Franklin Square/Elmont
HERALD Haitians struggle during pandemic
Graduations are postponed
Sewanhaka staff helps families
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Vol. 22 No. 24
JUNE 11 - 17, 2020
Residents, officials call for police reform By MEliSSa KoENiG mkoenig@liherald.com
Melissa Koenig/Herald
MEMBErS of tHE Valley Stream Presbyterian Church’s WANTED Project and elected officials gathered outside the Nassau County Supreme Court on June 4 to express their support for police reform legislation.
Mimi Pier re-Johnson, of Elmont, has marched in protests against police brutality since George Floyd died under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer on May 25. But on June 3, she decided to take her activism a step further, and created an online petition calling for Nassau County police officers to wear body cameras. “ I t ’s i m p o r t a n t t o p ro t e c t eve r yo n e involved,” Pierre-Johnson said, explaining that body cameras are used by law enforcement across the country to provide “a factual record of what occurred in all encounters between police officers and civilians.” Without them, she said, there is no accountability for police officers’ actions. She recounted how her son-in-law was once stopped by a Continued on page 8
Business owners prepare for Phase 2 Salons, offices and outdoor dining allowed to reopen on Wednesday By MEliSSa KoENiG and Scott BriNtoN mkoenig@liherald.com
Business owners throughout Franklin Square and Elmont were deep-cleaning everything at their stores and offices as they prepared to reopen on Wednesday for the first time since March. Shaheen Shah, owner of Fancy Cuts, in Franklin Square, said she had hired a company to sanitize everything at the hair
salon, and Lisa DelliPizzi, who owns a real estate business in Franklin Square, said she was in the process of organizing documents, and would be able to resume operations immediately. Lorraine Quagliozzi, the office manager of the Century 21 real estate agency in Franklin Square, said she also had the office deep-cleaned, and noted that only half of the firm’s agents would be allowed in the office at a time. Still, Quagliozzi said, “We’re
just excited to get back to a little more normalcy.” The Century 21 office has been shut since Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all “non-essential” businesses to close in March, and its agents have since been showing homes virtually. But now that real estate offices will be able to resume operations under the second phase of New York’s reopening plan, they will once again be able to show prospective homebuyers houses inperson and return to their offic-
es, which, Quagliozzi said, would provide more structure and allow for more human contact. Phase Two of the reopening also allows many other businesses to resume operations, including offices; in-store retail; vehi-
cle sales, leases and rentals; retail rental, repair and cleaning; and commercial building management. A d d i t i o n a l l y, C u o m o announced on Saturday that Continued on page 17