Continued on

Continued from Page 1 board, and expenses.

“My fi rst thought when I heard I had won was just thinking it was fake, because there was no way I had actually won,” Amaya said. “It took some time for me to realize it was 100 percent real, and I was just beyond excited at that point.”

Amaya’s father entered her and her sister, Imani, in the raffl e right after they received their vaccines in early May.

Amaya’s mother, Tiff any, said the scholarship will allow her to choose where she wants to go to college and explore opportunities that would not have been available otherwise due to fi nancial restrictions.

“We are so proud of Amaya for being brave and taking the COVID-19 vaccine,” Tiff any said. “It was her choice completely. Our family has been through a lot this past year. Lots of emotions and long hours, but there is hope for a restoration of normalcy now thanks to these vaccines. Amaya truly is an incredible kid and we are both honored and humbled by this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR ME TO REALIZE IT WAS 100 PERCENT REAL, AND I WAS JUST BEYOND EXCITED AT THAT POINT.”

Amaya Thalappillil

Amaya, 14, is considering attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.

When the state of New York introduced this program, Cuomo cited the stagnating vaccine rates, especially among young New Yorkers who make up a large portion of positive cases in the state. As of July 2, the case rate for New Yorkers aged 13 to 17 was 7,082 per 100,000 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

The rate for all ages was 9,452. Cuomo added that 72 percent of New Yorkers over the age of 18 have received at least one vaccine shot, according to CDC fi gures.

“Getting vaccinated is the key to our success defeating COVID-19 and restoring the economy, and this extraordinary incentive for the state’s young people has helped us put shots in arms across New York,” Cuomo said in a statement.

Some concern arose when the World Health Organization declared the emerging Delta variant of the virus “a variant of concern.” The variant, which was fi rst identifi ed in India, now accounts for 25 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the United States, and is predicted to become the dominant version of the virus circulating in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Scientists say this variant appears to be more transmissive, and some indications are that it could also cause more severe symptoms. However, at this time, scientists say fully vaccinated individuals appear to face little risk from the variant.

New York COVID-19 cases continue to plummet. As of July 1, the seven-day rolling average

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE FAMILY

Amaya Thalappillil

of cases in Nassau County was 24. Just one month ago, that number was 38.

Curran adopts anti-Semitism definition

Continued from Page 4 walls, on our tractor and on the front door to the building.”

Investigations of the incidents at the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School and the Police Athletic League are continuing.

More recently, State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) received a piece of hate mail with explicit, insulting language and an anti-Semitic reference several weeks ago in response to one of her mailers with information on the coronavirus vaccine.

Kaplan posted a picture of the hate mail, which was written on the mailer. The sender criticized the literature and called Kaplan “stupid,” “dumb” and “evil,” along with a profane insult.

The sender also wrote “109 soon 110,” a phrase the AntiDefamation League said is used by white supremacists referring to the number of countries that have expelled Jews, implying the United States would be the 110th to do so.

“As a former religious refugee who fl ed anti-Semitism in my birth country, I have seen fi rst-hand how anti-Semitism begins to permeate a society and ultimately lead to violence against Jewish people,” Kaplan said.

Biden honors Port Washington nurse

Continued from Page 4 aside from receiving the fi rst inoculation. Dowling, a fellow immigrant, refl ected on how the ripple eff ects from Lindsay’s tireless work and historic vaccination will live on throughout history.

“Sandra came to this country to make a diff erence and on that December day she courageously decided to get that shot and help lead this country out of the pandemic,” Dowling said. “As an immigrant myself, Sandra is the epitome of the power immigrants hold in writing this great nation’s history and on behalf of the entire Northwell Health family, we are proud to support her.”

It was also announced on Tuesday that Lindsay would be the grand marshal in New York City’s “Hometown Heroes” Parade the next day. The parade, one of the largest ticker-tape parades in New York City history, honored all of the essential workers who aided the city in recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is truly an honor and privilege to serve as the grand marshal in the Hometown Heroes ticker-tape parade and represent all health care and essential workers whose heroic eff orts saved lives during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lindsay said.

Mojo Stumer to design new VGN village hall

Continued from Page 2 erty by the trustees in November, said during a June meeting that the village needs to remain fi scally responsible and try to save money wherever possible, while developing a structure that would be a fi xture in the village for years to come.

“We are trying to save money on the building and also on the size, and we want to maximize it as much as possible,” he said.

Offi cials also held a preliminary discussion on potentially forming a committee of village residents, on a volunteer basis, to help plan a 100th anniversary celebration for the Village of Great Neck next year. The specifi c date for the celebration, Bral said, has not yet been determined, but he said he does not believe the celebration will be held in the winter.

“I am looking for individuals who would like to volunteer their time,” Bral said. “Obviously, this is a very historic time for our village … I think it would be great to have individuals who are committed to come in and have a program set up, and possibly a date of what they’d like to see.”