______________ VALLEY STREAM _____________
HERALD Spring cleanups are underway
V.S. store opens in JFK
Honoring Earth Month
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VOL. 37 NO. 18
APRIL 30 - MAY 6, 2026
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End of an era: King Kullen to close May 21 munity for 45 years.” Still, the impact on the community is expected to be signifiKing Kullen in Hewlett will cant. For many residents, the close its doors for good on May store’s central location made it 21 after it was unable to negoti- a reliable and accessible option ate a new lease, marking the for everyday needs. Shoppers end of a 45-year presence for will now have to travel a bit farther, with the nearshoppers in the come s t K i n g Ku l l e n munity. located in neighborLocated at 1765 ing Valley Stream. Peninsula Blvd., the Dennis Gilroy, a s u p e r m a rke t h a s Woodmere resident long been a neighand longtime borhood staple, Hewlett Fire Departoffering groceries, ment member, said prepared foods and he shops at the Pena familiar gathering insula Boulevard place for generasupermarket up to tions of residents. three times a week. Closing the store is “It’s convenient expected to leave a and it’s a great gronoticeable gap for cery store,” Gilroy many who relied on DENNIS GILROY said. “I don’t know its convenience and Woodmere resident why they’re leaving. connection to the I’ve been shopping community. In an April 20 statement, a here since it was called the Big company spokesperson said the Apple.” Gilroy commended the shop decision was tied to lease chalfor its convenience and the lenges. “The decision to close was courtesy he receives from its m a d e a f t e r l e a s e o p t i o n s workers. “When I heard they were expired and we were unable to reach favorable lease renewal closing, I couldn’t believe it,” ter ms,” the statement read. he said. “They have the best “King Kullen is honored to cold cutters, the know-how to have served the Hewlett comCOntInued On PAge 11
By MELISSA BERMAN
mberman@liherald.com
E
Courtesy Stephen Sullivan
Valley Stream resident and Sacred Heart Academy junior Sameera Rampertab was awarded First Place Overall at the 2026 Long Island Youth Summit for her project on social media.
Local teen earns top honor at Long Island Youth Summit By ANGELINA ZINGARIELLO azingariello@liherald.com
A Valley Stream resident and junior at Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead earned top recognition earlier this month for a research project examining the relationship between social media and academic-related outcomes. Sameera Rampertab, 17, was awarded First Place Overall and a $1,000 prize at the 2026 Long Island Youth Summit, held April 17 at St. Joseph’s University. The event drew more than 300 participants representing 35 schools, with students from New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts submitting research papers, videos and artwork. “Ms. Rampertab’s study was a remarkable work of science — thorough, sophisticated
and creative,” summit co-director Nathalia Rogers said. Rampertab’s winning paper, titled “Neurologic reward systems: Analyzing social media’s effects on academic performance,” focused on the intersection of biology and psychology. She was guided by her interest in neuroscience toward her work, particularly as she sought a project that could be conducted outside a traditional laboratory setting. “I decided to go in the behavior direction,” Rampertab said. “I saw that, especially with the cellphone ban, social media was a really good topic to do.” Her study combined survey-based research with biometric data collection. She developed a social media attachment scale and used established tools to measure anxiCOntInued On PAge 5
verybody here is family, and my whole family has been here their whole lives.