Oceanside/Island Park Herald

Oceanside/Island Park

HERALD BoE, budget ballots on tap

Signs of support for o’side seniors

JCC launches virtual programs

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Vol. 55 No. 23

JUNE 4 - 10, 2020

Shops struggle in Phase One reopening purchased sanitizing equipment and K-95 masks for all 16 employees, who are now working A and It’s “business as unusual” for B shifts every other day, with Oceanside and Island Park busi- only six employees in the store at nesses and restaurants — that is, a time. they are at limited capacity, said The shop hopes to welcome Sami Saatchi, owner of SVS customers in the store by Fine Jewelry in Oceanside. appointment in Long Island Phase Two of entered Phase One reopening, when reopening of its retailers will be battered economy permitted to make on May 27, paving in-store sales, the way for conaccording to Nasstruction and sau County’s wholesale trade ph ase -in g u ide companies to lines. restart operations, “I’m looking foralong with retail- Sami SaatChi ward to Phase Two, ers for curbside really,” said Jeff Owner, pickup only.

Grann, owner of Saatchi opened SVS Fine Jewelry Temptations for the jewelry shop on Her in Oceanside Long Beach Road and Merrick. for curbside pickup that day, The women’s clothing and after being closed since March accessories store closed the sec20. “We’ve lost two months of ond week of March, before New revenue, and there will definitely York ordered all non-essential be a significant financial loss,” businesses to close, because “you he said. “You’re talking about a could just see that people were whole sixth of your year.” not coming out,” Grann said.

Eager to get back, Saatchi “The week before [New York’s said the shop has put significant order], traffic in the store was effort into updating its website down 25 percent.” so customers can view products Since then, Grann’s wife, online and then pick them up at the store. Additionally, he has Continued on page 3

By BriaNa BoNfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

t

Andrew Garcia/Herald

DozENS of pEoplE gathered at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building on Monday to protest the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

Protest honoring George Floyd draws O’side, I.P. residents

By SCott BriNtoN, roNNy rEyES, DarwiN yaNES and BriaNa BoNfiglio sbrinton@liherald.com, rreyes@liherald.com, dyanes@liherald.com, bbonfiglio@liherald.com

People started to stream into the demonstration in front of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola nearly an hour before the scheduled 5:30 p.m. start time on Monday. They had come to protest the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police

officer.

Shouting “I can’t breathe!” and brandishing handmade signs, they arrived from parts across the county and beyond.

A coalition of Nassau advocacy groups planned the protest, “Justice for George Floyd.”

The demonstration followed the Memorial Day death of Floyd, 46, an AfricanAmerican man who died after officer Derek Chauvin, 44, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight min-

utes before he stopped speaking or moving.

Among the protesters was Amanda Ruderman, of Island Park, who is white. She drove by the demonstration to show her support. “As a mother, I cannot even begin to think about the tremendous fear black mothers feel when raising black children,” she said.

“I hope that more white people on Long Island will see that black people need our help.

Continued on page 3

here will definitely be a significant financial loss.

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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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Residents seek justice for George Floyd “Just stating that you’re not racist is not enough,” she said. “We need to actively fight against racism and not turn a blind eye. It may be uncomfortable, but it’s the right thing to do.”

Richard Michael Tarangelo, of Oceanside, who is also white, agreed and attended the protest. He believes Floyd’s death was a tipping point for people who want to see an end to racial discrimination and police brutality.

“We have the power to change the system,” he said. “We need to show our support and scream at the top of our lungs, ‘Enough. No more.’ Not one more mother’s son needs to die because of the color of their skin in any state.”

The demonstration followed the Memorial Day death of Floyd, 46, an AfricanAmerican man who died after officer Derek Chauvin, 44, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes before he stopped speaking or moving.’

Police, according to authorities, responded to a report of a man attempting to pass a counterfeit $20 at a shop.

Barbara Powell, an executive board member of the Hempstead NAACP, described Floyd’s death as a “modern-day lynching,” noting, “People are fed up and disgusted with how things are and how they keep repeating.”

Patrick Ryder, the Nassau police com-

missioner, attended the rally. “People are here to speak their minds and get their message across,” he said. “What happened in Minneapolis should never have happened. We have a good relationship with our communities. People are exercising their rights, and we hope to continue to do so peacefully.”

Leslie Davis, president of the Westbury NAACP, said, “We want to come together peacefully to support our communities.

People all over the world are standing up against this injustice. This is a peaceful movement.”

Darleyne Mayers, of Freeport, branch secretary of the Freeport/Roosevelt NAACP, emphasized that Floyd’s death has been witnessed by all who have watched the video of it. “George Floyd’s murder was visible,” she said. “We saw all eight minutes of it. It was reprehensible.

We have to send a message, but we have to do it peacefully.”

Andrew Nelson, of Uniondale, spoke at length about what Floyd’s death means to him personally. “It’s meant a lot, right, because a lot of injustices are being done.

It’s unspeakable feelings,” he said. “I’ve witnessed so many murders of so many different people that look like me, and it hurts on a different level.”

Among the protest sponsors were the Young Progressives of Nassau County, Indivisible of Nassau County (formerly

Indivisible of Rockville Centre), the Hempstead NAACP, Freeport/Roosevelt NAACP, Nassau County chapter of the National Action Network, Anti-Racism Project and Americans of Pakistani Heritage.

As of Monday morning, protests against police brutality had swept across the nation, in nearly 70 cities, including in New York City, according to The New York Times. At times, they turned violent, as was the case in the city Saturday night.

On Saturday in Brentwood, in Suffolk County, there was a peaceful demonstration, attended by dozens of protesters who practiced social distancing.

On Friday, Curran tweeted her statement on Floyd’s death. It read, “I was horrified after watching the video of the death of George Floyd and hearing his cries. I believe charges must be brought to ensure the accountability and justice all should expect in our nation.”

Chauvin was charged with thirddegree murder and manslaughter, but as of press time Sunday, none of the other three officers at the scene had been charged.

“This cruel act,” Curran continued, “does not represent the vast majority of police officers who, with professionalism and honor, serve and protect our communities. Nassau is committed to community policing because it works. Building trust

works, and we always strive to do better.”

Governor Cuomo spent much of his Sunday coronavirus briefing addressing the protests that had turned violent, including in New York City. Racism is the central issue at hand, he noted.

“People are outraged, and I understand that. I’m outraged,” he said, speaking of Floyd’s death.

He said, however, that “violence never works.

“Burning down your own house never works,” he added. “It dishonors Mr. Floyd’s death.

“The goal has to be effecting change,” Cuomo said. “Don’t tell me we can’t change ... Use this moment to demand real change.”

According to the governor, people must demand that federal and state legislation be enacted to: * Prohibit local investigations of officer-involved deaths. Any such investigation should be conducted by an impartial third party, he said. * Define one standard of excessive police force across the nation. * Require the release of officers’ records in cases such as Floyd’s death.

“Be smart, be directed,” the governor said. “Help your community, don’t hurt your community.

“George Floyd,” he said, “must not have died in vain.”

O’side, I.P. greet Phase One reopening Continued from page 1

Randi, has posted daily videos to Facebook and Instagram showcasing the shop’s merchandise and taking online orders. Then, the couple deliver or ship items to customers.

“We will probably do that a little longer until people feel comfortable coming in,” Grann said. “And that’s a big ‘if.’ How comfortable will people be coming out and going into a store and shopping?”

Until then, Phase One means that Grann is at the shop, offering curbside and instore pickups, along with the deliveries and shipments to keep the store afloat. “It’s not easy, but we will prevail,” he said. “We’ve been around 35 years, and we’ll keep going.”

Dox in Island Park, a waterside bar and restaurant, opened for takeout on May 13.

As a seasonal business, the eatery opened at its usual time this year. However, busi-

ness is not what it could be without dine-in customers at its outdoor tables.

“It hurts because we’re a place where people love to be outside, sit and drink,” said owner Norah Kelleher. “People don’t think of us for pickup and delivery. We have picnic tables, but we can’t serve them there. They just wait there. It’s not the same.”

In Phase Three, restaurants will be able to open beyond takeout and delivery. There will be a roughly two-week period between each phase, but that is subject to change.

“Our customers only get us a few months out of the year,” Kelleher said. “I’m hopeful they’ll come back because it’s a limited time they can be with us.”

Descriptions of each reopening phase can be found at nassaucountyny.gov/ reopen.

Scott Brinton contributed to this story.

Briana Bonfiglio/Herald

temptations for Her, with locations in Oceanside and Merrick, is now offering curbside and in-store pickup. The store also posts videos to Facebook and Instagram each day in an effort to make online sales.

What’s next Reopening the economy will play out by region in three distinct phases hereafter: Phase Two: Professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support, and real estate, rental and leasing.

Phase Three: Restaurants and food services, beyond takeout and delivery.

Phase Four: Arts, entertainment and recreation, and education.

If the number of deaths, hospitalizations and new Covid-19 cases remains stable or declines for two weeks, a region can move on to the next phase of reopening.

“As more regions of the state begin reopening,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted May 26, “we are carefully monitoring health data to make sure that everything is going in the right direction. We rely on science and data to guide us — not emotion or politics.”

To prepare for Phase One reopening, the

governor said over the Memorial Day weekend, the Long Island Rail Road was sanitizing its trains and adding cars to them to enable riders to spread out more. A Herald tour of South Shore LIRR stations during rush hour last Thursday found only a handful of riders at any one station.

Cuomo emphasized that personal behavior will determine the success — or failure — of the reopening process. “The trajectory,” he said,”is decided by people.”

He repeated that people should: ■ Wear masks in public spaces.

■ Wash hands frequently.

■ Maintain social distance.

“We want [the] economy to come roaring back,” he said.

— Scott Brinton

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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O’side man arraigned for 2019 high-speed boat crash By miKe SmollinS msmollins@liherald.com’

An Oceanside man was arraigned Thursday on manslaughter and other charges after allegedly recklessly operating a speed boat and killing an 18-year-old jet skier.

According to District Attorney Madeline Singas’s office, Christopher Palma, 45, was arraigned before Judge Robert Bogle, on charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, criminally negligent homicide and reckless operation of a vessel after the death of Caitlin McDonald, 18, of Rockville Centre.

“The grand jury reviewed the evidence in the tragic death of 18-year old Caitlin McDonald and indicted Christopher Palma for operating his speedboat recklessly,” Singas said in a statement. “Nothing will bring back this promising young woman’s life or ease her family’s sorrow, but I hope this indictment reminds boaters what is at stake when they head out on the water as the summer boating season begins.”

On July 14, 2019, at about 10:45 a.m., McDonald and others, including her father, were on a Jet Ski tour in the vicinity of Middle Bay Channel, near Parsonage Cove and Baldwin Harbor. The jet skis were traveling in a single file line, perpendicular to the path of Palma’s vessel, a Fountain Lightning speedboat. Palma, an experienced boater, was allegedly operat-

ing his vessel at a high rate of speed at that time, despite the presence of boating traffic and multiple Jet Ski tour customers.

Several of the jet skis crossed in front of his path and, under navigation rules, Palma was required to reduce speed and yield the right of way to McDonald, who was approaching from the starboard side of his vessel. Palma, however, maintained course, did not stop, and his vessel collided with the jet ski operated by McDonald.

The high-speed collision resulted in damage to Palma’s vessel on the starboard side from the bow to the stern, as well as catastrophic damage to the victim’s jet ski as she was thrown into the water.

McDonald’s father, other nearby boaters and first responders from the Nassau County Police Department’s Marine Bureau, the NCPD’s Emergency Ambulance Bureau, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Town of Hempstead Bay rendered aid to McDonald, but she was later pronounced dead at Long Beach Hospital.

Senior District Attorneys Tara DePalo and Christopher Casa and of Singas’ Vehicular Crimes Bureau are prosecuting the case. Palma is represented by Steven LaMagna, Esq. Bail was set at $20,000 cash or bond or $10,000 partially secured bond, and Palma is due back in court on June 29. If convicted of the top count, he faces a potential maximum of five years to 15 years in prison.

Crime watCh Criminal Mischief

filled the lock to his Island Parkway apartment with glue.

■ On May 27 at 9 a.m., an Island Park resident reported that an unknown subject

■ On May 23 at 4:25 p.m., Jessica Velasquez, 30, of Oceanside, was arrested and charged with shoplifting at Walmart on Old Country Road in Westbury.

■ On May 25 at 6:30 p.m., a victim reported that two unknown male subjects stole assorted merchandise from Stop & Shop on Long Beach Road in Oceanside.

Arrests

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

Oceanside/Island Park

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

MAIN PHONE: (516) 569-4000 ■ WEB SITE: www.liherald.com/oceanside ■ E-MAIl: Letters and other submissions: oceaneditor@liherald.com ■ EDITORIAl DEPARTMENT: Ext. 269 E-mail: oceaneditor@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ SUBSCRIPTIONS: Press ”7” E-mail: circ@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4942 ■ ClASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Ext. 286 E-mail: ereynolds@liherald.com Fax: (516) 622-7460 ■ DISPlAY ADVERTISING: Ext. 249 E-mail: sales@liherald.com Fax: (516) 569-4643 The Oceanside/Island Park Herald USPS 398610, is published every Thursday by Richner Communications, Inc., 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Periodicals postage paid at Garden City, NY 11530 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to Oceanside/Island Park Herald, 2 Endo Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530. Newsstand Price: $1 Subscription rates: $36 for 1 year within Nassau County. Out of Nassau County: $58 for 1 year. Copyright © 2020 Richner Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

friedBerg JCC in Oceanside may be closed temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic, but its website has a wide array of program offerings for the community.

Courtesy Friedberg JCC

Friedberg JCC hosts virtual programs, aches to re-open

By Briana Bonfiglio bbonfiglio@liherald.com

Routines can be important — and many locals depend on the Barry & Florence Friedberg Jewish Community Center in Oceanside for their regular exercise and socialization.

Those normal routines have been shattered since coronavirus swept New York more than two months ago now. Aside from a daycare program for children of frontline workers, the JCC is still closed to the public.

“We’re the home away from home for people,” said Roni Kleinman, executive director of the JCC. “People wake up in the morning to come here.”

While its doors are physically shut for now, the JCC staff is still working to provide the community with virtual programs to keep active and connected. Each week, the JCC releases a schedule with dozens of activities, usually held via Zoom video conferencing.

The JCC offers online fitness classes, such as Zumba, yoga and cardio, discussion groups for adults and social services for those with special needs and disabilities. It also holds special online events; on June 2, the JCC hosted a “sip and paint” painting workshop via Zoom.

“The staff here is unbelievable,” Kleinman added. “They’re creatively thinking out of the box and doing everything they can possibly think of and reaching out to members for input.”

In addition to its virtual support groups, Kleinman said the JCC is also working on partnering with social workers for one-on-one virtual therapy sessions. Participation in some services require a JCC membership. The weekly schedule is posted at friedbergjcc.org/virtual-jcc.

“It’s important for people to have an outlet and a connection,” Kleinman said.

“This has really taken a toll on people, from oldest to youngest, so it’s nice for them to see familiar faces and have a routine.

Since late March, the JCC in Oceanside has offered daycare for children of essential workers.

Also, the JCC’s early childhood pro-

direCtor roni Kleinman is eager for the JCC to be up and running again.

Without membership fees, JCC has “taken a significant hit,” she said, losing a portion of its funding. The JCC is asking for monetary donations online to help stay afloat. gram has its own programming, keeping its students engaged while they remain at home. Children are also meeting via video conferencing with their teachers.

Meanwhile, Kleinman is eager for the JCC to be up and running again in the future. Without membership fees, JCC has “taken a significant hit,” she said, losing a portion of its funding. The JCC is asking for monetary donations online to help stay afloat.

“We’re waiting for the governor’s word,” Kleinman said. “As soon as he tells us to go, we’ll be here. It’s not going to be the same as it was three months ago, but we’re preparing for it.”

The JCC is in the process of procuring sanitizers, masks, cleaning equipment and signs with special public health directives for patrons for when the facility eventually re-opens.

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School budgets up for vote on June 9 Meet the Oceanside Board of Education candidates There are three Board of Education members up for re-election this year. All are uncontested races.

There are three Board of Education members up for reelection this year. All are uncontested races.

eventually heading up PTA Council before her children graduated from Oceanside High School. She continues her more than Sandie Schoell was 20-year commitfirst elected to the ment to the Dawn Board of Education Delirium committee, in 2005. She has SandiE SchOEll fundraising and served as vice presiorganizing for the dent four times and school community’s as president four times, including annual post-prom party. presiding through challenges such as the aftermath of Hurricane During nearly four decades as an Sandy, the introduction of Oceanside resident, Schoell has Common Core, high stakes testvolunteered for Kiwanettes, ing, tax cap legislation enacted by Oceanside Community Service New York State and now the and the Oceanside Chamber of Covid-19 pandemic.

Commerce, to name a few. She has been recognized many times Schoell represents the school dis- for her civic work, earning the trict’s interests as a member of Citizen of The Year, Woman of the New York State Legislative Distinction and PTA Heart and Network. Additionally, she repreSoul awards. sents the Board of Education on various advisory boards, councils Schoell and her husband, Gary, and committees. The Nassau raised two sons, Michael and Suffolk School Boards Association Christopher, who attended has recognized Schoell with one Oceanside schools and graduated of its highest awards for board as valedictorians. She is now a leadership. proud grandmother of three.

Schoell holds a bachelor’s degree Prior to serving on the Board of in management, finance and ecoEducation, Schoell was a longnomics. time PTA member and leader,

Donald Maresca has been a Board of Education trustee since first being elected in 2002, shortly after he retired from his 33-year career as an Oceanside School District dOnald MarESca educator. When he retired, Maresca had been principal of School No. 2 for 15 years. Previously he served as principal of the former School No. 1, Sixth Grade Center and Oceanside Junior High School, among other leadership positions he held within the school district.

Maresca was known for developing innovative programs as a principal to complement curriculum and foster greater connections among residents and schools. Programs such as Sixth Grade Conference Day and the intergenerational holiday chorus, developed at School No. 2, continue today, decades after they were first launched. His priority as a trustee is to provide a high quality education for all children while being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers.

Maresca is active in many civic organizations including the Oceanside Library, Knights of Columbus and Oceanside Community Service.

Together with his wife, Sandie, he has raised two children and is a proud grandfather of four.

Meet the island Park Board of Education candidate

Jack Vobis

I have had the pleasure and privilege to serve the Island Park community on the Board of Education for the past five years, the last four as President. The responsibility to provide a high-quality education to our children within the means of our taxpayers is taken very seriously by me and the members of the Board, and we continue to work hard to find ways to

do more with less.

I take pride in the legal battle we have waged on behalf of the taxpayers against LIPA, most recently with my appearance at the Nassau County Legislature regarding the proposed settlement, and in alliance with other school districts facing similar fates.

I have addressed the Town of Hempstead IDA on behalf of the district against reckless grants of PILOTs, which

transfer the tax burden for commercial properties to residential taxpayers. There is still much work left to do, and the looming specter of Covid-19 threatens to cast aside even the best of plans, especially as we seek to reduce costs.

There is much uncertainty about the 2020-21 school year that will no doubt require us to be adaptive and react to changing conditions. I am ready for those challenges and look forward to the prospect of serving another term and helping to guide and lead our district through these difficult times. I owe a debt of gratitude for the confidence given to me by the community when I was elected for my first term, and I pledge to continue to repay that debt for as long as I am a member of the Board. Thank you.

Jack Vobis is an attorney in private practice, married to lisa and has three children — Jake, 16, who will be a senior at long Beach high School, Jessica, 14, who will be a freshman at long Beach high School and Josh, 12, who will be an eighth grader at lincoln Orens Middle School.

Mary Jane McGrathMulherne is completing her fourth term on the Oceanside Board of Education.

During the Mary JanE 2019-20 McGrath-MulhErnE school year, she served as Board of Education Vice President. She is an attorney with her own practice and previously served as a litigator, bringing an understanding of law and business to the board.

McGrath-Mulherne has chaired the board policy committee and is passionate about creating and updating policies to ensure that they are student-centered.

Under her leadership, the committee reviews policies regularly to stay current with educational needs and changing times. She is especially proud of the school district’s wealth of programs for students. “From innovative courses, to Fine and Performing Arts, to clubs, sports and more … we try to make it happen, all within very tight fiscal reins,” she said.

McGrath-Mulherne and her husband are parents of two high-school aged children.

By Briana BOnfiGliO bbonfiglio@liherald.com

Ballots for the Oceanside and Island Park 2020-21 school and library budgets, and board trustee elections, have been mailed to residents and are due back by June 9.

Residents will vote on the Oceanside School District’s proposed $160 million budget, with a tax levy, or total revenue raised from taxpayers, of $130 million, a 3.3 percent increase from the 2019-20 school year. A proposition to withdraw no more than $3.4 million from the district’s capital reserve fund will also be on the ballot. The funds would renovate all science labs at the high school.

The proposal is the first of five phases of the renovations, and the cost is eligible for up to 45 percent state building aid, which would provide additional revenue to the school district. In addition, voters will decided on Oceanside Library’s $6.9 million budget, as well as its $33.5 million Vision 2020 bond proposal.

Island Park School District’s proposed $40.6 million budget includes Covid-19 preparations, such as protective supplies for school buildings, and maintains all programs.

The spending plan also includes a tax levy, or total revenue collected from property taxes, of $32.9 million, a 1.55 percent increase from the 2019-20 budget. Residents will also vote on Island Park Public Library’s $1.3 million budget, which maintains its programming for residents of all ages.

O’side teachers’ letter to students, community

Christina Daly/Herald

Oceanside HigH scHOOl have had to step up to the role of caretaker at home, while your families brave the outside world at work. Others have accelerated their journey into adulthood, leaving the house for jobs and essential tasks in order to keep loved ones’ lives running as smoothly as possible. All of this while trying to adapt to a new educational approach that demands a massive shift in procedure and performance. You have been thrown into the fire, and we stand in awe of your ability to balance these struggles of such profound magnitude as young adults.

While physically apart, we are unified in this shared experience and are confirming what we have known all along: There is so much in common between teachers and students. Like our athletes, we are adjusting our game plan to coun-

ter a persistent opponent. Like our performing artists, we find ourselves presenting on a new stage. Like our club members, we are attempting to improve society by checking in to help lift the spirits of our community members. Like you, we are Sailors, trying to navigate this unprecedented storm and the turbulent seas of this pandemic. We miss the classroom conversations, ranging from the day’s lesson, to school events, to life, and everything in between; however, we will continue those conversations from a distance.

We will support you at your induction ceremonies and honors nights; we will watch them online and applaud from our homes. We crave the in-person lessons, connections and lightbulb moments for which we entered this profession, and we

will work in unison to nurture these moments digitally. These conditions are not ideal, but our dedication to supporting your growth remains stronger than ever. This is not the last time you will be challenged in life, but know that you do not face these obstacles alone.

A team does not break up when adversity strikes; we remain ready to extend a helping hand, and a pandemic does not change our desire to cultivate your skills, knowledge and character. Seniors, “once a sailor, always a sailor.’’ We thank you for lighting up our building for four years.

Know that we feel sorrow for your missed experiences and seek to provide you with the best send-off possible. You are always welcome to return and visit your high school alma mater.

Together, we can grieve for what was lost and share in what was found. To our freshmen, sophomores and juniors, we anxiously await the next opportunity to join you in school as we renew our bonds amid a return to normalcy and an appreciation for what we had taken for granted -- Oceanside High School.

To our Oceanside community, we pledge to work tirelessly from any setting, in the face of any hardship, and in spite of any odds, to support our students.

Remember, a calm sea never made a skilled sailor. We will see you again, stronger and always anchored together.

Sincerely, Oceanside High School teachers and staff

Showing off graduate pride in Oceanside Lawn signs have gone up around Oceanside honoring graduates in the class of 2020.

From elementary and middle school students moving up, to high school and college graduates, this year families are eager to show off their pride, as many inperson celebrations and ceremonies have been postponed or moved to a virtual format.

Around the School No. 4 area of Oceanside, signs can be found on many blocks congratulating members of the class of 2020, as seen in these photos.

a lawn sign on Oceanside Road congratulates a 2020 graduate of Hebrew Academy of Nassau County who lives there.

Photos Briana Bonfiglio/Herald

a sign On Perry Avenue congratulates a class of 2020 graduate named Hunter. anOtHer sign On Oceanside Road recognizes Oceanside’s class of 2020.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

Dear Oceanside High School Sailors, May is usually such a great time at OHS. It has a buzz of excitement and anticipation that has been bottled up all winter and is waiting for release with the beautiful spring weather. The hallways buzz with college decisions; juniors fret the recommendation and application process; the musicians prepare for their final performances and the athletes make their mad dash toward the finale of their seasons.

That just scratches the surface of all that is transpiring. We all keep a hopeful and watchful eye toward summer, but also acknowledge it will be sad to say goodbye to the seniors, the classes we had this year and each other. The certainty of this unmeasurable and, at times, indescribable feeling was as certain as Skillman Avenue traffic on a rainy weekday morning. The absence of it this year has us all feeling a little less certain about what we knew and perhaps more than a little lost.

First and foremost, we hope that you and your family are healthy. We miss the energy of OHS as much as you do. We cannot replicate that day-in, day-out rhythm with which we all grew comfortable (no matter how much we try via our digital platforms). We know it is easy to feel alone right now. Still, it is our resolute view that all of us are united, even while separated.

Our mission is to prepare you for life’s challenges and this situation has brought so many upon you. The isolation from your peers is unnatural. Many of you

7

June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

8

Oceanside native aids the hungry Company helps feed families in Uganda during coronavirus pandemic

By Mike SMollinS msmollins@liherald.com

When Oceanside native Jason Steinberg set out to bring smiles to people around the globe facing hardship through his nonprofit, the International Sports and Music Program, he never envisioned there being a global pandemic. Now, those very same people are relying on his company to help them battle starvation.

Steinberg’s company, headquartered in Brooklyn, brings sports and music initiatives to Greece and Syrian refugees to give them a better life. However, when Charles Mubiru, a teacher at a school in Uganda where Steinberg’s company helped bring the first of only five FIFAregulation soccer fields in the country, called Steinberg in April with harrowing news, the company pivoted.

“The tone in his voice and the message that he was delivering was vastly different than anything I ever heard from him before,” he recalled of Mubiru, with whom his organization has partnered for a number of years. “He said the kids have nothing to eat and the staff doesn’t either.

There were 1,400 people they were trying to feed.”

After, Steinberg contacted his business partners and asked for fundraising support from Oceanside and other communities. Through research, they discovered that it costs $1.30 to feed one child in Uganda three meals per day. Now, his company is continuing to raise funds, and he sends the money to Mubiru, who purchases items like oil, flour, rice and beans in bulk to deliver to students at the school.

“We are pivoting in a very profound way to emergency food relief,” he said.

“Rather than working on the next soccer field or dance teacher, we are organizing a food bank and organizing food packages.”

In 2015, Steinberg quit his day job with a book publishing company to focus fulltime on his passion: bringing sports and music to people — especially children — facing hardship around the world.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014, he spent a year teaching English through WorldTeach at a high school on the small island of Pohnpei, Micronesia. While there, he realized how much the children loved basketball. But they had no team.

The next week, he invited students to join him on the basketball court, and about 50 high-schoolers played, even though they were barefoot.

Shortly after, he contacted family, friends and others through Facebook and sought donations. Within a week, he said, he received enough money to buy sneakers, jerseys and basketballs for the budding athletes. He helped the school start two boys’ teams and a girls’ team, allowing anyone to participate. Then Steinberg began seeing positive changes in the students, mentally and academically.

Steinberg graduated from Oceanside High School in 2010, and was a peace, war and defense major in college. He minored in music, and plays guitar and piano.

After a year, Steinberg left the island

Photos Courtesy Jason Steinberg

oceanSide native JaSon Steinberg started a basketball program at a high school in Pohnpei, Micronesia, in 2014, which led him to establish the International Sports and Music Project a year later. and founded ISMP in the summer of 2015.

Besides maintaining the basketball program in Micronesia, he wanted to expand his organization. He eventually organized hubs in Greece and Africa, where he helped create many programs, including basketball, soccer, music and dance initiatives at orphanages, schools and rehab centers. ISMP also has a hub in New York, where they offer basketball training and music lessons to teenagers living in homeless shelters in Manhattan.

He noted that his focus shifted after the call from Muribu. With much of the world locked down and businesses closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ugandans do not have government assistance, large savings accounts or any safety net to rely on.

They need help.

“Sports and music are on hiatus, and that very lockdown has caused our partners and students to be thrust into a hunger crisis,” Steinberg said. “We don’t have a lot of experience in food delivery, but in this particular situation, our partners are relying on us, and we have access to people who are hit the hardest by this catastrophe.”

Steinberg added that through work on an emergency campaign with shelters and his partners, they were able to brainstorm ways to provide money to Uganda, which was used to feed the hungry. Those who live close to the school can pick up the items when they are brought there, and others who live farther away can arrange for delivery.

He said with all that is going on, issues with hunger in other parts of the world have largely been ignored.

“Not everyone is thinking about the hunger crisis,” he said. “Everyone is dealing with their own problems, so we feel like it’s our responsibility to be a voice for the voiceless. One day we’ll get back to soccer, we’ll get back to dancing, but right now there are other urgent needs, and I just feel grateful that I’m a part of a community that rises to these challenges.”

SteinBerg founded the International Sports and Music Program to bring sports and music to children facing hardship around the globe. Amid a hunger crisis in Uganda during the coronavirus pandemic, his company has shifted to emergency food relief.

9

News brief Oceanside High School students are among more than 280 Long Island science students who are preparing their science projects and videos for the second annual Neurological Surgery, P.C. Health Science Competition.

The event is the nation’s only STEM/ health science competition. In response to the coronavirus pandemic related school closures and stay at home orders, the competition will be hosted virtually this year.

“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on all of our lives and the academic careers of young people can’t be understated,” said Dr. Michael H. Brisman, an attending neurosurgeon and chief executive officer of Neurological Surgery, P.C. “For this reason, my partners and I decided that at this difficult time, a declaration of hope was needed to inspire high school students on Long Island to continue to look to the future and take an interest in science, technology, engineering and math programs. In keeping with this

commitment, the Second NSPC Health Science Competition will be held as planned, but it will be conducted virtually online to assure the safety of participants, judges and educators,” Over 280 students from Nassau and Suffolk counties, representing 37 Long Island schools, will vie for a more than $82,000 in score-based awards in this year’s competition. The top 10 finishing teams in each of five categories will receive cash prizes ranging from to $500 to $5,500.

“While many others have cancelled events, the leadership of NSPC recognized that this year’s competition and its purpose is even more important than ever before for inspiring students who are interested in health science careers,” said Dr. Ray Ann Havasy, executive irector of the Center for Science Teaching & Learning and event administrator. “As a result, student team interest has been record-breaking. Every day we see in the news the critical role of health research

and innovation. This demonstrates to students, parents, teachers and school administrators the important role this competition plays.”

Brisman said there were many “amazing” projects at last year’s event, and added that he was able to interact with many students, whom he called brilliant and inspiring. The students showcased their understanding of medicine and health-related subjects was impressive.

Students are now finalizing projects to submit for judging. Student teams will create a Google hosted website that will include their presentation on either digital poster boards or through PowerPoints/Google slide shows, along with team videos explaining their work. Projects will demonstrate research, experimentation and testing of innovations in health science in the following categories: Behavioral Sciences, Biology – Medicine/Health, Biology – Microbiology/ Genetics, Health Related Biochemistry/ Biophysics, and Bioengineering and

Computational Biology.

Judges will review and score completed projects, websites and materials. A public Facebook Live award presentation and event hosted by NSPC on the Competition’s Facebook page (www.facebook. com/NSPCHealthScienceCompetition) will be held on June 15 at 11 a.m.

Sponsored by Neurological Surgery, P.C., one of the New York Metropolitan region’s premier, private neurosurgical groups, the competition is designed to promote student interest in STEM as well as health care careers. The program is managed by the Long Island-based notfor-profit Center for Science Teaching & Learning whose mission is to encourage science-based learning and literacy through hands-on programs.

For more information, visit www.cstl. org/nspc/, call (516) 764-0045 or e-mail NSPC@cstl.org.

Courtesy NSPC; compiled by Mike Smollins

Nassau Coliseum to host drive-in movies NYCB Live announced on May 16 that it would be launching drive-in movie weekends this spring and summer at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. The first movie screening was DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls on May 29 with multiple show times throughout the weekend.

“For the last several weeks we have been speaking with the county to see how we might be able to safely launch a drive-in movie theater, and we were very pleased to receive the green light to move forward,” said Nick Vaerewyck, the senior vice president of programming and business operations at NYCB LIVE. “We miss hosting world-class sporting events, concerts, and family-friendly programs that bring people together, and this is the safest way to begin to return to entertaining Long Islanders once again.”

The movies will be displayed on a large backlit LED screen outside the venue facing Hempstead turnpike, with audio made available through a partnership with Hofstra radio station, WRHU. “The iconic Coliseum, in the heart of Nassau County, is the perfect backdrop for a drive-in,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. “We welcome this fun, new entertainment option for our residents looking for family-friendly activities this summer.”

NYCB LIVE will have food trucks available in the parking lot to provide guests with food and non-alcoholic beverage options for purchase, though guests are permitted to bring outside snacks on-site. Mobile bathrooms and multiple sanitizing stations will also be available.

“While we want to make this a fun experience for everyone, we encourage all guests to take proper social distancing measures on-site. All drivers must be wearing a face covering, and anyone who exits their vehicle must comply with wearing a face covering and abiding by social distancing of six-feet from anyone outside of members from your car,” Vaerewyck added.

Attendees are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance at ticketmaster.com/artist/2756410. Tickets will be $30 per car in advance, or $35 at the gate via credit/debit only.

Guests will be permitted on-site an hour ahead of show times, with limited space available per showing. For more information, visit NYCBLIVE.com.

–Brian Stieglitz

Herald File Photo

NYCB Live aNNouNCed on May 16 that it would be launching drive-in movie weekends this spring and summer at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

OHS students to compete in virtual health science event

10

June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

The Oceanside Library will be offering contactless curbside pick-up by appointment starting June 8.

Oceanside Library officials announced that the facility will be offering contactless curbside pick-up by scheduled appointments starting June 8.

Residents will be able to fill out a form to let administrators know what books, DVDs and other items they like and what days and times work best to pick them up.

The library’s staff will then pull the items and give residents a day and time to pick them up. The items will be placed in a plastic bag on a table in the east parking lot with the initials of the borrower and the last four digits of their telephone number on it.

Residents can ask for specific books and they will be given to them based on availability. Forms can be found at oceansidelibrary.org, and those who don’t have internet access can call the library at (516) 766-2360 ext. 4 to order items. The library is also cleaning and quarantining material for a week between loans.

Additionally, all return dates will be the same to help minimize residents’ trips to the library, and the facility’s book drop is open Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. All fines are also waived during the pandemic.

Christina Daly/Herald

MAKE YOUR GIFT DOUBLE AND SAVE TWICE AS MANY LIVES!

Courtesy Oceanside Library; compiled by Mike Smollins.

O’side sanitation to host food drive on June 6

Join North Shore Animal League America on June 10 for Giving Day and help us save twice as many homeless dogs and cats. Swiffer® will be doubling donations – dollar for dollar – up to $150,000! **

by Mike sMOLLins msmollins@liherald.com

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Oceanside Library to offer curbside pick-up

With food pantries struggling after being hit harder than ever before amid the coronavirus pandemic, Oceanside Sanitation District No. 7 will host a food drive.

The event is scheduled for June 6 from noon to 5 p.m. at Sanitation Headquarters, 90 Mott Street, in Oceanside. During that time, residents are asked to drop nonperishable and canned food items.

Proceeds from the drive will go toward Oceanside Community Services Inc. and the House of Hope in Valley Stream.

“We fell lucky that we’re still able to work and we wanted to give back,” Commissioner Joe Samoles said. “Everyone is welcome to come down and help these pantries.”

11

Nassau jail activists call for transparency amid crisis

By BRIAN STIEGLITZ bstieglitz@liherald.com

Activists for the rights of inmates at the Nassau County Correctional Center are calling on Sheriff James Dzurenda to provide daily updates on the number of Covid-19 cases in the jail and to release inmates with a high risk of contracting the virus.

On April 24, activists first protested outside the jail in East Meadow for the same cause. Some held signs along the sidewalk and others honked from cars and drove passed the jail’s East Meadow Avenue entrance.

Then, on May 20, the same group stood outside the county legislative building in Mineola and live streamed a rally calling for additional measures to be taken at the jail to protect inmates, correction officers and the community at large.

Among the group were representatives of the Long Island Social Justice Action Network, New York Civil Liberties Union, New York Communities for Change and the Long Island chapter of New Hour for Women and Children.

The activists said that the county never provided a space for members of the press or families of the incarcerated to ask questions about the jail in public.

They are urging Nassau County Executive Laura Curran to add statistics about jail Covid-19 cases in her daily briefings about the virus and that such information also be posted on the sheriff ’s website.

“They’re not just numbers, they’re our family members and our loved ones and they’re just as important as the people on the outside,” said Jayette Lansbury, a member of the Nassau County Jail Advocates and chair of criminal justice of the New York chapter of the

National Alliance of Mental Illness.

Lansbury also criticized the use of “keep-lock,” or holding inmates in their cells for almost 24 hours a day to ensure social distancing and said that it “exacerbates already high levels of anxiety and depression.”

In late March, Sheriff James Dzurenda posted a letter on the jail’s website detailing the steps it was taking to prevent the spread of the virus. Every new inmate is tested for the virus during initial processing and, if cleared, held for an additional 14 days in a New Admission Housing Unit. Inmates with Covid19 symptoms are moved to a quarantine unit, where they are medically monitored, have their temperatures taken and meet with mental health staff members.

Inmates in regular housing are still offered outdoor recreation in small groups. They are also given facemasks and free phone time to contact loved ones and support networks.

Requests for comment from the sheriff following the May 20 rally were not answered as of press time on Tuesday.

Dzurenda told Newsday on Thursday that fifty-seven inmates have tested positive for Covid-19 since March. Forty-seven have recovered, eight have been discharged and two remain incarcerated, the Newsday article read. The jail’s population, which changes on a daily basis, was 612 on Thursday.

Serena Liguori, the executive director of New Hour, said that she and her fellow advocates “applaud meaningful steps taken by Nassau Sheriff Dzurenda to increase PPE provisions in the jail.” However, she said that they “urge transparency about the jail conditions for those who prove to be symptomatic.”

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

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hoMEtown hEroEs

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ElEna CorrEnti nti

A

JaMEs hodgE

Baldwin PhysiCal thEraPist, Mount sinai south nassau hoME CarE rEgional

T

s a physical therapist and rehabilitation supervisor for Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Home Care program, I am considered an essential worker.

I make joint visits with my staff, who directly care for Covid patients. I feel very proud to have witnessed my co-workers rise to the unprecedented challenges brought on by the coronavirus.

I have listened to [the] staff’s concerns and offered support. Utilizing personal protective equipment during home visits promotes both staff and patient safety.

My work and personal life has been altered by the Covid pandemic. At the height of the curve, accommodations were made for me to work remotely. Having health issues of my own, there is always that underlying fear that I can contract the virus.

Meetings and case conferences with staff, as well as holiday celebrations, are now conducted using the technology application Zoom. Life is different now, but I remain grateful for my health.

long BEaCh ChairMan, Martin luthEr King CEntEr long BEaCh

he coronavirus has affected many people in my family and many people I know. We are doing what we can to meet the needs of the people during this pandemic and time of national emergency.

We’re trying to meet the essential needs in people's lives with the best possible healthy food with a team of volunteers and workers, risking their lives to help others like many others are doing.

From 7:30 a.m. until around 5 p.m. is for preparation of food, delivering and doing everything we need to do to prepare and follow best practices from [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] that let us provide in the safest, healthiest way possible that will affect change in people's lives.

We have worked with a global pandemic expert, Gregory Marks, who has given us pointers on what we should and shouldn’t do. He is volunteering his service, where others have forgotten that we exist, and he is giving us expert advice on things we should take precautions on.

I continued to serve my community and do all the necessary things I needed to do for my job, working for the City of Long Beach. A few weeks later, I was terminated from my job.

I will continue to serve and do the best I can; even though the city has decided to terminate me, I have not wavered.

hoMEtown hEro

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SAY CONGRATS TO OUR GRADS: While 2020 grads can’t walk across the stage in cap and gown to receive their diploma — and they may not be able to celebrate their achievements with family and friends gathering from near and far —graduation remains a special time worthy of recognition.

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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

A letter to our community from Towers Funeral Home, Inc. We are here for you.

Now more than ever, Towers Funeral Home remains committed to supporting our community during this difficult and emotionally trying time. We will overcome this challenge as we have done so with past challenges that our community has faced.

We want to thank everyone on the front lines of this pandemic, working to keep our friends and neighbors safe. We salute and honor you as for your brave compassion and service to our communities when it is needed most.

As our neighbors have come together to do everything possible to slow the spread of this vicious virus amid unprecedented challenges, we have never been more proud to be a part of this community. For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one during this difficult time, we mourn with you.

Throughout our many decades of operation, we have remained dedicated to the highest standards of funeral service — and never has that been more important than it is right now.

We understand the importance of family, especially so vital as the world has been turned upside down, and we believe in treating your family as we would our own.

We will make every effort to fulfill a family’s wishes, and to never lose sight of the current situation you are facing. As always, we will do everything we can to provide comfort, compassion and consolation. We consider it an honor and a privilege to have been selected to be entrusted with the care of your loved one, and to help you through this crisis. Once we can, as we move out of the immediacy of this crisis, we will continue to be here to assist you when and if you desire to honor your loved one with a meaningful memorial and celebration of their life.

We remain committed to your needs with support every step of the way on your loved one’s final journey.

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Meanwhile, please continue to follow all safety guidelines. Keep a safe distance of six feet away from one another, wear a face mask and avoid personal contact. We are honored and privileged to serve our wonderful and strong community. God bless us all and keep us safe.

their Front-Line stories as toLd to our reporters Nicole alabre

t

Freeport Nurse, Maple poiNte assisted liviNg rockville ceNtre

he same week state-mandated employee testing for Covid-19 began at Maple Pointe Assisted Living in Rockville Centre, I found out that I passed my state boards and was officially a registered nurse.

Juggling classes at Helene Fuld College for Nursing in New York City while working at Maple Pointe managing active coronavirus cases has been quite a challenge for me. I had been an LPN supervisor for five years and am a past recipient of Nurse of the Year honors from the NY State Center for Assisted Living.

I have always dreamed of becoming a registered nurse, and Maple Pointe has brought me to recognize that my passion lies in caring for the elderly population. The recent pandemic made me realize that nursing was definitely the right path for me. I am thankful to live in a place that offers so many educational opportunities for women. I came from a modest background, and college always seemed like a distant dream. I am still soaking it in and feel so proud to be able to put RN after my name.

Nydia White

n

Freeport Nurse MaNager, MssN oceaNside

ydia White has spent her entire nursing career, of 17 years, at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, where she currently serves as a nurse manager of critical care.

For her work in helping local patients through the Covid-19 pandemic, New York State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin named White a Warrior for Wellness. The Warriors for Wellness program acknowledges and expresses gratitude to healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers at the front lines of the pandemic.

White was recognized for skillfully directing her team of nurses to service a patient-load of historic proportions at MSSN, all while continuing to keep the team motivated to give it their all every day.

Griffin noted despite the strife and struggles caused by the pandemic, White continues to foster a love for her career and her fellow human beings.

“Nydia continues to be fascinated every day about all of the intricacies associated with critical care and, ever the optimist, is convinced that this experience has caused everyone’s hearts to grow larger as well,” Griffin said.

“For both Nydia and [the other Wellness Warriors], this pandemic has made them truly understand how vital their role is in the hospital ecosystem,” she added. “Not only as the primary human connector between the patient and their families, but also as the one person who can physically be there to offer comfort, reassurance, and peace of mind.”

hoMetoWN hero

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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

14

Belmont Stakes kicks off Triple Crown

15

By TonY BEllIssIMo tbellissimo@liherald.com

Jay Hegi has only missed a handful of Belmont Stakes since 1978 when he witnessed a classic in his first experience at the event as Affirmed nipped Alydar to complete the Triple Crown.

“That race was incredible and it hooked me to keep coming back,” said Hegi, a North Merrick resident since 1999. “I remember standing for that race with my father [John] and a friend,” he added.

“After that I’ve always bought reserved seat tickets as part of a group. I had 6 tickets for this year.”

Hegi and thousands of other ticket holders now need to take steps to get a refund. Because while the Belmont Stakes is set for Saturday, June 20, serving as the opening leg of the Triple Crown for the first time in history, New York Racing Association officials announced it’ll be held without fans in the stands.

The Kentucky Derby, meanwhile, will be held on Sept. 5, and the Preakness Stakes will be held on Oct. 3.

“I’m going to miss being at the Belmont but I’ll definitely be watching,” Hegi said.

“I’ve been to the World Series, Super Bowl and so many major sporting events, but the 2015 Stakes when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown was the loudest crowd noise I’ve ever heard. From the sec-

Eric Dunetz/Herald

THE 152nd BElMonT Stakes will be run June 20 with no fans in the stands. ond he turned into the stretch, it was thunderous.”

Vince Roth, of East Rockaway, hasn’t missed a Belmont since 2004 when he stood trackside as Smarty Jones’ bid for the Triple Crown was foiled by a fast-closing Birdstone. “Smarty Jones is my favorite horse of all-time but I’ve seen two Triple Crowns in recent years so it came full circle,” said Roth, a managing partner of Final Furlong Racing Stable. “Being at the Belmont is a ton of fun and a great experience. It’s definitely going to be strange watching from home, but I’m excited about it and hopefully it’ll be the one and only time it has to be the first leg of the Crown.”

Like Roth, Rockville Centre resident Matt Magione had hopes of seeing a Triple Crown winner in 2012 after I’ll Have Another captured the Derby and Preakness. However, a day before the Belmont he was scratched and eventually forced to retire due to tendonitis.

“The Belmont Stakes is one of my favorite days of the year,” Magione said.

“You get to see some of the best horses in the country. I understand why there can’t be fans and why they couldn’t run it in the fall, but I’m still going to watch and wager that’s for sure.”

Anyone who purchased tickets for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival is eligible

for a refund. Those who purchase tickets directly from the NYRA box office or a NYRA sales representative can request a refund online, and fans who purchased tickets on Ticketmaster will receive an email directing them to log into their account to request a refund.

This year’s Belmont will differ from prior years because it will be shorter. Traditionally, horses run 1 1/2 miles on “Big Sandy,” but this year they will only run 1 1/8 miles, to account for the scheduled adjustments to the Triple Crown. The distance was 1 1/8 miles in 1893 and 1894.

“While this will certainly be a unique running of this historic race, we are grateful to be able to hold the Belmont Stakes in 2020,” NYRA President David O’Rourke said in a statement. “Thanks to our partners at NBC Sports, fans across the country can look forward to a day of exceptional thoroughbred racing at a time when entertainment and sports are so important to providing a sense of normalcy.”

NBC will stream coverage on Belmont Stakes day for three hours beginning at 3 p.m.

News of the Stakes date came three days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced NYRA officials can begin live horse racing on June 1 without fans. Belmont’s spring/ summer meet will be conducted from June 3 through July 12.

Volunteer firefighter bill awaits governor’s signature

By MATTHEW FERREMI mferremi@liherald.com

The state assembly and senate passed legislation introduced by State Sen. Todd Kaminsky that protects the benefits of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel.

The bill passed on May 27 that is cosponsored by Kaminsky, who represents many South Shore volunteer fire departments and Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor), will protect the Length of Service Award Program. The program provides pension benefits to volunteer firefighters who reach certain milestones.

The measure now heads to Gov. Cuomo, where it will likely be signed into law.

“Our brave volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders have been on the front lines during this pandemic, risking their lives for our communities,” Kaminsky said. “Due to a quirk in the law, the pensions of volunteer firefighters and EMTs were jeopardized — despite the fact that these courageous community members have been working harder than ever before during this pandemic.”

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic restrictions has affected volunteer firefighters and their efforts to attain the required 50 points per year through responding to calls, taking part in training and being on call to be eligible for New York state’s length of service award program that serves as a pension fund for

Jeffrey Bessen/Herald

VolunTEER FIRE dEpARTMEnTs across New York state, including the will benefit from the newly passed legislation that will protect the Length of Service Award Program. the firefighters.

Fire officials said that because of the restrictions many fire department members are not meeting the requirements, adding that the quarantining and near shutdown of the New York metropolitan area has rendered the options to gain

LOSAP points impractical.

Kaminsky added that he plans on continuing to support first responders during the pandemic.

“By protecting their benefits during this pandemic, not only will we be showing appropriate gratitude to our heroes,

but will also help bolster the recruitment and retention of local first responders,” he said. “I will continue to support our local firefighters and EMTs throughout this pandemic and beyond, and look forward to my bill being signed into law.”

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

Racing fans will watch from afar with no spectators allowed

16

June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

dUring the annUal Nassau County Memorial Day ceremony, roughly 200 cars drove through Eisenhower Park in East Meadow under an American flag arch set up by the East Meadow and Westbury fire departments.

Photos by Christina Daly/Herald

County car parade honors Memorial Day

By Brian StieglitZ bstieglitz@liherald.com

Roughly 200 cars drove through Eisenhower Park in East Meadow on May 25 during the annual Nassau County Memorial Day ceremony.

To abide by social distancing guidelines set by the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s event featured the car parade that led to the park’s Veterans Memorial. There, County Executive Laura Curran joined with the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency and local veterans’ groups for a ceremonial wreath laying in honor of those who lost their lives fighting for America. In addition to recognizing Memorial Day, Curran also took the opportunity to pay homage to the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II. “While we were not able to hold a traditional ceremony this year, we must not let Memorial Day be forgotten,” Curran said. “It is important for us to properly salute and reflect on those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending our precious freedoms.”

The procession began at Nassau Coliseum and led to Eisenhower Park, where Curran hosted a ceremony that featured a wreath laying, gun salute, Taps, a bagpiper from the Nassau County Police Department Pipe and Drum Band and a flag arch created by the Westbury and East Meadow fire departments.

Nassau County veterans involved in the ceremony included Commanders from Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legions as well as members from Vietnam War Veterans Association, AmVets and United Veterans Organization of Nassau County, Disabled American Veterans, among many others. Vehicles from the Museum of American Armor were also on display.

Joining Curran in her salute was Congressman Peter King, State Senator Kevin Thomas, State Senator Jim Gaughran, Glen Cove Mayor Tim Tenke and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

U.S. Marine and Vietnam veteran Sgt. Paul Masi couldn’t make his annual trip to D.C. for Memorial Day because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, he joined the Nassau County ceremony.

Stephen Owen, the commander of VFW Post 3350 in East Rockaway, saluted as a ceremonial wreath was placed in front of the memorial.

FOllOwing the cereMOny, Nassau County Veteran’s Service Agency Director Ralph Esposito, of Elmont, carried the wreath to the veteran’s monument near the center of the park.

Congressman Peter King, Laura Curran and Patrick Ryder joined him as he placed it.

NCC pulls programs for students with autism

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Nassau Community College’s decision to remove a pair of popular programs designed to help students with autism spectrum disorder in and out of the classroom has parents and educators concerned. They want the programs restored.

Citing finances as the main reason, NCC interim Vice President Valerie Collins sent a letter to the coordinators of both programs, known as ASPIRES and Achilles, to inform them that the programs would not be offered in the 2020-21 academic year.

“Please do not make or continue to make any plans to recruit new students going forward,” read the letter from Collins, dated April 20. “The Achilles and Aspires programs will continue through the conclusion of this semester,” it continued. “The decision to end the programs this semester was, of course, influenced by financial concerns.”

Roughly 35 students took part in the programs in the 2019-20 academic year. Multiple calls and emails to NCC requesting the amount of savings the cost-cutting move would bring for 2020-21 were not returned.

Frances Viscovich, an NCC environmental science professor who coordinates the ASPIRES program, offered to volunteer her time and identified other individuals at the school who could assist at no cost. However, according to a statement released by NCC, volunteer hours could not be accepted.

“I thought this would be my chance to give back to the community under Covid-19,” Viscovich said. “I felt like this would be my frontline volunteer work. These are such important programs. These students get essential individual and group counseling.”

The ASPIRES program provides comprehensive support to students with ASD in weekly counseling sessions as well as programming designed to address executive functioning and social skill deficits. “The program started with one student six years ago,” Viscovich noted.

“Now we have a waiting list. We should be promoting it, not ending it.”

Wantagh resident Vanessa Kelly said her son Jimmy, a 2018 graduate of MacArthur High School, has seen con-

Christina Daly/Herald

The removal of two vital programs for students with autism has brought Nassau Community College’s decision into question. siderable improvement both academically and socially as a result of the ASPIRES program. His grade average has jumped from a B-minus in high school to an A-minus at NCC. “It’s a crucial program, and the social support has given Jimmy so much confidence,” she said. “He’s more independent as a student and a person.”

The Achilles program has been around for nearly two decades and is for twice exceptional students — those who are gifted but learning challenged. Valerie Lagakis, an English and reading professor at NCC, has overseen the program since 2010.

“Students are specifically attending our school because of the Achilles program,” Lagakis said. “I’m upset for the new students who won’t be able to get into the program.”

Baldwin resident Denise Baird is concerned her daughter Rebecca, a 2017 Oceanside High School graduate who just completed her first year at NCC, will not continue to excel at her current pace without ASPIRES. “The program is a Godsend,” Baird said. “Rebecca has benefitted a great deal.”

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat from Long Beach, is encouraging the college to reconsider its decision. “The ASPIRES and Achilles programs at NCC support our county’s differently abled students who have just as much desire to succeed as all other young people,” Kaminsky said. “The programs help them develop the tools necessary to thrive at the next level, and there is simply no substitute for what they provide.”

On May 27, the Nassau County Legislature, which votes to approve NCC’s yearly budget, sent a letter to college President Jermaine Williams to inform him it would not approve the 2020-2021 as it stands.

Presiding Officer for the County Legislature, Richard J. Nicolello, wrote to Williams: “I urge you to restore the funding to these programs for the upcoming academic school year and beyond. Without such action, I do not see a path forward for the approval of the proposed Nassau Community College budget for this year.”

The college released a statement. “Nassau Community College is focused on providing all of our students with the support they need to complete their academics at the college,” Lindsey Angioletti, the director of marketing and communications, wrote. “After careful consideration, students in the ASPIRES and Achilles program have been transitioned from the formal program to now receive individual campus services in our Student Personnel Services area and our Center for Students with Disabilities.

“While we appreciate the offer of a member of our staff to voluntarily run the program, contractually we were not permitted to do so,” the statement continued. “It is of the utmost importance to the college that the students in the former ASPIRES and Achilles program have access to the tools they need to succeed in their academic journey.”

Dentists reopen as Nassau preps for Phase Two

By ScOTT BrINTON sbrinton@liherald.com

With the potential Phase Two reopening of Long Island’s economy approaching, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order Sunday allowing dental offices to return to work statewide June 1.

At the same time, the governor said last Friday that barbershops and hair salons would be included in the Phase Two reopening. Previously, they had not been.

The updated reopening timeline represents a continued drop in new coronavirus hospitalizations, intubations and deaths, according to the governor. Over the weekend, the number of overnight deaths fell to 56 — down from a high of 799 on April 9, he said. That is a 93 percent decline.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran called the planned opening of barbershops and hair salons “great news,” and said the governor’s order allowing them to reopen gives “our business owners the

certainty they need to reopen safely.”

In addition, Phase Two reopening, now scheduled on Long Island for June 10, will include: ■ Office-based work.

■ Real estate services.

■ In-store sales — currently curbside pickup is allowed.

■ Vehicle sales, leases and rentals.

■ Retail rental, repair and cleaning.

■ Commercial building management.

Laura

A big question on many Nassau residents’ minds has been, when will restaurants reopen for dining? Only takeout and curbside pickup are allowed now.

In-person dining can resume during the Phase Three reopening, which is scheduled to begin in Nassau June 24, if

the number of hospitalizations and deaths remains steady or continues to drop.

Already Curran is planning for the reopening of restaurants. On Friday, she announced a plan to allow villages, towns and cities to shut down certain streets to facilitate al fresco dining, thus reducing the need for table capacity within eateries, enabling them to maintain six-foot social distancing. She is calling it “Open Streets.”

“Continuing the county’s efforts to support the revival of our downtowns and busicurran ness districts,” the Nassau website reads, “the county will be fast-tracking permitting approvals for temporary road closures, with a decision within a week of receiving an application.

To apply, visit www.nassacountyny. gov/OpenStreets.

The Nassau County Industrial Devel-

opment Agency is also spending roughly $500,000 to provide 1,000 local small businesses and nonprofits with personal protective equipment. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees, minority- and womenowned, and businesses in economically distressed areas are eligible.

Businesses can apply at www.nassauboost.net starting June 1.

All Nassau County businesses must, by state mandate, prepare reopening plans, detailing how they intend to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and ensure the safety of workers and customers. The plan must include: ■ * Wellness checks for employees and customers.

■ Disinfection and cleaning routines.

■ Social distancing protocols.

PPE supply for employees and customers.

All businesses must also affirm to the state that they agree to operate according to state safety mandates.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

County Legislature won’t approve college’s 2020-2021 budget

17

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Q. We met with three architects, three contractors and an interior designer and also went to our building department because we just want everything to go smoothly, with no problems, since we’re doing a big job, adding a full second floor on our cape, a family room, garage and kitchen extension. The problem we’re now facing is that we got a lot of the same answers from everyone, but we also got a lot of conflicting information.

One contractor and the interior designer told us that many things we were doing could be done by them, and the architect would just draw from their sketches. The building official told us basics, but Ask The said it’s best to speak to the Architect architect (we choose).

Family members who have used the interior designer say they’re very knowledgeable and can handle everything, but some of the answers didn’t square with the building official. We’re very confused, so how do we sort out what advice each one is giving us before we start?

Monte Leeper

A. I know I’ve written this many times, that when I sat in classes in architecture school, design studios, art classes, art history, physics and calculus, I never knew that what lay ahead for me was that others who have no background, no qualifications and only a smidgen of training would be the ones to wrongly steer the projects I would be developing. I thought I’d be able to freely create. Instead, I often find that I have to spend most of my time trying to straighten out messes, fill out paperwork and try to troubleshoot.

Why this happens isn’t a mystery. Armed with computers and the internet, everyone who wants to believe they can design and solve building problems feels empowered.

In any endeavor, there must be one responsible leader. The word responsible isn’t to be taken lightly, because it doesn’t mean the one most easily able to dump the blame on. That individual must be the most capable of solving every angle of the project, starting with the most restrictive issues, like the law, otherwise known as government regulations, and also the laws of nature, such as structural, mechanical and technical issues.

Who would that person be? While the interior designer may be comfortable and confident at advising you about space planning and finish selections, can you trust them to engineer the building loads, snow and wind loads or even the project’s energy and ventilation calculations? And while the contractor is great at hands-on problem solving, putting every detail of the building together, will they be able to follow all the regulations and be called on to sign documents guaranteeing your safety?

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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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OpiniOns

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ur country is suffering through the worst health crisis since the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, and the worst economic crisis since the 1929 crash and subsequent Great Depression. Under a federal government emergency program dubbed Warp Speed, scientists are offering hope that promising vaccines will beat back the coronavirus over the next year. In the meantime, the economic damage America has suffered needs a similar major ongoing commitment from Washington. alfOnse Much has already been done d’amaTO to help keep the economy functioning during the past few months of lockdown. Congress has enacted over $3 trillion in support, including substantial help for both workers and businesses.

The Payroll Protection Program provided major grants and loans to small businesses to keep them afloat and able to retain workers. Yet even with this help, 40 million Americans are out of work. The jobless are being helped with a $600-a-week federal supplement in addition to state unemployment benefits, but this program will expire in two months.

T

The economic situation shows no sign of getting better soon. White House economic advisers project that unemployment could top 20 percent before the economy begins to revive. And the chairman of the Federal Reserve has pointedly noted that even though the Fed has already pumped $2 trillion into the financial system, “It may well be that the Fed has to do more,” Jerome Powell told “60 Minutes.” “It may be that Congress has to do more … [to] help businesses avoid … insolvencies and … do the same for individuals — keep workers in their homes, keep them paying their bills. Keep families solvent.”

That’s very important advice from the world’s most powerful banker. Congress and the White House should take it seriously and act on it. The key to achieving another round of federal stimulus relief will be a willingness of all parties to put aside political differences to deliver meaningful help to the country.

That means the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives should drop its insistence on loading up the next relief bill with every item on the liberal wish list. The rescue package should focus on continued funding of research to defeat the coronavirus and support for a strong economic recovery.

President Trump and the Republican

Y

leadership of the Senate have signaled their support for additional federal spending during this extraordinary crisis. Yes, the deficit and the national debt will climb, but failing to resuscitate our economy could have even more dire economic consequences.

The economy right now is like a Covid-19 intensive care patient hanging on life support. This is no time to argue about how much more effort should be made to save the patient. Washington should not get sidelined by political arguments.

Here’s a prescription for dealing with the crisis:

es, the deficit and the national debt will climb, but that’s not the big worry.

■ Authorize generous spending on speeding up the development of a vaccine and a way to deliver it to every American as soon as it’s ready.

■ Provide another round of direct $1,200 stimulus checks to individuals and their dependents to help families pay mortgages and rents and put food on their tables.

Trump has indicated that he’s open to this proposal. It’s worth the extra cost. Cash in the hands of desperate families is key to saving many from destitution.

■ Renew and improve the Payroll Protection Program with additional funding and key reforms to its operation. Small businesses, especially, need more flexibility on

how the grants they receive can be used.

Keeping employees on the payroll won’t protect their jobs in the long haul if businesses are forced to close because they can’t meet other operating costs.

■ Along with reforming the PPP, convert the current $600 additional federal unemployment insurance supplement into an employment supplement. Instead of paying employees to stay home from their jobs, let’s pay them a “job bonus” to get back to work.

■ Provide substantial assistance to states and localities to help with the extraordinary costs imposed by the pandemic and to help them cover their operating costs.

State and local tax revenues have dropped drastically since the pandemic began in every state. Helping them to keep providing critical services is not only reasonable, it’s necessary. That doesn’t mean writing a blank check to every state.

■ Finally, finally come to agreement on a national infrastructure program, putting jobless people to work rebuilding America.

These are extraordinary times, calling for extraordinary measures. Washington must step up to the challenge, now.

Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column?

ADAmato@liherald.com.

When, and how, do you recover a lost first kiss?

here is no Plan B for young love.

Through this pandemic, we are all living some version of Plan B, but my heart aches for our teenagers, for whom Plan B doesn’t work so well.

They have been locked down and shut out by the Coronavirus, and they have far fewer coping mechanisms than adults.

Some parents are struggling with teens who are sleeping all day or refusing to pitch in with chores. Being a teenager in the best of times is hugely inconvenient, and acting out is normal. I think any human who just survives the years between 13 and 19 reasonRandi ably intact is doing kReiss a splendid job.

I actually remember what it was like to be 13. Everyone has his or her own hell. Mine was being tiny. I was so small that my mother couldn’t find “teenage” clothes in my size, so, of course, I hated my mother. I threw my Mary Janes at her one day because she thought I would put them on my feet and actually

be seen in public, when everyone knew that you don’t wear Mary Janes when you’re 13. I was generally miserable from ages 13 to 16, when I discovered boys and the pimples subsided and I fell in love.

How might that have played out if we had gone through a global pandemic between 1958 and 1964, when I was “becoming”? I would have been holed up in my house with my mother and father and younger sister. We weren’t the let’s-bring-out-theMonopoly-board kind of family. Our parents didn’t play with us. They loved us and fed us and told us what to do. Sequestering without 600 channels of TV, no Internet and no phones would have been a claustrophobic experience.

Today, kids do have many more opportunities to launch Plan B. They just don’t want to. No school? Well, heavens, in the virtual world, kids with access to the internet can tour museums, wander the galaxy, practice new recipes and star in musicals.

Every day, I send my grandkids links to magic shows and master classes for

B

kids and invitations to Facetime and books that tell the stories of teenagers who lived through adversity and came out stronger and bolder and happier. In other words, I send them stuff they ignore. And I understand the lassitude.

I’m just doing the grandma thing, trying to engage, but part of me knows the kids are surviving as best they can. They’re suffering from the isolation, and they have no place to vent their anger and their fear because the cultural message is to push through and do your work and don’t complain when others have it worse.

One of my grandkids is about to enter his senior year in high school, and I also remember what it was like to be 17, when passion ruled. Do you remember your first kiss? Take a moment. Remember. You were probably a teenager and I hope it was thrilling, and sweet. Now, teens are being told to social distance, a suggestion that is antithetical to their very existence.

No kissing or fooling around for months, or a year? Being told that if you hang out with a friend or find love, you

eing told to social distance is antithetical to teenagers’ very existence.

might be endangering your family or killing your grandma?

I have four grandkids in various stages of moving up in school. One is leaving elementary school for middle school. One is going from seventh to eighth grade, one is leaving middle school for high school and one is the rising senior. They have been “attending” school at home and passing the time as best they can, while parents weave in and out of their days and multiple screens shine an everlasting light on them. They are isolated from the only other human beings who know how they feel — other teenagers.

I see them on Facetime and, really, they look slightly unfamiliar, a bit stunned, after days of little interaction with other people. I wish they would keep a diary or a photo journal. The gift they already possess is a great story to tell, but I understand the inertia of this moment.

So, for now, kids, it’s enough just to get through, and you will Then, because you’re young and strong and smart, you will move on and make up for lost time. In the meantime, take notes. You are caught up in the drama of a lifetime.

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

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

Americans need more help from Washington, now!

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HerAld editoriAl

Oceanside/Island Park

June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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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HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Robert Richner Edith Richner Publishers, 1964-1987 ■ cliFFoRD RichneR STuaRT RichneR Publishers Michael BoloGna Vice President - Operations ■

We must end systemic racism to find peace

A

wave of angry protests over the merciless alleged killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer sparked a wave of more than 70 angry protests in cities across the nation last week and into the weekend. The majority were peaceful, but others turned violent, with vandals looting and burning businesses.

It was a sadly familiar scene, a nightmare that has been repeated time and again for decades. We must end this national shame. White police officers brutalizing and killing black men who are in their custody is criminal, period. Derek Chauvin and the three other officers who held Floyd down deserve prison.

As one African-American commentator rightly pointed out, what we witnessed in the cellphone video of the killing was the slow, painful lynching of a black man by a white officer in the light of day, surrounded by witnesses.

ScoTT BRinTon Executive Edtitor JiM haRMon

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A

This was not Jim Crow America. This was Minneapolis, 2020.

And what caused it all? A counterfeit $20 bill that Floyd was alleged to have tried to pass at a store.

Yes, most police officers are good, honest and hardworking. Even one officer the likes of Chauvin, however, is one too many.

Protests turned to riots over the weekend in cities across the country, including New York City. We must condemn the looting we witnessed. Rioting is wrong. It is illegal. It should never have happened.

And it does nothing to accomplish the goals at hand.

As a nation, however, we must pause a moment and reflect on why people in communities of color would, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo remarked, burn down their own house. We do not presume to speak for them, but we can imagine that the killing they witnessed turned long-simmering

Support Oceanside, I.P. school budgets

t a time when district administrators are striving to enhance school safety and increase the quality of programs — all amid the coronavirus pandemic — it is as important as ever to support school budgets.

Thus, the Herald enthusiastically endorses the Oceanside and Island Park school district spending plans, and encourages voters to show their support by voting “yes” when returning their mail-in ballots by June 9.

Districts were forced into distancing learning by the pandemic, but school officials and administrators have remained diligent in ensuring transpar-

ency to the public by placing budget slideshows online and hosting virtual meetings to outline the details of their spending plans.

Oceanside school officials restructured elementary school programs to craft a balanced $160 million budget proposal, despite an estimated $800,000 decrease in state aid. The public should, in turn, show its support.

We also encourage residents to vote “yes” on a separate ballot measure about the use of capital reserve funds for renovations to Oceanside High School science labs, at a cost not to exceed $3.4 million, which would be at no additional cost to taxpayers.

Dianne RaMDaSS Circulation Director ■

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anger into rage, and the riotous behavior was a way to vent it.

It is a rage pent up not only because of a single killing, but also because of a longtime pattern of police killings. Taken together, they constitute what is called structural, or systemic, racism, the racism that is built into our very institutions — our police departments, our hospitals, our schools, our governments.

Last year, the Herald undertook a nearly yearlong investigative series, “The Racism Around Us,” reporting on the structural racism in institutions here in Nassau County. The results were, in many ways, not surprising, but at the same time entirely shocking. The bottom line is that racism is to be found at all levels of our society, including in the media.

Until we solve the issue of structural racism, we will never find the peace that our nation seeks — the peace that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prayed for.

letters

The state is fighting pandemic-related fraud

To the Editor: As Long Islanders suffer from the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it is simply disgraceful that some unscrupulous people have swindled New Yorkers’ hard-earned money during this time of need.

Recent press reports indicate that at the peak of the pandemic, our state was duped into paying nearly $86 million for life-saving ventilators that never showed up. Meanwhile, my office was inundated with reports of price gouging on everything from cleaning supplies to masks and hand sanitizer. Every taxpayer is disgusted to see this during a pandemic.

As a former federal corruption prosecutor, I know this

Island Park school officials constructed a sound $40.6 million budget, while accounting for necessities caused by the coronavirus pandemic, such as technology for students and protective supplies for school buildings. They did so while not cutting programs.

Island Park school officials also increased technology with their budget, which will supply third- and fourthgrade students with Chromebooks and repurpose iPads to be used by kindergarteners through second-graders.

The Herald urges the Oceanside and Island Park communities to show their support.

opinionS

S

omehow, in April, I missed observing National Siblings Day, and then the time rolled by and along came Memorial Day. So I’m taking this opportunity to talk about my brother, David Kremer, and salute the many other brothers and sisters who really shouldn’t need a special day. This first week of June will mark a year since Dave (he liked that better) died at age 89.

I’m sure that every one of our readers who enjoy a special relationship with a sibling understands how significant a role they play in JERRY our lives. Those KREMER of you who are lucky enough to have a living sibling know how important they can be, provided you haven’t let some petty grievance get in the way. As a rule, most of us reach out to a sibling at almost any time of the day or week for a kind word or just reassurance that all is well.

Two of my friends recently lost sib-

LETTERS

lings, and they described to me at length missed opportunities or a lifetime of strong bonds that are irreplaceable. All of their comments reminded me of my loss, and the fact that Dave is no longer a part of my life. A day doesn’t go by without a moment when I think about reaching out to him, just to exchange a few simple words. It took quite a few years for my brother to express his love, but getting older does that to people.

Dave had a lot of unique qualities. He was the family historian, and had an encyclopedic memory of just about everything. He knew not only the day, but also the hour that I was born, and where he was as he anxiously waiting to greet his baby brother. He would regale me with facts about distant relatives and their family history.

His knowledge of family trivia was bottomless. He had photos of relatives who I didn’t know existed.

When I ran for public office, Dave was always there, pushing me to take care of all the minute details of success-

K

ful campaigning. When I would arrive at some campaign event, he was waiting outside the building, staring at his watch and reminding me that I was two minutes late. He would usher me into the building quickly, making sure that I didn’t linger too long with a faithful voter.

I consider myself a devout Yankees fan. I check the baseball scores whenever the team is playing, even if it’s early in the season and the games don’t really mean that much. I would spot him at some dinner listening to the game with earphones, while everyone else was chatting away. On days when I called him to announce some Yankee mistake or achievement, he would tell me he’d heard about it hours earlier. I always thought I was up on all things Yankees, but he eclipsed me.

Last year, we decided we should observe Dave’s birthday at a place he would really enjoy. So as a family, we bought a bunch of tickets to Yankee Stadium on the week of his 89th birthday.

eep special family members close, no matter how far away they may live.

FRaMEwoRK by John O’Connell

fraud and abuse needs to be curbed immediately — and these are the steps we can take to fight back: I recently cosponsored several pieces of legislation to combat profiteering amid the pandemic. One bill would ban price gouging for medical supplies — from masks to medications — imposing hefty penalties on those who jack up the price of these items in excess of 10 percent of what they cost prior to a public health emergency. Another measure would bar companies caught and convicted of price gouging during a pandemic from receiving state contracts, economic relief funds and tax deductions.

Most recently, I introduced legislation to incentivize whistleblowers to report the defrauding of state tax dollars by allowing judges to award them a substantial financial reward for information leading to the prosecution of wrongdoers during times of need. Fraud in the midst of a pandemic. is unconscionable. Our state government stands ready to fight back.

HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — June 4, 2020

A Tribute to All the Daves

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o

The plan was to get his name on the scoreboard and salute him for another milestone in his life. As fate would have it, he didn’t make it to the game. But the whole family went, and shared a special the 192 moment when his name flashed on the Depres screen. The nieces and nephews cheered emerge the loudest for Uncle David. scienti I write this not as a sad remembrance, but rather as a reminder of the importance of siblings in our lives. Having a special brother or sister can be an enormous blessing. It’s an experience that can’t be replicated, so long as you stay close to those special family members and are willing to meet them halfway on life’s issues.

Make those short phone calls just to say hello. Keep them close no matter how far away they may live. If you’re lucky to have the right relationship, then every day will be National Siblings Day.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman few mo for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s enacte Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. ing sub He now heads Empire Government Strat- busine egies, a business development and legisThe lative strategy firm. Comments about vided m this column? JKremer@liherald.com. busine retain million jobless $600-a-w tion to this pr

T

ers, for They h by the fewer c Som who ar

TODD KAMINSKY State senator, 9th District

Protest, yes. Turn to violence, no.

To the Editor: I share the pain of all Americans regarding the senseless and tragic killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. No one should ever have to worry that such a nonviolent encounter with the police

A bundle of energy, still for a fleeting second — Bayville

might end in death.

At the same time, I stand with the hardworking and dedicated officers from the Nassau County Police Department, and the neighboring New York City Police Department, who protect us daily here in the Village of Lawrence. I am

appalled by the images of NYPD vehicles being destroyed by anarchists. There is a need to protest injustice, but such protest should never turn to violence.

I thank Nassau County’s 4th Precinct Inspector Joseph Barbieri as well as Commissioner Patrick Ryder for always step-

ping up to keep our village and its resi- was lik dents safe. own he small t Michel Fragin age” cl Deputy mayor, hated m Village of Lawrence at her o would

WE WERE HERE FOR YOU BEFORE COVID AND WE’RE HERE FOR YOU NOW.

Don’t put off seeking medical care, including elective surgery, in fear of COVID-19. Mount Sinai South Nassau has dedicated non-COVID patient care areas, including within our Emergency Department. All units have undergone a deep cleaning to ensure your safety. All patients undergoing procedures are tested for COVID-19 within three days prior to admission. Our frontline staff of physicians, nurses and support personnel are equipped with full Personal Protective Equipment to help halt the spread of infectious diseases.

Your health shouldn’t be defined by COVID-19.

DON’T PUT YOUR HEALTH ON HOLD. COME WITH CONFIDENCE.

mountsinai.org/southnassau

Mount Sinai South Nassau is certified as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

Photo top left courtesy of Jeff Basinger, Newsday.

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June 4, 2020 — HERALD COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

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