Friday, April 8, 2022
Vol. 82, No. 14
$1
SERVING BETHPAGE, OLD BETHPAGE, AND PLAINVIEW
NEW INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND
Elected officials and community advocates break ground on a new inclusive playground. BY GARY SIMEONE The unveiling ceremony of a new inclusive playground in Massapequa couldn’t have come at a better time as the event took place on Saturday, April 1, which is World Autism Awareness Day. Legislative officials on hand for the event included Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Town Councilman Steven Labriola, and Town Councilwoman Laura Maier. The new playground, which is located adjacent to the Charles Schwarting Elementary School, will feature appropriate and engaging sensory equipment for special needs children. “This playground was designed for those with
autism and other special needs, and has a variety of sensory play items to help children through educational and teaching purposes,” said Saladino. “It is appropriate that we broke ground on April 1st, which is World Autism Awareness Day. Councilwoman Maier said that it was important that children with special needs have access to the same activities as able-bodied children. “This inclusive playground will be a wonderful addition to our community,” said Maier. “It’s critical that children with special needs have access to the same opportunities as their able bodied peers, a mission that Sonny and Angela Spagnuolo
have worked to make a reality in our Town and beyond.” The Spagnuolos are parents of a son with autism and the founders of Rocco’s Voice for Autism, which helped to provide grant money in facilitating the building of the playground. The inclusive playground will contain equipment that is lower to the ground than that of a typical playground area. This will enable children with special needs to touch, climb and sit on swings, seesaws, a slide and other climbing equipment. “This will help children to learn and have fun in the playground area, as well as providing a safe environSee page 16
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Town, county collect donations for Ukrainian refugees
On March 31, officials from Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay gathered to send off the region’s largest supply of donations collected by county residents to help refugees in Ukraine. The last boxes were loaded onto a truck provided by Hendrickson Fire Rescue Equipment, and will be driven to the Port of New Jersey, where they will be transported to Poland, to help the refugees escaping Ukraine. Last month, the Majority Caucus of the Nassau County Legislature and the Town of Oyster Bay initiat-
ed the collection drive and opened drop off locations at various County and Town facilities. Residents were able to drop off much-needed supplies including medical items, and personal hygiene products in an effort to help the crisis abroad. County locations included Eisenhower Park, Grant Park, Cantiague Park, Wantagh Park, Christopher Morley Park, Nickerson Beach and the Theodore Roosevelt Legislative Building. The donations were then stored at the Town of Oyster See page 16
Police seek suspects in pair of robberies
Nassau County Police are seeking two suspects in a pair of robberies that took place in Bethpage and Levittown on Wednesday, March 30. According to detectives, at 9:30 a.m., two men approached a male victim, 28, in the parking lot of TD Bank located at 145 Stewart Avenue in Bethpage and requested to use the victim’s cell phone or cell phone charger. When the victim refused, one subject struck him in the left eye and tried to remove him from his vehicle. The victim remained in his car and was struck multiple See page 16
Security camera image of suspect in robberies in Levittown.
QuackerJack visits Burns Ave School PAGE 17 HHS band marches in St. Pat's Parade PAGE 8