On Monday, July 12, I had the opportunity to be present at a ceremony for Westbury alum Paul Hewitt at which Supervisor Jon Kaiman proclaimed a day in his honor for the Town of North Hempstead.

Paul Hewitt is best known as the coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, which won second place in this year's NCAA men's basketball championship, but to us, he is also a role model for our children who has made his hometown proud. A graduate of Westbury High School, Paul also coached junior varsity basketball there for three years. He still comes back, often, to visit.

Paul brushed aside his own accomplishments Monday morning and spoke about Martin "Bunky" Reid, his beloved former coach whose name now graces the park where the ceremony took place. He spent most of his time teaching basketball to the children. However, Paul, following the footsteps of his mentor, also reminded them that reading should be just as important as basketball to an athlete.

Amidst his success, Paul has retained a commitment to his values, to Westbury and to the future of our community. He is an example to us all. I wish him the best of luck.

Councilman Robert Troiano