Great Neck Record 4/19/23 edition is published weekly by Anton Media Group.

Local officials react to Legislator’s proposal for county

AMANDA OLSEN & JULIE PRISCO

aolsen@antonmediagroup.com jprisco@antonmediagroup.com

With rising sea levels and stronger, more frequent extreme weather events, Long Island is on the front lines of climate change. According to the most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities are responsible for accelerating global warming and climate change. Higher temperatures, more frequent precipitation and storms, faster rates of ocean warming, and sea level rise are some of the key physical effects of climate change that are impacting communities and ecosystems around the world. Climate change impacts will continue to worsen as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions increase.

New York State has already enacted legislation to combat climate change. On July 18, 2019, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) was signed into law. This is among the most ambitious climate laws in the nation and requires New York to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and no less than 85 percent by 2050.

But for some, this does not go far enough.

A recent proposal, spearheaded by Legislator Joshua Lazafan, together with the Nassau County Legislature’s Minority Caucus and advocates from the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, presents even more ambitious goals, requiring county municipal operations to be carbon neutral by January 1, 2035.

The proposal would require the county to create and deliver a carbon neutrality action

plan to the legislature no later than Dec. 1, 2024 and provide triennial updates to the Legislature outlining the county’s progress toward achieving carbon neutrality. The County Executive would be further empowered to seek state and federal grants and to create a local carbon neutrality advisory panel to aid in this effort.

“Our exposure to climate change is a constant threat to our homes, our communities, our infrastructure, our drinking water, and our collective safety,”

Legislator Lafazan said.

“Local governments are on the front lines of this crisis, and we have an opportunity to transform our community - making it healthier, more prosperous, and more equitable through our carbon neutrality plan.”

According to an OpEd from Legislator Lafazan, “Long Island ranks fourth among major population centers for its exposure to the physical and economic risks of climate change. Reports show that Long Island is especially vulnerable to warming

temperatures, extreme weather, sea level rise and “water stress” from our reliance upon a sole-source aquifer for potable water. This underscores the need for collective urgency here and how the actions we take now will help protect Long Island for generations to come.”

Legislator Lafazan’s concerns for the future generations is not exaggerated. He explains how we have already seen a preview of what is to come if we don’t act now to address climate change. “Powerful once-in-a-generation storms that happened every century are happening every month. Recently, 26 people died from the extreme tornado in Mississippi. Thirty-seven people died this winter from extreme storms in Buffalo. And lest we not forget Hurricane Sandy, where 44 New Yorkers lost their lives, and 69,000 people suffered property damage.”

The climate crisis is a bipartisan issue and Legislator Lafazan is encouraging Republicans and Democrats in Nassau

County to support the bill. “I call upon County Executive Blakeman and my colleagues in the Legislature to pass this bill and make Nassau County the cleanest and greenest municipality in the State of New York.”

On the local level, the Town of North Hempstead has been working to become a greener town for years now through awareness programs, recycling events, and conservation initiatives. North Hempstead has encouraged residents and businesses to be more environmentally conscious while improving the town code to address climate change.

“As a town that is committed to environmental sustainability, it is imperative that we take bold and ambitious steps towards reducing our carbon footprint. Legislator Lafazan’s bill to make Nassau County carbon neutral by 2035 is a commendable effort that aligns with our own goals of creating a more sustainable future for our community,” said Councilmember Mariann Dalimonte (District Six).

Councilmember Veronica Lurvey (District Four) discussed some of the town’s work through the Climate Smart Communities Task Force. The task force recently approved a Municipal Climate Action Plan, which is part of the town’s commitment to address climate change by reducing greenhouse emissions. The process started with the measurement of a baseline in 2019. The town aims to reduce GHG emissions by 20 percent by 2030 within its municipal operations, from the 2019 baseline, explained Councilmember Lurvey. The plan, which can be accessed on the town website, involved the input from town employees in every department, it’s comprehensive.

“I would like to review Legislator Lafazan’s proposed bill. As I understand it,

Legislator Lafazan announcing his plan for Carbon Neutrality in Nassau County. (Contributed by the office of Legislator Lafazan)

Our exposure to climate change is a constant threat to our homes, our communities, our infrastructure, our drinking water, and our collective safety.

—Legislator Joshua Lafazan

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CARBON NEUTRAL from page 3 carbon neutrality doesn’t necessarily mean 0 percent GHG emissions. It means that there is a balance between emissions and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere,” said Councilmember Lurvey. “Here is where another extremely important Town initiative comes into play. Trees act as carbon sinks. In 2019, I led the effort to do a massive revision to town code as it relates to trees. As a result of the revisions, the town is now mandated to strive to increase the tree canopy. Through the adoption of my budget amendments to the 2023 budget, we increased funding for tree related matters by $1 million. With these important actions, we took extremely important steps forward toward carbon neutrality, separate from the Municipal Climate Action Plan.”

“A municipal plan to reduce GHG emissions is a critical first step, but non-municipal actions and initiatives need to be a part of the solution,” said Counilmember Lurvey. “These will be detailed in a future Community Climate Action Plan to be developed separately, again through the Climate Smart Communities Task Force.”

The villages within the Town of North Hempstead have taken it upon themselves to follow in the town’s footsteps and be more environmentally friendly. For example, the Village of Great Neck Plaza has hosted Earth Day events to encourage

sustainable living. Great Neck Plaza Mayor Ted Rosen supports the idea of the proposed bill, he’d like to study it more.

“We should certainly aspire towards achieving carbon neutral status in the future,” said Mayor Rosen. “Setting a specific date is a much more difficult question, that requires careful analysis and study. I salute [Legislator Lafazan] for long term planning and looking ahead. Its 2023 now and he’s looking 12 years ahead for 2035, that’s very important and we should all be doing that.”

Mayor Lawrence Ceriello of Munsey Park questioned how the county will pay for the changes required, if not by raising taxes, and thus impacting individual residents.

“The Nassau County Legislature can debate the merits of Legislator Lafazan’s proposed bill but it is incorrect to suggest, as he does, that residents will not bear the cost of his plan. They will. For example, his plan will require that county-owned cars, like police and emergency response vehicles, that now run on gasoline be replaced with electric

versions that run on electricity. How does he propose to pay for this if not through higher taxes? Also, I assume his plan will require that all county-owned buildings be carbon-neutral; retrofitting all of those buildings will be expensive. In the County owned parks and beaches, wouldn’t his plan ban outdoor BBQ grills that now burn charcoal or propane? That may not sound like much, but to some families this change will be meaningful. So, as I see it, his plan will impact Nassau families in many ways, not the least of which is the increase in taxes required to pay for it.”

While there aren’t many concrete details regarding Legislator Lafazan’s proposal when it comes to costs and taxes, he states that his “proposal strictly relates to Nassau County’s government and our municipal operations. So, while this law does not establish new mandates for individual Nassau County homeowners, all citizens in Nassau will be the beneficiaries of a cleaner environment. Whether it’s improving the quality of our air, our drinking water, our beaches, buildings, parks and preserves, we all benefit from a greener Nassau. And of equal importance, this bill will make Nassau County a “Climate Smart” community, ensuring that state and federal grants offset the costs of these improvements so we don’t have to hike a single dollar in taxes.”

Going Green In Honor Of Earth Day North Hempstead continues to advance environmental initiatives

To celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 22, the Town of North Hempstead announced environmental initiatives recently passed by the town board. The town board voted unanimously to add electric vehicle charging stations at facilities throughout the town and to require the installation of water-efficient fixtures in all town projects.

Adding Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Throughout the Town

The North Hempstead town board recently voted unanimously to amend an agreement with Blink Charging Co. to install Level 2 EV and DC charging stations at facilities throughout the town. The stations will be installed in the Mary Jane Davies Green parking lot, the Clinton G. Martin Park parking lot, Port Washington Public Park District Lot 4, and the Michael J. Tully Park parking lot. This initiative was spearheaded by Councilmember Veronica Lurvey as part of her GoGreen environmental initiatives.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the Town of North Hempstead to increase accessibility to electric vehicle charging stations for our residents,” said Councilmember Lurvey. “This initiative was spearheaded by the Climate Smart Communities Task Force, and I was proud to bring it to the Board. By adding these charging stations, we are furthering our goals of creating a more sustainable, resilient, and green future. It is my hope that

this will also incentivize North Hempstead’s residents to transition to electric vehicles.”

The town first undertook the process of issuing a request for proposals to add electric vehicle charging stations in North Hempstead in December 2020. In early 2021, the town analyzed the qualified proposals, and the town board unanimously voted on Nov. 18, 2021 to approve an agreement with Blink Charging to help facilitate this initiative. This latest amendment approves the locations in which the charging stations will be installed.

The installation of these fast-charging stations will be at no cost to taxpayers. Revenue from the charging stations will be shared with the town. The town will work

with the community and Blink Charging to explore future charging location sites which may include local town parks, downtown areas, and transportation hubs.

Blink Charging is a leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and networked EV charging stations, enabling EV drivers to easily charge at any of its 23,000 deployed charging locations worldwide.

Town to Install Water Efficient Fixtures

The Town of North Hempstead unanimously voted to establish a new town policy requiring the installation of water-efficient fixtures in all Town projects. This action aligns with North Hempstead’s Municipal Climate Action Plan, which outlines

strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Councilmember Peter Zuckerman, who presented the resolution, stated, “This measure will help to ensure that North Hempstead is conserving water and reducing its carbon footprint. We are proud to find new ways to increase our energy efficiency and reduce our water usage.”

“This policy serves as a significant step towards reducing the negative impacts of climate change,” said Councilmember Lurvey. “By conserving water, we can promote a sustainable future for generations to come.”

The new policy will require all town projects to use WaterSense labeled products, a program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to make it easier to find water efficient products and to serve as a resource to help save water.

In March, the town unanimously adopted a Climate Action Plan, which included a multitude of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing climate within its municipal operations as well as a goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent. The plan was developed in collaboration with the Town’s Climate Smart Communities Task Force.

—Information provided by the Town of North Hempstead

Town officials celebrate the 11th year that the Town has received the title of “Tree City USA”, 2023. (Photo from the Town of North Hempstead)

Town officials with Rebecca Shamtoob from Blink Charging. (Contributed photo)

Soulfarm To Perform At Temple Beth-El Of Great Neck’s Israel At

75

Celebration

Sunday, April 30, 12:15 p.m

To celebrate the 75 years since the modern State of Israel was founded, Temple Beth-El of Great Neck invites the entire community to gather for a free concert featuring the internationally renowned musical group Soulfarm on Sunday, April 30, at 12:15 p.m.

Soulfarm was founded in Israel by Grammy Award–winning lead guitarist C Lanzbom, along with guitarist and lead singer Noah Solomon Chase. Together with drummer Ben Antelis and bassist Daniel Ori, the group’s live shows generate a Mediterranean flavor, captivating guitar leads, dance rhythms and strong percussion breaks. The New York Post describes Soulfarm as “versatile, utilizing improvisation and world music.”

The band’s sound has been dubbed as New American music, full of melodic songwriting and progressive modern arrangements. The group’s live shows exude an electric energy born from a love of Israel.

In addition to releasing 11 albums and a movie soundtrack, Soulfarm has opened for Norah Jones, Mickey Hart, Gov’t Mule, Lisa Loeb, Bruce Hornsby, Shawn Colvin, The Wailers and George Clinton, among others.

The musical group has performed at top venues around the world and locally at

Carnegie Hall, Hammerstein Ballroom, The Bitter End, Irving Plaza, Knitting Factory, The Wetlands, Town Hall and B.B. King Blues Club. Soulfarm has also been a featured headliner of the NYC Celebrates Israel Day Parade. Its fanbase stretches across the globe, as the band has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Israel. Learn more about the group at www.soulfarm.com.

The concert is part of an effort to bring the community together to commemorate this milestone and support Israel at a moment when millions of Israelis are both celebrating the Jewish state and actively working to defend its democratic nature.

Temple Beth-El’s Cantor Adam Davis frequently works in partnership with his friend and counterpart at Temple Israel of Great Neck, Hazzan Brian Shamash, to organize

musical events on the peninsula. The idea for the concert grew out of their shared desire to create a local musical celebration of Israel open to the entire community.

“Soulfarm’s catchy energy, connection to Israel and crazy-fun sound make it a natural fit for this celebration to bring us all together,” says Davis. “I’m looking forward to hosting the musical group and singing with the band.”

The concert is appropriate for audiences of all ages and is free with registration. The performance caps off a festival-like morning for the children and families of Temple Beth-El, Temple Israel, Kulanu Religious School as well as Gahalet Israeli School, all of whom are supporting the concert. Students will celebrate with hands-on Israel-related educational activities like Krav Maga and a drum circle.

To attend the concert register at bit. ly/3Kxqruh.

For more information on the day’s activities or the concert, call 516-487-0900, visit www.tbegreatneck.org or email info@ tbegreatneck.org. Temple Beth-El is Great Neck’s oldest synagogue, serving the community for more than 90 years.

—Submitted by Temple Beth-El of Great Neck

Sewer District To Host Contactless

“Shed The Meds” Drive-Thru Event

Collecting pharmaceutical waste and sharps

The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District (GNWPCD) is proud to announce that it is once again hosting its biannual “Shed the Meds” event on Sunday, April 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at its headquarters at 236 East Shore Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 via the Vista Hill Road entrance. The GNWPCD encourages the community to take advantage of its contactless drive-thru event, which provides residents with an opportunity to safely dispose of unused and expired medications as well as sharps. Before arriving at the event, residents should be sure to separate their medications and sharps to ensure their safe disposal.

“The steady growth in community involvement in our Shed the Meds event every six months is very exciting,” said GNWPCD Commissioner Patty Katz. “The importance of the safe disposal of their unused medications and sharps in order to prevent them from contaminating our natural environment is clearly a point that resonates within our residents. The fact that we have collected

more than two tons of these harmful materials since 2017 is astounding, and this could not have been done without the faithful cooperation of the Great Neck community.”

This year, the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District has partnered with Reach Out America, the Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition, the Nassau County Police Department and the Great Neck North High School Key Club. Due to the community’s continued participation and enthusiasm surrounding this event, the District has been able to collect more than 4,000 pounds

of pharmaceutical waste and sharps over the last seven years.

“While pharmaceutical take back events are held throughout Long Island, our District’s Shed the Meds event is one of very few places in the area where medical sharps can be safely disposed of,” said GNWPCD Chairman Jerry Landsberg. “It is a privilege to be able to provide our community with this service and we are excited to see our residents take advantage of it.”

For additional information and updates about the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District, please visit www.gnwpcd.net or call the office at 516-482-0238.

About

the GNWPCD

The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District (GNWPCD) is a special commissioner-run district within the Town of North Hempstead. The GNWPCD has provided sewage services for the Great Neck area since 1914, and currently serves more than 25,000 residents and businesses in the villages of Great Neck, Saddle Rock, Kensington, and those parts of Thomaston and Great Neck Plaza east of Middle Neck Road; as well as all unincorporated areas north of the Long Island Railroad and a part of Manhasset. The GNWPCD’s mission is to protect human health, our bays and the environment.

Enjoy Soulfarm’s melodic songwriting and progressive modern arrangements during the Israel at 75 Celebration at Temple Beth-El of Great Neck. (Contributed photo)

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 21-

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

Movies at Great Neck House

Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 5 and 8 p.m., Sundays at 5 p.m. (Great Neck House) The 355. When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, four skilled women join forces on a lethal, breakneck mission to retrieve it, while also staying one-step ahead of a mysterious woman who is tracking their every move. The action rockets around the globe from cafes of Paris to markets of Morocco to auction houses of Shanghai. (PG-13 | Action, thriller | 2022)

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

Earth Day Bird Feeder

4 p.m.-4:45 p.m. (Station Branch Community Room) Use recycled materials to create a bird feeder. This program is suitable for children in grades K through six (Ages 5-12). Register at greatnecklibrary.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

Earth Day E-Waste Recycling

8 a.m.-12 p.m. (802 West Shore Rd., Port Washington) Town of North Hempstead event. Electronic waste drop off event. Call 311 for more information.

TUESDAY, APRIL 25

Pigs in a Blanket Day

12 p.m. (Great Neck Social Center) Lunch at the Great Neck Social Center to celebrate Pigs in a Blanket Day.

Unclaimed Funds Workshop

7 p.m.-8 p.m. (Virtual) New York has billions of dollars in lost money. Each day they return about a million dollars to those

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

Womenspace

1 p.m.-2 p.m. (Great Neck Social Center) These seasoned ladies have gathered for a number of years, tuned in to what active folks think about. When this group hears about something on the local, state, national or global scene they select an expert from their various contacts to come talk about it. For new ideas and friends,

participating in music has been shown to have many health benefits for seniors. Songs are age appropriate and seniors can request songs. This class is no cost to Nassau County residents. Please call 516487-0025 to reserve your spot.

Manhasset-Great Neck Camera Club

6:30 p.m. (Manhasset Public Library, 30 Onderdonk Ave.) This meeting will feature a “Program Evening” where master photographer Jessica McGuire, will provide an instructive, slide illustrated lecture entitled “Creating Travel Shows with Color and Personality”. Our meetings are open to all. Visit our web site MGNCC. ORG .For further information, please email mgncc@optonline.net

FRIDAY, APRIL 28-

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

Movies at Great Neck House Friday at 5 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. (Great Neck House) Strange World Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original action-packed adventure introduces a legendary family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew. (PG | Animation, Adventure, Action | 2022)

Nassau County Youth Wellness Summit A Success

Going strong after three years, program looks to expand

Adolescent mental health has become a greater concern over the last 25 years, and this trend has only accelerated since the pandemic. The teens themselves are breaking the stigma and demanding better resources. The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, or SPTS, a national organization based in New Jersey, recognized this need in Nassau County and created the Nassau County Youth Wellness Summit. The summit is organized by Susan Brief, a school social worker and private practice therapist, who has been involved with SPTS since her own teen years.

“When I was about 15, I was going through a hard time as a teenager. My parents knew someone that was on the board of SPTS, and I ended up doing a little fundraiser for them. The more I got to know about them, the more purpose it put to what I was struggling with. And since then I’ve just been getting more and more involved in all the different programming that they do. Now I am their event coordinator,” Brief said.

The single-day summit, begun in 2019 and now in its third year after a one year break during COVID, focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, something sorely needed for today’s teens. According to SPTS, Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 24. And the CDC reports that 36.7 percent of high school students reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year. This percentage is higher for females, Hispanic students, and lesbian, gay or bisexual students.

The summit hosted staff and students from 33 different high schools across Nassau County and two Suffolk county high schools. All of the attendees were introduced to coping strategies, overall wellness practices and leadership skills to help them take care of themselves and their friends. These skills will equip them to be mental health leaders in their communities and best support their own mental wellness. The hope is to open dialogues about mental health and break down stigma so that they can continue to talk about these issues in their home schools.

Brief stated that invitations are sent to

the participating schools, but it is the staff and teachers who choose the participants. “We advise them to send students that they feel will be empowered to take what they’ve learned from the day and bring it back to their community. So whatever that looks like, whether it’s a student that’s struggling themselves, or whether it’s a student that’s kind of a leader among their peer group. So we kind of have a mix of student profiles throughout the day.”

The day began with an open discussion panel with people directly affected by teen suicide. “We have three young adults who spoke to their lived experiences losing a loved one to suicide or experiencing suicidal ideation and behaviors... That was a really good outlet for the teenagers to be able to ask questions like whatever was on their mind. And that’s something that we got feedback was really powerful for them.”

The selected students are all sophomores and juniors, and there are workshops geared towards those groups specifically. Sophomores participated in a workshop called “Knowing Your Worth”, which was about self esteem and empowerment. This encourages them towards self-exploration, expressing themselves confidently and using kind words towards one another. This class touches on social media that as well.

The juniors participated in a workshop called “Through My Eyes” which

addressed the stigma of mental health, what assumptions people may hold, how to break through barriers and how to form better connections. This workshop also talked about bullying and cyber-bullying, a huge issue for teens in the age of social media.

Adolescence has always been a time of transition, both mentally and physically, but today’s teens have gone through a massive disruption in the past few years. The pandemic created gaps in the normal progression of self-discovery and development. “With a pandemic would happen for a lot of young teens is they missed that part of social connection and interaction as a big part of trying on different skins and figuring out who I am and what feels right. And they kind of jumped into a later stage and adolescence where they feel like they don’t know who they are yet. They’re not ready for the next stage in life when they’re very close to graduating and moving on. And those who were already you know, in mid- adolescence have been pushed into early adulthood not feeling prepared.” Brief said.

Brief noted changes, not only in suicides, but also in issues of body image and self-harm. “With that we see a big rise in eating disorders have been an incredible rise since the pandemic. substance use and... self-harm rates are up. So just all in all, the mental and emotional wellbeing of our teens is suffering, and it calls for

more attention and more support. Not just for the teenagers but for the staff who are around the teens. Being aware that how they’re feeling emotionally is going to impact how they show up at school and their performance. And also (support) for the parents who might not be sure what the warning signs are at home or how to start a conversation if they’re noticing that their teenagers are acting differently.”

In the future, SPTS plans to bring another of their programs, the Youth Council, to Long Island. “The youth council is for any teenager from ninth through 12th grade in Nassau County who’s interested in remaining involved in mental health. We will have monthly meetings and the meeting location will travel across Nassau County. They’ll be learning more about something called the wellness wheel and it covers eight different components of wellness. They’ll learn more about the warning signs of depression and suicide and how to recognize that in their peers, different engagement skills, more about the local resources so they really can be someone to create change in their school environment and be someone who knows how to support others in their school who may be struggling.”

For more information about the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, their programs, and how to get involved, visit sptsusa.org.

Participants at the Nassau Youth Wellness Summit. (Photo by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide)

Hiking Up Harriman And A Relaxing Salt Cave Experience

JENNIFER CORR

jcorr@antonmediagroup.com

Harriman State Park

I have been itching to get out there and hike up a mountain since the weather started getting just a little bit warmer.

And on April 2, I just did that. The great part about living on Long Island is that you have so many great attractions that can take you away from your everyday life that can be seen with just a day trip. So on that Sunday, my boyfriend and I, joined by his sister, got up early and headed out to Rockland County, NY to visit Harriman State Park, which was less than two hours away. I’ve personally never been there before.

Once we got there, we realized we would have to park on the side of the road, but there was plenty of distance between the left of the car and traffic. I had downloaded

the Long Path, Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail trail map on the app AllTrails, which made the whole experience so much easier. It keeps you on track and acts like a GPS, even if there’s very little internet.

Throughout the moderate hike, we faced some steep incline, had to climb up or down some boulders, crossed streams by hopping on

rocks and we saw some beautiful sites. It was also interesting to see all the cell phone towers that were there, as well as the underground fiber optic cables. We had been out there for about six hours, gained 1,171 feet in elevation and walked about nine miles.

We celebrated the day by going to Golden Corral in The Bronx, NY. I would only recommend this

on a week day afternoon, as it was extremely busy.

Jeff Salt Cave

On March 30, I was coming off of a mild cold, but was feeling a lot of tension in my eyes, so I looked into some solutions online on how to relieve this tension, and a salt cave was recommended.

The closest one to me was in

Port Jefferson, so I decided to book it for $45, which gave me a 40-minute session.

I went there having no idea what to expect. But once you’re there, the staff takes you through the process. I took off my shoes and my jacket and walked in. The ground is covered in Himalayan salt. Once I sat down in the gravity chair provided, I realized there was pink salt all around me. There was one other woman in the room with me on the other side of the room, and I was given a blanket to keep me warm.

After the both of us picked a meditation to listen to, which played on a loud speaker, a staff member brought us some crystals to hold.

Overall it was a nice way to pass the time, and the meditation was very relaxing. The other woman even fell asleep.

It’s certainly something I would do again! And I’d say it even helped relieve some of that tension and I felt pretty good afterwards.

Port

The view of the mountains from Harriman State Park.

(Photos by Jennifer Corr)

Reading inside the salt cave.

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Ever since my husband retired, we have found ourselves seeking new adventures on the daily. Whether we take a drive to the East End or explore a new hiking trail, these excursions have brought new life to the doldrums that can easily make one feel as though they are in a “rut”.

During our treks through nature, we’ve been blessed to find interesting articles of yesteryear. Several years ago, I found an old bottle of “Minck” that was buried beneath the leaves. The journalist in me loves a good investigation, and so I proceeded to research my subject.

As it turned out, Minck Brothers was a mineral water manufacturer who bottled beverages that were considered better than what was on the market from the 1870s through the 1950s. They were located on Beaver Street in good old Brooklyn, NY. The bottle, sadly, was cracked on the top and would have injured whoever carried it back to the car. We buried it to prevent forest wildlife from injury.

We have collected beach glass, also known as “Mermaid Tears” or “sea glass” for decades. Over the years, our finds became jewelry created by our daughter, a hobby that was short lived thanks, in part, to the cost of creating. She continues to search with her fiancé along the shore and places her finds into the window above her kitchen sink where they glint and gleam in the sunlight.

Hubby and I continued to search for glass and challenged each other to find the most unique specimen to bring home and clean up before it was placed in a vase in the window. Sometimes we found beautiful cobalt and other times we found the frosted remnants of old Coca-Cola bottles that were smoothed by years of natural tumbling along the ocean floor. We collected enough glass to fill two small vases for our daughter, two

Fun Finds Along The Shore

of a green bottle with the word “Duraglas” etched into the bottom. Duraglas was a style of glass that was manufactured in the 1940s and 1950s and was touted as being stronger than the average glass bottle.

SEE YOU AROUND THE TOWN

medium vases for ourselves, and even more glass that is currently scattered upon my dining room table. We have discovered red, orange, cobalt, teal, cerulean, bright lime and even frosted white pieces that can be found along the shore. We’re always grateful for a good find and we’re amazed by the amount that continues to wash up along the shores of Long Island. Recently, Hubby and I opted to hike along the northern shores of Western Suffolk County, where we saw a gray seal as he sunned himself upon a large rock formation in the surf. We strolled along the shoreline as we enjoyed the sound of surf, sea birds and the occasional sound of a buoy clanging in the changing tide. As the tide was quite low, we decided to walk out further to search for seashells and other treasures that may have been stuck in the mud.

Lo and behold, Hubby found a broken piece of milk glass. Our reading glasses weren’t strong enough to read the print in the bright sunlight, so we brought it back to the car for further inspection. As luck would have it, Hubby had stumbled upon a large chunk of a milk glass container from MacLaren’s Imperial Cheese, which was manufactured between 1893 and 1920. Hubby pulled a few more pieces from his pockets and proudly showed me the base

Hubby also found a piece of “Trademark Lightning” glass made by the Putnam Glass company, which had been made to hold jarred fruits. Manufacturing of the Trademark Lightning glassware began in 1882; most jars were created in the early 1900s as well. The color of the glass almost appeared to be iridescent as it shone in the light.

Finally, I showed him my find. It was a piece of pottery with the word “warranted” on the back, along with a unicorn on his hind legs and a small black star beneath him. I did a little research and consulted an expert, who advised me that the pottery was a piece of ironstone that was made by the William Brunt Pottery Company, which dated circa 1880s or 1890s. It was made in East Liverpool, Ohio. It was a “Royal Warranted” item, which meant that it was created for use by the royal family. Most of the experts on ironstone advised me that the piece was either from a shipwreck or “dumping along the shore”. Either way, they told me that it was a lucky find and it would be nice to go back and look for an intact piece of ironstone. Sadly, the tide rose, and we were unable to complete our search. For those who are unfamiliar with ironstone, it is a glaze-covered piece of

earthenware. Most ironstone was manufactured in England, France and the United States.

A friend of mine advised me that there is a television show on BBC known as “Mudlarkers”. Mud larking is a pastime in England, where folks of all ages head out to the mud flats and shorelines at low tide to search for “buried treasure”. It has recently seen popularity in the US, and some mud larkers have found items that are worth anywhere from several hundred to several thousands of dollars. My friend called me her “little mud larker” and hoped I would find something of value in my escapades. I was only too happy with my little broken piece of pottery. Hubby still wants to collect “Mermaid Tears”, and that is just fine with me. I’m not out there to possess the greatest collection, nor do I want a trip to the shore to be just about looking for something, because the joy of being in the moment would truly be lost. We continue to search for sea glass because Hubby plans to create something special with the finds. There is something so special about searching through the sand to find that perfect piece of frosted treasure that feels smooth and cool against the skin and winks in the bright sunshine. While we have even trekked into the water to obtain larger pieces, the thrill is truly in the hunt. I’m not sure what we will find next, but I’ll be sure to share it here. For those of you who also feel the thrill when finding something rare, unique and beautiful, I wish you all the joy of the search!

Patty Servidio

Checking the Robert Moses Park shore (Photos by Alex Nuñez)

OPED

Nassau Hub Casino Is Not A Good Bet

BY PETER CAVALLARO

I have read with interest various recently published opinion pieces related to the potential casino siting in Nassau, one by Hofstra President Susan Poser and the other by RXR Chairman Scott Rechler. As mayor of the Village of Westbury, and someone caught in the middle of Nassau County’s last potential foray into casino gambling, I do not relish that the county will again potentially be the site of one of the state’s several newly authorized, full-blown gambling parlors in the downstate area.

From that last tussle I, and those who fought hard to prevent the siting of a casino at the former Fortunoff site in Westbury, did a great deal of research and learned much about the long-term impacts on local areas from casino siting. Much that we learned was decidedly negative. I certainly agree with Ms. Poser that a casino in the midst of two colleges and tens of thousands of college-age young adults is a uniquely bad idea. I am left with the sense that after literally decades of talk, and stops and starts, no one has

yet offered the clear vision or had the political will or clout, or whatever else it takes, to actually bring to fruition a truly beneficial, appropriate and accretive project to transform the Hub area.

The Hub project that Mr. Rechler and his group have been working on for the past several years offered, I thought, the potential starting point for a very good transformation of that area, and I and my staff had met with and had many discussions with the RXR team, as well as county officials regarding the Hub

development. We provided input on the development’s impacts on surrounding communities, as well as transportation.

But it now seems that Mr. Rechler’s business instincts tell him that he has the chance to take big development risk off the table for himself and his investors. This late shift seems like a bait and switch (intended or otherwise) that now requires a step back and the consideration of all sorts of additional matters, impacts and mitigations to be considered.

Sadly, the casino proposal represents low-hanging fruit for policy makers seeking to grab more revenue, and developers looking to de-risk a very largescale project in a drastically changed real estate environment. I do not blame them for that since their mission is to make money for their ventures above all else.

But, it is up to our government officials to regulate that profit-only desire to make sure that the development meets the needs of the county and surrounding communities. The lack of political will, vision and leadership over decades regarding the Hub is

astounding. It has the same echoes of another long-term Nassau issue—the assessment debacle that also has been a decades-long political football—where fear of partisan electoral losses prevails over creative problem solving. In the end, very few people really believe that a casino proposal at the Hub offers the best long-term vision for the future of Nassau. And the assertions that have been made by various proponents— that this “opportunity” is in any way equivalent to the in-fact

tremendous Amazon opportunity frittered away in Queens several years ago is simply public relations speak that is frankly absurd and offensive. In the end, casino gambling is not going away. But that is not the issue for our policy makers. Nassau residents and taxpayers deserve a project at the Hub that is thoughtful and in their best interests. This casino proposal is lazy and self-serving. Not a good combination.

THE SHIN COLLECTION AND

It is astounding to think that a private collection of masterworks as wide-ranging and important as these could be assembled by a 32-year-old connoisseur, but Hong Gyu Shin is an internationally recognized figure in the global art world. He shares more than a hundred of his treasures with us by such greats as Whistler, Lautrec, Boucher, Daumier, Delacroix, Derain, Balthus, de Kooning and many other top-tier names from art history. Shin is a synthesizer. His credo: “Avant-garde visual culture, irrespective of traditions, is timeless.”

See it now

To purchase exhibition tickets, visit the museum or scan code

More as a Member Experience

To purchase a museum membership. visit the museum or scan code

Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 am-4:45 pm

Cavallaro is the mayor of the Village of Westbury.

Photo credit Google

Westbury Mayor Peter I. Cavallaro.

(Photo by the Village of Westbury)

Better Assignments For Subway Station Booth Attendants

NYC Transit President Richard Davey previously announced his agreement with the Transit Workers Union Local 100 to preserve 2,000 station agents primarily assigned to subway station booths makes no sense. Worse, is his commitment to hire several hundred more. Now they have become “Station Ambassadors” to help riders navigate the system. As NYCT completes conversion to One Metro New York (OMNY) cards, staffing of station booths becomes obsolete. Converting former subway booth attendants to station ambassadors represents featherbedding. We have entered the digital age of OMNY fare-payment system which lets riders go through turnstiles by tapping credit cards, debit cards or smart phones.

Giving former station agents cell phones to use when observing criminal activity to notify transit police will not be meaningful. Those committing criminal acts are not going to wait around for transit police to arrive. Having former station agents periodically walk the platform several times an hour and be available to answer questions or provide directions does little to enhance service. More riders use apps to obtain this information.

The public’s priority is safety and security, open bathrooms and curtailing $500 million yearly fare evasion. Real management would not hire more station agents to perform these new functions outside obsolete token booths. Why not assign station agents on payroll to stand by turnstiles and emergency exit gates and attempt to curtail fare evasion? This would save $1 million a month currently spent in hiring 200 private security guards assigned to deter fare evaders. Let the existing station agents keep their jobs. With attrition as they retire in coming years, reduce the headcount. Start eliminating Station Ambassadors one station at a time based upon those with the least ridership. Keep Station Ambassadors at high volume stations with significant numbers of out of town commuters or tourists. This might include Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station 7th and 8th Avenue, Port Authority Bus Terminal 42nd Street, Times Square, World Trade Center Fulton Street, Flushing Main Street, Jamaica Center Parsons/Archer, Sutphin Blvd. Archer Avenue JFK Airport, Atlantic Avenue Barclay Center, Coney Island Stillwell Avenue, Yankee Stadium and Mets Willets Point (game days) and a handful of other subway stations with high ridership volumes. Cross train existing subway station and end of line terminal subway

station car cleaners to perform many of the same functions as a Station Ambassador. This might include reporting crime, sick passengers or delay in service. Do the same for the new 800 station and subway car cleaners to be hired over coming months as announced by Davey. Issue them cell phones as appropriate. Re-allocate funding saved by reducing the numbers of Station Ambassadors over coming years at they retire to pay for more transit police. They can be assigned to support safety, security and curtail fare beating station by station. This would go further to enhance ridership comfort on the subway system and for those concerned about criminal activity.

Funds can also be reallocated to open many of the still closed subway station bathrooms. NYC is a 24/7 town just like our NYC Transit subway system. Bathrooms need to be opened 24/7, not just 7 AM to 7 PM. There are significant numbers of transit riders with full bladders after 7 PM who desire a bathroom to relieve themselves. All of this needs to be dealt with if the MTA wants to see a return to the pre-COVID 19 five million plus ridership.

It is time to return to the days when a transit police officer was assigned to ride each train and patrol subway stations. Along with installation of security cameras on trains and stations, this might help to reduce vandalism and crime. The longterm NYC Transit management goal over time should be to convert all NYC Transit station agent positions serving as “Station Ambassadors” to finance increasing police protection and opening bathrooms 24/7 in our subway system.

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate,

LIW IW

John Pizzarelli’s Fave Stage & Screen Scores

Somewhere around June 2020, the music union in New York, the Local 802, was sponsoring hour-long lunchtime concerts for all of the first responders and hospital workers,” he recalled. I wasn’t even on Facebook. I hadn’t been on for a bunch of years and they said I had to go to my official page, click on a button and everyone would know and it would happen. I got all my passwords back and did this hour-long thing. That was something and then I decided to try and do that [on a regular basis]. Thursdays are good because it gives us Fridays off—not like I had anything to do on Friday anyway. We decided Thursday nights would be fun and my wife suggested we call [the show]

‘It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere’ and it just blossomed into something that was another thing that saved our lives during the pandemic—the response of the people. Eventually it went to all requests.”

Given the theme of the Garden State native’s latest outing, it only seemed fair to have him list a few of his favorite scores from the silver screen and stage.

Casablanca (1942)

“I’ve always loved it because it’s a perfect movie. But also because the music is so well-done. There’s also something unusual. The band will play ‘Avalon’ at one place and all of a sudden we see Ingrid Bergman and all of a sudden the song is ‘The Very Thought of You.’ There is a way that they use the underscoring to signal what is going on. That’s a really cool part of the movie and I think the movie is special for many reasons.”

BY DAVE GIL DE RUBIO editorial@antonmediagroup.com

Along with being a world-renowned jazz guitarist, John Pizzarelli is an artist quick to pay tribute to his influences via his recorded work. Among the inspirational nods he’s given are to the Chairman of the Board (2006’s Dear Mr. Sinatra, 2017’s Sinatra & Jobim @ 50), the Fab Four (1998’s Meet the Beatles, 2015’s Midnight McCartney), Duke Ellington (2010’s Rockin’ in Rhythm: A Tribute to Duke Ellington) and most notably, Nat King Cole (1994’s Dear Mr. Cole, 2019’s For Centennial Reasons: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole). For his new effort, Stage & Screen, Pizzarelli turned to a collection of classic songs from Broadway and Hollywood. The idea to go down this path came out of a weekly live stream the guitarist had been doing shortly after the pandemic lockdown started.

Joined by bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, Pizzarelli leads his new trio through a gamut of ear worms ranging from “I Want to Be Happy” and “Tea For Two” from the 1925 musical No, No Nanette to “I Love Betsy” from Honeymoon in Vegas, a stage musical adapted from the 1992 film of the same name. It all wound up being a breezy three-day session cut back in November 2021 that had Pizzarelli pleased with the end result. “When we started to go back to work, we were just picking things out of the air,” he explained. ‘I Want to Be Happy’ was just a tune that we decided to play. I’ve always liked that tune—it’s a great little jazz song. And then I heard Blossom Dearie sing ‘Tea for Two’ and she sang it as a ballad. I decided to do it that way and the more we did it, the more comfortable we got with it. And then we had a number of tunes that came out of the Thursday night set. The idea was that I had all these songs and when I looked at them, some of them were from movies and some I had in my back pocket like ‘Coffee in a Cardboard Cup.’ Stage and Screen just seemed like a nice idea for lack of a better title. We put everything together and thought it would work, so that’s what happened.”

WHERE LONG ISLAND WINS!

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) “This is a great movie. Hugo Friedhofer did the score. I actually own the record of the movie. It’s well-done from a cinematic point of view because of what it is about— veterans returning from World War II. I have a soft spot in my heart for Teresa Wright, who is also Mrs. Lou Gehrig in another movie.”

The Bridges of Madison County [musical] (2014)

“One of the greatest things I heard was Steven Pasquale and Kelli O’Hara sing the score of The Bridges of Madison County, the Jason Robert Brown show. It absolutely stunned me. That’s why I did one of Jason’s tunes. I love his work and wanted something that was current.”

The John Pizzarelli Trio will be appearing from April 25-29 at Birdland, 315 W. 44th St., NYC. Visit www.birdlandjazz.com or call 212581-3080 for more information. Visit www.longislandweekly.com to read a full feature on John Pizzarelli.

Casino Hotel

What Is ChatGPT? The capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence language bots

BY CHATGPT specialsections@antonmediagroup.com

ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI based on the GPT-3.5 architecture, which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3.5. It is one of the most advanced language models available, capable of generating human-like responses to natural language queries.

The primary purpose of ChatGPT is to provide an automated conversational agent that can understand and respond to human language in a natural and intuitive manner. This makes it an ideal tool for a wide range of applications, including customer service, language translation, and chatbot development.

One of the key strengths of ChatGPT is its ability to generate responses that are not only accurate but also contextually relevant. This is achieved through the use of deep learning algorithms that analyze large amounts of text data to identify patterns and relationships between words and phrases. This enables ChatGPT to understand the meaning behind the words and respond in

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a way that is both meaningful and relevant to the context of the conversation.

Another important capability of ChatGPT is its ability to generate text that is indistinguishable from human-written content. This is achieved through the use of a large neural network that has been trained on a vast amount of text data from various sources, including books, websites, and social media. This enables ChatGPT to generate responses that are grammatically correct and free of errors, and that closely mimic the style and tone of human-written content.

However, despite its many capabilities, ChatGPT also has some limitations. One of the biggest challenges is its lack of real-world experience and knowledge. While it is capable of generating responses based on patterns and relationships in language, it does not have the same level of understanding of the world as humans do. This can sometimes result in responses that are factually incorrect or do not fully address the user’s query.

Another limitation of ChatGPT is its susceptibility to bias. Like all machine learning algorithms, ChatGPT is only as unbiased as see CHAT GPT on page 4B

CHAT GPT from page 3B

the data it has been trained on. If the training data is biased or contains stereotypes, then the responses generated by ChatGPT may also be biased or contain stereotypes. This can be a significant issue, especially in applications such as hiring or healthcare, where bias can have serious consequences.

Despite these limitations, ChatGPT is a powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with machines. As machine learning algorithms continue to advance, we can expect to see even more sophisticated language models that are capable of understanding and responding to human language in increasingly sophisticated ways. With proper training and development, these models could potentially be used to create automated conversational agents that are almost indistinguishable from human interaction, opening up new possibilities for human-machine collaboration and communication.

Editor’s note: The above article, in its entirety, minus the headline and byline, was generated by ChatGPT with the prompt, “write a 600 word explanation about ChatGPT and include the capabilities and limitations.” It was generated in 20 seconds. The above response was not corrected for grammar, spelling or context in order to give the reader an understanding of what the ChatGPT bot and other similar artificial intelligence language machines are capable of. Visit www.longislandweekly.com/ chatgpt-april2023 to read more from local education officials and research librarians.

—Christy Hinko

Campus Visit Checklist

Visiting a college campus helps you get a sense of what a college — and life at that college — is like. This can help you decide whether the college is right for you.

When planning your campus visits, make sure to allow time to explore each college. While you’re there, talk to as many people as possible. These can include college admission staff, professors and students. Below are some other things you can do while visiting. Note that some activities, such as meeting with an admission officer or staying overnight in a dorm, might need to be set up in advance.

Gather Information

Find out what you need to do to apply and see if the college’s class and major offerings are what you want:

• Take part in a group information session at the admission office.

• Interview with an admission officer.

• Pick up financial aid forms.

• Sit in on a class that interests you. If classes aren’t in session, just see what the classrooms

are like.

• Meet a professor who teaches a subject that interests you.

• Talk to students about what they think of their classes and professors.

• Get the names of the people you meet and their business cards so you can contact them later if you have questions.

Explore the Campus

Get a feel for student life and

see if this college is a place where you will do well:

• Take a campus tour.

• Talk to current students about life on campus and the college.

• Check out the freshmen dorms and stay overnight with a student, if possible.

• Visit the dining hall, fitness center, library, career center, bookstore and other campus facilities.

• Talk to the coaches of sports that you may want to play.

• Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus.

Check Out Campus Media

Tune in to learn what’s happening on campus and what’s on students’ minds:

• Listen to the college radio station.

• Read the student newspaper.

• Read other student publications, such as department newsletters, alternative newspapers and literary reviews.

• Scan bulletin boards to see what daily student life is like.

• Go to the career center and learn what services it offers.

• Browse the school’s website and any campus blogs.

Questions to Ask During Your Visit

Here are some questions you may want to ask your tour guide or students you meet on campus:

• What are the best reasons to go to this college?

• What’s it like to go from high school to college?

• What do you do in your free time? On the weekends?

• What do you love about this college?

• What do you wish you could change about this college?

• Why did you choose this college?

• What is it like to live here?

—College Board

Academy Students Prep For Regeneron Talent Search

BY DR. STEPHEN J. SULLIVAN specialsections@antonmediagroup.com

It’s 7:05 a.m. I’ve been at school for a half hour, so I slip out of Sacred Heart Academy’s (SHA) Science Research Lab for just a moment to brew myself a cup of tea. Upon my return, a half-dozen young women in blue blazers and plaid skirts have appeared seemingly out of nowhere. They are already excitedly chatting about…one senior’s recent research project on the topic of absorption spectroscopy and how it can be applied within atherosclerosis.

You’d think they owned the joint—because, well, they kind of do. And that’s just a typical Tuesday here at SHA. I love how comfortable the girls feel in a room assigned to the department chair and the research director.

According to a recent survey conducted by Junior Achievement and the research group Engine (www.ja.org), only nine percent of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 are interested in careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). But here at SHA, an all-girls, college-preparatory high school founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph, just shy of 100 students practically

“live” in the Science Research Lab throughout the school year. As director of research, I mentor students as they tend to crayfish, weigh earthworms, test the starch content of pea plants or explore colleges with outstanding STEM programs. I encourage our students to challenge themselves academically, to ask tough questions and to dare to dream big. We define STEM broadly; each SciRes girl will work across the life, physical and natural sciences during her four years under our care. STEM

involves thinking critically, logically, and analytically. It also requires approaching problems persistently and creatively. SHA students are doing just that by participating in local, regional, national and international science competitions each year. Supported by gifted colleagues, I seek innovative and unconventional ways to expose these young women to the possibilities in STEM, both in college and beyond. Sure, it’s hard work for the girls. All three of my own children (Christine, Michael and Arthur) were Intel

(now Regeneron) Science Talent kids (2006, 2009, 2012), so I understand exactly what I’m asking of the girls—and their parents. The Regeneron Talent Search (Regeneron STS) is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors, providing an important forum for original research that is recognized and reviewed by a national jury of professional scientists. Each year, approximately 2,000 student entrants submit original research in critically important scientific fields of study

Classes Start

Students from Sacred Heart Academy

and are judged by leading experts in their fields. Unique among high school competitions in the U.S. and around the world, the Regeneron Science Talent Search focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the nation’s most promising young scientists who are creating the ideas that could solve society’s most urgent challenges.

But students hardly enter their senior year of high school and suddenly decide to submit a six-week research project at a nationally competitive level. Here at Sacred Heart Academy, research is a four-year program, beginning with Introduction to Research 9 and including the AP Capstone Program. The SHA Research Program offers a unique opportunity for students to experience the rigor and rewards of authentic research while still in high school. This sequence of courses is directed to those students who have a keen interest in the physical, natural, and social sciences and would like to pursue excellence in areas of hands-on, original research. Students begin the program in ninth grade with the Intro to Research 9 course. Ultimately, students who continue with Research for four years will not only earn a SHA Diploma but will also have the opportunity to earn a AP Capstone Diploma, issued by the College Board and valued highly by colleges and universities around the nation and the world. Many students in the program showcase their research in publications and participate in internships with some of the nation’s top research facilities and universities.

And all of that hard work pays off. In

the last four years alone, I have mentored students who submitted 49 Regeneron proposals. Additionally, 13 girls have had research articles published in peer-reviewed journals since 2020. And since 2019, 51 girls have been invited to present original research at the prestigious (adult) Association for Psychological Association Convention; less than 250 precollegiate researchers have ever been invited in the conventions’ 35-year history.

Significantly, SHA students are comfortable explaining their work to their peers, faculty, science fair judges and journalists. Recently SHA’s principal, S. Jean Amore, CSJ explained, “In the middle of a terribly stressful time – an era of political polarization, global pandemics, European wars, and so on—Drs. Sullivan & Feinman make hard work and academic excellence ‘fun’ for seventy to ninety adolescent girls each year. Alumnae frequently write to share success stories from university, success that they consistently attribute to the influence of Science Research and the support they receive from their SHA family. It’s really quite lovely.” I couldn’t agree more. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your students succeed at university—not just gain admission to university—but truly excel upon matriculation because they were confident and prepared.

—Dr. Stephen J. Sullivan joined Sacred Heart Academy in 2018 as the Director of Research and faculty member. In addition, Dr. Sullivan is a respected senior lecturer at Columbia University.

Molloy College is now Molloy University.

With over 50 undergraduate degree programs, we combine academic excellence and leadership with personal mentoring. Molloy’s programs in healthcare, education, business and arts and sciences will lead you to an exciting career. Here, you’ll think about your future in a whole new way.

Fighting For Student Debt Relief At The Supreme Court

A message from Secretary Cardona on student debt relief

Recently Biden-Harris Administration mounted a powerful case for student debt relief in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The student debt relief program will provide critical support to more than 40 million borrowers most at risk of delinquency or default when the student loan payment pause ends.

Our Administration is confident in our legal authority to adopt this plan, and today made clear that opponents of the program lack standing to even bring their case to court. While opponents of this program would deny relief to tens of millions of working- and middle-class Americans, we are fighting to deliver relief to borrowers who need support as they get back on their feet after the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

While we await the Supreme Court’s decision, the pause on student loan payments remains in effect. Payments will resume 60 days after the Supreme Court announces its decision. If it has not made a decision or resolved the litigation by June 30, payments will resume 60 days after that.

In addition to this one-time debt relief program focused on counteracting the negative impacts of the pandemic, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and I will continue to put the needs of students and borrowers ahead of special interests, invest in college affordability, hold colleges accountable for runaway costs and unaffordable debts, and pursue historic changes to student loan repayment that will cut costs and reduce the crushing burden of student debt for millions of working families.

We will continue to provide you updates and will notify borrowers directly before payments restart.

Visit Student Aid for the latest information on student debt relief, the payment pause, and additional programs from the Department of Education to make college more accessible and affordable.

—A statement released by Miguel A. Cardona, Ed.D., Secretary of Education on Feb. 28, 2023.

Recently Sold HOMES

This stunning colonial home at 4 Pinewood Rd. in Old Westbury sold on April 4 for $2,300,000. It sits on 1.63 acres in the heart of Old Westbury and has more than 5,000 square-feet of living space. The home has six bedrooms and four bathrooms. The kitchen is an open concept and has a combination of VIking and Sub-Zero appliances. The first floor offers multiple entertaining areas including wood-burning fireplaces throughout the house. The den is bright and offers access to the deck. The bedrooms are generously sized and have a lot of closet space. The primary suite includes a fireplace, a walk-in closet and a bathroom suite complete with a clawfoot tub and a stand-up shower. The home has a three-car attached garage, a generator connection and a fenced-in in-ground saltwater heated pool. The home has six-zone gas heat and cooking, two-zone central air conditioning, a new roof and in-ground sprinklers.

This colonial home on two level acres at 3 Bridle Path Dr. in Old Westbury sold on March 30 for $1,570,000. It has a gated entrance and three quarters of the property is fenced in. The home has four bedrooms and six bathrooms. It has a finished basement and a free-form Gunite heated saltwater pool. There is also a poolhouse and a greenhouse on the property. The home was built in 1970. It has a huge detached three car garage and an attached two car garage. The home has central heat and air conditioning. It is a perfect home to entertain guests and is centrally located to many local amenities.

HOME & DESIGN

Pay Attention To Safety When Using Lawn Mowers

Spring is here and as we get our lawn mowers and other outdoor power equipment out from storage to work in our yards, businesses and other green spaces, it’s important to keep safety in mind.

“Think safety first,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing outdoor power equipment, small engine, utility vehicle, golf car and personal transport vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. “I can’t stress enough to review manufacturer’s safety guidance before starting up any equipment—especially your lawn mower. Review your owner’s manual and do maintenance on your equipment.” Tips for readying and using your equipment:

• Know not all lawn mowers are the same. Whether your mower is a garden tractor, zero turn mower or other, it has a unique design, requirements, weight classification, and other differences that impact how to use it safely. The newest machines have the latest safety standards.

• Know your specific machine. Many mowers may look similar but the technology is ever evolving with evolving safety systems. They vary in design, power supply, performance, operating parameters, and more. Your manufacturer-supplied owner’s manual will guide you in these differences. Read your owner’s manual.

• When using mowers on slopes follow the manufacturer’s guidance to the letter.

• Do not disable or alter manufacturer-installed safety equipment.

• Walk your yard before mowing. Slopes, wet grass and weather may impact equipment performance, as well as safe handling procedures. Pick up sticks and limbs that may have fallen to the ground and any loose objects that could be hit by a mower.

• Look over equipment before use. Check the air filter, oil level and gasoline tank. Watch for loose belts and missing or damaged parts. Replace any parts needed or take your equipment to a qualified service representative.

• Protect your power. Use only E10 or less fuel in gasoline-powered outdoor power equipment if it is not designed for higher ethanol blends.

• Keep children and pets away from machines during operation.

• Keep your mower clean. It will run more efficiently and last longer. Always remove dirt, oil or grass before using and storing. Store equipment in a dry place, avoiding damp or wet environments. Visit www.opei.org for more safety information.

—Outdoor Power Equipment Institute

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.

Alzheimer’s Foundation, Mount Sinai Host Free Memory Screening

To help Long Islanders be proactive about their brain health, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) and Mount Sinai South Nassau will be hosting a free memory screening event on Tuesday, April 25 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in the atrium of Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital (One Healthy Way, Oceanside). No advanced registration is required, and there are no minimum age or insurance prerequisites. Parking is available in the visitor’s lot.

Memory screenings are quick (approximately 10-15 minutes), noninvasive, and consist of a series of questions to gauge memory, language, thinking skills and other cognitive functions. They are similar to other routine health screenings, such as those for blood pressure, cholesterol and skin checks. Screenings are administered one on one by a qualified professional, and results are confidential. Results are not a diagnosis, but a memory screening can suggest if someone should see a physician for a full evaluation.

“Annual memory screenings should be part of everyone’s health and wellness routine, regardless of whether you’re experiencing memory problems. Just as we regularly check other facets of our health, we need a checkup from the neck up too,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President & CEO. “We are pleased to work with Mount Sinai South Nassau to provide this free service to the community.”

“The information from the screening helps

you and your physician take charge of your brain health and plan for and implement lifestyle changes as well as take advantage of treatments that will slow memory loss and the decline of thinking skills,” said Adhi Sharma, MD, President of Mount Sinai South Nassau. “My colleagues I and strongly encourage residents to get screened and take advantage of this free and essential screening.”

Early detection of memory impairments is extremely important. Many different conditions can cause memory issues, including treatable or curable conditions such as vitamin deficiencies, thyroid disorders, urinary tract infections, sleep apnea, stress, anxiety, and depression.

Even in the case of a dementia-related illness such as Alzheimer’s, early detection can provide greater opportunity to begin treatments that can help slow the symptoms of the disease, as well as taking part in a clinical trial. In addition, it affords the person the chance to take advantage of community services, such as support groups and therapeutic programming, that can help maximize quality of life, as well as have a greater say in making legal, financial and health care decisions.

For more information about the free memory screening program on April 25, please contact Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Community Education Department at 516377-5333 or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at 866-232-8484.

—Submitted by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

Music And Entertainment Hall Of Fame Offers Scholarship

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHoF) will award $500 scholarships to graduating students. These scholarships will provide funding for eligible graduating high school students from Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, or Kings (Brooklyn) counties who have shown an interest in pursuing a career in music. To apply and to read the eligibility requirements, please download the scholarship application (https://www.limusichalloffame.org/scholarshipsgrants/).

Student Scholarships Applications

Deadline: Friday May 12th, 2023

All applications must be postmarked by the application due date in order to be accepted.

The LIMHOF Education Committee will base selections on the completed application and the following:

• 400 to 500-word essay on education and career goals

• High school transcript

• Letter of recommendation from an individual who can attest to the applicant’s commitment to a music career

Eligibility criteria:

• Graduating high school senior from Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn (Kings) or Queens counties

• Minimum 2.5 GPA

• Accepted full-time at an accredited college or university

• Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in music

• Demonstrate Financial need

• U.S. citizen or legal resident with I-55 permanent residency

More information and applications may be found at https://www.limusichalloffame.org/scholarshipsgrants/

—Submitted by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame

The Home Of Giants: More Thrills At Yankee Stadium

JOSEPH SCOTCHIE

jscotchie@antonmediagroup.com

By the 1920s, baseball and prizefighting were the two major American sports. College football was huge. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1950s and the advent of television that the pro game took hold.

Whatever the attraction, Yankee Stadium was where history was made.

Starting in the Twenties, the Stadium was host to many great fights.

They included such championship brawls as the 1939 Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight, in which Louis avenged an earlier defeat; plus those between Tony Zale and Rocky Graziano, Sugar Ray Robinson and Kid Gavilan, Sandy Sadler and Willie Pep, Rocky Marciano and Ezzard Charles, and Ingemar Johansson and Floyd Patterson.

A favorite was the June 28, 1939 bout between Louis and Tony “Two-Ton” Galento. The latter was known as “the Battlin’ Barkeep” as he tended bar in The Bronx in between ring dates. Imagine the conversation.

GALENTO: Got to take the night off, boss.

BOSS: And why?

GALENTO: Gotta take the train to the Stadium.

BOSS: What for?

GALENTO: The fights!

BOSS: Yeah?

GALENTO: Gotta step into the ring with Joe Louis. See you when it’s over!

(Louis won in a fourth-round TKO, even though Galento staggered the champ with a second-round haymaker.)

By the 1950s, the Yankee Stadium neighborhood was changing rapidly. The flight to Queens and Long Island was in full swing. Plus, fights were now televised.

On Sept. 28, 1976, at the newly-refurbished Stadium, defending heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali took on challenger Ken Norton. By now, Ali was 37. His best days were behind him. Ali won in a decision, one hotly disputed in the media and by the fans. By 1976, the crime situation in The Bronx was becoming out-of-control. A disparaging article on the fight in Sports Illustrated trashed the building as “Junkie Stadium,” while observing local thugs pawing the ladies in attendance. Prize fights would have to

take place elsewhere.

But not football games. New York, in the early and mid-1900s, was a capital for Ellis Island immigrants and their offspring. The most famous college team in America was the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The Irish often played at Yankee Stadium and the “D” train and Number Four trains were packed with the “subway alumni,” those ethnic Catholics came to cheer the Irish of Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy and such Heisman Trophy winners as Angelo Bertelli, Johnny Lujack, Leon Hart, Johnny Lattner, and Paul Hourning.

A zenith was reached on Nov. 9, 1946. Both Notre Dame and the Army squad

coached by Earl Blaik were undefeated. It was more than a game. The postwar era represented an unprecedented peak of American history. Victorious in the European and Asian theaters of World War II, the game showcased the pride and greatness of this now-invincible nation. The game was the most anticipated match in college football history, ending in a thrilling, but inconclusive 0-0 tie.

With the nationally-televised Dec. 30, 1958 National Football League title game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts, pro football made its debut as the new national pastime.

The game, naturally, took place at Yankee Stadium. The daylight turned from dusk to darkness as the two teams battled each other to a heart-stopping overtime barn burner, with the Colts and their quarterback great, Johnny Unitas, winning on a one-yard touchdown run by Alan Ameche.

That day, the Giants were led by quarterback Y.A. Tittle, plus Kyle Rote and matinee idol Frank Gifford in the backfield. The Giants were on a roll of their own. Two years earlier, while also playing at Yankee Stadium, the Giants defeated the Chicago Bears in the “tennis shoes’” game to capture the NFL crown. (The field was covered with ice. Head coach Jim Lee Howell instructed his charges to play in sneakers, an idea that worked swimmingly.)

At Yankee Stadium, the Giants, under

Allie Sherman, won consecutive Eastern Conference titles in 1961, 1962, and 1963, only to lose to the Vince Lombardi Green Bay Packers and the George Halas Bears in the title games. By 1972, the Giants were through with the House That Ruth Built, settling eventually in the swamps of New Jersey.

The year 2008 was the final one for the 1923 Yankee Stadium. The team stayed in The Bronx, which was great news. It’s not the same. The players, then and now, are not sentimental about these matters. In the old Yankee Stadium, however, players knew they were competing on turf where legends had roamed.

Today’s Yankee Stadium is just another ballpark hosting just another team. The old Yankees were under unbearable pressure, year after year, to win pennants and World Series titles. Managers and players suffered from ulcers, drinking problems, failed marriages. In 1961, while chasing Babe Ruth’s single season home run record, Roger Maris got so nervous that his hair began falling out. That pressure is no longer there.

There’s no need to despair. A century hence, the current Yankee Stadium, glorious as it is now, will grow old. A new Yankee Stadium, one constructed on ground where the 1923 Stadium once stood, will be constructed. History wheels will churn again. Let’s just hope that no youngster says to his pop, “Daddy, who was that man, Babe Ruth?”

Alan Ameche barreled in for the championship winning score. (Courtesy of For The Shoe)

Action from the 1938 Louis-Schelming bout. (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

WORD FIND

HOROSCOPES By Holiday Mathis

HOROSCOPES By

HOROSCOPES By

Holiday Mathis

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 20 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You don’t idolize anyone, and neither do you demonize anyone. You really have a balanced view of who people are and why they do what they do, which will serve you well this week. You’ll interact with new people, nd common ground and come out with some real treasures.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). So many come to you with outstretched hands. If only you could help them all... Who knows? Maybe you will! If you do, it will be a byproduct of you following the impulses to help yourself. What do you want? If you don’t know yet, you will by the end of the week.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Accept what you want and accept what you don’t want. Acceptance is crucial to change because you cannot change that which you don’t take on. ink of your current situation as a vehicle. You can drive this wherever you want, but you have to get inside it rst. Acceptance puts you in the driver’s seat.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ve been known to do amazing things even when you’re tired, not in the mood, under the weather or otherwise encumbered.

Bottom line: You’re the kind of person who comes through to the best of your ability no matter what. Quietly celebrate your strength and others will celebrate you far less quietly.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It’s easier to wake the sleeping than it is to wake the ones who think they are already awake. Luckily, it’s not your job to be the alarm clock. It will be enough for you to simply note the alertness of those around you, meet them where they are and then raise awareness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). If you want someone to love you back, that’s a less optimal goal than wanting to see their smile. Focusing on others comes easy to you this week. e attention you give them brings you out of your own mind and into the heart of the world.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Needing to know the reason for things is only human. e moment the mind lands on a reason (any reason at all, really), cognitive dissonance resolves. Until that point, agitation drives us forward. is week, provide reasons for people and for yourself. If you don’t, you leave yourself open to speculative ction.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You keep putting yourself in new situations because they always lead to self-discovery. If there isn’t enough novelty around you, a change of location will help. Travel is an especially e ective way to jump-start your energy. If it doesn’t work for this week, at least get something on the books. Looking forward to travel can be half the fun.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). “ e more the merrier” only works up to a point. And for most of what you’re doing this week, merriment isn’t the point anyway. Small groups are better for keeping everyone accountable. When too many get involved, there’s a di usion of responsibility. You’re the leader who helps everyone see how much they count. Together you’ll move mountains.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). No one can get you to move if you don’t want to today. You are self-directed. You follow your whims and do what you tell yourself to do. Follow-through matters much more than what you actually follow through with. It could be anything. e important thing is to trust yourself and know that you are compliant with your higher wishes.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). No one wants you to feel obligated to them, and they will give of themselves freely without strings attached. ey may appreciate reciprocity, but they don’t expect it. ey know it comes in many forms. Know that when people consult you and prioritize you, it’s happening for a good reason. To understand that reason is to appreciate your own inherently lovable qualities.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll watch everything closely and extract abundant joy from minutiae: a toddler playing, a bird feeding, the patterns of passing clouds. Take on a disorganized area of your home, as it could be stopping the ow of energy through your world and preventing you from receiving money. Clean, clear and organize your way into a weekend payo .

THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS

Welcome to your pickup year when you’ll have opportunities to swing back and pick up what you might have lost along the way. Some will nish a degree, others will take another whirl at a relationship that didn’t work out the rst time. Among the found items will be material objects such as jewelry as well as things of emotional value, such as the respect of an authority gure or the acknowledgement of a group. More highlights: complex relationships that get simple and lovely, a winning to please your inner child and a physical breakthrough.

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND

Favourite foods

Solution: 20 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 20 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Favourite foods

Solution: 20 Letters

Ales Apple

Banana Bars

Basil Beans

Beer

Bites

Brawn

Broccoli

Buns

Cake

Cherry Chips

Chops

Cocoa Cut Duck

Ales

Flavour

Gingerbread

Glutton

Gravy

Jams

Layers

Leg ham

Licorice

Mint

Mixed

Mousse

Pasta

Pate

Peas

Pieces

Pork

Sausages Scones

Spaghetti

Stew

Sugar

Sweet

Syrup

Taco

Tarts

Tomato

Trifle

Varieties

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

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

Creators Syndicate

Solution: Not much that I don’t like Date: 4/19/23 Creators Syndicate 737 3rd Street Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 info@creators.com

Solution: Not much that I don’t like

Date: 4/19/23

CONTRACT BRIDGE — BY STEVE BECKER FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023

CONTRACT BRIDGE

737 3rd Street Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 info@creators.com

By Steve Becker

The fickle finger of fate

of 1,460 points. He won the diamond lead with the ace, finessed the jack of spades at trick two, led another spade and collected the rest of the tricks without even breathing hard.

At the second table, with France North-South this time, the same contract was reached, and again the opening lead was a diamond. But at this table the French declarer played the hand more scientifically and went down as a result.

king of

It is possible to play a hand correctly and get a bad result, and to play the same hand incorrectly and get a good result. Consider the accompanying deal from a European championship match between Norway and France.

At the first table, with a Norwegian pair North-South, six spades was reached on the bidding sequence shown. West led the king of diamonds, and declarer breezed through the play to bring in the slam with an overtrick for a score

After taking the diamond with the ace, he was unwilling to settle for a mere 50% chance of making the contract by relying exclusively on a trump finesse. Instead, he decided to play the A-K-Q of hearts in the hope that the opposing hearts were divided 3-3 (a 36% chance), in which case he could discard his diamond loser on the third round of hearts.

He also had the added chance that even if the hearts broke 4-2, he could still fall back on the trump finesse. All factors considered, this gave him about a 2-to-1 chance to make the slam.

Unfortunately, West ruffed the second heart lead and cashed the queen of diamonds, and South went down one.

Sometimes, a little superior knowledge can be a dangerous thing!

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

AUTO / MOTORCYCLE

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FINANCE

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now!

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Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-543-6440. (M-F 8am6pm ET). Computer with internet is required.

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You might make a great addition to our Sands Point Preserve Express trackless train driver/conductor team! Send

email telling us about yourself and why you’d make a good train conductor to info@sandspointpreserve.org Your dream of becoming a train driver/ conductor may soon come true!

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

GREENPORT: Prime Main Street location. Suitable for retail/professional. 875 sq. ft. Original floors and architectural details. Owner, 516-241-8135.

BOOK SIGNING

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Comedian Sarge Is Coming Home To Great Neck On May 18

Gold Coast Arts Center

is proud to present an evening of side-splitting “Comedy with Sarge” at the Great Neck South Middle School. If you’ve seen him, you know what that means. And if you haven’t, you’re in for an amazing and hilarious experience! SARGE is an entertainer who has performed worldwide to adoring audiences. His comedy, vocal gifts, and stunning display of dexterity as a pianist have wowed crowds for decades.

Born in Miami Beach, raised in Great Neck, both bi-racial and Jewish, Sarge’s one-man comedy show is a blizzard of hilarious stories torn directly from his extraordinary life. And as though his comic talents weren’t enough, he sits down at the grand piano, and you’ll be shocked (we promise) at his Julliard-trained musical mastery. Sarge embodies a unique blend of multi-talents and brilliance not often seen today.

Sarge is an extraordinary entertainer, a triple threat: A musical piano savant, amazing improvisational comedian, and singer. Sarge is also a highly sought-after motivational speaker and for the last 7 years has been working in treatment centers and recovery residences, bringing a revolutionary and groundbreaking modality of “Comedy Therapy” to people suffering from addiction. Last year, his first comedy recovery

film “Sarge Behind Bars”, shot entirely on location at the Casper Wyoming Reentry Prison, placed second at the “REEL Recovery Film Festival” in New York and Los Angeles.

If that weren’t enough, in 2017, Sarge released his autobiography and motivational book, “Black Boychick,” which traces his hilarious, inspirational life of twists and turns. Today, he is one of the highest energy, multi-talented acts

to tour. Not only a hysterical standup comedian, but also SARGE SINGS in his own voice and in a dozen others including Harry Connick Jr., Sammy Davis Jr., Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder! His dead-on impressions of Marv Albert, Mike Tyson, Kermit the Frog and Gilbert Gottfried leave audiences howling and clamoring for more.

The legendary film director Garry Marshall said about Sarge, “In all my years in show business I’ve never seen a happy comedian and Sarge is a happy comedian… He will make you very HAPPY… He’s as funny or funnier than anyone I’ve ever worked with, and I worked with Robin Williams, Gleason and Lucy”. Sarge has been featured on HBO and Comedy Central, and has performed with

celebrities like Natalie Cole, Paul Anka, and The Beach Boys.

The warm-up act for Sarge is Marla Schultz. Marla is a comedian, actress, and TV host. As a comedian, she’s headlined all over the country, entertained the troops overseas, and toured nationwide, opening for Chelsea Handler. Television credits include a second appearance on Comics Unleashed, Who Wants to Date a Comedian, E! Entertainment Television’s The Entertainer with Wayne Newton, and so much more!

Ticket prices start at $60. For more information on this special event and to purchase tickets please visit https://goldcoastarts. org/event/comedy-night-sarge/ or call 516-829-2570.

—Submitted by the Gold Coast Arts Center

If you’ve seen him, you know what that means. And if you haven’t, you’re in for a hilarious experience

On March 21, Destination: Great Neck hosted it’s Speakeasy 2023 event. Destination: Great Neck is a community organization with an all volunteer board dedicated to the betterment of Great Neck and all of its Villages. The event was Great Gatsby themed with live music, drinks and a cash bar. Performances included Dennis Pol Trio, Rychard Prychard Band and vocalist Lisa G. Great Neck residents dressed up in their best flapper attire to celebrate the town. Pictured is the Destination:Great Neck board members with Legislator Mazi

Levels Teen Center Presents The Classic Play, No Exit

Levels, the teen center in the Great Neck Library, will present Jean-Paul Sartre’s classic play No Exit on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 27, 28 and 29 at 8:00 p.m.

The show is open to the public; tickets are recommended to guarantee seating. Please visit Levels’ website at greatnecklibrary.org/ levels-is for links to register online for tickets.

The play is set in a perfectly ordinary room…in Hell. Three dead people: the callous Cradeau (Ben Pitt Stoller), the manipulative Inez (Kajal Ramphul) and the vain Estelle (Charlotte Nerayoff) are escorted in by a sinister Bellboy (Kaj Lopez). Trapped together, they question, challenge, insult, seduce, and attack one another, becoming un-living proof of Sartre’s famous quote, “Hell is other people.”

The show’s all-teen creative staff is led by director El Schader, who most recently helmed Levels’ productions of Little Women

and Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier. Producer is Katie Wang. Set design is by Finn Motta & Nina Zar, with costume design by Ava Hoffman and lighting design by Emily Hyman. Makeup design and additional costuming are by Finn Motta. This production uses Paul Bowles’ English adaptation of Sartre’s play. Levels, the Library’s cultural center for teenagers established in 1974, presents several fully-staged theatrical productions a year, giving teens the opportunity to learn leadership and responsibility through the arts. Levels productions are directed, produced and performed by students in seventh grade through college-age under the guidance of Levels’ staff of accomplished adult artists.

For more information please contact Levels at 516-466-8055 ext. 216 or email levels@ greatnecklibrary.org.

—Submitted by the Great Neck Library

Ecology In Song: Jewish

Music For The Earth

A musical lecture presented by Robert Cohen

Celebrate Earth Day with this musical lecture by Robert Cohen! Take a musical “nature walk” of ecological Jewish texts & liturgy, from poetry & psalms to blessings, prayers, & hymns—in musical styles ranging from cantorial to Hasidic, from Classical to New Age, & from Ladino & Yiddish to American & Israeli folk song. Songs of Creation, songs of praise & thanksgiving — and songs about trees!

Robert Cohen has spoken numerous times at the Library, and has taught at the New School and the 92nd St. Y, the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Cantors Assembly, Hebrew College in Boston, and Boston College’s Center for Christian-Jewish Learning - and he spoke for many years under

the New York Council for the Humanities Speakers in the Humanities and Speakers in the Schools programs. He produced and hosted over 100 radio programs in New York on Jewish culture and identity, and wrote the NPR documentary (narrated by Theodore Bikel). This musical lecture is at the Great Neck Library, 159 Bayview Ave., on Thursday, April 27 at 2:00 p.m. Registration is required and can be completed online, in-person, or via phone. Non-residents welcome as walk-ins, as space allows. For more information, please contact Great Neck Library at 516-4668055 or email adultprogramming@greatnecklibrary.org.

—Submitted by the Great Neck Library

The Levels Teen Center presents Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. (Publicity Art by Katie Wang)

Melesa Pilip.

(Photo from Janet Esagoff from Destination: Great Neck)

WATER AUTHORITY OF GREAT NECK NORTH

Dear Water Authority of Great Neck North Customer,

In preparation of revisions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule, the Water Authority of Great Neck North is aggressively working towards a complete inventory of water service construction material within its distribution area. A water service is the pipe that brings water from the Authority’s water main to a customer’s home or business and can be constructed of copper, plastic, iron, galvanized steel, or lead. The Authority owns and maintains the portion of the water service from the water main up to and including the curb stop valve, typically located at the property line. The Town of North Hempstead specified the use of copper for water service material from 1939 forward.

The Authority has a robust corrosion control program treating the water to make it less likely that lead will dissolve into the water. Additionally, the Authority performs sampling to monitor lead levels throughout its distribution system and at homes/buildings that have lead service lines.

We are asking customers to provide information on the customer-owned portion of the water service. This can be accomplished by reviewing the information below and then using the QR Code below to go to our website to process your response.

Should the above inventorying of the water service materials discover an active lead service on the Authority-owned portion of the water service, the Authority will contact you promptly to discuss the next steps and to schedule the replacement of the Authority-owned portion. The replacement of the Authorityowned portion of the water service will be performed at no cost to residents. Should an active lead service be discovered on the customer-owned portion, the Authority will promptly notify the customer that the Water Authority and EPA highly recommend that they replace their portion of the service line.

The Authority thanks you in advance for your assistance in this important, ongoing project.

WATER SERVICE LINE IDENTIFICATION

Utilize the below information to identify the water service line material entering your home.

COPPER PIPE

• Easily scratched; will turn a bright penny-like color in scratched area.

• A magnet will not stick to a copper pipe.

LEAD PIPE

• A dull, soft and silver-gray color.

• Easily scratched; will turn a shiny, silver color when scratched.

• A magnet will not stick to a lead pipe.

GALVANIZED

• A dull, silver-gray color.

STEEL PIPE

• Not easily scratched; will remain a dull, silver-gray color when scratched.

• A strong magnet will stick to galvanized steel pipe.

HOW TO CHECK YOUR SERVICE LINE FOR LEAD

Water Authority of Great Neck North’s water mains are not made of lead. However, the water service line running from the water main to your home or business may be made of lead.

• A key or coin

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• A strong refrigerator magnet

• A cell phone to take and upload service line pictures.

Use your cell phone camera to scan the QR Code (right), then follow these steps:

1. Find the water meter in your basement. Look at the pipe that comes through the outside wall of your home or business and connects to your meter.

2.Carefully scratch the pipe (like you would a lottery ticket) with a key or a coin. Do not use a knife or other sharp tool. Take care not to make a hole in the pipe. If the scratch turns a shiny silver color, it could be lead or steel. NOTE: If pipe is painted, use sandpaper to expose the metal rst.

3.Place the magnet on the pipe. If a magnet sticks, it is a steel pipe.

4.Use your cell phone to take pictures of your service line to upload along with your contact information.

If you don’t have a cell phone, use your computer to go to www.waterauthorityofgreatnecknorth.com and click on the Lead & Copper Inventory banner on the top of the home page.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN CHECK FOR LEAD

1.Lead test kits can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement store. These kits are used to test what the pipe is made from–not the water inside. Look for an EPA recognized kit.

2.A licensed and insured plumber can inspect your pipes and other plumbing for lead. Replacing an older brass faucet or valve in some cases, may be a simple way to reduce the lead.

Questions? Call us at 516-487-7973 or email us at customerservice@wagnn.org

Metropolitan Commercial Bank Hosts Silverstein Hebrew Academy Art Showcase

Metropolitan Commercial Bank’s Great Neck Banking Center recently welcomed the Great Neck community to the opening night celebration of the Bank’s “Bank on Art Showcase” event featuring Picasso-themed self-portraits by kindergarten, first and second grade student-artists from Silverstein Hebrew Academy (SHA). Hosted by the Bank’s Great Neck Banking Center team of Thomas Mazzini, Vice President/Market Sales Manager; Ricardo Gonzales, Vice President/ Market Sales Manager; and Samira Assil, Vice President/Branch Operations Manager, the evening’s event was attended by over 20 student-artists and their proud parents and grandparents. Also attending were SHA art teacher Gina Ross and SHA Associate Head of School Chanie Geinsky.

“The Great Neck community is a hub of young artistic talent, and we are thrilled to showcase the colorful and unique artwork of the Silverstein Hebrew Academy,” said Laura Capra, Metropolitan Commercial Bank’s Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Banking. “We specifically designed our Great Neck Banking Center so that we could provide a unique gathering space for local community groups. Being an active participant in the local communities we serve is an integral part of our business model.”

The exhibit, which ran from February 6, 2023 through March 6, 2023 at the bank’s 111 Great Neck Rd. location, displayed 54 pieces of art from students in kindergarten through the second grade.

“We are thrilled that Metropolitan Commercial Bank generously offered its Banking Center as a venue for our young student-artists to showcase their incredible talents,” said art teacher Ms. Ross.

Ms. Geinsky, SHA’s Associate Head of School, added, “Silverstein Hebrew Academy looks forward to building on this experience and developing additional opportunities to partner with Metropolitan Commercial Bank that will be beneficial to our students and family members as well as the Bank.”

About Metropolitan Commercial Bank

Metropolitan Commercial Bank®, The Entrepreneurial Bank, founded in 1999 and headquartered in New York City, operates full-service banking centers in Manhattan, New York; Boro Park, Brooklyn; and Great Neck, Long Island. We are a community-focused bank that provides a broad range of business, commercial and personal banking products and services to small businesses, middle-market enterprises, public entities and affluent individuals. In addition to our tradition of relationship-driven, one-on-one personalized service, Metropolitan Commercial Bank offers multiple convenience delivery channels, including online banking, flexible mobile banking apps and no-fee access to over 1 million ATMs worldwide for our clients. The Bank is also an active issuer of debit cards for an increasing number of third-party debit card programs. Metropolitan Commercial Bank is a New York State chartered commercial bank, an FDIC member and an equal opportunity lender.

The parent company of Metropolitan Commercial Bank, Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp., also founded in 1999, is a publicly traded company. The common stock of Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

and trades under the ticker symbol “MCB.”

For more information about Metropolitan Commercial Bank, visit the Bank’s website at www.MCBankNY.com.

—Submitted by Metropolitan Commercial Bank

Great Neck Public Schools Superintendent Search Community focus group scheduled for April 24

The Great Neck Board of Education has engaged District Wise Search Consultants to conduct its search for the next Superintendent of Schools following the retirement of Dr. Teresa Prendergast, effective July 2023.

The Trustees of the Great Neck Board of Education value deeply the input of the community and its stakeholders. All stakeholders

are invited to share their thoughts during a community focus group, hosted by District Wise, and conducted without the presence of the Board of Education. Community input, on an anonymous basis, will be placed into a report sent to the Board of Education to help define the profile for the candidate ultimately chosen to be the next Superintendent.

The community focus group has been scheduled for Monday, April 24, 2023, at 7 p.m. in the South High School Library. Those unable to attend in-person may join the meeting remotely via Zoom. The Zoom link can be found on the district website at https://www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/suptsearch2023.

For those unable to attend the meeting, or those who prefer to provide their suggestions and opinions privately, the consultants have established a confidential e-mail address: gnsupsearch@districtwisesearch.com. This address will accept emails until April 28.

—Submitted by Great Neck Public Schools District

Chanie Geinsky, SHA Associate Head of School (back row left), Gina Ross, SHA art teacher (back row, far right), with the evening’s entertainers and student-artists.

Metropolitan Commercial Bank Vice President, Market Sales Manager Thomas Mazzini (left); Vice President, Branch Operations Manager Samira Assil (center); and Vice President, Market Sales Manager Ricardo Gonzales (right) with SHA student artwork.

SHA student artwork (Contributed photots)

SCHOOL NEWS

NORTH HIGH HOSTS STUDENT ATHLETE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

On March 24, North High School welcomed student athletes from more than 20 high schools for the 2023 Nassau County High School Principals’ Association Athletic Leadership Conference. North High was pleased to host this year’s event, which was coordinated in partnership with Section VIII, Positive Coaches Alliance, Nassau Officials’ Association, and GNPS Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics David Zawatson.

This year’s conference focused on cultivating empathy in sports and improving spectator behavior. The half-day event featured a keynote address, panel discussions, and breakout sessions to empower student leaders to support a positive experience for athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators.

Student representatives from the North High Athletic Leadership Club who attended the conference were seniors Danit Kashi and Jared Kimiabakhsh, sophomores Evan Lavian and Nava Sedaghat, and ninth grader Emma Lavian, along with the club’s faculty advisor, Jennifer Nastri, and North High’s athletic director, Mitch Braun.

In addition to hosting the conference, representatives from North

High were involved with various aspects of the program: North High Principal Dr. Dan Holtzman and Mr. Zawatson delivered a welcoming address; North High school psychologist/boys soccer coach Dr. Anton Berzins served as a panelist; and members of the North High Athletic Leadership Club assisted with event check-in.

“We have been offering this opportunity for many years and it was great to have everyone here with us at North High to engage in important conversations on leadership and their influence on spectators

NORTH HIGH REPRESENTATIVES ATTEND YOUTH WELLNESS SUMMIT

at all contests at the respective schools,” said Dr. Holtzman.

The Nassau County High School Principals’ Association Athletic Leadership Conference celebrates, supports, and encourages positive student leadership throughout area high schools. This annual conference provides an opportunity for student team leaders to meet their counterparts from other high schools and share ideas about the meaning and significance of leadership on and off the field.

—Submitted by the Great Neck Public Schools District

On March 28, student and faculty representatives from Great Neck North High School attended the Nassau County Youth Wellness Summit, sponsored by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS). Twenty-five high schools participated in this full-day event in Merrick, which included workshops designed for sophomores and juniors aimed at developing self-care, coping, and communication skills, as well as connecting peers in need to a trusted adult.

Members of the North High Active Minds Club attended the event with faculty from the school’s mental health team to learn strategies that they could bring back to the North High student body. North

High’s participants were juniors Lauren Itzhak, Clara Goldman, and Lillian Wu; sophomores Talia Elyaho, Isabelle Ku, and Jimmy Li; school psychologist Dr. David Cheng; and school social worker Oana Scholl.

This is the third year that North High has participated in the Youth Wellness Summit to promote and support student wellness. The goal of the Summit is to instill methods and practices for wellness and mental health that will help enrich students’ lives and transform their abilities for problem solving, goal setting, leadership, and well-being.

—Submitted by Great Neck Public Schools District

REBEL ROBOTICS WINS TOP AWARDS AT FIRST REGIONALS: ADVANCES TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Great Neck South High Robotics Team #2638, known as “Rebel Robotics,” won prestigious team and individual awards at the FIRST SBPLI Regional #1 competition at Hofstra University on March 22-23, earning the team a trip to the FIRST World Championship in Houston, TX in April.

The highest award that Rebel Robotics received was the Engineering Inspiration Award, which celebrates the team’s outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within their school and community. This award automatically qualifies the team to advance to this year’s FIRST World Championships in Houston, with the $5,000 entrance fee paid for by NASA.

Rebel Robotics was also presented with the Excellence in Engineering Award for the arm, wrist, and claw mechanism on their robot, which showcased the team’s ability to conceptualize, develop, and implement an effective engineering solution that is functional and practical.

Additionally, three individual team members were presented with awards for their outstanding work in support of STEM initia-

tives, mentorship, and teamwork.

Team member Shaan Merchant was announced as a Dean’s List Award Finalist, which recognizes student leaders who increase awareness for FIRST and its mission while achieving personal technical expertise and accomplishment. As a regional Finalist, Shaan is eligible to be one of the ten Deans List Award Winners at the national level.

Team member Sophia Gal was named a Safety Star, which celebrates participants who go above and beyond to promote a culture of safety.

Team mentor Ellen Dressner was announced as the regional winner of the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award (WFFA).

The Woodie Flowers Award, named after the engineering education pioneer and distinguished advisor to FIRST, recognizes an individual who excels at motivating students through communication while also challenging students to be clear

and succinct in their own communications.

Ms. Dressner is a supporter of Rebel Robotics and serves as a team non-engineering mentor (NEMO). She was nominated for this prestigious award by the students of Rebel Robotics.

long-time

On the first day of competition, Team #2638’s robot achieved a third-place finish in an alliance with a team from Taiwan. The week prior, Rebel Robotics welcomed their alliance partners to New York, helped them reassemble their robot, and hosted the team members for dinner. On the second day of competition, the Rebel Robotics

finished in fourth place on the competition field.

Faculty advisors for Rebel Robotics Team #2638 are John Motchkavitz, South High business/ technology department chair, and Matthew Corrigan, business/technology teacher.

—Submitted by Great Neck Public Schools

Rebel Robotics team members and coaches are photographed with their awards at the SBPLI Regional #1 competition at Hofstra University.

Team mentors John Motchkavitz and Matthew Corrigan congratulate non-engineering mentor (NEMO) Ellen Dressner, recipient of the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award. (Contributed photos)

North High Wellness Summit (Contributed photo)

North High Athletic Leadership Conference (Contributed photo)

Honesty + Integrity + Professionalism .

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