Great Neck was well represented at the Democratic National Convention in Boston and in addition to the excitement and the mission at hand, a few received a very special invitation to lunch at the "famous" Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port. Hosted by the Kennedy family in honor of the Kerry family, the afternoon featured typical New England fare and a whole host of Kennedy family members. Great Neck's own Robert Zimmerman and U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman were among the delighted guests.

"It was a special experience, I felt the sense of history," said Mr. Zimmerman, a Democratic National committee member and New York State Co-chair for John Kerry. "It was a very moving experience and Senator Ted Kennedy is a wonderful host."

Both Mr. Zimmerman and Congressman Ackerman spoke of the "elegance" and "simplicity" of the beautiful estate on the water. Lunch was New England clam chowder, lobsters, steamers and barbecued chicken. Traditional and delicious!

"I made a point of remembering different aspects," Mr. Zimmerman told the Record. "It symbolizes a very special, idealistic time in American history."

As for Congressman Ackerman, he "dreaded the hour-and-a-half drive to the cape, but it turned out to be well worth it. The Kennedy compound is understated elegance. I strolled the beach and lunched under a big three-mast tent with Ted, former Congressman Joe Kennedy Jr. and President Kerry's (fingers crossed) brother and sisters." Mr. Ackerman was the only congressman invited to the clambake.

Both Mr. Ackerman and Mr. Zimmerman took pains to emphasize the "excitement and enthusiasm" both at the Kennedy Compound and at the convention. According to Congressman Ackerman, "the excitement and enthusiasm among these Dems is something that I haven't seen in a lot of years. Maybe it had something to do with being on the lawn in front of the Kennedy Compound, thinking back to the playful touch football games. Maybe it had something to do with listening to Ted, in that booming voice, say to Cam Kerry, 'I know something about being the President's brother...' Maybe it had something to do with listening to people of great means, the privileged and the self-made, talking about the burning need to have health care and programs for those who struggle to make ends meet. But at this lunch on Cape Cod, with no press present, it seemed to me that there was a whiff of Camelot in the air, yet again."

Back at the convention, at the hotel, the congressman "bumped into Peter Scher, a constituent from Great Neck who is the campaign manager for John Edwards. He said Kerry and Edwards were staying at the same hotel, the Boston Park Plaza, where I and the New York delegates stayed. The only thing I don't understand is why Edwards had the presidential suite. Maybe they gave Kerry the emperor suite. I was told that they had a whole section of the hotel. Apparently walls were broken down and areas rebuilt for them."

Mr. Zimmerman echoed his congressman's statements about the enthusiasm among delegates. Said Mr. Zimmerman, "This convention was unique; having been to others, this was almost a mission, with such unity, with people beginning to see how high the stakes are. There is a growing recognition, a sense, a purpose, unprecedented in my experience."

Congressman Ackerman and Mr. Zimmerman enjoyed the activities, including bowling, baseball and pool. While Mr. Zimmerman enjoyed these opportunities (including pool and bowling with Ben Affleck), he boasted that North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, a delegate, "was so good at batting practice, I offered to be his sports agent."

Both Robert Zimmerman and Jon Kaiman were early Kerry supporters. This convention was a first for Mr. Kaiman and his wife, Kim, who served as an alternate.

In an interesting aside, Congressman Ackerman told the story of Senator Chuck Schumer and his bicycle. "Senator Schumer isn't just a big wheel in the figurative sense. He actually brought his bike to Boston and he was pedaling his message all over town."

New York State Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli, a guest of the state party, reports that his most memorable convention memories are those spent with Gary Ackerman and Robert Zimmerman. " It was such fun to watch our own Robert Zimmerman work the convention floor; he had access to every corner of the convention."

And the last night of the convention was quite an experience for Mr. DiNapoli, back at the hotel with Congressman Ackerman and the congressman's wife, Rita. "We sat in the crowded lounge, at a corner table, and Gary held court. It was so much fun, with people dropping over, great rotating conversations, analyzing the speeches."

Mr. DiNapoli said the "most attention" he saw was when Michael Moore showed up. "There was such a rush for him." Tom DiNapoli, too, spoke of "a united, committed feeling for the ticket ... with the Democrats united more than ever."

For Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, the convention was "very exciting, very inspiring," even though he has been going for the past 20 years. Mr. Suozzi, who went to the convention with full credentials, told the Record that he had raised $100,000.

And to further help the candidates, Mr. Suozzi is now working on a plan he developed that would help focus attention on the "swing state" of Pennsylvania. His idea is to have Kerry/Edwards buses from suburban areas all descend on individual areas of Pennsylvania at the same time. Mr. Suozzi and his crew would go from Levittown, Long Island to Levittown, Pennsylvania.

The Great Neck Record has been invited along for the ride with Tom Suozzi! Read about it in the Record!