________ Franklin square/elmont _______
HERALD Celebrating our independence
Get a haircut, help neighbors
Honoring German culture
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Vol. 25 No. 29
JUlY 13 - 19, 2023
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Protected from floods, and now open to all By MARK NOLAN mnolan@liherald.com
Courtesy New York State Parks
A view of the Northern Ponds area of Hempstead Lake State Park with new wetlands.
Hurricane Sandy caused immeasurable grief and destruction nearly 11 years ago. That devastation, however, has spurred a few positives. State officials last month announced the completion of a vast $47 million improvement project at Hempstead Lake State Park. in West Hempstead, that will reduce flood risk and improve access to the 737-acre park. The project includes two miles of new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trails and an observation deck. In addition, the 150-year-old Hempstead Lake Dam was repaired and renovated to proContinued on page 15
Teenagers learn how to get savvy about their finances By REI WOLFSOHN Intern
The sooner teens learn about financial literacy, the better off they will be in the long run. That was the main theme of a seminar held at Franklin Square Public Library on July 6. Youth for Finance and the FinLit Foundation teamed up to offer a financial literacy seminar to teens at the library, covering several topics, such as emergency funds, stocks and taxes. Anthony Sepe, Alex Chen and Nikson Alex, who conducted the seminar, said they are committed to spreading financial literacy to a younger crowd. Roughly a
dozen participants attended the seminar, some as young as 12 years old. “I think that with how many people today have trouble with managing their finances, especially in terms of taxes, mortgages, car loans, I feel it’s very imperative that people can learn to manage their finances in a way that’s almost professional,” Sepe said. Chen and Alex started Youth for Finance in 2020, and they now boast 3,500 members who teach financial literacy all over the country. The group, which is pending 501(c)3 status as an official non-profit designation, also manages more than $500,000 in
W
e are making strides in cultivating a financially proficient generation.
NiksoN Alex Co-founder, Youth for Finance investment assets for clients, who pay no fees to Youth for Finance. Chen and Alex have similar backgrounds, as children of parents who immigrated to the U.S. with very little and worked very hard to provide a better life for
their families. Their stories motivated Chen and Alex to become financially literate and spread this knowledge as best they could. “We are making strides in cultivating a financially proficient generation,” Alex said. Sepe, who will be a senior at H. Frank Carey High School next year, and Alex, who will be
a freshman at Macaulay Honors College, a tuition-free CUNY school, co-founded the FinLit Foundation. Both organizations aim to support financial literacy for those who need it most. Sepe and Alex said they believe they are making the world a better place, especially for those who aren’t Continued on page 5