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Islanders Hosting Draft Party

The New York Islanders recently announced that passes for the 2012 draft party are now available to the general public through Ticketmaster or by visiting the Nassau Coliseum box office. The draft party is scheduled for Friday, June 22, at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Passes to this fan fest are free, but each individual can only reserve up to eight. Doors for the draft party open at 5:30 p.m. and the live stream of the NHL entry draft in Pittsburgh begins at 7 p.m.

Fans will not only get to watch the draft live and see exclusive interviews with the Islanders fourth overall selection, but they will also have the chance to meet some of their favorite players at the draft party. John Tavares will hand out his autographed jersey to preferred season ticket holders, while Matt Moulson, Matt Martin, Nino Niederreiter, Kevin Poulin, Ryan Strome, Casey Cizikas and Calvin de Haan will also be in attendance. Fans will also have the opportunity to interact with select Islanders alumni.

The draft party will once again play host to the Islanders annual year-end blowout merchandise sale, located in the lower lobby. The Islanders Team Store, located next to the Nassau Coliseum box office, will feature additional sales and specials.

Interactive activities on the Nassau Coliseum floor will include exclusive locker room tours, street hockey contests, I.C.E. Tour inflatable games and video game stations. The Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center will once again provide an interactive exhibit at the event, while the popular Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit will also return to the draft party, featuring historic jerseys, sticks and skates used by NHL legends.

The Coliseum scoreboard, which normally hangs well above center ice, will be lowered for up close, oversized interviews of the Islanders players and alumni in attendance. The big screen will also feature exclusive, live coverage from IslandersTV at the draft, with interviews with members of the hockey operations staff and behind-the-scenes footage.

Prior to and during the 2012 draft party, The American Red Cross will host a blood drive. Fans can donate blood in the Coliseum’s exhibition hall anytime between noon and 8 p.m. on draft day.

News

Hicksville native Jae Lee recently rose to the top of his senior class at New York Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), winning the Critic Award for sportswear. But fashion wasn’t the path that Lee originally chose.

In high school, Lee excelled in art classes and thought that he wanted to go to college and major in fine arts. However, he said, it was while watching an episode of “Project Runway” that he had a revelation. “All of a sudden I was thinking that it was something I could/should do and that’s what kind of led to it,” he said. He made up his mind that he was going to apply to fashion school and enlisted the help of one of his art teachers in school to help him. “We really scrambled and put together this presentation in about two weeks, where other people, I’m sure, worked on theirs for months,” he said. Lee said that when he went to present his portfolio, he didn’t think the meeting went well at all. “Everyone was really well prepared,” he said. But, he admitted, it must have gone better than he thought, because he was accepted to FIT.

In the face of cancelled air shows and the downgrading of NYC’s Fleet Week, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano announced on May 9, that American soldiers will be forever honored on Long Island through the creation of the Museum of American Armor to be built at Old Bethpage Village Restoration thanks, in part, to a million dollar gift from Lawrence Kadish.

“We are watching powerful tributes to our American military reduced or eliminated across the nation and its just plain wrong,” stated County Executive Mangano. “Fortunately, the Memorial Day weekend air show at Jones Beach will be held regardless of the loss of the Thunderbirds, but Fleet Week in New York City will be greatly diminished and across the country air shows are being cancelled weekly. Nassau County is moving in another direction. An armor museum that honors every American soldier will be created on county property this year which will not only pay tribute to those who have defended our nation but will also strengthen the county’s tourism and destination industry and provide a new source of revenue.”


Sports

Hicksville residents honored by tennis association

The U.S. Tennis Association Long Island Region has recognized several Hicksville residents for their tennis playing or volunteering achievements. The group was honored at the USTA Long Island Region’s 23rd Annual Awards Dinner, which recognizes superior efforts both on and off the tennis court.

Terry Fontana received the Vitas Gerulaitis for the Love of Tennis award. She has been a longtime fixture in the Hicksville tennis community and is the driving force behind the Hicksville Community Tennis Association (CTA), which, since 1995, has been promoting the development of tennis as a means of healthy recreation and physical fitness and to create a community resource for physical activity throughout the area.

It was a cold season for softball this year, colder than usual. Anyone who knows the sport recognizes that the weather can be changeable, but this softball season was fraught with snow, pouring rain, cancelled games, frigid temperatures, and blowing winds that would cause any team to crave the warmth of indoors.

That wasn’t the case with the Hicksville High School Lady Comets Varsity Softball team. They played through it all like champions, and endured the rough weather like superstars.


Calendar

Bonsai Day

Saturday, May 25

Parade Announcement

Monday, May 27

Fire Department History

Wednesday, May 29


Columns

Building Better Legislators
Written by Michael A. Miller, Millercolumn@optimum.net

Quietly Vindicated
Written by Mike Barry, MFBarry@optonline.net

Health Insurance Crisis Still Here
Written by Michael A. Miller, Millercolumn@optimum.net