_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______
HERALD Also serving Lakeview
Residents clean up lakeview
Malverne Family Math Night
Bernie Havern Way unveiled
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Vol. 33 No. 17
APRIl 23 - 29, 2026
$1.00
Scouts honored at Blue and Gold Banquet By NoAH PERETZ nperetz@liherald.com
Courtesy Chris Portuondodesmith/Office of County Legislator Olena Nicks
Clockwise from top left: Hempstead Town Councilman Thomas Muscarella, Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll, County Legislator Olena Nicks, former Assemblyman Vincent Muscarella, Steve Fabre, Mahira Michel and Chris Damanis.
April 17 was a day of celebration and accomplishment for West Hempstead’s Cub Scout Pack 240 at its Blue and Gold Banquet. The ceremony, hosted by West Hempstead’s American Legion, celebrated three scouts’ advancements. Cubmaster George Damanis honored the recipients of the highest honor in Cub Scouts, the Arrow of Light, which celebrates a Cub’s accomplishments in outdoor activities, teamwork and fostering friendship and marks their advancement into Scouts BSA Troop 240. Scouts Steve Fabre, Mahira Michel and Damanis’s son, Chris, lit seven ceremonial candles that symbolized their journeys as Cub Scouts. They were then presented with arrows, and crossed a ceremonial bridge to commemorate their accomplishment. Their families also received arrows. “The Arrow of Light badge is the only Cub Scout award that can be worn on the scout’s BSA uniform,” CONTiNueD ON pAge 3
Malverne, West Hempstead districts adopt budgets state tax cap.
By NoAH PERETZ nperetz@liherald.com
The Malver ne and West Hempstead boards of education both adopted budgets for the 2026-27 school year at their meetings on April 14. Districts officials revisited their revenues, expenditures and debt management. Both districts’ boards discussed their tax levies, and the increases they expected. Malverne’s proposed levy is just over $50.9 million, an increase of 2.29 percent, and West Hempstead’s is $52.9 million, a 2.22 percent increase. Both increases are at or below the
Malverne The Malverne school district committed over $1.6 million as additional revenue from its reserves, in order to close the budget gap. “We are able to support a budget with fiscally responsible use of reserves,” Superintendent Maria Rianna said. The board presented its spending breakdown for 202627. Instruction costs and employee benefit costs will combine to account for about 78 of all spending. General support will comprise 10 percent, while transportation will be
just over 8 percent. Debt services and interfund transfer expenditures will make up the last 4 percent. Part of the general fund budget, according to Daniel Balzan, assistant superintendent for management services, is a $230,000 reorganization project at the Maurice W. Downing school library. The plan aims to ch a n g e t h e fl o o r p l a n t o “increase access and opportunities for students and staff, and be able to use the spaces simultaneously,” Balzan said. “We can use this space for purposes like professional development, as well as special projects for students and staf f and
building meetings. Rianna addressed the decrease in enrollment that is responsible for some of the reductions in the budget. “This is a trend in enrollment. It decreases over time and then increases years later,” she said. “We hope to see more trend data leaning towards bringing more of our community back
into our schools.” The board also spoke about its options if the budget is not approved in the vote o May 19. The district would either have to resubmit the same defeated budget to voters in June, offer a revised budget, or submit a contingency budget, which would require a reduction in CONTiNueD ON pAge 5