__________________ SEAFORD _________________
CoMMuNITY uPDATE Infections as of May 3
2,040
Infections as of April 26 2,006
$1.00
HERALD
Schools support autism awareness
MacArthur fights for the crown
learning a new kind of storytelling
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Vol. 69 No. 19
MAY 6 - 12, 2021
A mother’s love is ‘Simply Magic’ phy. When her daughter was born, she said, she put her career goals aside to be a stay-atThis Mother’s Day will hold home mom. She was planning to more meaning for some, as vac- write a children’s book for years cinated relatives reunite after a and started it recently. Then the year of absence and families coronavirus pandemic hit, and honor the matriarchs who kept that motivated her to finish it. their spirits up “I wanted to do through the coronasomething that I virus pandemic. could be proud of Seaford mother during this trying Danielle Scopinich time,” she said. “And says that she could I wanted to leave h ave n o t g o t t e n something behind through the panfor my daughter for demic without her when I’m no longer daughter Ava. She here. She’s my only recently wrote a child and, of course, children’s book the center of my unic a l l e d “ S i m p l y DANIEllE verse.” Magic” about her Scopinich conrelationship with SCoPINICh nected online with Ava, 8, a second- Seaford author Joan Coleman, a grade student at Seachildren’s book illusford Harbor Elementrator from Oregon, tary School. who illustrated “Simply Magic.” The story follows a young girl The self-published book is curwho wants to be a superhero. rently on sale on Amazon and is When she asks everyone around available for checkout at the Seaher if she has any superhuman ford Public Library. “It’s our talents, her mom tells her that favorite place to go together, so her superpower is her smile, we’re very excited that families “because it gets me through the could take it out there,” Scopintoughest days,” Scopinich said. ich said. Scopinich has a master’s Mother and daughter have degree in education and a passion for writing and photograContinued on page 3
By BRIAN STIEGlITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
S
Courtesy Nicole Denn-Simon
GIRl SCouT TRooP 3105 dedicated its Bronze Award project to James Lodato, who died of a rare soft-tissue cancer in May 2018. As part of the project, the scouts created a book to educate the community about pediatric cancer.
Supporting a fallen classmate
Girl Scouts donate gifts to children with cancer By BRIAN STIEGlITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
James Lodato left an impact on his classmates with the jokes he told, his love of baseball and the unfettered joy with which he lived the last year of his life. When he started second grade at Forest Lake Elementary School in the fall of 2017, James was diagnosed with a rare soft-tissue cancer called alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. He died the following May.
“I think he was so joyful to be in his situation and still be so happy,” said Isabella Simon, 11, one of his classmates. “I don’t think he deserved any of this, but he was very strong and he was definitely a warrior.” Last month, the Wantagh community dedicated a new baseball field to James at the elementary school, naming it the James Lodato Field of Dreams. The opening coincided with another community project. Isabella and the rest
of Girl Scout Troop 3105 dedicated their Bronze Award project to him, naming it James’s Angels. Throughout the school year, they collected toys and gifts that they donated to the John Theissen Children’s Foundation last month. They also created a children’s book that tells James’s life story and includes facts about pediatric cancer, tips on how to support children with life-threatening illnesses and Continued on page 3
he’s my only child and, of course, the center of my universe.