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UNIONDALE _____________
HERALD BEACON
Enjoying a day at Empire Fair
How is the heat affecting you?
Cannabis stays in the spotlight
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JULY 20 - 26, 2023
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Centennial Gardens residents say they’re fed up citizens afford a place to live. But according to those living at Centennial Gardens — like Residents of Centennial Gar- 64-year-old Arnold Wilson, who dens, a low-income public hous- has lived in the building for six ing complex for the elderly on years and says he has always paid his rent early Babylon Turnpike — — the housing on the border of authority is not Roosevelt and Uniondale — say they are holding up its end of fed up with the Town the bargain. of Hempstead’s lack Wilson describes of upkeep of their his living situation home. as “terrible.” The town’s hous“You freeze in the ing authority — the wintertime here, largest housing and I’ve been comagency in Nassau plaining about the and Suffolk counties, s a m e i s s u e s fo r and the 10th-largest years,” he said. in the state — oper“They ain’t fixing ates more than 280 ARNOLD WILsON anything, but they apartment units for resident damn sure take the residents requiring Centennial Gardens money.” federal senior citiWilson and other zen, family housing or housing tenants, such as Girtha Sawyer, choice vouchers. Most of them say living conditions deteriorate are at Centennial Gardens. with each passing year. Their Residents pay rent based on complaints include dirty halltheir monthly income. The ways and floors, mold and miltown’s low- and moderate- dew, issues with heat in the winincome housing is an essential ter, bugs and rodents, and repair service that helps a large num- requests that go unanswered. ber of the community’s senior ConTinUed on pAge 19
By BRANDON CRUZ
bcruz@liherald.com
I
Reine Bethany/Herald
The visual arts classes in Uniondale’s Summer Arts Academy are taught by Whitney Kovar, standing at left, and assistant Sheila Halliburton, standing at right.
Uniondale Summer Arts Academy inspiring the artists of tomorrow By REINE BETHANY
U
rbethany@liherald.com
nder the guidance of Kelvin Jenkins, the Uniondale School District’s director of fine and performing arts, the district’s four-week Summer Arts Academy is now in full swing. It runs Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to noon, until Aug. 4. About 100 children have registered for 10 courses. They are dancing and orating with choreographer Joynell Carr and theater teacher Denielle Grey, singing with chorus director Diana DeFilippi, drawing and painting with Whitney Kovar and Sheila Halliburton, and playing instruments taught by too many music
instructors to list here. “Our main draw are kids that are already in our schools,” Jenkins said. “The program, though, is for any child in grades three through 10 who is a Uniondale resident.” The complex music program includes six teachers focused only on the concert and jazz bands, which are divided into age groups. “Band has so many different instruments,” said Jenkins, “and our focus is to get the children individualized instruction on their instrument during this program.” On Monday, classrooms on the first and second floors of the Walnut Street School were filled with melodies from strings, horns and keyboards, supplemented by the sonorous ConTinUed on pAge 10
want to live in peace. I’ve worked my whole life, and I want to live somewhere nice.