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Friday, June 28, 2019
Vol. 68, No. 26
HEALTH & WELLNESS
MINEOLA SGT. IS ‘TOP COP’
SEEKING ANSWERS TO BUSINESS REVITALIZATION
PAGES 31-42
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The Wheatley School sends off 2019 graduates Class of 133 says farewell and celebrates BY TOM M CC A RT HY
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA BYRNS
Wheatley School graduates threw their caps in celebration
On a sunny Saturday, the Wheatley School faculty celebrated the graduation of the 133 students in the class of 2019 and said farewell. At the graduation in the Tilles Center in Brookville, parents and friends filled the audience to mark the class of 2019’s success. It was the school’s 62nd commencement ceremony. Principal Sean C. Feeney spoke of the sacrifices of the World War II generation and the sacrifices made on D-Day. He said, “I encourage our students to seek out opportunities to be thrown together in a diverse group
of individuals for a cause larger than themselves.” He encouraged graduates of the school in Old Westbury to develop their own beliefs and ideas but also learn how to respect and work with others who may have a different set of beliefs. Quoting former President Ronald Reagan, Feeney said, “How can we love our country and not our countrymen?” “This definitely is one of those truly special moments that I hope you remember for a very long time,” said Mark Kamberg, president of the school board. Continued on Page 22
Business owner makes parking plea BY TOM M CC A RT HY
dressed a lack of parking in the downtown area of Mineola on There was a central theme Sundays. “Because we have free to the Mineola Board of Trustees parking on Sundays and it’s a quick ride to New York City on the meeting last week: parking. Mayor Scott Strauss ad- train, people from all over come
over and park here all day,” he said at the meeting last Wednesday. Strauss said people parking in downtown Mineola to take the train to the city deter residents from supporting local businesses. The mayor said he is considering discussing with the board having metered parking hours throughout downtown Mineola from
noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Trustee Dennis J. Walsh emphasized to village residents that the meters are “not about money but about keeping spaces open.” The discussion about parking issues did not stop there. Amanda Gandolfo, owner of the Fit Body Boot Camp on Mineola Boulevard, addressed the board about village restrictions on early morning parking in the village.
Gandolfo said her business is nearing its one-year anniversary, which she described as a feat since “not many businesses make it in one year,” but she is concerned about her 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. classes. Her fitness class attendees keep getting ticketed by the village due to a rule barring parking around her part of the boulevard between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Continued on Page 58
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