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Celebrating a century with book
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AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
HEARING SCREENINGS (COURTESY OF HEARINGLIFE)
PRODUCED BY
$1.00
State awards $166,000 aid to local library
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By KEPHERD DANIEL & MOHAMED FARGHALY of the Ocenaside/Island Park Herald
Dina Ewashko/Herald
Marie Lentini, Emma Olenick, Madison Moore, Vanessa Frangiadakis, Lana Landa, Samantha Gemmo, Julianna Ewashko, Riley Mohr, Addison Vice at Towers Funeral Home in Oceanside.
Classmates mourn Ava Salonia, who lost battle against leukemia By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
The Oceanside community is mourning the death of Oceanside High School sophomore Ava Salonia, who lost a hard-fought battle against cancer on Aug. 17. The 16-year-old was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, in September 2022. She underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy in the months that followed, while awaiting a bone marrow transplant. She received a transplant in February, but a month later, a biopsy showed the presence of leukemic cells. Remembered as a model student and ath-
lete, Ava touched the lives of many who knew her, and is survived by hundreds of loved ones and supporters. “Ava’s Army,” a Facebook group of more than 500 friends and loved ones, was created to support the Salonia family during her battle. “Ava was the sweetest, most wonderful 16-year-old around,” said Dina Ewashko, whose daughter, Julianna, has been friends with Ava since first grade. “All the younger kids looked up to her like a big sister. The younger girls who were interested in lacrosse, she would help and practice with.” Shortly after her diagnosis, nearly 600 community members took part in a color run fundraiser for the Salonia family in COnTinuEd On pAGE 22
The Oceanside Library is poised to benefit from over $166,000 in funding from the state. The financial injection comes as part of a state education department initiative that will distribute a total of $34 million for construction and renovation projects to 197 public libraries across the state. The announcement was made by Assemblyman Brian Curran, who unveiled the allocation of a portion of the state aid to construction at several local libraries. “ I a m ve r y p l e a s e d t o announce that five of our local libraries will be receiving much-needed funds to renovate,” Curran said in a news release. “Local libraries are invaluable to our communities, as centers for not only reading but learning and exploration as well. Many happy memories are made in local libraries, and I cannot wait to see how they put these funds to great use to better our community.” The money will be drawn from a capital fund appropriation that was included in the 2022-23 state budget. Among the libraries in Cur ran’s 21st
Assembly District that will benefit in addition to Oceanside are the Baldwin, Freeport, Malver ne and Rockville Centre public libraries The Oceanside facility broke ground on its $33.5 million Vision 2020 project last year, and the work is now expected to be completed next June. It will include basic repairs to windows and roofs; new security features; space dedicated to the study of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, subjects; a new 165-seat theater; and 15,000 additional square feet of space. The library’s assistant director, Tony Iovino, said the new state aid would be used primarily for the addition of solar panels, and added that the state has the ability to do more to support local libraries. “While we’re g rateful to receive any help, the state treats libraries worse than any other group in the state,” Iovino said. “We’re subject to the same tax cap that the schools are. We get about $9,800 in state aid on a $7 million budget. The county, the town, villages, and the schools get about 20 percent of their budget from state aid. Libraries get less state aid than we were getting in 2008.” COnTinuEd On pAGE 19