________________ OYSTER BAY _______________
HERALD
September 16, 2021
Higher Education ENABLING A BRIGHTER FUTURE
$1.00
Higher Education Inside
VOL. 123 NO. 38
Oyster Bay honors Sept. 11 victims
Encouraging teens to get vaccine
Page 3
Page 9
SEPTEMBER 17 - 23, 2021
LVCSD sues state over mask mandate ents who worried that they might be threatened at a board meeting. Contois has two chilThe Locust Valley Board of dren, ages 9 and 5, attending Education voted unanimously Locust Valley schools. Her on Aug. 30 to hire an outside grandfather died from Covidlaw firm, Hamburger, Maxson, 19, which she said was the reaYaffe & Martingale to file suit son why her children learned in New York Supreme Court remotely last year. “I was terriagainst New York state to fight fied to send my kids to school t h e s ch o o l m a s k after losing my mandate ordered by grandfather,” she the state De partsaid. “Not saying ment of Health. goodbye, holding T r u s t e e S h aw n his hand, seeing Steele did not him in the casket attend the meeting. …” The district Her children joined the Masswould be vaccinatapequa School Dised if that were postrict in filing the JASMINE sible, Contois said, lawsuit last Friday. but without that CONTOIS Several residents option she wanted complained about L.V. parent the mask mandate the mandate at at school, not only school board meetings on Aug. to protect them but also other 30 and 31, arguing that parents children, who may not be able should decide whether a child to fight off the virus. The issue should wear a mask in school. has caused a division among Others disagreed, though those parents in the school district. expressing the parental-choice “Locust Valley is pro-mask sentiment appeared to outnum- and Bayville is anti-mask,” ber those who supported the Contois said. “There’s a lot of mandate. Some residents said misinformation out there, but they didn’t attend the meetings if wearing a mask protects one because they were afraid to kid, why not wear it? Without voice their opinions. my kids, I’m nothing.” Jasmine Contois, of Locust Renata Solomou, who also Valley, said she knew of parCONTINUED ON PAGE 13
BY LAURA LANE llane@liherald.com
L
Courtesy Margaret Nolan
Never too young to honor Sept. 11 victims Thomas Nolan, 4, was so moved by the Sept. 11 ceremony that without prompting he spontaneously saluted. A memorial service was held at Thomas Park in Locust Valley on the morning of the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.
Democrats charge rights violation Claim their First Amendment privilege denied BY LAURA LANE llane@liherald.com
Democratic candidates running for Town of Oyster Bay supervisor and the Town Board complained on Wednesday that only they were “targeted” as violators of a town code at a festival last weekend, and not those running on the Republican ticket.
Amanda Field, who is running for supervisor, said that Democratic candidates’ First Amendment rights were denied when they were handing out literature at the Tobay Waterfront Festival, and were approached by town public-safety officers who told them to stop. Another officer asked them to put their
fliers away while in the parking lot, Field said. She could not do so because she didn’t have anywhere to put them. Yet another officer told the candidates to do the same. “We came to meet residents at the festival,” Field said, and added, referring to Town SuperCONTINUED ON PAGE 10
ocust Valley is pro-mask and Bayville is anti-mask.