__________________ Merrick _________________
HERALD Great Homes August 12, 2021
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AUGUST 12 - 18, 2021
Cuomo resigns Governor’s exit leaves fate of public water entity uncertain have in the state.” Brooks called on Cuomo to resign the day the report came agarcia@liheral.com out, and had previously called on On Tuesday, Gov. Andrew him to step aside while the invesCuomo announced his resigna- tigation ran its course. “In my tion, in the wake of New York mind, the information that was A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l L e t i t i a presented proves that the goverJames’s release of a blockbuster nor is guilty of the charges that report last week detailing allega- were made,” Brooks added. tions of sexual misconduct by The controversy surrounding the governor. County and state the governor has left in question officials had joined a the fate of a bill that chorus of voices would establish a across the country South Nassau Water calling for Cuomo’s Authority — which resignation. would replace the In a statement services of New released on Tuesday, Yo r k A m e r i c a n State Assemblyman Water, a private comDavid McDonough, a pany. In June, the bill Re publican from ClAUDIA was passed unaniNorth Merrick who BoRECKy mously in the State represents the 14th Legislature after a Co-director, Long District, said, “His study ordered by resignation marks Island Clean Air Cuomo determined the end of a disturb- Water Soil that the creation of a ing and dark time for public entity was feaNew York. I want to sible. The measure again commend the now awaits the governor’s signabravery and courage of the ture. women who came forward with Passage of the bill felt like a their truths.” long-awaited finish line for Mer“I believe the report clearly rick-based Long Island Clean Air demonstrated that there were Water Soil Co-directors Claudia multiple cases of sexual harass- Borecky and Dave Denenberg. ment,” said Sen. John Brooks, a For years they have advocated Democrat from Seaford who rep- for the creation of a public water resents the 8th District, includ- entity in order to eliminate the ing Bellmore and Merrick. “It’s a high fees that NYAW customers clear violation of the various pay. laws and operational rules we Continued on page 19
By ANDREW GARCIA, JIM BERNSTEIN and MIKE SMollINS
T
his couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Jordan Vallone/Herald
The show goes on County Executive Laura Curran, center, kicked off the Long Island International Film Expo on Tuesday with, from left, Jared Fishedick, Richard Kessel, Lukas Hassel, Debra Markowitz, Bellmore Movies owners Anne and Henry Stampfel and Harry Coghlan. Story, Page 15.
Pride For Youth Coffeehouse hosts prom for teens By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
On Aug. 6, blue, pink and silver balloons decorated the backyard of the Bellmore Presbyterian Church, where Pride for Youth, an organization that offers support and service to LGBTQ+ youth from across Nassau County, held its annual prom. Held virtually last year because of the coronavirus pan-
demic, the prom was in person and outdoors this year, with a “Euphoria” theme — a popular teen drama on HBO — in conjunction with the Coffeehouse program. Coffeehouse is PFY’s longestrunning program, established in the 1990s as a safe and substancefree environment for LGBTQ+ youth, according to Vanessa Visquerra, the organization’s services coordinator. “It was created as an environ-
ment for people to meet others and feel safe,” Visquerra said. At Coffeehouse, members of the LGBTQ community and allies gather on Friday nights and receive services and support from peers and adults. It is a youth-only program, open to those ages 13 to 20. Visquerra said that Coffeehouse meetings had recently resumed in an inperson, outdoor setting, usually Continued on page 4