_______________ east meadow ______________
HERALD Jewish community celebrates Purim
S.T.o.P program at Eisenhower
Art show arrives to E.M. schools
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Vol. 24 No. 14
$1.00 $1.00
MARCH 28 - APRIl 3, 2024
Hospital leaders, elected officials, rally for NUMC State aid crucial for hospital’s survival health care network’s patients are on Medicaid or Medicare. On Long Island, pressure for For decades, the Nassau Uni- the state to supply funding to versity Medical Center has the hospital is a bipartisan existed and thrived as a crucial effort. NUMC’s Interim Presicenterpiece in the county’s dent and Chief Executive Meg Ryan was joined in Albany by health care system. The state slashed aid to State Senator Kevin Thomas and AssemblywomNUMC from nearly an Taylor Darling, $190 million in 2017 b o t h d e m o c r at s, to $65 million in and State Senators 2023. A continued Steve Rhoads and reduction in aid Patricia Canzoneriwill prevent it from Fitzpatrick and fulfilling its obligaAssemblyman John tions to the people Mikulin, all repubit serves, within a licans. These state matter of months, officials represent hospital leadership MEg RyAN Interim president and thousands of the said. Aside from being chief executive officer, hospital’s clientbase within their Nassau’s only Level Nassau University Nassau County dis1 Trauma Center, Medical Center tricts. the hospital also “Nassau Univerboasts a burn center, a hyperbaric chamber, sity Medical Center serves as a robotic surgery equipment, and lifeline for countless individuals so much more. But perhaps and families, offering essential most importantly, the public medical care regardless of one’s medical center is best known for ability to pay,” Thomas said. “It providing high-quality health is a beacon of hope — people care services to patients regard- rely on it as their primary source of health care. less of their ability to pay. Darling quoted Mar tin NUMC serves more than 270,000 patients annually, and Luther King Jr. at the rally, saymore than 70 percent are minor- ing “We are confronted with the ities while 80 percent of the Continued on page 4
By JoRDAN VAlloNE
jvallone@liherald.com
Jason Thomas/Herald
A festival of color in East Meadow The East Meadow Public Library celebrated the vibrant holiday of Holi last weekend. The Hindu festival welcomes in spring with vibrant colors and dance. Rania, 5, and Leilani, 8, show off their Holi colors. Story, more photos, Page 3.
Nassau County is gearing up for ICC T20 Cricket World Cup By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium is starting to take form in Eisenhower Park. The temporary 34,000-seat venue will serve as one of the hosting locations for the 2024 International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, set to take place this June in locations that also include Florida, Texas and the West Indies. And Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman emphasized Eisenhower Park’s involvement by joining ICC officials and renowned professional cricketers at a parade last week to officially bring the World Cup’s trophy “home.”
The trophy was displayed underneath an American flag arch, set up by the East Meadow Fire Department, and escorted by the Nassau County Police Department, dozens of emergency vehicles, bagpipers, and the county’s mounted unit to the stadium site. “We are in the process of constructing this beautiful stadium that will be here for the duration of the tournament,” Blakeman said. “It’s going to be a great venue for everybody to enjoy cricket. There’ll be so many countries that will be here with their teams — we will have fans from all over the world.” Eight games are slated for Nassau over the course of 12 days. Eisenhower Park will actually Continued on page 10
T
he strain on resources has been immense.