TWF 356: Pride On The Mile Has Grown So Much In Two Years

 Hello, friends,

Back in 2023, Freeporters organized and launched Pride On The Mile, a to-become-yearly Pride event centered around celebrating Freeport's incredible diversity in a whole new way.

I mean, growing up Queer in Freeport in the 90's was certainly challenging, but it was also rewarding.  I was never as alone as I sometimes felt, and I was never unable to find people like me.

Last year, I wasn't able to attend. I was ill, and I just figured it to be a better idea to stay home and rest up than risk getting anyone sick.

With my neck in quite bad shape, I decided I wanted to definitely get down there this year because I felt like things were different.

And they were.

Now, I lack last years' performance to compare this years' to, but I do remember how relatively small the event was in 2023. It had a few dedicated vendors, some events, some businesses on board.

The first thing I noticed about this years' event was that there were a number of cars in the parking lot with Pride stickers, decorations, and the like.

The second thing I noticed this year was that there was a huge stage set up in the parking lot across from the esplanade, a place where performers could really get a great view of the crowd, and vice-versa.

Also, this year? The vendor section (where I spent most of my limited time) was wonderfully large in comparison to the first time through.

Okay, so some of them were relatively 'normie' things like Mount Sinai and Northwell Health having booths.

It's coming up on election season in Nassau, and I noticed a number of Democratic candidates had boots set up. Didn't see any Republicans that I'm aware of. I wonder why? (No, I don't)

If you read this before it's too late to get down there, try getting down there! There are events all night.

TWF 355: ICE Is Active In Freeport - Be Careful

 Greetings, friends,

This is one whereby the headline tells you a lot of what's up, and your knowledge of the history of this publication and my political beliefs gets you the rest of the way there.

About a day or two ago, Freeport resident and activist Carmen Piñeyro posted alerts that ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) was operating in Freeport, presumably to illegally arrest and disappear undocumented immigrants living in Freeport.

At the time, all I could really do is share the post around and notify people as I found out.  Hopefully, that helped people.

But with the way things are escalating in Los Angeles tonight, it's worth reiterating to Freeporters that, in fact, ICE is active in Freeport and actively looking to interfere with peoples' lives in the worst ways possible.

Now is when I remind you that I no longer live in Freeport, so I can't serve as a rapid response person (not that I'm physically able).  Still, I hope my hometown is taking steps to be safe with these roving bands of brigands in its streets.

ICE, I mean.  They're the ones who exile American children.  Who did you think I meant?  Maybe you need to check that.

Anyway.

I just hope Mayor Kennedy is making sure that Freeport PD will in no way assist ICE in its crimes against Humanity; I really, truly hope he's prepared to have Freeport PD protect its residents against due process violations, even if that means getting between ICE and its victims.

I know how insane that might sound to some, but, such is our life as we resist Fascism.

In the meantime, if you are at all at risk for being targeted, be as safe as you possibly can.  If that means you have to prepare go-bags and be ready to leave on a moments' notice?  I'm so sorry, but please do what you have to to be safe.

Freeport is being targeted for its integrated community, but it's a community like few others.  I firmly believe the Village can resist, provided its government does the right thing early on.

TWF 354 - Nautical Mile Festival: June 7th, 2025

 Hey everyone,

No big news, here.  Just one event to talk about, really:

For those maybe using a text reader, the Nautical Mile Festival is going to be Saturday, June 7th, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

I don't know that I'll be able to get down there and be there in person, but I do hope the Festival goes on safely and smoothly - and profitably, for those vending and those who own established businesses, alike!

TWF 353 - Pride On The Mile, June 21st!

 Hello, friends,

Just spreading the word about the third annual Pride On The Mile!

As per their post on Facebook, this year's Pride On The Mile is going to consist of:

"New this year:

The Pride Caravan, a rolling celebration of visibility and pride! Registration opens soon (limited space — stay tuned!)

Here’s what else to expect:

 🏳️‍🌈 A bustling vendor market featuring local LGBTQ+ makers and businesses.

🏳️‍🌈 An afternoon festival entertainment and performance. 

🏳️‍🌈 The return of the iconic Dragaret, a ticketed drag showcase you won’t want to miss, followed by an after party. 

🏳️‍🌈 Light activities for all ages to explore and enjoy throughout the day. 

Let’s come together, make memories, and fill the Mile with all the love and pride we can! You won’t want to miss this."

Stay tuned at their Facebook group for more announcements.

TWF 352 - Protest At Merrick Train Station Was Hugely Successful

 Hello, friends,

I hope this message finds you well.  As we reported on our Facebook pages (both our "Page" and our "group"), there was a protest today at the Merrick Train Station.

Remember:  Any nearby/Nassau County protests will be announced on that Facebook group, so if you haven't already checked it out, check it!

As a tentative heads up, it looks like 50501 is going to be doing a May 1st protest.  I won't be able to cover that one due to prior engagements, but I do support them!

That said, let's talk about our Merrick Train Station protest:

Merrick Train Station Protest.  Photo by Jesse Pohlman

About The April 19th Protests In Merrick, NY

It was definitely an interesting experience, as most of the people were gathered in the east-side parking lot.  That meant that as you approached the train station itself, it was hard to see the action.  But the trickle of people with signs told me all I needed to know, and I parked as close to the protests as I could, hoofed it over, and stood actually at the front of the westbound lane's line of sign-holders.

It was a nice experience.

It wasn't perfect, of course.  There were a couple of trucks that drove by with Trump flags or flipping us off.  One lady parked her car in front of the protest line, got out of it, whipped out an American flag and started chanting "Trump" until the cops forced her to move for blocking traffic.  One person decried us all as terrorists, which was funny because January 6th happened and they don't seem to mind insurrectionist terrorists, so...That's noteworthy.5

But at the same time, the number of people honking and giving a thumbs up was huge.

I'm not a professional crowd estimator, but I'd estimate about a thousand people came out for the event.  There were speakers, many of whom came from various Democratic Party clubs in the area - sort of a surprise to see them out and about, to be honest.

After all, the whole Merrick event was organized by the Merrick-Bellmore Democratic Club.  So, props to them.

I might not be a Democrat at this time (Go Working Families Party!  I can hook you up if you have any questions), but I'm happy to see my former party actually starting to wake up and go, "Holy shit this is a real threat."

Whether that'll pay off in the long run is another story, but, yeah.

Other Protest Events Which Took Place Today, April 19th, 2025.

My understanding is there were two other protests planned in just the Long Island area.

One was a continuation of the Tesla Takedown campaign up in Manhasset, but that's a specific movement with a specific goal.

The other was a similar event to the Merrick one, but held out in Patchouge.  I don't know who organized it, but my hope is that it went just as well.  If you're someone who attended, please leave a comment on this article and I'll be happy to add a little credit.

Anyway, until next time:  Be safe, be strong, and don't tolerate Fascist shit.

TWF 351 - Hands Off Protests At Nassau County Courthouse; Huge Crowd!

Hello, friends,

Hope you're all doing well.  I'm pretty happy, all things considered, as today I'm happy to report on the sheer size of the Hands Off rally at the Nassau County Courthouse which took place just hours ago!

Let's Talk About The Event

The event was especially geared towards NOSH, a north-shore food pantry.  See, food pantries and other help-the-poor projects were hampered by harsh funding cuts and support slashing.  So the goal was to help gather a whole bunch of food, or at least donations to that organization.

NOSH isn't the only food pantry in the area.  In fact, Freeport has one, the Long Island Food Pantry, that I'm sure could also use donations and other forms of support.

With that said, food banks weren't the only goal of the event:  It was, after all, a protest!

I know that picture might be chaotic, but if you look straight at the center you'll see what is, in fact, a mobile billboard.  There was a mobile billboard brought to bear.  Neat.

In all seriousness - despite the rain, estimates are that about 2,100 people confirmed they would be attending.  That number may have been predicated on people saying they'd go who later didn't, but it also included people who weren't on the e-mail list.

I've been to a number of protests at the courthouse and I've never seen it this crowded.  Or, if I have, it's been a long time.  Maybe one of the Roe v Wade protests matched it, but the Schumer/Gillibrand protests - though large! - didn't come close to matching what I saw today.

I missed it!  How do I find out about future events?

First of all, insofar as it falls on me to tell you protests are taking place, I'm sorry I kinda dropped the ball on this one.  My neck has been extra-bad, so I've been dropping balls.  ...Okay that's ripe for a joke.  Back to seriousness:  Surgeon appointment near the end of the month, then we schedule a cut or two.

That said, I recently did a video on my Dystopian Review channel all about the various organizations and protest lists you can look up.  That includes Mobilize.us as well as the Big List Of Protests.

These resources and others like it will help you stay in touch with local organizers who might be hosting an event near you.

With all that in mind, I'll try to do a better job of announcing these events ahead of time for the next one, but I'm quite sure there will be a next one.

What if I don't agree with the protests?

I dunno?  Organize a counter-protest if you can find the people to do it?  But you should probably be open to reconsidering your position, and this publication won't be helping you.

Remember:  I'm not politically neutral except in matters exclusive to Freeport.

Thank you for reading.

Jesse Pohlman is a retired teacher and former Rec Center lifeguard who now busies himself writing sci-fi/fantasy and political stuff.  Check out his website here!

TWF 350 - Redistricting Discussion At The Library, March 27th 6:00 PM EST

Hello, friends,

Just passing this information along as I get it.  I know it's short notice, but you might be interested in it! 

Basically, it's a meeting about (I assume) some recently-won changes to the way Nassau's districts are drawn, and the representation you'll get in the future.

Check it out!