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Shown at the event. left to right: Donovan Mitchell, senior director of player relations; Cohen nurse Ro Corless; Mason Maier, and his parents Jeff and Laura Maier. 30/33 med condensed hed 20/24 condensed subh
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O’Bay holds hearing on controversial shellfishing law By MIKE POLANSKY
Photo courtesy New York Mets
Photo: from left to right: Donovan Mitchell, New York Mets Sr. Director DEI and Player Relations; Cohen nurse Ro Corless, Mason Maier, his parents Jeff and Laura Maier.
Mason Maier, 8, signs honorary contract as ‘Met for a Day’ Young Oyster Bay resident, and son of town councilwoman, is a cancer survivor It’s been a long road from Cohen Children’s Medical Center to home plate, but 8-yearold Mason Maier, of Massapequa, made the “Amazin’s” even more so when he signed an honorary contract to become a “Met for a Day.” After joining the New York Mets during Spring Training earlier this year, Mason’s dream to join his favorite team came true when, flanked by his parents and his favorite nurse, he signed an honorary, one-day contract with the Mets. All of this was a far cry from the frightened child, who in mid-June 2019, began to suffer from unexplained fevers for long period of time. His mother, Laura Maier, remembered that he became increasingly lethargic, ate very little and bruised easily.
In August of this year, his parents brought him to the emergency department at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. A battery of tests revealed that Mason was living with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). To fight the disease, Mason underwent three years of chemotherapy; he also had to endure multiple hospital stays caused by infections or low white blood cell counts. Mason has been deemed in remission for more than one year. He is now, according to his parents, a happy little boy who loves school, his friends, and, of course, the NY Mets. “We want to thank all the wonderful members of Mason’s care team at Cohen Children’s for helping Mason on his medical jourCONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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A group of independent baymen from Oyster Bay has voiced strong opposition to a proposed six-month moratorium on shell fishing in the town, arguing that the move is wrong and unfairly impacts on their livelihood. The moratorium is intended to remain in place until the completion of an environmental study, which is part of the town’s effort to restore shellfish populations in Oyster Bay’s waters. The moratorium, if approved, would apply to approximately 1,850 acres of the town’s 3,210 acres of underwater land. The 1,850 acres has been leased by the town to Frank M. Flower and Sons Inc. for the past 30 years. The lease is set to expire on September 30. There are approximately 17 independent baymen, according to Robert Wemyss, Secretary of the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association who criticized the proposal, stating, “There are so few baymen working that it will make no difference if they work while you do the study.” The town has sued Flower for allegedly breaching the lease by mechanically dredging for clams and oysters, which, according to Oyster Bay Town Attorney William McCabe, has led to “unknown but likely adverse effects” on the environment. The company had supplemented shellfish harvests with seeding
but stopped this practice three years ago, despite continuing mechanical dredging. A report by Cashin Associates, the environmental engineering. Firm hired by the town, reveals a significant decline in shellfish harvests over the past decade. The report notes that “the reported harvest of clams in the harbor dropped from 95,322 bushels in 2016 to 31,751 bushels in 2022,” and “oyster harvests have nearly collapsed,” falling from 30,277 bushels in 2013 to just 15 bushels in 2022. Past President of the Baymen’s Association, Al Samick, argued, “Let Cashin do its job and let the guys do their work; it’s not an either/or.” He questioned, “How much damage can the 17 clammers that are left in the harbor do?” and concluded, “A moratorium is the wrong thing to do. The baymen would not be in anybody’s way as the study proceeds.” The proposed moratorium would take effect after the expiration of Flower’s lease and be followed by a detailed scientific study by Cashin. The town aims to develop a comprehensive harbor-wide marine resource management plan to restore shellfish populations. Flower’s attorney, Al Amato, has requested a “carveout” allowing Flower to conduct its own study during the six-month CONTINUED FROM COVER
period, with the results shared with the town. Flower partner CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
This week’s reader of the week are: Drs. Dave and Bernard Sausner of Massapequa Park