Franklin Square/Elmont Herald

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F.S. pha rmacy fined for price gouging time.”

Local officials have previously warned against price gouging When Long Islanders rushed during the coronavirus pandemto buy hand sanitizers to protect ic. State Sen. Todd Kaminsky themselves against Covid-19 last introduced a bill that would month, the owners of the Frank- define price gouging as a 10 perlin Square Pharmacy decided cent increase in a product’s price they would make within two weeks and sell their own. before or after a But on March 30, cocrisis. The state owner Paul Quatro currently defines posted on the busiprice gouging as an n e s s ’s Fa c e b o o k “unconscionably page that it had excessive pricing been fined $5,000 for of necessary conselling the homesumer goods and made sanitizer at an services during inflated price. any abnormal disOfficials at the ruption of the marNassau County ket.”

Office of Consumer Nassau County Affairs later con- PAul QuAtRo Executive Laura firmed to the Herald Co-owner, Franklin Curran said early that a F ranklin Square Pharmacy last month that Square pharmacy county of ficials had been fined for would start crackselling 2-ounce bottles of hand ing down on businesses that “are sanitizer for $7, without listing trying to take advantage of the the ingredients. It was one of 85 coronavirus outbreak and sell violations the county had issued products that are hard to find on as of April 3. shelves at exorbitant prices.”

“It was very disheartening to “The county is partnering learn that people are unhappy with federal and state officials to with us,” Quatro wrote in the put an end to this unsavory pracFacebook post. “We really are tice,” Curran said. “Please trying to, and will continue to be a rock during this uncertain Continued on page 4

By MelIssA KoeNIg mkoenig@liherald.com

W

Courtesy Nicole Evangelista

NIcole eVANgelIstA MIssed out on her last season as a lacrosse player for Western Connecticut State University.

Seniors ‘sitting in the dark’

Students deal with uncertainty amid pandemic

By MelIssA KoeNIg mkoenig@liherald.com

Nick Scardamaglia was looking forward to helping coach varsity baseball at H. Frank Carey High School during his senior year, and watching his team finally beat rival Garden City.

Robert Metzger, another Carey High senior, was excited about playing King Harold and the captain of the guards in “Shrek the Musical.”

And Elmont Memorial High School senior Ogden Toussaint planned to devote his last few months of high school to making memories with his friends — hanging out at the beach and celebrating their birthdays before going to the prom and walking across the stage at graduation to get their diplomas.

But with schools closed until at least April 29 due to the coronavirus pandemic, those dreams have been

deferred.

“It creates, overall, a depressing mood,” Toussaint s a i d , “ b e c a u s e we f e e l trapped, almost.”

It was unclear, he and Scardamaglia said, what would become of proms and graduations. The prom was supposed to come early this year at Carey, scheduled for May 27.

“We don’t want that taken away from us,” Metzger said.

And at Elmont, Principal Continued on page 12

e really are trying to, and will continue to be a rock during this uncertain time.

Herald offers $500K in grants for businesses Richner Communications Inc., publisher of Herald Community Newspapers and The Riverdale Press, this week announced a $500,000 grant program to support local businesses. Through the Herald Small Business Marketing Grant Program, each Long Island business is eligible to receive up to $15,000 of matching grant funds, which can be used for marketing services to promote the business’ products and services. The Herald Small Business Marketing Grant Program is being supported by: ■ Long Island Main Street Alliance ■ Cedarhurst BID ■ Gold Coast Business Association ■ Bellmore Chamber of Commerce ■ East Meadow Chamber of Commerce ■ Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce ■ Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce ■ Long Beach Chamber of Commerce ■ Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce ■ Malverne Chamber of Commerce ■ Oceanside Chamber of Commerce ■ Oyster Bay/East Norwich Chamber of Commerce ■ Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce ■ Seaford Chamber of Commerce

■ Vally Stream Chamber of Commerce ■ Wantagh Chamber of Commerce ■ West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Businesses can apply for grants at www.liherald.com/grants starting on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, and they will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities,” said Stuart Richner, president of RCI and publisher of Herald Community Newspapers. “With Long Island quickly becoming the center of the Covid-19 crisis, we knew that we had to do whatever possible to support our small business community.

“We are a small business ourselves, so we understand the pain that small business owners are going through right now,” Richner added. “But all studies show that businesses that continue to market during down times are those that fare the best long-term. We at the Herald want to do our part to make sure that members of our business community can continue to promote themselves during this trying period.”

Eric Alexander, of the Long Island Main Street Alliance, applauded RCI for stepping up to help the Long Island small business community. “Half-a-million dollars will go a long way toward helping the local restaurant owners, downtown retailers and other business services,” Alexan-

The herald is kicking off a new $500,000 grant program to help small businesses market themselves during the Covid-19 pandemic. der said. “With so many small businesses changing how they offer their services, like dine-in only restaurants now offering takeout, promotion is critical during this crisis and even more important as we head toward recovery.”

The Herald Small Business Marketing Grant Program will provide up to $500,000 in matching advertising dollars and can be used toward print or digital advertising in any Herald or other RCI property. Since the coronavirus crisis started in March, the Herald has seen its audience increase by 100 percent, meaning that advertisers now have the ability to reach even more people than before.

The program is open to all locally owned and operated businesses impacted by the coronavirus. Grants are available for between $300 and $15,000 of matching funds and can be used in April, May and June 2020.

Every dollar that a grant recipient spends on advertising will be matched with a dollar of grant funding, up to the award amount, to be applied toward advertising costs. Applications must be submitted via the online form at www. liherald.com/grants. Businesses will be notified about the status of their application within two business days of submitting it.

Island Harvest Responds to COVID-19 Island Harvest Food Bank is a lifeline for people struggling to put food on their tables during this unprecedented public health crisis, but we need your help.

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April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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School budget votes delayed until June 1 mkoenig@liherald.com

After school board members and district officials spent months trying to plan out their budgets for the 2020 - 21 school year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order on April 3 delaying budget votes until at least June 1.

The votes were to have taken place on May 19.

Under the executive order, “Any school board, library board or village election scheduled to take place in April or May of 2020 is hereby postponed until at least June 1, 2020 and subject to further directive as to the timing, location or manner of voting for such elections.”

Whether the school budget votes will take place on June 1 remains to be seen, however, as the coronavirus pandemic is fluid. If new cases were to continue to arise, state officials said, the vote could be delayed further.

But local school district officials have already been working on their budgets.

Sewanhaka Central High School District Superintendent James Grossane, for example, presented a budget proposal at the end of February that would include a $1.8 million investment into security enhancements at all five schools. The cost of these measures —

Christina Daly/Herald

School Budget voteS have been delayed until at least June 1. which include the installation of security vestibules at the high schools — would vary between the schools, and would contribute to a $5.7 million, or 2.8 percent, increase in expenditures over the current budget.

In a statement to the Herald, Gros-

sane said, “The board and I are in daily contact, and will present any revisions in our draft budget to the community as soon as it is available.”

Making the process more difficult, however, is an expected $10 to $15 billion gap in the state’s budget, which Cuomo

said is “unprecedented.”

As a result, Theresa Hennessy, assistant superintendent for finance and management at the Franklin Square School District, said she was examining how the preliminary state aid numbers would affect the district’s plans, and noted, “We’re being told our aid could be cut throughout the year.”

She added that Cuomo’s executive order would push the entire budgetary process back, and said district officials are waiting to get more clarification about the effects of the executive order from their attorneys.

But Anthony Maffea, a member of the Elmont School District Board of Education, said he was glad Cuomo delayed the vote. “Right now, our focus has been the home-based learning, providing students the meals they need, and child care for front-line workers,” he said, adding that the district was in the final stages of developing its budget — which would maintain all programs and fund building improvements.

In fact, he said, he hoped the vote would be delayed until the fall to “let the state recover.”

“Hopefully the hit on state aid will not be too bad,” Maffea said, “and life in general will be back to something resembling normalcy.”

Backstretch chaplain maintains Belmont operations during outbreak Chaplain Humberto Chavez has a few minutes to spare, or so he thought.

It is early afternoon at Belmont Park and Chavez, who heads the New York division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, is in the midst of another work day that he suspects won’t end until nightfall. So it goes with tending to the needs of the men and women of the backstretch during the coronavirus epidemic.

“Every day brings its own challenges, and by all means we don’t know what’s going to be different from the day before,” said Chavez as his phone buzzes, a text comes in, then another, and he has to run.

“Sure, the work has been non-stop since coronavirus struck. It feels like a Saratoga day. But I’m blessed and privileged to do what I can to help minister and uplift the spirits of people here.”

Though the New York Racing Association, Inc. has suspended live racing due to the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in New York, daily care of the more than 1,300 horses stabled on Belmont Park’s backstretch continues under the watchful eye of the nearly 600 men and women living and working at Belmont Park.

It has been a busy day already. Earlier, Chavez and his team unloaded and distributed goods from the backstretch food pantry. Chavez also texted out several of his daily health and safety tips, which reach about 90 percent of the backstretch workers, many of whom are native Spanish speakers. And he and his team completed their usual rounds through the barn areas — careful to practice social distancing while detailing Belmont’s protocols for the coronavirus, doling out hand sanitizer, and serving as a reassur-

ing presence at a difficult time.

“There’s a range of concerns, starting with a lot of anxiety, fear and just getting food on the table, all of which we’re here to help people deal with,” said Chavez.

“On the other end are those diagnosed with coronavirus. We’re here for them too. We’re praying for them, giving them support, and passing along supportive messages while helping to coordinate food deliveries.”

Chavez, 43, migrated to the United States with his single mother when he was 11-years-old. He was making six figures a year running his own Long Island construction company, when he felt the calling to a more spiritual pursuit. He began working part-time as a co-pastor at his brother-in-law’s church, across the street from Belmont, and doing outreach with the track workers. When the fulltime chaplain left in 2003, Chavez, a nondenominational Christian, joined fulltime, and his wife, Karen, serves as the Chaplaincy’s general manager.

Some 17 years later, the Chaplaincy continues to be there for its “flock” — the backstretch workers, many of whom are from Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Chile and Peru. Now, they are facing loneliness as they self-isolate from their families.

But, Chavez said, the Chaplaincy is “filling the gaps,” in ways he would never have imagined. The Racetrack Chaplaincy of New York, which operates out of a trailer just inside Gate 6 of Belmont Park, is serving as interpreters when the EMS crew show up, and is continuing to use approximately $40,000 raised during their current fundraising drive to purchase and distribute food from the pantry. The

Ronny Reyes/Herald

chaplain huMBerto chavez counsels and assists backstretch workers at the Belmont Racetrack. pantry is a critical lifeline at a time when many track workers are hesitant to even go to the supermarket.

NYRA’s Senior Vice President, Operations and Capital Projects Glen Kozak said it’s hard to put into words all that Chaplain Chavez has meant for the New York racetrack community at a time of uncertainty and fear.

“You look for people to step it up when

things get challenging, and Humberto has done that in every way possible,” said Kozak. “He’s part social worker, advisor, counselor and just a real tower of strength when people really need help.

Humberto is one of the most effective and valuable people on the backstretch.”

— Melissa Koenig

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

By Scott Brinton and MeliSSa Koenig

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crime watch

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Thefts

■ A victim reports that between March 20 and March 26, an unknown suspect stole assorted property from his vehicle on Grand Street in Elmont.

■ A victim reports that on March 29 at 5:45 p.m., an unknown suspect did not pay him for goods he received from the Let Go App on Doughty Avenue in Franklin Square.

Criminal mischief ■ A victim reports that on March 1, an unknown suspect sprayed graffiti on a building on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont.

■ A victim reports that between 10 p.m. on March 31 and 4 a.m. on April 1, an unknown suspect keyed her car on Dutch Broadway.

People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.

a Polk STReeT School student tested positive for the coronavirus, Superintendent Jared Bloom posted on the Franklin Square School District’s website on April 1.

Google Maps

The FRanklin SquaRe Pharmacy was fined $5,000 for price gouging on hand sanitizer.

F.S.-based pharmacy vows to fight fine

■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643

twice during the coronavirus outbreak, report any instances of unfair price and thought, “They don’t deserve this.”

Gabrielle created a GoFundMe page on increases immediately to the county or the state so we can protect residents from April 1 to help the store pay the fine, falling victim and overpaying for essen- explaining to the Herald that she thought it might hurt the business financially, and tial consumer products.”

But Quatro wrote in the Facebook post “could be a big hit for them.”

But when other Franklin Square resithat the sanitizers were priced at $7 dents saw her online fundraiser, they because the cost of alcohol, as well as commented that the pharmacy could pay ingredients trolamine and propylene — the fine itself, and may an organic compound have even deserved it. and fuel gas, respectively One, Keith Vane, said the — went up during the pharmacy was not only outbreak, and the pharselling hand sanitizer for macy had to buy the plas$7, but also selling water tic bottles at retail price. at an exorbitant price. He Additionally, he said, all called the fundraiser of the ingredients had to Email pricegouging@nas“ridiculous,” adding, be certified by United saucountyny.gov, or call “ Yo u d o n ’ t s t a r t a States Phar macopeia, the price gouging hotline, GoFundMe for someone and the sanitizer had to (800) 697-1220. that you personally like, be made by a licensed to cover for them overpharmacist. charging people who As a result, Quatro have been supporting them for years.” said, the pharmacy made “very little profit” Quatro shared the online fundraiser on from the sanitizer, and now that it had been the pharmacy’s Facebook page, writing fined, “we have definitely lost this endeavthat instead of being used to help pay the or.”

Quatro planned to fight the fine, he fine, donations would go toward coronaviwrote on March 30, and noted that he rus relief initiatives. “We will have our understood why people were upset about day in court at some point,” he said, the price. “I get it, a month ago two-ounce “when everyone is back to work.”

After that, Gabrielle said, someone Purell was $1.99 and now it’s $6.99,” he who donated $100 to the cause removed said. “Unfortunately, this is [a] result of the donation and requested a refund, so the times we are in, and not about price she decided to delete the fundraiser. “Too gouging.” many in the town disagreed with the GoFundMe,” she explained, “so I just Residents react Following Quatro’s post on March 30, decided in favor of the majority.”

But, she added, she still felt bad for the some residents expressed their shock that pharmacy for having to pay a fine. “They the pharmacy would be fined over the deserved the donations,” Gabrielle said. “I hand sanitizer. “I think it’s ridiculous that still feel that way .” someone reported them for gouging when

The Franklin Square/Elmont Herald USPS 017066, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Franklin Square/Elmont Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Subscription rates: $36 for 1 year within Nassau County. Out of Nassau County: $58 for 1 year. Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

they were risking their lives to make the sanitizer for everyone else,” Trish Mariano said. Her sister-in-law, Gabrielle Mariano, said she had visited the pharmacy

continued from front page

Christina Daly/Herald

Polk Street School student tests positive for coronavirus ■ Staying at least six feet away from others.

By MeliSSa koenig mkoenig@liherald.com

A student at the Polk Street School tested positive for Covid-19, Superintendent Jared Bloom wrote in a letter on April 1.

As a result, the district would like to remind families to continue to follow state and locally mandated precautions. If you have any questions about the health of your child, please call your doctor.

Additionally, the district recommends that everyone follow Department of Health precautions, including: ■ Staying at home as much as possible.

■ Using good hygiene at home, including frequent handwashing and disinfection of surfaces.

■ Monitor yourself for symptoms, especially a fever, and contact your healthcare provider if you show signs of illness.

The district will continue to coordinate with the DOH, and provide updated information as often as possible, and please reach out to the district if you have any questions or need any support.

Franklin Square/Elmont

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

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/franklinsquare or www.liherald.com/elmont ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: fseditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 214 E-mail: fseditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460

To report price gouging

Briana Bonfiglio and Mike Smollins contributed to this story.

Stewart Manor hosts digital Science Fair for parents

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— Melissa Koenig

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

Stewart Manor School students displayed their science research and projects at the second annual Digital Science Fair on Feb. 13.

The kindergartners researched animal hibernation and Emperor Penguins, second graders investigated how animals survive in different habitats, fifth-graders explored extreme weather and sixth graders created model amusement park rides out of everyday materials.

The first and fourth grade classes collaborated on an owl-themed project where they dissected owl pellets and created dioramas on different owl species and facts. At the start of the projects, the fourth graders also created slides on their iPads to teach their younger peers about the nocturnal birds.

Parents were invited to come view the students’ projects at the science fair, and were able to provide feedback and tips.

Courtesy Elmont Union Free School District

firSt-graDErS ShowED off their owl dioramas at the Digital Science Fair.

Comprehensive Audiology: ‘We’re still here for you’

By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

Courtesy State Sen. Todd Kaminsky

Student musician honored Elmont High School student Shawn Springer, right, was honored by State Sen. Todd Kaminsky on March 13 for being selected to perform at the New York State School Music Association’s All-State Jazz and Vocal Ensemble Performance.

face with Fogel to discuss hearing health, history, symptoms and treatment options.

For existing patients, Fogel can help troubleshoot hearing aids. Patients should have access to a computer, iPad or laptop with a camera, microphone, email and reliable internet access.

Hearing loss could cause anxiety for a person at any time, but even more so during this time of physical isolation, said Dr. Esther Fogel.

That’s why, although her Lynbrook ■ Drop off/pick up — If a practice, Comprehensive hearing aid is in need of Audiology, is currently an emerg ency re pair, closed due to the coronavipatients can schedule a rus, she is still taking calls drop off and pick up time. and emails to assist her patients however she can.

■ Shipping/mail — If a “During this time, many patient needs hearing aid of us are home alone or supplies or batteries, they with one family member, can contact Fogel and and that impacts people arrange for it to be shipped with hearing loss,” she or mailed to the patient’s explained. “Those with home. hearing loss, of any severiIn addition, the federal ty, rely a lot on face-to-face government is now issuing Dr. Esther fogel contact and visual cues.” free caption telephones, At the recommendations Fogel noted. Fogel has of the Centers for Disease partnered with the company CaptionCall, Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Audiology and Gov. Andrew and anyone who needs one can contact Cuomo, Fogel closed the Comprehensive her directly.

She also stressed the importance of Audiology office on March 23 and staying connected during this time and rescheduled all appointments. However, there are several ways that she is main- encouraged those with hearing loss to taining contact with existing patients and video call their loved ones so they can see visual cues. “We’re truly trying to be in treating new ones: ■ Phone call — Call (516) 226-2141 with contact,” Fogel said, “and give ideas on questions, concerns or for a phone consul- how to communicate with family and friends.” tation with Fogel.

For more information, contact Fogel at ■ Video appointment — Schedule a vir- (516) 387-4000 or efogel@comprehensivetual, 30-minute consultation. Talk face-to- audiology.com.

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April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

On Saturday, COunty Executive Laura Curran said, “We’re in the heat of the battle,” as she spoke about the increasing number of coronavirus cases in Nassau. As of Monday morning, the state was reporting 15,600 cases here. At back was Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggiWhitton, who represents the 11th District on the North Shore.

Christina Daly/Herald

The week that was: coronavirus in Nassau

By SCOtt BrintOn sbrinton@liherald.com

The coronavirus outbreak took a sharp turn this past weekend, as cases soared on Long Island. Governor Cuomo said the epidemic appeared to be shifting east from New York City.

That shift was straining Nassau’s hospitals, according to Cuomo and County Executive Laura Curran Meanwhile, the governor pushed back the May 19 school vote to June 1.

Below is a day-by-day timeline of how it all played out.

Friday, april 3

School budget votes were delayed until at least June 1 because of the coronavirus outbreak, by order of Governor Cuomo.

The votes were to have taken place May 19.

The governor issued the executive order March 30. It states: “Any school board, library board, or village election scheduled to take place in April or May of 2020 is hereby postponed until at least June 1, 2020, and subject to further directive as to the timing, location or manner of voting for such elections.”

Whether the school budget votes take place on June 1 remains to be seen. The coronavirus pandemic is fluid, and if new cases were to continue to arise, the vote could be delayed further, state officials said.

“The state budget was difficult,” Cuomo said in his Friday news conference.

Pushing back the vote will give state and local officials a clearer picture of New York’s finances after the Covid-19 virus forced tens of thousands of businesses to close and sales tax collections to plummet. The governor had earlier predicted a $10 billion to $15 billion gap in the state budget, which is unprecedented.

GOvernOr CuOmO Said over the weekend that the center of the Covid-19 epidemic appeared to be shifting away from New York City toward Long Island.

Friday, april 3

Cuomo had warned in recent weeks that New York’s apex of Covid-19 cases was coming within seven to 21 days.

Already, though, the state had surpassed 100,000 cases as of last Friday, he said, and Thursday into Friday was the deadliest 24-hour period during the coronavirus crisis to date, with 562 new deaths statewide.

“We had more deaths,” Cuomo said, “we had more people going into the hospitals than any other night.”

In all, 2,935 New Yorkers had died of the disease.

In Nassau County, more than 12,000 people had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday.

The governor identified Nassau and Suffolk counties as emerging areas of concern.

He also noted that a number of Nassau County hospitals were identified as hot spots because of the high volume of Covid-19 patients they were seeing, including St. Francis Hospital, North Shore University Hospital, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital.

Saturday, april 4

Nassau County had the third-highest number of coronavirus cases of any county in New York as of Saturday, surpassing Westchester, Bronx and New York counties.

New York County includes all of Man-

hattan.

That was according to the state Department of Health’s newly implemented Covid-19 tracker, found at covid19tracker. health.ny.gov.

In his daily briefing Saturday, Cuomo described the virus as a “fire spreading” across Long Island.

As of Saturday, Nassau had 13,346 coronavirus cases, compared to 13,081 in Westchester, where the Covid-19 outbreak began in New York a month ago. Meanwhile, the Bronx had 12,315 cases and Manhattan, 9,300.

Queens and Brooklyn — both geographically on Long Island — had 20,114 and 17,504 cases, respectively.

Suffolk County had 11,370 cases.

Combined, Nassau and Suffolk represented 21.7 percent of the state’s 113,704 cases — up from 16 percent earlier.

Cuomo described his concern for Long Island as the growing center of the coronavirus outbreak.

“You see the Long Island number growing,” he said, “and it’s growing steadily. It’s growing more east than north.”

He also noted, “We’ve been saying for the last few days watch Long Island.”

Cuomo spoke of the increasing need for ventilators, breathing machines to keep the hardest-hit patients alive — Covid-19 is primarily a respiratory disease afflicting the lungs.

The state had ordered 17,000 ventilators, but had received only a fraction of them by Saturday, the governor said.

Saturday, april 4

Speaking Saturday afternoon, Curran reported 11 new deaths overnight of the coronavirus, bringing the total number to 149.

That number, she said, contradicted a Continued on next page

Coronavirus outbreak shifts to Long Island

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

continued from previous page state report that indicated 396 people had died in Nassau. The county Department of Health was working with local hospital officials to quantify the exact number, she said.

County officials were also checking whether all of the people reported dead by the state actually lived in Nassau or a surrounding area.

As of Saturday morning, the state Department of Health was reporting 13,346 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in Nassau. Many of those cases, the county executive said, had resolved, though she did not give an exact number.

“We are in the heat of battle now,” Curran said.

Some 355 patients were reportedly on ventilators to enable their breathing, Curran said. That figure was up 31 people from the day before, she said.

Sunday, April 5

Coronavirus cases in Nassau County continued to climb steadily overnight from Saturday into Sunday, nearly reaching 14,400, up from 13,346 the day before — an almost 8 percent increase, according to Cuomo.

Statewide, 4,159 people had died of Covid-19 as of Sunday, he said.

Speaking that day, Cuomo said, “There is a shift to Long Island … As Long Island grows, the percentage of cases in New York City has reduced.”

The sharp rise in Nassau cases in recent days contrasted with data that showed an emerging “plateau” of cases statewide over the past three days, the governor said.

It is too early to tell, he said, if New York was reaching the apex of cases, when the number of deaths will drop, but it appeared the high point could be reached sometime in the next week. Previously, he had said it could be seven to 21 days before the apex is reached.

Data appeared to suggest the state was nearing a plateau or the apex, Cuomo said. Overnight from Saturday to Sunday, the state saw its highest number of hospital

Source: New York State Department of Health Illustration by Christina Daly/Herald

discharges — 1,709. The total number of people who had been treated for Covid-19 and released from the hospital stood at 12,187 as of Sunday.

“Discharge is way up, and that is great news,” Cuomo said.

The state also saw its smallest number of new hospitalizations overnight, at 574. That was a 52 percent

decrease from the day before, when there were 1,100 new hospitalizations. The day before that, there had been 1,400.

The state had not seen such a low number of new hospitalizations for 16 days, according to state data.

In all, 16,400 people were hospitalized as of April 5.

Urgent care centers debut rapid Covid-19 test

By BRIAN STIEGLITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com

Three urgent care centers on Long Island are among the first in the nation to debut a rapid test to detect coronavirus, which gives patients results within minutes.

The American Family Care health care providers in East Meadow, Farmingdale and West Islip began testing patients as part of a full examination on March 31, before launching regular tests the next day.

The molecular, point-of-care tests reduce wait time from days to roughly five minutes for positive results and 13 minutes for negative results.

Testing will only be available to those who are symptomatic, according to officials at the AFC Urgent Care centers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of such testing, developed by Abbott Laboratories, on March 27.

The urgent care centers began regular testing the same day Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals would

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donate 500,000 test kits to the state, in shipments of 25,000 per day. Corning Life Sciences also donated 100,000 tubes for testing and provided an additional 500,000 at a reduced cost.

As of April 1, the state had given 220,880 tests and continued to provide roughly 15,000 tests each day. Of those tested, 83,712 were positive.

“Rapid testing is the fastest way to return to normalcy and get the economy back up and running, and will also help end the anxiety that has become the most oppressive part of this situation,” Cuomo said. “In the meantime, New Yorkers must continue to comply with all social distancing protocols and stay home as much as possible to prevent spreading this virus to others.”

ThE AFC URGENT Care center on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow is one of three on Long Island to debut the nation’s first rapid coronavirus test.

Christina Daly/Herald

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Overcoming tragedy and becoming stronger One of the items on the Passover Seder plate is an egg. It’s not one of the foods we’re commanded to eat on Passover, and no mention of it is made during the Seder meal itself. So why is it there? We know that the shank bone represents the Passover lamb, and the others are foods that are eaten ceremonially, but the roasted egg sits there.

This roasted egg reminds us of the special sacrificial offering–hagigah– made on festivals during the time of the Holy Temple. Unlike some of the other offerings, which were totally consumed by the fire, the hagigah offering was eaten. However, there’s rarely more than one reason for something in Jewish tradition, and this is no exception.

Under the right circumstances, an egg can become a chicken (or turkey, duck) and is a symbol of new life.

Spring, when the Israelites left Egypt, is that same time of rebirth, trees and flowers are blooming, we’re planting our gardens, and (usually) spending more time outdoors.

Eggs and other round foods are traditionally served at a meal following a funeral, representing the circle of life, and the knowledge that although “tears may linger for a night, joy comes with the dawn.” (Ps. 30).

As a child, I remember learning that the egg represents the Jewish people. At our Seder we read that “In every generation there are those who stood up and tried to destroy us, but the Holy Blessed One redeemed us.” It’s a more eloquent way of saying, “they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat!” As a people and as a community, we’ve overcome tragedy and become stronger as a result. When an egg is cooked, it hardens, and when the pressure is on, we respond and work together.

Essentially, we’re resilient, and this year, we need that resilience as we approach Passover much differently than in the past. Many singles, families and couples will be spending their Seders alone instead of with family and friends. Others will sit in front of a computer or smartphone to create community and have virtual Seders. There will be so many answers to the question, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

This Passover, may we be blessed to tap into our personal and communal resiliency to have a sweet and joyful holiday.

Rabbi Susan Elkodsi is the spiritual leader of the Malverne Jewish Center, at 1 Norwood Ave.

Governor orders shutdown to continue

By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

Curran also said the number of dead was larger than previously thought. The county had projected the number at roughly 150 as of Saturday. The state, however, was reporting a higher figure.

Curran said she is now going with the state’s number, as she said it has a faster means of verifying Nassau residents who have died.

The state puts the number of dead in Nassau at 381.

“We mourn every loss,” Curran said.

On a hopeful note, the county executive said, there were 197 discharges from Nassau’s 11 hospitals — 121 more than were admitted overnight. That could indicate the hospitalization rate is dropping — and thus the cuomo county may see the peak of the crisis begin “to flatten.”

It is too early to tell for certain, however, she noted.

Curran also warned against flushing nitrile gloves and sanitary wipes down the toilet because they clog the sewer lines. The county has seen a 35 percent increase in clogs in recent days.

O n M o n d ay, G ove r n o r C u o m o ordered schools and non-essential businesses to remain closed until April 29 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Previously, they were to close until April 15.

At the same time, the governor raised the fine for violating social-distancing rules from $500 to $1,000.

“We havre to extend the New York Pause,” the governor said. “Public health demands that we do this.

There’s a real danger in getting over-confident so quickly.”

Restaurants and bars Governor have been forced to offer grab-and-go service or home deliveries. Most school children are receiving lessons by computer at home.

The news came as Nassau saw another jump in the number of Covid-19 cases, County Executive Laura Curran said. Cases surpassed 15,600 here, with 2,100 hospitalized. On Sunday, there were 14,400 cases.

Jim Bernstein contributed to this story.

Regents exams cancelled for 2019 – 20 school year

By MeliSSa KoeniG mkoenig@liherald.com

The New York State Board of Regents passed a series of measures on April 6 aimed at easing the burden on school districts during the coronavirus epidemic, including the suspension of Regents exams for the year.

The State Education Department issued a news release on Monday, saying it will “amend the commissioner’s regulations to provide that an alternative form of evaluation for students receiving home instruction, in lieu of an annual assessment, will be permitted for all grades in the 2019 – 20 school year, due to the State of Emergency declared by the governor.”

“The Covid-19 pandemic has put a tremendous burden on many New Yorkers, and our schools and children are no exception,” Betty Rosa, the Board of Regents chancellor, said in a statement. “The regulations passed by the board today will allow schools, students and professionals much-needed flexibility while they adapt to this rapidly evolving situation.”

In addition to the cancellation of the Regents exams, the board also passed resolutions: ■ Excusing the “continuous experience” requirement for speech-language pathology, audiology and occupational therapy.

■ Granting an exemption for in-person supervision requirements for social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family counseling, creative arts therapy and psychoanalysis.

■ Ensuring schools would not be punished for meeting the 180-day requirement.

■ Excluding any day when school is closed in an English language learner’s identification process timeline.

Photos courtesy Elmont Union Free School District

the State reGentS Exams have been suspended for the 2019 – 20 school year.

■ Permitting charter schools to delay payments to public schools for up to 30 days.

At the Sewanhaka Central High School District, Superintendent James Grossane posted on the district’s website that he will keep the public informed about any updated, and noted that the district is remaining open during its scheduled Spring Break.

Those who are observing holidays this week, and cannot attend classes or submit required coursework, should email their teachers.

The district has also closed its track and fields out of an abundance of precaution, Grossane noted, and officials will follow the advice of the Department of Health to determine when it would be safe for students to return to school to retrieve their belongings.

“Everyone, especially our students, must understand the importance of social distancing and the practicing of good health habits, especially in what is now considered a crucial time in the spread of COVID19,” he wrote. “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

F.S. resident, Peace Corps volunteer tells her story

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

by Peter belfiore pbelfiore@liherald.com

The winters can be tough in Radomyshl, a city of nearly 15,000 people in northern Ukraine. At a few points the heat broke down in the small house Franklin Square resident and Peace Corps volunteer Victoria Tytone had rented out.

But for nearly a year and a half she persevered, building a life there, teaching English to primary- and secondary-school students, and helping to build relations between America and the populace within the large eastern European country.

She even adopted a dog -- a cocker spaniel named Dima.

All of that ended abruptly, however, on March 16, when all Peace Corps volunteers worldwide were recalled to the United States from their respective countries as the coronavirus pandemic spread its grip on the world, forcing many to close their borders.

“We got a call that we had 24 hours to pack up our stuff, throw away our food and pay our landlord,” Tytone, 23, said.

“It was really scary.”

Of chief concern, she said, was what would happen to Dima. Luckily, she had recently finished his adoption paperwork, and he was able to come along with her to Kiev, the Ukranian capital, where all Peace Corp volunteers stationed in the country were scheduled to fly out from.

After numerous delays and cancelled flights, Dima, two pet cats and the other volunteers boarded a charter plane to Washington D.C., where Tytone’s family picked her up and returned to their Franklin Square home.

“It’s not the homecoming she envisioned,” her mother, Laurette, said. There would be no in-person celebrations with friends and family, but she said, “She’s home.”

Tytone graduated from Valley Stream North High School in 2014, and received her bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in 2018. After, she was unsure of what to do or where to work, so she decided to volunteer.

She let the Corps choose her destination, and that September she was in Zhytomyr, a city roughly 83 miles west of Kiev, for a two-month training orientation, which comprised daily language and culture classes.

“It was really intense because of how short the time frame was,” Tytone recalled, “and Ukrainian is not exactly the easiest language to learn.”

From there, the volunteers headed to Kiev for their swearing-in before being bused to their respective cities and towns.

In Radomyshl, Tytone was paired with Tamara, a 26-year-old native and English teacher at the school, and the two soon developed a close bond.

“Every volunteer gets a counterpart who works with them throughout their service, and my counterpart became my best friend,” she said. “Tamara was not only a work partner. She helped me move into my house. She helped me every day

Courtesy Island Harvest

AssemblywomAn michAelle solAges and Island Harvest are hosting a virtual food drive for residents of the 22nd Assembly District.

Courtesy Victoria Tytone

frAnklin squAre resident Victoria Tytone with Dima, a cocker spaniel she adopted while living in Ukraine, on the plane back to the United States. of my service.”

Peace Corps volunteers can work in one of three sectors: youth development, community development and English instruction. As an English teacher, Tytone was responsible for running summer camps and after-school English clubs in addition to heading classes every day.

She taught children in grades three through 11, and introduced various aspects of American culture to the students. They celebrated holidays such as Halloween, Valentines Day and Easter, and even put on a play of “Cinderella” in English.

Tytone kept in touch with friends and family through FaceTime, and although her mother said she worried when her daughter was met with adversity, she said, “When she’s determined to do something she does it.”

She was originally scheduled to stay in Ukraine until October, but as coronavirus infections spread, current Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen made the decision to order all of its 7,300 volunteers and trainees operating in more than 60 countries back home. The logistics of the feat were staggering, Tytone said, “It was a real scramble.”

But the hardest part, she said, was not getting the chance to say goodbye to her colleagues and students. “It felt like almost a betrayal that their teacher just got up and left,” she said.

The decision likely came as borders closed, she said, and the possibility arose that volunteers could become trapped should another catastrophe arise.

Then, when Tytone returned home, she was plunged into a world familiar but alien at the same time.

“I haven’t been back in so long I definitely have culture shock,” she said, “but on top of that, seeing all of the nail salons, bars and restaurants closed -- so close to me but out of reach -- I feel like I’m not even back in America yet.”

Solages hosts virtual food drive Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages is working with Island Harvest to hold a virtual food drive for people affected by the coronavirus in the 22nd Assembly District. Those in need of immediate assistance should call Island Harvest at (631) 873 - 4775.

“Although issues relating to food insecurity are not new to our district, our current situation has exacerbated the need for additional food assistance

resources,” Solages said in a statement.

“I am grateful to Island Harvest and its partner agencies for adapting to the unique needs of Long Islanders during these uncertain times.”

As part of the virtual food drive, people can buy items for their neighbors in need by visiting https://bit.ly/2X1DEDB. Anyone with questions should contact Solages’ office at (516) 599-2972 or visit www.solagesny.com for more information.

Kaminsky hosts emergency food drive through Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat who represents the Five Towns, will hold an emergency food drive to benefit families within the 9th Senate District.

Suggested donations include gift cards, fresh, canned or boxed food, toiletries/ personal items and cleaning supplies.

“The Covid-19 health crisis is leaving too many families unable to make ends

meet and lacking basic necessities,” Kaminsky said. “If you are someone with a little extra willing to donate, please reach out to my office and we will get it into the hands of those who need it most.”

To donate, call Kaminsky’s office at (516) 766-8383 or email Kaminsky@ nysenate.gov.

-- Jeffrey Bessen

Courtesy Kaminsky’s office

An emergency food drive to benefit people because of the Covid-19 health crisis is being held by State Sen. Todd Kaminsky.

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Elmont students visit veterans’ home Elmont students recently took a trip to the New York State Veterans’ Home in St. Albans, Queens, where the district-wide Marching Band and the Elmont Dazzlers

performed for the residents. The visit was coordinated with the Elmont Dads’ Service Club.

— Compiled by Melissa Koenig

Photos courtesy Elmont Union Free School District

DaDs’ Club volunteers, above left, Robert Lennihan, Lauren Pontrello, Cecile Brathwaite, Dads’ Club volunteer Dr. Valerie Reese, Gotham Avenue School Assistant Principal William Mingo, Gotham Avenue School Principal Marshall Zucker and Anthony Pino. the Gotham avenue Dazzlers, bottom left, recently performed for residents at the New York State Veterans’ Home. members of the Elmont Union Free School District Marching Band performed, below.

F.S., Malverne fire departments donate food to LIJ Members of the Franklin Square & Munson Fire Department and the Malverne Fire Department delivered food, snacks and water to the doctors and nurses of Long Island Jewish

Valley Stream on April 4. Additionally, Malverne Fire Department First Assistant Chief Ernie Bohringer’s children made signs to thank the staff.

malverne fire Department Assistant Chief Ernie Bohringer’s children made signs to thank the staff.

Photos courtesy Joseph Gerrato

members of the Franklin Square & Munson and Malverne fire departments donated food to the medical staff at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream.

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Apply for your share of the $500,000 marketing grant available to assist locally owned businesses.

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“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. We are a small business ourselves, so we understand the pain that small business owners are going through right now. We at the Herald want to do our part to make sure that members of our small business community can continue to promote themselves during this trying period.”

Herald Team

WHO For all locally owned and operated small businesses on Long Island that have been negatively impacted by coronavirus.

WHAT A $500,000 grant program to support local small businesses. Each local business is eligible to receive up to $15,000 of matching grant funds, which can be used for Herald Community Newspapers print, digital and direct mail products in April, May and June 2020.

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Applications are currently open and are first come, first serve. Businesses will receive a decision within two business days of submitting their application.

WHY Studies show that businesses that continue to market themselves during down times are the ones that fare the best long-term. This grant program will allow Long Island small businesses to continue promoting themselves and any new services they are offering during these unprecedented times.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: • Every dollar that a grant recipient spends on marketing in Herald products will be matched with a dollar of grant funding, up to the award amount, to be applied towards marketing costs.

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For more information call Rhonda at 516.569.4000 ext. 250

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

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High school, college seniors share their experiences continued from front page Kevin Dougherty told students on Google Hangouts that he, too, was unsure of what the immediate future held.

“We’re kind of sitting in the dark,” Toussaint said, adding that he and his fellow classmates felt “kind of shorthanded” because they don’t know whether they would get to take robert part in senior traditions.

Metzger Applying for Senior, H. Frank college has also Carey High School been dif ficult, Metzger said. He thinks he will attend Long Island University and study education in the fall, but, he noted, instead of speaking to the LIU dean in person, as he had planned, he spoke to the dean over the phone, which wasn’t as personal.

“Everything with college is kind of all over the place,” Metzger said, adding that he hoped he and his fellow classmates could return to school soon and have a chance to perform their musical. “I miss that school,” he said, “and I never thought I’d say that.”

And it isn’t just the high school seniors who are struggling to adapt to weeks-long

I

miss that school, and I never thought I’d say that.

Courtesy Robert Metzger

H. Frank Carey drama students were set to perform “Shrek the Musical” in mid-March. school closures. Touissant said that students in the lower grades were wondering how they would meet their graduation requirements — and Nicole Evangelista, a senior education major at Western Connecticut State University who’s from

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Franklin Square, said she was struggling to meet hers.

Evangelista’s semester of student teaching was cut short, at 38 days, so she got less experience in front of a classroom than education majors in other years, and she must pass the edTPA, a national, subject-specific, portfolio-based assessment of teaching performance in which student teachers demonstrate their readiness for a full-time classroom.

Evangelista was fortunate to be able to video herself teaching a class before the Connecticut school district where she was working closed, but, she said, she had completed only 10 pages of her required

40- to 80-page portfolio.

“It’s not easy to get the help we thought we were going to get,” she said, adding that it was difficult for her “to accept that this is happening everywhere.”

Western Connecticut State canceled its graduation ceremony, Evangelista said, and she was unable to finish her final season as a lacrosse player. The NCAA has granted college seniors another year of eligibility, but, she said, she couldn’t commit to another year of college.

“I think we’re all going to come out of this more appreciative,” she said, “but right now it’s hard to get through it.”

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

GET ANSWERS YOU CAN TRUST WITHOUT LEAVING HOME. With so many questions about COVID-19, it’s hard to know where to turn for answers you can trust.

If you or a loved one is feeling sick, use Mount Sinai NOW to access all of our virtual care options.

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All of us, throughout New York City, Long Island and the entire tri-state area, are here for you.

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Stay up to date with the latest Nassau County news.

Sign up for an online account at www.liherald.com to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox.

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

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Public Notices

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

LFRA1 0409

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 21st day of April, 2020, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening 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: FRANKLIN SQUARE WILLOW ROAD (TH 66/20) STOP - all traffic traveling northbound on Hemlock Street shall come to a full stop.

GARDEN CITY SOUTH BRIXTON ROAD SOUTH (TH 513/19) STOP - all traffic traveling eastbound on Warren Boulevard shall come to a full stop.

BRIXTON ROAD SOUTH (TH 513/19) STOP - all traffic traveling westbound on Warren Boulevard shall come to a full stop.

WEST HEMPSTEAD HOWARD AVENUE (TH 57/20) STOP - all traffic traveling northbound shall come to a full stop at Jefferson Street.

HOWARD AVENUE (TH 57/20) STOP - all traffic traveling southbound shall come to a full stop at Jefferson Street.

PARK AVENUE (TH 43/20) STOP - all traffic traveling eastbound on Maple Street 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: March 31, 2020 Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 121548

LEGAL NOTICE ASSESSOR’S NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF THE FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL THE ASSESSOR OF THE COUNTY OF NASSAU HEREBY GIVES NOTICE that he has completed the 2020/2021 final assessment roll, which will be used for the 2021 levy of Town and County Taxes in the Towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and the City of Glen Cove and the City of Long Beach, and for the 2020/2021 levy of school taxes in such Towns and in the City of Long Beach.

A certified electronic copy of the roll was filed with

the Department of Assessment on April 1, 2020. The electronic roll may be examined on public terminals located in the offices of: DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENT NASSAU COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING 240 OLD COUNTRY ROAD, FOURTH FLOOR MINEOLA, NY 11501 where the same will remain open for public inspection for fifteen days.

Dated this 1st day of April, 2020.

DAVID F. MOOG Nassau County Assessor 121537

LEGAL NOTICE SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS–SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF NASSAU – CITIMORTGAGE INC Plaintiff, -against-, IFTEKHER HASSAN, If he be living and if he be dead, the respective heirs-at-law, next-of-kin, distributes, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be deceased , by purchase, inheritance, lien or inheritance, lien or otherwise any right, title or interest in or to the real property described in the amended complaint, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE and NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, TRAVIS SMITH, AND DEVELL RANDALL, Defendants - Index No. 14-002479.

Plaintiff Designates Nassau County as the Place of Trial. The Basis of Venue is that the subject action is situated in Nassau County. To the above named Defendants–YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the Plaintiff’s Attorney(s) within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York); the United States of America may appear or answer within 60 days of service hereof; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. That this Supplemental Summons is being filed pursuant to an order of the court dated September 6, 2016.

NOTICE-YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME – If you do

not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property.

Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action.

YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE; New York State law requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it carefully.

SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT You are in danger of losing your home. If you fail to respond to the Summons and Complaint in this Foreclosure Action, you may lose your home.

Please read the Summons and Complaint carefully.

You should immediately contact an attorney of your local legal aid office to obtain advice on how to protect yourself.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services’ at 1-800-269-0990 or visit the Department’s website at http://www.dfs.ny.gov.

FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress.

You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. We are

attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Honorable Thomas A. Adams, J.S.C. dated September 6, 2016 and by Memorandum Decision of the Honorable Thomas A. Adams, J.S.C. filed on December 12, 2019. The object of this action is to foreclose a mortgage and covering the premises known as 236 Holland Avenue, Elmont, NY 11003 located at Section 32 Block 440 and Lots 123-125 Dated: March 19, 2020 Greenspoon Marder LLP, Attorney for Plaintiff, By: Holly Hamilton, Esq., 590 Madison Avenue, Suite 1800, New York, NY 10022 (212) 524-5000.

Please respond to Cypress Creek office: Trade Centre South, 100 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 700, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 (888) 491-1120.

121437

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.mypublicnotices.com

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 21st day of April, 2020, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-1 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE and REPEAL “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” at the following locations: BALDWIN KENNETH AVENUE (TH 47/20) East Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the south curbline of Demott Avenue south for a distance of 25 feet.

STANTON AVENUE (TH 621/19) North Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of Edward Court west for a distance of 35 feet.

STANTON AVENUE (TH 621/19) North Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the east curbline of Edward Court east for a distance of 50 feet.

ELMONT PELHAM STREET (TH 583/19) North Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of Roquette Avenue west for a distance of 52 feet.

FRANKLIN SQUARE

Rotary donates chicken soup The Central Nassau County Rotary Club and Foundation donated $1,500 to the Chicken Soup for Health Care Responders, a partnership to provide food to medical professionals in hospitals by Ben’s Deli and United Way of Long Island.

United Way has set up a Chicken Soup For Health Care Responders link on its website, www.unitedwayli.org/ givechickensoup, where donors can contribute any amount. The funds will be used to pay for cold cut sandwiches, hot dogs, knishes and soups, which will be packaged to avoid contamination and will be delivered to hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Courtesy Central Nassau County Rotary

The Rotary Club also donated $1,500 to The INN, which provides a broad variety of essential services to the homeless and those facing profound poverty.

The Central Nassau County Rotary Club is looking for new members who enjoy helping people and organizations in their community. To join the club’s next virtual meeting, follow the instructions on the Rotary’s website at https://www. centralnassaucountyrotary.org/ .

Public Notices

MAXWELL STREET (TH 52/20) North Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the west curbline of New Hyde Park Road west for a distance of 38 feet.

NEW HYDE PARK ROAD (TH 52/20) West Side NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the north curbline of Maxwell Street north for a distance of 30 feet.

NEW HYDE PARK ROAD (TH 52/20) West Side NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER - starting at the south curbline of Maxwell Street south for a distance of 25 feet.

INWOOD SMITH STREET (TH 411/19) West Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME starting at a point 206 feet south of the south curbline of Mott Avenue south for a distance of 45 feet.

(NR) ISLAND PARK WATERVIEW ROAD (TH 70/20) South Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME from the west curbline of Pettit Place then east for a distance of 80 feet.

WATERVIEW ROAD (TH 70/20) North Side - NO PARKING ANYTIME starting at a point 30 feet east of the east curbline of Pettit Place east for a distance of 30 feet.

WATERVIEW ROAD (TH 70/20) North Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME starting at a point 150 feet east of the east curbline of Pettit Place east to its east most terminus.

ROOSEVELT W. CENTENNIAL AVENUE (TH 67/20) South Side NO PARKING ANYTIME starting at a point 82 feet west of the west curbline of Brookside Avenue then west for a distance of 70 feet of Brookside Avenue then west for a distance of 70 feet.

WEST HEMPSTEAD

PARK AVENUE (TH 43/20) West Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER starting at the south curbline of Maple Street south for a distance of 30 feet.

POPLAR STREET (TH 71/20) East Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME starting at a point 20 feet north of the north curbline of Hempstead Avenue then north for a distance of 70 feet.

ALSO, to REPEAL from Section 202-1 “PARKING OR STANDING PROHIBITIONS” from the following locations: INWOOD SMITH STREET (TH 373/16) West Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME starting at a point 206 feet south of the south curbline of Mott Ave., south for a distance of 18 feet.

(Adopted 11/29/16) (NR) ISLAND PARK WATERVIEW ROAD (TH 418/87) North Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME starting at the easterly terminus west for a distance of 30 feet.

(Adopted 11/29/88) WATERVIEW ROAD (TH 418/87) South Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME starting at the easterly terminus west for a distance of 30 feet.

(Adopted 11/29/88) WATERVIEW ROAD (TH 329/93) South Side - NO STOPPING ANYTIME - at the easterly termination from its north curbline to its south curbline.

(Adopted 1/25/94) WATERVIEW ROAD (TH 550/97) North Side - NO PARKING ANYTIME starting at a point 30 feet east of the east curbline of Pettit Place east to a point 30 feet west of the easterly terminus.

(Adopted 2/23/99) WEST HEMPSTEAD POPLAR STREET - East Side - NO STOPPING HERE TO CORNER starting at the north curbline of Hempstead Avenue north for a distance of 30 feet.

(Adopted 10/16/62) ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: March 31, 2020 Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 121547

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 21st day of April, 2020, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Chapter 202 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE and REPEAL “REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS” to limit parking at the following locations: FRANKLIN SQUARE Section 202-7 MAXWELL STREET (TH 52/20) North Side - TWO HOUR PARKING 8 AM TO 8 PM EXCEPT SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS - starting at a point 38 feet west of the west curbline of New Hyde Park Road west to the east curbline of Pacific Avenue.

WOODMERE Section 202-17 FIR LANE (TH 65/20) East Side - NO PARKING 12 MIDNIGHT - 8 AM starting at a point 30 feet north of the north curbline of Broadway north for a distance of 48 feet.

ALSO, to REPEAL from Chapter 202 “REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS” to limit parking from the following locations: FRANKLIN SQUARE Section 202-7 MAXWELL STREET (TH 283/17) North Side - TWO HOUR PARKING 8 AM TO 8 PM EXCEPT SUNDAYS & HOLIDAYS - from New Hyde Park Rd., west to Pacific Ave. (Adopted 10/3/17) UNIONDALE Section 202-12 STANTON BOULEVARD (TH 56/91) South Side NO PARKING 10 PM TO 6 AM - starting 247 feet east of east curbline of Nassau Road east for a distance of 80 feet.

(Adopted 6/18/91) STANTON BOULEVARD (TH 56/91) South Side NO PARKING 10 PM TO 6 AM - starting 397 feet east of east curbline of Nassau Road east to west curbline of Mildred Place.

(Adopted 6/18/91) STANTON BOULEVARD (TH 25/99) North Side NO PARKING 10 PM TO 6 AM - starting at the west curbline of Mildred Place west for a distance of 110 feet.

(Adopted 5/25/99) STANTON BOULEVARD (TH 25/99) North Side NO PARKING 10 PM TO 6 AM - starting at a point 172 feet west of the west curbline of Mildred Place west for a distance of 25 feet. (Adopted 5/25/99) ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: March 31, 2020 Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 121546

17

HN1 04/09

Employment

CLASSIFIED

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

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

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

JOB OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted

Administrative Assistant:

Must be able to embrace a fast paced environment, with a diverse range of duties including sales order entry, and sales and marketing. .

Computer proficiency is a must!

Excel (including formulas).

Word and Outlook.

Strong writing, math and verbal skills necessary.

Eligible for health benefits, 401k, and paid time off.

Will consider part time.

Qualified candidates should sent cover letter and resume to rglickman@liherald.com

COMBINED INSURANCE EXPANDING Long Island operation! Full time W2 sales agent opportunity full company benefits and leads provided. Call Bob (516) 567-7733 for immediate interview.

DISPATCH WANTED

No Experience Needed, we will train!!!!!

F U L L T I M E M O N D AY - F R I D AY 11:30- 8:00 5-20 HOURS OF OVERTIME!!

MEDICAL, DENTAL, 401K. 2 WEEKS VACATION, HOLIDAY PAY. $15.00 PER HOUR PLUS OVERTIME. APPLY IN PERSON AT: CALLAHEAD C O R P. 3 0 4 C R O S S B AY B LV D , QUEENS NY 11693 APPLY MONDAY- FRIDAY 12:00- 7PM

Homes

HERALD

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 1080712

$18.50 P/H NYC • $16 P/H LI CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate!

Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid program you can hire your family or friends for your care.

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JOB OPPORTUNITY $18.50 P/H NYC $16 P/H LI Up to $13.50 P/H UPSTATE NY CDPAP Caregiver Hourly Pay Rate!

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HOME Of tHE WEEK

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Long Beach

One of a Kind Waterfront Home

O

ne of the most coveted waterfront properties on the Barrier Island that boasts spectacular open bay views of the New York City skyline and stunning sunsets. You are greeted in the grand foyer with spiral staircase, living room with fireplace, dining room that seats up to 18, family room, chef’s kitchen, office with vaulted ceilings, five bedroom ensuites and two half baths. This home is uniquely situated on 3 lots with 145 feet of waterfront protected by new bulkhead. The backyard includes screened-in porch, miniature golf, shuffle board and heated in-ground pool. There is a new dock system that accommodates 60 foot yacht and electronic lift for 2 jet skis that is surrounded by a new 2,200 square foot deck with pergola.

OFFICE HELP WANTED FULL TIME

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

Queens NY 11693

OUTSIDE SALES

Richner Communications, one of the fastest growing media, event and communications companies on Long Island is seeking a Sales/Marketing candidate to sell our digital, events, sponsorships and print media products.

Salary, Commission, Eligible for Health benefits, 401k and paid time off.

Will consider part time.

Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to rglickman@liherald.com

Child/Eldercare/Help Wanted CAREGIVER WANTED: Experienced, Oceanside. 9am-8pm, Must be Certified and have References. Must Drive, Clean License. Becky 929-248-2272

One phone call, one order, one heck of a good price to run your ad in any state, or across the country.

Call the USA Classified Network today!

1-800-231-6152

Barbara Mullaney

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Century 21 American Homes - The Barbara Mullaney Team 284 W. Park Avenue, Long Beach NY 11561 (C) 516-582-6096 • (O) 516-665-2000 • (F) 516-432-2001

REAL ESTATE Real Estate Sebastian, Florida (East Coast) Beach Cove is like paradise; 55+ Community with maintenance-free living, where friends are easily made. Sebastian is an "Old Florida" fishing village: quaint atmosphere, excellent medical facilities, shopping, restaurants. Direct flights from Newark to Vero Beach. Custom manufactured homes from $114,900. 772-581-0080; www.beachcove.com

Rent Your Apartment through the Herald and PrimeTime Classified section. Call us for our great *specials.

516-569-4000, press 5 for Classified Dept. *(private party only)

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Suburb or country, house, condo, townhouse or apartment, our Classifieds can help you find a HOME that fits your style, your budget and Real Estate needs... it’s a MUST SEE!

Call us today!

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•

Press 5

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

HERALD

Market Place •

& LANDSCAPING • Tree Removal • Stumps • Fertilization • Planting • Land Clearing • Topping

Ask The Architect

© 2020 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.

www.organizewithalice.com

516-578-3590

Office: 516-546-4971 Cell: 516-852-5415

TREE SERVICE fREE REE ESTImaTE ma maTE 10% OFF

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inc.

Vet’s Seniors & All Mail Services

$50 OFF

First Responders & Armed Forces

947101

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We’re All In This Together.

Stay Home, Stay Healthy!

Wishing you all well.

$100

OFF • Tree removal Jobs Under Jobs Under • land Clearing $1,000 $1,000 $500 Minimum • STump grinding USE COUPON CODE HER2020 USE COUPON CODE HER2020 Cannot be combined with other coupon Cannot be combined with other coupon • pruning We Care More Than The ResT for Less We’ll meeT & beaT any priCe guaranTeed Owner/Operated • residential/COmmerCial

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Residential and Commercial - All Surfaces Call Anthony Romeo “The Local Guy” “Anthony & J Home Improvement, Inc.” Also specializes in ★ Deck Renovation ★ Driveways ★ Siding ★ Masonry ★ Fences ★ Roofing ★ Interior/Exterior Painting.

(516) 678-6641 - Licensed & Insured

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Chimney Cleaning & Masonry Services Done By Firefighters That Care chimneykinginc.com

CALL OR TEXT

1083952 re esp

1082954

I was looking at my ceiling just the other day, since you mentioned it. It’s not the best ceiling in the world, but it’s definitely up there.

In the early 1980s I must onte eeper have designed dozens of homes near the ocean that were covered in vertical tongue-and-groove interlocking siding. All cedar, it was coated with opaque stain that did a pretty good job of covering it and penetrating the wood. There were two problems I noticed. As often as possible, I tried to prevent potential rotting from the back side when I was either able to see the job or at least advise the owner to look for the method I specified for installation. The planks were to be installed over staggered horizontal wood strips that created a half-inch air space to allow inevitable moisture to drain downward, preventing mold and rot. The other item was to make sure the siding, and especially the joints, were fully stained to protect them.

Over the years, when an installer defied our notes on the plans by placing the planks right against house-wrap paper, I would stop by and walk up to the walls, which must have looked pretty suspicious to neighbors who wondered who was peering at the house. What I observed wasn’t surprising. The boards with the airspace lasted much longer, even though they still required expensive re-staining, than the boards with no airspace, which all deteriorated from the back side outward.

And you need not worry about the possibility of flame spread due to the chimney effect in the air space. Studies were done by several public and private agencies over the years, and they showed that flame consumes the oxygen in such a small airspace before it can replenish. It turns out that it takes at least an inch of airspace to support continuous combustion.

The alternative that will still give you the nautical look is vertical cement board, which also comes prefinished in numerous colors, can’t rot or support mildew, can’t burn and won’t chip, peel or crack. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, you still need to provide a moisture barrier that has enough spacing to drain from behind the panels. The best choice for this is a drainage fabric that resembles the intertwined look of an air conditioning filter. The best part of this choice is that the cement board siding is wind-rated for hurricanes. Enjoy your home!

Lic# H206773000

Organize With alice

Fully licensed and insured Nassau • Suffolk • NYC

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We ’r ac e still don cepting atio n pick s and ups

• Minimal To No Human Contact

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Your Car Donations Matter NOW More Than Ever!

Suffolk County Metro New York Call:(631)317-2014 Call:(917)336-1254

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1085502

A.

FREE ESTIMATES

1066153

FRANCISCO’S TREE SERVICE

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

1076858

Q. We live near the water and have vertical plank siding. I’m told it’s cedar. It’s been there many years, and we noticed that it’s rotted from the back side and ready to crumble. We like the look and even have it on our family room ceiling, which still looks new, but we’re concerned about how long it will last if we have new outside planks installed. Is there a better material to get the same look or a way to prevent the rotting?

HN2 04/09

1084894

The pluses and minuses HERALD of cedar siding To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5

1078293

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

18

* Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or financial information, call (213) 948-2000 or visit www.wheelsforwishes.org

JOBS, MERCHANDISE, REAL ESTATE & MORE...

JOBS, MERCHANDISE, It’s in the Herald Classifieds...

REAL ESTATE & MORE...

Call 516-569-4000 JOBS,To Advertise MERCHANDISE, REAL ESTATE & MORE...

JOBS, MERCHANDISE, REAL ESTATE & MORE... press 5

Stuff

To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 SERVICES Appliance Srvc./Repair

APPLIANCE DOCTOR HOUSE CALLS!!

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PATIOS! UP-ROOTED SIDEWALKS. & PAVERS. "Our Specialty". Lic/ Ins. Bellmore Chamber Member. 30 years experience. Family Operated. References, Dependable. 516-546-4976

Miscellaneous

Sprinkler Syst./Irrig.Wells

Education

Autos Wanted

Motorcycles For Sale

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(844) 947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET)

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MOTORCYCLE: BMW R1200 MONTAUK, 2004. Pristine, Like New Condition, Low Mileage, Light Blue, $5,500.

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• To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 • To place an ad call 516-569-4000 press 5 Tree Services FRANCISCO'S TREE SERVICE

AND LANDSCAPING: Tree Removal, Stumps, Fertilization, Planting, Land Clearing, Topping. Free Estimates. Lic# H206773000. Office 516-546-4971, Cell 516-852-5415

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Wanted To Sell

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FREON WANTED: WE pay CA$H for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals.

Call 312-361-0601 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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HErald

Crossword Puzzle

Autos For Sale MERCEDES BENZ E350, 2006: 4-Matic, 70K Miles, Excellent Condition. Must See! $12,000. 516-603-8697

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Want to sell your car, motorcycle or boat?

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516-569-4000 press 5, then 2

Answers

to todAy’s puzzle

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

HERALD

19

HN3 04/09

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

20

News briefs Former Sen. Dean Skelos, citing coronavirus fears, wants out of prison

By Jill Nossa jnossa@liherald.com

Former State Sen. Dean Skelos, of Rockville Centre, sought early release from federal prison because he was worried about the c o r o n av i r u s p a n d e m i c , according to court papers.

Skelos, 72, filed a motion in federal court in Manhattan last week, asking to spend the remainder of his 51-month sentence in home confinement to lessen the risk of contracting the virus. Skelos still has more than two years left on his sentence for political Dean corruption, which he began serving in January 2019 at Otisville Correctional Facility, in Orange County. The motion, filed under seal, was opposed by federal prosecutors in papers filed publicly, saying that an application

for release should first be filed with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which could better assess his health situation.

The prosecutors noted that steps were being taken to stop the spread of the disease in federal prison, and said that, since Skelos lives in New York state, “the global epicenter of the coronavirus,” he has not provided any information to show that he would be better protected outside of prison. The judge, Kimba Wood, had decided as of press time.

Skelos was convicted in July 2018 of using his political power to secure roughly skelos $300,000 in jobs and fees for his son Adam, also of Rockville Centre. They were each convicted on eight counts of conspiracy, extortion and bribery. Adam Skelos was sentenced to four years in prison.

Courtesy Debbie Greco Cohen

Nassau couNty is hiring a consulting firm to develop an “economic portrait” of the county after the coronavirus crisis has abated.

PeoPle have uNtil Aug. 14 to respond to the U.S. Census.

2020 Census is under way By scott BriNtoN sbrinton@liherald.com

April 1 was Census Day, when the federal government counts every person across the United States and five of its territories.

Population counts are used to allocate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives to states. The 435 seats in the House are divided up by the population of each state. The larger the population of a state, the more seats it receives.

A state’s population is also used to allocate federal funding for a variety of programs.

Federal officials are urging everyone to fill out the census online, by phone or mail. Census invitations were mailed earlier in March. You may respond after April 1.

The census is mandated every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution.

Who is counted? Here are directions from the 2020 Census website, 2020census. gov: “You should be counted where you are living and sleeping most of the time as of April 1, 2020. If you are responding for your home, count everyone who lives and sleeps there most of the time as of April 1, 2020. This includes young children, foster children, roommates, and any family members or friends who are living with

you, even temporarily.

“Please note that if someone is staying with you temporarily on April 1 due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they usually live. This includes college students, who should still be counted at school, even if they are home early because of the COVID-19 situation. If they live in student housing, the college will count them. If they live off campus, they should respond for the offcampus address and include any roommates or other people living there.”

Below is a timeline of upcoming dates: ■ April 29 – May 1: The Census Bureau will count homeless people over these three days. Census takers count people in shelters, at soup kitchens and mobile food vans, on the streets and at outdoor locations like tent encampments.

■ April 16 – June 19: Census takers will work with administrators at colleges, senior centers, prisons and other facilities that house large groups of people to ensure everyone is counted.

■ May 27 – Aug. 14: Census takers will interview homes that have not responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted.

■ December: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the president and Congress as required by law.

County hires consultant to study the economy Hempstead Town waiving water fees By scott BriNtoN sbrinton@liherald.com

County Executive Laura Curran stood last Thursday at the Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola with the two heads of Nassau’s Coronavirus Economic Advisory Council — Industrial Development Agency Chairman Richard Kessel and Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz —to announce results of a weeklong survey to assess the state of local business amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The news were grim.

The county received 1,431 responses to the survey, Curran said. Many businesses said they have or would need to lay off workers. Half predicted no profit for the year. And 80 percent said they would need loans to sustain their businesses.

“It’s pain now, and we know it’s going to be pain down the road,” the county executive said.

Nassau, she said, has hired HR&A Advisors, a real estate and economic advisory firm based in New York City, to develop an “economic portrait” of the county before and after the crisis. From there, the firm can create models of the county’s potential economic state in order to prove future need for federal and state aid.

Curran said she was “incredibly grateful for the help received by the state and federal government.”

But, she noted, “we will need more.”

She also said she would work closely with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone on a regional plan for future economic development after the medical crisis has abated.

The Town of Hempstead is waiving all late fees and penalties for three months for its water customers who do not pay their bills on time, according to a news release issued by the town Wednesday.

The measure required legislation, which was supported unanimously by Town Supervisor Donald Clavin and the other six members of the town board.

The town’s Department of Water serves 37,000 customers in the Bowling Green, Donald East Meadow, Levittown, Roosevelt Field, Lido Beach, Point Lookout and Uniondale water districts.

“People are worried and concerned about COVID-19, and are contending

with major life changes, including business and job losses, reduced income and medical concerns,” Clavin said. “Our hope is that this bill will help give people one less thing to worry about during this uncertain period.”

Customers are billed quarterly according to their metered consumption, and late payments are subject to penalties and interest. Under the new legislation, all penalties and interest charges for an individual that would norclavin mally accrue during the Water Department’s billing period – March 15 to June 15 this year – are waived.

–Scott Brinton

21

oPinions

lease allow me to reminisce about the past. I’m no longer a young politician, but I’m very much an alert senior citizen who can clearly recall the experiences in my life that have left an indelible imprint on my heart and soul.

I refer specifically to my recollections about the presidents of my past. I vividly recall my early childhood, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. My parents came of age during the Depression, and they worshipped Roosevelt for his soothing messages to AmerJeRRY ica during World kReMeR War II. I was a child, but I could see how his fireside chats helped my parents survive the stresses of the war.

I still can feel the tremors that reverberated across the country the day Roosevelt died. The neighborhood churches in Brooklyn rang their bells incessantly to tell the world that one of its greatest leaders was gone. My mother and father kept asking, how would their America survive?

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Along came a former haberdasher named Harry S. Truman, who assured America that all would be well. In the ensuing years, he helped end the war, and assured our country that he was in charge, and that “The buck stops here.”

He assured us that our national agony was over. He did his job but never lost sight of his local roots. Truman was a great cheerleader for America.

He was followed by former Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had helped defeat the enemy armies in the war. He became a grandfatherly symbol to Americans, and made us feel that we no longer had to worry about foreign wars.

Fast-forward to the days of President John F. Kennedy. Young and vibrant, he made the nation feel that our future would be bright and promising. He energized the White House, and made millions of young people eager to embark on careers in public service. When he died, almost everyone in our nation felt the pain.

After the failures of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan emerged as the strong father figure that was needed to soothe our new global fears. His experience in

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Hollywood helped him eloquently express his concerns for America, and he won over many of his skeptics.

The next trauma came during the tenure of Bill Clinton. On April 19, 1995, two American-born terrorists blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring nearly 700 others, many of them children. Our nation went into shock after the tragedy, and President Clinton became the healerin-chief with his soothing words, assuring us that we were better than those two criminals.

I recall President George W. Bush standing amid the rubble of the still-smoldering World Trade Center on Sept. 14, 2001, assuring America that we would catch the perpetrators of the attacks three days earlier. It was a shining moment not just for him, but for all of America.

Fast-forward to 2015, when a gunman opened fire at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., killing nine people.

Afterward, President Barack Obama offered words of compassion that captured the feelings of all Americans — and even led the singing of “Amazing Grace” at the funeral of one of the victims.

adly, there’s no FDR, no Reagan, no Bush, no Obama in this White House.

Now it is 2020. We are a nation living in fear of the unknown. Caught in the clutches of a pandemic, we must seek solace from our governors and our local leaders. We cling to the words of medical experts and our clergy, because we lack a powerful voice in the White House that could tell us that we are stronger than any virus.

We survived World War II and Oklahoma City and Sept. 11 because, when challenged, we united and rose to the occasion. Facing a disease that keeps us awake at night and could wreck our economy, we’re in need of a voice from on high that would give us the strength to carry on, but sadly, there is no such voice in the Oval Office. All we hear is the echo chamber telling our president how great he is, not how great he could be.

I pray that in your lifetimes we will again have a national leader who will remind us what Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Obama sounded like in times of national need.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years.

He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? JKremer@liherald.com.

Dear President Trump: This is killing us

f only Donald Trump had taken the same Hippocratic Oath our doctors take when they graduate from medical school: “First, do no harm.”

Instead, as we live through this global pandemic, we are caught between trained doctors, offering us fact-based science, and the White House, offering political expediency and short-sighted policy that could actually lead to more loss of life.

This is the worst, I thought as the virus spread over the past two weeks. But it wasn’t the worst.

The medical fight against the disease has been handiRandi capped by a presikReiss dent who is ignoring scientific evidence and the best advice of medical professions. He has denied, lied and deceived the public about the very existence of the coronavirus. He misled his fellow Americans about the severity of the disease. Early on, when he could have blunted the effects of a fullblown epidemic, he refused to take action, which would have mitigated the loss of life we are seeing every day.

What a week. As we move through this all-consuming emergency, ordinary peo-

ple, who want to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, are looking for advice based on sound medical practice.

The Hippocratic Oath, which evolved from the work of Hippocrates of Kos, who lived in the 5th century B.C., codifies the ethics and standards doctors still embrace. Not every doctor actually takes the oath in modern times, but some still do, and doctors around the world adhere to the tenets of selflessness, service and care.

In a bizarre turn of events, Trump has set himself up as qualified to tout experimental medicines that have been rushed through the approval process and administered to sick patients on a trial basis. He has pushed right past the obvious equivocation of the physicians standing with him during the nightly press conferences/ political rallies. Was it ever writ larger than this? Elections have consequences, and one of the unforeseen consequences of 2016 is our living through a once-in-acentury pandemic without qualified, stable or sensitive leadership.

This is a human rights issue, a political issue and a medical issue. We are stumbling through this valley hobbled by leaders who have no regard for the health and

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safety of millions of vulnerable Americans.

As I wrote two weeks ago (during this siege my column may not appear every week), the heartening news is that this ship can sail without a captain. All hands are onboard. All of us in our everyday lives are listening to the experts and trying to limit the spread of Covid-19 by observing physical distance rules and absorbing the pain of isolation and loneliness. Hundreds of thousands of us are quarantining ourselves and staying indoors to help stop this modern plague. We’re doing our part.

As always, there is inspiration and precedent to be found in literature. I’ve been reading “Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour,” by Lynne Olson. What we’re living through has similarities to the Blitz, when Germany dropped some 30,000 incendiary bombs on London beginning in September 1940 and continuing for 57 consecutive nights. The bombing did not end for eight months.

Britain had Winnie, of course. Winston Churchill helped the people of London survive the Blitz by telling them how hard it was going to be. He said it would cost

he heartening news is that this ship can sail without a captain.

them blood, sweat and tears. He spoke the truth in terrible times, asked much of his fellow Brits, and they, in turn, summoned the courage they needed.

Hand in hand with the English people were the American journalists who lived through the bombing and reported the stories of stoicism and survival back to the American public. Those reports helped pull the United States into the war, and led ultimately to the defeat of Nazi Germany.

The heroes of that era were the leaders who never faltered, the everyday citizens who crawled out of bombed apartments to go to work and the journalists who told the story. The heroes of this troubled time will be the doctors and other medical workers who turn up every day on the front lines of this epic battle, and the reporters and photographers who are telling the story, writing the first rough draft of history.

We don’t have a Winston Churchill in the White House. Trump delayed enacting the Defense Production Act until last Friday, and thereby delayed the manufacture of desperately needed ventilators. He continues to mislead the nation about the availability of testing, and the hard news about how long we will live in crisis mode.

In that, he is failing to protect and defend us.

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

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

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Longing for a comforting voice from a true leader

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Herald editorial

Franklin Square/Elmont

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

HERALD Established 1998 Incorporating the Franklin Square/Elmont Record Peter Belfiore Editor Melissa Koenig Assistant Editor Donna laWlor Advertising Account Executive office 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: fseditor@liherald.com Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ clifforD ricHner stUart ricHner Publishers MicHael Bologna Vice President - Operations

Give what you can in these challenging days

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t the Herald, we want to add our voices to the growing chorus of supporters thanking our frontline medical workers and first responders who are, as they say, doing God’s work. Each day, they put their lives on the line to save others. We can only admire their bravery, tenacity and sense of humanity.

That being said, these good men and women could use more than our thanks.

They could use our financial support.

We don’t presume to speak for them, but they no doubt appreciate the cards, cheers and pizzas — keep ’em coming. Hospitals, however, have been stretched to their limits, not only in people power, but also in their finances.

These are tough times financially. So many have lost their jobs or had their

■ scott Brinton Executive Edtitor JiM HarMon

Copy Editor cHristina DalY Photo Editor tonY BellissiMo Sports Editor Karen BlooM Calendar Editor ■ rHonDa glicKMan Vice President - Sales ellen reYnolDs Classified Manager lori Berger Digital Sales Manager

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JeffreY negrin Creative Director craig WHite Production Coordinator craig carDone Art Director ■ Dianne raMDass Circulation Director

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wo weeks ago, one South Shore school board member issued an urgent appeal to students in her district: Stop congregating. Stay

apart.

That same day, an editor of this paper was riding his bicycle through his neighborhood and couldn’t help notice groups of people gathering on sidewalks. One older man was smoking a cigar in a circle of neighbors. A family was barbecuing in their driveway, welcoming folks from surrounding homes.

These were the initial days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a stay-at-home order, which too many people seemed to treat as a mini-vacation. They had no idea what was coming.

In the days that followed, as the number of positive tests for Covid-19 climbed and

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emergency medical technicians are putting themselves in harm’s way like never before. Covid-19 is a respiratory disease.

Many firefighters’ lungs are damaged because of the smoke they have breathed in while responding to calls over the years, potentially making them more susceptible to this virus.

You might also give to your local food pantries, which are running low on supplies because demand has risen exponentially in recent weeks.

Finally, don’t forget to patronize your local businesses to the degree that you can.

Few restaurants are making a profit. They remain open so they can keep as many jobs as they can for their loyal workers. They are so often there for us. Now they need us at this most precarious time.

Keep up the social distancing

HeralD coMMUnitY neWsPaPers Baldwin Herald Bellmore Herald Life East Meadow Herald Franklin Square/Elmont Herald Freeport Leader Long Beach Herald Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald Malverne/West Hempstead Herald Merrick Herald Life Nassau Herald Oceanside/Island Park Herald

hours reduced. Many people are suddenly scraping by after having been solidly in the black only a matter of weeks ago.

For those who can, however, please consider giving to our hospitals, which are nonprofits. We need them, and they need us.

To give to Mount Sinai South Nassau, go to https://www.southnassau.org/sn/give.

• To give to the Northwell Health Foundation, go to https://give.northwell.edu.

• To give to Mercy Medical Center, go to https://mercymedicalcenter.chsli.org/ ways-give.

• To give to NYU Winthrop, go to https:// nyuwinthrop.org/giving/.

• To give to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, go to https://ehs.org.

You also might donate to your local volunteer fire department. Firefighters and

letters We still have to care for the environment To the Editor: I have mailed, faxed and emailed Governor Cuomo’s office about the specifics of “essential” landscapers and what they are allowed to do and not do. Specifically, I’m asking about the use of leaf blowers.

With several landscaping companies using them at once, they are potentially blowing toxic air into our homes, cars and faces during this Covid-19 pandemic. I hope their use will be temporarily banned.

I’m also disappointed that the state has postponed enforcement of the single-use plastic bag ban. Plastic bangs are polluting our waterways

the sobering death totals began streaming in, people got the message. No longer do they stand side by side or in tight lines in supermarkets. Gone are the barbecues and close clutches of socializing teenagers.

The message was loud of clear: This pandemic is not a hoax. It is very real.

Over this past weekend, however, we learned that Nassau County had the thirdhighest number of coronavirus cases of any county in the state, surpassing Westchester, where the outbreak began in New York, Manhattan and the Bronx. Only Queens and Brooklyn (a.k.a. Queens and Kings counties) had higher totals.

Nassau’s and Suffolk’s fast-climbing numbers prompted the governor to warn that the outbreak was shifting from New York City to Long Island. As of Monday,

more than 15,600 people had tested positive in Nassau.

That figure may very well reflect lax social distancing practices in the days after people were first told to stay home.

We will be tempted to loosen our social distancing practices. It’s hard to remain regimented for weeks on end. We can’t give up, though. There’s simply too much at stake. Forgoing social distancing and sound hygiene practices now would only prolong the crisis.

The pandemic will end. Statewide, we saw hopeful signs on Sunday.

On the other hand, those hopeful signs could be illusory. Hospitalizations and deaths could very well climb again. Which is why we must — must — remain disciplined and continue to practice social distancing.

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opinions

s another week has passed, and as we fight through this pandemic together, I continue to think about our Long Island Rail Road workforce, which continually rises to the challenge.

They are on the front lines, playing a key role in the response to this emergency as the LIRR provides a vital service to Long Island and the region, currently the nation’s epicenter of a global health crisis.

Our employees are heroes moving heroes. The workforce shows up each day to ensure phiLLip that we can safely enG transport fellow front-line workers — the nurses, doctors, police and other first responders, as well as the grocery store, pharmacy and transportation workers, and so many others who are helping us live.

Together with our labor partners, we’re ensuring that employees and customers alike remain safe.

Since this pandemic began hitting our state, the LIRR has seen a decline in ridership of about 90 percent. Adjusting to this

drop, while ensuring that we’re able to care for our employees and still provide critical service, we enacted the MTA Essential Service Plan, which began March 27. We are still running over 500 weekday trains, maintaining a 65 percent service level compared with a typical weekday. We also have crews and equipment on standby to supplement service if necessary.

We’re constantly monitoring this new service, and staying engaged with our customers and local elected officials and community leaders, listening to their feedback and adjusting where we need to. We’ve added trains strategically where the need was greater to enable customers to maintain safe social distancing.

We have eliminated cash transactions, closed all station waiting rooms and ticket windows, shut down our Lost & Found Office and the West End concourse of Penn Station.

We continue to distribute masks and gloves to employees, and provide washing stations, hand sanitizers, disinfected work areas and other protections they need, and deserve, to stay healthy. Our courageous workforce is doing what public ser-

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hey doing not just a job, but a true service to their fellow New Yorkers.

Letters and harming wildlife. I don’t understand why markets can’t use paper bags for the time being.

Finally, I received a notice from the Town of Hempstead indicating that, as of Monday, there would no longer be recycling during the pandemic. The town wants us to hold on to all of our recyclables until further notice. I plan to call the town to inquire if there could at least be drop-off bins where conscientious people could deposit them.

We’re not moving in the right direction on the environment. Three wrongs will not make anything right.

MARCIA DITIERI North Merrick

Pets and the coronavirus To the Editor: Pet owners can rest easy that there is no reason to believe dogs or cats in the U.S. might be a source of infection for Covid-19 or cause its spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And so far, according to the CDC, there have been no reports of pets becoming sick with the coronavirus.

It appears to be transmitted primarily from human to human. Pet owners may have heard of canine coronavirus, an intestinal infection in dogs, especially puppies, and feline coronavirus, which can cause feline infectious peritonitis, or

vants do. They aren’t just doing a job; they are doing a true service to their fellow New Yorkers. I simply can’t thank them enough.

I ask my fellow Long Islanders to continue to practice good hygiene. Social distancing is key. We cannot stress enough the importance of flattening the curve and what it will mean to the recovery of New York, New Yorkers and the rest of the country.

We know how trying these times are. But it is the efforts of our customers and LIRR employees that are an uplifting boost to us as management and labor leaders. They are the backbone of this pandemic response.

LIRR management and local labor leaders are in contact daily. They’re sharing important feedback, too, and this open dialogue has enabled us to better support the LIRR workforce, as our employees and as union members. Thank you to those who have been providing us the feedback that helps us better protect you. Please know that this line of communication remains open, always, and we’re all better for your thoughts and suggestions.

Even with all the precautions we’re

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

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I’m proud of our LIRR workers

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taking, it’s crucial that we continue to focus on reducing the spread of the coronavirus. This means that unless you’re an essential worker, stay home. Do not ride public transportation unless it’s absolute- can cle life tha ly necessary.

Whether you’re at home or reporting my hea I ref to work, wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds, and use hand sanitizer if about t soap and water aren’t available. Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don’t have a tissue, and, most important, if you’re feeling sick, stay home.

My heart goes out to all who are affected by this illness, especially those in our MTA family. To those who are currently being treated for Covid-19, please know that you are in our thoughts, and we wish you a speedy recovery. Take good care of yourselves.

If there is a bright side to all of this, it’s that a large percentage of people, including many railroad employees, who have contracted the virus are recovering from it and returning to their daily lives. side ch Of the 378 LIRR employees who were on stresse I sti home quarantine as of last Thursday, 103 berated have returned to work.

I look forward to the day our LIRR fam- evelt d ily is all back together, standing side by Brookl tell the side and marching forward, together. ers wa Phillip Eng is president of the Long Island asking vive?

Rail Road.

FrAmework by Jack Healy

FIP. These viruses have been around for quite some time, and are not associated with the current outbreak.

To protect yourself, your family and possibly even your pets from this new coronavirus, you should follow these precautions:

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fo sa tak ca Instead demic, tors, of the Wh ency an

■ Frequently wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer with more than 60 percent alcohol if you can’t wash.

■ Maintain social distancing outside of your immediate family.

■ Cover your mouth or nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and then throw the tissue away and wash your hands.

■ Sanitize often-used surfaces in your home and office.

The CDC recommends that you restrict contact with pets and other animals if you become sick, just as you would with people. Ask another member of your household to care for your pets while you’re ill. If you must do it yourself, wash your hands before and after you interact with your pets, and wear a facemask. The toughest part for pet lovers is that you must remember that you should not pet, snuggle or share kisses or food with your pet.

THE STAFF OF THE NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAgUE AMERICA

He’s gonna need a bigger mask — Seaford

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April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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