Assemblywoman Judy Griffin

09/06/2026

It was an honor to attend the opening ceremony for the 25-Year 9/11 Remembrance Pop-Up Museum, hosted by the Village of East Rockaway. Although it was a somber morning, it was the perfect time to respectfully acknowledge an incredible endeavor in the East Rockaway School District.

I applaud Don Poland, a beloved social studies and history teacher at East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School, for ensuring that students learn about the unprecedented attacks on our country on September 11, 2001. For the past 25 years, Don has diligently collected and preserved student artwork, poems, projects, stories, memories and photos conveying his students’ thoughtful response and reaction to this devastating tragedy. His commitment and work of heart created this remarkable museum to convey how important it is to teach our children about this fateful day. It is paramount that these memories, experiences of survivors, loss of life, profound grief, and acts of heroism be passed on to future generations.

This impactful historical collection and remembrance depicts the harrowing experience of that day, following days, and years. It expresses the heartbreak, honors the lives lost on 9/11, imparts gratitude for our heroes, and recognizes those first responders that continue to succumb to 9/11-related illnesses. It truly provides a meaningful opportunity for reflection. As time passes, Don memorializing his students work for 25 years serves as a powerful example of why we must continue to remember, honor and educate. I commend Don, the many students, and all who helped cultivate this legacy of empathy, knowledge and understanding.

Since our children are our future leaders, it is vital to teach them about 9/11 because they can handle it, respond with compassion, and share their perspective.

Thank you to Village of East Rockaway Mayor Gordon J. Fox, Deputy Mayor Bruno F. Romano, Trustees and staff, the East Rockaway School District, Don Poland and the East Rockaway Fire Department for your dedication to keeping the memory of September 11, 2001 alive in our community.

We remember the lives lost, honor the heroes and will never forget.

09/05/2026

Nice to see our own Molloy University make the Times Top 100 List of Colleges in our country! I am proud to have Molloy University right here in Rockville Centre to serve so many students throughout Assembly District 21, Nassau County and Long Island. Also great to see SUNY Maritime College, SUNY Binghamton, and so many other colleges that local students attend be ranked in the Top 100!

https://patch.com/new-york/rockvillecentre/molloy-university-named-top-100-college-country-time

https://time.com/article/2026/08/25/americas-best-colleges-2027/

TIME Magazine's inaugural list of the top 100 colleges in America included a Long Island representative: Molloy University.

09/05/2026

As Summer comes to a close, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank our impressive cohort of summer interns!

This year, my staff and I had the pleasure of working with a truly bright, dedicated, and diligent group of high school and college students. Their help and assistance around the district office were greatly appreciated, and they made a meaningful difference in supporting outreach efforts, constituent issues, communication, the Back to School Drive, and the daily workload.

I hope that their experience at my office gave them an invaluable opportunity to get a firsthand look at my role, interact with my staff, help with day-to-day responsibilities of a district office and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to serve the constituents of AD21. It was a pleasure to share my experiences with them, my staff appreciated their help and enjoyed guiding them. I am truly grateful for their presence and contributions this summer and wish them continued success in high school or college.

Earlier this month, my staff and I celebrated their hard work with a luncheon. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to break from the daily routine to engage, converse, and socialize together. I enjoyed learning more about them, their experiences and responding to their questions. Moments like these remind me how important it is to invest in the next generation of young leaders as well as to learn from their perspective, understand their point of view, concerns and challenges and listen to their vision.

To Adira, Andrew, Daniella, Daniel, Emely, Gigi, Jahzara, and Kate: thank you for all of your hard work this summer! I wish each of you the very best in all of your future endeavors and continued success in high school, college and beyond. I have no doubt that you will accomplish great things, and I look forward to seeing all that the future holds for each of you!

09/04/2026

I was grateful to have a member of my staff attend the Back to School Festival hosted by Lyndell Senior, Branch Manager and staff of the Ridgewood Savings Bank Baldwin Branch.

Students participated in getting their faces painted, spinning prize wheels, and enjoying back to school treats.

Thank you to Ridgewood Savings Bank and Baldwin Chamber of Commerce for supporting the Baldwin community and being a resource for our students.

It is great to see everyone celebrate a successful first week of school and prepare to take on the year ahead.

09/04/2026

As I wrap up another Annual Backpack & School Supplies Drive, thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s effort so impactful!

With the incredible generosity of our community, over 400 backpacks were collected along with ample supplies to set students up for success throughout Assembly District 21. I am truly grateful to every resident, local organization, and business who contributed to help us ensure that our local students have the essential supplies to prepare them to learn. Backpacks and supplies from my drive were provided to BaldwinUFSD, Rockville Centre School District, Lynbrook Public Schools, Malverne School District, and The Solidarity Group Inc.

I am incredibly grateful to partners at JFK Terminal 5, Fraport USA and JetBlue: Jose Cuevas & Grace Hong, for their generosity in contributing so magnanimously to my drive as well as directly to Freeport Schools, Baldwin UFSD, Valley Stream School District Twenty-Four Central High School District, Stream UFSD 13, Uniondale School District and Hempstead Public Schools. A special thank you to Jill Branberg and Green. Acres Mall for their generous support.

A special note of gratitude to the staff at participating libraries for generously serving as donation sites: East Rockaway Public Library, Lynbrook Public Library, Freeport Memorial Library, Malverne Public Library, Oceanside Library (NY) and Rockville Centre Public Library.

Over the past few weeks, my office has been busy connecting with schools, organizations, and families throughout AD21 to distribute these donations where they could make the greatest impact.

Whether you donated one item or a full bag of supplies, helped collect donations, spread the word, or connected us with an organization in need, you played a part in making a difference for a local student. I am proud to serve a district that cares so deeply about our students and their future.

Wishing all students, families, teachers, and staff a wonderful and productive school year! 🎒📚

09/04/2026

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending Village of Rockville Centre’s Annual Lighting of the Gold Tree to declare the month of September as Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month and go gold to bring awareness to The Mary Ruchalski Foundation. On this lovely evening, Rockville Centre families, friends, and neighbors came together to recognize this month and to support the fight against pediatric cancer.

Thank you to The Mary Ruchalski Foundation for tirelessly supporting cancer patients and their families, along with advocating for awareness and cancer research. I especially want to thank Mary’s mother, Carol Ruchalski and the entire Rucalski family for being such strong advocates for pediatric cancer awareness and keeping Mary’s memory alive. It was amazing news to hear about the special donations of $25,000 to create an adoration chapel.

Love to the Giallombardo Family who lost their daughter Gina to childhood cancer. Thinking of all families who have a child diagnosed with cancer.

When we come together as a community, we become a stronger voice in the fight against childhood cancer.

09/03/2026

Yesterday afternoon, I had a wonderful time welcoming Our Kids Place to Valley Stream at their Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. After a successful 20 years in Hewlett, Our Kids Place Valley Stream is excited to begin this new chapter.

With another location in Rosedale, Our Kids Place prioritizes young student learning and fostering independence, creativity, and responsibility with their interactive learning curriculum. It was great to meet the owner, Mrs. Peters, as well as the Director of Operations Lorraine McMillan, and learn more about their mission and how they prioritize students. It is always fantastic to see family-owned businesses succeed! It was also nice to see my colleagues in government, as well as Valley Stream School District Twenty-Four Superintendent Dr. Unal Karakas & Board of Education Vice President Aisha Darby and David Friedman of the Hewlett Woodmere Business Association.

It is amazing that this year the full class at Valley Stream 24 will be at Our Kids Place for UPK! Our Kids Place, I wish you nothing but success for the future!

09/03/2026

AD 21 Traffic Advisory 🚨

Beginning Friday, September 11, essential bridge maintenance will take place at S. Franklin Avenue in Valley Stream.

Work is scheduled over the following weekends:

September 11–14 (10 PM Friday through 5 AM Monday)
September 18–21 (10 PM Friday through 5 AM Monday)
September 25–28 (10 PM Friday through 5 AM Monday)

During these work periods, motorists should expect full lane closures beneath the bridge during active operations. Detours will maintain access to and from Valley Stream Station, and drivers are encouraged to use Hicks Street and Rockaway Avenue as alternate routes.

To safely complete the work, temporary maintenance and protection measures will be installed around the east end staircase at the Valley Stream Station, which will be closed during each scheduled work weekend. Commuters should use alternate station access points, and signage will be posted to help direct pedestrians through the area.

Please plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and stay alert for changing traffic patterns throughout the project. We appreciate the Valley Stream community's patience and cooperation as this important infrastructure improvement project is completed.

09/01/2026

I was pleased to join Bethany House of Nassau County Corporation for its 29th Annual Golf & Tennis Outing yesterday evening to recognize James Lowe, a dedicated Bethany House Board of Directors Member as well as to acknowledge Bethany House for the incredible impact they continue to make in our communities.

James was honored for dedicating his time to vital fundraising to support the compassionate and impactful mission of Bethany House which is to provide safe housing, support, and resources to women and children experiencing homelessness or crisis.

It was also a wonderful opportunity to learn about the outstanding strides Bethany House has been making from Katie Swanson, Executive Director and Bonnie Arrante, Chairperson of the Board. Bethany House continues to expand their housing facilities to provide safe, supportive homes for more families, and events like this play an important role in bringing this essential growth to fruition.

I enjoyed catching up with the many diligent and caring volunteers, valued board members and generous supporters who serve the Bethany House community.
I commend all involved at Bethany House for providing critical resources, stability, and hope to families navigating difficult circumstances. Your compassion and commitment are changing lives by building a stronger future for families throughout Nassau County.

Congratulations to James on this well-deserved recognition! Thank you to everyone at Bethany House, the generous event sponsors, supporters, golfers and the event committee for working collaboratively to make this outing a success! Your dedication, support and partnership ensures shelter, support, and trust to families in our community.

Special thoughts to Penelope Wamboldt - a Bethany House Champion.

09/01/2026

📚 Welcome Back to School! 🍎

Wishing all our students, teachers, staff, and families throughout AD21 a wonderful start to the new school year!

May it be a year filled with learning, growth, and success.

Have a safe and happy school year!