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Hewlett High robotics team takes L.I. title By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Melissa Berman/Herald
The Hewlett High School team Innovo clinched first place at last Sunday’s Long Island Robotics Championships, which the school hosted.
Hewlett High School became the epicenter of innovation and competition when it hosted the Long Island Robotics Championships last weekend, welcoming 24 top student teams from across the region for a high-energy showcase of science, technology and teamwork. The event highlighted not only the growing popularity of FIRST — For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology —robotics programs, but also the strength of Hewlett High’s teams, Bionica, Innovo and RoboBoogie, which had standout performances against some of Long Island’s top competitors. “I remember the excitement Mr. Birkenstock had when he told the executive board that we were hosting this,” Robotics Club President Benjamin Zelikoff said, referring to Hewlett teacher Daniel DuffeyConTInued on page 9
Episcopal Health Services opens new cancer center By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY awarshavsky@liherald.com
For over a decade, the Rockaway peninsula has been without direct access to radiation oncology services. Now residents can be cared for close by, at Episcopal Health Services’ new cancer center at the Walsh Ambulatory Pavilion. Opened on Feb. 26, the center, spanning 50,000 square feet across five floors, is the first specialty service in the building. In addition to radiation oncology, the $18 million addition to the EHS network will continue to offer medical oncology services, while its neighbor
across the street, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, will continue providing surgical oncology. Donald Morrish, EHS’s president and chief executive officer, said in a news release that the cancer center’s opening marks a significant step forward in providing high-quality care for the community. “By investing in advanced technology, new facilities, and expert physicians,” Morrish stated, “we are strengthening our ability to diagnose, treat and support patients through every phase of their cancer journey.” The opening of the center, which will have the capability
of treating nearly 30 types of cancer, ends a 14-year absence of radiation oncology service in the Rockaways. The treatment was previously offered by the Peninsula Hospital Center, which closed in April 2012 after filing for bankruptcy. Its closure forced patients to seek care in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Nassau County. The state Department of Health ranks cancer as New York’s second-leading cause of death, behind heart disease. Each year, nearly 115,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with cancer, with 56 percent of cancer deaths related to tobacco use. EHS’s interest in improving
care for the 200,000 residents of the Rockaways stems from findings published in its annual Community Health Needs Assessments. In 2024 they identified 14 types of cancer, including colorectal and pancreatic, that had higher rates locally than those in New York City. In its 2025 assessment, which surveyed more than 200 partici-
pants, EHS found that 22 percent of the respondents had to leave the peninsula for oncology care. Patients at the center will also have access to immunotherapy, hormone therapy and clinical trials. It will offer supportive services such as cancer navigation, oncology social ConTInued on page 11