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Friday, July 26, 2024
Vol. 10, No. 30
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LI Sound oyster gardens bloom again Program to clean the water returns for third year BY C A M E RY N O A K ES The oyster gardening program has returned to Hempstead Harbor and Manhasset Bay once again to aid in cleaning the harbor’s water, but a new face came around this year as Rep. Tom Suozzi joined to get his feet wet in the program. “Protecting and preserving the Long Island Sound, our ‘National Park,’ and its shellfishing heritage, is a top priority and a shared responsibility,” Suozzi said. The community oyster garden program, which is in its third year, is an initiative by the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor to restore the lo-
cal body of water. Oysters clean the harbor by filtering the water through their bodies, removing phytoplankton, bacteria, and other small particles. The oysters also aid in promoting the harbor’s biodiversity by providing habitat and protection for other water fauna. Volunteers manage the conservation education program by helping raise oysters in cages throughout the harbor. The cage locations are Tappen Beach Marina, North Hempstead Beach Park, the Hempstead Harbour Club, and Sea Cliff Yacht Club. Their responsibilities include keeping the cages clean and track-
ing the oysters’ growth. Once oysters mature to a certain size, they can be released into the water outside of the cages to naturally repopulate the harbor and continue cleaning it. “By having community members participate in this program, our goal is to increase awareness about factors affecting Hempstead Harbor and provide information about the important role oysters play in the environment,” program project manager Sarah Stromski said. “With increased awareness and engagement from the community, we can work toward restoring Hempstead Harbor’s shellfish resource.” Continued on Page 37
County advances Las Vegas Sands casino bid Protestors rally against potential community harm BY M I C H A E L MALASZCZYK PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN FABER
North Hempstead’s Manhasset Bay.
The Nassau County Legislature’s Rules Committee on Monday voted in favor of allowing Las Vegas Sands to operate the Nassau Coliseum for the next 42 years and approved the start of an environmental review for a possible casino resort on the property. The committee’s vote came days after the Nassau County Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday in favor of the lease. Both votes came amid protests in favor and against the lease needed for the Nevada-based corporation’s
has planned $6 billion project for the 72-acre, county-owned Coliseum site in Uniondale. The full project requires the Las Vegas Sands to win one of three state gambling licenses next year. The 42-year lease, which still requires approval by the full county Legislature and County Executive Bruce Blakeman, gives the Sands control of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This includes booking events and maintaining the property but not the right to develop the site. In addition to approving the lease, Rule Committee members
agreed to be the lead agency on a state-mandated environmental review. Once the environmental review is complete, a separate 99-year lease that would allow Sands to build on the site would be presented to legislators for another vote. Labor activists with green signs reading “Say Yes to Sands” gathered at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola to support the county’s move forward with the plan in anticipation of Las Vegas Sands potentially winning a state contract. Continued on Page 38