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Vol. 35 No. 11
MARCH 7 - 13, 2024
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Long Beach set to celebrate its Women’s History By ANGElINA ZINGARIEllo azingariello@liherald.com
Courtesy Johanna Mathieson
Hedy Page, front, a local artist and honoree this year, and Johanna Mathieson presenting a 2018 painting by Page inspired by the people and programs at the Magnolia Community Center.
Long Beach is embracing the spirit of Women’s History Month with three events celebrating the accomplishments of local women and their contributions to the community. The Kiwanis Club will honor three remarkable women — Johanna Mathieson, Janine Sorenson and Denise Ford — at a brunch on Sunday at Seven Restaurant, on West Beech Street. “There’s a lot of really, really dynamic women in our community that quietly go behind the scenes, they do things, and we want to give them the recognition, and it’s Women’s History Month,” Kiwanis President Marianne Raisig said. “Yes, there are historical women that we can look at, but these are women who are current and currently doing things, and making a change and impacting lives and impacting our community, and they should be honored.” Mathieson is the executive director of Artists in PartnerContinued on Page 7
Improvements to LIRR garage are coming this month By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com
The Long Island Rail Road station in Long Beach was built in 1880. Because of some damage and wear to the rails, the LIRR petitioned the New York State Public Service Commission to move the station about 1,000 feet north in January of 1909. The project was approved, and the present station was built that June. It underwent major renovations in the late 1980s, adding the store inside where snacks and beverages are sold. For years the station had an
adjacent street lot where commuters parked when they took the train to work. Then, in 2002, an attached parking garage was built, along with the bus depot and platform bridge. “As a guy who was on the railroad quite a bit over the last 40 years, I’ve certainly seen the ups and downs of the railroad station,” City Council President Brendan Finn said. “The introduction of the parking garage, which was obviously great, and then, of course, how things go in peaks and valleys. Sometimes things are going great and sometimes they’re not going so great.” Residents have been express-
ing their concerns about the garage and other features of the station to city officials. They have complained about smells, aesthetics and safety, among other things. In response, the city began working on the facility late last month. City workers have finished repainting the stairwells and platform bridge, and have been power-washing the stairwells every week. Some of the lighting has been repaired. Along with the cosmetic chang es, there is also an increased police presence in the area. Some residents say they are concerned about safety and having their bikes sto-
len, specifically from the bus depot bike racks. “I empathize, and certainly understand firsthand the issues that many of the commuters and local residents have with the garage,” Finn said. “As a person who was on that train, and had a bike stolen once or twice, these kind of things can really rankle, so we hear what
the community has to say, and we do our best to respond to that. I think we’re doing a good job. I think we’re moving in the right direction. “It’s nice to see the police officers when you get off the train or when you get on the train in the morning, because we have to work on some of the Continued on Page 4