The week began with great joy as we announced to our staff the acquisition of another media company, adding to the Schneps Media family.
In May, we embraced the Fire Island and Great South Bay News, the 67-year-old media outlet that was owned by a family who decided they wanted to travel the world and sold their hotel and newspapers to us.
Fire Island is a great match for our resort coverage and the talented editor and publisher remain with us. It’s been great to explore the Great South Bay area where the paper is distributed every week. That community is called the Gold Coast of the South Shore and the magnificent mansions fill many of the tree-lined streets, some of them with homes over 100 years old. What a sight for the eyes!
Sayville, Patchogue and Bay Shore have multiple ferries that leave from their docks — there are no cars on Fire Island — and the ride over to Fire Island is a great tour by itself! The media outlet will go east to historic Bellport, where my favorite renowned broadcaster Charlie Rose and the legendary Isabella Rossellini call home.
Then in June, my friend Angela Anton agreed to have her 40-year-old media outlets on the Gold Coast of the North Shore of Long Island (the neighborhoods cover most of Nassau county) join our media company.
On July 8, we acquired Steve Blank’s media company that, for the last decade, competed against the Anton papers. Now we are one big family devoted to the communities we serve, all under the Schneps Media umbrella.
We’re so happy to have their talented team join us!
Since we are also an events company, I was so pleased to see that Rick Friedman’s Hamptons Fine Art Fair in Southampton was enormously successful with record-breaking attendance.
But my treat for the week was when my grandson Sam Broner and his bride Kira joined me for a few days in the Hamptons.
I gave them a Hamptons experience, visiting the VIP party at the art show.
Then we were off to Sag Harbor, where I attended a dinner party hosted by Kelly Coffey, CEO of City National Entertainment and Wealth Management while they explored the busy, historic town after eating at Page Sag Harbor.
We finished the evening at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons’ annual four-day Festival, where it was so sweet to see their great leader Father Alex Karloutsos and Stephanie Bitis, Dan’s Papers manager who volunteered each day and night. She helped fill the hall with vendors offering a variety of items from olive oil, to costume jewelry to unique pocketbooks and many Greek-made items. Go Stephanie, go! The event supports the church’s programs all year and I was happy to buy raffle tickets to win a car — which I didn’t!
My grandkids experienced my typical Hamptons day: jam-packed and fabulous!
The next day, I spent some time resting before attending a powerful shabbos dinner at The Hampton Synagogue, where I met the Israeli Air Force Brigadier General Asaf Vardi, who works in Washington, D.C., as the liaison to our U.S. Air Force. I was happy to hear him say that the Biden administration delivered on their support of Israel, both with arms and military action in the Middle East.
Another speaker, Mudy Eldon, an Israeli businessman, spoke about the newly created Israeli Children’s Fund that helps the 414 orphans from the Oct. 7 attack in Israel. He saluted Simi Schneier, who is working to raise millions of dollars in America to make sure the orphans will receive nurturing and financial support until they are in their 30s. They lost their parents, but they will be embraced and assisted through this new program.
Such powerful messages from devoted Israelis. I felt privileged to be in their presence.
What a week it was!
Ellen Hermanson Foundation Gala
It was a privilege to introduce honoree Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright at the Ellen Hermanson Foundation Gala.
Love to you, my dear readers.
