Malverne/West Hempstead Herald 08-08-2024

Sheila Darcy/Herald

tyler george and Robert Miitchell participated in the main event of Lakeview day — the basketball tournament. the event originally started as a competitive basketball game, and his since grown into a celebration of community.

The day is much more than just a basketball tournament

By RyAN AlFANo Intern

The 2024 Lakeview Day was a weekend full of fun, festivities and community celebration that has grown considerably since its humble beginnings as a competitive basketball tournament.

The cherished tradition, organized by St. John’s Baptist Church, is meant to bring together friends, families, and neighbors. The Church invited community members to participate in the event that included a parade, concert, face painting, local vendors and, of course, the basketball tournament.

St. John’s Baptist Church started hosting the event in 1997 when a group of young

men came to Reverend Sheila Thomas and the church looking to organize a competitive basketball tournament. But since its start, it has grown into much more.

The event kicked off Friday with a pep rally and concert at Harold Walker Memorial Park. Then, on Saturday, a parade marched from St. John’s Baptist Church to the park, followed by the main event: the annual basketball tournament.

This year, the first annual Lakeview Kids Day made its debut. The kid-centric event was organized by the Lakeview Day Planning Committee, was highlighted by the donation of dozens of toys to the children of the neighborhood. The event was hosted in

Continued on page 3

Grief support group dealing with new loss

By NIColE FoRMISANo nformisano@liherald.com

For years, Circle of Hope has been meeting in the Lynbrook Public Library so its members can work through the grief of losing a loved one. Now they face uncharted territory what do they do when their leader herself, Angela Mendola, has died?

“Angela had topics, would bring out things we never knew we were feeling, and deal with those feelings,” said Faye Pakula, who joined the group two years ago after losing her husband to pancreatic cancer. “She really was wonderful.”

and waited outside. And they were there when Grillo found her.

“They were able to provide me comfort,” Grillo said. “I don’t know what it would have been like had I been alone.”

I think we feel like we’d have another loss. Another loss of Angela

FAyE PAkUl A member, Circle of Hope

Mendola, 84, died on July 5 after a heart attack. The members of Circle of Hope, which was sponsored by Our Lady of Peace R.C. Church until recently, knew something was wrong when she didn’t show up at their weekly Friday meeting on July 5 she never missed a meeting. They contacted her daughter, Christine Mendola Grillo. They came to the house

Mendola was the kind of person who did everything with warmth. When the Herald worked with her on a story last summer, she welcomed this nervous young reporter into the Circle of Hope with open arms. Over the course of the meeting, members talked honestly about the messy, complicated and unglamorous experience of grief. Mendola met it unflinchingly, head-on and with a candor that didn’t sacrifice kindness. It made grief less scary, somehow, to know that as big as it can be in one’s heart, it would never scare her off.

Mendola was a role model to her daughters, Laura Jean Bonacore and Grillo. As an adult, she went back to school, at Molloy University, to finish

Continued on page 4

County has first rabies case in eight years

The Nassau County Department of Health announced that a feral cat was found in Cedarhurst by the Town of Hempstead and has tested positive for rabies. Analysis was performed by the New York State Department of Health’s laboratory. This marks the first reported case of rabies in Nassau County since 2016, when a raccoon was identified with the disease.

“We urge all residents to avoid contact with feral and wild animals and to ensure their pets are up to date with their rabies vaccinations,” Nassau Health Commissioner Irina Gelman said in a news release. “The detection of rabies in our county after several years of no reported cases is a stark reminder of the ongoing risk, and it’s crucial that we take proactive measures to protect our community.”

In an effort to protect pets and prevent the spread of rabies, Nassau County Department of Health has partnered with the Town of Hempstead to offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets. Open to all Nassau County residents, the vaccination clinic will be held on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter located at 3320 Beltagh Avenue in Wantagh.

“The Town of Hempstead is proud to partner with Nassau County for this rabies clinic, which will help not only safeguard our pets but also shield our communities from a deadly and preventable disease,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said in a news release.

Dogs must be on a leash at all times and cats and ferrets must be in enclosed carriers. It is recommended for dogs, cats, and ferrets older than four months to receive their first two shots one year apart and additional booster shots every three years thereafter.

Rabies is a viral disease that is spread to humans and pets primarily through bites, scratches, or salivary contact from an infected animal.

protects pets if they are exposed to rabid animals. Pets too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors and allowed outside only under direct observation.

■ Keep family pets indoors at night. Don’t leave them outside unattended or let them roam free.

t’s crucial that we take proactive measures to protect our community.

IrIna Gelman Nassau Health Commissioner

To protect from exposure to possible rabies:

■ Don’t feed or touch wild animals, stray cats, or dogs.

■ Ensure pets are up to date on rabies vaccinations, including dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, and livestock. Vaccination

■ Do not feed unknown animals and discourage them from seeking food near your home.

■ Advise family members against approaching any unknown animal – wild or domestic – especially those acting unusually.

■ If a wild animal is on nearby, let it wander away and bring children and pets indoors. Contact a nuisance wildlife control expert who will remove the animal from the property for a fee.

■ Do not touch dying or dead animals. If they must be moved, use a shovel, wear heavy rubber gloves and double bag the carcass.

New York State law requires all

dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. If an unvaccinated pet or one that’s overdue for its vaccination comes in contact with a rabid or suspected rabid animal, the pet must either be euthanized or strictly quarantined for up to six months. However, if a vaccinated animal comes into contact with a wild animal, it needs only a booster vaccination which must be administered within five days of exposure. To protect families and pets, it is essential that animals have up-to-date rabies vaccination.

Individuals bitten or scratched by any animal should immediately contact their physicians or seek medical help at a hospital emergency room and then call the Nassau County Department of Health at 516-227-9663.

Additionally, residents are asked to report any dead, sick or abnormal acting animals by emailing rabies@nassaucountyny.gov for possible collection and rabies testing.

For additional information on rabies visit the Nassau County Department of Health website.

–Nicole Wagner

Leaving a Vacation Home to Family

We all know the road to you know where is paved with good intentions. Nowhere is this more true than leaving a vacation or beach home for the children to share after the parents have passed. We have often advised that if they are all happy and get along well this might very well lead to the end of those good feelings and relationships.

Inevitably, some will do more work on the premises than others, some will use the premises more than others, there will be disagreements as to maintenance and repairs. Some may never visit or use it at all.

Initially, all expenses tend to be shared equally, since all are equal owners. The foregoing issues, however, will quickly arise and then it will often be difficult or impossible to determine what each child’s fair share of the expenses should be. The one living across the country who never visits may insist that they be “bought out” or, if that’s unaffordable to the others, that the house be sold so that they can get their share.

Sooner or later, one of the siblings dies

and their share goes to a sister-in-law or brother-in-law who may remarry and bring a stranger into the shared arrangement. Or let’s say an owner of one-third of the house dies, and now their share goes to their four children. How is that going to work?

Vacation homes are an excellent example of why good estate planning is often more social work than legal work. In these cases we anticipate the problems and spend the time to figure out who wants and uses the home and perhaps leave it to those children only and compensate the others with money or other assets. If they all use and enjoy the home, we sometimes require that it be held jointly with the right of survivorship, allowing the last of the joint owners to decide who to leave it to.

While the possibilities are endless, each case should be looked at and thought through so as to keep harmony in the family by preempting any potential conflicts. Otherwise, it’s often a case of the old adage that “no good deed goes unpunished”.

&

It invites people to reconnect with home

Hempstead State Lake Park, included bounce houses, water balloons, tug of war, a relay race and obstacle course, and a pizza eating contest.

The day is more than just fun — it is also meant to serve neighbors and help them connect with local services.

“It’s not just them playing basketball, it’s the information of what’s going on and to help the community be a better community,” said Reverend Thomas. “We have different people that provide information.”

Along with the tables for curious people wanting to learn about career opportunities and develop relationships with community organizations, the Nassau University Medical also provided health screenings.

“The fire department, the police department, NAACP, the Lakeview council,” added Pastor William Thomas, Sheila’s father, who also helped organize the event. “It’s an opportunity for them to interact with the community.”

For those not participating in the basketball tournament, Kohl’s Cares, the library, and a DJ connected with St. John’s Baptist Church to provide books, story time, music and other entertaining events.

“The majority of people come from different places, used to live in Lakeview and they come back,” Sheila said. “That’s the part that I love that they come back. It’s like a big family reunion. They get a chance to connect and share their thoughts of life, or where they are and where they’re going.”

Those who played in the basketball tournament when it started 27 years ago, now have children who participate in the same tournament. Sheila described it as “a beautiful cycle of life.”

Despite people moving on from the Lakeview community, Sheila said, they always hold onto the memory that Lakeview is their home.

“It’s coming together and it’s important that we as a community never for-

get your neighbor,” Sheila said. “When we have these events, it gives us a chance to remember each other.”

“It’s a community event, and the community is there,” William said. “It’s a great time to come together, enjoy each other, promoting harmony within the community and promoting the community at large.”

The goal for the Lakeview community, William said, is to set an example for the world, showing that joy, happiness, and a desire to enjoy life can be achieved.

“We want to be a model throughout the world that people can live together,” William said. “People can enjoy one another; people can respect one another.”

the Lakeview day parade got a big thumbs up from the nassau County police department. officers — twolegged and fourlegged alike — showed their support for the annual tradition.

Courtesy Lakeview Fire Department

the Lakeview f ire department came to show their community pride — and delight the children at Lakeview day.

Sheila Darcy/Herald

Courtesy LaTaya Carter

as part of the weekend-long annual tradition that is Lakeview day, neighbors celebrated the first Lakeview Kids day at Hempstead State Lake park.

‘Circle of Hope’ now has nowhere to go

her undergraduate degree, and earned a master’s from Fordham University at age 43. She was then able to pursue her calling, becoming a social worker. She eventually had seven grandchildren, and was about to be a great-grandmother.

“She was constantly evolving,” Grillo said. “She never gave up.”

Mendola had been running bereavement support groups for the past seven years — but they took on new meaning for her in 2020, when her husband of 61 years, Anthony Mendola, died of complications of Covid-19. The pair had met at a skating rink in 1958, when Angela was 18, and had been a team ever since. Anthony’s death was traumatic. He had no prior health problems, and his family felt that he had been suddenly ripped from them. Angela was still leading the Circle of Hope — but without telling anyone there, she had become a grieving member, too.

“She was trying to evolve again,” Grillo said. “And I think in doing that, in bringing the bereavement group together, she was also healing her own grief.”

“It helped her just as much,” her daughter added. “I saw a whole change in her. I didn’t think I could learn any more about her, but it was amazing, over the last four years, to watch her just create a whole new life with these neighbors.”

For the first year after her husband’s death, Pakula said, Mendola didn’t even bring up his loss in the Circle of Hope. She didn’t want the discussion to become about her — but, nevertheless, the group began to heal her, and she began to open up more and more. She was both a leader and a member. She showed by example that it’s OK for grief to be complicated and nonlinear.

The Circle of Hope was invaluable for everyone who came. Some lost parents. Some lost spouses. Some lost children. Perhaps the most important understanding that the group shares — and Mendola emphasized — is that there is no timeline on grief. It does not disappear. It changes from an open wound to a scar, and sometimes back again. And that, too, is OK.

“They just get it,” Pakula said. “Not

now they have to use her

dealing with the death

herself.

they’ve been cast aside.

“We’re all very upset,” Pakula said. “We just want to stay together and meet every week.”

“If the library won’t approve of us meeting there, we don’t know what we’re going to do,” she added.

everybody understands — and they just understand. Because we’re all feeling what we’re feeling.”

People outside the group don’t want to hear about grief, Pakula said. They get uncomfortable, or think the healing process should be over by a certain point. But that isn’t the case within the Circle of Hope.

“When you go there, you can say anything you want,” Pakula said. “Some people will say, ‘This might sound stupid.’ And we’ll all go, ‘No! I feel the exact

same way. I felt like that, too.’”

But now the group is at a crossroads. Without Mendola, a certified social worker, leading them, Our Lady of Peace R.C. Church says it can no longer sponsor the group. And the Lynbrook library is reluctant to allow them to keep meeting without a sponsor. Last year, members got a flower pot with a plaque engraved with their loved ones’ names. Now that flower pot has been moved to some hidden corner. That’s how Circle of Hope members feel — that

“I think we feel like we’d have another loss,” Pakula said. “Another loss of Angela.”

In the meantime, the members are working through the grief of their loss together — and though Mendola has died, they’re still finding solace in the wisdom that she dedicated the last years of her life giving them.

Organizations that are interested in sponsoring the group or providing a new meeting location can get in touch with the Circle of Hope by contacting the Herald at nformisano@liherald.com.

with our editorial team.

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following: 1. Resume: Highlighting your photography experience and relevant skills. Portfolio: A link to your online portfolio or social media 2.

Please send your application to Tim Baker at: tbaker@liherald.com with

angela mendola, 84, died last month after a heart attack. She kept the Circle of Hope bereavement support group active, often encouraging them to come to shows, restaurants, movies or other fun outings.

Photos courtesy Christine Grillo angela mendola spent the last seven years of her life helping people through grief.

wisdom in

of mendola

News brief

Senator honors Steve Grogan for service

State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, from Malverne, honored Stephen Grogan as her 2024 nominee for the state senate’s Veterans Hall of Fame during the July 22 Lynbrook Village meeting.

Grogan is extensively involved with the Fourth Battallion, which includes the Malverne and Lakeview Fire Departments.

“Stephen Grogan, born on Veterans Day, November 11, served as an Intelligence Special Agent in the Army and as Public Information Officer for American Legion Post 335,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “He continues to serve as an active member of the Lynbrook Fire Department and Vice Chairman of Nassau County Firefighters Operation Wounded Warrior.

“As a dedicated family man who has contributed greatly to our country, Stephen is more than deserving of this honor and continues to make the 9th Senate District proud.”

–Ben Fiebert

New business anything but a headache

West Hempstead has welcomed another small business! West Hempstead Pharmacy is now open for all of neighbors’ health needs. A ribbon cutting — purple, to show West Hempstead pride — celebrated the shop’s grand opening. Owner Howard Jacobson and his staff were joined by Assemblyman Ed Ra, Sagine Pierre Charles, president of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, and other Chamber members.

at the Lynbrook Village Board meeting on July 22.

Lori Berger/Herald

Courtesy Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick

New York State Senator Patricia CanzoneriFitzpatrick has named Steve Grogan to the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. The honor and presentation of a plaque was made to Grogan

AI helps level the educational playing field

Embracing new technologies like ‘adaptive learning’ is proving to be key to keeping

By Nicole Wagner & Danielle Schwab

Continuing a series exploring the presence of artificial intelligence in our schools — and, over time, in society as a whole. Thoughts? Questions? Ideas? Email us at execeditor@liherald.com.

While some educators have gotten acquainted with artificial intelligence hesitantly, many school districts across Nassau County have embraced the technological tool in the classroom. It’s no secret that AI is changing the academic landscape. Educators, parents and students are in a race to keep up with its abilities, and especially about how it can — and will — be used in education. A helpful visual representation of just how AI can help students is a ramp. Ramps are used in buildings to make different levels accessible to people who can’t climb steps. But many of those who can take the steps use ramps as well. AI can be seen as a tool that all students can use to make education more accessible and to serve their individual needs.

Meeting students where they are

The Franklin Square school district has embraced AI as a way to help individualize education for students from pre-K through sixth grade. District Superintendent Jared Bloom spoke with the Herald about the multitude of ways AI can help keep students engaged, tai-

loring lessons to their interests.

One tool that district students and parents have used is Goblin.Tools, an AI-powered site that can identify an essay’s key points if a student need to create a Power Point or poster board for a given assignment.

“You can even break those chunks into smaller chunks,” Bloom said. “So it really becomes manageable, and you can really understand what are the key components of that assignment.”

Another way in which AI can help teachers and students is by varying the reading level of a passage. This has been a welcome change for educators in Franklin Square, Bloom explained: 20 years ago, teachers had to find a handful of different reading passages for the various skill levels in their classrooms.

student’s interests, whether it be music, sports, art or anything else. “We know that when students are interested in a topic, they’re going to be more engaged and more open to learning,” Bloom said.

Nassau County BOCES’ Special Education Department, which serves 1,800 students at 10 Nassau BOCES schools, is exploring AI’s potential in special education. Ken Kroog, assistant director of the department, said that AI can help students through what’s known as “adaptive learning.” During online assessments, AI tailors questions based on a student’s performance in real time.

“Now you can take one passage and run it through AI, and be able to hand that reading out to kids all on the same topic without having to go out and get new material,” Bloom said. “And that’s very helpful for students.”

The promise of personalization in any subject excites Bloom about AI. A fourth-grade math problem can be plugged into AI and personalized to a

“So let’s say if I answer correctly or achieve a certain level of proficiency, the subsequent questions will challenge me at a greater level,” Kroog explained. “So you get a real clear picture of where, exactly, I’m performing across the different skill areas.”

Students who are visually or audibly impaired can use tools like Otter.ai to transcribe a lecture to better understand what is going on in the classroom.

Katherine Lewis, a disability counselor at Nassau Community College, said she uses this tool to help students. AI can be a great help for students who are strug-

kids engaged

gling to understand a topic — and for families who can’t afford a home tutor.

“To be able to sit with your child and utilize some of these tools that are out there, free of charge, helping support an understanding of a particular topic, is pretty magical,” Bloom said.

Students at NCC can benefit from AI when the college’s learning centers are unavailable. Genette Alvarez-Ortiz, vice president of academic affairs, said she hoped it could be used around the clock to help students when staff are not accessible.

“In terms of availability, there are challenges with the evening coverage and weekend coverage,” Alvarez-Ortiz said of the college’s learning centers. “We may be able to look at AI as a possibility to help support our learning centers.”

Benefits that AI offers educators Staff in the Franklin Square school district have reported that personalization and customization of lessons for students can “support students in new and different ways that we wouldn’t have been able to do as easily” without AI, according to Bloom. These tools help teachers save time when creating lesson plans.

“I’m really hopeful that we’re going to be able to get to that point where we’re utilizing AI to make everybody’s life a little bit better and easier,” he said,

Courtesy Nassau BOCES

Nassau BOCES staffers have embraced the power of artificial intelligence to enhance student learning.

AI is changing education in so many ways

“and as a result of that, we’re customizing and personalizing for kids in ways that we wouldn’t have been able to do as quickly before.”

BOCES educators have not only used AI tools as time-savers when creating lesson plans, but have also used them as “thought partners,” Kroog said. “It allows special educators to differentiate learning for students, customizing instruction for specific learning needs and leveraging their strengths to give them a very personalized, individualized learning experience,” he said.

This helps teachers in the Special Education Department at BOCES as they work on time-demanding aspects of their jobs, such as report writing and individualized education programs, or IEPs.

kind of both.”

Student

reception

As an elementary-focused school district, Bloom said, Franklin Square’s students are using AI differently than a kindergarten-through-12th grade district would. However, the students who are able to use AI prompts have been very excited to embrace the tool. The district has been trying to give students a variety of opportunities to learn how to program, prompt AI, design video games and more to increase their exposure to different technologies.

e know that when students are interested in a topic, they’re going to be more engaged and more open to learning.

JAred Bloom Franklin Square superintendent

Rockville Centre school district Superintendent Matthew Gaven said he also believes AI can be used to tailor lessons to students’ needs.

“Computers and teachers have always given the diagnosis, but not always the prescription,” Gaven said. “Like, ‘How do you get better?’ So AI is

“That’s the world that they’re growing up in,” Bloom said. “We have to be preparing our kids for their future, for their tomorrow.”

In Rockville Centre, students in middle and high school have the chance to enroll in an elective AI course that uses the coding program kidOYO. Gaven said that students have embraced the elective courses that teach AI research at the middleschool level and prompting at the highschool level.

“Our students are going to have these tools embedded in their lives,” Gaven

said. “They need to know how to use them responsibly. They need to know what they’re good for and what they’re not good for. And then they need to know, you know, how do you take the stuff that AI generates and add value on top.”

What are its limitations?

AI does have its limitations. Teachers still need to vet its output to see what’s applicable and what’s not. It’s a process that Kroog believes requires human expertise to navigate.

The technology must comply with New York State Education Law 2-D, which protects students’ and teachers’ personal information.

“Educators need to know how to use them right for their own instruction, and then teach students how to use them responsibly to support their learning,” Kroog said. “And with that comes a lot of learning, a lot of training on our part, and then a lot of understanding of what AI can do and what it can’t do.”

Maintaining academic integrity while using AI is something Bloom is passionate about. “I believe that with enough support and with enough training, just like with the calculator, we’re going to be able to help students to see how it is a tool to improve learning, and not a tool to just get you the answer,” he said.

As Gaven sees it, the future looks

■ ChatForSchools.SkillStruck.com

■ Diffit.ai

■ Goblin.Tools

■ Firefly.Adobe.com

■ Canvas.com

■ Chat.Openai.com

■ Claude.ai

■ Gemini.Google.com

■ Perplexity.ai

■ Otter.ai

bright for the ways AI will be used to help students in the years to come. “If AI truly allows individual pathways for students — you know, really specifically tailored instruction, with the resources that support it,” he said, “then I think it’s going to be a tremendous help for all of our students, particularly our students with special needs.”

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Beach wrestling returns to Long Beach

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Sunbathing, surfing and maybe even a few sandcastles took a back seat last Saturday as a wresting tournament with nearly 250 participants dominated a steamy summer day in Long Beach.

The [Reggie] Jones & [Paul] Gillespie East Coast Beach Wrestling Tournament, the second of its kind on the sand at Edwards Boulevard Beach since Superstorm Sandy in 2012, honored those two legendary coaches and “ran smoothly,” organizer Miguel Rodriguez said.

“It was such an incredible day and the city of Long Beach was a huge help,” said Rodriguez, a longtime member of the Long Beach High School wrestling program coaching staff who competed for the Marines from 1997-99 and took part in a handful of beach wrestling events himself.

“We were hoping for 100 wresters and ended up with close to 250,” he added. “It was a lot of work and took a lot of people to make it possible. The day turned out just perfect. We hadn’t hosted one in nine years, but this was the best-run tournament we’ve had in a long time and honored some special people.”

In addition to coaches Jones and Gillespie, the tournament was dedicated to late Long Beach wrestlers and graduates Lazar LaPenna, Joshua Encarnacion and Michael Berube. Three of the event’s four wrestling rings was named in their

honor, Rodriguez said.

While there was no shortage of high school varsity and JV, and middle school-aged competitors, Rodriguez noted the ages ranged from kindergartners through 55.

Dylan Martinsen, a 2019 Long Beach High School graduate, won the 172-pound weight group. His father, Kevin, 55, also competed. “I hadn’t wrestled since high school and it was really cool,” Dylan said. “Everyone did a great job putting it together, and honoring the memories of the guys we’ve recently lost was touching.”

Each match consisted one of three-minute period and began in the neutral position — both wrestlers stood opposite one another in the center of the ring and waited for the referee’s whistle to start grappling. That was also the case for any restart, Rodriguez said. The first wrestler to score three points advanced. In the event of a tie at the end of three minutes, the wrestler who scored the last point was declared the winner.

“Most matches didn’t last the full three minutes, but one of the finals did,” Rodriguez said. “We had 14 different categories and about 50 first-place medals handed out.”

The goal moving forward, Rodriguez said, is to take the tournament up a notch on the beach wrestling stage. “Not only do we want to make this an annual event, but we’re hoping it can be a qualifier for the Beach World Series,” he said.

Arianna Balsamo, left, and Matthew Sarro were two of the nearly 250 wrestlers to flock to Long Beach to grapple on the sand in the East Coast Beach Wrestling Tournament named after legendary coaches Reggie Jones and Paul Gillespie.

Michelle Ebel/Herald photos

Gregg LaPenna, left, and Kevin Martinsen were two of the elder competitors in last Saturday’s beach wrestling tournament.

Jack O’Grady, top, tussled with Tristan Doughertyse.

Mount Sinai’s emergency nurses are honored

By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com

The Emergency Nurses Association has awarded the prestigious 2024 Lantern Award to Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Emergency Department.

The department staff received the award for reducing wait times and for demonstrating commitment to exceptional and innovative leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.

The award is named in honor of Florence Nightingale, a trailblazing nurse and the founder of modern nursing, who was known by the nickname “Lady with the Lamp.”

MSSN’s Fennessy Family Emergency Department, along with emergency departments at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West, are three of only 94 emergency departments across the United States that met the Lantern Award criteria this year, according to the hospital.

Colleen Schaefer, quality operations coordinator for South Nassau’s Emergency Department, submitted the application and the necessary data.

“This was brought forward by our former director, Christina Salucci, and another Mount Sinai emergency department received the award last year,” Schaefer said, “so we really pushed and came together as a department to apply

Melissa Berman/Herald

For its teamwork and an enduring commitment to service excellence, Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Emergency Department was awarded the Emergency Nurses Association’s Lantern Award for reducing wait times and for innovative leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.

The Emergency Department nurses found out they had won early last month.

“I think for both leadership and staff, it just signifies how hard we’ve worked together as a department, and we experience growth and change,” Schaefer

said. “Our staff is adapting excellent to that, and we’re making sure that we’re growing our team and providing safe patient care for all our patients.”

in a key measurement of patient satisfaction and performance.

“This is a testament to the ED staff, especially the nurses, for the amazing work they do on a daily basis,” Itzkowitz said. “Talk about the care they provide to all the patients, the patient experience and the patients who want to come here. We are providing a service to the community that they want in that area.”

MSSN’s emergency room simultaneously reduced the “left without being seen” patient rate to below 2 percent and handled a significant increase in post-pandemic patient volume.

“It goes without saying how proud I am and excited to be part of this,” Itzkowitz added. “We know the amazing team that we have — it’s just a matter of time till we’re recognized for the amazing work that the nursing team provides.”

The Lantern Award also recognized the ongoing education and training of the nursing staff to provide the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to societal needs.

Dr. Adhi Sharma, the hospital’s president, who is an emergency physician by background, said he was immensely proud of the ED staff and leadership.

Dr. Jay Itzkowitz, clinical chair of the department, helped implement a series of innovations that led to improvement

“It’s very rewarding to see it — it’s a good reflection on the culture in the ED and organization,” Sharma said. “This award is a great milestone, but the best is yet to come.”

The 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av (Mon. night and Tues., Aug. 12-13) is the saddest in Jewish history, commemorating the destruction of the Jewish Temples (which were on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, now occupied by the Dome of the Rock). The Western [retaining] Wall, the Temple’s remnant, is the holiest place accessible to Jews today. Through the millennia, Jews have recited Psalm 137: ‘If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither; let my tongue stick to my palate if I cease to think of you, if I do not keep Jerusalem (Zion) in memory even at my happiest hour.’ Jews are not ‘settler colonial’ interlopers in the Land of Israel; Jews are the indigenous nation of the Land, having returned home to the Jewish state of Israel and to Zion (which is Jerusalem).

Island Harvest mourns loss of its founder

Seeing perfectly good food wasted while women in a nearby shelter struggled to find enough to eat deeply moved Linda Breitstone. This personal connection to the issue spurred her into action. Armed with determination, a station wagon, and a few coolers, the Rockville Centre resident began her mission. She discovered many food establishments were discarding excess food at the end of the day and found many people in need of it. This led to the establishment of Island Harvest Food Bank in 1992. Breitstone, a longtime resident of the Princeville area in Kauai, Hawaii, passed away peacefully, surrounded by friends, on July 16, 2024, died at 73, after a brief battle with cancer. Her son, JB Breitstone of Barnstable, Massachusetts, said, “My mother was very proud of the work of Island Harvest and loved watching it grow from an idea — creating a grassroots effort — to what it has become today.” Tapping into a lifelong hobby of collecting crystals, Linda was the proprietor of Crystal Woman, an enterprise trading in crystals for meditation or creativity spaces in homes, art, or music studios.

Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest, noted that the organization, under Breitstone’s guidance, has grown to become the region’s leading hunger relief and social service organization. While food rescue is a legacy program, representing a small part of what Island Harvest does today, it is expected to distribute nearly 20 million pounds of food this year, providing supplemental food support and related services to an estimated 221,190 people on Long Island identified as food insecure,

Breitstone, right, formerly of Rockville Centre was the visionary founder of Island Harvest Food bank. She is pictured here with Randi Shubin Dresner, left, at Island Harvest Food Bank’s Taste of the Harvest celebration in 2009. Breitstone died peacefully on July 16 after a brief battle with cancer.

including 44,780 children.

“Linda Breitstone was a woman with a true sense of making things right,” said Shubin Dresner, who has led the food bank since 2001. “She cared deeply about Island Harvest, and even after she moved to Hawaii, she kept an eye on our progress. I am deeply honored to have worked with her and to continue her legacy.”

Known for her tenacity, upon receiving a grant for the organization’s first refrigerated truck through Ed Travaglianti, the former head of the nowdefunct European American Bank,

Linda Breitstone had the “chutzpah” to ask for office space, which EAB ultimately provided in an unused space on the second floor at one of its banks on Second Street in Mineola. “If chutzpah is what it took to get help for people who were hungry, then Linda did not mind the pejorative,” said one original board member.

“Linda’s passing leaves a void that can never be filled,” said Steve Juchem, board chair of Island Harvest. “Her legacy, however, will continue to inspire and guide us. Her impact on the lives of countless Long Islanders who have

relied on Island Harvest over the past 32 years is immeasurable. We will always remember her with deep gratitude and respect.”

Longtime Island Harvest board member and current vice chair Jill Bernstein said, “Linda brought us all together, and she was a bright star. This organization was her heart and soul, and she made it happen because she believed in the good in everyone, no matter where they came from or their background. She understood that people needed to be fed and nourished. She was the best of all of us, and I, along with so many others, will miss her terribly.”

“I never had the privilege of meeting Linda. However, our entire community owes her a true debt of gratitude,” said Island Harvest board member Douglas M. Nadjari. “Her memory will live on and endure through our organization.”

Island Harvest created the “Linda Breitstone Spirit Award,” presented at its annual Taste of the Harvest Celebration fundraising event. In addition to honoring the founder, the award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the organization in furthering its mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island.

Loretta Sehlmeyer, a longtime volunteer with Island Harvest Food Bank and a member of its advisory board, said of Linda Breitstone, “I have always loved telling her story, and I am especially proud to have received the Linda Breitstone Spirit Award in 2005 and to be recognized as someone who continues to reflect her passion to support and be a part of Island Harvest Food Bank’s mission.”

The nonprofit is keeping kids fed in summer

Island Harvest Food Bank’s Summer Food Service Program is stepping in to provide a crucial lifeline during the summer months. Administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, the program will deliver breakfasts, lunches, and snacks from Monday through Saturday. These meals will be distributed to programs operated by municipal agencies, summer and day camps, community centers, libraries, churches, and community-based organizations across Long Island.

Running from June 24, 2024, to August 30, 2024, the service program is expected to serve over 60,000 meals to approximately 1,440 children and teenagers at 22 sites across Long Island this summer.

“For parents struggling to make ends meet, summer can be stressful, especially with the high cost of groceries and other essential items, and these months should not be a time for children to worry about when their next meal will be,” Randi Shubin Dresner, the president and CEO of Island Harvest said. “The SFSP allows us to partner with community programs to help address the public health crisis of food insecurity, especially among the most vulnerable among us — children.”

The program is committed to providing meals and snacks, at no charge, to children 18 years old and younger without any form of discrimination. Its acceptance and participation requirements are the same for all, regardless of race, color, national ori -

gin, gender, age, or disability. There is no discrimination in the course of the meal service. It is a federally funded, state-administered program that reimburses program operators for providing free healthy meals to children in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, contact Jenny Schaeffer, chief programs and network officer at Island Harvest Food Bank, via phone at (631) 873-4775 or email jenny@ islandharvest.org. To find local food sources in your area, text your ZIP code to 631-450-3775.

Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading human services organization whose mission is to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. The organization achieves this through innovative programs and services aimed at enhanced hunger awareness, short-term case management, nutrition education, outreach and advocacy initiatives, its Healthy Harvest Farm, a Workforce Skills Development Institute, and efficient food collection and distribution. Island Harvest Food Bank directly supports children, families, seniors, and veterans who turn to them in times of crisis and supports a network of community-based nonprofit organizations. Island Harvest Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks leading the effort to solve hunger in the U.S. For more information, visit IslanddHarvest.org.

–Jordan Vallone

Courtesy Island Harvest Food Bank

Linda

Courtesy Metro

Island Harvest Food Bank, a leading human services organization whose mission is to end hunger on Long Island, will be distributing lunches to children and teenagers this summer.

STEPPING OUT

Inside the hive at Long Island Children’s Museum

By Danielle Schwab

There’s a special “day” for everyone and everything it seems. So it’s certainly fitting that the helpful yet often misunderstood honey bee gets its due. And that brings us to Aug. 17, aka “National Honey Bee Day.” Long Island Children’s Museum goes all out to celebrate the hard-working insect with two days of “Honey Hoopla” activities, Aug. 16-17.

The museum has been home to over 20,000 honeybees year-round since 2012, when a hive was introduced to the Feast for Beasts exhibit, which opened in January of that year. The museum welcomed visitors to the first “Honey Hoopla” that year so that everyone could experience the first harvesting of honey from the then newly active hive.

Now Honey Hoopla returns — in a big way.

Families can check in on the busy bugs from an observational beehive, still located in the Feasts for Beasts exhibit. There, honeybees travel in and out of the hive, pollinating flowers in the museum’s pollinator garden and working together to create a productive thriving colony.

“They all have an important task to do, and they really stick to that role. And then, of course, there’s the queen, the leader of the hive,” says Ashley Niver, the museum’s director of education.

The fruit of their labors? Lots and lots of honey, of course Color, aroma, and taste can change based on the nectar of the flower. Families are welcome to taste many different varieties of honey, including, of course, from the museum’s honey harvest. And for those interested, the museum’s honey is available for purchase in the Museum Store.

“A lot of people maybe don’t know that honey can taste different from different varieties of flowers or the location. We’re offering different honey varieties that the kids can taste test and try to match up,” Niver says.

Bees certainly give us more than that sweet treat. Families become fully involved in exploring the role of honey bees in our ecosystem through hands-on activities.

• Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16-17, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.)

• $17 museum admission, $16 seniors 65 and older

• View the LICM events calendar at licm.org for additional information or call (516) 224-5800

• Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City

Visitors will learn that honeybees are responsible for pollinating some of Long Island’s most abundant crops including melons, pumpkins, tree nuts, and berries; and that the honey bee population is in danger and decreasing rapidly. Without these pollinators, we would lose some of our favorite foods such as chocolate, grapes, apples, and pears.

‘Families can also explore the use of honeycombs, from which wax is made. The “Happy Beeday” activity is an opportunity to make and decorate beeswax birthday candles.

“They’ll have a strip of colored beeswax and wicks they’ll wrap and roll up to create the candle, and then any scrap pieces of wax can be used to decorate it,” says Niver.

A local beekeeper will be on hand to demonstrate how honey is harvested from those honeycombs. In addition, kids can get involved in bee-themed crafts throughout the galleries that highlight how we can help the bees so that our fruit and vegetable crops can be healthy.

After some time buzzing around, visitors might want to take a break, with a free theatrical reading of Gay Thomas’ book, “Beezy County Fair: A Bee Tale,” at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The charming story engages families with adorable illustrations and an uplifting message about cooperation and the great benefits of working together for a common goal, along with plenty of bee facts.

While we understand that honey bees do so much for our environment, climate change and pesticides put the insects at risk of colony collapse disorder, where worker bees will exhibit abnormal behavior that leads to the destruction of the colony.

“They’re in danger of continuing to decrease due to different environmental factors,” Niver explains. “If we don’t have the bees here to help us pollinate, then we don’t have the abundance of crops that we can use for our food, and we’ll lose the success of our crop.”

To that end, the museum has launched its Name a Honey Bee Campaign so that visitors can join in bee preservation efforts. A donation of $10 allows families to name one of the museum’s bees, to be recognized on a visual display featuring the bee’s new name and the donor’s name through year’s end.

“It’s very easy for people to feel fearful of bees because they don’t want to be stung, and maybe they assume that all bees are looking to sting and cause harm,” Niver adds. “But the reality is that the honey bees are very docile, and they are just looking to make their honey. They’re really our friends.”

Photos courtesy LICMl

The industrious honey bee buzzes into the spotlight to captivate museum visitors. Participate in a theatrical reading and meet Gay Thomas, author of the “Beezy County Fair: A Bee Tale,” and explore an observational beehive during the event.

Gladys Knight Hop aboard that “Midnight Train to Georgia” when the legendary soul chanteuse brings her Farewell Tour to Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair. Gladys Knight is without a doubt one of the most influential, and beloved living singers on the planet. And while the Empress of Soul may have been in the business for more than 60 years now, that hasn’t stopped her from continuing to rock that beat as only she can do. She’s bringing her classic Motown-style R&B to fans one last time before she bids us farewell. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s fierce vocal power, elegant precision, and heartfelt performances have cemented her as one of music’s true icons. If you’re enjoy her classic Motown-style R&B, then you’ll surely want to see her perform — one more time. “That’s What Friends Are For,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” — you know the hits, now hear her bring them to life once again.

Friday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $63. Tickets available at LiveNation. com. Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair, 960 Brush Hollow Rd., Westbury.

Paula Poundstone

The iconic comedian Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that’s become the stuff of legend. When she isn’t collecting hotel soaps while on tour or panel-ing on NPR’s #1 show, “Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me!,” she hosts the popular Maximum Fun podcast, “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.” “Nobody” is a comedy field guide to life, complete with taste tests, cats of the weeks and leading experts in everything from beekeeping to prosopagnosia. Her stand-up credentials are endless, along with numerous TV appearances. Her second book, “The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness,” in which she offers herself up as a guinea pig in a series of thoroughly unscientific experiments, was recognized a semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor (the highest recognition of humor writing in the U.S.).

Friday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m. $55. $45, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

THE Your Neighborhood

Double Vision

The 1970s and ‘80s come alive when Double Vision brings their “Foreigner Experience” to the Paramount Stage, Saturday, Aug. 17, 8 p.m. Whether you’re a lifelong Foreigner enthusiast or a newcomer eager to experience the magic of their music, Double Vision promises a night of electrifying entertainment that will leave you singing along and craving more. Composed of some New York City’s top professional rock musicians, the band delivers the highest level of integrity and technical prowess in bring audiences all the hits from the band that you’ve come to love, while honoring Foreigner and its audience, with a show second to none. The spirit of rock ‘n’ roll lives on, one unforgettable performance at a time, with this group of talented musicians and die-hard Foreigner fans. Double Vision has perfected the art of bringing to life the unforgettable hits that have defined generations. From “I Want to Know What Love Is” to “Cold as Ice,” their renditions are a harmonious blend of passion, precision, and nostalgic energy.

Drawing inspiration from Foreigner’s unmistakable sound and stage presence, Double Vision delivers a performance that pays homage to the band’s legacy while infusing their own charisma and enthusiasm. Their commitment to authenticity is matched only by their unwavering dedication to creating an electrifying experience for every audience member. With an impressive catalog of classics at their fingertips, Double Vision transports audiences to an era when arena rock ruled and Foreigner reigned supreme. Each show is a testament to their musical prowess, transporting fans to a time when anthems were born and memories were made. Sing along to some of the greatest hit tunes , including “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Cold As Ice,” “I Want To Know What Love Is,” “Urgent,” “Double Vision,” “Head Games,” “Feels Like the First Time,” and more! . $60, $40, $25, $20. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Dramatic Play

Theatre Playground returns to Long Island Children’s Museum with “Dramatic Play!,” Monday, Aug. 12, 1 p.m., taught by Lisa Rudin, Director of Theatre Playground. In this interactive, theater-inspired workshop, children will act out an original story and help choose how it unfolds. Music, props, and sound effects create a theatrical world where participants are immersed in the story. Children are encouraged to express themselves as they create characters, stretch their imaginations and build self-confidence. This week’s theme: The Amazing World of Bugs and Butterflies. Costumes encouraged. $5 with museum admission. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Tunes at the farm

In the summer entertainment series’ next installment, The Verge will return to Malverne, Saturday Aug. 10, at 7 p.m., at Crossroads Farm at Grossman’s.480 Hempstead Ave.

Movie Night

Enjoy a family film outdoors on Eisenhower Park’s big screen, Wednesday, Aug. 14, dusk, at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre. See Disney’s recent animated musical comedy “Wish.” Audiences are welcomed to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe, the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico, to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen. Eisenhower Park, Lakeside Theatre, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

Theater in the park

Sunrise Theatre Company presents “Seussical the Musical,” hosted by Malverne Village and the Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, Aug. 8, 7-9 p.m., at Westwood Park. Bring chairs, blankets and refreshments. Foster Ave., Malverne.

Seasonal Sprouts

Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a Seasonal Sprouts session, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m.-noon. Children (ages 4 to 6) can tour the gardens with guided activities exploring smells, sight, sound, and touch, even taste in planting a tasty veggie. $8 per child, $15 adult. Registration required. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information, visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.

Summer tunes

Enjoy a tribute to ‘70s radio hits with 45 RPM, at Eisenhower Park, Friday, Aug. 9, 8 p.m.

The New York City-based band of vocalists and musicians recreates the songs and their era with the C’mon Get Happy show, an entertaining and visually engaging evening that has you singing and dancing along. It’s a whole night of “wow, I remember that one” moments. Get “hooked on a feeling” with 45 RPM. Bring seating Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

Pet Adoption Program

Adopt your “fur-ever” friend this summer. There’s no better time to adopt a new pet than during the ”summer of love” at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. Now through Sept. 1, all pet adoption fees are waived and include free spaying/ neutering, vaccinations and microchipping.

There is a $10 license fee for dogs. Check out the friendly faces of the dogs and cats before stepping foot in the shelter online at HempsteadNY.gov/179/ Animal-Shelter or on the shelter’s Facebook page at Hempstead Town Animal Shelter. For more information, contact (516) 785-5220.

‘Shrek the Musical’

Enjoy Malverne Summer Theatre’s one-night-only staging of “Shrek the Musical,” Friday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m. Performance is outdoors at Malverne High School. Free admission. Bring seating. Rain date is Aug. 17. 80 Ocean Ave.

Having an event?

Circus antics

Get in on the action with I. FLY Trapeze, Long Island’s only flying trapeze and circus arts school. Families will enjoy “Wild West Circus,” Saturday, Aug. 17, at 8 p.m., at Eisenhower Park. I.FLY Trapeze puts spectators up close to the aerialists who perform amazing feats of athleticism and agility 25 feet in the air. Performances include Chains, Silk and Lyra, with comedy and on the grounds acts with Balancing and Baton, also a Flying Trapeze Finale. Next to the Nassau County Aquatic Center off Merrick Ave., East Meadow. Free parking available in lot 1A adjacent to the trapeze. For more information, visit IFlyTrapeze.com.

Barks and Brews

Visit Broadway Tavern for “Barks and Brews,” Sundays, noon to 2 p.m. Enjoy food, drinks and adorable pups. Everyone is encouraged to bring their dogs to the event, which has an open yard, water and treats waiting for their furry friends. 8 Broadway, in Malverne.

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

NEW YORK’S WRONGEST RUNNING COMEDY!

On

exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art ‘s latest exhibition

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

‘Walkin’ After Midnight’

Plaza Theatrical presents a showstopping tribute to the legendary Patsy Cline, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2:30 p.m. Through a colorful tapestry of iconic songs and witty personal storytelling, Carter Calvert uses her award-winning vocal talents to create this captivating musical tribute. Calvert, a Broadway star and title character in Always… Patsy Cline (opposite Emmy Award winner Sally Struthers), has gained rave reviews and triumphant accolades for her heartfelt portrayal of this legendary country recording artist.

She vocally captures Cline’s musical stylings pitch-perfectly in mega hits including “Crazy,” “I Fall To Pieces,” “She’s Got You” and “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Both captivating and endearing, this fastpaced entertainment delights audiences of all ages. It’s performed at Plaza’s stage at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $40, $35 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.

Task force focuses on human trafficking

By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO jdalessandro@liherald.com

Law enforcement agents, state legislators and experts on human trafficking met at a conference at Nassau Community College on July 31.

The Assembly Minority Conference Task Force on Human Trafficking was created to help Nassau and Suffolk investigators, policy makers and safe houses share what they need to protect victims.

The Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking — the state organization responsible for providing annual reports on the topic — is three years out of date, resulting in a critical lack of data since coronavirus lockdowns eased. Since then, organizations that help victims have strained to mitigate the harm done by human traffickers.

“It is a problem that is everywhere, but nobody is actually seeing it,” Assemblyman Brian Curran said.

The participants discussed state financial support, law enforcement tools, aid for exploited migrants, and educational programs to help New Yorkers recognize when someone is a victim of trafficking.

Attorneys and law enforcement personnel considered the effects of changes in trafficking-related charges — some are not officially “sex crimes,” so perpetrators don’t end up on the state’s Sex Offender Registry — and proving a victim was exploited is difficult for prosecutors, Christine Guida, deputy chief of the Nassau County Special Victims Bureau, explained.

The difficulty of bringing cases to trial can begin much earlier. Trafficking victims are often young — high school and college students — or struggle to communicate due to a language barrier. In virtually every case, they are threatened by traffickers not to come forward.

“People think that in order to do the unthinkable, there has to be some kind of torture involved,” defense

The task force is composed of local law enforcement, legislators and members of organizations that provide services to people in need, representing a range of groups that deal with different aspects of human trafficking.

attorney Diane Clarke said. “That’s not the case.”

The goal of training and education programs is to demystify what human trafficking is and how it works. Deepening the public’s understanding of trafficking can make tools such as simple hand signals for help increasingly viable for victims to escape their captors.

The Empower, Assist and Care Network is one of many organizations that provide housing, case management and other forms of aid to victims across Long Island and New York City.

“It is my hope that these conversations are going to continue in a way that is coordinating and enhancing our services, and advocating for funding,” said Neela Mukherjee Lockel, president and CEO of the EAC Network. “We’re going up against giant criminal enterpris-

es. That’s what human trafficking is, and we need money and resources to do that.”

Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds is president and CEO of the Family and Children’s Association, which has been providing shelter for runaway, homeless and trafficked children for over 140 years. It also has a mental health program that serves about 400 young people, in addition to programs for those suffering from addiction.

“We’re here today to make a couple suggestions about ways to improve systems of care,” Reynolds said. “This would include educating health and human service workers about how to spot the signs of trafficking, what to do about it, and how to intervene.”

The conference was the first step in renewing the fight against trafficking, Assemblyman Brian Maher said.

Joseph D’Alessandro/Herald

Kids got their hands dirty at Crossroads

The Malverne Youth Board helped kids connect with nature and each other at this culinary event

By NICOLE FORMISANO nformisano@liherald.com

School’s out — what now? The Malverne Youth Board has made it their mission to make sure kids stay engaged and having fun during the summer — without sitting on their screens.

“It’s super important to keep the kids active,” said Trustee Carl Prizzi, who is the liaison for Malverne Youth Board. “Get them away from video games and stuff, and get them outdoors and enjoying our beautiful village.”

“Just keeping kids busy and active and inspired throughout the summer,” he added.

The Malverne Youth Board, an organization run through the Village of Malverne and led by co-chairs Kathleen Casal and Dawn Hayes, is a collection of parents who want to help come up with creative activities that keep kids engaged with their community and the world around them. They run movie nights and craft days, a tennis program each fall, and are responsible for the beloved and oh-so-adorable Ragamuffin parade every Halloween. The Malverne Summer Recreation Program is also a product of the Youth Board. Recently, they also organized a field trip to Hempstead State Lake Park where the kids learned about pond ecology.

“We try to think of different creative things for kids to get outdoors that are educational as well, and also keep them healthy and fit,” Prizzi said. “That’s what we’re all about.”

Last week, the Youth Board worked with Crossroads Farm on an event where kids could get their hands dirty — literally. Crossroads Farm hosts a culinary program for 6 weeks during the summer, and they dedicated a special session on July 26 for the kids. The kids harvested, cleaned, prepared, and chopped the home-grown vegetables on the farm. At the end, they had a salad that they made themselves to enjoy.

This isn’t the first time Crossroads Farm has worked with the Youth Board to organize fun activities for the children of Malverne. They’ve hosted tiedye activities, and continue to work

Malverne Youth Board’s July 26 event at Crossroads Farm gave kids the opportunity to harvest, wash, and prepare vegetables before making a salad at the end.

with the Summer Recreation program to organize field trips where kids can learn about growing their own food.

“The whole mission of the farm is to be educational, to teach the youth about our food systems and where our food comes from,” said Prizzi, who also volunteers with Crossroads. “A lot of people, they just go to the store and they buy food and take that for granted, the fact that food is grown, and there’s people behind the scenes that bring that food to you. So the educational aspect of the farm is essential in my mind — teaching the youth about how food is grown in general, and the importance of eating your vegetables, the fact that the farm is all organic.”

The event does more than give children the opportunity to connect with the journey of their food from being grown, to harvesting, to preparing, to finally ending up on a plate in front of them — it gives them the opportunity to connect with each other. By spending time in nature and away from their screens, the kids are able to foster closer bonds with one another.

“I’m a big proponent of getting kids back on the playgrounds,” Prizzi said. “It’s nice to just disconnect them (from their screens), have them interact with each other and enjoy each other’s company as well. It creates this social dynamic, which is very important nowadays.

“I feel like with social media and everything, kids get wrapped up in all of that, and they become antisocial in a way. They’re relying on technology a lot. So this gets them to interact and communicate directly together.”

Those who are interested in signing up for a Malverne Youth Board event can check out the calendar at the village website, MalverneVillage.org. Those who are interested in becoming more involved with the organization itself can email info@malvernevillage. org, or Prizzi at CPrizzi@malvernevillage.com.

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF A PROFESSIONAL LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: Radiance Wellness, NP In Family Health, PLLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 06/03/24. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: 704 Jennings Ave, West Hempstead, NY 11552 Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity 147740

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU Freedom Mortgage Corporation, Plaintiff AGAINST Amalia Per, Jose Balarezo, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 7, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501, ‘Rain or Shine’ on August 19, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 106 Park Boulevard, Malverne, NY 11565. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the lncorporated

Village of Malverne, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 38, Block: 005, Lot: 295, 296, 471. Approximate amount of judgment $598,703.55 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #613194/2022. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. Brian J. Davis, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-096574-F00 81369 147981

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: J.K.W. Improvements, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 06/14/24. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent

of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to:82 Broadway Malverne NY 11565 Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. 148119

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VERUS SECURITIZATION TRUST 2020-NPL1, Plaintiff, vs. MILBURNSTEAD HOMES INC, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on October 19, 2023, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on September 4, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 166 Milburn Avenue, Hempstead, NY 11550. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 36, Block 84 and Lots 291-292 and 320-321. Approximate amount of judgment is

$544,187.72 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #600062/2022. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the sale. Jeffrey Fox, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No. 212394-1 148191

LEGAL NOTICE Notice hereby given that a license, application ID NA-0111-24-127412for Beer and Cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell Beer and Cider at retail in a Eating Place under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 606 Woodfield Road, West Hempstead NY County of Nassau for On Premises Consumption. “W & O Villela Corporation. dba Willy’s

Photos courtesy Malverne Youth Board

The outdoors events that the Malverne Youth Board organizes are about more than being educational — they’re designed so the kids of Malverne can connect with each other in real life, rather than on their screens.

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BURIAL PLOT FOR SALE at Beth David’s in Elmont. Asking for $6,500. Please contact Michele Flanigan at 518-546-9550

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Can we just elevate, or do we need to rebuild?

Q. We’re doing a major house lift, making changes to our existing first floor and adding a second floor. We thought it made sense to get a design and then stop, because this way we didn’t spend a lot of money on full construction plans and then end up disappointed that it was over our budget. Simple turned into complicated, as it often does. The contractor and the architect agreed that the house should just be reconstructed (nothing saved) and the estimators insisted on much more information to give us a price. Are we going about this the right way? We’re already disillusioned that we aren’t going to be able to build within our budget, and we don’t even have numbers to make a decision. What should we do?

Ask The Architect

A. Your house project isn’t sounding too “uplifting,” and frankly, from your description, you shouldn’t be lifting the original house. You may spend more than $50,000 just trying to save the little bit of the original house, moving plumbing and wiring, trying to work around the existing materials and reconstructing old ones. Money is the driving factor in most construction projects, and although it’s frustrating, you must either politely persist with evaluating costs with the contractor, or get to the finish line with plans to give estimators something to work with.

First, though, you should recognize that the current first floor will become a second floor, and the new floor above will be a third floor if you plan to have a lowest level high enough to park cars underneath or use for accessible, stand-up storage. Federal guidelines require that the new lowest level not be used for anything but car or general storage, and the state requires indoor sprinklers.

It’s really up to the contractor working with you, and the architect, to reach predictable costs for the total project. You need to pay both of them to spend the time necessary to hit a targeted budget. The contractor will then work with getting together material, labor and overhead costs, with profit and a cushion for issues that can arise, like weather, material delivery delays and scrambling when something isn’t available or a truck breaks down.

While it’s not completely unreasonable for estimators to want more information, putting together a preliminary budget isn’t a mysterious, unheardof request. My concern when this happens is that all parties need to cooperate. The reason for the architect’s involvement is to answer questions and guide decision-making about sizes of structure, material choices and code compliance. If the contractor or a subcontractor makes projections on the design of structure, for example, it must be understood that the architect makes the final decision about wall thicknesses, insulation values, structural components, and even window and door sizes. These are safety and code-related conditions that are governed by law.

The costs can escalate when plans are completed, so reducing the project to meet a budget, up front, is important. Good luck!

NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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OpINIONS

Save a life: drive above the influence

On June 28, the driver of a speeding SUV plowed into a Deer Park nail salon, killing four people, including off-duty NYPD officer Emilia Rennhack. Authorities say the driver of the car, a 64-year-old Dix Hills resident, was intoxicated, and had consumed 18 beers just the night before.

Sadly, this tragedy is not unique, as fatal traffic collisions involving intoxicated and impaired drivers have surged on Long Island since the coronavirus pandemic.

Last Aug. 7, an 18-year-old Freeport man was intoxicated when he raced through a red light in West Hempstead and crashed into a parked car, killing Katerine Vanges Hernandez just two days before her seventh birthday.

Just a day earlier, a 33-year-old man from Lindenhurst was under the influence of fentanyl and cocaine when he rocketed his car into a vehicle stopped at a traffic light. The violent collision killed U.S. Marine veteran Patrice Huntley, his 13-year-old daughter, Hannah, his 10-yearold son, Jeremiah, and, eventually, his

I6-year-old step-granddaughter Chantel, who succumbed to her injuries six days later. The driver reportedly reached a speed of 120 miles per hour, and failed to brake until a half-second before impact, hitting the Huntley family car at 95 mph.

Each of these tragedies was devastating, and perhaps even worse, they were all preventable. As news headlines remind us daily, families will have to live the rest of their lives with the physical, mental and emotional trauma and irreparable loss caused by someone else’s poor judgment.

According to a recent report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the pandemic had a negative impact on traffic safety in New York. From 2019 to 2022, the report stated, the state saw a 45 percent increase in the number of fatalities involving drivers with blood alcohol levels above the legal limit, which is 12 percentage points above the national average. In 2022, about two-thirds of traffic fatalities in New York involved a combination of unsafe speeding and alcohol.

patterns and behaviors in the U.S. changed significantly. Of the drivers who remained on the roads, some engaged in riskier behavior including speeding, failure to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence.”

A recent increase in fatalities on the road has been attributed to riskier driving.

According to a recent Newsday report, lawmakers and safe-driving advocates are renewing calls to lower New York’s legal blood alcohol content level from 0.08 to 0.05 percent. But this policy change would place a disproportionate burden on law enforcement. Traffic stops, checkpoints and arrests have their place, but are just one piece of the trafficsafety puzzle.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee could and should be doing more to promote programming and resources to ensure driver, pedestrian and road safety. Culturally, the DMV has been reduced to a bureaucratic, inconvenient, soul-sucking entity, and appears to be divorced from proactive efforts to ensure safety on the roads.

program needs to be better promoted and advertised, and made more accessible.

Safe-driving advocates such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving are also calling for the widespread implementation of driver assistance, monitoring and alcohol-detection systems in vehicles across the U.S.

Driver-assistance technology enables a car to take action such as lane-keeping assistance and collision intervention. Driver monitoring systems include cameras or other sensors that monitor such things as eye movement without compromising privacy, advocates say. Alcoholdetection sensors in the vehicle determine whether a driver is drunk, keeping the public safe while ensuring privacy.

Many of these technologies are on the way, as the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 authorized the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete a rule-making process and issue final safety standards for impaired-driving-prevention technology on all new cars by November 2024.

The recent increase in fatalities has been attributed to increased risks taken by drivers. Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states, “After the declaration of the public health emergency in March 2020, driving

For example, the DMV has an Impaired Driver Program available not only through court mandates, but to anyone who wants to join voluntarily. The IDP offers in-depth education on alcohol and other drugs to help participants identify and change high-risk behavior. The

No matter your preference or politics, it will take a comprehensive, all-handson-deck effort to ensure that more children and families are not harmed, and that the victims of these fatal collisions did not die in vain.

Karl A. Valere is chief of staff and senior policy adviser of Assemblyman Khaleel M. Anderson. He lives in Baldwin.

Momalas for Kamala, a thread to unite us

n a world where news breaks instantly on our phones, cracking the world open in an instant, behold the weekly newspaper, the tortoise of the news business. As I write, I realize it’s not all bad to have time to think between 72-point headlines.

When I wrote last, almost a month ago, President Biden was still the presumptive Democratic nominee, although there was plenty of chatter about his slow walk and whispery talk. He was adamant: He would not step down. He was ready to fight. Many of us who think Biden has done an outstanding job in office came to believe he was not up to another four years. He looked frail. He appeared to overestimate his ability, at age 81, to meet the demands of the job. It felt disloyal to urge him to make way for a younger contender, but loyalty to our democracy had to come first. I celebrated his willingness to relinquish power, wished it had come sooner, but we had a potential new candidate.

Three weeks ago, Kamala Harris was (and still is) the vice president, and at that point her own presidential dreams were on hold. Donald Trump was salivating like a lion at the Roman Forum, waiting to take on Biden in the next debate. After the president’s shockingly poor performance in the first one, the Donald was closing in for the kill.

J.D. Vance? Barely a twinkle in Trump’s eye a month ago. He’s the guy who wrote “Hillbilly Elegy.” Suddenly he morphed into a mega-MAGA, with extreme, creepy ideas about women’s rights and personal freedoms. Trump thought Vance would make a perfect addition to the ticket.

That was July 13. Then, curtains up on the Republican National Convention, just days after the attempted assassination, with a buoyant Trump telling the world he was still standing.

I hope all the disparate political identities will form a cohesive movement.

A few weeks back, Thomas Matthew Crooks was a shy kid from rural Pennsylvania who got it into his head to kill the former president. And he nearly did, grazing Trump’s ear as he stood at the podium at an outdoor rally. I saw it happen, and time stopped until Trump was hustled to safety. I lived through the years of JFK, MLK and RFK dying in heartbreaking eruptions of political violence. Those murders scarred the political landscape forever.

Those were enough big news items for five years, compressed and pounded under pressure into just days, until the whole country, burnished like a diamond, seemed brilliant and raw. You could hear us, an entire nation, sucking in deep calming breaths, trying to steady ourselves.

Then, on July 21, Biden announced that he was stepping out of the presidential campaign and endorsing Harris to be the Democratic nominee.

I’m writing this all down because after some amount of time, nobody will believe that it all happened just like this over the past few weeks.

Then the head of the Secret Service stepped down because of her agency’s failure to stop the assassination attempt.

Then a kind of organic political wave swelled out of nowhere, pushing people forward to support Harris in a tsunami of relief and joy. Black women for Kamala. White Dudes for Kamala. White

Women for Kamala.

That’s where I lost the thread. Aren’t we all supposed to be coming together as Americans to choose our president? Can’t we be Citizens for Kamala? Am I a Short Woman for Kamala or a CR-V Driver for Kamala or a Yasso Pop Fanatic for Kamala? We’re dividing and subdividing into micro cells.

Then that changed, too. I decided to embrace the political moment.

Momalas for Kamala is born. Momala is Harris’s nickname in her family, but it’s more than that. According to the Urban Dictionary, “A momala is a trusted guardian. Outside of the family, a momala is the mother of a neighborhood. In a village, she is mother and healer. In a state, she is the mother of health, knowledge and creativity. For a country, she is the mom of compassion and strength.”

We all have mothers or are mothers or value mothers. Momalas are us, men and women, young and old.

I hope all the disparate political identities will form a cohesive movement to elect Harris president. I hope Trump will summon the courage to meet her toe to toe in a debate. I hope the young voters in this country will shed their indifference and get into the fray.

Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

RANDI KREISS

KARL A. VALERE

HERALD

On Friday, honor our Indigenous heritage

as we mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on Friday, it’s crucial for us here on Long Island to reflect on the rich indigenous history that shapes our communities and landscapes. From the Shinnecock and Montaukett to the Unkechaug and Setauket, Native American tribes have been integral to Long Island’s story since long before European settlers arrived.

The names of our towns and landmarks echo this heritage: Montauk, Quogue, Peconic, Ronkonkoma, Hauppauge, Patchogue, and many more. These names aren’t just relics of the past, but living reminders of the peoples who stewarded this land for millennia. They represent a deep connection to the environment and a complex cultural tapestry that continues to influence our region today.

But we must also confront the painful history of exploitation and displacement that followed European settlement. The original inhabitants of Long Island, like indigenous peoples across the Americas, faced immense challenges as their lands were seized, their populations decimated by disease, and their cultures suppressed. The Shinnecock Nation, for instance, was engaged in a long struggle for federal recognition, and continues to make its case for the return of ancestral lands.

Despite these hardships, indigenous communities have shown remarkable resilience. The Shinnecock Nation continues to maintain its cultural practices

Letters

D’Esposito shouldn’t meddle in NYC’s business

To the Editor:

and advocate for its rights. The Unkechaug people, on the Poospatuck Reservation in Mastic, have preserved their language and traditions. These communities serve as a living link to Long Island’s past and as vital contributors to its present and future.

Nationally, Native Americans have made countless contributions to American society, often unrecognized. From agricultural techniques that feed millions to democratic principles that influenced the U.S. Constitution, indigenous knowledge and practices have shaped the nation in profound ways. Native American code talkers played a crucial role in World War II, using their languages to create unbreakable codes. In science, medicine, arts, and sports, indigenous Americans continue to excel and innovate.

Globally, indigenous peoples are at the forefront of environmental protection efforts. Their traditional knowledge and sustainable practices offer valuable insights for addressing climate change and preserving biodiversity. From the Amazon rainforest to the Arctic tundra, indigenous communities are often the most effective guardians of critical ecosystems.

As we commemorate this international day — which is followed in October by Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed just in the United States — it’s essential to move beyond mere recognition to active support and engagement. On Long Island, we can:

1. Educate ourselves about local indige-

Imagine if residents of the five boroughs dumped tons of toxic wastes in the South Shore district represented by Congressman Anthony D’Esposito. Imagine further that a New York City politician loudly denounced a plan to protect the health of D’Esposito’s constituents.

The congressman would surely be outraged. So why does he support a permanent ban on congestion pricing in Lower Manhattan? (“Congestion pricing may be paused, but the fight continues,” July 25-31.)

Car commuters whom D’Esposito defends spew pollutants every day in the congestion-pricing zone. The fact that these tailpipe emissions are invisible does not make them less deadly than mounds of toxic garbage.

Studies suggest that 153,000 fewer cars would enter the zone once congestion pricing takes effect. And that will result in sharp decreases in nitrogen oxide emissions and particulate matter.

nous history and current issues facing Native communities.

2. Support indigenous-owned businesses and cultural events.

3. Advocate for the protection of sacred sites and the return of ancestral lands.

4. Incorporate indigenous perspectives in local decision-making, especially when it comes to environmental issues.

5. Promote the teaching of Native American history and cultures in our schools.

Recognizing indigenous peoples isn’t about dwelling in the past, but rather about creating a more inclusive and just future. It’s about acknowledging that the first inhabitants of this land have valuable knowledge, perspectives, and rights that deserve respect and consideration. As Long Islanders, we have a unique opportunity to honor the indigenous heritage that surrounds us daily. From the shores of Peconic Bay to the bluffs of Montauk, we walk in the footsteps of those who came before us. Let’s ensure that their stories, struggles and triumphs are not forgotten, but celebrated as an integral part of our shared history. This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, let’s commit to building stronger relationships with Native communities, supporting their rights and aspirations, and benefiting from their wisdom. In doing so, we enrich our own lives and communities while taking a step toward healing historical wounds and creating a more equitable society for all.

Why I support Las Vegas Sands’ proposal for the Hub

For over two decades, the 72 acres known as the Nassau Hub, which encompass the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, has been struggling to be redeveloped. Despite several ill-fated attempts to reimagine this prime piece of real estate owned by the county, at the end of 2022 it continued to languish, with no viable prospects on the horizon.

Then a wonderful thing happened. In January 2023, New York state announced that it was finally moving ahead with the bidding on ultimately awarding three downstate casino licenses, after a referendum approved by voters in 2013. Soon after that announcement, Las Vegas Sands, a premier global entertainment giant, expressed interest in bringing a world-class flagship hospitality, entertainment and casino resort to the Hub. After a number of discussions with County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Sands unveiled plans for a privately funded, transformative $6 billion project, easily the biggest Long Island has ever seen. The economic benefits of the project alone were staggering, and

included the potential for millions of dollars in annual tax revenues for the county, including an immediate $54 million non-refundable upfront payment. It also promised more than 8,500 union jobs during the course of the development, thousands of permanent jobs and a ripple effect of millions of dollars to be paid by Sands to the surrounding business community for ongoing goods and services during construction, continuing once the complex was up and running.

Ibeen open and transparent about its plans. Top-level executives have attended public hearings before the County Legislature, and have also held dozens of meetings throughout the region with various business and civic organizations, community groups, unions and other interested parties.

t’s crystal clear to me that this $6 billion project is one that makes sense.

Sands also included public safety in the mix, and would commit millions of dollars that would help boost the Nassau County Police Department and emergency response capabilities, in addition to its own sophisticated state-of-the-art security measures throughout the complex.

The proposed project is much more than a casino. In fact, the casino would account for only about 10 percent of the overall footprint, with the rest containing a five-star hotel, a showcase live-performance venue, a luxurious day spa, upscale retail shopping and fine dining, a convention center — which Long Island sorely lacks — and a variety of other entertainment programming.

From Day One, Las Vegas Sands has

Letters

Levels of that latter type of pollution are now 60 percent higher in Manhattan than the upper limit recommended by the World Health Organization.

The congressman shows no respect for the New York City elected officials who decided, after years of debate and voluminous research reports, to impose a fee on drivers who poison the air breathed by Manhattan residents and workers.

D’Esposito should practice good-neighborliness by dropping his opposition to an initiative that will save many lives.

KEVIN J. KELLEY Atlantic Beach

We

were honored

to care for Rosemary King

To the Editor:

As the administrator for the Emergency Department at North Shore University Hospital, I would like to extend our heartfelt wishes to Rosemary King for a swift recovery following her recent surgery with Dr. Tamayo. Additionally, I want to express our deepest gratitude for the kind words her husband, former Congressman Peter King, shared in his column in the July 18-24 issue of the Herald, “In a medical emergency, we were in experts’ hands.”

Our team was deeply moved by Mr. King’s account of his family’s experience.

LANDON WITz, MHA Senior manager, Operations Emergency Medicine

North Shore University Hospital Manhasset

Jerry’s right: Project 2025 is a horror story

To the Editor:

Thanks to Jerry Kremer for his op-ed, “If you like horror stories, read Project 2025,” in the July 18-24 issue. I am so grateful when our local newspapers are able to bring national issues to the forefront. It’s so important to get this kind of information to local communities that are sometimes insulated within their own little world.

Project 2025 hasn’t received much attention until recently — despite the Heritage Foundation’s in-depth involvement in the Trump presidency and this year’s Trump campaign. It is so important that trusted local public servants sound the alarm on this extremely dangerous agenda, and that people are made to realize it is indeed very real.

ELIzABETH MURPHY Franklin Square

Support for the project has been growing, and now includes a wide variety of unions, chambers of commerce, business groups, civic organizations, nonprofits and residents, many of whom have spoken out before the Legislature, most recently at a hearing last month.

Understandably, a project of this magnitude has been met with opposition. From what I’ve seen, however, most of the arguments can either be addressed or are rather unconvincing. For example, claiming that the entertainment complex will lead to increased levels of gambling, given the legalized gambling opportunities that anyone with a smartphone can access, weakens that line of reasoning.

I also find it interesting that while Hofstra University is opposed to the project, Nassau Community College has fully embraced it, and is working with Sands to create new curriculum that will offer programs focusing on the hos-

pitality and entertainment industry, as well as training programs, mentorships and internships that will open career paths for hundreds, if not thousands, of the college’s diverse student population. So where do things currently stand? The County Legislature is moving forward with taking over as lead agency of the state-mandated environmental review process, to deal with all of the potential environmental concerns raised by a project of this magnitude. Once that process is complete, the Legislature will vote on whether to grant a lease that would allow Sands to build on the site. Sands would then still need to meet the state’s requirements and ultimately be chosen for one of the three casino licenses.

As legislators, one of our primary jobs is to do what’s in the best interests of the residents of our districts and those throughout Nassau County. In this case, when I weigh the pros and cons of the Sands proposal, it’s crystal clear that it’s a project that makes sense, so I fully support it. The reality is that the state is planning to award three downstate licenses. There’s no guarantee that Sands will be selected, but passing up the opportunity to finally transform this fallow property and the long-term benefits that would result from it can’t be ignored.

Bill Gaylor represents Nassau County’s 14th Legislative District.

Framework by Tim Baker

Three-on-three basketball draws all kinds of fans — Hempstead

BILL GaYLor

Mount Sinai South Nassau Recognized for Excellence in Emergency Nursing Mount

Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Emergency Department has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Emergency Nurses Association’s 2024 Lantern Award for outstanding patient care and reducing wait times, and for excellence in nurse retention, achieving a zero vacancy rate and one percent turnover rate.

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We congratulate Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Emergency Department nursing sta for their commitment to patient care, quality, safety and a healthy work environment.

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