_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______
HERALD Also serving Lakeview
VoL. 31 No. 40
Jeanne D’esposito calls on community
Local hero gets honored
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SEPTEMBER 26 - oCToBER 2, 2024
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Middle school, PTA celebrates diversity Maltas and Colombiana Kola Sodas. The students were encourHispanic Heritage Month is aged to paint freely, and given an annual celebration that an hour to do so before presentcoincides with the indepen- ing their work. Martinez-Cruz dence days of many Latin expressed the importance of keeping Hispanic American countraditions alive, tries. It recognizes especially in educathe achievements tional settings. “I and cultural wanted to take advancements of advantage of the Hispanic Ameridiversity of this cans throughout school,” she said. history. In 1988, “It means being during the adminable to celebrate istration of Presieach other’s differdent Ronald Reaent cultures, foods gan, the celebraand people.” tion expanded from The population a week to a month, of Hispanic stuand now extends dents attending from Sep. 15 to Oct. Herber is estimated 15 each year. at between 30 and This year, Mal40 percent — much verne’s Howard T. higher than the H e r b e r M i d d l e ChARMAiNE re por ted populaSchool is hosting a PhiLLiPStion of Hispanics range of events to ELLESToN living in Malverne, teach its students PTA Co-President roughly 16 percent. about Hispanic culLast year, HTH ture and history. The first took place on Sep. 17, students learned a traditional a kid-friendly Sip and Paint led Colombian dance, Cumbia, to by volunteer instructor Jenni- celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. After receiving positive fer Martinez-Cruz, who is of Colombian descent. The drinks feedback from the students and included Lime Jarritos, Pony Continued on page 7
By TAYLoR GRAYSoN
tgrayson@liherald.com
T
Daniel Offner/Herald
Lakeview NAACP helps out voters Members of the St. Paul AME Church and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity join Doris Hicks Newkirk, third from left, and Stephanie Chase of the Lakeview chapter of the NAACP to help neighbors register to vote. Story, photos, Page 3.
Gold tree lighting honors kids with pediatric cancer By TAYLoR GRAYSoN tgrayson@liherald.com
Gold is the color of pediatric cancer awareness. Each year in Malverne and surrounding communities, the Mary Ruchalski Foundation lights a tree with gold lights, and wraps a gold ribbon around it to honor the lives of those who have been affected by pediatric cancer, and to emphasize the importance of finding a cure. This year’s event was held on Sep. 16 at the Malverne Long Island Rail Road station. There was a table for donations, and after remarks by Mayor Tim Sullivan; Carol Ruchalski, who heads the foundation, which is named for her late
daughter; and other elected officials, a switch was flipped to light the green tree gold. The average life expectancy of a child treated with chemotherapy is 57 years, some 21 fewer years than the typical adult. Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer, and one of every five of them will die of the illness. Because of these statistics, the Mary Ruchalski Foundation consistently pushes for more legal and medical action to combat, and ultimately cure, childhood cancers. Only 4 percent of federal funding for cancer research is directed to these cancers, Ruchalski pointed out, adding that if a political campaign Continued on page 5
he school is making sure that any literature they’re sending out is available in English & Spanish for multicultural students.