__________________ Merrick _________________
HERALD GIFT and DINING GUIDE November 25, 2021
$1.00 $1.00
Inside: Best of the holiday season
Vol. 24 No. 48
Islanders fans raise the roof
Supermarket’s turkey giveaway
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NoVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 1, 2021
Supporting ACDS, one wash at a time more and Merrick. “It just so happened that one day, we were washing a van for Drivers in Bellmore-Merrick ACDS,” Wishe explained. “I was have likely passed by, or maybe talking to the [day habilitation even stopped at, Sunrise Car attendees] who were in my wash, Wash on Sunrise Highway in and I was talking to the person Merrick. who brought them in, and said, ‘I Ira Wishe, 46, of want to give back to S yo s s e t , t h e c a r the community.’ wash’s new owner, “They said, ‘Well, said he knew we have a school and instantly that he a building right here wanted to give back in Merrick.’ So I to the community gave them my inforafter taking over the mation,” he said. establishment in Wishe was conJune. “I was on Wall nected with Megan Street for 20 years,” Lombardo, ACDS’s Wishe said, “and development direcwhile I was there, I IRA WIShE tor, and together, did a lot of philan- Owner, Sunrise they figured out the thropy work, raised fundraiser. Car Wash a lot of money for a “It was Ira’s idea lot of charities. It and vision,” Lombarwas very important do said. “He came up with an for me to give back to local com- amount, and we’re just so gratemunities.” ful because it’s been such a hard Partnering with ACDS, an time for our agency. We really organization that serves chil- have a big presence in Merrick. dren and adults with disabilities, “The support of a local busiWishe organized a fundraiser ness was so important to us postcalled Car Wash for a Cause. On Covid, when all of our fundraisTuesdays and Wednesdays from ing events have all been canSept. 14 to Oct. 13, $2 from every celed,” she continued. wash was donated to ACDS, raisMary Smith, one of the day ing $1,024 for the agency, which serves many families in BellContinued on page 16
By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District
JFK student government lends a hand The student government at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore recently raised $7,000 over two weeks to purchase food for the Community Cupboard, the Central High School District’s food pantry. Above, government member Savanah LoGuidice checked out at the Stop & Shop in Merrick. Story, Page 3.
Parents leave shoes to protest Covid-19 mandates in schools By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
On Nov. 18, parents in more than 50 school districts across New York state took part in Operation Shoe Drop — an initiative that was created in response to Covid-19-related mandates in schools. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, “Students benefit from in-person learning … vaccination is the leading public
health prevention strategy to end the Covid-19 pandemic.” The site further states, “Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.” Though there is no current mandate for students in New York state schools to be vaccinated, there is increasing concern among parents who are opposed
to the vaccine — or to a mandate — that there will soon be one. Kim Boyette, of Merrick, who has a daughter at John F. Kennedy High School, created the Operation Shoe Drop Facebook page on Nov. 13. She said the page “went from an idea to over 6,000 people.” Boyette explained that the first shoe drop — with parents leaving shoes in front of a school building — took place in a California school district earlier this Continued on page 9
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t was very important for me to give back to local communities.