Some of the news from around the area this week.
Great White Heads Back Out to Sea
A great white shark, named Mary Lee, caught the attention of many, including the national media, after her Hamptons layover earlier this week. She is now heading back out to sea, according to OCEARCH. Mary Lee, a 16-foot, 3,456-pound carcharodon carcharias, came close to the Quogue shoreline on Wednesday night, moving by Thursday morning to visit East Hampton and finally Montauk. As of Friday at 1 p.m., she was heading away from the Hamptons and further into the Atlantic. Her movements can be tracked here.
Students at Landing Elementary School in Glen Cove struggled to keep their cries of excitement under control at a special assembly Monday morning. The children were instructed to keep their voices low so they wouldn't spook their guest, a one-and-a-half-year-old male pot-bellied pig named Junk. Junk was on-hand to help interim principal Martin Malone fulfill a promise: if the school's students completed a collective 38,000 minutes of at-home reading in a two-week period, Malone would kiss a pig. With a farmer's bandanna tied around his neck, Malone lowered himself to the pig's eye level. A delicate flirtation ensued. Malone tried to woo Junk with handfuls of grapes to students' eruptions of laughter. Several of Malone's advances were rejected by the agile young pig, who backed up and threw the principal a suspicious eye. Malone finally landed a kiss on top of Junk's head, fulfilling his promise.
Letter Carrier Featured in Super Bowl Commercial
Looking for a reason to tune in to the Super Bowl? Great Neck letter carrier Lorenzo Hudson might be your answer. The 19-year-old local mail carrier, who regularly walks the main section of town making 439 deliveries a day, will be featured Sunday during the pre-game commercials for the Super Bowl.
State Senate to Consider Stiffer Penalties for Drunken Boating
Legislation that would increase penalties for boating while intoxicated is set to go before the State Senate for a vote. State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., R, Merrick, announced on Wednesday that his boating safety bill has been approved by the Senate Transportation Committee. The law, if passed, would list boating while under the influence with a child on board as a class E felony, similar to driving drunk in a car; create mandatory suspension of boating privileges for DUI offenders; and require a mandatory driver license suspension for BUI offenders.
Drumline Team Wants to Head to Disney
A drumline comprised of individuals with autism and other disabilities is raising funds to fulfill their dream to “march” all the way to Disney World. The Drumline is part of a musical arts program offered by (FREE), a not-for-profit agency based in Old Bethpage that supports more than 3,500 individuals with different abilities on Long Island.
The Drumline is seeking donations for travel and other expenses required to fulfill its commitment to perform at Downtown Disney’s Waterside Stage, part of the Disney Performing Arts Program, on Saturday May 11.
Donahue and Dennehy in Port Washington
Pioneering talk show host Phil Donahue and veteran actor Brian Dennehy will be at the Club House at Harbor Links in Port Washington on Saturday evening, Feb. 16, for a program called “Dennehy by Donahue.” Presented by the Gold Coast International Film Festival, the event offers a retrospective on the life and career Dennehy, a Chaminade High School alum.
Resident Running Boston Marathon for Sandy Relief
It's been three months since Hurricane Sandy battered Long Island, and the Long Beach community is still feeling the lasting effects -- the main reason why resident Robin Lynch will be running in the 2013 Boston Marathon on April 15.
Lynch will be participating in the marathon for Dream Big!, a Massachusetts-based charity dedicated to providing underprivileged girls the opportunity to participate in sports. Part of the money raised will go to Long Beach.
Dog, Family Reunited After 41 Days
A dog that was missing for 41 days in Levittown has been reunited with its owner. The Massapequa family, displaced from Hurricane Sandy after their home flooded, lost the 9-year-old beagle mix while they were staying with relatives in Levittown on Dec. 18. Clyde went missing from a home, jumping the back fence after getting frightened by thunder, owner Christina Yevoli said. When it looked like all hope had been lost, Clyde was tracked down in the woods alongside the Southern State Parkway, near the Route 107 exit ramp in North Massapequa. He was reunited with his family early Wednesday afternoon.
