______________ VALLEY STREAM _____________
CoMMUNIty UPDAtE Infections as of June 7
8,505
Infections as of May 31 8,485
$1.00
HERALD
osaka talks mental health
local author publishes book
on-street dining returns
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Vol. 32 No. 24
JUNE 10 - 16, 2021
V.S. Historical Society looks to the future By JESSICA M. SEMINS jsemins@liherald.com
Jessica M. Semins/Herald
VAllEy StrEAM HIStorICAl Society Vice President Bill Florio with a painting of the Pagans, the original family that lived in the home that is now a restoration.
After the Pagan Fletcher Restoration closed for more than a year, it has reopened to offer visitors a glimpse into Valley Stream’s history. Offering tours by appointment only for now, Valley Stream Historical Society members say they look forward to continuing the group’s mission to preserve the village’s past. “Like many places, we didn’t know . . . how long [the coronavirus pandemic] was going to last for,” Bill
Florio, the society’s vice president, said. He put up a sign in March 2020 saying the building would be closed until the end of the month. As the weeks wore on, he realized the homestead would remain closed for a long time, until finally the board decided to reopen in early May. “This is a historic icon of Valley Stream,” Florio said. “The fact that we’re not here, there’s some absence of normalcy to that. We’re always here. We’ve been Continued on page 7
Valley Stream college students weigh in on vaccines By NIColE AlCINDor nalcindor@liherald.com
Last summer, when Valley Stream resident and Princeton University student Jeremiah Omeike, 18, first heard about the possibility of Covid-19 vaccines, he said he felt a rush of excitement and a sense of relief to calm his pandemic anxiety. In December, Omeike said he was elated after he heard about the first New Yorkers receiving Covid-19 vaccines. After that, he waited patiently until he was eligible to be inoculated. Omeike said he scheduled his first appointment to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine a few
days after April 6 — the day when universal eligibility took effect, allowing all New Yorkers 16 and older to receive the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech or Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccinations. On May 10, Omeike said, he felt further encouraged after he heard Gov. Andrew Cuomo announce that the state and city University of New York boards would require proof of vaccination for all students attending inperson classes in the fall, and all private universities and colleges were encouraged to adopt the same guideline. Many other college-aged Valley Stream residents said they hope schools everywhere man-
date that students receive Covid19 vaccines. “I think more college-aged students being mandated to get vaccinated is fair because there is overwhelming evidence that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe,” said Omeike, a rising sophomore math major at Princeton in New Jersey. “College students who don’t get vaccinated are at risk to get more sick and put others at risk on campus, which can ultimately negatively impact everyone’s ability to attend school and learn.” Omeike said that although his university is private, the school is mandating all in-person students to be vaccinated. In the spring
semester, he said, in-person campus activities at Princeton were severely limited, and even though he lived on campus, he attended classes on a hybrid schedule. In the fall he will return to living on campus with a full in-person schedule, and more in-person activities will be available. Omeike said he would be comfortable with or without a mask
on campus because everyone will be vaccinated. Mask protocols will be announced by New Jersey’s health department soon. Since being vaccinated, Omeike said, he has felt more comfortable shopping and attending school, and he has no worries about the vaccine. “I’m not afraid of facing any long-term side Continued on page 12