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________________ LONG BEACH _______________ PHYLLIS KATZEN
HERALD
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Happy Summer!
Also serving Point Lookout & East Atlantic Beach
Porch Fest rocks the streets
learn lifeguarding from the pros
Page 3
Page 14
Vol. 34 No. 22
MAY 25 - 31, 2023
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516-456-9362
$1.00
pkatze nrealtor @gmail.
com
Summer starts in Long Beach
L
ong Beach is preparing for one of its best summers in years. This Saturday, for example, the city will celebrate at Magnolia Playground with speeches, bands and a banner, proclaiming “Summer Begins Here.” And in Long Beach, it really does. A giant Memorial Day Parade is planned for Monday, May 29, beginning at Ohio AveLONG BEACH nue and West Beech Street at 10 a.m. Nassau County Legislator Denise Ford — who is retiring from her post after 20 years in the job — is this year’s grand marshal. The city has weathered — and overcome — more than one crisis in the recent past. Luckily, the coronavirus pandemic is now mostly an unwelcome memory, as is the fiscal issues ultimately averted with the settlement of a lawsuit by a Manhattan developer. And now we’re all ready for a great summer in this great city. The Long Beach Herald really is your newspaper, and we take that mission very seriously. We’ve seen firsthand how neighEATING | PLAYING | SHOPPING bors come together to support one another and their city. Among the many improvements here is Magnolia Playground, which took a big hit from Hurricane Sandy. It has now been fully renovated, completely rebuilt in fact, thanks to Surf For All and so many volunteers who generously gave their time to this effort. Long Beach is expecting big crowds on the beach and the boardwalk. On a warm summer weekend, officials anticipate up to 60,000 people will spread out on the sand while enjoying the food from such popular eateries. Arts in the Plaza will hold weekly shows on Saturdays, featuring arts and crafts, music, and food. The restaurants, taverns and snack shops on the trendy West End are eagerly anticipating a great summer. This week’s Long Beach Herald is being mailed to every home on the barrier island and includes a copy of our popular annual magazine, Living in Long Beach. If you’re not a Long Beach Herald subscriber, we hope a look at this week’s paper will persuade you that you should be. Each week in these pages — and on our website — we cover the big issues in the city. And you’ll find the local news that you can’t find anywhere else. Of course, check out our in-depth feature stories about your friends, neighbors or local students who are making a positive impact on the community — all of which gives Long Beach its unique character. Please consider taking an annual subscription to the Long Beach Herald. See our subscription offer inside on Page 9, or find us online at LIHerald.com/ subscribe. If you prefer, you can call us at (516) 569-4000, Ext. 7. If you’re already a Long Beach Herald subscriber, thank you for your support. We hope you are pleased with our coverage. And if you are, you might consider taking a two- or three-year subscription. If you’re new to the Long Beach Herald, then you must know our mission is to cover all the news of your neighborhood — from the schools to local sports. From houses of worship to philanthropic organizations. Enjoy the paper, and enjoy the summer! LONG BEACH HERALD
2023-2024
www.liherald.com
INSIDE: • Robert Blau’s soup kitchen is a lifeline
• Doing good is Harvey Weisenberg’s mission • Surf for All makes riding waves inclusive
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Justine Stefanelli/Herald
Sharing some cold ones for a good cause Long Beach neighbors, from left, Bob and Maureen Effinger and Mary and Courtney Kenavan supported local breweries and the Long Beach Soup Kitchen at a fundraiser at Bright Eye Beer Co., on Park Avenue, on May 18.
Council trims budget, tax rate City homeowners will pay $112 less per year By JAMES BERNSTEIN jbernstein@liherald.com
The Long Beach City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved a significantly reduced 2023-24 budget, replacing one it proposed late last month, now with a lower tax rate and, as a result, reduced taxes for homeowners. The council reduced the original proposed tax rate of 12.39 percent to 9.97 percent. The council was under extreme pressure from residents, who had turned out in large numbers at meetings to complain about the initial tax rate. The tax increase for the average homeowner will
now be $462, down from $574 under the original proposal. Asked on Wednesday whether the reductions could not have been made earlier, acting City Manager Ron Walsh said, “Constructing a budget is an at form. We sharpened our pencils and sat down with the department heads to see what we could do.” Asked if the reductions were the result of public pressure, Walsh said, “It was in response to public concerns.” Some residents said they believed the reductions could have been made much sooner. But, Continued on page 10
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Our communities at their best
E ER OF COMM
James Bernstein & Brendan Carpenter