A Lasting Tribute to Freedom
MSSN covers L.B. lifeguards
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VOL. 37 NO. 27
JULY 2 - 8, 2026
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The heat wave arrives, and the city’s ready in Wantagh Park, Hicksville’s Cantiague Park and Uniondale’s Mitchel Field will be of the Herald open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., The National Weather Ser- and the former Nassau County vice issued an extreme heat family courthouse, in Westbury, warning for nearly all of Long will be open 24 hours a day as Island beginning at noon on an air-conditioned, securityWednesday and lasting until 9 monitored facility. p.m. on Friday, with an extreme Town of Hempstead Superheat watch extendvisor John Ferretti ing until 9 p.m. on held a news conferSaturday. ence Tuesday afterThe standard crinoon in Lido Beach teria for a heat wave to announce similar is three consecutive local plans for town days with temperaresidents. “Cooling tures reaching at centers will be least 90 degrees. As available at the the Herald went to Elmont, Levittown press on Wednesday, RICH BORAWSkI and Wantagh senior the forecast antici- Chief of lifeguards centers from 9 a.m. pated five straight to 4:45 p.m. on days with temperaThursday and Fritures soaring past 90, with a day of this week,” Ferretti said. peak of 100 degrees or higher “These facilities are open to on Thursday. The heat index, or any residents who need a cool, “feels like” temperature, was air-conditioned cruise to escape e x p e c t e d t o a p p r o a c h 1 1 0 from the heat,” he continued. degrees that day. “Hours of operation at town Preparing for the potentially beaches and pools will be dangerous weather, Nassau e x t e n d e d f r o m T h u r s d a y County Executive Bruce Blake- through Saturday. Beaches will man and town supervisors be open until 7 p.m. and pools across the county took steps to will be open until 8 p.m.” Simihelp residents stay cool and lar measures have been implesafe. Blakeman announced the mented in the Town of North opening of four cooling cen- Hempstead and the Town of ters: Administrative buildings CoNtiNueD oN paGe 5
By CHRIS COLUCCI & WESLEY SCHNELL
Madison Gusler/Herald
Drew Guarini began his Long Beach NY Memes page as a creative outlet.
The man behind the memes:
Life in Long Beach goes viral By CHRIS COLUCCI ccolucci @liherald.com
Internet memes are part artistic expression, part social commentary and part cultural snapshot. The images or text they present are terse one-liners, driving home a point or evoking an emotion. One creative local mind has carved out a niche of its own, blending Long Beach pride with more than a decade of professional expertise in social media management. The result is the Instagram account LongBeachNYMemes, which has attracted more than 20,000 followers since 2020. The page, operated by West End resident Drew Guari-
ni, continues to offer relatable memes about life in the City by the Sea while supporting small businesses and encouraging residents to explore local music, arts and restaurants. “Think about the vast majority of towns on Long Island. Is anybody going to wear a hoodie that says ‘Massapequa Park’ or ‘Rockville Centre?’ No,” Guarini said. “But if you walk around Long Beach, you’re going to see an endless parade of people rocking a Long Beach hat, Long Beach tank top, Long Beach shirt. People want to be here. They want to live here. They want to visit here.” Guarini, 37, graduated from Rockville Centre’s South Side High School in 2007, havCoNtiNueD oN paGe 9
PROUDLY DISPLAY THE STARS & STRIPES!
Look for your Independence Day Flag inside
Courtesy of the Herald Community Newspapers
W
e know it’s going to be hot. We are prepared.