_____________ ROCKVILLE CENTRE ____________ SAVE WHE N YOU s. g n vi sa to BUNDLE AUTO & HOM Enjoy the ride E
HERALD
INSUR ANCE
MARCH 18
TH
ION ERTY TAX REDUCT THE LEADER IN PROP
ly takes seconds. Sign up today. It on .com/heraldnote trg Apply online at mp 6 26 5.1 .71 516 l or cal
4.9
ALEX ANDERSON
516.544.2728 530 MERRICK RD.
Across from Pantry Din
er
Aanderson8@allstate.com
p, LLC Tax Reduction Grou Maidenbaum Property Hablamos Español Cedarhurst, NY 11516 483 Chestnut Street,
Vol. 35 No. 11
MARCH 7 - 13, 2024
$1.00
The Anderson Agency
123738 737 123 1111 18 028
DEADLINE EXTENDED
1248616
Get Results. Sign Up Today!
RVC rallies around mother and infant out the New York Metropolitan area. As a result of the shortage, Ro c k v i l l e C e n t r e m o m the New York Blood Center, one Marissa Heitshusen was await- of the largest community-based ing the arrival of her newborn nonprofit blood collection and son, Christopher “Kip” Welles, distribution organizations in when she unexpectedly went the country, is currently experiencing an urgent into labor in need for donations. December — 14 “Every two secweeks before he onds, someone in was due. our country needs Kip continues to blood,” Dr. Cara fight and for the Pe s s e l , a f e l l ow last eight weeks, he Rockville Centre has been working parent and an OB/ to grow stronger GYN specialist who every day while in assisted with Kip’s the expert care of d e l i v e r y, s a i d . North Shore Uni“Excess mater nal versity Hospital’s bleeding at delivery neonatal intensive MARIssA and neonatal comcare unit. Heitshu- HEItsHusEN plications of presen and her family Rockville Centre mom maturity are two of wait anxiously for the leading reasons the opportunity to for blood transfusions in our finally bring him home. Both mother and her son world of Obstetrics.” Preterm births, like Kip’s, required lifesaving blood transfusions due to the emergency are not uncommon and affect delivery. Kip’s transfusion was approximately one in every 10 immediately administered, newborns in the United States, however, after a difficult deliv- underscoring the significance ery, Heitshusen was told she of blood donations in supportwould have to wait until more ing premature infants and their was available due to an emer- mothers. According to the gency blood shortage affecting March of Dimes, approximatemillions of residents throughContinued on page 24
By DANIEl oFFNER
doffner@liherald.com
Tim Baker/Herald
Blue team declares victory Juliana Menella of the Blue team embraces her teammate after being declared the winners of the 108th annual South Side High School Red and Blue extravaganza. Photos and story, Pages 6 and 7.
Rockville Centre fire truck crashes into furniture store By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
The Rockville Centre Fire Department’s Engine No. 444 was responding to an emergency call last Friday morning, according to local authorities, when it was involved in an accident with another vehicle, and then crashed into a furniture store at the corner of Rutland Avenue and South Long Beach Road at around 11:30 a.m. Tony Rugolo, the department’s first assistant chief, said that Woodland Engine Company No. 4 was responding to another call, reporting smoke in a building on Maple Avenue, when it got the call that Engine 444 had been forced off the road
to avoid hitting another vehicle and crashed into Master of Furniture, at 36 S. Long Beach Road. “There was a small fire in the building that we were able to put out,” Rugolo said. “Once everyone got out of the building safely, we closed off the area, because the building was unstable.” Rockville Centre police said the accident caused major damage to both the fire engine and the building. Six people were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries, including three firefighters, two people inside the building and one person in another car, all of whom have since been released. After the accident, police and fire officials Continued on page 14
W
e wanted to create awareness of the need for blood during child birth.