_______ Lynbrook/east rockaway ______
HERALD
your HEALTH body / mind / fitness
and
Also serving Bay Park
JANUARY 11, 2024
with a focus on:
Resolutions and Healthy Lifestyle
Vol. 31 No. 3
East Rockaway twins turn 90
Key Club hosts yearly blood drive
Page 3
Page 5
JANUARY 11 - 17, 2024
$1.00
Community protests firing of gay teacher created a social media page demanding Califano’s reinstatement. His aunt also started an Michael Califano, a third- online petition calling on grade teacher at Maria Regina Barres and Pamela Sanders, Catholic School in Seaford, superintendent of the diocesan claims he was fired from his job schools, to reinstate him. The after the Diocese of Rockville petition had more than 4,300 Centre was made aware of pic- signatures as of press time. Diocese representatives did tures on social media of him not answer quesk i s s i n g h i s b oy friend. tions about the cirCalifano, 26, said cumstances of Calithat he met with the fano’s firing. school’s pastor and “For privacy reaa diocese represenson s, we do n ot tative on Dec. 27, comment publicly who informed him on personnel matthat he had violated ters, but we can say a handbook policy that the school did about adhering to MIChAEl not end Mr. CalifaCatholic values, and no’s employment CAlIFANo that his employover his sexuality,” former Maria Regina ment had been terdiocese spokesman minated after more Catholic School Sean Dolan said in t h a n 1 8 m o n t h s teacher an email. with the school. Parents, colCalifano said that while he is leagues, friends and family gay, he leads a Catholic life- members gathered outside St. style, and is an active partici- Agnes Cathedral in Rockville pant in the church. While he Centre on Dec. 29, waving signs and a number of parents who and chanting, “Love is love” in say they were aware of his sex- support of reinstating Califano. uality fought against the dio“I just want my job back,” cese’s decision to ter minate Califano said. “I want to be him, it is believed that Bishop with my kids. I was more than John Barres upheld it. just a teacher there. I graduated In response, several parents
By DANIEl oFFNER
doffner@liherald.com
I
Courtesy Pat Alonge
Pat Alonge, left, and Gail Mancuso spread joy this holiday season, giving 150 bags of toys to local families.
They worked till Christmas Eve to deliver ‘holiday magic’ By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com
Residents of Lynbrook know Pat Alonge and Gail Mancuso as giving people. So as the holiday season approached and neighbors saw kids in need of holiday cheer, they knew who to call. Most families unwind and spend time with loved ones during the holidays. Alonge and Mancuso, both retired Lynbrook residents, worked from October to Christmas Eve on their annual toy drive to make that possible for 20 Lynbrook families, lightening their burden by giving them toys, clothing, bedding and more. “I ended up having a conversation with
one of the social workers in the Lynbrook school district,” Alonge said, “and from that conversation, we realized that there’s more of a need to help families with food insecurities in our home community than we had previously realized.” One social worker from the district volunteered for the toy drive, and, according to Alonge, showed how much they cared about district students. She noted that the social workers deal with much heartache and many difficult circumstances, but they handle it with grace. Local churches reached out to Alonge and Mancuso as well, asking them to help other families. They also provided food to those Continued on PAGe 7
just want my job back. I want to be with my kids.
Continued on PAGe 9