_____________ ROCKVILLE CENTRE ____________
COMMUNITY UPDATE Infections as of July 6
2,332
Infections as of June 29 2,328
$1.00
HERALD
Local nurse nets prestigious honor
County executive visits RVC
Longtime village resident dies
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VOL. 32 NO. 28
JULY 8 - 14, 2021
Molloy’s first Black athletic trainer from RVC snacks to encourage participation by the children, whose parents also perused some of the Rockville Centre resident information. LaTonja Lee is the first Black One major focus of those in female athletic trainer at Molloy her line of work, Lee said, is College, but being a trailblazer mental health and well-being for isn’t enough for her. athletes of all ages, She said her goal is especially after the to help youth in coronavirus panunderserved areas demic. She added by teaching them that trainers deal what it’s like to be an with athletes of all athletic trainer and races, ethnicities educating them and backgrounds, about healthy living. and she likes to train To that end, Lee people in diverse visited a camp orgagroups. Lee said she nized by USA taught the children LaTonja Lee Lacrosse last month the various roles at Lincoln Park in that athletic trainers Hempstead, where she taught play and their duties, including campers about what it’s like to evaluating and taking part in be an athletic trainer. Campers rehabilitation, pre-habilitation, there ranged from ages 5 to 15, concussion and neurological and Lee said it was vital to evaluations, as well as an emphaimpart knowledge to them. sis on emotional and mental “In underprivileged commu- health. nities, they don’t have access to athletic trainers,” she said. “I’m Becoming a trainer always looking for projects to do Lee said she had aspired to for kids, and this one was great.” play in the WNBA, but joked Lee set up two tables at the that, at 5 feet 8, she was unlikely camp with brochures featuring to live out her dream of being a infor mation about how to starting center. Instead, she set become an athletic trainer in her sights on becoming an athNew York and what an athletic letic trainer, and took courses at trainer is. She also brought CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
By MIKE SMOLLINS msmollins@liherald.com
Tom Carrozza/Herald
FRANK’S STEAKS OWNER and General Manager Chris Meyer helped his grandmother Elizabeth Redling celebrate her 100th birthday.
‘It’s been like a miracle’
Covid survivor celebrates 100th birthday By TOM CARROZZA tcarrozza@liherald.com
After a trying year in which she overcame a difficult battle with Covid-19, Elizabeth Redling got the surprise of a lifetime when her family gathered at Frank’s Steaks in Rockville Centre to celebrate her 100th birthday on June 30. Redlin’s grandson Chris Meyer, who owns the restaurant, ensured that family members had the place to themselves for a relaxing
birthday lunch with the guest of honor. “It’s been like a miracle,” Redling said. “I’m so happy to see everyone.” Redling had not seen some of her children and grandchildren for over a year. At 100, she has seen and experienced plenty, but the past decade has been especially difficult after she lost her home in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, to Superstor m Sandy and fought off Covid-19 at 99.
“What are you going to do?” Redling said. “But thank God for my family. I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Meyer had food from Frank’s and Jordan’s Lobster Farm in Island Park for the occasion. And Long Beach Photo Bus came to the home of Meyer’s aunt and uncle, where Redling has lived since Sandy, and took pictures of her together with her family for the first time in over a CONTINUED ON PAGE 8