Advertise on podcast: My Hometown

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel talk with Hilary JM Topper, who is the former owner of HJMT Public Relations, and is now the author of "Unlocking the Triathlon: The Beginner’s Guide to Competing in a Triathlon", which tells her story of how, as a 53-year-old non-swimming mom and business owner, she trained for and completed her first triathlon.

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel talk with Kristen Stucchio-Suarez, the Project Director at RRDA, the official tourism and promotions agency for Nassau County, about fun things to do around the county this spring and summer, including Long Island Restaurant Week, events at UBS Arena, The Gold Coast Book Festival and more.

Get your dancing shoes ready - Bill Horan talks with Nicole Loizides Albruzzese, the Executive Artistic Director of New York Dance Theatre and the affiliated Ohman School of Ballet. She is also the Executive Producer of the Gold Coast Dance Festival.

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel talk with Laura A. O'Connell, the internship coordinator, and a professor in the Communications Area within the Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts Department at Nassau Community College.  She is the author of a new book, "The Internship Companion: Guiding You Through Each Phase of Your Journey."

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel Leora talk 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.

Bill Horan and Riya Panel meet East Meadow resident Spencer Cook, who wants to help people who are struggling with addiction. He struggled himself, and was even arrested back in 2014, when he was 27. In 2020, after six and a half years of incarceration and a year under house arrest, he dedicated his new lease on life to becoming sober, creating the SoberIn40 Program.

Bill Horan and Riya Pantel talk with Peter Hewitson, the owner of Uncle Bacala’s Italian Seafood and More, on Jericho Turnpike in Garden City Park, about what makes his restaurant stand the test of time, being open since 2004.  

Bill Horan and Matt Leonard talk with Liz Suter, an environmental science professor at Molloy College, who she is at the forefront of a genomic revolution in marine research, using environmental DNA to decode the hidden life of oceans and reshape how scientists monitor ecosystems, from Long Island bays to global waters.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath talk with Mr. Lester Paldy, a professor emeritus from Stony Brook University, who was tapped by the CIA in 1988 to join the agency for a “trial run” as they faced a troubling new situation in Russia.  That “temporary” assignment would last for 25 years. He extends an invitation to join him on his life- changing journey as the professor with his new book titled, “No Cloak, No Dagger.”

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath talk with Mr. Anthony DeVito, a Long Islander who lost his father, Joseph DeVito on January 18th, 2023, at the hands of a drunk driver.  But he turned that huge negative into a bigger positive by partnering with MADD, whose work includes advocating against drugged driving, supporting victims of both drunk and drugged driving, and preventing underage drinking.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about a Long Island based, family-run, non-profit organization, driven by a shared commitment to honor a lost father’s legacy of compassion, service, and love.  Bill: The organization is called HOWIE’S HEART, named after HOWIE CONKLIN, with a mission to inspire children, teens, and families to find joy in helping others through meaningful, carefully created volunteer opportunities that contribute to the greater good of our community and spread kindness.  They speak with the co-creators of Howie’s Heart… Howie’s daughter Jen Camacho, and his son James Conklin.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about a Long Island organization that is trying to make a positive difference in people’s lives through their homes.  People with disabilities & financial hardships struggle every day with tasks that most people find second nature. They want to make lives easier by improving and/or eliminating hurdles in homes. It's called RESCUING FAMILIES, and they talk to the founders of the organization, Gina and Vinny Centauro.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about a program that was created by students at JFK High School in Bellmore that connects teens with senior citizens across Long Island called Senior Teen Joy, Long Island's first Jewish intergenerational program.  They speak with the co-founders, Zachary Hoberman and Benji Balshin, along with their Social Media Director, Brianna Balshin.

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath meet Pete Benney and Mark Novak, the local entrepreneurs and creators of a ping-pong game called BATZ, online at www.playbatz.com. 

Bill Horan and Gabby Seudath learn about The QuackerJack Foundation - the charitable arm of Long Island’s hometown baseball team, the Long Island Ducks! The QuackerJack Foundation is a non-profit that was formed in 2003 to better coordinate the team’s charitable endeavors, named after the club’s ever-popular mascot, QuackerJack.  They speak with Michael Polak, the Vice President of Communications with the Long Island Ducks.