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AUGUST 13 - 19, 2020
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Vol. 85 No. 33
university presidents & faculty on th Testing resumes e latest on going back to school
District to open schools in fall About 900 students opt for remote learning, citing concerns cols will be implemented. According to Free por t’s reopening plan, the district will School districts across New not allow all students to return at York state, including Freeport, once, because, officials said, they will be allowed to reopen in Sep- would be unable adhere to socialtember, Gov. Andrew Cuomo distancing guidelines if they did. announced last FriInstead, the disday. He said he based trict is implementhis decision on low ing a hybrid instrucinfection rates tion model, in which recorded in every students will be region. divided into two “Everywhere in groups and attend t h e s t at e, eve r y in-person classes on region is below the alternating school threshold that we days. established,” Cuomo Half the students said during a conferwill come to school ence call with reporton Mondays and ers. “We’ve been sucWednesdays, and the cessful because other half on Tueswe’ve been smart, days and Thursdays. and our school guidMasks will be manance is based on that dated, and students . . . So if anyone can will be required to KiShoRe open schools, we can have one with them KUNchAm open schools.” at all times. The State Educa- Superintendent The district is tion Department is also allowing stuleaving the specifics dents to opt for of how to reopen the state’s 749 remote learning online. Superinschool districts to the districts tendent Kishore Kuncham said themselves. They are empowered that as of Aug. 7, 900 students to make decisions about what in- had selected the remote learning person learning will look like, option. how much remote learning will be offered and how safety protoContinued on page 4
By RoNNy ReyeS rreyes@liherald.com
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Ronny Reyes/Herald
DozeNS of people gathered at Cow Meadow Park on Aug. 9 to seek justice for Jorge Soto Monge, 25, of Freeport, who died in a boat collision in nearby Freeport Creek.
Freeporters seek justice for boat crash victims By RoNNy ReyeS rreyes@liherald.com
As Long Island began reopening in July, friends Victor Moz and Jorge Soto Monge, both of Freeport, returned to work as delivery drivers for Best Buy and P.C. Richard, respectively. After long days of work, the duo would meet with friends and relax aboard Moz’s boat on Freeport Creek. But their evenings of relaxation were forever disrupted
on Aug. 1, when another boat collided with theirs, killing Soto Monge, 25, leaving Moz and his friend Maura Martinez, 29, hospitalized and injuring four others. Jose and Rosa Soto Monge, Jorge’s parents, and Moz described the ordeal as a nightmare, prolonged by what they said was the Nassau County Police Department’s lack of consideration for the victims. As of press time Wednesday, an NCPD representative
had not responded to the Herald’s requests for comment, and an investigation of the collision was continuing. Friends and family of the victims were joined on Aug. 9 by community leaders at Cow Meadow Park, near the crash site, to demand justice for Jorge and to call on the state to look into the NCPD’s investigation of the case. “To this day, the police have not visited Jorge’s family,” Continued on page 3
e’ve got a lot of things to do to make sure that both students and staff feel comfortable in going back to school.