INCORPORATING THE WEST HEMPSTEAD BEACON VOL. 76 No. 15
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Honoring women and role models Student athletes among those recognized by County Legislator Olena Nicks do anything we put our minds to. We can of the Herald achieve anything we want.” In January, the team made history by LaShawn Lukes, president of the New winning Nassau County’s first Section VIII Greater Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Dual Meet Championship. was one of seven women, along with the Rita Brown and Paulana Lamonier Uniondale High School girls’ wrestling team Rita Brown, owner of For Juice Sake, in honored by Nassau County Legislator West Hempstead, and Paulana Lamonier, a Olena Nicks at the Peter J. Schmitt Legisla- multimedia journalist and founder of Black tive Chamber on March 25. The celebration People Will Swim, a Hempstead-based orgarecognized leadership, business success and nization, received the legislatures Business community impact for Women’s Histo Award. Stacy Driks/Herald photos “Women’s History Month is Brown, who founded what Hempstead Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. speaks during his State of the Village not just a date on the calendar, she described as the first address at Kennedy Memorial Park on Monday, highlighting infrastructure investbut it is the living, breathing Black-owned kosher cafe in omen’s ments and declining crime rates. proof that when women show West Hempstead, said she History up, things happen,” Nicks, who shifted from a media career represents part of Uniondale Month is not just to focus on promoting healthand West Hempstead, said. ier lifestyles after her mother The Uniondale High School a date on the died of skin cancer. show choir — a student vocal calendar, but it is Before launching the ensemble known for combinstore, Brown consulted with ing singing, choreography the living, breathing a nutritionist from Health and theatrical performance — proof that when First to make sure everygave one of its first perforthing on her menu was women show up, mances since earning first healthy. place at the Fame Show Choir things happen. “When I decided to pivot What’s been done By STACY DRIKS America competition in from a successful media Hobbs pointed to completed and Orlando on March 22. sdriks@liherald.com OleNA NICKS career into doing something ongoing improvements across the vilThe girls’ wrestling team Nassau County legislator more purposeful, I had all Hempstead Village Mayor Waylyn la g e, including road re pairs and The wrestling team the fun and the perks and the Hobbs Jr. highlighted recent progress upgrades to public spaces. He also received the legislatures Youth Award, and concerts and all of that,” Brown said. “But I while outlining future investments dur- emphasized investments in public safejunior Captain Keishara Tulloch reflected wanted to do something more purposeful.” ing his State of the Village address Mon- ty, including expanded use of license Lamonier created Black People Will day night at Kennedy Memorial Park, plate readers, surveillance cameras and on what she and her teammates have Swim to challenge stereotypes and promote pointing to millions in secured funding, a drone prog ram known as F lock learned. “This sport has taught us so many les- water safety, drawing on her experience as a infrastructure upgrades and declining Aerodome DFR. He said crime has declined in several sons, not just on the mat, but in our day-to- former collegiate swimmer. Research has crime rates. Hobbs said the village has secured categories, including homicides, bur- day life that we can use: determination, long highlighted disparities in swimming more than $227 million in funding for glaries and vehicle thefts, though specif- arriving on time, being at every practice,” ability among children. According to the parks, water infrastructure and down- ic figures were not provided. Tulloch said. “We’re smart, we’re dedicated, USA Swimming Foundation, some 64 perHis comments come as state officials we are willing to learn new things. We can town improvements, much of it through
By ABBY GIBSON & STACY DRIKS
Village mayor celebrates progress and future plans
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Hobbs highlights funding and safe streets
state and federal support. “We’ve rolled up our sleeves and got to work for the village,” he said. “These are not just projects. They are promises fulfilled.” Leadership is not about promises, it’s about progress,” Hobbs said. “We’ve rolled up our sleeves and got to work for the Village of Hempstead.”
report broader declines in gun violence. Shootings in communities participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative dropped significantly in recent years, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office On Long Island, nine agencies — including the Hempstead Village Police COntinued On Page 5
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