_________________ bellmore ________________
CoMMUNITy UPDATE Infections as of May 28
8,236
Infections as of May 24 8,227
$1.00 $1.00
HERALD
Teens find the perfect dress
Calhoun aims for conference title
Students go outside to write
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Vol. 24 No. 23
JUNE 3 - 9, 2021
PFY prepares for a month of pride overcome “barriers,” Engel said, by accessing free virtual counseling from their homes, as well As Pride Month begins, PFY, as a variety of virtual events. formerly known as Pride for Other in-person services, such as Youth, is set to kick off the HIV and STI testing, are still month with a virtual event while available. continuing to serve the LGBTQ+ On Tuesday, PFY hosted Elecommunity. vate, Enlighten, Empower: A VirWhile its annual Pride Month tual Pride Celebration, featuring fundraiser is usualyouth performancly in person, the es, personal stories, organization will guest appearances stick with a virtual and a retrospective format this year, of the organizaeven as pandemic tion’s journey. restrictions continThe first three ue to ease. It’s a words of the departure from the event’s title were usual, but the new the goal for the normal has LGBTQ+ commuallowed the Bellnity, Engel said: elemore-based PFY to vate by showcasing cater to clients in many talents, ways it couldn’t DEVoN ZAPPASoDI enlighten by showbefore, according to ing what the comCo-director, PFY its director of Nasmunity and PFY sau operations, have been up to, Tawni Engel. and empower by sharing power“There’s a silver lining,” ful stories. Engel said. The pandemic has As of press time, the event been “devastating,” she said, had raised more than $28,000, “but we’ve been able to learn nearing its goal of $30,000. The about clients’ ability to access goal was increased once the our services. Some are young $25,000 mark was passed. and not out to their parents; PFY’s Pride After Dark will some don’t even want to ask.” New clients have been able to Continued on page 10
By ANDREW GARCIA agarcia@liherald.com
Andrew Garcia/Herald
Honoring the fallen At American Legion Post 1282’s Memorial Day ceremony in Merrick on Monday. Larry Levy rang a bell in honor of those who lost their lives in the country’s service Story, more photos, Page 3.
Bellmore Creek Fish Passage Project will welcome public input By ANDREW GARCIA agarcia@liherald.com
Every year around this time, dozens of families of river herring splash through the waters of Bellmore Creek toward Mill Pond, where the freshwater provides the needed habitat for them to have offspring. Between the two bodies of water lies one obstacle for the fish, however: a dam. The dam stands where Bell-
more Creek meets Mill Pond, and the herring (also known as alewife) can have difficulty getting past it when the water isn’t high enough, reducing their chances of spawning. The herring are vital food for other fish, birds and animals, making them a “foundational species” in the natural hierarchy of the area, explained Emily Hall, a member of the Seatuck Environmental Association. Hall heads Seatuck’s Bell-
more Creek Fish Passage Project, which aims to “restore stream connectivity” between the creek and the pond, she said. The focus on Bellmore Creek is just one of many projects in Seatuck’s River Revival program, which has sought to clear similarly blocked waterways across Long Island. “Since I’ve been on this project, I’ve spent a lot of time at Bellmore Creek, and it’s a really Continued on page 2
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t’s a space to gather and celebrate, but mostly it’s a space that they own.