Oceanside/Island Park Herald

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Business slows for local shops this Easter

oCeANSIDe ReSIDeNt JoNAthAN Rizzo plays a weekly concert on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on Facebook Live, taking requests from listeners and donating the money he raises to local businesses and to provide meals for hospital workers and first responders.

don’t understand. We just want to keep our customers and staff safe.”

Not all is sweet in the world Customers can call in orders right now, but that won’t stop the to the bakery and pick them up spring holidays from coming. from their cars outside the shop.

Oceanside’s and Island Park’s Costanza described the new sysbakeries and candy shops are tem as “a little hectic,” especially dealing with losses because of as the holidays approach. the coronavirus pandemic, while Still, the bakery is doing only forging ahead and preparing for 30 to 40 percent of the business it Passover and Easusually does at this ter. Most are open time of year. in some capacity, “We’re feeling with the exception pain right now,” of Mario’s Bakery, Costanza said. on Merrick Road in “People can’t get Oceanside, which together and be announced via with their families, social media Sunso instead of a day that it would be do z en cannolis, closed until further m ay b e t h e y ’ re MARy CoStANzA notice. ordering four can“Let’s be safe Owner, Agrigento nolis. and healthy,” the Bakery “But we’re not post read, thanking producing as customers for their much, as well,” she support. “Happy Easter. Happy added.

Passover. We will reopen soon.”

Joan Cohen, owner of Hope’s Agrigento Bakery, on Austin Land of Candy, in Island Park, Boulevard in Island Park, howev- also contends that less is more er, is open — but for curbside for this unusual spring season. pickup only, owner Mary Costan- The candy shop, known for its za said. vintage sodas and old-time décor, “It’s hard to do business, is taking a hit, because people because we don’t want people cannot sit in the store and enjoy coming in,” she said. “But customers still want to come in and Continued on page 3

By BRIANA BoNfIglIo bbonfiglio@liherald.com

W

Courtesy Jonathan Rizzo

Singing for support in a crisis Musician’s Facebook shows aid community

By MIke SMollINS msmollins@liherald.com

On Sunday evenings, local residents can enjoy a concert without leaving home. Jonathan Rizzo, of Oceanside, presents a weekly performance at 9 p.m. on Facebook Live and Instagram, encouraging those watching to send in their requests, and their donations.

While he strums his guitar and sings, Rizzo is also raising money, with which he purchases gift cards from local busi-

18/21 itc fg Demi Condensed

nesses to donate to first responders and front-line workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I call it ‘Sunday Night Live,’” Rizzo said. “I did it really to help my community, and to help my people.”

Before bars and restaurants across the state closed or moved to takeout-only models at the mandate of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Rizzo played as many as a half-dozen live gigs a week in Oceanside, Island Park and Long Beach.

Over many years he has built something of a following, and he even appeared on NBC’s “The Voice” last September.

Rizzo was one of 40,000 people who entered the competition, and was one of 85 who was invited to Los Angeles and given a televised audition, though he did not advance in the competition.

Because local bars have been good to him over the years — and many business owners are friends he grew up Continued on page 3

e just want to keep our customers and staff safe.

Herald offers $500K in grants for businesses Richner Communications Inc., publisher of Herald Community Newspapers and The Riverdale Press, this week announced a $500,000 grant program to support local businesses. Through the Herald Small Business Marketing Grant Program, each Long Island business is eligible to receive up to $15,000 of matching grant funds, which can be used for marketing services to promote the business’ products and services.

The Herald Small Business Marketing Grant Program is being supported by: ■ Long Island Main Street Alliance ■ Cedarhurst BID ■ Gold Coast Business Association ■ Bellmore Chamber of Commerce ■ East Meadow Chamber of Commerce ■ Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce ■ Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce ■ Long Beach Chamber of Commerce ■ Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce ■ Malverne Chamber of Commerce ■ Oceanside Chamber of Commerce ■ Oyster Bay/East Norwich Chamber of Commerce ■ Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce ■ Seaford Chamber of Commerce

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

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

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

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

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

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

before.

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

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

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

Your generosity will allow us to continue to provide critical food and support for homebound seniors, veterans, working families, and children.

And, If you, or someone you know, needs food assistance, or to support our work on Long Island call 631-873-4775 or visit islandharvest.org.

HOW YOU CAN HELP OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED: Every $25 donated will support a family meal kit which provides food for 3–4 days.

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Matches of employee gifts will make a major impact. employers can create a custom fundraising page.

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April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Continued from page 1

the experience.

“We went from maybe 50 to 60 customers a day down to about 10,” Cohen said.

“Our revenues are way, way down . . . Normally, Easter is one of our busiest times, and this is impacting that.”

As a result, Cohen has done away with large chocolate bunnies and candy baskets, and instead is making everything smaller. “People are financially strapped at this point,” she said, “so this is more economical and affordable for families, especially those that have lost jobs.”

Cohen acknowledged that the business has fallen on hard times, too, and has been seeking financial assistance to keep the shop afloat. She is also ramping up the store’s online presence to reach customers.

On Merrick Road in Oceanside, Emile’s Candies is also looking toward e-commerce for a boost in these rough

times, owner Jackie Brown said.

The shop had planned to launch its online store this summer, but sped up the process and opened it last week to accommodate new pressures in the business.

Until further notice, customers are not permitted into the shop.

“It’s a different kind of busy,” Brown said, noting that business is down about a quarter from what it typically would be this season. The shop has cut staff and added the stress of taking all phone orders — and shipping orders, as well.

“We’ve never done this,” Brown said, “but we’re lucky enough that we can still service our customers.”

For decades, Emile’s chocolate bunnies have been a staple for many families’ holidays, she noted. “We have great customer base and following because it’s what they do for Easter,” she said. “So I’m not all doom and gloom. We’re making the best of it.”

Courtesy Emile’s Candies

emile’s Candies, in Oceanside, is taking orders to be shipped through its new online store and by phone. The shop itself, however, is closed to customers amid the coronavirus pandemic, owner Jackie Brown said. agrigento Bakery, in Island Park, is offering curbside pickup, but it, too, is closed to customers.

Courtesy Agrigento Bakery

Courtesy Jonathan Rizzo

Musician’s concerts support the community, businesses Continued from page 1 with — Rizzo came up with the idea of hour-long concerts, during which those tuning in would be encouraged to donate, but he said it was important that listeners didn’t feel obligated to do so if they just wanted to enjoy the show. In first concert on March 29, he ended up playing for more than two hours and raising $3,000. When he woke up the following morning, the total had jumped to $5,000.

Rizzo owns a small business, J-Riz Entertainment and Productions, in Oceanside, and all of his events have been postponed until July, so, he said, he understands how businesses are struggling, and wanted to help.

“It’s good for the community,” he said.

“People are having fun, and I love to play. I also love to help out my people.”

After the success of the first show, Rizzo decided to make it a weekly event. In addition to supporting local businesses and hospital workers, he said, his performances give people something to do, with so many relatively isolated, heeding health officials’ warnings by staying inside.

Last week, Rizzo donated $500 cash to each of six local businesses, which in turn gave him $500 worth of gift cards to distribute to first responders and medical professionals. He that said anything left over, and anything he raised from future concerts, would be donated to more businesses to provide meals to front-line workers.

One of the businesses was J. Paul’s Terrace Cafe, on Merrick Road in Oceanside.

Its owner, Joe Bonin, said that he was grateful for Rizzo’s efforts, and noted that he has known him for many years. He added that Rizzo played a monthly set at the restaurant before the pandemic hit.

Bonin said this has been a tough time for his business, because he had to cut its hours to 3 to 8 p.m. daily while offering takeout service only, and had to slash his bar and wait staff while keeping his kitchen employees on limited hours. At times like these, he said, it means a lot for the community — and Rizzo — to care.

“It helps everyone,” Bonin said of his friend’s efforts. “It helps small businesses like mine stay in business through this tough time. It helps him get his music out there and get his name out there, and, obviously, helps all the medics, nurses and doctors, and all the hospital staff that is really on the front line, working through this cri-

sis.”

One of those front-line workers is Kim Babich, a nurse at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital, who was raised in Oceanside and lives in Long Beach with her husband, Marc. Kim said there were no words to describe how slammed the hospital has been in recent weeks as the number of coronavirus cases continued to climb.

“It’s been mentally and emotionally draining, and it’s just a very difficult time that we’re going through right now,” she said. “[March 29] was my first day off in almost two weeks, and to just sit back and relax for three hours and listen to [Jonathan] play, and for him to choose me as someone he was going to donate to, I was just so grateful and speechless.”

Kim and the other nurses in her unit were set to receive a gift card from one of the local businesses to purchase meals for themselves while they’re at the hospital.

Similarly, Marc, an officer in the specialized Emergency Service Unit in the Nassau County Police Department and a volunteer for the Long Beach Fire Department, will also receive a gift card for him and his peers to use.

“He’s just an amazing dude and he’s always had a following,” Marc said of Rizzo, whom he has known since second grade. “Whenever he does something, it’s always big. I knew he was going to do more than he probably even thought he was going to do.”

Rizzo said his concerts have a loose atmosphere. Sometimes his father, Paul Rizzo, even jumps in on guitar — from an acceptable distance, Jonathan added. His father inspired him to become a musician, he said, and they often perform together locally.

The younger Rizzo said he was excited about playing every Sunday night, and supporting those who need it most right now.

“I can’t believe how much money I’m making by just turning my computer on,” he said with a laugh. “If these businesses don’t stay alive, everybody in my music family is in trouble. So this is a cool way to make sure my music family has business when this over, that these businesses stay alive, and most importantly, that these families are fine.”

To donate, visit the Oceanside Strong fundraiser page on Facebook, or send a contribution to @JonnyRiz on the Venmo mobile payment service.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

Local shops see slowing business

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Jonathan rizzo Created his “Sunday Night Live” events to give the community something to do and to support local businesses and front-line workers.

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Project Extra students score two big victories

Carolyn oddo leaCh, of Island Park, has made hundreds of masks for healthcare workers in various designs.

Courtesy Carolyn Oddo Leach

Island Park woman makes, donates facemasks to hospitals

By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

In response to coronavirus, many have stepped up to make and donate facemasks. One volunteer mask-maker is Island Park resident Carolyn Oddo Leach, who owns a small dressmaking company, Giavanna’s Closet.

Not even two weeks ago, Leach realized the increased need and started making the masks. She already had tons of colorful, patterned fabric in her sewing room — “you wouldn’t believe how many shelves of fabric I have,” Leach noted.

Now, she has made several hundred, with many more on the way.

“People are requesting 10 to 20 at a time,” she explained. “I’m getting anywhere from 50 to 75 requests a day. It seems like every time I make some, they either want more, and five or six more people reach out.”

Most requests come from nurses and healthcare workers for their teams, in which case she donates the masks, Leach said. If non-healthcare workers want the masks, she asks for a $5 donation for sup-

plies so she can continue making more.

So far, Leach has donated to workers at Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Winthrop, Stony Brook and LIJ hospitals.

To fulfill all the requests, she’s enlisted some help. Thirteen-year-old Marysol Alvarado, of Island Park, is helping out to make the masks. In addition, Leach has the backing of her family — her 9-yearold daughter, Giavanna, sews half of each mask, and then Leach finishes them off.

Her 13-year-old son, Jordan, cuts off the strings on the ends, and her husband is cutting fabric and pinning, she said.

“It’s keeping us all occupied,” Leach said, “and it’s a good lesson for them, to give back.”

The designs on the masks have caught people’s attention, and the need is not going away. Leach had originally reached out on social media for donations for supplies to keep making masks. Now, she has requests from all over, including Arizona, Alaska, Florida and Pennsylvania.

“I just am heartbroken that we’re at this point that so many people are in such need,” Leach said, “and for as long as I can, I’ll keep sewing to keep up supply.”

Project Extra students have had two successes to revel in recently. The first was the “I Am Love/Limb Kind” virtual celebration of the students’ fundraiser that brought in more than $13,000, topping their goal and surpassing last year’s fundraiser that raised a little over $10,000.

The Limb Kind Foundation was founded by custom prosthetist Robert Schulman, of Oceanside, who is hoping to build a pediatric prosthetic facility on Long Island.

The students, directed by Project Extra teacher, Angela Abend, collaborated once again with Susan Verde, author of “I Am Love,” the book used to inspire this year’s fundraising effort, and illustrator Peter Reynolds. Since the celebratory event was sidelined by school closures, Abend moved the festivities online, featuring

Courtesy Oceanside School District

oCeanside Came in 213th overall, second on Long Island, in Math League.

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

By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

Place a 2-week ad in the Herald and PrimeTime to sell your hidden treasures fast! Call the Classified Department today at 516-569-4000, press ‘5.’

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

That’s why, although her Lynbrook practice, Comprehensive Audiology, is currently closed due to the coronavirus, she is still taking calls and emails to assist her patients however she can.

“During this time, many of us are home alone or with one family member, and that impacts people with hearing loss,” she explained. “Those with hearing loss, of any severity, rely a lot on face-to-face contact and visual cues.”

At the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Audiology and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Fogel closed the Comprehensive Audiology office on March 22.

Patients can still be treated by:

www.liherald.com

■ Phone call — Call (516) 226-2141 with questions, concerns or for a phone consultation with Fogel.

Don’t be overrun by clutter!

shout-outs from the author, illustrator and other participants, and an interview with Schulman.

A few celebrities who have donated in the past came through again this year including musician Darius Rucker, former frontman for Hootie and the Blowfish, and Dee Snider, of Twisted Sister fame, but most of the work to raise the funds was the product of the students’ efforts and the generosity of their families and friends.

The second big story for Project Extra this week was the success of the sixth graders who participated in Math League.

Fifty-nine schools participated and Oceanside came in thirteenth overall, second on Long Island (three points shy of first place), and Sam G. and Max G. were among the top scorers.

■ Video appointment — Schedule a virtual, 30-minute consultation. Talk face-to-face with Fogel to discuss hearing health, history, symptoms and treatment options. For existing patients, Fogel can help troubleshoot hearing aids.

■ Drop off/pick up — If a hearing aid is in need of an emergency repair, patients can schedule a drop off and pick up time.

■ Shipping/mail — If a patient needs hearing aid supplies or batteries, they can contact Fogel to have it shipped.

In addition, the federal government is now issuing free caption telephones, Fogel noted. Fogel has partnered with the company CaptionCall, and anyone who needs one can contact her directly.

She also stressed the importance of staying connected during this time and encouraged those with hearing loss to video call their loved ones so they can see visual cues.

“We’re truly trying to be in contact,” Fogel said, “and give ideas on how to communicate with family and friends.”

For more information, contact Fogel at (516) 387-4000 or efogel@comprehensiveaudiology.com.

Oceanside, I.P. school budget votes delayed bbonfiglio@liherald.com, sbrinton@liherald.com

School budget votes have been delayed until at least June 1 because of the coronavirus outbreak, by order of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The votes were to have taken place May 19.

Oceanside and Island Park school district officials now have more time to prepare their tentative budgets, but likely less revenue because of cuts to the state spending plan and, as a result, state aid.

“We were very close to finishing [the budget],” Oceanside School District Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Harrington said. “The good news is we built the budget’s revenue expectations very conservatively.”

Island Park Schools Superintendent Dr. Rosmarie Bovino said the district would use the delay to assess their plan.

“We will be looking at how the budget might need to be adjusted, in the event we lose some or all of this revenue,” she said.

“It is too premature to make changes.”

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

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

Pushing back the vote will also give state and local officials a clearer picture of New York’s finances after the COVID19 virus forced tens of thousands of businesses to close and sales tax collections to plummet. The governor had earlier predicted a $10 billion to $15 billion gap in the state budget, which is unprecedented.

Oceanside School District is expecting a roughly $900,000 decrease in state aid from the 2019-20 school year, Harrington said. She added that while the district has not yet looked at cutting staff, “we have a lot of retirements, which is helping a lot.”

“We should be OK,” she said, “But we, no surprise, definitely took a hit.”

In Island Park, Bovino projects a $126,000 decrease in state aid, which could be offset by an education stabilization fund, she said. However, the district does not yet have specific information on what they could receive from that federal stimulus plan.

“The district is aware of the many challenges before them,” Bovino said.

“Our goal will be to maintain quality programs, while keeping the tax levy as low as possible. We do not believe our community should shoulder any more of the tax burden.”

The state Legislature passed a $177 billion budget April 2, but it is riddled with uncertainty because no one knows precisely how long the coronavirus crisis will last, or what form it will take in the

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

By Briana Bonfiglio and Scott Brinton

Christina Daly/Herald

the oceanSide School District’s next budget meeting is April 22 via virtual Board of Education meeting. Island Park Public Schools has not set a new budget presentation date yet. near future. Cuomo has said modeling predicts the peak of cases in New York is expected within the next seven to 21 days, but the state could continue to see cases into August.

Oceanside school officials’ next budget presentation, via a virtual meeting of the Board of Education, is April 22 at 7 p.m.

Island Park Schools is still working out a date for its next presentation.

Flower shop sprouts positivity during pandemic

By Mike SMollinS msmollins@liherald.com

Though they had to close both of their stores for being “non-essential” businesses during the coronavirus epidemic, Flowers by Mike showed just how vital they are to the Oceanside and East Rockaway communities.

After Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mandate caused him to shutter his flower shops, at 221 Merrick Road in Oceanside and 338 Atlantic Ave. in East Rockaway, owner Mike Graham made sure his flowers did not go to waste. The shop donated 50 arrangements to seniors at the Oceanside Care Center, dropped flowers on stoops of random strangers’ homes throughout the neighborhoods and offered carnations to a woman who was putting them on nurses’ cars at hospitals, including Mount Sinai South Nassau, as a way to praise frontline workers.

“We wanted to give back to the community,” Graham said. “We’re not open right now, but we can help in other ways.”

Lisa Teri was jogging down the street when Graham approached her and handed her a bouquet of flowers. She was so moved that she took to Facebook to thank him.

“A completely random, generous driveby gift while out for my run from ‘the Mike mobile,’” she wrote. “Flowers by

Courtesy Flowers by Mike

flowerS By Mike owner Mike Graham donated arrangements throughout the neighborhood, including at the Oceanside Care Center, after having to shutdown his businesses as of March 22 because of the coronavirus.

Mike, talk about putting a smile on a girl’s face. Thanks Mike, I won’t forget this.”

Residents at the Oceanside Care Center also expressed gratitude because the flowers lifted many of their spirits. The

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facility is not permitting visitors because of COVID-19 concerns, so Graham said he was happy to do something to make them smile.

Graham opened Flowers by Mike in

his native Oceanside in January 2019.

Last month, he took over the East Rockaway Florist. He had just launched the new operation when he had to shut down.

Since opening, Graham has been active in both communities, and each Valentine’s Day he donates roses to MSSN so that the staff can give them to patients along with their meals.

“That was my whole goal all along was to be a part of the community,” Graham said, “to help in any way that I can, and just give to the community. It’s making people smile. It’s making people happy, whatever I can do, I’ll do it.”

Graham said closing his shops has had a devastating financial impact, including having to be dormant for Easter and Passover, two holidays where he generates a lot of business. He added that he was worried that he may be closed for Mother’s Day in May, which is usually a booming day for business.

Graham noted that he has not laid anyone off, and that the staff is working to get through the global crisis as a team. He said he wishes his customers, community members and fellow business owners well, and expressed optimism that things will turn around eventually.

“Everyone will get through this together,” he said, “and the positive in the end is we’ll get back and support our local businesses.”

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April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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

Christina Daly/Herald

The week that was: coronavirus in Nassau

By SCOtt BrintOn sbrinton@liherald.com

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

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

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

Friday, april 3

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

The votes were to have taken place May 19.

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, april 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, april 4

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

New York County includes all of Man-

hattan.

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

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

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

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

Suffolk County had 11,370 cases.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, april 4

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

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

Coronavirus outbreak shifts to Long Island

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, April 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Urgent care centers debut rapid Covid-19 test

By BRIAN STIEGLITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

7

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

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

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

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

Christina Daly/Herald

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

8

Courtesy Caroline Bert

MeMBerS of the community and firefighters rallied at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside to show their appreciation for the hardworking staff during the coronavirus.

Community rallies to thank MSSN staff

By Mike SMollinS msmollins@liherald.com

The community and first responders gathered outside Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital on Sunday night to show their appreciation for doctors, nurses and other frontline medical staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some yielding signs and wearing masks, the group cheered on hospital staff from a social distance. Members of the staff came to the hospital’s entranceway to greet those gathered at the rally to support them.

The rally was done to show medical professionals, health care workers and essential staff members that the community appreciates their hard work, dedication and effort in treating patients during a global pandemic.

Courtesy MSSN

Part of the hospital Staff, above, came to the facility’s entrance to acknowledge those gathered who expressed their appreciation.

Many of the attendees held signs thanking the staff.

DozenS of coMMunity members and firefighters attended the event.

Courtesy MSSN

Courtesy Caroline Bert

9

What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

Gym teachers create apps for remote fitness, wellness Kaitlyn Marciano and Brian Barbaccia know that exercise is not only a way to keep one’s body fit, it’s also a stress reliever … and who doesn’t need that right now?

With schools closed and classes moved online, the two physical education teachers teamed up to create apps that would support their students and the community at home.

Marciano, who teaches physical education and health at Oceanside High School, created her app as part of the #OSDBeWell initiative that promotes mindfulness, exercise, nutrition and mental health awareness as part of overall well-being. Her app is intended for the entire community to use.

“Health and PE teachers always want to give students the resources to stay healthy and to make fitness a part of their lives forever,” she said. “So this was an idea for something they could do while they’re home and that I hope could also reach as many members of the community as possible.”

Barbaccia’s app is designed specifically for high school PE students. He and Marciano collaborated on their ideas and went to Mr. Risener, director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics, who supported their goal.

Creating the apps took several days of constant effort whenever the teachers weren’t instructing their students or planning lessons. Barbaccia said that incorporating more technology into physical education classes has been an ongoing project that has helped make his classes more efficient. Before schools closed, he was introducing the use of QR codes in weight rooms to give students access to instructional videos and exercise tips for various pieces of equipment.

The apps can be installed on phones using the QR codes that phone cameras can read, or users can follow the links and save the website link on their desktop or mobile device screen.

“There are a lot of stressors in the world right now,” Barbaccia said. “Fitness is one of the best ways to relieve stress and it’s a coping tool, too.”

PHysical educatiOn teacHer Kaitlyn Marciano demonstrated a meditation pose.

Courtesy Oceanside School District

Oceanside High School students help with Covid-19 mask project The “Mask Project” started the way so many things do in Oceanside. There were people who needed help and members of the school community eager to do their part. Now students in Julianne Kur’s Family and Consumer Sciences class at Oceanside High School are helping to sew masks that can be used by healthcare workers as Covid-19 patient counts climb.

“This project is enabling students to help their community directly in a time of need,” Kur said. “I am so proud of how eager the OHS fashion students were to help and how quickly they mobilized to lend a hand.”

Cynthia Lagudi, an Oceanside mom and textile designer, had put out the call on Facebook for people with sewing skills to help her make masks that can extend the life of the protective N95 masks healthcare workers use when treating patients with infectious disease. Lagudi had plenty of fabric, but she needed helping hands.

Meanwhile, Oceanside School District administrator Dr. Jill DeRosa had asked one of her clerical assistants, Deborah Mangan, if she knew of any projects that the district could help with. “Dr. DeRosa knows I’m a crafter and that I’m active on Facebook,” Mangan explained. Lagudi and Mangan connected and reached out to Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Julianne Kur, and she and her students were happy to help.

The one item that was not readily available in Lagudi’s studio was elastic, which DeRosa, Kur and Mangan collaborated to obtain from the Family and Consumer Sciences classroom and deliver to Lagudi, who used the elastic and pre-cut fabric to make kits for the students with instructions for sewing the masks.

Batches of masks made by Lagudi and her helpers have already gone to local hospitals, including a hospital where Mangan’s niece works as a nurse.

Oceanside HigH scHOOl student Erin McGuiness sewed a face mask.

Courtesy Oceanside School District

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

Herald ScHoolS

O’siders show compassion for essential workers, virtually

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

10

By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

Courtesy Chris Evans

oceansider chris evans, an owner of Press 195 in Rockville Centre, donated 50 bags of prepared meals to healthcare workers at Mercy Medical Center on April 2.

Press 195 owner, an Oceanside resident, donates food to Mercy

By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

Rockville Centre’s Press 195 closed March 27 due to coronavirus, but its owners spent the weekend preparing food to donate to healthcare workers at Mercy Medical Center.

“We were doing takeout and delivery for a bit,” said owner Chris Evans, of Oceanside, “but out of concern for our staff and customers, we decided we needed a break.”

With the leftover food, Evans helped

prep 50 grab-and-go bags with soups, knishes and oranges. He delivered them to Mercy’s staff on April 2.

“You hear the stories of how hard they’re working,” Evans said, “and I can imagine the stress that they have going on and all these odd schedules for them because of shortage of workers …

“So we thought the least thing we can do for our local hospital is feed them food,” he continued. “And we do get a lot of business from the hospitals, so it was a way for us to give back and show gratitude.”

OHS senior headed to West Point

By Mike sMollins msmollins@liherald.com

More than a year’s worth of hard work and effort paid off for Ryan Christel when he opened his email recently and received the news he was waiting for: he was accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

“I couldn’t really believe it,” he recalled.

“I was really surprised and I went out and showed my parents and we were all cheering.”

The process of getting accepted into the acclaimed academy was arduous, but rewarding, Christel said. He began intense physical training, including shaving his nine-minute mile run time down to seven, and also had to receive congressional nominations by filling out applications and writing essays to three representatives, including Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. Additionally, he had to acquire references from teachers and attend rigorous interviews in New York City.

Christel, 18, a senior at Oceanside High School, first decided to apply for the military academy in the summer of 2018 after becoming an Eagle Scout and receiving an email from West Point. He said he was unsure if he wanted to commit, but after visiting the campus in February 2019, it impressed him enough to apply. After the

Oceanside School District staff, students and community members are showing their appreciation for essential workers with a virtual bulletin board.

Diane Provvido, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and research, launched the online message board this week. It now has about 65 contributors and counting.

“We are hoping that everyone who falls into the ‘essential worker’ category sees how much their work is appreciated in our community,” said Donna Kraus, the district’s public information officer.

The notes all thank health care workers, first responders, food service work-

visit, he began the application process, and more than a year later, he was accepted.

In addition to visiting the campus in February, Christel also attended a leadership program at the academy last summer, where he made friends and met people with similar goals. Christel’s mother, Leanne, said the thought of her son in the military can be frightening, but she was backing him as he pursued his dream.

“I’m very, very excited for him because it opens a world of opportunities,” she said. “It’s his turn to go do amazing things.

It’s just a little scary about where he’s going to get deployed when he ends up graduating, but I’ve been 100 percent supportive of him.”

Leanne Christel said that she was very proud of Ryan when he was accepted, and noted that she screamed when she first heard the news because she was so excited.

Ryan said he hoped for a future in the Army and then to study cyber security, and that being able to serve in the military meant a great deal to him.

“The main reason I wanted to go was to serve my country,” he said. “I know it won’t exactly be a traditional college experience, but in a way, I love that. I’ve been to the campus a few times, and it’s really an amazing environment and provides opportunities that you won’t see at any other college. I think it’s a really nice place to go to.”

ers, mail delivery workers, journalists, teachers and more for their essential work during the time of social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus. People also posted colorful photos and pictures of signs that children in the district have made.

“Both my parents work at hospitals,” wrote student Natalie Peredo. “Sometimes I get worried they are going to get sick, but I understand that they love their profession and I think very positive that they won’t get sick.

“That is why I want to thank all the healthcare workers, grocery workers, sanitation workers, fireman, police and many more jobs that help out our community,” she wrote. “Thank you and stay safe.”

Courtesy Oceanside School District

diane Provvido, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and research, launched the online message board for families to write notes to essential workers.

reading together — from a social distance Legislator Debra Mulé (D—Freeport) recently partnered with the Oceanside Library to practice social distancing while hosting a digital story time event, which helped keep children connected despite being home from school during the coronavirus pandemic. Mulé read “Pig the Tourist,” by Aaron Blabey, from her Freeport home, and connected to the children over the GoToMeeting platform. The participants then got to ask her questions about the book.

Courtesy Nassau County Legislature

11

AVAILABLE NOW TO LOCAL BUSINESSES

SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING GRANT

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

STUART RICHNER Publisher Herald Community Newspapers

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

Herald Team

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

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

WHERE Apply at www.liherald.com/grants.

WHEN

RHONDA GLICKMAN VP Sales

LORI BERGER Sales Manager

AMY AMATO Executive Director

rglickman@liherald.com

lberger@liherald.com

aamato@liherald.com

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

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

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

• Businesses must be locally owned and operated.

• Grants range from $300 to $15,000.

• Grants can be applied to any Herald Community Newspaper marketing product or service during April, May and June 2020.

• Grants applied to direct mail products are net of postage/mailing costs.

COURTNEY MYERS Media Consultant cmyers@liherald.com

For more information call Rhonda at 516.569.4000 ext. 250

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

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Big Folks

Senator Todd Kaminsky HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

TRIVIA TEST

By Fifi Rodriguez 1. ADVERTISING SLOGANS: Which product was advertised as “the champagne of bottled beer”?

2. GEOGRAPHY: Which was the first designated national park in the United States?

3. BIBLE: From which book of the New Testament does the proverb “the blind leading the blind” originate?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president established the Purple Heart award to military members injured or killed in battle?

5. LITERATURE: What is the title of a classic novel that its British author originally named “Strangers from Within”?

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: Which animal’s home is called a lodge?

7. FOOD & DRINK: Which spice is described as “the Queen of Spices”?

8. MUSIC: Who wrote the libretto and music to the opera “The Flying Dutchman”?

9. HISTORY: Which country’s revolution was described in the book “Ten Days That Shook the World”?

10. ANATOMY: What is the most common blood type in humans?

And the answers are…

6. Beaver 7. Cardamom 8. Richard Wagner 9. Russia 10. O positive

Senator Todd Kaminsky

Senator, 9th District 516-766-8383 kaminsky@nysenate.gov Facebook.com/SenatorKaminsky

1. Miller High Life 2. Yellowstone 3. Matthew 4. George Washington 5. “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding

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Neighbors, I hope these games make you smile.

We will get through this together -- just remember to follow social distancing rules, listen to our health authorities, and WASH YOUR HANDS. If you need anything, please reach out.

14

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Spread the news(letter) not the virus!

1085562

What you need to know today.

1085016

Stay up to date with the latest Nassau County news.

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

oceanside fire department is responding to calls while taking extra precautions amid the coronavirus.

15

News brief

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

Herald file photo

Oceanside Fire Department adjusts procedures amid coronavirus tion about the callers’ health. This helps responders better prepare and make sure they are properly protected. “[Members] are handling it amazingly,” Sutton added. “Everyone stepped up to do what they needed to do. It’s a challenging time for everyone, but they are still coming out for all kinds of calls, and we’re proud to say we’re still able respond at full capacity.”

Sutton noted that anyone making an emergency call should know they’ll be asked a series of questions to help responders prepare. He thanked the community for their unwavering support during a difficult time. “It’s tremendous and really nice to see how everyone’s come together,” he said.

By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

The Oceanside Fire Department has adapted its protocols to ensure everyone’s health and safety during the time of the coronavirus, said Fire Chief Robert Sutton, Jr. The department of about 220 members has canceled meetings and all nonessential activities, while closing all firehouses, except for during responses to emergency calls, to comply with social distancing.

“We’re still able to provide all of the same service, still responding to any emergency,” Sutton assured.

When there is a call, dispatchers ask extra screening questions to get informa-

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Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat who represents the Five Towns, will hold an emergency food drive to benefit families within the 9th Senate District. Suggested donations include gift cards, fresh, canned or boxed food, toiletries/personal items and cleaning supplies.

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

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16

This Passover will pass-over

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

By RaBBi URi GoRen Passover, a yearly opportunity to gather with family and friends to celebrate the most important value our society has, freedom!

However, this year we won’t get together in our usual way. We will separate from those we share the Seder every year.

This separation is truly a message of Passover. While we will be sad at our small Seder table, we realize that one of the powerful messages that Passover gives is to be prepared for the unexpected. The Israelites in Egypt were not ready to flee from slavery, they had to rush and deal with the unknown.

Matzah is the “unready bread.” The Israelites dealt with a difficult circumstance and found meaning and freedom. Our situation today is not that much different. It is difficult and unknown. We need to adapt and be ready for this Passover. That is our freedom! Not to ignore the celebration of being free.

This Passover we reaffirm that freedom from everyone is about caring for everyone.

That is why we will not get together for a Passover Seder, because we are free to care for each other. By not being together we, loudly and strongly, manifest our hope for liberation of the plague we are experiencing.

Fighting Covid-19 during the Holiday of Freedom clearly tells us that we aren’t 100

percent free, and maybe we will never be.

Still, it is our obligation to fight against any form of oppression, human, biological or material. Enjoy the Seder, invite people via Zoom or any other platform, share the beauty of the holiday and make it meaningful.

The Seder is a reminder that people do overcome difficulty.

This Passover let it be a new start for the entire human race. This year’s Passover is for everyone. We finally understand that together we achieve real freedom. May this Passover unite our world as one family. May we create a new story of self-determination, where all of us together conquer real and true lasting freedom.

Stay physically away from each other, but strongly united in making our planet free form destruction, hatred and greed.

I wish for the Jewish community a sweet and powerful Passover. For the Christian community a spiritual Holy Week and for our Muslim brothers and sisters a Ramadan Mubarak, a happy and meaningful Ramadan.

With gratitude for being able to do my part in the struggle for freedom, I remain, Rabbi Uri Goren Temple Avodah

Public Notices

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

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

Dated this 1st day of April, 2020.

DAVID F. MOOG Nassau County Assessor 121537 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. L&L ASSOCIATES HOLDING CORP., Pltf. vs. KENNETH ISAACSON, if he be living, if he be dead, his respective heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators,

trustees, devisees, legatees, assignees, lienors, creditors, and successors in interest, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by, or through KENNETH ISAACSON, if he be dead, whether by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise, including any right, title or interest in and to the real property described in the complaint herein, all of who and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the plaintiff, et al, Defts.

Index #603816/2019.

Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated Feb. 25, 2020, I will sell at public auction on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. in the Calendar Control Part (CCP) of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY prem. k/a District 11, Section 54, Block 569, Lot 10. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provided by law.

MICHAEL MONTESANO, Referee. LEVY & LEVY, Attys. for Pltf., 12 Tulip Dr., Great Neck, NY. #98473 121363

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home

Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 21st day of April, 2020, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-53 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “LOADING ZONES” at the following locations: (NR) ISLAND PARK PETTIT PLACE (TH 70/20) West Side - NO PARKING LOADING ZONE - starting at a point 211 feet south of the south of the south curbline of Waterfront Boulevard south the east for a distance of 50 feet.

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

Dated: March 31, 2020 Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 121543

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a

public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 21st day of April, 2020, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 202-52 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to REPEAL “TAXI-CAB STANDS” at the following locations: (NR) ISLAND PARK Beginning at a point thirty (30) feet west of the northwesterly corner of Waterfront Boulevard and Pettit Place along the northwesterly side of Waterfront Boulevard to a point thirty (30) feet east of the northeasterly corner of Waterfront Boulevard and Beach Avenue in Barnum Island.

(Adopted 7/27/99) ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.

Dated: March 31, 2020 Hempstead, New York

BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 121544

PUBLIC AND LEGAL NOTICES… Printed in this publication can be found online. To search by publication name, go to: www.mypublicnotices.com TO PLACE AN AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232

Celebrating Easter among times of uncertainty So they left the tomb quickly with fear Who will teach us now that our Rabbi has and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. died? How will our community function (Matthew 28:8 NRSV) without a leader we see every day but we This year, more than others, we might trust is alive again? understand what the first visitors to the These women though, unlike me, were tomb experienced. We are used to coming full of fear and great joy instead of fear together and worshipping and great anxiety, and I on Easter Sunday with think they have a lesson to friends and family in conteach us in the midst of anxgregations full of people, liliety and fear and uncertainies, trumpets and joy. Christy about the future. The tians LOVE to celebrate the women at the tomb can resurrection of Jesus as big teach us about joy in the as we possibly can. But this midst of pain, about hope in year our celebrations will the midst of uncertainty. look a little different. We’ll They did not deny that they be joining worship live felt pain and uncertainty, streams from our living they did not pretend only to rooms. We won’t have lilies be happy. We can follow or trumpets unless we pick them this Easter. We can ev lex AAbe them ourselves or teach ourhave joy that we get to expes e l ve s a n i n s t r u m e n t rience the Resurrection like between Zoom calls every those women, in the stillday. We’ll have joy, because we are cele- ness of the morning, in the uncertainty brating the resurrection, but I imagine about the future, and in the knowing that our joy will be subdued. Maybe a bit more God shows up in the midst of our uncerlike the women who came to the tomb and tainties and anxieties to bring us a word found it empty, and upon hearing that of hope that new life is coming. This EasJesus had been raised from the dead, they ter, before you join your church for worleft quickly with fear and great joy. ship online, listen to the sounds of new As a pastor, I left the church quickly life outside. Let the songs of birds fill you with fear and great anxiety three weeks with hope. Let the sight of budding leaves ago when we made the decision for the give you great joy. Let the smell of grass safety of all people to suspend in person remind you that new life is not just possiworship services. Would people still join ble, it’s on its way. Put yourself in the garon Facebook Live? How would we sing den with the first witnesses of the resurtogether? What does church done com- rection and let it sustain you in these pletely online even look like? Perhaps the times. And when we finally can safely be women on that first Easter morning also close to others, run and tell everyone, had questions. Will people believe us? Jesus is Risen! Alleluia!

R .A

R

News brief Nassau County libraries offering digital library cards during pandemic Fifty local libraries are now offering digital library cards amid library closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This new tool will allow residents of Nassau County who do not already have a card to utilize the digital resources of their library while facilities are closed.

Having access to library resources can be essential for people at all stages of their lives, especially during times of crisis. Since public libraries across the county are currently closed, a digital library card would enable people to explore the full complement of online library services from the comfort of their homes.

Readers can download the Libby app to borrow ebooks and audiobooks. Some libraries provide access to streaming entertainment apps like Kanopy or Hoopla that can be installed on smart TVs. Other resources include live homework help from tutor.com, interactive language learning from Pronunciator and currentissue popular magazines from RB Digital.

Residents with active library cards can visit their library’s website to discover the resources that are already available to them. Those who do not have a card can visit nassaulibrary.org/digital-card-application to get started.

Let us Know News Brief items including awards, honors, promotions and other tidbits about local residents are welcome. Photographs may be emailed as well.

Deadline for submissions is noon Thursday, week prior to publication.

Send to msmollins@liherald.com

17

HC1 04/09

Employment

CLASSIFIED

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

HERALD

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

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

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

JOB OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted

Administrative Assistant:

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

Computer proficiency is a must!

Excel (including formulas).

Word and Outlook.

Strong writing, math and verbal skills necessary.

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

Will consider part time.

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

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

Homes

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

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

Under NYS CDPAP Medicaid program you can hire your family or friends for your care. Phone: 347-713-3553

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

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

Contact me today for a free, confidential consultation and a free market appraisal.

Market Place • HC2 04/09

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

To Place Your Card in the Here’s My Card Directory Just call our Classified Department at

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Homes

© 2018 Century 21 Real Estate LLC. All rights reserved. CENTURY 21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housin Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. It is your responsibility to ensure that the marketing materials you choose or create are compliant with real estate and other local laws in your area.

HERALD

1083380

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

18

516-569-4000 press 5, then 2

Q.

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

Ask The Architect

A.

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

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

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

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

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

M

L

© 2020 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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HErald

Crossword Puzzle

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

The pluses and minuses HERALD of cedar siding

19

HC3 04/09

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

20

News briefs Dean Skelos, citing coronavirus fears, wants out of prison now, not later

By Jill Nossa jnossa@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

Courtesy Debbie Greco Cohen

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

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

Be counted — the 2020 Census is under way By scott BriNtoN sbrinton@liherald.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

you, even temporarily.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The news were grim.

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

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

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

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

But, she noted, “we will need more.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Scott Brinton

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HERALD Established 1966 Incorporating the Oceanside Beacon Record of Oceanside Michael SMollinS Editor BRiana BonFiGlio Reporter Michelle auclaiR Advertising Account Executive ellen FRiSch Advertising Account Executive oFFice 2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530 Phone: (516) 569-4000 Fax: (516) 569-4942 Web: www.liherald.com E-mail: oceaneditor@liherald.com oFFicial neWSPaPeR: Island Park Public School District

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Give what you can in these challenging days

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

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

They could use our financial support.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep up the social distancing

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

apart.

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

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

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

Dianne RaMDaSS Circulation Director

heRalD coMMuniTY neWSPaPeRS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

Herald editorial

Oceanside/Island Park

April 9, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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opinions

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I’m proud of our LIRR workers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MARCIA DITIERI North Merrick

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

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

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

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

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

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

Even with all the precautions we’re

p

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

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

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

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

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

Rail Road.

FrAmework by Jack Healy

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

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

i

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

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

■ Maintain social distancing outside of your immediate family.

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

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

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

THE STAFF OF THE NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAgUE AMERICA

He’s gonna need a bigger mask — Seaford

advice denied the ver misled severit could h blown which life we Wh all-con

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oPinions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

s

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dear President Trump: This is killing us

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

T

safety of millions of vulnerable Americans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — April 9, 2020

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Longing for a comforting voice from a true leader

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