Serving New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Garden City Park, North Hills, Manhasset Hills and North New Hyde Park
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Friday, August 27, 2021
Vol. 70, No. 35
N E W H Y D E PA R K
SCHOOLS & EDUCATION
FROM HERRICKS TO TOKYO
HOCHUL IN, CUOMO OUT AS GOV
PAGES 23-26
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Gov implements mask mandate in N.Y. schools Hochul order consistent with North Shore district policies BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z School districts on the North Shore rolled out plans for safely reopening this fall, imposing mask mandates and other measures even before New York’s new governor announced that masks would be required in all schools in the state to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The mask mandates have been met with ire from some residents. On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul, who replaced Andrew Cuomo after he resigned in disgrace, said at a news conference: “My number one priority is getting children back to school and protecting the environment so they can learn safely. I am immediately directing the Department of Health to institute universal masking for anyone entering our schools.” Hochul said the state will use $335 million in federal funds to launch a program that will provide coronavirus testing in all school
districts. Hochul also advocated for teachers and staff members to be vaccinated, but aims to arrange weekly testing for those not vaccinated. Over the past week, the Mineola, Roslyn, Sewanhaka and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park school districts unveiled reopening plans. The North Shore school districts called for mask mandates for indoor activities, regardless of a student or staff member’s vaccination status, along with three feet of social distancing in the classroom. Districts said they will adhere to guidelines from the state Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding any further measures that may need to be taken with a rise in cases with the delta variant. According to CDC guidelines, a close contact is defined as someone who was within six feet of an infected individual for at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period, Continued on Page 35
PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANE BENTIVEGNA
Feral cat committee volunteer and Mayor Christopher Devane stand with Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter’s Mike Pastore. See story on page 11.
Sewanhaka district OKs mask mandates BY B R A N D ON DUFFY The Sewanhaka Central High School School District Board of Education announced school reopening plans at a Board of Education meeting
Tuesday night. The meeting came hours after Gov. Kathy Hochul instituted a mask mandate for all school districts in the state for the coming school year. The reopening plan on the district website says, “We are
required to follow all guidance from the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Education Department. At this time, this guidance mandates that we require our students to wear Continued on Page 12
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