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your HEALTH body / mind / fitness
March 24, 2022
HERALD Your Health
Women’s webinar series kicks off
Search concludes at Mill Pond
Inside
Page 4
Page 12
Vision & Hearing $1.00
Vol. 70 No. 12
MARCH 17 - 23, 2022
Soaring gas prices concern local drivers By iRYNA SHkuRHAN newsroom@liherald.com
Kate Nalepinski/Herald
Say ‘Sláinte’ to the man of the hour At the Chamber of Commerce’s Grand Marshal Dinner at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall last week, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder received the grand marshal’s sash in preparation for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. More photos, Page 3.
The dramatic volatility in gas prices is causing some Wantagh and Seaford residents to rethink their driving habits, as Nassau county legislators attempt to ease the financial burden. “I’m certainly trying to drive less, and certainly not running a ny e x t r a e r r a n d s, ” s a i d Michelle Gallo, a Seaford resident who commutes to her job as a school administrator in Baldwin. Before gas prices went up, she said, she used to drive home in between work meetings, but she has avoided additional trips since prices began climbing.
As of March 13, the national average price per gallon was $4.325, according to data from the American Automobile Association. This surpassed the previous high of $4.114 in July 2008, not adjusted for inflation. The increasing prices are being attributed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as loosening of Covid-19 restrictions. President Biden banned the import of Russian oil and gas on March 8. Despite the fact that the U.S receives only a small percentage of its oil from Russia, the decrease in supply is affecting the global commodities market and, in turn, is increasing the demand for, and price of, gasoline worldwide. Continued on page 10
MacArthur girls’ cheer squad is first-time state champion By MARiA CeSteRo mcestero@liherald.com
After taking the floor at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association cheerleading championships in Rochester on March 5, members of MacArthur High’s girls’ cheer team were shocked to learn that they had taken first place –– and made MacArthur history. The team was named Division I Large School champion, the first state title ever for MacArthur’s cheer squad. Flyer Phyllis Angieri, 17, recalled the scene after the announcement: Her teammates were excitedly screaming and crying with joy, she said. Angieri
added that she wasn’t too surprised by their victory, but still felt a wave of joy. “I was very e m o t i o n a l wh e n we wo n , because everything we’ve been working for was so worth it,” the senior recounted. “I trust these girls with my life.” Cheer coach Lisa Nessler, 40, had help in shaping the squad from team captains Olivia Weber, Emma Koehler, Julie Weltner, Kylie Zanelli and Tiffany Pereira. “This was the last time we’d compete on this team with these people,” Koehler said in a news release. “We just wanted to hit our routine so we could look back and say, ‘We hit our last routine ever, together.’” “It’s good to dream about
these things happening, but when it happens, it’s surreal,” Nessler said. “We thought we’d only get third place.” The team had a perfect score in the first round of the competition –– also known as “hitting zero,” meaning they had no deductions from the judges on t h e i r p e r f o r m a n c e. T h e y advanced into the second and final round against four other other teams. The girls grew nervous about their final placement after they received a 1.5-point deduction in the finals, Nessler said, but it wasn’t enough to knock them out of the top spot. Neighboring Seaford High School also snagged a first-place
win in the Division 2 Large category. Nessler said she believed that the intensity of MacArthur’s tumbling routine assured their victory. “We knew we had a strong team and a difficult routine, and we were pumped,” she said. “You train for these moments, and it’s just so exciting.” Angieri said she believed that
the school community’s presence –– including Principal Joseph Sheehan –– at the competition helped motivated the team. Nessler, a Wantagh resident, has been the varsity cheer coach since 2005. She fell in love with coaching when she tried it for the first time at age 18, working with a local lacrosse team. MacArthur team member Continued on page 13