______________
UNIONDALE _____________
HERALD BEACON
Schools pick up some STEAM
It was a night to remember
Cricket fever is growing here
Page 3
Page 4
Page 10 $1.00 FREE
JUNE 13 - 19, 2024
Congestion pricing is on pause . . . for now By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com
Jordan Vallone/Herald
Gov. Kathy Hochul indefinitely paused a congestion-pricing plan that was set to go into effect on June 30. The Town of Hempstead opposed the plan, and Supervisor Don Clavin, center above, said that for now, Long Islanders can claim victory.
Town of Hempstead officials claimed victory last week after Gov. Kathy Hochul put an indefinite pause on a congestionpricing plan that was set to go into effect on June 30. The plan aimed to reduce traffic and travel time, create safer streets and cleaner air, reduce emissions and overall improve the quality of life in New York City — but the cost was high. It sought to tax car drivers $15 to enter Manhattan below 60th street, and charge truck drivers anywhere from ConTInueD on paGe 7
Domestic waterfowl struggling to survive in the wild By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
John Di Leonardo wants you to know that releasing domestic waterfowl into the wild doesn’ t save them, but is instead a death sentence. Last month, Humane Long Island, a nonprofit animaladvocacy org anization, received a call that two domestic ducklings had been spotted wandering around Mill Pond in Wantagh. Di Leonardo, the group’s executive director, said that it managed to retrieve only one of the ducklings. “I assume one died in short order, and then we were able to
rescue the other one,” he said. “So we already adopted that one out to a home on Shelter Island.” Every year, Di Leonardo said, his organization rescues hundreds of domestic waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, that are released into the wild on Long Island. He explained that these animals are not prepared to live on their own: They can’t fly, they don’t have natural camouflage and they lack the instincts necessary for survival. Abandoned waterfowl, Di Leonardo said, are a problem particularly in the Town of Hempstead, where he and other
Humane Long Island volunteers have rescued hundreds of birds in waterways, parks and preserves from Baldwin to Wantagh and Seaford. “Unfortunately, these animals have very low survivability there,” he said. “The ones we’ve rescued there, they’ve been in bad shape. We’ve resc u e d o n e s w i t h s h at t e re d wings, we rescued ones with bacterial infections, staph infections, eye infections. They cannot survive without human care.” The spring and summer months are the worst, according to Di Leonardo, because ducks are purchased as Easter
gifts or used for hatching projects in classrooms, where, after the eggs hatch, students release the ducklings into the wild. Caring for waterfowl is a longter m commitment, he said. Ducks can live up to 10 years, and geese can live as long as 50 years. It is illegal to own waterfowl in parts of Long Island, includ-
ing the Town of Hempstead, according to Di Leonardo, and state law prohibits the abandonment of animals in public areas such as parks. Those who are caught releasing animals in the wild can be charged with a misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and, potentially, jail time. ConTInueD on paGe 15