My Hometown

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath talk with Mr. Lester Paldy, a professor emeritus from Stony Brook University, who was tapped by the CIA in 1988 to join the agency for a “trial run” as they faced a troubling new situation in Russia.  That “temporary” assignment would last for 25 years. He extends an invitation to join him on his life- changing journey as the professor with his new book titled, “No Cloak, No Dagger.”

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath talk with Mr. Anthony DeVito, a Long Islander who lost his father, Joseph DeVito on January 18th, 2023, at the hands of a drunk driver.  But he turned that huge negative into a bigger positive by partnering with MADD, whose work includes advocating against drugged driving, supporting victims of both drunk and drugged driving, and preventing underage drinking.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about a Long Island based, family-run, non-profit organization, driven by a shared commitment to honor a lost father’s legacy of compassion, service, and love.  Bill: The organization is called HOWIE’S HEART, named after HOWIE CONKLIN, with a mission to inspire children, teens, and families to find joy in helping others through meaningful, carefully created volunteer opportunities that contribute to the greater good of our community and spread kindness.  They speak with the co-creators of Howie’s Heart… Howie’s daughter Jen Camacho, and his son James Conklin.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about a Long Island organization that is trying to make a positive difference in people’s lives through their homes.  People with disabilities & financial hardships struggle every day with tasks that most people find second nature. They want to make lives easier by improving and/or eliminating hurdles in homes. It's called RESCUING FAMILIES, and they talk to the founders of the organization, Gina and Vinny Centauro.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about a program that was created by students at JFK High School in Bellmore that connects teens with senior citizens across Long Island called Senior Teen Joy, Long Island's first Jewish intergenerational program.  They speak with the co-founders, Zachary Hoberman and Benji Balshin, along with their Social Media Director, Brianna Balshin.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath meet Pete Benney and Mark Novak, the local entrepreneurs and creators of a ping-pong game called BATZ, online at www.playbatz.com.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about The QuackerJack Foundation - the charitable arm of Long Island’s hometown baseball team, the Long Island Ducks! The QuackerJack Foundation is a non-profit that was formed in 2003 to better coordinate the team’s charitable endeavors, named after the club’s ever-popular mascot, QuackerJack.  They speak with Michael Polak, the Vice President of Communications with the Long Island Ducks.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath talk to Professor John D. Lin, who also teaches at St. Johns University, and the City University of New York, and is the author of a new book titled - Eli and Me: My Inspiration and the Epitome of Excellence.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about The Long Island Crisis Center, which provides 24/7, free, high quality, confidential and non-judgmental programs and services to support and empower Long Islanders at critical times in their lives.  They speak with Katie Stoll, the Crisis Center Director, and Jackie Lucianil, their Program Development Administrator.

Bill Horan and Matt Leonard learned about a local group called NY Furs, which looks to bring people together at in-person furry events all over New York, each event giving an opportunity for people to let their fur fly toward their goal of strengthening the local community to keep furries connected to local happenings.  They speak with Anthony Ryabchikov, the Founder of NY Furs, and their Head of their Events Team Manager, Vinny Lugo, also known by Vinegar.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about a joint admissions program that eases the pathway to a bachelor's degree - between Nassau Community College, and Farmingdale State College. They speak with Maggie Fleming, the Director of Interinstitutional Partnerships at Farmingdale State College.

Bill Horan and Ashley Ramirez talk with Long Islander Chris DeFlorio, a former NYPD officer who is the author of a book titled, Called into Darkness: Two NYC First Responders Battle the Supernatural.  Chris and his wife, Harmony, were both first responders during some of NYC’s darkest days. Today, they’re spiritual investigators answering calls from people experiencing terrifying paranormal disturbances, drawing on decades of experience in law enforcement and emergency response.

Bill Horan and Stacy Raine meet The Traveling Professor—a man who turned his love of history, culture, and perfectly packed suitcases into unforgettable small group tours. His name is Steven Solosky, a retired professor in the math department here at Nassau Community College, and now the creator of TravelingProfessor.com, and SmallGroupTours.com.

Bill Horan and Stacy Raine learn about the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, working to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.  They speak with Rande Bynum, the Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County - and a Lifetime Girl Scout Member!

Bill Horan and Stacy Raine learn about The Rare Treats Baking Company, a home kitchen from Malverne, specializing in dairy-free and nut-free treats that are delicious for EVERYONE. They create baked goods for families navigating food allergies and restrictions, especially those living with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, or EoE. They speak with Stephanie Fitzpatrick, the founder and baker behind The Rare Treats Baking Company.  She is joined by her oldest son, 11-year-old Logan - the inspiration for Rare Treats.

Bill Horan and Stacy Raine learn about the Amateur Observers Society of New York, where astronomy enthusiasts of all ages get to meet together to bring Long Island astronomy to the public and provide astronomy resources to members, with a goal to educate and inspire the public.  They speak with Jason Cousins, the President of the Amateur Observers Society of New York.

Bill Horan and Matt Leonard talk with Kristen Stucchio-Suarez, Project Director at RRDA, the official tourism and promotions agency for Nassau County, about all of the big events coming to Nassau County this fall, including a watch party for the Ryder Cup, events at UBS Arena, and more.

An "angel shot" is a discreet way for bar customers to signal to staff that they need help in an unsafe situation.  It's not a drink, but a code word or phrase that bartenders and servers are trained to recognize and respond to. And our guest today has taken that concept into the 21st century by creating an app that can do just that, digitally, called The Angel Shot App.  Bill Horan and Stacy Raine talk with Stephen Brennan, the owner of the bar Whiskey’s in Freeport, who along with his partner Jimmy LaSalle, created the Angel Shot App.

Bill Horan and Stacy Raine learn about The Veterans Resource Facility at Nassau Community College, which is dedicated to fostering a sense of community and to developing a channel of communication among student veterans and with faculty, staff, administration and community. They welcome and support veterans and recognize the contributions they have made for our nation, and at the same time, they are proud of the level of diversity and academic excellence that veterans bring to the campus. They speak with Miguel A. Castillo, the Veterans Resource Coordinator, and Roosevelt Morring, the Student Veterans Club Advisor.

Bill Horan and Stacy Raine talk with Rich “Big Daddy” Salgado, known to be one of the most trusted men among professional athletes and an agent to the stars.  As the chief executive of Coastal Advisors, otherwise known as Big Daddy Insures, he is an insurance adviser to more than 500 of the most prominent names in the world of sports, business, media and the entertainment industry with clients including former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, Fox Sports analyst Reggie Bush, former NBA point guard Jeremy Lin, ESPN senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, and actress Melissa Joan Hart.  And he’s from right here on Long Island.