Port Washington Residents Honored at North Hempstead Women’s History Breakfast

A total of 16 women from North Hempstead were honored Thursday morning at the Harbor Links Clubhouse as part of the 20th Annual North Hempstead Women’s Roll of Honor breakfast, among them Port Washington residents Mindy Germain, Laurie Murdock and Jane SchwartzG.

March is Women’s History Month and the ceremony was specifically dedicated to single out trailblazers in the Town of North Hempstead, with the May W. Newburger Women’s Roll of Honor.

Mindy Germain is executive director of Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington andwater commissioner for the Port Washington Water District. She helped form and lead the Port Washington Peninsula Aquifer Committee for the past five years to ensure the fresh water supply remains as pure as possible. And she has launched and been instrumental in numerous educational programs to create healthier living. In 2012, the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce honored Germain with its Community Service Recognition Citation for her efforts in Re-Imagining Main Street, Port Night Out, Spring Fling, Port Holiday Magic, and establishing a Clean Green Zone. 

Having two autistic children, Laurie Murdock founded the Mosaic School for Autism in Port Washington and the Mosaic Foundation for Autism. She now serves as the executive director of the school, which has already assisted many children. She provides more than 200 families a year with information and referrals for resources such as education, diagnosis and after care.

Jane Schwartz has served for more than 20 years as a leader and an officer of the Interfaith Nutrition Network. In honor of her devotion, the INN named a homeless shelter after her: “Jane’s House” which is located in Port Washington. Jane also worked tirelessly for the Community Advocates of Port Washington and served as president of the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Association.

“It’s a bittersweet moment for me this morning,” town clerk Leslie Gross said, “as we also honor the memory of our beloved first female supervisor, dear friend and my mentor, May W. Newburger. This is the sixth women’s history breakfast that I’ve been fortunate enough to organize, but it’s the first one without May by my side.”

Newburger passed away in August 2012 and the ceremony was specifically dedicated in her honor.

“You are sitting right here in Harbor Links where it was once a sandpit; look at this beautiful atmosphere, May built this, it was an ugly landscape and here it is the most beautiful facility of our town,” North Hempstead Councilwoman Lee Seeman said.

“May Newburger had many sides,” Gross said. “May the mentor, May the loyal ally, May the devoted friend, May the shrewd, courageous political leader. But most of all in my opinion, she was a trailblazer; she was a role model for women – and men too. So today in her honor and memory we celebrate today’s trailblazers, women who step out of the comfort and complacency of their lives to make our community a better place to live.”

A video tribute of various photos of Newburger was shown before the awards were handed out to the 16 honorees.

“I know that each of the 16 honorees this morning carry on her legacy and certainly has demonstrated a trait and a similar contribution that May Newburger has contributed here to all of us today,” Kim Kaiman, wife of Supervisor Jon Kaiman, said.