East Meadow Herald 09-19-2024

Ceremony features Chris Macchio Page 10

east meadow

By JoRDAN VA

The Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow has officially opened its new Com munity Outreach Center — which aims to increase the hospital’s connection to surround ing areas and the people it serves.

The outreach center is the first of its kind at NUMC, and will feature a food pantry, provide assistance for Medicaid enrollment, offer career development initiatives, prescription education, among many other programs and services. The new center will also provide services to those impacted by the criminal justice system, assist ing them in making a smooth transition back into society.

“As Nassau’s only public hospital, NUMC is

Ryan said over the last few months, the hospi tal has been making many improvements, including streamlining its community outreach programs. It currently runs 300 programs throughout the county, which draws thousands

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professionals.

Cigars, raffles and community spirit

The East Meadow Fire Department’s Engine Company No. 2 hosted its third annual Cigar Smokeout at the Fireman’s Benevolent Hall in East Meadow. Above, firefighters and attendees gathered for a good time with food, drinks and of course, cigars. Story, more photos, Page 3.

NUMC opens first-of-its-kind Community Outreach Center

By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com

The Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow has officially opened its new Community Outreach Center — which aims to increase the hospital’s connection to surrounding areas and the people it serves.

The outreach center is the first of its kind at NUMC, and will feature a food pantry, provide assistance for Medicaid enrollment, offer career development initiatives, prescription education, among many other programs and services. The new center will also provide services to those impacted by the criminal justice system, assisting them in making a smooth transition back into society.

“As Nassau’s only public hospital, NUMC is

deeply rooted in our community,” Meg Ryan, the hospital’s interim president and chief executive officer, said at the outreach center’s Sept. 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We work daily with the county’s first responders, law enforcement, senior centers, libraries, schools, places of worship and, of course, community-based organizations.”

Ryan said over the last few months, the hospital has been making many improvements, including streamlining its community outreach programs. It currently runs 300 programs throughout the county, which draws thousands of participants annually.

NUMC recently held a back-to-school giveaway, distributing backpacks, books, additional supplies and raffle prizes to 350 attendees. Last

Island Harvest plays big role in hunger relief

By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com

Randi Shubin Dresner, the president and chief executive officer of Island Harvest Food Bank, joined Nassau County officials last week to promote Hunger Action Month — and suggested ways that residents can give back to those facing food insecurity.

Shubin Dresner, who was named the East Meadow Herald’s Person of the Year in 2012 for her efforts in the community, has worked with Island Harvest since 2001.

port.

“We are a very prosperous county,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at a Sept. 10 news conference in Mineola, “but we have people in this county who are struggling. We are a county that takes care of those who need a little extra help.”

e’re on the side of action.

R ANDi ShuBiN DRESNER

President and chief executive officer, Island Harvest Food Bank

Island Harvest is a leading hunger-relief organization, with a stout mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island while handling emergency responses for food and other resources across the region.

The organization directly supports a wide network of community-based nonprofit organizations, as well as individuals, veterans’ families and seniors who are in need of sup-

The county has run programs and held food drives in the past, featuring Long Island stars like Madison Beer, a singer and songwriter from Jericho. The county has also held drives catered around specific holidays, like Thanksgiving, to help those struggling to sit down for a traditional meal.

In addition to Blakeman, county officials who attended the news conference included Elaine Phillips, the county comptroller and a longtime supporter of Island Harvest, Legislator Samantha Goetz, and Anissa Moore, the deputy county executive.

Blakeman declared Sept. 10 “Hunger Action Day” in Nassau

Continued on page 5

Mike Monahan/Herald

EAST MEADOW FIRE DEPARTMENT

Cigars and spirt at EMFD’s annual smokeout

The East Meadow Fire Department’s Engine Company No. 2 recently held its 3rd Annual Cigar Smokeout, drawing crowds of community members — and of course firefighters — who came out for a good time.

Held at the Fireman’s Benevolent Hall on Maple Avenue in East Meadow, a ticketed entry included three premium cigars, dinner, drinks, music and more. There were door prizes and a 50/50 raffle, along with other items to be won. Cigar packages could be purchased for an additional fee.

The event was sponsored by many local businesses, and was a major success.

“On behalf of the officers and members of Engine Copany No. 2, we would like to thank our sponsors and supporters who came out,” the company wrote on Facebook.

The fire department serves East Meadow and parts of Levittown and Salisbury, and is always seeking new members. Volunteering comes with benefits such as tax breaks, college scholarships, health checkups, life insurance, and a service award pension program, all at no cost to volunteers.

For more information on how to join, visit EastMeadowFD.com or call (516) 542-4565.

–Jordan Vallone

Attendees enjoyed food, drinks and more.

Mike Monahan/Herald photos

A tent propped up on the property housed the crowds that came out for the smokeout.

The East Meadow Fire Department’s Engine Company No. 2 had a successful Cigar Smokeout on Sept. 7. Bill Gillespie and Joe Svercel at the event, held at Fireman’s Benevolent Hall.

Phil Gimber and Ryan Iapidus checked out a booth set up.

The event’s Michael Baumann and Frank Ciaccio. There was plenty of food, drinks — and of course cigars — to go around at the smokeout.

Hospital finding new ways to help patients

month, the hospital also announced that a healthcare clinic would begin offering evening hours every Tuesday and Wednesday, from 6 to 9 p.m., providing general, pediatric and women’s health services. NUMC is the only public hospital on Long Island, and it treats all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

“We wanted to create a new office, make it organized, visible and, most importantly, accessible,” Ryan said. “We formed a community outreach team, and this office now will be located centrally.”

The Community Outreach Center is located within the main entrance hallway of the hospital, just a few feet past its Carman Avenue doors, through which the vast majority of patients enter.

The center will have a mix of county programs and NUMC programs, and Ryan said the hospital is “looking forward to serving the public,” as it does every day.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, said the new center demonstrates the county’s commitment to the hospital, which over the last several years has faced financial challenges due to state funding cuts.

variety of health

and

“I’m very proud that you have this outreach center, because it demonstrates that we keep moving forward,” he said. “We want to excel, we want to do better, but more importantly, we want to get the community involved. This is an important health care facility — one of the most important in the state.”

Planning

The outreach center also includes Nassau County’s “Step Center” — a reentry success program providing free, comprehensive and effective services to justice-impacted men and women, and their families. Hospital administrators said the Step Center would help people “access the resources necessary for a successful transition back into society” and that it “aims to support individuals as they navigate critical next steps following interactions with police and the courts, helping them reintegrate successfully into their communities.”

For and Executing Inheritances (Part Two)

Early on, we learned the estate planning phrase “There’s nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals.” Who has children that are all the same?

Some children have received signifcant help from parents during their lifetimes while others haven’t. Many parents choose the “forgiveness provision” to address this situation at death, to either “equalize” any gifts made to some children during lifetime with those who did not or, in the alternative, to “forgive” any loans made to children and then make a gift in like amount to each of the other children by inheritance, before the estate is divvied up in equal shares. Lifetime gifts may also be ignored.

Next up is the problem of children who are partially or wholly estranged. Many clients wish to leave them a token amount but there are pitfalls to consider. One who is left considerably less than their siblings will often be angry and upset. They may demand that their siblings disclose what they received and even to pony up their equal share. Not only that, but the burden of telling that estranged child they are getting

&

less and delivering the paltry amount is left to the children who you wish to favor!

In our view, it is sometimes better to leave an estranged child out altogether than to stir up all the issues surrounding an inheritance much smaller than equal.

There are many valid reasons, however, to treat children differently. Some may have alcohol or substance abuse issues, learning disabilities or special needs, they may be immature and irresponsible, poor at handling money or a “soft touch” and, fnally, they may have a spouse that dominates them and you do not want to see that controlling spouse get your money.

Sometimes parents leave more to the “needy” child, the old adage being that “the tongue always turns to the aching tooth”. If so, other children’s feelings may need to be addressed. A letter to be opened after your death, explaining what you did and why, may go a long way towards soothing hurt feelings and avoiding misunderstandings, what we term the “emotional legacy”.

LAW FIRM

or email info@trustlaw.com

The Step Center was a collaborative initiative between the hospital, the Nassau County Department of Social Services, Department of Human Resources and local law enforcement. It will offer a variety of services, including probation check-ins, mental health intake, social services, housing assistance, workforce development and family services.

■ Food pantry ■ Medicaid enrollment programs ■ Career development initiatives ■ Prescription education

■ Nassau County ‘Step Center’ to help justice-impacted individuals smoothly transition back into society

NUMC hosted its first open house on Sept. 17, where attendees were able to meet the hospital’s doctors and take a tour of the facility, as well as receive Narcan trainings, health screenings, education material, flu shots and more. For more information on NUMC’s services, and questions about the new Community Outreach Center and the Step Center, call (516) 296-2345, or visit NUMC.edu.

Jordan Vallone/Herald

nassau university medical Center opened its new Community outreach Center last week,

social services to its patients.

Working together for Hunger Action Month

County, and provided Shubin Dresner with a citation for the occasion. September is considered Hunger Action Month, and the dome of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive Legislative Building was lit up in orange to signify the county’s commitment to combating food insecurity.

“Island Harvest is grateful for your partnership,” Shubin Dresner told Blakeman at the news conference. “We have received incredible amounts of funding that has ensured that we can provide important food and services to our neighbors all across Nassau County.”

Shubin Dresner said even though Nassau County has some of the wealthiest residents living within its zip codes in the country, Island Harvest helps more than 100,000 neighbors in need. This year, the food bank expects to distribute 10 millions pounds of food in Nassau County alone, as well as foods to its service partners.

“Who are our neighbors in need?” Shubin Dresner said. “Many of the people who are getting food from Island Harvest are working — working sometimes one and two and sometimes three jobs, just to make ends meet.

“Parents who are choosing to eliminate meals for themselves, so that their children can eat three meals a day, and sadly senior citizens who are having to choose between taking medicines or not, so they can save up those medicines and redress some of their funds to buy food for themselves,” she added.

Island Harvest is also dedicated to helping veterans and military families. “It’s hard to believe there are many, many veterans who are struggling with food insecurity,” Shubin Dresner said.

Nassau County residents can help Island Harvest

through its food donor program, which helps form partnerships with retailers to cut back on commercial food waste, by donating food and funds at drives and online, and by volunteering with the organization.

“We’re on the side of action,” Shubin Dresner said. “We are providing support, and importantly, we’re

providing 10 million pounds of food so we can be sure that our neighbors don’t have to worry about where their next meal comes from.”

For more information about Island Harvest, and how it helps children, families, seniors and veterans, visit IslandHarvest.org.

Jordan Vallone/Herald

Working closely to help neighbors in need are, second from right, randi Shubin dresner, island Harvest food Bank president and chief executive officer; Legislator Samantha goetz; anissa moore, the deputy county executive; nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman; and County Comptroller elaine phillips.

LUKE VILLELLA

Oceanside Senior Football

A TWO-TIME ALL-COUNTY selection in baseball, Villella is looking to accomplish the same accolades this football season while leading the Sailors to a deep playoff run in Nassau Conference I. He set the tone on opening night Sept. 6, rushing for a pair of touchdowns and throwing for a score in Oceanside’s 42-39 home victory over defending county and Long Island champion Massapequa. He threw for 189 yards, going 8-for-13 through the air.

GAMES TO WATCH

Thursday, Sept. 19

Girls Soccer: Lynbrook at Wantagh 5 p.m.

Girls Soccer: Oceanside at Garden City 5 p.m.

Boys Soccer: V.S. South at Seaford 6:30 p.m.

Girls Volleyball: Long Beach at Mepham 6:45 p.m.

Girls Volleyball: South Side at Massapequa 6:45 p.m.

Girls Volleyball: Farmingdale at East Meadow 6:45 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 20

Girls Soccer: Freeport at Uniondale 4:30 p.m.

Boys Soccer: East Meadow at V.S. Central 5 p.m.

Boys Soccer: Carey at Calhoun 5 p.m.

Boys Soccer: Kennedy at Elmont 5 p.m.

Football: Elmont at South Side 6 p.m.

Football: Wantagh at Locust Valley 6 p.m.

Football: Plainview at East Meadow 6:30 p.m.

Football: Oceanside at Syosset 6:30 p.m.

Football: New Hyde Park at MacArthur 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21

Football: Carey at Long Beach 11 a.m.

Football: Plainedge at West Hempstead 1 p.m.

Football: V.S. South at North Shore 2 p.m.

Football: East Rockaway at Lawrence 2 p.m.

Football: Clarke at Hewlett 3 p.m.

Football: Freeport at V.S. Central 3 p.m.

Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”

High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a fall sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.

Clarke embracing a fresh start

By NIKO SCARLATOS sports@liherald.com

Progress. That’s what the Clarke girls’ soccer team is looking for this fall.

Sure enough in her 19th year as coach, Becky Wachsberger has already seen tons of it. After going winless in conference play a season ago, the Rams started this season 2-0, scoring 11 combined goals while allowing none in those two wins.

“We were in a hard conference last year,” Wachsberger said. “We learned a lot and have already seen improvements.”

Clarke’s two captains are Alessandra Condoleo and Chaeeum Kim. An example of the improvement shown so far is the play of Condoleo, who already found the back of the net twice. As for Kim, her versatility is quite valuable. “She can play multiple positions and is so quick,” Wachsberger said of Kim. “She is such a harder worker and a great leader.” Both Kim and Condoleo are. “I want the other players to go to my captains before they come to me.”

Another important senior, on what is a youthful roster, is Isabella Romano. “She’s a great defender who also works her butt off,” Wachsberger said. “It’s been great to see her take that next step in developing her game.”

As for the younger players, Isabella Torres is an excellent example of someone who could help the Rams be better than last season. “Talk about someone that plays like a bull,” Wachsberger said. “There’s zero fear in her when she’s out there doing a really nice job for us.”

Leading the way on offense has been none other than Allison DeLuca. She scored 5 times in the first two Conference A/B2 games. It is safe to say that in Clarke’s 8-0 win over Valley Stream North Sept. 4 and 3-0 win over Valley Stream South Sept. 7, DeLuca played a pivotal role in the success.

Wachsberger’s squad even has an eighth grader who has been making big contributions. “Alexa Maia is another player that can do it all,” Wachsberger said. “She plays more in the back but even she has found the back of the net this season.”

Alongside all these great players, a

Coming off a tough 2023 campaign, the Rams have had

the early going with a pair of shutout victories.

team is nothing without stellar goalkeeping and that is exactly what Clarke has gotten to begin its season. Not one but two shutouts for Roxanna David, a junior who’s holding the fort down.

Wachsberger is hoping the early September results is the start of something really special, not just this year, but in future seasons too. “We’re a younger group this year,” she said. “I have a feeling we have the potential to be good for a

very long time.”

Wachsberger has been doing this for a while. But things are not how they used to be. “I’m not nearly as hard on them as I used to be,” she said. “When I had kids of my own, I became a little softer but I still make sure to hold them accountable with the same goal in mind that I had nearly 20 years ago.”

The Rams host Lawrence and Oyster Bay this week.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

plenty to celebrate in

Mikulin stresses commitment to constituents

By Mike Polansky Correspondent

Republican Assemblyman John K. Mikulin is seeking re-election against Democratic challenger Harpreet Singh Toor in the 17th Assembly District. Mikulin is also running on the Conservative line.

it’s a strain on our system, and we need policies that put our people first.

A Bethpage resident, Mikulin graduated from Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville and earned a bachelor’s degree in government, a master’s in public administration from St. John’s University, and a law degree from Touro Law Center.

JoHn k. MikUlin

17th Assembly District

Before serving in the Assembly, he served as president of the Island Trees Public Library board and deputy Town of Hempstead attorney. He has been a member of St. James Roman Catholic Church in Seaford and lives with his wife, Corinne, and their newborn son.

The November ballot includes a proposed amendment to the New York state Constitution that would ban discrimination based on gender identity and pregnancy outcomes. Mikulin opposes the amendment, arguing it could allow transgender women to compete in female sports.

“If you are a biological male, you shouldn’t be competing in women’s sports,” he said.

On abortion, Mikulin criticizes New York’s cur -

rent laws, which he claims allow abortions up to birth. He is “pro-life” but would consider voting for less restrictive legislation after reviewing the bill.

Mikulin also advocates for ending New York’s sanctuary status, citing $2 billion in expenditures on services for undocumented immigrants since 2017.

“It’s a strain on our system, and we need policies that put our people first,” he said.

Mikulin opposes a new state law moving local elections to even-numbered years, fearing that national issues will overshadow local ones and ballots will become too complicated. He voted against the measure on the floor because, like fellow Republicans, he believes it will create ballots that are too large and confusing that will “drown out local elections.”

Mikulin supports maintaining state aid for local schools and opposes unfunded mandates from Albany. He also believes New York City receives a disproportionate amount of aid — an opinion he shares with his Democratic opponent.

Mikulin takes pride in addressing constituent concerns, and views his role as service-oriented. “Whether it’s a pothole, a road needing repair or an unemployment issue, I focus on what I can do to help,” he said.

Toor hopes to share his ideas at state level

By Mike Polansky Correspondent

Democrat Harpreet Singh Toor seeks the seat in the 17th Assembly District. He is challenging Republican incumbent John Mikulin.

Toor, originally from Punjab, India, has been a U.S. resident since 1982. He holds a bachelor’s degree in math and economics from Punjabi University.

His career includes roles with New York City agencies and as a tax accountant. Toor has run unsuccessfully for New York City Council twice and has held leadership roles with the Sikh Cultural Society. A widower with two grown sons, he lives in East Meadow since 1994 and appeared in “Learning to Drive.”

The November ballot includes a proposed amendment to the New York state Constitution that would ban discrimination based on gender identity and pregnancy outcomes.

reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

Toor, influenced by his experience when his wife was pregnant during cancer treatment, believes government should not regulate abortion access, but said he has not yet taken a position on the amendment.

While acknowledging issues at the southern border, he believes immigration should be addressed at the federal level.

i n the Sikh religion, like all the religions of the world, we are supposed to share.

HaRPReeT

TooR Challenger, 17th Assembly District

Toor supports equal treatment but shares concerns about transgender athletes in women’s sports, suggesting they should compete in a separate category.

“I don’t want to keep transgender males from competing, but let them compete in their own category,” he said.

Voters will be asked to approve a measure on the ballot that would legalize abortion in the state constitution. While the Equal Protection of Law Amendment doesn’t explicitly mention abortion, it is designed to protect against anything the government does to affect a person’s “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and

“It is not a question of New York alone or the blue states. It is an American issue that needs to be addressed collectively,” he said, advocating for continued support for immigrants while seeking to re duce taxpayer costs.

In the meantime, he favors continuation of the status quo in New York while at the same time “robustly making efforts to find jobs for the immigrants and take other action to lessen the cost to taxpayers,” he said.

“In the Sikh religion, like all the religions of the world, we are supposed to share,” Toor added.

He agrees with his opponent and opposes another question on the ballot, which would, if approved, move local elections to even-numbered years, bringing them in line with state and national elections.

He maintains that if there is a “wave” for one party in a combined election year that the system of checks and balances that are essential in a democratic society will be hurt.

“From that perspective, if it hurts checks and balances, I cannot support it,” he said.

Also, like his opponent, Toor opposes the state levying unfunded mandates on schools, emphasizing that

Mikulin’s challenger, Harpreet Toor, says he believes government should not regulate abortion access, but is undecided on the Equal Protection of Law Amendment.

all state mandates should be fully funded.

Reflecting on his mother’s philosophy, he emphasizes that effective handling of issues leads to lasting results.

“Money will come and go, but issues handled properly will stay until time ends,” Toor said.

Herald file photo

Republican Assemblyman John K. Mikulin, of Bethpage, who is seeking re-election, opposes Proposal 1, the state Equal Rights Amendment.

Harald file photo

Stony Brook hockey set to begin new era

By ANTHONY DICOCCO

Special to the Herald

Starting with the 2025-26 season, the Stony Brook hockey team will begin a new chapter of its story that may aid in expanding its recruiting reach across Nassau County.

Last month, the Seawolves announced that this upcoming season would be the team’s 14th and final year in the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League. Beginning with the 2025-26 campaign, Stony Brook is set to join a brand-new conference — the Atlantic Coast Conference Hockey League.

The ACCHL will have North and South divisions. Stony Brook, Pittsburgh, Delaware, Syracuse and Oswego State in the North. The South will consist of Alabama, Louisville, North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina.

Due to the conference relocation, Stony Brook players from Nassau County are hoping that more players from their area will be inclined to join the program. Currently, there are just three Nassau County residents playing on the team.

After initially failing to get into the university, the Massapequa native attended Farmingdale State for a year to “take care of business on and off the ice” before transferring to Stony Brook prior to last season.

As someone who identified Stony Brook as the total package for both academics and athletics, Valenti hopes that joining the ACCHL can be a needle mover for other Nassau County residents.

“After playing junior hockey in Connecticut for two years, I realized that I had everything that I needed regarding academics and hockey at home,” Valenti said. The new conference, he added, “is definitely exciting . . . and people need to realize it’s a (State University of New York) school. We’re going to be in a very competitive league and you get what you pay for. Stony Brook is a very good school for everything, and hockey is just the icing on the cake.”

Forward Jake Gusavitch, a Massapequa native and first-year student, understands his peers’ reluctance to attend Stony Brook but hopes the name notoriety of the other schools in the conference, along with the opportunities they can bring, can help change that.

“If you just see the logo of Alabama or UNC, it acts as an attractor for players in Nassau County and really everywhere,” Gusavitch said. “We have schools like Syracuse and Delaware

joining us along with the schools down south, so I think that’s a great opportunity to get some looks from scouts who are coming for the bigger schools. All in all, there are a lot of positives.”

Bethpage native and forward Lucas Puccia echoed that sentiment.

“There’s a lot of talent down there in the south,” the sophomore student said. “I think playing those teams will be pretty cool and competitive. Stony Brook is one of the top programs and a really good option for anyone on Long Island.”

Gusavitch also emphasized the bonuses of a limited traveling schedule, as teams in the North will only compete against the South’s teams during the playoffs. Due to Stony Brook’s hyperfocus on academics, he raised the point that less travel on the weekends allows for more time to get schoolwork done, which can be enticing for new recruits who live farther away in Nassau County.

While the Seawolves are guaranteed to finish their tenure in the ESCHL with the most championship wins (five) and regular-season championships (four), the last two seasons have not been kind to them. They have posted a combined 25-28-8 record, missing the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Tournament during each campaign.

Choosing to concentrate on the new season, the Seawolves are putting the upcoming league change on the backburner, as they hope to capture their sixth ESCHL championship and their first national title.

“The mission is always the same,” Valenti said. “We had a very unsuccessful year last year. This year we’re playing in the same conference, and hopefully we can prove ourselves as a program. Then next year, when we move on to a different conference, those teams should fear us.”

Stony Brook will open its ESCHL farewell tour at The Rinx, where it will face off against the New York University Violets, on Oct. 4.

In defenseman Teddy Valenti’s case, Stony Brook was always at the top of his college wish list despite living just under an hour away from the school.

Anthony DiCocco is a reporter with the SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.

Courtesy Angelina Livigni

Stony Brook efenseman Teddy Valenti, right, covering Drexel forward Jimmy Jacobs.

Town task force will combat antisemitism

By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com

The Town of Hempstead has unveiled an antisemitism task force that aims to investigate the rise of assaults on Jewish people across the town.

“I’m delighted to have so many people that are joining me to participate in what we find to be something that is needed, and warranted with what is transpiring in our society now,” Town Supervisor Don Clavin said at the Hebrew Academy of West Hempstead on Sept. 12.

The task force will comprise members appointed by Clavin, along with its co-chair, Congressman Anthony D’Esposito. D’Esposito is currently up for re-election and is running against Laura Gillen.

“The presence of everybody here should signify the importance of what today’s announcement really is,” Clavin said, “the unprecedented and definitely noticed rise of antisemitism throughout our country, and particularly here in the Town of Hempstead.”

According to Clavin, the Town of Hempstead has the second-largest Jewish population of any municpality, behind New York City.

As the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel approaches, the creation of the task force comes at a time where communities have been facing a surge in acts of antisemitism.

“I feel strongly that this advisory council, with its role of not only indentifying antisemitism, (is) trying to determine where it’s festering from, how it’s getting in our communities, and how we educate people to recognize the hatred that is being fostered in our communities,” Clavin said.

Councilwoman Melissa Miller said she was thrilled that the town was taking on this initiative.

“It’s just unacceptable — if we replaced the population that is being targeting with any other population, there would be an uproar by government, law enforcement and the universities,” Miller said. “It is not acceptable — we should not be just sitting back and fearing what’s going to happen next. Continue to send this message, that we at the Town of Hempstead do not tolerate this and we will continue to fight back.”

Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, of the Hebrew Academy of West Hempstead, expressed his gratitude for the strong partnership between the county and community leaders.

“Today, we speak with one united voice against the veils of antisemitism, and the message is very clear:

We will not tolerate nor stand idly by, or remain silent in the face of hate speech or hateful actions against our community,” Hazan said. “The children deserve to be educated in peace and security.”

As the Jewish holidays approach, the antisemitism task force will be proactive in indentifying and combating signs of hate attacks. There will also be enhanced police patrols at temples and places of worship, according to Clavin.

“This panel has a big responsibility — we’re seeing it foster in our communities, zero tolerance,” Clavin said. “This advisory board has to get it done, be diligent and have the passion that they’re going to go out and get people educated.”

Melissa Berman/Herald

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin, center, discussed the creation of an antisemitism task force alongside members of the town board, elected officials and religious leaders, on Sept. 12.

Remembering those we lost on Sept. 11

Nassau County residents gathered last week to mark the 23rd anniversary of Sept. 11, at a moving ceremony filled with music, tears and remembrance at Eisenhower Park.

The annual memorial ceremony takes place at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, which is situated next to the park’s lake — serving as a visual backdrop for the county’s memorial to the Long Islanders that perished in the attacks.

The ceremony featured remarks from speakers, including County Executive Bruce Blakeman, and parents who’s children died on Sept. 11. Chris Macchio, an internationally renowned singer, led the crowd in several musical performances.

The county’s memorial features two, semitransparent aluminum towers, which represent the former World Trade Center. The memorial also features the names of 344 Nassau County residents who died during the attacks.

–Jordan Vallone

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Nassau County marked the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at a moving ceremony in Eisenhower Park. Hundreds packed into the fields around the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre to remember those who perished.

Chris Macchio, an internationally renowned singer, performed at the ceremony.

The Sept. 11 memorial in Eisenhower Park features aluminum towers that represent the former World Trade Center.

Susan Hutchins, from West Hempstead, held a photo of her son, Kevin Colbert, a victim of the attacks.

Flowers were placed on the memorial, which features the 343 names of Nassau County residents who died.

County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who’s nephew Thomas Jurgens died on Sept. 11, spoke at the ceremony.

STEPPING OUT

a vision of the power of the YONIA FAIN’S JOURNEY —

HUMAN SPIRIT

By Danielle Schwab

An artist’s life can take many twists and turns. Certainly that is case of Yonia Fain. He reinvented himself repeatedly, yet his dedication to art remained unwavering throughout his 100 years.

Hofstra University Museum of Art welcomes fall with a look at the esteemed artist, poet, author and educator, through its new exhibit, “Yonia Fain (1913-2013): Tracing History.”

The museum’s assemblage of Fain’s art and personal ephemera offers a comprehensive view of his life and global influence, on view through Dec. 16. Fain was a member of Hofstra’s Fine Arts, Design and Art History faculty from 1971 until his retirement in 1985; he was named faculty emeritus on his 100th birthday.

Around 50 of his works — he bequeathed his archive to the museum — are on display, curated by Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Collections Kristen Dorata, including paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, and poetry.

• Now through Dec. 16

• All programs require advance registration; call (516) 463-5672 or visit events.hofstra.edu to RSVP

• Emily Lowe Gallery, behind Emily Lowe Hall, Hofstra University’s South Campus, Hempstead

“This exhibition is focusing on his journey, offering a vision of the human spirit,” says Museum Director Sasha Giordano. “We wanted to emphasize the aspect of being a refugee, being a displaced person having to move from place to place. The works of art that were chosen are from the many different places he traveled.”

Born in Ukraine in 1913, Fain fled Bolshevik Russia with his family to Warsaw, Poland. After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he and his first wife fled on foot to Vladivostok, Russia. There he was conscripted into the Russian army as an artist.

Refusing to create propaganda art as demanded by the Nazis and Russian authorities, Fain, with his wife, obtained falsified documents, traveling from Siberia to Japan, eventually landing in the Shanghai Ghetto for the remainder of World War II.

Fain continued to use art as a form of expression, making a living painting portraits of Japanese soldiers and their families, also writing poetry.

“Firsthand experience is key to understanding Yonia Fain’s prolific artistic oeuvre, from his early drawings in prewar Warsaw to the many paintings in New York after 1953,” Jan Burzlaff, postdoctoral associate in Holocaust Studies at Cornell University, writes in the exhibit catalogue.

She continues: “To paint is to share the experience,” Fain reflected in a testimony given to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in June 1999. His work seeks to lend voice to all Jews who experienced Nazi rule, the vast majority of whom did not leave a trace. … The exhibition allows for precisely such a window into historical experience. In the process, because his creations do not fit neatly into the two dominant categories of abstract or realist representations, they also invite a much-needed reevaluation of Holocaust and postwar art.”

After the war ended, Fain set his sights on mural painting in Mexico, becoming friendly with fellow artists Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo. In 1953, he immigrated to the U.S.; his works featured in prominent museums. Fain also continued writing, authoring five books of Yiddish poetry and serving as the president of the Yiddish Pen Society.

“His journey speaks to those who are displaced and pushed to the margins and stripped of identity in society,” Giordano says.

Fain’s art mixes representational technique with elements of abstract expressionism, employing

broad brush strokes, diagonals and dark marks.

“He really can’t be put comfortably into one style of art,” Giordano adds.

One of Fain’s prominent pieces “Occupied City, 2008,” shows an abstract landscape with overlapping buildings drawn in the background.

“It gives a sense of people living on top of each other in an enclosed space, in a trapped space, which reflects his lived experience,” Giordano notes.

Fain also used color to invoke deeper reflection. “Despite the subject matter being very traumatic, he uses a lot of bright and soft pastel colors. It plays to this dichotomy that exists in his work. He’s showing you hope, but he’s showing you despair. He’s showing you betrayal, but he’s showing you empathy.

Museum visitors can also interact with biographical material, including a timeline of the artist’s life and a video recording in which he discusses life in the Shanghai Ghetto. Additionally, everyone is invited to read Fain’s poetry and then submit a poem in response to the exhibit experience.

Fain’s extraordinary conviction to art during a time of adversity shows the enduring strength of human resilience and beckons us to explore the past.

“We should revisit history. We should re-examine these stories. We should consider people whose stories may trace a similar path of hardship today,” says Giordano.

As always, related programming enhances the viewing experience, including an exhibit tour on Oct. 23.

1964 … The Tribute

‘The “British Invasion” returns anew, when “1964 The Tribute” takes its audience on a musical journey back to that unforgettable era in rock history. Since the early 1980s, this reincarnation of the Fab Four has been thrilling folks all over the globe with what Rolling Stone Magazine has called the “Best Beatles tribute on earth.” Choosing songs from the pre-Sgt. Pepper era, “1964” astonishingly recreates an early ‘60s live Beatles concert, with period instruments, clothing, hairstyles, and onstage banter. The band focuses on the quintessential moment in history, when The Beatles actually played before a live audience. Only a precious few got to experience when The Beatles toured the world in the early ‘60s. Who actually felt the “mania” that brought them to world acclaim. “1964” meticulously re-creates the “magic of those live performances with artful precision and unerring accuracy.

Friday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m. $65, $40, $30, $19.64. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

‘…

Rollin’ on the river’

Step into a virtual time machine and journey back to the glory days of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with Commotion — the electrifying Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band. The musicians pride themselves on their commitment to faithfully reproducing the iconic CCR sound. From the soulful voice of Steve McLain to the mesmerizing guitar solos of Jimmy Ryan, every riff, melody and rhythm comes to life with precision. McLain possesses a vocal prowess rivaling the one and only John Fogerty. With his husky timbre, emotive delivery and uncanny ability to recreate Fogerty’s raw energy, be transported back to when CCR ruled the airwaves. They are joined drummer Mark Ellis and bassist George Foster, who deliver those infectious beats that were CCRs trademark.

Friday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $45. Madison Theatre, Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at MadisonTheatreNY.org or (516) 323-4444.

Photos courtesy Hofstra University Museum of Art; Gift of the Estate of Yonia Fain Yonia Fain’s life is represented through his contemplative art, such as “Occupied City” (top left), “rouble Moving Into Harmony and Light,” (top right) and “Rage” (bottom right).

THE Your Neighborhood

Jessie’s Girl

Take out that neon once again and give your hair its best ‘80s ‘do. Those crazy days are back — as only Jessie’s Girl can pull off, on the Paramount stage, Saturday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. The band of NYC’s top rock/pop musicians and singers gets everyone into that “Back To The Eighties” vibe with the latest edition of their popular concert experience. With a lineup including four pop-rock vocalists dressing and performing as ‘80s icons, backed by a dynamic band, this is the defnitive 80s experience. Throw on top of that: a load of super-fun choreography, audience participation, props, costumes, and confetti — and you have a party that audiences don’t want to leave. Jessie’s Girl has mastered over-the-top renditions of the some of the most unforgettable songs, all while dressed up as the iconic characters of that decade.

Theater meets live music, covered in ‘80s glitz. There’s no decade like the ‘80s — and no one does that era quite like Jessie’s Girl Throw on your best neon, use extra hair spray and head to Back To The Eighties — because it’s time to party like it’s 1989. $45, $37.50, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.

Hundreds attend FCA’s Senior H.O.P.E. Fair

Family & Children’s Association (FCA), one of Long Island’s largest nonprofit health and human services organizations, hosted a highly successful Senior H.O.P.E. Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Samanea N.Y. Mall in Westbury. The free event, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, drew a large crowd of seniors and their families, offering a wealth of information and services aimed at improving their quality of life.

H.O.P.E., which stands for Happiness, Opportunity, Positive, Energy, was specifically designed to provide older adults with resources and knowledge to enhance their well-being. More than 50 vendors participated, offering attendees valuable insights into a wide range of services, including Medicare, mental health support, scam prevention, and substance use awareness. The fair also featured four educational workshops, technology training for seniors, and opportunities for caregivers to learn about support options. Additionally My Three Sons Bagels provided a free boxed lunch for the first 300 attendees.

FCA President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds emphasized the importance of events like the Senior H.O.P.E. Fair, especially as Long Island’s population continues to age. "It’s no secret that Long Island’s population is aging. Every year, our senior division helps more than 10,000 seniors improve their quality of life. The H.O.P.E. Fair allowed us to share these resources, and many others, with the broader Long Island community,

Reynolds said.

Lisa Stern, FCA’s Assistant Vice President for Senior & Adult Services, expressed her gratitude to the event's partners and the diverse group of vendors who made the fair possible. “We’re thrilled to have brought the H.O.P.E. Fair to Long Island’s senior population and their families. We couldn’t do this without our valued community partners, and we were happy to have vendors from diverse backgrounds offering a multitude of services to the senior community,” she said.

For those unable to attend, FCA offers continuous support to Long Island’s senior population through its many programs, reaching over 10,000 seniors each year. For more information about FCA’s services or future events, visit www.fcali.org.

Tribute concert

Plaza Theatricals’ tribute series continues, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2:30 p.m., with Shades of Buble. An exciting trio brings the swinging standards and pop hits of Michael Bublé to the stage in an unforgettable high-energy event. This act consistently wows audiences with their harmonies, smooth choreography and charming good looks.

Enjoy big-band standards from the jazz era, classic hits from the 1950 through ‘70s, as well as Billboard chart toppers from today in this high-energy show that generates standing ovations from sold-out crowds. See the show at 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $40, $35 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Autumn painting workshop

Visit Pinot’s Palette for a fun-flled art class, where demonstrators will teach participants how to create and autumn inspired painting, Monday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. $48 fee; spots are limited. Full menu available, with bar. 2557 Hempstead Turnpike. For more information, visit PinotsPallette. com.

Art explorations

Converse, collaborate and create at Family Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art. The drop-in program returns for a new season, Saturday, Sept. 21, 9, noon-3 p.m. Get inspired by the art and objects in the galleries and then join educators at the Manes Center to explore and discover different materials to create your own original artwork. Kids and their adult partners connect while talking about and making art together. A new project is featured every week. $20 adult, $10 child. Registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Visit NassauMuseum.org for more information and to register or call (516) 484-9337.

Bingo at Beth-El

Get your game on at a weekly bingo game at East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center starting at 6 p.m. Prizes, progressive games, bell jar prizes and refreshments will be provided. Proof of vaccination is required. 1400 Prospect Ave., in East Meadow. For information, contact (516) 4834205.

(LEFT TO RIGHT) Paige O’Brien VP & Chief Development Officer and Kim Como, Marketing & Communications Director at FCA. DR. JEFFREY L. REYNOLDS, CEO & President of FCA

GUESTS visiting the over 50 vendors to earn a wealth of new information.

Photos by Tim Baker

H.O.P.E. balloon arch greeting guests at the entrance.

Fascinating Fungi

Bring the kids to make some discoveries about mushrooms at Long Island Children’s Museum’s drop-in program, Sunday, Sept. 29, 1-3 p.m. Did you know that some mushrooms can glow in the dark? Learn about the 113 species of mushroom that are considered bioluminescent, due to a chemical reaction that attracts bugs to help spread mushroom spores. Stop by to learn about these amazing fungi and make a glowing mushroom craft to bring home. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 2245800 or LICM.org.

Alzheimer’s Walk in the Park

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America hosts its annual Walk in the Park fundraiser, at Eisenhower Park, Thursday, Sept. 28. The walk kicks off with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. at the park’s Field 6. Those who raise $100 or more will have an opportunity to meet retired baseball player Dwight Gooden, who’s joining the walk’s efforts as an ambassador. For more information, visit ALZFdn.org/walk.

Sept. 25

Afternoon tunes

Eisenhower Park’s Noontime Concert series concludes, Wednesday, Sept. 25, noon-

2 p.m. Enjoy the classic oldies group The Tercels, reliving those great tunes of the ‘50s and ‘60s, plus more, at Field #1. Bring seating. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

Long Island Walk to cure FSHD

Join Long Islanders to walk to cure facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, hosted by the FSHD Society, at Eisenhower Park, Saturday, Sept. 28, 10 a.m. Family and friends are invited to ‘walk or toll’ and raise money, working towards a cure for the progressive muscle disease. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. 1899 Park Blvd. For more information and to learn how to participate, visit FSHDSociety. org.

Having an event?

Hempstead House tour

Sands Point Preserve is the backdrop to explore the elegant Gold Coast home that’s the centerpiece of the estate, Wednesday, Sept. 25, noon-1 p.m. Visit the grand rooms inside the massive 50,000-squarefoot Tudor-style mansion, the former summer residence of Gilded Age fnancier Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim. Tours are limited in size and tend to sell out. Arrive early to purchase tickets. $10. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901.

Eisenhower Park Farmers’ Market

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County presents their farmers’ market, showcasing farm-fresh and locally-made foods among many other goods, at Eisenhower Park, Parking Field 8, every Saturday, through Oct. 26, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. For more information, visit CCENassau.org.

Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to thescene@liherald.com.

On exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art ‘s latest exhibition “Seeing Red: Renoir to Warhol,” reveals the many meanings, connotations, and associations of this powerful color in art. Evoking strong emotion, red can represent the human condition. Its myriad variations have come to signify authority as well as love, energy and beauty. Red warns us of peril and commands us to stop, but it can also indicate purity and good fortune. Red boldly represents political movements and religious identities. From the advent of our appreciation for this color in antiquity to its continued prominence in artistic and popular culture, this exhibition will spans various world cultures through a range of media. It features more than 70 artists, both established and emerging, ranging from the classical to the contemporary. American portraitists such as Gilbert Stuart imbued red in their stately paintings of prominent individuals to conjure authority. Robert Motherwell, Ad Reinhardt, and other major abstract painters displayed a deep fascination with red in their commanding compositions that evoke a sense of chromatic power. And, of course, Andy Warhol is known for his bold and imposing silkscreened portrait of Vladimir Lenin saturated in bright red to his signature Campbell’s Soup Cans. On view through Jan. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Art League of L.I. exhibit

Sept. 28

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Art League of Long Island presents “Retrospect - The Individual Art of Collaboration in Reconstructive Surgery.” The exhibit delves into the interplay between personal artistry and collaborative efforts in the context of breast reconstruction, showcasing how the healing process can transcend medicine to become an inspiring narrative of restoration and personal resilience. This unique exhibition explores the intersection of medicine and art through the lens of two accomplished breast reconstruction surgeons, Dr. Ron Israeli and Dr. Jonathan Bank, whose careers and artistic endeavors are deeply intertwined.

The works on display show the multifaceted nature of artistic expression in medicine and surgery. Their work emphasizes the importance of collaborative creativity in the healing process, offering viewers a unique perspective on the emotional and physical aspects of breast reconstruction. On view Sept. 28 through Oct. 18. Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery at Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Visit artleagueli.org for more information.

BRUCE A. BLAKEMAN

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH

East Meadow remembers those who died on Sept. 11

Despite the 23 years that have passed since the Sept. 11 attacks, that claimed the lives on nearly 3,000 people, the East Meadow community still mourns — and vows to never forget.

Seven local residents died in the terrorist attacks — four who worked in the World Trade Center, two firefighters and a police officer. Other residents have since died of illnesses they contracted as a result of their work at ground zero in the aftermath of the attacks.

The East Meadow Fire Department hosted its annual remembrance ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park on Prospect Avenue on Monday. There, in 2014, the East Meadow Kiwanis erected a memorial in the southeast corner of the park, featuring a 1,800-pound marble slab, with an etching of the twin towers, and a steal beam from ground zero.

The East Meadow community gathered at its Sept. 11 memorial last week, which honors victims from East Meadow and Salisbury.

On the marble is a footstone that reads, “In the name of freedom/To those who lost their lives/September 11, 2001,” and bears the seven names: Ann McGovern, Carlos Dominguez, Stephen Mark Fogel, Stephen LeMantia, Claude “Dan” Richards, Daniel Brethel and Thomas Patrick DeAngelis.

Each year, members of the EMFD place a new wreath next to the memorial to honor them.

–Jordan Vallone

Holden Leeds/Herald photos

First Assistant Chief Michael Wood and Second Assistant Chief Kurt Becker by a wreath laid in honor of Sept. 11 victims.

Boy Scouts walked through with flags, which were on display during the ceremony.

CRIME bRIEfS

Women facing charges for prostitution

Three women were arrested on Sept. 5 for illegal massages and prostitution.

According to Nassau County Police Department detectives, an undercover investigation was conducted at SPA, at 2556 Merrick Road. It was determined that illegal massages and prostitution were being conducted at the storefront.

Jholdana Rojas, 37 of New Jersey, Youchun Zhang, 49 of Bellmore, and Shaoyu Xiong, 36 of Flushing, were arrested without incident.

Rojas and Zhang are both charged

Elder scam arrest made

A man was arrested in connection with an elder scam that targeted an 82-year-old East Meadow resident, Nas sau County Police reported. The arrest, made by the department’s Fraud and Forgery Unit, stemmed from an incident on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, when a scam mer posing as a Microsoft employ ee attempted to swindle the elder ly man out of his life savings.

detectives, the victim received a message on his computer from an unknown male who claimed his bank accounts had been compromised. The scammer instructed the victim to withdraw all of his savings and await further instruc tions on where to deliver the funds. Sensing something suspicious before completing the transaction, the victim contacted police.

Following an investigation, detec tives identified the suspect as Zongjin Teng, 26, and arrested him on Sept. 11 at 3:25 p.m. Teng has been charged with third-degree grand larceny and attempt ed third-degree grand larceny.

He was arraigned on Sept. 12 at First District Court in Hempstead.

with unauthorized practice of a profession and prostitution. Xiong is charged with prostitution.

They were each released with appearance tickets, returnable to the First District Court in Hempstead on Sept. 30, 2024.

–Jordan Vallone

Three women were arrested for illegal massages and prostitution.

Courtesy John Scalesi

Zongjin Teng

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY

COMPANY. NAME: Rainbow Meadows DS, LLC. Articles of Organization were fled with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 7/10/2024. NY

Offce location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: 263 Pontiac Pl. East Meadow, NY, 11554. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. 148572

LEGAL NOTICE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU

UMB BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR LVS TITLE TRUST 2018-1, -againstINA I. ABELIS ESPOSITO, ET AL.

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Offce of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on September 28, 2023, wherein UMB BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR LVS TITLE TRUST 2018-1 is the Plaintiff and INA I. ABELIS ESPOSITO, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on October 1, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 283 MERRICK AVENUE, EAST MEADOW, NY 11554; and the following tax map identifcation: 50-462-4. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATED, LYING AND BEING AT EAST MEADOW, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fled Judgment Index No.: 612311/2020. Brian J. Davis, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 148678

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU Flagstar Bank, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST Kelvin Puello a/k/a Kelvin R.

Puello, Wendy Puello, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 5, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on September 27, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 518 Benine Road, Westbury, NY 11590. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Westbury, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 10, Block: 325, Lot: 6. Approximate amount of judgment $715,871.39 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fled Judgment Index #602386/2020. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Offce of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine” For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Wayne Wink, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-093408-F00 81697 148626

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN 2016 SC6 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. JANET ROBERTS, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confrming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 11, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 1167 Warwick Street, Uniondale, NY 11553. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate,

lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 7 and Lots 91-92. Approximate amount of judgment is $408,344.99 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fled Judgment Index #616060/2019.

Ellen Durst, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff

Firm File No. 201214-1 148883

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Section 202-48 of the code of the Town of Hempstead entitled, “Handicapped Parking On Public Streets,” a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of October, 2024, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day, to consider the adoption of a resolution setting aside certain parking spaces for motor vehicles for the sole use of holders of special parking permits issued by the County of Nassau to physically handicapped persons at the following locations:

LEVITTOWN

BALSAM LANE - north side, starting at a point 206 feet east opposite the southeast curbline of Cotton Lane, east for a distance of 22 feet.

(TH-403/24) and on the repeal of the following locations previously set aside as parking spaces for physically handicapped persons:

(NR) ISLAND PARK

VANDERBILT AVENUEnorth side, starting at a point 262 feet east of the east curbline of Broadway, east for a distance of 20 feet.

(TH-210/10 - 10/05/10)

(TH-409/24

ALL PERSONS

INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: September 17, 2024 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.

Supervisor

KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 148999

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC

HEARING

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead

Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 1st day of October, 2024, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 197-5 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “ARTERIAL STOPS” at the following locations:

ELMONT

PORTER STREET (TH 390/24) - STOPAll traffc traveling west bound on M Street shall come to a full stop.

PORTER STREET (TH 390/24) - STOP -

All traffc traveling east bound on M Street shall come to a full stop.

LEVITTOWN

VIOLET LANE (TH 301(B)/24) - STOPAll traffc traveling east bound on Periwinkle Road shall come to a full stop.

VIOLET LANE (TH

301(B)/24) - STOPAll traffc traveling west bound on Periwinkle Road shall come to a full stop. ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: September 17, 2024 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 148997

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Offcers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230, Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 09/25/2024 at 9:30 A.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:

THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30 AM 602/24. - 605/24. NR WESTBURY - 865 Merrick Partners LLC, Renewal of grants: Maintain one double-faced ID sign; overall size 44 sq. ft. (22 sq. ft. per face); setback 2’4” from Privado Rd.; Maintain 2nd detached ID sign (not permitted); single-faced & overall size 9 sq. ft.; Maintain 3rd detached ID sign (not permitted); single-faced & overall size 9 sq. ft. & setback 6’ from front property line on Merrick Ave.; Maintain 4th detached ID sign (not permitted); double-faced & overall size 16 sq. ft. (8 sq. ft. per face) & setback

elevate the Conversation

The short commute

It is 5:45 AM on a weekday with nothing much to see but extra early sunlight from March to November. It’s dark, it’s cold and the cell phone alarm ringtone sounds like the an ice cream truck in August.

Most days it feels as if the only people who are up beside me and my adult son are parents reminding children it’s a school day and the 7 AM school bus is always on time. It’s a whole different spin on the promise that “no child (is) left behind,” because sometimes, they can be.

Inside a “slowly warming up” car in December or the “lower the windows” balmy morning in June, my son and I spend a few precious moments trying to understand/hash out/explain our small part of the world as he commutes to and from his hybrid job in lower Manhattan.

So one of the first things our family inquired about, nearly 29 years ago upon arrival in our Nassau County community, was the access to public transportation to New York City. Our single car household worked until NICE bus transit schedules changed. Then it was up to any driver in the household to be the designated Uber. Sometimes on these rides, my “passenger” will spontaneously break into song lyrics that put Long Island’s only country radio station to shame. Words that mostly center around “drivin’ that Chevy truck down the highway with my girl at my side and my dog in the flatbed”. And I will nod and laugh, knowing that if we ever prompted ChatGPT to give us sample lyrics for a new cowboy’s tune, artificial intelligence couldn’t even come close.

If the mood is right, we talk about anything. It’s the baby boomer optimist and millennial realist with varying views about culture trends, the quality of social media, latest politics or the rapidly deteriorating quality of morning radio. We share this mini “road trip” like we shared the peanut butter knife and sandwich bags that completed our lunches earlier today. And when we compare notes on marketing, our common profession, I’m the dinosaur needing definitions for hashtags and identifications of latest influencers in digital media while he remains the avid student of historical advertisements.

Carpooling to the LIRR is as natural as breathing in suburban Long Island, but it wasn’t always like that for us.

5’ from front property line on Merrick Ave., S/W cor. Merrick Ave. & Privado Rd., a/k/a 865 Merrick Ave. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Westbury within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video

Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 148991

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU METRO CITY BANK, Plaintiff, Against WILLIAM KISH, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 07/05/2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, The North Front Steps of the Nassau County Courthouse, 262 Old Country Rd., Mineola, NY on the North Side

And that’s the point. You can rely on technology for wake up calls that sound like ice cream trucks and remote work that makes “zoom” a verb. You can rely on the transportation to get you to home and back from the office. But the content of short conversations – two people reporting on/recording their days in snatches and bursts in the chill of winter or the summer’s heat on Merrick Avenue – that’s the common experience Long Islanders know all too well.

A contributing writer to the Herald since 2012, Lauren Lev is a direct marketing/ advertising executive who teaches marketing fundamentals as well as advertising and marketing communications courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology and SUNY Old Westbury.

steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 10/23/2024 at 3:00PM, premises known as 1455 Rose Lane, East Meadow, New York 11554, And Described As Follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in The Town Of Hempstead, County Of Nassau, And State Of New York. Section 50 Block 546 Lot 27

The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $559,625.01 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 609251/2019

If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.

Richard Lawrence Farley, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573

Dated: 8/14/24 File Number:

Lauren Lev

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Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour.

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Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $33,280 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286

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Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $33,280 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250

PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com

A column went ‘clunk’

Q. We were sitting in our living room and heard a loud clunk. We went to investigate, thinking something spooky or structural had happened, maybe in our attic. It turned out that a steel post in our basement had just rusted out and fallen over, probably from saltwater during the hurricane flooding we had. Should we be concerned? The floor seems to be level, and not bouncy or anything. What should we do? Can we replace the column to save money?

A. Sometimes things do go bump in the middle of the night. (People sometimes ask me if these questions are real. You actually called me about this, as a former client, and I was able to stop over and look at the problem.) You were right to be concerned, and to react quickly instead of waiting to see what could happen next.

I can report that your crawl space went through a significant amount of repair, but is in otherwise pristine condition after the flooding occurred. Unlike many people I meet with, you took pictures of the stripped bare structure, and could show me the ones you kept in a computer file. That was important in determining what to do next, because the main beam supporting the house is partially enclosed with marine plywood and has several adjustable columns, which I never recommend for permanently supporting loads, especially in a potential flood-prone crawl space under a home.

Now I have photos to prove what I have often said about adjustable columns, the ones with either pegs or adjustable screws or, like your columns, both pegs and a large adjustable screw at the top. I am in favor of full steel columns that aren’t lightweight, but rather have heavyweight sidewalls of ¼-inch-thick steel.

It isn’t that the adjustable columns aren’t strong enough. My concern is that they be installed correctly and how long they will last, especially in a corrosive environment. Almost every adjustable column I have ever seen is installed incorrectly, upside down. The manufacturer specifically instructs that the adjustment portion of the column should be at the bottom, not at the top. After installing a correctly calculated spread footing, the column is installed so that when the floor slab is poured in place, the concrete will enclose the screw adjustment section of the column.

In a flood zone, I always recommend that plastic be in place around the base of the column before the concrete pour is made, to keep saltwater from directly contacting the steel. Even though the steel must be coated with rust-preventive paint, concrete acts like a sponge, and the salt builds up and remains around the steel after each flooding episode. Even better, I recommend solid concrete block columns to support the beam in a flood hazardprone area. They will last a hundred years longer than the steel. You can do the work yourself and avoid things that go bump in the night. Good luck!

© 2024 Monte Leeper

Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

Monte Leeper

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opInIons

We badly need congestion pricing

Ibelieve congestion pricing is an absolute necessity, for several reasons. First of all, traffic in the metropolitan area is an absolute nightmare. You can’t get into New York City in a reasonable amount of time unless you leave at 5 a.m. or after 9 p.m. most days from any direction — Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut or New Jersey.

Once you get to Manhattan, traffic is so bad that you can walk faster than you can drive. I know, because I work on the Upper East Side and often walk to appointments and meetings. It’s faster than waiting endlessly in a taxi or Uber.

The rafts of Citi Bikes, bike lanes, bus-only lanes and outdoor restaurants built during and after the coronavirus pandemic make Manhattan more intolerable for driving than ever before.

According to a TomTom report, New York tops the list of cities with the worst traffic in America. The average commuter spent just under 25 minutes driving about six miles in 2023.

ISecondly, our mass transit system has been allowed to deteriorate over the decades, because politicians have always kicked the can down the road. The Second Avenue subway was originally proposed over 100 years ago. Today, three stations have been built, and the extension to Harlem has been put off, because congestion pricing, which was supposed to help pay for it, has been halted.

IThe 7 Subway line was to have had a stop in Hell’s Kitchen, the “10th Avenue station,” to alleviate passenger congestion on the West Side and serve the growing neighborhood, but that, too, was killed for lack of funds and political will.

regional train service and rehabilitating the century-old subway system. The more comfortable and convenient the train system, the more people will use it, and the more drivers will opt out of the maddening rush to get to the city.

f only we could come up with a way to charge people based on their net worth.

Much of the current subway system is antiquated, some of it was damaged by saltwater intrusion during Superstorm Sandy, and the signal system is a hazard unto itself, slowing the system down and causing accidents.

So how do we resolve our urban traffic nightmare? There is no doubt that rail lines into Manhattan should be the No. 1 priority. They move the most people at the fastest speeds into and out of the city. Congestion pricing would be of enormous benefit in funding better

Now, there are valid reasons why congestion pricing is unfair. If I’m a millionaire, I don’t care about paying $15 to drive below 60th Street, but if I make $50,000 a year, it’s putting a huge dent in my wallet. Box trucks or moving vans would pay $24, large trucks $36, which would make goods and services cost more for New Yorkers.

It’s unfortunate that we can’t devise a methodology that could charge people based on their net worth. If a license tag could be connected to an IRS filing, we could charge wealthy people a different rate than those of more modest means.

Beyond a system like that, we must resurrect the congestion pricing program to start to reduce traffic into Manhattan, and use those funds to upgrade MTA trains, subways and buses. If we do nothing, we will have wasted $500 million installing the apparatus to track vehicular traffic into the city, while

doing nothing to reduce traffic and pollution and build a city for the future.

It is also unconscionable that fare evasion cost the MTA an estimated $690 million in 2022, including $315 million from buses and $285 million from subways — 10 percent of the MTA’s annual budget.

And beyond the dollars and cents, New York City now ranks as one of the most ozone-polluted cities in the world thanks to the millions of cars, trucks and buses in stop-and-go gridlock traffic, with drivers endlessly circling for parking spaces and taxis, Ubers and Lyfts driving nonstop, looking for their next fare.

So how to move the massive number of people in the metropolitan area from destination to destination? Make the best use of the advanced train system that enlightened people built 120 years ago, and that provided 2 billion rides in 2023, on over hundreds of miles of track, picking up and dropping off people at 472 stations. But you can’t build out and upgrade the system without money, and congestion pricing is the ticket.

Jim Paymar is a veteran New York television anchor and reporter who has worked at CNBC, WNBC and WABC. He anchors a podcast, “The Big Shift with Jim Paymar.”

When will we fnally say, ‘Enough’?

was a junior at Plainedge High School, in North Massapequa, in 2018, when 17 people died and 17 others were injured in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida.

After the shooting, we wore orange to school — the color for protesting gun violence — and staged a walkout in solidarity with the school. We ran a fundraiser through the National Honor Society, from Plainedge to Parkland, to help a grieving community over a thousand miles away. And yet, it didn’t seem like enough. What words do you have to offer, thoughts you have to think, when something so senseless happens to people your age?

That year, everything changed. When we returned to classes in the fall of 2018, the front doors at Plainedge High had been changed to fortify the exterior. We weren’t permitted to enter or leave through any entrance except the main one, and we carried I.D. cards at all times.

But as demonstrated earlier this

month at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, sometimes no level of security is enough. It wasn’t enough at the Covenant School in Nashville last spring; it wasn’t enough in Uvalde, Texas, the year before. The list of schools and communities tarnished by acts of violence against children goes on and on, and at some point, I think we all can’t help but wonder: How many more?

Many will argue that guns aren’t the problem in America, and that instead we have a mental health crisis. I agree — we do. But the two are not mutually exclusive.

rus pandemic, 1 in 5 children had a diagnosed mental health disorder. After 2020, surveys showed that 71 percent of parents said the pandemic had taken a toll on their child’s mental health — and things haven’t gotten much better since.

E verything changed at Plainedge High in 2018 — but security isn’t enough.

Gun violence, and deaths related to it, have been on the rise. In 2020, gun violence claimed more lives than it had during any other year on record — more than 45,000. In 2022 it was the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens between ages 1 and 19.

Guns are a problem. But so is mental health.

The “mental health crisis” has long been Republicans’ scapegoat — their explanation for school shootings — and yet the party has done almost nothing to address their supposed concerns.

According to the American Psychological Association, before the coronavi-

Despite the fact that the data supports what we already know, 193 House Republicans voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which provided $2.35 billion to expand vital school mental health services; 210 voted against the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided $12 billion to address mental health needs arising from the pandemic; and 205 voted against the Mental Health Matters Act, which would provide grants for schools to hire more mental health experts and grow their mental health services.

America has a problem, and the longer we wait to address it, the more people will die. School shootings should have ended after Columbine, after Sandy Hook, after Oxford High School in Michigan. Students shouldn’t be afraid to go to school.

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is written in our Declaration of Independence, codifying the unalienable rights of all Americans. But as it turns

out, the children who have been senselessly murdered while their government stood by didn’t have those rights. Because if they did, they’d still be alive. Right?

Colt Gray, the 14-year-old charged with four murders for the shooting in Georgia, shouldn’t have had access to a gun. He displayed serious mental health concerns and had made threats in the past, and yet he carried out an act of extreme violence, with a weapon his father purchased for him.

The problem isn’t isolated to Georgia. Two weeks ago, right here on Long Island, a Bayville man was arrested because his 11-year-old son wandered out of his house carrying his father’s shotgun.

We can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines and hope things will change. The time for thoughts and prayers has passed. What we need is decisive action — action that addresses both gun control and mental health, because either one without the other is no solution.

The safety of children, the preservation of their future, depends on our ability to enact meaningful reforms. The question is no longer how many more tragedies we can endure, but when we will finally say, “Enough.”

Jordan Vallone is a senior editor of the Herald Community Newspapers. Comments? jvallone@liherald.com.

HeraLd editoriaL

History is passed down in our fre departments

History is often perceived as something static — a collection of events consigned to textbooks, memorialized in museums, or commemorated on anniversaries. It can feel as though history lives on dusty bookshelves, far removed from our daily lives.

But history isn’t merely a record of the past, frozen in time. Rather, it is a living, breathing thing, continuously shaping the present and influencing the future.

History evolves as it is interpreted, re-examined and passed down through generations. One way to understand its dynamic nature is by noting how institutions like fire departments are now hiring young people who were born after Sept. 11, 2001 — a day that still feels so recent and vivid to many of us.

This milestone is a potent reminder that history is an ever-evolving force that defines generational perspectives, values and narratives.

Many of us remember where we were and what we were doing on 9/11, as do members of older generations who remember where they were when they heard that President John F. Kennedy had been shot, or that Pearl Harbor had been attacked.

For firefighters — and especially those who serve in New York City and on Long Island — no date holds deeper meaning than Sept. 11. The bravery of the many first responders who ran

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toward the hellish chaos at the World Trade Center, intending to save lives, has become emblematic of the courage and sacrifice inherent in their profession.

That fire departments are now hiring people who were not alive when the towers fell highlights the inevitability of generational change and the idea that history is always moving forward, even when it feels as if time has stood still.

These young recruits are entering a world shaped by the consequences of 9/11, yet they engage with it in a different way. For them, Sept. 11 is, yes, history, but not a memory — a chapter learned in school rather than a harrowing, indelible life experience.

This generational shift forces us to confront the duality of history: it is at once deeply personal and profoundly collective. For those of us who lived through 9/11 — and particularly the millions who could see the smoking wreckage from their homes or offices, with no need of a television screen — the event has become part of the fabric of our lives. For those born afterward, it is something learned about and appreciated through second-hand accounts.

Nonetheless, their presence in firefighting gear yet to be soiled signals that history is alive, breathing new life into the institutions that helped shape it. Eerily similar to the refrain repeated by Jewish people immersed in their

own living history since the Holocaust, “Never again,” fire departments across the United States, as far removed from New York as Alaska, echo the phrase, “Never forget.”

There, the Kenai Fire Department — more than 4,500 miles from ground zero — commemorates 9/11 every year as if its members, too, were just a truck ride from where the planes hit.

“The greatest thing we can do to honor the lives lost on 9/11 is to strive to be the people we were on Sept. 12, when we all came together, we all felt like one nation, one people,” Jay Teague, chief of the Kenai department, said at its Sept. 11 ceremony last week, as reported by KDLL public radio. “We get lost in the daily strife, the daily frustrations, and we lose that sometimes, but I think that’s probably the best sentiment we can end on, is that we should strive to be the people we were on Sept. 12.”

As young recruits join firehouses in New York City, on Long Island and across the country, they bring with them a new understanding of public service, informed not only by the legacy of 9/11, but the challenges they have faced in the post-9/11 world, marked by heightened security, shifting global politics, a pandemic and a divided country.

This generational handoff underscores the vitality of history. It is not static; it does not belong solely to the past. Rather, it lives on through the people who reinterpret it and shape it anew.

As election season heats up, the League of Women Voters of Central Nassau and partners such as New Yorkers for Equal Rights and the New York Civil Liberties Union continue to advocate for and educate about Proposal 1, appearing on state ballots in the upcoming election, through postcarding, phonebanking, canvassing and public appearances. We remind New York voters to “flip their ballot” on Nov. 5 and vote on Prop 1, which expands on the current state Equal Rights Amendment to include protections against discrimination for all New Yorkers.

Moreover, LWVCN recently joined the Sign4ERA.org team — which advocates for the long-overdue certification and publication of the federal ERA — when the organization’s chair, former New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, and her colleagues visited Garden City on Sept. 1 to ask U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito for his support. D’Esposito, who represents the 4th Congressional District, is one of a few

opinions

A new season of optimism and opportunities

the old refrain, “Summer went too fast,” never does get old — and that’s because so many of us have been repeating it in recent days.

But even as the season’s end brings a tinge of sadness, it also brings a new autumnal momentum to our lives: a new school year for our children, the transition of our recent high school graduates to higher education in colleges and universities around the country, and people entering the job market or changing careers. Our local small businesses geared up for back-to-school sales, and families are now preparing for fall events and religious holidays, most notably the Jewish New Year and the High Holy Days.

As we have each year since 2016, my office will host a number of events coinciding with this change in seasons, to help constituents and their families prepare for the months ahead.

On Sept. 24, we will host our twice-annual Shed the Meds event at Syosset Library, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., in partnership with the Nassau County Police Department’s 2nd Precinct. This event is crucially important, because it provides a safe and effective way for our friends and neighbors to dispose of unused, unfinished or expired medications, thereby safeguarding against having those medications end up in the wrong hands or damaging our environment through improper disposal.

s hedding meds, tax workshops, the Mammovan and more as we move into fall.

Village Restoration, in partnership with the county Department of Assessment. Homeowners and seniors will receive individualized assistance with applying for and receiving all of the tax exemptions they are entitled to. We will repeat that workshop less than two weeks later, on Oct. 22, at the Jericho Public Library. Both workshops are from 1 to 3 p.m., and anyone needing help should arrive no later than 2:30.

As we approach the colder months and contend with the inevitable flu season and an increase in Covid cases, I encourage everyone to protect themselves and their families by taking full advantage of the vaccines that are available to keep us safe and healthy. And with school now back in session and our children, parents and families sharing and embracing this new season, I remind all drivers to exercise an abundance of caution as they traverse the streets of our communities.

On Oct. 10, we will bring the Homeowner Exemption Liaison Program, or HELP, property tax exemption workshop series to The Barn at Old Bethpage

Letters

remaining members of Congress needed to sign a House discharge petition that would bring HJ Resolution 25 — removing the deadline for the ratification of the ERA — to the House floor for a vote.

Since Virginia was the 38th state to ratify the ERA in 2020, we have the threefourths majority of states needed to affirm it as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. As of Sept. 1, the discharge petition had been signed by 214 House members, and needed 218 signatures to move to a floor vote. So if you live in District 4 — which includes Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, Carle Place, East Meadow, Elmont, the Five Towns, Floral Park, Franklin Square, Freeport, Garden City, Garden City Park, Hempstead, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Malverne, Merrick, New Hyde Park, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, Roosevelt, Seaford, Uniondale, Valley Stream, Wantagh, West Hempstead and Westbury — and you support the ERA, contact D’Esposito’s office, at desposito.house.gov, as soon as possible, and ask him to sign Discharge Petition No. 6. This federal equal rights legislation is long overdue, and we are close to making history by seeing it finally published in the Constitution, where, arguably, it always should have been.

On Tuesday, which, auspiciously, was both Constitution Day and National Voter Registration Day, representatives of the LWVCN, the National Council of Jewish Women and the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women were scheduled to visit D’Esposito’s office to discuss the urgency and significance of the federal ERA, not only for New Yorkers but for all Americans.

SUSAN CUSHMAN, PH.D. LWVCN advocacy chair Garden City

Last but certainly not least, on Nov. 7, we will team up with Nassau University Medical Center to bring the Mammovan back to our community. This potentially life-saving initiative gives women an opportunity to expeditiously screen for breast cancer — and those without insurance may be able to do so at no cost. Please stay tuned, and contact my office closer to the event date for more details.

Funding from Washington and Albany is crucial to LIRR’s operations

To the Editor:

The Long Island Rail Road still needs to reach a state of good repair for its existing fleet, stations, elevators, escalators, signals, interlockings, track, power, yards and shops. That also includes more stations reaching compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Maintenance programs for all operating assets also need to be fully funded, and completed on time, to ensure riders safe, uninterrupted, reliable service.

Since its creation in 1964, the Urban Mass Transit Administration — which since 1991 has been known as the Federal Transit Administration — has provided billions of dollars to pay for many of these capital improvements. The LIRR’s share of the FTA’s annual grants to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority averages 15 percent. In 2024, this should total $270 million of $1.8 billion in federal grant funding.

The state Department of Transportation also provides Statewide Transportation Operating Assistance on an annual basis to the MTA and the LIRR. Let’s give thanks to both Washington and Albany for continued financial support for our LIRR, the nation’s largest commuter railroad.

LARRY PENNER Great Neck

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a director of the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management.

My office is always available to anyone and everyone for any questions or needs. It continues to be my utmost honor and privilege to serve as a legislator, and as we support the Syosset Chamber of Commerce’s 20th anniversary Street Fair on Jackson Avenue on Sept. 29, I hope you can take a break from the fun, festivities and vendors to stop by and say hello to my staff and me.

Arnold W. Drucker represents Nassau County’s 16th Legislative District, and is the Legislature’s deputy minority leader.

Framework by Tim Baker

Pride sculpted in sand — Town Park Point Lookout

arnoLD w. DrUCker

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