Kay Wren and Laura Coveas volunteered with the Manna Project at the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway at St. John’s Baptist Church in Inwood, handing out turkeys and side dishes to fill local families’ tables this holiday. Story, Page 16.
By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com
The Village of Lawrence has joined Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead in adopting an anti-BDS resolution, prohibiting vendors who participate in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel from conducting business in the municipality.
Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias announced the measure at a Nov. 14 village meeting, citing residents’ ties to Israel as the reason.
“What prompted us to enact it was the fact that this community has a very strong connection to Israel — they have a lot of family there, and what happened on Oct. 7 was a tragedy,”
Nahmias said after the meeting, referring to the Hamas attacks on Israel last year.
The resolution, which the village board passed unanimously, requires vendors to certify that they do not participate in the BDS movement, a Palestinian-led initiative launched in 2005 that seeks to apply non-violent economic pressure on Israel, according to BDSMovement. net.
“Essentially, the BDS is a discriminatory and damaging policy,” Nahmias said. “It’s intended to cause economic damage to Israel, and that’s the reality.”
He added that any partners of the village must follow suit. “What we do by enacting this
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Residents of North Lawrence and Inwood have won a five-year battle against what they see as overdevelopment with the Town of Hempstead’s repeal of a controversial transit-oriented development plan.
At a meeting on Nov. 19, the Town Board voted to rescind zoning changes initially proposed in 2019 that would have allowed the construction of apartments near the Lawrence Long Island Rail Road Station.
Tand the voices were loud and clear. We heard you, and thank you for participating.”
The original plan, advocated by then Councilman Bruce Blakeman, who is now Nassau County executive, would have rezoned 11.7 acres for high-density residential developments.
his courageous and appropriate decision by the Town’s leadership has now firmly prioritized the safety.
Councilwoman Melissa Miller, whose district includes Inwood and Lawrence, made the motion to put the repeal to a vote.
PARIS PoPACK President, Lawrence Civic Association
“I vote ‘yes,’ and want to echo Supervisor (Don) Clavin’s sentiment that we really appreciate the communities coming out and voicing what we need to hear — it’s how government works,” Miller said. “We give you the opportunity to explain pro or against what you think,
The plan was delayed by a moratorium in 2022, which was in place until June 18 of this year. At a pubic hearing on July 2, 40 people spoke out in opposition, including Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias who voiced his dissatisfaction with transit-oriented development.
“The Village of Lawrence officials are committed to working with all levels of government to support sustainability that preserves the character of our community while meeting the evolving needs of families and businesses today and in the future,” Nahmias wrote in an email after last week’s deci-
Continued on page 5
By MELISSA BERMAN and PARKER SCHUG
Fire districts in the Five Towns and surrounding areas will hold fire commissioner elections on Dec. 10.
Fire districts are political entities that provide fire protection and emergency response. They have an elected governing body, administrative officers and control the budget .
These districts can incur indebtedness and to require the levy of taxes.
Atlantic Beach Fire Rescue
Nathan Etrog is running unopposed for re-election.
Etrog has served for two-terms and has been a member of fire rescue for 25 years. He also serves as a village trustee and chairman of the Park Commission and captain of the Water Rescue Team.
“It’s really ensuring a job that has always been and ensuring that the taxpayer dollars that we collect as public officials to really ensure they have the best fire protection and emergency medical services available,” Etrog added.
Voting will be at Atlantic Beach Fire Rescue, 1 Rescue Road, Atlantic Beach, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Hewlett Bay Fire District
Incumbent Dan Weisner is seeking reelection to the Hewlett Bay Fire District board, citing his 25 years of service and 46 years as a volunteer firefighter.
Weisner is running unopposed for the five-year term.
“I have the experience necessary to represent the taxpayers in order to maintain the Fire District so as to meet its fire safety and emergency needs of the fire district residents, merchants, and visitors,” Weisner wrote in an email.
Voting will be at Hewlett Fire Department, 25 Franklin Ave., Hewlett, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Inwood Fire District
Vincent Castagna is running unopposed for re-election.
As of press time, Castagna did not respond to calls.
Residents can also vote on the proposed purchase of a new engine.
Voting is at the Inwood firehouse at 188 Doughty Boulevard, Inwood, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Meadowmere Park Fire District
Jennifer Carrero, six-year president for the Ladies Auxiliary and Juniors Program seeks a five-year commissioner position, unopposed.
With 19 years of teaching experience, she believes her skills make her well suited for the role, she wrote in an email.
“I know what it takes to help lead, organize and be part of organizations,” Carrero wrote.
Voting will be at the Meadowmere Fire House at 14 Meyer Ave., Lawrence from 6 to 9 p.m.
North Lawrence Fire District
Pinchas Faska is running for re-election unopposed.
The North Lawrence resident has served since a 2021 special election, to replace Eliezer “Eli” Geffen.
Faska is a former Air Force member and currently president of Bais Medrash of North Lawrence.
He also served as Boy Scouts Troop 84 leader and is an Eagle Scout.
As of press time, Faska was out of the country and did not respond to a request for comment.
Woodmere Fire District
Three candidates are competing for the five-year Woodmere Fire District commissioner position.
Ronna Rubenstein, the incumbent, is an accountant who has served as an EMT for about six years. She has helped
secured grant funding for ambulances and implemented safety enhancements like flashing apparatus warnings at the firehouse, as commissioner.
“I want to keep being there for the that’s not even just the community, but being there for the firefighters,” Rubenstein said.
Darren Moritz, a 13-year Woodmere Fire Department member, with 25 years of financial experience and law enforcement background, plans to focus on recruitment if elected.
“I want to give back,” Moritz said. “I did a lot during Sandy when I first joined and it made me feel really good, helping my community.”
Deborah Kaminetzky-Oberstein, a technology project manager and former attorney, sees this as a volunteer opportunity inspired by her husband’s firefighting experience.
“I’ve got the project management experience, the legal experience, and that helps with things like negotiating contracts, doing requests for information,” Kaminetzky-Oberstein said.
Voting is at the Woodmere Fire House, 20 Irving Place, Woodmere, from 6 to 9 p.m.
By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
The Nassau County Bridge Authority has been accused of violating New York State open meeting laws at its most recent meeting.
The organization that oversees the Atlantic Beach Bridge gathered for its monthly meeting, where several concerned residents spoke during the public comment session, on Nov. 20
Beth Garnet, an Atlantic Beach resident, said that the board is disregarding open meeting laws by not posting an agenda and minutes before and after meetings, denying people access to record the meeting and not allowing people to speak during public comment.
“The open meeting law states, agendas aren’t needed and if one is posted it doesn’t need to be followed,” Shoshanah Bewlay, executive director of to New York State Open Meeting Law, clarified.
“They also can’t prohibit recording unless the person will be a distraction and block view of the meeting.”
Barry Frohlinger, Atlantic Beach village trustee and Tom Gould, an Atlantic Beach resident, were granted permis -
sion to comment. Garnet was denied permission to speak to the board outside of the public comment period.
“The board can say no to public comment entirely, but if they allows some to speak they must allow all people to,” Bewlay added, according to open meeting laws.
Frohlinger, a financial analyst, questioned the board about their debt and the toll price.
on Nov. 20.
“In 2021, the bridge authority had $13 million in cash and $8 million in debt, a ration of 1.6 to 1 — your cash to debt was twice what any other bridge had,” Frohlinger said. “Today, that ration has grown over two times and based upon your budget, by 2026, you’ll have over $20 million in cash and $6 million in debt, a ration of 3.5 to 1.”
He stated they currently have $16 million in cash and $17 million in debt.
Vincent Pasqua, chairman of the NCBA, responded to questions about the toll price, but did not address the debt mentioned by Frohlinger.
“As you know the Atlantic Beach bridge is a toll only revenue entity, we don’t receive any funding or taxation from the county, state or federal government,” Pasqua said. “We haven’t had a toll increase in 17 years before this recent increase and with the capital improvements that need to done on this bridge, cost increases on things like insurance, fuel, benefits, painting and bulk heading, toll increases are necessary.”
In late 2022, the bridge authority announced that tolls for passenger vehicles would rise to $3 from $2, and that truck tolls would increase based on truck size. The authority implemented an E-ZPass system as well.
Emily Austin, a recently appointed commissioner attended the Nov. 20 meeting, and defended the authority, citing the website where finances are shared.
“I don’t know what’s not transparent, everything down to the dollar is reported,” Austin said.
By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com
Avi Posnick, a Rambam Mesivta High School alum, went from learning to leading in combating antisemitism.
Now serving as Northeast Regional Director of StandWithUs, Posnick, who grew up in Oceanside, is the face of the global organization, from New Jersey to Maine, where he educates and empowers Jewish people and stands up for Israel.
“We are honored to count Avi Posnick as one of our graduates,” Hillel Goldman, principal of Rambam wrote in an email.
Posnick spoke with the Herald about how he found his way to StandWithUs and his inspiration for his work:
Herald: How did you go from attending Rambam to holding a directorial role at StandWithUs?
Posnick: After I left Rambam, I went to Yeshiva University — YU — where I majored in Political Science. I got involved in all of the various international affairs, Israel related, political science clubs and groups that I could get involved with.
I actually founded a club at Yeshiva University that motivated students into action to educate their elected officials about Israel and the Jewish people.
At Rambam Mesivta in Lawrence, we demonstrated outside the homes of Nazi war criminals who were living in the United States; we’d rally in support of Israel and other issues related to the Jewish community.
My start really began in high school. I took much of what I learned there and, utilizing the various international affairs, Israel-related, political science clubs and initiatives in college, applied it there and then I came to StandWithUs right out of college.
H: Was this always the direction you wanted to go?
P: Since I cared about Israel-Jewish education, it was definitely something I thought about doing professionally.
My mother always said, ‘You can’t live life for yourself.’
My mother miscarried two children before my older brother was born and she used her grief, the unbearable hurt and pain to counsel over 400 women who suffered from pregnancy losses over the years.
She said, ‘I have this opportunity to help others. You have to always give back.’
I took that lesson very seriously, and, whenever I have the opportunity to help, to give back, well, how can I pass up that opportunity?
H: How did you get involved in StandWithUs?
P: I contacted a friend who was working for StandWithUs New York while I was in college. I joined the organization upon graduation.
I started part-time during the second half of my senior year in January 2007.
It became a full-time position that summer, and I have never looked back.
H: How do you think your Oceanside and Five Towns upbringing and education contributed to the work you do today?
P: Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish home, supporting Israel and the Jewish community both in Oceanside as well as
the Five Towns was obviously something we talked about.
I think it all connected — from an early age and into high school — that I realized I could put what I felt into action.
H: What does your position at StandWithUs entail?
P: I’m the StandWithUs Northeast and New England Regional Director, so I oversee all of our work ranging from New York, Central Jersey, all the way to Maine.
This includes staffing and programming, including our student events. I also speak on behalf of the organization in community partnerships, at press conferences and interact with elected officials.
H: I know that the organization works with other organizations in Nassau and Suffolk, how does it feel to be working with the county that you were brought up in?
P: It is truly rewarding to be part of a team of community leaders who are dealing with issues at the highest level and effecting positive change. One example is being a part of the Special Legislative Task Force in Nassau County to combat antisemitism.
H: How can people get involved?
P: Our website, StandWithUs.com lists the many resources we offer for different age groups, including our middle school educational platform IsraelLINK, the StandWithUs Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship and StandWithUs Emerson Fellowship.
We have informative brochures and fact sheets on different topics.
In the New York-New England area, people can email infony@standwithus. com for more information and, to be connected to the appropriate team member who can direct them to programming.
our editorial team.
sion.
Paris Popack, president of the Lawrence Civic Association and a former village trustee and deputy mayor, has been at the forefront of the fight against transit-oriented development from the beginning, she said.
Popack added that she had monitored the reports from the TOH’s outside consulting firm Nelson, Pope & Voorhis on the environmental impacts that highdensity development near the LIRR would have on the community.
“The detailed analysis and findings of the Nelson Pope Voorhis engineering report had bolstered my belief that the evidence was firmly on our side, clearly demonstrating the detrimental impacts these zoning changes would have,” Popack wrote in an email.
She said she was thrilled to hear of the outcome at the Nov. 19 meeting.
“When Supervisor Clavin and the Board voted unanimously to rescind all the 2019 zoning changes, including the
grandfathered projects, I was beyond thrilled and deeply grateful,” Popack wrote. “This courageous and appropriate decision by the Town’s leadership has now firmly prioritized the safety, health, and quality of life of our community, not just for the present, but for future generations as well. This will help keep the Five Towns as one of the jewels in the crown of the Town of Hempstead.”
Heatherwood Communities LLC, of Commack, developers for the transitoriented development plan which spent $30 million to construct apartment complexes in North Lawrence and Inwood, filed a lawsuit against the Town of Hempstead on Sept. 10 because the town did not appoint a design review board to oversee their plans.
“Our client is very disappointed by the action and is evaluating its options,”
Daniel Shapiro, a representative of Heatherwood LLC, said after the repeal.
Blakeman did not respond to a request for comment.
By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, other local elected officials, school district superintendents and school board trustees gathered in the Nassau County executive building on Nov. 21 to oppose the recent State Education Department Regionalization Plan.
The plan, introduced as an emergency rule on Sept. 25, directs school districts to pool resources, programs and services, which critics say threatens the independence of local districts. State Sen. Jack Martins, one of the plan’s main opponents, talked about fighting to preserve local control of districts.
“Long Island schools are regularly ranked among the very best in New York state,” Martins said. “That fact is due in large part to our local control and educational structure, which prioritizes our students’ success. We join our local communities in opposing any effort to force regionalization and fight to preserve local control.”
Blakeman echoed Martins’s sentiments, saying the plan was an attack on suburban school districts, and that he and others would continue to fight to keep power in the hands of the districts.
“Isn’t it interesting that cities such as Yonkers, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester and New York City are all excluded from their plan?” Blakeman said. “This is just
Sen. Jack Martins, along with other local elected officials, challenged the NYSED’s Regionalization Plan at a news conference on Nov. 21.
another attack on the suburbs by state government, which is completely controlled by left-wing politicians, and we will not stand by and let the Department of Education gut our school districts.”
Many opponents of the plan are questioning the decision to make it an emergency measure. State Sen. Steve Rhoads called it a rushed, and added that the language contained in it could lead to local districts’ complete loss of control of their operations.
“The State Education Department’s self-created emergency regionalization
mandate is vague and can lead to a complete usurpation of local control of schools budgets, tax dollars, and educational opportunities and resources vested in local boards of education,” Rhoads said. “Long Islanders pay some of the highest school taxes in the state, and their local and state officials should and must have a voice in where those dollars are being spent, and that voice is being jeopardized with the SED’s rushed, topdown regionalization plan.”
Sschool districts across Nassau and Suffolk counties are preparing to chal -
It is remarkable to us how many people we meet who have amassed signifcant wealth beyond their needs, yet have little or no inclination to share their good fortune with others, even their immediate families. It seems to us that the only value that any asset has is in its use — those who have assets they are unable to utilize are really no better off than those who don’t.
How much richer and happier many lives would be if only we learned to share more. Studies in psychology and neuroscience have demonstrated that acts of generosity trigger a release of endorphins, referred to as the “helper’s high”, leading to increased feelings of happiness and satisfaction.
Generous acts involve considering the needs of others, expanding one’s empathy and leading to deeper connections with others and a more meaningful and fulflling life. This may explain why those least able to give are sometimes the most generous. Generosity has less to do with what one has than the way one thinks.
lenge the plan. Roslyn school board President Meryl Waxman encouraged other districts to join the fight.
“Superintendents including mine have been told that this is a great big nothing, but what one says and what one does have to align,” Waxman said. “If you take the time to read the regulations and see what they say, they should be self-explanatory. These are emergency regulations, but what was the emergency? Roslyn wasn’t having an emergency until they created one.”
Nonetheless, many people believe that the plan can be beneficial for Long Island school districts. Responding to a rally against the plan on Oct. 31 at Locust Valley High School, Assemblyman Chuck Lavine said that districts can voluntarily participate in shared services, and that the protest was nothing more than political theater.
“The State Education Department website makes it perfectly explicit that any district desiring to engage in shared services with any other district can do so completely voluntarily,” Lavine said. “Held on Halloween, the Oct. 31 rally was nothing more . . . than political theater designed to frighten the public.”
Under the plan, school districts are required to submit surveys to the state by Dec. 6, identifying areas for collaboration. There will also be a comment period before the plan becomes final in January.
“A fght is going on inside me,” said an old man to his son. “It is a terrible fght between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fght is going on inside you.”
The son thought for a minute and then asked, “Which wolf will win?”
The old man replied simply, “The one you feed.”
— Wendy Mass
Generosity may also involve giving of your time and attention. As theologian John Wesley put it three hundred years ago:
“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can,
To all the people you can, As long as you ever can.”
With each passing year — especially in areas like Nassau County — we see less of the night
By NICOLE FORMISANO
Special to the Herald
As a child, Ken Spencer would wait until the sun sank below the ocean horizon, and then ride his bike down to the beach and lie in the sand, staring up into the sky as the final streaks of pink and orange slipped from view. Then quietly, one by one, billions of stars would wink into existence — diamond dust, he said, scattered across a sea of black velvet.
Now, at 82, the Sea Cliff resident is lucky if he can spot even the brightest stars amid a night sky that has, over the years, morphed into a wall of light-polluted gray.
Nassau County suffers some of the worst light pollution in the world. It’s harming local wildlife, damaging human health, and marring something as seemingly inviolable as the very sky above.
The word “pollution” often evokes clouds of smog, or continental landfills; little do we think of light itself as a form of pollution. But when we are irresponsible about how we artificially light the world around us, that additional light impacts everything it touches.
Summer nights on Long Island, for example, used to mean a world illuminated by fireflies. That likely won’t be the case for the next generation. The bioluminescent beetles can’t find potential mates amid an overlit world, and are becoming increasingly endangered.
Light pollution is increasing by 10 percent every year, according to DarkSky International, a nonprofit fighting to mitigate the problem. And we’re already suffering the effects.
Losing the night sky
“I know nothing with any certainty,”
Vincent Van Gogh once wrote, “but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”
For as long as we have existed, humans have been linked inextricably to the stars. They served as beacons by which humanity navigated, charting new lands and waters; their movement led scholars to new mathematical and scientific discoveries; they have long captured the imaginations of philosophers, poets and artists; they encourage people of every age, race, class and ability to lift their eyes to the sky, wonder at the vast sea of the universe, and recognize the miracle it is to be alive.
“It feels primeval,” Spencer said of the night sky’s singular ability to pull our eyes upward. “It’s something within us.”
the sky. And little by little, it’s become harder and harder to see the Milky Way.”
More than 80 percent of people will not see the Milky Way in their lifetime, according to DarkSky International, and that number is climbing each year. We in Nassau County cannot see the Milky Way without traveling to the East End — and even that sight is a fading echo of what once was.
The amateur astronomer, originally from Milford, Connecticut, began studying the constellations with his daughter in 1989. He remembers looking at the constellation Hercules, identifying the globular cluster of 300,000 stars at the demigod’s side. He looked for that once-familiar sight recently, but the stars were simply impossible for him to see. He used to drive down to the Custer Institute and Observatory in Southold, which served as a refuge for starry skies on Long Island. But even that, he said, is slowly being encroached on.
“Over the years, now it’s all big-box stores,” Spencer said. “They’re all lit up, and they have big, giant lights in the parking lot, so that light bounces up into
The night sky is integral for interconnectedness, Susan Serven, a spokeswoman for DarkSky International, said. It helps us understand that we aren’t separate from the cosmos, but part of it.
“It’s just been the last generation or two where we’ve lost that privilege to view our starry skies,” Serven said. “If we lose the ability to go out under our night sky, we lose the awe and wonder that humanity has experienced for millennia.”
When Valerie Giangrande, of Massapequa, says goodnight to her two teenage children, she sometimes has to ask, “Where are your glasses?” The teens will then put on what looks like orangetinted sunglasses before continuing to watch TV or scroll on their phone — sometimes with a sigh or an eye roll, but that’s OK with Giangrande. To the optometrist and applied quantum biology specialist, making sure her kids are shielded from the dangers of excess
blue light is worth a bit of teenage ire.
“It’s one of the biggest health risks that nobody thinks about,” said Giangrande, who is an eye doctor at Optical Concepts offices in Bellmore, Freeport and Patchogue. “Light literally controls every aspect of our bodies, which is a pretty big statement to make, but it controls everything. We’re wired by light.”
Just about every function of our body runs on our circadian rhythm, a natural 24-hour clock, she explains. And that clock is controlled by the sun. When the photoreceptors in our eyes take in the long red wavelengths of morning sun, our bodies understand that it is morning and start slowly producing cortisol. As the sun climbs in the sky, it gives off more shorter-wave blue light, which heightens cortisol production and tells our bodies that it’s midday. And after sunset, when our photoreceptors recognize darkness, our brains get the signal to produce melatonin, the sleep hormone, and go into repair mode.
These days, most of our natural clocks are running haywire. That’s because the vast majority of artificial light that contributes to light pollution — LEDs, phones, computers, televisions, billboards — emit blue light. Our bodies are constantly surrounded by signals that it is noon.
Overexposure to blue light is linked to what seems like every health risk under the sun, Giangrande said — insulin resistance and diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, insomnia and lower-quality sleep, and excess anxiety.
“Anyone who wakes up not refreshed, anyone who’s tired, anyone who can’t fall asleep, can’t stay asleep — blue light
Continued from PreViouS Page
toxicity,” Giangrande said. “Say we eat dinner, and then an hour later we’re really hungry again. That’s blue light toxicity, hands down.”
Our digestive enzymes naturally go down at night, she explained. Often when we’re hungry at night, it’s because our blood sugar and insulin are still up because our body thinks it’s daytime.
There are some things people can do to reduce the harm done by light pollution, Giangrande said. To start your day, step outside — or even just open a window — to get exposure to the full light spectrum of the sun. Consider replacing blue-spectrum LEDs in your home with warmer, softer lighting. And perhaps most important, get 100 percent blue light-blocking glasses to use indoors after the sun has gone down.
“Light has to be regulated first before we do all the things,” Giangrande said. “Because there’s no supplement that can take over for the sunlight.”
Let there (not) be light
So, besides our screens, where is excess artificial light coming from? A few of the primary offenders in Nassau County are entire towns and villages using unshielded streetlamps; empty fields, gas stations and parking lots lit up all night by glaring spotlights; and homeowners who illuminate their — and, by extension, their neighbors’ — property with floodlights out of the erroneous belief that it discourages crime. Multiple studies have found that lighting has no effect on crime. In fact, it encourages crimes like vandalism and graffiti, and the glare from harsh lights at night actually makes it more difficult to spot hazards in the dark.
If overlighting accomplishes anything, it wastes money — more than $3 billion in the U.S. each year, according to DarkSky, or as much as $7 billion, according to another study.
Take the Meadowbrook Parkway, for example. The 869 streetlights that line the road are activated by photocells, which turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn, a spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation said. However, observant drivers will notice that long swaths of the parkway are peppered with orange lights even in the middle of the day. The NYSDOT did not respond to the Herald to answer whether this was intentional or indicative of faulty photocells, and how much energy and money is wasted by the lights each day.
But light pollution and its energy waste can be mitigated relatively easily by local governments. The Village of Oyster Bay, for example, has a lighting ordinance stipulating that all outdoor lighting be fully shielded. But despite such ordinances being demonstrably energy-efficient and cost-effective, few towns and villages have adopted them.
“The best way we recommend our advocates getting involved in changing actually how their backyards and their cities are lit,” said Chris Peterson, engagement director of DarkSky Inter -
an illustration of how much of the night sky is lost, and how much light is wasted, when it is ineffectively shielded — and, inversely, how well-directed, and timed, lighting can preserve our views of the stars.
Courtesy LightPollutionMap.Info
this map, using data from naSa, observatories and the World alas 2015, shows light that is wasted, which is about 30 percent of all artificial light, darkSky international estimates.
national, “is to approach city councils, development offices, planning commissions, and propose an update to that lighting ordinance for the city.”
The nonprofit even provides a template for proposing such ordinances to local representatives, which illustrates the principles of responsible outdoor lighting. And if local reps are unswayed, individuals can still help by ensuring they are not overlighting their homes.
But if we don’t take action, we will soon live in a world where a starry night sky is a distant memory.
“It’s a terrible thing for children to not know the night sky,” Spencer said. “If you don’t know something, you don’t know what you’re missing.”
“The central core of me knows that night is important,” he said. “Important to us as a human species.”
Those looking to learn more can visit DarkSky.org.
Amid skyscrapers and smartphones, what do we have in common with our ancestors? The answer is the stars; the vast swath of universe that serves as our celestial home address. When I look up and see Cygnus flying over me in the winter sky, I’m looking at the same stars as people halfway across the world, or from thousands of years ago, whose names I’ll never know. The night sky serves as a keystone of the human experience, and connects us across space and time in ways that would otherwise be impossible.
As the world around us charges forward unceasingly — always asking for bigger, better, more — we rarely think of the things we lose little by little, day by day. We may not even notice when the Little Dipper dims into oblivion; when each star of Orion’s belt blinks out, one by one; when, one day, even brilliant Jupiter is extinguished, and we are left with a lone moon in a gray sky. I’ll tell my grandkids stories of the firmament, how light traveled billions of light years to make its way to us, and all we had to do to see it was look up. I wonder if they’ll believe me.
I’m not ready to give up the night sky. Are you?
–Nicole Formisano
Achiezer Community Resource Center gave out six awards as part of its annual gala at the Sands Atlantic Beach.
The organization, which dedicates itself to crisis management, according to its website, honored Dr. Louis Saffran, with the Physician Appreciation Award, Dr. Marc Sicklick, with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Michael and Mimi Fragin, with the Hakaras Hatov award, Dr. Robert Rahamani, with the Physician Appreciation award, Uri and Rivi Sprecher, as the Guests of Honor and Aliza Wartelsky, with the Pillars of Chesed Award.
The evening started with a reception at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m. and dessert accompanied by a performance by the Blue Melody Group at 8 p.m.
The gala celebrated the work that Achiezer does for Bayswater, Far Rockaway, the Five Towns and beyond.
“Whether the situation calls for medical, financial, emotional, or practical support, Achiezer’s team of medical, mental health and other professionals enables clients to access the assistance that they need in a caring, professional and confidential fashion,” officials wrote on Achiezer.org.
— Melissa Berman
Don’t miss the beats, the energy and the vibe when Secret Agent 23 Skidoo launches the museum’s Musical Explorers! Concert series.
Acclaimed husband-and-wife duo Andrés and Christina’s — known as 123 Andrés — catchy songs and lively concerts impart the joy of music, movement and language.
Reach for the rhythm in you with a colorful spectrum of musical performance
By Danielle Schwab
After everyone polishes off the turkey, families can embark on a musical adventure to usher in the holiday season, courtesy of Long Island Children’s Museum. The stage is set for a new concert series, “Musical Explorers!,” which kicks off this weekend, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
Young audiences are introduced to an excitingly diverse music scene, featuring an array of global sounds, culture, and artistic legends from the world of jazz, hip hop, Latin music, and more. Families will surely get in the groove at the museum’s inaugural series of concerts, which represent the vibrant genres of jazz, hip-hop and Latin music. Performers add their unique touch, blending imaginative storytelling into musical masterpieces.
“Music speaks to human nature, the human soul. Every culture has music. Everybody celebrates it. Everybody taps to the rhythm. So that’s what we’re looking to provide,” James Packard, the museum’s theater program director says. “Musical Explorers offers our audiences the opportunity to dive deeper into the many ways that music speaks to us.”
In curating the concerts, he selected Grammy-winning artists and top talents in family music so that a diverse range of genres reflecting the power of music are represented.
“We encourage families to use these performances to introduce their children to the rhythms of hip-hop, the soul of jazz, and the vibrant beats of contemporary Latin music,” he says.
The series begins this weekend with Grammy-winning hip-hop funk sensation Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. This dynamic three-person rap ensemble offers their young audience a fun and engaging introduction to hip-hop. Known for their electrifying blend of hip-hop with sci-fi-inspired storytelling and feel-good tunes, the band combines the raw energy of funk with the surreal magic of animation-inspired performance. Imagine a band with Jim Henson playing guitar or Shel Silverstein writing the bass lines and you’ve got Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. Prepare to get up and dance with larger-than-life stories through upbeat songs.
“We just came out with an album in collaboration with the Asheville Symphony. We took folk tales from around the world from various cultures and turned them into hip-hop songs to tell these stories,” Joel “Cactus” Sullivan, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo’s lead singer, says.
Sullivan and his bandmates journey back thousands of years, drawing from the rich traditions of Japan, West Africa and Persia to tell timeless life lessons.
And, it wouldn’t be hip-hop without some creative freestyle — with the help of members from the audience, of course.
“We get words from the crowd and then make up a song on the spot right there. There’s something magical about the improvisation that can happen with hip hop,” Sullivan adds.
Heading into New Year, everyone can jive to some outstanding jazz grooves with the iconic Jazz at Lincoln Center Quintet, on Jan. 19 and 20. The top-flight musicians swing into the sound of America. Their performances explore the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance, examining the great Louis Armstrong’s journey from New Orleans to Chicago and New York — all from the museum’s intimate stage.
“Lincoln Center is a new connection for us,” Packard notes. “It will be a more traditional concert style, but geared at school-age kids, with interactivity and conversation going on between the musicians and the audience.”
Another performance to keep an eye (and an ear) out for is husband-and-wife duo 123 Andrés. The pair — Latin Grammy winners for Best Children’s Music Album earlier this year —
• Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1
• $11 with museum admission; available online at licm.org/ theater or in person at the museum box office
• 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
will arrive in June with their interactive bilingual performance that speak to the joy, energy and cultural richness of Latin America.
They’ll be sure to get everyone singing, clapping and dancing along to rhythms from across the Latin music spectrum.
“Music is a universal language the world over. It is a part of who we are spiritually. And so it goes on all the time, a thing that goes into your soul,” Packard adds.
The concert series reinforces the museum’s mission to bring musicians into kid-accessible spaces. It’s an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in a world of rhythm, melody and cultural appreciation — all within the welcoming environment of the LICM Theater.
“Music is a form of social-emotional learning,” Packard continues. “You can let out happiness or sadness. Exposing children to different styles they might find, ‘Oh, I really like hip hop,’ or ‘I really like the Latin beat’, or ‘I really like the jazz,’ and that can have an impact where they go in life.”
The Grateful Dead have been resurrected in the form of Dark Star Orchestra. Formed in 1997, this tribute band came up with the novel idea of recreating complete sets from The Grateful Dead’s gigantic list of concerts. Over 3,100 shows later DSO continues the Grateful Dead live concert experience to acclaim. On any given night, the band performs based on a set list from the Dead’s 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. In this way DSO offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within the Dead’s musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30, 8 p.m. $99.50, $69.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny. com.
The holiday treat returns, Audiences will once again be transported by the Sugar Plum Fairy to The Land of Sweets in this familyfriendly classic, set to the music of Tchaikovsky. LIBT’s production opens “Nutcracker” season here, sparkling with a talented cast of adult professionals and aspiring young student dancers. This version is both narrated and abridged, to introduce youngster to the story of Clara, her magical nutcracker and her enchanting winter adventure..
Saturday, Nov. 30, noon and 4 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m. $37.50. Purchase tickets at liballettheatre. com or by phone at (631) 2714626. For more information, visit landmarkonmainstreet.org. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington.
Jason Bonham, son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer, visits the Paramount stage, Monday, dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. He showcases his musical journey and family legacy, celebrating his father’s legendary career, with a concert featuring hits from Led Zeppelin’s iconic albums, and highlighting Jason’s own notable contributions to rock history. Encompassing hits from the iconic band’s entire career, including albums “Led Zeppelin,” “Led Zeppelin II,” “Led Zeppelin IV,” and “Physical Graffiti,” the concert event is a dynamic tribute to Jason’s father, with “…a band that recreates Led Zeppelin’s music to such a degree that one can’t help but close their eyes and simply listen…” [-Classic Rock Revisited]. Jason displayed musical talent from a young age. By age five, he could skillfully play drums, and at 17, he joined the band Air Race. Over the years, he contributed to various musical projects, including a Led Zeppelin reunion in 1988, touring with Jimmy Page, and forming his band “Bonham.” He collaborated with notable artists, recorded successful albums, and participated in a Muddy Waters tribute that earned a Grammy nomination. Throughout the years, Jason collaborated with different artists, recorded with Foreigner, and participated in the highly anticipated Led Zeppelin reunion in 2007 at London’s O2 arena. His musical journey showcases a blend of family legacy, collaborations with rock legends and a commitment to preserving and celebrating iconic rock history. Jason always finds himself at home behind the drumkit. From this spot, he has anchored the tempo for a myriad of the most legendary artists of all-time. It’s the place where he initially realized his destiny as a kid. It’s a triedand-true safe harbor for the expression of his purest emotions. Ultimately, Jason remains forever at home on the drums. $99.50, $89.50, $59.50, $49.50, $39.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.
The festive season is underway at Old Westbury Gardens. Enjoy a cream tea (featuring scones, Devonshire cream, assorted sweets, and tea), then a guided tour of decorated Westbury House, Tuesday, dec.
3, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:303 p.m.; Wednesday, dec. 4, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:303:30 p.m.; Thursday, dec. 5, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. More dates available $22.50 per person. Advance registration suggested. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.
See some birds with the South Shore Audubon Society. All are welcome to join members for the next in its series of bird walks, at Mill Pond Park in Wantagh, Sunday, dec. 1, starting at 9 a.m. The park is on the north side of Merrick Road, four blocks west of Wantagh State Parkway. The group meets at the gazebo.
Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 467-9498. Rain, snow or temperature below 25 degrees will cancel the bird walk. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.
Let’s Skate
Get ready to enjoy all the thrills of the snowy season, while staying warm and cozy as Long Island Children’s Museum’s popular “Snowflake Sock Skating rink returns, through Jan. 7. Slip on “sock skates” and take a spin on the indoor rink, made from a high-tech synthetic polymer surface that lets kids slide around without blades.
Kids can stretch, twirl and glide. As visitors step off the “ice” they can jump into winter dramatic play in Snowflake Village. Become a baker in the holiday sweet shop, step inside a giant snowman and serve up some hot cocoa, take a turn in the rink “ticket booth” and “warm up” around a rink side “fire pit.” Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.
Want to network your business? Attend the Breakfast Connect group’s get together every Wednesday, 8-9 a.m. The breakfast meeting is free and open to everyone in the community. Hewlett Fire Department at the Benjamin J. Moleno Hall, 25 Franklin Ave., Hewlett. For more information call or text Andrew Leibowitz at (516) 790-4829.
Hewlett East Rockaway Jewish Center Sisterhood hosts a comedy night, Thursday, Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Alan Fuks headlines. Sisterhood members free, $20 nonmembers. Register by Dec. 5 at bit.ly/sisterhoodjoint-program-2024. Contact Beverly Wachtel for more at bowachtel@gmail.com or call (516) 599-2634. 295 Main St., East Rockaway.
Peninsula Public Library invites all to game time, Mondays and Thursdays, in the Bentley Room. Come play canasta, mah jongg, and scrabble. Seating is limited; first come, first served. Call Roxanne Spodek to confirm the program the day before at (516) 967-5777. 280 Central Ave., Lawrence.
Enjoy a musical morning with Marion & Aaron Gural JCC’s Golden Notes Social Choir, every Tuesday, 11 a.m.-noon. Come hear an hour of singing in several languages, led by Zvi Klein. Suggested donation is $5. For more information, contact Rachayle Deutsch at rachayle.deutsch@guraljcc.org. Marion & Aaron Gural JCC, 207 Grove Ave., Cedarhurst.
Visit Sands Point Preserve’s Hempstead House and join in the holiday cheer, Sunday, Dec. 8, 1-4 p.m. The family-friendly event includes activities for all ages. Meet and take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy jazz and holiday music with Port Jazz Project, along with seasonal crafts, Dreidel Corner, “nutty” holiday scavenger hunt, reading nook with holiday and winter stories, and puppet shows with Wonderspark Puppets at 2 and 3 p.m. 127 Middle Neck Road. Admission is $40/car, members; $45/ car nonmembers, includes parking. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy.org or call (516) 571-7901.
Partake of Thanksgiving traditions from days gone by during Old Bethpage Village Restoration’s annual holiday event, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 30-Dec.1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Journey back to the 19th century as old-fashioned wood burning stoves, beehive ovens and hearths are all fired up as “villagers” prepare a variety of foods and baked goods, using historical recipes. Of course, a fat turkey is spitted and roasted, along with pie making and a demonstration of food preservation methods. With fiddle music, entertainment and children’s activities, including storytelling, and more. $15, $12 children 5-12 and seniors. 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage. Visit oldbethpagevillagerestoration.org or call (516) 572-8409 for more information.
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.
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 spans various world cultures through a range of media.
It features more than 70 artists, both established and emerging, ranging from the classical to the contemporary. American portraitists such as Gilbert Stuart imbued red in their stately paintings of prominent individuals to conjure authority. Robert Motherwell, Ad Reinhardt, and other major abstract painters displayed a deep fascination with red in their commanding compositions that evoke a sense of chromatic power. And, of course, Andy Warhol is known for his bold and imposing silkscreened portrait of Vladimir Lenin saturated in bright red to his signature Campbell’s Soup Cans. On view through Jan. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.
Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes families to its stage, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 5-6, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Saturday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; also Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 10-12, 10:-15 a.m. and noon. Ezra Jack Keats’ “The Snowy Day & Other Stories” celebrates the joy in the small moments of a child’s world. Experience the wonder of a fresh snowfall, the delight of whistling for the first time, and the awe of finding a special treasure. In this childhood adventure, Keats’ classic books come to life, featuring live actors and shadow puppets telling the stories of “The Snowy Day,” “Goggles!,” “Whistle for Willie,” and “A Letter to Amy.” $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or licm. org.
policy is tell any vendor that wants to work with the village of Lawrence, whether it’s a contractor that we’re retaining, whether its someone who’s changing the lights for us, that you cannot work with the village of Lawrence if you boycott Israel,” Nahmias explained. “It’s that simple. And it’s an acknowledgement on their part that this has to be done as part of working for the village as a vendor.”
The move follows similar actions by Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead, which have long opposed the BDS movement. Both enacted anti-BDS regulations in 2017, under then County Executive Ed Mangano and then Town Supervisor Anthony Santino.
Months after the resolutions passed, legislators were calling for the cancellation of a performance by rock star Roger Waters, set to take place at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in September 2017, because of his leadership in the BDS movement, Howard Kopel, the County Legislature’s presiding officer, recalled.
Waters ultimately took the stage.
“The Town of Hempstead has long supported its growing Jewish population, becoming the first municipality in our region to adopt legislation against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement,” a statement on the Town of Hempstead website reads. “Additionally, the Town of Hempstead adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism, which boosts the Town’s ability to educate the community and take action on acts of antisemitism.”
In September, the town created an Antisemitism Task Force to proactively address emerging trends and combat hate through community education.
“We refuse to do business with companies that
openly and brazenly boycott an entire group of people based on their religious and cultural background,”
Town Supervisor Don Clavin wrote in a statement.
Clavin praised Lawrence’s decision to double down on the stipulation for village vendors.
“The disturbing rise in antisemitism in recent history hit home earlier this year,” he wrote, “when a sickening display of hateful graffiti — including a defacing of a memorial wall for victims of the October 7th attack on Israel — was found in an East Meadow suburb, reaffirming our government’s commitment to anti-BDS practices throughout America’s
largest township. We are pleased to learn that the Village of Lawrence, which tragically has seen many instances of antisemitism in recent years, has adopted similar legislation to stand up for our community.”
County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who championed the town’s anti-BDS rule as a councilman at the time, also commended Lawrence’s actions.
“I applaud the Village of Lawrence for taking affirmative action to ensure that Antisemitism is not institutionalized and encourage other governmental entities to follow suit,” Blakeman wrote in a statement.
LEGAL NOTICE
The independent audit of the Hewlett-Woodmere U.F.S.D. for school year 2023-2024 has been completed and is available for viewing in the Central Offce located at the Woodmere Education Center. If you are interested, please contact the District Clerk. 2023-2024
ANALYSIS OF GENERAL FUND BALANCE Fund Balance - July 1, 2023
FUND BALANCE - June 30, 2024
ANALYSIS OF MISC SPECIAL REVENUE FUND - FUND
FUND BALANCE - July 1, 2023
FUND BALANCE - June 30, 2024
ANALYSIS OF CUSTODIAL FUNDS - FUND BALANCE FUND BALANCE - July 1, 2023
STATEMENT OF CAPITAL INDEBTEDNESS ACCOUNTS - June 30, 2024
BOARD OF EDUCATION:
Debra Sheinin, President
Cheryl May, Vice President
Jonathan D. Altus MD
Shari L. Amitrano
Chana Jeter
Judy Menashe
Francois Tenenbaum
Brian Cleary, Treasurer
Barbara Randazzo, District Clerk 1279362
LEGAL NOTICE Notice of formation of Limited Liability Company. Name: Yellow Rock Associates LLC (“LLC”). Articles of Organization fled with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (“SSNY”) on April 25, 2007. NY offce location: Nassau County. The SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to 930 Broadway, Woodmere, N.Y. 11598. Purpose/character of LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity.
149710
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. ALBERT D. SUROWIECKI A/K/A ALBERT SUROWIECKI, ET AL., Defendant(s).
Lot 23. Approximate amount of judgment is $983,529.02 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fled Judgment Index #603406/2020. Cash will not be accepted.
Jared A. Kasschau, Esq., Referee Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff 150004
All interested parties will be given the opportunity to be heard on the following applications for variance relief: Meital Rosso – 1117 Harbor Road Hewlett Harbor, NY 11557 –(continuation) is requesting to build a circular driveway. This dwelling is in a residential AB district. Applicant requests relief from Village zoning codes:
Pursuant to an Order Confrming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on June 6, 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 December 10, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 966 Singleton Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Woodmere, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 41, Block 28 and Lots 105 and 823. Approximate amount of judgment is $530,294.98 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of fled Judgment Index #609151/2021. Cash will not be accepted.
Peter J. Famighetti, Esq., Referee Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, New York 10591, Attorneys for Plaintiff 149841
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCF 2 ACQUISITION TRUST C/O U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, vs. JANET NAGELBERG A/K/A JANET L. NAGELBERG, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confrming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on September 17, 2024, 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 December 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 139 Harbor View South, Lawrence, NY 11559. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Lawrence, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 40, Block 207 and
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of formation of Limited Liability Company. Name: Westchester 2 GP LLC (“LLC”). Articles of Organization fled with the Secretary of State of the State of New York (“SSNY”) on December 6, 2007. NY offce location: Nassau County. The SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to 930 Broadway, Woodmere, N.Y. 11598. Purpose/character of LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity. 149988
LEGAL NOTICE
INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR NOTICE OF MONTHLY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hewlett Harbor will meet in both public and via Zoom on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 7:00PM, Eastern Standard Time, for the purpose of holding a special meeting. Such meeting will allow residents to ask questions of the Board of Trustees on topics of their choosing. All residents wishing to attend via Zoom can visit www.hewlettharbor.gov for instructions.
Dated: Hewlett Harbor, New York November 15, 2024 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR NICOLE GIACOPELLI VILLAGE CLERK 150102
LEGAL NOTICE
INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Zoning Appeals of the Incorporated Village of Hewlett Harbor will hold a public hearing at Village Hall on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 7:00PM. A ZOOM link to the meeting is available on our website at www.hewlettharbor.gov.
• Zoning Code 145-19 states maximum lot coverage shall not exceed 21%. Applicant is requesting 39.99 %. (Zoning Code 145-2 defnes lot coverage as “the percentage of the total area of a zoning lot covered by impervious materials.”)
• Zoning Code 145-19 states building area in an AB zone should be a maximum of 25%. Applicant is requesting 27.66%
David and Eryka Kadosh1181 Harbor Road Hewlett Harbor, NY 11557 – (continuation) are requesting to complete a 1203 sq. ft. Interior Renovation; total will be 1501 sq. ft. addition to existing. This dwelling is in a residential AB district. Applicants request relief from the following Village zoning codes:
• Zoning Code 145-2 Usage and Defnitions of Height/Setback Plane states: The height/setback planes for a given zoning lot are a series of theoretical inclined planes through which no part of a dwelling structure shall penetrate. Applicant proposes to violate the side and front-yard sky plane.
• Zoning Code 145-10.2 states:a fat roof shall not exceed 32 ft.;plans propose 32.5 ft.(exceeds code by 4.5 ft)
• Zoning Code 145-10.3 Street Wall states: The street wall shall be limited to a maximum of 21 ft. at the front-yard setback. The street wall may be allowed to be increased by 1 ft for each additional 10 ft. in setback. The maximum height is 25 ft; applicant is requesting a 32.6 ft street wall height.
• Zoning Code 145-19 states: maximum building area shall not exceed 30%; the plans propose 39.7%. Existing building area is 26.3%. Plans propose a 9.7% increase in building area.
• Zoning Code 145-19 states: side yard setback is 15ft.; plans propose 14.5 ft. (exceeds code by 6 inches)
• Zoning Code 145-19 states: side yard aggregate is 35 ft.; plans propose 29.5 ft. (exceeds code by 5.5 ft.)
Dr. Sergio Sokol – 35 Thixton Drive Hewlett Harbor, NY 11557 –is requesting to build an inground swimming pool and patio. This dwelling is in a residential AB district. Applicant
requests relief from Village zoning codes:
• Zoning Code 145-19 states maximum lot coverage permitted in an AB zone is 25%. You are requesting 48.6%.
(Zoning Code 145-2 defnes lot coverage as “the percentage of the total area of a zoning lot covered by impervious materials.”)
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
DR. JULIO NOVELLO, CHAIRMAN ZONING BOARD
Tommy MontemaranoBuilding Superintendent
Dated: Hewlett Harbor, New York November 15, 2024 150104
LEGAL NOTICE
INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR NOTICE OF MONTHLY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hewlett Harbor will meet in both public and via Zoom on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 7:00PM, Eastern Standard Time, for the purpose of holding a special meeting. Such meeting will allow residents to ask questions of the Board of Trustees on topics of their choosing. All residents wishing to attend via Zoom can visit www.hewlettharbor.gov for instructions.
Dated: Hewlett Harbor, New York
November 15, 2024 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR
NICOLE GIACOPELLI VILLAGE CLERK 15003
LEGAL NOTICE
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a public hearing will be held as to the following matter:
Agency:Board of Trustees, Village of Hewlett Neck
Date:December 13, 2024
Time: 9:30 am
Place:Village Hall, 30 Piermont Avenue, Hewlett, New York
Subject Bill VHN 24-06A.
A local law to amend Chapter 195 (“Zoning”) of the Code of the Village of Hewlett Neck, to amend the defnition of story and revise the building/structure footprint calculation. At the said time and place, all interested persons may be heard with respect to the foregoing matters.
The proposed law is an Unlisted Action under SEQRA, as to which no environmental determination has been made by the Board of Trustees
Any person having a disability which would inhibit attendance at or participation in the hearing should notify the
Village Clerk at least three business days prior to the hearing, so that reasonable efforts may be made to facilitate such attendance and participation. All relevant documents may be inspected at the offce of the Village Clerk, 30 Piermont Avenue, Hewlett, New York, during regular business hours.
Dated: November 22, 2024
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Michelle Blandino, Village Clerk 150195
LEGAL NOTICE
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
that a public hearing will be held as to the following matters:
Agency:Board of Trustees, Village of Hewlett Bay Park
Date:December 16, 2024
Time: 5:30 PM
Place:Village Hall, 30 Piermont Avenue, Hewlett, New York
Subject:
Bill HBP 2407B A local law to amend the Code of the Village of Hewlett Bay Park in respect to driveways
Bill HBP 2408A A local law to amend the Village of Hewlett Bay Park Village Code Chapter 146 in relation to portable bathrooms
Bill HBP 2412-A local law to amend Chapter 146 of the Village of Hewlett Bay Park Village Code with respect to legal nonconforming uses, buildings and structures
Bill HBP 2414- A local law to amend Chapter 146 of the Village of Hewlett Bay Park Village Code with respect to special permit criteria and standards
At the said time and place, all interested persons may be heard with respect to the foregoing matters. The proposed law is an Unlisted Action under SEQRA, as to which no environmental determination has been made by the Board of Trustees
Any person having a disability which would inhibit attendance at or participation in the hearing should notify the Village Clerk at least three business days prior to the hearing, so that reasonable efforts may be made to facilitate such attendance and participation.
All relevant documents may be inspected at the offce of the Village Clerk, 30 Piermont Avenue, Hewlett, New York, during regular business hours.
Dated: November 19
2024
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Michelle Blandino, Village Clerk 150194
seeking sealed bids for sales and installation of security related enhancements. This is a New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services grant funded project. The project includes (i) installation of one or more: technology (such as CCTV, access control, alarms, sensors, X-ray machines), security flm, doors, locks, windows, bollards, planters, barriers, lighting, fencing, privacy fencing, gates, (ii) training programs, and (iii) security personnel. There will be a walkthrough on Thursday, December 5, 2024 to review the specifcations and bid requirements. All those interested should email grantbids316@gmail.com for further details. Vendors will be required to demonstrate preliminary qualifcations and licensing for this work, acknowledge receipt of the proposal documents, and provide company name, business address, telephone, fax and email address, and primary contact name. Selection criteria will be based on knowledge of surveillance and security, adherence to projected work schedule, prior experience, references, and cost.
Bids will be accepted until 5:00 PM on December 18. 150201
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE FIRE DISTRICT ELECTION Annual Election of Lawrence North Fire District December 10, 2024
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that the Annual Election of the Lawrence North Fire District will take place on December 10, 2024, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the Inwood Community Center located at 270 Lawrence Avenue, Lawrence, New York. Dovid Lovett Fire District Secretary Lawrence North Fire District 150203
LEGAL NOTICE
HEWLETT BAY FIRE DISTRICT LEGAL NOTICE SEALED BIDS will be received by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Hewlett Bay Fire District at Fire Headquarters, 25 Franklin Ave, Hewlett New York 11557 until 7:00 PM on Monday January 13, 2025, at which time bids will be publicly opened for One (1) 2024/ 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe or One (1) Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Pickup Command Vehicle - (COLOR MUST BE WHITE). Specifcations can be obtained at Hewlett Bay Fire District Headquarters, Monday to Friday from 9am to 2:00 pm. Delivery must occur within 45 days of awarding this bid.
Proposals must be in writing, signed by the party making the bid, contained in a securely sealed envelope, addressed to the District Manager Mike Ahern at 25 Franklin Ave Hewlett, New York 11557, marked “BID - Chevrolet Tahoe or Chevrolet Silverado 1500”. Sealed bids must be received at said location on or before the day and hour stated. Bid Price must include Full Purchase Price.
Proposals will be publicly opened and read at that time by the District Manager and the contract awarded by the Board of Fire Commissioners within thirty (30) days thereafter.
A non-collusive certifcate as required by Section 103-d of the General Municipal Law must accompany each bid. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject all bids, and subject to the foregoing will award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.
Dated: 11/20/2024, By order of Board of Fire Commissioners, New York Hewlett Bay Fire District Mike Ahern Fire District Secretary 150196
LEGAL NOTICE INC. VILLAGE OF CEDARHURST
LEGAL NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE
THAT the Board of Trustees of the Village of Cedarhurst will hold a public hearing on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 8:00 PM in Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, New York for the purpose of Amending Section 250-61 Schedule VII: Prohibited Right Turns on Red Signal. Name of Street:Oakwood Avenue
Direction of Travel:North Prohibited Right Turns on Red Signal Onto:West Broadway
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested persons will have an opportunity to be heard at said hearing.
Dated: November 27, 2024
Cedarhurst, NY
By Order of Mayor Benjamin Weinstock and Board of Trustees
Salvatore Evola Village Clerk-Treasurer 150191
The Manna Project of Long Island is hosted the Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway on Nov. 23.
Families were welcomed to pick up turkeys from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. John’s Baptist Church in Inwood on a firstcome, first-served basis.
In the past, the organization has served over 300 people, with turkey, fish, pork loin, stuffing, candied yam, rice and mashed potatoes among other foods.
— Parker Schug
Takacs/Herald
The Manna Project of Long Island hosts an Annual Turkey Giveaway in Inwood, to feed local families in need during the holiday.
8:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, and one (1) Public Hearing with respect to the following matter:
“NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING for Proposed Local Law #4 of 2024, regarding §200-62 (Parking Meters) of the Village Code.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT copies of the proposed items described above are on fle/available in the offce of the Village Clerk of the Village of Lawrence, NY, where the same is available for public inspection during regular offce hours.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested parties will be given an opportunity to be heard on all meeting matters at the place and time aforesaid. If anyone needs special accommodations for a disability, such person should contact the Village Clerk at least 5 days before the meeting.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to the requirements of the Open Meetings Law of the State of New York, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Lawrence will convene in public meeting at the place and time aforesaid for the purpose of conducting a regular meeting where general business will be conducted.
Dated: November 22, 2024 By Order of the Board of Trustees Village of Lawrence, NY Gerry Castro Village Administrator 150188
LEGAL NOTICE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF LAWRENCE NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING and PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that there will be a Regular Meeting of the Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Lawrence, at Lawrence Village Hall, 196 Central Avenue, Lawrence, New York 11559, on the 5th day of December 2024, at
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS
Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Offcers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Old Town Hall, 350 Front Street, Room 230,
Second Floor, Hempstead, New York on 12/04/2024 at 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. 725/24. WOODMERECongregation Yagdil Torah, Special exception for proposed religious use (synagogue) & accessory to religious use (social hall) with rear yard variance for proposed 1 & 2 story additions to existing building; Waive off-street parking., N/s Railroad Ave., 50’ W/o Irving Pl., a/k/a 946-990 Railroad Ave. RE-ADVERTISEMENTS: 2:00 P.M. 310/23. EAST ATLANTIC BEACH - 37 Buffalo Ave., LLC & Kenneth Kruglick, Variances, subdivision of lot, lot area, front width from & on street line to front setback line, lot area occupied, front yard average setback, side yards, side yards aggregate, rear yard, construct dwelling with garage, 2nd & 3rd story decks & a/c units attached thereto (demolish existing dwelling)., W/s Buffalo Ave., 200’ S/o Beech Blvd., f/k/a 37 Buffalo Ave. 311/23. EAST ATLANTIC BEACH - 37 Buffalo Ave., LLC & Kenneth Kruglick, Variances, subdivision of lot, lot area, front width from & on street line to front setback line, lot area occupied, front yard average setback, side yards aggregate, rear yard, construct dwelling with garage, 2nd & 3rd story decks & a/c units attached thereto., W/s Buffalo Ave., 245’ S/o Beech Blvd. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. This notice is only for new cases in Woodmere & East Atlantic Beach within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases
in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.gov/ 509/Board-of-Appeals
The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.gov/ 576/Live-Streaming-Video
Interested parties may appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 150152
LEGAL NOTICE
INC. VILLAGE OF CEDARHURST
LEGAL NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Trustees of the Village of Cedarhurst will hold a public hearing on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 8:00 PM in Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, New York for the purpose of Amending Chapter 250 Vehicles and Traffc, Article 1 General Provisions, Section 250-1 Defnitions.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested persons will have an opportunity to be heard at said hearing.
Dated: November 27, 2024 Cedarhurst, NY By Order of Mayor Benjamin Weinstock and Board of Trustees Salvatore Evola Village Clerk-Treasurer 150189
LEGAL NOTICE
INC. VILLAGE OF CEDARHURST
LEGAL NOTICE
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Zoning Appeals of the Village of Cedarhurst will hold a public hearing on 12/05/2024 at 7 PM in the Village Hall, 200 Cedarhurst Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY for the following: Petition of MUEHLGAY HOWARD & MICHELLE Premises: 434 W BROADWAY
Sec/Blk/Lot 39/324/128
Case # 2019-008
PROPOSED TWO STORY ADDITION WITH INTERIOR RENOVATION
Variance from:
CONTINUATION OF A HEARING HELD ON JULY 25, 2019 265-38 C. Building Area
The total building area, including all accessory buildings, shall not exceed 30% of the lot area 265-40 A. Front Yards
A front yard of 25 feet shall be required. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that all interested persons will have an opportunity to be heard at said hearing.
Dated:November 27, 2024 Cedarhurst, NY
Benjamin Weinstock
Mayor Salvatore Evola Village Clerk-Treasurer By Order of the Board Of Zoning Appeals 150190
LEGAL NOTICE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR NOTICE OF MONTHLY MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hewlett Harbor will meet in both public and via Zoom on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 7:00PM, Eastern Standard Time, for the purpose of holding the Village’s regular monthly meeting.
An agenda for the meeting will be made available to the public on the Village Website. All residents wishing to attend via Zoom can visit www.hewlettharbor.gov for instructions. Residents wishing to speak via Zoom or in person must notify the Village Clerk in advance.
Dated: Hewlett Harbor, New York
November 22, 2024 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF HEWLETT HARBOR NICOLE GIACOPELLI VILLAGE CLERK 150192
Help Wanted
CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE
Full Time/Part Time Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc.
STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multitask, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines.
Salary Range is $16 per hour to $23 per hour. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: careers@liherald.com
CSC Holdings, LLC seeks a Senior Wireless Engineer to configure, troubleshoot, and monitor Cisco wireless controllers, switches, routers, and access points, as well as Ceragon mm-wave and microwave radios. Improve customer service experience within the Altice USA network footprint through wireless network and RF planning. Monitor system and network KPIs affecting user experience and ensure the required standards are met. Develop criteria to optimize existing and new technologies, coordinating with engineering, operations, and management teams to deliver new product offerings. #LI-DNI Position requires a Master’s degree in Telecommunications, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related degree, and 2 years of experience working with 3G, 4G, and LTE Networks. Experience must include a minimum of: 2 years of experience with planning, rolling out, operating, and maintaining Voice & Data services, SIM Cards, Wi-Fi, Microwave PTP Wireless, Wireless LAN Controllers, and network protocols, including TCP/IP and routing protocols; 2 years of experience working with wireless prediction and planning tools, including InfoVista Planet, MapInfo, and Pathloss; 2 years of experience in geo-data processing, mapping, validation, and visualization; 1 year of experience with Wi-Fi planning; 1 year of experience with Fluke Network, AirMagnet, and iBwave design and troubleshooting tools; and 1 year of experience working with OBI, Tableau, KOMS, and SevOne reporting. Job location: Bethpage, NY. Rate of Pay: $120,000.00 – $130,000.00 per year. To apply, please visit https://www.alticecareers.com, and enter Job Requisition ID 7491. Alternatively, please send your résumé, cover letter, and a copy of the ad to: Altice USA, Attn: Erin M. Berry, One Court Square West, Long Island City, NY, USA 11101. Altice USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting, hiring and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds regardless of gender, race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law. Altice USA, Inc. collects personal information about its applicants for employment that may include personal identifiers, professional or employment related information, photos, education information and/or protected classifications under federal and state law. This information is collected for employment purposes, including identification, work authorization, FCRAcompliant background screening, human resource administration and compliance with federal, state and local law
Full Time and Part Time
Positions Available!
Busy Print Shop in Garden City is Hiring Immediately for Full Time and Part Time Drivers.
Must Have a Clean License and BoxTruck Driving Experience.
Hours Vary, Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $21 per hour
Night Availability is a Must.
Please Email Resume to careers@liherald.com or Call (516)569-4000 x239
Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com
EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST
Herald Community Newspapers is seeking a motivated and knowledgeable Email Marketing Expert to join our team. If you have a passion for crafting effective email campaigns and a knack for data-driven decision-making, this role is for you!
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Set up and manage email campaigns from start to finish. Analyze data to identify target audiences and optimize email strategies. Craft compelling email content, including writing effective subject lines. Monitor and report on campaign performance.
REQUIREMENTS: Degree in Marketing, Business, or related field. Strong understanding of data analysis and marketing principles. Experience with email marketing is preferred but not required.
POSITION DETAILS:
Flexible: Part-time or Full-time. Salary range: $16,640 to $70,000, depending on experience and role.
Join our dynamic team and help us connect with our audience in meaningful ways! Apply today by sending your resume and a brief cover letter to lberger@liherald.com
HBCI SUPERVISOR FT: Seeking LCSW or LMSW for Crisis Intervention Program, Cedarhurst NY. 3+ yr exp, Supervision exp. $80K Annually + benefits Claufer@hamaspikkings.org 516-875-8400 x144
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP
Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour.
Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
MULTI MEDIA ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT
Inside Sales Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation
‘It doesn’t look serious to us’
Real Estate
WE BUY HOUSES for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-888-704-5670
Welcome to your dream beach retreat! This stunning, fully renovated FEMAcompliant beach home is perched on a wide, desirable block, close to shopping and vibrant restaurants. Enjoy views of both the ocean and bay from the comfort of your elevated contemporary residence. This bright and airy home features an open floor plan with soaring cathedral ceilings and skylights that bathe the space with natural light. The main living area seamlessly connects to a spacious deck with ocean views, perfect for relaxing or entertaining. The heart of the home is a modern chef's kitchen with sleek quartz
Q. We are buying a house and got an engineer’s report that said there are several problems, including the worst, a crack in the foundation wall. It is parallel to the floor of the basement, but there’s no crack on the outside, either because the outside wall was painted or because the crack is below ground. The engineer made it sound very serious, but it doesn’t look serious to us, just concerning. Do we get another engineer or architect — is there a difference? What should we do to decide if the house is worth the hassle? We really want the house, and made a commitment, since there are several offers and ours is the highest — above the asking price.
A. I have dealt with this problem more lately than at any other time in my career, because it’s being used a lot as a bargaining tool, since house prices are in the stratosphere. In most cases, the wording from the home inspector makes it sound extremely dire.
CEDARHURST NO FEE Private Entrance, Modern 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, CAC, W/D, Storage, Wall To Wall Carpeting, Indoor Parking Space. Starting At $1450 For One Bedroom When Available. (516)860-6889/ (516)852-5135/ (516)582-9978
I make two observations when reading these reports or hearing about the problem: 1) The report wording or buyer’s explanation is often not specific, but recommends a structural engineer, not an architect, and 2) the problem, when I review it, is most often not as serious as it is made out to be. By that I mean that except for about one out of every thousand cases, the wall is not imminently going to fail, and the person who wrote the report is not a licensed engineer or architect. They generally lack the structural training and testing, and therefore the credentials, to represent themselves as qualified to make specific recommendations, only to bring the condition to your attention, although you may already have noticed it.
As for whether you choose an architect or engineer, they both have training and credentials in this area of expertise. The engineer, if he or she is specifically a “structural” engineer, is more qualified for much more specialized and sophisticated structural design, but an architect must have formal structural training and testing in order to be licensed and registered. You can verify the licensure by searching the office of professions at op. nysed.gov and inserting their name and the field of practice. I often do this for clients, and have discovered that many home inspectors aren’t “engineers,” but do have home inspection credentials.
Again, in most cases, whether in or out of a flood zone, I have seen this condition, and the repair is often, but not always, to remove broken or exposed areas around the cracking and to inject structural repair epoxy specifically formulated for masonry or concrete repair. You most definitely should get qualified licensed professionals to look at the wall, since anyone else could not legally call themselves licensed to take responsibility for carrying out the work or its lasting result, and could be held liable for costs if a failure occurs, and you certainly want to avoid failure. Good luck!
© 2024 Monte Leeper
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
SAVE ON YOUR TRAVEL PLANS! Up to 75% More than 500 AIRLINES and 300,000 HOTELS across the world. Let us do the research for you for FREE! Call: 877 988 7277
We Buy Antiques, Fine Art, Coins & Jewelry
Same Day Service, Free In-Home Evaluations, 45 Year Family Business. Licensed and Bonded, Immediate Cash Paid. SYL-LEE ANTIQUES www.syl-leeantiques.com 516-671-6464 FINDS UNDER $100
Finds Under $100
DOLLS, DOLL HOUSE MINIATURES & ACCESSORIES. Under $99.00. Call Joy Evenings, 917-743-7695 Leave Message
END TABLES (2): Mahogany, Good Condition, $40. 516-450-1654
Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 OnDemand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-782-4069
E-Z ELECTRIC SERVICES, INC. All Types Residential/Commercial Wiring, Generators, Telephone/Data, Home Entertainment, Service Upgrades, Pools, Spas. Services/Repairs. Violations Removed. Free Estimates Low Rates. 516-785-0646 Lic/Ins.
Exterminating
PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-866-448-8311 Have zip code of property ready when calling!
BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-855-399-2076
CARPENTRY & PAINTING: Residential/ Commercial. All Phases. Licensed/Insured. FREE ESTIMATES! Anthony & J Home Improvements 516-678-6641
GET BOOST INFINITE! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power Of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 844-329-9391
PLUMBER! PLUMBER! PLUMBER! FREE ESTIMATES! Heating, Repairs, Installations. $25 OFF New Customers. 24 Hour Emergency Response. Family Plumbing. 516-599-1011.
Telephone Services
CONSUMER CELLULAR - the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-844-919-1682
Tree Services
FRANCISCO'S TREE SERVICE AND LANDSCAPING: Tree Removal, Stumps, Fertilization, Planting, Land Clearing, Topping. Free Estimates. Lic# H206773000. Office 516-546-4971, Cell 516-852-5415
Satellite/TV Equipment
DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Direct and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Health & Fitness
ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-855-399-2719
Attention: VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special - Only $99! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW: 1-855-399-2582
HEARING AIDS!! HIGH-QUALITY rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee! 855-819-7060
Legal Services
INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT? Don't Accept the insurance company's first offer. Many injured parties are entitled to major cash settlements. Get a free evaluation to see what your case is really worth. 100% Free Evaluation. Call Now: 1-888-454-4717. Be ready with your zip code to connect with the closest provider
Telecommunications
AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-855-399-2803
SI
erving New York’s 4th Congressional District has been an honor. Indeed, being entrusted with the sacred honor of representing my Long Island neighbors on Capitol Hill is a duty I have taken extraordinarily seriously every day. I am grateful to the people of this district for placing their faith in me, and look forward to representing you again. It has certainly been a consequential and active 118th Congress, and I am proud of the accomplishments I was able to achieve on behalf of the 4th District. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I worked tirelessly to help pass House Republicans’ signature H.R. 2 border security legislation — a sweeping plan to end the border security crisis, which is in stark contrast to the disaster Democrats have allowed to fester along America’s southern border.
Before the presidential election, the Herald published an editorial explaining why the familyowned newspapers would not be endorsing political candidates.
If I had read the piece in a vacuum, I would agree with it entirely. It states, in part, “Our focus is not on swaying voters toward a particular candidate, but on delivering comprehensive and unbiased information about the issues that matter most to Long Islanders. We are not here to tell our readers how to vote for political candidates; rather, we are here to arm readers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions at the ballot box.”
Sounds perfect. But we are living through an unprecedented and exceedingly imperfect time in our nation’s history. This year, not endorsing meant keeping silent when silence may have implied that both presidential candidates met minimal standards for serving in the nation’s highest office. By any standard, that is not true of President-elect Donald Trump.
Media across our country have some-
What’s more, I was proud that the House passed legislation I introduced to formally condemn the antisemitic chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which is used by antisemitic actors to call for the destruction of Israel. My commitment to combating antisemitism also extends to my tenure as a member of the Holocaust Memorial Museum board and my work to help found the House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group — a panel created to foster stronger ties between the U.S. House of Representatives and Israel’s legislature, the Knesset. As a retired New York City Police Department detective, I also endeavored to support law enforcement professionals across the country with such legislation as my Police Our Border Act, which passed in the House and will help law enforcement agencies across the country better respond to the ongoing border crisis.
I’m proud of everything I accomplished in Congress, from bills to committee work.
hours of committee work I engaged in through my seats on the House Homeland Security, Transportation & Infrastructure, and House Administration committees. What’s more, my leadership role as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology allowed me to conduct important oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency — an organization that is extraordinarily important to South Shore communities that are prone to flooding emergencies, like many in our district.
Governing is difficult, and requires coalition building, compromise, and a willingness to reach across the aisle — a fact I understand after being named the 11th-most bipartisan member of Congress and serving as a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus.
These are only a few of the 37 pieces of legislation I introduced, the 448 bills I co-sponsored and the thousands of
In addition to my legislative and committee work, I successfully secured over $20 million in direct funding for community projects across the 4th District to benefit our neighbors. These secured federal resources funded a new Nassau County Police Department training village, important flood-mitigation infrastructure in the Village of Floral Park, technology upgrades for the Freeport, Lynbrook and Rockville Centre police departments, and more.
readers, we can’t keep it in
how made it seem as if a convicted felon with a rich history of lying and a refusal to take on the serious issues of governance is a reasonable choice. But in our president-elect, we have an aspiring autocrat, a morally bankrupt man with a vengeful heart.
He has already begun fulfilling his promise to dismantle the government by selecting big donors, MAGA loyalists and inexperienced toadies for his new cabinet. None of this is a surprise. He said he would do it, and he is. Whether they get confirmed is dependent on the ever-weakening backbone of Republican senators, who live and die, politically, at the whim of the man they follow.
tarian government.
D onald Trump did not meet the presidency’s minimal standards.
We are in the beginning days of DJT’s revenge tour, fulfilling his promise to punish those who opposed him, challenged him and tried to bring him to justice. He wants people at the table whose loyalty is to him. Their expertise and leadership qualities seem incidental to the main qualification: unquestioning obeisance to the leader.
So the idea of not endorsing candidates, this extraordinary year in particular, does not sit well. The fallout from the coming Trump presidency could be a catastrophic shift toward an authori-
My successor, Laura Gillen, will need to navigate these challenges while serving in the House Democratic minority, which will prove difficult. Indeed, the fact that Gillen will be in the minority lends itself well to being a vocal partisan critic of the House Republican majority and the incoming Trump administration, because both will be working in overdrive to correct the many mistakes of the Biden administration and Democrats across the country who forced Americans to endure crippling inflation and a border crisis. Gillen’s position in the House minority does not lend itself well to delivering for 4th District neighbors like I was able to do by leveraging my position in the majority.
Gillen made bold, empty promises, and now it is time for her to deliver. Voters will be watching.
Anthony D’Esposito is completing his term in the 118th Congress.
I understand the dilemmas. Do endorsements really affect voters’ choices? Historians, psychologists and journalists bat the question around, with no clear answer. Do endorsements alienate too many readers? In the world of newspapers, these issues loom much larger on the local level than with big newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, which also declined to endorse this year.
Local papers live in the community. They have responsibilities to their readers, to the truth and to the realities of just staying in business. With local newspapers closing every week across the country, conflicting interests must be reconciled, very carefully.
I started at the Nassau Herald more than 30 years ago, and for many years it did endorse candidates, from local officials to the presidency. Leatrice Spanierman, my mentor and colleague and the Heralds’ longtime executive editor, interviewed candidates every fall and wrote endorsements. The candidates, including member of the U.S. House and Senate, came to her office; they knew the value of local newspapers’ endorsement. The Heralds had a voice, and used
it as a means of informing readers.
The editorial in the Oct. 31-Nov. 6 issue, explaining why the Heralds were not offering endorsements, stated that “the one place where you might see opinions about local and national political candidates … is in columns in our editorial pages, like those written by Randi Kreiss and Peter King. These essays are distinguished from Herald news content by featuring photos of the authors, making it clear that they reflect the writers’ perspectives and not the views of the Herald.”
I understand the need to create distance. I like the distance, too. I don’t speak for the Heralds. No one high on the masthead has ever tried to influence what I write or don’t write. The paper stays above the fray by giving King and me platforms for different points of view. I would be fine with any newspaper’s no-endorsement policy if this election had been like any other in America’s long history. But it was not. Nothing about this race was normal. The times demanded speaking up for democracy. For the immediate future and for as long as it can, the press must use its voice to call out the bad guys and amplify justice. This Thanksgiving, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to share my views. Our free press never seemed so precious.
Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
Nassau
Established 1924
Parker Schug
Editor MeliSSa BerMan Reporter
lOri harWiTT
Multi Media Marketing Consultant Office
2 Endo Boulevard
Garden City, NY 11530
Phone: (516) 569-4000
Fax: (516) 569-4942
Web: www.liherald.com
E-mail: nassaueditor@liherald.com
Official neWSPaPer: Incorporated Villages of Cedarhurst,
With the holiday season upon us, our minds turn to traditions — Thanksgiving meals filled with comfort and gratitude, and other gatherings of family and friends over the coming weeks.
These moments of celebration are precious, but they also give us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to give back. Thanksgiving, rooted in the idea of gratitude, serves as a poignant reminder of our privilege and the responsibility to extend a hand to others. Here on Long Island, where vibrant communities thrive amid significant challenges, there is no shortage of causes deserving our time, attention and generosity.
Friendsgiving, a relatively recent tradition, embodies the spirit of connection by bringing friends together to share a meal and express their appreciation for one another. It can also be an occasion to unite for a greater purpose. By turning these gatherings into opportunities to collect donations or volunteer, we can channel collective energy into tangible support for those in need. Whether it’s hosting a food drive or organizing a group to serve at a local soup kitchen, Friendsgiving can be a powerful reminder of the broader community we’re all a part of.
On Long Island, the contrast between abundance and need is striking. While many of us prepare for feasts, thousands struggle to put food on the table. Nearly 284,000 people will suffer from hunger on Long Island at some point this year, according to Community Solidarity, a nonprofit that provides groceries, fresh produce and warm vegan meals to lowincome communities.
Organizations like Island Harvest and Long Island Cares work tirelessly to combat food insecurity in our neighborhoods. A donation of non-perishable items, a financial contribution, or volunteering for a few hours can make a profound difference to families facing hun-
To the Editor:
Re Peter King’s column last week, “Trump makes the comeback of all comebacks”: It’s fair for Mr. King to celebrate Donald Trump’s “comeback,” and to take his share of reflected glory for strongly supporting him. But, weeks into the transition, is there no trepidation over what is being wrought?
Mr. King long served honorably
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island: BBBsli.org
Citizens Campaign for the Environment: CitizensCampaign.org
Community Solidarity: CommunitySolidarity.org
Family & Children’s Association: FCAli.org
Interfaith Nutrition Network: The-Inn.org
Island Harvest: Island Harvest.org
Long Island Cares: LICares.org
Save the Great South Bay: SaveTheGreatsouthbay.org
ger this season.
Beyond food insecurity — limited or uncertain access to adequate food — there are numerous other causes that need our support. The holiday season can be especially difficult for those without homes. Groups like the Interfaith Nutrition Network, in Hempstead, provide shelter, meals and supportive services to help the unhoused regain some sense of stability. Contributing to these efforts — whether through monetary donations, clothing drives, or simply offering your time — can help others who are less fortunate experience the warmth of the season.
At this time of year, we also highlight the importance of supporting our local youth. Organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island and the Family & Children’s Association offer mentorships and resources to empower young people. By donating to these programs or
in a Congress that will now be directed to self-emasculate. There are threats of courts-martial, military-assisted deportations, even gender tests for House members. Furors will multiply over staff, from cabinet positions on down. Promises are made of $2 trillion in budget cuts. Mr. King’s experience-based thoughts might be useful.
We sail soon into heavy seas aboard the USS “Caine Mutiny,” with Captain Queeg in command.
BRIAN KELLY Rockville Centre
becoming a mentor yourself, you can have a lasting impact on a young person’s life.
And let’s not forget our environment, which sustains us all. As we celebrate the bounty of the land, consider supporting groups like Citizens Campaign for the Environment or Save the Great South Bay. Their work to protect Long Island’s natural beauty ensures that future generations can enjoy the landscapes and waterways we too often take for granted.
Of course, there’s also local news, which continues to face economic headwinds. Organizations like the Empire State Local News Coalition help sustain New York’s local news organizations — like the Herald — so reporters can tell the important stories about your friends and families, and shine a light on all of the issues mentioned here.
The beauty of giving back is that it doesn’t always have to be monetary — your time and skills can be just as valuable. Many local nonprofits, shelters and community centers are in dire need of extra hands during the holidays. A few hours spent wrapping gifts for underprivileged children, serving meals to veterans, or taking part in a community cleanup can ripple outward in meaningful ways.
Finally, don’t forget Dec. 3, Giving Tuesday, the annual nationwide day of charitable giving. For more information on this growing grass-roots effort, go to givingtuesday.org.
As we gather around dinner tables this season, let’s remember that gratitude is most powerful when it inspires action. Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving remind us of our interconnectedness — our shared humanity and the strength of our communities. Together we can ensure that everyone, in every corner of Long Island, feels the gratitude of the holidays. Each of us has the power to make the season brighter for others. This year, let’s not just celebrate; let’s give.
in our nation’s intensified max on election here to share have wholeheartedly Trumpist may be some what the that Americans economic flict, afraid
These the many the final watched
For me, like so many Americans, the last six months have been a whirlwind of emotions, as arguably the most historic election in our nation’s history built momentum, intensified and eventually reached a climax on election night. While I’m not here to share my opinion on the outcome, the big question facing every citizen and resident of our country is: What next?
It can be tempting to see the outcome of the election as the ultimate refutation of the left — proof that Americans have rejected progressive values and policies and have wholeheartedly embraced modern Trumpist conservatism. While there may be some truth to this, I believe that what the result ultimately showed was that Americans are afraid. Afraid of economic disaster, afraid of global conflict, afraid of violence at home. These are reasonable fears. Even for the many Americans who lived through the final throes of the cold War or watched the twin towers fall on Sept. 11,
2001, our country has never seemed more like a powder keg ready to explode.
Which is why, now more than ever, we need to come together not just as liberals and conservatives, but as Americans. The United States has always been strongest when we’ve been united, and our darkest moments come when we turn on one another and lay blame at our neighbors’ doorsteps.
As Abraham Lincoln famously said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” and those words are as true today as they were 166 years ago.
my dad will never forget the kind strangers far from home after the 9/11 attacks.
While conservatives may claim, rightly or wrongly, that progressives are softhearted dopes who focus on issues that don’t matter to real Americans, progressives may claim, rightly or wrongly, that conservatives are coldhearted dopes who focus on issues that don’t matter to real Americans. Perspective is everything, and trying to work together and understand not only what our differences are, but also why they exist, is the quintessential heart of the American experiment.
The intersection of our political and social culture has always been an uneasy compromise. This extends to
To the Editor:
The Las Vegas Sands proposal to spend $6 billion — that’s billion with a B, folks — had me wondering from where Sands expected to recover their investment plus the daily cost of operations and the profit from the project. It wasn’t really a wonder, more of a fact, given all the expected losses the gambling public would be leaving behind.
A real concern is the draining of huge amounts of our underground aquifer to feed this unnecessary beast, a waste of our local water supply.
The proposal is now also offering an expansion of lanes on the Meadowbrook Parkway from three to four. All this would accomplish would be the removal of the mature trees and greenery along that stretch of parkway, leaving no shoulder.
Yes, it’s a parkway, meaning there are no commercial vehicles. So without an adjacent commercial highway, all the daily delivery trucks that would be needed to supply this property would be feeding off the Long Island Expressway, the only commercial road, for miles through our local streets. That would be an unneeded burden on our local streets and neighborhoods, 24/7.
We do not need this disaster in the making.
everything from political rivals being forced to work together in government — such as when Alexander hamilton and Thomas Jefferson collaborated to create our financial system while simultaneously establishing Washington, D.c., as the nation’s capital — to having uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinners with relatives who have radically different political values.
The idea that people who disagree politically could do so without resorting to violence is what separated our country from nearly all others when we declared our independence. It is one of the most sacred responsibilities that we as Americans must honor and hold dear, or risk losing the dream of a more just, more equitable society as envisioned by our founding fathers.
So while it’s easy to feel emotional following this election, remember that we need to heal the nation’s wounds, not worsen them. Think next time before you gloat to a “bleeding heart liberal” about winning the election — or calling every conservative voter you know a fascist. Are you really saying it because you believe it, or because emotions are running high and you feel like you need
to show the world how strongly you hold your beliefs?
In the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, my father was in california, desperately trying to get back home to my family. With all flights grounded, he and a friend rented a car and tried to make a cross-country drive.
Running on fumes on a remote stretch of highway, they came to a gas station that, unfortunately, was out of business. Stranded and worried about their loved ones, my dad and his friend were lucky enough to be found by some locals in a pickup truck. The saviors had a spare five-gallon tank of gas for the dirt bikes in the bed of the truck.
My dad always talked about how, while thanking them, he explained how and his friend were New Yorkers trying to get home to their families. Without missing a beat, one of the men responded, “We’re all New Yorkers today.”
That is what makes America great, not rhetoric or political stunts or moral grandstanding. And that is what we need to keep hold of in the aftermath of this election: that no matter what, we are all Americans, and that we’re all stronger when we work together.
Will Sheeline is an editor covering Glen Head, Locust Valley, Oyster Bay and Sea Cliff. Comments? WSheeline@liherald.com.
Lastly, the Sands has been spending a lot of money locally on public relations, newspapers inserts, etc., to make the proposal sound appealing. Don’t believe the wizardry, which, when you look behind the curtain, is really a corporate giant taking local amenities and infiltrating our local environment, all in the name of a profit to feed its own goals.
MIchAEL LEfkoWITz Accountants + Advisors
East Meadow
To the Editor:
This holiday season, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, if you’re too tired to cook, consider sharing a meal with family, friends or neighbors and patronize your local diner or restaurant. for decades I have enjoyed many excellent meals at many local diners.
Diners have been part of my life since I was a teenager. Eating out is a periodic ritual, and their portions are generous. Between the soup, salad, rolls, coleslaw and pickles, along with the main course, diner dinners satisfy the heartiest appetites. Who’s never taken a doggie bag home with leftovers to eat the next day? Many times we’ve bagged our desserts to go.
Many Long Island neighborhoods
have seen changes over the years. New immigrant groups sometimes favor their own ethnic foods and restaurants. Diners have also lost customers over time to fast-food restaurants. Remember, these people are our neighbors. our local entrepreneurs who own and operate diners have continued to invest in our communities, creating new employment opportunities without the assistance of federally funded taxpayers’ stimulus dollars. They work
long hours, pay taxes and provide local employment. If we don’t patronize our local restaurants, these workers don’t eat, either.
Why not honor the fond memories of some our favorite diners that have come and gone by continuing to patronize those that remain? h ere’s hoping that diners don’t go the way of the dinosaurs.
LARRY PENNER
