The Garden City News (12/20/24) by Litmor Publishing

CHRISTMAS AT THE CATHEDRAL

Cathedral of the Incarnation on Sunday, December 15th. See page 27.

UPK Lottery Coming Soon: What You Need to Know

BY KASSARA MCELROY

The Garden City School District is preparing for the 2025-2026 school year Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) lottery, with applications set to open next month.

Interested families must complete a UPK application Google Form, which will open up on January 27 through January 31, 2025. The lottery will take place on February 7, 2025.

Postcards have been sent out to provide the community with key registration and timeline information, which is also posted to the district website under Parent Resources > Registration > UPK. The website also includes FAQs and an eligibility calculator to help parents determine their child’s eligibility based on their birthdate.

Trustee Kristen Pappas asked, “Are we expecting a spot for every child in the district who would like to attend?” While administrators are confident that there will be enough space for all interested families, thanks to additional spots secured through a recent RFP, submitting an application does not guarantee enrollment

See page 44

Board discusses delay for Cathedral Avenue ‘road diet’

BY RIKKI MASSAND

At the December 12 Board of Trustees meeting, Trustee Vinny Muldoon inquired about the stalled Cathedral Avenue “Road Diet” project, which aims to improve traffic safety through engineering measures. Superintendent of Public Works John Borroni explained that the high cost of implementing these changes has become a significant barrier, as Cathedral Avenue is a Nassau County-owned road.

According to Superintendent Borroni, the village and consultants Creighton Manning Engineering LLP worked to create a design to calm the speeding traffic and the high number of accidents.

“Nassau County is not opposed to the design, but they have their reservations about it and they will not allow us to change the striping on the road without milling and resurfacing the road from curb-to-curb, which would be a huge expenditure. Should we

See page 40

Improvements to parks on village agenda

BY RIKKI MASSAND

At the December 12 Village Board of Trustees meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Recreation & Parks Andy Hill provided updates on departmental progress since stepping in after Paul Blake’s retirement two months ago.

Hill reported improvements in fiscal management for Recreation Department revenues. Collaborating with the Village Finance Department and Treasurer Irene Woo, Hill implemented a new check log to better track incoming payments and began drafting formal policies for handling cash.

“We have implemented a new check log that will help us better

See page 41

The annual Festival of Lights and Carols was held at the

Photo courtesy Girl in a Camera Productions

As this is our last issue before Christmas, we’d like to wish our readers the happiest of holidays.

Although it is sometimes difficult to find time to step back and appreciate all that we have been blessed with, in this season it is important to reach out to those who have had difficulties in their lives, whether financial, personal or physical.

Garden City has a wealth of opportunities to get involved with groups who help the disadvantaged. One of the great things about publishing a newspaper here is that we get to see news material about all of the different groups and their good works. There are groups that support a myriad of causes, through fundraising, collections of food and clothing, and direct work with individu-

als. There is are so many different ways to make a difference in our local communities. But volunteerism isn’t just about helping others - it is also a great tonic for the soul. It’s hard to focus on your own day to day issues when you are helping people whose need is so much greater than your own.

One of the things we have been impressed with about Garden City is that in the last few decades since we were teens there has been a much greater emphasis in including kids and teenagers in doing charitable work of some kind. We are raising a generation of kids who are being taught the importance of acting selflessly, and that surely will help them become kind and compassionate adults.

Well done, Garden City!

County mischief To the Editor:

At the December 9th public hearing by the Nassau County Legislature on the environmental impact of the Sands Casino, Presiding Officer Howard Kopel continued to allow mischief by the casino supporters. When he opened the hearing, Mr Koppel should have directed all speakers to disclose any financial interests or other support that they have received or have been promised by the Sands Corp. At a prior legislative hearing, former Governor David Patterson failed to disclose that he was a senior vice president of the Sands Corporation. At the December 9th hearing Dr Jeffrey Reynolds, chief executive of the Family and Children’s Association, failed to disclose that Sands Corp is awarding $200,000 to his agency.

Everything about the financial ties between the Sands Casino and Governor Patterson and others may be legal. However, if Governor David Patterson’s employment with Sands Corp and the grant to Dr Reynolds’s agency is disclosed, the public can decide for themselves whether their favorable comments about the proposed casino indicate a possible conflict of interest.

Leo Stimmler

St. Paul’s survey manipulation

To the Editor:

I would like to comment on the board of trustees meeting that took place on Thursday, December 12th. We were told that there is a six-member St. Paul’s advisory committee, headed by Liaison to BCI, Trustee Judy Courtney, who has been given the task of revising the St. Paul’s survey questions for the 13th time (or more?) We were also informed that not all previous options or questions about the future of the building will be included in this newest survey, such as replacing the building with a park or a new community/ recreation center, which would be more in keeping with the size of the village’s population, their wants, and at a lower cost to build and maintain. Any wording pertain-

ing to removal (demolition) is taboo, according to Trustee Courtney, even though facadism, which should be a question on the new survey requires the removal of some or most of the building to complete the process.

There is a reason for my title for I believe this committee will try to manipulate both the content and results of the survey. They seem to only be interested in framing the questions in such a way as to promote their preferred viewpoints by only providing limited choices or an illusion of choices. We should all demand to be able to know and choose from every possible scenario and not just from those that are chosen for us.

Bob Orosz

Keep free speech, ditch the parties To the Editor:

It was both astonishing and unsurprising to witness the Property Owner Association (POA) Board of Trustees’ 16-minute assault on a resident’s free speech, the freedom of the press, and the right to petition one’s government at its December 12th meeting. These fundamental rights—enshrined in the First Amendment—were attacked by several members of the same POA “Party” that had become so accustomed to never being challenged until 2021 that it, for instance, summoned police because a resident speaker was facing the “wrong direction,” called the Garden City News a “slop sheet” for publishing critical articles, and ran political cartoons labeling the founder of FABGC a “puppet master” simply because FAB challenged them on important issues.

The latest target of ire was my friend, government accountability advocate, and fellow FABGC co-founder, John Cantwell, along with FABGC Trustee Chester and Mayor Flanagan. Mr. Cantwell had written a letter to the editor raising concerns about several Trustees’ votes against suing the Sands, which is seeking to build a massive casino at the Nassau Coliseum. Trustee Michelle Harrington claimed that Mr. See page 42

Board approves allocations for $200K in civil forfeiture funds

BY RIKKI MASSAND

At its November 21st meeting the Village Board of Trustees approved the appropriation of nearly $200,000 the Garden City Police Department received from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office Civil Forfeiture Unit, towards non-budgeted expenses.

The first $92,295 was allocated to ‘Forfeiture of Crime Proceeds’ for future police department use; then $90,280 was allocated to cover police overtime costs for the current, 2024-2025 village fiscal year due to the the overtime of GCPD officers during the (June 2024) World Cup Cricket tournament held nearby. Third, the board allocated $17,423 to ‘Refund of Appropriation’ for the GCPD overtime accrued during fiscal year 2023-2024 (which ended on May 31st) also due to the spring’s World Cup Cricket matches.

“The police department requested the allocation of a portion of the funds to cover overtime expenditures related to the Cricket tournament, with the remaining funds to be used to cover future GCPD use,” Village Treasurer Irene Woo told the Board of Trustees.

Also at the meeting, the Board

Advice Matters.

authorized closing of the Village Hall HVAC capital project, and a transfer of the remaining $18,729 in funds to the ‘Reserve for Bond Debt.’ The Village of Garden City received a $127,000 grant from PSEG Long Island for this specific project, creating an allocation of more than enough to pay for the costs.

Woo added an explanation of the debt repayment goal for the trustees prior to their approval:

“The village maintains a reserve to pay back the debt of projects from bonded funds. The board authorization transfers the $18,729 that remains in the Village Hall HVAC project, and it will be transferred to the Reserve for Bond Debt as a bonded project. The remaining money has to be used to pay back the bonds,” she said.

Trustee Judy Courtney asked for the original amount budgeted towards the Village Hall HVAC renovation. Woo said that was approximately $854,000.

“The total cost of it came in at $836,000,” she noted.

The Board also approved a transfer of $22,860 in funds for an emergency repair of the roof at Garden City Fire

See page 30

Residents urged to close open building permits

BY RIKKI MASSAND

At the final Board of Trustees meeting of the year on December 12, Village Superintendent of Building Giuseppe Giovanniello reminded residents to close any open building permits before they expire at the end of the year.

Though he announced the potential of a grace period during the first weeks of 2025, the superintendent noted that letters are being sent to all residences with open permits to be closed out.

“Those (Building Dept.) applicants with a deposit, they’d forfeit those deposits unless they close their permits. This is information for any resident who has an open permit within the Building Department – PLEASE try to figure out what is required and which inspections you will need, to have the permits closed out. I want nobody to have to forfeit their deposits for fees. And if you have permits closed out but projects unfinished, call our Building Department and reinstate the permit for an additional year to keep the permit open without jeopardizing any fees,” Giovanniello said.

Trustee Michele Harrington immedi-

ately asked for an article to be submitted to The Garden City News about the permit close-outs by December 31, and a post for the village’s website and social media pages.

Giovanniello agreed, and he said once the letters go to property owners there is a grace period of up to 30 or 60 days, depending on the specific application.

Mayor Mary Carter Flanagan advised that all residents and property owners with an open permit should expect to receive the Building Department’s letter via regular mail.

Superintendent Giovanniello reported that during November 2024 the Building Department issued 117 permits; performed 195 inspections; addressed 19 complaints, issued 47 certificates of completion, and collected $240,000 total in fees.

More engineering costs for station

During the meeting Trustee Ed Finneran asked Giovanniello about progress on the project for GCFD Fire Station No. 2, at the corner of Edgemere Road and Stewart Avenue, as the proj-

See page 23

Advice Matters.

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The use of the CDFA® designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney. Source: Forbes.com (2023-2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month time period concluding in March of year prior to the issuance of the award. CRC 6640117 05/24

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For more information on award methodology and criteria, scan QR code.

CFP Board owns the marks CFP® in the U.S. The use of the CDFA® designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney. Source: Forbes.com (2023-2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month time period concluding in March of year prior to the issuance of the award.

and

scan QR code.

Home Happens Here

Dana Eaton Kate Crofton Denise Donlon

Patricia Aprigliano Susan Bashian Andrea Bharucha Suzanne Blair Liz Breslin Barbara Chmil

Deirdre Albertson

Arlene Conigliaro Roberta Clark Colleen Ciullo

Maribeth Quinn

Louisa Pironi Jill Palmeri

Tony Leondis

Bill Eckel

Sharon Redmond

Anny Ko

Howard Hanna|Coach Realtors’

Theanne

•

Don’t miss out on the fun and holiday cheer! This is your final reminder to cast your votes in this year’s POA Holiday House Decorating Contest. The festive displays around the Village have brought cheer and joy to all, and now it is time to recognize the best among them

Voting ends on December 22 and winners will be announced December 23. It ’ s easy to vote with the QR code below.

Drive around town and see all the beautiful work. Cast your vote now and help us crown the best Holiday House in Garden City!

CHUCK METZGER

•

• Train at home or preferred gym (516)

As 2024 ends, I feel grateful for so much. Forming meaningful connections through my work is certainly a highlight, and I look forward to bringing this into the new year.

To better serve my clients, I earned my Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) designation, a prestigious credential that reflects my commitment to delivering exceptional professional services through a strong educational foundation in real estate. I received a unique marketing opportunity to partner with Zillow Showcase. With this feature, my Showcase listings receive significantly more views, saves, and shares, helping my seller clients accept a higher offer and go pending on their property much faster.

LISA FEDOR your Real Estate Expert 2025 Predictions:

Sold in 2024:

24 Hamilton Place #D3, Garden City, Sold for $520,000 Representing the Buyer

1435 Sherwood Drive, East Meadow, Sold for $999,000 Representing the Seller

137 Avenue C, Holbrook, NY, Sold for $540,000 Representing the Buyer

28 E Jackson Avenue, Babylon, Sold for $860,000 Representing both Seller & Buyer

72 Willow Street, Garden City, Sold for $1,300,000 Representing the Seller

111 Cherry Valley Avenue #604, Garden City, Sold for $925,000 Representing the Buyer

2415 Union Boulevard #1A, Islip, Sold for $299,999 Representing the Buyer

75 Oxford Boulevard Garden City, Sold for $2,450,000 Representing the Seller

302 Grosvenor Street, Flushing, Sold for $982,000 Representing the Buyer

493 Helen Road, Mineola, Sold for $750,000 Representing the Buyer

23 Tremont St, Garden City, Sold for $999,000 Representing the Seller

Scan this QR Code to

Client Testimonial

I do want to express my great love I feel for neighbors Lisa and Michael Fedor. They are a perfect team, lovely, highly intelligent, and very, very supportive in every possible way…They comforted me in my grief at having to leave the home I’ve loved, they gave excellent advice every time I reached out to them… I really don’t think we could have made this move without them- for a whole variety of reasons. I only regret I hadn’t met them years earlier. Lisa and Michael Fedor, I can’t thank you enough. You are the epitome of what real estate agents should be.

— Barbara & Dennis Bengels

 The median asking price for a home in the US will likely rise 4% over the course of 2025

 About 4 million homes are expected to be sold by end of 2025 an annual increase between 2% and 9% from 2024.

 Mortgage rates will likely range from 6%-7%

I know 2025 will bring continued success and opportunities for growth. Call me today to explore your options for all things real estate — whether you’re considering selling, buying, or relocating.

Kiwanis Club hosts Christmas Luncheon

vice to adver tise?

President Patrick Curry; Bart & Arleen Brown (co-chairs of the Kiwanis Christmas Luncheon); Lino DeVivo (proprietor of La Nonna Bella);Miguel Valerio (head waiter); Suki Curry (first lady of GC Kiwanis — and winner of “Christmas Trivia”).

Garden City Real Estate Market Information

RECENT REAL ESTATE SALES IN GARDEN CITY

The information about the homes and the photos were obtained through the Multiple Listing Services of Long Island. The homes presented were selected based solely on the fact that they were recently sold.

Mortgage Rates this week from www.nerdwallet.com Loan Term Interest Rate APR 30-year fixed 6.709% 6.786% 15-year fixed 5.853%

Long Island Sales Data From One Key

122 Sackville Road

Date: 12/12/2024

Sold price: $1,778,000

3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 half bath

Architectural Style: Colonial Property size: .28 acres

Annual taxes: $24,412

MLS number: L3576223

The Seller’s Team: Sean McCoyd, Howard Hanna Coach

The Buyer’s Team: Sharon Redmond and Monica Kiely, Howard Hanna Coach

Grand 3Bdr 2.5Bth Expanded Brick Faced Center Hall Colonial on an oversized 110’ x 110’ parklike property in the heart of the Villages sought after Estates Section. Spacious fully renovated built to last forever home in impeccable condition w/elegant design & decor throughout. Painstaking time and expense paid to ensure all millwork, craftsmanship and finishes maintain a traditional look and feel. Additional notable Features Include: Enormous chefs kitchen addition with custom cabinetry, granite countertops, sub-zero side by side refrigerator, hi-end appliances and radiant heat. Expansive great room addition serviced directly off kitchen with soaring vaulted tray ceilings, three stage millwork & fabulous gas fired stone fireplace. Banquet sized formal dining room with custom two stage shadow box molding and built in cabinetry. Expansive living room with handsome select grade hardwood floors and sleek quartz faced wood burning fireplace. Peaceful heated sunroom with: jalousie windows to take advantage of this homes wonderful natural light. Fantastic primary suite with three closets (one walk-in) & large en-suite bath with radiant heat, rainfall shower head and oversized 6’ jetted soaker tub. Mechanical Attributes include: Efficient 8 zone gas fired heating plant (wi-fi compatible), Navien tankless 6gpm water heater, Dual zone CAC, Central vac, 200 Amp electric service, high hat lighting throughout, Exterior landscape lighting, Central station alarm system, In-ground sprinkler system, Premium marvin widows, grand manor architectural roof and maintenance free siding. Seldom offered, highly desired, superb estates section home, all within close proximity to: Blue-Ribbon Award-winning schools, Two LIRR Train Stations, major parkways, restaurants, shopping and village amenities. Come experience the very best of what true Garden City living has to offer.

78 Garden Street

Date: 11/05/2024

Sold price: $1,275,000

4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 half bath Architectural Style: Split Level

Property size: .33 acres Annual taxes: $18,715

MLS number: L3574819

The Seller’s Team: Maryann DiCicco, Howard Hanna Coach

The Buyer’s Team: Gaurav Kerney, RE/MAX Luxe

Deceivingly Large Front to Back Split Level in Lovely Garden City. Living Room w/ brick gas fireplace and beautiful cathedral vaulted ceilings. New Eat in Kitchen Quartz countertops w/side by side Sub-Zero frig & freezer and disposal. Family Room has a brick gas fireplace .Enormous rooms and plenty of storage space. Hardwood Floors throughout first & second levels. Extra Room for Guest or office. Whole house water filtration reverse osmosis system is a huge plus. Two Car garage and sprinkler system. All this on 1/3 acre parklike grounds.

176 Tanners Pond Road

Date: 12/17/2024

Sold price: $1,100,000

4 bedrooms, 2 full baths

Architectural Style: Cape

Property size: .20 acres

Property taxes: $21,095

MLS number: L3579406

The Seller’s Team: Jayne McGratty Armstrong, Howard Hanna Coach

The Buyer’s Team: Brian McCaffrey, Prime Place Realty

Great opportunity with endless possibilities. Large cape with oversized family room. nice private yard with patio. near to Homestead school, Stratford school, Nassau haven park, Tullamore park and LIRR.

This informational page is sponsored by Douglas Elliman

Real Estate

Houses featured on this page were sold by various real estate agencies

Town holds STOP program

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin (right) assisted Ronald Scqueira of Garden City as he participated in the Town of Hempstead Stop Throwing Out Pollutants (S.T.O.P.) Program on December 8, 2024 at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. This program allows residents to dispose of harmful pollutants – such as antifreeze, drain cleaners and pesticides — in a safe and environmentally friendly

MANOR COUNTRY CLUB

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF TEAMWORK, TRUST & TENACITY

To Our Valued Customers And FriendsThank you from the bottom of our hearts for trusting us to build your dreams. Whether a brand new home, a renovation or a small repair, your support means the world to us and we are forever grateful to be a part of your home improvement journey. We cherish the relationships we have built with you and look forward to continuing to serve our community. Our commitment to quality craftsmanship and superior customer service will remain our top priority as we look towards the future.

To Our Valued Employees Who Are Now Extended FamilyOld World Quality would never be where it is today with out you! Each and every one of you have shown us unwavering commitment, amazing work ethic and you are constantly exceeding our expectations. We are a team and a family and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are very proud of how this company has evolved and how you have played such an important part in that growth.

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” - Phil Jackson

Old World Quality Corp.

Established in 1994

List this holiday season with the #1 brokerage in Garden City.* Reach out to connect to a Garden City agent.

A Delicious HoliDAy Gift!

Garden City kindergarten registration process

Garden City Public Schools is excited to welcome kindergarten students for the 2025–2026 school year and encourages parents to take the following steps to ensure a smooth transition process. The following information can also be found on the Kindergarten Registration Information page on the district website.

First, parents must find their home school, which is the school their child will attend next year. If unsure about which school this is, they can watch the Instructions to Find Primary School Location video posted on the Kindergarten Registration Information section of the website.

Parents must then make an appointment online to register from Jan. 21–31,

2025, at their home school.

Specific forms, such as the original and a copy of your child’s proof of birth (either a birth certificate or a passport), must be brought. All required forms must be completed prior to the appointment time. For all forms required, please visit the Kindergarten Registration Information 2025 page on our district website.

Garden City Public Schools looks forward to welcoming kindergarten students and their parents to the community. Please email Registrar@gcufsd.net and visit the Kindergarten Registration Information page on the district website with any remaining questions or concerns.

Litmor Publishing Corp.

Holiday Family Dinners

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 – Monday, Dec. 30, 2024

TAKEOUT

2 18” Regular Pizzas

Choice of One Dozen Buffalo Wings OR Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2 18” Regular Pizzas • Penne alla Vodka Side Order of Meatballs Choice of

The Daylight Savings Conundrum

BY BOB MORGAN, JR.

Since this is likely the last column that people will read before Christmas, I thought a slightly lighter, but still important, topic might fit in well in this holiday season.

So let's review the current debate concerning whether to make daylight savings time permanent rather than the current system, in most states, where we change the clocks twice a year, moving them forward one hour in March to inaugurate daylight savings time, and then reverse the process in November, when standard time returns and clocks are moved back one hour.

In any event, President-elect Donald Trump has said on at least two occasions that he was open to changing the current system.

Mr. Trump definitely advocates no more time changes during the year, but he has not been entirely clear from his statements whether he favors permanent daylight savings time or permanent standard time, although it seems likely that he is talking about the former. Legislation mandating daylight savings change could be enacted by act of Congress or by legislative action in some or all of the states. The Senate voted for national daylight savings a few years ago, but the legislation did not advance.

ings time (called war time) reappeared during World War II.

From its early days, daylight savings time produced strong opposition among farmers, who understandably did not like the idea of getting up in the dark to care for animals.

Nevertheless, despite the complaints from agricultural interests, there are obviously are strong points to daylight savings. There is much to be said for spending family time in the summer with the sun shining until 8 or later. Many youth sports leagues depend on this extra time. Even older people like myself enjoy catching some rays after work.

On the other hand, there is a precedent outside of wartime for establishing year-round national daylight savings time, and it did not go particularly well. In the midst of the energy crisis, Congress passed a national daylight savings law in 1973. The problem was that this meant that winter sunrise was delayed until about 8:30 in many places. This resulted in numerous reports of accidents involving children going to school, and Congress repealed this law in 1974.

GIFT CERTIFICATE SALE

It seems unlikely that permanent standard time will be reestablished. For one thing, this would result in sunrises around 4:30 AM in June in many places as well as shortened evening light, generally not a popular combination. As Nate Silver points out, that would have the effect of taking away daylight at a time when nearly everyone is awake while adding it when nearly everyone is asleep. Mr. Silver estimates that this change would deprive the average American of 40 minutes of waking daylight in the summer months.

Daylight savings time was inaugurated by Congress in the United States in 1918 during World War I and was said to be a way of saving resources, particularly fuel. The federal law was quickly repealed and the issue returned to the states, although mandatory daylight sav-

If you ask me, I tend to think that the present system is, on balance, probably the best one. Yes, changing the clocks twice a year is annoying, can create a bit of confusion, and I miss the hour lost in March. On the other hand, I do think that there are real problems for kids, and many adults, associated with having to walk around in the dark during winter mornings if there is daylight savings time throughout the year. Maybe starting times in schools and places of business would get later, at least in winter, but this could be a slow processs.

Although some claim otherwise, I also think that most people do adapt to the one hour time change pretty readily. I don't really see why this is much worse than dealing with the one hour time change if you fly from Chicago to New York.

Agree or disagree, best wishes to everyone for a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a generally wonderful holiday season.

attention! Send your letter to editor@gcnews.com and we’ll publish it for you!

We Have Been Family Owned & Operated Since 2002 153 7th Street, Garden City, NY 11530

Phone: (516) 742-2713

Fax: (516) 741-2713

International Cheese Platter

A variety of imported and domestic cheeses arranged with seasonal fresh fruits and displayed in a basket.

Tailored Sizes

Small: Serves 8–10, $70

Medium: Serves 20–25, $90

Large: Serves 28–35, $100

Fresh Fruit Bowl

A customizable selection of our freshest fruits, including differernt berries, kiwis, pineapples, and more arranged together on a platter.

Tailored Sizes

Small: Serves 8–10, $30

Medium: Serves 20–25, $60

Authentic Italian Antipasto

Prepared with the finest Italian products, including fresh water mozzarella, provolone cheese, ham, prosciutto, Genoa salami, pepperoni, artichokes, roasted peppers, pepperocini and olives.

Tailored Sizes

Small: Serves 8–10, $70

Medium: Serves 20–25, $100

Large: Serves 28–35, $130

Shrimp Cocktail Platter

Classic shrimp cocktail served with horseradish dill sauce.

Tailored Sizes

Small: Serves 8–10, $70

Medium: Serves 20–25, $100

Large: Serves 28–35, $130

Mini Focaccia Finger Sandwich Basket

Fresh baked focaccia bread filled with assorted gourmet fillings.

Tailored Sizes

Small: Serves 8–10, $70

Medium: Serves 20–25, $90

Large: Serves 28–35, $130 Other Platter Favorites: Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Platter, Grilled Vegetable Platter, Bruschetta Basket, & Custom Baskets of Your Choice Made to Order

Fully Cooked Spiral Ham $70

7–9 lbs

Fully Cooked Turkey Breast $90

8 lb average

Party Heroes

Varieties

Italian or American $17/ft

Marinated Grilled Vegetable $18/ft

Chicken Cutlet

$19/ft

Stuffed animals collected by Garden City High School with scarves made by student volunteers. Photos courtesy of the Garden City School District

The Garden City High School Key club completed its annual teddy bear drive for the Mary Brennan INN, one of the largest soup kitchens and pantries on Long Island. The teddy bear drive, which has become a staple of the GCHS holiday season, is part of the Key Club’s service to give back to the community.

In the weeks leading up to the holidays, students brought in new stuffed animals which were displayed in the library

throughout December. Student volunteers visited the library’s makerspace during their lunch periods to create scarves for the bears before they were donated.

The bears were delivered on Dec. 17 by Key Club adviser Steve Arena, who has helped with the teddy bear drive for more than 14 years. “Each year the event is a great success, and it is thanks to all of the donations we get from the students,” he said.

GC resident honored

Hempstead Town Clerk Kate Murray (second left) congratulated Andrew Monteleone of Garden City as he was recognized during the America Lodge # 2245 Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (Elmont, West Hempstead, Franklin Square) on October 20, 2024 at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck. Also attending were Anne Marie Monteleone, Nassau County Legislator John Guiffre, New York State Assemblyman Ed Ra, and other friends and neighbors.

Photos from the Village Archives

A selection from the extensive Village Archives. Others can be seen at www.NYHeritage.org - click on Organizations, G, and Garden City Public Library.

Comments/questions: email Historian@gardencityny.net

Carteret Gun Club

A view facing northeast from the top of St. Paul’s showing the Carteret Gun Club, which had moved from Bergen Point, New Jersey in 1897. The Garden City Company leased a parcel to the club west of Cherry Valley Ave. and north of Tenth St., shown crssing at the flagpole in the foreground of the photo. The clubhouse is at left and a fence painted white on the inside encircles the field. Beyond the fence at right is the Village Gas Works with tank and the Village Water Works with chimney. In the distance at extreme right center is the Mineola Fairgrounds grandstand. The Garden City Golf Club property is at the bottom of the photo and also beyond the club.

Originally Eleventh St. was parallel to Tenth St. west of Cherry Valley Ave., with the gun club between them. The lease was terminated in 1902, due to residents’ complaints about wounded birds on their properties and a new law forbidding the shooting of live pigeons. The Garden City Company, instead of then making the gun club parcel part of the golf club, realigned Eleventh St. southward and created what is now Carteret Place at its west end, leading from Tenth St. to a dead end. No documentation has been found to describe the rationale for this. Archives identifier: clcar01

Residents urges to close open building permits

From page 3

ect has been under architects’ reviews for quite a while.

The Board was set to vote on two change orders to allocate more funds for engineering services to the firms working on the Station No. 2 renovation project designs and specs.

First, for Lizardos Engineering and Architectural Consultants based in Mineola, the Board approved a change order of $50,000. Second, a $12,000 change order for Old Structures Engineering based in New York City was approved. Funding for both ($62,000 in total) was available in the budgeted ‘Fire Station Renovations’ capital account.

The superintendent advised that he’s working with Lizardos Engineering for project design specifications. A complete bid spec could be prepared between now and the next 60 days, for the station drawings to be finalized in order for the village to go out to bid for the station renovation/changes.

“I am trying to be as aggressive as I can and as soon as the emails come to me I am forwarding them to the Board of Trustees to keep us all up to date. Trustee Torino had a question on the clearance (height) and we do have proper clearance with the concrete slab being redone, so there would be about 14 inches’ clearance for the ladder truck and two feet and four inches for the fire engine. The vehicles will clear, and approving this tonight will be pushing it forward for the design/drawings we’ll need to go out to bid – taking it to the finish line and getting a price from contractors to do the work,” he explained.

Deputy Mayor Bruce Chester acknowledged the timeline of two more months before the project can finally go out to bid, and Superintendent Giovanniello said it has come down to the three teams – Lizardos’ staff, Old Structures Engineering and the village engineers, “working together to get this

done.”

During public comments on December 12th, resident Steve Gorray said he had attended a board work session in the fall, specifically on the Station No. 2 project. He said he’s a little disappointed that the coordinating engineering firms and the village have not progressed enough on the specs for an RFP to go out to bid already.

“I attended the Fire House work session (on October 24th) which I thought was really well-done. My understanding was that there were plans 1 and 2, where ‘1’ was upgrading it within the footprint of the existing building and ‘2’ was for an extension, including extending the first floor and building it structurally to add the second floor without having too much to construct and it would be cost-efficient. The different roof options were also discussed, which would also be a money-saving measure,” he said.

Gorray’s impression is that the village board preferred the second option, to do the extension on the existing building but not construct the second floor right away, though there would be space for that work to happen down the road.

After stating it’s taken seven years of the village rehashing plans for the Station No. 2 upgrades, Gorray said it could be taking more time again because of the three entities working together and reviewing specs.

He asked the Board and Superintendent Giovanniello to clarify the project design goal. “I am hoping we have it out to bid by February, as I live on Cambridge Avenue and this is an important thing for me and we need for this firehouse to be what it’s supposed to be as soon as possible,” Gorray said.

Mayor Carter Flanagan said he can expect updates from Superintendent Giovanniello on Station No. 2 at every Board of Trustees’ meeting, with the next meeting scheduled for Thursday January 16, 2025.

Women’s Health Care of Garden City committed to personalized care

By John L. Gomes, MD

John L. Gomes, MD, founded Women’s Health Care of Garden City in 1995. It has remained an independent private practice, providing personalized obstetrical and gynecological services.

He employs the technical advances of conventional medicine with an integrative approach to navigate women through difficult pregnancies into the menopausal years. He treats a wide variety of OB/GYN conditions and is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care.

All tests are conveniently done on the premises, and a dedicated, compassionate staff is on call 24/7.

He is committed to excellence in patient communication, education and support, as many patients come with anxiety associated with past experiences and future concerns.

Dr. Gomes received his undergraduate degree from Brown University, and his Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University.

He is both Board Certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Women’s Health Care of Garden City is located at 1000 Franklin Avenue, Suite 200, Garden City.

Michael W. Sparacino

Michael W. Sparacino, who was born on November 12, 1952, which made him just shy of his 72nd birthday when he passed on November 4, 2024, after a courageous 2 ½ year battle with cancer. Michael was the only son of Mike and Mary Sparacino, raised in Queens Village, NY along with two sisters. He is survived by his devoted wife, Allison, beloved son, Danny, and many loving relatives and dear friends.

Michael was a typical child of the 50 & 60’s, enjoying carefree days with friends. He excelled academically, attending Catholic schools from grade

IN MEMORIAM

school through law school including prestigious schools such as Archbishop Molloy High School & St. John’s University School of Law.

Michael was an all-around talented athlete, but especially in baseball. He was a key player on the historic 1970 Molloy HS Varsity Baseball team, CHSAA Undefeated Champions 36-0. The team, along with their beloved coach Jack Curren, was inducted into the Molloy Hall of Fame in 2006.

He enjoyed listening to records and took up the guitar and piano – both selftaught. This past summer he showed off the ticket stub to an 8/23/66 Beatles concert at Shea Stadium – cost $5.75.

Michael was an avid reader, even in childhood when most kids would see it as a chore. He could be reading two different books at the same time – switching off chapter by chapter. He was a master at trivia games and brain teasers – his intellect was unparalleled.

Michael was a multi-talented writer and vocalist, who was known for his renditions of Elvis Presley (famously I’m All Shook Up at weddings) and Bruce Springsteen. His musical creativity extended to original songs for special occasions, such as family members’ birthdays or work events. His Garden City News baseball articles chronicling his son’s varsity baseball years were legendary. Michael had a talent for capturing the events of the game, celebrating every player’s effort, and making the game sound exciting,

win or lose.

Michael started his career as a law clerk for a NYS Supreme Court Justice, then as in-house counsel for Lufthansa Airlines, leading to a successful career as a Senior Executive and Officer in two Health Care Companies. His final position was as Chief Administrative Officer of a Long Island law firm. Michael was humble, modest about his accomplishments, well-liked and respected by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him, a problem solver and a peacemaker.

Michael chose a career path that enabled him to work close to home, so that he could be actively involved in raising his son. He and Allison moved to Garden City shortly after marrying in 1986. He gave of his time throughout Danny’s childhood organizing the GC Village’s little league games and field assignments. He’d be up all night figuring out how to make sure there were no conflicts for Dads who coached more than one son. He just kept playing around with the field slots until he got it right.

Being Danny’s father was Michael’s shining role. He passed on his love of baseball to Danny who is an equally talented athlete. The two spent countless hours together - batting practices, traveling to games with Michael as a coach. Michael continued his devotion to his son, always available for guidance and especially lending his suggested edits to anything Danny may have needed

to write. His gift of transforming words into something special will be missed. Michael wanted many more years to continue to enjoy life, as he had only recently retired. He and Allison started playing Pickleball together and even entered a couple of local tournaments. When Michael was first diagnosed with his illness, he renewed his faith and he became a regular attendee at masses at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hempstead, NY. The church reminded him of the parish from his childhood. He fought this 2 ½ year battle with faith and optimism. He never burdened anyone with his struggles or fears, allowing those close to him to enjoy life and feel hopeful.

Michael would want to be remembered as a good and decent man, who worked hard, loved his family and enjoyed spending time with good friends, of whom he had many.

Arrangements were made by Weigand Funeral Home, Williston Park, Mass of Christian Burial was at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, West Hempstead and his final resting place is at Queen of Peace Cemetery in Old Westbury, NY.

His family suggests donations in Michael’s name be sent to St. Thomas The Apostle Church (24 Westminster Rd, West Hempstead, NY 11552), in care of Human Services, which supports needy families in the parish.

Michael W. Sparacino

The Church of Saint Joseph

130 Fifth Street, Garden City, NY 11530

Our Warm and Personal Greetings for a Holy and Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year

Reverend James P. Swiader, Pastor • Reverend Prasanna Costa, Associate Pastor

Reverend Hilary Nwajagu, Associate Pastor • Deacon John J. McKenna

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE 2024

CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS

Saturday, December 21

9:00-10:00 a.m., 1:00-2:00 p.m., and 6:00-6:30 p.m.

CHRISTMAS EVE MASSES

Tuesday, December 24

4:00 p.m. - Church

4:00 p.m. - Auditorium

4:00 p.m. - Gymnasium

6:00 p.m. - Church

8:00 p.m. - Church

11:00 p.m. - Church (Carols begin at 10:30 p.m.)

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES

Wednesday, December 25

7:30, 9:00, 10:30 a.m., & 12:30 p.m.

All Masses are in the Church

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO AUDITORIUM MASS AND NO EVENING MASS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Vigil Mass 5:00 p.m

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

7:30, 9:00, 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

All Masses are in the Church

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO AUDITORIUM MASS, AND NO EVENING MASS ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN GARDEN CITY

91 Chester Avenue, Garden City (516) 354-1848

Christmas Celebration Services

Join us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Sunday, December 22nd - 10:30am

Advent Worship Service

The Candle of Love

Christmas Eve Service

3:30pm - Tuesday, December 24th

Like Us On Facebook www.presbyterianchurchgardencityny.com E-mail gardencitypresby@gmail.com

Christmas 2024

Waldorf student advances in competition

Jessie Gong, a senior at The Waldorf School of Garden City, has been selected as a semifinalist in the 11th Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition! Out of 350 pianists from 33 countries, Jessie is one of just 8 artists chosen for the Yamaha Senior division — a testament to her dedication, skill, and passion for music.

“Faithfully Reaching Out, Inclusively Drawing In. Building a community where all are Enriched through Christian Love, Service, and Spiritual Renewal.”

Garden City Community Church

245 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530 • 516-746-1700 • www.theGCCC.org

Join Us For Worship services And FelloWship

Advent Schedule

Sunday, December 22nd

10:30 a.m. Worship Service & Christmas Pageant (In person and Livestream)

Christmas Eve Worship Services

Tuesday, December 24th 4:30 p.m. Family Service (In person) 10:00 p.m. Candlelight Communion Service (In person and Livestream)

Sunday, December 29th 10:30 a.m. Worship Service (In person and Livestream)

Christmas 2024

Christmas at the Cathedral of the Incarnation

BY ARLEEN BREEN

The Cathedral of the Incarnation is in the midst of one of our most joyous times of year! On Sunday, December 15 we celebrated our annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, which is always a beautiful way to enter the final days of anticipation of the Birth of Christ. The choir, under the direction of our talented and creative Director of Music Canon Lawrence Tremsky, was outstanding and the musical choices were moving and exquisite.

We celebrate the final Sunday of Advent this week with our Sub Dean, Fr. Eddie Alleyne preaching about the sacrifice and wonder of the honeybee, wrapping up our Advent series of sermons utilizing All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings by Gayle Boss. The 11:15 a.m. service will be livestreamed on our website at: incarnationgc.org/worship/live/.

Christmas Eve at the Cathedral is a truly magical evening of celebrating the long-awaited birth of Jesus. We begin at 4:00 p.m. with our Christmas for Kids

Pageant and Liturgy. This annual tradition is so much fun for everyone, while retaining the reverence and wonder of the coming of Christ. Our Cathedral Kids have been working hard for weeks to prepare to present to you their interpretation of this blessed event. We will have two other services, one at 7:30 p.m. which will be livestreamed, and one at 10:30 p.m. in person. Both services will be preceded by a half hour of carol singing. Please join us for this truly solemn and beautiful evening.

On Christmas morning we will have one liturgy at 10 a.m. to celebrate the gift of the incarnation. All are welcome to the Cathedral to celebrate with us.

As the Cathedral of the Incarnation, the story of Christmas isn’t just a seasonal focus—it’s the foundation of our life as a congregation throughout the year. From vibrant worship to meaningful faith formation and impactful outreach ministries, the Cathedral is a place where the spirit of the Incarnation inspires all we do. If you are looking for a spiritual home, come and experience our warm welcome and hospitality.

See what's happening at your library!

From classes to lectures and concerts to movie screenings, there's never a dull day at your local library! Check this paper each week for fun and informative all-ages activities, all for free or cheap!

A Festival of Lessons & Carols for Christmas Sunday, December 15 at 4pm

Christmas for Kids Christmas Service & Pageant December 24 at 4pm (preceded by carols)

Christmas Eve Mass December 24, 7:30pm online or in-person, 10:30pm in-person only (both preceded by carols)

Christmas Day Mass December 25 at 10am

Choral Evensong for Twelfth Night Sunday, January 5 at 4pm, followed by reception to benefit the INN

Choral Evensong for Candlemas Sunday, February 2 at 4pm

to all services at

Canon Tremsky conducts the Cathedral Choirs. Photo by Girl in a Camera Productions

Old World Quality Corp.

mcarterflanagan@gardencityny.net

I would like to share with you this week the joy of serving our wonderful village. For the many residents who are passionate like I am about preserving this amazing community, below I share a list of the accomplishments I feel great about, and they illustrate why the time I have dedicated to the village has been time well spent. I hope this inspires others to think about running for one of these important Board of Trustee positions!

Since joining the Board of Trustees in April 2021, these are the accomplishments I am most proud of. They are all the result of working collaboratively with an amazing team of volunteer trustees. More is planned, and as you all know there is always more work to be done to keep our community such a desirable places to live!

• Passed local law limiting certain uses including vape shops and tattoo parlors and prohibiting them from areas of the village where young people gather, walk and bicycle.

• Designated over a dozen green spaces across the village as parkland adding another layer of protection for the precious green space that is so important for our quality of life.

• Passed local law prohibiting short term rentals after hearing from residents impacted by a very active short term rental on their block and researching the negative impacts on communities.

• Hired an arborist, purchased new tree plotter software, and passed tree policy in an effort to increase our local tree canopy and stay true to the vision of our founder who knew the importance of tree lined streets in a planned community.

• Led the Village Board opposition to the LV Sands Casino project at the hub, including bringing an Article 78, hiring a lobbyist, and hiring top environmental counsel to challenge the DEIS.

• Studied traffic calming village wide and added tools for the village to use to minimize speeding and cut through traffic. Implemented measures to improve pedestrian safety across the village.

• Brought in a world renowned

expert in stained glass to remove and safely store the windows that were deteriorating in the St Paul’s Chapel.

• Gave residents an opportunity to be heard in a village wide public opinion poll on St Paul’s.

• Identified a process in which the village could use data to drive creation of a St Paul’s project with community support, if such a project exists.

• Reenergized and increased the profile of the Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) with educational programing on a variety of issues impacting the village.

• Advocated for and saw completion of the Toll House renovation after the building had fallen into disrepair, with plans for this building to become a historical building enjoyed by the whole community.

• Led search for and hired talented senior staff to help run the village - including Village Clerk, Superintendent of DPW, and Assistant Treasurer.

• Passed summertime ban on gas powered leaf blowers after extensive community engagement and research.

• Worked with community youth to improve engagement with local government, a part of this job that brought me a great amount of joy seeing the incredibly talented young people in our village. Worked with young residents who brought the Village a multigenerational chess program and tournament, a Gold Award recipient who created a veterans flag program for 7th Street, and worked with young residents on the Environmental Advisory Board bringing a new roundtable on sustainability to the village that has become an annual event in early January.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the Village in this impactful role, and I hope these accomplishments inspire others to consider serving on the Board of Trustees. Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!

Place an ad in our Classifieds for reasonable rates and prompt results. Call our Garden City office at 294-8900 for more information. See page 39

Get Results!

Mayor Mary Carter Flanagan

Flooding response

On December 11, officers safeguarded Stewart Avenue at Raymond Court due to flooding conditions. Later that day, the Department of Public Works responded and cleared the area.

Overweight truck violations

A New Hyde Park Road truck driver was charged with multiple overweight violations on December 11th.

Hit-and-run incident

A black suburban reportedly left the scene on December 11 after striking a vehicle on Washington Avenue.

Fire alarm responses

On December 11, the Garden City Fire Department and Police Department responded to a fire alarm triggered by construction and two additional alarms activated by burnt food.

Speed and insurance violation

A Clinton Road motorist was charged with excessive speed and driving an uninsured vehicle on December 11.

Pedestrian struck

On December 11, a silver pick-up truck left the scene after hitting a pedestrian walking on Franklin Avenue, causing minor injuries.

Fallen tree

Officers safeguarded North Avenue on December 11 after a large tree limb fell in the roadway.

Arrest on Old Country Road

On December 12, officers arrested a 48-year-old female on Old Country Road for allegedly driving while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license, and multiple unsafe lane usage violations.

Vehicle theft

Items were reported stolen from a vehicle parked in Garden City Plaza on December 12.

Traffic violations

On December 12, a 1st Street motorist was charged with driving with a suspended registration and excessive speed.

Overweight vehicle charged

A truck operator was charged on December 12 for allegedly driving an overweight vehicle on Stewart Avenue and Nassau Boulevard.

Forged check investigation

Officers investigated a report of a forged check cashed against a victim’s bank account on December 12.

Unregistered vehicle

A Clinton Road motorist was charged with driving an unregistered vehicle and excessive speed on December 12.

Multiple fire alarms

On December 12, GCFD and GCPD responded to various inci dents, including fire alarms caused by construction, burnt food, and downed util ity lines.

Unsafe driving charges

A Hilton Road motorist was charged on December 12 with tailgating, unsafe lane use, and failing to stop for an officer.

Hit-and-run incident

A black SUV left the scene on December 12 after colliding with another vehicle on Franklin Avenue.

Suspicious activity

On December 13, surveillance cameras captured a male subject rummaging through a vehicle parked on Lee Road. No loss was reported.

Speeding in school zone

A Rockaway Avenue motorist was charged on December 13 with speeding in a school zone, as well as driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

Unsecured truck load

A Clinton Road truck motorist was charged on December 13 for driving with an unsecured load.

Suspended license

On December 13, a Stewart Avenue motorist was charged with driving with a suspended license and registration.

Defective brakes

A Clinton Road truck driver was charged with driving a vehicle with defective brakes on December 13.

Fire alarm at Adelphi

On December 13, GCFD and GCPD responded to Adelphi University after a fire alarm was triggered by a curling iron.

Threatening messages

A victim reported receiving threatening text messages from an unknown person on December 13.

Burglary investigation

Between December 7 and December 14, a burglary occurred at 78 Brook Street. Entry was apparently gained through a rear patio door, and several items were taken. The investigation is

ongoing.

Traffic violation

A Clinton Road motorist was charged on December 14 with unlicensed operation and excessive speed.

Accident follow-up

Detectives arrested a 46-year-old male on December 14 for allegedly leaving the scene of a November 26 accident on New Hyde Park Road.

Defective lights

On December 14, a Clinton Road motorist was charged with driving a vehicle with defective lights and a suspended registration.

Wreaths Across America

Officers conducted traffic and safety details for the Wreaths Across America event at the 7th Street Veterans’ Monument on December 14.

Basement fire

On December 15, officers responded to a Brook Street residence after reports of a burning smell. They dis-

covered a basement fire and safely evacuated the residents before firefighters extinguished a dryer fire. There were no reported injuries.

Aggravated DWI arrest

A 22-year-old male driver was arrested for Aggravated DWI on December 15 after striking an unoccupied parked car on 9th Street.

Unlicensed operation

A 1st Street motorist was charged with unlicensed operation and defective lights on December 15tj.

False alarms

On December 15th Garden City firefighters and police responded to two locations for fire alarms activated in error.

Various violations

On December 15, two Clinton Road motorists were charged with driving with suspended registrations and other violations.

Excessive speed

A Stewart Avenue motorist was charged with driving with a suspended registration and excessive speed on December 15th.

See page 39

Quick

Remote

Quick

Remote

Trusted

Board approves allocations for $200K in civil forfeiture funds

From page 3

Station No. 3 on November 21st.

In addition, the Board of Trustees approved a transfer of $75,000 into the overtime funding for the Parks Department, from the village’s Contingency account. Woo explained that the funds were needed to cover overtime costs for projects that were not budgeted for and completed.

Last month the Board also approved an appropriation of ARPA funds (American Rescue Plan Act federal funding) towards the purchase of new playground equipment for the Garden City Pool at Community Park.

The replacement of existing pool playground equipment, which will include swings and frames with two accessible seats, is anticipated to cost $106,170 per a Sourcewell contract (cooperative pricing). The trustees’ approval confirms acceptance of a proposal from Delano, Minnesota-based Landscape Structures for the demolition and removal of the existing swing frame structures and safety surface, the site grading work and installation of new swing frames and a safety surface.

ARPA funding allocated for playground equipment was originally budgeted for athletic court renovations. The two accessible swing seats include one for children ages 2 to 5, and another for kids ages 5 to 12.

Superintendent of Building Giuseppe Giovanniello reported on the October 2024 Building Department statistics. The department issued 162 building permits; performed 391 inspections; addressed and completed 30 complaints; issued 140 certificates of occupancy (CO’s) and collected total fees of $362,000 for the month.

New GCFD Monument planned

In other Village Board approvals last month, a project for a permanent Garden City Fire Department monument was formally awarded to Hanlon Sculpture Studio of Island Heights, New Jersey, at

a cost of $95,000, to design and construct the new monument. Remaining ARPA funds of $95,000 will be allocated by the village to this project. Previously allocated funds for it would be transferred back to the municipal general fund.

Superintendent of Public Works John Borroni explained, “The monument will be a new bronze, life-like firefighter statue (approximately six feet high) atop a concrete pedestal and it will incorporate new site lighting to illuminate the monument. It will represent our village firefighters who gave 50 years of volunteer service to the GCFD.”

Following a question from Trustee Ed Finneran, Fire Chief James Taunton noted the monument having unique features.

“This project was planned with Village DPW Superintendent Borroni, in conjunction with First Asst. Chief Jonathan Parrella and Superintendent Giovanniello. The monument will be built on the west side of Village Hall around the GCFD headquarters. A plaque with the names of all the members who served for over 50 years will be displayed,” Chief Taunton said.

With another move on November 21 the Board authorized the bid award for Public Works Department electrical services work to Denis O’Regan Electric of Glen Cove, the low bidder for the contract. The company will be providing DPW facilities with electrical work, to be performed on an “as-needed basis.” Funding for the contract comes from the Building Maintenance of Plant account and Central Garage Maintenance of Plant account.

Borroni said this contract will cover “various electrical-related service calls and for building maintenance and improvements.”

Finally, the Board of Trustees approved a maintenance contract for Public Works, to be provided by American Industrial Door of Deer Park, on an as-needed basis and based on unit costs. The company was the low bidder on the contract.

German students go to Bethlehem, PA

On Saturday, December 14, fifty German students from the Garden City middle and high schools traveled by bus to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The group toured the Historic German Moravian Settlement founded in 1741. Led by guides dressed in clothing typically worn by Moravians in the 1700s, students visited the buildings in which the settlers lived, worked, and worshipped. At one time in the mid-18th century, 15 different languages were spoken in Bethlehem. The Moravians were quite progressive in their beliefs that all people, both men and women, should receive the same education; that women should have equal rights with men in the community; and that all people should work together for the common good regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity. After the tour, the students made a small stop in a charming bookstore in the town for hot cocoa, candies and unique gifts.

Tower housing the famous Moravian star, which originated in Saxony, Germany. The stars were used as craft projects to help demonstrate geometry lessons to young boys attending Moravian school.

In the afternoon, students spent some time enjoying the Christkindlmarkt, an outdoor German Christmas market housed in several heated tents where traditional German food, beverages and holiday crafts from the US and Germany are sold. Live music was provided by local vocal and instrumental groups. A great time was had by all! The Bethlehem trip is a favorite outing for German students and their parents every December.

The students visited the Historic German Moravian Settlement, which was founded in 1741.

Fifty Garden City Middle and High School students visited Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on a field trip.

The students also visited the Christkindlmarkt, a German Christmas market.

News from the Garden City Public Library

Monday Movies

Monday Movies presented by the Friends of the Garden City Library at 1:30 p.m.: January 2025

1/6/25: TBA

1/13/25: TBA

1/20/25: TBA

1/27/25: TBA

Programs

Below is our schedule for Adult Services. More programs and information will be available soon.

Mah-Jongg

Thursday, January 2, Thursday, January 16, Saturday, January 18 (New!), Thursday, January 30 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Large Meeting Room

Players will be required to bring their own games and registration will be required on Eventkeeper (www. gardencitypl.org). For additional information contact Adult Services at (516) 742-8405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@gardencitypl.org.

January Programs

More programs and information will be available soon.

Reiki with Kathleen Gunning

Tuesday, January 7, and Tuesday, January 28, from 7 – 8 pm in the Large Meeting Room

Start the New Year off with an introduction to Reiki. Reiki promotes relaxation, stress reduction and pain management. It’s a wonderful form of self-care, which supports physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being to improve the body’s natural healing ability.

To register, please go to www.gardencitypl.org/calendar. For additional information contact Adult Services at (516)7428405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@ gardencitypl.org.

This program is funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library. Operatalks with Tanisha Mitchell“La Bohème”

Sunday, January 12, from 2 p.m.–3 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room

“La Bohème” continues to be one of Giacomo Puccini’s hits with memorable music and characters. This opera is about a beautiful love affair between poet Rodolfo and seamstress Mimi during

Christmas in Paris.

Tanisha Mitchell is the founder and CEO of Operatalks (operatalks.com), an arts outreach company that brings a new spin on opera lectures by using technology, artifacts, and even her own singing to teach and inspire audiences. Her outreach continues to grow on the east coast from Long Island to Florida through libraries, community centers and beyond. No registration is required.

This program is funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library.

Learn to Speak Italian with Retired GCHS Teacher Mrs. Lea Brunetti8-Week Program Series

Fridays, January 10, January 17, January 24, January 31, February 7, February 14, February 21, February 28, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. in the Small Meeting Room

Retired Italian teacher from Garden City High School Mrs. Lea Brunetti will be teaching beginner Italian in an eightweek series. Come join us as we start to learn the beautiful language of Italian with an experienced teacher! We promise there will be no tests! Just some fun! Maybe this will inspire a trip to Italy? Who knows! Non vedo l'ora di vederti! (I look forward to seeing you!) Grazie!

To register, please go to www.gardencitypl.org/calendar. For additional information contact Adult Services at (516)742-8405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@gardencitypl.org.

This program is funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library.

Dennis Raverty Art Lecture on “The Mysteries of ChiricoThe Reluctant Surrealist”

Tuesday, January 14, from 2 p.m.–-3 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room

Join Dennis Raverty in a lecture about Giorgio de Chirico’s work. Chirico is among the most enigmatic of early 20th century painters. His strange “metaphysical” pictures executed during the First World War and shortly thereafter capture an uncanny, poetic world of lonely, haunted piazzas and melancholy streets with dreamlike distortions and juxtapositions of time, scale and perspective. Although idolized by the Surrealists, he later denounced his early work and turned to classicism.

No registration is required. For additional information contact Adult Services

at (516)742-8405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@gardencitypl.org.

Chairobics and Strength with Debbie Kryzminski

Wednesdays, January 22, January 29, February 5, February 12, February 19, February 26 12 p.m.–1 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room

Debbie Kryzminski from Fitness Figures, NY, Inc. will be teaching “Chairobics and Strength.” This program covers strength training, balance, coordination, aerobics and flexibility.Most of the exercises are performed seated in a chair. Equipment will be provided. Feel free to bring your own free weights, if you are comfortable using them. Have water available, wear clothing that you can comfortably move in and be ready to have fun! This is a six-week session; a separate registration is required for each class. To register, please go to www.gardencitypl. org/calendar or call the Reference desk at (516)742-8405 x 5236.

This program is funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library.

Museum Pass Information

Print From Home for Some Passes!

Through the generosity of the Friends of the Garden City Public Library, the Library offers free passes to select museums and cultural institutions. You can

See what's happening at your library!

make a reservation to borrow a Museum Pass from one of the member institutions in our Museum Pass Program.

Some museum passes are now available to print from home. If you do not have access to a printer, the library will be happy to print the pass for you. These passes will be good for one day only.

Please note that not all museums participate. Passes for the following museums still need to be picked up at the Library: 9/11 Memorial & Museum, NYC (2 adults & 2 children); Empire Pass, Long Island Children’s Museum, Garden City (2 adults & 2 children); MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art), NYC (5 visitors) and Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Old Bethpage.

The following Library Museum Pass rules remain in effect.

• Museum passes are available only to Garden City Public Library cardholders in good standing who have signed the Museum Pass User Agreement. Museum passes may be reserved in advance and must be checked out by an adult (18 years and older) family member.

• Reservations will be taken up to one month in advance of the desired date, subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations can be done in person at the Reference Desk or over the phone at 516-742-8405 x5236. Additional rules and information are available at the library.

Learn to play mah-jongg at the Garden City Library.

Library board thanks trustee for years of service

Following 11 years of devoted service and volunteerism on the Garden City Public Library Board of Trustees, Dr. Lola Nouryan is not seeking another term on the Board. She was presented with a plaque from the Library Board and a Village citation recognizing her years of faithful service during a brief ceremony at the December 9 meeting.

“Since 2013 Lola Nouryan has been here and it’s been such a pleasure to work with you. You were really the rock of Gibraltar.,” Outgoing Board Chairman Randy Colahan said. “Lola is a person that doesn’t say much but when she speaks, like the old Smith Barney commercial, you better be listening. She has given the Library so much. I'm going to miss you so much, and the great support that you have given us over the years. Congratulations and best of luck.”

The plaque presented by the Library Board to Lola Nouryan, Ph.D. Vice Chair, Trustee from 2013 to 2024 reads: “The Garden City Public Library Board of Trustees acknowledges Lola Nouryan, Ph.D. in recognition and sincere appreciation of eleven years of faithful service 2013 – 2024. The Library Board acknowledges her hard work on the Personnel Committee, especially interviews for the Library Director position, the Reopening Committee,

which addressed public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing great support and many contributions to the Library Chairman and Board. These and other valuable contributions to the Garden City Public Library have greatly benefited the community.”

Library Director Marianne Malagon praised Dr. Nouryan’s support. “You have always been tremendously supportive, kind and generous, and have always reached out at the right moment. I really appreciate knowing you from the very first interview. Thank you.”

Village Trustee Bruce Torino, liaison to the Library, then presented Dr. Nouryan with a citation. “On behalf of the Village we would love to recognize your efforts for being here, your stoic work, support of the Library and saying to everybody let’s live together, let’s work together, let’s make it a better place. Thank you very much,” he said.

Trustee Colleen Foley presented Dr. Nouryan with citations from Nassau County Legislator John Giuffré, Assemblyman Ed Ra and Congressman Anthony D’Esposito. She received flowers from Trustee Linda Ryan, and homemade cookies were offered by Trustee Mary Maguire to share at the meeting.

outgoing Library Board Vice Chair, receives multiple citations recognizing her dedicated service on the Library Board of Trustees.

Village Trustee Bruce Torino presents Dr. Lola Nouryan with a Village citation recognizing her years of dedicated service on the Library Board of Trustees.

Dr. Lola Nouryan,

Library Director Marianne Malagon, Library Trustee Linda Ryan, outgoing Library Board Chairman Randy Colahan, honoree and outgoing Library Board

Vice Chair Dr. Lola Nouryan, Library Trustees Colleen Foley and Mary Maguire and Village Trustee and Library Liaison Bruce Torino.

It’s What’s Happening for Young Adults through the Library

Teens and tweens practiced their knitting and crocheting at the Garden City Library’s Yarn Group.

Help Decorate Our Tree for the Holidays!

Stop by the Tweens and Teens Room at the Garden City Public Library in December and help decorate our tree. We will have supplies to make ornaments available in the Tweens and Teens Room for tweens and teens in Grades 6–12. Participants can hang the ornament they decorate on our tree or take the ornament home with them. Ornaments will be available to make while supplies last. This program has been funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library.

New Program: Teen Creative Hour!

Hang out with friends and de-stress while eating snacks and enjoying creative activities during Teen Creative Hour on Thursday, December 26 at 4PM. This program is for teens to unwind, socialize, and be creative doing fun activities like:

• LEGO Building

• Writing

• Drawing

• Coloring

• Origami

• Knitting and Crocheting

• Bracelet Making

Snacks will be served and supplies will be provided, including LEGO bricks, paper, coloring sheets, colored pencils, markers, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, beads, and string.

Have an idea of other simple craft supplies to include in this new program? What you make we can display in the Tweens and Teens Room! This program is for Grades 6–12 and has been funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library. Register online at https://www.gardencitypl. org/calendar/.

Upcoming December Library Programs for Tweens and Teens

These programs are for tweens and teens in Grades 6–12 unless otherwise noted. Registration is required for these programs.

Teens who complete an online survey after specific programs can receive community service for participating. These programs have been funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library.

Registration is live online at https:// forms.gle/S3adeKE1JeuUTYj28 for the following programs:

• Friday, December 20, at 4 p.m.: Teen Gamers (Grades 6–12)

• Saturday, December 21, at 3 p.m.: Digitalis Digitarium: Portable Inflatable Planetarium with the Cradle of Aviation (Grades 6–12 )

Registration is live online at https:// forms.gle/LcyVPWaQpRGLW1wPA for the following programs:

• Thursday, December 26, at 4 p.m.: Teen Creative Hour (Grades

6–12)

• Tuesday, December 31, at 11 a.m.: Tweens and Teens Noon Year’s Eve Party (Grades 6–12)

Ongoing Take-Home Community Service Opportunities

Looking to volunteer? Check out some of our ongoing take-home community service opportunities for tweens and teens in Grades 6–12. Please check at the Library for more information on each of these opportunities; all volunteer projects should be submitted at the Library with a Volunteer Form, which can be found outside the Tweens and Teens Room.

• Ongoing: Kindness Cards for Community Service - No registration required. Up to 10 cards can be submitted per volunteer monthly.

• Beginning Monday, December 16, 2024 to Friday,

Love to write?

February 28, 2024: Winter Stories for Community Service.

Tweens and Teens Knit and Crochet at the Library’s Tweens and Teens Yarn Group! Tweens and teens practiced their knitting and crocheting during Tweens and Teens Yarn Group, which was held on Thursday, December 12, at the Library. Tweens and teens learn from their peers how to knit and crochet while using the Library’s yarn, knitting needles, and crochet hooks. This program is a joint program with the Children’s Department and Young Adult Department and is open to tweens and teens in Grades 4–12. Tweens and Teens Yarn Group is held monthly and will be held again in January. This program was funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library.

We’re looking for writers in our community to compose ar ticles on local topics, opinions, reviews, worthy places to visit on Long Island, and even pieces of fiction. We aim to feature at least one new article and writer each week in our Discovery magazine section.

Email submissions: editor@gcnews.com

•Attach article and any photos (1MB), along with your name and contact info.

•Articles must be between 1,500 - 3,000 words. • Each writer will be reimbursed a stipend of $25.⁰⁰

Teens are invited to create ornaments for the Garden City Public Library's Christmas Tree.

Library Board Special Meeting

News from the Children’s Room

Further updates will be posted when available on the Library’s website, www.gardencitypl.org.

There will be a Special Meeting of the Board of Library Trustees on Friday, December 20, at 10:00 a.m. in the Library’s large meeting room located on the lower level. The Board Meeting will include an Executive Session to discuss a matter of personnel pursuant to Section 105(1)(f) of the Open Meetings Law.

Garden City Public Library

holiday

hours

The Garden City Public Library will have modified hours in observance of Christmas and New Year’s as follows:

Tuesday, December 24 - Christmas Eve - 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 25 - Christmas - Library is closed all day. We will reopen on Thursday, December 26 - regular time.

Tuesday, December 31 - New Year’s Eve - 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 1 - New Year’s Day - Library is closed all day. We will reopen on Thursday, January 2 - regular time.

Inclusive Storytime for Grades 2–5 met December 2 with Girl Scouts for Gold Award.

Upcoming December Library Programs for Children

These programs are for children ages birth through Grade 5. Registration is required. Due to continuing technical issues with Eventkeeper, please visit https://www.gardencitypl.org/calendar to view our Event Calendar. Links are available on this webpage to our new temporary program registration forms as well as a printable calendar for December 2024.

These programs are for children ages birth through Grade 5. Registration is required. Space is limited, so check Eventkeeper (www.gardencitypl.org) for availability. Check our website for updates!

• Saturday, December 21, at 2:00 p.m.: Cradle of Aviation, Grades K–5

• Monday, January 6, at 4:00 p.m.: Inclusive Storytime

Elementary, Grades 2–5

• Wednesday, January 8, at 1:30 p.m.: Duplo Lego, Ages 2–5 (Not In Kindergarten).

• Saturday, January 11, at 10:00 a.m.: A Time For Kids Ages 2–5 (Not In Kindergarten)

• Tuesday, January 14, at 4:00 p.m.: Lego Club, Grades 2–5

• Saturday, January 25, at 12:00 p.m.: Tiny Song Birds Unattended Child Policy

It is Library policy that all children under age 11 must be accompanied by a parent or designated responsible person while in the Library. Also, if the young child is attending a Library program, we require the parent or designated responsible person to remain in the Library throughout the program and meet the child upon completion of the program.

On December 14, Preschool - Grades 5 enjoyed making polar bear cupcakes with the Baking Coach.This program was funded by the Friends of the Garden City Public Library.

The Welcoming Club of Garden City

little ones enjoyed parachute games.

Happy Holidays!

The Welcoming Club would like to extend our warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday and a happy new year! We hope the spirit of the holidays carries on through your 2025. We thank our members and the community for its continuous support!

Santa Breakfast!

Over the weekend, members and their families got to ring in the holiday season with a special breakfast with Santa! Families enjoyed a delicious breakfast, raffles, danced to the tunes of the DJ, and got to take pictures with the Big Man himself! Needless to say, the Welcoming Club and its members are surely on the Nice List. Thank you to everyone who attended this joyful event!

Upcoming Events

January Book Club

Ring in the new year with a new book! The Book Club will be reading “ Lady Tan’s Circle of Women ” by Lisa See. The mesmerizing tale of a woman who must risk everything to hunt down the dangerous man who shaped her past and threatens to steal her future: her father. An immersive historical novel inspired by the true story of a woman phy -

sician in 15th-century China. Tan Yunxian ’ s grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient. But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights. A captivating story of women helping each other, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a triumphant reimagining of the life of one person who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.

The Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, January 15, at 7:30 p.m. If you would like to join in this lively discussion, please RSVP to welcomingclubbookclub@gmail.com.

Follow Us!

Facebook: The Welcoming Club of Garden City

Instagram: @gcwelcomingclub

club enjoyed a special breakfast buffet with

Join A Group Book Club

Enjoy a good book amongst friends. The book club meets every 6 weeks to discuss the page-turner of choice. For upcoming book club events, please email WelcomingClubBookClub@ gmail.com.

Craft Club

The Craft Club is a great way to meet with friends and get crafty. No experience necessary. We meet every few months to create a seasonal craft. If you are interested in joining, please email GCCraftClub@ gmail.com.

Supper Club

Bring your significant others out for this one! This is a great way to make new friends as a couple. You will be paired up with 3-4 other couples to set up a rotation of dinner events. Host your new friends at home or head out to try local restaurants. Please email GCSupper@ gmail.com for more information.

Bunco

This simple dice game is usually

played in a group of 12. It is a great way to meet people and make new friends. The game is easy to learn and fun to play. If you are interested, please contact WelcomingClubBunco@ gmail.com.

Toddler Activities

A great way for you and your little ones to make new friends. Activities include stroller walks each week around our beautiful village and a visit to the park. We also set up playgroups with kids of similar age. Please email welcomingclubtoddleractivities@gmail.com for more information.

Come join the fun and make a difference! We invite you to join the club! For just $50 a year, you will have access to lots of great events and many fun members-only clubs and events. Complete the easy online membership form today at www.thegardencitywelcomingclub.org in the “Join” section of the website. While you are there, browse the site for lots of great information about the clu b.

The

Santa.

Dads watch as the kids dance.

The

Fire alarms

GCFD and GCPD responded to a Stewart Avenue fire alarm caused by burnt food and a separate alarm triggered by construction on December 15.

Unlicensed operation

On December 15th a Commercial Avenue motorist was charged with unlicensed operation and passing a red traffic light at Clinton Road.

Suspended license

On December 16, a Clinton Road motorist was charged with driving with a suspended license and registration.

Forged check

A forged and fraudulent check was cashed against a victim’s bank account, according to a report filed on December 16.

THE OFFICE CAT

Aggressive driver violations

A Boylston Street motorist was charged with multiple aggressive driver violations, including unsafe speed on December 16th.

Scam settlement check

On December 16, a company discovered they had mailed a settlement check to a scam address listed in an email.

Excessive speed

A Stewart Avenue motorist was charged with driving with a suspended license and excessive speed on December 16th.

False alarms

The GCFD and GCPD responded to a fire alarm activated by cleaning materials and a fire alarm activated in error on December 16th.

Misplaced vehicle

Officers determined that a reported stolen vehicle in Parking 12 was misplaced and later found nearby on December 16.

Multiple violations

On December 16th a New Hyde Park motorist was charged with driving with a suspended license, a suspended registration, and uninsured auto.

Tractor-trailer hit-and-run

On December 17, a tractor-trailer reportedly left the scene after striking a parked vehicle on Commercial Avenue.

Unsafe speed

A Stewart Avenue motorist was charged with driving with a suspended license and unsafe speed on December 17th.

Traffic light outages

Officers were assigned to manage traffic flow on Clinton Road on December 17 due to multiple traffic light outages.

Revoked license

A Clinton Road motorist was charged with driving with a revoked license, altered DMV documents, and tinted windows on December 17th.

False alarms

On December 17th the GCFD and GCPD responded to a fire alarm activated by hair spray and a fire alarm that was activated in error.

Leaving the scene

Officers arrested a motorist for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident that occurred on County Seat Drive on December 17th.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all those who serve our great Village, including our Village Administration and Village Employees, including Sanitation, Public Works, Library, Recreation, Police and our Fire Department volunteers. The Trustees and I share our gratitude. Above all, we wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season, as well as best wishes for the New Year.

Mary Carter Flanagan, Mayor

Bruce J. Chester, Deputy Mayor Judy Courtney, Trustee Edward T. Finneran, Trustee Michele Beach Harrington, Trustee Vincent Muldoon, Trustee Jessica Tai, Trustee Bruce A. Torino, Trustee

General Reminder

from the Building Department

The Garden City Building Department would like to remind residents who file for Building Permits to finalize their permits by scheduling a final inspection. Please call the Building Department at (516) 465-4046. Please note that building permits expire within one year from the date of issuance. If additional time is needed to finalize construction, you can apply for a sixmonth extension. The reinstatement fee is 15 percent of the original filing fee. As a reminder, in the event any permit covered by the provision of L 4-2017 expires without evidence of completion of the permitted work, al deposits and other fees shall be deemed forfeited and the permit holder may be declared in violation of § 68-3E of this Code. The per-

mit will be deemed expired and would require re-filing and payment of new filing fees.

Grove St. Tennis Court Reconstruction

The Grove Street Tennis Court Reconstruction Project is the last of the five neighborhood parks to be resurfaced. The tennis surface is cracked and there are also issues with drainage. There will be a brand-new asphalt tennis surface, properly graded to aid drainage. There will also be new nets and fencing, and the collapsed drainage pipe under the court will also be replaced. Stasi General Contracting, of Westbury, the low bidder, will perform the work.

Job Opportunities in the Village

The Village of Garden City is currently accepting candidates for several positions, including Chair of the Recreation and Parks Department, Assistant Superintendent of the Building Department, School Crossing Guard, Public Works Project Manager and Geographic Information Specialist. You can read the full job descriptions on our website via the Career Opportunities button [https://www.gardencityny. net/441/Career-Opportunities]. All interested candidates should email resumes to humanresources@ gardencityny.net.

November Police Activity

During the month of November, the Garden City Police Department responded to 2,106 service calls, including:

• 72 case investigations

• 16 arrests

• 142 medical calls

• 82 auto accidents

• 1,227 traffic tickets

• 1746 parking tickets

• 4 appearance tickets

• 10 vehicle impounds

Happening in Garden City

Sunday, December 22nd

1:00 p.m. Twas the Night Before Christmas live performance by the Sunrise Theatre Company in Cluett Hall. Make reservations by calling 516 465-4075.

Tuesday, December 31st

11:00 a.m. Noon Year’s Eve Party at the Library for Tweens and Teens. Must register.

12:00 p.m. New Year’s Eve celebration at Cluett Hall featuring entertainment by Jester Jim. Must register: 516-465-4075.

Sunday, January 5th

2:45 p.m. Family Fun time for Garden City families at the St. Paul’s Field House Tuesday, January 7th

7:00 p.m. Reiki with Kathleen Gunning at the Library. Must register. Wednesday, January 8th

12:00 p.m. Happy New Year catered luncheon at the Senior Center. Register at the front desk of the Senior Center. $15 a person; cash only please.

Friday, January 10th

11:00 a.m. Learn to speak Italian with retired GCHS teacher Lea Brunetti. Eight-week program. Must register.

Sunday, January 12th

2:00 p.m. Operatalks with Tanisha Mitchell. Lecture on La bohéme at the Library.

From page 29

From page 28

The

Board discusses delay for Cathedral Avenue ‘road diet’

From page 1

want to repair their road from curb-tocurb, we (the village) could change its striping, but that project would present a big expenditure,” Borroni said.

The traffic calming initiative originated from Central Property Owners’ Association (CPOA) discussions years ago. In 2015, attorney and resident Keith Hochheiser spearheaded efforts to address the situation. In 2017, resident Pat DiMattia highlighted the dangers of speeding and frequent accidents on Cathedral Avenue, urging action despite the need for County approval. In 2017, resident Pat DiMattia highlighted the dangers of speeding and frequent accidents on Cathedral Avenue, urging action despite the need for County approval.

Trustee Vinny Muldoon noted that Nassau County gave its okay for the road’s restriping, “to reduce its traffic to one lane going in each direction,” if and only if Garden City is footing the bill to resurface Cathedral.

“It appears they won’t allow us to do that because they feel without repaving and restriping the road, just to basically take the paint off the existing (lane) lines, it would not be clear enough on the road and could create a dangerous situation,” Muldoon said. Borroni then confirmed that the concern centers on creating “phantom lines” that are impossible to see if it’s dark at night or raining outside.

The DPW Superintendent shared, “When they grind the striping out it leaves a little depression in the road which will fill with water, and reflection from the street lights or ambient light at night time could make a driver think it is a reflection with the line that used

to be there, that would be removed. We’ve tried multiple times talking with County traffic staff and getting them to change their stance on it, but I don’t think they will budge.”

Trustee Muldoon compared the milling and repaving project needed for Cathedral in this instance to what just occurred on Clinton Road, “taking two inches off the road surface and putting in the new asphalt.”

If there were any issues that prompted a reversal of course on road diet changes for Cathedral Avenue, which would again involve its striping, according to Borroni the village would again need to complete more expensive milling and paving work.

Mayor Mary Carter Flanagan said the village worked with Creighton Manning LLP and Nassau County to take a custom approach in designing a Cathedral Avenue Road Diet.

The mayor asked, “Have we gone back to the engineers who completed the design to see if they have any sort of engineering solution to this? It seems to me that we’re this far down the road, and to have this kind of obstacle is unacceptable. I think that should be the first stop,” She brought up a conversation she had recently with Nassau County Legislator John J. Giuffre, and said he is proactive with traffic safety efforts.

“I’m not ready to give up on the Cathedral Avenue Road Diet over this and I find it a little puzzling that suddenly, after the joint effort that went on for years and it was all approved, then we were not allowed to do anything as it went on hold. I would like you (Borroni) to really press on this, seek a solution and if there is some money for it. Perhaps Legislator Giuffre can assist

us on this,” she said.

Trustee Ed Finneran, chairperson of the Garden City Traffic Commission, commented that the reason for the long delay was due to the design appearing in front of the village’s Nassau County governmental counterparts three and a half years after Cathedral Avenue was repaved. He said, “They told us, straight out, that we’re not allowed to do anything to a repaved County road until after at least five years. John and I went over to the Nassau County DPW, and we had a great audience with them including the acting commissioner, and their design folks. One of the first things they cited was that ‘this is not what they do.’ They told us, if the village wants to do it they are not forbidding us from doing it, however we need to repave the road at the cost of maybe $1 million or $1.15 million.”

Finneran said the village, from the Traffic Commission and Superintendent Borroni, have asked Nassau County DPW to reconsider their view, to no avail.

“It is quite obvious that they’re very, very firm. Creighton Manning knows this and it’s not as if they can come up with another engineering solution. Their view is if you grind out the old striping and put in the new striping, they believe it is dangerous under the circumstances Superintendent Borroni described. It would be nice to do battle with the county, and presumably Legislator Giuffre could help with audiences, but we will have to decide whether or not we want to repave and then restripe – that’s the issue,” Finneran commented.

Mayor Carter Flanagan added a clarification on the time period involved.

After Village Administrator Ralph Suozzi brought up a suggestion for a smaller project involving the stripes on Cathedral Avenue, she said the Board of Trustees and staff, including counsel, can review the matter another time.

“I say let’s keep at it. I heard a lot about the Cathedral Avenue Road Diet and I think it would significantly improve safety on what we all know is a very dangerous roadway,” the mayor commented. Trustee Muldoon said he agrees with the goal, and he was just hoping to bring it up on December 12, the final Board meeting of the year, for the Board to know “what the options are right now” with the expense of milling/ repaving and then restriping it with the village bearing the full cost, or again approaching Nassau County officials about the safety needs.

Another Public Works’ and village safety goal Trustee Muldoon asked about last Thursday was the intersection in front of the Garden City Senior Center.

Muldoon said the effervescent “warning” in the middle of the road makes a big difference, as he observed it before the Board’s meeting last Thursday.

“One other thing we talked about was adding the huge, red flashing STOP sign. When do we think it will be addressed?” he asked.

Superintendent Borroni spoke about his plans to follow up with vendors on the STOP sign. He also shared ideas to improve safety at the Golf Club Lane/ Eleventh Street intersection.

“We’re working on a design there to potentially include bump-outs, new curb ramps, a raised crosswalk, speed humps up the block, two new street lights and other initiatives,” he said.

Improvements to parks on village agenda

account for payments that come into the Rec. Department in the form of checks. We’ve also started to draft policies that will give us a much more formal approach to how cash payments are handled,” Hill shared. He plans to meet with Village Finance staff every few weeks to ensure policies can be finalized and in place “as soon as possible.”

One of the hot Recreation and Parks topics throughout the last two years has been the improvement of the conditions at the St. Paul’s athletic playing fields. Mr. Hill told the board about a December 11th conversation he had with Dr. Frank Rossi, who he called the “turfgrass program expert” from Cornell University.

According to Dr. Rossi’s bio on the Cornell College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS) website, Rossi is an associate professor and researcher with the School of Integrative Plant Science’s Horticulture section.

“Dr. Rossi gave me extensive advice on processes that we can implement to try to improve our surfaces, and he agreed to further help by taking on a thorough review of our current processes. I intend to work collaboratively with Dr. Rossie to put together a master plan to further manage the fields at St. Paul’s,” Hill said.

Deep cleanings for bathrooms at parks

Mr. Hill also explained the new process for the Recreation and Parks Department’s responsibilities in cleaning the bathroom facilities at neighborhood parks and playgrounds, which is a topic that Trustee Vinny Muldoon had highlighted in previous board meetings.

Hill reported to the board last week, “Our night maintenance crew performs a deep cleaning of each bathroom once a week. Once the contract for village cleaning services is executed, an industrial-level deep cleaning of each park bathroom will happen once a month. We will continue our deep cleanings weekly as well as our daily checks and cleans, and once the initial industrial deep cleaning has taken place we will inspect each of the bathrooms and replace any fixtures and fittings that need repairing or replacing.”

He added that the work will be taking

place over the winter months, so the detailed deep cleanings and any maintenance issues are all addressed before the spring season, when bathrooms are expected to be “busy again.”

Trustee Muldoon, the Board’s liaison to the Recreation Commission, said Hill “made his night” with the update on the bathroom cleaning program. He shared some comments on this focused effort.

“One of my pet peeves, just like powerwashing the streets of the Garden City business district, is cleaning the bathrooms. Let’s do all the simple things well – we should have clean bathrooms and spotless bathrooms in our parks for our little kids and for young moms and dads, and for the visitors. We have amazing parks here and we should have amazing, clean bathrooms. On this plan, I have been working with Andy and with Paul Blake, who I hope is enjoying retirement, and I can say Andy is doing a fantastic job – the bathroom initiative is a great peak duty to take on as we make sure our bathrooms are at a different level in regards to cleanliness and paying attention to detail. He’s a great communicator and has a great attitude. He definitely seems like he loves this village and wants to do a great job here. We appreciate all your hard work!” Muldoon said.

One other topic he asked Hill to speak about was the ‘skinning’ project to replace the material of the village’s tennis bubble at Community Park. Hill said the Rec. Department is expecting to receive a quote on the project “any day.” But the difficulty, he explains, is that only one company/vendor can do this work so they can’t be prompted much.

“We do keep following up and we’re pushing them to get the quote, for them to start work on replacing that skin,” Hill noted.

For Grove Street Park, the board approved the tennis courts reconstruction project November 21st. Hill reports that the $141,000 contract with Stasi General Contracting was in the process of being executed early this month. Hill advised that the contractor will be meeting with staff there, and putting together a timeline of when work would start and be completed by. Trustee Muldoon confirmed with Hill that the work planned for Grove includes combining both ten-

nis and pickleball courts.

“It’s going to be two tennis courts, and two pickleball courts put on either side of the tennis courts,” Hill said.

Two Recreation Department items appeared on the Board of Trustees’ December 12 agenda for approval.

First, an appropriation of $9,734 of the village’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the Recreation Materials and Supplies account, for the purchase of new pickleball nets for the village playgrounds. The proposal for using ARPA funds includes the purchase of six heavy-duty pickleball nets.

Of note, this was the final appropriation of ARPA funds that needed to be incurred by December 31, 2024. Two related transfers of funds moved $9,006.43 from the ‘Transfer Out’ fund to Recreation Materials and Supplies, and $727.97 was appropriated from ‘Transfer of Capital’ to Recreation Materials and Supplies.

Additional recreational use funding was confirmed as the Board approved purchasing more equipment for the village playgrounds, with authorization of the purchase from Connecticutbased vendor Jaypro Sports, through a Sourcewell contract (#050924-JAY). The total project cost as approved is $10,620; funds are available in the Recreation Materials and Supplies account to cover the balance – $885.60 – that is not covered by ARPA funds.

At its meeting last Thursday, the Board also approved attendance for two village Rec. and Parks employees – Arborist Joe Umana and Tree Pruner Christian Smith Maslauskas – at the New York State Arborist Annual Conference and Expo from January 25 through 27 in Monticello. The approximate cost for their attendance is $1,366. Funds are available in the ‘Travel and Training’ budget account.

As an ending note in the December update to the board, Assistant Superintendent Hill explained that Arborist Umana and the tree crew had been “working tirelessly to get new trees into the ground before winter.”

By the last count, the department’s tree crew had planted 83 new trees throughout Garden City’s East, West, Estates and Central sections and in the

St. Paul’s circle.

“There are a further 36 trees to be planted in the Mott section, which Joe informed me would be completed by the coming week (December 16 to 20). This will give us a total of 190 new trees planted in the village this fall,” Hill said.

Transfers for salaries, roadwork

In her Finance Department report covering agenda items last week, Treasurer Woo spoke about the transfer of $61,000 for the Water Department to cover a new position for a water/sewer servicer, and eliminate a position for a water/sewer pumping supervisor.

Garden City Water and Sewer Department Superintendent Stanley Carey answered a question from Deputy Mayor Bruce Chester about this staffing change. He inquired if the village would be saving money with the change, and Woo noted the new position includes a lower salary than the previous (supervisor) role.

Carey explained, “Recently we had an employee retire from the supervisor position and we’re not looking to fill that position (at the same pay level). We are in a tough predicament with Civil Service and in order to promote somebody they need to get qualified experience; we can’t put the employee in that same title so the title would be the servicer position. It actually is less money with the transfer of funds to get the person trained.”

The transfer of $61,000 from the Regular Salary – Source of Supply, Power and Pumping account into the Regular Salary – Water Purification account was soon approved by the Board, along with three other transfers of funds at the December 12 meeting.

Funds were needed to cover additional street repair work on Oxford Boulevard, so $36,821.98 was allocated to the Paving Repairs account from Village Curb and Sidewalks.

Another $2,500 was moved to the Stability -- Storm Sewers account from Stability -- Street Maintenance to cover a longevity payment for an employee who filled an open position in the village’s Storm Sewers Department.

The Board also approved a transfer of $697.29 to the Public Works’ Yard Fire Alarm System account, from the Retaining Wall account to cover work performed at the Yard by Intelli-Tec.

The

Friday, December 20, 2024

From page 2

Cantwell had accused these Trustees of corruption—an accusation he never made. Even if he had, no government official, least of all Harrington, should attempt to chill a resident’s free speech, even if the speech is highly critical or offensive. Mr. Cantwell simply outlined his reasons for questioning the Trustees’ votes based upon publicly available information. Rather than simply ignore or answer the critical resident, after an obligatory but hollow nod to the First Amendment, several POA Trustees publicly castigated him for even daring to exercise it.

FABGC also posted on the Web a related political cartoon—a form of political expression that has existed in this country for centuries. Yet, to Trustee Harrington, the cartoon was a “mocking, scandalous” piece of conduct “with no place in the civil discourse that should characterize our Village politics.” If our Village were in East Germany or Iran, I might be inclined to agree, but here, in America, political cartoons are a long-standing and cherished form of free speech that captures complicated messaging succinctly and often humorously.

It’s particularly hypocritical that Trustee Harrington would condemn the cartoon, given her own past. In July 2023, for instance, she did not hesitate to weigh in from the BOT dais on a baseless and inflammatory insinuation made by a resident, questioning whether an unelected FABGC member had stolen a Bible from St. Paul’s (not kidding). Trustee Harrington also did not, as far as I know, demand the takedown of the myriad political cartoons depicting FABGC as a web of spiders nefariously controlling Garden City or FABGC Trustees as monkeys during the 2023 Village election. It seems that for some, free speech only works one way.

POA Trustee Muldoon dismissed the FABGC-issued cartoon as beneath the “quality and caliber of our Village,” whatever that means. He also stated that the cartoon crossed a line by mentioning Trustee Harrington’s employer. But this too seems off, considering: (1) the issue Cantwell raised involved the employer’s alleged relationship with the Sands and (2) Mr. Muldoon has not questioned the likely role one of his fellow 2023 POA candidates played in sending a letter, on Village letterhead, directly to Mayor Flanagan’s employer, questioning her fitness for office before a contested election.

Mr. Muldoon next took issue with Mr. Cantwell’s ability to serve on various Village committees because of Cantwell’s questioning Muldoon’s public vote on a matter of grave importance to the Village, even though Cantwell has served the Village selflessly, thoughtfully, and without compensation for many

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

years. Mr. Muldoon also asked someone to seek removal of the political cartoon from social media, repeatedly calling the messaging “garbage.” This was all reminiscent of the days when the POAs held an iron grip on committee memberships as well as revelations during our last presidential election of government/social media collusion to chill free speech. Mr. Muldoon even implored residents to stop writing critical articles (presumably only the ones critical of him), claiming there’s “no place for it in Village politics.”

Several speakers lamented the supposedly new politicized tone that has emerged since FABGC. This is nonsense. Anyone familiar with the history of Village politics knows that the POA’s one-party rule was often far more vicious and divisive than anything that has emerged since FABGC. In fact, Trustee Harrington herself once spoke passionately about that very issue at FABGC’s 2020 inaugural meeting held at the Garden City Casino.

Does all this sound ridiculous and childish? Perhaps. But it’s also the unfortunate but necessary hallmark of a political system with accountability, where no one party or group of people controls governance or can stifle public speech. Unaccountable, one-party POA rule is precisely what we had in Garden City for decades before FABGC, and it is something we must never return to.

As Mayor Flanagan wisely put it, we should aspire to move beyond the two-party system that’s emerged since 2021 in favor of promoting independent candidates like the well-respected Trustee Finneran. As a resident and founding member of FABGC, I call on Trustee Muldoon and his fellow POA Trustees to join me in advocating for the immediate end of the POA trustee nomination system, and for the dissolution of FABGC, which for the moment has become more a watchdog than anything else. Let’s join to take down the temperature and promote truly independent runs for office by qualified candidates without the added messiness of official group politics. We can call it the new “Community Agreement” for the new century between folks who I believe all have this great Village’s interests at heart, even if we occasionally stumble in how we express it. Will you join me in ending all this garbage, Trustee Muldoon?

Richard F. Corrao, FABGC

Candidate for Mayor

To the Editor:

Hey folks…Ed Finneran here wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Best in the New Year. I’d like to announce that I’ll be running for Mayor in the March 2025 Village wide election and will be seeking the endorsement of the POAs and a

spot leading the Community Agreement Party ticket. I’m a 37 year resident of GC and have raised four boys in town with my wife Mary, GCHS Class of 1975. After law school, I practiced for 12 years, including early on as an Assistant D.A. in Bronx County. In the early 1990’s I left the practice and worked in the financial services industry for the next 25 years. Like many moms and dads, I first became involved in town by coaching my boys during their formative years. From there and over the past 20yrs or so, I’ve been active in Village affairs, including as a member of the CPOAserving on its Board and eventually as President in 2020. I also had a senior leadership role for CAP in the 2021 and 2022 elections and then ran for Trustee in 2023 and was lucky to be elected.

Having served on the BOT over the past 20+ months I am confident that I‘ve gained the experience necessary to serve as an effective Mayor. Most importantly, I’m a common sense guy, a listener, a consensus builder and a delegator who values teamwork, looks to share credit for successes and own up when I’m on the short side. On the broad range of issues we’ve faced since the spring of 2023, including very active opposition to potential casino development at the Coliseum, traffic, St. Paul’s, open green and park space, clean water, 7th St. beautification, the Toll House rebuild, etc., I, along with my partners on the Board, have always put YOUR interests first. I will continue to do so as Mayor and will work tirelessly over the next three months to earn your vote. Thank you.

Ed Finneran

Conflict of interest, “corruption” and fake outrage

To the Editor:

To: Trustee Harrington, A “conflict of interest” is “a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial or otherwise, and serving one interest could involve working against another. Typically, this relates to situations in which the personal interest of an individual or organization might adversely affect a duty owed to make decisions for the benefit of a third party.

An “interest” is a commitment, obligation, duty or goal associated with a particular social role or practice.” Clearly, Trustee Harrington, your voting on whether to file a lawsuit against Sands Casino that has announced a program with your employer can fit that description. It also does not mean, or imply, you have necessarily done anything wrong.

A conflict can be as simple as the President of the United States going to the Army-Navy Football game. He is clearly conflicted on who he might root for. Both the Army and Navy report to him up thru the chain of command. So

he sits on the Army side of the field the first half, and the Navy side of the field the second half. Other conflicts are a bit more complicated, which is why all public officials should go the extra mile to avoid both the APPEARANCE and any actual conflicts themselves. Transparency is key. Cosmo Veneziale publicly pledged not to do any architectural work in the Village while he was Mayor. Trustee Chester publicly pledged not to do any commercial insurance work in the Village while he was a Trustee.

Trustee Harrington, you, could have avoided any issues had you acted properly. You work for an organization that has publicly announced a “partnership that includes a hospitality program that would create new career opportunities for students at LIU”. You, at LIU, are the “Executive Director- Alumni and Employer Engagement Long Island University.” Sands Casino is looking to hire LIU graduates should their plans come to fruition. Your role at LIU is stated as “Employer engagement”. The issue was whether you could vote to sue the Sands Casino without any negative repercussions from your employer. This developed thru no fault of your own. However, this in no way implies “Corruption”, nor did John Cantwell, despite your statement to the contrary, accuse you of that, or even insinuate such. It was irresponsible for you to claim he did. Conflicts of interest do not mean anyone is doing anything wrong, just that they need to tread with more care and transparency.

Any trustee that wanted to act responsibly in such a situation would have done one of two things: 1) simply stated to the residents that “I do not believe I have a conflict, but for the ‘sake of appearances’, I will recuse myself.” Simple. Issue resolved. You choose not to. You choose not to on one of the most important issues facing this village. Every resident is entitled to know that the 8 trustees on a critical vote for our Village have no conflict. If you vote to sue the Sands Casino, a large entity that has signed and announced a program with your employer, will there be absolutely no negative results from your employer? That is the test. It is your responsibility as Trustee to assure the residents of that.

Mayor Trouvé did this when the Village was involved with legal issues with her in-law. The conflict did not make her corrupt in the least. These are natural functions of everyday governance. Other Trustees, also including Mayor Trouvé, recused themselves from issues with the GC Casino where they were, or had been, members. There was never even the slightest mention of “corruption”. Mayor Trouvé had a routine conflict of interest, pure and simple. And she acted responsibly and recused herself. Or, Trustee Harrington you

See page 43

could have : 2) simply gone to the Ethics Committee, present the issue, and let them pass judgment that you have no conflict of interest, or they might recommend you recuse yourself. Fairly straightforward, routine, no drama, and carries no undo inference of anyone doing anything wrong.

You, Trustee Harrington, choose to do neither. Then when questioned by a resident, you blamed the resident. (Despite Trustee Torino’s letter that

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Email: Editor@GCNews.com

Cantwell could have gone to the Ethics Board directly, there is no mechanism for a village resident to bring Conflicts of Interest to the Ethics Board. Is Trustee Torino ever right on anything?) In fact, the Mayor and the other Trustees have been derelict in not submitting this to the Ethics Board themselves. The fact that Trustee Muldoon and Chester stated you have no conflict of interest is irrelevant. Trustee Chester should know better. It is not for the BOT to self-certify that there is no conflict of

interests. That is why we have an Ethics Board. Your asking of Village Counsel to state you have no conflict of interest at a public meeting was highly irregular and inappropriate. Village Counsel is employed by the BOT. He is your employee and to ask him publicly to state that there is no conflict of interest is entirely unprofessional. The Mayor should have stopped you cold. Village Counsel should know better.

Trustee Harrington, if you had acted responsibly and professionally, there

would have been no issue. There would have been no letter. There would have been no cartoon. You would not have had to spend time printing a 3 ft by 3 ft blow up of the cartoon to dramatically wave from the BOT dais. You choose not to. Hopefully, you will choose a path of greater transparency next time and you and Trustee Muldoon will not have to waste 16 minutes of a public meeting attacking a resident by name that has served this village for years.

Donald MacLeod

Stratford School students embrace Thanksgiving spirit

This Thanksgiving season, Stratford School students demonstrated the spirit of gratitude through a series of creative and meaningful activities. From crafting festive coffee sleeves to performing Thanksgiving songs and organizing a schoolwide food drive, students across all grades came together to celebrate and give thanks.

Fourth graders at Stratford teamed up with The French Workshop to share

the Thanksgiving spirit by decorating coffee sleeves to be shared with customers. Students drew festive designs, words of gratitude, and what they are most grateful for on the sleeves, which are available at The French Workshop for the week of Thanksgiving.

The festivities continued with a second grade Thanksgiving-themed performance on Nov. 21 featuring songs such as “Pumpkin Pie Polka” and the “The

Tango.” Students took turns between songs to read poems and words of gratitude expressing what they were most thankful for. The assembly also featured students reciting stories of the pilgrims and first Thanksgiving.

Stratford held a schoolwide food drive led by fifth graders who donated, collected and organized the nonperishable food items, all of which were deliv-

ered to local veterans in need. The food drive not only provided support for the community but also taught students the importance of generosity and helping others.

Stratford students’ actions to brighten the holiday for others, from customers at The French Workshop to local veterans in need, embodied the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Stratford School students participated in the second grade Thanksgiving assembly.

Turkey

Stratford School fourth graders decorated coffee cups for The French Workshop. Stratford School fifth graders packaged food from the food drive.

NASSAU

COUNTY LEGAL NOTICE

VILLAGE OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on December 12, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Garden City, in the County of Nassau, New York, adopted a bond resolution entitled:

“Bond Resolution of the Village of Garden City, New York, adopted December 12, 2024, authorizing the issuance of bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $5,100,000 to finance the construction of improvements to various intersections in the Village, stating the estimated maximum cost thereof is $5,100,000 and appropriating said amount for such purpose,” an abstract of such bond resolution, concisely stating the purpose and effect thereof, being as follows:

FIRST: AUTHORIZING the Village of Garden City, New York to issue bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $5,100,000 pursuant to the Local Finance Law of the State of New York, to finance the construction of improvements to various intersections in the Village, including the reconstruction of approximately 250 curb ramps within 46 intersections to comply with ADA standards including drainage improvements, signage relocation, as needed, new crosswalks and stop bars and other ancillary or related work in connection therewith;

SECOND: STATING that the estimated maximum cost thereof, including preliminary costs and costs incidental thereto and the financing thereof, is $5,100,000; appropriating said amount for such purpose; and STATING that the plan of financing includes the issuance of bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $5,100,000 to finance said appropriation, and the levy and collection of taxes on all the taxable real property in the Village to pay the principal of said bonds and the interest thereon as the same shall become due and payable; and STATING that it is expected that grant funds shall be received and any such grant funds to be received by the Village and any other funds available for such purpose are authorized to be applied toward the cost of said project or redemption of the Village’s bonds or notes issued therefor, or to be budgeted as an offset to the taxes to be collected for the payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds or notes;

THIRD: DETERMINING and STATING the period of probable usefulness applicable to the purpose for which said bonds are authorized to be issued is ten (10) years; the proceeds of said bonds and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation thereof may be applied to reimburse the Village for expenditures made after the effective date of this bond resolution for the purpose for which said bonds are authorized; and the proposed maturity of said bonds will exceed five (5) years;

FOURTH: DETERMINING that said bonds and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds and the renewals of said bond anticipation notes shall be general obligations of the Village; and PLEDGING to their payment the faith and credit of the Village;

FIFTH: DELEGATING to the Village Treasurer the powers and duties as to the issuance of said bonds, and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds, or the renewals thereof;

SIXTH: STATING the conditions under which the validity of the bonds and any notes issued in anticipation thereof may be contested: and

SEVENTH: DETERMINING that the bond resolution is subject to a permissive referendum.

DATED: December 12, 2024 Kelly Galanek, Village Clerk

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NASSAU COUNTY BIDS

RECEIVED BY AND DELIVERED TO:

PURCHASING DIVISION

Inc. Village of Garden City 351 Stewart Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, UNTIL 11:00 AM EST THURS, JANUARY 16, 2025 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud, for furnishing the following: STREETLIGHTING MAINTENANCE & IMPROVEMENTS Specifications, Form of Bid, and other information may be obtained from the office of the Purchasing Division at the above address or you may download the bid specifications from the New York State Contract Reporter website at the following web address: https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/ contracts.cfm This bid specification will be listed under the Agency Name of:

Inc. Village of Garden City Catherine Reynolds Purchasing Agent Dated:12/20/24

UPK Lottery Coming Soon: What You Need to Know

From page 1

in the program.

Additional information will be posted on the district website and communicated directly to families.

OT/PT Staffing Updates

The district has carefully reviewed its occupational therapy (OT) needs and is collaborating with HR, the Garden City Teachers Association (GCTA), and legal counsel to finalize plans for hiring a district-employed occupational therapist.

District administrators said they are currently fully staffed and scheduling makeup services throughout the year at mutually agreed times to minimize disruption to student learning.

“All compensatory services are being provided through the end of the year, and we encour-

age families to reach out with any concerns regarding OT or PT,” reassured Gnecco. Disabilities Awareness Month

Throughout December, the district recognized Disabilities Awareness Month through activities across school buildings, including small group and full classroom lessons, therapy dog visits, and a SEPTA bowling fundraiser.

Articulation meetings also kicked off this month, primarily for students who are transitioning between buildings in the next year.

And in partnership with the Garden City Library, the district is developing inclusive programming for learners of all abilities.

The next meeting, a work session, will take place on Tuesday, January 14 beginning at 8:15 PM at the high school.

Give the Gift of Travel Experience

BY KAREN RUBIN TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM

Travel is inevitably a journey of discovery, of self-fulfillment, of personal enhancement and change. It is about doing, engagement, forging relationships, and yes, lifelong memories.

Enhance your traveler’s upcoming trip by prearranging a dining experience; a spa visit; admission to a museum, attraction or cultural event; a cooking, baking or jewelry making class; a hot-air balloon ride; rockclimbing adventure; walking tour; bike rental. And what trip doesn’t require some special gear? (If you time it right, you might also be able to benefit from holiday savings.)

You can pre-purchase a citysightseeing pass that provides admissions to the most popular attractions and experiences in cities like Prague (PragueCoolPass.com); Paris (parispass.com); Amsterdam ( iamamsterdam.com ); Berlin (citypasses.eu); Dresden (getyourguide. com). The added advantage is that the passes help organize the itinerary, provide info on hours, exhibits, save the time of waiting on line and the anxiety of being shut out and even save money over purchasing admissions individually.

Go City sells passes in 25 destinations from major metropolises like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Singapore, London and New York to oceanfront oases like Sydney and Oahu – 1,500 attractions, tours, and activities worldwide, saving money over purchasing individual tickets, connected on your smart phone (GoCity.com, 800 887 9103).

CityPass (https://www.citypass. com/) has pass programs in numerous

The ParisPass saves time and anxiety in visiting high-demand attractions like the “Mona Lisa” at Le Louvre © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

US cities and Toronto.

Arrange for your travelers to drive an exotic car, learn to fly, rock climb, skydive, bungee jump, take a hot-air balloon ride. Virgin Experience lists some 5000 different experiences in 122 regions from 600 “best in class” partners that their gift card can be applied to:

Go to Food & Wine Gifts, Adventures Experiences and other listings. Easy return, no expiration, free exchange (https://www.virginexperiencegifts. com/action-and-adventure, https:// www.virginexperiencegifts.com/ https://www.virginexperiencegifts. com/attractions

Gift certificates from Broadway. com can be redeemed for tickets to any Broadway or Off-Broadway show currently playing in New York City ( https://www.broadway.com/giftcertificates/).

You can also purchase “showstopping holiday gift” theater tickets at discounts at todaytix.com.

Or for that Broadway theater

fan, pre-purchase admission to The Museum of Broadway (145 West 45th St. 212-239-6200, or 800-447-7400, www. themuseumofbroadway.com)

Context Travel offers personal walking tours with experts in 60 cities across 6 continents. Skip the line and off-hours access to popular sites in the world’s cultural and historical capitals. Its gift cards can be used for all its travel experiences, including audio guides, walking tours, pre-trip talks, day trips, and shore excursions. Gift cards are redeemable for hundreds of tours and experiences in any city, can be e-delivered immediately or at a future date and can be personalized with your message https://www. contexttravel.com/gift-cards/new Spafinder.com, a compendium of resorts, wellness centers and day spas, makes it easy to purchase giftcards. At this writing, Spafinder was offering 10% off orders of $100+ and free shipping. Get $30% off purchases of $150+. (Promo code Flash30). https://

myspafinder.spagiftcards.com/ category/eGift-Cards

Theme parks can be a very, very pricey vacation for families. Gift cards can put the vacation in reach or enhance the experience.

Disney’s gift cards can be purchased in denominations of $25 to $500 and used for “practically” all things Disney – theme park tickets, resort stays, merchandise, dining and experiences at Disney destinations. Redeemable at shopDisney.com, Disney Store locations in the U.S., participating locations at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, Disneyland® Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line®, and Adventures by Disney®. https://www.disneygiftcard.com/.

Also consider gifting some of the really special experiences, like Zookeeper for a Day at Busch Gardens (www.buschgardens.com), or sleepover “Night in the Museum” experiences at places like National Air and Space Museum, International Spy Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Cincinnati Museum Center, California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, or family memberships.

For the skier/snowboarder, consider purchasing lift tickets, lessons, rentals, perhaps even a multiday, regional or local pass (EpicPass. com, IKONPass.com, snow.com, ski. com). Get Ski Tickets is an online marketplace to purchase date-specific discounted lift tickets, lessons, rentals, group lift tickets and season passes ( https://www.getskitickets.com/ , 970-233-7040, info@getskitickets.com) and gift certificates (https://www. getskitickets.com/gift-certificates/).

And cruises may advertise as being “all-inclusive” but shore excursions are costly add-ons. Pre-purchase a

Continued on next page

Give the Gift of Travel Experience

Continued from previous page

shore excursion from Shore Excursions Group which offers 4,000 tours in 300+ ports worldwide, with something for every kind of cruiser, from first-timers to seasoned globetrotters, at 40 percent less than purchasing from the cruiseline.

Fantasy Camp!

There are any number of fantasy camps to satisfy, well, every fantasy. If you can fantasize it, there is likely a fantasy camp to realize it.

Want to play baseball like a major leaguer? There are baseball fantasy camps with teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Atlanta Braves (mlb.com). For basketball: 76ers Fantasy Camp is the inaugural NBA fantasy camp, www.76ersfantasycamps. com).

Join players from the gold medal winning 1980 USA Hockey Team for this annual Miracle On Ice Fantasy Camp, in magnificent Lake Placid, NY – host city of the historic 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Skate and compete in the 1980 Rink – Herb Brooks Arena where USA conquered the Russians and shocked the sports and political world (actual Miracle on Ice players usually participate!). (https://lakeplacidolympiccenter.com/ todo/miracle-on-ice-fantasy-camp/)

Space Camp, an educational camp on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, provides residential and educational programs for children as well as adults on themes such as space exploration, aviation and robotics. There are camps for every age group, even adults! (www. rocketcenter.com/SpaceCamp, camps@ rocketcenter.com, 800-637-7223).

Also: Broadway theater (Broadway Fantasy Camp, broadwayfancamp. com), Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, an interactive musical event that takes place in various locations worldwide involving various Rock Stars on various dates (rockcamp.com; gift cards available, https://gift-cards.rockcampevents.com/)

For many, being able to participate in important science research is also a fantasy. Earthwatch Expeditions makes it possible to support important research into global challenges from climate change to human-wildlife coexistence to sustainability, while engaging local communities. It offers more than 40 field research expeditions around the world, with opportunities for teens and adults; no prior experience needed (Earthwatch. org, info@earthwatch.org).

Also Ecology Project International (https://www.ecologyproject.org/travelprograms); GVIUSA (https://www. gviusa.com/blog/how-to-join-researchexpeditions-around-the-world/)

Getting There or Coming Here

You can purchase gift cards on many airlines: the Delta Gift Card is redeemable for any Delta Air Lines

A gift of some special gear or apparel will add to the enjoyment to an upcoming hiking, camping, biking, outdoors and adventure trip © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

flight worldwide and for any Delta Vacations package that includes airfare, no expiration date (https://www.delta. com/us/en/gift-cards/overview). Also Southwest Airlines (no expiration date, fully transferrable, usable for passenger travel, https://www.southwest.com/ gift-card/); American Airlines (https:// giftcards.aa.com/), United Airlines, British Airways, Air France, KLM, SAS.

Prefer riding the rails to boarding flights? Amtrak gift cards are available in an amount up to $500 with no fees and never expire. Have it emailed or sent through the mail. Redeem for travel online, in the app, by phone or in staffed stations. (May not be used for onboard purchases) https://www.amtrak.com/ giftcards

Memberships Have Benefits

Gifting family memberships in a favorite museum, zoo, aquarium, preserve, historic site or attraction gives a sense of “ownership” and encourages multiple or multi-day visits as well as giving access to benefits – from special access to events and openings, discounts and promotions, magazines: American Museum of Natural History (members enjoy free admission, special access and previews of new exhibitions, and discounts on purchases with member ID (get $20 off membership with code MEM22); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chicago Museum of Art, any and every important museum, hall of fame, attraction, zoo such as the Wildlife Conservation Society which operates the Bronx Zoo and Brooklyn Aquarium among others (www.wcs.org).

Smithsonian Institution, not only has an excellent store and catalog of excellent expeditionary trips (Smithsonianstore.com), but I treasure the Smithsonian Magazine, which also provides membership benefits, access to gifts; subscribe to the magazine and get gift subscriptions to share with someone else, smithsonianmag.com). Similarly, National Geographic inspires to pursue

your own expedition and also has links to great expeditionary gear; there is also a National Geo Kids edition, to sow the seeds for lifelong adventure. (https:// ngmdomsubs.nationalgeographic.com/

Also check out the memberships and gift possibilities at: Sierra Club (produces an excellent catalog of trips, sierraclub. org); Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (also check out the trail shop for gear like jerseys, trail guides and such, railstotrails. org), Parks & Trails NY (which hosts the annual Cycle the Erie 8-day, 400-mile camping/biking trip, ptny.org); Audubon Society ; Nature Conservancy , National Wildlife Federation (nwf. org); World Wildlife Federation (wwf. org) and Kennedy Space Center (www. kennedyspacecenter.com).

You can also gift membership in a favorite wine club. For example, a gift membership in Dry Creek Vineyard, in the charming Sonoma, California town of Healdsburg, provides insider access to limited-production wines, customizable shipments, VIP invitations to membersonly events, Complimentary annual tour for member and guests, complimentary tasting for up to 6 guest, and 20–25% savings on wine and 20% savings on merchandise (707-433-1000 ext. 123, email wineclub@drycreekvineyard.com, drycreekvineyard.com)

Another way to transport a travel experience is to arrange for wine from a winery or destination that the recipient visited or yearns to visit. Besides Dry Creek, we have also really enjoyed the winery and the wine experience at Imagery Estate (imagerywinery.com), and Gundlach Bundschu Winery (gunbun.com) in Sonoma, which also make it easy to gift their wine.

Travel Gear

Travelers also appreciate the gear, special clothing, photo equipment that a trip (expedition, voyage, journey) entails, but may feel guilty about purchasing or simply tapped out- like sunglasses, hiking poles (one of my favorite things!); hiking/ skiing socks; safari hat; packing cubes;

day pack; chargers; rain poncho. As they say: there is no bad weather, only bad clothes.

Our favorite go-to outfitters (especially when you catch holiday deals, sales and closeouts): REI (top trending gifts, gifts by activity or price, www.rei.com/s/giftsfor-travelers; sale items https://www. rei.com/c/travel-gear/f/scd-deals, 800426-4840); LL Bean, 888-610-2326, llbean. com; Sun & Ski, sunandski.com, 866786-3869 (gift cards available); Eastern Mountain Sports, 888-463-6367, ems. com; Tennis Express (gift guide online, TennisExpress.com), Bass Pro Shops, www.basspro.com; Patagonia (Patagonia.com); Paragon Sports (paragonsports.com). And of course, luggage - one great site Luggageonline. com

What trip doesn’t involve photos! Go beyond the cell phone! B&H Photo consistently has best inventory, prices and holiday specials, efficient delivery, excellent customer service, delivery and return policies – think about memory cards, a point-and-shoot camera for hiking/biking; a mirrorless that packs easily but gives great quality; a long lens for that safari; a waterproof camera for that snorkeling/scuba diving trip (www.bhphotovideo.com), 800.606.6969, 212.444.6615).

Great stocking stuffers so appreciated by travelers are socks for hiking, running, endurance, skiing, biking, hunting, work and lifestyle: Bombas (get 20% off, https://bombas.com/) and Darn Tough (www.darntough.com).

A subscription to a travel magazine like Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler (holiday sale, digital for $10, print for $20 plus tote, https://www.cntraveler. com/v2/offers/cnt313, cntraveler.com), National Geographic Traveler and National Geographic are a great gift to inspire and inform; there is also a National Geo Kids edition. (https:// ngmdomsubs.nationalgeographic.com/

Crossword Answers

BY CLAIRE LYNCH

Preparing for that infamous “Tax Time”

Those who are in the business know that tax time is quickly approaching. It isn’t tomorrow or next week but April 15th will arrive before we know it. I’m keenly aware of tax time and tax deadlines because not only did my father work for 40+ years as an accountant but I spent four years in high school and college working for a Certified Public Accountant in my home town of Rockville Centre. It was part-time when school was in session and fulltime when school was closed.

The CPA came to Career Day at St. Agnes Cathedral High School in my junior year to tell us students all about majoring in business and working as an accountant, and he held my attention. He spoke about working at a large NYC accounting firm then starting his own small business as a CPA not far from his home on Long Island. The subject matter and small businesses were fascinating to me.

Because I commented and inquisitively asked several questions, the next day he phoned my high school, spoke with the school secretary and offered me a job in his firm. I accepted knowing that real experience would be as helpful as book learning.

At college in Connecticut I was an accounting major for one year then I switched to English. My accounting classes and experiences at the CPA company were good experiences and many of the things I learned were very helpful - both then and now.

Sure things have changed since I went to college in the 1970s but the basic tenants of accounting remain the same. Deadlines are deadlines and meeting them is a lot easier than having to pay late fees. Collect your tax documents and get your tax papers in order. Arrange them the way your tax preparer wants to see them - it will save a lot of scrambling down the pike.

Computers have come a long way and E-Filing aka “electronic filing” has made life a lot easier for tax preparers and the Internal Revenue Service. It’s fast, expeditious and accurate - as long as you sign your return before submitting it.

I’ve depended on my tax preparer to explain the IRS terminology because it can be confusing. I’ve also relied on the tax preparer’s years of experience

for guidance on which forms, schedules and attachments are needed. Meeting the deadlines is uppermost in my mind. Oh, and those rules, I need to read them all line by line and make a note of whatever applies in my particular case. Being cautious always applies because any tax exemptions or deductions have to be allowable. There is no bending of the rules.

Years ago I learned that being able to understand the IRS guidelines is good - and keeping up with seemingly ever-changing rules is just as important. And when I think I’ve got it down pat the IRS makes changes and it’s important to keep up.

I think back to my days working at the CPA office in Rockville Centre. Interestingly, my CPA’s wife helped him set up the office then I became his first secretary. Over time his office staff grew and I became a junior bookkeeper.

Mr. CPA hired another accountant, a young man who had just finished college plus an assistant accountant, a woman who was still getting her college degree in accounting. The secretary was a full-time employee who greeted customers and kept track of the employees. The CPA often visited business clients who were out of state. He would check their books and prepare the tax returns and tax documents they needed.

Not only did the standard forms have to be prepared and filed but often there were quarterly payments to be made.

During the summer months and whenever we had free moments those of us working for Mr. CPA would celebrate birthdays and other milestones together. We had a conference room so that worked great for our little parties. We’d order pizza for everyone or stop at the delicatessen on North Park Avenue to pick up the best sandwiches and desserts.

On Saturdays I remember being handed the keys to Mr. CPA’s car and driving to a local car wash to have his car done. Fortunately he asked me ahead of time if I could drive a manual transmission car and the good news was that my answer was Yes, I can drive a stick shift. He had some tax returns to prepare but sure, I could do that errand. No problem there.

The first time I started the engine and drove out of the parking lot I felt

Mr. CPA’s eyes on me. Several windows from our building faced that way and he had a clear line of sight for making sure that I was driving smoothly since I’d assured him that I was comfortable driving a stick shift.

I’d get out in the fresh air, put on my sunglasses, roll down the windows and feel the wind in my hair as I tooled around for a while. It was a beautiful day in July and to me, Long Island never looked so good. While steering and shifting I would have to remind myself that this was one smooth car but that Audi wasn’t mine so I’d better be careful.

In time Mr. CPA hired other CPAs to

join his firm and eventually he retired. He left a legacy for that particular CPA firm and I knew that Mr. CPA would golf even more than he had beforeweather permitting, of course. Bowling was his second-favorite sport so that worked out great when he needed an indoor type of place. One thing I’d learned early on was that Mr. CPA worked hard and played hard.

Technology sure has come a long way since I first started studying accounting. E-Filing is convenient and you can do it or have your tax preparer E-File for you so I say why not make the most of it? Why not make friends with technology?

BY TOM MARGENAU

My columns are usually focused on one theme or topic. But every once in a while, I like to just dig into my email inbox and pull out random questions. Here are six for today.

Q: I was married to my ex for 23 years. Of course, I worked all of those years. But I also worked and paid into Social Security for about 10 years before we were married. Since we divorced five years ago, I have continued to work and pay Social Security taxes. I expect my ex-wife to claim benefits on my record. Will that benefit be based on just the 23 years we were married? Or will it be based on my entire earnings history?

A: IF your ex will be due any benefits on your record, they will be based on your entire earnings history. But you’ll notice that’s a big IF. She wouldn’t get anything on your account if she has remarried or if she has worked and her own benefit is higher than the smaller spousal rate she’d be due from you.

Q: Since I was 65, I have been on Medicare and have been paying my Part B premiums quarterly based on bills I get from Social Security. But I will be turning 67 soon and plan to apply for my Social Security then. From that point on, my Part B premium will be deducted from my Social Security checks. I am wondering what to do in this transition period. Should I pay my next quarterly bill? Or should I just let the premiums come out of my checks?

A: Millions of people each year go through what you will be going through. There is always some overlap in this transition period, but after a few months, it all gets reconciled. To be safe, it would be best if you just pay the premiums you are billed for. If they also deduct premiums from your Social Security check for the same month (or months), they will reimburse you. But as I said, it always takes a couple months to work out and for you to get reimbursed.

Q: When my father died several years ago, my mother got the $255 one-time death benefit (in addition to ongoing monthly widow’s benefits). However, when my mom recently died, we inquired about the $255 death payment and were told we were not due anything. Can you explain why not?

A: The law says that the miserly onetime death benefit can only be paid to a spouse (or to minor children). Assuming you and your siblings are grownups and assuming your mom hadn’t remarried after your father died, then there was no husband eligible for the $255 payment.

Q: I will be turning 62 in June 2025 and plan to file for Social Security at that point. I will be working full time until the end of May and will proba-

6 Questions and 6 Answers

bly make about $40,000 until then. But after that, my earnings will be nil. I heard there is a $22,000 earnings limit. I assume that begins in June, after I go on Social Security. Can you clarify this for me?

A: You don’t have it quite right. First of all, the earnings limit will be $23,400 in 2025. And second, that limit applies to the whole year, not just to the months after you apply for Social Security. But there is a special “first year of retirement rule” that, in a nutshell, says that even if your earnings exceed the annual limit, you can get a Social Security check for any month you’re not working.

Those rules are way too complicated to explain in this column. So I suggest you go to Amazon or other booksellers and spend 15 bucks and get my little Social Security guidebook called “Social Security: Simple and Smart.” One of the chapters in the book explains the earnings penalty rules and the special rules for the first year of retirement. It will answer all your questions.

Q: For a variety of reasons, I am planning to take my Social Security when I turn 62 next year. My wife, who has been a homemaker all of the 50 years we have been married, is older than me. She is 67. When I file for benefits, will she get half of my age 62 benefit? Even though I’m younger, I expect to die before she does. So what will her widow’s benefits be?

A: When you retire, even though you will get a reduced retirement benefit, your wife’s spousal benefit will be 50% of your full retirement age rate. That’s the good news. The bad news is that part of the reduction you took by filing for early benefits will carry over to her eventual widow’s benefits. Assuming you do file at age 62, you will be getting an amount equal to 70% of your full retirement age benefit rate. But a widow is guaranteed at least 82.5% of your FRA benefit. In other words, when you die, she’ll get your benefit rate with an extra 12.5% added on.

Q: Will the money stolen from Social Security ever be repaid?

A: It’s an urban myth that money has been stolen from Social Security’s trust funds. Every nickel ever collected in Social Security taxes has been invested in U.S. treasury notes. And those notes have always been redeemed to pay Social Security benefits while earning the prevailing rates of interest. But explaining the financing of Social Security is WAY more than I can do in today’s column. Once again, I suggest you check out “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.”

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 oth-

er 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

Are pests invading your home this winter?

I don’t know about you, but for many those pesky little critters, some calling them cave or the properly named camel crickets, causing a stir and fear for the last umpteen years. Generally congregagating mostly in dark moist areas of your home. They are not dangerous, but do leave a bit of their tiny feces behind wherever they travel. The greatest concentrations can be found mainly in basements. However, I have seen them in my home hopping and jumping about in my bathroom and kitchen, like an Olympic athelete, lol. Too bad they weren’t human as they would easily win a bunch of gold medals if they were entered into the high jump events in the Olympics, lol.

Utilizing a proper dehumidifier will help control their breed to some degree. But what I have determined to be most effective in controlling their populations has been sticky traps. They are safe and simple to use. You can purchase them online. Just Google “sticky traps” and buy the large ones that appear to catch the most; and also great if you have a roach, mouse or even a rat issue. This is the time of the year that rodents have been seeking out a warmer environment, like going to Florida, lol; and trying to head indoors through the smallest cracks and holes on the outside of your home. You may have spiders but suprisingly enough, I noticed they will feed on those crickets on the sticky traps, so don’t kill spiders,

although you may feel a bit creepy having them around, they are beneficial to other unwanted insects.

BY CHARLYN FARGO

If you’re young and live in the U.S., there’s a way to live longer: Simply eat healthier.

Sounds so simple.

A new study, published in PLOS Medicine, found that young adults in the U.S. could increase their life expectancy by more than a decade if they include more legumes, whole grains and nuts in their diet, and include less red and processed meat.

Lead researcher, Lars Fadnes, M.D., and a professor in the department of global public health and primary care at the University of Bergen in Norway, found women, starting at age 20, could increase their life expectancy by 10.7 years and men, starting at age 20, by 13 years, if they switched from a typical diet to the optimized diet that included the legumes, whole grains and nuts and less red and processed meat. If men and women waited until they were 80, they could still increase life expectancy by 3.4 years. Adopting the healthier diet at age 60 would increase life

BY PHILIP A. RAICES

You should buy a few cans of foam sealant, or white or clear calking depending on the color of the exterior of your property. On a 50 degree day go out and seal up any holes, crevices, or cracks that might allow an entrance into your walls where they will live and thrive throughout the winter months. I would not suggest using any pesticides (unless done by a professional) in the inside of your home. It is too cold to try to treat them on the outside of your home’s foundation.

Another method, if you can be quick enough to catch them is to vaccuum them up, but I have found them to be way too quick jumping around like a windup hopping toy. Once you get proficient like me, you can periodically, if you are quick enough, you may be able to smash them with a rolled up newspaper or fly swatter

I am not sure for how long these insects will continue to be evident, but they are more an annoyance than a dangerous insect. I have been seeing a consistent improvement in reducing their populations over the last few years as those sticky traps

have been the most effective tool. However, once a year I bomb my basement only if I see an infestation. Prior to leaving my home I open all the windows. To be very candid, I had previously been a licensed and insured pesticide applicator through the NYS DEC and handled those types of chemicals to control insects in my former business for over 25 years, I was extremely familiar with the procedure and process in using the materials.

When selling your home, the last thing you need is to have those crickets hopping and jumping around while your clients are viewing your home. This might be a deterent for some purchasers, as people are generally afraid and worry about those type of issues.

Some homeowners will go with sticky traps the natural way, others will prefer a treatment. However, I do not suggest that you do this yourself. Hire a licensed and insured exterminator with the years of experience in the applying the proper materials in the correct amount for control. Also, ask if there is a guarantee that is provided with their service.

If you need any suggestions, referrals or advice, feel free to call 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 or email: Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.com

expectancy by an estimated 8 years for women and 8.8 years for men.

I find that amazing (and I preach and teach healthy eating all the time). But I’m still taken aback sometimes at what a difference choosing healthy foods can make.

Researchers used a model to estimate the impact that sustained dietary changes may have on life expectancy using meta-analyses and data from the 2019 Global Burden of Diseases study. Legumes, whole grains and nuts (and eating less red or processed meat) gave the biggest gains in life expectancy over fruits and vegetables because researchers said many people were eating fruits and vegetables already and reaping benefits.

The bottom line? You can’t go wrong with adding more legumes, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables to your daily diet.

Q and A

Q: What are the benefits of plantbased eating?

A: First of all, think of this as plant-forward eating rather than the absence of meat in your diet. Instead of thinking of

meat as the star of a meal plan, think of it as an accent, or supporting role. Make small adjustments in modest amounts -- substituting beans for beef or chicken.

Much research has been done on diets that are (SET ITAL) predominantly (END ITAL) plant based, especially the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet and the MIND diet. Plant based eating patterns have shown improved health outcomes, including lower levels of obesity, reduced risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure. Also, plant-based meals can be lower in fat and offer fewer overall calories. They

also typically have more fiber, potassium and vitamin C, which are all beneficial to heart health and digestion.

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. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD.

No-Cost Ways to Drift Off to Sleep That Don’t Involve Sheep

BY MARY HUNT

Ah, sleep -- that elusive friend we all need but sometimes can’t seem to find. I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent plenty of nights staring at the ceiling, wondering why my brain insists on replaying every awkward thing I’ve ever done instead of letting me snooze. The good news? You don’t need fancy gadgets, pricey pillows or lavender-scented contraptions to get some shut-eye. Let’s chat about some simple, no-cost tricks to help you catch those ZZZs without breaking the bank -- or your patience.

SET A SLEEP SCHEDULE

Your body loves a routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day -- even on weekends. I know, I know. Saturdays are sacred. But hear me out: When your body knows what to expect, it starts shutting down naturally. Think of it like training a toddler to nap -- minus the tantrums.

DITCH THE SCREENS

Raise your hand if you’ve ever fallen down the rabbit hole of cute videos at 11 p.m. (Guilty.) Blue light from screens messes with your brain’s melatonin production, making it harder to feel sleepy. Swap the phone for a book or -- brace yourself -- nothing at all. Staring into the dark can actually help your mind wind down.

EMBRACE THE POWER OF A WIND-DOWN ROUTINE

Start 30 minutes before you want to sleep. Turn off the TV, dim the lights and do something relaxing: Stretch, meditate or sit quietly with your thoughts. A cup

BY JEFF RUGG

Sticking with last week’s theme of books that are good for gardeners, here are a few more.

A lot of people are moving to the Southwest from Northern states. Gardening is different down there, to say the least. I visited family in Arizona this year, so I bought “Dry Climate Gardening” by Noelle Johnson. It is a great read and reference for anyone in an arid climate. As she says, “With careful plant selection and thoughtful design, you can cre-

of herbal tea wouldn’t hurt, but we’re keeping it no-cost, so maybe just sip some water and pretend it’s chamomile.

BREATHE LIKE YOU MEAN IT

Deep breathing is like giving your nervous system a hug. Try the 4-7-8 method: inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale for eight. Repeat until you either feel calmer or get bored. Either way, you’re closer to sleep. Bonus: This one’s portable. Use it anytime, anywhere.

BAN THE BEDROOM CHAOS

Your bedroom should feel like a spa, not a storage unit. Clear the clutter, make your bed inviting and keep it cool and dark. If your windows let in streetlight brighter than Times Square, grab an old T-shirt or towel and MacGyver a blackout curtain. Fancy? No. Effective? Absolutely.

CHANNEL YOUR INNER GOLDILOCKS

Let’s talk temperature. The sweet spot for sleep is around 60-67 F. Too hot? Toss off the blankets. Too cold? Grab an extra layer. Your goal is to feel just right -- and if you’re married, this might involve stealth blanket-stealing tactics. (I’m not saying I’ve done this, but I’ve heard stories.)

PUT YOUR BRAIN TO WORK -- IN A GOOD WAY

Ever try not to think about something and suddenly it’s all you can focus on?

Use this to your advantage. Try a mental game, like listing all the vegetables you can think of or counting backward from 300 in threes. The goal isn’t to finish; it’s to bore your brain into submission. Be-

fore you know it, you’ll be dreaming of carrots and kale.

TALK BACK TO RACING THOUGHTS

If your brain insists on replaying your middle school talent show disaster at bedtime, try this: Acknowledge the thought, thank it for its time, and tell it you’ll deal with it tomorrow. Sounds silly, but it works. Giving yourself permission to let go can stop the mental hamster wheel in its tracks.

TRY PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION

This one’s like a workout but without the sweating. Start at your toes and slowly tense, then relax, each muscle group as you work your way up. It’s oddly satisfying -- and by the time you get to your shoulders, you might be too relaxed to even finish.

LISTEN TO THE QUIET

Silence is golden, but if it’s too loud (funny how that works), try a DIY white noise hack. A fan works wonders, or you can hum softly to yourself. And no, this doesn’t make you weird; it makes you resourceful. Plus, it’s better than lying awake listening to the neighbor’s dog bark at ghosts.

A BONUS TRICK: GET UP IF YOU’RE STUCK

Sometimes, trying harder to sleep is like trying to unsee that weird thing you saw at the grocery store -- it just doesn’t work. If you’re tossing and turning for more than 20 minutes, get up and do something calming. Try journaling, stretching or folding laundry.

A GREENER VIEW

Gardening Books Galore

ate a low-water landscape that’s an oasis for humans and wildlife alike. There are hundreds of plants well-suited to xeric conditions, and with the proper care, they create a living desert landscape that will stop passersby in their tracks.”

I bought my copy of her book at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, which is a great place to see what many of the plants in the book look like.

Headed to Florida this winter or next?

You will want to pick up “The Garden Tourist’s Florida: A Guide to 80 Tropical

Gardens in the Sunshine State.” There are a lot of public gardens in Florida. This book by Jana Milbocker will help you find the ones closest to your destination and which ones have the types of plants you want to see.

Speaking of botanical gardens, you should look for them anywhere you take a vacation. Vacations can get to be hectic, and a garden walk is a good way to enjoy nature and slow down your pace. If you are a member of your local botanical garden, you may very well get free admission to botanical gardens all over the country. An easy way to get this benefit is to be a member of the American Horticultural Society. For one low price, over 380 botanical gardens across the country will let you in for free or at a reduced price. For more information, go to ahsgardening.org.

OK, back to books. When you are out walking in the woods and you come across a plant with some flowers or ber-

The best part about these sleep strategies? They cost nothing but a little effort. You don’t need fancy apps, weighted blankets or sleep consultants charging more than your rent. Sleep is natural -it’s just a matter of coaxing your brain and body back into their rhythm. So tonight, skip the sheep and try a few of these tips. Sweet dreams ! 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.”

ries that look enticing, you may want to nibble on them. In that case, “How to Forage for Wild Foods Without Dying,” by Ellen Zachos, is for you. This book has great color photos and plant descriptions. It also covers potentially dangerous lookalike plants. The majority of the plants in the book are found in all regions of the country. The book is field guide-sized with a water-resistant cover for outdoor adventures. Signed copies are available from her website at backyardforager.com or on Amazon. Her website is a must-read for anyone wanting to find edible plants in the wild.

I almost forgot: My book “Greener View Gardening” is available on Amazon. If you or someone you know loves plants but thinks they have a black thumb, this book will help turn it green.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@ greenerview.com.

BY DENNIS MAMMANA

Week of December 22-28, 2024

If you’d like to see all the planets of our solar system, this is a good week to do so.

Step outside at dusk and you’ll notice the most obvious of planets in the southwestern sky. I’m referring, of course, to the dazzling planet Venus. It’s a world about the size of Earth but shrouded entirely in light-reflecting clouds.

Midway up in the south-southwestern sky just after dark this week lies the planet Saturn. Nowhere near as bright as Venus -- in fact, right now it’s 145 times fainter -- its stunning rings make a good subject to view through a small telescope.

Now turn and gaze low toward the northeastern sky and you’ll spot Jupiter. Though it may appear to rival Venus in brightness, it’s actually four times fainter! Only when these two planets appear close together in the sky -- as they will at dawn next August -- can we see just how much brighter Venus is.

If you wait a few hours after sunset, you’ll be able to spot the Red Planet Mars rising in the northeast. Mars will reach its closest to Earth in mid-January and will then rise around sunset.

Two additional planets lie in our evening sky now: Uranus and Neptune. Unfortunately, these are too faint to see with the unaided eye, but with a small

STARGAZERS

Mercury and the Moon at Dawn

telescope, a good finder chart and some patience, you could certainly see them as well.

So that takes care of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. But where’s Mercury? I’m glad you asked!

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and, as such, moves fairly quickly around its orbit. Only for a week or so every couple of months does it reach far enough from the sun’s glare to be visible during either dawn or dusk.

If you’d like to see this elusive planet right now, you’ll need to rise before the sun, because that’s exactly what Mercury is doing this week. Look for it very low in the southeastern sky 30-45 minutes before sunrise. Even though Mercury is pretty bright right now, its light must pass through so much turbulent air near the horizon that it sometimes can be a challenge to spot without binoculars.

Fortunately, the moon will be along to help. On the morning of Dec. 27, the waning crescent moon will appear above and to the right of Mercury, and by the following morning it will lie just to the right of the planet. The moon will be pretty thin and faint, so you may need binoculars to find these two in the brightening glow of dawn.

Don’t be confused by the reddish-orange star shining immediately to the left of the moon on the 28th; that’s the

distant star Antares. Mercury will lie more to the left and will appear noticeably brighter.

But let’s not forget the most important planet of all: our Earth! As we on this tiny blue world complete yet another journey around our life-giving star, I want to wish each of my readers a

wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and safe new year. I hope your stars shine ever more brightly in 2025!

LOST IN SUBURBIA

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

BY TRACY BECKERMAN

“Is it still spitting out there?” I asked my husband as he walked in the door. It was dark and gray outside and was forecast to rain all day, but I couldn’t tell if it was actually raining at that moment or not.

He shook out his umbrella and dropped it on the floor.

“I don’t like the word ‘spitting,’” he said.

I thought for a moment.

“How about misting?” I asked. “Nope.”

“Sprinkling?”

“Not so much.”

“Hydrating the ground lightly?” I said, pondering other alternatives.

“Why don’t you just say ‘rain’?” he complained.

“Well, the word ‘rain’ doesn’t really

describe the intensity,” I explained. “Is it pouring? Is it coming down in sheets, sideways, torrentially, like a monsoon? Or is it merely spritzing, lightly brushing your face like a slight morning mist? You need to be more specific. Is it a deluge or a drizzle? A spray or a steady stream? A drencher or a drip?”

He shook his head. I suspected he thought I was a lunatic. But without the proper words, how could I really know the state of such things? I was a writer, of course, so what did he expect? That I would just call rain “rain”? That would be like saying the dog smelled “bad.”

One generic word just can’t even begin to cover the infinite range of possibilities.

Typically, the amount of rain we’re having is actually linked to how bad the dog smells. If it’s pouring, the dog gets soaked, releasing the full potency of his

royal smelliness. If it’s just spritzing, I can usually get away with just toweling him off and spraying him with Febreze.

But that was not the issue today. The issue today was that I needed to know the intensity of the rain so I could put on the proper rain gear. Did I need a raincoat or just an umbrella? Could I wear sneakers or did I have to put on my rain boots? More importantly, was it raining hard enough that all the worms were going to come out of the ground and cover the sidewalks so I’d have to dance around them, which is easier in my sneakers than my rain boots?

“Why does this matter?” he asked.

“I need to figure out all my options,” I said. “Don’t you think Noah needed to know if it was just going to sprinkle or if it was really going to pour before he started building his ark?”

“Are you building an ark?” he said.

“No, I need to go pick up something to make for dinner.”

“And how long will you be in the rain?”

“Five minutes.”

He sighed. “If you’re only going to be in the rain for five minutes, why do you care how hard it’s precipitating?”

“I just want to make sure I’m prepared for the worst-case scenario.”

“You mean, like a typhoon?” he said.

“EXACTLY!” I shouted.

“I have a better idea,” he said. “Order in.”

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.

This week, Mercury will be visible for a short time before sunrise.

ONE CALL TO 516-294-8900 AND YOUR AD WILL APPEAR IN 6 LOCAL NEWSPAPERS. CALL TODAY FOR OUR VERY LOW RATES. www.gcnews.com

Garden City News • Mid Island Times Bethpage Newsgram • Syosset Advance Jericho News Journal • Floral Park Villager

DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS IS TUESDAY AT 1:00PM.

2 EASY WAYS TO PLACE ADS:

1) Directly on website: gcnews.com & click on “Classified Order”

2) Email Nancy@gcnews.com

Please include your name, daytime phone number, address and ad copy.

Visa and MasterCard Accepted

EMPLOYMENT

HELP WANTED

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

3+ DAYS PER WEEK

For local GC small business, transactional etc. law firm seeks happy admin 3+ days per week (flexible).

STRONG TECHNOLOGY SKILLS REQUIRED: Microsoft Suite, Excel, Docu-sign, Adobe, Copier skills.

Immediate Start: $18-$23/hr Email Resume with letter of interest to:

GC.ASSIST.9@GMAIL.COM

FLORAL PARK CPA FIRM seeks part time CPA for tax preparation and review services. Hours flexible. Competitive hourly wage based on experience. Send resume to: Gerry@grotecpa.com

LEGAL SECRETARY

Garden City attorney seeks legal secretary to work full time or part time. Excellent typing skills necesary; accounting background a plus. Reply to: LTJonesAtty@cs.com OR 516-747-1141

SITUATION WANTED

EXPERIENCED IN-HOME

SENIOR CAREGIVER

AVAILABLE

Camelle has provided exceptional care for my mother for the past eight months. During this time, she offered loving and attentive support as my mom battled Alzhiemer’s and required round-the-clock assistance in her Garden City home. With my mom’s recent passing, Camelle is now available to care for others in need. She has been a true blessing, and I highly recommend her for anyone seeking compassionate and dedicated caregiving. For inquiries, please contact Lauren: 631-836-0200

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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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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.)

MARKETPLACE

A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP

516-746-8900

Antiques-FurnitureJewelry-Silver-MirrorsLamps-Artwork

Come to Consign & Stay to Shop Visit.... Our Shop 109 Eleventh St. Garden City Mon-Fri 10-4 (Wed till 6) Saturday 12-4

Shop Our Online Store ATStewartExchange.org Items to Consign?

Email photos (with sizing info) to: store@atstewartexchange.org All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society

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MARKETPLACE

INVITED SALES BY TRACY JORDAN

Transform your space, maximize your value: Are you looking to add value to your property and enhance its appeal? Look no further!

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ATTORNEY

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PAINTING & PAPERHANGING

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TUTORING

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Love to write?

We’re looking for writers in our community to compose articles on local topics, opinions, reviews, worthy places to visit on Long Island, and even pieces of fiction. We aim to feature at least one new article and writer each week in our Discovery magazine section.

Email submissions: editor@gcnews.com

• Attach article and any photos (1MB), along with your name and contact info.

• Articles must be between 1,500 – 3,000 words.

• Each writer will be reimbursed a stipend of $25.⁰⁰

Take hot chocolate to the next level

Hot Chocolate Float

People tend to think of sipping ice cream floats in the middle of summer when temperatures are soaring. Ice cream floating in a bubbling base of cola or root beer can be a welcome treat on a hot day. However, floats can be just as delicious when the weather chills, particularly when ice cream enhances rich and decadent hot chocolate.

For this “Hot Chocolate Float” from “Chocolate: Over 100 Temptingly-Tasty Dishes” (Love Food) by the Love Food editors, coconut- and chocolate-flavored scoops of ice cream bob and melt in creamy hot chocolate. Feel free to use your favorite flavors of ice cream to make this recipe your own, and you can even make this drink a boozy version with the inclusion of a shot of flavored vodka.

Serves 4

2 cups milk

8 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

8 scoops coconut ice cream

8 scoops semisweet chocolate ice cream

Whipped cream, to decorate

1) Pour the milk into a saucepan. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the saucepan with the sugar. Stir over low heat until the chocolate has melted, the sugar has

dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

2) Put 1 scoop of coconut ice cream into each of 4 heatproof glasses, top with a

scoop of chocolate ice cream, then repeat the layers.

3) Pour the chocolate flavored milk into the glasses, top with whipped cream, and serve immediately.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS...

Each week,

Litmor Publications publishes the ads of providers in our Classifieds, Professional Guide and Service Directory. A 6-week agreement brings your specialty or service to the attention of the community in a public service format.

LET US BEGIN LISTING YOU IN OUR NEXT ISSUE.

For More Information and Rates, Call Nancy 516.294.8900

Email: Nancy@gcnews.com

Include name, daytime phone number, address and email.

Deadline for Professional Guide or Service Directory is Monday, 12 Noon. Deadline for Classified is Tuesday, 1pm

Advertising in the Professional Guide is only open to N.Y.S. Licensed Professionals.

Share your accomplishments with our readership! Put your engagement, wedding, baby announcement, or more in our paper. It's free of charge for subscribers! Email editor@gcnews.com

Adult Evening Programs at the Field House

The Recreation Adult Programs in the Field House begin on Wednesday, October 16 according to the following schedule:

Mondays - Mens’ Basketball - 7:30–10 p.m.

Wednesdays - Mens’ Basketball - 7:30–10 p.m.

Thursdays - Adult Volleyball - 7:30 –10 p.m.

These programs are open to residents of the Inc. Village of Garden City who have graduated high school OR adults who can show proof of graduating Garden City high school (diploma, student ID card). A picture ID is required to sign in to any program. For further information, please contact the Recreation Office at 465-4075.

A fee schedule will be place for any resident adult interested in participating in Adult Activities in St. Paul’s Fieldhouse. The fee schedule is as follows:

10 Play Pass – good for any Fieldhouse sport for 10 visits, $50

5 Play Pass – good for any Fieldhouse sport for 5 visits, $25

A participant may also “pay as you go” but payment will only be accepted by check or credit card only, NO CASH ACCEPTED. “Pay as you go” prices will be $6. Passes may be purchased at the fieldhouse when arriving for your sport.

Please note - A resident participant may bring in 1 non- resident guest. This rule will be strictly enforced. These guest must arrive and leave with the resident. There are no passes for nonresidents. The daily fee for the non-resident guest is $8.

To purchase one of the passes, please fill out the attached application and mail to or visit the Recreation Office at 108 Rockaway Ave. You will also be able to purchase a pass from our St. Paul’s staff. All payments must be made by either a check made payable to the “Inc. Village of Garden City” or credit card only, no cash will be accepted.

St. Paul’s Fieldhouse Adult Pickleball Program

Pickleball began again in St. Paul’s Fieldhouse on Tuesday, September 17. This program is open to Garden City residents only, Tuesdays through Fridays, 9:30 to noon.

Each session will consist of open play with everyone attending round robining in to play. If you attend the first session you must pay again to stay for the second session. There will be no reserving of courts for individual play. A monitor will be available for any person wishing to learn the game. The fee schedule to attend is as follows:

10 Play Pass – good for any Fieldhouse sport for 10 visits, $50

5 Play Pass – good for any Fieldhouse

sport for 5 visits, $25

A participant may also “pay as you go”. “Pay as you go” prices will be $6. To purchase one of the passes, please visit the Recreation Office at 108 Rockaway Ave. You will also be able to purchase a pass from our St. Paul’s staff at the time of attendance. Check or credit card payment is preferred.

Programs with Pioneer Sports!

Pioneer’s “Super Sports Program” is a 3-day multi-sports camp held on Monday, Thursday and Friday during the winter break (12/23–1/3). To attend the program for all 6 days, the cost is $315. You may also register for individual days which costs $60 per day. The program will take place at the St. Paul’s Fieldhouse from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. To register please visit https://pioneersports. leagueapps.com/camps/

Join Pioneer Sports for fun filled multi-sport camps at the St. Paul’s Fieldhouse on January 20 and January 29. This program is open to children in grades K–5 and will take place from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Cost of the program is $60 per child per day. To register, visit Https://pioneersports.leagueapps.com/ events/

Indoor Track Hours at Cluett Hall

Mondays: 1 p.m.–8 p.m. Tuesdays: 9 a.m.–12 p.m. and 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

Wednesdays: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.; 1 p.m.–

4 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Thursdays: 9 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m.–8 p.m.

Fridays: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.; 2 p.m.–4 p.m. and 5 p.m.–8 p.m.

Saturdays: 1 p.m.–5 p.m.

*Walk at your own risk

**Hours are subject to change*

Winter Job Opportunity

We are looking for anyone 16 years or older to hire for our programs. We have an after-school program that would involve playing organized games with children, led by one of the Recreational Leaders. The program runs December 3 –February 13, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursdays from 3:30–6 p.m., you can do one or all the days. In the summer, we also have a summer program that runs at the 5 parks in The Village of Garden City. We have arts and crafts and sports all day. If either of those sound like something you may be interested, please contact sceballos@gardencityny.net, or come into the Cottages at 108 Rockaway Avenue for an interest form.

Chess Wizards for the Winter Season

Garden City Recreation and Parks has again partnered with the very popular “Chess Wizards” to offer after school programs for Garden City children ages 5 through 12 who want to learn the game of chess!

Chess Wizards is a fun way to have

kids experience the excitement of chess. Kids will play in mini tournaments, have interactive lessons with chess pros and play cool chess variants like bug house. It is proven that chess enhances cognitive development in children, improves both verbal and mathematical skills, and increases all levels of academic performance! Playing chess stimulates the mind and helps children strengthen skills such as focusing, visualizing goals, abstract thinking, and forming concrete opinions.

Instructors (who are called “Wizards”) provide all the materials necessary for your child to participate in the class and no additional purchase is required to attend. All students will receive a trophy, puzzle folder and wizard’s t-shirt. Come join the fun!!!

Classes will be on Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. beginning 1/21 and ending 3/18. The cost of this 9-week session is $241. Classes will be held in St. Paul’s Cottages.

To register for this program please visit the Chess Wizards website at www. chesswizards.com.

Multisport Winter Break Program at St. Paul's

Despite the beautiful weather we have had this fall, GC Recreation is starting to plan for the winter! Pioneer Sports will be running a multisport winter break program at St. Paul's Fieldhouse for those interested. To register, visit https://pioneersports.leagueapps.com/events/

*Please wear appropriate shoe wear to the program. *

Stay Up to Date On All Things Recreation!

Follow our new Instagram and Facebook “GardenCityRecreation” for all Recreation content! Any questions regarding programs or facilities can be directed to our new Recreation email, GCRec@gardencityny.net .

Winter Swim Lessons at Adelphi University

Registration ongoing

Youth swim lessons for Village residents will be held at the Adelphi Pool on Saturday mornings beginning December 7. The program runs for 9

GARDEN CITY RECREATION AND PARK NEWS

weeks.

Fee for this program is $150 per child. Registration begins Friday, November 22.

• You may register online if you have an account with Recreation Dept.

• If registering by mail please include a check with the registration form

• If registering in person you may pay by check or credit card.

• Checks are to be made payable to: Inc. Village of Garden City

Please note: Your child must be six years of age by the start of the program to participate

For more information or a registration form go to: www.gardencityrecreation.org

Dates of Classes: Dec 7, 14, 21; Jan 4, 18, 25; Feb 1, 8, 15; Make-up date March 1

Winter After School Program is Back!

Garden City Recreation and Parks is excited to announce our annual after school program for grades K-6! Kindergarten and 1st grade will be held on Tuesdays, 2nd and 3rd will be held on Wednesdays, and 4th–6th grades will be held on Thursdays beginning the week of December 3. The cost is $100 for the 9-week session. Space is limited and fills up very quick! Registration is accepted online, if you have an account or at the Recreation Office at 108 Rockaway Ave.

Coming Events for the Holiday Season:

“Twas the Night Before Christmas" –Family Show

Sunday, December 22, at 1 p.m. in Cluett Hall

Live performance by the Sunrise Theatre Company

New Year’s Eve Celebration for Kids! – * Family Show!

Tuesday, December 31, at 12 noon in Cluett Hall

Featuring entertainment by Jester Jim!

* Please make reservations to attend family shows by calling the Recreation Office at 516 465-4075. Registration began on Wednesday, December 11. Family events are free of charge.

Letters to Santa

It’s time to send letters to Santa and

the Recreation Department will speed up the process! A special “Santa’s Mailbox” will be set up in the waiting area of the Recreation Department’s Administrative Offices at 108 Rockaway Avenue beginning December 2. Children can drop their letters in the mailbox and Santa will send them a personalized reply. Santa’s mailbox will be available through December 20.

Christmas Candy Contest

In addition to sending their letters to Santa, kids can take a chance at guessing the number of candy pieces in the jar next to Santa’s Mailbox and the child whose guess is closest to the actual number will win the jar, candy and all! As with Santa’s mailbox, the candy contest will be available from December 9 to December 20.

Family Fun Times on Sundays

On Sunday afternoons beginning January 5, St. Paul’s Field House will be open for “Family Fun” for Village of Garden City families. This open time provides the opportunity for families to enjoy various gym activities in an indoor environment. The gym will be available for use from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m. each Sunday until March 9.

This time is designated for family time only. No organized practices or workouts will be allowed. Although there will be staff to monitor activity, this is not a drop off program. We ask that all elementary and middle school aged children must be accompanied by an adult/guardian. For the safety of our users, sports involving paddle, stick, or bat equipment will not be allowed.

Registration for the Winter Session of the Ultimate Workout

Registration begins Monday, December 9.

Tennis Ultimate Workout

12 sessions – 1. 5-hour classes ** FEE: $350.

(A fun way to drill for the experienced tennis player)

Please note: Ultimate Workout is geared to the intermediate and advanced level player

Meeting Dates: Saturdays: January 11, 18, 25; February 1, 8, 15; March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; April 5

No Class on Feb 22

Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon

No online registration accepted.

Please sign up in person or mail a check with below form, to the Recreation Office at 108 Rockaway Avenue.

Registration is on a first come - first served basis. Space is limited.

Garden City Recreation Children’s Tennis Lessons, Winter 2024–25

The Garden City Department of Recreation and Parks is pleased to announce the start of the WINTER children’s tennis program. Registration is ongoing and classes begin on Monday, January 13. All classes are held at the Community Park indoor tennis center and are available to Garden City residents’ ages 4 through 16 years old.

How to register:

• In person at the Recreation Office (108 Rockaway Ave). The recreation office is open M – F from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can download a registration form at our website: gardencityrecreation.org.

• By Mail: Mail in your registration form and check to the Recreation Office.

• Register online at www. gcreconline.gardencityny.net .You need a password to register online. If you do not have a password please go to the Recreation office, with proof of residency, to receive one.

If paying by check, please make check payable to Inc. Village of Garden City

If paying by credit card please use: Mastercard, Visa or Discover. We do not accept American Express at this time.

For more information, call the Recreation Office at 516 465-4075

***Non-resident children who attend Garden City Public Schools can register for tennis lessons beginning December 11. Registration must be done by mail or in person at the Recreation Office. Those who would like to register for our tennis program must prove they attend one of the Garden City Public Schools. Proof must accompany registration. An additional $50 fee will pertain to anyone in this category. Make checks payable to the “Inc. Village of Garden City”

GC Middle School Wings beat Manhasset

The GCMS Wings came out firing on all cylinders Saturday night to defeat Manhasset 12-1. Breaker Seidenberg lead all scorers with five goals. Jake McDevitt and Pierce Harrington contributed two goals. Norah McCallum, Nicholas Marchelos and Mason Berry each had a goal. Mason McQuade contrib -

uted two assists. Lucas Ferrucci was a brick wall with 17 saves. At close to the halfway point of the season, the Wings have 5 wins, 1 lose and 1 tie and sit in a first place with Long Beach. The team will be back in action in the new year to face off against Manhasset again on January 4.

Seidenberg

Lucas Ferrucci with the save.

Nora McCallum with a shot on goal.

Mason Berry & Pierce Harrington on the forecheck.

Wings head to the locker room after closing out 2024 with a win.

Breaker

with the shot.

GC Field Hockey member awarded NC Player of Year

Members of the winning GCFH team with Superintendent Kusum Sinha, Supervisor Don Clavin, Councilman Tom Muscarella and Assemblyman Ed Ra

All season long, Head Coach Lauren Lavelle and Coach Janet Rogler closely studied their opponents and their tendencies to create favorable matchups for their Garden City players. By putting Garden City players in different, and sometimes unfamiliar positions—or on opposite sides of the field—they created opportunities—and this team seized them. Emily Racich, captain Catherine “Kitty” Clavin, Jennifer Roller, Catalina “Cat” Suau, and Grace Brantuk were among the players who willingly accepted the challenge of playing wherever the team needed them.

With so many players changing positions from game to game, there needed to be a stable, reliable go-to player in the middle of it all. That go-to player was this season’s selection for Nassau County Player of the Year: Arcangela “Arci” Haffner.

An All-State, two-year captain, Arci was the team’s Swiss Army knife. She was the central hub of both the offensive and defensive midfields and took many of the 25-meter hits that initiated the Garden City attack. During overtime in the County Championship, Arci chased down a Manhasset player on a breakaway, saving the season. In the Long Island Championship Game, Arci was tasked with being the penalty corner flyer, ferociously defending arguably the most formidable penalty shot scorer on Long Island. With Arci spearheading the defensive corners, the high-scoring Harborfields team had over a dozen penalty corners, yielding only 1 goal. Throughout the playoffs, captain Lauren Marino, Averie Smith, and goalkeeper captain Madeline Mitchell anchored the defense and swiftly made clears to well-positioned midfielders, transi -

Nancy and Catherine Clavin

Hayden Rogler and Coach Lauren Lavelle

Angela, Arcangela, and Fred Haffner

Dave, Julianne, and Sylvia Smith

Ava and Christina Milone

GC Field Hockey member awarded NC Player of Year

tioning the field.

On offense, Emerson “Emmie” Goettlemann accumulated 17 goals on the season, also receiving AllState honors. Emmie, the team’s highly skilled cherry-picker, was fed all season by Cat Suau, captain Hayden Rogler, captain Kitty Clavin, Grace Brantuk, and Emily Racich, all of whom consistently made precise passes and crossed the ball into the scoring circle. When the Long Island Championship Game was knotted at 1-1 late in the fourth quarter, Emmie’s perfectly placed shot and second goal ensured the victory.

Kitty Clavin, Madeline Mitchell, Emily Racich, and Hayden Rogler all received All-County honors for their outstanding and consistent

play. Juniors Averie Smith and Cat Suau received All-County honorable mention, while junior Grace Brantuk received All-Conference honors.

Jennifer Roller received All-League recognition. Individual recognition was awarded to Julianne Smith as the team’s Scholar-Athlete, Lauren Marino for Exceptional Senior, and the team’s Unsung Hero Award went to Ava Milone.

Head Coach Lauren Lavelle was voted Coach of the Year by her peers in the Nassau County Field Hockey Association.

Congratulations to the coaches, players, and the dedicated parents and families on a truly championship season in so many ways.

Averie Smith and Cat Suau

Lisa, Emmie, and Tim Goettelmann

Coach Janet Rogler, Emily Racich, and Coach Lauren Lavelle

Jennifer Roller and Madeline Mitchell

Hayden Rogler and Grace Brantuk

Girls Varsity Lacrosse 3rd Annual Pie Fundraiser

The Garden City Girls Varsity Lacrosse 3rd Annual Pie Fundraiser was a tremendous success! Thanks to the generous support of the team's friends and family, the girls were able to sell over 400 pies. Many supporters also chose to donate pies to the Mary Brennan Inn, contributing more than 60 pies to families in need during the holiday season. This fundraiser followed another successful initiative for the team.

On October 14th, they hosted a clinic for girls in Kindergarten through 8th grade, which saw over 160 girls come together to play and learn from the varsity players. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their experience working with the younger athletes and are excited to host more clinics in the future. Stay tuned for details! The team is incredibly grateful for the community's continued support.

The 2025 varsity team, under the direction of coaches Dave Ettinger, Janet Rogler, and Gina Leake, is entering the spring season with a strong leadership core. The team has 14 returning senior players, bringing experience, skill, and a sense of continuity to the squad. With this strong foundation of leadership, the team is poised for success in the upcoming season, ready to build on past achievements and tackle new challenges.

The girls are currently competing in a winter league at Stony Brook University on Sundays, where they are honing their skills and prepar -

ing for the season ahead. Under the leadership of veteran coach Bob Defiliese, the players are facing off against some of the top teams on Long Island. This experience is providing them with valuable competition and the opportunity to sharpen their game against strong opponents.

To stay updated on their season, follow the team on Instagram @ gcgirlsvlax.

Columbus Day lacrosse clinic.

Senior 2025 team captains at Garden City Homecoming (left to right) Tori Ottomanelli, Kathryn Monaco and Kyle Finnell.

Senior 2025 commits on National Signing Day (left to right) Emerson Goettelmann, Meaghan Lynch, Tori Ottomanelli, Kyle Finnell, Kathryn Monaco, Arci Haffner, Ellie Andersen and Brooke Hopkins.

Returning varsity players, coached by Bob Defliese, compete in the LILJ Winter League at Stony Brook University.

Trip to West Point

Tuesday, June 10

The

Garden City Recreation and Parks, and Amazing Destinations, presents, a trip to West Point, and lunch at the Thayer Hotel.

Includes: deluxe motorcoach transportation, 90 minute walking/bus tour with stops at Cadet Chapel, The Plain which is the cadet academic area, Trophy Point with the million-dollar view overlooking the Hudson River, delicious buffet Luncheon at The Thayer Hotel’s famous MacArthur’s Restaurant, & all meal gratuities.

Bus departs at 8:00 a.m. from across the street from the Senior Center. (Return trip departs West Point at 3:00.)

Cost: $153. Make checks payable to: “Amazing Destinations.” Register at the Senior Center front desk beginning immediately.

Art Class: Painting Exotic Patterns and Tantalizing Textures

Suitable for everyone, no art skills needed. Thursdays 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., January 23 through March 27.

Fee: $140.

Deadline to register: January 16.

Class limit of 15.

The teacher will introduce you to creating various renditions of animal, mineral and wood textures. Pattern and color compositions will also be explored using paints. Be prepared to stun your friends and amaze yourself!

Trip to Nassau County Museum of Art

Trip to the Nassau County Museum of Art and lunch at Mim’s. Friday, January 24, bus leaves from across the street from the Senior Center at 10:45, guided tour at 11:30, then Lunch at Mim’s in Roslyn at 1:15. Cost: $20 check made payable to “Nassau County Museum of Art” and $40 cash for lunch, both required at time of registration.

Deadline: January 17. Register by visiting the front desk of the Senior Center.

Save the Dates for Future Trips:

Sunday May 4: “Fiddler On the Roof” (Argyle Theatre)

Sunday, June 8: “Legally Blonde” (Madison Theatre at Molloy University)

Sunday, August 3: “The Music Man” (Argyle Theatre)

Trip to Argyle Theatre

to See “Jersey Boys”

Trip to the Argyle Theatre to see Jersey Boys, and have lunch at La Famiglia restaurant, in Babylon. Saturday, March 8. Our new recreation bus departs from across the street from the Senor Center at 11:00, lunch is at 12:00, performance at 2:30. Register at the Senior Center front desk, $67.00 check made payable to ‘The Argyle Theatre” and $50 cash for lunch, also paid at time of registration.

Happy New Year Luncheon

Wednesday, January 8, at 12:00 Ring in the new year with a delicious luncheon of hot food catered by Garden City Pizza. Register at the front desk of the Senior Center, $15 a person. Cash only, please. Space is limited.

Chess 4 Community

Join us for Chess 4 Community’s Play and Learn at the Senior Center, every other Friday 3:00–4:00 beginning December 6. The dates for January are January 10 and January 24. All ages and levels are welcome. No registration is required, just stop by and play!

Senior Center Lunch Group

Join our Senior Center Lunch Group at 12:30-3:30 on Wednesdays, or, if you miss your pool friends, join the Garden City Pool Chat Group at the center, on Thursdays beginning at 1:00-3:30. For both groups, coffee and tea will be served, just bring your lunch and chat!!

Garden City Varsity Kickline Senior Spotlight

Seventeen young women comprise the senior section of the Garden City Varsity Kickline team. Many Garden City residents have caught the amazing routines of this talented team during halftime of Garden City Football games this season. The performances leave crowds captivated by the sharp precision, high kicks and mesmerizing pom sequences. Each routine is choreographed by the seniors and there is a new routine for each game. Often the girls have just two practices to learn and perfect the number before performing live at the games. Let’s learn more about the talented seniors both on and off the line.

Captain Emma Carey has been a member of Varsity Kickline since her sophomore year and is loving her tenure as senior captain. Her love of Kickline ignited when she joined GC Spirit at 5 years old and is now a senior Head Coach of the program. That Trojan spirit runs in the family as her twin sister Maggie is a captain on the Varsity Cheer team and her mother is a GC Kickline alum! Emma is a proud member of the National Honor Society and is on the Executive Board of Best Buddies International. Looking to her future goals in teaching, she co-founded Garden City High Schools Future Teacher’s Club and is currently the secretary. In her summers, she volunteers at Camp Anchor. Emma is looking forward to studying to become a teacher at her college of choice.

Captain Giana DeVito has been on Varsity Kickline since freshman year and is honored to now be a captain. She is so proud of the team and all of the amazing memories they have created. When she’s not at Kickline, she spends

her time at Broadway Bound dance studio as a competitive dancer. She is highly decorated having won multiple competitions at the national level over her tenure. She is also an assistant dance teacher to the studio’s youngest competitive team. At the High School, she is president of the Spanish National Honor Society, treasurer of the National Honor Society, and co-president of Fall 2024 Peer Educators. As a math enthusiast, she aims to pursue a degree in business and finance at college next fall.

Captain Lola Imperiale has been on the Varsity team since freshman year and is thriving in her role as captain. Lola has choreographed some of the most iconic moments of the team’s pep rally routine and is also one of the choreographers that helped the team win their first ever first place award at competition! This drive comes from her years as an award-winning competitive dancer. She loves giving back to her community as a volunteer for children with special needs. As an honors student, Lola is looking forward to continuing her education in college next year.

Captain Riley McNaboe has been on the Varsity team since freshman year and relishes the role of senior captain. Her favorite Kickline memory was choreographing and dancing the flawless Homecoming routine to “Clarity” with all 40 of her best friends. The GC Trojan spirit is in her blood with Riley following in the footsteps of her mother, a GC Cheerleader alum. When not kicking with Kickline, Riley can be found kicking with Irish dance across the world. Riley is a globally ranked competitive Irish dancer, most recently captur-

ing her 8th consecutive regional title. Riley is also president of the National Italian Honor Society, a High School Peer Educator, senior class treasurer, National Charity League member, and an Irish Dancing Magazine intern. She is excited to continue her educational journey at college next year!

Captain Roisin Pfaff has been on the team since freshman year and is enjoying her role as senior captain. She loves the girls and that the team has become one big family. Her favorite routine in High School was to the song, Shiver and the amazing Pep Rally routine this year. Her inspiration for kickline is her aunt, Tracy Murtagh, a former Northport Tigerette captain. Roisin has had a passion for Kickline since she joined GC Spirit when she was just five years old. She now loves to share her passion with the younger girls by coaching for GC Spirit. When she’s not kicking, Roisin is a captain on GC Varsity Track and Field and an officer for Peer Educators. She loves school and is excited for her college journey!

Devlin Abbate started her Kickline journey on JV for two years, joined by her younger sister Hailey. This is her first year on Varsity and she is loving the bonds with her teammates, choreographing the routines, and performing for the fans! Devlin loves to give back to her local community through The National Charity League. She also volunteers at St. Anne’s Respite Program where she is matched with a special buddy and they enjoy fun activities together. A National Honor Society Member, Devlin is thrilled to be continuing her educational journey studying marketing at Providence College

School of Business next fall.

Gianna Fodera has been a part of the Varsity Kickline team since sophomore year. She has loved performing routines at halftime shows and values the lifelong friendships she has made. Outside of Kickline, Gianna is an active member of the GCHS Italian Club and Key Club. In her free time, she loves spending time with family and friends, and you might catch her in the kitchen whipping up a tasty dessert as she loves to bake. Photography is a side passion of hers as well. Gianna is thrilled to study Business at Fairfield University next year.

Olivia Giordano has been on Varsity Kickline for 3 years, with a stint on JV during her freshman year. While on JV competition, she wowed with her leadership skills and was named a JV captain. Olivia loves the friends and memories she made while being a part of the team. When she’s not kicking, Olivia has held leadership roles in Students Helping Students and the Fashion Club. Competition dance has been a passion for her for over a decade through Garden City Recreation. She shares her love of Kickline as a GC Spirit coach. Olivia will be attending University of Tampa in the Fall where she will be majoring in Entrepreneurship.

Amelia Graser has enjoyed the past three years on the Varsity team. She loves the friends she’s made and is honored to be part of a team that has been a Garden City tradition for decades. Performing at the halftime shows and seeing how much people enjoy the routines has been a highlight. In keeping with Garden City’s scholar athlete tradition, she is a member of both the National Honor Society and the

GC Varsity Kickline captains: Giana DeVito, Riley McNaboe, Emma Carey, Lola Imperiale, and Roisin Pfaff.

Photo by Ed Rotondo

GC Varsity Kickline seniors.

Photo by Ed Rotondo

Garden City Varsity Kickline Senior Spotlight

National Spanish Honor Society. She loves working with children and spends her summers as a Waldorf School camp counselor. When not at the camp, you can find her at the beach. In her future college endeavors, she plans to study speech language pathology.

Mia Johnston started her Kickline journey as a freshman on JV. She moved onto Varsity her sophomore year and has loved every minute of her experience. She will treasure the lifelong friendships made and lasting memories created in the process. She is grateful for belonging to something so special and a time-tested GC tradition. Outside of Kickline, Mia has been dancing competitively since she was in second grade. Mia also teaches at GC Spirit where she enthusiastically shares her dancing background and kickline experience with the next generation. Mia’s warm smile and infectious personality make her an effective teacher to these young girls. Mia is excited for her next step—attending college next fall!

Gracie Krawiec has had a fouryear journey with the Kickline family. She started on JV, being promoted to captain by her sophomore year. She has been on Varsity for the last two years and has made some of her closest friends and loves the school spirit Kickline embodies. Further evidence of her love of school spirit, she was voted Homecoming Queen at this year’s Homecoming weekend. Gracie is quite active outside of Kickline as president of both the Student Council and Future Teachers Club. She is a Peer Educator and was captain of Varsity Tennis this

past fall. In the summers, she loves lifeguarding and coaching swimming at the Garden City Pool Summer Swim Team. Building on her membership both in National Honor Society and National Art Honors Society, Gracie plans to study art education and business at the University of Georgia.

Eva LoPiano has been a part of the Varsity Kickline team for the past three years. She loves spending time with her Kickline teammates and bringing her talents to the field. Eva follows in the footsteps of her older sister Mia, who was also a member of this team. At the young age of two, Eva’s dance career took off! Eva is a senior company member at Mossa Dance Academy. Since the beginning, Eva’s love for dance & true natural talent has shined through. Known for her ability to execute difficult routines with precision, she has worked with many influential choreographers. She has dedicated so much of herself to dance and enjoys competing at the highest levels regionally and nationally. Eva plans to continue dancing at the next level in college while pursuing a career in nursing.

Julia Melendez started her Kickline journey on JV moving to Varsity her junior year. She has enjoyed her four years as part of the Kickline family, where she has made great friends and created lasting memories. Outside of Kickline, Julia is a member of many clubs, including the National Charity League where she gives back to her local community. She spends her summers lifeguarding and when not on duty, you can still find her beach-bound. When not at Kickline practice, she loves to

take Hot Pilates classes. Julia is looking forward to attending college down south, where she plans to major in business.

Morgan Myers has been a part of the Varsity team since sophomore year, starting her journey on JV as a freshman. She loves spending time with her teammates and performing at the halftime shows. She enjoys sharing her love of Kickline by teaching the younger girls who aspire to make Varsity one day. At GCHS, she is vice president of the Italian Club. Outside of school, she is very involved in the National Charity League as co-founder with her mom and sisters of the Garden City Chapter and was NCL class president freshman year. She is very excited for her next step at college and will be pursuing a career in business marketing.

Silvana Newcomb has been on the team since her sophomore year, starting her journey on JV as a freshman. Dancing has been a lifelong passion for Silvana and Kickline has provided her with the opportunity to combine her love for dance and team spirit. She has loved performing alongside her teammates and has made friends for life. Beyond Kickline, Silvana is a dedicated multi-sport athlete serving as captain of the Varsity Swimming and Diving team and competing in both Bowling and Badminton. She is a dedicated student and an officer of the HOPE Club and National Italian Honor Society. She loves the arts--studying ballet, theater dance, and lyrical as well as playing piano and guitar. Silvana plans to study marketing and psychology at the University of Virginia and is excited for

what this next chapter will bring!

Olivia (Liv) Sioukas started her journey freshman year on JV where her leadership abilities led her to being named captain sophomore year. She has been part of Varsity for the last two years and loves performing for the crowds during epic GC football and basketball games. Kickline to her means friendship, school spirit and community. Olivia also participates on the Kickline competition team where she was one of the choreographers of the championship routine at the Long Island Dance Team Association competition. Her talents as a competitive dancer at Broadway Bound have been instrumental in her successful Kickline journey. Olivia loves to share her love of dance with the little girls as an assistant teacher. She loves to unwind with a milkshake, Kit Kat, and good book. Olivia plans to study psychology at the college of her choice starting next Fall. Maria-Isabella Ucinski has been a dedicated part of the Varsity Kickline team since her sophomore year and has absolutely loved being part of this team. Her passion for dance outside of school complements her enthusiasm for Kickline. Maria-Isabella is also a lover of the arts as demonstrated through years of membership in the Orchestra program since the second grade and also as a member of the Art Honor Society at the High School. She is also actively involved in various clubs at the High School, including being vice president of the Aviation Club. MariaIsabella plans to study psychology and education at the College of the Holy Cross.

GC wrestlers have solid showing at tournament

This past weekend, the GCHS wrestling squad welcomed 12 other teams for the annual Bobby Menges Trojan War individual tournament — featuring one of the best clusters of talent ever assembled on Long Island for an in-season tournament. In fact, the finals of all 13 weight classes had at least one wrestler ranked among the top six wrestlers in their respective counties and divisions, with the majority of the title bouts featuring two ranked wrestlers. Further, two number one ranked wrestlers were defeated in the finals.

John Glenn, on the strength of four individual champs, edged talented teams from Long Beach and Farmingdale to secure the team title. Garden City finished 5th and just missed toppling Freeport for 4th. The Trojans were well-represented in the finals with four wrestlers earning their way to the championship stage — senior Nick Griffin at 138 lbs, junior Anthony Pica also at 138 lbs, junior Gabe Cohen at 152 lbs, and junior Zach Olson at 285 lbs. However, the highly anticipated matchup between Griffin and Pica did not take place as Griffin was unable to continue after an injury. Cohen fought gamely, but was beaten. And, fresh off a superb football season, Olson grinded out an 8-3 win to claim his first wrestling title this academic year. Congratulations to Anthony and Zach!

Six other Trojans reached the tournament podium: eighth grader Michael Polizotto (5th at 101 lbs), freshman Ryan Bozelli (5th at 108 lbs), sophomore Eric

Chen (5th at 131 lbs), sophomore Matteo Ingrassia (4th at 160 lbs), senior Jack Cicione (3rd at 190), and sophomore Luke Agrippina (6th at 215 lbs). Two wrestlers won two matches — Connor Ahearn and Ben Griffin, and nine others had a victory on the day -- Cooper Bromberg, Aiden Kehoe, Vin Lattuca, Christian Mattice, Walker Scricca, Benjamin Seifert, James Sorohan, Wolfgang Ulrich, and Kyle Walsh.

Special thanks to local merchants who generously provided food for what ended up being a 12-hour day at Garden

City High School: Dominick’s Deli, Duck Donuts, Dunkin Donuts, Garden City Pizza, Garden Gourmet, Keyfood, My Three Sons, Pizzeria G, Primehouse, Seventh Street Deli, Smok Haus, Tap Room, Tony’s Tacos, and Town Meat Market.

The team was back in action earlier this week against Seaford, before a Friday dual meet at Glen Cove, followed by a trip to Cold Spring Harbor for the “Battle at the Harbor” team dual tournament on Saturday, December 21.

Maroon on maroon as Kyle Walsh and Jack Cicione face off at 190 lbs.

Matteo Ingrassia after pinning a Sewanhaka West opponent to advance to the semifinals.

Gabe Cohen sizes up his opponent from John Glenn in the 152 lb title match.

Eric Chen flying to victory in a preliminary bout.

The Number One Pain Myth Keeping You Stuck

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Taekwondo champion

for first place overall, earning second place in Board Breaking, and securing third place in Form!

Cross country athletes honored

Sports Events

Portraits

Garden City High School Cross Country athletes proudly received All-Conference and All-County awards at the 41st Annual NCTCA Dinner!

Congratulations to All-Conference recipients (left to right): Brendan Wilde, Hunter Maguire, Logan Daab, Luke Webber, DJ McDonough, Patrick Egan, Charlotte Clark, and Eva Vitale (not pictured) and our All-County recipients: Ryan McAlea (fourth from the right), Taylor Maguire (second from right), and Abigail Tedesco (not pictured). Well done, athletes!

The Waldorf School of Garden City junior Kahaan Shah achieved impressive results at the New York Open Taekwondo Championship, tying

GCHS students excel in competition

BY EMILY COOK, GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2025

Sixteen Garden City High School students attended this year's annual Certamen (classical Quiz-bowl) competition at Yale University. Latin and non-Latin students alike worked in teams of four to answer challenging questions about Latin language, mythology, history, culture and literature, pitted against top schools from across the nation.

This year, Garden City sent one intermediate team and three advanced teams, with one advanced team moving up a competitive bracket due to their semifinals placement last year.

Additionally, GCHS brought eight students to Harriton High School located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania for a newly started Certamen Autumnale competition, with both intermediate and advanced teams win-

ning second and third place, respectively, against other Latin students from competitive schools in the mid-Atlantic region (New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey). Students enjoyed the experience and look forward to the next set of elite competitions, set for February and March.

Many students who have attended in-person Certamen events have also joined a new group this year called The Latin League. This is an online competition pitting teams of five students against other schools in their region in a timed 100-question multiple choice exam; it has an expanded syllabus including topics in Greek history, classical art and architecture, explicit Latin grammar and reading comprehension, alongside the typical certamen questions. After three competitive rounds this year, GC JV has one win under their belt, and GC Purple is 2-1.