INCORPORATING THE WEST HEMPSTEAD BEACON VOL. 75 No. 32
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Propel project moves forward after hearing sion lines. If a transition to clean energy is not accomplished, and soon, not only will many birds and wildlife species face A public hearing in Mineola on July 23 extinction, but the planet will become marked another milestone for the Propel unlivable for humanity as well.” The proposed transmission project NY Energy transmission project as it advances through New York state’s per- comprises multiple sections, including the Barrett-to-Uniondale Hub segment, mitting process. More than two dozen community which would extend 8.75 miles from a new members, elected officials, environmental Barrett substation, in Oceanside, to the advocates and business owners spoke existing Uniondale Hub. The segment’s before administrative law judges Ashley preliminary route runs through OceansMoreno and Nicholas Planty at the Nas- ide, primarily along Long Beach Road and sau County Legislature chambers, voic- North Long Beach Road, and then contining both staunch support and fierce oppo- ues north. sition. With a targeted construction start Oceanside residents have questioned of mid-2026, the project team and regula- why Long Beach Road remains the pretors continue refining route details, plan- ferred corridor, despite suggestions to ning environmental protecshift the line to less congesttions and fine-tuning outed streets like Lawson Boureach to address lingering levard. misconceptions about the Transco’s director of venture. public affairs, Shannon BaxPropel NY Energy, a joint evanis, confir med that, initiative of New York despite public statements to Transco and the New York the contrary, “nothing has Power Authority, proposes been approved other than roughly 90 miles of new 345 our survey work,” and that kilovolt underground cables the docket remains open to spanning Queens, Nassau, comments indefinitely — and Suffolk counties, as well SHANNoN BAxEvANIS even into construction. She as direct interconnections to NY Transco’s public emphasized that “we’re still nine substations from the working on viable alternaaffairs director Bronx through Westchester. tives” in several northern Before construction can begin, the jurisdictions, though Oceanside’s predevelopers must secure a Certificate of ferred routing along Long Beach Road Environmental Compatibility and Public stands firm. Need from the State Public Service Com“We’re working closely with local mission, which will issue a decision based municipalities, emergency responders on the full case record, including last and community stakeholders to ensure Wednesday’s testimony. minimal disruption and maximum transProponents argued that the project is parency,” Baxevanis said. critical for Long Island’s energy future. She explained that engineering analy“The underground transmission ses showed that existing utilities along cables that are to be built are nothing Lawson Boulevard would increase the new,” Island Park resident Jim Brown, of environmental and construction impact the South Shore Audubon Society, said. — and costs — compared with the current “We especially support Propel’s use of alignment. underground cables as particularly birdThe project, slated to begin construcfriendly, creating significantly less impact tion in mid-2026, would add a new substaon avian species than overhead transmis-
By KEPHERD DANIEL
kdaniel@liherald.com
Courtesy Reine Bethany
Shannon Karafian, left, tiara adams, center, and William Ford, right, handed out potatoes and other produce from a new York Mets truck as part of a community food giveaway at aBgS Middle School in Hempstead on July 30.
Stop & Shop food giveaway with the New York Mets Grants, volunteers augment regular food pantry at ABGS Middle School By REINE BETHANY Special to the Herald
Sweltering in humid 90-degree sunlight, about 300 families waited patiently in the parking lot at ABGS Middle School on July 30. Standing in the parking lot was a New York Mets Citifield truck bearing dozens of bags of potatoes, as well as boxes brimming with bell peppers, tomatoes, avocados, and plantains. Hempstead volunteers and Mets officials rapidly stacked the produce on a long table. On the other side of the parking lot, student employees of Hempstead High School and student middle school volunteers steadily brought sacks with frozen meat and bags of rice out of the school’s food pantry and placed them on a table under a small tent. At 10:30 a.m., Tiara Adams, Community School Director for ABGS Middle School and the event organizer, gave the signal. The New York Mets and Stop & Shop food giveaway began. The line of moms and dads with strollers, quiet young children, and senior citizens moved from the small tent to the produce table. Smiling and joking with the volunteers, the recipients walked away with several meals’ worth in hand.
Adams strode from one station to the other, encouraging the families that were receiving the food, directing staff inside the pantry room as they coached the students packing the food items, and then returning outside to confer with Shannon Karafian and William Ford. Karafian is the area manager for the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program. Ford is an agent for the Corporate Partnerships Department of the New York Mets. A partnership between the grocery chain and the baseball team was forged in June, when Stop & Shop was named the Official Grocery Store of the New York Mets. The mission of the partnership is to combat food insecurity in Queens and Long Island. Before the end of 2025, the Citifield food truck will host 15 distributions. “We’re very excited to partner on community events like this,” said Ford. Prior to the Mets partnership, Stop & Shop had already been donating to the year-round food pantry at ABG Schultz Middle School for over two years. “We provide them with an annual donation to stock their pantry,” said Karafian, “to supplement what they’re receiving from community donations and their COntinued On Page 5
W
e’re still trying to get past the confusion about what this project is, and what it isn’t.
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