________________ LONG BEACH _______________
HERALD
September 16, 2021
Also serving Point Lookout & East Atlantic Beach
Higher Education ENABLING A BRIGHTER FUTURE
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Higher Education Inside
Vol. 32 No. 38
Soccer season is under way
on your marks, get set . . .
Page 12
Page 15
SEPTEMBER 16 - 22, 2021
Superblock project is in the works stagnation in building on the Superblock site had finally come to an end. Few people in Long Beach “This is a beautiful day for a remember the last time a crowd beautiful project that is long gathered outside the six-acre overdue,” D’Amato said from a vacant lot just a few feet from the makeshift stage on one side of boardwalk, known to locals as the fenced-off Superblock, where the Superblock. construction crews But about 150 peohave already begun ple, including city, work. D’Amato had county and state offilong advocated for cials and business the project. leaders, gathered at The groundthe Superblock site breaking capped Tuesday afternoon years of stagnation, for a historic event: lawsuits, negotiathe groundbreaking tions and meetings for what developer among the developEngel Burman, of er, Long Beach offiGarden City, says cials and skeptical— will, in 36 months, and sometimes hosbe two nine-story alfoNSE tile — residents who condo buildings and D’aMaTo questioned the tax a 10-story apartment Former U.S. senator breaks that Engel building on the lots Bur man received, between Riverside and the impact that and Long Beach boulevards. a project of such size would have More than a dozen officials, on the city’s sewer systems, current and former, including roads and school district. 84-year-old former U.S. Sen. Two major roadblocks were Alfonse D’Amato, symbolically overcome in the past year. The dug their shovels into a long first was the question, raised last wooden box and cast the dirt a August, of whether the Nassau few inches away, to cheers from County Industrial Development the crowd. Agency would approve a $23 milThe brief ceremony was a lion, 25-year tax abatement. The photo op to show that 40 years of Continued on page 10
By JaMES BERNSTEiN jbernstein@liherald.com
Erik Dunetz/Herald
THE laST TiME Irish Day was held in Long Beach — in the pre-pandemic days of 2019 — thousands turned out for the annual parade and street fair.
Erin go bragh in L.B. this year, but with some wee changes By JiM BERNSTEiN jbernstein@liherald.com
Irish Day is one of Long Beach’s largest events, drawing thousands to the West End, where the green flows for hours — vendors sell food and other items, and restaurants and bars do a booming business. The coronavirus pandemic shut down the event last year. This year, however, the Saint Brendan the Navigator Irish
Heritage Day — Irish Day for short — is scheduled for Oct. 2. But with modifications. City officials and representatives of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 17, which organizes the event, have been in talks since July to work out ways to hold the parade and street festival while still adhering to state Covid-19 regulations. Both sides raised the issues at a City Council meeting on Sept.
September 16, 2021
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9, but said that no agreement had been reached. The AOH said it had to be permitted to hold the fair, because proceeds from it, such as $150 to $200 fees charged to vendors, paid for the parade, including the participating bands. The city said that Covid-19 infections were “trending in the wrong direction,” and the street fair was an issue. Late Friday afternoon, the city and the AOH issued a Continued on page 4
T
his is a beautiful day for a beautiful project that is long overdue.