The Council of East Meadow Community Organizations marked its 50th anniversary with a celebration at La Novella Ristorante in East Meadow, bringing attention to five decades of civic work in East Meadow and Salisbury.
Founded Sept. 28, 1976, CEMCO was created to give the two unincorporated communities a shared identity and a unified voice.
“The idea was to create an identity for East Meadow, boundaries being the East Meadow School District, to create unity — an organization that would bring everyone together,” Joe Parisi, CEMCO’s current president, said in an interview ahead of the Sept. 27 celebration.
Norma Gonsalves, an educator who later became a Nassau County legislator, founded the organization. Gonsalves, who died last year at age 90, helped establish committees focused on crime prevention, the Nassau County Jail and Nassau University Medical Center.
CEMCO continues serving residents within the East Meadow School District’s boundaries. It holds meetings related to local issues, advocates for beautification and supports programs intended to bring neighbors together.
Parisi became involved with CEMCO in the late 1980s and took the lead on its Beautification Committee in 1992. The committee plants a tree annually during Community Day at Speno Park, maintains a small plot of land at Bellmore Avenue and North Jerusalem Road, and has helped care for the East Meadow Bird Sanctuary behind the park.
“Year after year, we’ve been doing these cleanups, and now here we are in 2026,” Parisi said. “A lot of the vegetation came back. A lot of trees grew back. It became a very beautiful space, just by leaving it alone.”
CEMCO also provides a forum for residents to hear about proposed developments and other matters affecting the community. Recent meetings have addressed the Regency Development on Hempstead Turnpike and a school district bond proposal approved by voters in March.
“I think the founding principles of CEMCO are just as important today as they were 50 years ago,” Parisi said. “It is an organization that tries to promote unity within our community. In this social media age, there is so much misinformation going out there. I know it’s kind of old-fashioned, but I think when we have a meeting, we try to bring together people who can bring the facts to the table.”
The organization also funds scholarships for high school students, provides a wreath for the community’s Memorial Day observance and sponsors other local activities. Its anniversary gathering included a cocktail hour, buffet dinner and dessert, with ticket proceeds supporting CEMCO’s work.
“We are a quiet organization, but we do our work,” said Dolores Rome, CEMCO’s third vice president. “We care about our community. We care about what people think, and that’s why we have meetings.”
As CEMCO enters its next half-century, Parisi said its broad civic role remains its strength.
“CEMCO is that civic presence,” he said. “We cover the gamut for the community. We are wearing many hats that are all important to the community, and I don’t think there’s any other organization in East Meadow that does what CEMCO does.”
Town Councilman Dennis Dunne, a frequent face at CEMCO meetings, said it was a great evening celebrating a cornerstone of the East Meadow community.
“CEMCO has been doing the kind of work that keeps a community strong for five decades,” he said. “Bringing people organizations together, recognizing good people, and making sure people who give their time and energy to East Meadow are never forgotten.”
