HERALD $1.00
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Reverse mortgage info for residents
What’s happening in Wantagh schools Page 2
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Page 15
Vol. 70 No. 20
1173531
_________________ WANTAGH ________________
MAY 12 - 18, 2022
County exec ends pandemic relief program that day to be processed, but nothing more after that. Roughly 70,000 payments County Executive Bruce were processed, amounting to a Blakeman is ending Nassau little over $26 million — just a County’s Household Assistance quarter of the money budgeted Program, intended to offer low- for the program. To get a check, er-income residents a household had to one-time direct paysubmit an applicaments of $375. tion with documenSigned into law t a t i o n ve r i f y i n g last October, when income, typically in Blakeman’s predet h e fo r m o f a n cessor, Laura Curincome tax return, ran, was still in and provide proof of office, the program residency. was supposed to allo“We did it last cate up to $100 milyear. I think in lion in federal funds November we put it from the American in,” Fran Lucher, a Re s c u e P l a n a s Wantagh resident, direct payments for wrote to the Herald. up to 400,000 qualify“Took about four ing Nassau resiSTEVE RhoADS months to receive dents. In total, the anything. Was it county received $193 County legislator helpful? Well anymillion from the thing retur ned is plan, which Presibetter than nothdent Biden signed into law in ing.” March 2021. The program has had a rather In a letter to county legisla- complicated history since Curtors, Blakeman said he wanted ran, a Democrat, introduced it a to end the program because of year ago. The program’s first “extremely low participation” draft would have automatically and because it seemed to be issued checks to anyone receiv“trickling out.” He said he would ing rebates through the state’s pull the plug May 15, allowing school tax relief or enhanced any applications submitted by Continued on page 4
By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com
W
Tim Baker/Herald
County helps vets’ four-legged friends Sparky and his handler, Gene Smith, came to Eisenhower Park to help out at the Vets2Vets Mobile Veterinary Clinic in Eisenhower Park last Friday. More photos, Page 9.
Lawn signs encourage parents to get up to speed on schools By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com
Besides grass, something else is sprouting on lawns all across Wantagh — blue signs urging parents to “Vote Wantagh Strong.” The signs are part of an ambitious effort by a new organization, Wantagh Parents for Educational Excellence, whose aim is to inform parents and residents about the workings of the school district through a website, which launched April 11. The website features blog posts from five or six volunteer parents, a calendar of upcoming school events and a countdown clock for the school board
election on May 17. Christopher Meinck, 55, a Wantagh resident since 2008, is the managing editor and creator of the site. Meinck, who has two children in the district, said he had noticed that conversations on the school board election had been going on in private Facebook chats. He wanted to give the possibly missed information to the public. “Parents are busy,” Meinck said. “We are trying to bring every resource they need to one place. We have info on how and when to vote, important dates and some feel-good stories too.” The site, which has nearly 8,000 views to date, Continued on page 8
e weren’t going to stand in the way of providing $375 checks to those who wanted to apply for them.