The Barbara Mandell Tennis Group

On Thursday, Oct. 15, over 70 people gathered at Tulip Restaurant on Welwyn Road in Great Neck, to show appreciation to Barbara Mandell for arranging their tennis games. Barbara has been organizing tennis groups at Memorial Field for over ten years, according to players’ abilities and compatibilities. The group is comprised of more than 50 men and women ranging from beginner to advanced levels.

The party was fun filled with live entertainment by group members, including professional singers, authors and even a harmonica player. But most of all, players spoke from their hearts, offering dedications and poems to let Barbara know how much she is appreciated for keeping the group together.

Great Neck Bruins Alumni Game and Banner Ceremony

On Oct. 10, former Great Neck Bruin players, coaches, families and friends returned to the ice rink they knew as their home when they were growing up to participate in the first ever Great Neck Bruins Alumni Game.

The event, co-sponsored by the Great Neck Park District, was cleverly scheduled in conjunction with the 30th Great Neck High School reunion being held at the USMMA that evening. So players were on hand from all over the country, who normally would not have been able to attend.

2009 Run Evan Run Tour

Just in case a nationwide comedy tour wasn’t enough of a challenge, Evan Wecksell has taken on another. The guitar-playing comedian and Great Neck native (South High School, Class of 1997) is touring the country while training for a marathon.

The 2009 Run Evan Run Tour began on Aug. 23 and will continue through Nov. 1, the day of the ING New York City Marathon. So Evan still has more time to work out, run, sing and tell jokes, and driving to the next gig. If he has any down time, he can be seen back in Great Neck running his hometown streets.

CMA Golf Tournament a Great Success

CMA’s 15th Annual Golf and Tennis Tournament raised over $310,000, their highest gross to date.

Honoree James C. Romanelli, senior vice president with the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, began his speech by saying, “Today, when I look out across the room, I see people committed to working together to try and help Long Island be a better place to live, to help those who are less fortunate, less able, or have been challenged with less than perfect health. At a time rife with financial turmoil, imploding economies, rising unemployment, the housing market suffering terribly and shrinking personal wealth, everyone who supported today’s effort reaffirms the belief that even in the toughest of times we can pull together to support our community.”

Great Neck Weekend Fall Softball in Full Swing and on TV

When people think of fall team sports, football, basketball, or hockey usually come to mind. But for many in Great Neck, softball is still king. Great Neck Weekend Softball is played from April through December. The fall season traditionally begins with a home run derby on Labor Day weekend. This year’s winner, Jolting Joel Wurtzel, beat out 17 other players by hitting 3 home runs in just 7 tries. Each blast traveled well over 240 feet. This was Joel’s second consecutive Home Run Derby win. The runner up was Jack “The Hammer” Schonhaut.

Another important fall season event is the “Black Friday” day after Thanksgiving tournament. Teams from Roslyn compete against teams from Great Neck for North Shore bragging rights. Last year two Roslyn teams played against two Great Neck teams. Each team played a doubleheader. Roslyn won three of the four games, but Great Neck players have vowed to reverse those results. In 2009 they have had several talented players join their ranks.

The Great Neck Jaguars: Soccer in Our Town

Great Neck’s own fifth grade girls’ travel soccer team, called Great Neck Jaguars, have started their second season, and they are displaying more enthusiasm than ever. The team is made up of 15 girls, they practice twice a week, and compete every Saturday and in state and countywide tournaments. For your information, their schedule is published at lijsoccer.com.

It is unbelievable how much the skills of these young girls have developed and the impact soccer has had on their understanding of teamwork, commitment, and responsibility. The Jaguars recently competed in the Columbus Day Tournament, hosted by the Town of North Hempstead, and although the Jaguars didn’t take home the first place golden trophy, the quality of soccer and spirit they displayed on the field was outstanding. We thank the Great Neck Travel Club’s president and vice president, Keri Baron and Eric Alper, and Jon Kaiman, our town supervisor, for their support of such a wonderful event. Finally, we, the Great Neck community, appreciate and are proud of the hard work and dedication these girls and the rest of Great Neck’s travel teams bring to the game of soccer. Go Jaguars!!

New GN Soccer Club Program

The Great Neck Soccer Club announces a new program starting this fall, for six Thursday afternoons, beginning Oct. 15. Professional soccer training will be offered to any boy or girl intramural player born between Aug. 1, 2000 and Dec. 31, 2002 (current second and third graders, and some fourth graders) looking to better develop their soccer skills and prepare for travel soccer! All sessions will take place at JFK Elementary School. They will begin promptly at 4:30 p.m. and end at 5:45 p.m. sharp! If you would like more information and a registration form, please e-mail your name and e-mail address with “u-9 fall soccer” in the subject line to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Team Fox Cycle/Spinning Event

Andrew Allen of Great Neck and NYSC of Great Neck will hold an indoor charity bike ride on Sunday, Dec. 6, to raise funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF).

Great Neck resident, Andrew Allen along with Dana Goldthwaite, general manager of the New York Sports Club, located at 15 Barstow Road, have organized a fundraiser scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 6 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF).

Great Neck’s Michael Brannigan Finishes in Great Cow Harbor Race

On Saturday, Sept. 9, Michael Brannigan, 12-year-old autistic son of Great Neck Park District Memorial Field Supervisor Kevin Brannigan, placed 58th overall (out of 4,800 finishers) with a time of 38:00 minutes in the Great Cow Harbor 10K Race in Northport. He also placed 49th overall male finishers.

The Great Cow Harbor 10K Race is considered one of the top 50 10K Races in the United States for its difficult course. Seasoned runners from all over the country and many from other countries come to this renowned race. For a 12-year-old boy to come in the top 100 overall and the top 50 males overall is an astonishing, amazing feat.

Jonathan Lenchner Swims Across Strait of Gibraltar: Swim for Africa

On Aug. 26, one month short of his 50th birthday, former Great Neck resident and Great Neck South High School alumnus Jonathan Lenchner swam across the Strait of Gibraltar from the southern tip of Spain to northern Morocco. Dr. Lenchner is a research scientist at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center in Hawthorne, New York. He completed the 33 km (13.6 mile) swim, in rough conditions, in 4 hours, 44 minutes, together with Philipp Tiedt, a former IBM colleague. Dr. Lenchner is the 18th American to have completed the crossing. He was a member of the Great Neck South Class of 1977, where he swam under Coach Ray Brecht and was also a member of the cross-country running team.