Oceanside/Island Park Herald 04-01-2021

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_________ Oceanside/island park ________

HERALD

CoMMuNIty uPDAte Infections as of March 29

4,400

Infections as of March 22 4,331

$1.00

New member for MSSN board

Freidberg JCC delivers meals

Sailing toward a QB record

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Page 14

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Vol. 56 No. 14

APRIl 1 - 7, 2021

OJC board mulls next step amid struggles Murphy said that from the 1950s through the 1970s, the center boasted 800 member families, Amid declining membership but that number has steadily and decreasing funds, Oceanside dwindled in recent decades, and Jewish Center administrators now there are about 160 families, are seeking a new project at the which she called a tight-knit house of worship group. Because of a f t e r To w n o f its declining memHempstead of fibership and revecials unanimously nue loss, the OJC denied a request to board has sought to build a 119-room sell part of its land a s s i s t e d - l iv i n g to developers. It facility on part of struck an agreethe property. ment with Charles T he board’s Weinraub, a real decision came after estate investor, who community outcry planned to purover the proposal. chase 24,000 square “We intend to feet of the 40,000re m a i n a n d b e ADele MuRPhy square-foot properinvolved in the OJC president ty to build the Oceanside Jewish assisted-living faCenter and comcility. But after dozmunity affairs,” OJC President ens of residents opposed it, the Adele Murphy said. “Over the board denied the project, 7-0, on last 10 years, realizing this down- March 9. ward swirl, we created a commitHad the development been tee to assess our real estate situa- approved, the northern half of tion and propose solutions. We t h e p ro p e r t y wo u l d h ave tried to find a partner for over a remained a center for religious decade and were saddened by the services with a nursery school, zoning decision and the resis- but the OJC’s catering hall tance of the community. It has would have been lost as part of never been our intention to hurt the conversion. our community, and we are looking to survive.” Continued on page 4

By MIke SMollINS msmollins@liherald.com

I

Christina Daly/Herald

Safety first for this bunny Oceanside Kiwanis and the Department of Community Activities partnered for a Bunny Brigade last Saturday. Blake Perrucci, 7, met the properly masked Easter Bunny. Story, more photos, Page 3.

O’side students to return full-time

District OKs in-person learning after resident pushback By MIke SMollINS msmollins@liherald.com

Following a community push, and after administrators conducted a study, middle and high school students in the Oceanside School District can return to inperson instruction full time later this month, if they choose. “At the end of the day, it came down to weighing out the risks versus the reward, and through all of that, we felt that parent

choice still remained paramount,” Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Harrington said. “We wanted to keep that in place as well.” Harrington said on March 25 that parents would soon receive a commitment form, which they must return by April 9, on which they will be able to choose whether their children will learn remotely full-time or return to inperson instruction five days a week. There will be no hybrid model going forward.

Harrington acknowledged that a full return to school has been the subject of an ongoing debate, as many parents have expressed their desire for fulltime in-person learning so their children could have a better opportunity to thrive, while others have expressed concern over the possibility that their children might contract the virus or have to quarantine because of close Continued on page 4

t has never been our intention to hurt our community, and we are looking to survive.


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Oceanside/Island Park Herald 04-01-2021 by Richner Communications, Inc - Issuu