My Hometown

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel learn about the Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts - where emerging artists get the opportunity to explore and refine their talents in a one-of-a-kind, master apprentice, arts-centered community in Syosset.  They speak with Lindsay Rogan, the Principal at the Long Island High School for the Arts.

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel talk with Morgan Taylor, Team President for the Long Island Nets (G-League Affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets), and VP of Business Operations for the New York Liberty (WNBA Team).  They learn how she rose to these positions, what it takes to run professional sports teams, and why internships are so important for career growth.

Bill Horan talks with Adrienne Esposito, the Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, with their office located in Farmingdale.  Together, they learn about the little things everyone on Long Island can do to improve the environment.

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel talk once again with Leora Lanz, a Huntington resident, who is a full-time professor at Boston University. She is the former Global Director of Marketing and Communications for HVS, a hospitality consulting firm then located in Mineola, and the former Director of Public Relations and Advertising for the ITT Sheraton Hotels of New York, among other jobs.  She is the author of a new book called, Developing Your Marketing Mindset.  (Part 1 can be found earlier in our feed.)

Bill Horan learns about a music program for young girls that was created through something called The Flowerkids Foundation. The project was developed as part of a Girl Scouts Gold Award project, and it focuses on building confidence, creativity, and performance skills through music.  He speaks with 18-year-old Rebecca Comba, who created the project, along with her sister Allison Comba, the founder and owner of The Flowerkids Foundation, and Angelina Abbatiello, who was part of the project!

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel learn about Ayuda For The Arts, an alliance dedicated to helping students with a financial need, pursue their education in art related fields. They offer undergraduate scholarships and mentorship to advance their studies in their chosen field of the arts.  They speak with Jim Taratunio, the President and co-founder.

Bill Horan learns about the Nassau County SPCA, which offers resources for pet owners, assisting in the care and placement of homeless pets, enforcing animal protection laws, preventing animal cruelty, and serving victims of animal cruelty.  He speaks with Kathy Payne, the Disaster Response Assistant Coordinator, and Beverly Poppell, the Disaster Response Outreach Coordinator, at the Nassau County SPCA.

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel discuss food insecurity - which many don’t even realize is a problem on Long Island.  They speak with Robert LaBarbara, the VP for Procurement & Supply Chain Oversight, at Long Island Cares, the Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank, a non-profit that benefits people dealing with food insecurity.

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel talk with Angelik Bell, a registered nurse and case manager at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, part of Northwell Health. Besides being a terrific nurse, she has spent the weekend before Thanksgiving making sure families in her community have what they need for the holiday - and she’s been doing it for the past 18 years through her non-profit, Harvest For The World.

Bill Horan meets 17-year-old Kendall Aufenanger, a junior at Great Neck North High School, who has been named a youth ambassador for the National Baseball Poetry Festival and was also recognized as a 2025 youth contest winner - an honor that reflects both her writing talent and her growing role in helping promote creative writing among young people.  Founded in 2022, the National Baseball Poetry Festival takes place at Polar Park in Massachusetts with programs on readings, workshops, panels, performances, a ballpark tour, two ballgames, fireworks, and conversations that bring together poets, educators, baseball fans, and community members.