Freeport Authors: B

Paul Bailey is the author of the book Superhero Syndrome.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Reverend Tina Baker graduated from the Refugee Bible Institute and was ordained in 2002.  She is the Minister of Music at Refuge Apostolic Church of Christ in Freeport.  Additionally, she is a preacher, teacher, author and songwriter.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Cathy Wilkinson Barash is an author and photographer of garden books.  She lived in the northeast section of Freeport from 1957 to 1966.  She attended Columbus Avenue School, John W. Dodd Junior High School and graduated from Freeport High School in 1966.  Her articles have been featured in The New York Times, New York, Organic Gardening and Woman’s Day.  She received an award for excellence in journalism for feature writing in 1989.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Barbara Jean Barr is a nursery school teacher in the Country Club Day School.  She is originally from Cedarhurst and has lived in Freeport for the last six years.  Her B.A. in child psychology is from York College.

Sources:

"Roundabout Freeport." The Leader. May 18, 2006, 4. Accessed March 25, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2006-05-18/ed-1/seq-4/.

"Roundabout Freeport." The Leader. January 18, 2007, 4.  Accessed March 25, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2007-01-18/ed-1/seq-4/.

"Roundabout Freeport." The Leader. May 10, 2007, 4.  Accessed March 25, 2022. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2007-05-10/ed-1/seq-4/.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Janette Bayton contributes poems to anthologies and various literary magazines including the publication of the American Poetry Association.

See: Mathews, Karen

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

A 1956 graduate of Freeport High School, Robert Berger received his doctorate in applied mathematics from Harvard University. In 1964, his doctoral dissertation, published as a Memoir of the American Mathematical Society, has sparked several sessions at International Math Conferences (see Roger Penrose’s book, The Emperor’s New Mind for a reference to Berger).  He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts and works at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory where he has written many internal documents. 

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Toby Berger lived in Freeport from 1950-1958 when he graduated from Freeport High School.  He remembers teachers who had a profound impact on him: Ms. Mary Didas (English), Mr. Smithner (Latin) and Mr. Chemnitz (Physics).  Berger earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Yale University in 1962.  Both his M.S. (1964) and Ph.D. (1966) in applied mathematics are from Harvard University.  He has co-authored more than 60 journal articles and several books.  His book on rate distortion theory is “a seminal text that helped shape that branch of information theory research for more than 30 years.”  The majority of his career was spent at Cornell University as a professor of electrical engineering.  He recently joined the faculty of the University of Virginia.

Miguel Bermudez is the former Village of Freeport Police Chief.  Bermudez was also a volunteer fireman was served as trustee of the Freeport Historical Society.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Dr. Harry Bernstein has specialized in Latin American history for a number of years.  He was responsible for coordinating the Peace Corps programs for both Columbia University and Brooklyn College.  He was a professor of history at Brooklyn College and a visiting professor at NYU Graduate School with an emphasis on Brazilian history.  He was a member of the Hispanic Society of America.

Linda Bessellieu, Jaliyah Webb, and Tawana Bessellieu are the authors of the book My Protest.  They donated their book to the library on November 3, 2021.

[Biography by author]

My daughter [Jaliyah Webb] and I [Tawana Bessellieu] went to a peaceful protest after we saw that happened to George Floyd.  It was myself, Jaliyah, my sister-in-law, and my niece.  Jaliyah was  so excited to experience the protest. People in that area thanked us for protesting while others just looked or honked their horns. This experience stuck with Jaliyah and she went home and told her grandmother [Linda Bessellieu] everything.  From there my mom wrote down her words and her book was created.

Linda Bessellieu lived in the Village of Freeport.

Marvin V. Blake is the author of Why: A Novel. He donated his book to the library in 2015.

Sources:
Library News. The Leader. November 12, 2015, 7. Accessed March 25, 2022, http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn95071065/2015-11-12/ed-1/seq-7/.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Born he Brooklyn, Hanson Blantz attended Erasmus Hall High School and graduated from Jamaica High School.  He was a graduate in 1929 of Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute where he developed an interest in the new field of radiation.  He took additional courses at Columbia and Rochester Universities.  He was the Director of the Office of Radiation Control in 1970 with the New York City Department of Health and an associate professor at the New York University Medical Center.  Additionally, he worked for the New York Cancer Institute, the Atomic Energy Commission and the World Health Organization.  According to The New York Times he lived in a “large stucco house in Freeport…half a mile from the shore.”

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

E. Sue Blume is a 1968 graduate of Freeport High School.  She attended the University at Albany and has been a therapist for over 25 years. She works with victims of incest and lectures on a variety of issues such as adult children of alcoholics, sexuality and bereavement.  She has appeared on Donahue, Montel and “Sixty Minutes.”  She was a state certified social worker, a board certified diplomate in clinical social work and a member of the National Association of Social Workers.  Her office was in Freeport.

Dr. Stephen L. Bond is the author of the books Perseverance in a Strange Land and Unsung but Forever Remembered: The Man Who Invented the Automobile Turn Signal David George Bond.

[Biography by Author]

Dr. Stephen L. Bond is an award-winning Educator and Best Selling Author. He has been teaching for the past 22 years, He has taught World History and American History, as well as Geology and Biology at the High School level. Originally from New York, and currently residing in North Carolina, he has been an advocate for education and equality for all people.

As an Educator, Bond won the Minority Educator of the year at his school in Kissimmee, Florida in 2007 and 2009. The award was given for his overall impact and influence as an Educator. He currently serves as a State Board of Directors Member for the Council for Social Studies in North Carolina.

As a Best Selling Author, Bond’s last book “Perseverance in a Strange Land'' The Voices of the Youth During the Covid-19 Pandemic, chronicled his students as they endured the Covid Lockdown. His students also wrote about their feelings when George Floyd was murdered in 2020. His book received worldwide recognition and sold in several countries. Celebrities and
musical artists alike have supported this book.

Dr. Bond’s current work tells the story of how his grandfather David George Bond had an invention patent for the turn signal for automobiles. Due to racism in the American South, he never received any monetary compensation. He had the patent for 7 years before it was sold to the highest bidder. His book will discuss how he came up with the idea at the age of 16 and
created the device. He wants his grandfather’s story told to the world! 

Dr. Bond is still teaching in North Carolina and is enjoying it to the fullest!

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Kathy Boulukos is active with the Freeport Arts Council and chaired  the Village of Freeport’s Commission on Coastal Management.  She grew up in Astoria, the daughter of Greek immigrants.  She won the Pillsbury Baking Contest at 15.  A graduate of Queens College in psychology, she worked at management positions in Bloomingdale’s and Brooklyn Polytechnic.  She has taught sewing, cooking and other Greek arts in local adult education programs.  The proceeds from the book go to St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Hempstead.   She is also active with the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

William Brittain was born in Rochester and grew up in Spencerport, New York and lived in Freeport.  His B.S. is from SUNY Brockport (1952) and his M.S. from Hofstra University (1958.)  He started as a 5th grade teacher and taught English and remedial reading at Lawrence Junior High School in Lawrence.  He has published over 60 stories in Ellery Queen’s and Alfred Hitchcock’s mystery magazines. His works can be found in numerous anthologies and text books and he wrote a mystery melodrama, The Lila Gambit.   He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America.  His book the Wish Giver was a runner-up for the prestigious Newbery Award.  His wife was a substitute teacher in the Freeport School District.  He now lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Douglas Brode lived in Freeport until he was 21.  He attended SUNY, Geneseo (graduated 1965) where he majored in education, English and drama.  He has an additional B.A. as well as an M.A. from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. from the Maxwell School.  He now lives near Syracuse and is the coordinator of the Cinema Studies Program at Onondaga Community College.  He is an adjunct instructor at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication.  Additionally, he is a theatre critic, actor, television and radio commentator.  Two of his plays, Heartbreaker and Somewhere in the Night have been produced in regional theatre.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Jere Brown was born in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and graduated from public school in 1878.  He was president of the Bushwick Savings Bank where he started as an office boy right after graduation.  He served as cashier until he moved up to the top position.  He lived in Freeport from 1892 to 1943 when he moved to Garden City.  He was very active in community affairs especially the Freeport Methodist Episcopal Church where he was a member of the Board of Trustees.  Tracing his roots back to Samuel Brown, a veteran of the Battle of Monmouth in 1777, he was a member of the Sons of Liberty and the Mozart Glee Club.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Bryant Browne was a professor of water chemistry and soil physics at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a leading researcher in water quality.  He was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and moved to Freeport when he was an infant.  He attended Our Holy Redeemer School and Atkinson.  A graduate of Brooklyn Preparatory High School in 1970, he earned a B.A. in English at Boston College.  He turned to science and secured a B.S. in soil science at the University Of Massachusetts, a master’s in soil science at the University of California-Berkeley and a doctorate in civil engineering at the University of Syracuse.

Eddie A. Bryant III is the author of the book Bounce. Bryant attended Freeport High School where he was lineman for the football team.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Mary Kubick Burnham was born in Freeport and earned her B.A. from William Smith College in 1984.  She is a freelance writer and staff writer for the Sentinel & Enterprise in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and the Evening Telegram in Herkimer, New York.

D.T. Bush is the author of the book Anton's Place and Necessary Lies.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Bush is a member of the Long Island Writer’s Guild and the International Women’s Writing Guild.  She is editor and the publisher of Poetry magazine.  She now resides in Hempstead.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Melvin H. Buxbaum, a professor in the English Department of Bernard Baruch College of CCNY, earned both his B.A. (1956) and M.A. (1960) from Roosevelt University and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.  He began his teaching career in the Chicago public schools.  He is a member of NAACP, the ACLU and on the board of directors of the Baldwin Jewish Center.  In the preface to his book, Buxbaum says “I have benefited from the fine American literature and history collections and helpful staff of the Freeport Memorial Library.”