East Meadow
HERALD District creates community library
Drive-in movies make a comeback
a new future for Nassau Hub
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Vol. 20 No. 30
JUlY 23 - 29, 2020
$1.00
Spinning the wheel for charity Facebook page raises money for local organizations members, and has evolved to help any number of groups, including the veterans’ organiWhen Gina Centauro learned zations. that Franklin Square Veterans When Liam was born, he of Foreign Wars Post 2718 and could not suck, swallow or Elmont American Legion Post breathe while eating, Licastro 1033 were struggling financially explained, and he was not gainduring the coronavirus pandem- ing weight. A gastroenterologist ic, she asked locals and a pediatriwhat they could do cian told Licastro to help. That’s when that Liam had a East Meadow resi“failure to dent Siobhan Licasthrive,” and he tro volunteered to was diagnosed hold a virtual fundwith a rare brain raiser for the veterdisorder called ans’ groups. agenesis of the “All it took was corpus callosum me sharing the when he was 14 story, and she ran months old. with it,” said Cen- sioBHaN The Licastros tauro, co-founder of brought him to licasTRo the Franklin the Feeding Square-based Rescu- East Meadow resident Department at St. ing Families Inc. Mary’s four “She’s done some m o n t h s l a t e r, amazing things — getting the where therapists taught him to community together to support eat and taught his parents how charities in a really fun way.” to help him eat. But Licastro Licastro started the “In It to said she hadn’t noticed how well Win It” Facebook raffle fund- her son was eating until the raiser page in May to thank the pandemic hit, recounting how staff at St. Mary’s Hospital in Liam picked up a taco shell and Bayside, Queens, where her now asked to try it. 3-year-old son, Liam, underwent “When all else failed for feeding therapy as a baby. The Facebook group now has 840 Continued on page 5
By Melissa KoeNig mkoenig@liherald.com
Brian Stieglitz/Herald
swimming safety with stewie the Duck Stew Leonard, center, and his wife Kim, third from left, authors of “Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim,” joined town officials and the star mallard on July 16 at Veterans Memorial Park and Pool in East Meadow to share aquatic safety tips. Story, more photos, Page 3.
East Meadow alumni demand district take a stand against racism By BRiaN sTiegliTZ bstieglitz@liherald.com
Students and alumni of the East Meadow School District are asking that the Board of Education and members of the administration take steps to address racism and increase cultural representation in the community. Three East Meadow High School alumni spoke about their concerns during the public comment period near the end of a
three-hour-long Board of Education meeting on July 7, which was shared by nearly 100 residents via Zoom. “I know, based on my experience in the district and talking to others, that there are many students that do not feel adequately protected or safe in this community,” said Jake Schneebaum, a rising junior at New York University. “I think we would be failing, as a community, if we did not take action to address that.”
Schneebaum joined fellow alumni to draft an open letter that he recently sent to the district and the Board of Education, asking that they develop a plan to prevent racism and foster a more welcoming community for a diverse student body. Hundreds of students, alumni and residents signed the letter. “This is not something that is going to change overnight,” SchContinued on page 2
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s long as people want to play, I’ll continue to donate.