The Nassau Observer 3/29/23 edition is published weekly by Anton Media Group.

After Years Of Fundraising, Levittown Church Undergoes Construction

LAUREN FELDMAN

Residents of Levittown are very likely familiar with Saint Bernard’s, the Roman Catholic Church which has been a staple along Hempstead Turnpike for decades. And keen eyes might have noticed that recently many changes are underway on the property. After several years of fundraising, Saint Bernard’s is finally able to undergo the substantial construction which will allow it to remain a vital part of the community which it has served for so long.

Father Ralph Sommer first came to Levittown ten years ago. During that time, he has established strong ties within the community, and seen firsthand how the church impacts the community. He says that renovations for the church were first proposed nearly five years ago, inspired by the state of the notorious tower. Built in 1985, problems occurred almost immediately, as the tower formed leaks. Decades later, the structure was filled with mold and rust, which deeply concerned Father Ralph and parishioners. Meetings were held to determine a plan of action, and options were considered to re-clad or re-insulate the tower. However, it soon became apparent that the best option would be to bring the structure down.

This decision sparked a conversation around the rest of the grounds. Was there potential to undergo a larger construction project and bring some new life into the church’s older structures? A renovation plan was agreed upon to the tune of $1.8 million, which included the deconstruction of the tower, massive expansions to the front entrance and plaza, as well as substantial updates to the parking lot and updating the landscaping to provide a more welcoming, calming presence to visitors. “Imagine if the whole parish campus felt as spiritual, peaceful, and inspiring as what we do here… We want to make our parish match on the outside what we do on the inside.”

A feared downside of removing the tower was the loss of such an eye-catching structure along the busy turnpike. Parishioners and newcomers alike would look for it like a beacon of where to go. Father Ralph is hoping that the church’s new steeple – which arrived just last week to adorn the structure –will offer a new landmark for residents. “Now with the steeple up, we’re hoping to reestablish our presence here off the turnpike.” The steeple will be adorned with lights in the eve-

ning, as well as bells to ring during the day.

Construction is also underway to increase the size of the main lobby, which will allow parishioners to congregate more comfortably before and after Mass. Prior to these renovations, many congregants convened outside, or stuck together in a narrow vestibule. Increasing the available indoor space to convene will reinforce Saint Bernard’s goals to be a place of gathering, not just for prayer but for community. There are also plans to put monitors in the lobby which will stream Mass live for congregants who may need to step out.

The church has unfortunately been unable to perform funerals in the building during construction. Because of this, Father Ralph and other members of the church have been performing final Masses elsewhere. Saint Bernard’s does look forward to bringing back families and friends for such

an important service once construction is further along. But for the most part, Saint Bernard’s has been able to operate as usual.

Construction has not impacted Sunday school, and the Parish enables various groups and organizations to still congregate and conduct their business as usual. Some weekly services can get a bit noisy, but the congregation is willing to plow ahead regardless. As Father Ralph jokes, “Those are the sounds of progress!”

Funding for such impactful changes has come largely from parishioners. Some local businesses have also donated, but most of the funds for this project have stemmed from the community. “It’s been a real onthe-ground effort,” Father Ralph noted.

There is currently no set date for the conclusion of construction, although Father Ralph commends the speed of efforts thus far. “The contractors are very good.

As soon as they get the materials, they get underway.” He is positive that construction is moving in a timely manner and that things are on a good track. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has caused some snags in the church’s fundraising efforts. The pandemic increased material costs in a way that was not originally budgeted for. The church also had to install a new fire alarm system to keep up with changing safety codes. In response to these challenges, Saint Bernard’s has had to raise their funding goal by $300,000. They are currently only $87,000 away from meeting this target, and invite not only parishioners but neighbors and local businesses to aid in their quest to help complete renovations.

This year marks the Parish’s 75th anniversary. To celebrate, they are planning to host a variety of events in the upcoming months, including a gala dinner to celebrate the multicultural community of Levittown. As well, it is the 60th anniversary of the opening of Saint Bernard’s Catholic school, and – though the school is no longer in operation – the church hopes to celebrate with alumni! If you are an alumnus of Saint Bernard’s, you are encouraged to contact the church for more information on this event. The church is also planning several community-building events, including bowling and going to a Ducks game.

During this 75th anniversary, Father Ralph hopes the community will reflect on three aspects of the church: honor their past as a robust presence in the community, consider who they are today, and look to who they are becoming and ask how they can best serve the community in the future.

The former tower at the church was demolished because of ongoing problems with leaks, mold and rust.

(Photos courtesy of Father Ralph Sommer)

Parishioners of all ages gather to watch the steeple being installed on Saint Bernard’s Church.

A new steeple and new arched entryway being added to the current building.

Anton Exclusive: An Interview With Kaitlyn Meriam Of Stranger Sings

QWhat’s the best thing about this cast/ crew?

Occasionally we are lucky to cross paths with cast and crew in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions who have significant ties to Long Island. In the case of Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical, an Off-Broadway show, which has just been extended through the end of April, we were fortunate to meet, not only one of these people, but two. Kaitlyn Meriam of Farmingdale and Alex Dash of Jericho are holding down the stage management of this lively creation by Jonathan Hogue that is packed with talent.

Meriam, the assistant stage manager, is currently making her Off-Broadway debut in this musical. She is also currently stage managing her fifth production with Argyle Children’s Theatre in Babylon. Meriam earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in theatre production and design with a concentration in stage management from LIU Post in 2020.

We had a chance to chat exclusively with Meriam.

Here’s what she had to tell us:

QWhat is the best thing about this show?

AOverall, it’s just so much fun. Night in and night out, from the very first note to the very last chord, the audience is having a ball and honestly, we are too. If I had to pick a specific thing, I’d have to go with the music. These songs are so brilliantly crafted and catchy that even months in, I still find myself leaving the theatre every night happily humming these tunes. You’d think I’d be sick of it by now but they’re just too good!

QDid this show teach you something new?

AI’ve learned a lot about myself during this run but one thing I would say is that this production has taught me how to be flexible and think on my feet. On the namesake of the show, “stranger things have happened,” but boy does it sometimes feel like it couldn’t get much stranger with the obstacles that we’ve faced. I would also say that the biggest thing working on Stranger Sings has taught me is the importance of community. We have a truly extraordinary company up at Playhouse 46 and it would be impossible for us to make it through without each other.

A Everything. The best part of my job, hands down, is the people. Working with a lifelong friend like Alex is the cherry on top, but every member of this crew and cast is a dream to work with, particularly our other ASM [assistant stage manager], Lara Sato. The three of us make a great team, and great friends, and I couldn’t ask for better partners in all the craziness that naturally emerges when working in theatre. I mean it, though, when I say this company is full of some of the most kind, supportive, and funny humans I’ve ever worked with and none of us could do what we do without each other. We love to poke fun at one another and have a good time, but when it comes down to it, we are truly a family and I am lucky not only to work with them, but just to know them.

QWhy do you do what you do, professionally?

A Theatre is very important. It means a lot to be able to bring people joy and maybe even make a difference through it. Stage managing puts me right into the middle of facilitating all that while also matching my skill set very closely, so it’s always been a natural fit. I love what I do.

QHow did you get involved in theater?

AAs a kid I was always fascinated with seeing theatre, but I never quite grasped that it was something I could do. When I was about 11, my school chorus teacher encouraged me to audition for the school musical and I absolutely fell in love with it all. I couldn’t get enough so I started finding ways to involve myself in theatre at my middle and high school in any capacity I could. When the two to three shows a year there weren’t enough anymore, I branched out to a local community theatre, the Cultural Arts Playhouse (CAP) [Syosset]. I wanted to be involved however I could so CAP really became a second home for a few years of my life. I spent every night, every weekend there rehearsing to perform in shows, taking classes, ushering, learning about, and working shows in sound and lighting, concessions—you name it! If it meant I got to be at the theatre, sign me up. I made some of my best friends, like Alex [Dash], there and almost a decade later, I still couldn’t imagine it any differently. Through high school, theatre became my entire life, and I didn’t want it any other way. I went to college, got my degree, and now I’m lucky enough to be able to live my life this way with this career because of those Long Island roots. Because of not only the things I learned and the time I spent there, but also because of people like Alex. We’re like family now and would do anything for each other. When Alex called and said there was an opening on Stranger Sings, I jumped at the opportunity, not just because it’s a great show (which it is) or a

Kaitlyn Meriam

Kaitlyn Meriam & Alex Dash at Kaitlyn’s graduation from Farmingdale School.

(Courtesy of Alex Dash)

Saladino Announces Free Job Fair In Bethpage

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor

Joseph Saladino, The Workforce Partnership and New York State Department of Labor are offering a Free Job Fair, which will take place on Thursday, March 30, at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center, located at 1001 Stewart Avenue in Bethpage. There is no charge for admission and parking is free. Veterans’ admission begins at 10:00 a.m., while doors for General Admission open at 10:30 a.m. The event runs until 2:00 p.m.

Employers from across Long Island will be seeking candidates for various positions. Some of these include management,

good career step, but also because it means I get to come into work every day and have a blast with my friend just like we did every weekend all those years ago at CAP. It’s all so surreal but I am so grateful to be able to be on this journey with Alex at my side.

QTell us more about your connection to Long Island.

AI think growing up on Long Island played a big part in leading me down the path of theatre as a career. Long Island is so packed with theatre and opportunity that I was always able to keep myself going with it. I was lucky enough to grow up in the Farmingdale School District with an incredible music department and such a passionate theatre department that it really only took that first show to get me hooked

licensed professional, hospitality, banking, staffing and technical.

“We have helped thousands of residents find meaningful employment through our career center and private sector jobs fair,” said Supervisor Saladino. “The Workforce Partnership and the Town of Oyster Bay are committed to helping residents find meaningful employment opportunities as well as assisting local businesses in recruiting qualified employees. This Free Job Fair will connect private and public sector employers with job seekers.”

The Town of Oyster Bay serves as administrator of The Workforce Partnership,

for life. Farmingdale is full of some incredibly supportive and kind teachers. I would never have gotten to where I am today without their work and dedication to creating and nurturing these programs for their students. I will always be thankful to teachers like Jessica Mischke, Elizabeth Swansen, Danielle Tucker, and Lauren Castellane for that. I will especially always be grateful to Katrina Beiner, who saw the spark in me from the very beginning and gave me my start in stage managing specifically. The Farmingdale School District theatre departments, the Cultural Arts Playhouse, and of course, my family and friends' support are all to thank for sending me down this path and setting me up for success in stage managing as a career.

a consortium of local governments funded by the Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that provides free valuable resources to both employers and job seekers at Career Centers in Hicksville and Massapequa. These centers help train employees to meet the needs of the private sector, connecting qualified job seekers with employers, and by assisting applicants in accessing job opportunities. The Centers offer Resource Rooms, which are equipped with state-of-the-art computer workstations, complete with Microsoft software and internet access. Additionally, these Centers offer residents access to job listings,

QWhat would be helpful to know before coming in to see this show?

AIt’s helpful to have seen the Netflix series, but I always tell people that it’s by no means a requirement. We have people every day who come in absolutely blind to the Stranger Things universe and have a wonderful time. There are pieces in there for everyone but as long as you come in with an open mind and a sense of humor, you’ll have a great time.

QWhat advice do you have for aspiring professionals in a similar role?

AWork hard, be kind, and take care of yourself. It’s very easy to lose one of the three in the chaos of this business but they are each so important to creating opportunities that are attainable and sustainable.

resource materials, photocopiers, fax machines and telephones. The Centers provide employability and computer workshops, as well as career counselors who will guide residents through their job search. Computer workshops are taught on-site in modern computer labs. Residents can increase their marketability by updating or acquiring new computer skills at the Centers. For more information about this program and the many other great services that the Town’s Workforce Partnership program offers, contact (516) 797-4560 or email business@oysterbay-ny.gov.

—Submitted by the Town of Oyster Bay

For more than seven years, Meriam has stage managed with many regional theatres such as Berkshire Theatre Group (Pittsfield, MA), Timber Lake Playhouse (Mount Carrol, IL), Bucks County Playhouse (New Hope, PA), and the John W. Engeman Theatre (Northport). She is a Farmingdale High School alumna, Class of 2016.

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical plays through April 30, 2023, at Playhouse 46 at St. Luke’s (308 W. 46th Street). Tickets are $49 to $99 for all performances. A limited amount of VIP Bean Bag chairs are available for $149. All prices include a $1.50 facility fee.

Weekly performance schedules vary. Visit StrangerSings.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

To place an item in this space, send information two weeks before the event to editors@antonmediagroup.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29

Women Of The Supreme Court

7 p.m. In this lecture, we will discuss the lives of the Madam Justices and their impact on our understanding of the Constitution, the law and our nation. Register online in advance if interested. Contact Lee Gundel at (516) 798-4607 ext. 6304 or lgundel@massapequalibrary.org for more information. This event will take place in the Central Avenue children’s room at the Massapequa Public Library, 40 Harbor Ln.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

Peep Diorama

4 p.m. Create a spring diorama using peeps and your imagination! Materials will be provided. Teens and tweens event. Register online in advance if interested. Event will be taking place in the meeting room & kitchen of the Beth page Public Library, 47 Powell Ave.

Rainbows

10 a.m. Let’s learn all about rainbows and make a cute colorful craft. Ages 3-4 years

with an adult. Programs run by the Children’s Department are for children residing in UFSD #22 only. You MUST use your child’s library card to register. Registration with an adult card will be invalid. Located in Room E of the Farmingdale Public Library, 116 Merritts Rd.

Name That Tune!

7 p.m. Teens will compete in several rounds as a team to try and name that tune! Each member on the winning team receives a prize, and everyone receives candy! Register online in advance if interested. This event will take place in the Central Avenue children’s room / patio at the Massapequa Public Library, 40 Harbor Ln.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

Recyling Rocks

All day. Grades 5-12. Turn cans and bottles into community service hours by returning deposit bottles to a local supermarket. Simply return the cans and bottles and then email a photo of the bottle return receipt to familycenter@poblib.org. Participants will earn 1 hour of community service credit for every 20 cans and bottles that are returned, up to 2 hours per month.

Ice Cream Making

11 a.m. Make ice cream the old fashioned way – by hand cranking! Learn about ice cream’s interesting history, then sample what we’ve made! Open to residents in SD #21 ONLY. Register in the children’s room or online with your Bethpage Public Library Card. Event will be taking place in the meeting room & kitchen of the Bethpage Public Library, 47 Powell Ave.

MONDAY, APRIL 3

Little Artists

10 a.m. Enjoy art activities with paint, playdoh, and more. Ages 2-4 years with an adult. Please dress for a mess. Programs run by the Children’s Department are for children residing in UFSD #22 only. You MUST use your child’s library card to register. Registration with an adult card will be invalid. Located in Room E of the Farmingdale Public Library, 116 Merritts Rd.

AARP Smart Driving Course

9:30 a.m. In-Person Registration is Required. FEE: $25.00 per person for AARP Members, $30.00 per person for non-members. REQUIRED AT REGISTRATION: Check payable to AARP. Adult program. Located in combined rooms A & B of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd.

TUESDAY, APRIL 4

Puffer Fish Take & Make

9 a.m. Sculpt a fun little puffer fish for Earth Day! This is not a live event. Register online in advance for your kit. Stop by the Teen Lounge to pick up your kit within 2 weeks of the registration date or your kit will be given away to the waitlist. Contact the Teen Department at (516) 731-5728 ext. 241 or email teens@levittownpl.org for more information. Levittown Public Library, 1 Bluegrass Lane.

Adults: $25

Children: $15

Immigrant Stories: From Tokyo To Long Island, By Way Of Tattoo School

Personal perseverance pays off for one artist

actually discouraged her from going to art school. More and more, she knew she had to make a fresh start, and so she moved to New York in 2007.

aolsen@antonmediagroup.com

Growing up in Tokyo, Japan, Nasa

Tsuchiya always loved to draw. As a child she had a strong interest in anime and the art of video games and hoped to one day become a cartoonist. However, as so often happens, adolescence took her down a different path. She started spending more time just hanging with her friends and lost who she wanted to be. Fresh out of school she took a job at a hostess bar where she made decent money. She also partied with her friends, drinking and playing poker until all hours of the night. She was languishing. “One day I was thinking ‘I have to get out of this. All my friends are bad, and we play poker and drink and we don’t even know what day today is. We don’t even know how long we played poker.’ So I wanted to get out of that environment.”

Tsuchiya recalled.

This led to a pivotal moment for Tsuchiya. The man she was dating at the time had some tattoo magazines, and there was an ad in one of them for a tattoo school. “And I thought, ‘oh, If I pay, I can learn tattooing. That’s cool.’” When she saw the advertisement, it reminded her of her childhood love of drawing, and her ambition to be a cartoonist. Her passion for art reignited, and she was determined to become a tattoo artist.

Tattooing is still very taboo in Japan because of the criminal element. Tattoos are often associated with the Yakuza, a Japanese organized crime syndicate. “If you have a tattoo in Japan, you can’t even go to the gym. No pool, no sauna, you can’t even go to some beaches. It doesn’t matter if you are female or male, it’s taboo. If you have tattoo, you are bad person. That’s what people usually think.” Tsuchiya said.

Attending the tattoo school suited Tsuchiya, since she didn’t feel comfortable putting herself out there. “I’m pretty shy. So I can’t really be like ‘hey, I wanna be apprentice, can you teach me how to tattoo?’ I cannot be like this.” She started at the tattoo school before refining her drawing skills, which seems backwards to her in retrospect. “My drawing was terrible. So I learned to tattoo first. I know I have to draw learn drawing.” She wanted to improve her drawing, but her friends and acquaintances were not supportive. They

When Tsuchiya arrived, she didn’t speak English. She got her student visa through language school and began classes immediately. She also enrolled in art school at the same time. “In the morning I went to language school, and in the afternoon I went to art school, but I couldn’t understand what my teachers were talking about, you know.” But she stuck by her commitment to become a tattoo artist in the US. Still, there were times when it felt overwhelming and frustrating. “One day I came home and cried, I was so frustrated. I didn’t understand what people were talking about. I wanted to express myself, but I was always frustrated. I cried so much.” It took about two years for her to get a strong grasp of English, and then things started to improve. In 2010, she started seeking employment at some local tattoo shops, but her lack of a portfolio made this difficult. Finally, a shop took a chance on hiring her, and from there she was able to build a strong portfolio of work.

Tsuchiya has noticed an increase in the number of women working in the industry. When she first started in the U.S., it was rare to see another woman tattoo artist. “When I went to the first shop in the US, every single person is a male artist. No female. Maybe only the piercer, she is female. But everybody else was a guy.” These days, however, more and more shops are hiring women. In 2013 she even worked at an all-female shop in Queens.

And there have been other advances as well. Both Tsuchiya and her coworker were pregnant at the same time, and they worked through their pregnancies. The shop she works in offers maternity leave, and when she returned, they helped her breastfeed comfortably.

From a wild youth to solidly established in her chosen field, Tsuchiya’s story proves its possible to achieve your goals. She took her passion for drawing and turned it into a career through hard work and perseverance. Nasa Tsuchiya is currently working at Lark Tattoo in Westbury. To view her work, check out her Instagram at @nasatsuchiya.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. Their stories can inspire and amaze. Each one is a glimpse of another perspective, enriching and encouraging. Do you have an immigrant story to tell? Email aolsen@ antonnews.com with a brief biography and contact information. Your story could be featured in a future issue.

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Community College Faculty Continue To Ask For Fair Contract

The Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers (NCCFT) has called on the Nassau Community College Board of Trustees to agree to a fair contract for NCC’s educators and to reverse a devastating health care cost increase amid rising inflation rates.

NCC is an asset and an investment in the community. For every $1 invested in NCC, the community receives $6.80 over the course of a student’s working life, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. But according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, many NCC educators are paid $30,000 less than a living wage despite this value.

Nassau Community College trustees gathered on Feb. 9 for the 7:00 public session of their monthly meeting The crowd of faculty and students that filled the room remained in good spirits, buoyed by spontaneous speeches of students while they waited. They were rallying for a fair contract for full-time faculty, who have been working without a contract since Sept 1, 2022. Faculty stated that at a time of high inflation, soaring housing and transportation costs, and after years of contracts with wage freezes or mere 1.1% wage increase, faculty wages have simply not kept up with the cost of living in Nassau County.

FRANK RIZZO

In the words of NCCFT President Faren Siminoff, “Faculty have sacrificed for the College for over a decade. It’s time the College acknowledges this, and it can start by giving us a fair contract.” Speakers emphasized the plight of “junior” faculty, those hired after 2014; their first-year salaries are below $60,000. Modest salaries are further reduced by mandatory 6% contributions into pensions, and 15% contributions into health insurance premiums — which,

if combined with a pay reduction to cover health insurance premium increases which the College announced to the union in January — would total about $10,000 for family coverage in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) Empire Plan– and even more if the faculty member is enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plan Faculty shared that these low starting salaries are leading to difficulty in

attracting qualified applicants. Biology Chair Christine Tuaillion stated that the full-time faculty union (NCCFT) had been willing to allow recent job applicants to start at a higher position in order to earn more, but the College refused; as a result, the applicant turned down NCC as coming here would have amounted to a $15,000 cut in earnings. One junior faculty member shared that she has educational loans from graduate school to repay and “our salary simply does not cover the bills.”

The Nassau Community College Federation of Teachers is a local of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), a federation of more than 900 local unions representing more than 480,000 people who work in, or are retired from, New York’s schools, colleges, and healthcare facilities. NYSUT represents classroom teachers, college and university faculty and professional staff, school bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, teacher assistants and aides, nurses and healthcare technicians.

NYSUT is part of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the fastest growing union in the United States. We are also part of the AFL-CIO and Education International.

‘One Pill Can Kill: One And Done’

residents.

frizzo@antonmediagroup.com

Putting a face on the opioid crisis, Carole Trottere held up a photo of her son Alex Sutton, who died of a heroin fentanyl poisoning on April 8, 2018. The Suffolk County resident, who spent a career as a public relation professional for various Nassau County politicians, joined Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman at a press conference on March 20 at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building in Mineola.

The county, as part of its multi-pronged effort to fight the overdose crisis, will place naloxone (Narcan) kits wherever there is a external defibrillator at one of its facilities. Sixty kits were donated by the Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (LICADD), based in Westbury. Nalaxone counters an opioid-induced coma and is credited with saving many lives as its use has spread from emergency professionals to everyday

Trottere expressed her gratitude for the Narcan kits and stated, “I’m not the only grieving parent here today. I just want to point out, I have many fellow grieving parents. It’s like the club that no one wants to belong to. And I’m one of thousands of parents on Long Island. If you do the math with the stats of how many people have died of fentanyl poisonings, just multiply that by how many parents and other loved ones and families are affected.”

Trottere added, “You have to keep driving home the fact that these children live in a very dangerous world now, unfortunately. And if I had to say something to the young people...[it’s that] death is permanent. And you’re going to leave behind a family that is heartbroken for the rest of their life.”

Blakeman contemplated how the public would react if a commercial plane crashed every day, killing 300 people. That’s the daily toll across this country of overdoses, many caused by the powerful and widely available synthetic opiate fentanyl. The county’s medical examiner, Blakeman related, counted 270 overdose deaths in 2021, 190 of them from fentanyl. He said

the figures seemed to be trending lower in 2022, but final stats were not yet available.

“The fentanyl crisis is pervasive in every community, including ours,” Blakeman said. “And what we are trying to do here today is to save lives, especially the lives of our young people, to educate them and

—Submitted by NCCFT

to give them tools so that if they are in a situation where they are overdosing, they have the ability or someone else has the ability to rescue them and save their lives.”

Earlier this year, the county made a $2.4 million investment in treatment, education and prevention at its mental health ward at Nassau University Medical Center [NUMC].

“What we find out from a lot of parents that have children who have this kind of substance abuse is that they have some kind of psychological or psychiatric event, and there’s not enough places to treat them for that. So that’s one of the reasons why we put the money [at NUMC],” Blakeman said.

Blakeman noted that the county plans to spend $15 million in each of the next four years, its share of the money from a multi-billion settlement agreed to by opioid manufacturers and distributors.

“We want to make sure that the money gets to organizations that have a track record and that get things done,” said Blakeman, who added he will be guided by a committee of professionals on how to best disburse the funds.

Read a longer story at www.longislandweekly.com.

Faculty, staff and students gathered at the monthly NCC trustees meeting in February.

(Photo by nccft.org)

The county will place 60 of these Narcan kits wherever there is a external defibrillator at one of its facilities.

(Photo by Frank Rizzo)

County Adds $2 Million In State Funds To Septic Upgrade Program

The Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously on Monday, Feb. 27 to dedicate an additional $2,030,000 in New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) funding toward helping residents and small business owners upgrade and modernize their septic systems.

Nassau homeowners and small businesses that discharge less than 1,000 gallons a day of wastewater are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in grants toward the installation of nitrogen-reducing septic systems through Nassau County’s S.E.P.T.I.C. (Septic Environmental Program to Improve Cleanliness) program. The

initiative is funded by NYS EFC resources and matching funds from the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allotment; to date, Nassau County has allocated more than $7 million in ARPA funds toward this environmental initiative.

“These state resources will go a long way toward protecting the single-source aquifer and our precious drinking water from nitrogen pollution,” Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D –Glen Cove) said. “Thanks to this grant program, it is more affordable than ever for eligible property owners to benefit from having a modern, environmentally

Prevent Fraud; Protect Your Medicare Card From Scammers

friendly septic system – and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity while funds are still available.”

This latest round of state support for the replacement of septic systems in Nassau County was part of approximately $225 million in grants for critical initiatives that protect freshwater quality, public health, and the environment.

“The Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District (NCSWCD), which manages Nassau’s S.E.P.T.I.C. program, has worked diligently with County representatives, community members, and industry

professionals to streamline the application process and make it easier and faster for Nassau County homeowners, not for profits, and small businesses to access these critical program funds,” NCSWCD District Manager Derek Betts said.

Visit www.nassaucountyny.gov/591/ Nassau-Septic or call 516-364-5861 to learn if you are eligible for a S.E.P.T.I.C. program grant. Feel free to also contact Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton at 516-5716211 or dderiggiwhitton@nassaucountyny. gov.

—Submitted by the Office of Delia DeRiggi-Whitton

OPED COLUMN The Storage Unit

Many seniors receive phone calls from scammers who are posing as Medicare or Social Security personnel. These persuasive callers will offer any number of temptations to earn your trust and whet your appetite such as free merchandise including back braces, sweaters, and wheelchairs. They’ll say, “all I need is for your Medicare number.” If you’ve gotten this far, stop right there. NEVER give your Medicare or any other identifying information to anyone you don’t know, whether by phone call, text or email.

Please ignore these callers and hang up, whatever they are offering you. You should only get medical devices or treatments from your own doctor or health care provider. These scammers have no idea about your health conditions and what you may or may not need, but may lead you on to obtain your personal information.

If you do place an order with one of these random callers, oftentimes you will receive an off-the-shelf piece of equipment; a foam neck brace, for example, yet Medicare will be billed for a custom designed piece of equipment such as your doctor might recommend. In addition to potentially damaging your health, this transaction has the potential to damage your wallet. If Medicare has paid for an expensive item under false pretenses, and you need one down the road, Medicare will not pay again, an expensive potential risk.

Medicare sends a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) to beneficiaries every three months. It is important to examine these

There are only so many places a man can put things. Some may call it “junk,” like my wife, but during a man’s life, he just accumulates things.

As a music lover, I’ve accumulated over 200 albums and duplicated many of them during the great CD migration of the late ‘80s. Who knew that 35 years later, music streaming services would make CDs obsolete? Although 2022 marked the first time since 1987 that vinyl record sales outpaced CDs, I’m not buying another copy of “The White Album” under any circumstances. I don’t even own a turntable anymore. Come to think of it; I don’t have a CD player either. But I have over 250 CDs sitting in a cabinet.

LONG ISLAND LIVING

Barry

Kiltsberg, Nassau County Medicare Counselor

notices to make sure that the services that Medicare has paid for were actually ordered and received by you. If you have any question about the services Medicare paid for, you can call Medicare at 1-800-Medicare and they can give you more details about the service and provider.

Medicare pays out about $60 billion a year due to fraud, abuse and waste. We all pay a price for Medicare fraud, either directly or indirectly. It is up to all of us to protect the Medicare program by being a careful consumer. A critical part of your role is to remember to always treat your health insurance card like a credit card and protect it.

Barry Klitsberg is an Assistant Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance (HIICAP) Coordinator at FCA in Garden City.

Although I donated most of my DVD collection to the Armed Forces a few years ago, I still possess three versions of Star Wars. I’ve kept my boxed sets of the Rocky films, Die Hard, and Back to the Future. To be honest, if the Blu-Ray player is hooked up to the TV, I’m not sure I know how to use it.

If I knew that someday you could watch virtually anything using your remote control, I might have saved money and been driving a Porsche today.

This past holiday season, the back room in our basement was packed with so much crap that it was a considerable effort to reach the decorations, much less drag them out of their hiding space. Large plastic tote containers holding the kid’s old schoolwork and Beanie Babies blocked empty suitcases waiting to go on vacation again. The floor was littered with boxes of things I hadn’t looked at in years.

Without the luxury of an attic or a garage, something had to give. We can’t live this

Paul DiSclafani pdisco23@aol.com

way. In another year or so, you might find us on an episode of Hoarders.

So, I broke down and rented a storage unit.

After doing some research, I found that many Long Islanders seem to need a storage unit outside their home. Some places had waiting lists, others just tiny rooms available. I finally secured a 5 x 10 unit that was so spacious and clean; I almost wept while signing the contract. This piece of real estate was now mine to do with what I pleased.

But how do I make decisions on what stays and what goes? It certainly doesn’t make any sense to haul junk from one place to another, right? Of course, therein lies the rub. The very definition of junk varies wildly between spouses. After almost 40 years of marriage, I’ve found that my wife considers

see DISCLAFANI on page 7A

SANTOS WATCH So Long, Farewell (For Now) Making time to turn away from the spectacle

JANET BURNS

jburns@antonmediagroup.com

As this column has explored for the past few months, Representative George Santos (NY-03) quickly became far more visible this year in national news than most of us likely expected, regardless of political party, when we visited voting booths last fall.

Here in his congressional district, like the rest of the country, the name “George Santos” has gone from being an explosive prompt at the water cooler to a punchline so familiar that it’s nearly lost all meaning (except as a wink to audiences, whether on rightwing blogs or in a subway poster for the musical Shucked).

Regardless of what awaits Santos in the ongoing congressional investigation or in the ballot box come 2024, his story has in many ways passed on from the realm of informative news into the world of entertainment — or perhaps that’s where it always was, and was intended to be. Few of us would likely deny that, overall, it’s often been a theatrical affair.

As Liz Skalka put it for the Huffington Post back on January 28, a mere six weeks into the scandal: “[I]t feels like we’ve learned too much about Santos and also nothing at all. Every twist of the Santos saga is like a new episode of a show you’re being forced to watch because everybody else is ... The product is a cartoonish rendering of an allegedly corrupt congressman, one who is apparently so money-obsessed that he’ll sell out your pet and lie about his own mother for clout ... That [notoriety] might be exactly what he wants.”

As such, while the Rep. Santos fires are being kept burning by major media outlets and various federal investigative bodies, Anton Media Group will be taking a needed break from Santos Watch, at least for a while — stepping out to Switzerland for our own well-being a la The Sound of Music, if you will, carrying along the knowledge that we can always return someday.

In the meantime, we’ll also be waiting to see if this dramatic saga ultimately plays out like The Producers, with its timeless message that those who mess around with financial malfeasance and/or white supremacy will probably end up in jail.

COLUMN

Spring Into New!

What does spring mean to you? For many of us, it means spring cleaning around our home - getting rid of the old and refreshing our spaces with something new. How about spring cleaning for our bodies? Consider your body as a special home that needs spring cleaning too!

During spring, our bodies want to shed toxicity and start anew. But how do we do that?

My patients are often occupied with a busy lifestyle. I can

recommend a 7-day detoxification plan but for some of us, it is not an option.

My solution to this common problem is a series of simple steps that are attainable for everyone.

Start your day with a glass of warm water and lemon. This magic drink will help your liver and kidneys cleanse themselves of toxins.

While shopping at the

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A screenshot from Mel Brooks’ The Producers, during the play-within-a-play musical number “Springtime for Hitler.”

A screenshot of the final scene from 20th Century Fox’s The Sound of Music.

A poster for the Broadway musical “Shucked” takes a jab at Rep. Santos.

Halloween In March

JENNIFER CORR

jcorr@antonmediagroup.com

Halloween was about five months ago, but I still love anything spooky or creepy no matter what time of year.

My name is Jennifer and I will be writing a weekly column about different activities you can do around Long Island, and beyond, that are affordable, do-able and will provide an easy way to add some excitement to your week. So you may be thinking, how could you possibly celebrate Halloween in March? Well, there are two local places where it’s Halloween year-round: Haunted House of Hamburgers in Farmingdale and Monster Mini Golf, which has locations in Deer Park and Garden City. Both locations are about a 20-minute drive away from Haunted House of Hamburgers, making it a perfect pairing to have a themed day trip or night out.

My friend Victoria had been telling me that she wanted to check out Haunted House of Hamburgers and Monster Mini Golf, and I said why not try both? So on Wednesday, we went to Haunted House of Hamburgers for dinner, and then to Monster Mini Golf in Deer Park.

If you are going to visit this Halloweenthemed restaurant, I recommend making reservations. Even on a Wednesday night, the place was packed and all but one table was filled. Since I made a reservation, we were seated pretty quickly, and we also got our drinks right away. There are an assortment of spooky-themed cocktails and mocktails, as well as just regular fountain drinks. Victoria ordered a cotton candy mocktail, and paid the extra $2 to add smoke to it. I just got water.

All the burgers, sandwiches, salads and entrees were also Halloween-themed. And there’s plenty of options and variety, which should make everybody at your table happy. I ordered the Tarantula Burger, but subbed in an Impossible Burger since I don’t eat meat. I also asked for them to hold the bacon. The burger came with a toasted brioche bun with the restaurant logo pressed onto it, pepper jack cheese, onion strings, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and garlic mayo. Victoria got the Growling Grilled Chicken which came with

grocery store, make a habit of reading labels and avoiding ingredients like artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated oils. They reintroduce toxins back into your body, so stay clear!

Make a habit of sweating too. That means heart-pumping exercise or short sessions in the sauna. These activities will promote cleansing of toxins.

Don’t forget to eat a diet fortified with organic vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, nuts, and fruits. The nutrients from these healthy foods will aid the cleansing process.

grilled chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and mayo on a brioche bun with the logo. We both got sides of sweet potato fries, and everything was absolutely delicious.

My only complaint about this restaurant was that there was about an hour wait time to get our food, though the dessert I got after, mint chocolate chip ice cream came pretty quickly. The two scoops were big enough to share between the both of us. Uniquely, we also got to witness what happens when a smoke alarm goes off in a restaurant. Local fire fighters came in to check to make sure we were safe, but the staff handled the situation excellently and continued serving all their guests.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was excellent. The dining room was lit by black light, and there was Halloween decorations everywhere you looked. A scary soundtrack played the entire time and overall we both had a wonderful time. For everything we got, including drinks, dinner and a dessert it came out to about $70 in total.

Afterwards, we made our way to Monster Mini Golf. Inside there’s a huge arcade, where you can win tickets that will get you your standard arcade prizes. In the back there’s the monster-themed mini golf. A game is $12, and you can choose if you want to keep score or not. We didn’t. The course does challenge you, but not too much making it ideal for children and people who are just playing for fun like me. My favorite parts of the course was where there were little obstacles.

Want more tips? Read below for Dellonutritionals-approved Spring Into Health tips that will help you feel refreshed this spring!

• Avoid processed and fast foods that contain chemical ingredients.

• Stick to organic whenever possible.

• Soak in some rays daily for your dose of vitamin D.

• Eat enzyme-rich foods, like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and miso soup.

• Take probiotics.

• Eat natural foods with more color. They are typically enriched with

Overall, these two local attractions makes for a great day out with the family, on a date or with a friend. At both places, there were

adults, teenagers and families with children enjoying what there was to offer, making them appropriate for all ages.

everything located in the back room, without exception, junk.

Surely there must be room in our lives for the box of beer mugs I procured from the many different bars I’ve been to throughout my lifetime. Why would she insist I trash over 30 years of paperwork from my Fantasy Football league? Plenty of outdated electronics without power cords are taking up space down there, but I can’t bring myself to throw them out.

After a couple of trips to the new storage room, we are making progress. I can see the floor again, so that’s a start. You wouldn’t believe how much

antioxidants!

• Stick to whole, plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

• Practice deep breathing daily.

• Eliminate common allergens such as wheat, soy, dairy products, and peanuts.

• Choose organic, naturally raised, and pastured meats like free-range organic poultry.

• Eliminate refined sugars.

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which are dehydrating. Choose organic

you can cram into a 5 x 10 storage room. We still have a long way to go, but we’re taking this one day at a time. “Maybe,” my wife said, “If you spent time going through all that junk and threw most of it out, we wouldn’t need a storage room.”

Oh, the horror!

How dare she call my box full of old hockey jerseys I no longer fit into junk! Maybe someday I’ll need that calculus textbook with all the necessary items highlighted. What about all of her junk?

After thoroughly reviewing all the items taking up space in the basement, I can honestly report that none belonged to my wife.

green tea instead.

• Crack open some eggs. Protein helps repair cells that have suffered free radical damage. Eggs are a complete source of protein and they also contain biotin, an essential vitamin that protects against dry skin.

• Grow an herb garden. It’s easier than you think, and herbs like basil, rosemary, and parsley are loaded with antioxidants.

Wishing you a happy and healthy spring!

The course at Monster Mini Golf.

What I ordered from Haunted House of Hamburgers. (Photos by Jennifer Corr)

NUTRITION from page 6A

DISCLAFANI from page 5A

WE LOVE OUR PETS Got A Mystery Mutt? DNA Testing!

identification, as well as information on traits and risk assessment for genetic diseases.

My family has always rescued dogs. From the time I was little, I can recall the click-clack of paws on our tile floors, floating tufts of various colored hair, and the early morning barking which disturbed me from slumber. Rescuing dogs has been one of the greatest things my family has done, for the dogs sure, but especially for us. We are proud that we are able to bring these troubled animals to a home where they will be safe and loved. However, perhaps the biggest disappointment when it comes to rescuing is that we rarely - if ever - truly know our dogs.

I do not mean in a personality aspect. Anyone who has a pet knows that they often make their likes and dislikes - and quirks - very clear. What I mean is rescue animals rarely come with a detailed, full genetic report. There have been times where we are lucky to even guess at their age or place of origin. My mother, who prides herself on being a dog encyclopedia, very often can determine to some extent what breed or breeds a dog might be. This is the method we have used thus far in our pet owning journey, but we were all stumped when we recently adopted our newest dog.

This is Red! We rescued him from a group called A New Chance Animal Rescue, a foster home rescue based in Bedford Hills. We know he hails from Louisiana, was one of a litter of seven, and has come a long way from being cripplingly shy and contact-avoidant to the mushy, attention lover he is today. When we first saw him, we had guesses as to what he could potentially be. Breeds such as Lab, Shepherd, even Chow Chow were options. My mother’s skills were truly put to the test as we stared into his golden brown eyes. However, for as much as we felt certain about his personality, we were completely stumped on what breed or breeds he could be. He was truly our first

mystery mutt.

For as helpful and experienced as the rescue agency is, they - like most facilities - cannot offer genetic screening for their animals. While shelters and rescue agencies do their best to provide as much information as possible, oftentimes a lack of resources and support mean that they are just as limited as the typical homeowner might be in cracking down on what breed a dog is. Priority is given to ensuring the health, welfare, and well-being of potential adoptees. This is a noble task, but leaves little room for the in-depth exploration of a dog’s history that one might receive from other sources such as a breeder.

This is not to promote breeding over rescuing. I firmly believe in the healing power

of animal rescue and will always promote it first and foremost. And thankfully, many companies have made it possible for adopters to determine for themselves what exactly their dog is made of. For our family, we turned to the DNA test kit Wisdom Panel. DNA test kits have gained a lot of popularity in recent years as we all look for answers to where we come from. Pet DNA kits are no different, and have boomed as a market to allow pet owners to discover much more about their animals. Red being the first dog we could not really identify sparked our interest in pursuing a more scientific approach. I was able to order a Wisdom Panel kit online. The company offers a variety of tests – including one for cats – depending on what information you are looking for. Because we had never done a DNA test before, we opted for their Essential Kit, which included dog breed

We were sent two swabs in the mail, as well as packaging to store them in and a box and return label. In order to gather DNA from Red, we needed to swab the inside of his cheek for several seconds. While he is a very good boy, this was not exactly his favorite part of the process, so I do recommend having a second person available to help distract your pet while collecting a swab. (It is not a painful process, but your pet might be a little confused and squirmish!) We waited for the swabs to fully dry and then repacked them in the box to return to Wisdom Panel’s labs. When the results came in, we were all shocked.

According to the results, Red consisted of eight breeds - far more than we had anticipated! He also had some surprising DNA. We had been right that he consisted of breeds like Chow Chow and Lab but were also surprised to learn he was 1/5 Border Collie, a breed which had not even crossed our minds. There were also some unexpected breeds which turned up, such as a McNab, which none of us had heard of before. The test was able to provide a type breakdown as well, indicating that his breeds consist of mostly “herding” dogs, as well as “Asian and Oceanian” and a little bit of “sporting”. We were relieved to learn that he did not test positive for a variety of potential health complications. We even learned a few interesting facts about his traits, including what genes contributed to his brownish-red color, why he has a certain number of toes, and where some of his behaviors likely stem from.

We were blown away by just how much we were able to learn from this experience. Mixed bag or purebred, a lot can be gained from understanding your pet’s background, including how to be an even better pet owner in the future. For our family, doing a pet DNA test offered a lot of answers, and we can confidently say he is no longer a “Mystery” mutt!

Red on his way to our house after adoption. (Contributed photo)

Some of Red’s breed results surprised our family. (Photo courtesy of Wisdom Panel website)

Red was screened for several genetic complications. (Photo courtesy of Wisdom Panel website)

Recently Sold HOMES

This two-story brick and stone Tudor home at 72 Jayson Ave. in the University Gardens section of Great Neck sold on Feb. 2 for $855,000. It has a large living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room and stained glass windows. It has a large eat-in-kitchen with gas cooking. Two of the bedrooms with a full bathroom are located on the main level, while the third bedroom and second full bathroom is located on the second level. The one-car garage is detached. This home is conveniently located near Northern Boulevard, parks, shopping, buses, railroad and major highways. It is in the Great Neck School District and zoned for Great Neck South middle and high schools. Great Neck residents enjoy park district amenities such as the Olympic-sized pools, a lazy river, ice skating rink, sports courts and the waterfront at Steppingstone Park.

This recently upgraded, charming, sundrenched four bedroom brick Cape at 65 Jayson Ave. in the University Gardens section of Great Neck sold on March 3 for $1,200,000. The first floor features a bright living room with a fireplace, dining room, a large sunroom, cathedral ceilings, two bedrooms and one full bathroom. The second floor has two oversized bedrooms with large closets and built-in drawers, a full bathroom and cathedral ceilings. Recent updates to the home include a newly renovated open kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a new Forti range hood, new air conditioning, new washer and dryer, a new furnace and water heater and a newly renovated sunroom. The large, tiled backyard offers flat grassy area that are perfect for outdoor activities and summer barbecues. The long driveway can accommodate up to five parking spaces and includes a one-car detached garage. This home is within walking distance to the railroad, bus stop, parks, grocery, elementary school and more.

New York’s volunteer firefighters, which respond to emergency calls in a majority of the state, save not only lives and property, but also billions in taxpayer dollars. According to an economic impact study released by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY), these dedicated volunteers help New York taxpayers save $4.7 billion annually through their services.

The report emphasizes the critical role of volunteer firefighters in safeguarding New York’s communities and helping to save lives. The 80,000 volunteer firefighters in the state provide vital protection and services during emergencies and contribute significantly to their communities through continuous training, outreach, and fire safety education. They also play a critical role in the statewide response plans to major emergencies and natural disasters.

Prepared by Resolution Economics (ResEcon), the “Economic Study of The Tax Savings Generated by New York’s Volunteer Fire Service” is the second study in the past decade to examine the economic impact of New York’s volunteer firefighters. Volunteer firefighters keep local taxes and expenses low by eliminating the need to pay career firefighters wages, benefits and related costs. New York relies heavily on volunteer

fire departments, and a conversion to paid departments would cause a severe economic burden and require a massive increase in property taxes.

“Without the dedication and service of the brave volunteers throughout the state, local taxpayers would face a significant financial burden to fund the type of emergency response they are accustomed to,” said FASNY President Edward Tase, Jr.

Among the report findings:

• Fully paid career departments would cost taxpayers $4.7 billion annually in pay, benefits, operating, maintenance, and capital costs.

• 31,058 full-time paid firefighters would need to be hired.

• Of the state’s 1,640 fire departments, 93.2 percent are all-volunteer or mostly volunteer.

• If New York switched to an all-paid fire service: local government property taxes would rise an average of 28.4 percent absent volunteer firefighters (taxes would increase between 5.8 percent and 133.8 percent depending on the county) and there would be a one-time cost of $8.17 billion to acquire existing structures, vehicles and equipment.

Founded in 1872, FASNY represents the interests of approximately 80,000 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel in the state. Visit www. fasny.com for more details.

—FASNY

Homes shown here represent closed sales, sold by a variety of agencies and are selected for their interest to readers by the Anton Media Group editor. Except where noted, data and photos are provided courtesy of Multiple Listing Service of Long Island, Inc. and Zillow.

& LIFESTYLE

Cult-Classic The Room Celebrates 20 Years

Star of film hosts screening at Cinema Art Centre in Huntington

The Room is known as the worse movie ever made, but many consider it the best

The plot follows a successful bank executive named Johny, who is happily engaged with Lisa, until she seduces his best friend Mark. From there, nothing is ever the same again. There are also many sub-plots in this film, including Denny, a young man Johny practically adopted, having a run in with some trouble when he’s unable to pay back drug money, Lisa’s mother mentioning she was diagnosed with breast cancer once and the house of Johny and Lisa basically having an open door policy where any of their friends can walk in at any time.

The plot may not seem that wild to anyone who hasn’t seen the movie, but what makes it so special is the movie’s director, writer and star, Tommy Wiseau. He certainly stands out with his long black hair, sunglasses and European accent. Yet nobody knows where he’s from, how old he is and how he became rich. If you ask him where he’s from, he’ll likely say “New Orleans.”

The dialogue in the movie is what also makes it famous. Some compare the script to what artificial intelligence or aliens would come up with if they were trying to write a script about humans.

Though the movie, with a $6 million budget, only made $1,916 with its initial Hollywood release in 2003, it has since earned its title of cult-classic. Greg Sestero, the film’s co-star and a close friend of Wiseau (they met at an acting class in San Francisco in 1998), wrote a book about the making of the movie called The Disaster Artist in 2013. And in 2017, James Franco directed a film adaption of the book. James Franco played Wiseau, Dave Franco played Sestero and Seth Rogen plays the script supervisor. Many other famous comedians and actors also took part in the film.

On March 17, in celebration of The Room’s 20th anniversary, Sestero made a stop at the Cinema Art Centre in Huntington as part of a screening tour of the movie. There, he hosted a meet and greet and held a Q&A with fans. Two screenings were held at the

and the 7:30 p.m. showing was sold out. There were only a few seats open for the 8:30 p.m. screening.

Watching The Room with an audience is a much different experience than watching it alone. Similar to watching live screenings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, there’s a ritual to watching The Room.

There’s a framed photo of a spoon in the set’s living room that finds itself in the background of many scenes. Whenever the crowd spots this photo, someone will scream “spoon!” and audience members will throw plastic spoons at the screen. When a character appears on screen with little explanation of who are they and how they know the main characters, people will scream “who are you?” During long stock footage of the Golden Gate Bridge, the audience will yell “Go! Go! Go!” until the car crossing the bridge finishes its journey. Some clap to the R&B music that plays during the uncomfortably long sex scenes. These are just some of the things fans do when watching this movie.

Ahead of the screening at the Cinema Art Centre, Long Island Weekly had the chance to ask Sestero some questions about the making of the movie, what he’s up to now and about his friend Wiseau.

Long Island Weekly: Have you ever been to New York?

Sestero: It was in New York I went to a screening at Ziegfeld Theatre that I got the idea to write the book Disaster Artist. It was the seventh anniversary when I realized

people love this movie, and the story behind this movie is even more crazy. New York always brings about good vibes.

Long Island Weekly: Could you imagine that these screenings of The Room would still be showing 20 years later? And what’s your favorite part about doing these screenings?

Sestero: Back in the day, I didn’t think anyone would see it. There’s a lot of big studio films, a lot of big movies that just come and go. Especially for me back then, I just thought it would be something that would never come out. What are the odds of ever putting out a totally independent film? It’s just one of those things I’ve come to embrace, because clearly there’s something about this movie people really like. I’ve attended weddings of people that are now married and have families because of this movie. And that’s what you set out to make films for, is to connect people. And that’s what this movie’s done. I think this year is about celebrating the connections and joy this crazy movie has brought people. And for myself, I always wanted to get into writing and film making, so I was able to write The Disaster Artist because of The Room and I’m now making a UFO abduction movie, and without The Room I know that stuff would never be possible.

Long Island Weekly: What was the process of writing The Disaster Artist?

Sestero: I wrote a sequel to Home Alone, called “Home Alone, Lost in Disney World,” when I was 12, so I always wanted to make

movies and tell series... And then when The Room amassed a cult following and people were asking questions, I thought the making of The Room would make a great movie in itself... And so, it was really about trying to tell a story about much more than the making of that movie. It was about two friends following their dreams, two friends who were polar opposites. Really, I wanted the Disaster Artist to be a book anybody could pick up.

Long Island Weekly: Did the bad reviews of The Room bother you at first?

Sestero: I was always fascinated by the character of Tommy because I met him in an acting class and I watched him perform and I thought ‘does anybody see how entertaining this is? What would people think if they saw this guy in front of a crowd?” I got the comedy early on, nobody else did. So when we made The Room and it started showing, I thought, ‘what are people going to think?’ Because I was a passenger of this crazy journey, I was always intrigued by the response.

Long Island Weekly: What does your friendship with Wiseau look like now?

Sestero: We still talk pretty frequently. This year it will be 25 years since we met in an acting class. It’s just one of those things where after a certain point you’re connected forever. I enjoy the wacky places that he can push you to go. I think at times we get comfortable in life and it’s cool to try new things, and when you’re put in peculiar situations it helps you grow.

Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau in The Room. (Still courtesy of Wiseau-Films)

LEGAL NOTICES

KEYSPAN GAS EAST CORPORATION d/b/a NATIONAL GRID

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by KeySpan Gas East Corporation d/b/a National Grid (“Company”) that it has led with the New York State Public Service Commission (“Commission”) proposed tari revisions to its Schedule for Gas Service, PSC No.1 – GAS, to become e ective, on a temporary basis, April 1, 2023.

These revisions have been led in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 12, 2021 in Case 19-G-0310. The table below compares the Company’s current rates (prior to April 1, 2023) to rates e ective April 1, 2023 by service classi cation. E ective April 1, 2023, $2.5 million has been removed from base delivery rates to be collected through the ‘Rate Adjustment Clause’. The Rate Adjustment Clause is a separate surcharge that will be included in the Delivery Rate Adjustment line on customers’ bills.

S.C. No. 1A, 5-1A – Residential Non-Heating Service

S.C. No. 1AR, 5-1AR – Residential Non-Heating Service

S.C No. 15, 5-15 – High Load Factor Service

S.C. No. 16, 5-16 – Year-Round Space Conditioning Service

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation – Rate 1 –Less than 1MW

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation – Rate 2 –Equal to or greater than 1 MW but less than 5 MW

5-3 – Multi-Family Service

S.C. 9, 5-9 – Uncompressed Natural Gas Vehicle Service

S.C. 17 – Baseload Distributed Generation – Rate 3 –Equal to or greater than 5 MW but less than 50 MW

No change for the delivery rates for S.C. No. 1B-DG, 5-1B-DG – Distributed Generation & S.C. 18 / 19 – Non-Firm Demand Response Sales and Transportation Service.

These revisions have been led in compliance with the Commission’s Order issued August 12, 2021 in Case 19-G-0310. Copies of the proposed revisions are available for public inspection and can be obtained on the Company’s website at https://www.nationalgridus.com/Long-Island-NY-Home/Bills-Meters-and-Rates/ or the PSC’s website (dps.ny.gov).

KEYSPAN GAS EAST CORPORATION d/b/a

Art League’s ‘Cynthia Pascal: A Retrospective’ Opens April 15

The Art League of Long Island announces the retrospective exhibit of Cynthia Pascal in the Jeanne Tengelsen Gallery. The opening reception takes place on Saturday, April 15, from 6 to 8:00p.m. A celebratory remembrance introduction will be held from 6:00 – 6:30, followed by light refreshments and the opportunity to enjoy the exhibition in the Gallery. The exhibition is on view through April 28.

Cynthia Pascal was an American artist born and raised in New York. She achieved her Bachelor of Arts, MSW, and PHD in Social Work and managed a practice as a psychotherapist for over 40 years. Ms. Pascal studied painting with Arthur Sternberg in Old Westbury College and at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Her formal training provided a beginning structure that she soon broke from to create her own unique statement. She does not start out with a preconceived narrative when she paints and is always open to discover meaning in the process.

Her work includes abstract, expressionistic, and impressionistic styles, all of which explore the depth and complexity of human emotion using women as her primary subjects. Acrylics are her primary medium,

along with oils, pastels, and clay.

Ms. Pascal’s earlier work was comprised of hard-edged expressionistic paintings which made strong statements about the female in crisis: often fearful, resigned, tremulous, but always teeming with life. Her later works depict women in control, passionate, assured and living with conviction and joy. Almost all of her paintings portray women who appear to have a reservoir of personal experience within.

Many of Ms. Pascal’s works hang in private collections. She has exhibited at

The Blue Door Gallery, The Whitman Art Gallery, The Eclectic Gallery, The North Shore County Gallery, The Universalist Church Gallery in Manhasset, and at The Bleeker and Terra Galleries.

Ms. Pascal continued to work and produce fine art which celebrated the human spirit until 2022, at the age of 92.

Established in 1955, the Art League is not-for-profit visual arts center whose mission is to provide a forum and showcase for artists of all ages and ability levels, whether through art education in the

studios, open studio time, or exhibition opportunities in the gallery and art fairs. Artwork on display in the gallery may be available for purchase. The Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is open free of charge Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Art League is located at 107 East Deer Park Road, in Dix Hills. For more information visit www.artleagueli.org or call (631) 462-5400.

—Submitted by Art League of Long Island

Cynthia Pascal, Abstract of Women in Pink and Blue

(Photos by Art League of Long Island)

Cynthia Pascal, Two Girls Sitting.

Cynthia Pascal, Dance Siesta.

North Shore Animal League America rescues and cares for thousands of animals each year.

By leaving a gift as part of your will or trust, you ensure your love of pets lives on.

Photos by Ellen Dunn

More affordable housing? Sign me up. OPED

In her recent State of the State Address, Governor Kathy Hochul announced her plan to build 800,000 new homes in New York state over the next decade to combat New York’s crisis of expensive homes and outrageous rents.

The plan has come under fire here in Nassau. But honestly?

Affordable housing would be fantastic, and people should give it a second thought. We have in our hands an opportunity to fix every problem that is plaguing our County.

Concerned about crime? Homes closer to each other make it easier for the police to reach you. Worried for the homeless? Cheaper housing means fewer homeless individuals. Anxious that young people are fleeing Nassau? Those young people will stay if the housing was cheaper. Care about the environment?

Excellent, because higher-density housing is more energy-efficient than single-family homes, which also means lower utility bills.

Most importantly, it will drive down the cost of living. Purchasing a home or renting in Nassau is almost impossible in this economy, but more housing supply will

PRO HOUSING

finally put some pressure on prices to go down.

Not to mention, almost 70% of Long Islanders say we need more affordable housing. So now’s our chance to do it.

Obviously, it’s not all sunshine and vodka. More affordable housing may mean a decrease in property value, for example. But even that may be beneficial: as property value goes down, so too go down property taxes, the bane of all Long Islanders.

There are concerns about

whether infrastructure can keep up with the growth in population. After all, no one wants schools to suffer or roads to become congested. But the case is severely overstated.

Hochul’s plan calls for 7,170 to 14,340 new units to be built, an increase of just 1.5 to 3 percent in housing stock. The actual population increase—spread out across Nassau County and over 3 years—will be, in the most extreme case, a 5% increase over the current population.

In addition, the plan would include $270 million to assist municipalities in reaching their targets. The new housing would also swell the tax base and provide new jobs for Nassau businesses struggling to find employment, making any needed infrastructure investment completely doable. Benefits of affordable housing notwithstanding, the biggest reason given by politicians and residents for opposing this plan is that it would disrupt the “suburban way of life.”

To which I respond: Thank God! Soulless neighborhoods with no sign of activity or sense

of community; people tensed up around one another; disgusting malls, parking lots, and other hostile and alienating architecture; and having to spend gas and drive to run the smallest errand because everything essential to living is spaced out.

This is the “suburban way of life” you so dearly want to protect? Sounds to me like the suburban way of death. It’s no coincidence that the suicide rate is higher in suburbs than it is in urban areas across the country.

And let’s not pretend that good schools, lawns, or privacy belong exclusively to the suburbs. The best school in Nassau, Jericho High School, is beaten by 32 other schools nationally, the majority of which are in cities. Lawns and community gardens are still possible with denser housing, and with

all the private surveillance going up, I wouldn’t vouch for the privacy of the suburbs.

Taken all together, the governor’s housing plan is a good one, and not out of loyalty to the governor. If anything, I think it doesn’t go far enough. I would have liked to see even more housing built, in various different areas so that people of different races and incomes could be integrated.

But the perfect will not be the enemy of the good. The positives of this plan definitely outweigh the negatives, and it is my hope that the proposal is passed so that we may move towards a more moral, affordable, and vibrant Nassau County.

— Matthew Adarichev is a Hofstra University sophomore studying public policy and a student journalist from Westbury.

Matthew Adarichev

National Eating Disorders Association Presents The Annual Long Island NEDA Walk

The National Eating Disorders Association(NEDA) organizes the annual Long Island NEDA Walk on April 23 at Sunken Meadow State Park. NEDA Walks spread awareness about the realities of eating disorders and build supportive, local communities of hope, strength, and recovery.

In the United States alone, 30 million individuals will suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some point in their life, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Money raised from the walk will help fund the NEDA Helpline and other vital programs focused on prevention, cures and access to quality care.

“NEDA has seen the volume of calls, texts, and chats skyrocket up to 58% over the previous period. This unprecedented need for support inspires all of us in the community to come together, in unity, to ensure that no one faces these complex and pervasive disorders alone,” says Liz Thompson, CEO of NEDA. “We are so thankful for our active, engaged, dynamic community. Over the course of 2023, we will be activating in more than 50 communities across the United States, building community through programs and initiatives, ensuring that everyone has access to the support they deserve. When we connect, we thrive. Join us as we come one step closer to a world without eating disorders!”

Learn how you can join tens of thousands of passionate walkers, participating in person or virtually, across the country to make a difference in the fight against eating disorders!

To pre-register, visit https://nedawalk. org/longisland2023.

About the National Eating Disorders Association

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. NEDA supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders,

and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures, and access to quality care. Through our programs and services, NEDA raises awareness, builds communities of support and recovery, funds research and puts essential resources into the hands of those in need. For more information, visit www. nationaleatingdisorders.org.

For more information about NEDA Walks, please visit www.nedawalk.org or contact the National Walks Team at walks@ nationaleatingdisorders.org.

—Submitted by the National Eating Disorders Association

Bringing It All Back Home Review of Bob

JOSEPH SCOTCHIE

jscotchie@antonmediagroup.com

Can rock stars write good books? I don’t mean ghost written efforts. There was Dylan’s own Chronicles, a two-volume book that lurched from one drab sentence to another. Add to that George Harrison’s I, Me, Mine, another tome badly in need of a blue pencil and Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, colorful but overwrought in the man’s belief that rock music remains a temple his fans come to worship in. (They just want to hear “Rosalita.”)

These books generally announce to the world that Dylan, Harrison, and Springsteen were great songwriters.

This one is different. Bob Dylan spent 10 years on The Philosophy of Modern Song. It works, in part because Dylan knows these tunes front and back. Plus, he took his time writing its chapters. Dylan lets his imagination run free, but controls it in short, succinct essays. The music is transcendental. The entire song is, like poetry, an experience, rather than a puzzle. Consider his analysis of Bobby Darin’s “Beyond The Sea.”

Soon the fair winds blow you into the harbor and you see the port lights. Soon you’ll be approaching and coming up. You’ll hit town and weigh anchor, and she’s sanding on the shores of everlasting gold. Soon you’ll be shut off from the world, linked up everlasting. On top of each other, you’ll kiss and embrace, every day from now, a jolly holiday. Wonderfully brilliant and true to form. You see everything from the proper angle, you’ve returned to where you came

Dylan’s ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’

from. No more casting off into a distant galaxy. No more cruising off into supernatural darkness. Never again you’ll go sailing, you lay it all down and pull the shade. You quit while you’re ahead.

No collection of American music would be complete without Hank Williams, Sr. Dylan celebrates his mournful classic, “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”

Soon you’ll be marching on the same side of the road as what I’m on, we’ll see how you handle that. You were prejudiced, stupid and hypocritical, and now your cheatin’ heart is making its presence felt. You didn’t want me to live an honest life, you bamboozled me and ripped me off, and now there’ll be no more sleep for you. Not this night, not any night. You thought you could do anything, thought you’d live forever, and you gave it all you had. You just didn’t have the right character to pull it off. It’s a hell of a thing, isn’t it.

The title of this review is lifted from Dylan’s fifth album, a 1965 effort that was one side acoustic, the other side rock n’ roll. As a youngster growing up in Hibbing, MN, Dylan (back then, his real name Robert Zimmerman), spent his nights listening to music stations

from across the land. The Fifties, contrary to being a dull decade of conformity, was in fact a highly creative and eclectic period. Dylan soaked it all in: country, folk, rock, jazz, blues, swing, big band. As with every other brash Fifties kid, Dylan was a young Elvis. By the early 1960s, rock’s initial phase had petered out. Folk music was in vogue, especially on college campuses. Dylan had a new idol, Woody Guthrie. The later had a house in Queens County. Dylan made the pilgrimage. More important, he took on and conquered the Greenwich Village folk scene.

This volume is really Bob Dylan’s Great American Songbook. The man clearly reveres his masters and mentors. These men are not entertainers, they are teachers. Dylan’s own status, plus his reverence puts him on a first name basis with “Frank,” “Dino,” “Tony,” “Bobby,” “Dion,” “Rickey,” “Willie,” “Hank,” “Ella,” “Billie,” and especially “Johnny.” If Dylan had a soulmate in contemporary music, it would have to be Johnny Cash. When Dylan made the plunge from folkie to rocker, Cash stood with him all the way. “Shut up and let him sing!” the Man in Black declared. Johnny Cash was just

the friend Dylan needed at that point in his career.

As with any collection, there are omissions: Songs by The Who and The Clash, but no Lennon and McCartney, Springsteen, or Neil Young ballads. The reader will discover and delight in the greatness of American music in all its variegated forms. The authenticity of these tunes, some famous, others forgotten, shines through on every page.

The book opens with a photo of the young Elvis Presley, decked out in white shoes (don’t step on them!), followed by a scene in an Anywhere, U.S.A. record store to finally, a photo of the immortal Johnny Ray belting out a tearjerker. Johnny? Yes, Cash, but Mr. Ray, too. Can’t forget him.

Albany Needs to Support State Senate Plan to Properly Invest in Fixing Local Roads and Bridges

A newly released letter, signed by more than three dozen business, labor, minority and women-owned business and local government leaders, calls on Governor Hochul and Speaker Heastie to adopt the State Senate’s budget proposal as the blueprint to ensure statewide and local infrastructure halts the decline of its conditions and moves to good repair.

Approving the Senate plan will counter

record high inflation which caused the cost of highway construction material to skyrocket and reduced the NYSDOT’s core program to its lowest levels since 2015—while also decimating local road and bridge maintenance and construction programs.

Time is of the essence to invest in local infrastructure. In more than half of NYSDOT regions across the state, both

New York’s pavements and bridges have rapidly deteriorated.

Thankfully, the State Senate Majority’s budget proposal, under Leader StewartCousins and Transportation Committee Chairman Kennedy, meets system needs and calls for $2 billion more per year for the DOT Capital Program—$8 billion in additional investment in total over the remaining four years of the program. The

Senate’s plan also proposes investing an additional $360 million for the state’s local road system.

As stated in the letter: “we strongly urge you to consider accepting the Senate’s one house proposal which includes significant and necessary increases to the NYSDOT core and local highway capital budgets.”

—Submitted by RebuildNY

DiNapoli: Thousands Of Young Children With Disabilities Not Receiving Services

Audit Finds More Than Half Did Not Receive Services; Black and Hispanic Children Faced Greater Barriers

Therapeutic and support services available through New York’s Early Intervention (EI) Program are vital for infants and toddlers with disabilities, but an audit released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found many young children did not receive services or faced delays in care. The audit recommended the New York State Department of Health (DOH) improve its management of the EI program and eliminate barriers to care.

“Failure to provide babies and toddlers with early intervention services misses a critical window of opportunity and increases the risk of significant developmental and learning delays, and the need for more special education services in the future,” DiNapoli said. “The Department of Health needs to address the underlying reasons why children are not receiving the services they are entitled to, why services are often delayed and how access can be improved.”

DOH is tasked with developing a system that ensures children are identified, located and referred to the EI program. The department oversees 57 counties and New York City, which operate the program at the local level. Services are available for children under 3 years of age who have a confirmed disability or established developmental delay, and could include speech pathology or audiology, occupational or physical therapy, psychological services or support services for children and families. Under the law, children must be evaluated for services within 45 days after being referred to the program, receive an individualized plan for services, and begin receiving those services within 30 days, upon parental consent.

From July 2018 through February 2022, approximately 189,000 children with a suspected or confirmed disability were referred to the program. However, records showed that 27,000 (14%) never received an evaluation and 10,000 (5%) were still pending. Of the nearly 152,000 children who were evaluated, 98,000 or 64% were determined eligible to receive services, but about 2,000 (2%) of eligible children never received an individualized plan and another 1,000 were pending. Of the 95,000 children who did receive an individualized plan:

• Nearly 51% or about 48,000 children did not receive all types of the therapeutic services to which they were entitled.

• About 28% or 27,000 children did not receive authorized services within 30 days.

• About 3% or 3,000 children did not receive

any of their authorized therapeutic services.

DOH pointed to the absence of parental consent as the cause of many instances of denied or delayed services. Since DOH does not require explanations, case files rarely identified why consent was not given, why a parent withdrew their child from the program, why some children were referred to the program but were not evaluated or why they faced delays in care. Officials in 10 municipalities told auditors that sometimes they were not able to reach a parent or there was a lack of service providers. In some cases, parents couldn’t attend meetings or get to a provider during the day. If DOH required this information to be recorded, it could be used to help reduce disparities and improve outreach efforts.

DiNapoli’s audit also found that delays in evaluations and delivery of services were major issues. If DOH accounted for these delays, then its performance metrics would be significantly worse. For example, if delays attributable to “exceptional family circumstances” were included when calculating timeliness of services in DOH’s 2020 annual report, then just 66%, instead of the reported 90%, of children received services on time.

According to a report from DOH, from July 2017 to June 2020, Black and Hispanic children were less likely to be referred to and evaluated for the EI program compared to white children. Black children were also less likely than white children to receive therapeutic services within 30 days. In addition, auditors identified disparities across the state in the availability of providers and access to services. In Broome County, for example, there were less than three providers for every 100 eligible children, while in Putnam County there were nine. The audit determined DOH must do more to identify and address barriers to equitable access to the program.

The COVID-19 pandemic also created problems for families in accessing services. Some families were not able to use telehealth or found it to be less effective than in-person treatment. Overall, there were significant drops in referral rates (-20%), evaluations (-24%), and eligibility

determinations (-19%) from 2019 to 2020.

Officials in 10 counties also cited issues with DOH’s web-based system to manage the EI program. They said reports did not correctly show the number of children being served in their area. Nine municipalities indicated that they developed their own internal systems for administering and managing the program locally due to problems with DOH’s New York State Early Intervention System (NYEIS).

Additionally, local officials said the provider directory was not kept up to date on the NYEIS. As a result, some parents were turned away by providers who no longer were offering services or taking on new clients. The audit found 23% of the about 7,800 service providers listed on NYEIS did not give any services during the audit period.

DiNapoli’s audit recommends DOH:

• Identify why some children are not receiving services or are facing delays in care

and develop and implement strategies to improve participation and timely delivery of services.

• Include specific goals, tasks, and objectives on municipal workplans for improving public awareness and outreach.

• Take steps to understand disparities in accessing EI program services and develop an action plan to better deliver equitable access.

• Regularly verify the provider directory is accurate and up to date to ensure it is useful to families.

• Expedite a new web-based system to manage the EI program, which has been delayed multiple times, and ensure that municipalities are prepared to use it. In response to the audit, DOH indicated that EI is a voluntary program that requires parental consent and relies heavily on municipalities to administer. The department acknowledged COVID-19 created challenges and that provider capacity is a significant factor that affects the timeliness of services. It outlined its current activities to better address disparities and outreach at the local level.

—Submitted by the Office of Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli

Registrations will begin on 1 April – please share the link with any young people that may be motivated to participate. They will also be recruiting adult volunteers to help at various locations. www.rewildlongisland.org/summerprogram.

—Submitted by ReWild Long Island

The Summer Program To Fight Hunger and Climate 2023 is organized in the CowNeck Peninsula by a team of adults and youth activists looking to create opportunities for high school students and adult volunteers to further biodiversity, climate resilience, and food security.

“Failure to provide babies and toddlers with early intervention services misses a critical window of opportunity and increases the risk of significant developmental and learning delays...”

—Thomas DiNapoli Comptroller.

Free Inclusive Program To Launch Great Ideas Now Open To New York Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur Ready, an organization that makes entrepreneurship and ownership more accessible for women, minorities, and first-time business owners, is looking for 300 participants across New York City and throughout the state to join its Spring 2023 cohort. The launch of the statewide initiative begins April 3 for underrepresented entrepreneurs.

Supported by JPMorgan Chase, the organization’s How To Start Something Accelerator is a self-paced entrepreneurship program that will enable 300 under-represented entrepreneurs and those who have previously lacked access to comprehensive, early-stage entrepreneurship

training with the opportunity to start, pivot or restart their ideas and ventures.

Entrepreneurs in the free program gain access to an immersive learning accelerator with an online platform, a step-by-step learning framework, and personalized feedback from entrepreneur coaches.

In addition, the program provides participants with access to weekly live workshops, online office hours, and a community forum where entrepreneurs build traction and connections. As a result, each participant who completes the program will have de-risked a venture model. The free self-paced entrepreneurship

program is open to all New York State residents with any level of education, any idea, and any background. They must be at least 18 years old and able to commit approximately 8 hours a week for six to nine months. Learn more and register at https://howtostartsomething.com.

“I was just a personal trainer working in corporate fitness centers. After the program, I ended up in a 3,000 sq ft private training facility in a prime location off a busy street. It became profitable within 1 month with a whole slew of clients that we could barely keep up with demand and had to start hiring a team,” said Jake Allyne, an entrepreneur from Hartsdale, in

his 30s.

“I started to look at myself differently. I went from being an employee since I was 12 years old to now I am the boss, and I’m comfortable being the boss,” said Joyce Cole, an entrepreneur from the Village of Ossining in her 40s.

Entrepreneur Ready has been working since 2008 to not only make entrepreneurship and ownership more accessible but also to produce equivalent outcomes and achievements for women, minorities, and first-time business owners. The How To Start Something Accelerator has proven results in communities of opportunity.

—Submitted by J.P. Morgan Chase

Raise Up NY In Uniondale To Rally To Raise The Minimum Wage

On March 10, impacted workers, labor unions, small business owners, lawmakers, and advocates held a press conference on Long Island to urge Governor Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature to first raise New York’s minimum wage to at least $21.25 by 2027, and thereafter adjust it automatically each year to keep pace with rising cost of living and gains in worker productivity. In order to address

the current cost-of-living crisis, Raise Up NY is advocating for a $21.25 minimum wage. The coalition supports including the Raise the Wage Act (S1978A/A2204A) in this year’s state budget, which would benefit 2.9 million New Yorkers and over 500,000 people on Long Island and in Westchester. The Act would put an average annual raise of $3,300 in their pockets, or an additional $63/week. In

comparison, Governor Hochul’s budget proposal would only index New York’s minimum wage starting at $15, increasing

worker pay by only $13/week for only 900,000 workers.

—Submitted by Raise Up NY

Jessica Kravitz Participates In Live-Fire Quals Aboard Arleigh Burke

Operations Specialist 3rd Class Jessica Kravitz, of Long Island, shoots an M9 service pistol aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer U.S.S. Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) during the live-fire handgun qualification course on Feb. 14 while in the Baltic Sea. The Arleigh Burke is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Almagissel Schuring

Raise Up NY at their “Raise the Wage” rally in Uniondale. (Photo by Katie Shane via Twitter)

HUD Announces Funding For Native Communities, Affordable Housing, Community Development, And Homeless Assistance

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced more than $794 million in Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) formula funding for eligible Native American Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) to carry out affordable housing activities in Tribal communities. In New York, HUD awarded $6,305,517 to Federally recognized Tribes in the state. Locally, the Shinnecock nation received $90,246.

“HUD is committed to supporting our Tribal communities by providing resources that will help persons living in those neighborhoods thrive,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “We know that these grants will not only be used to create affordable housing, but they will also provide much needed wrap-around services and solutions to complex issues.”

“HUD funding to Tribal communities provides resources so that all households have a decent, safe place to live,” said Alicka Ampry-Samuel, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. “Permanent homes and services not only support residents, but they also improve their communities and the lives of families that need it most.”

The IHBG program is a formula grant that provides a range of affordable housing activities on reservations and related areas. Eligible activities include housing development, operation and modernization of existing housing, housing services to eligible families and individuals, crime prevention and safety, and model activities that provide creative approaches to solving affordable housing challenges.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also announced $5.6 billion in funding to States, urban counties, insular areas, DC, Puerto Rico, and local organizations across the country. These annual formula grants provide critical funding for a wide range of activities including affordable housing, community development, and homeless assistance.

“Viable communities must promote integrated approaches to develop decent housing, suitable living environments, and expand economic opportunities to the most vulnerable,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “These funds allow communities to address their unique needs by prioritizing what matters most to their residents and letting them own their investments in community development through these important federal resources.”

“State and local governments and

organizations depend on HUD’s community development funding to address the needs of their residents,” said Alicka Ampry-Samuel, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. “These valuable stakeholders serve communities in need. HUD provides this federal funding to support a wide array of services that assist underserved residents and improve low-income families’ quality of life.”

The grants announced for New York today are provided through the following HUD programs:

• $318 million in Community Development Block Grants to 58 localities to build stronger communities to 1239 states and localities to build stronger communities— The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, counties, and insular areas to develop stronger, more resilient communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income people. In 2022 the program helped over 60,000 families nationwide through housing activities, 46,000 individuals through job creation or retention, 83,500 people experiencing homelessness through improvements to homelessness facilities, over 5.3 million people through public services, and over 39 million people through public improvements.

• $140 million in Home Investments Partnerships Program (HOME) grants to produce affordable housing — The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is the primary Federal tool of States and local governments to produce affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for low-income families. HOME funds a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME projects leverage non-federal funds including, in many cases, tax credits for affordable rental housing. In 2022 the program helped create over 15,000 units of housing and nearly 17,000 households were assisted with tenant-based rental assistance through the HOME program.

• $55 million in Housing Opportunities

for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) grants to connect people with HIV/AIDS to housing and support — The Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/ AIDS (HOPWA) program provides stable and permanent housing assistance and supportive services to low-income people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Over 100,000 households across the nation receive HOPWA housing assistance and/or supportive services annually.

• $27.7 million in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) to address homelessness — Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) provides funds for homeless shelters, assists in the operation of local shelters, and funds related to social service and homeless prevention programs. Recipients enable

people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. ESG funds may be used for street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing assistance. Annually, ESG connects over 350,000 people nationally to emergency shelters as they transition to permanent housing

“This funding allows communities to address their most pressing local needs, providing flexible resources to build homes, support renters and homeowners, provide life-saving assistance to people experiencing homelessness, and improve public facilities, community resilience, and local economies,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Marion McFadden. “HUD’s annual formula block grants allow states and localities to invest in the success of neighborhoods and allow people of modest means to thrive.”

—Submitted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center Presents Friedlander Upstander Awards

The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County (HMTC) annually honors middle and high school students on Long Island who confront intolerance, prejudice, or other forms of social injustice with the Friedlander Upstander Award. Winners receive a $5,000 scholarship. The 13th Annual Friedlander Upstander Awards will be presented at HMTC’s 2023 Upstander Awards Event on Monday, May 15, at Westbury Manor, 1100 Jericho Turnpike, Westbury, NY.

Due to the rise of antisemitism, hate speech, hate crimes, and bullying on Long Island and nationally, those who make a difference in their schools and communities by acting as upstanders are more important than ever. HMTC defines an upstander as a person who stands up for others and does not allow bigotry, hatred, or intolerance to happen without intercession. Every year we honor middle and high school students from across Long Island who have demonstrated the actions of an upstander. The student’s action could be one of intervention or prevention,

big or small.

Those who apply must be enrolled in a middle or high school on Long Island, need a brief nomination letter from a teacher, guidance counselor, or another adult who is not a family member. They also must write a five-hundred-word essay on what actions they have taken that make them upstanders. Applications for the Friedlander Upstander Awards are due March 27, 2023.

For the past thirteen years, the Friedlander Upstander Awards have been generously provided by the Claire Friedlander Family Foundation in partnership with the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County. The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation was established by Claire Friedlander, a Holocaust Survivor from Poland. The foundation supports local education, performing arts, healthcare, and environmental nonprofits.

For more information, contact Gayle Peck at gaylepeck@hmtcli.org.

—Submitted by Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center

“Permanent homes and services not only support residents, but they also improve their communities and the lives of families that need it most.”

— Marcia L. Fudge, HUD Secretary

Boris Chartan, Founder Of The Holocaust Memorial And Tolerance Center And Holocaust Survivor, 96

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Holocaust survivor

Boris Chartan. He was the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County’s (HMTC) founder and first chairman. He was 96 years old.

Boris, along with other survivors, clergy, and politicians, founded The Holocaust Memorial and Educational Center in 1992 to remember Holocaust victims, educate future generations, and to be a second home for survivors who settled on Long Island and rebuilt their lives here -- after losing everything to the hands of the Nazis.

“This is an insurmountable loss for the HMTC and the survivor community,” said HMTC board chair Alan Mindel. “Boris was the driving force in creating a sacred space for our cherished survivors. If it weren’t for him, the Center would not exist. It is because of Boris’ vision that we now educate thousands of students, law enforcement, nurses, and the general community across Long Island and beyond about the horrors of the Holocaust and how to be upstanders and speak out to prevent future genocides from happening.”

Carol Ragione, who worked closely with Boris and has known him for more than two decades recalls, “As one of the original employees of HMTC, it was an honor to work for Boris Chartan, a

Holocaust survivor, whose vision was to bring an educational center and museum to Long Island and to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to children and adults alike. It’s a sad day with his passing. May he rest in peace.”

Boris was born in 1926 in Podkamien, Poland. He was an only child but part of a large extended family. As a child,

he recalled that the Jewish people were blamed for everything that went wrong -- they had no power and were often singled out and attacked, and the Nazis burned down synagogues. He witnessed the murders of his aunts, grandmother, and others, which happened right in front of him.

Boris and his father were taken to a

work camp where they were forced to mine rocks. A Polish couple his father was friends with hid Boris’ mother in a hayloft on a farm. They made sure Boris and his father had food and they traveled long distances by horse and wagon to the work camp to deliver it. Boris and his father managed to escape from the camp and joined Boris’ mother in the hayloft. They were liberated by the Russians and taken to Germany to live in a displaced persons camp. With the help of his uncles, Boris came to New York in 1946. Boris credits this kind Polish couple for saving his life and for being upstanders.

In an interview with a high school student in 2005, Boris shared, “We are here to tell the story to make the young people aware of what hate and intolerance can do to us. Be on guard all the time. When you see intolerance or injustice, speak out and do not keep silent. Silence leads to the destruction of people.”

In Boris’ memory, and in honor of all Holocaust survivors on this earth and in our hearts -- we promise to continue doing all we can to teach future generations to fight antisemitism and hate. May Boris’ memory forever be a blessing.

—Submitted by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County

Three Long Island Visual Arts Non-Profits Come Together To Host Mental Health Awareness Events

The Art League of Long Island is excited to participate in “Art Soothes the Mindful Soul” and announces a free event during Mental Health Awareness Month. This art and meditation event will be held on May 25, from 6pm to 7:30 pm in our Jeanne Tengelsen Gallery. The event is open to all members of the community and no prior experience is necessary. It is an opportunity for individuals to come together and learn about the importance of mental health and the benefits of meditation and art therapy. We hope to offer a unique experience that will be both educational and therapeutic for all participants.

Elizabeth Castelli, a meditation instructor and life coach, will lead the group through a guided meditation

session that will begin with a relaxation/body scan. She will help participants tap into their Inner Heart Wisdom, the place of Creative Power, and imagine what they are being called to create. Posing inquiry to our heart center to envision what is lying latent within.

Rachel Woelfel, a Masters candidate in Art Therapy at Pratt Institute, will then lead the participants in expressing their emotions through color and mixed media art materials. This workshop is in the spirit of the Art League’s motto, “Be the Artist You Want to Be.”

Elizabeth Castelli is a ACC (ICF), Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) through the Institute for Professional Excellence in

Coaching (iPEC), an ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited program. She upholds the ICF professional and ethical standards of practice in her coaching. Elizabeth is also a Registered Nurse and traditional Reiki Master.

Rachel Woelfel is a Graduate Student at Pratt Institute’s Art Therapy and Creativity Development program. Born in Huntington, New York, Rachel received her Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and Art History from Stony Brook University, with minor studies in Media Arts and Gender Studies.

The event will be held in the Art League of Long Island’s Jeanne Tengelsen Gallery, located at 107 East Deer Park Road, in Dix Hills, NY.

Established in 1955, the Art League is a not-for-profit visual arts center whose

mission is to provide a forum and showcase for artists of all ages and ability levels, whether through art education in the studios or exhibition opportunities in the gallery and art fairs. Artwork on display in the gallery may be available for purchase.

The Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is open free of charge. For more information visit www.artleagueli.org or call (631) 462-5400. Pre-registration is required due to limited space, and interested participants can register online at the Art League’s website: www. artleagueli.org. Contact the Art League of Long Island’s Marketing Coordinator, Amy Tischler, at atischler@artleagueli. org or (631)462-5400 x22.

—Submitted by the Art League of Long Island

WORD FIND

HOROSCOPES By Holiday Mathis

HOROSCOPES

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have pleted the puzzle, there will be 19 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Holiday Mathis

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND HOROSCOPES By

By Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ll make thoughtful and well-informed decisions. You’ll throw your mind ahead and plan for di erent outcomes. Much of what you do in the name of others goes unacknowledged, as is the case with people who are consistent and excellent leaders. Know that what you’re doing matters quite a lot.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You know what you intend to do, but you’re better o writing it in a diary than telling people now. ere are people who will take your ideas and run with them, or worse, try to in uence your pure vision. Flesh things out on your own for a while.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ve deferred to others, paid your dues and humbled yourself to the process. Now, believe in yourself. It’s warranted. Don’t imagine you can do anything -- that would be silly given human limitation and other circumstantial constraints. But believe in yourself -- a being as worthy as any of seizing this gift of light, of breath and moments.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). ough you’re known for having good style, it’s the content that matters this week. e most alluring thing you’ll do today will have little to do with what you own or what you look like. Attractiveness has more to do with having a positive attitude, being kind and compassionate and cultivating healthy relationships.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). is week sees you at your busy best. People need you, which incentivizes you to be the best at what you do. You take pride in your work and you do what it takes to keep your skills sharp. You’re constantly seeking to improve your craft and develop your unique style.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Success can take many forms for you. Would you rather have recognition or money? Or would you rather have a profound sense of knowing that you’ve reached higher or deeper levels of mastery? is week’s success is proven in the smiles of those who are joyfully moved by what you do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Fortuitous conversations will erupt between strangers this week. Real life will be more interesting than digital life and will teach you things you couldn’t possibly learn from a glowing screen lled with information. We’re all in this together, so you may as well get to know the person standing next to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). To imagine the bliss inside a wonderful relationship between you and the object of your a ection brings on a dopamine high -- an altered reality lled with hope and possibility. ere is nothing inherently wrong with this if you can accept it for the entertainment value of what it is instead of mistaking it for anything to do with the realities of human connection.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You love someone and want to x their problem, which you will -- by giving them plenty of room to make their own mistakes. It’s hard to watch someone fall. Maybe it’s worse than going through it yourself. But you cherish the lessons you’ve learned, and you will give loved ones a similar experience.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s a wonderful week for getting your point across if you have one, but if you don’t, this is a week to come up with one. Mercury is busy, purposeful and on your side now. By the end of the week, you may nd a very di erent meaning to things than you had at the start of it all.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). None are winners or losers because of the number of mistakes they make. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s the reaction to mistakes that de nes people. is week presents situations that give you a chance to shine. A solid core of character and a spiritual grace will extend to your community.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). What you come up with on your own will be your favorite idea, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best idea on the table. Compromise is the friend of business and the enemy of art. When you’re working on something creative, make it all about you and ful lling your vision. For anything else, pay close attention to the needs and wants of others.

THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS

Your role will bring you honor. You’re the neutral person who helps a group get along, but you’re also the problem-solver and motivator who helps everyone function at a high level. e main events of next season will have you feeling younger and lighter. You’ll bond anew with family. You’ll be paid for work you enjoy.

Go for a gallop

Solution: 19 Letters

WORD FIND

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have completed the puzzle, there will be 19 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Go

FROM KING FEATURES SYNDICATE, 300 W. 57th STREET, 41st FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10019

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT. 236

CONTRACT BRIDGE — BY STEVE BECKER

FOR RELEASE SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2023

CONTRACT BRIDGE

By Steve Becker

Structural visualization

spade, South cashed the A-K of trump, hoping the missing clubs were divided 2-2.

When East showed out on the second trump, declarer tried the K-Q-A of hearts in hopes that the opposing hearts were divided 3-3, or that West, who had the third club, had the heart length. Unfortunately, West ruffed the third heart for down one.

Solution:

Opening lead — two of spades.

Assume you’re declarer at five clubs. West leads a spade, and you ruff the spade continuation. How would you play the hand?

Aside from the ace of diamonds, the only other potential loser is your fourth heart. But if West has the diamond ace, a parking place for the heart can be developed by leading twice toward dummy’s diamond honors.

The actual declarer therefore led a diamond to the king at trick three, but when East produced the ace and returned a spade, another plan was needed. So after ruffing the

Tomorrow:

Though declarer gave himself several chances to get home safely, he overlooked an approach that didn’t require a favorable break in either hearts or the trump suit. After the diamond ace proves to be offside and declarer trumps the spade return, he should cash the A-K of trump, lead a diamond to the queen and ruff a diamond. A heart to the queen is followed by another diamond ruff.

At this point, declarer has the A-8-6 of hearts while dummy has the jack of clubs and K-4 of hearts. A low heart is led to dummy, and the jack of clubs is played, extracting West’s last trump as South discards his heart loser. Declarer then takes the last trick with the ace of hearts.

In this way, declarer nullifies the location of the diamond ace and the uneven divisions in clubs and hearts. In all, he scores three club tricks, four ruffs in his hand, three hearts and a diamond for a total of 11 tricks.

Weekly Sudoku Puzzle

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.

Answer to last issue’s Sudoku Puzzle

Answer to last issue’s Crossword Puzzle

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Hicksville Water District Board Elects Commissioner William Schuckmann As Chairman

During the recent reorganizational meeting of the Hicksville Water District, the HWD Board of Commissioners unanimously elected Commissioner William Schuckmann to serve as District Chairman. Commissioner Schuckmann is currently in his third term on the Board and will serve as Chairman throughout 2023, a role he had previously held in 2017 and 2020.

“It is an honor to have been chosen by Commissioners Schweitzer and Brigandi to act as District Chairman this year,” said Chairman Schuckmann. “Being able to serve my neighbors on the Hicksville Water District Board is a true privilege. I am greatly look-

ing forward to leading our District throughout 2023 and continue our mission of providing excellent service to our community.”

Chairman Schuckmann has been a part of the Hicksville Water District since the 1970s and has worked his way up the ladder from the very first rung. He started as a laborer, then foreman and eventually superintendent of the Hicksville Water District. As superintendent, he was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations providing the community with more than 2 billion gallons of clean, portable water. He finally joined the HWD Board of Commissioners in 2014, providing crucial oversight as the District

worked diligently to rapidly install state-of-the-art treatment systems in order to address the threat of emerging contaminants in the District’s water. Through Chairman Schuckmann’s combined leadership with his fellow commissioners and HWD Superintendent Paul Granger, the HWD’s efforts have been successful, as it currently has eight wells providing clean drinking water to its nearly 50,000 residents.

Chairman Schuckmann is exceptionally active in the community outside of the HWD as well. A member of the Hicksville Volunteer Fire Department for over 50 years, he has served as Company Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief

and Chief. He was elected to serve three five-year terms as Fire Commissioner following his tenure as Chief. He also has been fundamental in fundraising for the Hicksville community, assisting in local charity golf outings and raising funds for various community nonprofit organizations and local families in need through the Hicksville Boys and Girls Club. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce and is also on the Board of Directors of the Hicksville Rotary Club, for which he previously served as president in 2001 and 2006.

—Submitted by the Hicksville Water District

Hicksville Water District Commissioner William Schuckmann was elected by fellow Board Commissioners to serve as District Chairman throughout 2023.

(Contributed photo)

Durso Joins Correction Officers To Call For Repeal Of HALT Act

Assemblyman Michael Durso (Massapequa Park) joined lawmakers from the Assembly, correction officers, Correction Officers Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio and Legislative Chairman Herman Jiminian for a press conference at Rikers Island Correctional Facility.

The group called on New York City leaders and Mayor Eric Adams to address the dangerous staffing shortage, attacks on correction officers and a repeal of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act, which limits the use of segregated confinement for prison inmates to 15 days and leaves the prison population and correction officers vulnerable to attacks.

“The fact is that our brave correction officers are faced with dangerous, and sometimes deadly situations each day they step inside a correctional facility or prison. The last thing we should be doing is reducing staff or making it more difficult for them to protect themselves,” Durso said. “Some of our state and city leaders want to close

more jails and prisons. Where do they think these deadly inmates are going to go? It’s just placing more stress on COs and putting them in harm’s way.”

In the past three years, the correction officer headcount has dropped 30%, as over 4,000 officers have resigned or retired since 2019. This is in large part due to the fact that officers are forced to work over 16-hour days and some even work 24-hour shifts without meals or rest. In addition to these departures, sexual assaults on female officers continue to rise. Approximately 40 female officers at Rikers have been sexually assaulted by inmates and their assailants can only face misdemeanors, not felonies.

“The first step is repealing the HALT Act, second is fully fund and increase our prison staff and third is make it a felony to sexually assault a correction officer – we can do all this immediately and all are absolutely necessary,” Durso finished.

—Submitted by the Office of Assemblyman Michael Durso

New Nassau County Legislator Michael Giangregorio Sworn In

Recently, the new Nassau County Legislator for the 19th Legislative District, Michael J. Giangregorio, was sworn in by County Executive Bruce Blakeman. He took the oath of office in the Peter J. Schmitt Legislative Chamber, standing next to his wife Alison.

Legislator Giangregorio was the winner of a recent special election to finish the term of former-legislator Steve Rhoads, who left his position after being elected to the State Senate.

Legislator Giangregorio will finish out Legislator Rhoad's term. The 19th Legislative District includes Wantagh, Seaford, Bellmore, Merrick and parts of Freeport and North Wantagh.

“It is truly my honor to serve the people in the 19th legislative district,” Legislator Giangregorio said. “I look forward to working

with the legislators and the county executive to hold the line on taxes, benefitting those on the autism spectrum and retaining the quality of life in the district.”

Legislator Giangregorio is a Vice President of JP Morgan in its Corporate and Investment Bank segment with over 30 years of experience in the finance industry. He has been a fierce advocate in increasing awareness and supporting efforts to benefit children as well as their families affected by autism. His lobbying efforts in both Washington and Albany have helped lead to increased funding for research, family services and autism insurance reform, including passage of the ABLE Act in New York State.

—Submitted by Nassau County Legislative Majority

Assemblyman Michael Durso attended the press conference at Rikers to address concerns about correctional policy changes. (Contributed photo)

The new legislator was sworn in next to his wife. (Contributed photo)

Multilingual Massapequa Students To Earn Seal Of Biliteracy

After six years of studying world languages, 46 Massapequa High School seniors will earn the Seal of Biliteracy when they graduate in June. This is the fourth year that the school has offered the prestigious designation for students who have demonstrated a strong knowledge of at least two languages.

William Anderson, curriculum associate for world languages and ENL, explained that the Seal of Biliteracy shows mastery of English and at least one other language. Massapequa offers American Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, but students could also pursue it in another language they’ve learned independently.

“I enjoy exploring foreign cultures, especially ones that are much further away from the United States,” said Cristian Rivera, who is earning the Seal of Biliteracy in English and Spanish.

“I’m always up for a challenge,” added senior Juliana Koubek, who also has taken Spanish as her world language since seventh grade.

Students have to complete a research

project and make a presentation, in their respective world language, to a panel of educators. Cristian studied the history and impact of architecture in the United States and Spain, analyzing three buildings from

each country. He looked at the Empire State Building, a castle in Arizona with a gothic Spanish revival inspiration and Union Station in California. From Spain, he studied La Sagrada Familia, the University

of Salamanca and Plaza de España.

Juliana used a trip to the Galápagos Islands as inspiration for her project. Her environmental-themed project focused on the effects of climate change on endangered species in the Galápagos Islands and on Long Island.

Cristian and Juliana said that having the Seal of Biliteracy will benefit them throughout their lives as they meet and interact with people from many different backgrounds. For Cristian, he said that earning the distinction shows the strength of the connections he made to Spanish language and culture over the past six years. In college, he is considering learning a third language.

Juliana said that Spanish class has always been a highlight of her school day and she hopes to minor in the language in college.

“I would recommend pursuing the Seal of Biliteracy,” she said. “It was meaningful and informative, and it’s definitely going to help me moving forward.”

—Submitted by the Massapequa School District

Student-Run Business Is One Of Only Four In NYS To Earn Gold Recognition

The Hawks Nest, a school-based enterprise (SBE) at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, earned Gold Re-Certification by DECA for the 20222023 school year. The student-run business was among 461 worldwide to achieve this recognition—and one of only four in New York State to do so. As part of this special re-certification, The Hawks Nest will be recognized during DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, in the spring.

wal. They were assisted by their DECA chapter advisor, Lindsay DeLucca.

Bethpage

Talented Student Artists From Bethpage Recognized

Two seniors from Bethpage High School recently had their outstanding artwork on display at the Art League of Long Island’s Go APE 2023 Advanced Placement Exhibition. Yamileth Garcia and Shannon O’Keefe, advanced placement art students in Courtney Young’s class, received honorable mention for their work – Garcia’s piece entitled “Margarito/Jairin/Alex Garcia Tapia” and O’Keefe’s piece entitled “1934 Reflections.”

The exhibition featured 2-D and 3-D works from 137 advanced placement and

international baccalaureate art students from 40 high schools across Nassau County and Suffolk County. High school art teachers selected their students' artwork for exhibition. The exhibit ran in the Art League of Long Island’s Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery throughout February.

The Bethpage Union Free School District congratulates both Garcia and O’Keefe on this great achievement.

—Submitted by the Bethpage Union Free School District

An SBE is an entrepreneurial operation in a school setting that provides goods and services to meet the needs of the market. SBEs are managed and operated by students as hands-on learning laboratories that integrate national curriculum standards in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. DECA advisors have utilized this effective educational tool for over four decades to provide their students with realistic and practical learning experiences that reinforce classroom instruction, enhance 21st century skill development, and prepare students for college and careers.

The Plainview-Old Bethpage DECA members who contributed to the certification were Sofie Nelson and Divbani Sabhar-

As part of the re-certification process, DECA’s SBE certification program provides recognition for outstanding achievement by SBEs and motivates student-run organizations to strive for excellence and growth. SBEs can be certified at three levels: bronze, silver or gold. In order to apply for the certification, SBEs must submit extensive documentation that explains how the SBE demonstrates the practice of various marketing and retail standards. A review committee evaluates the documentation to determine which level of certification has been achieved. DECA’s schoolbased enterprise programs are sponsored by Intuit and Otis Spunkmeyer Inc.

For more information about the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, please visit the District’s website at www. pobschools.org. Exciting activities happening throughout the District and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the District’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pobschools/.

—Submitted by the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District

senior Yamileth Garcia received honorable mention for her artwork pictured above, “Margarito/Jairin/Alex Garcia Tapia.”

Bethpage senior Shannon O’Keefe received honorable mention for her artwork “1934 Reflections.” (Contributed photos)

Massapequa High School seniors Cristian Rivera and Juliana Koubek are two of 46 students who will graduate with the Seal of Biliteracy this year. (Contributed photo)

Members of the Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School school-based enterprise, The Hawks Nest. (Contributed photo)

Massapequa’s Emerging Business Leaders Succeed At Competition

Massapequa High School’s DECA chapter enjoyed success at the recent regional competition and will heading off to the state tournament in Rochester, New York in March. DECA is an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in the finance, hospitality and marketing industries.

At the Nassau County regional competition at Freeport High School, students participated in role-playing exercises in a variety of categories, such as business law, restaurant and food service, and sports marketing. Students were given scenarios at the conference, and had to prepare and present to a panel of judges who are experts in their respective fields.

Massapequa adviser Edward Aromando said that students only get 10 minutes to prepare if it’s an individual presentation or 15 minutes

with a team, so it’s vital to have strong background knowledge of their category.

DECA is open to students from both the high school’s main and Ames campuses. This year, 30 students attended the regional competition, and 16 placed in their categories. A total of 29 Massapequa DECA students will attend the state competition, with a chance to qualify for the national tournament in Orlando.

Juniors Autumn Romer and Angela Langone are first-year members of DECA and earned first place at the regional tournament in the business law and ethics category. Autumn, a member of Massapequa’s mock trial team, joined DECA to broaden her knowledge of law, and she recruited Angela. Their scenario at the regional conference was about ethical concerns regarding a solar panel company’s marketing plan. They both enjoyed the event and liked interacting with high school students with similar interests.

“It really felt like we were at a business conference,” Autumn said. Patrick Pellegrini placed second in the accounting category and his scenario was related to insurance. He said he enjoys the

challenge of going into the competition without knowing what the role-playing situation will be.

—Submitted by the Massapequa School District

Historic Figures Share Their Stories At Lee Road And Gardiners Avenue Elementary Schools

Lee Road and Gardiners Avenue elementary schools in the Levittown Public School District were host to a wide array of historic figures plucked right from their respective times. Sixth-graders from Jonas E. Salk Middle School visited the schools dressed up and ready to educate their younger peers about their subjects.

In their classes, Salk students researched various historic figures who made significant impacts on the world. Choosing one historic figure, sixth graders prepared costumes and learned about all aspects of their subjects’ lives so they could adopt

their persona. Informational poster boards were created by each student in preparation of a live wax museum at Lee Road and Gardiners Avenue.

Earlier this month, fourth and fifth-graders stepped foot into makeshift museums made up of their visiting sixth grade peers. Students made their way to each exhibit to hear the historic figures explain who they are. They learned about the backgrounds of Cleopatra, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Leonardo DaVinci and many more.

—Submitted by Levittown Public Schools

Sixth graders from Jonas E. Salk Middle School visited Gardiners Avenue and Lee Road elementary schools dressed as historical figures.

Many historic figures were represented, including Julius Caesar at Lee Road.

Salk sixth graders had a great time interacting with and educating their younger peers.

Juniors Angela Langone, left, and Autumn Romer won first place in the business law and ethics category. Patrick Pellegrini, left, and Brady Sanders both placed in their categories and advance to the state tournament. (Contributed photos)

Massapequa High School DECA regional winners were congratulated by Supervisor of Career and Technical Education Patricia LiVecchi, Principal Barbara Lowell and adviser Edward Aromando.

Students’ creativity was expressed through their costumes and presentations.

Egyptian pharaohs from various points in time were a part of the makeshift museums. (Contributed photos)

Councilman Labriola Announces New Co-Ed Pickleball Program

Oyster Bay Town Councilman Steve Labriola invites residents to take part in a new co-ed pickleball program, beginning April 4th at the Town of Oyster Bay’s Hicksville Athletic Center, located at 167 Broadway in Hicksville. Pickleball is available to individuals 18 years of age or older and offered for 10 weeks long and held on both Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7am to 9:30am.

Councilman Labriola stated, “Pickleball continues to be a growing sport in our communities and this program will provide an even greater opportunity for fans to participate. Pickleball is a fun and social sport, and provides a great healthy activity for the whole family.”

Online registration is now available at www.oysterbaytown.com/parksportal. Space is limited- first come, first serve.

Registration will close when the program reaches full capacity. Fees are $75 for residents and $100 for non-residents. Proof of residency requires individuals to upload a tax or utility bill and valid photo ID. Participants must provide their own racket.

Pickleball is a fun sport for all ages, played with a wooden paddle and lightweight plastic ball. The sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping

pong and can include two, three or four players. It shares similarities to other racquet sports. The dimensions and layout closely resemble a badminton court, which is considerably smaller than a tennis court and rules of the game are somewhat similar to tennis.

For more information, call (516) 7977945 or email tobparks@oysterbay-ny.gov.

Town Announces Registration Now Open For Toddler Sports Program

Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Vicki Walsh announced that the Toddler Sports Program returns this spring on April 18. This 6-week program offers sports classes, like tee-ball and flag football, at the Hicksville Athletic Center for children ages 3 and 4.

Residents who sign their toddler up for the program must choose one class per week, per child. Classes will take place on: -Tuesdays at 1 or 2 p.m. at the Hicksville Athletic Center; and

-Thursdays at 1 or 2 p.m. at the Hicksville Athletic Center.

Online registration is now available at www.oysterbaytown.com/parksportal.

Space is limited- first come, first serve. Registration will close when the program reaches full capacity.

Each class is approximately 50 minutes. The cost of the program is $75 per child who is a

town resident, and $90 per child whose care giver is a town resident but not the child. The child’s birth certificate and a tax or utility bill will be required to validate age and proof of residency. A guardian must be present during the class. The child must be 3 years old by the start of the program. The Toddler Sports Program is run by the Town’s Parks Depart-

ment, Recreation Division. For further information, please call 516-797-7945.

—Submitted by the Town of Oyster Bay

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—Submitted by the Town of Oyster Bay Call

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