_________________ WANTAGH ________________
HERALD $1.00
Police: Man texted teen lewd images
MSSN releases poll results
Foundation distributes grants
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Vol. 70 No. 5
JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022
Graffiti cleared from Wantagh, other stations By MARIA CESTERo mcestero@liherald.com
Herald file photo
lAST wEEkENd, gRAFFITI was removed from the Wantagh Long Island Rail Road station.
Following a number of complaints from community members, Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Carini, members of a local task force and Long Island Rail Road officials recently cleaned off graffiti at the Seaford and Wantagh Long Island Rail Road stations. Carini said he heard from multiple Seaford residents on Jan. 19 about graffiti at the Seaford station, between Sunrise Highway and Brooklyn Avenue. The graffiti was removed on Saturday.
“It shows a breakdown of the community,” he said. “It’s terrible to look at and it’s an eyesore. . . . It’s a problem throughout our communities.” There has been vandalism at the neighboring Bellmore and Baldwin stations as well, which led to a mass cleanup effort over the weekend, run in conjunction with LIRR staff. According to county crime rates from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Nassau County had 10,411 reported property crimes in 2020 — a decrease from the total of 11,741 reported in 2019. Continued on page 10
School liaisons keep residents, administrators in the know By STEPHANIE BANAT newsroom@liherald.com
Wantagh High School seniors Emma Alexander and Angelina Maciak are instrumental in keeping the Wantagh community and the Board of Education up to date on what’s happening at the school. Alexander and Maciak, both 17, are not only co-presidents of the Student Government, but also the student liaisons to the school board. “It’s important to us that we accurately represent the student body and their wishes,” Alexander said, “and that we listen to our peers.”
One of the pair’s responsibilities is speaking on behalf of the student body at the monthly board meetings. They update the community on events at the high school — concerts, food drives, sports matchups and club events. And in their Student Government role, they plan Spirit Days, pep rallies and Homecoming festivities. “What I enjoy most about our role as student liaisons,” Maciak said, “is my ability to give my opinion on things happening at the school to the board, because they’re so high up . . . if there’s a problem or something in need of support, we make sure those concerns are heard so that things
can get changed.” Alexander and Maciak were chosen for the roles last September after being interviewed by the previous board liaisons and by their Student Government adviser, Christopher Nyberg. Nyberg told the Herald that Alexander and Maciak “serve as a bridge between the high school student body and the community. They also offer student perspective and access to the Board of Education.” At the Jan. 20 board meeting, held virtually via Zoom, their report touched on multiple district goings-on. They recognized the high school bowling team’s successful season thus far, and
Maciak said that the Student Government was collecting SAT, ACT and Regents preparation books for students in homeless shelters. She also noted many students’ perspective on virtual learning amid the latest surge in Covid-19 cases. “Many students have been wondering why the option for virtual learning is not coming
back,” Maciak said. “Students in all of the grades prefer to have the option for virtual learning, so when we were absent they were still able to join their classes online.” Maciak said she likes to serve as the voice of the student body. “I like being able to make sure that the students’ opinions will be Continued on page 3