RSS 2.0 FeedOctober 28, 2010, Weekly editorial
Freeport and Baldwin Leaders
A salute to those that have kept the press running at the Leader newspaper.
Since 1987, when L&M Publications bought The Freeport-Baldwin Leader from Rhoda and Ira Keller, I have become rich, not in dollars but in memories of some great Freeport and Baldwin leaders. If you know these people, you know what I mean.
RHODA AND IRA KELLER were the original “mom and pop” community newspaper publishers. They hung around village hall to get all the news, big and small. Rhoda put the personal news in her “Roundabout” column and warned some political advertisers she would take their money but print a rebuttal on the side. Ira’s fishing buddies found their catches reported and his bowling team’s scores were in there too.
When Rhoda finally cleared off her desk, former Freeport police officer and famous writer JOHN WESTERMANN swore it was the first time he had ever seen it. A former literary agent, Rhoda had lots of writers on her staff at one time or other, but one non-writer, JOYCE MACMONIGLE, is still on the Leader staff, handling legal notices and subscriptions. Her longtime friend, JOAN DELANEY used to “Just Write” a popular column in The Leader and was a faithful reporter at Baldwin school board and community meetings until she found the only “job” she could love more, being a grandmother.
Shortly after we took over The Leader, we published an anniversary issue saluting the Village of Freeport, with Village Historian CLINTON METZ as guest contributor. Its cover was the people-filled mural painted by FRAN STREIT which covers a whole wall in the Freeport Recreation Center. Fran’s husband, George, is one of the featured personalities and so is former Mayor DOROTHY STORM, who was in office at the time. Freeport had a rousing parade and costume ball. MARIAN KNOELLER loved to dress up as Mae West. Her support of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army, and yes, The Leader, lasted for decades until her recent untimely death.
Local clubs were quick to welcome the new owners of The Leader, though I remember one Exchange Club meeting where program chair Jim Reed spent a long time listing all the speakers he had tried to get before asking me. (Thanks, Jim!)
We were invited to chamber functions and met people like ED ALLEN, ED FRIEDMAN and NAT MIZRAHI.
Freeporters love a party. I still remember schools Superintendent JACK BIERWIRTH and his loyal board doing the Electric Slide. They also bonded fighting seasickness on a whale watch off Montauk, I’m told. Jack invited me to be a founding member of Freeport Dollars for Scholars, and I thought it would be a great idea to invite former WGBB DJ DAVE VIESER to DJ their first fundraiser, a dance marathon. Principal MIKE CAMPBELL later told me the kids were asking, “When’s the geezer going to stop so we can dance?”
Freeport poet MAURICE FORGE was an early village and school board reporter. He endeared himself to me by dedicating one of his poems to my daughter, CAROLINA.
Village Attorney BILL GLACKEN lost his job after he told his new boss he could not do something he wanted. I still remember how red he got at that first reorganization meeting. Village PR professional JEAN PETERS was clean-desked and later came to help proof at The Leader. But eventually Mayor Glacken made it back into Village Hall, following the footsteps of his father.
His fellow Rotarians included the classy Ed MONROE, SAM IANDIORIO and The Leader’s own MARK TRESKE, who has shown his devotion to Freeport by tackling tasks ranging from participating in the canoe race and risking his life to retrieve an oar, to meeting the weekly deadlines for paginating The Leader, while packing as much as he can into each issue.
Friends of The Leader who have provided photos, articles and advice include the RAYNORS, whose family founded Raynortown which became Freeport, JIM PAROLA from Dollars for Scholars, KEVIN KAMEN from the Baldwin Library, SHEILA COHEN from Baldwin PTA, NANCY SOLOMON, who chronicles waterfront history, SPLASH’s ROB WELTNER, firefighter RAY MAGUIRE, Northeast Civic Association’s KEN BAGATELLE, former Freeport High School newspaper advisor IRA SCHILDKRAUT and his former student JASON GERS, Greek-American journalist JIM GOLDING, Freeport High School coach LINDA HENDRICKSON, Freeport Historical Society’s CYNTHIA KRIEG and Freeport’s Republican leader, town Councilwoman ANGIE CULLIN. The late BILL BRAUN faithfully covered the chamber and other groups. PAT MURPHY was a longtime PR voice for the village who managed to get amazing press for Freeport.
Subscriber DR. DAVID HARMON inspired us to organize the first Nassau County public survey of environmental causes of breast cancer, which we forwarded to the state.
Journalist staffers have included Filipino journalist MARITES PAEZ, Indian film director DEVI SHAH, BOCES press office director SUSAN MORGAN, and former Arts Council staffers MICHELLE SWERSEY and LAURA SCHOFER, who is a project manager for this special issue.
The Arts Council hosted a Summer Theatre Arts Program at Freeport Rec that my daughter, CRISTINA, enjoyed for several years, as did Laura Schofer’s daughter MORGAN and AMBER, the daughter of advertising assistant SHARON CARTY. This was just one of many programs with which MARNIE KATZMAN, its executive director, has fulfilled the board’s dreams of putting Freeport on the map for the arts. The FEILES, BOULUKOSES, PACHASES, Freeporters from all backgrounds created a brotherhood that helped support the arts, HI-Hello Day Care and other institutions that make the quality of life in Freeport unique.
My own daughter was part of the first class at St. Peter’s Early Learning Center in Baldwin. When she “graduated” at 5, we wrote a little ditty for the teachers, which the kids performed: “You welcomed us into your arms when we were very small. Now we’re off to kindergarten, standing straight and tall!”
All my children studied at New World Music Center in Baldwin, receiving a lifelong gift of music to help them through bad times and to celebrate the good. MIKE FINCKEN also organized the annual Baldwin Family Picnic at Baldwin Park where local businesses could make friends and his students could entertain. Some have gone on to be famous!
Cristina also volunteered at the Freeport Animal Shelter, assisted the pet photographer at Atlantic Nursery and conducted a pet supplies collection at her school, getting a great response. It’s a good idea for other schools too!
Freeport is also well-known for its waterfront and its colorful characters. I remember going to outdoor services hosted by AL GROVER, whose “Spirit of Freeport,” now docked for all to see, crossed the Atlantic amid six-storey waves. Those outdoor Masses were just his way of saying thank you!
Freeport had its share of funny stories, as when its landmark watertower was being painted and dropped its skirt on the LIRR tracks, causing major delays. Our inveterate graphic artist/photographer JUDY AMMERMAN caught that on film.
Its library director DAVE OPATOW has made the place a real community center – and has a running competition with our editor Paul Laursen for punmanship.
Village board meetings have always had their gadflies. One such was LIONEL SOCOLOV who proudly reported getting a phone call from a Florida snowbird who said, “You used to be in The Leader every week. What happened. You die?”
Freeport’s Hispanic population showed their muscle in a memorable parade, and taking several important posts in the village and school boards and becoming business leaders like FRANCISCO JORGE of Compare Foods. Freeport elected its first African-American Mayor ANDREW HARDWICK, and is proud of its first Indian-American superintendent of schools, DR. KISHORE KUNCHAM.
Our first offices were in a medical building on Merrick Road, then George Haas’ building at Main and Sunrise and finally 30 Ocean Avenue, where the legendary SENATOR NORM LEVY also had his offices. We have always had P.O. Box 312 in The Freeport Post Office, but now in the days of cyberspace can mostly be found at freeportbaldwinleader.com, on Facebook and at L&M Publications at 1840 Merrick Avenue in Merrick when we are not out in the community.
