_________ Oceanside/island park ________
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School wins with prosthetic prototype
From desk shields to solar panels
o’side girls hold off Freeport
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Vol. 57 No. 5
JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022
MSSN poll: Gov’t fails on Covid testing ernment’s recent effort to make free test kits available for every household in the country. According to a new poll from “The lack of available testing Mount Sinai South Nassau in has been an Achilles’ heel of the Oceanside, more than 80 percent Covid-19 response since day one of metropolitan area residents of the pandemic,” MSSN Presisay government should be doing dent Dr. Adhi Sharma said. more to make Covid-19 testing “More testing enables those who readily available to suspect they may the public. The hoshave been exposed pital’s latest “Truth to get information, in Medicine Poll,” stay home if they released on Jan. 20, h ave a p o s i t ive illustrated people’s result and help stop frustrations with the spread to othboth the federal and ers.” state governments’ The poll included testing systems. several other disFifty-seven pertressing details and cent of respondents pessimism among hold the federal govrespondents, hospiernment accounttal officials aid. For able for lack of one, 63 percent of available testing, respondents believe with 15 percent the pandemic will blaming state gov- dR. Adhi ShARmA last at least another ernment. year. Forty-three Nationally recog- MSSN president percent of those nized, independent polled say they have polling fir m LJR put off routine well Custom Strategies, based out of visits, including their annual Washington, D.C. and New physical, dental or eye exams, Orleans, called 600 residents in mammograms or blood pressure New York City and Long Island screenings. on landlines and cell phones. “During the past two years, The poll was conducted from Jan. 4 to 9, before the federal govContinued on page 16
By Tom CARRozzA tcarrozza@liherald.com
Courtesy Kayla Toscano
ThE oCEANSidE middlE School cheer team celebrated its first two competitions ever, at Wantagh and Division high schools, on Jan. 8 and 15.
O’side Middle School cheer squad competes for first time By Tom CARRozzA tcarrozza@liherald.com
On Jan. 8, the Oceanside Middle School cheer team strode out onto the mats at Wantagh High School with nervous energy and competed for the first time ever at a meet, placing third in a field of 11 teams in their division. And again, on Jan. 15, the squad competed at Division High School in Levittown. For coach Kayla Toscano and the 22 girls on the team, now trail-
blazers for their school, the competition was a long time coming. “We have a really dedicated, hard-working team this year that wanted it, and so we put it together and pulled it off,” Toscano told the Herald. The English teacher and e i g h t h - ye a r c o a ch a l s o thanked the high school’s varsity cheer team and coaches for welcoming them to their gym and giving them a space to prepare for their first two competitions.
January 27, 2022
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For years, the OMS cheer team performed at soccer, basketball and football games, but never had the opportunity to compete themselves. After a fractured season last year with some students still doing hybrid learning, this season has seen the team return to practicing daily after school. Toscano and the team have used the full practice mats at the high school for two-hour night practices to fit even more preparation time for Continued on page 16
T
he lack of available testing has been an Achilles’ heel of the Covid-19 response since day one of the pandemic.