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Sat. 10/29 @ 8pm MICHAEL FEINSTEIN Get Happy!
Michael Feinstein celebrates the Judy Garland Centennial
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EMERSON STRING QUARTET Tues. Oct. 18 @ 7pm, Recital Hall VIC DiBITETTO Sat. Oct. 22 @ 8pm, Main Stage MICHAEL FEINSTEIN Get Happy! Sat. Oct. 29 @ 8pm, Main Stage MATTHEW POLENZANI, TENOR Sun. Nov. 6 @ 3pm, Recital Hall CAROLINE CAMPBELL: A Hollywood Serenade Sat. Nov. 19 @ 8pm, Recital Hall KATHARINE MCPHEE & DAVID FOSTER Thurs. Dec 1 @ 7pm, Main Stage SONS OF SERENDIP: Holiday Show Sun. Dec. 11 @ 7pm, Recital Hall
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The Children’s Center provides a safe, nurturing environment for children while their
parents are in court. (Photo courtesy of the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center)
Benefit For Children’s Center At Family Court
Family court hearings are often contentious and they are certainly no place for young ears. Luckily, with the Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court, parents and guardians have a safe place to bring children from infants to 12-year-olds while they are conducting court business.
North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, which runs this important program, is holding a fundraiser to support the Children’s Center at Nassau County Court on Thursday, Oct. 27. The event will be held at Tesoro’s Ristorante, 967 Old Country Rd., Westbury, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and will feature cocktails, music and a buffet dinner.
“The Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court provides a valuable service because it allows children to be insulated from the stress involved in the horror of family court litigation,” fundraiser co-chair John M. Zenir. Esq said. “Just imagine a six-year-old sitting in a public waiting room outside of a courtroom not knowing what is happening. What fear and dread that child must feel. Instead, he or she can go to the Children’s Center and play with toys, read a book and have a snack while being attended to by qualified professionals.”
According to co-chair Allison Cacace, children can be traumatized if they hear their loved ones arguing in court. “The Children’s Center at Nassau County Family Court provides a safe, nurturing environment for children while their parents or other caretakers sort out their legal affairs,” Tobay Day School Director/Casino One Limousines owner Cacace said. “It is extremely important that we raise awareness and funds for this invaluable service that makes a positive impact on children and is also greatly beneficial to those who can’t afford to pay for childcare during court sessions.”
“The mission of the Women’s Bar includes promoting the fair and equal administration of justice,” said Cherice P. Vanderhall Wilson, President of the Nassau County Women’s Bar Association, which is co-hosting the benefit. “The Children’s Center eliminates childcare as a barrier to justice and provides a resource for those who need it while they seek assistance from one the county’s most important courts.”
Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, Director of the Guidance Center’s Leeds Place, said, “The Children’s Center not only provides childcare, but it’s also an early learning environment, and each child leaves with a book to take home. We are so grateful to John, Allison and the Nassau County Women’s Bar Association for their dedication and support. We hope that all who care about children will join us on Oct. 27.”
To purchase tickets or sponsorships, email mespichan@northshorechildguidance.org, visit www.northshorechildguidance.org or call 516-626-1971, ext. 309. —Submitted by the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center
IS IT THE WRONG MESSAGE?
Before accepting one man’s view of what they perceived to be as a “police power flag” flying from the rear of a fire truck, let’s look into the author and review what triggers this individual’s political and personal biases into action and letter writing.
First, the actual flag is accurately called the thin blue line, yet retired teacher Frisch prefers to refer to it as “the police power flag.” Why would anyone claim that an innocuous flag like that actually be an intolerant reaction to “Black Lives Matter?” Of course the learned open-minded retired educator has concluded that “most people would agree” with his point of view. I totally disagree. He also feels that the police don’t need a special flag and that the thin blue line flag indicates that the police, (although it was flying off the rear of a fire truck), by flying this flag, indicates that the American flag isn’t good enough for them.
Clearly the “learned” retired educator has issues with alternative views and truths to his own biases and animosities towards the police by pontificating about no one being above the law and that such symbols or flags like the thin blue line should not be shown on police cars, fire trucks or public buildings. What if that same flag had a red line across it supporting fire fighters instead of blue? Would that also be a counter BLM symbol to Frisch?
Clearly retired teacher Frisch has issues set off by symbols he personally perceived as un-American. The original flag that set Frisch off was on a fire truck in apparent support for the police. People, all people, have a right to express their views, and one man’s distorted vision of an American flag with a blue line across it as being a divisive message is very telling. How one equates the thin blue line flag to the BLM movement is a giant leap of one man’s political tilt against freedom of expression and the police. I for one will not be told what to believe and what to support by the likes of Frisch and his distorted biased views.
Consider the writer’s perspective on views like this flag that upsets him so much to protest in writing. This very same author was compelled to inform Delta Airlines, headquartered in Atlanta, that he will no longer fly Delta due to his negative opinion of Georgia’s voting laws. Yeah, that should bring Delta to its knees Frisch.
I’m positive Delta had absolutely nothing to do with its State’s election laws. Yet this “educated” man, who doesn’t live in Georgia, nor qualified to legally vote there, believes his views are sacrosanct and the righteous ones above anyone else’s.
So retired educator Frisch, if flags offend you don’t fly them or look at them. Do gay pride
The thin blue line flag was originally meant to represent the concept of the police as the line which keeps society from descending into violent
chaos. (Public domain)
flags offend you? They fly in the halls of Congress in DC. Any feelings about those un-American symbolic flags? Should they be removed too?
It’s a flag. Nothing more, unless you clearly have issues that have absolutely nothing to do with the flag. I think your views and opinions are pretty clear and you don’t speak for the majority you claim are behind you. For the record. I’ve never ever heard the thin blue line flag referred to as a “police power flag” until you imagined it to be such a thing. Which it clearly is NOT.
—Kevin D. Hassett
COLUMNS Is The MTA Serious About Funding LIRR Port Jefferson Branch Electrification?
The MTA announced that the next 20-Year Capital Needs Plan Assessment (2025-44) will be completed by October 1, 2023. They said “Engaging with the public and understanding the needs of our riders is critical to plan for the future of the transit system.” What ever happened to the MTA 2020-40 20-Year Capital Needs Plan? The New York State Legislature in 2019 directed the MTA to release this document prior to adoption of the $51 billion 2020-24 Five-Year Capital Plan.
They are reviewing more than 20 system expansion and enhancement projects including the $3.8 billion LIRR Port Jefferson branch that the MTA is considering to include in the next 20-Year Plan. They have not been selected or funded but will be comparatively evaluated for consideration on a level-playing field for future FiveYear Capital Programs. Too many of the competing projects also cost billions. They include (1) New York City Transit Manhattan Hells Kitchen 10th Avenue station on the #7 Flushing Line—$1 billion; (2) Extension of the Brooklyn New Lots Ave #3 line—billions; (3) Brooklyn/Queens Interborough Express—MTA Chairman Janno Lieber promised it would come in under $10 billion; (4) Reactivation of the LIRR Queens Lower Montauk Branch—$2.1 billion; (5) Reactivation of the LIRR Queens Rockaway Beach Branch —$8 billion; (6) Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 to 125th Street—$6.9 billion; (7) Staten Island West Shore BRT—$1.5 billion; (8) Brooklyn Utica Avenue transit improvements—$5 to $10 billion depending upon length of the subway extension and number of stations and (9) Brooklyn W subway line Red Hook extension—$2.9 billion; and (10) Metro North Stewart Airport Access—billions.
The current growing inflation, potential recession, ongoing supply chain issues, increasing fuel prices, rising material costs and labor shortages will only result in cost estimates going up over coming years, prior to award of any construction contracts for these potential projects
Electrification of the Port Jefferson branch has been advocated since the 1960’s by generations of elected officials with no success. In 1970, electrification was extended from Mineola to Huntington. In the 1980’s, discussions took place between the MTA, LIRR, Suffolk County and many elected officials over which branch should be electrified first. The Ronkonkoma branch was selected over the Port Jefferson branch. Without electrification east of Huntington, Port Jefferson branch riders will not have a one-seat ride to Grand Central Madison via the $11.2 billion East Side Access project. There is insufficient height clearance to accommodate duel mode locomotives in the 63rd Street tunnel needed for access to Grand Central Madison. Thousands of daily LIRR riders from diesel territory will still have to change at Jamaica for travel to Grand Central Madison or Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn.
Future opportunity for funding to progress this project beyond a planning study could come under upcoming MTA Five Year Capital Programs. Governor Kathy Hochul did not include this project in her January State of the State Speech or April $220 billion budget. One source of funding could be the Federal Transit Administration under the national competitive discretionary Capital Investments Grant program. A Full Funding Grant Agreement from FTA would have to be matched by a similar amount of local sources. This program funded MTA’s $11.2 billion LIRR East Side Access and New York City Transit $4.5 billion Second Avenue Subway Phase 2.
PENNER STATION
Larry Penner
Karl V. Anton, Jr., Publisher, Anton Community Newspapers, 1984-2000
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COLUMNS New York Finally Has Something To Cheer About
BY JERRY KREMER
There are many cities around the country that have sports teams, but there is no area in the nation with as many teams as New York City. We have baseball, basketball, hockey, football, lacrosse and soccer. All of them have their fans who are emotionally attached to them and can be fanatic at times. Luckily for us team worshipers, the year 2022, has brought us the riches of having two baseball teams that are national contenders.
Even though they have suffered some recent setbacks, the New York Mets are finally a playoff team. After years of struggle, the Mets were fortunate to get a new owner who has poured millions of dollars into the hiring of first-rate players. Regrettably, the previous owners, saddled with money losses due to the Madoff scandal, couldn’t afford to make the team competitive and they finally cashed in by selling the team to Wall Street billionaire Steve Cohen.
Across the bridge in the Bronx, the New York Yankees have enjoyed a strong season with the addition of a number of star players who have helped the team win its first division title in over five years. The key to the Yankee’s success has been the brilliant performance by outfielder Aaron Judge. There is no team in Major League Baseball that can boast of having a player who hit a record breaking 62 homeruns and competed for other titles as well.
The emergence of the Mets and the Yankees comes at a time when New York City is grappling with numerous problems from crime to the overflow of immigrants, courtesy of Texas Governor Abbott. Having two teams competing in the baseball playoffs has injected an air of excitement that New York has not felt in years. Every local fan likes to dream about a “subway series” and hopefully the two teams will eventually get to that point.
The Giants and Jets have followed their usual course of playing. While the Giants have started their season with a few wins, over the years they have fallen apart by mid-season. There is a glimmer of hope that they will keep winning and at least make the playoffs, which will make their fans delirious. The Jets just might be turning the corner with a couple of improbable come-from-behind wins. Their dedicated fans continue to be hopeful, so hopefully they won’t be having to go down that “Same Old Jets’ Path. If that comes to be the case, then some of the executives should be fired because you can’t fire a team.
But for now, we owe a large “thank you” to the owners of both the Mets and the Yankees. New Yorkers needed a shot of excitement and the two teams have
INSIDE POLITICS
Jerry Kremer
given us the October surprise that we have been hoping for. What will happen in the weeks ahead is out of our hands, but our friends and neighbors have a pleasant distraction from the burdens of dealing with the stresses of city and suburban living.
PENNER from page 6A
Port Jefferson electrification was not included within President Biden’s FY23 budget requests $21.1 billion for transit and $17.9 billion for rail. It is not included in the FTA FY 2023 Capital Investment Grants New Starts or Core Capacity Program Funding Recommendations. The estimated cost today is $3.6 billion and will increase over time. This is necessary to pay for planning, design and engineering, environmental review, land acquisition for construction of power sub stations, expansion of commuter parking, potential relocation and/or consolidation of existing stations, new stations and platforms, new electric Multiple Unit car storage yard, new track, third rail and signals. From start to finish
Former State Assemblyman Jerry Kremer is a columnist for Anton Media Group and partner at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek in Uniondale. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or Anton Media Group.
could require a decade or more. Based upon my past experiences on other FTA MTA LIRR projects, electrification of the Port Jefferson branch may not happen until 2040. Failure to include Port Jefferson branch electrification in the upcoming MTA 20-Year Capital Needs Plan means end of the line for this project for decades more to come.
Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer, who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for the MTA, NYC Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road, MTA Bus along with 30 other transit agencies in NY & NJ.
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