Bellmore Herald Life

Bellmore

HERALD Covid-19 cases in Bellmore

BMB students still on the air

Virtual contest helps charities

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Vol. 23 No. 18

APRIl 30 - MAY 6, 2020

Mepham grad Tyler Davis is NFL-bound With the Jaguars on the board, General Manager David Caldwell called Davis to deliver Former Mepham High School the news that his name would All-State quarterback Tyler soon scroll along the bottom of Davis is headed to the National NFL Network’s televised draft Football League. coverage as the next pick.

The 6-foot-4, 250“ T h a n k yo u s o pound Davis, who much,” responded converted to tight an emotional end and spent three Davis, who was at seasons at the Unihome in North versity of ConnectBellmore, suricut before transrounded by his parferring to Georgia ents, Steve and Tech for his final Cindy, brothers year of college eliBryan and Jake, gibility, was selectand his girlfriend, ed in the sixth Sydney. round, 206th overD av i s w a s n’ t all, in the NFL invited to the NFL Draft by the JackCombine, but held sonville Jaguars ANThoNY CRACCo his Pro Day on last Saturday after- Head football coach, March 11, and noon. received positive “I’ve been play- Mepham High School feedback from ing football since more than a dozen I’m 6 years old, and teams. He said the it’s a dream come true,” said Jaguars were at the top of the Davis, a 2015 Mepham graduate list of teams that expressed who became the first Georgia interest.

Tech tight end drafted into the “I was told by one of their NFL in 28 years — Tom Coving- scouts that Mr. Caldwell attended ton was selected by San Francis- a Georgia Tech game and liked co in the 11th round in 1992 — what he saw in me,” Davis said. and the sixth all-time. “I just “I honestly couldn’t be happier dropped to my knees when I got the call.”

Continued on page 2

By ToNY BEllISSIMo tbellissimo@liherald.com

F

Courtesy Dylan Lipman

JohN F. KENNEdY High School students Hayley Kuhn, left, and Dylan and Paige Lipman wheeled a cart full of donated snack items to Mount Sinai South Nassau’s administrative offices in Baldwin.

Kennedy Student Government aids in Covid-19 response

By AlYSSA SEIdMAN aseidman@liherald.com

Members of John F. Kennedy High School’s Student Gover nment Association are continuing to support t h e i r c o m m u n i t y wh i l e learning from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the past few weeks, student leaders have mobilized classmates, neighbors a n d Ke n n e dy a l u m n i t o give back to those working through the crisis.

“Nor mally, the Student Government is working on several school-wide and community activities at a time,” SGA President Danny Iskols wrote in an email to the Herald Life, “so it only felt natural to continue to work and plan, even while stuck at home.”

T he SGA developed three initiatives to help pitch in during the pand e m i c. T h e f i r s t w a s a t h a n k - yo u m e s s a g e a d dressed to administrators,

teachers and staff for their hard work. All student gover nment re presentatives recorded personal clips for the project, which were then edited and compiled into one video. “ T h e s t u d e n t b o dy i s grateful for all the support our teachers and administ r at o r s h ave p rov i d e d , ” SGA Vice President Brett Schutzman said. “We wanted to show our appreciation by creating a thankContinued on page 8

rom the time Tyler walked into the weight room as an eighthgrader he had one goal, and that was to be the best.

Jacksonville selects Davis in sixth round continueD from front page that it’s the Jaguars.”

In his last two years as a high school quarterback, Davis proved an unstoppable dual threat. Between his junior and senior campaigns, he rushed for 43 touchdowns and passed for 19.

“From the time Tyler walked into the weight room as an eighth-grader, he had one goal, and that was to be the best,” Mepham head coach Anthony Cracco said. “He’s an outstanding football player and an even better teammate and person. He embodies everything a coach wants in a student-athlete. It’s a special day for Tyler and the Davis family, and our Pirates football family.”

Davis was recruited by UConn to play quarterback.

He ended up contributing to its passing game, just not the way he envisioned. After his redshirt year, then head coach Bob Diaco wanted to stick with incumbent signalcaller Bryant Shirreffs after the Huskies qualified for a bowl game. Diaco asked Davis to embrace a new role.

“Coach Diaco wanted my athleticism on the field, and didn’t want me on the sideline holding a clipboard as a backup quarterback,” Davis said. “It was difficult to hear, but then I went to work to become the best tight end I could possibly be. It was hard, and I wasn’t very good at first. I just worked and worked.”

In his three seasons at UConn, Davis had 47 receptions, 500 yards and seven touchdowns — six of his trips to the end zone for the Huskies came in 2018. Last year, at Georgia Tech, he caught 17 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown while serving as one of its four captains.

On his Twitter account, Yellow Jackets head coach Geoff Collins wrote: “Congrats T.D. Words cannot explain the pride we all have and all you’ve meant to establishing the culture at Georgia Tech football. Amazing feeling when someone you love earns the dream they’ve worked so hard to reach!!!!”

Herald (Q) 04/30/2020 Jeff Wilson/Herald

tyler Davis was a three-year starting quarterback at Mepham before making the transition to tight end at the college level.

Courtesy Georgia Tech Athletics

Davis converteD to tight end and spent three seasons at the University of Connecticut before transferring to Georgia Tech for his final year of college eligibility.

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April 30, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Crime watCh

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 30, 2020 Nassau County Department of Health Alyssa Seidman/Herald Life

JOhN GERGES, CENTER, of Merrick, was arraigned on murder charges last Wednesday for allegedly strangling his wife in February, according to a release from Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas’s office.

NCDA: Merrick man arraigned on murder charges for strangling his wife

By AlySSA SEIDmAN aseidman@liherald.com

A Merrick man was arraigned on murder charges last Wednesday for allegedly strangling his wife in February, according to a release from Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas's office.

John Gerges, 60, was arraigned on the charges of second-degree murder and first-degree strangulation in the death of his wife, Marvat. He pleaded "not guilty" to the charges. Gerges faces a maximum 25 years to life in prison sentence if convicted of the top count.

"This defendant allegedly strangled his wife after an argument inside their home," Singas said. "These allegations represent the tragedy of family violence, and my heart goes out to Mrs. Gerges's son and other family members as they continue to mourn the loss of Marvat."

Gerges will remain in custody until his court date on June 9.

In the early morning hours of Feb. 22, Gerges allegedly strangled Marvat, 58, inside their home at 14 Lindgren St. after a verbal argument over the bathroom sink, Singas said. Nassau County homicide detectives had reported that the Gerges's 32-year-old son was leaving for work that day at 3 a.m., and observed his parents arguing over the sink.

When he returned home around 2:30 p.m., the son found Marvat in the guest bedroom with marks around her neck and immediately called 911. Marvat was pronounced dead at the scene. A medical examiner had determined asphyxiation

as the cause of death, detectives said.

Gerges was not home at the time the body was found, and did not return until the following morning, when he was questioned by detectives. He told authorities that he and his wife were involved “in a physical fight” following the argument, Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said, adding that Gerges “put his hands on Marvat, ceasing her ability to breath and causing asphyxiation, [which caused] her death.”

Gerges was arrested following questioning.

When leaving the detention facility at Nassau County Police Headquarters following his February arrest, Gerges told reporters, “I’m innocent.” He also told reporters that he had been “abused [by his wife] for years,” but Fitzpatrick said there was no prior history of domestic incidences between the couple on file within the department.

The Gergeses were married for 37 years. Neighbors told detectives that John was “a quiet neighbor,” Fitzpatrick said.

Singas reported that Marvat was homebound by severe arthritis, and John was helping to take care of her, Fitzpatrick said.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Stefanie Palma of Singas's Major Offense Bureau is prosecuting this case; Ira Weissman, Esq. is representing the defendant.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

AS Of ApRIl 27, Merrick and Bellmore have a total 988 confirmed Covid-19 cases, according to the Nassau County Department of Health.

Merrick and Bellmore remain moderately impacted by Covid-19

By ANDREW GARCIA and SCOTT BRINTON agarcia@liherald.com

Nassau County Department of Health records show that Merrick and Bellmore have been moderately impacted by coronavirus.

The statistics come from the county’s interactive Covid-19 map, which tracks the number of confirmed cases by neighborhood; it does not include cases pending confirmation from the New York State Department of Health.

Merrick and Bellmore’s numbers are divided into four areas, showing: ■ 176 cases in North Merrick, ■ 284 cases in Merrick, ■ 282 cases in North Bellmore

■ and 246 cases in Bellmore as of Monday, April 27.

Compared with other communities to the east, the number of cases is about average. Freeport, which neighbors Merrick to the west, however, is the secondhardest hit community in Nassau County, with 1,198 total cases as of Monday.

The total number of positive Covid-19 cases in Nassau County was 34,522 as of April 26, according to the county’s website, with nearly 1,500 hospitalizations and 1,587 deaths attributed to the virus.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there were signs that the number of new coronavirus cases in the state had been leveling off since April 13, but he ordered the New York on Pause initiative to continue until May 15.

HOW TO REACH US Our offices are located at 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 and are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/bellmore ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: belleditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 203 E-mail: belleditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The Bellmore Herald life USPS 017547, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Bellmore Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Subscription rates: $36 for 1 year within Nassau County. Out of Nassau County: $58 for 1 year. Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

April 30, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Courtesy North Shore Animal League America

norTh Shore animal League America’s campus in Port Washington is currently still doing, but pet-owner candidates must make an appointment to adopt.

North Shore Animal League still fostering adoptions

By Jennifer Corr jcorr@liherald.com

Tanner Callicutt of Manhattan had thought about getting a puppy for some time, but house-training one seemed daunting given his busy schedule as an actor and a restaurant host.

So when New York state shut down to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in mid-March, Callicutt thought, “‘When am I going to have six weeks of undivided attention to devote to training him and making sure that he’s house-broken?”

In December, Callicutt’s friend, Will Ganss, went through North Shore Animal League America, a no-kill animal rescue center in Port Washington, to get a puppy.

He noticed the amount of love a shelter pet can give, so he decided to go with North Shore Animal League for his new puppy.

Callicutt is not the only one to take advantage of the stay-at-home order to train and get to know a new pet.

“There are a lot, a lot of people who are inquiring about adopting animals,” Diane Johnson, North Shore Animal League’s vice president of shelter Operations, said. “Basically, all of the animals that we have on our website, someone has asked about, which is great because a lot of them are long-term animals that have been here a little bit longer.”

Because the animal rescue can no longer allow walkins, potential adoptees can look for adoptable cats and dogs on the organization’s website, www.animalleague. org. On the website, Callicut found a lab-mix puppy named Otis. “I saw his picture online and immediately fell in love,” Callicut said.

Callicutt then contacted North Shore Animal League and was able to filled out his adoption application over the phone and made an appointment. On April 3, he sat down with Otis at the rescue. “By the end of it, I was like ‘Yeah, he’s mine,’” he said. “I want to take him home.”

Johnson said now is a good time to adopt a pet. “People are home and they have the time to devote to an animal,” she said. “This is a great time for training and spending time with them. We had an outpouring, before this happened, of people who wanted to foster. So we have 40 animals in foster homes that are getting attention 24/7 rather than being here.”

Fostering has been the alternative option, Johnson said, for pets whose owners died from Covid-19. She said there were two cases that the shelter handled. In one, the animal was supposed to be housed at the shelter, but at the

Courtesy Tanner Callicutt

Tanner CalliCuTT adopTed his lab-mix puppy, Otis, from North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington. last minute a relative stepped up to take the animal in.

In another, a neighbor of an individual took in the animal as a foster pet. The neighbor is now working independently to have the animal adopted. “Rather than the animal coming to the shelter, where it’s new for them, and it’s scary, they’re with a foster in a safe and loving environment,” Johnson said.

North Shore Animal League could not name the foster owners for privacy reasons.

For animals that do currently live at the shelter, staff members and volunteers have provided care for them too.

Adoptable dogs are walked three to four times a day and are able to go outside and play. Volunteers have also been taking them to the beach.

“Our front line has been unwavering,” Johnson said.

“We’ve been here from the start. Our staff and volunteers are still here providing care and enrichment for the ani-

mals, and you can’t ask for more than that. Our staff is so dependable when it comes to the animals.”

Also dependable, Johnson said, has been the emergency veterinary service provided by North Shore Animal League’s Pet Health Centers, which are now doing a curbside service for which the animal is brought in and the owner stays in the car.

“Veterinary medicine has been deemed an essential service, so we have remained open to some degree,” Dr. Mark Verdino, a veterinarian with North Shore Animal League, said. “We have, at this point, closed what we would consider non-critical services. So we’re not doing annual exams for the most part. We’re not doing elective procedures, like if a dog needs dental cleaning...”

Verdino and his team have also worked to inform the public on the relationship between Covid-19 and companion animals. As of April 22, only two companion animals had tested positive for Covid-19, and the chances of humans spreading the disease to animals are low, officials said.

“There have been, globally, very few cases where they have tested animals in the home of Covid patients and they have gotten positive tests,” Verdino said. “Does that mean they are infected, or does that mean they are just picking it up on the test? That’s what we really don’t know.”

As of now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that those who are sick with Covid19 stay isolated from their pets, along with anyone else in their household. The CDC has also recommended keeping pets away from situations in which they could interact with other animals and humans outside the household.

However, Verdino said, people should not be paranoid.

He has heard of cases in other shelters and rescues in which people have tried to drop off their pets out of fear they could contract or spread coronavirus, or that owner would be unable to care for the pet if quarantined. This is has not happened at North Shore Animal League to date, however, he said.

“What we’re trying to do is tamper that paranoia out a little bit,” Verdino said. “Again, there’s no evidence that companion animals are playing any roles whatsoever in the transmission of this disease.”

Go to North Shore Animal League’s website at animalleague.org to browse adoptable pets and contact (516) 8837575 to become a pre-approved adopter. Adoptions are done by appointment. The organization is also accepting donations.

Letter from Covid-19 victim’s wife to the governor

Dear Governor Cuomo, I am writing to share the story of my husband, William Mantell, who died from Covid-related pneumonia on April 17.

Bill was a health care worker on the front lines. He wasn’t a nurse or physician working in a hospital, but a pharmacist at a small community pharmacy that he owned for 31 years, in Rochdale Village, N.Y. As you know, retail pharmacies are deemed essential businesses by New York state and are expected to remain open. Bill did as he was instructed. His exposure to the public was not optional, and he kept his pharmacy running to serve his patients and community.

Within the first week of this crisis, he sold out of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant sprays, masks, gloves, alcohol, thermometers and Tylenol.

There were no cleaning supplies left on the shelves, and it was becoming nearly impossible to replenish those items. Not only did Bill have limited product to sell to his patients and customers, but also there were very few supplies to clean the pharmacy with, and he had zero personal protective equipment to keep himself and his employees safe.

Bill was running a small business, and he wasn’t in a position to quickly install plastic barriers at cash registers and other protective measures throughout the store that large corporate pharmacies had the resources to do.

In the beginning of this crisis, I was glued to the news. I heard news stories about the nurses and physicians in hospitals who were begging for PPE to protect themselves. I listened to your news conferences in which you asked President Trump for help obtaining equipment and PPE for those on the front lines in hospitals. I don’t recall the push for PPE for the workers on the front lines who were not in hospitals: the retail pharmacists, delivery people, grocery store employees and workers in essential factories. If New York state was having difficulty procuring these items, how were small businesses supposed to? I feel like my husband was left to fend for himself. If Bill had the PPE earlier, would it have changed his outcome?

I want to bring to your attention the difficulty Bill went through to try to have a Covid-19 test scheduled. He called the testing hotline on March 28 and was told someone would get back to him within two days. Two days later he called again and was reassured he was “still on the list.” Three and a half weeks later, on April 22, the New York State Department of Health called to schedule a test. This was five days after he died.

Is it acceptable to have a person who is sick wait almost a month for a test? Why wasn’t his personal physician allowed to order a test? How did those waiting on lines at the drive-through sites have their tests scheduled? If Bill had been tested and treated earlier, would it have changed

his outcome?

It was extremely difficult for my family and me (and I am sure for every other family who has a sick loved one) to know that Bill was in the hospital suffering alone, with no family or friends by his side to support him. I understand the reasons why, and I understand that the nurses have such a high patient load that they are often unable to extend the extra human elements they normally give those in their care.

I know Bill was anxious, scared and exhausted trying to take care of his needs on his own. If even one family member was allowed at their own risk, gowned from head to toe, to be there with him, to ensure that he laid on his stomach, did his breathing exercises, helped with the side effects caused by his medications and let him know that he wasn’t alone, would it have changed his outcome?

My story is one of nearly 17,000 in New York state. I am helpless in a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world.

I have lost my best friend, and my daughters have lost their father. I am calling on you, Governor Cuomo, to continue leading our state through this challenging time. Small businesses on the front lines need PPE to safely serve people during this pandemic, and our loved ones need someone by their side to fight and survive.

In loving memory of my husband Bill, Carole Mantell

Island Harvest offering food across Nassau

Food bank partners with county to feed 1,000 families in need amid the pandemic

By BRIAN STIEGLITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com

“No one should have to question where their next meal is coming from,” wrote Nassau County Executive Laura Curran in a Facebook post on April 23. Her sentiment echoes the goal of Island Harvest Food Bank, with which the county recently partnered to distribute food at nine local sites.

In Curran’s social media post, she announced the county had joined with the Bethpage-based food bank to provide enough meals to feed roughly 1,000 families in one day.

This continues Island Harvest’s efforts to help the growing number of Long Island residents who were furloughed or lost their jobs because of business closures or stagnations.

The food bank first launched an emergency response program on March 9 to help residents who were financially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. This included its Emergency Contingency Business Plan to put in place specific measures to ensure the health and safety of its staff members, volunteers, clients and food.

Through its emergency response plan, the organization has purchased 50 percent more food than it usually does. Staff members surveyed 124 school districts and identified 32 that needed support providing meals to students. For such districts, staff members and volunteers created pop-up, drive-through food distribution centers.

It ran a mobile food pantry to distribute food to about 300 nonprofits, and delivered food to roughly 1,700 people who could not leave their homes, including seniors, veterans and the immunocompromised.

Brian Stieglitz/Herald

ISLANd HARvEST Food Bank partnered with Nassau County to distribute food at nine different county sites on April 23.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 30, 2020

Editor’s note: Carole Mantell recently lost her husband, Bill, to Covid-19. He was a pharmacist, working on the front lines.

Carol wrote to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, urging him to provide protective equipment to essential employees like him to protect them from the virus.

“I needed to write a letter to Governor Cuomo regarding our family’s experience with Covid-19,” she said. “I want this to be a call to action to make changes in how this terrible disease is being handled.”

The Mantells lived for many years in Rockville Centre before moving four years ago to East Meadow.

Here is Carole’s letter to the governor:

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April 30, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Hempstead adds tax-collection sites for May

By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

The Town of Hempstead has set up three drive-thru tax-collection booths at points across the town, including one in front of Rock Hall, the stately, two-story 1767 mansion in Lawrence.

Supervisor Don Clavin and Tax Receiver Jeanine Driscoll came there Thursday to announce the new collection locations, which are intended to reduce traffic at the main collection office in Hempstead and reduce the risk of Covid19 infection for taxpayers and town employees.

The main collection office is at 200 North Franklin St., Hempstead.

Rock Hall is at 199 Broadway in Lawrence.

The two other new drive-thru sites are: ■ Echo Park, 399 Nassau Blvd., West Hempstead.

■ Seamans Neck Park, 2700 S. Seamans Neck Road, Seaford.

The next tax-collection deadline is June 1, said town spokesman Mike Caputo. The main drive-thru collection office in Hempstead will open May 1. The other three will open May 18 and remain open through June 1.

All sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, except for Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, when they will be closed. The sites only accept tax payments by check or money order.

“During this pandemic, we want to do everything that we can to reduce the

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

town SuperviSor DonalD Clavin and Tax Receiver Jeanine Driscoll came to Rock Hall in Lawrence to announce three additional drive-thru sites where town residents can pay their taxes. The sites will open May 18 and will remain open through June 1. stress and anxiety for our taxpayers,” said Town Councilman Bruce Blakeman, who joined Clavin and Driscoll at Town Hall for the announcement. “The establishment of additional drive-thru payment offices in communities some distance from the tax office in Hempstead will provide greater convenience for taxpayers who wish to pay their school taxes

in person.”

“Thousands of our residents prefer to pay their property taxes in person,” Driscoll said. “These drive-thru payment offices will accommodate our constituents in a safer manner.”

By executive order on Monday, Governor Cuomo pushed back the payment deadline for second-half 2019-20 school

taxes by three weeks to June 1. The deadline was previously May 11. Clavin said he was pleased the governor delayed the payment, a move that he had called for to provide taxpayer relief for those suffering amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to the booths, property owners may pay their tax bills by credit or debit card or electronic check (e-check) online or by telephone.

To pay online, visit the Receiver’s Online Payment Portal at https://hempsteadny.gov/view-pay-tax-bills-online.

To pay by telephone, call (833) 378-1236 and follow the prompts.

Payments by credit card, debit card and e-check will incur a service fee, charged by eGov Strategies, the company that processes the transactions. Hempstead Town receives no portion of the service fees, officials noted.

To pay by mail, checks should be made payable to “Jeanine C. Driscoll, Receiver of Taxes,” signed and dated. Numerical and written amounts should agree, and school district, section, block and lot numbers should be written on the check.

Payment stubs should be enclosed with checks or money orders and sent to: Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes, 200 North Franklin St., Hempstead, N.Y. 11550.

Payments submitted by mail must have a U.S. Postal Service postmark dated no later than June 1 to avoid penalty.

Taxpayers who need help with property-tax matters should email the Hempstead Town Receiver’s Office at tohtaxquestions@tohmail.org or call (516) 812-3600.

Study: 1 in 6 L.I. residents infected by Covid-19

By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

An estimated 16.7 percent of residents on Long Island, in Nassau and Suffolk counties, have been infected by the coronavirus. That translates to 1 in 6 people.

That’s according to a random statewide survey of 3,000 people conducted by New York state health officials, Governor Cuomo said Thursday.

Nassau and Suffolk had the second-highest infection rate after New York City in the state, according to Cuomo. The five boroughs of the city had an infection rate of 21.2 percent, or about 1 in 5 people.

Statewide, the rate averaged 13.9 percent, or 1 in 7 people.

That figure, however, was heavily skewed by the downstate totals. Outside of New York City and its surrounding counties, the infection rate was 3.6 percent, or 1 in 28 people, Cuomo said.

The antibody tests were conducted in public, at places like supermarkets and box stores, he said.

Thae infection rate was disproportionately high among African-Americans and Latinos, for whom the infection rate averaged 23 percent.

Among Asians, it was 11.7 percent, and whites, 9 percent.

According to the study, some 2.7 million New Yorkers have been infected by Covid-19, which translates to a death rate of .5 percent.

The death rate, however, does not accurately portray the toll the pandemic has taken on New York, the governor said, noting that 15,500 people have died in hospitals and nursing homes to date. That figure is expected to rise when at-home deaths are accounted for.

Additionally, the governor said, the coronavirus may have been in the United States, and New York, longer than thought, according to a new Northeastern University study. That means people may have died of the disease as early as January, but it was unknown at the time those people had the coronavirus.

Conducting the study was critical to developing the state’s plans to reopen the economy, the governor said. He spoke of a regional approach to reopening, based on the infection rate seen in different parts of the state.

“The facts should dictate the action,” he said, speaking of the regional approach.

He noted, however, that reopening must be wellcoordianted throughout the state to prevent any one region from being overwhelmed by people from other regions whose areas have not yet opened.

Courtesy Diana Robinson via Wikimedia Commons

roughly 1 in 6 Nassau County residents have been infected by the coronavirus, according to a new study undertaken by New York state, Governor Cuomo said Thursday.

Student hosts virtual basketball contest

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aseidman@liherald.com

A Levy-Lakeside student has channeled his love of basketball into helping others affected by the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, Michael Minniti, 9, of Merrick, hosted a virtual foul shot contest on Instagram Live to raise money for City Harvest and the First Responders’ Children’s Fund.

The fourth-grader developed the idea for “Hoops to Help” after he lost his grandfather, 71-year-old Anthony Minniti, to Covid-19 on March 27. “I just got really sad about what was going on,” Michael said, “so I started talking to my mom and said we should start a charity to help every person who’s struggling like we were.”

It was only natural that the fundraiser involve basketball — Michael plays for multiple leagues, including Bellmore Merrick Basketball, Empire Youth Athletics and Island Garden Basketball. It’s his favorite sport “by far,” he said.

“Hoops to Help” was broadcast live from the Minniti’s driveway, with participants tuning in remotely from their own home courts. For the contest, each player had two minutes to make as many foul shots as possible. Participants were sponsored for each shot they made or

contributed one flat donation to raise money, and prizes were awarded to the highest score-getters.

Additionally, for every $50 a person raised, their name was entered into a raffle to win a signed basketball from NBA star Mason Plumlee, who plays for the Denver Nuggets. Michael’s mother Cindy said that Plumlee heard about the contest from a mutual friend, and decided to contribute after learning that Michael attended Duke Basketball Camp — Plumlee is an alumni.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the community’s response,” said Michael’s father, James. “With this quarantine, people need something to look forward to, and it was a nice way of turning something sad in our family into something positive.”

Although Minniti lived in New Jersey, he never missed one of Michael’s basketball games, Cindy said. “He even had a file started for when Michael makes it to the NBA,” she added, choked up. “He was a huge part of our family and such a giving and generous person. He would be so proud of his grandchildren for this.”

Michael said he was excited to give people something fun to do while helping those in need. “We’re trying to help as much as we can,” he said.

Learn. Grow. Explore. GIRL SCOUTS. See what Girl Scouts do at our upcoming virtual information nights!

Register at gsnc.org/programs for an information session in your area. Once registered, you will have the opportunity to sign your daughter up for a “New Daisy Discovery” virtual program via Zoom!

BALDWIN Thursday, 5/21/20, 8:30pm

FLORAL PARK Tuesday, 5/12/20, 7:30pm

BAY (Oyster Bay and surrounding areas) Monday, 5/11/20, 7:30pm

FRANKLIN SQUARE Wednesday, 5/13/20, 7:30pm

BELLMORE Monday, 5/18/20, 7:30pm CARLE PLACE Thursday, 5/14/20, 7:30pm CENTRAL PARK (Bethpage and Plainview) Tuesday, 5/12/20, 7:30pm EAST MEADOW Monday, 5/4/20, 7:30pm ELLM (East Rockaway, Lakeview, Lynbrook, and Malverne) Monday, 5/4/20, 7:30pm ELMONT Tuesday, 5/19/20, 7:30pm

FREEPORT Monday, 5/11/20, 7:30pm GARDEN CITY Thursday, 5/14/20, 7:30pm GREAT NECK Monday, 5/4/20, 7:30pm HARDSCRABBLE (Farmingdale and N. Massapequa) Thursday, 5/7/20, 7:30pm HERRICKS Monday, 5/18/20, 7:30pm HICKSVILLE Tuesday, 5/5/20, 7:30pm

ISLAND BEACH (Island Park PLAINEDGE and Long Beach) Tuesday, 5/19/20, 7:30pm Wednesday, 5/20/20, 7:30pm PORT WASHINGTON JERICHO/SYOSSET Wednesday, 5/6/20, 7:30pm Wednesday, 5/20/20, 7:30pm ROCKVILLE CENTRE MANHASSET Wednesday, 5/20/20, 7:30pm Thursday, 5/14/20, 7:30pm SEAFORD MASSAPEQUA Thursday, 5/7/20, 7:30pm Wednesday, 5/6/20, 7:30pm SHORE (North Shore/ MERRICK Glen Cove and surrounding Wednesday, 5/13/20, 7:30pm areas) Monday, 5/18/20, 7:30pm NORTH BELLMORE Thursday, 5/7/20, 7:30pm THE PLAINS (Island Trees and Levittown) OCEANSIDE Thursday, 5/21/20, 7:30pm Tuesday, 5/5/20, 7:30pm If you do not see PARK (New Hyde Park, your area listed, Garden City Park, and parts please contact of Floral Park) customercare@gsnc.org Monday, 5/11/20, 7:30pm for more information.

levylAkeside fourthgrAder michAel Minniti, 9, hosted a virtual foul shot contest on to benefit the First Responders’ Children’s Fund and City Harvest.

Courtesy Cindy Minniti

New Daisy Discovery

VALLEY STREAM Thursday, 5/21/20, 7:30pm WANTAGH Wednesday, 5/6/20, 7:30pm WARM (Williston Park, Albertson, East Hills Estates, East Williston, Old Westbury, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn Heights, Mineola) Wednesday, 5/13/20, 7:30pm WEST HEMPSTEAD Thursday, 5/21/20, 7:30pm

Her next step, powered by Girl Scouts.

1086625

By AlyssA seidmAn

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 30, 2020

‘Hoops to Help’ raises money for First Responders’ Children’s Fund, City Harvest

SGA raises nearly $1K to purchase face shields continued from front pAGe you video showing the meaningful impact they’ve had on our lives.”

The second initiative was a contactless collection drive on April 20 to benefit Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside. SGA Secretary Dylan Lipman has volunteered there since November 2019, and contacted an administrator to find out what items were needed for the hospital’s grab-and-go stations.

“There were a handful of students who set up tables outside their house, and local community members, neighbors and friends came together . . . to drop off generous donations,” Lipman said. “I couldn’t believe how much my table collected — I was able to fill up a whole SUV.” At the end of the day, students dropped off cases of water, Gatorade, snack foods and desserts at MSSN’s administrative offices in Baldwin — while wearing face masks and practicing social distancing. The association also purchased 50 face shields for hospital workers from LaMar Plastics in F ree por t — owned by a Kennedy alumnus, Joshua Aronson — after collecting nearly $1,000 on its website, kennedystudentgovernment.com.

T he third initiative is a social media campaign that highlights JFK alumni working on the front lines as doctors, nurses and EMTs. The profiles can be found on Kennedy’s Instagram page and Twitter feed.

“We at JFK are fortunate enough to be able to stay at home, unlike these heroic, front-line health care workers,” SGA Sen. Eric Giannaris said.

“We wanted to show our appreciation for their dedication during this pandemic.”

“The ‘Healthcare Heroes’ project has been a g reat way to reconnect with recent alumni, and to let them know how proud we all are of them,” SGA adviser Brad Seidman said. “I’m lucky to work with such dedicated and motivated young people who, during this tough time, have continued to find ways to serve their community.”

SGA’s goal, Giannaris said, is to continue these service efforts in the future.

dylAn mAnGer, fAr left, Hayley Kuhn, Bella Joslin, Gianna Jaramillo and Dylan Lipman loaded the last of the donations outside Mount Sinai South Nassau’s administration building in Baldwin. dylAn And pAiGe Lipman, near left, with some help from their pup, Harley, collected donations outside of their south Merrick home.

Photos courtesy Dylan Lipman

Every life matters to us …

Dear neighbor:

Courtesy Eric Giannaris

SGA Sen. eric Giannaris left some donations at the hospital’s drop-off location.

“I am immensely proud to have been president all year,” Iskols said.

“We have hardworking, dedicated and spirited members who are constantly focused on improving their school community.”

We live and work in this community. The lives of each and every one of you is important to us and we are here to tell your stories — from beginning to end. That includes the final chapter. At this difficult time, I want to remind you that obituaries in all Herald Community Newspapers are, and have always been, completely free.

COVID-19 has taken far too many, far to soon. Let us help you commemorate the life of your loved one with a story and photo celebrating their life. Contact our Executive Editor Scott Brinton, sbrinton@liherald.com or call 516-569-4000, ext 203, if you would like to memorialize a loved one in the Herald, regardless of their cause of death.

Stuart Richner Publisher srichner@liherald.com 1087105

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April 30, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

8

Away from schools, BMB stays on air agarcia@liherald.com

Just as the Central High School District’s prolonged school closure began on March 16, the students in the Bellmore-Merrick Broadcasting program sprang into action.

During the first weekend of the shutdown, students met independently to write, shoot and edit their weekly shows, “Morning Announcements” and “Midweek Update.” As the district shifted to remote learning, the Bellmore-Mer rick Broadcasting team stayed on the air, continuing to provide moments of levity amid the pandemic.

The students publish daily reports on their YouTube page, BMBroadcasting, offering local community updates and interviews with fellow students, business owners and frontline workers.

The weekly content — which also aims for laughs, such as the “How Not to Annoy Your Parents in a Pandemic” video — are posted seven days a week by a team of roughly 35 students, according to instructor Stuart Stein.

“It’s all the kids — they did it on their own,” Stein said of BMB’s quick transfer to a digital-only format. “Our hope in continuing to stay on the air was to create some sense of normalcy for our kids, and we hope we’re providing some normalcy for the community that watches our broadcasts.”

During weekly Zoom meetings, instructors distribute assignments that adhere to a strict social distancing policy. Assignments are split up among production teams, consisting of one upperclassman and one underclassman, who then have one week to produce their respective segments for the shows.

Most of BMB’s recent videos highlight how the community has been coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Rocco Law, a senior and the BMB sports director, has conducted several

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

ThE BEllmoRE-mERRICk BRoADCAsTING team held one of their weekly Zoom meetings to schedule upcoming content on April 17. interviews with athletes who have all lost sporting opportunities this year.

“A lot of students are going through a rough time, and we should share that,” Law said. “The video was something for everyone to see — to show the athletes what they’ve done [over] the last four years meant something.”

Freshman Haley Hepworth, a host of the daily reports, said working remotely has even given her “more motivation,” she said, despite lacking access to the school’s equipment and editing software. “We get to show people what the community is doing and give back to people who are helping others,” she said.

“It’s something to look forward to,” said Luke Melfa, a BMB host. “The amount of work put in [by students] is inspiring, and to see the videos come to fruition is really cool — even though

we’re not in the studio like we’d normally be.”

“I thought that the idea of closing wasn’t even in the realm of possibility” in early March, said Louis Saraceni, a junior in the program, “and even if we did, it would be for a week at the absolute maximum. So, I thought it would be a fun idea to try to record a ‘Midweek Update’ from home.”

“We try to keep stories relevant to the local community,” Stein added. “We also wanted the kids reporting from their own homes so other kids and adults around the district can get a window into what life is like for kids under quarantine. They’re documenting their own moment in history.”

BMB — which is in its fourth year and housed at Wellington C. Mepham High School — has also received nods for several awards. The group’s trip to the School Television Network’s convention in Washington, D.C., in early March was canceled, but STN is still dolling out awards — three BMB videos are nominated. “How Not to Annoy Your Parents in a Pandemic” has also been selected for the NYC Underground Online Comedy Festival.

“What we’re doing is for everyone in the community,” Law said. “We’re able to show what Bellmore-Merrick is really able to do.”

For more on BMB, follow their Instagram or Twitter, @BM_Broadcasting.

Public Notices

LBEL1 0430

COVID-19 EMERGENCY ADVISORY In order to comply and address current local, federal, and state mandates related to social distancing, the following advisory is submitted as part of the bid: 1.

The Bid Opening will be conducted via a live video/audio streaming.

2.

T h e information necessary to participate in the meeting via video/audio streaming will be included in the vendors bid information download.

Contact must be made via email only to mconi@bellmoremerrick.k12.ny.us relative to this advisory.

Specifications and instructions to bidders may be obtained by calling Educational Data Services, Inc. at 973-340-8800 OR by logging onto our website at www.ed-data.com.

Click vendors & fill out the Vendor Bid Enrollment form and fax to (973) 340-0078. Bids will be available ten (10) days before the bid due date listed in this notice to bidders.

No bids will be sent unless requested by the above procedure.

Bids will be addressed to the Board of Education, Attn: Ms. Mikaela Coni, Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, 1260 Meadowbrook Road, North Merrick, NY 11566.

BIDS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN SEALED ENVELOPES AND

CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE NAME OF THE BIDDER, BID TITLE, DATE AND TIME OF THE BID OPENING. The Board of Education reserves the right to waive any informalities in any bid, or to reject any or all bids, or to accept that bid, or any part of that bid, which is in its judgment is for the best interest of the school district. No bids shall be withdrawn pending the decision of the Board of Education.

PRICES MUST REMAIN FIRM FROM JULY 1, 2020 UNTIL JUNE 30, 2021.

M s. Mikaela Coni School Business Administrator & Purchasing Agent Dated: April 30, 2020 121669

Search for notices online at: www.mypublicnotices.com

Provided as a community service by:

516-569-4000

1081636

LEGAL NOTICE BELLMORE-MERRICK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 1260 MEADOWBROOK ROAD NORTH MERRICK, NY 11566 516-992-1090 NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Education of BellmoreMerrick Central High School District, Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, Merrick, NY at the Business Office, 1260 Meadowbrook Road, North Merrick, NY 11566-1500 on May 14, 2020 at 10:30am prevailing time for the 2020-2021 School Year for the following categories: ATHLETIC SUPPLIES MUSIC INSTRUMENTS AND SUPPLIES

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 30, 2020

By ANDREW GARCIA

9

HERALD

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Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460 E-mail you ad to: ereynolds@liherald.com E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads.

To pLACE your AD CALL 516-569-4000 - press 5

Every effort is made to insure the accuracy of your ad. Please check your ad at the first insertion. Credit will be made only for the first insertion. Credit given for errors in ads is limited to the printed space involved. Publisher reserves right to reject, cancel or correctly classify and ad.

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For Order Taking, Phones, Light Data, Commission, Entry, Will Train! $800.00 Per Week, Medical, Dental, 401K, 2 Weeks Vacation, Holiday Pay. Please Apply In Person MondayFriday Bet: 9AM and 7PM At CALLAHEAD CORP. 304 Cross Bay Blvd.

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NYworkers, 11572 Thank you to all ourOceanside, healthcare first responders, police officers, firefighters, grocery Interested in selling employees, military service members,your restaurant workers, delivery drivers, teachers, essential home, buying, or investing? service providers, and all those who are working Anto experienced Realtor, former Baldwin High keep our community safe. May all our School Business Educator, local resident for community members stay&safe and stay well.

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April 30, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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As an experienced Realtor, former Baldwin High School Business sell, & invest in residential andI’m commercial real Educator, & local resident for 35+ years, an expert in helping estate on & Long and and in New York real City. people buy, sell, investIsland in residential commercial estate throughout Long Island Newconfidential York City.

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THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING? Contact one of our hardworking professionals today for all of your real estate needs!

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FREE

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A. Well, not being a moth, I don’t know the threshold for when I could fly back to continue munching on that wool sweater, but the sap-producing odor of cedar does diminish after seven to 10 years. Also, for anyone who has ever actually smelled mothballs, I wonder how you got their little legs apart.

I think the former owner must have had a really bad experience with moths and/or lost a lot of clothing to them. The natural smell of cedar diminishes over time, as the oils in the wood dissipate into the air. In a closed space it may take longer, but the natural moth-repelling scent comes from the cutting of the wood and exposing the sap in the fibers. After you remove the cedar panels from the former closet and set up a new space, the cedar smell can be revived by lightly sanding the wood, which could have saved investing in mothballs altogether.

Mothballs are toxic to most pets, and although people think they can kill animals that intrude into attics or basements, they’re not recommended for this purpose. Mothballs, made from poisonous naphthalene or para-dicloro-benzene, not only are noxious smelling, but can cause serious illness to any animal, including humans. The more noticeable effects are eye and skin irritation, headaches, nausea and breathing problems, with nose and throat irritation that can cause continuous, unrelenting coughing. If you’re around the mothballs in that closet long enough, you may develop liver and kidney damage as the body struggles to deal with filtering the toxin.

The best and safest way to protect natural-fiber clothing, which is what moths and silverfish are after, is to store the garments in tightly closed containers that moths can’t pry open. Since I’ve never seen a moth flying around with a crowbar, this should be easy to do, and much safer than the toxic solutions previous generations used. I once measured a home to produce renovation drawings, and it had a large walk-in cedar closet. I was in that room for less than two minutes when I began to feel an extreme headache and coughing, so I know that it doesn’t take much to become ill from the scent.

With so many container types and shapes available, I recommend the less toxic method to store clothing. Good luck.

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Q. We have an old Victorian that has a large closet, almost the size of a bedroom, next to the master bedroom. The closet is covered in cedar wood, which we were told can protect clothes from moths.

We wondered why the previous owner did that, since they also spread mothballs Ask The all around the closet. We want to make the master Architect bedroom bigger by using part of the closet and taking out the cedar. Can the cedar be reused if we put it in the basement? We wonder whether cedar loses the ability to discourage moths and why the former owner also used mothballs? Any thoughts?

Organize With alice

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 30, 2020

Cedar closets and mothballs

11

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opinions

s we suffer through pandemicmandated home confinement, the media becomes more and more important to us each day.

We follow it for information, for comfort, for life-saving advice and for ways to keep us from having nervous breakdowns.

In every time of crisis, some figures emerge that either capture our attention or stand out because of their impact on our lives, one way or another.

President Trump and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have commanded the continuous attention of us JeRRY New Yorkers, kReMeR because both have our fate in their hands in different ways. Obviously, the president has a major role at the national level, and as a state, we look to the governor. Both have traveled bumpy roads, but as time now shows, there are more differences between the two than similarities.

Knowing both men fairly well, I think back over the years on how each followed a chosen path to get to where they are

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today: in our face on a daily basis. The political world and the business world are like two different planets, and they presented different challenges to Cuomo and Trump. The president was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, and the governor came from a family of modest means.

They’re both from Queens.

Trump struggled over the years to prove that he wasn’t just his father’s son, and Cuomo had an uphill fight to prove that he was a worthy heir to the Cuomo family name. When Trump made a lot of mistakes in the real estate business, he turned to his lawyers and family to bail him out.

Andrew Cuomo had a brilliant mentor in his father, and made only one political mistake, which was his misguided decision to challenge State Comptroller Carl McCall for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2002.

Those headaches briefly held both Trump and Cuomo back from their goals to get to the top of their respective mountains, but not for long. After their setbacks, each one decided that he would keep pushing, and nothing would get in the way. Trump was determined to

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emerge from his financial failures and make the world believe he was a business genius. With the smart use of public relations and a lot of lucky breaks, he became a household name thanks to the wildly popular television series “The Apprentice.” And, over the years, he managed to put his name on countless buildings and projects.

Cuomo didn’t have the benefit of a money machine behind him, but he always had a fierce determination to win, and understood the political world a lot more than any adversary. Time heals all wounds — even political ones — and in 2006, he decided to run for attorney general. He ran a highly professional office, and proved that he was his own man. Four years later, he turned his attention to mounting a campaign for governor, and, now in his third term, he has emerged as a national figure.

So today, Trump and Cuomo are in the spotlight at the same time, and the differences between them have emerged for all to see.

The president has his bully pulpit, with his nightly TV coronavirus brief-

governor and a president share the spotlight, but in very different ways.

ings. At the same time, however, Cuomo has become a national celebrity with his daily briefings. The president holds forth in two-hour sessions laced with insults of the media and repeated insistence on being thanked for everything he has or hasn’t done. Cuomo presents facts and statistics, and gives viewers the feeling that he really cares about who lives or dies. There are 49 other governors, but at this point Cuomo leads the pack.

There is no doubt Trump believes that his daily pronouncements will help his re-election chances. But there is such a thing as too much exposure, and too much of the same wears on the average voter. On the other hand, Cuomo’s daily sessions have attracted a legion of new followers, and his prominence may play an important role in his political life years from now.

Unplanned as it was, the competition between the two guys from Queens has been a clear win for Cuomo.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column?

JKremer@liherald.com.

Having the ‘best words’ never mattered more

am reading so many good words these days, but sadly, none of them are coming from the president.

That’s a shame, because throughout history, words have inspired people to resist tyranny, to slog through depressions and to find their better selves in times of crisis.

What leaps to mind? “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” or “Give me liberty or give me death” or “No taxation without representation.”

Sober and inspiring, right?

Last week, I’m pretty sure I heard Donald Trump RAndi spewing nonsense kReiss about ultraviolet light and disinfectants curing Covid-19. He said he was just putting it out there; he was just thinking out loud.

What’s the harm?

The terrible harm is that he is a font of abysmal ignorance, and his advice is taken to heart by many people who believe what he says because he is, unfortunately, the president of the United States. I know some of you read these words and want to remind me of the

respect due a president. I say to that: Respect is earned. Trump has trampled every opportunity to speak truth to the American people, to support the scientists who are on the front lines and to create an organized federal response to this pandemic. His lying has always been disturbing, but now it has become lethal.

If you believe what he says and you also hope to live a full life, just check with your doctor before you inject any disinfectant.

Two weeks ago, Trump used the word “liberate” to rally the know-nothings who see social distancing, a proven life-saving strategy, as some kind of infringement of their right to go back to work or out to the local bar. That particular word, “liberate,” was intentionally used to foment protest among Trump’s base.

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman said it with his own excellent prose: “Think about the use of that word.

We were not in jail! We were not doing something wrong! We were doing what our president, governor, mayor and national epidemic experts told us to do: behave responsibly and shelter in place . . . Trump was cynically trying to curry

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favor with his base by implying that the Democratic governors … were unfairly locking people up. Is there anything more irresponsible that this president could do?”

That was before Doctor Trump started free-associating about disinfectants and ultraviolet light.

Fortunately, the best words are also being offered by thinkers and writers who choose to lift us up. Mindfulness expert Jack Kornfield wrote in the Times magazine: “The feeling that we have so little control over how death could touch us in this instance — that’s what a lot of these current anxieties come down to, right? We’re worried about ourselves or the ones we love dying from Covid-19 . . . It’s wild that we have our personalities and our bodies and full lives and families and then, poof, they’re gone. We look for a story . . . What I know from 50 years of meditation and doing hospice work is that we’re not just this body. You are made of spirit. And the spirit makes it so that even if people have died, we’re still profoundly connected to them in love. In that sense, they haven’t exactly died. They are in us, not

hose words are coming from thinkers and writers who choose to lift us up.

only in our hearts but also somehow in our very being. Knowing this doesn’t take away the power of that grief to shake us to our roots, but it lets us know something bigger than all of that: Who I am is not just this body. We are consciousness.”

Seeing the beauty in Kornfield’s words gives me faith that we will also understand this time more fully when our fiction writers begin using this global pandemic as grist for the literary mill.

Writer Sloane Crosley reminds us that things are moving too quickly now to have any perspective, but with the advantage of time, we may find ourselves reading another “Don Quixote” or “The Grapes of Wrath” or “The Plague,” all inspired by historic tragedies.

Time is the critical ingredient. As Crosley said in a Times article, the sensational, get-it-while-it’s-hot treatment of world events often disappoints. Fiction writers, she said, are only now getting World War I right, which may be a bit of an exaggeration.

We can only hope that our best writers are busy taking notes so that someday they can summon their own best words to explain this crazy time to the rest of us.

Copyright 2020 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 30, 2020

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Cuomo puts the other guy from Queens to shame

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To Congress: Fund the states — now

side from the slings and arrows thrown more sparingly than usual by President Trump, the nearly two-month-long coronavirus crisis has been largely free of the bitter partisan politics that have roiled our nation in recent years.

Until last week, that is.

Yes, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, perhaps unsurprisingly, went there even now, as families across the country have been reeling amid a steadily mounting Covid-19 death toll.

After offering desperately needed financial relief to small businesses, Congress began debating whether to fund states whose annual budgets have been decimated because of the coronavirus. McConnell’s pathetic response: Fund yourselves or declare bankruptcy, saying he would have no more “blue state bailouts.”

That clearly angered Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who for weeks had called on Congress to fund the states, noting that New York is staring down a historically high $10 billion to $15 billion gap in its budget.

Without federal intervention, New York

How to write your U.s. representative Go to these websites to reach your local congressional representatives: ■ U.S. Rep. Peter King, 2nd District, peteking.house.gov.

■ U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi, 3rd District, suozzi.house.gov.

■ U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, 4th District, kathleenrice.house.gov.

■ U.S. Sen. Char les Schumer, schumer.senate.gov.

■ U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, gillibrand.senate.gov. might be forced to cut 20 percent of aid for essential services like fire, police, hospitals and schools.

Such cuts would mean steep, across-theboard staffing cuts, Cuomo warned, but

there would be no choice. With income tax collections halted at the moment and sales taxes bottoming out, the state is now essentially broke, when only two months ago it was solvent.

Cuomo fired back at McConnell, arguing that, year after year, New York contributes more than any other state than it receives in federal aid. Meanwhile, McConnell’s home state of Kentucky is among the states that contributes the least to the federal coffers, but among those that take the most in aid.

“Just give me my money back, Senator,” Cuomo implored McConnell.

If Congress were to refuse to fund the states to make their budgets whole again, then “you will see a collapse of this national economy,” Cuomo said.

We urge New Yorkers to write to their congressional representatives to show support for swift action to fund the states and avoid an economic catastrophe of even greater proportions than we have already seen. Local representatives’ websites are listed in the box.

Keep extending the Ocean Parkway bike trail

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ith most people confined to their homes by the coronavirus pandemic and itching to get out into open space, it becomes abundantly clear that Nassau County is lacking when it comes to bike trails.

The county has fewer than 50 miles of bike trails, compared with New York City, which has 450, and Suffolk County, which has 370. So Nassau residents have long had a hard time finding a place to ride freely, unconcerned about the presence of cars.

Now, as the weather (finally) warms, and with people unable to work out at their gyms, many are turning to cycling for exercise.

But too many are forced to ride on

streets, unprotected from the vehicles around them. True, there are fewer cars on the roads, but it’s still much safer to ride on trails, away from traffic. It’s also better for motorists. Many drivers now find themselves navigating among pedestrians, runners, cyclists, inline skaters and skateboarders.

What cyclists need are safe places to ride, removed from suburban streets.

Historically, Nassau lawmakers have not seen the importance of bike trails, as those in New York City and Suffolk County have. The thinking has been, people drive, so why bother with bike trails?

Those trails give people a place to exercise and enjoy themselves in a safe setting.

That’s all the reasoning needed. The coro-

letters A phased reopening To the Editor: As we look to the months that lie ahead, we must ask the question: How can we build back better? There is no returning to yesterday — there is only moving forward.

In the months ahead, employers will need to rethink how workplaces can be safer. Our health care system

will have to become harder and more resilient. Our technology must improve. This pandemic has altered New York, and we have been through hell, but we must learn the lessons of this crisis in order to reimagine a better society.

Last Sunday, I outlined a phased plan to safely reopen New York at the appropriate time, taking a regional approach. Phase One will be to

navirus crisis only further illustrates how important they are.

The five-mile-long Wantagh Parkway bike trail, which leads down to Jones Beach, was crowded last weekend, but most users managed to keep a safe distance from one another (see story inside). It is one of just a handful of bike trails in the county. The only other major trail loops for 10 miles around the Hub, in the center of the county.

New York state has committed to a 10-mile, $16.2 million extension of the existing three-mile-long Ocean Parkway bike trail, itself an extension of the Wantagh Parkway trail. Let’s hope, given the current economic crisis, the state is still able to build it.

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opinions

mid a global pandemic, colleges nationwide have indefinitely shifted classes online. With students no longer using campus facilities and resources, they have created petitions and filed class-action lawsuits calling for tuition reduction and reimbursement. This discontent arises against the backdrop of a turbulent economy, historically high tuition costs and record levels of student loan debt.

Now is the time to take definitive action on higher education reform to best position our next generaoLiver tion of students. roberts But the current mainstream reform proposals — like free college and debt cancellation — engender uncompromising, hyperpartisan reactions, which inevitably lead to inaction. If we truly want to improve our higher education system, we must pursue a bipartisan approach that reduces tuition costs and student loan debt, expands college opportunities for high school students, and requires no increase in taxes.

Currently, there is only one proposal that adequately fulfills these goals: Degree-in-Three reform. It calls for tran-

sitioning the college system away from the traditional four-year degree model to three-year degrees. Tuition would be reduced by 25 percent, students would have fewer loans and interest to pay back, more could afford college degrees, and they could seek employment and start earning salaries a year earlier.

According to Paul Weinstein, director of graduate programs at John Hopkins University, colleges could eliminate a year by shifting to a trimester system, adding a winter term, removing redundant class requirements, focusing on early declarations of majors, offering crossover master’s classes for students pursuing graduate degrees, and accepting more A.P. credit equivalents.

One criticism of Degree-in-Three reform is that reducing the length of a college career could potentially compromise the quality of education. But many universities — more than 30, according to Weinstein — already offer three-year degree programs. In addition, most colleges now allow students to substitute internship experience for classroom credit, and some even allow internships to fulfill a full semester’s worth of credit.

So colleges could eliminate a year by creating formal summer internship programs-for-credit that buttress classroom

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egreein-Three reform presents a bipartisan solution to a divisive issue.

Letters reopen low-risk construction and manufacturing businesses in parts of the state that have experienced a 14-day decline in the hospitalization rate. Phase Two will open certain industries based on priority and risk level. (Businesses considered “more essential,” with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to customers, will be prioritized.) Officials are closely monitoring the hospitalization rate, the infection rate and other key health indicators, and will make adjustments to the plan based on this crucial data.

There will be a two-week waiting period in between phases of this plan, to monitor the effect. This will help ensure that the hospitalization and infection rates do not increase as some workers begin to return to work.

Businesses and industries will create plans that include new measures to protect employees and consumers.

The physical workplace will have to be reimagined to be safer, and businesses must implement processes that reduce the risk of infection. The state is consulting with local leaders in each region and industry to formulate these plans.

Multi-state coordination is key, especially in downstate New York,

instruction.

With colleges already recognizing the interchangeable nature of classroom instruction and internship experience, students earning employment opportunities and gaining real-world experience earlier could hardly be viewed as compromising their education and development. And with incoming freshmen now face uncertain economic futures, maximizing work experience through internships could best prepare them for, and significantly improve their competitiveness in, future job markets.

Underscoring its bipartisan political appeal, Degreein-Three reform wouldn’t require a single dollar of additional taxes, and would deliver wide-ranging economic benefits. With lower tuition costs, less student loan debt and an additional year of salary, the improved financial posture of college graduates would enable greater economic investment on their part — the purchase of cars and homes. Entering the workforce one year earlier, college graduates would also bolster our Social Security System through additional payroll taxes.

Further, by allowing students to graduate in three years, colleges could open up more seats in their incoming classes, which would mean more opportunities

Ever upward, GOv. ANDREW M. CUOMO

Ready for their YouTube moment — Salisbury

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for high school students to attend competitive colleges and pursue their desired career paths. By doing so, colleges would be able to offset any potential profit losses from the transition to three-year degrees. We foll for life Degree-in-Three reform presents a bipartisan solution to a divisive national us from In e issue. Republicans have long proposed reducing the government’s role in admin- emerge istering loans in favor of private-sector lending, while Democrats have advanced free college and debt cancellation. Given these opposing approaches, bipartisan action would seem highly unlikely.

But Degree-in-Three Reform caters to both parties’ interests, while still preserving the opportunity for each party to tout its preferred solutions to the problems it sees with the college system. With a three-year degree model, college tuition and loan debt would decrease, and more students would be able to attend college, making Democrats happy. And those benefits would accrue without raising taxes, and reduce government’s role in adminis- ways. O tering student loans, which would please major state, w Republicans. travele In the meantime, Degree-in-Three shows, reform would have already cut tuition costs by 25 percent, reduced student loan betwee Kno debt and delivered wide-ranging macroback ov economic benefits. a chose Oliver Roberts, who lives in Massapequa, is a second-year student at Harvard Law School. Comments about this column?

Oroberts@jd21.law.harvard.edu.

FrAmework by Laura Lane

where the outbreak has been more severe. We will work with neighboring states to ensure safe and consistent policies. Downstate, special attention will be taken to ensure the safety of low-income communities.

Last Saturday, the total number of hospitalizations fell to 13,839 — returning to the level of March 31.

This is a positive trend, but it is still far higher than we would like to see. I am very saddened to say we lost 367 New Yorkers that day, down from 437 the previous day. Every day, this is the worst, most devastating news that I must give to New Yorkers.

The state’s essential workers were to be honored with an air show on Tuesday. The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds were set to fly over the metropolitan area as a tribute to all the workers on the front lines of this pandemic. “This is our way of showing that we are all in this together and that America’s spirit will prevail,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Navy Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday noted in a joint statement.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 30, 2020

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