_________________ WANTAGH ________________
ALL RA DD HHEER
Presented by
lichoiceawards.com
2021
lichoiceawards.com $1.00 Vol. 69 No. 31
HERALD Nomination Details inside
longtime Wantagh firefighter honored
Welcoming Jones Beach Deli
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JUlY 29 - AUGUST 4, 2021
Marine camp kicks off at Jones Beach center. The program, which focuses on underserved youth, got its A group of students gathered start in Nassau in 2018, after CCE in a circle at Jones Beach State Nassau was approached by New Park. As the sun beat York Sea Grant, a down, Marissa DeBostate-operated grant nis, environmental program with locaeducator assistant at tions on Long Island. the Jones Beach “We want to get Energy & Nature t h e s e k i d s f ro m Center, showed them underserved commuthe sea snails and nities out to the hermit crabs that beach environment were caught earlier so they can start that day during a experiencing these beach seining activinew things,” CCE ty at the park’s West Nassau’s natural End Boat Basin, resource program where two people manager Michael held a large net and F i o re n t i n o s a i d . slowly walked along “The focus of the the shoreline, catchprogram has always ing aquatic species. been on hands-on MichAel This is just one of experience and many activities that FioreNTiNo experimental learnlocal kids are taking Manager, ing opportunities.” part in this summer CCE Nassau’s Eight groups of at the third annual students from across N a s s a u C o u n t y natural resource the county will parMarine Camp Pro- program ticipate in the program, a partnership gram, which runs among Cornell Coopuntil Aug. 12. Each erative Extension of Nassau group will stop by the nature cenCounty; the New York State ter twice a week, and from there Department of Parks, Recreation, head out in the field to learn and Historic Preservation; New about coastal marine life and the York Sea Grant and the nature Continued on page 14
By KATe NAlepiNSKi knalepinski@liherald.com
T
Kate Nalepinski/Herald
GUAc Shop MexicAN Grill owners formally unveiled the new Wantagh eatery at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 22 with Town of Hempstead and Nassau County officials.
Business owners give locals something to ‘guac’ about By KATe NAlepiNSKi knalepinski@liherald.com
A familiar Mexican eatery — known to some Seafordites as a pandemic “pop-up” — has planted its feet in Wantagh. Guac Shop Mexican Grill opened earlier this month in the Willow Wood Shoppes center on Wantagh Avenue. It is the fourth location to open under the same ownership. The fast-casual restaurant is a joint venture among local business partners and long-
time friends: restaurateurs Matthew and Luke Tesoriero; Patrick O’Halloran, co-owner of Park Place Restaurant and Bar in New Hyde Park; Maxim Builders contractor Joseph Sparacello; and Sergio and Carlo DeCiantis, co-owners of Seaford Italian restaurant Cara Mia. In February, the grill’s new owners signed a lease for the roughly 3,000-square-foot space. Matthew Tesoriero said the group was eager to expand to Wantagh since “community
is important to them.” From a logistical standpoint, he said, the team has been working to expand the brand and open new Guac Shops within a fivemile radius of the others. The owners were about to open a new location in Jericho last year when the pandemic struck, Tesoriero said. With new staff already trained for that opening, the team was forced to pivot. “We were pushed on our butts like anyContinued on page 12
he focus of the program has always been on hands-on experience and experimental learning opportunities.