________________ LONG BEACH _______________
your HEALTH body / mind / fitness
and JULY 27, 2023
HERALD Also serving Point Lookout & East Atlantic Beach
with a focus on:
living
Vol. 34 No. 31
Run, swim, for 42nd time
Big dogs get the spotlight
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JUlY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2023
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Long Beach set to launch new tool for shark detection By ANGElINA ZINGARIEllo azingariello@liherald.com NAS
Courtesy City of Long Beach
Long Beach officials, from left, Roy Lester, John Bendo, Tina Posterli, Ron Walsh and Liz Treston welcomed the new drone to the city’s arsenal earlier this month.
Going to the beach is the summer tradition in Long Beach. Swimmers and surfers are everywhere. But with the fun comes some risk. Rip currents have been an issue, and earlier this month, County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced safety measures to make beachgoers more aware of their dangers. Recently, another threat has been increasingly prevalent: sharks. Gov. Kathy Hochul has taken the lead in the state’s response to this summer’s recent surge of shark sightings. On Shark Awareness Day, July 14, it was announced that 60 drones would be deployed ConTinued on Page 12
Commuters weigh in on the inevitable: LIRR fare hikes NAS
By BRENDAN CARPENTER Intern
There are some changes coming soon that many commuters won’t be happy about. Starting on Aug. 20, Long Island Rail Road riders can expect a modest uptick — roughly 4.3 percent — in the price of their weekly and monthly tickets. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the LIRR’s parent company, voted unanimously earlier this month to raise
the base fares for LIRR trips for the first time in four years. A one-way ticket from Long Beach to Manhattan will cost an extra 50 cents, increasing from $14 to $14.50 during peak hours, and will rise from $10.25 to $10.75 during non-peak times. Resident John Ashmead has been commuting into the city three days a week since the coronavirus pandemic began. Before that, he was a full-time commuter, and had a monthly ticket for 17 years. He
doesn’t necessarily have an issue with the increase this time around, but he said he is concerned about the future, when fares will no doubt rise again. “I think they’re modest, the increases,” Ashmead said. “My only concern is, I saw they expect to have multiple other modest increases over the next few years. So, ultimately, it’s a lot of money.” Ashmead went on to say that the increases do feel like an added issue when coupled with ongoing complaints about
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train times and service. Ever since the Grand Central line opened in January, he has experienced a lot of delays. His commute used to be fairly efficient and consistent, but now it is at least 20 minutes, and sometimes 40 minutes, longer each way. That problem, combined with the fare hikes, makes those hikes seem worse. “To get the fare increase on top of that is, it’s just annoying,” Ashmead said, addConTinued on Page 6