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Vol. 30 No. 36
Woman devoted to family dies
Hofstra seeks CAA title
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AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
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Lynbrook dance team is going to Hollywood children. After making it through a number of regional rounds, they are now a Turn It Looking forward to a trip Up People’s Choice Award nomfrom Lynbrook to Hollywood, a inee for the national Industry group of 10 dancers from the Dance Awards competition, Magnolia Dance Academy has which will takes place in Octoadvanced to the final round of ber. one of the most prestigious Vilardi said that this is the dance competitions culmination of the in the country, the t e a m ’s c o u n t l e s s Industry Dance hours of dedication Awards, this fall. over the past 15 “It’s the who’s years. “These are who in dance,” fully committed explained Dena k i d s, ” s h e s a i d . Vilardi, the acade“This is their sport. my’s choreographer Some of their and dance instrucfriends are on varsitor for 19 years, t y s o f t b a l l . We whom the students dance.” call Miss Dena. “It Kim LoPiccolo, has everybody you who bought the could think of — Magnolia studio 27 DENA VIlARDI Derek Hough, Abby years ago years ago, Choreographer L e e M i l l e r. A n y when she was 23, dance personality said that this group o n T V, t h e y ’ r e of dancers has there.” acquired more than In April, Magnolia earned just skills — they have gained the People’s Choice Award from character, too, and have formed Turn It Up, a regional dance an unbreakable bond. competition, with a hypnotizing “I have these kids for 15, 16 contemporary number per- years,” LoPiccolo said. “I’m formed by 10 teenagers — most able to see them really grow of them high school seniors — into these young adults from litwho have been dancing togeth- tle kids, and I watched their er at Magnolia since they were
By NIColE FoRMISANo
nformisano@liherald.com
T
Photo courtesy Jill Palumbo
Joanna Palumbo holds Alice, and her mother Jill Palumbo holds Georgie.
Animals are in need of homes Fewer people fostering; more dogs in need By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com
Cats and dogs leave shelters for forever or foster homes every day. But there are some pets continuously left behind, wondering when it will be their turn to experience a family. And these days, more and more pets are left behind due to a lack of foster homes. “Fosters are everything,” said Johanna Baeyens, founder of the nonprofit shelter Lend-A-Paw. “I think every dog should go to a foster, just to know what it’s like in a home setting.” Baeyens, who started Lend-A-Paw out of her garage in Lynbrook during the pandemic, said experiencing a foster home is critical
for an animal’s well-being and their capacity to adjust to home life. However, fewer people are stepping up to foster — but the need for them is growing. “I don’t have any fosters right now,” Baeyens said. “There’s literally not one person I can call to be like ‘hey, can you hold this dog for a bit?’” Lend-A-Paw was able to move from Baeyens’ home to an Oceanside storefront in 2021. It’s perfect for their cat tenants. But dogs, which require more space, need to be placed with foster families. If there are none available, they need to be turned away — which can be the difference between life and death. Lend A Paw rescues pups from euthanasia lists. The shelter has been able to stretch Continued on PAGe 18
hey put everything they have into this, and trained their whole lives for this moment. the industry.
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