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Uniondale residents call for new water tower By KELSIE RADZISKI
kradziski@liherald.com
Alice Moreno/Herald
The Uniondale Fire Department opened its firehouse to the public for fire prevention awareness last Saturday. William Rodriguez brought his dog, Domino, to the event. Story, more photos, Page 10.
Uniondale residents, including Pearl Jacobs, president of the Nostrand Gardens Civic Association, have long demanded the refurbishment or reconstruction of their local water tower. “This water tower is indicative of the disparities between communities in Nassau County,” Jacobs said. “You have minority communities, and this is what we get. Our voice is not heard.” Jacobs and other residents have noticed corrosion on the outside of one of the two water towers on Jerusalem Avenue, behind Turtle Hook Middle School, and they presume there is interior corrosion as well. Jacobs also claimed that people have noticed leaks in the tower. She has emphasized in the past that the water towers have not been maintained in more than 25 years, despite recommendations for cleaning every three to five years,
according to WaterWorld.com. The affected tower, which serves Uniondale and East Meadow, is one of seven elevated storage tanks that, along with two ground storage tanks, have a combined storage capacity of 9 million gallons, according to the Town of Hempstead Water Department website. George Wagner, a Uniondale resident, initially alerted other residents about the rust-colored water coming from his faucets, as the Herald has previously reported. He attributed a variety of health issues he and other Uniondale residents have been facing, including cancer, to the discolored water. Jacobs herself had a scare, with brown water coming from her taps late last year. “This past December, I woke up (and) went to take a shower, as I normally do,” she said, “and the water was coming brown from my faucet.” Jacobs called the Town of Hempstead water commissioner, John Reinhardt, who, ConTinUeD on Page 2
Future stars shine bright at pep rally By KELSIE RADZISKI
kradziski@liherald.com
California Avenue Elementary School in Uniondale recently held its fourth annual Cougar College and Career Pep Rally, introducing its students to their future career possibilities. The event’s goal is to “get them excited about their futures,” Natasha Garrett, the school’s assistant principal, said. “Even though it’s elementary school, we want them thinking about their colleges and careers right now,” she said. Two separate sessions were held on the morning of Oct. 11 to cover the whole school — one for pre-K to second grade and another for the third to fifth grades. Before the big day, the classes selected a college they wanted to represent, and the students waved their college logo flags as they filed into the gymnasium for the rally. The Uniondale High School Marching
Knights perfor med while students took their seats. Two student announcers, MonroeDay Fordham, 10, and Dylan Pickett, 8, shared a moment in the spotlight as they addressed their peers. Monroe-Day gave a speech about “college and how it can help shape your future,” explaining to her NAtAShA GARREtt peers how colle ges offer a variety of difAssistant principal, ferent classes California Avenue “designed to prepare Elementary School you for your future.” “It’s completely okay if you’re unsure about your future career right now,” she said in her
E
ven though it’s elementary school, we want them thinking about their colleges and careers right now.
speech. “You have plenty of time to explore and discover your interests.” She then led the group in a chant to boost their self-esteem and confidence for their futures. The chant went: “I believe in myself, I am a shining star, my future is destined for greatness.” Even as a fifth-grader, Monroe-Day said she is thinking about her future. She already knows she wants to be an ear, nose and throat doctor, adding that she was excited to share her knowledge with the rest of the students through her speech. “I’m excited that I can be a role model for them,” she said. Dylan then came out with California Avenue’s school mascot, Calvin the Cougar, to introduce the Hofstra University dance and cheer teams. They danced around the middle of the gym, gave high fives to students in the ConTinUeD on Page 3