VALLEY STREAM
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HERALD $1.00
Commissioner talks school safety
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Vol. 33 No. 23
discount
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CHS teachers earn tenure
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JUNE 2 - 8, 2022
Lozada will stay in race against Meeks petitions lie,” Lozada said, ahead of making his final decision on Tuesday. Candidates for local congres“For me, it’s easier to petition sional races have kept busy these in the 4th District,” he said. “It’s past few months with door-to- a bigger area, and it’s a lot easier door petitioning and back-to- to campaign there. I have a betback campaign events. And then ter shot in the 4th than going the courts stepped against a 25-year in, throwing out incumbent.” redistricting maps His last-minute and creating a seemdecision to stay in ingly new field. the race with Meeks Some seats candiremains ahead of dates sought no lonthe June 10 deadline ger looked as viable for candidates to file with all the changes, FrANkiE their petitions securand that means that ing their place in some districts — like lozAdo their party’s primathe one U.S. Rep. Congressional ry, fueled in part by Kathleen Rice is candidate those district lines vacating — might r e d r aw n e d l a s t have a different feel month. for those wanting to head to “They drew the line straight Washington. from where Queens meets Alden Like Valley Stream’s Frankie Manor and Valley Stream,” Lozada. Lozada said. “So initially, I was The 32-year-old had actually living in the 5th District, and thought about jumping into this then overnight, I’m now not in new political ring. But ultimate- the 5th District,” ly he decided to stay in the race If he had run as a Democrat he’s in: the one to unseat incum- in Rice’s district, Lozada would bent U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, a have joined an already crowded Democrat who represents a large and politically experienced field chunk of Queens and a little bit of challengers including Malof Nassau County. verne Mayor Keith Corbett, for“I’m still petitioning for both mer Town of Hempstead Superdistricts just to see where the Continued on page 4
By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com
Juan Lasso/Herald
Going to bat for patriotism Dozens of organizations, clubs and religious groups, including Valley Stream Little League Baseball, took part in the village’s 102nd annual Memorial Day Parade. Read more on page 3.
‘Angered, upset and horrified’
Students discuss mental health after another shooting By JUAN lASSo jlasso@liherald.com
It was a calm Friday evening as dozens of after-school students filled the Central High School auditorium. It was a chance to meet retired NBA player Michael Sweetney — but not to talk about his time with the New York Knicks or the Chicago Bulls. Instead, he had joined the SameHere Global Mental Health Movement executive Eric Kussin to talk about a very sensitive topic: mental health. “For the next hour, our goal is
to engage and entertain you through storytelling,” Kussin told the students. “The other is to challenge you to think about this topic differently: cognitive mental health.” It’s not that mental health is only an issue for a select few. Maintaining good mental health is important across all of society, Sweetney said — even among sports stars, where it’s not necessarily part of everyday conversations. Just as he had reached the high point of his basketball career as a first-round NBA draft pick for the Knicks in 2003,
Sweetney’s mental health soon spiraled after the unexpected loss of his father, and the stresses he was feeling on the court. The two wanted to leave students with the imperative to normalize their conversations about mental health challenges — not just for themselves, but also for their loved ones. If the message hadn’t resonated then, it took on a whole new importance four days later as Valley Stream students capped their Mental Health Awareness Month observance. The school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, killed Continued on page 13
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obody is immune to people’s voices.