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52 | Long Beach Magazine | SUMMER 2018
SeptemberEvents Bringing a Fresh Spirit
& ACTIVITIES to Real Estate
September8 Michelle O’Neill
Volleyball KARLA V. GRASSO
Tournament
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
The 22nd annual Michelle O’Neill Volleyball 516.432.3400 (O)
Tournament, which is one of the biggest events 516.972.9525 C
of the summer, will be held on Saturday, Sept. [email protected]
8 to raise money for children with cancer and www.elliman.com
special needs. Check in begins at 8 a.m. at Lau-
relton Boulevard beach. Come play, or watch the 30A West Park Avenue
competitive games. Enjoy music, raffles, food and Long Beach
merchandise. For more information, visit www.
981534
11monfoundation.org.
9/11
Remembrance
Events
Elected officials,local clergy and veterans will
gather on Tuesday,Sept.11 at 8 a.m.to honor the
lives lost on 9/11.The remembrance gathering
takes place at the Recreation Center Parking Lot,
overlooking the bay,and all are welcome to attend.
A service at the Virginia Avenue Garden is held at
11 a.m.At 7:30 p.m.,the Long Beach Fire Depart-
ment will hold its ceremony on West Park Avenue
at Lafayette Boulevard to pay tribute to the victims
and first responders.Visit www.longbeachny.gov
for more information.
Professional surfer Balaram Stack, of Point Lookout, won 982365
the 2017 RVCA Unsound Surf Pro last September at Lincoln
Boulevard, collecting the top prize of $5,000. Photo courtesy
Mike Nelson
Events continued on page 57
SUMMER 2018 | Long Beach Magazine | 53
Long Beach Magazine
Local swim coach and lifeguard instructor Beth
Skudin is known as the resident surf mom in
Long Beach.
Bridget Downes/Herald
Women Who Rule the Beach
Beth Skudin,matriarch of run Skudin Surf, and co-founded Surf for All, Virginia, where she was part of a men’s swim
the surfing community a non-profit that organizes surf outings and team because a women’s team didn’t exist.
events for people with physical and devel- Title IX, a 1972 federal civil rights law that
By Bridget Downes opmental disabilities, as well as war veterans protects students from gender discrimina-
and disadvantaged youth. tion, had not yet been passed.
“I always love to be in the water,” Beth The Skudins have lived in some of the “It wasn’t weird to me,” she said, “but
most famous surf spots around the world, college kids thought it was weird. They were
Skudin said, her bathing suit still wet under including Hawaii and North Carolina. But like, ‘Oh my gosh, how could you be on a
her cover-up. “It doesn’t feel like work.” Beth said she always returns to Long Beach. men’s swim team?’ I grew up swimming
Beth is known as the matriarch of These days, she coaches swimming at the with the boys.”
the Long Beach surfing community. She Long Beach Recreation Center — some- She said the college wanted her pres-
described herself as the “resident mom” at thing she’s been doing on and off since ence on the team to garner interest from
Skudin Surf, the popular surfing school in 2009, although she’s been teaching swim- women. And by the time she was a junior,
Long Beach, with locations in Rockaway, ming and surfing for about 40 years. she helped create a women’s team.
Nickerson and Tobay beaches. “You could try [surfing], and the next “It had a big influence on my life — just
For the Skudins, surfing is a family affair. thing you know you’re part of the surf to push yourself and not have limitations,”
For three generations, they have been surf- culture, because you’ve fallen in love with she said.
ing, swimming, teaching and working as riding the waves,” she said. Beth also recalled teaching Long Beach
lifeguards on Long Island. Beth also helped launch Skudin Swim lifeguard Meghan Gallagher — who is also
Beth, 63, and her husband, Dave, surfed last year, a program at Nickerson Beach featured in the Women Who Rule the Beach
together as children with Beth’s father, Dick that trains, manages and hires lifeguards series — how to surf.
Bolton, a former surfer, artist and Jones throughout Nassau County. “I remember the day she first cut across
Beach lifeguard. They continued her father’s “It’s a family business,” she said. “It’s really the face of the wave,” Beth said.
tradition and shared their love for the sport fun to work together like that.” Whether she’s coaching the swim club or
and culture with their four sons, Dave, Cliff, She also said that she taught the neigh- teaching at Nickerson Beach, Beth puts all of
Will and Woody. borhood girls — family friends — how to her effort into everything she does.
Will is a professional big-wave surfer swim, because she wanted to keep her “That’s what I mean about the ocean —
competing in the elite Big Wave World Tour, father’s mission alive. it brings out the best in you,” she said. “It
while Cliff is working his way up as a pro and Beth attended Bethany College in West teaches you to give it your all.”
competed in many big-wave contests. Both
Continued on next page
54 | Long Beach Magazine | SUMMER 2018
Long Beach Magazine
Kara and Kim,bringing Pierson, 39, works as a teacher in Valley Kara Gumiela, left, and Kimberly Pierson lead yoga classes
yoga to the beach Stream and teaches yoga at Love Integra- and guided meditation sessions on the beach.
tion — a local yoga studio — and spends
By Bridget Downes her summers leading guided meditation Bridget Downes/Herald
sessions over a backdrop of a beach sunset. “It’s like a sisterhood, and I just feel a
Feeling the wind in your hair, the sand She is a Reiki Master Healer, and incorpo- bond,” Gumiela said.
rates mindfulness and pranayama breathing “That’s what I think yoga is — the sci-
between your toes and the warmth of the exercises into her teachings. ence of balance in the body, and mind and
sun on your body. That’s what you get when “When I went to yoga, I felt better,” spirit,” added Pierson. “What you learn in our
you attend a beach yoga session taught by Pierson said, recalling when the activity first classes — it’s not just when you’re on the
Long Beach locals Kara Gumiela and Kim- piqued her interest. “But I wanted to know mat — it’s what you take off the mat.”
berly Pierson. more.”
“It’s like beach therapy,” Gumiela said, She became certified three years ago,
“going to the beach for your healing.” and said that yoga teacher training was an
What started out as a few people getting experience that helped heal her pain, both
together on the beach spread via word of physical and emotional.
mouth and grew into an expanding com- “I became a different person after, when
munity of yogis and reiki healers, or instruc- I came out,” Pierson said, adding that her
tors trained in holistic energy healing. training came at a difficult time in her life.
The yoga instructors independently She was suffering from chronic physical pain
teach classes on the beach based on a and her father died a couple of days before
weekly schedule posted on Instagram and her training began.
Facebook. “My transformation was quick and fast,”
Gumiela, 30, previously worked as a she said. “I didn’t know when I had signed
nanny for local kids. She said she got into up, that that was going to be my healing
yoga about five years ago when she decided through one of the biggest tragedies of my
running on the treadmill just wasn’t cutting life.”
it. She started taking yoga classes at Synergy The pair met at Love Integration after
Fitness and fell in love with the calmness Gumiela took one of Pierson’s classes.
she felt after each session. They constantly encourage their stu-
“After that, I was hooked,” she said. dents to step out of their comfort zones and
Gumiela became a certified instructor try new things.
and began teaching yoga at New York “If it’s uncomfortable,” Pierson said, “well,
Beach Club in Atlantic Beach. that’s what yoga teaches you — how to be
“I always knew I could help people, and comfortable in uncomfortable situations.”
I knew I loved teaching children, and I was They noticed that some people feel
like, I want to become a yoga teacher be- intimidated by a yoga studio and are more
cause I want to make people feel good,” she comfortable on the beach.
said.
Jennifer Hanono,surfer, ed water woman,” she said. “My relationship
paddle-boarder and with the oceans has changed my life 100
environmentalist percent. I am a healthier person because
everything I do involves the ocean.”
By Elizabeth Thompson In addition to being active in water
sports, Hanono calls herself a “steward of
“Working in the ocean has been such a the sea,” and she is also passionate about
conservation. She is a member of the Sur-
positive experience for me, and I enjoy shar- frider Foundation, and she makes an effort
ing that with people,” said Jennifer Hanono, to spread awareness about the dangers of
a surfer, freediver and stand up paddleboard single-use plastics like plastic straws, uten-
expert, who runs paddleboard lessons at sils, bags, food containers and cups that can
Skudin Surf. be harmful to the environment.
Hanono, who is originally from the Five Hanono also limits the amount of chemi-
Towns, is now a Long Beach resident who cals she uses in her daily life, and instead, she
has been surfing and paddleboarding for uses natural products and cleaners that get
five years. the job done without hurting the environ-
She said she has always loved the water, ment.
but her relationship with it actually started She makes an effort to spread awareness
in Sweden, where she spent summers on about protecting ocean life and is involved
the lake with her family when she was in beach cleanups organized by Surfrider.
younger. “Once people fall in love with the water
When she moved to Long Beach, they want to protect it too,” Hanono said.
Hanono’s experience with cold, fresh water
helped her transition to ocean water, and Jennifer Hanono, a self-proclaimed“water woman,”teaches
she soon found she had an aptitude for standup paddleboard lessons at Skudin Surf.
stand up paddleboarding.
“I like to think of myself as a well-round- Christina Daly/Herald
Continued on next page
SUMMER 2018 | Long Beach Magazine | 55
Long Beach Magazine
Carol O’Neill,serving The funds raised by the tournament are from the children being supported by the
those in need used to help families with money for trans- foundation.
portation, parking, wigs and even tutoring For more information about the founda-
By Elizabeth Thompson for children who have been out of school tion and in order to register for the tourna-
while in the hospital. ment, visit www.monfoundation.org.
Carol O’Neill serves those in need in the “There are so many people who come to Carol O’Neill coordinates the annual Michelle O’NeillVolleyball
the fundraiser who truly care,” said O’Neill. Tournament, one of the biggest events in Long Beach every
community with the annual Michelle O’Neill The tournament this year will be held on summer.
Volleyball Tournament, a charitable event Sept. 8 at Laurelton Boulevard beach. There
that benefits children with cancer. will be live music, a raffle and special visits Christina Daly/Herald
She is the executive vice president of
the Michelle O’Neill Foundation, a nonprofit
organization that helps children with cancer
and special needs. The organization was
founded in 1997 in memory of her daughter,
Michelle O’Neill, who died from cancer in
1996.
“Long Beach is a volleyball town,” said
O’Neill. “It represents Long Beach in a good
light.”
This year will mark the 22nd annual vol-
leyball tournament.
The event has grown since its inception
in 1997, when there were only 11 volleyball
nets and raised $17,000. Today, the tourna-
ment has grown to include 61 nets and last
year raised $200,000. O’Neill says the event
has grown just from word of mouth in the
community.
“It’s totally amazing, and I think a lot has
to do with the spirit of the community,” she
said.
O’Neill said the funds go directly to the
families of the children who have been
diagnosed with cancer. She said that she
learned firsthand how many expenses were
not covered by insurance.
Meghan Gallagher, in 2004, when there were very few girls on
lifeguard officer the patrol. Since then, she said, the amount
breaking barriers of women on the crews has drastically
increased.
By Bridget Downes When she was a rookie, there were no
women in charge to look up to, Gallagher
“I don’t really remember summers before said.
“It’s great to have a figure for [the girls] to
being a Long Beach lifeguard,” said Lt. go to,” she said, “and be like, ‘Hey, listen, this
Meghan Gallagher, of the Lifeguard Patrol. was me 15 years ago — I get it.’”
Out of six lieutenants that run the For Gallagher, being a lifeguard is a fam-
lifeguards, she’s currently the only female ily affair. Her father, Patrick Gallagher, is the
officer. There have been three in the history former Chief of Lifeguards.
of the patrol. “I grew up around it and that’s always
“It’s crazy that we’ve only had three girls what I wanted to strive to be,” she said,
as bosses,” she said, adding that she over- adding that she was always a part of a swim
sees about 32 guards, both male and female. team.
Gallagher, 31, has been a lieutenant for When Gallagher isn’t keeping a watch-
three years. She oversees the “east crew,” and ful eye over swimmers at the beach, she’s
also serves as the captain of the women’s teaching English to kids who speak foreign
competition team, a group that competes in languages or coaching junior varsity
New Jersey every year. She’s been a lifeguard lacrosse at Long Beach High School. It works,
for 15 years. she said, because she has summers off,
“It was important for me to have that which allows her to lifeguard.
leadership role that the girls can go to,” Gal- “It’s definitely shaped the people that I’m
lagher said. “It’s really important for the girls around and the way I interact with people,”
to be able to see that a female can get into she said. “It’s gotten me to be patient.”
some sort of power in this place.” Lt. Meghan Gallagher is currently the only female officer on the
Out of 167 total guards on the patrol, Lifeguard Beach Patrol.
51 are women. She recalled her rookie year
Christina Daly/Herald
56 | Long Beach Magazine | SUMMER 2018
Events We are different.
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the net at the 21st annual Michelle O’Neill volleyball tourna- • Completely Renovated Short-Term Unit
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and Flex on Care and Many Other Skilled Services
the Beach • We Accept Medicare, Medicaid, and Almost
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NY Fit Fest will be held on Sept. 29 and will fea-
ture more than 40 classes, lectures and seminars Call for more information or to request a tour!
led by world-class athletes, celebrity influencers,
fitness and beauty experts. Activities will include One LOng Beach ROad
yoga, cycling surfing and more. For more informa- IsLand PaRk, nY 11558
tion, visit www.nyfitfest.com. Flex on the Beach,
an annual fitness competition, will return to Long TeL: 516.432.0300
Beach on Sept. 14, 15 and 16. For more informa- Fax: 516.431.6923
6tion,visit www.flexeventshq.com. www.sOuThPOInTPLazaRehaB.cOm
AOH Irish Day
Parade and
Festival
The AOH annual Irish Day Parade and Festival will
begin at 11 a.m.at Washington Boulevard and
West Beech Street on Saturday,Oct.6.The event
will feature vendors,rides,music,food and raffles
along West Beech Street until 5 p.m.Along with
the parade,the city will hold a Kids Fun Zone
from 12 to 4 p.m.in the West School yard with
rides,games,a DJ and more.The Fun Zone will
cost $5 per child.For more information,visit www.
longbeachny.gov.
SUMMER 2018 | Long Beach Magazine | 57
Long Beach Magazine / Beach Scene
Lights, camera, action!
Long Beach International Film Festival showcases
local and international talent
By Elizabeth Thompson
The seventh annual Long Beach In- Actor Nancy Cartwright, center, the voice of Bart Simpson in the animated television series“The Simpsons,”greeted fans in August 2017
ternational Film Festival kicks off Aug. 1, a on the opening night of the sixth annual Long Beach International Film Festival, at the premiere of a film she produced,“In Search of
four-day event showcasing films and more Fellini.” Photo by Peter Belfiore
at the beachfront Allegria Hotel, with select
screenings taking place at the newly reno-
vated Regal Lynbrook 13 & RPX.
The new theater is the most significant
change to the festival, and festival co-found-
er and Long Island native Craig Weintraub
described the new amenities, which consist
of recliner seating with a push button as
well as food and drinks as, “one of the best
ways to watch a film.”
More than 6,000 attendees are expected
to turn out for the festival, which features
film screenings, musical performances and
food tasting events and more.
The festival drew submissions from
nearly 400 filmmakers from over 20 different
countries. Film genres vary from feature-
length narratives and documentaries to
Continued on page 61
58 | Long Beach Magazine | SUMMER 2018
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Professional and amateur filmmakers from AWppeetdicz-aeSnrEnuo/atEncrolnm5ytbr-iBné7eepiwr/mitdCh!oftohoefrrfeo$fefe3ros r0Tea Dinner
all over the world will compete for a series
of Jury, Festival Honor and Audience Awards $100 check minimum,
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“It’s a happening event and we’re able Exp. 9/30/18
to draw in on some local celebrities to
see what the festival is about and be our 15% Off
guests,”said Weintraub. Saturday/
Sunday
Opening Night Films kicks off the event Brunch
on Aug. 1. Past films featured at the open-
ing event include“The Wisdom to Know 12n-4pm, no minimum,
the Difference,”which earned a celebrity cannot combine w/other offers.
appearance by actor Daniel Baldwin. Other
notable past attendees include actor Nancy Exp. 9/30/18
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The festival is not just for film lovers — 3 Course Dinner
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and film festival Devour! for a unique experi- cannot combine w/other offers.
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will enjoy a five-course, locally-sourced din- Exp. 9/30/18
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of the short films shown at Chefs and Shorts 2757 Long Beach Rd. Oceanside • 516-806-2188 • WayneFrenchKitchen.com
at the Allegria Hotel.
The LBIFF offers much more entertain-
ment beyond film. On Friday, Aug. 3, for
the fifth consecutive year, the festival will
feature a fantastic roster of local and nation-
ally recognized musical talent performing
beachfront at the Allegria Hotel, followed
by the wildly popular, premiere culinary
event,Taste On The Beach, which features
tastings from more than 40 of Long Island’s
renowned restaurants, distilleries, wineries
and more, taking place inside the hotel.
Tickets are $99 and available at www.long-
beachfilm.com.
A portion of the proceeds of this event
will benefit Cohen’s Children’s Medical Cen-
ter and The Long Beach Soup Kitchen.
After the concerts and foodie festivities
conclude, attendees will once again be invit-
ed into a custom-built movie theatre on the
beach — Beach Theatre — for the Shorts
on the Beach Film Series, which will exhibit
short films from around the world, including
from Long Island-native filmmakers. The
beach concerts and films shown on the
beach are free and open to the public.
Shorts on the Beach will exhibit various
short films including a short documentary
by Long Beach’s own Brian Adamkiewicz,
whose film,“Build Ramps Not Walls,”was
recently shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
It was awarded best student documentary
at the Emerging Filmmaker showcase in the
festival’s American Pavilion.
“He was on the beaches in Cannes and
now he’s going to be on the beaches back
home,”said Weintraub.
For more information,
visit www.longbeachfilm.com.
SUMMER 2018 | Long Beach Magazine | 61
Long Beach Magazine / Beach Season
NY Fit Fest returns to Long Beach
By Jen Curran great way to find something new blood pumping, Fit Fest will body image.
The NY Fit Fest, hosted by the to add to your fitness routine and offer massage therapists, healers “Whether you’re a yogi,
Allegria Hotel, is set to return engage with people from across and “body workers” that will cyclist, boot-camp enthusiast,
to Long Beach on Sept. 29, a the Long Island, organizers said, bring participants peace and inspiring dancer, beauty fanatic,
day-long festival that features while also taking in the beautiful relaxation to help them conquer healthy food lover or avid spa-
a variety of fitness activities for scenery of Long Beach. the day ahead. There will also be goer, this retreat has something
people of all skill levels. Aside from the activities, a class exclusively for teenagers for all ages, shapes and fitness
Now in its second year, the which are designed to get your in order to promote a positive levels!” said Dodd. “You’ll always
event, sponsored by the BMW of have the comfort of your rou-
Freeport, is set to feature world- tine at home, so use this fit-cat-
renowned athletes, celebrity ion experience to try a unique
trainers, and expert influencers workout or investigate the latest
that will lead an array of classes in beauty treatments from our
and activities, including surfing, expert ambassadors.”
CrossFit, Sunrise Yoga, Rooftop Love could also be in the air
Cyclebar, meditation, kickboxing, for some Fit Fest participants dur-
Zumba — even pole dancing. ing the signature speed fitness
Attendees can also enjoy speed dating event. Those who work
and agility training as well as a out opposite each have the op-
variety of lectures on nutrition, portunity to bond while breaking
beauty and mindfulness. a sweat — and a love connection
In addition, popular local could be in the works.
businesses and vendors, like “NY Fit Fest is an incredible
Beauty Bar 1947, Skudin Surf, party on the beach, without the
Rebuild the Beach, Love Integra- hangover,” Dodd said.
tion Yoga, Barrier Island Cross The event will kickoff at the
Fit, LB Locals and Ooh la la Allegria Hotel at 7 a.m. on Sept.
boutiques will be in attendance. 29 and run until 5 p.m.; tickets
Last year, Long Beach resi- are $75. For more information,
dents and NY Fit Fest co-found- visit NYFitFest.com.
ers Lee Morales, Ingrid Dodd and 1- BikramYoga instructor Anne Hayes led a
Jason Belsky worked to bring the
first-ever festival to fruition. Now, class during last year’s event.
the fitness party, attended by 2- Debbie Drum, of Long Beach, received a
more than a thousand fitness en-
thusiasts last September, returns lesson from Jennifer Keays of iFlyTrapeze at
for an encore. last year’s NY Fit Fest.
The oceanfront retreat is a
Photos by Sue Grieco
62 | Long Beach Magazine | SUMMER 2018
982254
Long Beach Magazine / Real Estate
‘I always dreamed of 1
having a house on the
beach and this is absolutely
our dream home.
’— Mark Palmer, owner
A hidden gem in the West End
23
64 | Long Beach Magazine | SUMMER 2018
Oceanfront home boasts stunning views — and features
By Anthony Rifilato
At the end of Michigan Street sits an 4
unassuming oceanfront home tucked
between an apartment building and cozy Long Beach.’ She told me all about it and I
bungalows. thought it was awesome.
But viewed from the oceanside, the “We checked the schools and they had
four-level modern beach house made of an IB program — it’s one of the best-kept
stone and natural cedar is nothing short of secrets in Long Beach — but it was the over-
eye-catching. all feel of Long Beach,” he added. “I love the
“The front of the house is kind of normal, way people bike around, the city, the beach
but if you look at it from the ocean, it’s is amazing and the schools are great. Both
huge,” said owner Mark Palmer, who lives at my kids play volleyball for Long Beach High
the home with his wife, Casey, and their two School. We’re active at the beach and we’re
teenage children who attend Long Beach active within the volleyball program at the
High School. “We designed it to retain the high school. We’re a volleyball family.”
feel from the street — it slopes down to the 1-Viewed from the ocean, this modern beach house on Michigan
street, and the back of it goes up.”
The five-bedroom home was built on Street is nothing short of eye-catching.
helical piles on a vacant lot and took three 2- Eachfloorofthehomeincludesabalconyoverlookingtheocean.
years to build. It was completed last year un- 3-The elevated, four-level home features a high-tech, pneumatic
der new Federal Emergency Management
Agency height requirements. vacuum elevator that uses air instead of cables for lift between
“We started after [Hurricane] Sandy — it floors.
was a piece of sand before that and one of 4-The home boasts an in-ground swimming pool, three decks
the last empty residential lots in the West facing the ocean with stunning views, five bathrooms and
End,” Palmer said. “The first floor doesn’t other cool features.
start for 10 feet.” 5-The home was built by Long Beach-based A&E Builders and
The home was built by A&E Builders, sits on helical piles to meet new FEMA requirements.
whose co-owners, Andrew and Eric Rod- 6-Terry Stewart Interior Design Associates, a NewYork City-
abaugh, have been working and living in
Long Beach for the past 12 years. 5 based interior design firm, was brought in to help with interior
The 3,700 square-foot home — not in- layouts, kitchen and bathroom design, deck planning and
cluding FEMA space — boasts an in-ground finish selection. Photos by Deliah Roberts
swimming pool, three decks facing the
ocean with stunning views, five bathrooms 6
and a pneumatic vacuum elevator that uses
air instead of cables for lift between floors, SUMMER 2018 | Long Beach Magazine | 65
according to Terry Stewart Interior Design
Associates, the interior design firm Mark
and Casey brought in to help with interior
layouts, kitchen and bathroom design, deck
planning and finish selection.
“I always dreamed of having a house on
the beach and this is absolutely our dream
home — we had it all custom designed,”
Palmer said. “Our goal was to make it a mid-
century modern beach house — it’s all very
open. I like things that are clean and simple
but we tried to make it beachy too. We did
all sorts of smart home stuff so it’s a pretty
high-tech house, all Lutron enabled, which is
a home automation system.”
The home is also eco-friendly, he said,
with solar panels and other features.
“We basically have a tiny room at the
top of our house — there’s no boiler in the
house; it’s all high tech,” he said. “In the sum-
mer, we basically don’t have an electrical
bill.”
Palmer, 53, an executive at a software
company, said his family moved to Long
Beach for the good schools, particularly its
International Baccalaureate program, and
the community.
“She came out here to play volleyball for
years,” Palmer said of Casey, a fit model in
New York City. “We were looking at places
to live and she said, ‘There’s this place called
982363
982299
Put the Barbara Mullaney Team to Work for You
While you enjoy your summer at the beach, let us get the best
price possible for your house or find your dream home!
SM
Barbara Mullaney
Licensed Salesperson
“Double Centurion Award Winner”
[email protected]
516-582-6096
Peggy Connery Tracey Johnson Mary O’Donnell
Licensed Salesperson Licensed Salesperson Licensed Salesperson
[email protected] “Gold Circle Winner” [email protected]
516-672-6038 [email protected] 516-225-9852
516-459-7611
Wishing You a Wonderful, 982155
Safe, and Fun-Filled Summer!