Welcome to your local newspaper

What makes up a community?

Is it just the people who live in it? Is it the local businesses that have grown over the years? Maybe it’s the landmarks, or the libraries, schools or places of worship?

I think it’s all of those and more. A community is so much more than the sum of its parts. And with this special edition of the Oceanside/Island Park Herald, I hope to show you just how special the communities of Oceanside and Island Park really are.

A local newspaper is a singular thing — nowhere else will you be able to find information that is as tailored to your community as you will find in these pages.

There are dozens of newspapers and websites with stories about what President Obama said today, but what about Mayor James Ruzicka? The impact of proposed federal tax cuts or increases on people’s finances is certainly important, but is it any more important than how much your local taxes will be going up because of the new school budget?

The Herald is your gateway to the community. We are hyper-local, focused only on the communities of Oceanside and Island Park. When we cover bigger events, it’s about how they affect you.

Our Neighbors in the News section shines a light on your achievements. It’s where we print wedding and birth announcements, the academic achievements of local students, the honors bestowed on residents and much more. We welcome you to send us your submissions so your special moments can be given the recognition they deserve.

Our Neighbors page highlights special local events. It’s also where you’ll see stories about interesting residents and prominent community figures.

Each week you’ll also find the Crime Watch. It helps you keep tabs on law enforcement activity in the community.

Our Sports page features local student athletes and chronicles the wins and losses of our teams. Our award-winning team of sportswriters focuses on high school sports throughout the school year, bringing you the best coverage so you can follow the local teams all season.

When classes are in session, we have a Schools page every week, highlighting the events in our high-achieving schools. This is where you should look to find out what’s new in your child’s education and see what’s going on in the schools.

There’s also Community Update, which keeps residents in the know about upcoming events at the libraries, the Friedberg JCC and around the area. And if you’re looking for fun things to do outside Oceanside and Island Park, you’ll want to go to our weekly Stepping Out section, which features events all over Long Island.

We also publish obituaries. They are often the last record of a person’s life, and we are honored to be the record keepers. If one of your loved ones has died and you want his or her story published in the Herald, please let us know.

The Herald is an award-winning paper. We are here to chronicle your community and to keep you informed about what’s going on next door and across town. Whether it takes place in a school auditorium, in Village Hall or in the middle of a street, we cover it.

And we love getting feedback from readers in the form of Letters to the Editor. Even if they’re not glowing compliments (although we always hope they are), we publish the letters our readers send us.

You can reach me, the Oceanside/Island Park Editor, anytime by emailing ACostello@liherald.com or by calling (516) 569-4000 ext. 269.

You can also mail anything to 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, N.Y. 11530.

For those of you who are subscribers, enjoy this special issue of the Herald. And for new readers, I hope you like what you see. If you like it enough to subscribe, call (516) 569-4000 ext. 7 to start getting the Herald delivered to your door every week. You can also check out our ad on page 4 for more info about getting the Herald delivered to your door.

We’re also big supporters of local businesses. They really are the backbone of our community. If you’re a business owner and would like to place an ad in the Herald, call our sales representative, Jane Faiella, at (516) 569-4000 ext. 308, or email her at JFaiella@liherald.com.

As you read through the paper, remember one thing: It’s greater than the sum of its parts. It’s more than just ink on paper — it’s the weekly life of your community.