_______________ east meadow ______________
COMMUNITY UPDATE Infections as of July 13
4,981
Infections as of July 8 4,977
$1.00
HERALD
Senior discount book for produce
Electric bikes can change your life
Kiwanis presents teen scholarships
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VOL. 21 NO. 30
JULY 22 - 28, 2021
Memorializing Afghan, Iraq wars at park mittee would design and raise $100,000 for a new monument to honor county veterans of the “Fighting in Afghanistan was wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. like Whac-A-Mole,” said Army County officials said they hoped Staff Sgt. Chad Ryals, a veteran to break ground on the memoriof the wars in Afghanistan and al Oct. 7, to commemorate the Iraq. “It’s rocky and 20th anniversary of mountainous there, the outbreak of war and [fighters] would in Afghanistan. pop out of the mounThe memorial tains and use the terwas established in rain against us. A lot 1947, two years after of my friends didn’t World War II ended. make it home.” The plaza has grown Ryals, a Louisiever since, with ana native, enlisted monuments that recwhen he was 17. ognize those who Now 35 and a Glen fought in the Civil, Cove resident for CHAD RYALS Spanish-American, five years, he said Veteran Korean and Vietnam it’s important that wars. combat veterans “We’re proud that from the war in Afghanistan and Nassau County is home to one of the second Persian Gulf War be the largest veteran populations remembered — those who did in the state,” Curran said. not return home alive as well as “There are 55,000 veterans who those who did. He said he had make their home right here in wondered why it took Nassau Nassau.” County so long to add a monuSome 4,281 residents served in ment to Veterans Memorial Iraq and Afghanistan, according Plaza in Eisenhower Park for to census data. Twenty-one died. these veterans, and added that “Our troops are coming home he was pleased with the decision. now from Afghanistan,” Curran Flanked by veterans, Nassau said. “It makes sense that right County Executive Laura Curran now, more than ever, we ensure announced July 8 at the plaza that present and future generathat a bipartisan advisory comCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
By LAURA LANE llane@liherald.com
T
he only way you are truly gone is if you are forgotten.
AFTER A LITTLE more than two years of construction, the East Meadow Library remains closed to patrons, without a definite opening date scheduled.
Mallory Wilson/Herald
East Meadow Library to open ‘soon,’ but no date is set yet By MALLORY WILSON mwilson@liherald.com
East Meadow residents have been without full inside access to their local library since June 22, 2019. The library, which has been under renovation for just over two years, has no set opening date. There was an initial timeline for the $14.6 million renovation, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the project because of concern for workers’ safety as Covid-19 spread, library Director Carol
Probeyahn explained. An update on the library website last September said that officials would try to open it by early spring 2021, and another update this May said they hoped the library would open by July. “We don’t have a specific date as of yet, unfortunately. The fine details have yet to be worked out,” Probeyahn said. “The book movers are now putting the books on the shelves, which is a great thing. We hope to be opening very soon. We are doing our
best to open up as soon as we can because we know the residents are eager to go to the library.” She added that anyone could call the library and ask questions about construction. Residents said they understood that Covid-19 has impacted construction, but d i d n’ t u n d e r s t a n d why library officials have been quiet about it. “If they would say what was actually happening, I would be more understanding about the CONTINUED ON PAGE 3