Malverne/West Hempstead
HERALD MHS graduate earns Gold Award
Remembering an ex-fire chief
Murals of hope and thanks
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Vol. 27 No. 29
JUlY 16 - 22, 2020
Fighting for animal safety PETA member from Malverne rescues pigs from Iowa factory farm By NAkeeM GRANt ngrant@liherald.com
Courtesy Todd Friedman
MAlVeRNite JoHN Di Leonardo rescued two pigs, Regan and Russell, from an Iowa factory farm last month.
Filthy water, poor lighting and no windows. Malverne animal rights activist John Di Leonardo described these living conditions for most animals at factory farms. Di Leonardo, 32, an assistant manager of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the founder of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, an animal-advocacy nonprofit, has spent a decade fighting for the safety of farm animals. His most recent rescue took place
three weeks ago, when he persuaded Iowa farmer Dwight Mogler, of Mogler Farms, to spare two pigs that were about to be sold for slaughter. “Unfortunately, this is the standard for most animals at factory farms,” Di Leonardo, who toured the Iowa farm last month, said of the conditions in which animals are kept. “I’m glad he was willing to do the right thing . . . at least for these pigs.” The two pigs, Regan and Russell, were named after Regan Russell, a longtime Continued on page 5
Malverne, W.H. community leaders discuss Phase 4 By NAkeeM GRANt and Scott BRiNtoN ngrant@liherald.com, sbrinton@liherald.com
Long Island began Phase 4 of the state’s reopening protocol on July 8, which includes low-risk arts and entertainment, film and music production and professional sports without fans. Malverne Chamber of Commerce President Kathi Monroe said that while she was happy to see the economy moving forward, she had hoped for other businesses to be included in Phase 4. “We would like to see our gym, movie theater and bowling alley be a part of the conversation,” Monroe said. “If it wasn’t
safe yet for them to reopen, I felt they should’ve been at that table, discussing what isn’t safe, to give the business owners an idea to make the necessary changes.” Low-risk indoor entertainment includes museums, historical sites and aquariums. Examples of low-risk outdoor entertainment are zoos, botanical gardens and nature parks. Monroe said that while the chamber has had to cancel most village events, the group hopes to hold events such as the Art Walk next year. “There are businesses that are literally starving because they can’t open,” she said. Malverne Community The-
atre President David Coonan said that although Phase 4 didn’t include theater productions, seeing entertainers return to work is encouraging. “For arts in general, it’s really important, both economically and culturally, that we’re able to continue to create,” Coonan said. “Phase 4 is allowing creative people to get back to work.” The theater group, which has produced theatrical works in the village for more than 50 years, has also seen the adverse effects of the pandemic. It was forced to postpone its spring concerts, and has postponed its summer shows as well. Coonan said that MCT members brainstormed ways to
keep theater alive. In March, they launched Theatre at Home on social media, with members read sonnets of their choosing each day. “Just because theater wasn’t included in Phase 4, that doesn’t mean we should stop what we do as creators,” Coonan said. He added that because Broadway has yet to reopen, he
believed it would be a long time before the rest of the economy returned to normal. “I look at Broadway as the litmus test for where we actually are,” Coonan said. “Right now, the light at the end of the tunnel is in January.” In West Hempstead, Maureen Greenberg, president of the West Hempstead Community Support Continued on page 3