__________________ Nassau _________________
CommUNITY UPDATE Infections as of July 19
7,721
Infections as of July 12 7,712
$1.00
HERALD All the news of the Five Towns
Hunting for sales in Cedarhurst
Harry Kassel is remembered
Kidney donor saves a life
Page 3
Page 5
Page 14
Vol. 98 No. 30
JUlY 22 - 28, 2021
Woodmere Club ruckus DEC is investigating chemical spraying of golf course dead animals to the South Shore Audubon Society and its president, Brien Winter. Winter in The Woodmere Club contin- turn wrote a letter to State Sen. ues to be a source of controversy, Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat who stemming from its represents the Five plan to be transTowns and chairs formed into a 284the Senate’s Envihome residential ronmental Conserdevelopment. The vation Committee. 113-year-old club “Residents have ended golf memberreported an abunships last year, and dance and variety the redevelopment of birds using the plan has spawned a golf course since its number of lawsuits closing,” Winter over the past few wrote. “However, years, including a after the grounds $200 million federal were treated with suit the club’s ownan unknown chemiers have brought cal in April 2021, against the Town of d e a d b i rd s a n d Hempstead and the other wildlife have villages of Lawbeen appearing on rence and Woodsthe property. Birds burgh. are an indicator of BRIEN WINTER As if that the health of our President, South weren’t enough, in environment — the April, a chemical Shore Audubon canaries in our coal Society applied to the golf mine — and whatcourse to stop the ever is killing the grass from growing birds is also present in our air may have had the unintended and water and can harm us too.” consequence of killing birds, Winter told the Herald that squirrels and other animals that she wanted to know what chemihave been found dead on club cal was used, and whether it property. Residents have reported the Continued on page 12
By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com
A
Jeffrey Bessen/Herald
They did solemnly swear Town of Hempstead Councilman Bruce Blakeman, left, administered the oath of office to Lawrence village Trustees Jeff Landy, center, and Michael Fragin at the July 15 board meeting. Story, additional photo, Page 4.
Legislators suggest a buildout of the Nassau Expressway By DANIEl RoBERTSoN drobertson@liherald.com
Two Nassau County legislators who wrote an op-ed in the Herald last month, proposing that a bypass be built to reduce traffic on the Nassau Expressway, stumped for their solution at a July 15 news conference in front of the Five Towns Shopping Center, where Rockaway Boulevard, in Queens, meets Rockaway Turnpike, in Nassau County. Legislators Denise Ford and Howard Kopel, Republicans who
both represent the Five Towns, called on government officials to step up and help solve a problem that businesses, motorists and pedestrians have had to deal for far too long, they said. “A highway connecting the Belt Parkway and running through the Atlantic Beach Bridge [was] planned as early as 1945,” Kopel said, adding that traffic is much heavier now than in the past. “The unbuilt sections, located by JFK airport and along the busy commercial area between Brookville Boulevard, in Queens, and Peninsula Boule-
vard, in Nassau County, have accounted for severe traffic issues.” The Nassau Expressway, officially known as State Route 878, stretches 10 miles, from the Atlantic Beach Bridge through Queens to Ozone Park. Ford said she thought the Five Towns community had been ignored, and challenged federal and state legislators to come to the area and see the traffic for themselves. “It is time for our federal legislators, as well as our state, to stop hiding behind Continued on page 15
fter the grounds were treated with an unknown chemical in April 2021, dead birds and other wildlife have been appearing on the property.