__________________ Merrick _________________
HERALD $1.00 $1.00
Masks debated at BoE meeting
local broker gives back
Win streak lengthens
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Vol. 25 No. 4
JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022
Raising funds for those in the line of fire enforcement, and stress levels of law enforcement were through the roof.” Guests packed into Mulcahy’s Glickman, who lives in Long Pub and Concert Hall last Satur- Beach, said he searched for orgaday for LEO Weekend’s annual nizations that funded retreats for Law Enforcement Weekend Holi- police officers, but found none. day Concert, a fundHe worked for about r a i s e r f o r l aw two years to create enforcement officers the nonprofit, and and their families. LEO Weekend had Festivities began its first event in 2017 at 7 p.m. with a live i n u p s t at e L a ke auction, prizes, food George. and drinks. T he The organization event was organized h a s g r ow n eve r by LEO Weekend, a since, and now has nonprofit g roup seven board memfounded by New bers, all first York City police offiresponders. “We’ve cer Austin Glickstepped up, especialman, which focuses ly through the pano n h e l p i n g l aw demic, coming to enforcement famiwork everyday to lies affected by a make sure we can line-of-duty death or continue to make serious injury. LEO chRis cARiNi our communities W e e k e n d h o s t s Hempstead town safe,” said Louis Visaround 14 events per councilman cusi, president of the year, and this was its Suffolk County Corfirst fundraiser at rections Of ficers Mulcahy’s. Association, and guest at the “The idea came to me in 2014, event. “My hope is that the comwhen I was still a police recruit munity will see us in a more perfor the [New York Police Depart- sonal light instead of just our ment] Academy,” Glickman said. uniform, and see the good people “It was during a time where there was a negative light on law Continued on page 12
By MARiA cEsTERo Mcestero@liherald.com
i
Courtesy Melanie Tucker
AshER TUckER WAs born with a congenital heart defect, Tetralogy of Fallot. His mother, Melanie Tucker, wrote the children’s book “Super Scar” to spread awareness of congenital heart disease.
‘Super Scar’ story spreads awareness of heart defects By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
South Merrick resident and mother of two Melanie Tucker always knew she wanted to write a book about congenital heart disease, after her son Asher was born with the condition Tetralogy of Fallot four and a half years ago. Last year, before his third-open heart surgery in October, Tucker wrote a children’s paperback picture book, “Super Scar,” which
was published in August. “[Congenital heart defects] are more common than people may think,” Tucker told the Herald. “Any baby can have one — and it doesn’t have to be genetic.” Tucker, who works in publishing, has a CHD called bicuspid aortic valve, so there was a higher chance that her children would have one as well. She and her husband, Seth Tucker, found out that Asher would be born with a heart defect during her
20-week scan. Their older son, Levi, 5, has a normal heart. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CHDs affect 1 percent of all births in the U.S., or about 40,000 infants per year. There are more than 40 known types of heart defects, the Children’s Heart Foundation notes. The CDC’s website states that about 1 in 4 of these defects are considered critical, and they are a leading cause of birth defect-assoContinued on page 13
know the outstanding work that they do for the families of those who are injured severely or killed in the line of duty.