_________________ BALDWIN ________________
Helping families in need
Brookside visits Baldwin High
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Vol. 31 No. 50
DECEMBER 5 - 11, 2024
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Natural Christmas tr e e s & Wreaths
Karen Rochester recovers from transplant scare Heart failure survivor tells her story something was wrong, and was eventually taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau. The cardiologist in the E.R. For nearly 30 years, 58-yearold Karen Rochester, of Bald- performed a scan of her heart, win, has been fighting a life- which revealed that the right threatening heart condition, side of the organ wasn’t funcdiagnosed after the birth of her tioning, and the left side was first son, Jahlani, when she functioning at just 5 percent. She was on the verge of death. was 28. She devel“It was very dire, oped post-partum because I thought I cardiomyopathy, a was going to die,” rare form of heart Rochester recalled. failure triggered by “It was very scary.” pregnancy. She was transEventually, the fer red to Mount former nurse said, Sinai Hospital, in her condition Manhattan, for improved, with the m o re a dva n c e d help of medication, KAREN care, and was and she was under admitted to the the impression that RoCHESTER, intensive-care unit. she had recovered. Baldwin Once she was stabiLast year, however, she had a major scare, begin- lized, the doctors there, includning with the symptoms of a ing Dr. Johanna Contreras, an stomach virus accompanied by advanced heart failure and intense indigestion and cramp- transplant cardiologist, said she needed a heart transplant. ing. Rochester was placed on the While at home in August 2023, Rochester experienced transplant list on Sept. 4, 2023, respiratory distress and diffi- but the situation became more culty standing. She called 911, worrisome, complicated by the but when first responders fact that she has rare type O arrived, they told her the symp- negative blood, like only 7 pertoms would pass and advised cent of the U.S. population. On against going to the hospital. top of that, she tested positive But she was convinced that Continued on page 2
By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ
hgaldamez@liherald.com
Maureen Lennon/Herald
Santa Claus came to town At St. Christopher’s Church, Santa Claus visits church goers and children for the start of the holiday season. Story, additional photos, Page 10.
Town of Hempstead files suit opposing congestion pricing
Local officials urge Gov. Hochul to cancel tolling initiative By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
The Town of Hempstead has filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the state of New York, opposing the revised congestion-pricing plan in Manhattan. The suit comes after several town supervisors and state senators throughout Long Island voiced their objection over the initiative. Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul relaunched the congestion-pricing program, requiring operators of regular passenger vehicles traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan to pay a one-day $9 charge. This marked a 40 per-
cent drop from the initial cost of $15 before the plan was paused in June, after state officials voiced concerns over the financial burden the initiative would impose on commuters. On Nov. 18, the MTA board approved the revised plan, which is set to take effect on Jan. 5. Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin said the lawsuit, filed in the Nassau County Supreme Court on Nov. 21, states that Gov. Hochul and the MTA “circumvented procedural requirements that enable residents to speak and be heard,” referring to the legally required 45-day comment period. According to Town of Hempstead attorney Continued on page 5
I
t was very dire, because I thought I was going to die.