SEAFORD
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HERALD $1.00
County helps vets’ pets
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Vol. 70 No. 20
discount
1111028
What’s happening in Seaford schools
10000*
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1173531
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MAY 12 - 18, 2022
County exec ends pandemic relief program mitted by that day to be processed, but nothing more after that. County Executive Bruce Roughly 70,000 payments Blakeman is ending Nassau were processed, amounting to a County’s Household Assistance little over $26 million — just a Program, intended to offer low- quarter of the money budgeted er-income residents for the program. To one-time direct payget a check, a housements of $375. hold had to submit Signed into law an application with last October, when documentation veriBlakeman’s predefying income, typicessor, Laura Curcally in the form of ran, was still in an income tax office, the program return, and provide was supposed to proof of residency. allocate up to $100 “We did it last million in federal year. I think in funds from the November we put it American Rescue in,” Fran Lucher, a Plan as direct payWantagh resident, ments for up to wrote to the Herald. 400,000 qualifying StEVE RhoAdS “Took about four Nassau residents. In months to receive total, the county County legislator anything. Was it received $193 milhelpful? Well anylion from the plan, thing retur ned is which President Biden signed better than nothing.” into law in March 2021. The program has had a rathIn a letter to county legisla- er complicated history since tors, Blakeman said he wanted Curran, a Democrat, introduced to end the program because of it a year ago. The program’s “extremely low participation” first draft would have automatiand because it seemed to be cally issued checks to anyone “trickling out.” He said he receiving rebates through the would pull the plug May 15, state’s school tax relief or allowing any applications subContinued on page 15
By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com
W
Courtesy Maria Wingert
ElIzABEth WINgERt lEARNEd how to play guitar and ukulele during the pandemic and discovered her talent for songwriting.
Pandemic sparks a new passion Seaford student discovers songwriting talent By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when schools and jobs were remote, many people returned to hobbies that their day jobs and packed schedules hadn’t allowed them to enjoy. Seaford High School junior Elizabeth Wingert added to her already considerable musical abilities by teaching herself how to play guitar and ukulele. She also discovered a new passion — songwriting. Wingert, 16, said she was influenced by many musicians, especially Johnny Flynn, a British alternative and indie singer-songwriter. “Every time I listened to his songs,” Wing-
ert said, “I always thought, oh, I would love to learn to do songwriting.” She didn’t write her first song, though, until April 18, 2020, after taking part in the Tuning Meditation, a worldwide Zoom session that Wingert described as a bunch of musicians around the world playing songs they’d written. “It just blew my mind that all of these musicians were playing so many different songs,” she said. “I just said, you know what? I’m going to try songwriting, because it seemed so incredible.” So she sat down and wrote her first song, based on a poem she had written in sonnet form titled, “What’s in My Heart.” It took her Continued on page 12
e weren’t going to stand in the way of providing $375 checks to those who wanted to apply for them.