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Community Corner

Holiday Lighting Ceremony Brings Community Together

Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting at Klestinec Park draws big crowds.

Massapequa gathered to usher in the yuletide season as the annual Holiday Lighting ceremony was held in this past Saturday evening.

With a section of Broadway cordoned off by Nassau County police to make room for the Town of Oyster Bay's showmobile, a record-breaking crowd turned out to witness the lighting of the Hanukah Menorah and Christmas tree, as presided over by Oyster Bay supervisor John Venditto.

"From the Town of Oyster Bay to you and your families, please accept our wishes for a Merry Christmas, a happy Hanukah, and a happy and healthy New Year," Venditto said to the parents and children of the audience.

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Eager to give the gathered crowd what they came for, Venditto, Massapequa Chamber of Commerce president Phyllis Doria, Massapequa Park mayor James Altadonna, and the other assembled politicians and civic leaders quickly got to the meat and potatoes of the evening- the lighting ceremony.

With a quick countdown echoed by every holiday reveler present, Venditto lit both the Menorah and Christmas tree erected in Klestinec Park, officially kicking off the holiday season in Massapequa.

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However, the evening was only getting started, with festive dance numbers provided the students of A Step Above, a local dance school, and a visit by Santa Claus himself, ushered to Klestinec Park by none other than the Massapequa Fire Department.

After greeting the crowd from the stage of the showmobile, Santa took a seat in the gazebo of Klestinec Park, where one by one, the good little boys and girls of Massapequa all took turns telling him of all the expensive touch screen electronics they wanted to find under their Christmas tree this holiday season.

Lois Munch had brought her grandchildren to experience the magic of the Klestinec lighting ceremony.

“I love these things, and so do my grandkids,” she said. “We like to stretch out the holidays as long as possible, because it’s such a magical time. Last week we went to the one in , and now we’re here.”

Nathan Helmsley and his son also enjoyed the lighting ceremony.

“The sooner the Christmas season starts, the better,” he said. “Kids grown up too fast these days, so I’ll try and cherish these times we have together at events like these while they last.”

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