_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______
CoMMUNItY UPDAtE Infections as of May 24
6,061
Infections as of May 17 6,003
$1.00
HERALD
Chestnut Street’s Storywalk
Malverne honors its top scholars
Pushing for safer communities
Page 3
Page 3
Page 15
Vol. 28 No. 22
MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2021
Making ‘Blood Alley’ safer Bill would improve infrastructure, technology on Southern State By JESSICA M. SEMINS and NAkEEM GrANt jsemins@liherald.com, ngrant@liherald.com
Jessica M. Semins/Herald
StAtE SEN. JohN Brooks, fourth from left, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, third from right, and Marc Herbst, second from right, executive director of the Long Island Contractors’ Association, stood last week near the Southern State Parkway, just outside Valley Stream, with local union members to remember those who have died in crashes on the parkway.
With a 10-mile stretch of highway referred to as “Blood Alley,” between Exit 17 in Malverne and Exit 32 in Farmingdale, the Southern State Parkway is known as one of the most dangerous thoroughfares in Nassau County. State legislators recently proposed a bill aimed at increasing safety measures and helping reduce crashes, and deaths. One of the most treacherous sections of the parkway is near
Exit 18, at Eagle Avenue. According to Rosalie Norton, an executive board member of the West Hempstead Community Support Association, accidents have gotten worse in recent years. “My husband and I have used the Southern State for years, but as the population grew, that area has progressively become more dangerous,” said Norton, who has lived in West Hempstead for over 50 years. In the most notable accident in recent years, an eastbound Continued on page 11
It’s teens’ turn for Covid-19 vaccines in New York By NIColE AlCINDor nalcindor@liherald.com
This month, 12- to 14-year-olds in New York state became eligible for Covid-19 inoculations. A vaccination site was set up at Nassau Community College on May 13, with Northwell Health employees catering to the younger population. In order to receive the vaccine, the adolescents and teens need parental consent. One of the many parents in attendance was West Hempstead resident Dr. Bret Bennington, chairman of the department of geology, environment and sustainability at Hofstra University. Benning-
ton, who was vaccinated months ago, said he had no adverse reaction, so he wasn’t worried about his teen daughters, ages 16 and 13, who were the last members of his family to get the shot. “I have no fears, because I’m pro-science and pro-vaccine,” Bennington said. “As a teacher, I also look forward to more of my students and fellow staff members getting vaccinated and having the students back in the classroom soon.” Another West Hempstead resident, Danaan O’Connor, 16, who attends Sacred Heart Academy School, said, “This has been such a hard time for me because it’s my junior year of high
I
have no fears, because I’m proscience and pro-vaccine.
Dr. BrEt BENNINGtoN Hofstra University
school, and I have a lot of anxiety about whether or not I’ll be able to have a prom and field trips next year when I’m a senior.” O’Connor said she was a bit nervous about whether she would have any reaction to the vaccine, which she described as
painless. All her friends had minor reactions, she said, but they felt better within a few days. “It’s important for teens and middle-schoolers to get vaccinated,” County Executive Laura Curran said, “because it will help them finish off the school semester strong and do summer camps and jobs.” Members of the Nassau
County Youth Council, teens who had worked on a number of volunteer Covid-19 initiatives, including educating and encouraging residents to get vaccinated, got the shot themselves. “It’s important, so things will go back to normal quicker,” council member Aidan David, 16, said. “I’m part of the solution Continued on page 5