Kepherd Daniel/Herald
Jeff Risener’s Big Time Basketball Camp, at St. Anthony’s Church, has been a summer fixture for kids on the South Shore for 30 years. At 72, Risener now feels it’s time to retire and focus more on his family and other interests.
By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
In an effort to combat the opioid crisis, Oceanside residents gathered on Aug. 29 for a heartfelt and impactful overdose-awareness event. This was the fourth year that the Oceanside SAFE Coalition has hosted an Overdose Awareness Day on the schoolhouse green. The evening was part of a broader initiative to raise awareness, provide training, and foster a supportive network for those affected by substance use disorders.
awareness and healing, including the planting of purple flowers by Oceanside Community Warriors, a group which cleans up outdoor spaces among other services, to commemorate the lives lost to overdoses.
Attendees painted positive messages on rocks, and were introduced to a new community art effort called the Wish Flag Project. Eriksen explained that it was inspired by Tibetan prayer flags.
By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
For over three decades, Jeff Risener has been known in the local basketball community as the director of the Big Time Basketball Camp at St. Anthony’s Church in Oceanside. Last week marked the end of a 32-year run, all at the same location, the Roman Catholic Church on 88 Anchor Ave.
Over the years, the camp attracted thousands of kids from across the South Shore, and the 72-year-old Risener’s retirement marks the end of an era for a program that has touched the lives of countless families.
Risener, who has lived in Oceanside since 1988, has had a long career in education and coaching, including stints at Columbia University in 1983 to 1984 and John Jay College from 1984 to 1995 and assistant athletic direc-
tor from 1984 to 1998. But in 1990, by then a seasoned basketball coach, he noticed a void in summer youth sports programs.
Driven by his passion for basketball and his love of working with children, Risener approached St. Anthony’s with a proposal to start a camp. What began as a two-week program quickly grew, and now runs from seven to 10 weeks during the summer, and weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., for those in kindergarten through eighth grade.
“There wasn’t anything going on at St. Anthony’s in the summertime,” Risener said. “I spent part of my adult life working at basketball camps and I thought, why not do my own here?”
The camp began with wooden baskets, which still sit in the church gym, but the facility has since been upgraded to modern
“This probably means the most to me because it’s a reminder of why we started,” said Ali Eriksen, project coordinator for the SAFE Coalition — the acronym stands for Substance Abuse Free Environment. “… It’s our way of paying tribute and recognizing everyone we’ve lost, and a reminder of why we do our prevention work.”
The event featured several activities aimed at promoting
“The idea is that the wind carries the messages into the environment and brings them to fruition,” she said. The project is set to expand into the Oceanside school district, with sixth-graders contributing to it during the groups Drug Prevention Month, in October. The community’s messages created on the day will eventually be displayed in the newly renovated Oceanside Library.
The event also served as a venue to discuss the coalition’s ongoing initiatives, including
ConTinued on pAge 2
the Active Parenting of Teens program.
“We’ve started sessions for high school and middle school parents, and it’s been going wonderfully,” Eriksen noted. The coalition plans to continue the sessions, which have helped support parents navigating the challenges of raising teenagers in today’s world.
The evening wasn’t just another community gathering — it was a testament to the power of collective action. “It started with just a few people,” Sarah Dowler, a coalition member and an Oceanside High School health teacher, said of the first Overdose Awareness Day in 2021, “and now, more and more are joining us each year. Even though it doesn’t seem like we have millions of people, the growth is evident, and the presence of local politicians and community leaders shows how important this cause is.”
Among the attendees were Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Assemblyman Brian Curran and Hempstead Town Councilwoman Laura Ryder.
The event’s intent was to engage and educate its participants, and it included a training session with Narcan, the nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
“The Town of Hempstead is working very hard to get a Narcan kit into all the hands that we can,” Ryder said. The town offers Narcan training year-round, at a number of locations.
Dr. Dawn Williamson, an emergency-room physician at Nassau University Medical Center, led the Narcan session, and highlighted the alarming rise in overdoses, particularly those involving fentanyl.
“Fentanyl is so strong, and there’s so much of it in the community,” Williamson explained. “It’s crazy how high the numbers are on Long Island, and you wouldn’t suspect that, because it’s out in the suburbs.”
She emphasized that while Narcan can prevent death from overdose, it obviously cannot stop the overdoses themselves. The purpose of the training is to equip as many people as possible with the tools to save lives.
“A woman I was talking to said that her son got a Narcan kit at one of these events and saved his friend’s life,” Williamson said.
The overdose awareness event is just one of many initiatives planned for the coming year. Dowler mentioned others, including a drug-prevention night for children in October. Another is an event called Creating Connections, at Oceanside High, in which teachers and students get to know one another better.
“We get over 100 teachers involved, and students buy raffle tickets to have lunch or do activities with their chosen teachers,” Dowler explained. “It’s my
favorite event, and it raises funds for our coalition and School Youth Council while fostering strong relationships between students and educators.”
Last year, Creating Connections featured a drug-awareness “Jeopardy” game, which was a hit among the students. “We raised over $800, which went back into our programs,” Dowler said proudly.
Last week’s event served as a reminder of the ongoing battle against substance abuse and the importance of community involvement. “We’re really happy to have our programs start up again in the district,” Eriksen said.
By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
This summer, the Oceanside Hard 2 Guard Basketball Camp dedicated its season to the late Vito Montelli, a legendary basketball coach with over 50 years of coaching experience.
The legendary basketball coach of St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Connecticut. Montelli, who passed away on July 7, 2023, holds the record as Connecticut’s all-time winningest basketball coach. Jason Manning, a social studies teacher at Oceanside High School, has been involved with the Hard 2 Guard Basketball Camp since its early days. A Connecticut native and current resident, he commutes to Oceanside High School, played for Montelli, and later captained his high school team to a state championship, credits much of his own coaching philosophy and work ethic to Montelli’s influence.
“My father played for him and won a state championship in 1975 and then I played for him and we won a state championship in 1996 but we have this nice connection with both father and son,” he said. “ I look back and reflect on the life lessons he taught me, about family, about faith, about connecting with people. The work ethic I have today is deeply rooted in what he taught me and shaped me to be the man I am today.”
To honor Montelli’s memory, Manning chose maroon and gold as the camp’s colors this year—reflecting the colors of St. Joseph High School.
“This was our first camp since his passing, and it was important to me to pay tribute to him,” Manning explained. “The color scheme gave me a chance to share his story and legacy with the campers and staff. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to me and those who knew him.”
The camp, originally started by Dan Keegan, a for-
Dina Ewashko/Herald Julianna Ewashko, Annabella Fishetti,Tiernan Moran, Makenzie Lehman, Camryn Weinberg had a blast at the Hard 2 Guard basketball camp
mer Oceanside High School basketball coach, and was passed down through several hands before Manning and his co-director, Todd Nussen, took the reins three years ago. Nussen, also a social studies teacher at Oceanside High School, has partnered with Manning to ensure that the camp continues to thrive.
This year’s camp, which spanned two weeks, saw a strong turnout with around 110 participants ranging from second graders to ninth graders. Manning emphasized that this age range allows the camp to cater to both beginners and those with aspirations of making their school’s basketball teams.
“We had a good mix of really young kids and those entering high school,” Manning said. “It’s a great number, and we’re really happy with the way the camp went this year. The kids love the program, and that means the world to us.”
The structure of the camp is designed to cater to the varying skill levels and developmental stages of the participants. The camp is divided into three divisions: The Big East (second to fourth graders), the ACC (fifth and sixth graders), and the NBA (seventh to ninth graders). Each day at camp concludes with the “Awards of the Day” ceremony, a tradition that emphasizes the camp’s core values of skill development, hustle, and sportsmanship. Campers who excel in these areas are recognized, and each award recipient gets the chance to shoot for a prize.
“The whole camp goes wild when a youngster makes a shot in front of everyone,” Manning said, highlighting the sense of camaraderie and support that permeates the camp.
This positive response has led Manning and Nussen to consider expanding the camp in the future.
“We’ve had a lot of great feedback from parents, and we’re exploring ways to possibly expand the camp into the fall because they keep asking if we do more,” Manning mentioned.
For parents interested in enrolling their children in next year’s camp, Manning encourages them to reach out for more information. The Hard 2 Guard Basketball Camp can be contacted via email at hard2guardbasketballcamp@gmail.com or by phone at 516-860-6747.
By ROKSANA AMID
ramid@liherald.com
Over the course of 36 hours in 2015, Oceanside resident Nicole Grehn’s heart stopped 78 times. She was induced into a coma and put on a machine to keep her heart beating. During what resulted in a nine-day coma, Grehn’s heart was pumping at only 10 percent, causing her limbs to suffer from insufficient blood flow. When Grehn came out of the coma, she found that doctors had been forced to amputate both her legs above the knee, to prevent severe septic shock and keep her alive.
It wasn’t until after her recovery that Grehn was diagnosed with catecholamine induced, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, a cardiac condition that causes sudden rhythm disturbances, through genetic testing. Despite the life-altering impact of her condition, Grehn found inspiration in the care she received from her nurses and nurse practitioners. This experience motivated her to pursue a career in nursing, eventually leading her to earn a master’s degree in nursing and later a nurse practitioner license.
“I just ended up realizing that, basically, my nurses were so incredible, and my nurse practitioners were so incredible in the hospital in Milwaukee —that they convinced me that once I got better, and I would get up on prosthetics, even if I was in a wheelchair, that I should become a nurse,” she said. “Then I could become a nurse practitioner.”
Grehn’s path to becoming a nurse practitioner was not easy, but her determination led her to research fast track master’s programs, ultimately enrolling in an intensive 18-month program. During this time, she also attended a boot camp for people with limb loss and limb differences, which profoundly changed her outlook on
life. The boot camp introduced her to others living with similar challenges, giving her the courage to fully embrace her new life and pursue her career ambitions.
“I met other people that were living their lives as bilaterals, and I didn’t think I would ever be able to not use my wheelchair,” Grehn said. “I thought I was going to be having to use that for the rest of my life, and to see people walking and in all these different stages—it was amazing. It gave me the courage to apply for nursing school”
Grehn now travels the world with the Limb Kind Foundation, founded in 2018 by Oceanside resident Robert Schulman, to volunteer her time to support and inspire people who lost their limbs. This September, Grehn will travel to Sir Lanka to aid children with limb loss.
A recent fundraiser hosted by Lynbrook Restorative
Therapy and Nursing raised $500 to support Grehn. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Limb Kind Foundation.
“Our dedicated staff provides care for amputee patients while operating one of the only amputee support groups on Long Island,” Scott Apgar, Director of the Diabetes Management and Amputee Programs at Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing, said. “Working with this community every day, we recognize the obstacles these individuals face. Alongside Nicole, we are dedicated to supporting her upcoming journey and raising awareness of her mission. The fundraiser represents a crucial step toward raising money to enhance the quality of life for amputee children in other countries and empowering them to pursue their dreams with confidence.”
More than 20 years have passed since that dark day in our nation’s history. The observance of Sept. 11 continues to be a time for remembrance, healing and solace, and hope for the future. The Herald hopes this photo page of victims,
killed in the terrorists attacks in New York, who had a connection to Oceanside — some were born and grew up in the town, others lived there as adults or served in its fire department — will help memorialize them.
In the midst of abundance such as we have never known, why are so many people unhappy? It may be that pursuing happiness is too vague a concept. Instead, we recommend pursuing peace of mind. Peace of mind can be found by eliminating those persons or circumstances that are preventing you from achieving it. Impossible, you say? Not if you are determined to find a way. Someone once said, “Tell me what it is that you want that you can’t have, and I’ll ask you what it is you aren’t willing to do.”
Recently, a client contacted us for advice on a family matter. She was the executor of an estate where the decedent had been in a second marriage and the two families were bickering over an old motorcycle, some personal effects and a relatively small amount of money. She wanted out as executor but her brothers wanted to fight. I asked her brothers whether they wanted peace of mind or to be right, since they couldn’t have both. They finally relented. Too many people want the thing but are
unwilling to pay the price. You want out of the relationship or situation but the other side is asking too much? Pay the price and get on with your life, it’s worth it. It doesn’t have to be fair, it just has to get done. Emerson said “Do the thing and you will have the power.”
Many of the issues we see people grappling with involve fighting something or someone in a way that resembles Don Quixote tilting at the windmill. They are fighting all by themselves. We say “stop fighting”. Let it go.
We also meet a great many worriers. Worried about everything all the time. Perhaps it is no more than a bad habit. Why do we say that? Whenever we solved a client’s worry, they immediately started worrying about something else! Churchill recounted a dying friend telling him, “You know, Winston, I had a lot of troubles in my life. Most of which never happened.”
Finally, from the Canadian thinker, Brian Tracy, “Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it”.
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By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com
Hofstra men’s soccer reached big heights in 2023, advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s third round stage for the second time in three years, but longtime head coach Richard Nuttall felt plenty was left on the table during the historic run.
The Pride led third-seeded North Carolina by a goal late in the second half before surrendering the equalizer with under five minutes remaining and eventually losing in penalty kicks following two scoreless overtimes. The heartbreaking loss was a big missed opportunity for Hofstra, who with a win would have hosted 11th-seeded Oregon State in the Elite Eight with a chance to punch a ticket to the prestigious College Cup.
“We are proud of what we accomplished, but we felt it was a lost opportunity,” said 35th-year head coach Richard Nuttall. “The reality is though we are punching way above our weight for what we are and I think we are the best midmajor in the country that is not a state school.”
Nuttall lost many key pieces from last year’s 14-3-5 team, but returns 12 players including All-America defender Pierce Infuso, a Merrick native who has returned for a fifth season as a graduate student. The Bellmore-JFK product was a third-team All-America honoree last season and an All-Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) First-Team selection.
“He is rock steady and does what he has to do,” Nuttall said of Infuso. “He is getting a lot of looks from MLS clubs and I believe that he has the ability to play at that level when he leaves here.”
Graduate student midfielder Roc Charles gived Hofstra an additional fiveyear veteran with Infuso returning for an extra year of eligibility. The Spain native is a co-captain with Infuso and scored a goal in Hofstra’s 4-1 win at American on Aug. 25.
Hofstra’s offense will be looking for new producers this season following the loss of leading leading scorers Ryan Carmichael and Eliot Goldthorp, who were both selected in the Major League Soccer
Super Draft. Also scoring in the American win with Charles were Pablo Hempelmann-Perez, Jacob Woznicki and Gabriel Pacheco with Laurie Goddard tallying an assist.
Woznicki, a graduate student who previously played at Stonehill College, then tallied two goals in Hofstra’s 2-0 win against Providence on Aug. 29.
Senior forward Teddy Baker, an England native, is expected to rejoin the team soon from injury after registering 11 points last season.
The backline led by Infuso, Pacheco, Eoin Farrell and Jack O’Malley posted a clean sheet in a season-opening 0-0 tie with Fordham on Aug. 22. Senior goalie Filippo Dadone, who replaced two time All-CAA keeper Wessel Speel in net, made five saves for his first career shutout.
Hofstra, which began the season ranked 17th nationally, was picked first in the CAA preseason coaches poll and is aiming for its fourth straight conference title, which would earn another automatic bid into the 48-team NCAA Tournament.
The Hofstra women’s soccer team’s bid for its own three-peat last year and sixth CAA title in seven seasons fell short with
a heartbreaking overtime loss to Monmouth in the conference semifinals last November.
The Pride returned plenty of talent from last season’s 12-5-1 season and are fueled to write a better ending this fall. Hofstra was picked to finish second in the CAA behind Monmouth
“As much as it hurt, I think it was a valuable learning moment,” said 19thyear head coach Simon Riddiough of last year’s CAA semifinal defeat. “People sometimes underestimate the difficulty of winning championships.”
Hofstra lost last year’s leading scorer Wiktoria Fronc and will likely be relying on a scoring by committee this season rather than one dominant player, according to Riddiough. Potential offensive weapons who have emerged early this season include Millie Davies, Mathilde Braithwaite, Aimee Hodgson, Thorhildur Thorhallsdottir and Ellie Gough.
The bulk of last season’s defense is back in Olivia Pearse, Louise Hayden and
All-America defender
Pierce Infuso, a Merrick native and graduate student, is one of a dozen returning players for the Pride.
Gabriella Marte. Pearse, a former standout at Seaford High School, proved to be a reliable leader of the backline with her tenacious play early in the season before a foot injury sidelined her in late August with timetable for a return to the field uncertain.
“I love her intensity and tenacity and her physicality,” Riddiough said. “I’m proud of the way she’s developed as a person as well and she’s becoming a really wonderful all round student athlete.”
The starting goalie spot was up for grabs entering the season following the departure of Skylar Kuzmich, who started in net for five seasons. Freshman Synne Danielsen of Norway and senior Mackenzie Sullivan of Arizona have both seen time in net so far.
Hofstra enters September unbeaten at 1-0-3 with a 2-1 win against Yale and ties against Ivy League contenders Brown and Columbia on its resume. The Pride kicks off the CAA schedule on Sept. 19 at home against College of Charleston at 7 p.m.
By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com
Laura Gillen, the Democratic candidate in New York’s 4th Congressional District, announced an action plan to combat antisemitism outside a house in East Meadow last week. The district includes multiple communities with substantial Jewish populations.
Gillen was joined by residents, elected officials and Jewish leaders, including Rabbi Michael Stanger of the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation.
Gillen’s action plan targets three areas of concern: Schools, synagogues and social media.
If elected, Gillen said she would work to leverage federal aid to colleges to force changes in codes of conduct, and increase funding to the U.S. Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights. For synagogues, she would fight to fully fund the FBI and the Department of Justice to help local police coordinate responses to threats to houses of worship. She added that she wants to enact content moderation requirements for social media platforms like X to remove hateful content.
East Meadow neighbors who joined Gillen at an Aug. 28 news conference said antisemitism is a problem in schools. Alisa Baroukh’s daughter attends Cornell University. Over the last school year — especially following Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack against Israel — her daughter was subjected to antisemitic incidents, she said.
“My daughter’s freshman year was marred by widespread antisemitic intimidation, which was hard considering we chose Cornell for the warm and inclusive environment that we saw during our tours,” Baroukh said. “This macro-level intimidation included online death threats toward Jewish students that resulted in the FBI swarming campus.”
Representatives have “moved to undermine key resources” that are needed to fight antisemitism.
“Congress has failed to address the surge in antisemitism in our schools, our synagogues and on social media,” she said. “Not one additional dollar has been spent or one law has been passed to combat this surge.”
Gillen said there had been “an unprecedented rise” in antisemitism nationwide, and that Congress has failed to pass policies that actually protect those of the
Jewish faith.
The Anti-Defamation League, which fights antisemitism, said that the number of antisemitic incidents in New York jumped 110 percent in 2023, according to an April 2024 report.
“I find it unacceptable how little we are doing to actually protect our Jewish residents from this hatred, and that is why I’m here alongside Jewish parents, leaders and other community members to say enough is enough,” she said. “It’s time for action.”
Gillen is challenging incumbent Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a Republican who defeated her in the 2022 election. D’Esposito has denounced antisemitism, and according to his congressional website, introduced a resolution last November condemning the slogan “from the river to the sea.” The slogan refers to the liberation of land claimed by Palestinians between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which is located in the modern state of Israel.
A spokesperson for D’Esposito told the Herald that the congressman has been to Israel several times, where he’s met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; is a board member of the U.S Holocaust Museum; and has been instrumental in passing several Israeli aid bills.
D’Esposito also introduced a Define to Defeat Act in April, which clarifies legislation, providing federal officers with an objective, contemporary definition of antisemitism, better helping them to assess and prosecute criminal and discriminatory incidents, motivated by antisemitism.
The act was introduced after D’Esposito said the U.S. and New York were continuing to endure “recordbreaking” levels of antisemitic attacks and hate. The legislation would “provide federal officials the tools they need to fully assess, investigate and prosecute this criminal behavior,” he said.
(walk-ins welcome!)
*Registration is required for a FREE meal ticket*
glass backboards. Risener bought portable baskets himself to supplement the permanent ones.
“From 1990, I just put my heart and soul into this camp,” he said.
After Risener was a coach and director at John Jay, he became a phys. ed. teacher, in Oceanside from 1998 to 2010 and then became the District’s director of phys. ed., health, and interscholastic athletics, a position from which he retired three years ago.
“When I retired, I was in education for 48 years,” he said. “I’ve always had a motto when I was dealing with children: You never know where your influence begins or ends. I’ve been influenced in my career and by lots of different coaches and teachers that I had growing up. I have kids whose parents came here.”
Risener’s approach to coaching and camp management is as much about personal connection as it is about basketball. He’s known for his hands-on style, and though he works with as many as 30 campers in a session, he learns every child’s name, and often goes above and beyond to ensure that they feel valued.
“I call their houses at night to make sure they’re in bed on time,” he said. This personal touch has created lasting bonds, with some campers returning as adults to share their experiences.
“I’ve known Coach Risener for a long time,” said 16-year-old camp coach Josh Gamarra, of Oceanside. “He’s helped my brother, and he’s impacted the community in such a great way with his wisdom, kindness and, overall, who he is as a person helps other people become better.”
Each week, Risener gives out sportsmanship awards in memory of his parents: the Edward A. Risener Senior Little Guy Award and the Patricia Risener Little Gal Award. Jeff’s son, Edward, 37, is a social studies teacher at Oceanside Middle School who also coaches basketball there, and his daughter, Rachel, 34, is an attorney. His wife, Sherry, who taught in Roosevelt for 34 years, handles registration for the camp.
“She was instrumental in helping me get this going in 1990,” Jeff recalled. “Every Monday when we have a registration, she registers all the kids coming in, and she’s done it for 32 years.”
Over the course of a camp day, there are a variety of activities — contests, skill-building sessions, games, electives that are games with the coaches and free play. Risener mixes trivia questions into the basketball drills to keep things fun, and regularly gives out prizes. Former NBA players Kenny Atkinson, Craig ‘Speedy’ Claxton and Malik Sealy have come to St. Anthony’s to speak to the campers.
“Basketball is essentially the same game it’s always been, but the way we engage with the kids can always be updated to keep it exciting and relevant,” Risener explained. “Basketball is a kind of game where the skills that LeBron James is practicing, these kids are practicing.”
Kepherd Daniel/Herald photos
Jeff Risener always valued the interactions between younger and older kids, hoping they would remember the experiences and form lasting friendships.
Risener started the camp over 30 years ago, and a clipping from the Herald in 2000 detailed its progress. He recalls the camp’s evolution, including its transition from outdoor to indoor activities.
Each summer, three or four High School or college players serve as coaches.
“I’ve been playing basketball for five years now, and I have the skills, and just teaching younger kids gives me a good feeling,” Louis Saglemeeni, a junior at the high school, said.
Risener said he has grown a lot since he began teaching. In 1998, Vantage PR published a book her wrote, “How to Raise Your Child in the World of Sports,” in which he detailed his core philosophy, which has remained consis-
tent. The only thing that changes for him, he says, is the kids.
“Everything in my book is all about kids having fun playing sports,” Risener said. “One of the joys is watching kids grow up over the years, just like you do when you’re teaching. I want kids to think of this camp, think of me, and think of the coaches as a positive experience.”
As he steps down, he will leave behind a legacy of positive influence on children and community service. He owns the camp, and isn’t sure whether
Managing the camp has been a lot of work, but Risener won’t stay idle in retirement, and may take up writing again. Vantage PR published his book, ‘How to Raise Your Child in the World of Sports,’ in 1998.
the church will continue a basketball program. His advice to any potential future leaders of a new camp? “Put your heart and soul into it.”
“I’m not in it for the money,” Risener said. “I’m in it for serving kids and making sure they have a positive experience.”
By Karen Bloom
Do you enjoy spending time outside to take full advantage of the season? While we transition into fall, there’s no reason to give up on summer’s blossoms just yet. Colors abound and late summer delghts linger on — for a while longer. With your favorite book, a nice container or cup of your favorite (iced) beverage and a gorgeous bunch of flowers on your patio table, you can brighten up your days on your deck, patio or balcony — or even inside — and enjoy it all with a capital E.
Floral décor that lasts
Many (bulb) flowers are still available in all sorts of unbelievable colors and shapes. Of course you could always buy a beautiful ready-made bouquet. But why do that? Create a spectacular summer bouquet yourself with loose flowers, leaves, and branches Display it on your tables — indoors and out — and enjoy the beautiful colors of typical summer bloomers like dahlias, gladioli and lilies.
Be creative with your planters to reflect your style and personality. Start out by choosing a sturdy vase or pot that is suitable for outdoor use. Or go for smaller vases scattered around the table to set a playful atmosphere.
Cut off the bottom of the flower stems diagonally, to help the flowers absorb water better and stay fresh longer. You’ll want to place your vase with flowers in the shade for best results. Regularly water your flowers to keep them fresh. Of course, on warmer days — and we’ll still have some of those remaining — you may need to do this every day. Also, if necessary, use rocks or sand to stabilize the vase and prevent it from toppling in windy weather. Complete the look of your patio table with a few cozy candles, lanterns or other seasonal items.
Thanks to their long flowering period, you can enjoy your florals for weeks or even months. Summer-flowering bulbs often attract pollinating insects as well, and thus contribute to biodiversity in your garden. Remove wilted flowers to extend the flowering period. Some summer bulbs, such as gladioli and dahlias, can be dug up after flowering and stored frost-free. You can then plant them again the following spring.
Certainly, there are so many choices. As you start to think about ideas for next year, that will add to your floral assortment, think beyond the summer bulbs gladioli, dahlias, lilies, and begonias. You might want to check out other unusual bulbous plants such as calla (Zantedeschia), pineapple lilies (Eucomis), freesias (Freesia) or blazing star (Liatris)
If you’ve planted lilies, you’ve got something special to delight your family and friends. If not,
consider doing so. The majestic blooms of lilies create an elegant look, whether on the balcony, terrace, or indoors. The variety of colors, from pure white and creamy yellow to deep red and purple, make them a great match for any style and taste. With their compact growth habit, potted lilies are perfect for use outdoors and indoors.
A bouquet of lilies always looks fabulous. With their rich range of colors, shapes, and fragrances, you’ll have plenty of choices every time, whether for yourself or to give as a gift.
And they move with the seasons. Lilies combine beautifully with seasonal flowers. Try lilies in combination with typical spring bloomers in spring, and with dahlias and gladioli in (late) summer. In fall and winter, for example, a bouquet of lilies with some added branches looks great (and will last a long time). In other words: you can vary endlessly with lilies.
Flowers instantly bring color into your home, but also do so much more. They make people happy. And you will notice this straight away.
The simple act of putting them in the vase will trigger a dose of happy hormones. In fact, flower arranging has been shown to reduce stress. Taking a good look at every single one of the flowers before arranging them in a vase (and don’t forget to smell them!) will get you feeling all Zen.
Keep summer’s colors going as we transition into fall and enjoy the season’s last moments around your home.
Laughs abound on the Landmark stage,The show, based on the playwright’s 10-year whirlwind romance with comedy legend Jackie Mason, featuring a hilarious cast of characters. It begins at a deli in Miami Beach in 1977, where Mason — then a 46-year-old comedian — spots college girl Ginger (played by Jackie and the playwright’s real life daughter Sheba Mason in the Off-Broadway production). Along for the ride is her overbearing mom, Mrs. Olivier, and five more off-beat characters. Soon Jackie is wooing Ginger each winter whenever he’s in South Florida churning up laughs with the South Beach set. The trouble is, he’s also wooing a ravishing young Latina server, and also someone else. Come along and join in on Mason’s romantic misadventures as Broadway stardom emerges and Sheba is born.
Friday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 8, 3 p.m. Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Visit LandmarkOnMainStreet.org for tickets and information, or call (516) 767-6444.
Imagine The Beatles playing in concert with a symphony orchestra. What would that have sounded like? Find out for yourself when Classical Mystery Tour performs, joined by the Massapequa Philharmonic. The four musicians who comprise the CMT band look and sound just like The Beatles, but Classical Mystery Tour is more than just a rock concert. The full show presents some two dozen Beatles tunes sung, played, and performed exactly as they were written. Hear “Penny Lane” with a live trumpet section; experience the beauty of “Yesterday” with an acoustic guitar and string quartet; enjoy the rock/ classical blend on the hard edged “I Am the Walrus.” From early Beatles music on through the solo years, Classical Mystery Tour is the best of The Beatles like you’ve never heard them: totally live.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $35. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. Tickets available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.
Queenmania keeps on rockin’ as Killer Queen returns to the Paramount stage, Thursday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m., with their homage to the beloved band.
Formed in the UK in 1993, Killer Queen played their first public shows at London University, following in the footsteps of the real Queen who had their first shows there 22 years earlier. By 1995 Killer Queen’s UK popularity had grown to such an extent they secured a residency in London’s Strand Theatre attracting nationwide BBC coverage — the first tribute to have a show in the West End. Even though the band never had any connection to Queen officially their reputation continued to grow both in the UK and abroad.
In 1999 they returned from a tour of Europe and Russia for an awards ceremony hosted by Suggs from Madness. He announced they had won the award for “Worldwide Best Tribute Band” Fronted by Patrick Myers as Freddie Mercury, critics have described Myers’ resemblance to Freddie Mercury as “spooky;” his uncanny likeness was further proven when he recorded a #1 hit single singing as Freddie Mercury on Fat Boy Slim’s record “The Real Life.” Their expert musicianship, extraordinary energy, and accurate portrayal of the world’s greatest live band has rightfully earned them the title of Queen Royalty! Thrilling sell-out audiences across the globe the band recreates the high energy, powerful phenomenon that was Queen live. This quality, combined with Myers’ powerful threeand-a-half octave tenor range, expert musicianship and dynamic stage presence, has captivated audiences the world over. $54.50, $44.50, $39.50, $29.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.
Family & Children’s Association, one of Long Island’s largest nonprofit health and human services organizations, with funding made possible through the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will host a free senior H.O.P.E Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Samanea N.Y. mall in Westbury, center court, second floor.
H.O.P.E., which stands for Happiness, Opportunity, Positive, Energy, is geared towards older adults and their families. Attendees can receive information from over 50 vendors on agerelated mental health and substance abuse services.
“It’s no secret that Long Island’s population is aging,” FCA President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds said. “Every year, our senior division helps more than 10,000 seniors improve their quality of life. The H.O.P.E Fair will allow us to share these resources, and so many others, with the greater Long Island community.”
Lisa Stern, FCA’s Assistant Vice President for Senior & Adult Services, added, “We’re thrilled to bring the H.O.P.E Fair to Long Island’s senior population and their families. We couldn’t do this without our valued community partners and are happy to have vendors from diverse backgrounds participating and offering a multitude of help and services to the senior community.
The fair will also feature technology training for seniors in a friendly, relaxed environment, and four educational workshops will be held throughout the day on topics ranging from Medicare to scam prevention, mental health and substance use awareness, as well as caregiver support.
Additionally, any senior who registers prior to the event will receive a free boxed lunch and raffle ticket. Samanea N.Y. is located at 1500 Old Country Rd. in Westbury. Additional details on FCA’s Senior H.O.P.E Fair, including how to register, vendors and workshops, can be found on www.fcali.org or by contacting Kim L. Como at (347) 573-1044
Scan to register!
Hempstead House tour
Sands Point Preserve is the backdrop to explore the elegant Gold Coast home that’s the centerpiece of the estate, Wednesday, Sept. 11, noon-1 p.m.; also Sept. 25. Visit the grand rooms inside the massive 50,000-square-foot Tudor-style mansion, the former summer residence of Gilded Age financier Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim. Tours are limited in size and tend to sell out. Arrive early to purchase tickets. $10. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy.org or call (516) 571-7901.
Explore strategies for navigating the real estate market at a seminar, on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 11 a.m., at Oceanside Library. 56 Atlantic Ave. Registration is preferred for this informative session. Visit oceansidelibrary. com for more information and to register.
A public forum, hosted by the Office of the Receiver of Taxes, is offered, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Oceanside Library. 56 Atlantic Ave. Registration is preferred. Visit oceansidelibrary.com for more information and to register.
Plaza Theatricals continues its tribute series, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2:30 p.m., with “Mirror of Mathis.” Vocalist-impressionist
David Robbins thrills audiences with his 90-minute tribute to Johnny Mathis. His uncanny likeness and vocals that sound just like Mathis will leave you spellbound.
Singing along with Johnny Mathis since he was a youngster, by age 12 he was imitating Mathis and has been doing it ever since, delighting all. He performs at the Elmont Library Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. $40, $35 seniors. Elmont. For tickets, call (516) 599-6870 or visit PlazaTheatrical.com.
San Gennaro Feast
Experience the vibrant San Gennaro Feast, Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 5-8, on Long Beach Road in Island Park. The opening procession will take place at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, with Saturday evening also highly recommended for attendance. This feast is a beloved tradition, offering food, entertainment, and a sense of community spirit.
Garden enthusiasts are invited to the monthly garden club meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. at Oceanside Library. This event is perfect for those looking to share tips and ideas with fellow gardeners. 56 Atlantic Ave. Visit oceansidelibrary.com for more information.
Meet with Leg. Patrick Mullaney during his mobile office hours, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 6-8 p.m., at Oceanside Library. This is an opportunity to discuss community issues and concerns. 56 Atlantic Ave.
Car show
Get revved up, Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., for Island Park Library’s Second Annual Car Show. See a wide collection of new, classic, sports, retro, and muscle cars on display. Sign up to show your ca; space is limited. 176 Long Beach Rd. Visit islandparklibrary.org for more information and to register.
Converse, collaborate and create at Family Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art. The drop-in program returns for a new season, Saturday, Sept. 21, 9, noon-3 p.m. Get inspired by the art and objects in the galleries and then join educators at the Manes Center to explore and discover different materials to create your own original artwork.
Kids and their adult partners connect while talking about and making art together. A new project is featured every week. $20 adult, $10 child. Registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Visit NassauMuseum.org for more information and to register or call (516) 484-9337.
Having
Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for another storybook adventure, Saturday, Sept. 7, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Stroll the gardens and listen to Jen Arena’s “Acorn Was A Little Wild!” Later create a unique take home craft. The stroll starts at the Beech Tree (next to Westbury House), ending at the Thatched Cottage. For ages 3-5. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens.org or contact (516) 333-0048.
Nassau County Museum of Art ‘s latest exhibition
“Seeing Red: Renoir to Warhol,” reveals the many meanings, connotations, and associations of this powerful color in art. Evoking strong emotion, red can represent the human condition. Its myriad variations have come to signify authority as well as love, energy and beauty. Red warns us of peril and commands us to stop, but it can also indicate purity and good fortune. Red boldly represents political movements and religious identities. From the advent of our appreciation for this color in antiquity to its continued prominence in artistic and popular culture, this exhibition will span various world cultures through a range of media.
It features more than 70 artists, both established and emerging, ranging from the classical to the contemporary. American portraitists such as Gilbert Stuart imbued red in their stately paintings of prominent individuals to conjure authority. Robert Motherwell, Ad Reinhardt, and other major abstract painters displayed a deep fascination with red in their commanding compositions that evoke a sense of chromatic power. And, of course, Andy Warhol is known for his bold and imposing silkscreened portrait of Vladimir Lenin saturated in bright red to his signature Campbell’s Soup Cans. On view through Jan. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Art League of Long Island presents “Retrospect - The Individual Art of Collaboration in Reconstructive Surgery.” The exhibit delves into the interplay between personal artistry and collaborative efforts in the context of breast reconstruction, showcasing how the healing process can transcend medicine to become an inspiring narrative of restoration and personal resilience. This unique exhibition explores the intersection of medicine and art through the lens of two accomplished breast reconstruction surgeons, Dr. Ron Israeli and Dr. Jonathan Bank, whose careers and artistic endeavors are deeply intertwined.
The works on display show the multifaceted nature of artistic expression in medicine and surgery. Their work emphasizes the importance of collaborative creativity in the healing process, offering viewers a unique perspective on the emotional and physical aspects of breast reconstruction. On view Sept. 28 through Oct. 18. Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery at Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills. Visit artleagueli.org for more information.
By DANIEL OFFNER doffner@liherald.com
The Mitchel Field commissary in Garden City has been closed since early July with structural damage, leaving some 80,000 veterans on Long Island with no choice but to travel to Fort Hamilton, in Brooklyn, to avail themselves of commissary services.
Commissaries provide veterans, active-duty and retired military personnel — many of whom live on fixed incomes — with a way to shop for groceries at a discount, with savings of up to 30 percent off compared with conventional supermarkets.
Kerry Englander, commander of the Nassau County American Legion, emphasized the challenges created by the sudden closure and the importance of the services the commissary provided.
“The veterans and current military need this facility, especially with the economy the way it is today,” Englander said. “I believe that if the military and veterans are utilizing this facility, it should be opened up.”
Frank Colón Jr., commander of American Legion Post 303 in Rockville Centre, said that by closing the commissary, the Department of Defense has created a major inconvenience for Long Island veterans, many of whom cannot travel to Fort Hamilton.
“It’s a hardship on the veterans. Especially in these times,” Colón told the Herald. “It shouldn’t be like that. You’ve got veterans from Suffolk and Nassau County that go here. You think a guy from Suffolk County is going all the way to Fort Hamilton? It’s a hike.”
John Meyer, of American Legion Post 246 in Baldwin, said he has been using the Mitchel Field commissary for the past 20 years because the “prices are right.”
“It’s one of the few benefits that we get,” Meyer said. “This (facility) is for the veterans, especially the ones
Daniel Offner/Herald
Frank Colón Jr., commander of American Legion Post 303 in Rockville Centre, spoke about the closing of the Mitchel Field commissary and what it means for veterans in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
who are retired and did their time, and come here to get a third off of what they pay outside.”
He explained how at one point, it was restricted to only disabled or recently retired military servicemen and women. However, this has changed in recent years, opening up access to provide services to more veterans on Long Island.
“This is a godsend,” Meyer said. “For most people, this is the ideal place because it’s close to mid-Island. And with this closed, everybody’s got to go to Fort Ham-
ilton. That’s another 27 miles down the road. I used to work in Coney Island for transit. I’m not going down there for nothing.”
Ralph Esposito, director of the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency, noted the impact of the commissary’s sudden closure. “It’s a good place to go,” he said. “It saves vets lots of money. Right now, it’s hurting the veterans.” He also mentioned the increasing demand at the Veterans Food Pantry, known as Vet Mart, which has been in operation near Nassau University Medical Center since 2015.
“Because it’s closed, our numbers are getting bigger,” Esposito said. “I give away food for free, so now they’re all coming to me.”
The Vet Mart feeds about 600 people a month, including veterans and their families. The pantry also relies on volunteers, who deliver food to those unable to get to the offices in East Meadow.
In response to speculation that the facility could remain closed until early 2025, U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, and representatives of Congressman Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota and Tom Suozzi rallied alongside local veterans outside the Garden City facility last week to demand that the Defense Department do everything in its power to expedite the repair and provide a clear-cut timeline for when they expect it to reopen.
“I am demanding that we have the Department of Defense answer our questions immediately,” D’Esposito said. “Leaving our local veteran community in the dark over the future of this commissary is wrong, and we will not stand for it.”
Blakeman added that food insecurity has been a priority of his administration. “Nassau County will work with Long Island Cares and Island Harvest to make sure that we can get food for our veterans,” he said.
The Heritage Club at Bethpage 99 Quaker Meeting House Road Farmingdale, New York
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
STANLEY M. BERGMAN
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD & CEO
HENRY SCHEIN
DISTINGUISHED VISIONARY
STANLEY M. BERGMAN
Chairman of the Board and CEO Henry Schein
ORGANIZATION OF EXCELLENCE
LONG ISLAND SELECT HEALTHCARE
EXCELLENCE IN NURSING ADVOCACY
NEW YORK STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION (NYSNA)
MICHELLE BALLAN, PhD, MSW
Professor and Associate Dean for Research, School of Social Welfare Professor, Renaissance School of Medicine Stony Brook University Health Services
KIMON BEKELIS, MD
Director Stroke and Brain Aneurysm Center of Long Island
JORDAN BRODSKY, MD
Medical Doctor & Rheumatologist Rheumatology Consultants
MICHAEL N. BROWN
CEO
Fellow Health Partners
ALANNA M. CARCICH, MBA
Senior Director, Operations Northwell Health Orthopedics
CATHERINE CANADEO
Founder & CEO
Catherine Canadeo Health & Wellness Corp
ROXANNE CARFORA, DO CEO, Founder & Physician AgelessMD
NICOLE CHRISTENSEN, BCPA
Founder & CEO Award-Winning Patient Advocate & Care Coordinator
Care Answered
TODD J. COHEN, MD Chief of Cardiology, Director of Medical Device Innovation New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
TORI COHEN
Executive Director Long Island Alzheimer's & Dementia Center
CATHY SUE CUTLER, PHD Chair, Isotope Research and Production Brookhaven National Laboratory
CAROLYNN EIPEL
Founder CareFirst Home Solutions
HEIDI FELIX
Vice President of Sales LifeVac
NICK FITTERMAN, MD, MACP, SFHM
Executive Director Huntington Hospital Northwell Health
MARY GMITEREK-APAT, D.C. Chiropractor Dr. Mary's Chiropractic and Wellness Center
DOUG GOLUB
Principal Consultant Data Potato
CAROL GOMES
Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer Stony Brook University Hospital
AARON GROTAS, MD
Board-Certified Urologist PRINE Health
LORI GOODSTONE, DHEd., RN
Professor, Department of Nursing Farmingdale State College
HOWARD GOODMAN, DC Executive Director Long Island Weight Loss Doctor
SPONSORS
RENEE HASTICK-MOTES, MPA
Senior Vice President/ Chief External Affairs Officer
Episcopal Health Services President St. John's ICARE Foundation
ROBYN JOSEPH, DPM, FACFAS, CWSP, PMP
Doctor of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery / Founder & President Northern Ankle Foot Associates
JILL KALMAN, MD
Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, and Deputy Physician-In-Chief
Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
FELICIA KASOW Managing Director PURE Mammography
JENNIFER LAZZARO, AUD. Doctor of Audiology Hearing and Brain Centers of America, Long Island
NANCY C. LEGHART
Executive Director St. John's ICARE Foundation
BRIAN MAYRSOHN, MD CMO & Founder Maywell Health
JOHN MCGUIGAN CEO AHRC Suffolk
PARUL DUA MAKKAR, DDS Owner
PDM Family Dental
DENIS NANKERVIS, DO Trauma Medical Director/Assistant Professor of Surgery at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Peconic Bay Medical Center Northwell Health
LILLIAN PALEY
Vice President of Clinical Services & Recruitment
Silver Lining Homecare Agency
LINA PATINO, DDS
Owner
Aspen Dental - Riverhead
CAROLYN K. QUINN
Executive Director
Cohen Children's Medical Center SVP Pediatrics Northwell Health
MEGAN C. RYAN, ESQ.
Interim CEO & President Chief Legal Officer NHCC Nassau University Medical Center
MICHAEL N. ROSENBLUT President and CEO
Parker Jewish Institute For Rehabilitation & Healthcare
DEAN RISKIN
Co-Founder & CEO
Hair We Share
CAROLYN SANTORA, MS, RN
Chief Nursing Officer & Chief Regulatory Officer Stony Brook University Hospital
MELISSA SCHACHTER, MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Speech Language-Pathologist & Director The Speech Language Place
MARY SILBERSTEIN, LCSW-R
Senior Director of Strategic Alliances and Special Projects
Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services, Inc
LISA STERN, LCSW-R AVP of Senior & Adult Services Family & Children's Association
AMYEE ST. PIERRE
Vice President, Senior Consultant, Health & Performance HUB International
ROUMIANA TZVETKOVA, DMD Owner
Aspen Dental - Deer Park
JOSEPH VERDIRAME
Managing Partner & CEO Alliance Homecare / TrustHouse
*LIST IN FORMATION
September 5, 2024
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU The Bank of New York Mellon FKA The Bank of New York, as Trustee for the Certificateholders of CWMBS, Inc., CHL Mortgage Pass-Through Trust 2004-25, Mortgage Pass Through Certificates, Series 2004-25, Plaintiff AGAINST Viktoriya Shtatlender, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 26, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on September 25, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 31 East Windsor Parkway, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, SECTION: 38, BLOCK: 370, LOT: 564. Approximate amount of judgment $790,701.40 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #613281/2019. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov /Admin/oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832. John Boklak, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-091027-F01 82035 148501
Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on September 24, 2024 at 2:30PM, premises known as 235 Madison Ave, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, at Foxhurst Park, Oceanside, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 54 Block 239 Lot 156. Approximate amount of judgment $490,828.12 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #612438/2022. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Jane Shrenkel, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 22-003408 81860 148489
TO PLACE AND AD CALL 516-569-4000 x 232
LEGAL NOTICE Island Park Union Free School District NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 17th day of September, 2024, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Section 197-5 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “ARTERIAL STOPS” at the following locations:
BETHPAGE COURTNEY LANE (TH 325(B)/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling south bound on Dolores Lane shall come to a full stop.
COLLECTOR LANE (TH 337/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling north bound on Farm Ranch Road East shall come to a full stop.
ELMONT RIDGE ROAD (TH 385/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling east bound on Kirkby Road shall come to a full stop.
MELROSE STREET (TH 420(B)/23) - STOPAll traffic traveling east bound on Bedford Avenue shall come to a full stop.
MELROSE STREET (TH 420(B)/23) - STOPAll traffic traveling west bound on Bedford Avenue shall come to a full stop.
FRANKLIN SQUARE
FENDALE STREET (TH 378/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling west bound on Naple Avenue shall come to a full stop.
shall come to a full stop.
SEAFORD
LAWRENCE ROAD (TH 363/24) - STOP -
All traffic traveling north bound on Jean Place shall come to a full stop.
(NR) VALLEY STREAM
ALDEN AVENUE (TH 386/24) - STOP -
All traffic traveling north bound on Everett Street shall come to a full stop.
ALDEN AVENUE (TH 386/24) - STOP -
All traffic traveling south bound on Henry Street shall come to a full stop. ALL PERSONS
INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.
Dated: September 4, 2024 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD
DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR.
Supervisor
KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 148725
DOX Bar and Kitchen in Island Park hosted the “Duck the Turbines” fundraiser on TAug. 29 organized by Protect Our Coast - LINY. The event featured a lively rubber duck race with significant community participation and was held to raise awareness and funds for POCLINY’s environmental efforts.
The event saw a great turnout, with attendees enjoying live music, luxury raffle items, and a competitive duck race. Prizes were awarded to winners of various heats and the final round. The heat winners, each receiving $50, included East End Cafe’s, Mike Reinhart, Nick De Lernia, and Debbie Stroface.
In the final round, Johanna Sofield took home the grand prize of $1,000, Harold Webb won $250 for second place, and the third place prize of $250 went to the aptly named “Ugly Duckling.”
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU MIDFIRST BANK, Plaintiff AGAINST DONALD SCHREINER, JR.,
MICHELLE RANOLDESCHREINER, ET AL.,
Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered June 25, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Island Park Union Free School District will be holding a public hearing on September 16, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., in the Lincoln Orens Middle School Auditorium, 150 Trafalgar Blvd., Island Park, NY to consider appropriating Four Hundred Twenty Thousand dollars ($420,000) from the District’s General Municipal Law § 6-d Repair Reserve Fund to repair/replace the HVAC system in the Lincoln Orens Middle School Auditorium and the condensate tank at the Lincoln Orens Middle School Boiler Room and the Roof Top Ventilation Unit at the Lincoln Orens Middle School Gymnasium. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Salvatore Carambia, School Business Administrator, at (516) 434-2600. Cindy Pastore District Clerk
Dated: August 27, 2024 148770
FENDALE STREET (TH 378/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling east bound on Naple Avenue shall come to a full stop. (NR) FREEPORT
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Article 9 of the New York State Constitution, the provisions of the Town Law and Municipal Home Rule of the State of New York, both as amended, a public hearing will be held in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, New York, on the 17th day of September, 2024, at 10:30 o’clock in the forenoon of that day to consider the enactment of a local law to amend Chapter 202 of the code of the Town of Hempstead to INCLUDE “REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS” to limit parking at the following locations: (NR) ATLANTIC BEACH
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE (TH 394/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling east bound on Lee Street shall come to a full stop.
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE (TH 394/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling west bound on Leetreet shall come to a full stop.
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE (TH 394/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling east bound on West Pennywood Avenue shall come to a full stop.
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE (TH 394/24) - STOPAll traffic traveling west bound on West
Pennywood Avenue shall come to a full stop.
(NR) ISLAND PARK
TRAFALGAR BOULEVARD (TH 377/24) - STOP -
All traffic traveling south bound on New York Avenue shall come to a full stop.
OCEANSIDE
HAMPTON ROAD (TH 342/24) - STOP -
All traffic traveling south bound on Maple Court
CLAYTON AVENUE (TH 369/24)East SideSection 202-9 NO PARKING JUNE 10 TO SEPTEMBER 10 - starting at a point 10 feet south of he south curbline of Beech Street, then south for a distance of 62 feet.
CLAYTON AVENUE (TH 369/24) East Side- NO PARKING JUNE 10 TO SEPTEMBER 10 -starting at a point 90 feet south of the south curbline of Beech Street, then south to its termination.
EAST MEADO
BELLMORE AVENUE (TH 357/24)West SideSection 202-24 TWO HOUR PARKING 9AM TO 7PM EXCEPT SUNDAYSstarting at a point 354 feet north of the north curbline of Haddon Lane, then north for a distance of 58 feet.
OCEANSIDE
FOXDALE AVENUE (TH 368/24) West SideSection 202-13 NO PARKING 7AM TO 2PM
EXCEPT SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS - starting at a
point 136 feet south of the south curbline of Bedell Street, south for a distance of 45 feet.
HAMPTON ROAD (TH 389/24) East SideNO PARKING BETWEEN 10PM TO 6AM - starting at a point 215 feet south of the south curbline of Daly Boulevard, south for a distance of 733 feet.
(NR) VALLEY STREAM
MILL ROAD (TH 353/24) West Side -
Section 202-18 NO
PARKING 9AM TO 9PMstarting at a point 201 feet north of the north curbline of Cluett Road, then north for a distance of 60 feet.
WEST HEMPSTEAD
OAK STREET (TH 324/24) South SideSection 202-20 NO PARKING 9AM TO 9PMstarting at the east curbline of Morton Avenue, east for a distance of 193 feet.
ALSO, to REPEAL from Chapter 202 “REGULATIONS AND
RESTRICTIONS” to limit parking from the following locations: (NR) ATLANTIC BEACH
CLAYTON AVENUE (TH 23/77) East Side -
Section 202-9 NO
PARKING JUNE 15 TO SEPTEMBER 10 -starting from the south curbline of Beech Street, south to its termination. (Adopted 5/24/77)
WEST HEMPSTEAD
OAK STREET (TH 561/91)
South Side -
Section 202-20 NO PARKING 9AM TO 9PM EXCEPT SUNDAYSstarting at the east curbline of Morton Avenue, east for a distance of 227 feet. (Adopted 9/14/93) ALL PERSONS INTERESTED shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposal at the time and place aforesaid.
Dated: September 4, 2024 Hempstead, New York BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD
POC-LINY, a group focused on protecting Long Island’s coastal waters and communities, organized the event to support its mission of preserving natural habitats and promoting environmental conservation. They are particularly concerned about the potential adverse impacts of offshore wind turbine projects and other large-scale utility developments on Long Island’s environment and community character.
The event not only raised funds but also brought attention to the group’s ongoing efforts to ensure that utility projects are thoroughly scrutinized and that the interests of residents, businesses, and the natural environment are protected.
DONALD X. CLAVIN, JR. Supervisor KATE MURRAY Town Clerk 148723
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR CVI CGS MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST I, Plaintiff, vs. FRANK MORIZIO, JR. A/K/A FRANK MORIZIO, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee’s Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on July 3, 2018 and an Order Extending Sale Deadline and Other Relief duly entered on February 9, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court,
100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on October 9, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 84 Virginia Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Oceanside, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 43, Block 387 and Lot 21. Approximate amount of judgment is $636,601.18 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #007051/2015. Thomas McNamara, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New
Fax your ad to: 516-622-7460
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Assistant Director for Special Education Services
Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools (HWPS) is located on the south shore of Long Island and is consistently ranked as one of the highest performing Districts on both state and national levels. The District educates approximately 2800 Pre-K through 12th grade students across five schools. Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools is dedicated to providing all students with enriching and exciting educational experiences in caring, student-centered environments.
We are seeking an innovative, experienced, and collaborative administrator to provide support and guidance to the District's P-12 special education programs.
Required qualifications: NYSED certification in administration (SDA/SDL).
Preferred qualifications: Minimum eight years' experience as a building level/district administrator; requires extensive knowledge of current special education law, non-public school mandates, and STACs; experience chairing CSE meetings, budget process, and supervision and observation of staff; the ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, staff, and community members.
Interested candidates must apply on OLAS by September 20, 2024 at: www.hewlett-woodmere.net
Completed OLAS application must include: cover letter, resume, and letters of recommendation. Equal Opportunity Employer 1268222
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Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to mhinman@liherald.com
E-mail Finds Under $100 to: sales@liherald.com
DEADLINE: Monday, 11:00 am for all classified ads.
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EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST
Herald Community Newspapers is seeking a motivated and knowledgeable Email Marketing Expert to join our team. If you have a passion for crafting effective email campaigns and a knack for data-driven decision-making, this role is for you!
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Executive Assistant/Legal Secretary
Location: Rockville Centre, NY
Hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Salary Range: $65,000 - $85,000 commensurate with experience, benefits, 3 weeks PTO (combined sick/vacation)
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The individual will also handle a variety of office tasks including physical filing of papers, to e-filing on NYSCEF, printing, copying and organizing records to manage case files, deadlines and to prepare for upcoming trials.
If interested, please send your resume to Kathleen@rosenblumbianco.com ; telephone calls will not be accepted.
Immediate Opening at our Garden City Location DESIRED SKILLS: Electrical * Welding * Carpentry Mechanical * Plumbing Part Time/Fulltime (benefits available with full time) $18-$30 per hour based on experience Richner Communications, Inc 2 Endo Blvd Garden City, NY 11530 Send resume to careers@lixtherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 ext 211
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MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges fromo $16 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
MULTI MEDIA
ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT
Inside Sales
Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $33,280 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286
OFFICE HELP PT: Computer Literate. Answer Phones, Packing, Process Orders. Baldwin Dental Supply Company. 516-783-7800
Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $33,280 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours
Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250
PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS
FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
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Q. We live in an area that was flooded, and have a few items to take care of before we sell. My husband put in a deck when we first moved in, around 1982. It has been there so long, but the real estate people told us it still needs a permit. It’s only 24 inches off the ground. They also mentioned that it’s too close to our back property line, but we’re next to a waterway and have no neighbors behind us. Is that still the same problem? Our fences are new and so are the front steps, which we rebuilt to add planters and a bench. What can you tell us about what we should do before we sell?
A. Take a lovely vacation and relax, enjoy yourself and then prepare for a lot of minutia that will likely delay your ability to sell, unless you negotiate the price down for a buyer who can persuade a lender that they will take over the list of items you mentioned. In situations like this, there are many peripheral issues.
For example, the waterway may be either a local or state jurisdiction that limits how close you can build to a “protected” environment. As if that’s not enough, your municipality is one of the few that has many outstanding requirements that it claims it notified every homeowner about right after Hurricane Sandy. Prepare for the ambush of having to get a “proof of loss statement from the National Flood Insurance Program.”
I have heard time and time again, “Oh, we had no damage,” which is great, since the national clearinghouse that compiles records about every property will prove that. If it turns out that there was a large payout from private insurance or public funding, the NFIP letter will show that more is needed, including recent building plans, a possible plumbing permit, electrical inspection and documents to close out a repair permit — yes, even from over a decade ago.
When I arrive at a home and have to go into detail about how many requirements there are and how strict they’ve become, I always think of our custodian in elementary school. His name was Gus, and I remember his large, round face and how disgusted he was when he was called to a classroom where a child had thrown up lunch from the cafeteria. I identify with Gus, because mopping up these not-so-simple messes, the ones that someone told you were simple, is getting more complicated the longer people wait.
This doesn’t seem to be the case in every jurisdiction, mostly the largest ones. Many decks built long ago don’t meet recent code standards, and there’s no such thing as “grandfathered.” The hours spent explaining these things, and then reexplaining them when a handyperson doesn’t install the correct connectors or takes a shortcut with a required footing support, add up to more cost and animosity. Good luck!
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My love of reading and history began when I was about 16. Enrolled in an Advanced Placement English class at my high school, I was blessed to have an amazing teacher who taught me how to make sense of the things I read, and consequently fostered my love of writing. It was around then that I began to develop an understanding of things I could never relate to, of experiences I could never begin to comprehend.
A book, or rather a memoir, that left a lasting impression on me was “Black Boy,” by Richard Wright, published in 1945. It depicts Wright’s upbringing in the South and his eventual move to Chicago, where he embarks on a writing career and becomes involved with the Communist Party of the United States.
It’s a difficult but impressive read that dives into Wright’s honest and poignant depiction of racism in the U.S. It pulls at your heartstrings as you read about the considerable distress that Wright experienced — physically, men-
tally and emotionally — throughout his early life.
The book was both critically acclaimed and strongly disliked. It has frequently ended up on banned-book lists in schools and libraries in a number of states, with those opposed to it arguing that its raw depiction of racism is worthy of censorship.
An early challenge to the book came in 1972 in Michigan, as parents claimed it was unsuitable for teens. A few years later, it was challenged by schools in Louisiana and Tennessee.
Some subject matter should make us uncomfortable, but that’s OK.
It was one of the books that parents of students at Island Trees High School — right here on Long Island — wanted removed from the school’s library in 1975. They characterized “Black Boy” and 10 other books as “anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy.”
That, of course, eventually led to a landmark case in the Supreme Court, the first of its kind to consider the right to receive information in a library under the First Amendment. The court’s decision in 1982 was split, leaving the scope of the right unclear even today. Across the U.S., there have been more
frequent reports in recent years of books being removed from school shelves, many with content that revolves around race, sexual orientation and gender identity. In Florida alone in 2021 and 2022, school districts instituted 357 bans, according to PEN America, the organization that promotes free expression and protects writers and artists.
As a reader, and a huge supporter of public education, I find the subject of book bans tricky.
I think schools set appropriate standards for what students read throughout the course of their education. The content of books they’re assigned often corresponds well with what they’re learning in history classes, thus fostering a well-rounded understanding of a variety of subjects. By the time most students are in late middle school and high school, their brains are developed enough to understand themes, identify imagery and symbolism, and analyze and evaluate ideas they’ve found in texts. No matter how intense a book’s subject, a student should be able to not only make sense of it, but learn from it.
That’s the magic of reading.
When I think about books like “Black
Boy,” and why they’ve resonated with me all these years later, much of it has to do with comfort. Reading about the atrocities of our past is never easy. Simply put: Some subject matter should make us uncomfortable, but that’s OK. It’s through reading that we learn, and how can we ever learn if censorship runs rampant?
The New York State Legislature has fought book bans, introducing legislation that protects a child’s right to read. There have been no fewer than 13 book bans in four school districts, and the issue has played out in school board meetings and social media, even here on Long Island.
Understanding today’s societal and political landscape is tough, but the foundations of the past can help us make sense of it. As students and young people begin to navigate the complexities of society, it is crucial that their freedom to read, and to be exposed to diverse perspectives, is protected. It is only through understanding our past and confronting uncomfortable truths that we can move toward building a more inclusive, and more informed, future.
Jordan Vallone is a senior editor who writes for the Bellmore, Merrick and East Meadow Heralds. Comments? jvallone@ liherald.com.
I’ve been in the local news business a long time. Not long enough to remember the first handwritten newspaper, distributed in Venice in 1566, or the first printed news sheets, published in Germany in 1605, but I go back.
RANDI KREISS
I can recall cutting and pasting printed stories on boards, each one a page of the paper. If the story didn’t fit, you just cut a paragraph or two from the bottom. Thus the importance of the first sentence or two, known as the lede, and the first three paragraphs, which basically told the story. We used typewriters and yellow paper to write, which my editor would periodically rip up, declaring, “You have no right to desecrate the language of Shakespeare.” She was a stickler. We had no computers — until the morning we came in to work and found that our Smith Coronas had been replaced by Kaypros.
I was hired away from the late South Shore Record, owned by the indomitable Florence Schwartzberg, by Leatrice Spa-
nierman, a brilliant editor and a natural newspaperwoman. Leatrice, who recently celebrated a fabulous birthday, was socially, intellectually and emotionally intertwined with the Herald brand. We turned out big local papers in those days at our Lawrence headquarters.
Our team wrote 10 to 20 local stories every week, and our motto was, “Everything that happens anywhere in the world has a Five Towns angle.” And it was true. If a ship hit an iceberg in Antarctica, for sure there was someone who knew someone on board.
Way too many American towns and cities have lost newspapers in recent years.
Local lowlifes freaked out more if they landed in the Nassau Herald police blotter than if their mug shot had appeared in The New York Times, because their kids might see the paper. We journalists lived and worked in town. Our reporters went to all the village and school board meetings. We covered football games and charity balls. Everything was copy.
This is all to say that local newspapers are essential to a functioning democracy, and I am grateful to have enjoyed this golden age of local journalism. This is also to say that across the country, small papers are closing. As reported on CBS News recently, “Accord-
ing to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by the University of North Carolina, more than 1,400 towns and cities in the U.S. have lost a newspaper over the past 15 years. The loss of a reliable local news source has many consequences for the community. One of them is the inability to watchdog the actions of government agencies and elected officials.”
This is also to say, stay true. Subscribe to and read and advertise in our papers. We need to mind what’s going on in our schools, and to do that we need reporters to monitor the board meetings, and to do that we need to pay them.
The local paper covers everything from potholes to parades. If you want the scoop on former Congressman George Santos, read about it in the Herald. Are you concerned about County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s idea for a kind of armed militia to prepare for emergencies? The ongoing debate over a casino license for the county? These stories need to be covered in our local newspapers, and we need the staff and the readership to support our efforts.
The dailies look at news through a wide-angle lens; our focus is more intense.
The North Shore Coalition Against Substance Abuse’s annual golf outing was in one of our papers last week, and I saw a story out of Freeport about Petros Mestheneas, who was named Firefighter of the Year. And to prove my point about there being a local angle to every story in the world, Boston’s new archbishop is a Valley stream native and a former auxiliary bishop of Rockville Center.
In the Nassau Herald, Melissa Berman wrote the quintessential local news story about a 100-year-old oak tree that was cut down to build a parking lot. It’s a terrific local story, with ties to larger issues of overdevelopment and housing needs vs. parking needs.
In recent Heralds there was coverage of the county’s Jimmy Buffett tribute at Eisenhower Park, the clam-eating contest in Island Park and the Chabad Hebrew School of Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh accepting enrollments for the new school year. There were obituaries of Ana Mercedes Hernandez, Joseph C. Smetana, Robert “Bob” Heggy and Joyce Marino Corso.
The obituaries are the guiding light of local newspapers, reflecting the past of the community and its people, reminding us of the special ties that bind friends and neighbors together.
Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.
“school’s Open — Drive Carefully” has been the annual refrain in a back-to-school safety-awareness campaign that is now nearly 80 years old. But it’s worth repeating every September.
Driving carefully in and around school zones is crucial in the effort to ensure the safety of children, parents and school staff. School zones are areas in which there are likely to be children crossing streets, walking along sidewalks, riding bikes and meandering as only kids do. They are less aware of traffic dangers, and their presence necessitates heightened caution from drivers.
A study by Safe Kids Worldwide found that 25,000 children are injured every year in school zone accidents nationwide. The Transportation Research Board found that vehicles near schools account for 43 percent of all pedestrian accidents involving children ages 5 to 9.
And it’s no surprise that speeding is a significant factor in school-zone accidents. The risk of a pedestrian fatality increases dramatically with vehicle
To the Editor:
In his recent column, “The real war on women in New York,” Assemblyman Brian Curran suggests that “the fate of women’s reproductive health” in New York will not be affected whether or not Prop 1, the New York Equal Rights Amendment, passes in November. Simply put, this is not true, and echoes the same reassurances we heard right before Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Prop 1 is in fact our crucial opportunity to ensure that the fate of reproductive health care is secure in New York. It’s an opportunity we cannot let go to waste.
Prop 1 will guarantee access to reproductive health care — including abortion, birth control, and in vitro fertilization — in the New York Constitution so it is permanently shielded from government interference.
Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, many of us took for granted that our reproductive freedom would always be protected. Since then, reproductive health care like abortion, contraception, and IVF has been under attack across the country. While New Yorkers may assume that we are insulated from these battles, the reality is that the state law covering our reproductive rights can be repealed or changed based on who is in the State Legislature or
speed. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that someone on foot who is struck by a vehicle traveling 25 mph has a 25 percent chance of sustaining serious injury or dying, but that risk increases to 50 percent if the vehicle is traveling just 10 mph faster. School zones commonly have speed limits of 20 mph or less, so adhering to those limits is vital to minimize those risks.
Distracted driving is another major concern near schools. A study by the National Safety Council found that distracted drivers cause one in every four car crashes nationwide. In school zones, texting or talking on a phone or fiddling with dashboard technology can have catastrophic consequences for a child who may suddenly dart into the street or cross without warning.
School zones are most congested during drop-off and pick-up times. According to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, parents driving their children to school account for 25 percent of morning traffic. The volume increases the likelihood of accidents, particu-
larly when drivers are in a rush. Along with potential injuries, there are legal consequences for school-zone scofflaws, starting with hefty fines for speeding in those zones, often doubled or tripled during school hours. And here on Long Island, red-light cameras have been installed at busy intersections near schools, and more buses are being equipped with cameras to catch one of the most potentially dangerous vehicular infractions of all, passing a stopped bus with its red lights flashing — in either direction.
Whether you’ve seen “Schools Open — Drive Carefully” for dozens of years or are a new driver, common sense dictates that following that single instruction is key to helping ensure that children arrive at school safely and return home safely each day, along with the administrators, teachers and other staff to whom we entrust them. Do your part by slowing down and keeping your eyes on the street and the crosswalks — in other words, giving school zones your undivided attention when you’re at the wheel.
the governor’s mansion. That’s why we need to pass Prop 1: to cement our reproductive rights in the State Constitution so they can’t be rolled back by politicians down the line. Further, Prop 1 will close loopholes in the Constitution that could allow government discrimination against people based on their age, disability, ethnicity, whether they are pregnant, or whether they’re LGBT — because those in power shouldn’t be able to take advantage of any New Yorker, especially the most vulnerable among us.
All New Yorkers deserve the freedom to control our own bodies, lives and futures.
Yes, I think we can all agree that New york City’s roads are too crowded, the air is too polluted, and a lot of money is needed to improve mass transit, but the plan to charge commuters $15 to enter Manhattan — on top of the tolls they’re already paying — that was recently put on hold by Gov. Kathy hochul isn’t the way to go. The additional expense wouldn’t affect the rich, but it would clobber the middle class and working poor, who are already overburdened by high taxes.
Proponents say that the plan would push commuters to take the train. Well, have you seen how much train tickets cost these days? From my village of Sea Cliff, a round-trip ticket to Manhattan
is $29. and, of course, that fee doesn’t include parking. and for some folks, like my friend Charlotte abelson, who owned an upholstery business and worked into her 80s, commuting daily into the city, it was not feasible for her to lug her wares onto the Long Island Rail Road. and there are some communities that don’t have train service at all.
H
ow about drastically reducing the price of an LIRR ticket instead of hiking tolls?
The original congestion pricing plan would create a staggering bureaucracy. Since it was announced, more than 130 groups have petitioned to be exempt or to be charged a reduced fare. (If their claims are accepted, who would make up the difference for revenue lost?). Small businesses and broadway producers have testified that the plan would hurt. Companies have declared that they would send their trucks through bronx neighborhoods to avoid paying the new tolls — which I am sure would not delight the people
Prop 1 puts the power to stand up for these freedoms in the voters’ hands.
SaSha ahuja Campaign director, New Yorkers for Equal Rights
To the Editor:
Every time someone writes a column against fossil fuels, such as Lauren Krueger’s “To beat the heat on Long Island, we must fight fossil fuels,” I cannot believe what I’m reading. It’s total nonsense! Nothing that the united States does will impact climate change, global warming or whatever else you want to call it, and “beat the heat on Long Island.” Nothing!
a ccording to Google, as of November 2023, the top five countries, by percentage of carbon emissions, were: China, 30.9 percent; the u.S., 13.5 percent; India, 7.9 percent; Russia, 4.7 percent; and j apan, 2.9 percent. China and India are responsible for almost three times the carbon emissions of the u.S. In addition, China continues to put new coal-fired electric generating plants online. China is laughing at us!
China gets nearly 60 percent of its electricity from coal, the u.S., 16 percent. If the u.S. gets rid of fossil fuels for our cars and electrical generation facilities, it will have a very limited effect, or no effect, on beating the heat on Long Island. a ll it will do is drain our wallets and pocketbooks, and make some people feel good. “Look at me! I’m saving the environment!”
RobERT KRaLICK Glen Head
living there. but there is a solution: Instead of the original congestion pricing plan, let’s severely cut the price of a train ticket. I can testify from personal experience how this would be a success. I’ve always loved Manhattan, but the cost to go into the city became too prohibitive, so I limited my jaunts to special occasions.
but then, three years ago, I turned 65. While I wasn’t ecstatic about becoming a senior citizen, it did have a nice benefit: half-price tickets on the LIRR! So my old $29 ticket is now $14.50 — still a tad high, but much better. I go in to Manhattan at least once a week now. and I’m helping the city’s economy: I see a show, I eat in a restaurant, I attend concerts and book signings. Indeed, since I’m going in more often than I did before, I’m adding more money to help rebuild mass transit.
To the Editor:
Nothing raises this veteran’s ire more than candidates who demean veterans, and by extension, those on active duty. on aug. 8, the Republican vice presidential nominee, j.D. Vance, accused Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz — with little evidence — of “stolen valor,” saying he lied about seeing combat “in war.” Then Vance drew a comparison between his four years of service, during which he was a combat correspondent in the Marine Corps, and Walz’s 24 years of service, during which he achieved the highest enlisted rank in the a rmy National Guard.
Neither Walz nor Vance has seen, as Vance says, “any real fighting.” In either case, their choice to serve was commendable and should not be a topic of criticism. The underlying issue is the one that deserves every patriot’s attention: the disdain for those in uniform by the draft dodger at Mar-a-Lago.
There is well-cited evidence of former President Donald Trump demeaning veterans, including remarks made about the sacred grounds of u.S. military cemeteries in Normandy, France, and arlington, Virginia. he categorizes us as suckers and losers. he is the last person this apolitical veteran would choose to be commander in chief of our armed forces.
WILLIaM (CoTy) KELLER Freeport
and it seems that Governor hochul likes my plan — though she might not realize it. Traffic around Kennedy airport has gotten worse because of construction going on, so hochul has cut the price of an airTrain ticket in half, from $8.50 to $4.25, as a way to induce travelers to leave their vehicles at home and reduce the traffic around the airport. and it’s working. Way to go, Governor!
So let’s extend this idea to the railroad: Dramatically cut the price of an LIRR ticket. Commuters would leave their cars at home, traffic entering the city would be reduced, air pollution would decrease, and there would be lots of revenue to improve mass transit. a win-win for everyone.
Saul Schachter is a retired social studies teacher and freelance writer whose essays have appeared in Newsday, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Miami Herald as well as in a 2020 collection entitled, “Why Does My Social Life Pick Up When I Leave the Country?”
William Keller is a 21-year Navy veteran who served in Vietnam and on six ships, two of which he commanded. He was also a professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Comments
