave the Falcons a 31-26 lead with 1:42 left Kameron Gilchrest had 12 points in the third quarter as Lawrence outscored South 21-11 to tie the score at 47 entering the fourth quarter Gilchrest went on a 7-0 run by himself to close the frame He chased down a pair of misses and converted the ensuing layups and nailed a three-pointer out of the right corner The teams went back and forth in fourth quarter and Lawrence took a 63-59 lead with one minute remaining after Adante' Oliver hit two foul shots one possession after taking a steal in for a bucket Elisias had 13 points for Valley Stream South Sam Robinson led the Golden Tornadoes with 16 points before fouling out early in overtime Valley Stream South High School's 1978 homecoming king Joel Santisteban then and now Credit: Courtesy of Joel Santisteban Editor's Note: Newsday.com is catching up with former Long Island homecoming kings and queens to reflect on being named royalty and see what they're up to now If you're a former Long Island high school homecoming king or queen and would like to participate email rachel.weiss@newsday.com or josh.stewart@newsday.com who was elected homecoming king of Valley Stream South High School in 1978 He was popular among peers in a school that placed students in grades seven through 12 in one building He was a star running back for the Valley Stream South Falcons a baseball player and a member of the track team Santisteban always had sports on the brain the teacher who introduced him to news writing but focused on football and baseball when he entered C.W “You only have a certain window of being an athlete,” Santisteban said I went up to my window and felt like I was in the best shape of my life at 23 years old.” That’s when Santisteban tried out for the Miami Dolphins his college coach encouraged him to change positions But Santisteban said he just couldn’t make the switch “for the life of me,” and headed to training camp “I was down there for three months and then I got released,” Santisteban said 'I can’t do this anymore.' But I always had that love of journalism and the news and it all started at Valley Stream South.” Santisteban later earned a bachelor's degree in media studies from Fordham University He worked for ABC as a program coordinator before transferring to WABC national radio he eventually paid for the college tuitions of his three children and retired by age 55 “They’re out on their own now and they’re all doing well,” he said of his children “That came with a lot of sacrifice on our part We lived pretty much below our means and I sacrificed a lot with my work hours to pull that off I rolled the dice and wanted to see if I could retire early So now I’m going to make the trips and do things I wanted to do while I was working.” hiking and exploring parts of Long Island he’s never seen before He recently kayaked the Nissequogue River for the first time Connetquot and Peconic rivers are next on his “bucket list.” I’ve never been to any state or national parks out of state -- I’ve never done any of that,” he said “Do you know how many times I’ve passed these places when I was traveling for my kids’ college games There’s so much to see here that I never did.” He doesn’t have any regrets about the way it all turned out “The only change I would have made: I still would have pursued football I just would have changed my position,” he said with a big laugh Valley Stream South High School senior Filip Konieczny channeled his champion dance skills for June 20’s prom at Jericho Terrace in Mineola Konieczny has competed as a ballroom dancer — five of them with his 16-year-old sister Konieczny brought a new dance partner — his best friend since seventh grade “I can say on the dance floor she is a very terrific dancer and I can’t wait to have a good time with her tonight.” as she held her own when he started showing off the skills that has allowed him to compete in several states including a victory at the Golden Star DanceSport Championships in Jersey City in 2017 first became friends with Konieczny in their art class five years ago “For ‘South’s Got Talent,’ which is our talent show he has performed [with his sister] and I have cheered him on,” Lopeck said Senior class adviser Jessica Ricotta has known Konieczny since he was in the fourth grade who started as a substitute teacher right out of college and then got hired at the high school has watched as Konieczny and his classmates grew up before her eyes “He’s one of the greatest kids to ever walk South,” Ricotta said “He’s won many competitions and he’s not only academically inclined but this talent of his just puts him over the top.” Konieczny didn’t always know he was going to like dancing He began in a ballet class and new teachers introduced him to the ballroom style “As time went on I developed a very deep interest in dancing,” Konieczny said dancing has not only become a passion but also a hobby and a sport that I do.” Ricotta and many of the school staff receive Christmas cards from Konieczny with a picture of his sister and him dancing “He and his sister have a relationship that is admirable something you wish you might have with your siblings,” Ricotta said Valley Stream South celebrates its Nassau Class A final win over Floral Park at Hofstra University on Saturday King is the Valley Stream South basketball team's all-time leading scorer Leave King open or cover him with one defender Elisias grabs the rebound and converts a putback With King running the offense efficiently and Elisias dominating in the paint Saturday the seventh-seeded Falcons were able to secure their second straight Nassau Class A championship with a 49-43 win over No King had 16 points and six assists and Elisias added nine points 19 rebounds and six blocks for the Falcons (17-4) who will face Bayport-Blue Point at 2:30 p.m Saturday at Farmingdale State for the Long Island Class A championship "I have the two best players in the county," said Johnsen "So I sleep a little easier having them No one else has a 6-7 center like Hall and I always have confidence in Dana down the stretch of games." Brian Fox made five three-pointers and finished with 18 points for Floral Park (14-8) which became the first 16th seed to appear in a Nassau basketball final since the seeding process began in 1964 according to county historian Jack White and statistician Joe Giannotti Fox's three-pointer from the left corner cut the deficit to 44-40 with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter King secured a rebound and fired an outlet pass to Murilo Pereira who converted a layup to give the Falcons a 47-40 lead with 25 seconds remaining King scored the game's final two points with five seconds left to seal the title "This feels even better than the first one," Elisias said Elisias and King are the team's only returning starters from last season's championship team "This was a tough season because some guys were inexperienced and needed time," Johnsen said Jaremi Hernandez and Josh Robinson -- the team's three other starters -- proved vital Saturday The trio totaled all eight of the Falcons' points in the third quarter The Falcons pulled away with a 10-2 run to open the fourth quarter as Elisias and King alternated scoring baskets Floral Park struggled to score because of Elisias' presence His size prevented the Knights from driving to the basket "He's our savior," King said Said Elisias: "With having me and Dana back Our expectation was to get back here and beyond." Valley Stream South's Hall Elisias dunks the ball during a Nassau Class A semifinal game against Carey on Feb There will be an all-new look to the Nassau A boys basketball final 4 Valley Stream South rode the low-post play of Hall Elisias and Dimitri Badette 9 Carey Monday night in the second Nassau A semifinal The Falcons (17-3) earned their first trip to the county championship game "It feels great to know that no one's ever done that here," said Elisias a 6-5 sophomore who also dominated the glass with 18 rebounds a 6-4 senior finally getting to enjoy a deep playoff run Valley Stream South placed four starters in double figures William Knight scored 12 points and sophomore point guard Dana King added 11 a starting receiver on Carey's Long Island championship football team "We're a very versatile team," Badette said Valley Stream South wrested control of the game early with an opening 10-3 run "That's why I do them," Elisias said with a smile when asked about the clear impact on the crowd and his teammates of those rim-rockers Carey cut a 16-point halftime deficit to 10 at 46-36 with five minutes left but King hit a turnaround in the lane and a runner on the Falcons' next two possessions and the Seahawks were silenced the rest of the way "We deserve to play with the best," Badette said the Falcons will get a chance to prove they are the best on Saturday at 1 p.m Valley Stream South's Hall Elisias (left) Dana King and William Knight celebrate after defeating Hewlett in the Nassau boys basketball Class A finals on Saturday Dion Ogunade has an analogy for defending the perimeter while Hall Elisias lurks in the paint “It’s like you’re going bungee jumping and you see a safety net above the floor,” Ogunade said 14 Valley Stream South did just that in a critical second-half stretch to defeat visiting No Thursday night in a Nassau Class A out-bracket game Floral Park (9-11) had battled out of an early 15-1 hole and took a 37-32 lead on Brian Fox’s layup with 3:26 left in the third quarter The Knights had applied consistent full-court pressure turning over Valley Stream South (12-8) and scoring efficiently in transition It was the same recipe that fueled Floral Park’s 65-36 rout of the Falcons on Dec a senior in his fourth year on varsity and a member of last year’s Long Island champion reminded his teammates that he had their backs The Falcons clamped down defensively in the halfcourt Valley Stream South went on a backbreaking 23-2 run over the next nine minutes to take a 55-39 lead with about two minutes left “You can be more aggressive,” coach Matt Johnsen said “You can go for more steals because if you get beat they’re going to run into a 6-7 monster at the rim Jaremi Hernandez scored eight of his team-high 15 points Ogunade scored seven of his 13 and Elisias had six points including an emphatic tip-slam that gave Valley Stream South a 41-37 lead entering the fourth Despite trailing by 16 points with two minutes left Floral Park did not fall without injecting the home crowd with angst The Knights nailed five three-pointers in a 90-second stretch to cut the gap to 60-54 with 27.2 seconds remaining Hernandez missed two foul shots with 25.7 seconds to play but Jack Dixon’s step-back three-pointer rimmed out and T.J Cluess’ putback did not fall with 14 seconds left “I’m proud of my guys,” Floral Park coach Sean Boyle said “because two different times we got down and we just kept trying to make something happen and we were really close to making it a one-possession game.” which lost to Valley Stream South in the county final last year the Knights had junior Jack Dixon (12 points) on the floor with sophomores Fox (18 points) Cluess (11 points) was on the bench with foul trouble and fellow junior Jose Barcia missed the game because of an ankle injury “The future’s bright for our guys,” Boyle said “I think that the core guys that we have coming back I think that this will only be fuel in the tank to push them to be better and put themselves in a position where they don’t need to play an out-bracket game.” The Falcons will continue their county title defense when they visit No Valley Stream North swept the season series in Nassau A-III But with a defense that can gamble and a shot-blocker protecting the rim the Falcons will enter confident they can pull off an upset having [Elisias] to protect the rim,” Johnsen said Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) and Assemblyman Bob Barra (R-Lynbrook) were joined by Todd Holly and the Valley Stream South High School Symphonic Band in Albany on Thursday The students were at the Capitol for a performance in honor of March being Music In Our Schools Month at the South Concourse of the Empire State Plaza The band received a tour of the State Capitol and spoke with Senator Skelos and Assemblyman Barra on the Assembly steps outside of the Assembly Chamber Valley Stream South basketball player Dana King poses for a photo Taking 300 jump shots almost every day last summer has paid off for Dana King The Valley Stream South sophomore broke his school's all-time career scoring record in a win against Glen Cove on Friday when he scored 30 giving him 924 points in his three-year varsity career "I didn't know it was going to come then but my teammates found me and I got it going," King said "Getting the record tells me that things like that will come only if you work hard." King developed his game playing street ball in parks and the Sorrentino Recreation Center in Far Rockaway He established himself on the offensive end by driving to the basket and played AAU basketball when he was 11 "All summer all we did was work hard on the shot," said King's father It translated to King emerging as an offensive juggernaut this year King said going to the basket "is still my game and I still love it," but the improved jumper has given him the ability to shoot out of zone defenses designed to thwart his movement The 5-8 point guard has scored at least 30 points in five games this season Valley Stream South is in first place in Nassau Conference A-III with a 7-1 league record either; he's always going after loose balls," Johnsen said "I knew right away he was going to be a special player He changed the culture here and he'll go down as the best scorer this school's ever had." was elected trustee in 2004 and then mayor in 2011 He teaches technology at Valley Stream South High School and has been a volunteer at Valley Stream’s fire department since age 18 He is also the chair of the village’s historical society What has kept you in Valley Stream all this time and now me and my wife raised our kids here Our three children are the fourth generation in our family to go to the Valley Stream school system What do you find unique about your community It’s very unusual to find a village this size it was considered the largest incorporated village in the state You have been chair of the historical society for three years What do you find the most interesting about Valley Stream’s history people nicknamed certain sections Tiger Town which was a little bit of a racier and seedier area with speak-easies There was an area called Foster’s Meadow that had farms the village’s first Village Hall was built at 195 Rockaway Ave We’re halfway through making it a historic landmark Having the courthouse at 195 Rockaway Avenue will bring more people to our main business district to not only pay that parking ticket but also grab lunch What do you find most attractive about the area and reason enough to raise your children here a fantastic pool system at Hendrickson Park and high quality of schools and recreational programs for young people We have Hendrickson Park in the middle of Valley Stream The park used to be a beach when my parents were young All the kids would swim in the lake in the 1920s and 1930s What do you think brings families here and keeps them here You can take the train or get on the highway and make it to Manhattan in 30 minutes or so we’re like five minutes away from JFK Airport Valley Stream still has a hometown feeling and you have suburbia right near an urban center 2014 at 1:51 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Students staff and administrators were in grand spirits for W.T Clarke High School’s annual homecoming celebration on Oct students at the school decorated building hallways lockers and the cafeteria corridor to showcase their school spirit while also proudly wearing their school colors Clarke Rams faced off against Valley Stream South High School in their homecoming game The event’s halftime included special appearances by Superintendent of Schools Louis R DeAngelo and members of the Board of Education and also featured impressive performances by the W.T Clarke High School Marching Band and cheerleading team Spectators cheered as the dazzling class floats proceeded onto the field each decorated with the theme of “board games.” Recognized during the procession were Homecoming King and Queen David Langsam and Lauren Bower Other members of the homecoming court included Duke and Duchess Javier Lopez and Abby Pineda Count and Countess Erjin Choi and Paige Aaronson and Prince and Princess Brandon Garcia and Alexis Stobe Check us out on Facebook for more photos of Homecoming Post your own news, events and announcements on Patch by following these directions Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2013 at 5:15 pm ETCall Thursday’s non-league home opener for the Mineola varsity girls softball team a snow makeup for a day in which there was no snow The Lady Mustangs finally got their first scheduled home game of the 2013 season in as their second played game losing 8-4 in an abbreviated non-league match due to Their home opener in league play will be on Tuesday “I just wanted the girls to work on fundamentals,” head coach Anthony Tramonte said Once we opened up a lead I told them ‘you don’t even have to look at me you hit it I want you to be aggressive’ because I want them to take aggressive swings.” it was getting to be a race between the number of hits Mineola was putting up on the board and the number of hits they were taking on their ankles with Valley Stream South pitchers hitting a batter and issuing nine walks including three straight in the fourth frame “I think the pitcher came unraveled after that and that’s when the inning just got out of hand,” Tramonte said pointing to an 11-pitch at bat by Lisa DeStefano “I think that (Howley) lost her feel for the strike zone she got frustrated with herself and it kinda opened up the door for us Mineola pitcher Emily Skupp on the other hand struck out nine and throwing a no-hitter through two and two-thirds she also looks like she’s working on locating her ball a little better too,” Tramonte said We happen to have a pitcher like Emily who doesn’t mind getting in deep counts but when you have other pitchers who get into these deep counts they start mentally they start to lose their edge so it’s to our advantage.” Skupp was able to blow away opponents with her searing fastballs She also suffered numerous injuries over the course of 2012 including her ribcage and an ankle injury against Levittown over the offseason she concentrated on moving her pitches as thanks to her efforts “She was successful early on blowing people away with fastballs,” Tramonte said “This year we moved up a conference so not to beat everybody with the fastball they can’t set their feet and it’s worked already Skupp will also be batting leadoff for the Lady Mustangs again proving her versatility as she had two singles we could probably hit her third if I wanted to Catching Skupp was Mallory Donellan – a freshman – who is also versatile behind the plate and in the outfield as well as a second leadoff hitter Mineola will also have their entire infield returning from last year – Christina Palmenteri at third Lauren Fisher at second and  Addie McKeever at first – with all the baseplayers seniors The outfield Tramonte said will be more of a “revolving door” with seniors Priscilla Ma and Lisa DiStephano as well as Donellan being the everyday rightfielder when catcher Samantha Venus is healthy Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. walks with head covered out of the State Park Police Headquaters in West Babylon after being arrested and charged with sexual assault Nassau and State Park Police have arrested a Queens 16-year-old in connection with the rape of a woman at Valley Stream State Park and a sexual assault near the village train station was charged by State Park Police Sunday with first-degree rape and second-degree assault and strangulation in connection with the assault of the woman in her 60s on Sept The woman was walking alone on a hiking trail near the park's Hendrickson Avenue entrance about 11:10 a.m leaving her with broken ribs and a bruised face Nassau police also charged him with the Aug 12 attempted rape of a woman who was walking south on Mill Road from the Long Island Rail Road's Valley Stream station told police as she was walking on Mill Road a man on a bicycle grabbed her as he rode by He attempted to rip off her shirt and pin her to the ground but she told police she was able to fight him off and he fled on his bicycle as police released a sketch of the suspect they said the same person was believed to be involved in another attack on Aug 12 that happened 20 minutes before the train station attack a 58-year-old Lynbrook woman told police the suspect approached her outside her house pushed her into the house and attempted to take off her clothes The man fled on his bicycle as the woman screamed out to neighbors for help A Nassau police spokesman said Sunday the department could not comment whether Peterkin also was involved in that incident Peterkin's arrest came as part of a joint investigation conducted by Nassau police's Fourth Squad the Nassau County district attorney's office Peterkin will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead Monday on all charges and police are expected to release more details about his arrest Crime Christopher Corley pleaded guilty to drug charges in April stemming from a 2023 indictment for a trafficking operation involving cocaine and fentanyl Advertise With Us Festivals & Events emailed to your inbox every Friday