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Vol. 71 No. 9
SPECIAL ELECTION • VOTE TUESDAY
GET OUT THE VOTE
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FEBRUARY 23 - MARCH 1, 2023
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Legislature special election set for Feb. 28 By JoRDAN VAlloNE
Michael MalaszczykHerald
CAst MEMBER FRoM the Middle School Drama Club include, clockwise from top left, Ryan Mundy, who plays Jay, Mairead Hill-Hotz, who plays Maleficent, Emily McHale, who plays Mal, Giada Petrillo, who plays Evie, and Nick Allen, who plays Carlos.
Disney’s ‘Descendants’ to take the stage in Wantagh By MICHAEl MAlAsZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com
If there’s any doubt that Wantagh Middle School’s theater program is taking off, look no further than its latest endeavor: Disney’s own “Descendants.” A cast of 50 students from the middle school’s Drama Club will perform “Descendants: The Musical” on the Wantagh High School stage March 3-5. Based on the popular Disney Channel original movies, “Descendants” follows the teenage children of some infamous Disney villains, including Maleficent, from “Sleeping Beauty,”
the Evil Queen, from “Snow White,” Jafar, from “Aladdin,” and Cruella De Vil, from “101 Dalmatians.” Condemned to live on the “Isle of the Lost,” the children are sent to attend prep school alongside the children of some famous Disney heroes, which include Belle and the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast,” and Snow White herself. Some of the middle school students playing lead roles are Emily McHale, as Mal, Giada Petrillo, as Evie, Ryan Mundy, as Jay, Nick Allen, as Carlos, Mairead Hill-Hotz, as Maleficent, and Jackson Lehrer, as Ben. “Descendants” is directed by English teacher Kristin Continued on page 16
jvallone@liherald.com
Where to vote
The race is on for the Nassau County Legislature seat vacated late last year after Steve Rhoads’ election to the State Senate. In a special election set for Tuesday, Feb. 28, Democrat Rober t Miles will square of f against Republican Michael Giangregorio to determine who will take the seat in Mineola. T h e l e g i s l at ive d i s t r i c t includes parts of Seaford and Wantagh, all of South Bellmore, sections of central and South Merrick, and a small strip of Freeport with a cutoff at Woodcleft Avenue. And it’s no stranger to special elections. Rhoads won the seat in 2015 following the resignation of Dave Denenberg, the Democratic leader who was convicted of mail fraud. Even if Democrats picked up this seat, the party would remain in the minority. Still, that hasn’t stopped Miles from giving it a try. The 30-year-old was born in Elmont, but grew up primarily in Merrick. He graduated from Hofstra University’s law school, running with a political background he says is “heavy in policy.” Miles previously worked in
Early voting is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday, Feb. 26, at the following locations: ■ Temple Beth Am, 2377 Merrick Ave., Merrick ■ St. Francis de Chantal Church, 1309 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh ■ Nassau County elections board office, 240 Old Country Road, Mineola Polls open Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., at normal voting locations. Find your polling place at VoterLookUp. Elections.ny.gov. Unsure if you live in District 19? Call (516) 571-8683. both the county attor ney’s office under County Executive Ed Mangano and Nassau’s property assessment office during the Laura Curran administration. Since early last year, Miles has served as an attorney with Nassau’s minority caucus. Giangregorio, 57, grew up in Queens and settled in Merrick with his wife in 1997. He’s long Continued on page 4