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Trees planted for Arbor Day
What’s new in Wantagh schools
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Vol. 70 No. 19
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MAY 5 - 11, 2022
No decision yet on Mount Sinai in Wantagh By ToM cARRoZZA tcarrozza@liherald.com
Two key pieces of the puzzle that is the proposed Mount Sinai South Nassau medical facility in Wantagh are seemingly all that remain. And both are before the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals. Is there enough parking at the former Verizon building at 2020 Wantagh Ave., that the hospital plans to convert into a medical center? And can the building’s façade be repaired? That’s the case lawyers representing the hospital made to town officials during a three-
hour hearing last week that pitted supporters against opponents. And there seemed to be a significant turnout from both sides. Yet the appeals board made it clear that it is not ready to make any decisions right now, and does not have a specific timetable on when it might be ready. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11. The four-story brick building has sat abandoned for more than five years. Mount Sinai has spent almost all that time working to construct and open a $35 million medical center it says will employ 30 doctors
Courtesy Mount Sinai South Nassau
AN ARchITEcT’s RENDERINg of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s proposed 60,000-square-foot facility on Wantagh Avenue intended to provide ‘one-stop’ medical services for the larger community. It’s fate now rests with the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals. and 50 support staff members. It would offer a wide variety of specialty medical care, from women’s health to oncology to diabetes care. It also would provide ancillary services like lab work and X-rays. Mount Sinai has sought an off-street parking variance after town officials concluded that the Wantagh Avenue facil-
ity would need more than 300 spaces. Mount Sinai, however, argues that its engineers demonstrated a need for fewer than 250. But those who oppose the facility remain skeptical of Mount Sinai’s parking plans, citing frustrations expressed by Oceanside residents about parking problems near the
main hospital there as it has grown while a reported promise of a new parking structure remains unfulfilled. Tom Watson, who owns a commercial building on Wantagh Avenue, said he was worried that parking for his and other businesses would suffer with more people coming in Continued on page 6
Herald Newspapers wins 17 state newspaper awards sTAff REPoRT It was a big showing for Herald Community Newspapers at the New York Press Association spring conference last weekend in Saratoga Springs, with the group from Richner Communications winning 17 state awards, including top honors for in-depth reporting, column writing and spot news. The team of Nakeem Grant, Scott Brinton, Peter Belfiore, Sue Grieco and Jim Bernstein won the Thomas G. Butson Award for the Malverne/West Hempstead Herald for coverage of an April 2021 shooting at a West Hempstead Stop & Shop that killed one
person and injured two others. “Incredible local coverage of a local trauma,” judges from the Nebraska Press Association wrote. “The spectrum of pieces — hard news, editorial, column, etc. — to widen the context and learning from this event and its impact on the community was exemplary.” The team also earned top honors for spot news for their coverage of the shooting, which ultimately led to murder charges for Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, who reportedly worked as a cart collector at the supermarket. Senior Editor Laura Lane finished as a runner-up in the indepth news category for her cov-
erage of speed enforcement on the roads around schools for the East Meadow Herald. “Really solid reporting on a local issue that may not have seemed particularly newsworthy, but after research, was demonstrated to be a looming safety issue that — unchecked — could have had tragic consequences,” the judges said. “And Ms. Lane’s reporting had an actual impact, with changes to speed zone and enforcement.” That coverage also earned Lane a runner-up spot for community leadership behind a team of reporters from The Post-Standard in Syracuse. Brinton also won first place
for his columns, which appeared on the Heralds’ opinion pages. “I am immensely proud of our team for once again being recognized for the tremendous work they do serving our communities week in and week out,” said Stuart Richner, publisher of the Herald Community Newspapers. “Never has local journalism been more important than during the
past two years. Throughout the entire pandemic, our team of essential workers has been in the communities, telling the stories of our neighbors, businesses and institutions. “Our company is proudly family-owned, which allows us to impartially report the facts. From critical health information and Continued on page 5