________ Franklin square/elmont _______
ALL RA DD HHEER
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HERALD Nomination details inside
New season for lacrosse Academy
elmont firefighter dies at 55
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JUlY 29 - AUGUST 4, 2021
Serving Elmont’s children Gateway Youth Outreach returns with in-person summer camp engaged in productive and healthy pursuits.” “I thought I was staying for a Thirty-two years ago, Gate- year,” Boyle recalled of becomway Youth Outreach Executive ing the executive director in Director Patrick Boyle imagined 1989. “I was going to fix the place his time there might amount to a up a little bit and get out. But I o n e - ye a r s t i n t . fell in love with Today, Boyle is Elmont. I thought it leading the organiwas the g reatest zation to a new community, and I post-coronavirus still do. I think the pandemic era of racial diversity in providing services Elmont is excellent. I for the Elmont see a lot of potential community. in the community.” For merly part T h i s s u m m e r, of the Long Island PATRiCk BoYle after a departure YMCA, Gateway from in-person proExecutive director, Youth Outreach gramming necessiwas formed in 1983 Gateway Youth tated by social disto provide a wide Outreach tancing protocols range of services amid the coronavifor “at-risk” sturus pandemic, Gateway has dents in Elmont. Now it offers resumed in-person summer proprogramming for residents of gramming at Covert Avenue EleElmont, Franklin Square, North mentary School for more than Valley Stream, Floral Park, 100 Elmont students. South Floral Park, New Hyde The program runs from 9:30 Park and Stewart Manor. “GYO’s a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, goal is youth development and and provides students with free preventing adverse behavior,” lunches as well as a variety of the organization’s online mis- indoor and outdoor activities. sion statement reads. “In addi- Boyle credited gover nment tion, GYO enhances the commu- grants as well as funding from nity’s efforts to provide an envi- foundations and banks for helpronment where adolescents can ing GYO return to in-person prodevelop self-awareness while Continued on page 11
By RoBeRT TRAVeRSo rtraverso@liherald.com
Christina Daly/Herald
The elmoNT CARdiNAlS Sports Club was among the community groups that took part in the inaugural Unity in the Community Day parade last Saturday.
Unity in the Community Day succeeds despite a setback By holdeN VelASCo At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, and as the rhetoric of the presidential campaign heated up, unity was hard to come by. Across t h e c o u n t r y, d i v i s i o n became more evident in a turbulent time. But communities such as Elmont sought to find ways promote positive discussion among disparate groups, and that’s what took place during its inaugural Unity in the Community Day last Saturday at Dutch Broadway Park. M a n y o r g a n i z a t i o n s, including Church of the Harvest, Men of Elmont and Elmont Strong, marched alongside members of both the police and fire departments. Arm in arm, commu-
nity members aimed to show others the true meaning of unity. The daylong event attracted a crowd of roughly 150. “This is what Nassau is all about,” County Executive Laura Cur ran said. “The first Unity in the Community parade brought together the Elmont community and the Nassau County Police Department for a day of fun, food and networking with local organizations.” The day promised attendees plenty of fun, in the form of raffles, musical performances, miniature golf and home-cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. Many agreed that the event gave them a much-needed sense of community. The original plan was for
the event to be held at Elmont Memorial High School. Raymond Ramos, one of its organizers, was left scrambling to regroup with fellow coordinators after finding out that a permit had been denied at the last minute. The Town of North Hempstead eventually gave the organizers a permit to use Dutch Broadway Park. “The Sewanhaka Central High School District can confirm it received a permit request to host the Unity in the Community Day event,” Sewanhaka Superintendent James Grossane said in a statement. “However, the org anizer for the event failed to fully comply with all the requirements to secure the permit in time. Continued on page 12
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think the racial diversity in Elmont is excellent.