Manhasset Press 5/10/23 edition is published weekly by Anton Media Group.

Leaning In At The Library

AMANDA OLSEN

aolsen@antonmediagroup.com

May is Mental Health Awareness month. The movement to break down stigma and help people address their mental well-being has been steadily gaining attention in the last 25 years, but has truly taken off in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Between 2019 and 2021 the percentage of adults who had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months increased, from 19.2 percent to 21.6 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Seeing prominent politicians and entertainers discuss their struggles publicly has made it easier for people to bring up their own, first among their immediate circle, but then to the greater community. One of the places individuals are seeking help is at the library.

A study published in January reported that on Long Island mental health was one of the top needs identified by library personnel. The study was conducted by Stony Brook University and Adelphi University, with support from the Long Island Health Collaborative, the Suffolk Cooperative Library System and the Nassau Library System.

In-person interviews were conducted at 32 public libraries between December 2017 and January 2020. Researchers wanted to know how library personnel in a socioeconomically diverse suburban setting address the needs of patrons and how to promote more effective public library-public health partnerships.

The research confirmed the increasing

public health role public libraries play in their communities. In lower-resourced communities, study participants noted that patrons routinely seek more basic social service needs. In higher-resourced communities, participants found patrons sought more enrichment-like services.

Maggie Gough, Director of Manhasset public library, stated that local library patrons are no exception. “Our Library patrons seek trusted information sources and social service programming. Patrons visit MPL for a variety of needs, including finding health information, especially during the height of the COVID pandemic, and obtaining assistance to access resources available in and out of the library that promote health, wellness and social connectedness.”

People are experiencing an epidemic of

loneliness, to the point that the surgeon general’s office is calling for social isolation to be treated as seriously as obesity or drug abuse. Loneliness is reported to increase the risk of premature death by almost 30% - through health conditions including diabetes, heart attacks, insomnia and dementia. Lack of social connection is also linked to lower academic achievement and worse performance at work, according to the Surgeon General’s new advisory.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that loneliness is a “profound public health challenge” that “we should talk about” and address.

“It... may surprise people to learn that the increased risk of premature death that’s associated with (a lack of) social connection is on par with the risks that we see from smoking daily, and greater than the risk we see associated with obesity,” he

said in an interview with the BBC.

Already aware of this, Gough said the library is working hard to meet this crucial need. “In the wake of the COVID pandemic, loneliness and social isolation has never been more pronounced. Our library offers many activities during the day and evening designed for children and adults to get to know each other, such as craft workshops, movie and book discussions, interactive concerts, early literacy support, bilingual story times and more. Coming this June, we will host the All Together Now themed Summer Reading Program, which includes reading challenges and fun activities for children, teens and adults. In addition, for the summer on 2023, NLS has brought back the very popular Nassau Library Tour. Patrons will be invited to travel to as many Nassau County libraries as they can collecting prizes and exploring local communities.”

The researchers recommend more evidence-based training workshops to help library personnel address patrons’ see LIBRARY on page 6

Resources available at local libraries can combat mental illness, loneliness and isolation

Percentage of adults aged 18 and over who had received any treatment for their mental health in the past 12 months, by age group and year: United States, 2019–2021. (Centers For Disease Control)

Collage of work from Adult Paint Night. (photo by Manhasset Public Library)

Schools Celebrate “Go Green Week”

Students at Munsey Park and Shelter Rock celebrated Go Green Week in late April, in recognition of Earth Day. The theme for the week was “Protecting our Oceans.” Every day, students learned about current challenges in our environment and how they can help to preserve marine life and our waters. Go Green Week is sponsored by the Manhasset Student Community Association (SCA).

Each morning of Go Green Week started with schools’ principals reading “fun facts” related to ocean pollution during the morning announcements. SCA volunteers created short lesson plans for the teachers to use during the week. This year, topics included themes such as how plastic pollution in the ocean affects animals, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

As part of Go Green Week, both schools hosted their own recycled art contest. Students were encouraged to create their own masterpieces made out of recycled products. Submissions were very creative, ranging from a ladybug made out of a toilet paper roll, to a “trash dress” created with old fabric. The teachers voted, and winners were selected for each grade.

The Munsey Park Kindness Club organized a shoe collection for Soles4Souls, which distributes shoes throughout the United States to needy individuals. Shelter Rock also hosted a shoe drive. Together, the schools collected almost 200 pairs of shoes to donate.

On the last day of Go Green Week, the WaterFront Center spoke to students at Munsey Park and Shelter Rock. The WaterFront Center is a non-profit organization that provides access to the waters of Oyster Bay Harbor and Long Island Sound through marine education, sailing and recreation programs, and through harbor tours. The Education Director, Cameron Jennes, spoke to students about current pollution challenges in the Long Island Sound, and how they can help. The students learned that due to positive changes like the ban on plastic bags, many marine animals have been returning to the area, including whales. For additional information on the Waterfront Center, visit https://www. thewaterfrontcenter.org.

Go Green Week offered a chance for students and staff to learn about ongoing pollution problems in the oceans around the world and the Long Island Sound. The SCA hopes that these lessons had a positive impact on the Munsey Park and Shelter Rock communities.

—Submitted by the Manhasset Student Community Association

MP Kindness Club members Emma Tountas and Gianna Ventouratos organizing shoe for the shoe drive.

(Photo by Caryn Levine)

Recycled art projects at Munsey Park.

(Photo by Becky Tountas)

MP Kindness club members organize shoes for Soles4Souls. (Photo by Caryn Levine)

Recycled art projects at Shelter Rock. (Photo by Brenda Kim)

The Waterfront Center speaks to Shelter Rock students.

(Photo by Brenda Kim)

Recycled art projects at Munsey Park. (Photos by Becky Tountas)

Manhasset, NY - Munsey Park New Construction

MAGNIFICENT

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CONTRUCTION

IN MANHASSET AND PORT WASHINGTON

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anncarlucci@danielgale.com

This sun-lit new construction is located in the heart of Munsey Park on a at 85 x 147 ft. plot convenient to all. This Center Hall Colonial features a double-story entry and 9 ft. ceilings throughout. The rst oor is a homeowner’s dream layout, each formal room has an easy ow to the gourmet kitchen which has top-of-theline Viking appliances and a large center Island plus a wet bar area and ample space for an oversized kitchen table. This kitchen has a grand opening to an amazing living room with a gas replace overlooking the newly landscaped backyard. A guest bedroom or home o ce with a full bath and powder room completes this level. The second oor o ers primary suite with replace and private bath, plus 3 additional en suite bedrooms, and laundry room. MLS# 3475162. $3,880,000.

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Port Washington, NY - Manhasset Bay Estates New Construction

Your dream home is almost completed in the Manhasset Bay Estates area of Port Washington. This newly constructed home o ers all the amenities for today’s lifestyle. The open oor plan on the main oor includes an eat-in kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and large 8 ft. center island, and dining area. The kitchen opens to a den with gas replace. Formal living room with french doors to patio, bedroom/home o ce with full bath plus half bath completes this level. On the second oor is a primary suite with spa-like bath and large walk-in closet, plus 3 additional bedrooms and full bath, and second oor laundry. Manhasset Bay Estates beach & mooring rights with fee. MLS# 3416134. $2,180,000.

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needs, more widely available collaborative programs, and pairing of library personnel with professionals who hold specific expertise to promote access to and utilization of health and social services. These and other innovative solutions require the support of local governments, policy makers, healthcare systems, health sciences and medical libraries, assert the researchers.

Manhasset Library is ahead of the curve here. Their programs are already connecting patrons to health professionals. “In addition to print and online resources, MPL has partnered with agencies like Northwell Health, whose physicians and health care workers provide expertise on subjects ranging from cancer screening to dementia support.” Gough said.

To support efforts to raise resilient children, the library has provided experts on study techniques designed to reduce anxiety and stress and promote wellness. This can be an important support system for parents who may feel overwhelmed.

Additionally, the library is a partner with CASA (Coalition Against Substance Abuse) providing quantified data, peer review studies and expertise as a basis for disseminating information that educates and empowers parents to protect their families from

the risks of alcohol, drugs, unsupervised access to social media and troubling trends in mental health for young people. CASA and the library have sponsored webinars and in person events for parents and children. Substance abuse is an issue that affects people from all backgrounds, and the library is working to connect patrons with

resources to combat this troubling issue. Many times, patrons come to the library for help with something else, but leave with new social connections. “Patrons come to our library to ask for all types of technology support. Our staff helps resolve technology issues and provides one-on-one tutorials. A lot of our older regular patrons who come in for technology support receive individualized technical support, These meetings with library staff become a positive social interaction and serve to mitigate loneliness and isolation.” Gough said.

Young patrons love reading to Luna the dog. (Photo by Manhasset Public Library)

It... may surprise people to learn that the increased risk of premature death that’s associated with (a lack of) social connection is on par with the risks that we see from smoking daily, and greater than the risk we see associated with obesity,

—United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

Patrons love MPL’s new Community Seed Library.

(Photo by Manhasset Public Library)

Cooking Class with Chef Rob.

(Photo by Manhasset Public Library)

© 2023 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. 110 WALT WHITMAN ROAD, HUNTINGTON STATION, NEW YORK 11746. 631.549.7401

Helen Keller Services

“Helen’s 5k Run/Walk” Fundraiser

First in-person event since COVID-19 pandemic

More than 150 people, including DeafBlind runners and walkers, braved the morning rain to turn out at the Helen Keller Services (HKS) Annual “Helen’s 5K Run/ Walk” event here today at the Sand Point Preserve in Sands Point, NY. Participants raised critical funds to support HKS’ Health and Wellness Programs across Long Island.

The HKS Health and Wellness Programs are free to participants and provide support essential for helping the DeafBlind community explore their interests and address the unique challenges and opportunities that promote whole body and mind well being.

“We offer Yoga, Pilates, dance and nutrition classes for adults and seniors, which is a huge benefit,” said Sue Ruzenski, CEO of Helen Keller Services. “People come and learn and get engaged in activities that help them pursue their health and wellness to get them engaged in activities and

give them a social experience with their peers.”

This is the first time in three years the event was held in person, having been conducted virtually in 2020 through 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a good feeling to see everybody be together, especially since COVID impacted the DeafBlind Community hard,” said

Park Section Gem

Bryan Ward, Project Coordinator with Helen Keller Services. “It really feels good to see everyone get together and work toward supporting our community. It’s very exciting.”

About Helen Keller Services Helen Keller Services’ (HKS) mission is to enable individuals who are blind, visually impaired, DeafBlind and/or have a

combined hearing and vision loss to live, work and thrive in their community of choice. HKS offers services and programs through two divisions: Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind

Youths and Adults and Helen Keller Services for the Blind. For more information, please visit www.helenkeller.org.

—Submitted by Helen Keller Services

Happy Mother’s Day!

76 Bar Beach Road, Port Washington, NY

Introducing 114 Bay Driveway Plandome Heights - Manhasset, NY

Spacious Split/Colonial home o ering 4-bedrooms and 3-baths on a beautiful street close to LIRR, shops and schools. Renovated and expanded with an entire oor dedicated to the primary suite. Additional o ce/den, add to that a sunny vaulted great room o the white kitchen with granite counters. Just completed laundry room and more space ready to be nished on the lower level. 1/3 acre. Taxes $20,434. $1,575,000.

Open Houses this Weekend

Saturday, May 13 | 1:00 - 4:00 pm

You don’t want to miss this immaculate updated 3-bedroom Colonial on lovely landscaped property. The spacious living room with cozy gas replace is light lled from three sides. The chef’s kitchen o ers Miele cooktop, range hood and dishwasher as well as Liebherr refrigerator/ freezer. Sub-zero refrigerator/freezer drawers, Scavalino gray glass cabinets and frosted glass pantry. Caesarstone countertops. Dining room with sliding door to rear yard and beautiful stone patio with awning. Basement with laundry area and great space for playroom and/or o ce. 2-zone CAC. Detached garage with auto opener. Short distance to town, train, schools. So much more! $875,000

Mother’s Day, Sunday May 14 | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Contact me today for a

Call Jane Walsh for more details and make Mother’s Day one that will be remembered forever!

Fran Foster

Associate Real Estate Broker Silver Circle of Achievement 516.883.2900, c.516.236.1669

Jane Walsh

Real Estate Salesperson 516.883.2900, c.917.306.2342

franfoster@danielgale.com

janewalsh@danielgale.com Each O ce

Start of the fundraiser walk/run

Walk/run participants (Photos from Helen Keller Services)

CALENDAR

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

SUNDAY, MAY 14

Mother’s Day

TUESDAY, MAY 16

School Budget Vote and Elections

Annual School Budget Vote and Elections, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Secondary School Gymnasium. More information at manhassetschools.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

Korf Women’s Health Forum

The Katie Oppo Research Fund invites the community to this year’s free Women’s Health Forum at 6:30 p.m. at the EOC gym, 65 High St, Great Neck. Refreshments will be served and childcare is available. Topics include Visiting your OBGYN, STDs, HPV vaccines, risk of reproductive cancers, and general questions.

Book Ends Book Discussion

Join Librarian Cheryl at 10 a.m. to discuss the historical novel The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks. When the most famous toddler in America, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., is kidnapped from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Happy Mother’s Day

makes international headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father, Charles Sr., is the nation’s golden boy. Their son’s nanny, Betty Gow, is a Scottish immigrant deciphering the rules of her new homeland. Betty finds comfort in caring for the child. Then, Charlie disappears. Suddenly Betty is a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public. She attempts to find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own name and find justice for the child she loves.

ONGOING

MPL Bus Trip to New York Botanical Gardens

The New York Botanical Gardens is an unforgettable destination in any season. This trip takes place Wednesday, May 24. Payment of $100 must be made at the time of registration-checks only. Each cardholder may bring one non-cardholder guest. For questions or further information, contact Stephanie Catlett, (516)627-2300, ext. 331 or Linda Palmieri at (516)627-2300, ext. 330.

Art at Manhasset Public Library

Compositional Inventions will feature paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. The exhibition runs from April 16 through September 29. Curated by Thomas Germano and Juliette Vaissiere, this exhibition presents works by artists who visually compose in a variety of mediums. Each has been asked to articulate in a short

written statement their approaches to composition specifically found in the works on display.

An Artistic Journey through Nature in Asian Art

This is an exhibition of the winners of an art competition sponsored by CAANH (Chinese American Association of North Hempstead). These students are from the local schools art departments, and are lots of different mediums. On View in the stairway and on the third floor through May 18.

Senior Talk Radio

Every Friday from 10 a.m. to Noon, Listen to the Project Independence Radio Show at 88.1FM and WCWP.org. Tune in to hear the latest information from medical experts, elected officials, community organizations and many more! Learn what events and programs are happening around town in the Talk of the Town segment.

You Are Not Alone

If you or someone you know is in crisis or feeling suicidal, call the Long Island Crisis Center 24/7 hotline: (516)6791111. The 988 Suicide and Crisis line is also available 24/7 by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255.

A & F Market

Amalfi Ristorante

Anthony’s World of Floors

Anton Media Group

Jim Avena & Family

Ayhan’s Marketplace

Blank Slate Media

Bonzai Sushi

Cactus Café

Bill Carmody

CASA – Manhasset Coalition

Against Substance Abuse

Chez Josee Salon

Kathryn Clejan-Millington

Coach Real Estate – Manhasset

Country Cleaners

Debbie Greco-Cohen

Maria Cuneo

Mariann Dalimonte, Councilwoman

Nancy DeLicce

Jennifer DeSena, TONH Supervisor

Diane’s Hair Salon

Lisa Donatelli, Douglas Elliman

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Attorneys Eredics, Lunetta & Viola

Sam First, DDS

Finn MacCools Restaurant For Five Coffee

Dave Franklin

Bob & MJ Freeland

Gino’s of Manhasset

Gum How

Dr. & Mrs. Paul Hamlin

Diane Harragan

Henderson-Marino VFW Post #1819

Stuart Herman

Mitch Horbhaber, DDS

Linda James

Kim Jones

Dr. Jean Kendall

Ivory Kitchen

Knights of Columbus

#2122 Manhasset

Carl Lalena

John Lalena

Michelle Schimel & David Leiman

Kathy Levinson

Le Petite Framboise

The Levinson Family

LI Health Care – Marilyn Cafasso

Lorber Hoffman Team

Louie’s Manhasset Restaurant

Louie’s Prime Steak & Seafood

Manhasset Chamber of Commerce

Manhasset Women’s Club of Flower Hill

Mainly Marketing

Margarita’s Cafe

Pat Mentesana

Melba Molson

Monfort Cemetery Restoration

Mr. Suds Car Wash

Port Washington Police District

Nathan Family

National Mah Jongg League

Northshore Auto Collision

Park East LLC

Pearl East

Peppe Rosso

Elaine Phillips, Nassau County Comptroller

Port Counseling Center: Division of Long Beach Reach, Inc.

Port Washington Adult Activities Center

Port Washington Diner

Port Washington Jewish Center

Salt Cave Port Washington

Precision Plus Home Remodelers Inc.

Prime Manhasset

Project HELP Long Island

Rain Dew

Reyes Brothers

Remodeling and Design LLC

Fran Rinaldi

Ellen Ritz - NAMI

RX/FIT

Sandro’s Manhasset

Serra Provisions

SHOP Manhasset

Gina Sillitti, Assemblywoman

St. Francis Hospital

Sons of Italy – JMM Lodge #1389

Steiner’s Bake Shop

St. Honore Bakery

Jeff Stone

Stop & Shop

Stresa Italian Restaurant

Sullivan’s Quay Restaurant

Tori’s Place Ear Piercing Studio

Toscanini Ristorante

Town & Country Florists

Training Station

Umberto’s of Manhasset

Dominick Versace

Villa Milano Restaurant

Frank Villano

The Wagner House

Warriors Aktion Club

Bob Weitzner, Mayor PW North

Delia DeRiggi-Whitton

Nassau County Legislator

Wild Goose Restaurant

Yummy Gyro Restaurant

A Very Special Thank You

The Peter & Jeri Dejana Foundation & Archangel Michael

Greek Orthodox Church

Great Music by Patty McCormack Atkins

Chris Polvere

Diane Polvere

David Holliday

MC

John Canning, Esq.

THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR MANHASSET PAT AITKEN

FOR BOARD OF EDUCATION - VOTE TUESDAY, MAY 16th

7 AM to 9 PM – Manhasset High School Gym

THE EXPERIENCE, PROVEN COMPETENCE & DEDICATON WE NEED

Proven record in business advisory & finance combined with governance skills developed through service to churchcommunity & on university board of trustees

PUTTING EDUCATION FIRST

Expandedcurricular & extracurricular options, maintaining high standards in education

New electives in Engineering sequence and Broadcast Journalism

Expanded AP options including Human Geography, Art History, and Capstone r esearch program

HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

24th in NYS Public Schools 2022

Budgets within NYS tax levy cap

2.07% average 15-year levy increase

Even In Defeat, Hochul Housing Proposal Raises Questions

Nassau will still need to address the issue of development

aolsen@antonmediagroup.com

While the housing portion of the New York State budget seems to be tabled for now, housing and urban planning are ongoing issues. According to the Regional Plan Association, a non-profit organization that does research, planning, and advocacy for transportation, housing, planning and environmental issues in the tristate area, New York State will need to build over 800,000 housing units during the next ten years to address current needs and meet expected population and job growth. People need places to reside, and it’s generally better if they are able to do so near the places where they spend the rest of their time- their places of employment, schools, retail and recreation. Careful planning can result in settings that are beneficial to residents, the community, and the environment.

“(Locating) your doctor, your lawyer, where you get your groceries, fresh food, all within walking distance or within a short commute has been a planning principle for a long while. It does have a number of positive effects in terms of the livelihood of a neighborhood; the livelihood of a place makes it more attractive, it also can lead to a positive effect on property values. It also has a net effect on congestion because people don’t have to drive a couple miles just to get a quart of milk or whatever. They can do that if they can just walk a few blocks and not having to get into their car,” said Marcel Negret, Senior Planner at the RPA.

When people think of compact or high-density housing, they often think of examples like tall skyscrapers. Frequently, though, housing can be added through the application of adaptive use. This is where existing structures are modified. Examples include where a lower story has commercial space, like a store or restaurant, while the upper stories are housing units. These are sometimes called “middle density,” a unit of housing that is often missing in many parts of Long Island. “So, there’s something in between the large, high rise, multifamily buildings, a skyscraper, and low density, single family residential neighborhoods, with the detached units. There’s a lot in between. Mixed use buildings that have like some form of commercial use on the first floor, maybe two, three stories above with residential, that would fit the description of kind of middle density, that in many cases is

kind of just missing because we either have one extreme or the other,” said Negret.

There is also potential for these mixed-use buildings to plan their utilities and HVAC systems in a more environmentally sound way, rather than retrofitting them later. There is even the possibility of growing food and managing stormwater runoff. “The category of mixed uses shouldn’t be limited to just combining commercial retail and residential, but also have other more functional, utility led uses like solar panels. In places where you have issues with managing stormwater runoff, you also can retrofit some of those spaces with some form of a green roof that captures some of that water and helps manage some of the limitations with our sewer infrastructure, for example. This idea of mixed uses probably fits that description

as well,” Negret said, when discussing how these mixed-use buildings fit into a more sustainable way of developing.

One of the biggest benefits of more carefully planned, compact development is the preservation of forests and open space. Since 2001, New York State has lost over 68,000 acres of forest land, with 94 perecnt of the lost forest (64,000 acres) attributed to sprawl, according to the National Land Cover database. Building in areas that are already urbanized, called “in-fill” development, is one solution to take pressure off undeveloped land. Negret puts it this way: “One of the other great benefits of favoring this type of planning of more compact, mixed uses clustered together is the preservation of natural areas, of forest land, of watersheds. You’re meeting those needs in this more

efficient form of urban clusters or suburban villages. In the context of Long Island, it mitigates or reduces kind of pressure for sprawling out and consuming existing open space or forest land or polluting watersheds.”

Even though most of the sprawl happened in the mid part of the of the last century, with the explosion of highways and car ownership, it has continued into the present day. “We looked at those kinds of consumption rates from forest land in the past 20 years, and they’re still concerning. It’s not something that has gone away, even though planners have realized that they want to shift gears to more compact forms of development. Unfortunately, sprawl is still happening and we’re losing forest land because of that,” said Negret. “Over the past two decades Nassau County has lost over 1,100 acres of forest land to sprawl, an area larger than all of Eisenhower Park. Promoting more compact forms of housing development in the region, and in our suburbs in particular, is a smart way to advance land conservation goals and preventing future loss of forest land and open space.”

Proactive planning allows communities to make decisions collectively about how their community develops. Without direction, the development still happens, but it isn’t as organized or deliberate. Negret points out that the default ends up being sprawl. “If there’s no proactive effort to prioritize these forms of more compact forms of development, that have mixed uses, that favor adaptive reuse, the default is you will have sprawl. Like the inaction or lack of proactivity in implemented planning ideas just will result in sprawl. So regardless of who is taking the lead, there is definitely a need for action.”

An example of middle density, adaptive use development in Patchogue, NY.

(Photo by Amanda Olsen)

In Nassau County, a total of 1152 acres of forest was lost in the last decade. (diagram courtesy of Regional Plan Association)

Long Beach Resident Among First Peace Corps Volunteers To Return To Service Overseas

Long Beach resident Arthur Gold is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency’s unprecedented global evacuation in March 2020. The Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m looking forward to my second encore career,” said Gold. “My desire to join the Peace Corps stems from the joy of fulfillment I feel when I am able to facilitate and witness the success of others. In my role I hope to usefully contribute to the community and realize the adventure of new people, places, and culture.”

Gold is a 1984 graduate of the New York University Tandon School of Engineering, formerly known as Polytechnic Institute of New York, with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. After graduation,

he worked in industrial engineering and economic development for the manufacturing sector, later becoming a certified personal trainer. Now, at 72 years old, Gold will serve as an education volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean.

The volunteer cohorts are made up of both first-time volunteers and volunteers who were evacuated in early 2020. Upon finishing a three-month training, volunteers will collaborate with their host communities on locally prioritized projects in one of Peace Corps’ six sectors – agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health or youth in development – and all will engage in COVID-19 response and recovery work.

Currently, the agency is recruiting volunteers to serve in 58 countries around the world at the request of host country governments, to connect through

the Peace Corps’ grassroots approach across communities and cultures. Volunteers have already returned to a total of 53 countries around the world. At the invitation of governments around the world, Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members on locally prioritized projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development. The Peace Corps continues to monitor COVID-19 trends in all of its host countries and will send volunteers to serve as conditions permit. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 143 countries worldwide. Americans interested in transformative service and lifelong connections should apply to Peace Corps service at www.peacecorps.gov/apply.

—Submitted by The Peace Corps

County Facing Class-Action Lawsuit Over Racially Disparate Traffic Stops

JANET BURNS

jburns@antonmediagroup.com

Nassau County is facing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of all Black and Latino drivers in Nassau which alleges racial bias by the Nassau County Police Department in its execution of traffic stops.

The lawsuit, which seeks $40 million in damages, local policy changes, and oversight from a federal monitor to ensure reforms happen, is similar to one that began in Suffolk County eight years ago, and has required that county to both pay millions and better train its officers while releasing better data on how they enforce the law. A judge will later decide whether to certify the suit’s class-action status.

The suit’s lead plaintiff, Tivia Leith, originally filed suit against Nassau County last November following a traffic stop for which she was held 11 hours in police custody.

In response to a request for comment on the case, NCPD Detective Lieutenant Richard LeBrun said that the department does not comment on ongoing litigation.

Ms. Leith is being represented in the case by the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington, whose attorneys are well known on Long Island for civil rights work.

In a phone intervew with Anton Media Group, Frederick Brewington, Esq.

explained the background and aims of the case, which he said was originally brought on behalf of Ms. Leith and her minor son.

“After we looked at it, and after issues were raised by the defendants, the County of Nassau, at a conference with a federal judge, the determination to expand this case into a class action become fairly obvious to us,” Brewington said.

“We began to look at the numbers concerning traffic stops that had been made available through Nassau County. Their reporting is limited, and even with that limited view we saw that there was a disparate treatment of persons of color, of Black and brown individuals in Nassau County, with regard to the ratio of car stops to the total number of population, that was completely out of whack.”

“So, we made the determination that we needed to expand this to make sure that all those persons, like my client, who are impacted by Nassau’s determinations to disproportionately pull over Black and Latino people, are included, and that it would be aired in a courtroom where this issue can be addressed, because this appears to be an institutional, systemic issue.”

As Brewington noted, it was data from the Nassau County Police Department itself that indicated to his firm that something was amiss county-wide.

“Their data is incomplete, it does not give source information, it doesn’t give some

of the data that’s necessary to do other statistical evaluations, but just looking at the raw numbers that they provided it’s pretty clearly that something needs to be said and done about the way that they’re treating drivers, passengers, and other folks related to car stops in Nassau County.”

“Ms. Leith’s experience was, in a word, haunting. She has issues with anxiety to

begin with, and what this did to her, both in her mind and also in her gut, made her extremely concerned about whether or not she was ever going to make it home that night. She was held for eleven hours on an alleged warrant that did not exist, and the problem about that was that even with the issue of pulling her over, it appeared to be pretextual. The officer drove up next to her, saw that she was a Black woman, then drove behind her and pulled her over. In this situation, we can’t have police officers making the determination they want to pull people over on a hunch.”

In Ms. Leith’s case, Brewington noted, “She had her minor son with her. He had to watch his mother be placed in handcuffs, and then they threatened to take him into custody, and she had to plead [with police] to allow her to get someone to come pick him up so he wouldn’t be taken into police custody. That’s just outrageous.”

He continued, “They now claim the reason she was pulled over, which is pretty ridiculous, was that the light on her license plate was out. That charge was dismissed along with any other charges.”

“What we’ve really got to do is bring accountability into the picture, and see that, in this situation, police don’t just get a chance to say anything after the fact and expect people to go for it. That ‘okey-doke’ is long gone, and never should have been in the first place.”

Peace Corps Volunteer Art Gold.

(Photo submitted by the Peace Corps)

Frederick K. Brewington, Esq. (Submitted photo)

LEGAL NOTICES

KEYSPAN GAS EAST CORPORATION d/b/a NATIONAL GRID

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by KeySpan Gas East Corporation d/b/a National Grid (“Company”) that it has led with the New York State Public Service Commission (“PSC”) tari revisions to its Schedule for Gas Service, PSC No.1 – GAS, that are proposed to become e ective June 3, 2023.

The Company seeks to increase delivery revenues by approximately $228 million to modernize and improve the safety, reliability, and performance of our infrastructure, enhance the customer experience, reduce system emissions, and fund energy a ordability and e ciency programs. The Company’s ling is subject to approval by the PSC and the rates approved may be di erent from those proposed. The Company expects that the PSC will suspend the proposed rates for the maximum period permitted under the Public Service Law, which would mean an e ective date of revised rates of April 1, 2024.

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

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

S.C. No. 16, 5-16 – Year-Round Space

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

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5-2A – Non-Residential Non-Heating Service

S.C. 17 – Baseload

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

5-2B – Non-Residential Heating Service

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

S.C. 18/19–Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 1

S.C. 18/19–Non-Firm Demand Response Sales Service – Tier 2

For more information, visit ngrid.com/li-rate ling or the PSC’s website (dps.ny.gov).

KEYSPAN GAS EAST CORPORATION d/b/a

Mailer Discovers The Novel—And The New Journalism

JOSEPH SCOTCHIE

jscotchie@antonmediagroup.com

“There is a good Norman Mailer and a bad Norman Mailer. The good Norman Mailer has won out.”

So claimed Jason Epstein, the man’s editor, sometime in the early 1990s.

Well, it better had won out, or else the novelist was certain to spend his days in the slammer. For decades, Mailer’s life and times---and brawls, one of them nearly fatal----filled the gossip pages as much as his published work.

The youngest of two children born 100 years ago in 1923 to Isaac and Fanny Mailer, the young Norman was an ace student who rose from Crown Heights to matriculation at Harvard at age 16.

At Cambridge, Mailer intended to study engineering. The late 1930s was also a Golden Age of the American novel. Mailer eagerly read Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Wolfe, Dos Passos, Steinbeck, and Farrell. He wrote his own stories and novels. When Pearl Harbor hit, the teen-aged Mailer vowed to write the great American novel of the war. He soon married and was shipped out to first, Texas and then the Philippines. He told his young bride to save his letters home. The Naked and The Dead, a novel about a colorful cross-section of Americans fighting in the Pacific Theatre was published in 1948. It sat on top of the best seller lists for months.

Mailer was only 25. He would spend the next 60 years trying to top his first novel. Along the way was more fiction, essays, biographies, films, the co-founding of The Village Voice , books about political conventions, the Apollo moon shot, Marilyn Monroe, prize fights and even a run for mayor of New York in 1969.

Whatever else Mailer achieved or didn’t achieve, the man was prolific. Every morning, he put on work jeans, had breakfast with his mother in her neighboring Brooklyn Heights apartment and proceeded to a daily word count that generally hit 1,500---and often, much more.

Mailer’s second novel, Barbary Shore (1951) was panned by the critics. His comeback novel, The Deer Park (1955), a send-up of Hollywood’s

decadent side, was more successful. Satisfied that he could write fiction, Mailer turned to journalism. A born polemicist, the man caught a break when Clay Felker, co-founder himself of New York magazine, assigned Mailer to cover the 1960 Democratic Party convention. Mailer was vain enough to believe that his Esquire essay on John F. Kennedy, “Superman Comes To Supermarket,” helped to win the presidency for the man. Still, he had found another niche.

Mailer covered more conventions, two of which, Miami and The Siege of Chicago (1968) and St. George And The Godfather (1972) were book-length reports. If Mailer succeeded in these books, it had to do with his self-styled standing as a “Left Conservative.” He held great hopes for Kennedy-style liberalism. Mailer was no nihilist. He admired Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy, but also the traditionalism of Robert Taft and Edmund Burke. This allowed Mailer to sympathize with such reform Democrats as Robert F. Kennedy. He also understood the desire of heartland Republicans seeking to restore a lost “Jesus land” now being obliterated by social revolution.

Mailer continued to write fiction. He also seemed liberated by journalistic ventures. From 1963 to 1975, came a creative streak that the novelist Tom Robbins claimed had no parallel in modern American culture, save the same creative outburst turned in by Bob Dylan over the same period. Mailer’s output included The Presidential Papers, Cannibals and Christians, An America Dream, Why Are We in Vietnam? The Armies of The Night, Miami and the Siege of Chicago, Of A Fire On The Moon, Marilyn, Existential Errands, The Faith of Graffiti and The Fight.

I’ll plunk out a few books from that list. Cannibals And Christians is his best non-fiction collection: An angry and fast-paced volume denouncing the deadening effects of technology and mass society on a nation’s soul. (However much he could not escape them, Mailer disliked television and modern architecture, while coming out early against the Vietnam War.)

The Armies Of The Night, Mailer’s dramatic account of the 1967 antiwar march on the Pentagon was the book that marked his rise as an avatar of the New Journalism, where the author injects himself into the action. Miami,

however, is a tighter and more prophetic book: The Vietnam War came and went; however, the civilizational crisis dramatized by the 1968 conventions still plagues the nation.

When Mailer was working on The Naked And The Dead, he showed a draft to Charlie Devlin, another writer also living in Brooklyn Heights. Devlin liked the draft, but scolded Mailer on his inability to construct metaphors, which Devlin claimed marked the true measure of any writer. The young Mailer got the message. And he went to work. Does anyone still remember the riots at the Chicago convention? You will if you read the book.

The police attacked with tear gas, with Mace, and with clubs, they attacked like a chain saw cutting into wood, the teeth of the saw the edge of their clubs, they attacked like a scythe through grass, lines of twenty and thirty policemen striking out in an arc, their clubs beating, demonstrators fleeing. Seen from overhead…it was like a wind blowing dust, or the edge of waves riding foam on the shore.

The Fight is about the 1974 heavyweight title bout between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali is the best single book I know about Sweet Science. In addition to Left Conservatism, Mailer also embraced existentialism. To the end, the man could never fully define the term. It did have everything to do with the novelist being cut from his Brooklyn roots following the success of his first novel. Mailer was condemned to be a celebrity author always promising that Great American Novel. He revered Ernest Hemingway, Ali and most erroneously Fidel Castro as existential heroes, men who stood apart from the crowd and were willing to meet---and overcome--this world on their terms.

Hemingway took his life. Castro turned Cuba into a totalitarian hellhole. That left Ali. Mailer died in 2007 at age 84. Ali lived until 2016. As long as Ali was on this side of the river, Mailer saw hope for this world.

With The Fight, Mailer’s third-person forays into the swirling controversies of the 1960s and ‘70s ended. It was back to the fiction grind. Next week, we’ll look at the man’s ruminations on God, Christianity, and its implications for America.

Norman Mailer in the 1950s

Dust jackets for The Naked And The Dead and Miami And The Siege of Chicago

Phantom Conversations

Smartphones are loaded with applications and features that let you enjoy social interactions and meet new friends. Why are they so popular? I can only assume that people look to avoid live face-to-face disruptions that can go bad real fast. Or maybe not. But if it’s true, there is a better way. Instead of downloading an application, many people use a feature not advertised by cell phone companies called the phantom conversation. This allows you to hide from others seeking to borrow your car, money and valuable time.

The history of the phantom phone conversation goes back to the 40s, at least in the movies. Take the PI who shadows a suspect, careful not make any abrupt movements that may blow his cover. He stays back a safe distance as he follows the suspect through the crowded streets of New York City. Suddenly, the suspect darts into a hotel and sits down in the lobby. The PI nonchalantly walks to the other end of the lobby, ducks into a phone booth, and lifts the receiver. Keeping an eye on his suspect, he waits a few moments and starts to mouth the fake dialogue.

Avoiding a face-to-face conversation with someone you know, for any reason, has long been a sore spot for many people. I’ve learned that it’s painfully obvious when you suddenly take off when you first notice the person. The phantom conversation provides a means to eliminate this embarrassment. All you need to do is pull out the phone, start talking and wave to the person as you walk by. Even Miss Manners would agree that a person on a phone call is off limits to interruption. True, it’s a fake conversation, but that’s not important. The fact is that you’ve succeeded in your goal to avoid a face-to-face conversation. Here is a true-life example that may drive home the point.

One afternoon, I pulled into my apartment building lot when I noticed a group of neighbors standing near the front entrance. I had just laid out six hundred dollars to my mechanic and wrenched my back reaching into my glove compartment for the checkbook. I didn’t want to enter the fray with their conversation suddenly turning to me and my disgust over a car bill. As I

LONG ISLAND STORIES

approached the group, the cell phone came out and I started a dialogue with nobody.

“Yeah, Danny, how goes it? They ever fix that pot- hole at the end of your block?”

As I walked past the group, we all exchanged friendly waves. They knew the deal and stayed a safe distance away. This signaled a respect for what appeared to be a legitimate two person dialogue. Once safely in my apartment, I buried the phone in my pocket and made lunch.

If you think that was good, another favorite application of mine is using the phantom

conversation as a salesperson repellant. The strategy here is to whip out the phone as the salesperson approaches and quickly begin your non-existent conversation. What salesperson is going to walk up to a potential customer and say, “Excuse me, as soon as you’re finished, can I help you?” In this scenario, I was able to take pictures of certain items, go home and purchase them online. Now, you may be asking, “Who the hell started this farce of the phantom conversation?”

Besides the PI using the phone booth, history also documents that women were and are, true pioneers of the phantom conversation. What choice do they have with these derelict dudes lurking around bars, gyms and the ladies room? Back in the day, I had friends that went to bars armed with lame pick up lines that never worked. Yet, the lines stay in their arsenal. Women quickly learned how to combat this arsenal. For example, a woman is sitting at the bar waiting for her girlfriend, when she notices a guy approaching. The woman pulls out the cell as if she’s Annie

Oakley drawing a pistol on some cowboy, then rolls into her phantom conversation.

“Hi, honey. You won your WWF match? Almost killed the guy? What, you’re only five minutes away? Great, see you soon.” She watches as the prying panther does a 180 and takes off in the other direction.

You might also question the ethics of the phantom conversation, asking what kind of world do we live in? I agree. As a civilized society, we should be able to speak directly to another human being and tell them you don’t have time to talk. We’re not that civilized. Many people are too sensitive to another person’s feelings. More to the point, they don’t have the guts. Phantom conversations act like Prozac. They come to people’s rescue by mellowing the mood. They allow a person to feel they are involved in a legitimate act of conversation even though it’s more a case of deception. Deception or not, feel free to dive into a phantom conversation if you fear that a conversation may glide into the spewing of information not meant to be spewed.

Karl V. Anton, Jr., Publisher, Anton Community Newspapers, 1984-2000

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Thomas Kuntzmann

COLUMNS Lag B’Omer-Joy in the Journey

A man sitting on the deck of a boat reaches into his toolbox, pulls out a drill, and proceeds to bore a hole in the hull. Suddenly, the people sitting next to him begin to shout, “Stop! What are you doing?”

“I’m drilling a hole,” the man says. “I can do what I want. Why is it any of your business?”

“Are you kidding? We’re all together on this boat!” They exclaim. “You may think you’re only making a hole under your own seat, but because of your actions, we are all going to sink!”

This famous parable reminds us that our personal choices have ripple effects, consequences that affect others. Though we may think we can be self-sufficient, in fact, we are interconnected. As such, we must be respectful in our dealings with others, and always aware of our responsibility to treat people fairly, in our pursuit of a just and moral society.

Do you remember the character of the Count, the Dracula-like figure on Sesame Street who loved to enumerate? If the Count were Jewish, he would love this time of year, for we Jews are currently in the middle of counting the Omer. This is a daily practice

intended to remind us of the link between Passover, which commemorates the exodus from Egypt, and Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The counting of the Omer brings home the notion that our redemption from slavery was not complete until we received the Torah and became a holy people.

The Talmud recounts that the students of Rabbi Akiva died in a plague during this season because they did not give each other

proper respect. Rabbinic sources attested that the plague ended on Lag B’Omer–the thirty-third day of the Omer. By Lag B’Omer, the thirty-third day of this counting period, the Jews began to treat each other with kindness and humility, and the plague receded. For this reason, Lag B’Omer is a happy occasion for Jews all over the world, who are permitted to celebrate anew with weddings, music, and outings. Families and neighbors gather together around bonfires, barbecues, and picnics, uniting to enjoy a day of community and camaraderie in a celebration of Jewish history.

In modern day Israel, this day has morphed into one that’s celebrated with barbecues. We must not forget, however, that the Omer is also a semi-mourning period, commemorating the many thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students who died via plague so long ago. Although they were brilliant scholars, they perished because they did not treat each other with the appropriate respect granted to men of their station.

The Israeli mountain-town of Meron turns

My Conversation With A Robot

I think newspaper columnists like me might soon be out of a job.

You may have heard about a computer program called Chat GPT which will have a virtual conversation with you. Ask the program a simple question and get an answer. Ask a follow-up question and get another answer. Before you know it, you are conversing with a computer that generates instantaneous responses based on what it can find about the subject on the internet.

If you are old enough to remember the original AOL chat rooms, it’s the same idea. However, instead of having a text-based conversation with another human, it’s a computer. Chat GPT is a highly developed Artificial Intelligence (AI) designed to take Google searches to another level. Instead of using Google to research articles requiring you to read about, say, Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, it does the research for you. But the best part is that it will provide you with an impressively comprehensive document that doesn’t just contain non-sequiturs or bullet-point facts. If you need 500 words, ask for 500 words on the topic, and Chat GPT obliges.

Of course, this renders the need for students to research and compose homework moot. If teachers thought allowing their students to produce book reports by just reading the “Cliff Notes” was a menace to society, what would they do once they get hold of Chat GPT? At the absolute minimum, students still needed to read the Cliff Notes. Now all they do is type text into a chat box and hit enter.

As a columnist, the most challenging part of my job is coming up with an interesting idea to entertain my readers in roughly 650

words. I depend on reader emails, conversations with friends and family, and snippets from the news. I’ll then do my research and produce the Award-Winning column you are enjoying right now.

But with Chat GPT, maybe I don’t have to work as hard.

Ah, Chat GPT. The magnificent machine that can answer just about any question thrown at it. It’s like having a personal genie trapped inside a computer instead of a lamp. And let’s be honest; sometimes it feels like we’re asking it to perform magic.

Chat GPT is not some all-knowing being gifted with the power of speech. No, it’s a machine programmed to generate responses based on the vast amount of data it’s been fed. In other words, it’s just a really smart parrot.

I mean, think about it. You ask Chat GPT a question, and it spits out an answer. Sure,

it might be a perfect answer, but it’s not like it came up with it independently. It’s just repeating information that’s already been stored in its vast database, like when your pet parrot repeats what you say. Polly might sound like she’s talking, but she’s not really understanding the words.

But at least Chat GPT is a parrot that doesn’t require any cleaning up after. Can you imagine if it actually had a physical form? It would be like having a really talkative but also really messy bird in your house. Plus, you’d have to worry about it flying away and joining a group of rogue AI that are plotting to take over the world.

And let’s not forget about the times when Chat GPT gets it wrong. It’s like when your

Lag B’Omer into a mega-celebration. There, hundreds of thousands of people come to pray at the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a holy scholar who studied Jewish mysticism, otherwise known as Kabbalah, while he and his son hid in a cave for thirteen years to escape Roman persecution. It is said that by praying and connecting oneself to the soul of a tzaddik, a completely righteous person, one can alter the course of one’s destiny. The spirit of the tzaddik is said to inhabit the space around his gravesite and act as a conduit for sincere believers seeking G-d’s blessings. Particularly on the anniversary of the death of a tzaddik, the connection to his spirit is intensified.

As we count towards Lag B’Omer, we also look forward to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the receiving of the Torah by the Jewish people. The Midrash teaches that every Jewish soul that would ever be born was gathered at Mount Sinai when our Creator gave the Torah to His people. Now, like then, we are all in this together. In that spirit, may we draw strength and understanding from each other and become a more unified people.

pet parrot accidentally swears in front of your grandparents. You can’t blame the bird since it’s just repeating what it’s heard, but it’s still embarrassing.

In conclusion, Chat GPT is like a parrot on steroids. It’s incredibly smart and can spout off information like nobody’s business, but at the end of the day, it’s still just a machine. So, next time you’re impressed by Chat GPT’s ability to answer your questions, just remember that it’s not really magic. It’s just a really good parrot.

And now, dear readers, take another look at this column and try to figure out what parts came directly from Chat GPT and what parts came from your humble narrator.

RABBI MOSHE WEISBLUM

HOME & DESIGN

Green Your Spring Lawn And Garden Care

Looking to reduce the amount of time, money, chemicals, and effort needed to have a beautiful lawn or garden? Here are some tips to get started:

Reduce weeds naturally

• In late April, apply corn gluten to lawns. While it will not kill weeds, it will stop new ones from germinating that year. Corn gluten is also a great natural source of nitrogen.

• Place two to three inches deep of mulch to application areas to provide nutrients and shade out weeds in plant beds. Types of mulch include bark clips, leaves, or recycled rubber. But do not allow mulch to touch tree trunks so growth is not inhibited.

• Pour boiling water over weeds and repeat as needed.

• Select native species and non-invasive plants. Perennials are a good choice and can help reduce costs from having to purchase new plants annually.

• Use “minimum risk pesticides.”

An example is nematodes which can be used on the lawn for grub control.

Maintain a healthy lawn and deter weeds

• Don’t bag your grass clippings. Leave them on the lawn.

• Let grass grow and mow less. The taller the grass, the deeper the roots - this can aid in getting through dry spells.

• Seed bare patches in lawns with grass seed.

• Remember lawns need about an

Recently Sold HOMES

inch of water per week—water once a week if necessary and do so early in the day to help prevent conditions that encourage pest infestations.

• Follow local watering restrictions.

• Make sure your gutters flow onto lawns—not pavement.

• Collect water in a rain barrel to use in the yard.

• Conduct a soil test to see if you need to fertilize.

• Broadcasting up to a half of an inch of compost can provide nitrogen along with other trace nutrients and organic matter to the soil.

• Nitrogen deficiencies can be corrected with a slow-release, organic source of nitrogen such as blood meal, cottonseed meal, or fish meal.

• Applications should be when soil temperatures are above 65 degrees.

• Half of a lawn’s needed nitrogen can be obtained by leaving clippings on the lawn. The other half can be applied in the fall by shredding leaves with a mulching mower and leaving them on the lawn.

• Do not fertilize an established lawn in mid-summer. Doing so just feeds the weeds.

Start a compost pile

• Backyard composting

• Indoor vermicomposting bin

• Subscribing to a local food scraps collection or participate in a drop-off program in your community

—Department of Environmental Conservation

Luxury has been reimagined in this Locust Valley home at 10 Overlook Court. It sold on April 26 for $2,600,000. It is an exquisite and tastefully appointed custom brick Colonial. Enjoy scenic views of the lushly manicured four-acre property. A gracious two-story entry foyer welcomes you to the sprawling main level with grand entertaining as well as everyday living in mind. Bathed in sunlight and featuring sophisticated artisan detailing throughout, this residence boasts five bedrooms, seven bathrooms. It has three fireplaces and more than 6,000 square feet of living space. This home offers its own outdoor paradise featuring an in-ground pool with a poolhouse, an outdoor kitchen, bluestone patios and a koi pond.

This charming Colonial in the heart of Locust Valley at 41 Bella Vista Street sold on April 18 for $905,000. It has a semi-open floor plan, an entryway, a formal living room with a fireplace and French doors. It has four bedrooms and one bathroom. One of the bedrooms is on the first floor. The other three are on the second floor. The home has a den, a formal dining room and a large country-style eatin-kitchen with granite countertops, a copper farm sink and a new refrigerator. The home has central air conditioning, Nest thermostats and a new water heater. There are wood floors throughout. The private backyard is fenced in and has a patio for entertaining. This home is located near shopping, dining and the train station.

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.

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Q&A With New York City-Based Artist Yuko Kyutoku

Using her skills in art for healing

JENNIFER CORR

jcorr@antonmediagroup.com

The inspiration behind Yuko Kyutoku’s art spans from Japan to New York City.

Currently based in New York, she was born in Gifu and grew up in Aichi, Japan. According to her website, “Having grown up next to both nature with mountains and rivers, and urban areas, her love of nature and the outdoors grew tremendously. Throughout her life, Yuko has always been fascinated by images and how the world is represented through the eyes of others. Also, she was born into a doctor’s family that appreciates art, and her grandmother was also an artist who exhibited her works throughout Japan. Naturally, she was drawn to drawings and paintings.”

Her passion for art continued on into her young-adulthood. She completed her Associates degree in Visual Arts at Westchester Community College, and then her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art and Masters degree in Art Therapy at New York University in 2022.

Today, she works at a children’s hospital where she serves children with disabilities and provide various recreational therapy sessions for them to support their well-being and developmental needs. She provides four group sessions per day and documentation as well as preparing and creating other artworks to be displayed in the unit of the hospital. She did not provide the name of the hospital.

QLong Island Weekly: What inspires you so much about American culture? I also see that in your art, you like to infuse your Japanese background with American inspiration. Would you say that’s accurate?

AYuko Kyutoku: “I grew up watching American movies and listening to American music, including Elvis Presley, Madonna, Janis Joplin, and James Brown. I personally think the elements of free expression and authenticity speak to me the most. Each artist expresses their backgrounds, beliefs, and values authentically, and I really like that. It impacted me a lot during my teenage years. I would say

my art expresses more about myself than it focuses on cultural aspects. I am not really thinking about expressing or incorporating Japanese and/or American influences in my art, so much as these aspects come up naturally. As a Japanese person living in New York, it is natural that my work reflects both cultural aspects without my express intention. My work always reflects what I like, value, and believe at the time of its creation, so I would say my art reflects more about where I am in my life than it does my background. I see art as a personal journal or recording process that like snapshots reflect what I do and what my interests are in the individual moments of my life.”

QLong Island Weekly: What’s your favorite art form? How do you find time to do art when you’re a busy art therapist in New York City?

AKyutoku: “I enjoy painting and drawing the most. My art style is a combination of both painting and drawing. I use papers and create gouache paintings. I then use gel pens, markers, or pastels to create textures. I also enjoy exploring some pigments, such as marble powders and glitters. I regularly create art when I have time, and I also do visual journals where I process my experiences with my clients. As an art therapist, art making is required for my profession, however, it is also something that brings me

joy. Dedicating myself to visual journaling and an art-making practice help me to process, ground myself, and gather ideas and perspectives for upcoming sessions, thus I create art whenever I get the chance. I sometimes create art after I get home and on weekends. It is not only my professional practice but also one of my hobbies.”

QLong Island Weekly: What keeps you in New York City?

AKyutoku: “I enjoy being in New York City because of the various opportunities and the high quality of education that I can receive. I would say that I can receive great psychotherapy training and resources in New York City, which I enjoy the most. I am always eager to study something new and look for new therapy training to expand my skills. For instance, recently I took a sound bath workshop in the city, and it was an interesting experience that I will probably want to add it to my art therapy practice in the future.”

QLong Island Weekly: In what ways would you say art therapy helps people? How has it helped you?

AKyutoku: “Art therapy can address various issues, including PTSD, trauma, anxiety, family conflicts, and others. Art therapists use patients’ free-form art and creative expressions to encourage them to share and talk about

the artwork they made and to begin to look within themselves for meaning and insight. Art therapists use both creative expression and talk therapy and other modalities to help people deal with unresolved emotions, increase self-awareness and reflection, increase self-worth, and decrease stress and other emotional issues and disorders. I found art and creative expression helped clients work through strong emotions in a non-harmful way.”

QLong Island Weekly: Is it hard to leave home behind to live abroad? What do you miss most about your home in Japan? What were your favorite parts about growing up there?

AKyutoku: “Adjusting to American culture is of course challenging, and there are many things that one must learn in order to finish school and thrive at work. New York is similar to my hometown in Japan, which is why I like living here. I sometimes miss the Japanese food I grew up with... My favorite part about growing up is the many opportunities I’ve had to expand my skills and knowledge and grow as a person. Since New York is very diverse and I am able to meet people from so many different cultures, which is a life-changing experience, I definitely think that the diversity inspires me to think and live in richer ways.”

—To view Kyutoku’s art, visit www.yukokyutoku.com.

Painting by Yuko Kyutoku.

Yuko Kyutoku is a Japanese contemporary artist and art therapist in New York.

The Congregation That Cares

FRANK RIZZO

frizzo@antonmediagroup.com

Long Island Cares–The Harry Chapin Food Bank has a friend in the Parkway Community Church in Hicksville. President/CEO Paule Pachter stopped by the church recently to accept the annual donation raised by the congregation, singling out Richard Cardozo for his efforts.

Co-pastor Aric Balk, who shepherds the church along with wife Ellen, presented the check.

In expressing his gratitude, Pachter noted that “when it comes to food insecurity and hunger, we still have a lot of work to do. During the three years that all of us were

functioning under a cloud of global pandemic, we saw an additional 223,000 people coming to the food pantries for food and to support their families. That was on top of the 230,000 people that we already provide services to here in Nassau County and Suffolk County. It was extremely challenging. It was difficult. It was expensive. But we did get the job done. And we’re able to help people come through what many have said were their darkest hours. As we gather within the church this morning, there are still too many people who are struggling to put food on their table.”

Among these were 87,000 children and the approximately 2,000 seniors and 3,000 veterans served by the agency, the last two groups via home delivery.

“And that is the challenge we have—that in a region with such significant resources, there are so

many people that need [help],” he continued. “And it’s because of communities like this that we’re able to provide the support that so many people need. And so the contribution (holding up the

check) helps us do our work, but more importantly [is] your support of your fellow neighbors—you know who they are, you know who’s struggling in your community. And they need the support of

their neighbors, especially in the churches and synagogues. We in the faith-based community, we understand exactly what it is to be in need.”

Pachter declared himself fortunate to run an organization founded in 1980 by the late singer-songwriter, who unfortunately lost his life in 1981, before he saw his efforts come to fruition.

He praised his staff and volunteers, saying that without them, all the appreciated donations from individuals, governments, corporations and foundations would not help the organization reach its goals.

Pachter was joined at the service by Sheila Flythe, the agency relations assistant manager, and Sonia Pluchinotta, director of agency relations.

For more information visit www. licares.org.

Girl Scouts Of Nassau County Empowers Girls To Become Leaders Thanks To $75,000 Grant

Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently announced that, since December 2022, more than 270 Girl Scouts have achieved patches as part of the Project C patch program, which was sponsored by National Grid as part of a $75,000 donation to help empower girls and provide them with the resources to excel as they pursue careers in STEM-related fields. The Project C patch program featured a series of activities for Girl Scouts that promoted environmental advocacy, social justice, workforce development and community engagement.

In addition to the patch program, National Grid’s generous contribution also helped fund the Girl Scouts’ efforts to plant 186 new trees throughout Nassau County, a series of storytelling workshops and the Girl Scouts’ Unapologetically Fearless Since 1912 event that gave Girl Scouts a platform to learn from inspirational women in a range of non-traditional industries.

“The Project C patch program is the epitome of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s mission to empower girls and help provide them with the resources to hone their leadership capabilities,”

said Randell Bynum, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County.

“Through the collaboration, we will continue to provide a number of opportunities to girls that will help boost their confidence and unlock their potential to make the world a better place by prioritizing environmental and sustainable changes in their communities.”

The Project C patch program features four distinct areas that Girl Scouts of Nassau County geared toward equipping girls with the tools to become leaders in tomorrow’s workforce and inspire positive, sustainable changes in their neighborhoods.

The patches, which represent the four pillars of the Project C program, are: clean energy and sustainability, environmental justice and social equity, neighborhood development and community engagement, and workforce development. Since the program’s launch on November 15, 2022, 78 earned the clean energy patch, 77 earned the community development patch, 78 earned the environment justice and social equity patch and 77 earned the community development patch.

Girls earned these patches by completing a rigorous curriculum that included activities such

as making a video message to bring awareness to environmental justice and social equity, brainstorming ways to use clean energy in their communities and inviting a woman from National Grid’s Women in Non-Traditional Roles (WiNTR) organization to speak to their troop.

In addition to the patch program, National Grid funded a successful event the Girl Scouts of Nassau County held in September at the Long Island Children’s Museum Entitled Unapologetically Fearless. Since 1912, seventh through twelfth-grade students learned about the experiences of female

professionals in non-traditional careers and trades. Through National Grid’s funding, girls also planted 186 new trees throughout their communities as part of GSUSA’s Tree Promise, which encourages Girl Scouts across the nation to plant 5 million trees in five years to contribute to overall environmental progression and to protect and honor new and existing trees. Lastly, National Grid funded a series of workshops called Telling Your Story, through which girls work with expert speakers and teachers to learn about public speaking and sharing their own stories in unique ways as a means to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of lifestyle differences.

“It’s inspiring to see how girls throughout Nassau County are prioritizing sustainability and environmental consciousness in their communities while developing their own business and career skills. We applaud the Girl Scouts of Nassau County for their efforts to empower Long Island’s youth,” said Kathy Wisnewski, the Director of Customer and Community Management of National Grid.

—Submitted by Girl Scouts Of Nassau County

Co-pastor Aric Balk presents a donation to Li Cares President/CEO Paule Pachter. (Photo by Frank Rizzo)

A Girl Scouts of Nassau County troop in Freeport recently joined with National Grid officials at a recent meeting for an activity on energy conservation and sustainability.

(Photo by Girl Scouts of Nassau County)

Long Island Author Releases New Novel

Kara Thomas has mesmerized critics and fans alike with her bestselling psychological thrillers for young adults—The Darkest Corners, Little Monsters, The Cheerleaders and That Weekend, a Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Pick. Her expertly crafted novels of suspense featuring young adults have also led to significant cross-over appeal with adult readers.

Now, Thomas makes her adult novel debut with Out Of The Ashes, her darkest, grittiest, and most compelling work to date.

Having grown up on Long Island, a notorious hotbed of unsolved crimes and corrupt law enforcement, Thomas has been obsessed with unsolved mysteries and conspiracy theories. She became particularly transfixed by the tragic 1945 mystery of the Sodders, a family whose home burned while they were sleeping. While the parents and four children escaped, five other children were trapped and their remains were never found. Imagining what that kind of uncertainty would mean to a family member who survived the tragedy, Thomas created her own story, centering on a fatal fire

and a child whose body was never retrieved from the ashes.

In the novel, Samantha Newsom has rebuilt her life after a house fire killed her family twenty-two years ago. She’s certain it was murder, but the case went cold. Samantha returns to her hometown of Carney, NY when a prison inmate claims he saw someone leaving the property carrying her baby sister the night of the fire. What else did he see, and could Samantha’s sister really be alive? It’s up to her—with the help of investigator Travis Meacham—to determine what really happened that night.

Out Of The Ashes features all the juicy ingredients for an unputdownable cover to cover read. Thomas will be lauching her new

novel at The Next Chapter, 204 New York Ave. Huntington, NY on Thursday, May 18 at 7pm.

Visit kara-thomas.com to

purchase Out Of The Ashes and learn more about Thomas.

—Submitted by Thomas & Mercer Publishing

10 Million Handshakes Highlight Eastern New York’s Spring Season

The first round of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup playoffs has now ended. Much is going to be made of the fact that players and coaches line up in the sporting gesture of shaking hands at the conclusion of each hard-fought best-of-seven playoff series. There will be approximately 6,000 handshakes in total after the 15 playoff series.

But that pales in comparison to what is happening in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), where the ideals are sportsmanship, safety, fun and fundamentals. Our 100,000 players, both boys and girls from the East End of Long Island to the Canadian border, plus their coaches and match referees will participate in approximately 10 million handshakes during this Spring Season.

“Now that the pandemic has faded and youth soccer has returned to normalcy, it’s important that teams have started shaking hands and bumping fists after every game once again,” explained ENYYSA President Richard Christiano.

Shaking hands is not just a spring thing, as it occurs throughout the year. It is estimated that 25 million handshakes will happen after Eastern New York soccer games in 2023.

The non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer.

—Submitted by Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

Make the most of summer with the New York Baseball Academy.

Led by Hofstra Baseball head coach and 14-year MLB veteran Frank Catalanotto and his NCAA Division I staff, the New York Baseball Academy at Hofstra provides players with an opportunity to develop their skills through daily workshops, offensive and defensive technique instruction, and game play. With one through six weeks of instruction available, players can customize their camp experience around their schedules.

Learn more about the New York Baseball Academy at hofstra.edu/nyba

Young players in the and Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) shaking hands. (Photos by LIJSL)

Kara Thomas (Photo credit: Charles Santangelo)

Loss To Hurricanes Brings An End To Islanders Season

LAUREN FELDMAN

lfeldman@antonmediagroup.com

After a rousing and tense matchup, the Islanders lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in an overtime game by a score of 2-1 in Game 6 of their first playoff round, killing their chance at the Stanley Cup for the first time in two years. The loss came as an abrupt end to the efforts of a team who truly fought for a playoffs shot, with the final blow coming as a steep-angled side shot at 6 minutes into OT by Paul Stastny.

Things had been looking strong for the Islanders, who led the game by 1-0 by midway though the opening period. However, despite outshooting the Hurricanes 28-19, they were unable to build on their lead. This proved fatal as the third quarter saw the Hurricanes outshooting the Islanders 19-5, ultimately leading to the goal which tied up

the game. Big saves from goalie Ilya Sorokin kept the Islanders in the game well into the third period, though without another point, both teams headed into OT, where ultimately the Hurricanes came out victorious.

The loss was hard for the Islanders, particularly for Sorokin, who earned some extra good spirits from his teammates following the game. While the goal was an unusual one for Sorokin, his team is confident that they would not have made it so far without him.

“The goalies... we wouldn’t be here without them,” said Scott Mayfield, of Islanders defense, in a statement. “They know that. They know how special they are.” Defenseman Ryan Pulock concurred. “[Sorokin] was spectacular for us all season and all playoffs.”

Many members of the Islanders have played together for a long time, leading to not only a cohesive team but a brotherhood. While the end of the playoffs was disappointing, this was a large improvement from the 2022 season, in which the Islanders did not make the playoffs. Left wing Matt Martin is

disappointed, but hopeful for the future. “We put a lot of work into getting here and battled adversity throughout the year,” Martin said in a statement. “At the same time it hurts, it

hurts bad and we’ll sit on this one for a little while and then get ready for next season.”

Onwards and upwards for the Islanders next year!

Two Sacred Heart Academy Seniors Win $40,000 Scholarships From Amazon

Not all Amazon packages are created equal. Just ask Hilary Rojas Rosales, ‘23 and Shadia Suha, ’23, high school seniors at Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, New York. Returning home from school one afternoon, both young women were surprised to open an Amazon package naming them as recipients of the 2023 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship--a $40,000 tuition scholarship ($10,000/year) toward an undergraduate degree in engineering or computer science. As if that was not exciting news in and of itself, they also were offered a guaranteed, paid 12-week summer internship at Amazon after completing their freshman year of college. While working at Amazon, AFE interns work on a software or hardware engineering team and pair up with a co-intern, manager, and mentors to build projects that have a real impact on Amazon customers. Interns get to work on some of Amazon’s groundbreaking technologies and core platforms, like Alexa voice technology, Amazon Web Services, and the Amazon retail platform.

It is not at all surprising the Hilary and Shadia took the initiative to apply for this prestigious opportunity. Hilary, a Hempstead resident, has always had a passion for computer science so it is not surprising that she plans to attend SUNY Binghamton’s Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science in fall 2023. Aside from the challenging

science and research program, Hilary says that she has made new friends every single year and is quick to point out that she still finds time to take care of two parakeets, Bella, and Jacob. Shadia, a West Hempstead resident, also cites the lifelong friendships that she has made at Sacred Heart and says that the research she was able to do at SHA through the Brookhaven National Laboratories reinforced her passion for the study of medicine through engineering and robotics. Somehow, she also manages to play violin, piano and guitar just for fun.

Sister Jean Amore, CSJ, Ed. D, principal at Sacred Heart, shared that “Not only are Shadia and Hilary intelligent, hardworking young scholars, they lead with compassion, courage, and commitment. Sacred Heart Acad. is so proud of them.” Sister Jean Amore, CSJ, Ed.D. principal.

Sacred Heart Academy’s focus in science and math prepares students to apply their scientific knowledge to real-world

challenges. Both young women have spent a great deal of time in the Science Research Center at Sacred Heart Academy, a state-of-the-art facility, designed specifically for student-developed research projects.

Amazon Scholarship recipients applied

for the opportunity and were selected based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, future goals, and financial need. Amazon surprised four hundred students with news of the award. We met with two of the recipients to learn what inspired them to study computer science. Besides their project work, Amazon Future Engineer interns get exposure to the Amazon business through fireside chats with senior leaders, deep dives from technology teams, and an annual Alexa skills-building hackathon.

“Every year, I continue to be inspired by our scholarship recipients’ academic achievements and drive to use their problem-solving abilities to build solutions for

their communities,” said Victor Reinoso, global director of Philanthropic Education Initiatives at Amazon. “With students from historically underrepresented and underserved communities representing only 18% of CS [computer science] bachelor’s degrees, we believe that connecting students to computer science education and opportunities helps create a more equitable and inclusive future, across all industries and sectors, for generations to come.”

The future is extremely bright for Hilary, Shadia, and their classmates, and the entire SHA community is very proud of all they have accomplished.

Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) is an all-girls Catholic college preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Founded in 1949, SHA has over 12,000 alumnae who live and work around the world. Current students come from over forty school districts. Graduates go on to recognized top-tier colleges and universities, receiving significant academic and athletic scholarship offerings each year.

Sacred Heart Academy combines rigorous academics with leadership opportunities that foster the values of courage, commitment, and compassion. Lead with Heart is the essence of the Sacred Heart Academy experience.

—Submitted by Sacred Heart Academy

After a rousing game, the Islanders lost to the Hurricanes 2-1. (Photo courtesy of NHL.com : Cory Wright)

Shadia Suha, SHA ’23 and S. Jean Amore, Ed.D., CSJ, Principal of Sacred Heart Academy. (Photos by Sacred Heart Academy)

Hilary Rojas Rosales, SHA ’23 and S. Jean Amore, Ed.D., CSJ, Principal of Sacred Heart Academy.

Art In The Park Event Returns To Heckscher Park

Art League of Long Island is pleased to announce the upcoming Art in the Park event. After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Art League of Long Island’s 53rd Art in the Park Fine Art & Craft Fair is back with an eclectic variety of one-of-a-kind art and craft work made by the exhibitors at Huntington’s Heckscher Park. The fair takes place June 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the spacious grounds of the park, located at the intersection of Rt 25A and Sabbath Day Path. This exciting two-day event will be filled with fine art sales, music, food trucks, and art demonstrations. The event promises to be a fun-filled day for the whole family and is free to attend.

Art in the Park is an opportunity for local artists to showcase their talents and for art enthusiasts to purchase unique pieces of art. Booths will be judged by Long Island Museum’s Alexandria D’Auria Director of Advancement and Huntington Arts Council’s Executive Director Kieran Johnson on Saturday and ribbons will be awarded in the afternoon. Attendees will have the opportunity to view and purchase paintings, sculptures,

pottery, jewelry, and other forms of fine art.

The event will also feature live music performances by local musicians and food trucks offering a variety of delicious foods and beverages. Art demonstrations will also be available for those who are interested in learning more about different art forms.

The Art League is excited to bring back this

event for its 53rd year to Heckscher Park and to showcase the incredible talents of our local artists. Our hope is that the community will come out and enjoy a day filled with fine art, music, food, and fun.

Established in 1955, the Art League is a notfor-profit visual arts center whose mission is to provide a forum and showcase for artists

of all ages and ability levels, whether through art education in the studios or exhibition opportunities in the gallery and art fairs. Artwork on display in the gallery may be available for purchase. The Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is open free of charge.

—Submitted by the Art League of Long Island

After A Decade, Charlee Miller Retires from the Art League

On January 2, 2013, Charlee Miller walked through the front doors of the Art League of Long Island as the newest Executive Director. Coming from 37 years in the banking industry, retiring as a Vice President for J.P. Morgan Chase, she was hired for her financial acumen and for her prior experience as Treasurer of the Dystrophic Epidermolysis of America, known as Debra of America. The thenboard of directors knew that the Art League would be in good hands...and little did they know how true that sentiment would be for the Long Island artist community.

Says Miller, “My favorite memories of working at the Art League include interacting everyday with students of all ages and abilities, talented teaching artists and a dynamic and creative staff. It was a privilege and honor to be part of Long Island’s creative class of artists, photographers, designers, and doers who infused every corner of the Art League’s amazing building with energy, innovation and excitement. The whole experience was unique, fulfilling and rewarding.”

During the quarantine, Charlee began major fundraising for the Art League, as classes were cancelled and students were owed credits for classes for which they had already enrolled. She jumped into action,

seeing the opportunity in the challenge.

“The pandemic was the most devastating event the Art League had to deal with financially, emotionally and spiritually. The health and safety of our employees, students and visitors was the number one concern. Shutting down for six months was tough on employees wondering when and where their next paycheck would come from and when and if we’d be able to reopen.

Thanks to government support, understanding creditors and our banks who

worked with us, we were optimistic. A tremendous amount of support came from donors, students, business partners and people who wanted to support us through the crisis! The pandemic meant business! And that meant change. The challenges were great and it required immediate changes to the business model, a reduction in operating hours and expenses and better use of the building space.” Miller acknowledges and appreciates everyone who stepped up, donated to the Art League, and made it possible for the Art League to begin

the road to recovery.

Once the Art League reopened, she then began to plan for her retirement, knowing a succession plan would be needed to hire a new Executive Director. The search took only a few months before the Art League moved forward with hiring Marianne Della Croce, who began in her current position in January 2022. Charlee then transitioned to Director of Development, bringing in much needed funds through capital grants, our Annual Appeal and partnering with other nonprofits for additional revenue streams.

Della Croce said, “If it wasn’t for the forethought of Charlee, the Art League would not be in such a secure place as it is now. I am honored to have her trust, and the support of Charlee as well as the board of directors, students and supporters to continue to make the Art League of Long Island the premiere visual arts organization that it is.”

Janette Simms, ALLI Board President, said, “We owe Charlee an immense debt of gratitude for her knowledgeable, experienced and determined leadership during a time of unprecedented challenge. Her tenure put the Art League on the path to a more sustainable future.”

—Submitted by the Art League of Long Island

Art In The Park 2022.

(Photo by the Art League Long Island)

Instructor Antonio Masi & Charlee Miller in the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery.

(Photo by the Art League of Long Island)

WORD FIND

HOROSCOPES By Holiday

HOROSCOPES By

HOROSCOPES By Holiday Mathis

Holiday Mathis

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Repetition has its own kind of magic. Duplication is creation. Cells divide and multiply to make life. Words said time and again lose and gain meaning. Recurrent tasks become harder, then easier, then harder. e transformations of this week will be the result of echoed behaviors. Be careful what you repeat.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). e existence of original ideas has been long contested. From the ancient Greeks to Shakespeare and beyond, it’s suggested there’s nothing new under the sun. Nonconformity is often characterized by conforming to other nonconformists. Still, mix the old elements in novel ways, knowing there’s never been another you and there never will be.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the ever-hopeful Ophelia says, “We know what we are, but not what we may be.” While others around you may struggle with cynicism this week, you’ll shine a light on the truth. Everything changes including people, and often we can steer the change. Your positive views will be contagious.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). All are called to service, many will answer, and a few will uphold duty to the very end. For the ultra-responsible who live their loyalty, duty can, at times, feel like a curse. Work through such feelings without guilt. ey come with the territory. ere’s something beautiful on the other side.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). ere are things you’ve seen so often, your mind glosses over them, making it impossible to notice anything new about them. It will take a perspective shift to get back to really seeing, and this can only occur after going out into the world and gathering new experience. Consider this your invitation to change things up.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Life seems to be withholding information from you, but there’s an upside to this: You can focus on the task at hand without getting distracted by work that’s further down the line. Life is more exciting when you don’t know what to expect. Trust that there are delights in store.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Just because you’re not sure a thing will work doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it on. But when? Start with the work you have more con dence in. Getting a win or two under your belt will positively a ect your morale and keep you moving ever-forward. Momentum counts for a lot!

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your mind is even busier than usual this week, and the extra information oating around up there makes it harder to prioritize. Try talking to yourself out loud. Since you can only say one thing at a time, verbalizing imposes a linear order to your thoughts. e important points emerge -- ah, clarity!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Trust yourself and have faith in life’s process. It helps to be surrounded by positive people who focus on the right things, which is to say whatever moves it all forward. Don’t expect the whole picture to be revealed at once. More likely, you’ll handle step one and then step two will become clear.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You bring something special to projects -- talent, plus your big heart and an inclusive attitude that attracts people of di erent strengths. Some are clever and can see multiple angles. Some drive the action forward quickly. e combined power of your group will be greater than the sum of its parts.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You don’t love all of your habits, although even the ones you don’t prefer serve a purpose. Understanding that purpose will give you the keys to change if you want to. But regardless of what you decide, you can still fully accept yourself just as you are. Doing so will only make you more powerful.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll be well aware of the limited amount of time you have to get a thing done and just how important it is for you to stay on track. Distractions are costly. While you can’t control everything about your environment, certain obvious preventative measures around timing, laying social boundaries and setting digital limits will greatly bene t your productivity.

THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS

It will be a transformative year as you bring your bright intellect to your experiences. Because you’re curious and creative, you’ll come at topics from di erent angles, pursue interesting tangents and ask good questions. You quickly become a favorite of those with knowledge to impart. You’ll learn how to make things run better. Knowledge about processes will apply to relationships, too. You’ll simultaneously grow in many ways at once, including personally and professionally COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND

Grafton’s glory

Solution: 31 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 31 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Grafton’s glory

Solution: 31 Letters

Architecture Arts

Bridges

Cane field

Clarenza

Colour

Dairy

Drought Gallery

Gardens

Gwydir Heat

Architecture Arts

Gwydir Heat

Princess River

Highway Hospitality

Bridges

Cane field

Clarenza

Hotels

Colour

Houseboat

Dairy

Highway

Hospitality

Hotels

Houseboat Junction Hill Koolkhan

Junction Hill

Koolkhan

Drought Gallery Gardens

Nymboida

Parks

Nymboida Parks

Rural Southampton Street

Trails

Ulmarra

Princess River Rural Southampton Street Trails Ulmarra Vast Welcome

Vast

Welcome

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

Solution: Having fun at the Jacaranda Festival

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

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

CONTRACT BRIDGE — BY STEVE BECKER

Date: 5/10/23

CONTRACT BRIDGE

Solution: Having fun at the Jacaranda Festival

FOR RELEASE SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2023

Creators Syndicate

By Steve Becker

Date: 5/10/23

The defense rests

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

mistically reached five diamonds on the sequence shown. Hayden’s oddlooking three-spade bid conventionally indicated a singleton spade and good diamond support.

The Italian West led the jack of clubs. East cashed the A-K and then erred by continuing with a third club. This was greeted like manna from heaven by Becker, who ruffed the club with the ten, led a heart to the ace, ruffed a heart and easily made the rest of the tricks after drawing trump.

At the time, it seemed that the Americans would gain substantially as a result of having made an “impossible” game. But there were also strange goings-on at the other table. With an Italian pair now North-South, the bidding went:

WestNorthEastSouth Pass1 ♥ Pass2 ♦

There are not many hands in world championship play where the defense slips so badly at both tables that each declarer is permitted to make an unmakeable game. But this rarity did in fact occur in the match between Italy and the United States in 1965.

At the first table, where Dorothy Hayden and B. Jay Becker were North-South for the U.S., they opti-

Tomorrow:

2 ♠ 3 ♦ 3 ♠ 3 NT

The American West, on lead against three notrump, chose a heart as his opening salvo. The grateful Italian declarer rose with the ace, cashed the king — felling East’s queen — and ran his diamonds to finish with 10 tricks. Had West led a club instead, South would have lost two clubs and six spades and gone down four!

© 2023 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

Weekly Sudoku Puzzle

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

Answer to last issue’s Sudoku Puzzle

Answer to last issue’s Crossword Puzzle

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Equal Housing Opportunity

Federal, New York State and local laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, familial status, age, marital status, sexual orientation or disability in connection with the rental, sale or financing of real estate. Nassau also prohibits source of income discrimination. Anton Community Newspapers does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination, call Long Island Housing Services’ Discrimination Complaint Line at 800660-6920. (Long Island Housing Services is the Fair Housing Agency of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.)

Manhasset Resident Awarded Valedictorian At Long Island Lutheran

Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School (LuHi) proudly announces that Stella Bizekis has been named valedictorian of the Class of 2023, with an impressive unweighted GPA of 99.30 and weighted GPA of 102.67.

Stella’s outstanding academic achievements and leadership skills make her a key member of the LuHi community. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Benevolent Society of Eleftheriani Scholarship Award, the Donald Brown Award for Social Studies, and the Academic Achievement Award. Stella was also recognized as an AP Scholar with Honor and earned both

Platinum and Silver Awards in the Le Grand Concours National French Contest.

Stella is a well-rounded individual who was involved in many LuHi co-curricular activities, including the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team, French Club, and Student Government. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, and serves as the secretary of the French Club and Vice President of the World Language Honor Society.

In addition to her academic and leadership achievements, Stella is also a dedicated member of the community. She has volunteered at the Archangel Michael Church Greek Festival on the Harbor, the New York Mets

Foundation, and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. Stella has also volunteered at St. Michael’s Home for the Elderly, where she spent over 30 hours with the elderly in the Greek Orthodox community.

Stella will continue her academic journey at New York University and study nursing. Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School congratulates Stella on her remarkable achievements and wishes her continued success in her future endeavors. She has truly left a lasting impact on our community and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future.

—Submitted by Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School

Local Resident Begins Service In The US Coast Guard

On April 28th, Manhasset resident Christian Winnitzki graduated as a Seaman from the United States Coast Guard training camp in Cape May, New Jersey. Christian will be deployed at the Newburyport, Massachusetts Coast Guard station at the mouth of the Merrimack River. His goal is to

follow up on his medical training and EMT certification, and further his education in the Coast Guard as a physician’s assistant.

Christian and his family are long-time Manhasset residents, graduated from Manhasset High School, received a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and has

been a member of the Village Club of Sands Point.

We wish him well in his endeavors and military career.

—Submitted by Walter Winnitzki

Seaman Christian Winnitzki

(photo by the United States Coast Guard)

Stella Bizekis.

(Photo by Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School)

Manhasset Edges Out Garden City In 139th Woodstick Classic

ANTON MEDIA GROUP STAFF

editors@antonmediagroup.com

It all came down to overtime in the 139th Woodstick Classic lacrosse match between Garden City and Manhasset.

After a powerful season-to-date for both teams, Garden City held off Manhasset for much of the high-energy, slightly drizzly, back-and-forth Class B state championship game in Garden City, but Manhasset kept narrowing the gap until the regular clock ran out.

Once in overtime, Manhasset swooped in for a decisive final point that ended the game, with a final score of 9-8 Manhasset, just 12 seconds into overtime.

Last year, Garden City edged out Manhasset to win the 138th Classic in overtime as well, so both teams are no doubt already looking ahead to the 140th annual face-off next year.

Sewanhaka Girls’ Golf In Full Swing

Northwell hospitals across the region recognized by the national nonprofit Leapfrog Group, demonstrating the health system’s commitment to patient safety.

Eight Northwell Health hospitals, including six on Long Island, earned a top ‘A’ rating for its patient safety, according to a report released today by the Leapfrog Group for Spring 2023. The national distinction recognizes a health system’s commitment to patient safety and achievements in promoting best outcomes.

Leapfrog’s Hospital’s 2023 Spring Grade report showed the following Northwell hospitals earned a top ‘A’ rating: Huntington Hospital; Long Island Jewish Forest Hills; Mather Hospital, Port Jefferson;North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset; Northern Westchester Hospital, Mt. Kisco; Peconic Bay Medical Center, Riverhead; South Shore University Hospital, Bay Shore; and Syosset Hospital.

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization, assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to nearly 3,000 acute-care hospitals nationwide, which is based on 30 evidence-based patient safety performance measures. The organization issues

Catholic Health And Smile Farms To Open Cooperative Garden

Eight Northwell Hospitals Earn A Top ‘A’ Grade In Leapfrog Safety Report

quality officer at Northwell Health. “The survey reflects our deep commitment to patient safety across the care continuum, whether it be maternity care, surgical outcomes, care in our intensive care units or care for children. Our scores reflect not only our dedication to providing the best possible patient care, but how we strive to do better every day.”

the report twice annually.

“The spring Leapfrog report shows that Northwell hospitals across the region are continuing to provide the best quality

Leaders and local electeds cut the ribbon on a new cooperative garden.

Dr. Silver said the Leapfrog survey reviews key patient safety measures including hospital-acquired infections, medication safety, hand washing, maternity care and surgical safety. Certain patient experience scores also are factored in the analysis, which are based on patient satisfaction surveys administered by Press Ganey Associates.

is being started at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic in Garden City. Smile Farms provides meaningful work opportunities for people with disabilities to grow, sell, and donate plants, produce, and products in the community. Sponsored by the Harris Beach PLLC law firm with a $15,000 donation, this garden will be tended

and safest care to our patients at both our community and tertiary care hospitals,” said Peter Silver, MD, senior vice president, associate chief medical officer and chief

“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of all our hospitals and our 83,000 team members who go above and beyond every day to improve care for our patients who entrust us with their care,” said Dr. Silver. “Northwell has a culture for continuous improvement and you feel that when you walk into our buildings.”

by patients in the Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) Program who will receive job training and payment, provided by Smile Farms funding. The produce will be shared with food-insecure individuals at Mercy Hospital’s Family Care Center in Rockville Centre.

For more information about Leapfrog Group, see: www.HospitalSafetyGrade.org

—Submitted by Northwell Health

— Submitted by Smile Farms at Catholic Health

A Northwell Health physician checks her patient’s heartbeat. (Photo by Northwell Health)

Congratulations to the Sewanhaka Central High School District Girls Golf team led by New Hyde Park student-athletes Victoria Guerrero, Faith Mathew, Alexa Rizzo, and Olivia Tomalska. The team recently won their 14th straight match, highlighted by their win over previously unbeaten Southside High School. — New Hyde Park Athletics via Twitter

(Submitted photo)

(Courtesy of New Hyde Park Athletics via Twitter)

(Credit: Pierce Archer)

What’s our greatest asset at The Bristal Assisted Living communities? It’s the lifetime of interests and experiences you bring to it. After all, that’s what makes you special. A caring team that spends the time getting to know you so you can continue nurturing, sharing and exploring those interests? Well, that’s what makes us special, too.

See for yourself. Explore all of our locations in the tri-state area.

thebristal.com

2023 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Disbarred Attorney Arraigned For Stealing More Than $21,000 From Client

Alfred DiGirolomo, Jr. allegedly stole attorney fees and settlement funds; previously pled guilty to felony Grand Larceny charges

MAY 10

MAY 11

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a disbarred attorney has been re-arrested for allegedly practicing law without authorization and stealing $21,500 from a client in supposed attorney fees and settlement funds he falsely claimed he had negotiated on behalf of his client.

MAY 12

MAY 13

Alfred DiGirolomo, Jr., 67, of Manhasset, was arraigned yesterday before Judge Joseph Nocella on charges of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a D felony) and Practice of Law by an Attorney who has been disbarred, suspended, or convicted of a felony (an A misdemeanor). The defendant pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 2-1/3 to 7 years in prison.

The defendant previously pleaded guilty to grand larceny charges and was disbarred. DiGirolomo was sentenced on March 22, 2021, for both cases by Judge Teresa Corrigan to 1 and 1/3 years to 4 years in prison, and he was ordered to pay $680,000 of restitution by civil judgment.

The next scheduled court date is April 27, 2023.

MAY 14

MAY 21The Marshall Tucker Band

JUN 3Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

JUN 10Happy Together Tour

JUN 23Chicago

JUN 24Les Claypool Fearless Flying Frog Brigade

JUN 25Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood

JUL 16Gladys Knight

JUL 18Belinda Carlisle

JUL 22Johnny Mathis

AUG 5Air Supply

AUG 9The Concer t: A Tribute to Abba

AUG 18 Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular

MAY 18

AUG 19The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute

SEP 9Lar Enterprises Presents: Oh What A Night of Rock & Roll

SEP 23Hermans Hermits starring Peter Noone

OCT 1The Price is Right

OCT 19+20 Lee Brice

OCT 21Monsters of Freestyle

OCT 21Parliament Funkadelic feat. George Clinton

NOV 10Masters of Illusion

NOV 12Celebrating David Bowie featuring Peter Murphy, Adriant Belew, Scrote & more

“Less than two months after pleading guilty to grand larceny charges and losing his license to practice law, this defendant allegedly solicited purported attorney fees from an existing client and defiantly continued to provide representation,” said DA Donnelly. “The defendant allegedly falsely told his client that he resolved the underlying matter, stole more than $21,000 from him, and ultimately caused him to receive a notice of default on the case for failing to appear at multiple court dates.”

DA Donnelly said that, according to the charges, between April 2019 and February 2021, DiGirolomo, despite having been disbarred from practicing law effective April 4, 2019, allegedly continued to work with a client who had hired him in 2016 to represent him in a civil matter.

DiGirolomo allegedly requested $5,000 in purported attorney fees on two separate occasions in September 2019 and November 2019, after the defendant had been disbarred.

The defendant also allegedly made false representations to his client that he was

Alfred DiGirolomo Jr. (Nassau County District Attorney)

able to negotiate a settlement that would resolve the civil matter, in which his client was the defendant, for $11,500. The victim provided the defendant with the funds in December 2019, believing the matter had been resolved.

NCDA’s investigation revealed that the plaintiff in the civil case had not agreed to settle the matter, and that DiGirolomo had allegedly made an offer that had been rejected. The defendant allegedly continued to hold himself out as an attorney after his client believed the case had been settled, corresponding with the plaintiff’s attorney and the court.

In July 2022, the victim received a Notice of Default from the court and learned that his case had not been resolved, that the matter had appeared on the court’s calendar multiple times where DiGirolomo failed to appear, and that the case was, in fact, still pending in court.

Senior Investigative Counsel Jennifer Contreras of the Financial Crimes Bureau is prosecuting this case. Kim Kaufmann of the Legal Aid Society represents the defendant. The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

—Submitted by the Office of the District Attorney of Nassau County

Town Meeting Summary TOWN NEWS

AMANDA OLSEN

aolsen@antonmediagroup.com

In the Town of North Hempstead town meeting on May 2, some items of interest to Manhasset residents were discussed.

At the beginning of the meeting, two individuals spoke in recognition of the town’s decision to make May Jewish American Heritage Month, a resolution that was addressed later in the meeting. Councilwoman Lurvey sposored the resolution. DeSena read from the proclamation and the group posed for photos.

After the pledge of allegiance, Supervisor DeSena reminded everyone that it is Small Business Week. She then stated that the County Executive is making $10 million in ARPA funds available

for small businesses.

During the public comment period, three individuals spoke out against the casino. Two people lamented the feral cat situation and asked for action on the cat shelter. One person spoke about the Harbor Links outing schedule. Two individuals, who were not North Hempstead town residents, spoke about voter registration issues. This filled the remainder of the public comment time. A number of residents who were waiting to speak voiced their frustration, and Councilwoman Lurvey put forth a motion to add 20 more minutes of comment time. This did not pass. A number of reappointments were on the agenda for this meeting: the reappointment of Nancy Shores, Anne Cybriwski, Frank Genese and Harry Nicolaides to the TONH Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the reappointment of Matthew Cuomo and Traci Caines to the North Hempstead Housing Authority.

Joseph J. DeRose MD

April 26, 2023

Dr. Joseph DeRose was a proud graduate of Xavier High School in NYC and the College of the Holy Cross in Worchester MA. He graduated from SUNY Downstate Medical School in 1963, and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at SUNY Downstate where he was selected to be chief resident.

After serving 2 years in the public health service in Washington, DC; Dr. DeRose joined the faculty at SUNY Downstate eventually rising to the academic rank of Associate Professor. He opened a private practice in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn where he was universally loved by his patients.

Dr. DeRose lived his professional life in honor and respect of the notion that “Medicine truly is the noblest of all professions.” He was a world class teacher who leaves behind a legacy of hundreds of students and residents who trained at his side. He was known as a master clinician, expert in the art of physical exam and differential diagnosis.

He loved playing craps, tennis and binging old episodes of Columbo. He was an enthusiastic boxing fan, Yankee fan and Jets fan.

Beloved husband of 60 years to Patricia. Loving father of MaryLou Vassalle (Massimo) and Joseph DeRose (Laina). Immensely proud grandfather of Joey, Nicole, Allison, and Marisa. Funeral Mass was held at St. Mary’s R.C. Church, Manhasset, NY followed by a private entombment.

Public Safety Report

The Sixth Squad reports a robbery that occurred at 1:31pm on Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Manhasset.

According to Detectives, three unknown male black suspects all dressed in dark colored clothing did enter the Optical Store of Aspen located at 2038 Northern Boulevard. The suspects went to the back of the store and put numerous sunglasses in a bag. As store personnel contacted security and police, one subject stayed at the front of the store and then went outside to a vehicle. A second suspect was exiting the store when security arrived and also entered the vehicle. The third suspect who was carrying the bag of proceeds was attempting to exit the store, he was approached by security, the suspect with both his arms shoved both guards and

entered the vehicle. All three suspects fled in a silver colored four door sedan with an undetermined amount of proceeds. No injuries were reported.

The Third Squad reports the details of a robbery that occurred on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 2:49 pm in Manhasset. According to detectives, three female subjects and one male subject, wearing masks, entered Prada located at 2000 Northern Boulevard and removed seven handbags, valued in excess of $20,000. As the subjects were fleeing the store, one subject pushed a sales associate causing her to fall onto the floor. The four subjects then fled the scene in an unknown direction. No injuries were reported.

—From the Civic Alerts page of PDCN.org

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR ALZHEIMER’S TREATMENTS

The FDA has approved two Alzheimer’s treatments, the first ones that actually treat the underlying biology of the disease. However, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has denied coverage for both of these treatments. What this means is that the drugs will be available only to those Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a clinical trial or those very few who can afford to pay the exhorbitant

cost out-of-pocket. This is the first time CMS has denied coverage for an FDA approved medication. This was not the case with earlier drugs for cancer, HIV or other disease; as a result of this approval, these other diseases are now treatable. My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1980 and our whole family suffered with it for over 20 years. During that time, I kept reading about research

IN SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET

The Citizens Advisory Committee for Finance (“CACF”) is comprised of Manhasset residents who broadly represent the community. It serves as an independent liaison between the community and the Board of Education regarding the District’s annual operating budget. The CACF members met with school administration on three separate occasions to review the full budget, understand assumptions, ask pointed questions and discuss potential alternatives.

Over the past year, many of us have felt the pressures of inflation in our own lives, from heating and electricity costs, to basic necessities such as eggs and milk, to airfares. Our schools are not immune to these pressures. Health insurance rates are expected to jump 14.9 percent in 2023-2024, which is the highest increase in recent history. Total increases

in compensation and benefits alone are $2.5 million which consume 78 percent of the budget increase of $3.1 million. Other areas with significant pressure include energy, bus transportation, special education and instructional technology upgrades.

Even with inflationary pressures, the proposed budget of $107.7 million for the 2023-2024 school year results in a budget to budget increase of only 3.0 percent. In adopting this budget, the Board carefully weighed the needs of all 3,000+ students, provided incentives for our teachers, administrators and staff and maintained existing infrastructure to support a culture of excellence and growth.

The proposed budget does all this within the tax levy cap of 2.97 percent while not cutting existing programs and even enhancing instructional opportunities. These new

progress, which never came to fruition. Now, 40 years later, we finally have a treatment that could mean a better quality of life for those in the early stages of the disease. It would allow people more time to participate in daily life, remain independent and make future health decisions. I can’t tell you how much something like this would have meant to me and my family.

I live in New York’s Third Congressional District and would like to urge all members of Congress to reach out to CMS and demand that they change their unfair and inequitable position on coverage of FDA approved Alzheimer’s treatments. Many lives depend on it.

Kathy Distler Jericho resident and Alzheimer’s Association Ambassador

or expanded programs include: i) continued emphasis on individual and small group support, ii) expansion of Science Research Program at the secondary school, iii) expansion of assistant coaches in 4 different sports, iv) increased arts programs v) as well as social and emotional wellness initiatives. Your vote is critical to support the District’s goals and initiatives for next year. If a budget is not ultimately approved by voters, New York State Law requires the adoption of a Contingency Budget which will reflect a 0 percent increase in the tax levy and therefore a $2.8 million reduction in budgeted expenses. As a cautionary tale, the 2013-2014 budget was voted down resulting in teacher and staff reductions, programming cuts and reduced funding for athletics. The effects of these cuts were felt for many years. Our children deserve the best possible

education and it is our responsibility to provide them with the resources and support they need.

As in previous years, we note with appreciation the transparency of the budget process, the wealth of financial information made available by the Administration and the Administration’s responsiveness to CACF inquiries as a result of which we feel that the District is now well-positioned financially for the coming year. We commend the Board and administration for all of its efforts on behalf of our children and the community. The members of the CACF unanimously support the proposed budget for the 20232024 school year.

Respectfully submitted, Scott Carroll, Sophie Christman, Ann Lynch, Dimitri Nikas, Paul Pai, Tejas Patel, Jane Russell and Stephen Seremetis

Statement on 2023 – 2024 State Budget Agreement

The 2023-2024 state budget agreement between the legislature and the governor addresses some of the financial and operational concerns our member hospitals face, and we are thankful for this, especially the increase in Medicaid payment rates. However, we know this rate increase still falls short of covering the cost to provide care to Medicaid patients. This has been the case for more than a decade. The increase is also offset, in part, by a Medicaid

pharmacy benefit change that took effect on April 1. That change equates to about a $525 million cut to hospitals participating in this program. We had hoped to see this provision repealed in this budget.

Unfortunately, more than half of the hospitals impacted by an $85 million dollar cut to the Indigent Care Pool (ICP) contained in this budget are in the suburban regions east and north of New York City. The ICP partially reimburses hospitals for

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caring for the poor and uninsured. We are grateful, however, the budget continues supportive funding for financially distressed hospitals and provides investment in healthcare facility modernization. And certainly, exempting the suburban regions from a near 50 percent increase in the MTA payroll tax is most welcome news, as hospitals are major employers in their communities.

Workforce flexibilities and other

provisions that our hospitals desperately need were not included in the budget. Nearly all hospitals continue to utilize workforce flexibilities, especially use of outof-state workers and some scope of practice changes that were granted temporarily in the wake of the pandemic. We will continue to press the legislature during the post-budget session to make these permanent.

Wendy Darwell, President/CEO Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State

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Town Hosts CarFit Program For Seniors

North Hempstead Councilmember

Peter Zuckerman was proud to join representatives from AARP, the American Occupational Therapy Association, AAA Northeast and the Town’s Department of Services for the Aging on Thursday, April 27 for a CarFit program.

The program was offered free of charge to individuals, including those who reside outside of the Town, who are age 60 and over at Clinton G. Martin Park in New Hyde Park.

CarFit is a program designed to help seniors achieve a better fit with their vehicle for optimal safety and comfort while driving. A 12-point CarFit checklist was reviewed with participants while in their own vehicle, including adjusting mirrors to reduce blind spots, seat belt use and steering wheel tilt.

—Submitted by the Town of North Hempstead

North Hempstead Extends Nomination Deadline For 2023 Women’s Roll Of Honor To May 12

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Town Clerk Ragini Srivastava, and the Town Board have announced that nominations for the 2023 Women’s Roll of Honor have been extended to Friday, May 12, 2023.

“The Town of North Hempstead is so lucky to have an abundance of outstanding women who continue to be champions for

their communities,” Supervisor DeSena said. “I encourage all residents to nominate a deserving individual for Women’s Roll of Honor while there is still time left, so we can celebrate their incredible accomplishments and thank them for helping to make our communities great.”

Town Clerk Srivastava said, “I am proud to continue the long-standing tradition of the

Town of North Hempstead to recognize the achievements of extraordinary women and to thank them on behalf of a grateful community. I encourage our residents to consider that special person in their community as a nominee and to submit their recommendation to the Clerk’s Office without delay.”

The annual breakfast celebration will be held at the Clubhouse at Harbor Links, 1

Fairway Drive, Port Washington on Friday, June 23, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Anyone interested in submitting a name for consideration can call North Hempstead’s 311 Call Center by dialing 311 or download the application form on the Town’s website: www.northhempsteadny. gov/roll-of-honor.

—Submitted by the Town of North Hempstead

North Hempstead To Host Native Plant Rebates For Residents

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board are proud to announce that North Hempstead has received $15,000 from the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District to offer rebates to residents to encourage planting of native plants in their landscapes. The Town will be offering eligible residents up to $350 per household for the purchase of native plants to replace lawn grass or plant in an existing garden.

“We’re proud to once again partner with the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District on this great program,” Supervisor DeSena said. “The Town of North Hempstead has consistently prioritized preserving our environment, and this program will continue to play an important role in protecting our environment for future generations.”

“Native plant gardens have extensive root systems that can absorb polluted stormwater, while their leaves absorb carbon dioxide and other air pollutants,” said Councilmember Veronica Lurvey. “These gardens provide an easy and beautiful way to help

safeguard our surroundings. This initiative is in line with our goal for North Hempstead to serve as a model of sustainability and resiliency.”

For the past two years the program has been successful in creating over 40 new native plant gardens throughout the Town with funding from the Soil and Water District. These gardens provide food, shelter, and nesting resources for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and a variety of wildlife species.

These gardens are important in creating habitats for pollinators such as monarch butterflies. Their populations have been in decline in recent years, and they have been declared endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Town has also taken the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge again this year and the native plant gardens are important in the effort to conserve this iconic species.

To qualify for the rebate program, residents will be required to complete an application that includes information about their proposed garden location, estimated

budget, New York native plant species chosen, proposed garden size, photo(s) of proposed planting location, and a basic garden layout.

Funding is limited and applications that meet the requirements will be accepted on

first-come first-served basis. For more information and details on how to apply, please call 311 or visit www.northhempsteadny. gov/sustainability.

—Submitted by the Town of North Hempstead

Councilmember Zuckerman with representatives from AAA at the Town’s CarFit event. (Contributed photos)

Manhasset Schools Honored For Outstanding Music Education

The Manhasset Public Schools has been recognized once again as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation. It is among 830 school districts from across the nation to earn this prestigious recognition this year.

According to the NAMM Foundation, “the award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education.” Schools and districts are evaluated based on their funding, highly qualified music teachers, commitment to high music standards, community support and participation and

access to music instruction.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to bear witness to the tireless efforts of our music teachers who provide rigorous instruction, demonstrate an inclusive philosophy and create special opportunities for their students,” said Director of Fine and Performing Arts Dr. Joseph Owens. “This award is special as it is evidence that our program provides meaningful musical experiences for all Manhasset students.

Congratulations to our music educators, and a special thank you to building and district administrators who create a nurturing environment for arts education.”

Manhasset Students Shine A Light On The Symbols Of America

Family and friends gathered in the Shelter Rock Elementary School auditorium on April 24 as Shelter Rock second graders took the stage for their United States Symbols Show. The performance space was set up in patriotic fashion as red, white and blue balloons were positioned near the risers, courtesy of the Manhasset SCA. Each student wore a U.S.A. hat and a T-shirt with a different American symbol on it. During the show, the second graders showcased what they learned about

America. This included facts about historic American figures such as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, and American landmarks such as the Liberty Bell and Mount Rushmore.

With the help of music teacher Sarah Duke, the students entertained the crowd with five patriotic songs. They concluded their show on a high note as they waved their American flags in unison and performed “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

—Submitted by Manhasset Public Schools

Manhasset High School Honored As A Project Lead The Way Distinguished School

Manhasset High School has been recognized as a 2022-23 Project Lead The Way Distinguished School. It is one of 262 high schools across the U.S. to receive this honor for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW’s engineering pathway. PLTW is a nonprofit organization that serves millions of pre-K-12 students and teachers in more than 12,200 schools across the U.S.

Through the hard work of Manhasset High School’s engineering teachers, Frank Russo and Liam Carr, the program has grown into a comprehensive engineering pathway that engages students in hands-on and technical curriculum, allowing them to experience many aspects of engineering design, principles, programming and applications.

The PLTW Distinguished School recognition honors schools committed to increasing student access, engagement and

achievement in their PLTW programs. To be eligible for the designation, Manhasset High School had to meet the following criteria in the 2021-22 school year:

• Have 25 percent of students or more participate in PLTW courses, or of those who participate in PLTW, at least 33 percent take two or more PLTW courses.

• Offer and have students enroll in at least three PLTW courses.

• Have strategies in place that support reasonably proportional representation in regard to race, ethnicity, poverty and/or

gender.

“We are proud to recognize Manhasset High School for their commitment to providing students with exceptional educational experiences while ensuring equitable access to PLTW programs,” said Dr. David Dimmett, PLTW President and CEO. “We congratulate them on this achievement and celebrate their important work empowering students with the knowledge and skills to succeed, not only in STEM subjects, but also more generally in life and career.”

—Submitted by Manhasset Public Schools

Shelter Rock second-graders performed “You’re a Grand Old Flag” to close out the show.

(Photo by Manhasset Public Schools)

Second-graders at Shelter Rock Elementary School shared facts about American symbols during the show. (Photo by Manhasset Public Schools)

The Manhasset Public Schools was recognized once again as one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation. (Photos by Manhasset Public Schools)

—Submitted by Manhasset Public Schools

Happy Mothers Day

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the incredible women in our lives who have dedicated themselves to nurturing, loving, and supporting us. Whether you’re a mother, grandmother, or mother figure, your love and selflessness have made a profound impact on those around you. Today and every day, we honor your sacrifices and appreciate all that you do. Thank you for being a source of strength, guidance, and unconditional love.

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