Siminkas Scores In 5K Run

Congratulations to 30-year-old Great Neck superstar Rita Siminkas, who scored as the second woman overall and the first finisher in the women’s 30-34 Age Group in the inaugural Great Prostate Cancer 5 Kilometer Run on Sunday morning, Nov. 22.

Blazing Trails 4-Autism 4-Mile Run in GN

Nearly a thousand runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes registered for the Capital One Bank Blazing Trails 4-Autism 4 Mile Run held in Great Neck on Sunday, Nov. 8, and 794 of them were recorded as successfully completing the four mile course that ended on the track at Great Neck South High School.

Great Neck PAL 2009 Fall Baseball Playoffs 5/6 Division

On Sunday, Nov. 15, the PAL Baseball Playoffs 5/6 Division concluded with a championship game featuring the Braves playing host to the Pirates. A crowd of more than 50 fans squeezed into the warm confines of Kings Point Park to witness the finale.

The Pirates threatened early on a Mike Ayala double. John Kyriannis followed with a smash to centerfield, which was caught, bobbled and then caught again by Joe Mogilner. It was the defensive gem of the day. The Braves battery consisted first of Jordan Grieff throwing to starting catcher Jared Schwartz. In the middle innings they reversed roles with Jared taking the mound and Jordan moving behind the plate. Both combinations were effective and held the Pirates scoreless through four innings.

Great Neck Soccer Club Tryouts

The Great Neck Soccer Club will hold tryouts for new teams on Thursday, Nov. 19 and Friday, Nov. 20 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the North Middle School soccer field on Arrandale Avenue. They are looking to create two older (U-9) teams (one for boys/one for girls) which will be made up of players born between Aug. 1, 2000 and Nov. 30, 2001, and create two younger (U-8) teams (one for boys/one for girls) which will be made up of players born between Aug. 1, 2001 and Nov. 30, 2002. If you would like more information and a registration form, please e-mail your name and e-mail address with “Soccer Tryout” in the subject line to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Great Neck PAL 2009 Fall Basketball Playoffs: 5/6 Division

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon the PAL Baseball Playoffs began with four semifinal round games. A crowd of about 50 fans were witness to one of the greatest Little League baseball games in Great Neck history. The Pirates, led by coaches Mark Putter and Mike Kyriannis faced the Rangers led by coaches Ron Guggenheimer and Fred Palacios.

Long Island Special Olympics

Shouting and cheering all around, Great Neck North High had a spectacular main event this year for the Long Island Special Olympics basketball teams. Being the host, the Great Neck Spirits basketball team not only played well, but supported every team with encouragement, cheering and good spirit. On Sunday, June 7, the main event started bright and early with the National Anthem sung by one of the athletes. It was a great way to start off this tournament of athletes from all over Long Island, who not only competed against each other but also enthusiastically supported one another.

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.”