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Living in East Meadow
Look what’s Happening
SEptEMbEr
Brian Stieglitz/Herald Gary Glick, the commander of the Jewish War Veterans Post 652, placed a wreath at the opening ceremony of “The Wall that Heals” in Eisenhower Park. The monument is a 375-footlong, three-quarter-scale mobile replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
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Anthony Hughes/Herald East Meadow’s cheerleading squad riled up the crowd during halftime at the Jet’s Homecoming game against Calhoun High School, which East Meadow won 45-10.
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Brian Stieglitz/Herald Manhattan-based drag queen Bella Noche asked for a round of applause to the children at the Drag Queen Story Hour, presented by the East Meadow Public Library.
Brian Stieglitz/Herald Anthony Bevilacqua, the owner of AB Fitness Center in East Meadow, hosted his second charity workout for the American Heart Association. Above, he is teaching his daughter Gabriella, 6, and son Anthony Jr., 2, how to do the battle ropes exercise.
LIVING IN East Meadow
In the middle of Nassau County lies a hamlet, rich with diversity, parks, organizations and familyowned businesses. It thrives with the help of community leaders and key members who ensure that children, veterans and families’ needs and rights are met. According to the census, 38,000 people — 14 percent Hispanic or Latino, 12 percent Asian, 5 percent African-American, and 69 percent white — call the small, yet humble hamlet home: East Meadow.
Schools and library
The East Meadow community has one public school district, comprised of two high schools, two middle schools and five elementary schools, which also take in students from Salisbury. The schools are East Meadow and W.T. Clarke high schools, Woodland and W.T. Clarke middle schools, and Barnum Woods, Bowling Green, McVey, Meadowbrook and Parkway elementary schools. The elementary level sees students from kindergarten — the first full-kindergarten year started in 2015 — through fifth grade, and the middle schools take in sixth through eighth grade.
The district’s superintendent is in his third school year and Dr. Kenneth Card Jr. is also a Navy veteran and 15- year administrator prior to his tenure at East Meadow. The district appointed Card after a year-long search for a new leader.
The East Meadow PTA Council is a coalition of school PTAs that contributes to district-wide initiatives and hosts workshops through its ACCESS Committee.
East Meadow is also home to three parochial schools and eight nursery schools.
The East Meadow Public Library is renowned for its wide array of programs, services and vast book collection. After the community approved a historic, first-time school and library joint bond in March 2017, the library’s approved $14.6 million is slated for infrastructure upgrades, a new all-purpose room/ theater, and an outdoor reading garden to accommodate Continued on next page
Continued from previous page patrons. Each year, it hosts EMcon — perhaps its largest event — an anime festival that draws thousands from across Long Island. The library’s current director is Carol Probeyahn.
The East Meadow Fire Department headquarters is on East Meadow Avenue, and the department has roughly 260 volunteers. It is led by four commissioners, and has five fire stations, four engine companies, two ladder companies, one rescue company, a ladies’ auxiliary unit, a paramedic fly car program and a safety officers program. Its current chief is Philip Fertitta.
Parks and recreation
Parks are a big part of the East Meadow community, and none is more recognizable than Eisenhower Park. At 930 acres, it is larger than New York City’s Central Park, and has dozens of athletic fields, 16 lighted tennis courts, a basketball court, three 18-hole golf courses, picnic areas and fitness trails.
Eisenhower Park is also the home of the Nassau County Aquatic Center, which has a 50-meter pool. Built in 1998, the swimming facility hosted the Goodwill Games, and now hosts other major swimming competitions. It is also open to the public. The Twin Rinks Ice Center opened to the public in the summer of 2014, adjacent to the Aquatic Center. It’s an 80,000-square-foot indoor facility with two indoor ice rinks, an outdoor rink and a sports recreational center.
Other parks in East Meadow include the Town of Hempsteadoperated Edward J. Speno Memorial Park on East Meadow Avenue, named after Edward Speno, who was the first president of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce in 1954.
Veterans Memorial Park on Prospect Avenue, which the Town of Hempstead also runs, is the home of a public outdoor swimming pool. Adjacent to the pool, on East Meadow Avenue, sits East Meadow Town Square, designed and built by the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce.
Veterans Park is home to an 1,800-pound marble statue, a steel beam from the World Trade Center and a commemorative footstone listing the names of East Meadow residents who died on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial was installed by the East Meadow Kiwanis Club. Community Groups
The community boasts active and diverse community organizations, including the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations, the Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club of East Meadow, the Pope Pius XII Knights of Columbus Council 4422, Knights of Pythias East Meadow Lodge 774 Alliance, and the Community Association of Stewart Avenue. The groups organize the community’s largest annual events, including the Memorial Day parade, Community Pride Day, Culinary Delights and Christmas tree and menorah lightings in the winter.
Veterans groups include American Legion Post 1082, Jewish War Veterans Post 709, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2736.
Churches, synagogues and mosques of all different faiths can be found throughout East Meadow, and seniors find a home at the Salisbury/East Meadow Senior Center.
Coronavirus pandemic updates Worshipers adjust to social distancing guidelines
By Brian Stieglitz
Churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship throughout East Meadow have adapted to social distancing guidelines and other safety measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 while also ensuring their parishioners still observe their respective religious rites and rituals.
The Long Island Muslim Society, in East Meadow, was the first of many institutions to shut down and stopped offering in-person services last mid-February. According to Rahat Hossain, a board member, Islamic worshippers at the LIMS typically maintain contact while praying by standing shoulder to shoulder. They also kneel on a carpet, which would have to be shampooed after each use — five times a day.
All services were transferred to Zoom and livestreamed on YouTube. The LIMS reopened on July 20, installing a tarp over the carpet that members spray with disinfectant in between prayers. The LIMS has also hired a cleaning company called Enviroshield to come in twice a month and disinfect the entire building.
Worshippers stand on markers that are spaced apart by six feet. And those over 65, women and children are recommended to stay home and resume praying over Zoom or YouTube livestream. On entering the Mosque, all parishioners are required to fill out a contract tracing survey, have their temperature taken and sanitize their hands. The capacity has been reduced from 126 to 60.
As of Aug. 17, Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh, to which many East Meadow residents belong, continued to host services and programs remotely via Zoom. The office remains open for clergy, and office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.
“We believe that at this time, the Jewish values of saving lives, preventing danger, and responsibility to our neighbors demand that we maintain our distance as a religious community,” reads an explanation on their website.
Like most churches that share Holy Communion — Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Episcopalian, for example — the manner of giving and receiving has undergone changes as part of each denomination’s commitment to keeping worshippers as safe as possible.
Eastern Orthodox Christians receive the sacrament from a chalice, and the mixture of bread and wine is administered with a special spoon. None of that has changed at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, in East Meadow, a parish serving all of the South Shore, with members from as far away as Queens.
At 25 percent capacity, the church can allow up to 38 worshippers, clergy and altar servers. Holy Trinity maintains social distancing, with worshippers in every other pew. Families may sit together, but individuals sit at the far ends of the pews. Communicants come to the altar one at a time; take a napkin to place under their chins; and then discard the napkin afterward on a tray beside the priest.
The usual Orthodox custom of kissing icons has been suspended, and the remaining communion bread — the antidoron — is reserved in sanitary packaging and handed out after the liturgy, rather than being consumed immediately after receiving the sacrament, as is customary. Holy Trinity is also streaming all services online.
Tim Denton contributed to this story.
Coronavirus pandemic updates It’s time to get out and about
By Leah Chiappino
East Meadow is home to several parks and open spaces for residents and their families to relax, unwind and enjoy the outdoors, while staying safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park in East Meadow boasts 930 acres, and has opportunities for residents of all ages.
Children can enjoy three different playgrounds, and families can visit bocce courts and inlaid chess and checkers boards. For an hourly seasonal fee, residents can practice tennis at one of the 16 lighted courts, or enjoy one of the park’s 17 baseball fields, soccer fields or two football fields. Eisenhower also is home to the Northwell Health Ice Center, featuring two indoor and one outdoor hockey rinks.
County residents can purchase a leisure pass for a tri-annual fee of $36 for access to the Nassau County Aquatic Center at Eisenhower, an 80,000-square-foot facility equipped with a 50-by-68-meter pool that has hosted numerous competitions at which race records have been broken. It’s also a space for members of the community to exercise or enjoy a leisurely swim. The park has a two-mile fitness trail with 20 exercise stations. There are also three 18- hole golf courses that have hosted the PGA championships, a driving range and two different mini-golf courses at a discounted rate with a leisure pass. To ensure social distancing, tee times are set to be booked by reservation only, and only every 16 minutes. No congregating is permitted.
The Leisure Pass along with a small fee also discounts and/or provides residents with access to Bay Park, Cantiague Park, Cedar Creek Park, Christopher Morley Park, Nickerson Beach Park, North Woodmere Park, Wantagh Park, Mitchel Athletic Complex and Nassau County Rifle & Pistol Range. Discounts apply to seniors, veterans and disabled residents.
Reserved especially for the Town of Hempstead residents, East Meadow boasts several other green spaces and parks for residents to exclusively enjoy. For instance, Speno Park has playgrounds, handball, shuffleboard, basketball and tennis courts. The park is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the summer.
Another hidden gem is Veterans Memorial Park and Pool. Because of the Covid-19 crisis, masks are required at all times that visitors are out of the pool. Guests must bring their own chairs, and no food is permitted. The pool is free to seniors with the Senior Summer Beach Program pass, which was mailed to residents over 60 in June and grants them free access to town pools and beaches.
Though parking is free, there is an $8 dollar entrance fee for East Meadow residents and $9 entrance fee for residents living outside East Meadow, though discounts apply to seniors, veterans, children ages 5 to 9, those with disabilities and volunteers.
Salisbury Court Ballfields in East Meadow also offer field use by permit only and are free to children and senior citizen leagues. Adult recreation leagues can use the field for an annual fee of $302.50.
All parks listed are encouraging visitors to wear a face covering, and stay six feet apart from others when possible.
