________ Franklin square/elmont _______
HERALD Students shine this summer
Annual race honors a hero
PFL lands at UBS arena
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VOL. 28 NO. 32
AUGUST 6 - 12, 2026
$1.00
Roof repairs move ahead for F.S. library library on July 31. “If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it for the future.” A long-planned ef fort to According to Gerrato, the replace the aging roof at the building’s original section F r a n k l i n S q u a r e P u b l i c dates to 1957, while an addition Library took a major step for- was constructed in 2000. He ward, as library officials begin said roof problems began only planning comprea few years after the hensive renovations expansion, and they agree will prod e s p i t e re p e at e d tect the building for repairs, the situadecades while tion has steadily improving energy worsened. efficiency and Since 2004, the expanding services library has spent an for the community. estimated $350,000 The project trying to stop leaks, received a $250,000 Gerrato said. federal Community Recent roof scans Project Funding found that roughly allocation secured 20 percent of the by Rep. Laura Gil- CARL GERRATO roof has sustained len. Library of fisignificant water President, cials said the fundintrusion. Franklin Square ing will allow them “It’s come to the to begin the archi- Public Library Board point now where we tectural and engi- of Trustees have to move forneering work needward,” he said. ed before construction can Rather than simply replacmove forward. ing the roof, library officials But library leaders empha- are developing a long-ter m sized that the project is about moder nization plan for the far more than replacing a leak- building. One major goal is ing roof. relocating the extensive heat“This is the first step,” Carl ing and cooling equipment Gerrato, the library’s Board of from the roof to inside the Trustees president, said during building, creating a more enerGillen’s recent visit to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
By HAILEY FULMER
hfulmer@liherald.com
O
Hailey Fulmer/Herald
Fashion show empowers youth in the community Alana Solages, left, and Savannah Douse pose in their runway outfits during Meera Empowerment’s sixth annual fashion show fundraiser. Story, more photos, Page 7.
A NICE bus incident spurs a rider to seek accountability By HAILEY FULMER hfulmer@liherald.com
A wheelchair user from Elmont says she was improperly denied access to a Nassau InterCounty Express bus last month before being allowed to board it, prompting renewed concerns about accessibility and equal access to public transportation. Bryanna Copeland said that she tried to board a NICE bus on Hempstead Turnpike and Elmont Road on July 22 with her daughter, who she said was sick with a fever. According to Copeland, the driver told her the bus was full and there was no room for her wheelchair, despite what she said
was visible space inside. Copeland said the driver reported to dispatch that the bus was full, but she disputed that claim and contacted dispatch herself. “The driver reported to dispatch that the bus was full, so I called dispatch myself because I could clearly see there was space available,” she wrote on Facebook. “After I was finally allowed to board, there was still room for my wheelchair, and the bus continued picking up passengers.” Copeland, a disability rights activist, said the incident was especially frustrating because she has experienced similar problems before, and previously filed a human rights complaint CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
ur goal is not just to fix a roof. It’s to make sure this library is ready for the next 50 years.