_________ Oceanside/island park ________
HERALD Helping kids deal with cancer
Sharks? Think about rip currents
Who made the Hall of Fame?
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Vol. 58 No. 29
JUlY 13 - 19, 2023
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Protected from floods, open to visitors Living With the Bay project complete at Hempstead Lake Park State Parks. “Our parks are some of our greatest resources for relaxation, Hurricane Sandy caused restoration, and connecting with immeasurable grief and destruc- our families,” said Town of Hempstead Depution nearly 13 years ty Supervisor ago. That devastation, Dorothy Goosby however, has spurred a in a release. “I few positives. am happy that State officials last week announced the the improvement completion of a vast project has been $47 million improvecompleted; it was ment project at Hempworth the wait.” stead Lake State Park The $4 million in West Hempstead renovation of the that will reduce flood only high-hazard r i s k a n d i m p r ove dam on Long access to the 737-acre Island, built in park. 1873, was a priorThe project includes ity. Officials said two miles of new the repaired dam Americans with Diswould help mainabilities Act-compliant tain water levels trails and observation of the lake, pardeck. In addition, the ticularly if 150-year-old Hemp- ERIK KUllESEID another hurristead Lake Dam was state parks cane like Sandy repaired and renovated commissioner strikes. Officials to protect a g ainst had determined future storm damage. that if the dam Officials said it was were to fail, the one of the largest wetlands proj- damage would include highway ects ever completed by New York ConTinuEd on PagE 19
By MARK NolAN
mnolan@liherald.com
Jason Thomas/Herald
Sean Wachter came away with the East Coast Professional Wrestling Tag Team Championships and raised thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of the late Capt. Michael Fischer.
Taking cancer to the mat Pro wrestler raises money for fallen hero By KEPHERD DANIEl kdaniel@liherald.com
Arm bars, suplexes and figure-four leg locks were on full display at the Michael Fischer Memorial Fundraiser, a professional wrestling event at American Legion Post 246 in Baldwin last Saturday. The event was created with the help of Oceanside resident Sean Wachter to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against cancer, and as a tribute to Wachter’s friend Fischer, 38, a member of the Island Park Fire Department who lost his life last summer in a line-ofduty death. Fischer, who was known as Fish, suffered cardiac arrest at Peter’s Clam House, in Island Park, while helping his fellow firefighters raise money for Oceanside Fire Commissioner Michael Graham’s cancerstricken son, Cooper, during the restaurant’s annual clam-eating contest. He was the first Island Park firefighter to die in the line of
duty. Fischer, who was born and raised in Island Park, joined the department in 2013. He served as a captain from 2019 to 2020, and shortly after his death, he was posthumously promoted to honorary chief. Last Saturday’s event featured wrestlers from the ECPW Wrestling Academy, in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey; Create A Pro Wrestling, in Hicksville; and New York Wrestling Connection, in Deer Park. Nearly 300 people attended, and as of press time, over $7,000 had been raised for St. Jude. Featured matches included Robbie Rebel, who defeated Marc Static to defend his East Cost Professional Wrestling Long Island Championship. Adam “The Big O” Ohreiner defeated “Bad” Brad Benson to retain his New York Wrestling Connection Championship, and in a reunion of the “pRo” tag team, Wachter (ring name Sean Wokter) joined forces with his childhood friend Adam Baker, as they ConTinuEd on PagE 16
T hese vital
infrastructure projects will help make the Hempstead Lake State Park and surrounding communities safer and more resilient to future storms.