__________________ SEAFORD _________________
HERALD Bright lights and carnival rides
Champions of their division
A street fair for the ages
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Vol. 72 No. 30
JUlY 18 - 24, 2024
$1.00
Now a sport for everyone Town unveils adaptive pickleball court game’s health benefits have been a key factor in its rising popularity. As a low-impact The Town of Hempstead sport, it puts minimal stress unveiled a new pickleball on joints and muscles, and court in Forest City Park, in improves heart health and cirWantagh, last week, but what’s culation, according to a Town unique about this court is that of Hempstead news release. The adaptive court is larger it was built with the disabled t h a n a s t a n d a rd community in one, which is 44 mind. feet long and 20 feet The cour t was wide, according to unveiled at a ribUSA Pickleball, the bon-cutting cerenational governing mony at the park body for the sport. on July 11, when The new court is 74 Town Supervisor feet long and 44 feet Don Clavin spoke wide, with addiof the rising popularity of the game. tional space surThe Town of Hemprounding it for stead now has 58 more accessibility. pickleball courts, Clavin was but Clavin said that joined at the cerethis one would be mony by Councilthe first on Long DoN ClAViN man Dennis Island to accommo- Town of Hempstead D u n n e, C o u n c i l date people with supervisor woman Missy Milldisabilities. e r, R e c e i v e r o f “As the demand Taxes Jeanine increases, the realization that Driscoll and members of the everybody wants to enjoy the Aviators of Nassau County sport is very, very important,” wheelchair softball team, an he said. organization whose goal is to Pickleball combines ele- create, promote and expand ments of tennis, badminton opportunities for people with and table tennis, and is played physical impairments. Its preson a small court with paddles ident, Drew Scopelitis, and and a perforated plastic ball. A c c o r d i n g t o C l av i n , t h e ConTinued on page 9
By CHARlES SHAW
cshaw@liherald.com
A
Jordan Vallone/Herald
Chris Carini was a police officer for 22 years before he joined the Town Board in 2019. He advocated for quality-of-life initiatives in Hempstead, and was a proud supporter of fellow law enforcement officials.
Councilman Chris Carini dies at 49 A champion of quality of life, he represented Seaford By JoRDAN VAlloNE and CHARlES SHAW of the Wantagh/Seaford Herald
Town Councilman Chris Carini, a familiar face to many in the Town of Hempstead and the 5th Councilmanic District, died unexpectedly on Sunday, while visiting family in Florida. He was 49. The Republican, who lived in Seaford, was first elected to the Town Board after former Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney dropped out of the race six weeks before the 2019 election. Carini had long been involved with the Wantagh/Seaford Homeowners Association, which often focused on qualityof-life issues. “There’s no words to express how heartbroken we are in this loss,” Ella Stevens, president of the homeowners association, said. “He took his watch over Wantagh and Seaford and spread it to other communities.” Carini spearheaded the town’s Quality of Life Task Force in 2023, which evolved from
a graffiti task force that Carini also created. Every day, crews travel around Hempstead to remove graffiti, collect trash and debris and take down illegal signage from utility poles and fences, thanks to Carini’s efforts. “Councilman Carini was a dedicated public servant,” Town Supervisor Don Clavin said in an emailed statement, “whose commitment to the communities he represented was unwavering.” “Today is a profoundly sad day for all of us whose lives were touched by Councilman Chris Carini,” State Sen. Steve Rhoads emailed in a statement. “As an elected official and as a friend, I don’t know that I’ve ever met someone who was more passionate or took more enjoyment out of helping his neighbors and trying to make his community better than Chris.” Rhoads added that Carini’s energy was “boundless” and his humor “infectious.” “I will miss his friendship, his leadership, and ConTinued on page 5
s the demand increases, the realization that everybody wants to enjoy the sport is very, very important.