Oyster Bay Herald 06-10-2022

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Steve Minicozzi running for mayor

Published author shares her secrets

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Vol. 124 No. 24

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JUNE 10 - 16, 2022

Women share stories of how they beat cancer

Hochul’s budget provides EMS help By lAUrA lANE llane@liherald.com

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s state budget offers savings for volunteer fire departments. The Emergency Medical Service Cost Recovery Act is intended to help fire department ambulances recover the cost of emergency medical services provided by paramedics and emergency medical technicians from insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid and other agencies instead of footing the bill themselves. The law takes effect on July 1. The measure also promises savings for taxpayers, especially when it comes to fire services. Some fire districts have had to raise taxes due to the high cost of emergency s e r v i c e s a n d t h e increase in demand for those since 2020. “When the coronavirus pandemic hit,” Peter Olsen, chair of the Long Island Legislative Committee and a Locust Valley Fire Department firefighter, said. “Many volunteer fire department ambulances couldn’t provide adequate medical care due to an increased volume of calls, i n c r e a s e d m a n p ow e r requirements, and the additional costs for (personal protective equipment), which was Continued on page 11

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By lETISHA DASS ldass@liherald.com

Will Sheeline/Herald

THE crowD cHEErED as Amelia Morales, Michael P. Shea’s motherin-law, pulled off the cover to reveal the new street sign.

Michael P. Shea’s name added to School Street By wIll SHEElINE wsheeline@liherald.com

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hen the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, Michael P. Shea, a Nassau County police officer, did not hesitate to head to Lower Manhattan to do what he could to help. He would die of brain cancer 16 years later as a result, but his service and legacy will live on in his home of Oyster Bay. On Wednesday, the town added an honorary name to School Street, where Shea once lived, as Michael P. Shea Way. Shea graduated from Douglas MacArthur High School in Levittown in 1982. After serving as a highway patrol officer from 1985 to 1990, he spent nearly three decades in precincts across Nassau CounContinued on page 7

More than 1,200 cancer survivors gathered for Northwell’s 15th annual Don Monti Cancer Survivor’s Day last Saturday outside the Monter Cancer Center in New Hyde Park, commemorating their success against cancer with music, dancing and shared stories. For mer News12 anchor Carol Silva — a longtime resident of Oyster Bay and one of the keynote speakers for the event — was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer that had spread to her brain. It was there doctors found a dozen more tumors. Silva was 65, but had lived a healthy lifestyle. She had no previous medical history with cancer, and she didn’t even smoke. But after putting up with a pesky cough for about a year, she decided to get it checked out, undergoing multiple tests at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Silva’s response to the news: “Thank you, God, for my healing.” Her husband, Bob Reilly, said he was afraid of losing his best friend. “My mother had nine cancer surgeries, and she had Stage 4

cancer,” Reilly said. “So when somebody says ‘Stage 4’ to me, it’s like death.” But after hearing his wife immediately talk about healing, Reilly’s fear went away. “I stopped being afraid, because she’s not going to let this beat her,” he said. “Nothing beats this woman. This is going to somehow be a speed bump.” Silva had been about three months away from retirement, after working at the channel for more than 30 years. “I had a plan that I was going to grow my own soul,” she said, “and that I was going to help other people, and that I was going to sleep beyond 2:15 in the morning.” Being a devout Catholic, Silva maintained a positive outlook. She also drew inspiration from her parents — her father, Tony Silva, was a World War II medic, and her mother, Carol S i l va , w a s s o m e o n e s h e described as a fighter and a giver. “I grew up with a positive nature, because that’s what I’ve been exposed to,” she said. “And so my life as a cancer patient was just the same.” Silva underwent a number of medical procedures, including radiosurgery in her brain, Continued on page 5


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