Bethpage Newsgram (10/11/24) by Litmor Publishing

SERVING BETHPAGE, OLD BETHPAGE, AND PLAINVIEW

INDIA DAY CELEBRATION

A few weeks ago, New York State Senators Steve Rhoads, along with other local officials, joined the India Day Parade in Hicksville to commemorate India's independence. This annual lively cultural celebration not only commemorates India’s freedom, but also recognizes the substantial contributions of Indian-Americans to the local community. As colorful floats paraded down the streets, the atmosphere was filled with joyful performances that showcased traditional Indian dance, music, and food, creating a lively backdrop that captivated attendees of all ages.

Fall & Halloween Festival Town puts moratorium on shellfish harvesting

The Town of Oyster Bay will be holding its Family Fall & Halloween Festival on Saturday, October 26, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Marjorie R. Post Community Park, located at 451 Unqua Road in Massapequa.

The Town of Oyster Bay has approved a temporary 6-month shellfish harvesting moratorium on 1,850 acres of underwater land in Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor. These lands, previously leased and harvested by a commercial shellfish harvesting company, will be studied to understand the impact of decadeslong harvesting on the sea bottom while laying the groundwork for repopulating local waters with baby clams and

oysters. Annually, the Town of Oyster Bay populates these waters with millions of baby shellfish.

“Friends of the Bay and local environmental groups have all asked for and helped us in this process. This temporary moratorium will help us strengthen the health of the harbor while not impacting any current shellfish harvesting by local baymen on the more than 4,000 acres they

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HHS nonprofit helps unlock creativity in kids

BY GARY SIMEONE

free classes at the Hicksville Public Library.

“This festival is a great opportunity for residents to celebrate Halloween and the fall season with activities that are fun for residents of all ages,”

and our popular Halloween hayride. Remember, costumes are encouraged!”

Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said. “Families are sure to enjoy all that the festival has to offer, including pumpkin picking

The Family Fall & Halloween Festival will feature a ‘U-Pick’ pumpkin patch for children to pick their own pumpkins (while

See page 10

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The nonprofit organization is called NextGenInspires, and its sole mission is to ignite curiosity and unleash the creative genius in kids.

The organization was started last year by four high school students who wanted to help school aged children in the community learn STEM-related courses.

Aayush Butala, a senior at Hicksville, and cofounder of NextGenInspires, said that he and three classmates started

“Our main goal was to inspire younger kids in the subjects of mathematics, science, business and Art,” said Butala. “We had noticed that with the after effects of the pandemic and social media’s influence, kids were lacking focus and inspiration in certain areas. We wanted to come up with an idea to help the community and help them refocus their attention on

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Rabbi ordained at Temple Or Elohim in Jericho

The Town of Oyster Bay recently honored Rabbi David Katz of Temple Or Elohim in Jericho who was officially ordained as a Rabbi on June 28, and for his dedicated service to the Town of Oyster Bay.

Over the years, Rabbi Katz has helped the community and has distinguished himself for his caring, hard work, compassion and spiritual leadership. He has become an integral part of the Town, leading us in prayer occasionally at our Town Board meetings, attending Town

events and by playing an integral role in the Town's Annual Holiday Concert Series.

Supervisor Joseph Saladino congratulated Rabbi Katz on his Ordination as Rabbi and his tireless work and devotion, and for his years of service. He wished him happiness, good health and many blessings in the years ahead and recognized his achievements, which are exceptional and exceedingly worthy of the Town’s highest honor.

Hicksville

Scam Prevention Seminar

Rabbi David Katz of Temple Or Elohim with Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino.

Members of the audience listen to NY State Senator Steve Rhoads as he explains how to recover from scams.

HMS students spread kindness with playdough Volunteers needed to plant dune grass

The Town of Oyster Bay will host a fall “Dune Day” initiative on Sunday, October 13, at TOBAY Beach, beginning at 10 a.m. The dune planting program, held annually in the spring, is being added this fall after a major storm washed away much of the TOBAY shoreline in advance of the summer. To save the summer reason for Town residents, officials replenished the beach with 33,000 tons of sand in advance of the summer.

“After we successfully rebuilt much of our shoreline to ensure our residents could enjoy their summer at TOBAY Beach, our Town looked into securing grant funding for new dune grass so a follow up planting program could take place in the fall to help further protect the new dunes that were constructed,” explained Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “We were successful in secur-

ing a $15,000 grant from the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District to replace the dune grass washed away this spring and help protect the dunes which are vital to protecting our beach.”

The Dune Stabilization Project helps preserve the beach and barrier island as dunes along the south shore continue to face environmentally damaging storms that can have a significant impact on the beach. Statistics indicate that the planting of dune grass provides a natural shield that is perfect for withstanding storm surges and high winds.

To register in advance as a volunteer, residents can visit www.oysterbaytown.com/volunteerform. For additional information, contact the Department of Environmental Resources at (516) 677-5943 or email environmental@ oysterbay-ny.gov.

Place an ad in our Classifieds for reasonable rates and prompt results. Call our Garden City office at 516-294-8900 for more information.

Photo courtesy of Hicksville Public Schools

Hicksville Middle School students in Laura Amundsen’s family and consumer science class recently made playdough. In addition to learning to work in the kitchen, the project also taught them how to be good citizens by gifting their creations to the district’s pre-k classes to enjoy.

Hicksville Water Dist. to begin flushing mains

The Hicksville Water District (HWD) will be flushing water mains throughout its service area as a part of its regular Distribution System Maintenance Program starting on October 20 through October 25 between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. to minimize the impact on the community. The flushing will be focused in the southwest quadrant of the District service area, which is west of Jerusalem Avenue and south of Old Country Road. Residents should remember that their water is absolutely safe to drink during this period.

“Our integrity of our infrastructure is crucial to our ability to provide residents with efficient water service, and our annual fall flushing program is an important part of our infrastructure maintenance,” said HWD Commissioner Karl Schweitzer. “This practice helps clear any sediment deposits that have built up within our water mains over the past year, helping water flow more freely to our residents’ homes. We will work hard to ensure that we minimize disturbances to the community during this process and homeowners can rest assured that their water will be safe to

drink, although there may be some slight changes in water pressure or color.”

The HWD flushes its water mains each year to protect the integrity of the water supply. Flushing allows the District to guard against possible accumulation of dissolved chemicals in water mains that has occurred during the past year. The flushing program also provides an opportunity for the District to check for leaks and test water pressure. It also allows the District to determine the water’s pH level and color, as well as to make exact calculations on rates of water flow, adding to its importance in the District’s water distribution practices.

Slight water pressure variations or discolored water conditions may occur during the flushing process, and water uses such as laundering of clothes may be affected due to coloration of water. If the water in your home does become discolored, it can be solved quickly by running your cold-water faucets until the water clears up.

For more information and assistance, please contact the Hicksville Water District at 516-931-6469 or info@hicksvillewater.org.

Syosset schools named among best schools in country

Syosset Central School District has announced that it has been nationally recognized as one of the Best Schools in America by Niche, the country’s leading college and school search platform. Niche has ranked Syosset Central School District as the fifth best school district in America and the second best school district in New York.

This prestigious ranking reflects Syosset’s exceptional performance

across numerous factors analyzed by Niche including academic performance, extracurricular activity opportunities, data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education and user input from current students, alumni and parents.

To explore Syosset’s profile and view the complete list of 2025 rankings, methodologies and data sources, visit niche. com.

Women bowlers needed

Mercy Ladies Bowling League is looking for women bowlers.

This non-cash women league bowls on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. at Syosset Lanes.

The fee is $16 for three games, which

includes shoe rentals and an end-of-season luncheon.

If interested in joining, please leave a message at 516-931-4106

Our Professional Guide is sure to bring results. Call 294-8900 for rates and information.

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Calligraphy, poems on display at libraries

Three Hundred Tang Poems, Pure in Emotion focuses on poetry from China’s Tang Dynasty (618-907). The poems were originally compiled around 1763 by the scholar Sun Zhu (1722-1778), who selected them based on their popularity and educational value at the time. The collection has been popular through the centuries and is still found in many Chinese households and schools.

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In the exhibition, lines from each poem are reproduced with the fluid strokes of Chinese calligraphy. According to exhibition curator Xinde Shen, Chinese calligraphy is “the core, the essence of Chinese culture” and an art form that “expresses emotions and feelings on paper.” As such, it is the perfect vehicle for the poems Sun Zhu compiled.

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In recent years, growing numbers of people have been learning Chinese calligraphy, both within and outside the Chinese community, and many libraries have been offering popular programs in the art. In response to this growing interest, three public libraries on Long Island—Manhasset and Syosset libraries in Nassau County and Flushing Library in Queens—have cooperated with the North American Calligraphy Association, Long Island Calligraphy Club, Long Island Chinese School, and NineGrid Cultural Foundation to present the exhibition.

Each library will display 50 to 60 works of calligraphy representing 100 different poems. Viewers will see different poems represented at each venue. Manhasset Library (516-627-2300) is located at 30 Onderdonk Ave; Syosset Library (516921-7161) is located at 225 South Oyster Bay Road; Flushing Library is located at 41-17 Main Street (718-661-1200). The exhibition is sponsored by the Manhasset Association of Chinese Americans, NineGrid Cultural Foundation, and Flushing Public Library.

One of the many calligraphic works on view in “Three Hundred Poems, Pure in Emotion.”

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Mongo’s @ the Library opens in Plainview

Mongo’s @ the Library opened the end of September.

BY GEORGE HABER

Mongo’s Coffee Lounge and Roastery of Syosset has opened a café in the Plainview Old Bethpage Library.

The café, called “Mongo’s @ the Library,” has indoor tables and outdoor tables with umbrellas.

The café is the first that the popular

coffee lounge has opened in a library. It serves its usual coffee fare along with a selection of pastries and muffins.

The café is open during regular library hours.

One recent patron remarked, “Other libraries have coffee and snack machines, but this is the first I’ve seen of a site that feels like a real coffee café.”

Oyster Fest to return October 19 & 20

The East Coast’s largest seaside festival will return to the streets of Oyster Bay and historic Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park on Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20, between the hours of 11 a.m–6 p.m. For over 40 years, the beautiful and historic hamlet of Oyster Bay, New York, has been the locale for an outstanding weekend of family, fun, food and festivities, attracting more than 150,000 attendees! Oyster Fest 2024 is presented by Catholic Health and powered by Optimum and Sands. Aside from the legendary food courts, Oyster Fest 2024 boasts of the traditional excitement of oyster shucking and oyster eating contests, a huge artisan and crafts pavilion, Newton Shows amusement rides & games, the Sands Beer Garden, and continuous live entertainment on three stages!

“The Oyster Fest showcases our beautiful Town and historic sites in Oyster Bay while helping to raise charitable funds for local not-for-profit organizations. So, when you’re eating an oyster from our waterways, drinking a beverage from the local brewing company, or shopping in our downtown, you can feel especially good knowing that a portion of your dollars supports local charities,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “We’re also putting the local oyster back in Oyster Fest, and we are thrilled that over a dozen Long Island oyster farmers are participating in this year’s festival.”

Event food sale will help support local Oyster Bay not-for-profit organizations to enhance their annual fundraising. When you eat at The Oyster Fest, you are giving back to Oyster Bay. The Oyster Fest Food Court is one of the largest fundraisers of the year for most of the organizations. For some, it’s their ONLY fundraiser. Eat up and show your support! Calories don’t count! Local Oyster Bay not-forprofits can apply for a portion of these proceeds by visiting www.theoysterfest. org/about-2/.

The Food Courts

The Oyster Fest features two food courts within Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. The main food court, named in honor of one of the beloved founders of the Oyster Fest, the Tom Reardon Memorial Food Court sponsored by Flagstar. The second court is the Oyster Fest Seafood Court. Together, the two food courts are the

festival’s heart and soul. With more than 60 food choices, even the pickiest of eaters will find much to savor. The main attraction? OYSTERS, of course! Raw on the half shell, fried or in stew, more than 60,000 oysters will be consumed throughout the weekend. Selections include oyster and seafood inspired, all American favorites, international specialties, desserts, beverages, and The Sands Beer Garden featuring hyper-local craft beer by the Oyster Bay Brewing Company.

Entertainment

Enjoy an incredible selection of music on The Len Rothberg Main Stage sponsored by Catholic Health has gorgeous views and a full schedule of exciting live entertainment from country-wide musicians. Check out the schedule and visit www.TheOysterFest.org for the latest updates and additions.

Saturday, October 19:

• Matt Miser & The Highway

• *Opening Ceremonies*

• Radio Flashback

• *Shucking & Oyster Easting Contest*

• That 70's Band

• Social Gold

• *More to Come*

Sunday, October 20:

• Playin English

• Vinyl Revival

• Ready in 10

• Captain Jack

• Soapbox Messiah

• *More to Come*

Children can enjoy entertainment at the West End Avenue Kids Stage as they walk down the road toward Beekman Beach for the carnival rides! Children can enjoy some great performers:

Saturday, October 19:

• Keri Wirth

• Rebecca Wygand

• Charlize Tuozzo

• Calliope Wren

• DJ

Sunday, October 20:

• The Gumdrops

• Rebecca Wygand

• Avanza

• Stacey and Athena

• Mayhem LI

For more information on the 2024 Oyster Fest, please visit www.theoysterfest.org.

Mongo’s coffee bar at POB library has outdoor tables.

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NASSAU COUNTY

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, successor in interest to LaSalle Bank National Association, as Trustee for Lehman XS Trust Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2005-2, Plaintiff AGAINST Ana D. Salmeron, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 3, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on November 8, 2024 at 3:00PM, premises known as 72 East Avenue, Hicksville, NY 11801. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Hicksville, Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 45, Block: 64, Lot: 244. Approximate amount of judgment $552,770.84 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #004593/2016. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov/Admi n/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held "Rain or Shine". For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call (844) 400-9633 Ralph Madalena, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss

Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-078914-F00 82300

NASSAU COUNTY

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

NASSAU COUNTY

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

Shellfish moratorium

From page 1

Notice of Formation of TNT Roadside Services LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/02/2023. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Northwest Registered Agent LLC: 418 Broadway, STE N, Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

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Advertise your services in our Professional Guide or Service Directory today and be seen in these five newspapers:

NASSAU COUNTY FORECLOSURE NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION of professional service limited liability company (PLLC). Name: Thrive Occupational and Physical Therapy Services PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/18/2024. Office location: Nassau Co. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served and address SSNY shall mail a copy of process is 6 Arcadia Ln, Hicksville, NY 11801. Purpose: Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.

NASSAU COUNTY

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

currently fish. Harvesting in public waters will continue as currently allowed, with no changes to access or regulations, ensuring that local baymen and recreational anglers/ shellfish harvesters can continue their activities without any disruption,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Indenture Trustee, for New Century Home Equity Loan Trust 2005-1, Plaintiff AGAINST Jasbir Singh; Balvinderjit Bains a/k/a Balvinderjit K. Bains a/k/a Balvinderjit Kaur Bains; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 3, 2019 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 22, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 48 Robin Lane, Plainview, NY 11803. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Plainview, Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau, State of NY, Section 13 Block 56 Lot 4. Approximate amount of judgment $626,898.71 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 001045/2017. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the 10th Judicial District. Foreclosure Auctions will be held "Rain or Shine." George Esernio, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 4304792 Dated: August 28, 2024

Call 516-294-8900 today to learn more!

Notice of Formation of Maxcom LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/28/2023. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Incorp Services Inc: One Commerce Plaza - 99 Washington Ave, Suite 805-A, Albany, NY 12210. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Too much junk in your house?

On October 1, 2024, the Town of Oyster Bay Department of Environmental Resources will temporarily prevent shellfish harvesting activities on 1,850 acres to comprehensively evaluate bay bottom conditions. Shellfish density and sediment surveys will provide the data-driven foundation for developing effective strategy for all harbor users. Due to lease agreements first entered nearly 100 years ago, the Town of Oyster Bay has been unable to study these underwater lands during the lease period.

The temporary moratori-

um will provide the necessary time to collect scientific data on shellfish populations, sediment conditions, and overall ecosystem health—critical information that is currently unknown and essential for informed management. Similar moratoriums have been effectively used in other states, such as Florida, Louisiana, and Virginia, to protect marine resources and develop restoration strategies.

To obtain input from residents and environmental advocates regarding this temporary moratorium, the Town Board hosted a public hearing on August 13, 2024. Friends of the Bay, a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization, and employees from the Department of Environmental Resources expressed support for such a temporary moratorium based on their extensive professional experience in the field.

Halloween Festival

October 26th

From page 1

supplies last), Halloween games and giveaways, inflatables, hayride, and food trucks, as well as a special character appearances presented by Royal Events Princess Parties. Costumes for those attending are encouraged!

The Family Fall & Halloween Festival will be held rain or shine. For more information, please call the Town’s Department of Community and Youth Services at (516) 797-7925 or visit oysterbaytown.com.

HHS nonprofit

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their scholastic activities.” He and his friends reached out to the Hicksville Library about holding classes in these subjects over the course of the school year.

“The classes that we offer are free and they are taught by only high school students,” said Butala. “In the classes, which are geared towards elementary and middle school age students, we present slideshows and perform cool science experiments that we find online.”

Their nonprofit, which originally held classes at the library , has grown exponentially, and now is held at the East Meadow Public Library and three daycare facilities

across Long Islqnd.

“We didn’t expect this much growth in a year’s time. It’s been a real treat to see. We now hold classes biweekly at the Hicksville Public Library and once a month at the East meadow Library. The classes vary at the daycares, and we also have held classes at Cherry Lane Elementary School, the Jericho STEM Center , Holy Trinity and Our House Montessori School.”

The four founders of NextGenInspires include Butala, Harsh Patel, Tanmay Shah and Kailash Thayavally.

To find out more information on the studentrun Hicksville nonprofit, you can visit their website at nextgeninspires.com.

Levittown Chamber Spotlight on Business

Les Rumel, a longtime member of the Levittown Chamber of Commerce, has worked tirelessly to bring good eye health to the community.

BY DON PATANE

The Levittown Chamber would like you to meet Les Rumel, a longtime member and a Past President who served the chamber in 2007.

Rumel has had a varied career from working as a regional manager for a shirt company to retiring from Bank of America as a reverse mortgage officer. Although retired, Rumel is an active member of the Levittown Lions Club.

As a Lion, Rumel was able to raise the funds from the community to purchase a Welch Allen vision Screener for the Lions Club. He held a fundraiser celebrating his 80th birthday to purchase a five year warranty for the device. Rumel does vision screening for children mostly in nursery schools. In the past two years he have screened 407 children and found that 53 were in need of professional attention. In his young -

er days, he delivered corneas for the Lions Eye bank. In addition to all this he collects eyeglasses from the collection boxes in the local libraries and businesses.

Rumel is passionate about the Lions Eye Screening saying, “I do it for the children because it’s important that any eye issues are discovered early in life so they can be corrected before things get worse”.

Rumel was recently honored at the Levittown School Recognition Dinner for his work with the Levittown Lions Club.

In 1951 Rumel moved to Levittown. He played on Levittown’s first little league team and was a member of the Levittown Teen Canteen located in the North Village Green in the mid 1950’s. He married his childhood sweetheart, Lillian, and they recently celebrated their 63rd anniversary. Rumel purchased his home in Levittown in 1963 and has two chil -

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Graduated from school? Have an outstanding GPA? Made the honor roll or Dean’s List? Scored an internship or study abroad opportunity? We invite you to send details of any of these things and more, along with your name and contact info, to editor@gcnews.com for a chance to be seen in our paper!

dren, Laura and Michael and four grandchildren, In 2007, as President of the Levittown Chamber of Commerce he became the third officer of a corporation formed due to a grant from the state thru Senator Kemp to improve parts of Levittown. With money still in the corporation in 2019 and the two other officers having passed away, Rumel reached out to local officials that he wanted to replace the gazebo in Veterans Memorial Park that was knocked down by vandals a few years earlier. The new Veterans Memorial Gazebo was erected in February 2019, which was the beginning of the Gazebo Gang. The Gazebo Gang had added many displays in the Veterans Park in Levittown.

Les Rumel may be reached at lionsoflevittown@gmail.com for information regarding the Lions Club or about the children’s vision screening.

Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Old Bethpage Village Restoration is a Long Island Halloween Treat!

BY KAREN RUBIN TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM

Historic Hudson Valley has brought its enormously popular “The Great Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Blaze” extravaganza to Long Island to our most fabulous living history destination, Old Bethpage Restoration Village, for the fifth year. They have brought the extraordinary artistry, charm and delight, and kept Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman, but have tailored the displays and story around Long Island’s history, heritage and culture.

On view on select nights through November 3, this is a must-see attraction/experience that delights all ages, with more humor than horror.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration, a 209-acre living history museum with homes and buildings that date back to the 19th century, is the perfect setting – the stories marvelously weave a context of reality to the fantasy, which makes them even more spooky.

Hewlett House is a stand-in for the Amityville Horror, with similar architecture, but has its own spectral story. The pumpkin cemetery is peopled by the Hewlett family, a prominent farming family who remained loyal to the Crown during the American Revolution whose farm was built in 1794, near Pequot Lane in Woodbury (the house was moved to a hilltop at Old Bethpage in the 1970s). Their actual house is one of several historic houses in Old Bethpage said to be haunted.

The Doomsday Clock outside the house, is an enormous pendulum clock made of pumpkins such as would have been popular in the 19th century and

Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey bringing its circus train to Long Island in 1972 to the newly opened Nassau Coliseum), a working carousel with horse skeletons.

There are also a series of displays that trace Long Island’s history, from the Native American tribes who first inhabited, to nuclear physicist William Higinbotham’s of the Brookhaven National lab who in 1958 arguably developed the first video game, Tennis for Two, a primitive version of Pong and precursor to Pac-Man and Mario Bros, and Long Island’s role in aviation history (Lindbergh took off on his historic flight in his Spirit of St. Louis to Paris in 1927 from Roosevelt Field).

Among the new displays this year is a stunning tribute to the Day of the Dead and a moving ferris wheel.

wealthy Long Island families like the Hewletts and Laytons might well have had one. But this one, standing 12 feet tall, features a single hand, ominously counting back the hour.

And in 1658, some 35 years before the Salem witch trials, 16-year old Elizabeth Gardiner Howell of East Hampton was accused of witchcraft –but she was acquitted in her trial.

The displays pay homage to Long Island’s farming heritage, its maritime heritage (a whaling center!), and its cultural contributions, from the inventor of one of the first computer games, to the factoid that “Jaws” was inspired by the capture of a 4500 lb white shark off Long Island. And the Blaze Long Island Hall of Fame inside the Visitors Center, before you start your walk on the trail, features intricate pumpkin sculptures of famous Long Islanders

(Natalie Portman and Jerry Seinfeld are the newest, joining Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Sue Bird, and Dr. J).

You walk the pumpkin trail through this 19th century village and see more than 7,000 hand-carved jack o’lanterns, all carved by its team of artisans, each one unique.

The structures – all built with carved and lighted pumpkins – are absolutely incredible: a display featuring a police car, ambulance, firetruck, firefighter spraying a hose and a firefighter climbing a ladder; a windmill; a Statue of Liberty as tall as a tree, a lighthouse with a working light (Montauk is Long Island’s most famous but this pays tribute to the lighthouse commissioned by President George Washington himself), an 80-foot long circus train with animal skeletons as passengers (a nod to

The sound effects, original musical soundtrack, lights, colors, motion of some of the larger exhibits, even smoke effects and bubbles, are pure delight. The ambiance in such a historic, rural setting is just phenomenal.

You also get to see actual pumpkin carving and get to talk with the carvers and see the 100+-pound carved winners, a marvelous Blaze Boo-tique featuring seasonal gifts and merchandise, while Café Blaze, features fall treats like cider donuts and pumpkin beer.

The photo ops are precious.

Advance online purchase of timed tickets is required; no tickets are sold at the venue; capacity is limited and prices increase if you purchase on the same day.There are also FLEX tickets that allow you to visit at any time, even when it is sold out. (For a small fee, you can exchange a ticket up to 24 hours in advance.) New this year is a

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Lots of scary monsters have taken up residence at the Hewlett House for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, one of the Old Bethpage Village Restoration historic homes that are reportedly haunted in their own right © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com

GOING PLACES, NEAR & FAR....

Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Old Bethpage Village Restoration

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$10 flat rate children’s tickets (ages 3-17), valid for every date and every time slot.

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is open select evenings Oct. 4-Nov. 3 including Halloween.

It’s a pleasant walk along a dirt trail (about half the size of the Village), suitable for strollers – allocate 45-90 minutes

to enjoy. (I suggest families try to come as early as possible so the kids aren’t too tired; others come later when it may be less busy, like 8:30 pm - last entry at 9 pm.

The original Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, celebrating 20 “gourd-eous years” this year, is already underway at Historic Hudson Valley’s Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson through Nov. 17 (advance purchase tick-

ets necessary, https://pumpkinblaze.org/ blaze-hudson-valley.html). And other special Halloween events are underway at Philipsburg Manor and Sunnywide (historichudsonvalley.org)

Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Rd, Old Bethpage, NY 11804, https://pumpkinblaze.org/blazelong-island.html.

See more photos at: https://going-

Most Haunted Historic Hotels of America Offer ‘A

Historic Hotels of America®, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels in the United States, offers travelers spook-tacular experiences and stories to take home with them, including the folklore surrounding where they stayed the night. For some hotels, the past is not only present in their historic architecture and authentic character, but also—according to legends—in the souls attached to them. The historic hotels highlighted in the Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Most Haunted Hotels List are places where generations of staff and guests pass on tales of spectral Revolutionary War soldiers, smoky silhouettes of U.S. Presidents, the melancholy spirits of tragic would-be brides, unexplained footsteps, as well as friendly phantom bellhops and engineers.

Some historic hotels celebrate the spooky season with “A Room With A Boo” packages, pumpkin carving contests, ghost story readings, haunted history tours, and specialty cocktails. Adventure seekers and heritage travelers interested in a local legend need to look no further than the grand hotels, legendary luxury resorts, and iconic inns found across the United States in Historic Hotels of America.

Here are some of the Top 25 most haunted Historic Hotels of America: Hawthorne Hotel (1925) Salem, Massachusetts: The Colonial seaport town of Salem is notorious for the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, and the historic Hawthorne Hotel is prone to spirits of its own. Often ranked as one of the most haunted hotels in America, guests have reported moving furniture, sightings of a ghostly woman and unexplained noises. Named after well-known resident and author Nathaniel Hawthorne, many

of the hotel’s hauntings are attributed to the sea captains. According to lore, Room 325 is the most haunted in the hotel, where guests have claimed to feel cold spots and smell fresh-cut flowers. Guests staying in Room 612 and on the sixth floor in general, have reported witnessing a ghostly woman walking the halls. Rooms 621 and 325 have also had reports of lights and faucets turning off and on. In 1990, the hotel held a séance in the Grand Ballroom to try and contact Harry Houdini.

Concord’s Colonial Inn (1716) Concord, Massachusetts: During Revolutionary War, part of the historic inn was owned by Dr. Timothy Minot, where he operated a small medical practice. When Continental soldiers were injured at the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the North Bridge, they were brought to his home for treatment. Dr. Minot used what is now the Liberty Room as a hospital and Room 24 as an operating room. Many guests who have spent the night in the infamously haunted room have reported strange activity. But the inn’s resident spirits like to wander the halls: an older woman and a tall, slim gentleman with a top hat have been spotted in the sitting room–thought perhaps to be former residents Henry David Thoreau himself or his aunt entertaining company. A young girl wearing a bonnet has been seen walking around by the front desk of the hotel. Apparitions in 18th-century attire have been sighted sitting in an otherwise empty Liberty Room. Books and décor fall from shelves without worldly cause, and items go missing without explanation for weeks, only to turn up in odd places. Both guests and employees have heard voices coming from right behind them–only to see nothing when they turn around.

placesfarandnear.com/great-jack-olantern-blaze-at-old-bethpage-village-restoration-is-a-long-island-halloween-treat/

Room With A Boo’

The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which dates from 1773, is one of Historic Hotels of America’s most haunted hotels © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Red Lion Inn (1773) Stockbridge, Massachusetts: Ghostly rumors swirl around the 250-year old Red Lion Inn which has been visited by many paranormal investigators and mediums. The fourth floor has been said to have the most paranormal activity; Guestroom 301 is also known to be a haunted hotspot. Housekeepers, staff, and guests have claimed to see a “ghostly young girl carrying flowers” and “a man in a top hat.” Cold spots, unexplained knocks, and electrical disturbances have all been reported. A few guests claim they awoke to the feeling of someone standing over them at the foot of the bed.

For more information, visit HistoricHotels.org/US

Haunted Hotels with a Western Flare

TA Ranch: Cowboys are trying to tame the plains from the grave at TA Ranch, which is considered one of the most haunted places in the area and is a

Smithsonian Institute National Historic Landmark. The TA Ranch was also the site of the Siege of the TA Ranch, which took place from April 11–13, 1892. This siege was the climax of the Johnson County War. They offer tours to its most haunted locations and live reenactors to meet the characters that are said to still haunt the property.

Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel: In 1902, Buffalo Bill opened the Irma Hotel in the heart of Cody, Wyoming, naming it after his daughter. Room 35, known as the Paul Stock Room, is one of the original 15 rooms and has been the scene of the most ghost stories in the hotel. Paranormal investigators have even spent nights there trying to uncover the mysteries. From the sound of disembodied voices to the bathroom water turning on and off by itself - guests have even reported clothing and personal items neatly moved to different places while they were sleeping! Down the hall in Room 16, guests have reported seeing an apparition of Irma Cody Garlow sitting in a rocking chair in the corner of the room. Irma died of influenza and pneumonia in the hotel when she was 35 just a few days after her husband and hotel manager Fred Garlow, died of pneumonia. Employees of the hotel have even said they’ve seen Buffalo Bill wandering the hallways at night or have heard the jangle of spurs in the bar when it’s closed for the evening. Many guests and employees believe they’ve heard or seen the friendly ghost of the Irma Hotel - but the best way to know for sure, is to stay the night in Room 35.

BY CHARLYN FARGO

Most of us don’t give much thought to osteoporosis because we’re healthy, strong and can do what we set out to do. But an estimated 10 million Americans have this bone disease that occurs when

the body loses calcium from bone faster than it builds new bone. That results in low bone density, which increases the risk of a broken bone. That happens in about half of women and up to 25% of men over age 50 with osteoporosis.

Our risk for osteoporosis increases af-

ter age 65. But the good news is that it’s a disease we can do something about now, before we reach 65. First, make sure your daily diet includes foods containing calcium and vitamin D, such as dairy or fortified dairy substitutes. Dairy products are

Continued on page 5

BY LOU THEODORE

This 8th edition is a tough one. You are once again asked to provide the correct answer to the following 20 questions. Credit 5 points for each correct answer. A grade of 65 indicates you are brilliant.

Questions

1. What New York mayor in my earlier days died penniless in a poorhouse on the Bowery?

2. Who gets credit for: “I didn’t lose the gold; I won the silver.”?

3. What famous boxing arena in the 40’s and 50’s was located on 66th Street and Columbus Avenue in Manhattan?

4. Manhattan College is located in what borough?

5. Who was the first woman to swim the English Channel?

6. What beautiful national park is located in northern Montana?

7. What company owns the casino / hotel in Monticello in upstate New York?

8. Explain the difference between a micron and a micrometer.

9. Who was Don Larson’s opposing pitcher when he threw his now famous World Series no-hitter?

10. Who was our second President?

11. Approximately how many books has your favorite author written?

12. Who said: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but ten echoes are truly endless.”?

13. What borough was home to the legendary Killeen’s Tavern basketball team of the 1950s and 1960s?

14. Who do we credit for: “My only concern was to get home after a hard day’s work?”

15. What thoroughbred racetrack is located adjacent to the New Jersey shore?

16. Who uttered the phrase: “The

On the Ultimate Quiz VIII

hardest years in life are those between 10 and 70.”?

17. I know I used this before, but it really is a great trivia question. During my formative years, who played for the New York Knicks, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the New York Rangers?

18. Here’s another one that was used before. Who won a gold medal in the Olympics, wrote the second best-selling book of all time, and ran for President of the U.S.?

19. Who do we credit for: “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you lost a very important part of your life.”?

20. You want Greek food? What location in the Metropolitan area offers the “best bang for your buck?”

EXTRA CREDIT:

21. Explain A.I. in layman’s terms.

Answers

1. Fiorello LaGuardia.

2. Michelle Kuan at age 17 (figure skating).

3. St. Nicholas Arena.

4. It is currently located in the Bronx. It was originally located in Manhattan when it was founded over a century ago. And, was recently renamed Manhattan University.

5. Getrude Edelle. A neighbor from my earlier days in Hell’s Kitchen. I believe she swam it sometime during the 1930s.

6. Glacier National Park. Breathtaking. We visited there twice.

7. Resorts International. It’s a place I visit several times a year. It is the smallest casino I’ve ever been to.

8. There is no difference. It is one millionth of a meter.

9. My favorite pitcher of all timeSal Maglie.

10. John Quincy Adams.

11. 150. I think the exact number is 152.

12. Mother Teresa.

13. Queens. The exact location was Astoria – 24th Street and Ditmars Blvd.

14. Rosa Parks – who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person in 1955. Bravo Rosa.

15. Monmouth Park in Long Branch, NJ.

16. Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind from infancy.

17. Gladys Gooding. She “played” the organ.

18. Benjamin Spock, a baby doctor.

19. Brooke Shields, an actress.

20. Astoria, Queens. You simply can’t go wrong there.

21. Full credit. I have no idea but here’s what my 15-year-old grandson gave me. “Artificial Intelligence or AI, is a loosely define term describing any computer system which exhibits intelligence. This could be in the form of image detection, chatbots like Open AI’s ChatGPT, or voice-based helpers like Apple’s Siri. AI’s can outperform humans in some tasks like chess, but in many others, like responding to text, are useful primarily because of their speed and low cost per use.” Ouch!

Here’s my definition: “A term that has come to mean different things to

different people but for me, it’s simply a gigantic computer program that can be employed to solve a near infinite variety of problems.”

Note: The seminar on my new book, Winning at Casinos; The Definitive Guide on Wednesday, September 25th, at the Village of East Williston Library went well and was attended by 25 people. Here is EW Mayor Bonnie Parente’s take on what came down: “The learn how to win at dice presentation tonight was incredibly enjoyable! It took the intimidation factor out of playing craps! This was taught by Lou Theodore and based on his book Winning at Casinos. So glad I went.” Thank you, Mayor. After the presentation ended, a post-Casino party was hosted by Mary and me at Spuntino’s Restaurant in Williston Park.

Visit the author at: www.theodorenewsletter.com and / or Basketball Coaching 101 on Facebook

BY TOM MARGENAU

How Your Retirement Benefit Is Figured

I’ve learned over the years that when it comes to Social Security retirement benefit calculations, there are three kinds of people. There are those who just want to know what their benefit is going to be and don’t really care too much about how it’s calculated. Then there are those people who want a general idea of how their benefit will be figured, but they don’t need or want to know all the nitty-gritty details. (I think most seniors fall into that category.) And finally, there are more than a few senior citizens out there who want to know exactly how the government comes up with their retirement benefit calculation.

Because I’m going to spend the rest of this column explaining how Social Security retirement benefits are figured, people in that first category can stop reading right now.

For those of you in the second category, here is a relatively simple explanation: In a nutshell, a Social Security retirement benefit is a percentage of your average monthly income using your highest 35 years of inflation-adjusted earnings.

When you file for retirement benefits, the Social Security Administration will look at your earnings history and pull out your highest 35 years. They don’t have to be consecutive. If you don’t have 35 years of earnings, the SSA must plug in an annual salary of $0 for every year you did not work, until the 35-year base is reached.

However, before they add up those “high 35,” they index each year of past earnings for inflation. This is where the formula starts to get messy. That’s because there is a different adjustment factor for each year of earnings, AND each year’s adjustment factor is different based on your year of birth.

Here is a quick example. If you were born in 1962 and earned $20,000 in 1992, they would multiply those earnings by an inflation adjustment factor of 2.78, meaning they would actually use $55,600 as your 1992 earnings. But if you were born in 1961 and earned that same $20,000 in 1992, they would use an inflation factor of 2.64, resulting in $52,800 as the 1992 earnings used in your Social Security computation.

You can find a complete breakdown of those inflation adjustment factors for each year of birth (for folks nearing retirement age) at the Social Security Administration’s website.

The next step in the retirement computation formula is to add up your highest 35 years of inflation-adjusted earnings. Then you divide by 420 -- that’s the number of months in 35 years -- to get your average inflation-adjusted monthly income.

The final step brings us to the “social” part of Social Security. The percentage of your average monthly income that comes back to you in the form of a Social Security benefit depends on your income. In a nutshell, the lower your average wage, the higher percentage rate of return you get. Once again, the actual formula is

messy and varies depending on your year of birth. As an example, here is the formula for someone born in 1962: You take the first $1,174 of average monthly income and multiply it by 90%. You take the next $5,904 of your average monthly income and multiply that by 32%. And you take any remainder and multiply it by 15%.

You can find a complete breakdown of those computation “bend points” at www. socialsecurity.gov.

Believe it or not, that was the simple explanation. If it were a college course, it would be Social Security Benefit Computation 101. But now I’m going to offer the slightly more advanced course for those who want to know every detail of the benefit computation formula.

I’ll start by introducing this term: the “primary insurance amount,” or PIA. The PIA is your basic retirement benefit upon which all future calculations will be based. The “raw PIA” is actually calculated at age 62. In other words, when the SSA pulls out your highest 35 years of earnings, they only use earnings up to age 62. Then that raw PIA gets “cooked,” or increased, to take into account any earnings you had after age 62 and to include any cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that were authorized for Social Security benefits after the year you reached age 62.

But it gets a little tricky when SSA does the recomputation for any earnings you have after age 62. If you worked full time until age 67, for example, you would normally assume that those earnings between age 62 and 67 would increase your PIA. After all, you figure, they are some of your highest-earning years, so they will become part of that “high 35.”

But not necessarily. For reasons I can’t take the time to explain in this short column, earnings after age 60 are not indexed for inflation. They get calculated at current dollar value only. So, if your “raw PIA” was based on a full 35-year history of high inflation-adjusted earnings, your current earnings may not be high enough to become part of your “high 35,” in which case they won’t increase your benefit. Or they might bump up the PIA, but not by much.

In fact, I hear from readers all the time who tell me that they are confused because the benefit estimate they are getting from the SSA now (at age 67, let’s say) is not much more than the estimate they got back at age 62. Their current benefit estimate includes the COLA increases, but either little or no bump for their post-62 earnings. The reason why is that lack of inflation indexing after age 60.

As you can see, the Social Security retirement benefit formula is pretty messy. And for most of you, I’d say, don’t worry about it. Just let the SSA do it for you. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov, and click on the “Plan for retirement” link on the homepage. It will walk you through the process of finding out what your Social Security benefit will be.

If you have a Social Security question,

Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon. com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Buyer and sellers confused about the new mandatory paperwork?

Since August 17, 2024, our real estate paperwork has had an addition for buyers and sellers of property. Due to the settlement via the DOJ against the National Association of Realtors, additional forms are required for buyers and sellers to show and list their property for sale. Buyers must review and sign paperwork before going out with an agent to look at properties. This is either a non-exclusive agreement on a specific property or an exclusive agreement on all properties shown that explains what commission an agent will request from the buyer. If the seller does not consider paying a buyer’s agent, then the buyer will be obligated to pay their fee.

It is a confusing and somewhat complicated situation for all the parties with current and future transactions. I surmise that this came about because one issue was that the DOJ had some complaints and lawsuits from homeowners. Supposedly, some companies got together and conspired to fix commissions. The other important issue was that homeowners didn’t understand that all commissions are negotiable.

In the past, an agent would verbally disclose to the seller their commission beforehand. It was also noted on their listing agreement so the homeowner could read it before signing any paperwork. It also was noted what a buyer’s agent and other agents would be paid on the MLS listings. This was the standard method that agents handled disclosing their commissions to a seller. The new law says that commissions are no longer noted in any MLS listings throughout the U.S.

I had never heard of any companies getting together to fix commissions. It is unfathomable to believe this is a normal occurrence; which I am sure doesn’t happen. Punishing those who might have done this seemed the common sense way to go, but to punish 1,500,000+ agents with more paperwork seems seriously unfair and unneces-

Continued from page 2

the main source of calcium in our diet. Fish with bones (sardines, anchovies and some canned salmon) also contain calcium. Some plant foods such as leafy greens and almonds contain lesser amounts. You can also buy orange juice with calcium -just make sure you shake the container, as the calcium tends to settle in the bottom.

BY PHILIP A. RAICES

sary. From my perspective, it has confused agents, who had enough to deal with transacting a sale. Ascertaining our fees on each transaction is another monkey wrench added to our business. It is now our responsibility to provide the new paperwork to buyers and sellers and have them sign agreements before performing our duties.

Every once in a while I had homeowners who received verbally what I would charge and then (without even coming back to me) engaged another agent with a lower fee. I found this out when I saw the listing. That was their prerogative and choice; as no one hits homeruns 100% of the time.

However, I found out later, that the whole situation was a catastrophe with more responsibility resting on the seller to perform open houses and other pertinent tasks. No training or education was provided and I am quite sure paperwork was not handled in the most legal fashion. I call it penny-wise and pound-foolish.

There is an adage, that cheap is expensive (many times), and what one might believe is expensive, is quite cheap. One must take into consideration what listing agents have to do between the amount of paperwork, photos, videos virtual tours, open houses, printing brochures, meeting home inspectors and appraisers, making sure the buyers are qualified with lender commitment letters or proof of funds if paying outright for their purchase and so much more. I am not always convinced that homeowners truly understand the sheer weight, responsibility, and capacity that we play in searching for the most qualified buyer and the number of hours that we put in. Most importantly, we don’t get remunerated when it doesn’t sell. If we were to be paid by the hour, similar to what

your lawyer, (who may charge $400-$600 per hour no matter whether he wins or loses your case) or any professional charges, are we not to be considered in the same group? When a broker and/or agent has 10-40+ years in the business there is a value that many of us know we are worth.

In my professional opinion, given the choice to pay or not pay a buyer’s agent, not paying them is like shooting oneself in the foot; especially if a buyer also will not pay any fees. A seller wants as many showings as possible to determine and receive the most offers. Eliminating those who represent buyers by not paying them, reduces the potential best offers that might be provided. Buyer’s agents are providing a most critical service to the seller; in bringing even one more offer that can make a difference in whether or not a sale takes place.

With prices being as high as they are today and the cost of financing still out of reach for many buyers to compete, it is crucial for the seller to understand and realize, that paying a buyer’s agent; via their listing agent’s ability to provide a fee is still the most prudent and right thing to do. Many sellers are reaping a large windfall and paying a commission should be considered for a buyer’s agent. Buyers are being stretched financially and for the most part, may not have the financial ability to pay their agent. Working out a fair and reasonable commission will create a win/win situation for all.

Those who are at the top of their game deserve to get paid and make a living as we are self-employed independent contractors. We are surely not minimum wage earners, by any means, who take zero risk in their daily jobs. However, we are risk-takers and get up each day with no guarantee in earning any money. We must do our business

NUTRITION NEWS

Bone Health Basics

The Recommended Daily Allowance for calcium is 1,000 milligrams daily for women 50 and younger and men 70 and younger. Older women and men need more -- 1,200 mg of calcium every day. For reference, an 8-ounce glass of milk has about 300 milligrams of calcium. Yogurt also can be a great source of calcium.

In addition to calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin K are also important for bone health. Fruits

consistently day in and day out in the most professional and expert manner. We are responsible for handling the sale of the most valuable asset that the average homeowner has in the U.S. This requires knowledge, skill, expertise, discipline, and the sacrifice of our valuable time to get to the closing table. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/ Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 42+ years experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S.) and has earned his National Association of Realtors “Green Industry designation for eco-friendly low carbon footprint construction with 3-D printed foundations, Solar panels, Geo-thermal HVAC/Heat Pumps).

He will also provide a copy of “Unlocking the Secrets of Real Estate’s New Market Reality, and his Seller’s and Buyer’s Guides for “Things to Consider when Selling, investing or Purchasing your Home.

He will provide you with “free” regular updates of what has gone under contract (pending), been sold (closed) and those homes that have been withdrawn/ released or expired (W/R) and all new listings of homes, HOA, Townhomes, Condos, and Coops in your town or go to https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com and you can “do it yourself (DYI) and search on your own. For a “FREE” no obligation 15 minute consultation, as well as a “FREE printout or digital value analysis of what your home might sell for in today’s market without any obligation or “strings” attached call him at (516) 647-4289.

Save his My New Electronic signature/Bio/Reviews to save to your contacts: https://onetapconnect.com/turnkeyrealestate-philraices

and vegetables are great sources of those nutrients.

Engaging in physical activity is also important. Try to include weight-bearing exercises like walking or jogging as well as muscle strengthening (weightlifting) and balance exercises (yoga).

Take the simple step of getting a bone density scan if you’re concerned about your risk for osteoporosis.

The bottom line is our bone health is

critical to safeguarding our ability to live an active, independent life, something we all desire.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian with SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, and the current president of the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Organized Chaos: My Intended Journey to a Clutter-Free 2025

BY MARY HUNT

I won’t try to kid you into thinking I’m some kind of organizational expert. I am the most disorganized person ever. My professional office is a mess. My home, remarkably, appears to be orderly, as long as you don’t open a cupboard, drawer or closet.

Being disorganized steals my time, energy and money. I buy things I have already because I can’t find them, or I spend too much time looking for the

things I need. That is going to stop. I am declaring before each of you, my dear readers, 2025 is my year to get organized. I have consulted several professional resources and done a lot of thinking. I’ve taken wise counsel from The Flylady and now believe her when she tells me that it is impossible to organize chaos. Therefore, my modus operandi to start each project will be to remove everything from that space instead of attempting to just tidy up. That does not work and quite possibly has become the biggest stumbling stone I’ve encountered in my many previous attempts to get organized. Case in point: the chair (you can read that past column at EverydayCheapskate.com/ the-chair and, oh, by the way -- it remains empty to this day). Following are the steps I will take to achieve my goal.

Step 1: Commitment. I’ve tried to get organized before, but I never have been fully committed. I trust that making my commitment open and public will make all the difference. Do you hear me? I am going to get organized.

Step 2: Identify the space. Lumping my office and home into a single organization-

al project is overwhelming. To overcome this, I have divided the task into 12 projects, or spaces; one per month in 2025. My home studio -- where I write, sew, knit, craft and basically create things -- is a sight to behold. It is filled way beyond reasonable capacity. Mark it “project No. 1.”

Step 3: Identify recipients. I am committed to getting rid of everything that I do not use on a regular basis or that I do not find to be incredibly beautiful. But I know myself. I will not be able to throw away good things that fit those criteria. Before I get started, I need to identify charitable organizations, selling sites, and friends or family members who will appreciate receiving everything that doesn’t make the cut.

Step 4: Three containers. I have labeled these boxes “Keep,” “Trash” and “Give.” That seems simple enough, but to make sure, I did a practice run on the desk in my home studio. Out of six drawers, I ended up with seven things in the “Keep” box, nothing to give away, and everything else filled the trash container to overflowing. My desk is clean and nearly empty. The three-container plan worked.

Step 5: A place for everything. I don’t practice it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know this secret for being organized: There should be a place for everything and everything in its place. Once I have identified what I will keep in each project space, I am determined to identify a specific place for each thing we own. Then I’ll get into the habit of returning things to their places. Hopefully my husband will follow suit.

I’m giving myself a big job in the coming year. Think I can do it? I do. I’ll keep you posted!

Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “DebtProof Living.”

Who Knew You Can Use This for That!

BY MARY HUNT

One day as I was hurriedly putting groceries away, the fruit bowl was not within reach, so I put the fruit into the colander. It worked so well that I’ve been using the colander in that way ever since. And when I need a colander, no problem. I turn the fruit onto the counter, drain whatever I need to drain, then replace the fruit. Giving one kitchen tool two or even three jobs is a great way to simplify.

BAMBOO STORAGE CONTAINER

Bamboo steamers are airtight by design to allow air to circulate while items are steaming. That makes a bamboo steamer an ideal storage container for onions, garlic and shallots, which need ventilation and should not be refrigerated. -- Brad, New Jersey

HANDY WASHRAGS

Worn-out socks make fantastic washrags for young children during bath time. Wash them by putting a cotton sock on your hand with a bar of soap inside. Neither the soap nor the washcloth gets lost in the water. -- Dolores, Iowa

MIRACLE CLEANING REMEDY

Use a dab of ketchup to remove tarnish from copper-bottom pots. Just wipe on with a paper towel, let stand a bit and

wash. It sounds weird, but it works. -Peggy, Nebraska

SURPRISING STAIN REMOVER

I use glycerin to remove tea, coffee and cocoa stains from fabric. I apply the glycerin to a fresh stain, then gently rub it into the stain. If the stain is old, I let the glycerin soak into the stain for a while. Glycerin is readily available in most drug stores, pharmacies and online. -- Gloria, California

BABY ORAJEL NOT JUST FOR BABIES

Our teenage daughter badly stubbed her toe, and we needed to clip the nail. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t let us near it because of the pain. My wife found a tube of Baby Orajel and covered the area using a cotton swab. It was like magic. It numbed the area well enough that I was able to take care of things. I would never have thought to use Baby Orajel this way.

-- Randall, Texas

SHOUT OUT THOSE STAINS

I found the best cleaner for my dirty golf shoes: Shout laundry stain remover. It works like a charm, getting down in the creases and crevices to get out the ground-in dirt. My golf shoes are leather, and it has not hurt them or the color. -Brenda, Michigan

ERASE THE RED POLISH

Red fingernail polish accidentally spilled on my carpet, making a long red streak. A friend told me to use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The polish had already dried, but with a little elbow grease and several erasers, it all came out of my carpet. This is a wonderful product! -- Carolyn, Tennessee

LOOK OFFICIAL TO GET ATTENTION

Take a clipboard with you when you’re shopping. You’ll get waited on quickly, since sales associates will think you’re either a mystery shopper or you’re snooping for the competition. -- LaVonne, California

PEROXIDE CLEANUP

I use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water in a spray bottle to clean just about everything in my house. It works great on windows and freshens my wooden cutting boards. On the lip of my sink, it foamed and cleaned up what I thought was rust. And the best part: It’s cheap. -- Carol, Illinois

FOAMING BUBBLES AROUND THE HOUSE

I took my foaming bath cleaner out of the bathroom and started using it on my walls, floors, patio furniture, kitch-

en -- basically anything and everything. It cleans it all. When we removed the carpet in the hall, the old vinyl flooring underneath had seen better days. After using the foam on the floor, the dust and carpet fibers came up, and I didn’t have to replace the flooring right away. For most things, just spray, wait a few minutes and whip away the dirt. It disinfects too! -- Jennie, email

What’s your favorite “this for that” item? You can add it in the comments at EverydayCheapskate.com/use-this-forthat-in-kitchen. Who knows? It just might show up here in a future “this for that” column!

STARGAZERS

Still Coming Soon to a Sky Near You ... a New Star!

BY DENNIS MAMMANA

Week of October 13-19, 2024

You may recall back in April that I told you about a “new” star that astronomers predicted would appear in the sky. It was all the rage throughout the media, as the constellation Corona Borealis (the northern crown) graced the eastern sky of spring.

If any of you have been watching that constellation patiently waiting for it to appear ... well, you’re not the only ones who are disappointed. We astronomers are also sitting on the edge of our seats in anticipation.

The star is known as T Corona Borealis -- aka the “Blaze Star.” When it erupts it will change the appearance of this constellation for a few days.

Such a new star appearing out of nowhere is not common, of course, but it does happen occasionally. Ancient skywatchers called such a phenomenon a “nova” -- a word that comes from the Latin “novus,” meaning “new.”

Today, however, we know a nova is the result of a pair of stars orbiting one another. One pulls hydrogen onto itself from the other, and when this accumulates, its surface heats up and triggers a thermonuclear explosion that will appear to add another star to the sky for a few days.

Nova T CrB (the CrB refers to the constellation name) is what is known

as a recurrent nova, a star that can explode more than once during its lifetime. Its eruptions have been documented as far back as October 1217, and its last appearances came in 1866 and 1946. From history, astronomers figure that it erupts on average about every 80 years.

So when it was reported that this star could show up sometime this year, I admit was a bit puzzled -- not for some esoteric astrophysical reason but because of what I learned in first grade: arithmetic. You see, adding 80 to 1946 gives us 2026, not 2024. And I’ll bet some of my readers wondered that too.

So what happened? Why was Nova T CrB predicted to burst into the sky sometime this year, and why hasn’t it?

The reason it was expected to erupt sometime this year is that before the 1946 eruption, the star appeared to become fainter for a while, and that’s exactly what has been happening to it over the past few years. So 2024 seemed like a reasonable guess, but we just don’t know enough about these phenomena to make accurate forecasts.

Don’t lose hope, though. 2024 is far from over, and the star could still erupt. Our problem now is that Corona Borealis, which in the springtime was just appearing in the east at dusk, is now receding from view in the west. By the month’s end, it’ll become lost in the glare of the setting sun and won’t appear again until late November, when we’ll see it low in the eastern sky at dawn.

BY TRACY BECKERMAN

My husband is a Honeycrisp snob. If you’re not familiar with this, Honeycrisp is a kind of apple, and according to him, it is a superior apple. All other apples are lesser apples. He will not eat a Fuji, Gala or Pink Lady. Only Honeycrisp will do. My son will also only eat Honeycrisp apples. So, I guess in this case, the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Since I am not an apple connoisseur, I can’t really taste the difference between most of these apples. Yes, I can distinguish between the tartness of a Granny Smith and the sweetness of a Red Delicious, but all the other ones that fall in between taste pretty much the same to me. They taste like apples. I’m sure if I compared them side by side, I might notice a difference, but if I brought one kind home, I couldn’t tell

you what it was or how it was different than the other ones on the grocery shelves.

But my husband could.

“Did you get any Honeycrisp apples?” he asked me as he perused the fruit drawer in the fridge.

“Those are Honeycrisp,” I said, not really knowing if they were Honeycrisp or not.

“No, they’re not,” he said looking at one in his hand. “This is a McIntosh.”

I rolled my eyes. “How do you know? You didn’t even taste it.”

“I can tell by looking at it,” he said defiantly.

“I’m sure it’s as good as a Honeycrisp,” I said.

“No. It’s not,” he said. “It’s not nearly as good.”

At this point I thought my husband may have picked the wrong career. He might have been better off working

Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com.

So now we wait. But the question remains: Will Nova T CrB brighten this year or next year? Or will it do so in 2026 as my first-grade teacher might have argued? Only time will tell, but astronomers are watching closely because whatever happens will teach us something very important about the cosmos.

for the CIA to keep bad apples out of the country. As I watched him sniff the Honeycrisp imposter, it seemed he clearly had missed his calling.

“Listen, Johnny Appleseed,” I said to him. “These are the only apples they had at the market, so take ‘em or leave ‘em.”

He harrumphed, tossed the apple back in the drawer and left the room to find greener pastures, or maybe orchards, as the case may be.

Having been married to this man for over 30 years, it was no surprise to me that he’d rather go appleless than eat a lesser apple. There was only one kind of ice cream he liked, one brand of ketchup he’d put on his french fries, and one brand of chocolate worthy of his approval. Not that he’s picky or anything. After all, he chose me to be his wife.

A short time later he came back in

the kitchen, reluctantly took one of the lesser apples out of the drawer and pulled out a knife to cut it up.

“I’m going to have this apple, but it’s not going to be as good as a Honeycrisp,” he assured me.

“Well, the good news is, I know you like to have peanut butter with your apples, and I saw you were out, so I got some more,” I said, whisking the jar of peanut butter out of the pantry.

He took the jar of peanut butter, looked at it and sighed.

“It’s the wrong kind of peanut butter.”

Tracy Beckerman is the author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Barking at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble,” available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online! You can visit her at www. tracybeckerman.com.

Skywatchers have been eagerly anticipating the appearance of a new star in the constellation Corona Borealis.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOVENAS/PRAYERS

3 DAY NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Say this prayer for 3 consecutive days:

Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God; Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity.

Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my Mother.

Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.

Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times).

Holy Mary I place this prayer in your hands (say three times). Thank you for your mercy to me and mine. Amen. When request is granted, the novena must be published. (MAK)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOVENAS/PRAYERS

NOVENA TO THE BLESSED MOTHER

Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Oh, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity.

Oh Star of the Sea, help me herein and show me here you are my Mother.

Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.

Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times).

Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Amen.

This prayer is never known to fail and is to be said for 3 consecutive days. In Gratitude (M.T.F.)

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Spice meals up with curry

Coconut Chicken Curry

The word “curry” is used to describe a variety of things. First it is a mix of spices that often combines coriander seeds, turmeric, cumin, chili peppers, fenugreek, clove, mustard, and even nutmeg or ginger. This produces a warm and robust spicy taste that can flavor various foods. Curry also is used to describe a specific dish. Curry is a recipe made with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices (like those in a curry mix) and is traditionally associated with

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or coconut oil

2 tablespoons curry powder (hot or mild)

2 medium sweet peppers (any color), cut into 1⁄2-inch squares

1) In a bowl, toss the chicken chunks with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

2) In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Sprinkle in the curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until combined.

3) Add the onion, garlic and jalapeño pepper (if you’re using it), and continue to cook, stirring to coat with the spices, for 3 or 4

south Asian cuisine. Curry also is a type of tree, and curry leaves are reminiscent of lemongrass and anise. These leaves often are included in Indian cooking.

Curry can make a hearty, delicious lunch or dinner, and it is ideal when the weather starts to get chilly. This recipe for “Coconut Chicken Curry,” courtesy of “Clueless in the Kitchen: Cooking for Beginners” (Firefly Books) by Evelyn Raab, is creamy and easy to prepare. Serves 4 to 6

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 fresh jalapeño (or other) hot pepper, seeded and sliced (optional)

1 14-ounce can coconut milk, regular or light

2 cups canned diced tomatoes (or diced fresh tomatoes)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften. 4) Dump in the chicken chunks, raise the heat to medium high, and cook, stirring often, until the chicken has turned mostly opaque.

5) Add the coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar to the pan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with plain basmati or jasmine rice.

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“Shed the Meds” event collects discarded medications

Members of the Nassau County Police Department with Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D - Plainview) at the Shed the Meds event.

More than 100 people availed themselves of the opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted medications during a Tuesday, Sept. 24 “Shed the Meds” event at the Syosset Public Library sponsored by Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D - Plainview) and the Nassau County Police Department’s Second Precinct.

During the event, residents discarded 10 full, large garbage bags of unwanted and/or expired prescription medications and patches, overthe-counter medications, vitamins, drug samples and predications at the library under the supervision of Second Precinct POP officers Chris Lovelace, Francesco Vescio, John Hadrigan, and Andrew Oswald.

“We were all so thrilled to see so many local residents taking advantage of this convenient opportunity to empty their medicine cabinets of expired and unwanted drugs. In doing so, they took an important step that will both keep our community safe and protect the environment,” Deputy Minority Leader Drucker said. “Thank you to Sergeant Mardoney and the entire Second Precinct team as well as Syosset Public Library Head of Programming Alisa Fogel and her team for making this such a tremendous success!”

Bethpage schools hold bash to welcome students back

Superintendent David Schneider and CCS Interim Principal Kevin Healy also took part in the bubbly fun.

On Sept. 20, the Bethpage Union Free School District kicked off the new school year with a lively Back to School Bash on the fields of Bethpage High School. Families from across the district gathered to reconnect after the summer break, enjoying a night of food, fun and community spirit.

Food trucks lined the perimeter, offer-

ing a diverse selection of tasty treats, from ice cream and chicken to gyros and lobster, catering to every craving. The Bethpage Fire Department was on hand, letting excited kids shoot off the fire hose, a thrill that drew many eager participants.

The event’s biggest hit, however, was the “Foam Zone,” created by Foam LI. A

the Bethpage school PTAs were on site, selling swag to raise funds for various programs and events.

Food trucks lined the perimeter of the Bethpage High School fields, offering a diverse selection of tasty treats, from ice cream and chicken to gyros and lobster.

Children played throughout the athletic complex, burning off energy and enjoying time with their friends.

massive cloud of soapy foam filled the field, and students weren’t the only ones diving in. Superintendent David Schneider and Interim Principal of Charles Campagne School, Kevin Healy, joined in the fun, much to the delight of the crowd.

School spirit was in full swing as all the district’s Parent Teacher Associations set up booths, selling school-themed swag

to raise funds and build excitement for the year ahead. A karaoke booth provided entertainment as students took the stage to sing their hearts out, while balls scattered across the field gave kids the chance to burn off energy and enjoy some impromptu playtime.

Photos courtesy of Bethpage Union Free School District

The “Foam Zone”, brought to bash by Foam LI, was the biggest hit of the night, providing a soapy, bubbly wonderland for all to play in.

The Bethpage Fire Department was on hand, letting kids take turns shooting off the fire hose.

All

Generals Nation dominates at homecoming

The strong spirit of the Generals Nation shone through the rain on Sept. 28 as the General Douglas MacArthur High School community gathered for the annual homecoming parade and game.

The parade kicked off at Gardiners Avenue Elementary School and went down Old Jerusalem Road towards the MacArthur field. Student Wyatt Garcia led this year’s parade as grand marshal, followed by the homecoming court couples, sports teams throughout the community and the MacArthur and

Jonas E. Salk Middle School marching bands. In the gymnasium, seniors on the football, cheer and kickline teams and the marching band were individually applauded alongside their parents. Students’ votes were tallied, and Jesse Seder and Haidy Culcay were crowned homecoming king and queen.

Conquering even through the rain, the varsity football team pulled off a decisive 21-0 victory over the Roosevelt Roughriders.

Photos courtesy of Levittown Public Schools

Cheerleaders pumped up the pride through the rain.

The Generals dominated in a 21-0 game against Roosevelt.

The marching band entertained as festivities were moved indoors.

General Douglas MacArthur High School athletes were escorted during the homecoming parade on Sept. 28.

After seniors were honored, Jesse Seder and Haidy Culcay were crowned homecoming king and queen.

Levittown Chamber welcomes fire department

The Levittown Chamber of Commerce welcomed welcomed Phil Schaaf from the Wantagh Fire Department as a new member.

BY TARA CASSANO, LEVITTOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Levittown Chamber of Commerce welcomed Phil Schaaf from the Wantagh Fire Department. The Wantagh Fire Department celebrated 125 years of service this year.

Wantagh is one of the largest Fire Districts in Nassau County covering all of Wantagh, and parts of Levittown, Seaford, East Meadow, and Bellmore as well as Jones Beach State Park and Tobay Beach. In addition to fire and EMS alarms, auto accidents, and other types of miscellaneous emergency calls, the Wantagh Fire Department has an Incident Management Team, Hazardous Materials Team and a Dive/Water Rescue Team, which works in conjunction with a 31-foot fire/rescue boat that provides emergency services for the many waterways within the fire district.

Over the past year they responded

to more than 2700 calls for emergency services within the community as well as surrounding areas. This is in addition to many hours of planning and providing for fire/ rescue and EMS leadership and support for the Bethpage Air Show and the annual July 4th Fireworks at Jones Beach, and many other special events throughout the year.

The Wantagh F.D. has approximately 250 dedicated men and women who volunteer their time and who respond to your needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 365 days a year. In addition to emergency response, their members train at a minimum of once a week to maintain their skills and also attend classes at the Nassau Fire Academy to keep proficient in the services that they provide. They also educate the residents of our community and school children through their public outreach and fire prevention programs.

Old Country Road celebrates International Night

brating International Night on Sept. 27.

The Old Country Road Elementary School community came together to celebrate International Night on Sept. 27, hosted by the PTA. Teachers, students and families gathered around the outdoor blacktop to showcase their cultures in various ways.

Attendees were invited to stroll from table to table to learn about different cultures and taste different foods. Guests explored customs, listened to music and enjoyed food throughout the event. Several students wore colorful clothes and performed traditional dances reflect -

ing their respective countries. For each country showcased, students received a passport with stamps representing Poland, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Ireland, India, the Philippines and more.

Aside from being a wonderful evening to celebrate community, this year’s International Night at Old Country Road Elementary School saw students learn about new cultural traditions, historical landmarks and languages from around the world.

Breast cancer screening van coming to Syosset Library

Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview) is partnering with NuHealth to bring the breast cancer screening van to the Syosset Public Library on Thursday, Nov. 7 between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Free mammograms will be made available to women over the age of 40. Appointments include a breast exam from a Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse, a mammography, and self-examination instructions.

Appointments are required, and mammograms are free for uninsured women based on eligibility guidelines. Women with health insurance may be required to make a copayment. Women who have gone more than a year since their last mammo -

gram will be required to get a prescription from their doctor (if they have insurance) and provide any past films (if available).

“Early detection is key to the successful treatment of breast cancer, and the mammovan provides easy access to potentially life-saving resources by bringing them directly to patients,” Deputy Minority Leader Drucker said. “I am proud to once again partner with NUMC and the Syosset Public Library to deliver this vital resource to our community.”

For more information and to make an appointment while availability lasts, contact Deputy Minority Leader Drucker’s office at 516-571-6216 or adrucker@nassaucountyny.gov.

Old Country Road Elementary School students, teachers and families enjoyed cele-

Photo courtesy of Hicksville Public Schools

9/11 commemoration in Levittown

came together for a heartfelt memorial service at Levittown Veterans Memorial Park, where residents, veterans, and first responders gathered to pay tribute to the heroes and victims of 9/11. Senator Rhoads highlighted that through shared stories and acts of remembrance, we can continue to stand strong, united in our resolve to never forget.

New restaurant opens in Plainview-Old Bethpage

Nassau County Legislature

Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview) joined the Plainview-Old Bethpage business community on Wednesday, Sept. 18 to celebrate the grand opening of Press 195. Known for their sandwiches, burgers, cocktails and club fare, their Plainview restaurant, located at 1048 Old Country Road, is the third in a growing business that boasts eateries in Rockville Centre and Bayside, Queens.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by the Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce, Deputy Minority Leader Drucker presented the owners with a Nassau County Legislature Citation and applauded the Press 195 team for celebrating their grand opening with a donation to Jericho Cares, a not-for-profit, philanthropic network of residents that provide support for local families in need.

“Not only is Press 195 adding another exciting dimension to Plainview-Old Bethpage’s restaurant scene, they joined our community with a truly admirable act of kindness that will directly benefit local families,” Deputy Minority Leader Drucker said. “As a lifelong Plainview resident, I’m proud to welcome them to the community and wish them tremendous success in the months and years ahead!”

New York State Senator Steve Rhoads, Legislator John Ferretti, Assemblyman John Mikulin, and Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr.

Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview) recently helped welcome Press 195, a new restaurant, to the Plainview-Old Bethpage community.

Upcoming Events at the Jericho Public Library

Friday, October 11

10:30 a.m.: Tiny Scientists, Big Discoveries (Ages 18 Months to 3 Years) - This fun and exciting program is designed to spark curiosity and introduce young minds to the wonders of science. Through interactive experiments and hands on activities, toddlers will explore the world around them and develop a love for learning science.

Sunday, October 13

2:00 p.m.: Shades of Grey: A Tribute to Joel Grey with Bob SpiottoFrom his history making performance on Broadway as the original Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret, Joel Grey has entertained audiences for more than 60 years. Known for iconic roles on stage and on screen this musical tribute performs his best known hits.

Tickets are now available for Jericho residents. Non-residetns will be able to pick up tickets beginning September 29 at the Circulation Desk.

Monday, October 14

2:00 p.m.: VIRTUAL: Profiles with Dr. William Thierfelder: THE SALEM WITCHES - When we think of witches and demons, we usually think of horror movies or Halloween. But in 17th-century Massachusetts, the Salem witch trials led to 19 deaths. The early colonies were an experiment that-coupled with a backdrop of religious extremism--bred an anxiety so intense it turned deadly. The tale of the Salem witches is a frightening cautionary tale about the effects of mob psychology.

7:00 p.m.: Book Discussion: “Officer Buckle and Gloria” by Peggy Rathmann (Grades 1 & 2)Come to this book discussion to taklk about Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. After registering pick up a copy of the book to read and be prepared to talk about it with your peers.

Tuesday, October 15

9:30 a.m.: IN-PERSON: Adult Walking Club (Weather Permitting)All levels, all abilities are welcome. Join us for a 45-minute walk around the neighborhood. It’s an opportunity to get some exercise, meet new people, spend time with a friend and enjoy some conversation. Meet us in front of the library. Participants must wear sneakers and bring a bottle of water.

10:00 a.m.: Caring Cubs (Ages 2 to 4 Years) - This class is a mini wonderland where tiny tots dive into the world of learning, socializing, and jamming to catchy tunes. Led by a social worker, by the end, you and your little one will strut out with a fresh skill, a new friend, or a heartwarming connection like never before.

11:00 a.m.: VIRTUAL: Guided Meditation for Self-Healing with Patricia Anderson - Join Pat for one or all of the meditation sessions to bring harmony and balance into your life. Learn the beautiful practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu to help your body heal and keep you relaxed.

7:00 p.m.: STEMtastic (Grades 3 to 6) - Learn and have fun while explor-

ing a hands-on STEM experience. Come and learn while having fun!

7:00 p.m.: Teens: College Essay Writing with C2 Education - The college application essay is probably the most important writing assignment you’ve ever had, and it’s also probably one of the hardest. After all, with just a few hundred words, you’ll have to show who you are, what is important to you, and what makes you stand apart from everyone else. Learn how to overcome some of the toughest college essay challenges, from picking a great topic to striking the right tone to grappling with word limits.

Wednesday, October 16

8:30 a.m.: Fall Bus Trip: Peconic River Herb Farm, Cooperage Inn, and Raphael Winery - Join Jericho Library for this spectacular Fall Bus Trip! We’ll visit:

• The charming Peconic River Herb Farm for a tour and some shopping

• The delicious Cooperage Inn for a 3-course meal (see menu on our website)

• The elegant Raphael Winery for a flight of fine wine & vineyard tour

Enjoy a wonderful day out east with new friends, fine wine, delicious foods, and the lovely fall foliage. Pay by credit card (online or in person) or by check at the Jericho Library. No refunds. Includes round-trip bus travel, a tour of the Peconic River Herb Farm and a 3-course meal at The Cooperage Inn.

10:30 a.m.: Giggles and Grooves with Rebecca (Ages 1–5) - Join Ms. Rebecca from Giggles and Grooves for a morning of singing, dancing, and playing! In this class, children will listen to the guitar and explore different instruments, movement toys, puppets, parachute and bubbles. Let's make music together!

7:00 p.m.: Make a Spooky Friend (Grades K–3) - We will listen to spider stories and craft a beaded backpack spider to attach to our backpacks.

Friday, October 18

10:30 a.m.: Nassau County Office of Aging: Senior IDs - The Nassau County Office of Aging offers free senior I.D. cards for Town of Oyster Bay residents, featuring personal data, physician contacts, emergency numbers, and allergies. Seniors also receive an 8.5-inch by 8-inch form for their refrigerators. These cards and forms can help medical technicians quickly access vital information during emergencies. No registration required!

2:00 p.m.: VIRTUAL: Great Performers with Marc Courtade: Natural and Low Key: Harrison Ford - For over 60 years, iconic film actor Harrison Ford has starred in films grossing over $9.3 billion worldwide. Known best as Indiana Jones and Han Solo in “Star Wars,” Ford is one of Hollywood’s most private actors. “I’m old news. I’ve been there for 35 years.” His low-key, natural performances have made him a successful and enduring Hollywood icon.

This Week at the Syosset Public Library

Monday, October 14, at 2:00 p.m.

Women Who Have Run for President (VIRTUAL)

Presenter: Barry Bradford, former Illinois State Teacher of the Year and winner of the Organization of American Historians Tachau Teacher of the Year award

What do Victoria Woodhull, Gracie Allen, Margaret Chase Smith, Hillary Clinton, and Elizabeth Dole have in common? They are among the many amazing, completely fascinating women who have run for President! In this unique, fast-moving, and thought-provoking presentation, you will hear the fascinating stories of the women who blazed the way for a sea change in the political process. No registration is needed. For Zoom link, go to syossetlibrary.org.

Tuesday, October 15, from 10:00 am – 2:00 p.m.

St. Francis Outreach Bus for Flu Shots (IN-PERSON)

St. Francis Hospital’s Outreach Bus will be in our front parking lot offering free health screenings. The screenings include a brief cardiac history, blood pressure, and a simple blood test for cholesterol and diabetes. Flu shots will be available. No appointment necessary. You MUST be 18 or older.

Thursday, October 17, at 2:00 p.m.

Adult Bingo (IN-PERSON)

Join us for a fun afternoon of bingo. There will be refreshments and prizes. Registration required. Register at syossetlibrary.org.

Fridays, beginning October 18, from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.

Simply Stronger (VIRTUAL)

Instructor: Mindy Vasta

Handheld weights, a resistance band and ball are utilized to help you improve strength, flexibility and coordination. A balance segment is incorporated into the program to enhance posture, core strength and promote proper alignment of all muscle groups.

This is a Zoom-only program for adults 18+. Seven sessions. Registration required. Register at syossetlibrary. org.

Fridays, beginning October 18, from 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.

English Conversation Class (IN-PERSON)

Instructor: Elina Yasinov, ESL instructor

Learn in a small setting practical English that will help to make you comfortable using English in a vari-

ety of common situations. Limited registration. Registration required. Register at syossetlibrary.org.

Friday, October 18, at 2:00 p.m. Book-to-Film Discussion (IN-PERSON)

Read the nonfiction New York Times bestseller, “ The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown. Then see the film and stay for a brief discussion led by Jackie Ranaldo, Head of Readers’ Services.

Barbara Bucovetsky Sells Homes!

There Must Be A Reason...

NOBODY SAYS IT BETTER THAN MY CLIENTS:

Barbara Bucovetsky

Licensed Associate RE Broker

barbara.bucovetsky@compass.com O: 516.517.4866 | M: 516.428.2016

“Dear Barbara – Thank you is really not enough! Thank you for your incredible support during this crazy time. Your expertise matched only by your ability to know what I needed and when were more appreciated than you can imagine! You are a very special person and I’m thankful that I can now call you my friend.”

— Marcy T.

“I have engaged Barbara to sell my properties on two occasions. Each time, I was involved in a stressful transition in my life. She was very sensitive to this and guided me in a calm and obliging manner. She was always available if I had any concerns and offered easy solutions. Barbara’s upbeat attitude made the whole process pleasant and easy.”

— Sybil S.

“When I first met Barbara I knew she was the person to help sell our house. She was forthright and super knowledgeable about the housing market, assisting us in every step of the process which eased our stress. She calmed a challenging situation. We are grateful for Barbara’s expertise and commitment.”

— Joan & Randy R.

“You were there every step of the way for us – days, evenings, weekends and holidays – above and beyond the call of duty. We will be forever grateful.” — Jim and Penny D.