Friday, April 3, 2020
Vol. 96, No.35
FOUNDED 1923
n
n
LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Census time PAGE 18 n Online book clubs PAGE 17
Adelphi public health expert speaks about Coronavirus
SHOW YOUR HEARTS
BY GARY SIMEONE
During this unsettling time, GC students have been doing amazing things. Learning remotely, keeping a positive attitude and expressing themselves in wonderful ways. The Garden City PTA, led by President Danielle Atteritano, implemented the “Show Us Your Hearts” project. Students throughout the Village were encouraged to draw or paint a heart and display it in their front windows or doors. The signs contained school names, teacher names and words of appreciation. To quote the great Helen Keller: “The best and most beautiful things in the world, cannot be seen or even touched- they must be felt with the heart.” Photo by Regina Moran
New fire engine in GCFD budget proposal BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The Garden City Fire Department has proposed that the Village purchase a new, $925,000 fire apparatus, the lion’s share of a total of $1.063 proposed for fire apparatus and equipment, as well as the first
phase of renovations to the western (Edgemere Road and Stewart Avenue) fire station. The first phase of the renovations are projected to cost $525,000 next year and multiple station renovations and upgrades would be funded in the next three fiscal years.
Fire Chief Thomas Strysko presented the proposed 2020-’21 GCFD budget to the Board of Trustees on Thursday March 12 as Capital Projects for the village, including major upgrades for the firefighting equipment and Station 2, were presented See page 28
Adelphi University clinical associate professor of Public Health & Emergency Management, K.C. Rondello, gave his expert opinion and answered some difficult questions about the novel coronavirus. “I’ve spent my entire career dealing with disaster and medical issues and this virus is one of the most difficult things I’ve had to absorb due to the magnitude of what’s happening,” said Rondello. Rondello, who is in his 16th year at the university, said he’s had experience dealing with SARS and the Swine Flu epidemic and with other infectious diseases like MERS, malaria and cholera when it was devastating the country of Haiti. “This virus is different than any other epidemic that I’ve been involved with due to the scope of the illness and as far as the measures that are required. I think we’re dealing with the early stages of this epidemic and that the wave has not reached it’s crest yet,” said Rondello. He said that the fact the virus is starting to wane in China is a good sign but it is important to not make assumptions about the viruses overall impact. “I think you have to be careful not to draw parallels because our country did not take the drastic actions that China did when the virus first appeared there. We are a country that values individual liberty and while that is a great thing, it could be costly to us down the line. I think there’s a few things we could have done in the early stages of this that we didn’t.” Rondello said that the reason the greater New York area has been the hardest by this extremely infective pathogen is because of the population density. “I think the fact that we have such a large population and people living in close proximity to one another caused a community transmission of this virus that I believe was occurring for weeks before the first case was announced.” He noted that New York has quickly become the epicenter of the disease in the United States and has more than 5% of the global total of cases. “The social distancing and this physical separation of people See page 28
GC Meals for Winthrop continues to feed health workers PAGE 14 Public Works department seeks additional workers PAGE 3