While a reported 50 million people in the Northeast went without power last Thursday and Friday, Aug. 14 and 15, during what is now becoming known as the ''Great Blackout of '03,'' many Great Neck residents joined the ranks of hot, stranded commuters in Manhattan, while those at home on the peninsula stepped up to the plate all over town. FULL STORY

Unlike a major blizzard or hurricane, the Blackout of '03 took everyone by surprise and while it took some time for it to dawn on individuals that they were part of a crisis covering a huge geographical area, George Motchkavitz, an Alert Fire Department veteran, quickly recognized the scope of the problem and within minutes had activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of the 8th Battalion. The mission of the EOC of the 8th Battalion, that is comprised of eight fire departments on the North Shore, is to coordinate the resources of the departments to ensure total coverage of needs, to avoid wasteful overlaps and to maximize efficiency in a seamless manner. The 8th Battalion is composed of the following fire departments: Great Neck Vigilants, Great Neck Alerts, Manhasset-Lakeville, Pandome, Port Washington, Albertson, East Williston, Williston Park. FULL STORY

Four young skaters from Great Neck --- Zoe Weissman, age 13, Kristina Ann Layton, age 13, Nicole Rajic, age 12, and Samanths Zubli, age 13 --- will take the ice at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, on Sept. 7, with Olympic figure skating stars, Nancy Kerrigan, Surya Bonaly, Rudy Galindo and many more to support the Coalition of 9-11 Families and the 9/11 Families Give Back Fund in the second annual Stars, Stripes & Skates Icetravaganza -- the Official September 11 Commemorative Event. FULL STORY

The Great Neck Soccer Club will compete in the annual American Ref-Fuel Soccer Tournament, New York State's largest youth soccer tournament with over 340 teams representing approximately 90 clubs. The three-day tournament, now in its 25th year, is hosted by the East Meadow Soccer Club and will be played at up to 12 Nassau County sites on Aug. 23, 24 and 25. FULL STORY