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Page 3 Vol. 26 No. 43
oCToBER 17 - 23, 2024
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Senior residents frustrated with Hempstead Town By NIColE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com
Herald file photo
The renovation plans for Dogwood Terrace are still subject to approval by the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. When the project is completed, the now two-story development in Franklin Square will become an L-shaped four-story building.
As renovation plans have stalled, residents of Franklin Square’s Dogwood Terrace — an affordable senior housing complex at 1178 Martha Place — have been living in limbo since the plans were announced in February 2023. The project was not awarded tax credits by the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal in March because the application submitted by the Town of Hempstead for the credits did not demonstrate that the displacement, relocation and acquisition plan would be in accordance with the federal Uniform Relocation Act. Now the Town of Hempstead is waiting to hear back from the state about its Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program’s request for proposal for Dogwood Terrace. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will also have to approve the project before it can ConTinUeD on page 7
Kathleen Mauceri speaks to importance of volunteering By NIColE WAGNER nwagner@liherald.com
Kathleen Mauceri has devoted countless hours to helping youth in Franklin Square since she moved there 11 years ago — from teaching pre-kindergarten, to helping at Parent Teacher Association events, to teaching religion at Saint Catherine of Sienna Church and beyond. Mauceri, 42, a mother of three, said she believes volunteering is an important value to instill in her children — one that was passed down by her mother. “My mother was an amazing role model (who) always (went)
above and beyond with organizations as I was growing up — and still (does),” Mauceri said. Throughout her kids’ years at Polk Street School, Mauceri has volunteered at events as a class mom. Her daughters, Isabella and Abby, have graduated from Polk Street, and her son, Liam, is still there. “I think it’s important for the children to see their family being involved in their school and giving back,” she said of PTA events. Fundraisers hosted by the organization help pay for programs that support students’ education. She also believes that the fun events the PTA helps organize foster pride
and unity in the community, even among its youngest residents. She is now the treasurer of the Polk Street PTA. Ten years ago, Mauceri began teaching at Saint Catherine of Sienna when her oldest daughter, Isabella, started faith formation there. She feels that faith is something people can take pride in recognizing in their daily life. “I just feel that it’s important to have a good faith basis,” Mauceri said. “Especially when you think about like service and community and family, that you can have different aspects of that (faith). So, not only is it important to just be a
good person, but to get involved, and you can have fun at different events, but you can also bring your faith into it.” She also helped out with her daughters’ Girl Scout Troop 1392, as a Girl Scout Cookie Mom. “My time is more valuable when it’s given to others,” Mauceri said. “I work a lot with younger children, not only for
my own family, but I teach preK, and I’ve babysat and taken care of families in the neighborhood. So I just feel that it’s important for them to see that your time is more valuable when you’re helping others.” Since moving to Franklin Square, she said, she has come to care deeply for the communiConTinUeD on page 5