Massapequa Herald 02_26_2025 by Richner Communications, Inc

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Also serving Farmingdale, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge

TOBAY celebrates its Black history

By LUKE FEENEY

lfeeney@liherald.com

Oyster Bay residents and elected officials celebrated Black History Month recently at a town-hosted celebration of extraordinary African Americans in Oyster Bay and Nassau County.

Town Supervisor Joe Saladino welcomed other local elected leaders, educators, community leaders and residents. The event began with a performance by the Black Voices of Nassau County, who sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning.”

Saladino said that supporting and remembering Black history is integral to celebrating broader American history, describing it as part of the “mosaic” of the past. “We all want to remind everyone that black history is American history,” he said. “Democracy is something very important to us. Advocacy has one direction: forward.”

during his stint in the Marines, and went on to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the United Nations and Australia, as well as director general of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Corps. Saladino described Perkins as a man who operated with his heart and his mind.

W e have survived the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, racism, sexism, hatred, poverty, lynchings, world wars, to name a few, but we’re holding on to the promise of America.

ANISSA MOORE

Deputy County Executive

Saladino retold the story of Edward Perkins, who shared a tent with Saladino’s father

Deputy County Executive

Anissa Moore traced the history of black people on Long Island. “We have survived the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, racism, sexism, hatred, poverty, lynchings, world wars, to name a few,” she said, “but we’re holding on to the promise of America.”

Africans arrived in New York as early as 1626, she said, and the first slaves were brought to Long Island around 1654. Moore traced the roots of Black history through a number of Long Island communities. By 1840, the Long Island Rail Road had been built through the town of Westbury.

As the number of Black families grew over time, she said, “they began to develop their own stores, and they created a whole village around the railroad of Black-owned stores.”

Robert Schilling to retire from Massapequa schools after 25-plus year career

By MIKE POLANSKY Correspondent

Robert Schilling, an assistant superintendent in the Massapequa School District and a longtime educator in the town, has announced he will retire on Aug. 15, 2025.

Schilling’s ties to Massapequa schools date back to his childhood: he attended Carman Road School, East Lake School for 6th grade, McKenna School for junior high, and graduated from Berner High School as a “Berner Bison” in 1985. He went on to teach at Grace Episcopal Church School and Carman Road.

“Every one of my professional jobs has been in this zip code,” Schilling said with a laugh.

“Massapequa is a cult, it sucks you back in, and there’s a charm to that. I love this town.”

After earning a degree in Physical Education from SUNY Cortland in 1989, Schilling returned to Massapequa, to teach physical education at Grace Episcopal.

After obtaining a master’s degree in Special Education from SUNY Stony Brook, he became too a special education teacher at Carman Road in 1991, which by then was a BOCES school.

He recalled, “I couldn’t turn down a public-school job. I was making $14,000 as a private school teacher versus $30,000 as a publicschool teacher.”

Schilling spent eight years teaching special education at Car-

man Road before pursuing his administrative degree at SUNY Stony Brook in 1998. He then joined the Massapequa School District as an administrative assistant in 1999, working under Assistant Superintendent Charlie Sulc. Schilling moved on to roles as Executive Director of Human Resources, Executive Director of Instructional Technology and Technology Services, and in 2016, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and General Administration, a position he has held ever since.

Schilling and his wife, Donna, have two sons: Ryan, 29, who works in technology for the Patchogue-Medford School District, and Austin, 27, a teacher in the

Luke Feeney/Herald

Runnie Myles, Michelle Crosley, Deputy County Executive Anissa Moore and Minority Affairs Executive Director Lionel Chitty joined in song at the Town of Oyster Bay’s Black History Month celebration.

Robert Schilling

HERALD Massapequa

pOsT

Also serving Farmingdale, Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Plainedge

FSD holds music concert Page 10

Obituary: Sister Shamus Dwyer Page 9

TOBAY celebrates its Black history

By LUKE FEENEY

lfeeney@liherald.com

Oyster Bay residents and elected officials celebrated Black History Month recently at a town-hosted celebration of extraordinary African Americans in Oyster Bay and Nassau County.

Wduring his stint in the Marines, and went on to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the United Nations and Australia, as well as director general of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Corps. Saladino described Perkins as a man who operated with his heart and his mind.

e have survived the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, racism, sexism, hatred, poverty, lynchings, world wars, to name a few, but we’re holding on to the promise of America.

ANISSA MOORE Deputy County Executive

Saladino retold the story of Edward Perkins, who shared a tent with Saladino’s father

Deputy County Executive

As the number of Black families grew over time, she said, “they began to develop their own stores, and they created a whole village around the railroad of Black-owned stores.”

Amity girl places at Colgate games

Page 3

Robert Schilling to retire from Massapequa schools after 25-plus year career

By MIKE POLANSKY Correspondent

Robert Schilling, an assistant superintendent in the Massapequa School District and a longtime educator in the town, has announced he will retire on Aug. 15, 2025.

“Every one of my professional jobs has been in this zip code,” Schilling said with a laugh. “Massapequa is a cult, it sucks you back in, and there’s a charm to that. I love this town.”

After earning a degree in Physical Education from SUNY Cortland in 1989, Schilling returned to Massapequa, to teach physical education at Grace Episcopal. After obtaining a master’s degree in Special Education from SUNY Stony Brook, he became too a special education teacher at Carman Road in 1991, which by then was a BOCES school.

He recalled, “I couldn’t turn down a public-school job. I was making $14,000 as a private school teacher versus $30,000 as a publicschool teacher.”

Schilling spent eight years teaching special education at Car-

Schilling and his wife, Donna, have two sons: Ryan, 29, who works in technology for the Patchogue-Medford School District, and Austin, 27, a teacher in the

Luke Feeney/Herald

Robert Schilling

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27

•The Long Island Dahlia Society: 9 a.m., Bayard Cutting Arboretum, 440 Montauk Highway, Great River. All are welcome. Come and learn how to care for your dahlias. Tubers will be available for sale starting in April. For more information, call (631)-972-8829 (leave message) or visit longislanddahlia.org

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28

•Simpson United Methodist Church Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 Locust Ave., Amityville. For more information, call (631)-789-2569

SATURDAY, MARCH 1

• The Long Island Dahlia Society: 9 a.m., Bayard Cutting Arboretum, 440 Montauk Highway., Great River. All are welcome. Come and learn how to care for your dahlias. Tubers will be available for sale starting in April. For more information call (631)-972-8829 (leave message) or visit longislanddahlia.org

TUESDAY, MARCH 4

•Emotional Health Recovery and Support Group: 7:30 to 9 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9592, 55 Hickory Lane, Levittown. Free weekly, in-person meeting of Emotions Anonymous, a 12step support group for anyone experiencing emotional difficulties. For more information, call Steve at (631)-332-0552 or Jill at (516)-220-7808. All calls are confidential.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5

•Town of Oyster Bay Board of Ethics Meeting: 4 p.m., Town Board Hearing Room, Town Hall, 54 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay. For more information, call (516) 624-6860.

• In-depth coverage of local schools

• Award-winning sports coverage

• Things to do and places to go

• The best in local shopping and dining

• Coverage of local government

• News about your PTAs, houses of worship, clubs, fraternal organizations & more.

SUNDAY, MARCH 2

•Simpson United Methodist Church Thrift Shop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 Locust Ave., Amityville. For more information, call (631)-789-2569.

MONDAY, MARCH 3

•Massapequa Fire District Work Session: 7:30 p.m., District Administration Building, 1 Brooklyn Ave., Massapequa. For more information, call (516) 798-9849.

• Emotional Health Recovery and Support Group: 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free weekly, virtual meeting of Emotions Anonymous, a 12-step support group for anyone experiencing emotional difficulties. For more information, call Steve at (631)-3320552 or Jill at (516)-220-7808. All calls are confidential.

Calendar items are printed for non-profit organizations, as space permits, or when an event, service or information is being sponsored by a profit-making organization without charge to readers. Submit items to us at Richner Communications, attn: Post Editor, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530; or email: dconsola@liherald.com at least two - three weeks prior to the publication date in which the item must appear. Sorry, but open-ended requests without the specific dates of the events are not acceptable. While we make every attempt to accommodate each request, we cannot guarantee publication of any items. For more information, call 516-569-4000.

Artists invited to TOBAY Art in the Park May 17

Town of Oyster Bay officials are inviting local artists and artisans to participate in a special day of creativity and community at Art in the Park.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 17, at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park & Beach in Oyster Bay, offering a special platform for talented individuals to display and sell their handcrafted creations. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 9.

“Art in the Park provides an incredible opportunity for local artists and artisans to showcase their best work, connect with the community, and gain recognition,” said Councilman Tom Hand. “Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your creativity and be part of a vibrant community event.”

Artists and artisans must be 18 years or older and can only display and

sell original, handcrafted pieces. Commercial or mass-produced items will not be permitted. Participants are responsible for supplying their own 10x10 canopy and any additional equipment needed for their space. Full details, including associated costs, are outlined in the application available online.

Organized by the Town’s Department of Community & Youth Services, Cultural and Performing Arts Division, Art in the Park celebrates a diverse range of handcrafted works, including ceramics, watercolors, glass, jewelry, wood, leather, sculptures, and more.

To apply, visit the Town’s website at www.oysterbaytown.com/capa or contact the Cultural and Performing Arts Division at (516) 797-7932 for more information.

WI Class of ‘75 holding reunion

The West Islip High School Class of 1975 is holding a class reunion July 19, 2025 at Captain Bill’s restaurant in Bay Shore. For details, visit/join the organization’s Facebook page: West Islip High School Class of 1975 Or call 516-456-3207 and leave a message.

Amityville’s Devaneice Johnson, 8, stays well on track at finals for prestigious Colgate Women’s Games

By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD cbabirad@liherald.com

At just 8 years old, Devaneice Johnson of Amityville placed 6th in the Girls Elementary A 55-meter Finals at the Colgate Women’s Games this month, competing at the Armory in New York City.

Devaneice, described by her coach, Ella Williams at Metropolis Long Island Track Club as a “firecracker” with impressive discipline, earned her spot in the finals after a strong performance in the preliminary rounds.

Devaneice has her own take on her talent. “I love running because I’m fast and I’m strong,” she said.

The Colgate Women’s Games is the nation’s largest amateur track and field series. Participants compete in a series of preliminary events for a chance to qualify for the finals.

Devaneice is the daughter of David and Anastasha Johnson and is a third grader at Park Avenue Elementary School in Amityville, where she says math is her favorite subject. Her father said Devaneice looks up to past track stars and dreams of pursuing a career in track and field.

Williams, who typically trains high school athletes, praised Devaneice’s undeniable talent. “She can run with the best of them,” Williams said. “She did that in the finals while sick and didn’t complain at all.”

More than 2,000 athletes competed for a spot in the finals.

Williams is excited to continue training Devaneice and hopes to secure an indoor track facility for winter training in Suffolk County.

“She’s the youngest and fastest athlete I’ve ever had, and she’s so personable,” Williams said. “She’s going to be the next Long Island star.”

For more information on the Colgate Women’s Games, go online to: colgatewomensgames.com.

CRIME WATCH

The following incidents have been reported by the Nassau County Police Department and other law enforcement and emergency services units.

3 CHARGED IN DRUG SALES AT 3 STORES

Massapequa: The Nassau County Police Department’s Narcotics/Vice Squad charged three men with criminal sale of a controlled substance on Thurs., Feb. 13.

According to detectives, an investigation revealed that cannabis and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were sold by the suspects, who were arrested at three locations:

•Mohammed Abdo Hamo Al Rawhani, 31, of 357 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn, was arrested at Convenience Plus, 939 N. Broadway, Massapequa. Police recovered 15 packages containing a greenishbrown leafy substance believed to be cannabis, 13 packages believed to contain THC, and U.S. currency.

•Mohamed Gamil Hassan, 27, of 336 W. 49th St., Manhattan, was arrested at Farmer in the Deli Smoke Shop, 145 Merrick Ave., Merrick. Police recovered

4 packages of a greenish-brown leafy substance believed to be cannabis, 27 packages of suspected THC, 417 assorted illegal flavored vape products, and U.S. currency.

•Nagmedeen R. Hassan, 27, of 53 Arlington Ave., Valley Stream, was arrested at The Koughty Shop Inc., 2740 Grand Ave., Bellmore.

Police recovered cash at each location. Police are continuing their investigation but declined to comment on whether any charges are being levied against the store owners.

PETIT LARCENY

Massapequa: An unknown male walked into the Vitamin Shoppe at 1050 Sunrise Hwy., Feb. 6, at approximately 1 p.m. and removed an assortment of items, leaving the store with the merchandise without paying for it.

ARRESTS

Driving While Intoxicated/Impaired: James L. Marolda, 26, of Massapequa; Christopher Molloy, 39 of Massapequa; Melissa Rosen, 42 of Farmingdale.

Petit Larceny: Susan Impellizzieri, 53 of Massapequa.

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

a much-needed rest after

Grace Church rector will serve on committee overseeing election of new Episcopal bishop

Rev. Dr. Walter V. Hillebrand, rector of Grace Church of Massapequa, has been selected to serve on the Long Island Episcopal Diocese Joint Oversight Committee.

The committee was formed as part of the search for the Ninth Bishop of Long Island and consists of eight members—four elected from the Standing Committee and four elected from the Diocesan Council.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to be part of this oversight committee and to be able to facilitate, and, of course, help, with the selection of a new bishop who will hopefully lead through the next decade or so,” said Hillebrand. “It is an honor to have been chosen.”

The new committee members were chosen by the membership of their respective bodies.

The Joint Oversight Committee will oversee the election process and help establish a Search/Nominating Committee with guidance from consultants at the Presiding Bishop’s Office.

Photos Courtesy/Ella Williams

Devaneice takes

her performance

Photo Courtesy/ Metropolis Long Island Track Club Devaneice Johnson shows off her trophy.

Very Rev. Dr. Walter V. Hillebrand

Robert Schilling to retire from Massapequa Schools

Watertown School District.

Schilling cited the district’s one-toone Chromebook initiative as his greatest accomplishment. “We put together a network with fiber optics fast enough to manage 25 Chromebooks running at once in a single room,” he said. “The kids aren’t thinking about their Chromebooks, they’re just thinking about what they’re doing with them.” He added that Massapequa was one of the first five districts on Long Island to implement a full-scale one-to-one Chromebook program.

He also takes pride in his success in contract negotiations with various school unions, including the nurses, cafeteria workers, clerical units, and the Massapequa Federation of Teachers. “It’s important to work out agreements where both sides feel treated fairly, while also ensuring the district’s sustainability,” he said.

He praised the district’s administrative team, noting, “We all bring our strengths to the table and do our best to mesh.” He also credited Superintendent Bill Brennan for being able to identify and leverage the strengths of his cabinet.

Brennan, in turn, credited Schilling with having “more institutional knowledge than the whole place combined.”

Schilling also spoke highly of the current Board of Education. “They keep us focused, ask tough questions, and trust, but verify. They don’t compromise their principles,” he said.

Ryan Ruf, assistant superintendent for business and operations said this about Schilling: “Mr. Schilling’s work within the Massapequa School District has undoubtedly played a vital role in shaping the educational experience for thousands of our students. As the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources he has recommended hundreds of new hires that has helped create a terrific learning environment for our students Bob has always demonstrated a strong commitment to the Massapequa School District throughout his career.” In retirement, Schilling

plans to stay involved with the human resources community on Long Island and potentially teach administrative courses at SUNY Stony Brook. However, he joked about his passion for bikes, saying he’d be content working in a bike shop. “I’d love nothing more than to work for minimum wage, just pulling bikes apart and putting them together.”He thanked those who had a positive influence on his career and his life, including Charlie Sulc, Larry Pereira and Lucille Iconis. “I’ve been blessed with tremendous mentors who helped me grow, and I like to think I’ve mentored a few new HR people along the way,” he said.

TOBAY celebrates its Black history

CONTINUED FROM COVER

She also highlighted David Carll, a Civil War veteran who was a leader in Oyster Bay’s Black community in the late 1800s.

“Our story is still hidden within Long Island history,” Moore added, “so when they ask you, tell them that we were here, and we’re still here, in the greatest country in the world.”

Denice Evans-Sheppard, executive director of the Oyster Bay Historical Society, followed Moore, and noted that according to the first U.S. census, Long Island’s population was 17 percent Black. During the time of slavery, she said, Oyster Bay was one of the more progressive areas in the country.

Lionel Chitty, executive director of Nassau County’s Office of Minority Affairs, paid tribute to Westbury village Trustee William Wise, who died last September. Chitty praised him as a mentor, and a visionary who was instrumental in planning Westbury’s development and architecture.

After Chitty spoke, Claire Bellerjeau, author of “Remember Liss” — a work of nonfiction told from the point of view of an enslaved Black woman seeking personal liberty in a country fighting for its own — shared the story of the title character.

Liss lived in Oyster Bay at the time of the country’s founding, where she was enslaved by the Townsend family. In 1778,

three years after the Revolutionary War began, Bellerjeau said, the Townsend home became the headquarters of a British commander and early abolitionist named Colonel John Graves Simcoe. Simcoe helped Liss escape in 1779, but she was enslaved again in New York City by another British officer.

Rumor has it that Liss may have been a part of the Culper Spy Ring, which was assembled in 1778 by Major Benjamin Tallmadge of the Continental Army at the request of General George Washington. One of its lead spies was Robert Townsend, a member of the family that had enslaved Liss.

The espionage network operated on Long Island and in New York City during the war. Codes and aliases were used to conceal the identities of the members. During the war, Liss had contact with Robert Townsend, who used invisible ink and spy codes to send intelligence reports to Washington.

After Bellerjeau took questions from the audience, the event ended with a poem written by Anthony Townsend, a descendent of the Townsend family. He wrote, “Miss Liss I tip my hat/ soothe, my soul,/ proud to know you, /never to young never to old /a Townsend forever/ imagine it all, /greeting Miss Liss/ as the Sun rise and fall, /remember a story told.”

Divine Beauty, women’s spiritual retreat, planned at Meditation Center on March 15

Science of Spirituality will be hosting a Women’s Retreat on Saturday, March 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Learn how to face life’s challenges by finding your center of inner strength, peace and love through meditation. The program will include a complimentary vegetarian lunch. Come for discussion, sisterhood, meditation and friendship.

Featured workshops include Meditation, Beautify Your Life with Emo -

tional Wellness with Ekta Kohli Portillo, LCSW; Yoga for Health and Inner Harmony with Ferlaisa Gomez, ALM, RYT; and Vegan Bites for One or More with Rosanna Jimenez, CHHC. To register, email infotristate@sos. org For more information, call (631) 8227979.

Science of Spirituality Meditation Center is located at 79 County Line Road, Amityville.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade route changes

The Massapequa Chamber of Commerce is hosting an St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sat., March 15. The Nassau County Police Department has recommended that the parade route be changed. The parade route for the inaugural event is now as follows: It will head south on Broadway in Massapequa from Jerusalem Avenue to Veterans Boule-

vard. The Nassau County Police has advised all those marching in the parade to arrive at 10 a.m. The parade will kick off 11 a.m., sharp. The Showmobile will be located at Pennsylvania Avenue and Broadway.

If you are planning to march in the parade, register online at: https://shorturl.at/ ZKApZ.

Taste of Massapequa, Thursday, April 24

The Massapequa Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Taste of Massapequa on Thursday, April 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Wren Kitchen

The event will feature over 30 restaurants with samples and is $30 per person. Taste of Massapequa will in -

clude raffles, music, games and refreshments.

To register, visit massapequachamber.org.

For more information, call (516) 5411443 or email massapequachamber@ gmail.com

Robert Schilling and wife Donna

HERALD SPORTS

‘Pequa’s Tiringer, Kennedy’s Chugerman rise

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

Of the 26 finalists in last Sunday’s Nassau County Division 1 Wrestling Championships, sophomores Kai Tiringer of Massapequa and Harlan Chugerman of Bellmore-JFK were two of the biggest surprises to battle under the spotlight at Hofstra University.

Tiringer, the No. 8 seed, defeated sixth-seeded Chugerman, 13-6, in a Cinderella 138-pound title match. Both advance to the state championships Feb. 28 and March 1 at MVP Arena in Albany.

“Kai has unbelievable hips and is one of the most athletic kids I’ve ever coached in 25 years,” Massapequa coach Mike McCann said. “It was a wide-open bracket and he could care less where he was seeded. He’s been a star all season.”

Tiringer, who last season came within one win of earning All-County, turned the bracket upside down last Saturday when he advanced past top-seeded

Matthew Lichter of MacArthur due to injury default a little over three minutes into their quarterfinal matchup.

Tiringer had two pins leading up to the quarterfinals and kept his momentum going Sunday morning in the semis with a 12-4 major decision over East Meadow’s Matthew Motamedian, the No. 13 seed who made a similar run to the second day of the tournament.

Chugerman beat another darkhorse, Farmingdale’s Cole Riddiough, the No. 7 seed, in thrilling fashion in the semis taking a 12-11 decision. Riddiough pinned second-seeded Luke Armendariz of Manhasset in the quarterfinals.

“Harlan was losing 11-2 in the quarters and won and was down 7-0 in the semis and won,” Kennedy coach Brian DeGaetano said. “He has a short memory and does a lot of things to give opponents fits. He has a second gear of no other. He’s never out of a match no matter the score.”

Joining Chugerman in Albany for

the Cougars will be freshman Peter Mikedis, who took second at 152 with his lone defeat of the tournament coming to Farmingdale standout Eric Wolf in the final. Seeded third, Mikedis had four wins, including a pin of Clarke’s Sebastian Mejia in the semis.

“We were hoping our guys would do well, but Harlan and Peter both had outstanding tournaments,” DeGaetano said. “The thing about both of these kids is they wrestle the full six minutes. Peter is a very experienced wrestler who had the match of his life in the semifinals.”

Another freshman, Jason Brodack, earned All-County honors by finishing fourth at 101 pounds. He went 5-2 on the weekend with both defeats coming to Long Beach’s Casey Powers. Senior Vasilios Katranis was also All-County, placing fourth at 138.

“With the exception of Vasilios, we’ll have the whole starting lineup back next season,” DeGaetano said.

Freeport stifles Farmingdale to advance

By BRIAN KACHARABA sports@liherald.com

Freeport’s tenacious defense proved to be too much for Farmingdale to handle.

Madison Harris scored a game-high 15 points and fellow sophomore Sabrina Ligonde added eight as third-seeded Freeport advanced to the semifinals of the Nassau Class AAA girls’ basketball tournament with a convincing 53-27 victory over No. 6 Farmingdale Feb. 19.

Junior Madison Starks added seven points and junior Shaniyah Bonny chipped in six for the Red Devils (17-4), who will face second-seeded Syosset in the semifinals at Farmingdale State College on March 1. The Braves beat Freeport 53-30 on Dec. 9.

“We were really focusing on shutting them down defensively because their defense is really good and we weren’t sure how much we would be able to score,”

Freeport head coach Meredith Jones said. “Our defense led to our offense.”

Freshman Izzy Aristy had all six Daler points in the first half and 10 of their 17 through three quarters before finishing with 12. Kaitlyn Quinn had six in her final varsity game for Farmingdale (10-8), which has lost four straight postseason games.

Freeport had the only two field goals in the first quarter on Harris’ basket from down low that opened the scoring and Bonny’s 3-pointer that made it 7-2 with 1:36 left.

The Dalers were constantly harassed by the Red Devils’ double-teaming and missed all four of their attempts from the field while committing four traveling violations that resulted in a 9-4 deficit through the first eight minutes.

“We knew that coming in here was going to be a struggle,” Farmingdale head coach Dave Stein said. “They’re a very good defensive team. They force you to play at a speed that we’re not comfortable

playing in, so we knew that was going to be the challenge going in.”

The Red Devils started to pull away by outscoring Farmingdale 16-2 in the second quarter. Ligonde converted a nice pass from Ja’Niyah Eady with 4:54 left and Harris added a three-point play and a conversion off an inbound pass to push Freeport’s advantage to 12 with 3:15 left.

Aristy’s jumper from the right side with 2:33 remaining was the first and only Daler field goal of the first half, but Freeport recorded the last nine points in the second that made it 25-6.

“We chilled out with the fouling,” Harris said. “We calmed down and then just filled in the spots. It was the group. When we started seeing each other, that’s when it started going in.”

“Any time you come in here, we always joke around that the first team to 20 is going to win because we’re both pretty good defensive teams,” Stein said.

Derrick Dingle/Herald

Ruby Seaman and the Dalers came up short Feb. 19 in a Class AAA quarterfinal, falling to No. 3 seed Freeport.

Paul Grassini/Herald Massapequa’s Kai Tiringer and Kennedy’s Harlan Chugerman made impressive runs to the 138-pound county title bout.

“The

Revival Program qualified

—George Karatzas, James Cress Florist, Smithtown

Unoccupied business spaces are an opportunity to help bring vitality to downtown areas. For George Karatzas, owner of James Cress Florist, staying downtown was a priority, but costs were prohibitive. Then George applied for our Vacant Space Revival Program, which has provided $2,462 in bill credits to help offset his overhead.* And Smithtown continues to have a business that brings warmth and charm to the area. It’s a beautiful thing to see come together—just like George’s floral arrangements.

*Incentives, grants, and savings will vary with every project. psegliny.com/businessfirst

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

Feldman leads a JCC that’s all about community

By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com

First in a month-long series of interviews with influential area women in honor of Women’s History Month. Stacey Feldman is the executive director of the Marion and Aaran Gural JCC.

Herald: Tell me about yourself.

Stacey Feldman: When I was in college, I studied advertising and marketing and after being on a trip to Israel I realized that I wanted to work for the Jewish community. I loved trying to understand what made people buy a brand or why a certain color was successful, product placement, all of that really interests me and then after being in Israel, I realized that the Jewish community needed me more. I wanted to sell being an active member of the Jewish community. I’m doing this since 1990, I started working part-time teaching Hebrew school and from there I moved to New York and became the Teen Director at the Mid-Island Y JCC, worked for Hadassah and Young Judea and then was blessed to have worked for UJA Federation. From UJA is how I ended up working in the Five Towns and ultimately becoming the Executive Director here

at the Gural JCC, in 2023. I love building the community and bringing them together, there are so many types of people and they all come together under one roof.

Herald: What do you do? Why?

Feldman: We have four sites that serve this wonderful community. Everyone knows that we’re the little blue house on Grove Avenue that helps people. In 2017, we purchased Temple Israel, Lawrence so that is what we refer to as the Harrison-Kerr Family Campus. That’s the site where we have the senior center and we operate the largest early childhood center in the community with about 350 kids and a staff of almost 90. In the summer of 2023, in partnership with the Leon Mayer Fund took over the operation of the Mark Ramer Chesed Center, in Hewlett. That is a 3,500 square foot facility of new goods so that a family in need can get linens, new clothing, new house wares and appliances. Our fourth site is the S.H.O.P, in Cedarhurst (Sustenance Hope Opportunities Place) and that is

where we operate the largest kosher food pantry on Long Island, serving over 800 families. We offer a variety of social work support services from that location sand the whole agency.

Herald: What has challenged you in your career so far, and what keeps you going and inspires you?

Feldman: What challenges me currently is never wanting to say no, but for financial reasons sometimes we have to say no. What I grapple with is wanting to serve more and more people on what is a non-profit budget. What keeps me going is the ability now to build a full-service Jewish community center in this area. We’ve been working out of the site on Grove for almost 42 years and it’s exciting to address all of the needs in the community for recreation, socialization, a pool and serving all members of the community.

Herald: What have been the proudest moments in your life?

Feldman: I’m very proud of my fami-

ly, and having a son who just graduated college a year ago, a daughter that just entered college and having a loving and supporting husband. My family gives me the support that I need to work long nights and hours, so without the support from them I wouldn’t be able to do this work. I think our proudest moment professionally is finally working in partnership with Nassau County to find a location so that we can really expand services. We are very excited to build a whole new center that the community can participate in.

Herald: What advice do you have for others? What work is left to be done?

Feldman: My advice to anybody is to follow your passion, work is not work is you are passionate about it. You will enjoy coming to work everyday is you enjoy the work. Whether it’s on a volunteer level, if you can’t do professionally what you’re passionate about then find time to give back and get involved in a non-profit you enjoy. There is always work to be done, as women we’re nurturing and we’re caring, empathetic, we don’t want to leave any stone unturned so we’re always looking for new opportunities.

Ellis leads the fight for LGBTQ representation

By ROKSANA AMID ramid@liherald.com

For over a decade, Long Island native Sarah Kate Ellis has led GLAAD, the world’s most influential LGBTQ media advocacy organization. Under her leadership, GLAAD has evolved from a media watchdog into a driving force for cultural change, shaping representation and acceptance of LGBTQ people in media, entertainment, and politics. In an interview, Ellis shares her journey, challenges, and vision for the future.

Herald: How did you get where you are?

Ellis began her career in media, working for major publishing houses like Condé Nast and Time Inc. She quickly discovered her passion for storytelling.

“I loved media instantly,” she said. “I loved telling stories and seeing the power of storytelling and how it can really bring people together.”

However, her family set her on the path toward advocacy.

“My wife and I got pregnant at the exact same time by accident, if that could be,” Ellis said. “It wasn’t planned. We were just trying to start a family. And I think that led more to my advocacy work.”

As digital media transformed the industry, Ellis sought a new challenge. When the opportunity arose to lead

GLAAD, she saw it as a way to combine her passion for media with her commitment to the LGBTQ community.

“I got to do what I love—media advocacy—but for my community,” she said.

“When I started at GLAAD, it was really to modernize the organization based on the changing media ecosystem.”

Now, after 11 years at the helm, Ellis remains committed to ensuring GLAAD continues to be a powerful voice for LGBTQ representation.

Herald: What are your daily responsibilities?

“The media ecosystem has yet again dramatically shifted,” she says. “The average American spends 12 hours a day consuming media. So we’ve never had a larger opportunity ahead of us.”

However, reaching audiences has become more complex.

Ellis: “I really do two key things at the organization,” she says. “One is drive the strategy on how we’re going to build acceptance in the United States and globally for LGBTQ people. The other significant part of my job is fundraising. To do all the work, you need funding.”

One of her key initiatives was establishing the GLAAD Media Institute, which serves as the organization’s think tank, advisory, and education arm. She also launched a rapid response team to address media coverage and public narratives around LGBTQ issues.

Ellis believes GLAAD’s work is more critical than ever as media consumption habits change.

“The biggest challenge is how do we reach people when it’s so delineated?” she asks. “That’s one of the challenges I’m facing now—how do I reach folks in a compelling way that touches them and moves them?”

Herald: What are your memorable achievements?

Over the years, Ellis has celebrated many victories, both personal and professional.

“From a personal perspective, it’s my family, my wife and our kids,” she says. “I’m so proud of my kids. They’re 16 now. They were 4 when I started at GLAAD, so that’s kind of mind-blowing.”

In her work, she is particularly proud of partnerships that have expanded LGBTQ inclusion.

“Here I am at the Super Bowl. We host an NFL-partnered Super Bowl event for the LGBTQ community,” Ellis says. “If you ever said to me 10 years ago that GLAAD and the NFL logo

would be together and working together, I would have never believed you. But here we are.”

She is also proud of GLAAD’s presence at the World Economic Forum, ensuring LGBTQ issues remain part of global discussions.

“If we’re not there speaking on behalf of LGBTQ people, we are left out of the conversation,” she says. “I was proud to be the first LGBTQ organization to get a white badge from the World Economic Forum.”

Herald: What advice can you offer the next generation?

Ellis: “I think my advice is to work hard and with your head up, because everybody says put your head down and work hard,” she said. “But I think you have to keep your head up, stay aware of what’s going on.”

She believes that in an increasingly virtual world, making personal connections is essential.

“I think we’ve become such an isolated society, and people think that we can do things on Zoom, but proximity to power and meeting people and engaging with people personally advances so much more at a rapid pace than meeting on Zoom.”

Both interviews, with Stacey Feldman and Sarah Kate Ellis, continue at liherald.com.

Dominic Sister Shamus Eileen Dwyer, teacher at OLPH and St.

Sister Shamus Eileen (Anne) Dwyer, OP, a member of the Order of the Sisters of St. Dominic in Amityville for 73 years, died Feb. 3, 2025, at the age of 92. She taught at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Lindenhurst, St. Rose of Lima in Massapequa, and several other Catholic schools.

Sister Shamus was born Dec. 16, 1932, to James and Helen (Gewert) Dwyer. She attended Good Shepherd School and St. Joseph’s Mountain School, where she was taught by the Dominican Sisters.

Rose of Lima schools, dies at 92

On Sept. 8, 1951, she entered the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, receiving the Dominican habit on Aug. 4, 1952. She was given the name Sister Shamus Eileen and made her final vows on Aug. 7, 1956.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Molloy College and a Master of Arts degree from Queens College. She also received certifications in Geriatric Health Care, Pastoral Care of the Sick, Spiritual Direction, Body, Mind, Spirit Healing, and Bereavement Counseling.

Durso running pet food drive for LI Cares

NYS Assemblyman Michael Durso, in coordination with Long Island Cares, is inviting the community to participate in his annual Pet Food Drive to help families keep their pets out of shelters and remain at home where they belong.

Durso is asking residents, community organizations and pet lovers to donate unopened bags of dog and cat food, canned pet food and pet supplies. All items collected will be donated to Baxter’s Pet Pantry, operated by Long Island Cares, which provides free pet food and pet supplies to pet-owning families in need throughout Long Island.

Donations can be dropped off through April 4 at Durso’s district office at 512 Park Blvd. in Massapequa Park or at various other locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties including:

Petco 5500 Sunrise Hwy, Massapequa; Babylon Public Library 24 S Carll Ave, Babylon; North Babylon Public Library 815 Deer Park Ave, North Babylon; West Babylon Public Library 211 109, West Babylon or West Islip Public Library 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip.

In addition, students at the following schools can bring in donations: Massapequa High School, Massapequa; Bayview Elementary School, West Islip; Manetuck Elementary School, West Islip; Oquenock Elementary School, West Islip; Beach Street Middle School, West Islip Udall Road Middle School, West Islip; West Islip High School, West Islip and Paul J Bellow Elementary School, West Islip

For more information, call Durso’s district office at 516-541-4598.

Sister Shamus taught for 36 years and served as a Pastoral Care Associate for five years and a Pastoral Minister at Holy Spirit for 20 years.

A spokeswoman for the Order said, “Being of true Irish heritage, her favorite saint was St. Patrick, her favorite holiday was St. Patrick’s Day, and her favorite place to travel was Ireland. It is not known how many times she kissed the Blarney Stone!”

She enjoyed chocolate ice cream or candy year-round, regardless of the weather, and loved swimming, especially in the ocean. She was known for her sense of humor and shared a beloved prayer: “Give me a sense of humor, Lord. Give me the power to see a joke. To get some happiness out of life and pass it on to other folk.”

She was predeceased by her parents, James and Helen; her brother, Jimmy; and her sisters Helen (Sis) and Gloria. She is survived by her sister Audrey, many generations of nieces and nephews and will also be remembered by the Sisters of St. Dominic in Amityville.

Services were held Feb. 7, 2025, at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in St.

Albert Chapel. Interment followed at St. Dominic Cemetery on the Motherhouse grounds.

Sister Shamus Eileen Dwyer

Farmingdale’s annual all-district concert brings everyone together with pride

The Farmingdale School District hosted its annual All-District Concert, bringing together student musicians and teachers from grades 5 to 12 across all six Farmingdale schools. This concert alternates each year among strings, chorus, and this time, band.

Nearly 300 students took the stage to display their talents before a packed audience, illuminated by the vibrant lights of Farmingdale High School Auditorium.

“Our Farmingdale district band staff began preparing for this large-scale concert over a year ago,” said Director of Fine and Performing Arts Greg Warnokowski. “Their dedication, months of preparation, and unwavering commitment gave our students a musical experience they will cherish forever.”

The event began with a performance by the 5th and 6th Grade All-District Band under the direction of Joseph DeAngelis, Dr. Katie Duke, Kieran Fiorentino, Philip Scanze, and ToniAnn Taibi. Following that, the Howitt Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Wind Ensemble, led by Jennifer Tower, delighted the audience with a magical Disney medley. Next up was the Farmingdale High School Wind Ensemble, directed by Matthew DeMasi, presenting the first of two world premieres for the evening. The high school performed “Eternal Trailblazer,” a composition by Rossano Galante dedicated to Gina Pellettiere, the marching band director who died.

“Dedicated to the most vivacious, dynamic, hilarious friend, educator, sister, daughter, and mother, Gina Pellettiere,” read Galante’s inscription on the sheet music. “Gina was a proud female trumpet player and band director setting a standard of excellence in a male-dominated field. She was truly the Eternal Trailblazer.”

The Grand Finale reunited all the students on stage for the second world premiere of the evening, titled “The Place Where.” It was composed by local talent Ken Kamping who collaborated with students and shared insights about his composition.

Director of Fine and Performing Arts

Greg Warnokowski praised the concert, saying, “I felt immense pride. The entire evening celebrated our outstanding district-wide band program and the exceptional dedication of our band teachers to their students every day.”

For more information about the Farmingdale Union Free School District, please visit the district’s website at https://www.farmingdaleschools. org.

Participating Students and Teachers

ALL DISTRICT 5th and 6th GRADE BAND

FLUTE

Alice Chen

Juliana Franco

Mackenzie Gross

Katherine Guglielmo

Lena Katakofsky

Emma Kehoe

Emma Lang

Arianna Loaiza Isaza

Nathalia Luke

Olivia McCarthy

Juan Nava Barrales

Alexandria Pye

Peyton Rodriguez

Alexandria Romano

Evelyn Tekverk

Da’Nell Torchenaud

Summer Zheng

OBOE

Samantha Williams

CLARINET

Damian Andino Lopez

Ryan Arbas

Noelle Bellisari

Hunter Braun

Daniel Bruno

Dominick Canova

Robert Chechilo

Ashley Diaz Robles

Robert Frewin

Kayla Karimi

Emily Massucci

Zoe O’Brien

Bria Perrone

Emma Saitta

Joseph Tischner

BASS CLARINET

Mackenzie Asencio

Annabel Bernius

King Finlayson

Amanda Polanca

Lorenzo Rose

ALTO SAXOPHONE

Tristin Atwood

Luca Bruno

Carlos Cabral

Joshua Chiu

Benjamin Dulgerian

Chase Ellis

Timothy Farrelly

Gage Gebhard

Ayden Jagtiani

Juliet Ortiz

Benjamin Sinisi

Alexander Tziamihas

TENOR SAXOPHONE

Anthony Cacace

Gio Giacobbone

Daniel Henry

Evan James

Ashlyn Murphy

BARITONE SAXOPHONE

Dylan Nunns

TRUMPET

Samuel Bjarnson

Lucas Castellane

Owen Cherry

Travis Devine

William Di Stefano

Walter Durning

Maria Hatsios

Harrison Kwasnik

Adam Lara Cruz

Luciano Lupo

Everleigh McQuade

Michael Montalbano

Evelyn Nisanov

Luke Oliver

James Pelcher

Brendan Sattler

Sienna Taberes

Anthony Vanacore

Xavier Zelaya Hernandez

HORN

Diego Arias

Michael Borowski

Cameron Chiu

Lucy Cutter

Charlie Potestio

Luke Samlet

Adore Serrette-

Fowler

McKayla Uzenski

Halil Zivali

Continued on page 12

All Pictures courtesy of the Farmingdale School District

Almost 300 Farmingdale student musicians joined by educators from all six district schools showcased their talents at the annual concert.

Trump attempts to end congestion pricing

By Jordan Vallone & luke Feeney of the Herald

The Trump administration has rescinded its approval of New York City’s congestion pricing program, in an attempt to halt the initiative.

The program, which began on Jan. 5, imposes a $9 toll on vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours, aiming to reduce traffic congestion and generate revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman noted his support for the federal government’s decision at a Feb. 19 news conference in Mineola. Blakeman recalled President Trump pledging to end congestion pricing at a rally last October.

“President Trump is fulfilling a promise that he made at Madison Square Garden during (his) campaign,” Blakeman said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul argued that regardless of anyone’s stance on congestion pricing, the decision is an attack on New York’s sovereignty as a state.

“New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years,” she said at a news conference at Grand Central Terminal, also on Feb. 19, response to the administration’s move, “and we sure as hell won’t start now.”

Janno Lieber, chief executive and chairman of the MTA, said that a lawsuit had already been filed to keep the congestion-pricing program in place.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the toll as burdensome to working-class Americans and small-business owners, noting the lack of free highway alternatives. New York officials had projected $500 million in annual revenue from the tolls, intended to support $15 billion in debt financing for mass transit improvements.

According to a letter sent to Hochul from the federal transportation office, Duffy rescinded the government’s approval of the plan under the federal Value Pricing Pilot Program, an initiative established to explore the potential of various pricing strategies in reducing traffic congestion. Managed by the Federal Highway Administration, the program allows state and

local governments to implement pilot projects that test the effectiveness of tolls and other pricing mechanisms in managing roadway usage and alleviating congestion. The congestion-pricing plan was developed under the VPPP.

The MTA, Hochul said, was prepared for a challenge, and she expressed confidence in the lawsuit it filed to counteract the decision.

“If in some world (the administration is) successful, the next time you’re stuck in traffic, the next time your train is delayed, the next time you’re in a flooded station because infrastructure repairs were not made, I want you to think of this,” the governor said. “We know where the blame goes.”

The Town of Hempstead had filed a lawsuit against the MTA and the state in opposition to the congestionpricing plan. Supervisor Don Clavin praised the decision by the Trump administration, arguing that congestion pricing is nothing more than “a money grab and a slap in the face to working-class commuters.”

State Sen. Alexis Weik, a Republican who represents portions of Nassau and Suffolk counties, also supported the administration’s decision.

“I’m glad to see that President Trump is supportive of New Yorkers,” Weik said in a statement emailed to the Herald, “because their governor is not. This is a win for New York.”

State Sen. Steve Rhoads, a fellow Republican who represents communities in Nassau, echoed Weik’s sentiments, and was critical of Hochul’s efforts to keep congestion pricing in place.

“Rather than continuing to pursue her unlawful ‘commuter tax,’” Rhoads told Herald reporters, “the governor should suspend these tolls immediately and take swift action to put commuters’ interests first instead of her own.”

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Luke Feeney/Herald

The federal government is seeking to halt New York City’s controversial congestion pricing program. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman spoke in support of President Trump’s efforts on Feb. 19.

Farmingdale All-District Concert

participating students and teachers

Continued from page 10

TROMBONE

Luke Agostinacchio

John Castro

Matthew Garafola

Jerry Laine

Julian McGreyes

Joseph McKee

Axel Meza Vega

Daniel Negron

Liam Robertson

Ryan Sweeney

Sean Zheng

BARITONE HORN

Nayema Ayala

Nicholas Bentivegna

Tyler Brinkmann

Nahshon Bumpers

Maya-Joy Carr

Phillip Fizzuoglio

Nicholas Hawkins

Ryan Nickola TUBA

Genevieve Bevilacqua

Thomas Colon

Ethan Iannotta

Logan Klipera

Marcel Zak

PERCUSSION

Maximus Arana

Masyn Green

Joshua Haldenwang

Tyler Howell

Charlotte Laietta

Andrew Madill

Sean Manandhar

Tommy Messina

Dylan Molloy

Daniel Sawey

Lucas Snevily

HOWITT 7th and 8th GRADE WIND ENSEMBLE

PICCOLO

Brooke Lilja FLUTE

Sarah Arias

Chiara Langkay

Hope Lewis

Karielle Lilavois

Brooke Lilja

Claire Minns

Nilah Nicolas

Maeve O’Keefe

Leela Ramjeawan

Alecia Restivo

OBOE

Mia Romano

Arielle Varadinek

CLARINET

Chloe Alvarez

Giuliana DeMarco

Catherine Henry

Avery Hoschler

Quintus Jiang

Maggie Kelly

Kate Le Vien

Madison Ramos

Brayden Suwalski

Canden Tanacan

Paige Twomley

Megan Viskoc

BASS CLARINET

Kelsie Boodram

Zoe Cruciata

Sabrina Denis

ALTO SAXOPHONE

Rudy Brownworth

AJ Denis

Milan Deshmukh

Emma Eng

Jacob Howell

Christopher Kasenchak

Blake Volkerts

TENOR SAXOPHONE

Olivia Feldman

Sophia Ortiz

Kyle Rotbat Jr.

Christopher Seely

BARITONE SAXOPHONE

Gabriel Cepeda

TRUMPET

Matthew Agostinacchio

Olivia Carmona

Christian D’Ambrosio

Kaleb Fantroy

Cesar McGreyes

Olivia Moran

Joseph Oliver

Michael Saitta

Thomas Sattler

Addison Suwalski

Logan Tyler

Juan Carlos Umana Jr.

James Vevante

HORN

Charlotte Grimes

George Guadagnino

Ryan Langis

Rey Negron

Dominic Rolon Fischer

TROMBONE

Justin Cordova

John LoMonaco

Elijah Lopez

Briana Macy

Gavin McLaughlin

Sabrina Montalbano

Cora Potestio

Bailey Smith

Matthew Zito

BARITONE HORN

Emily Hughes

Cyrus Khan

Stella Levenson

Ryder Mammolito

TUBA

Carter Black

Dylan Nguyen

PERCUSSION

Mason Becker

Jack Broderick

Evan Covatti

Alexandra Ferraro

Aleshia Jaudon

Daniel Kelly

Kaitlyn Manetta

Angela McCaffrey

Kylan Murphy

Katherine Ringham

Hayden Schneider

Isaiah Wolff

Morgan Zimmerman

HIGH SCHOOL WIND ENSEMBLE

PICCOLO

Lily Defendini

FLUTE

Grace Curcio

Victoria Cannistraci

Cathryn Doran

Christianna Dolgos

Callie Moller

Riley Quinn

Amani Sodhi

OBOE

Clayton Bany

Maury Torres Mendez

CLARINET

Grace Stabile

Caleb Carle

Chloe Corrigan

Logan Lam

Ash Pinna

Collin Ramos

Kai Saginario

BASS CLARINET

Meagan Ramos

CONTRA BASS

CLARINET

Amber Moustafa

BASSOON

Shea Hiotidis

Peter Esposito

ALTO SAXOPHONE

Nicholas Zito

Josie Hoffman

Andrew Jablow

Noah Langkay

Dylan Reyna

Cuinn Sunde

TENOR

SAXOPHONE

Christopher Cruciata

Kayleigh Murphy

Samantha Strandfeldt

BARITONE

SAXOPHONE

Joseph Wagner

TRUMPET

Nicholas Suwalski

Jack Albano

Luke Aldieri

Michael Antonellis

Derek Azimzadeh

Eder Castillo Jimenez

Cara Catania

Thomas DiPaolo

Benjamin Turner

HORN

Jaylyn Umana

Timothy Broderick

Aidan Chung

Travis Cialone

Brenden Drozdowski

Ethan Eng

Owen Mammolito

Zachary Moyer

TROMBONE

Christopher Ruotolo

Thomas D’Aloisio

Christian Gordon

William Herbert

Anthony McKee

Joshua Rodriguez

Jean Carlos

Salazar Castillo

Teigan Sunde

EUPHONIUM

Dylan Moritz

Alessandro ChavarriaFuentes

Jackson Defendini

Luke Ferraiolo

TUBA

Earl Jones, III

Charlie Cartagena Caceres

William Scott

PERCUSSION

Alessandra Gavarrete

Aidan Hamilton

Nicholas Lista

James Norris

Michael Schmitt

Lily Sclafani

Samantha Stanton

Matthew Wood

Michael Woythaler

STRING BASS

Kelsey Amiruddin

Farmingdale School District Band Teachers

Farmingdale High School: Matthew DeMasi, David Abrams, Elena Scarano

Howitt Middle School: Jennifer Tower, Erica Hartmann, ToniAann

Taibi

Elementary Schools:

Dr. Katie Duke, Joseph DeAngelis, Philip Scanze, Kieran Fiorentino

The Surprising histories of the Siamese, Persian and Himalayan cats

When it comes to “talking dogs,” breed names can be misleading. French Poodles are not French, and Great Danes are not Danish. Both breeds were developed in Germany. This confusion prompted me to investigate the origins of three popular cat breeds.

Pets, Pets, Pets...

Siamese if You Please; Multiple accounts suggest the Siamese breed originated in Siam (now Thailand), though some trace its roots only to East Asia. The cats are mentioned in a 14th-century book of cat poems from Ayudhya, the former Siamese capital. Initially known as Royal Points, Siamese cats were reserved for the royal family, and stealing one was punishable by death.

Siamese cats held religious significance. When a royal family member died, the cat was entombed with them. Two versions of the cat’s fate exist: one says the burial chamber had a hole in the roof, allowing the cat to escape with the person’s soul. Another story claims the cat lived out its life in luxury at the temple, attended by monks and treated to the finest foods—so it could intercede on behalf of the deceased elite’s soul.

Legends from Siam also explain two distinctive features of the breed: kinked tails and crossed eyes. One tale involves a princess using her Siamese’s tail as a ring stand while bathing. Another tells of a mated pair of Siamese cats left to guard Buddha’s golden goblet while all the men of Siam went off to war. The female cat wrapped her tail around the goblet and kept a vigilant watch until she gave birth to kittens with kinked tails and crossed eyes, much like their anxious mother. Today, some Siamese kittens are born with kinked tails and crossed eyes, keeping the legend alive.

It’s believed that the first Siamese cat to enter the U.S. was a gift to First Lady Lucy Hayes from the American consul in Bangkok in 1879. She named the cat “Siam,” and he became a White

Nikita- a Siamese mix kitten adopted via Last Hope. She looks like a purebred Sealpoint Siamese but can’t be because her littermate is solid black.

House favorite. The Mysterious Persian: The Persian cat’s roots are equally murky. Accounts suggest these laid-back, longhaired, pansy-faced cats originated in Persia (modern-day Iran) and arrived in Europe with caravans or Crusaders carrying spices, jewels, and Turkish Angora cats. Until the 1950s, the terms “Persian” and “Angora” were used interchangeably. Today, only the heavier-boned, flat-faced cats are known as Persians.

Despite hieroglyphic records from 1684 B.C. suggesting a Persian presence further west, most experts believe the breed originated from the harsh terrain of southwest Asia, near present-day Iran. The long coats result from crossbreeding with European wild cats and the full-coated Steppe or Pallas’s cats of ancient times. Persians arrived in the U.S. around the same time as Siamese cats.

The All-American Himalayan:

The Himalayan cat was made in the USA. In 1930, a Harvard Medical School scientist and a cat breeder collaborated, breeding Siamese and Persian cats until they created this hybrid breed with color points and long coats.

The name “Himalayan” was chosen because the breed’s color pattern resembles that of the goats and rabbits native to the Himalayan region. Though born white, Himalayans develop dark points on their ears, nose, feet, and tail as they grow. The darkening in these extremities is attributed to lower body temperatures in those areas. Could the cold climate in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the breed was developed, have influenced this unique trait?

JOANNE ANDERSON

Binky is a Himalayan re-homed via Last Hope.

Couples renew their wedding vows on Valentine’s Day in Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Councilwoman Laura Maier, Councilman Andrew Monteleone, Town Clerk Richard LaMarca and Receiver Jeffrey Pravato celebrated with more than 60 couples at a special Vow Renewal Ceremony held on Valentine’s Day at Town Hall. Co-sponsored by Raynham Hall Museum, the event featured a reading of America’s First Valentine, which was written on February 14, 1779 in Oyster Bay. The event also included a distribution of roses courtesy of 1-800-Flowers, which is headquartered in the Town, and cookies from 1-800-Flowers’ Cheryl’s cookie brand.

“Valentine’s Day is such a special day for couples and we are thrilled that so many residents chose to spend their holiday with us at this heartwarming ceremony at Town Hall,” said Saladino. “We welcomed a record number of couples to reaffirm their commitment to being together forever.”

The Valentine’s Day vow renewal ceremony featured residents married four years, to those married

over 70 years, from all communities throughout the Town. Supervisor Saladino and Town Clerk LaMarca presided over the vow renewals and ring pledge, and a Raynham Hall

Visit us online at: massapequapost.com

representative reenacted the reading of America’s first Valentine.

The story of America’s first Valentine is a proud piece of Oyster Bay history which dates to the time of the Revolutionary War, as British troops occupied Long Island homes. During the height of the American Revolutionary War, love improbably blossomed between Lt. Col

Simcoe and a young patriot named Sally Townsend as the Townsend property served as a headquarters for a regiment of 300 British troops. Lt. Col. Simcoe presented Sally with a poem he wrote asking her to be his Valentine, and his famous poem, entitled ‘Will You Be My Valentine,’ became the first documented written Valentine in America.

Photo Courtesy/Town of Oyster Bay

Councilwoman Laura Walsh, Town Clerk Rich LaMarca, Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Councilman Andrew Monteleone and Receiver of Taxes Jeffrey Pravato celebrated with nearly 140 residents at the Valentine’s Day Vow Renewal ceremony held at Town Hall.

Gillen: Medicaid cuts could ‘devastate’ L.I.

By MADISON GUSLER mgusler@liherald.com

Congressional Republicans have recently directed the committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees Medicaid, to cut its budget by at least $880 billion. These cuts would result in millions of Americans losing their health coverage, while providing tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy.

According to Nate Jackson, NY Director of Protect our Care, these cuts would hurt Long Island families, jeopardize funding for hospitals and strain the state health care budget.

Children, new mothers, seniors and people with disabilities across Nassau and Suffolk counties rely on Medicaid to cover essential health care costs.

U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat who represents a majority of the South Shore of Nassau County, and Assemblywoman Michelle Solages joined health care advocates on Feb. 19 to oppose the cuts, and to commit to working to protect Long Islanders’ access to health care.

“The Republican plan to slash Medicaid would devastate Long Island,” Gillen said. “It would mean higher health care costs, hospital funding in limbo, longer wait times to access care for tens of thousands of Long Islanders, and a dramatic decrease in access to vital mental health care.

“We need to be working to protect and strengthen access to health care, not ripping it away from seniors, children and veterans on Long Island who count on Medicaid to access the lifesaving care that they need,” she added, calling for nonpartisan support.

“When we’re talking about an essential service, it’s health care,” said Solages, a member of the Assembly’s Health

Committee. “When we talk about cutting dollars for hospitals, for nursing homes, we’re cutting people to the bone. And so we have to be realistic about what we need to fund. Tax breaks for billionaires is not what Long Island needs.”

Solages discussed the need for health care funding, referring to two Long Island nursing homes that are slated to

close and Nassau University Medical Center, the county’s public hospital, which is in desperate need of financial support.

“We’re talking about people’s lives,” she said. “This is not like a pothole. This is about people’s prescription drugs, their health care, and we’ve got to get realistic in this country about what’s important. People’s premiums have increased. They’re deciding whether to buy food or prescription drugs, and other essential services — rent — and the American people are crying out for relief.”

Cynthia Ngombe, a health care advocate with the Healthcare Education Project, explained that cuts to Medicaid “would shift costs for health coverage to states, putting more pressure not only on the state Medicaid budget, but on other key areas of spending such as education and public safety.”

“Medicaid is under attack from Washington, D.C.,” Ngombe added. “Federal cuts would slash critical services that keep New Yorkers healthy and our communities safe, in areas like maternal health, mental health and the emergency room. All New Yorkers would be impacted, but our Black, Latino and low-income, including rural communities, would be hit hardest by our Medicaid cuts. Access to quality health care is a right. It’s New Yorkers’ top priority.”

Madison Gusler/Herald

U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, center, was joined by, from left, Cynthia Ngombe, of the Healthcare Education Project; Assemblywoman Michelle Solages; health care worker Claire Leon; and Nate Jackson, of Protect Our Care, to discuss Medicaid funding.

STEPPING OUT

c. 1970s, pencil and pastel on paper, is an open-ended composition,

Above: If Der Be Angels Then Some Must Look Me, c. 2000s, wood and acrylic, examines spirituality by highlighting the divine beauty of the everyday..

Painting the bigger picture

Robert Graham Carter reﬂects: A life lived through art

By Danielle Schwab

Within the everyday experience, there’s a deeper story to be told. For visual artist Robert Graham Carter, his art unearths the stories of the African American experience through the individuals and environments he depicts, bringing larger narratives to the surface.

Now on display at the Heckscher Museum of Art, visitors can explore over 22 figurative paintings, sculptures and drawings that explore his reflections on childhood, spirituality, the black church, and societal inequities. The exhibition, “Robert Graham Carter: The Art of Reflection,” celebrates not only his talents but his involvement with Long Island’s art scene — particularly the Heckscher, where Carter made history in 1973 as the first African American artist to receive a solo show.

Born in Louisville, Ky. in 1938, Carter witnessed ﬁrsthand life during the Jim Crow South. Later, he went to the University of Louisville with many internationally known artists today such as Sam Gilliam, Bob Thompson and Kenneth Young.

“They actually formed an arts collective called the Gallery Enterprises when they were in college. This collective was important because the city was recently desegregated. There were socially not that many opportunities for artists to exhibit their work if they were artists of color,” guest curator Sarah Battle says. “The Gallery Enterprises created those spaces.”

• Now through May 25

• Open Thursday through Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

• Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington

• Visit Heckscher.org or call (631) 380-3230 for information on related programming

Carter became known for his striking ﬁgurative art — often in mixed mediums —that depicted his life experience as an African American man while drawing inspiration from the people around him.

“He’s going to showcase a memory, or illustrate people — everyday people — in his life that he either wants people to be thinking about, to elevate, or just to offer another perspective on the topic at hand,” Battle, research curator at Louisville’s Speed Art Museum, explains.

Drawing inﬂuence from his upbringing, Carter’s works balance personal and universal truths, with a focus on topics that connect to the experiences of African Americans. His art addresses the joy and importance of family, the legacy of segregation, the charm of childhood, the spiritual and corporal force that is the Black church, and the impression of Blackface on American culture.

“Figures are the carriers of my thoughts, messages, or ideas, they are my stories,” Carter explained in an email. “For me, it’s the best way to tell the story or to give value or a sense of texture to a meeting or setting.”

In his untitled pencil and pastel drawing from the 1970s, Carter shows his mastery through his depiction of two children, one white child and one African American child with empty thought bubbles above their head as they gaze at each other.

“This piece inspired the education team at the Hecksher to create an activity for people to think about the sorts of conversations these two children could be thinking or saying to each

other, and what sorts of ways these conversations might have changed over time,” Battle says.

Carter also found a niche in using wood in his creations.

“It started with me being attracted to the brightness of the paint and the subdued quality of the wood,” Carter went on in his email. “I thought color placed against this kind of texture and tone would stand out. If you had a bright blue or bright red against a dull gray, the gray would make the color even stronger.”

His use of texture is on full display in his “If Der Be Angels, Den Sum Mus Look Like Me, 2000s,” where Carter postulates spiritual inclusivity within the religious narrative.

“This piece is of an angel. The wings of the angel are made up of these wood slits. They’re painted in bright colors that make it appear that the wings are very full and threedimensional,” Battle says.

“They’re just layers of these wood pieces that create such beautiful interiors or beautiful ﬁgures.”

Carter moved to Long Island in 1968 and joined Nassau Community College where he taught in the art department for over 50 years. Archival itemsl such as newspaper clippings and letters included in the exhibit show the impact of his identity as an educator and artist in the local art scene — and throughout the country.

“When I retired, a formal written notice was required. In my notice, I wrote an anecdote ‘I explained the problem, and no one understood it. I explained the problem again, and no one understood it. I explained it a third time, and I understood it.’ It’s a short gimmicky way of saying I am bettered for having taught others,” Carter further explained.

His legacy of creating and inspiring art here and beyond is a testament to his enduring craft.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the local arts community if they don’t know his work already, to see a number of great examples, as well as draw more national attention to his living legacy,” Battle adds.

“This exhibition not only offers visitors a chance to see art made throughout Carter’s career, but it also makes space to honor his living legacy as an artist educator. This solo show highlights some of his early inﬂuences in Louisville, Kentucky as well as his impact on artists in Nassau County and beyond.”

Jim Messina

He has plenty of stories to tell — with more to come. An undisputed expert in the fine art of making hit music, Jim Messina’s legacy of musical genius spans five decades, three super groups, a vibrant solo career and scores of producing and engineering credits. a musician whose career has shaped the sound of multiple generations. From his start with Buffalo Springfield to defining the Country Rock genre with Poco and then forming the iconic duo Loggins & Messina, his influence on music is undeniable. With hits spanning over five decades, he’s a true craftsman of his art. Now touring with a talented band, Messina performs songs from every stage of his career: Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Loggins & Messina, and his solo projects. ouring the country and playing sold-out shows, Jim says that he’s enjoying discovering who he is, where he’s been and — most significantly — where he’s going.

Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. $69, $59, $49. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. Tickets available at landmarkonmainstreet.org or (516) 767-6444.

Kevin James

You know him, you love him, and now you can catch Kevin James when his “Owls Don’t Walk” tour arrives here. As only Kevin can, he covers a range of topics from motivating children to put down their video games, to why he doesn’t trust technology, and how many tater tots he can ﬁt in his mouth. James sure has come a long way since his early days on the local comedy scene. After being discovered at the 1996 Montreal Comedy Festival, he signed a development deal to create his own sitcom. “The King of Queens” premiered in 1998 and ran for nine seasons, earning him an Emmy nomination. From there, his acting career blew up — in ﬁlm and TV.

Sunday, March 2, 7:30 p.m. $99.50, $79.50, $69.50, $49.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY. com.

Images courtesy Robert Graham Carter Family Collection Untitled (Two Young Teens With Empty Chat Bubbles),

depicting race relations.

To the right: Proud Queen, Tribute To My Wife, 1995, wood and acrylic, underscores the versatility of his form.

March 20

The Joni Project

The Joni Project visits the Tilles Center stage, Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m., to celebrate the iconic Joni Mitchell. The musically sophisticated band is fronted by Long Island’s remarkable multi-instrumentalist and singer Katie Pearlman, who impressively plays Joni’s songs in their original open guitar tunings, and also includes jazz and jam band mainstays Dave Berg (guitar), Dan Ehrlich (bass), Alan Lerner (drums), Mark Mancini (keyboards), Steve Finklestein (percussion), Premik Russell Tubbs (saxophone and flute) and Victoria Faiella (backing vocals). Collectively, they’ve performed with members of the Grateful Dead, The Band, The Doors, the Neville Brothers, and many others.

Together, they bring fresh interpretation to Joni’s legendary tunes from their many eras and genres —particularly from the time of her stunning and dynamic collaboration with Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker. But The Joni Project celebrates it all - from Both Sides Now, Big Yellow Taxi, Chelsea Morning and Help Me, to Raised on Robbery and Free Man in Paris! Perlman faithfully performs in true Joni style, her tunings remain as fresh today as they were when first performed. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville. Tickets available at tillescenter. org or (516) 299-3100.

Movie matinee

Come in from the cold for a movie on Plainedge Public Library’s big screen. See “Book Club, The Next Chapter,” Friday, Feb. 28, 2-4 p.m. You’ll love the fun adventures these four best friends go on in this sequel to “The Book Club.” Refreshments will be served. To register, call (516) 735-4133.1060 Hicksville Road, N. Massapequa.

In concert with The Paul Joseph Trio

The Paul Joseph Trio performs, Sunday, March 2, 2 p.m., at Jericho Public Library. The jazz trio presents classic favorites. Tckets are required and available at the library. For more information, call the library at (516) 935-6790.1 Merry Lane, Jericho.

Explore Town of Oyster Bay museums this winter

Step back in time to the Revolutionary War at Raynham Hall or visit Theodore Roosevelt’s “Summer White House” at Sagamore Hill, no matter what you choose there’s plenty to explore in the Town of Oyster Bay. To view a listing of the variety of museums and preserves, visit oysterbaytoday.com or call (516) 624-6384.

All about reptiles

Sweetbriar Nature Center will be at Plainedge Public Library, Monday, March 3, 3:30-4:30 p.m., sharing a python, a snapping turtle, a bearded dragon, a box turtle and more. Families will learn all about the world of reptiles at this presentation and their fascinating adaptations for survival. To register, call (516) 735-4133. 1060 Hicksville Road, N. Massapequa.

Farmingdale Library

Cinema

Farmingdale Public Library shows “City Slickers,” starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance, Tuesday, March 4, 10 a.m.-noon and 1:304 p.m. On the verge of turning 40, an unhappy Manhattan yuppie is roped into joining his two friends on a cattle drive in the southwest. Registration is not required. 116 Merritts Road, Farmingdale. For more information, call (516) 249-9090.

Acting Workshop

Join Broadway, television and film actor Rob Bartlett for an acting workshop, at Farmingdale Public Library, Tuesday, March 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m. It involves character creation, scene and monologue work, and exercises in cold-reading and audition techniques.To register and for more information, call (516) 249-9090. 116 Merritts Road, Farmingdale.

LIMEHOF Music

Documentary Film Festival taking submissions

The inaugural Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Music Documentary Film Festival is set to launch Aug. 8-10. LIMEHOF is currently open to submissions up until Thurs., May 1. To learn more about entering, visit shorturl.at/ VqmkM or call (631) 689-5888.

Massapequa Chamber Scholarship

Members’ children or grandchildren can apply for a scholarship of $500. Open to Massapequa High School students and those from Massapequa who attend another public or private schools outside of Massapequa. Massapequa High School students should apply through their guidance office. Other students should go online to tinyurl.com/5n8cse63 to download an application. There will be one scholarship awarded to one winner.

Creative Writing Group

Farmingdale Public Library

Co-ed Badminton

For adults looking for an indoors sport to keep active in the winter, join Co-ed Badminton! Classes take place on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, at Hicksville Athletic Center. Classes are for those 18 years of age or older and run for 10 weeks. Online registration is open at oysterbaytown.com/ portal. There are fees for the classes. For information, (call 516) 797-7945. 167 Broadway, Hicksville.

Tunes with the Brooklyn Bards

Town of Oyster Bay continues their Distinguished Artist Concert Series with the Brooklyn Bards, Saturday, March 1, 2 p.m., at Massapequa Public Library. Experience the deep lyrics and rich melodies of traditional Irish music. All performances are free for residents. For more information call (516) 624-6333. 40 Harbor Lane, Massapequa Park.

Golden Tones Chorus

The Town of Oyster Bay is seeking members for its Golden Tones Entertainment Group. The senior chorus is a social group open to town residents over the age of 60 who have an interest in singing, dancing or entertaining. Meetings are held every Friday at the North Massapequa Community Center, at 214 North Albany Ave., N. Massapequa. There are two planned shows, a spring show and a holiday show. Senior citizens interested in joining the Golden Tones should call (516) 797-7916 for more information.

Art Explorations

Converse, collaborate and create at Family Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art. The drop-in program continues, Saturday, March 1, noon-3 p.m. Kids and their adult partners talk about and make art together. Registration required. 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Visit nassaumuseum.org to register or call (516) 484-9337.

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

On Exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, the original “Deco at 100” coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) which publicly launched the movement. The direct follow-up to the well-received 2023 exhibit, “Our Gilded Age,” it comparably links the period’s signature innovation in the decorative arts, Art Deco, to the fine arts. The exhibit encompasses significant cultural advancements during Long Island’s Roaring Twenties/ Jazz Age movement, including votes, jobs, and the automobile for women, the beginnings of suburbia with commutation for work, and planned residential communities, which all defined the era, while the following decade brought economic reversals and the WPA program. Works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Fernand Léger, Guy Pène du Bois, Gaston Lachaise, Elie Nadelman, and Reginald Marsh, among others, along with art deco stylists of poster art and graphics, and photography will convey the Art Deco spirit along with its furniture, decorative arts, and fashion.

Like “Our Gilded Age,” the social scene of Long Island’s Gold Coast, and its personalities — both upstairs and downstairs — will be portrayed, along with the ongoing relationship with the immediate urban context of New York with its skyscrapers and deco-styled architecture. On view through June 15. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

Nassau Boces GC Tech Open House

Nassau BOCES GC Tech, Long Island’s state-of-the arts career and technical education high school, opens its doors for a “Taste of Tech” at an open house at the campus in Levittown, Wednesday, March 12, 6-7:30 p.m. Students are prepared for a future in the workforce with the skills, knowledge and professional qualities they will need to be successful. Prospective students and families are invited to tour the GC Tech campus at 150 Abbey Lane, and to meet staff Register at nassauboces.org/gctech or call the school for more information at (516) 604-4200.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE UNDER THE TRUST AGREEMENT FOR THE STRUCTURED ASSET INVESTMENT LOAN TRUST SERIES 2004-BNC2, Plaintiff AGAINST JOHN MIONE, JR., TERESA MIONE, DIANA TERRITO, Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered May 7, 2019, 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 March 18, 2025 at 2:00PM, premises known as 9 SUZANNE B CT, MASSAPEQUA, NY 11758. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Massapequa, Town Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 65, Block 190, Lot 57. Approximate amount of judgment $750,801.48 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #612457/2017.

Brian J. Davis, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221

17-006153 84246

25-116 2/12, 19, 26, 3/5

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬-LIMETIME ENTERTAINMENT, LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 11/13/2024. NY Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to:280 N Cottage Street Valley Stream NY 11580

Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity.

25-118. 2/12, 19, 26 3/5, 12, 19

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF MASSAPEQUA PARK NASSAU COUNTY, NEW YORK

NOTICE OF SALE OF TAX LIENS FOR UNPAID VILLAGE TAXES

NOTICE OF TAX LIEN SALE OF VILLAGE OF MASSAPEQUA PARK, NEW YORK IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT, in pursuance of the provisions of the Real Property Tax Law of the State of New York and of a resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Inc. Village of Massapequa Park, Nassau County, New York passed at a meeting thereof held on February 10, 2025, I, CHRISTOPHER R. BRIGGS, Village Treasurer of said Village of Massapequa Park, will sell at public auction in the manner provided by law on the 13th day of March, 2025 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning in the Court Room in the Municipal Building in said Village of Massapequa

Park so much of each of the following parcels of real estate upon which Village Taxes remain unpaid as will be sufficient to discharge the taxes, fees, interest and charges which may be due thereon respectively at the time of such sale and which shall continue the same from day to day until the said sale shall be completed.

Each purchaser at such tax sale shall pay the amount of his bid to the Village Treasurer within ten days after the sale. Upon such payment, the Treasurer shall give to the purchaser a certificate in writing describing the real property purchased and the sum paid therefore. Each such certificate shall be presumptive evidence that the sale and all proceedings prior thereto, including the assessment of the land and the levying of the tax were regular and according to the provisions of this section and of all laws relating thereto.

If any purchaser at any sale of lands for unpaid taxes made pursuant to the provision of this section, neglects or refuses to pay the amount of his bid within the time prescribed, the Village Treasurer may state an account against such purchaser and may recover the same with costs from such purchaser by an action brought in the name of the Village Treasurer, or such Village Treasurer may cancel such sale to such purchaser and the parcel so sold shall be deemed to have been purchased by the Village. IMPORTANT THE NAME OF THE OWNERS SHOWN ON THIS LIST MAY NOT NECESSAR-

Public Notices

ILY BE THE NAMES OF THE PERSONS OWNING THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THIS ADVERTISEMENT. SUCH NAMES HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM THE ASSESSMENT ROLLS PREPARED AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2025, AND FREQUENTLY DIFFER FROM THE NAMES OF THE OWNERS AT THE TIME OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE. IT MAY ALSO BE THAT SUCH OWNERS ARE NOMINAL ONLY AND ANOTHER PERSON IS ACTUALLY THE BENEFICIAL OWNER.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE PARCELS OF REAL ESTATE LIENS TO BE SOLD TOGETHER WITH A STATEMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF THE TAX FEES, INTEREST AND CHARGES THEREON, TO WIT: TAX LIEN SALE –MARCH 13, 2025 @ 10 AM

2024/2025 UNPAID TAXES UNPAID TAXES/FEES

Section 53, Block 96, Lot 2599, 2600, 2601

Jeremiah Lyons $ 2,627.10

212 May Place Massapequa Park, NY 11762

25-119 2/19, 26, 3/5

LEGAL NOTICE

AVISO LEGAL NOTICE OF ANNUAL ELECTION

AVISO DE ELEC -

CIÓN ANUAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Election of the Incorporated Village of Massapequa Park will be held on the 18th day of March 2025 between the hours of 6 AM and 9 PM.

SE NOTIFICA que la elección anual de Incorporated Village

of Massapequa Park se realizará el día 18 de marcha de 2025 entre las 6 a.m. y las 9 p.m.

Village District 1

Polling Place: VILLAGE HALL, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

For all voters residing south of Sunrise Highway within the Village Boundaries.

Village District 1 Lugar de Votación: Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

Para todos los votantes que residen al sur de Sunrise Highway dentro de los límites de la aldea.

Village District 2

Polling Place: VILLAGE HALL, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762 For all voters residing south of Spruce & Euclid to Sunrise Highway.

Village District 2 Lugar de Votación: Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

Para todos los votantes que residen al sur de Spruce & Euclid hasta Sunrise Highway.

Village District 3

Polling Place: VILLAGE HALL, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762 For all voters residing on Spruce & Euclid north to Parkway.

Village District 3 Lugar de Votación: Village Hall, 151 Front Street, Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

Para todos los votantes que residen en Spruce & Euclid al norte de Parkway. At said election, the following Village Offices are to be voted for:

En dicha elección, se votarán las siguientes oficinas de la aldea: MAYOR - 2 YEAR

TERM MAYOR –PLAZO DE 2 AÑOS

Daniel M. Pearl

363 Philadelphia Avenue Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

TWO (2) TRUSTEES – 2 YEAR

TERM TWO (2) TRUSTEES – 2 YEAR TERM

DOS (2) FIDUCIARIOS

- PLAZO DE 2 AÑOS DOS (2) FIDUCIARIOS –PLAZO DE 2 AÑOS

Tina Schiaffino

Christine M. Wiss 51 Overlea North 10 Knell Drive Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762 Massapequa Park, New York 11762

ONE (1) JUSTICE –4 YEAR TERM UN (1) JUSTICIA –PLAZO DE 4 AÑOS

Gerard E. Giannattasio 47 Clark Boulevard Massapequa Park, N.Y. 11762

LINDA TUMINELLO, RMC VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRADOR/SECRETARIO/DE LA VILLA

By order of the Board of Trustees Por orden de la Junta de Fideicomisarios Inc. Village of Massapequa Park

Dated: February 25, 2025

Fecha: Febrero 25, 2025 25-122 2/26

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Incorporated Village of Massapequa Park Nassau County, New York

•Sealed Bids for the 2025 ROAD REQUIREMENTS

CONSTRUCTION in the Village of Massapequa Park will be received by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Massapequa Park, at the office of the Vil-

lage Administrator in the Village Hall until 10:00 a.m., March 26, 2025 at which time they will be publicly opened and read.

•The Information for Bidders, Price Schedule, Form of Bid, Form of Contract, Plans, Specifications and Form of Bid Bond may be examined at the said office or at the office of the Engineer, LiRo Engineers, Inc., 235 East Jericho Turnpike, Mineola, New York 11501, and copies thereof may be obtained at the office of the Village Administrator in the Village Hall.

•Each bidder must deposit with his bid, security in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of his bid, in the form and subject to the conditions provided in the information for Bidders.

• Any bidder may withdraw his bid, either personally or by written request (if such request is received by the Board of Trustees at any time prior to one minute before the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids). If a contract is not awarded within 30 days after opening of the bids, all bidders may withdraw their proposals by written notice.

• The Village, through its Board of Trustees, reserves the right to waive any informalities in, to reject any or all bids and to accept that bid which it deems most favorable to the Village.

•The Contractor is required to submit monthly payroll status in an approved format to the Village for approval under New York State Law. Attention of bidders is particularly called

to the requirements as to conditions of employment to be observed and the minimum wage rates to be paid under the contract.

The bid documents will be available at the above office from March 3, 2025 through March 26, 2025 (Saturdays and Sundays excluded) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. A charge of fifty ($50.00) dollars payable to the Incorporated Village of Massapequa Park will be required per set of Contract Documents received by the Contractor, which is refundable if said documents are returned to the Village unmarked within thirty (30) days of the bid opening.

By order of the Board of Trustees Incorporated Village of Massapequa Park, New York Dated at Massapequa Park February 24, 2025 Linda Tuminello Village Administrator 25-123. 2/26

LEGAL NOTICE COMPLETION AND NOTICE OF INVENTORY PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: Effective March 3, 2025, the Village will have an Inventory of real property upon which assessments are based available in the Clerk’s office for review.

LINDA TUMINELLO, RMC

Village Administrator/Clerk

By Order of the Board of Trustees

Dated at Massapequa Park, New York this 11th day of February 2025

25-235M.P 2/19, 26

NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT

MEETING OF THE FARMINGDALE

PUBLIC LIBRARY

BUDGET VOTE AND TRUSTEE

ELECTION

APRIL 1, 2025

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Special Meeting of the qualified voters of the Farmingdale Union Free School District of the Towns of Oyster Bay and Babylon, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York, will be held at the Farmingdale Public Library, 116 Merritts Road, Farmingdale, New York (the “Library”) on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., prevailing time, for the purpose of voting upon the following items:

•To adopt the annual budget of the Farmingdale Public Library for the fiscal year 20252026 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District; and

•To elect one (1) member to the Library Board of Trustees for a five (5) year term commencing July 1, 2025, and expiring on June 30, 2030, as a result of the expiration of the term presently held by Laurie Rozakis.

FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN, that the Library Board of Trustees will hold a public information meeting for the purposes of discussion of the proposed 2025-2026 Library Budget on March 18, 2025 at 4:00pm, in the Library (address above). All residents of the Library District are invited to attend. A copy of the proposed Library Budget, together with the text of any

resolution to be presented to the voters, may be obtained in the Library (address above) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. beginning March 11, 2025, except Sunday or holidays.

FURTHER NO -

TICE IS GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of Library Trustee shall be filed in the Library Business Office, located within the Library (address above) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., not later than 5:00pm on Monday, March 3, 2025. Each candidate must be a qualified voter of the Library District, and must reside in the area served by the Library. Each petition shall be directed to the Clerk of the Library Vote; must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, must state the name and residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate.

FURTHER NO -

TICE IS GIVEN, that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law and has voted at an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar years, he or she is eligible to vote at this election. If a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he or she is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register.

FURTHER NO -

Public Notices

TICE IS GIVEN, that the Board of Registration will meet for the purpose of conducting a registration of all qualified voters of the District pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law at the Library (address above) on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Anyone who is known or proven to the satisfaction of said Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the register is prepared shall have their name added to the register. The register of voters will be filed in the Library Business Office (address above), where it will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District on each of the five days prior to April 1, 2025, excluding Sundays and holidays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

FURTHER NO -

TICE IS GIVEN, that applications for early mail and absentee ballots will be obtainable during school business hours in the Library Business Office beginning March 3, 2025. Completed applications must be received in the Library Business Office at least seven (7) days before the election, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Early mail and absentee ballots must be received by the Clerk of the Library Vote (located in the Library) not later than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. A list of persons to whom early mail and absentee ballots are issued will be available for

inspection to qualified voters of the District in the Library Business Office on each of the five days prior to the vote, except Sundays and holidays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN, that a qualified voter whose ability to appear personally at the polling place is substantially impaired by reasons of permanent illness or physical disability and whose registration record has been marked “permanently disabled” by the Board of Elections pursuant to the provisions of the Education Law shall be entitled to receive an absentee ballot without making separate applications therefore.

FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN, that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the Library District. Military voters who are qualified voters of the Library District may submit an application for a military ballot. Military voters may designate a preference to receive a military voter registration, military ballot application or military ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail in their request for such registration, ballot application or ballot. Military voter registration forms and military ballot applications must be received in the Library Business Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday March 6, 2025. No military ballot will be canvassed unless it is received by the Library Business Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the election.

Copies of this notice and other election information are available in Spanish and English at www. farmingdalelibrary. org.

Dated: Farmingdale, New York February 3, 2025 By Order of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES

FARMINGDALE

PUBLIC LIBRARY Farmingdale, New York

CHRISTA LUCARELLI, Director 25-117 2/12, 26, 3/12, 26

NOTICE TO PROPOSERS:

The Board of Education of the Amityville Union Free School District, Towns of Babylon and Oyster Bay, Suffolk, and Nassau Counties of New York invites sealed proposals for Independent Auditing Services-External Auditor as specified in the contract documents. Proposals will be received until 2:00 PM, prevailing time on March 21, 2025, at the District Administrative Offices at 150 Park Avenue, Amityville, New York 11701. The Board of Education reserves the right to reject any proposals and waive any informality in any proposal. It shall, further, make awards in any way it deems advisable to the School District's best interest. Any proposals submitted will be binding for forty-five (45) days after the formal opening, and no proposal shall be withdrawn during that time, pending the decision of the Board of Education. Any firm wishing to receive a copy of the above proposal must call the District’s purchasing department at (631) 565-6039. 25-124. 2/26

7 activities to commemorate the upcoming spring

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL MASSAPEQUA UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Requests for Proposal for Professional External Auditing Services be accepted by the Purchasing Agent, Massapequa Public Schools, District Offices, 4925 Merrick Road, Massapequa, NY 11758, on or before 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 14, 2025. Specifications may be obtained in person or by calling 516-308-5020. A copy of the RFP will also be available on the school district website at www.msd. k12.ny.us/rfp.

Christine Petrullo Purchasing Agent 25-125. 2/26

The beginning of spring is cause for celebration. In many areas of the world, the start of spring marks the end of cold temperatures and hours spent indoors, a shift in conditions that is welcomed by millions each year.

Spring is a time of rebirth when flowers and trees bloom anew and animals bear new young. Spring is an exciting and busy time, and one that people can commemorate in many unique ways. Here are seven ideas to usher in spring this March.

1. Fill a home or business with flowers. Collect some early tulip or daffodil blooms and place them around the house. Offer bouquets of dandelions to children or weave them into flower crowns.

2. Spend time in nature. It’s time to get outside, and there is no better time to do so than the beginning of spring. Soak up the sun and temperate climate, which can be good for your physical and mental wellbeing.

3. Visit a loved one. Bring some sunshine to an elderly relative by visiting with him or her. Take a stroll outside or sit on a bench and enjoy a picnic.

4. Prepare the garden by cleaning out weeds and tilling the soil. Some early spring preparation ensures everything will be ready when planting time arrives.

5. Prepare an outdoor feast. Whether it’s a picnic or a barbecue, serve up a warmweather feast with salads, sandwiches and other dishes that are normally served outdoors.

6. Sow some seeds. Encourage each member of your household to pick a favorite plant or flower and sow it in celebration of the first day of spring. It’s possible to make a special spring garden with perennials that will bloom each year.

7. Make spring-related crafts. Colorful wreaths, centerpieces and garlands can bring some of the natural wonders of spring indoors.

The first day of spring is an opportunity to enjoy what makes the season so special. Celebrate the new season with plenty of creative ideas

When someone stops advertising, someone stops selling.

When someone stops selling, someone stops buying.

When someone stops buying, someone stops making.

When someone stops making, someone stops working.

When someone stops working someone stops earning

When someone stops earnng everything stops.

26,

Town of Oyster Bay / Zoning Board of Appeals

TOWN HALL, AUDREY AVENUE, OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK 11771-1592TELEPHONE: (516) 624-6232 – FAX: (516) 624-6149

RITA BYRNE, Chairwoman –

LOIS SCHMITT, Vice Chairwoman

– KATHLEEN MULLIGAN

REBECCA M.

ALESIA –ANDREW MONTELEONE –LISA CICCOLELLA

– FLORESTANO GIRARDI ******************* *****************

PUBLIC HEARING CALENDAR NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING BY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 246, Section 246-12 of the Code of the Town of Oyster Bay, notice is hereby given that the Zoning Board of Appeals has scheduled a public meeting, which will take place in the Town Hall Meeting Room, Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay, New York, on MARCH 6, 2025, at 7:00 P. M., to consider the following appeals: BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

APPEAL NO. 76199 - AMENDMENT

MASSAPEQUA

JOANNE

JABLONSKI: (A) Amend Decision of Zoning Board of Appeals, dated September 23, 1976 in order to Amend the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants to indicate a change in occupancy while still maintaining a Parent/Child relationship. (B) Extend the Special Use Permit to maintain an existing second kitchen in a one-family dwelling for use as a Parent/

Public Notices

required.

Child residence.

SW/ cor. of S. Bay Ave. & Jefferson Pl., a/k/a 100 S. Bay Avenue, Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 24516

MASSAPEQUA

RICHARD HELM & JENNIFER

GLASGOW: (A)

Variance to reconstruct a new twostory, one family dwelling on partial existing and partial new foundation having less roof pitch, exceeding maximum building coverage and gross floor area than permitted by Ordi-nance. (B) Variance to construct portico having less average front yard setback than permitted by Ordinance.

E/s/o Huron Ave., 100 ft. S/o Suffolk Rd., a/k/a 8 Huron Avenue, Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 24545

MASSAPEQUA DAVID J. FITZGERALD:

Variance to allow existing porch conversion to habitable space having less front yard setback than permitted by Ordinance.

W/s/o Breezy Pl., 100 ft. S/o Cove St., a/k/a 15 Breezy Place, Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 24551

MASSAPEQUA

SATNAM SINGH: (A) Variance to construct new dwelling in the Neighborhood Business Zoning District having less average front yard setback and exceeding maximum gross floor area than permitted by Ordinance. (B) Variance for the reduction of off-street park-ing spaces. Reduction of spaces to 1 when 2 parking spaces are

E/s/o Ocean Ave., 68.37 ft. N/o New York Ave., a/k/a 518 Ocean Avenue, Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 25-7

MASSAPEQUA JAKE CAMP -

BELL: (A) Variance to allow existing cellar entrance having less rear yard setback than permitted by Ordinance. (B) Variance to allow existing rear stoop with steps to grade having less rear yard setback than permitted by Ordinance.

N/s/o Hamilton Ave., 700 ft. W/o Central Ave., a/k/a 93 Hamilton Avenue, Massapequa, NY

ZONING

BOARD OF APPEALS MEETING OF 03/06/25 PAGE 2

APPEAL NO.

25-38

MASSAPEQUA JAMES

WILSHERE: (A) Variance to construct two story addition and second story deck having less aggregate side yards and exceeding maximum gross floor area than permitted by Ordinance. (B) Variance to allow existing 8.22 ft. by 10.10 ft. shed having less side yard setback and rear yard setback than permitted by Ordinance. (C) Variance to construct two story addition exceeding maximum building coverage than permitted by Ordinance. (D) Amend Specific Plan as presented for Appeal No. 64-357 and granted by Decision of the Zoning Board of Appeals, dated June 24, 1964.

S/s/o Charles St., 70 ft. W/o Sunrise Dr., a/k/a 115 Charles Street, Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 24519

NORTH MASSAPEQUA

STEVEN

HOUGH: (A) Variance to construct second story addition having less average front yard setback and side yard setback than permitted by Ordinance; also encroachment of eaves and gutters. (B) Variance to construct second story addition and rear two story addition having less aggregate side yards than permitted by Ordinance.

(C) Variance to construct driveway having less side yard setback than permitted by Ordinance. (C) Amend Specific Plan as presented for Appeal No. 00-197 and granted by Decision of the Zoning Board of Appeals, dated May 4, 2000.

N/s/o Briarwood Rd., 398.73 ft. E/o Ailee Rd., a/k/a 387 Briarwood Road, Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 25-27

NORTH MASSAPEQUA

STEVEN

HOUGH: (A) Variance to construct a second kitchen in a one-family dwelling for use as a PARENT/CHILD residence. (B) Variance for the reduction of off-street park-ing spaces. Reduction of spaces to 2 when 3 parking spaces are required.

N/s/o Briarwood Rd., 398.73 ft. E/o Ailee Rd., a/k/a 387 Briarwood Road, Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 24534

FARMINGDALE

DIANE PELLEGRINO: (A) Variance to construct second kitchen in a one-family dwelling for use as a PARENT/

CHILD residence. (B) Variance to construct accessory unit for PARENT/CHILD residence exceeding maximum number of bedrooms than permitted by Ordinance. (C) Variance to construct second story addition having less roof pitch than permitted by Ordinance. (D) Variance to allow existing barbeque island having less rear yard setback than permitted by Ordinance.

N/s/o Rita Pl., 210 ft. E/o Crestwood Blvd., a/k/a 7 Rita Place, Farmingdale, NY

APPEAL NO. 24563

FARMINGDALE

THOMAS ROSATI: (A) Variance to construct roofover patio having less side yard set-back than permitted by Ordinance. (B) Variance to allow existing shed having less side yard setback and rear yard setback than permitted by Ordinance. (C) Variance to con-struct two story addition, portico, roof-over patio and allow existing shed exceeding max-imum building coverage than permitted by Ordinance. (D) Variance to install pool filter and pool heater having less side yard setback and rear yard setback than permitted by Or-dinance.

S/s/o Plitt Ave., 450 ft. W/o Kent St., a/k/a 146 Plitt Avenue, Farmingdale, NY

APPEAL NO. 24419 NORTH MASSAPEQUA

STEPHEN PORCARO: (A) Variance to allow existing two story detached garage ex-ceeding maximum number of stories and height than permitted by

Ordinance. (B) Variance to allow existing two story detached garage, 12 ft. by 10.3 ft. shed and canopy ex-ceeding maximum building coverage of the principal building than permitted by Ordinance.

N/s/o N. Hawthorne St., 100 ft. E/o N. Central Ave., a/k/a 225 N. Hawthorne St., N. Massapequa, NY

APPEAL NO. 24168 FARMINGDALE

ADNAN SIDDIQUI: (A) Variance to allow existing 6 ft. high fence exceeding maxi-mum height across front, side/front and rear/ front property lines than permitted by Ordi-nance. (B) Variance to allow existing 3 ft. high fence exceeding maximum height within 30 ft. from intersection than permitted by Ordinance.

NW/ cor. of Carman Rd. & Joseph Ln., a/k/a 500 Carman Road, Farmingdale, NY

FEBRUARY 24, 2025 BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK 25-121 2/26

Notice is hereby given that a license, Application ID: NA0370-25-104187 for liquor, beer, wine, and cider has been applied for by the undersigned to sell liquor, beer, wine, and cider at retail in a Bar/Tavern under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 195 Main Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735, County of Nassau, for on premises consumption at JS24 Corp. 25-120 2/26, 3/5

Notable Lenten traditions

Easter is a significant day on the Christian calendar. Billions of Christians look forward to Easter Sunday each year, and that anticipation is amplified by Lent. Lent is a 40-day period preceding Easter that begins each year on Ash Wednesday. According to Campus Crusade for Christ International, also known as Cru, Lent is a time of preparation during which Christians reflect on their relationship with God and ready their hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter.

Tradition features prominently throughout the Lenten season, and the following are some of the more notable customs during this significant period preceding Easter Sunday.

• Wearing of ashes on the forehead: Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, occurring 46 days prior to Easter Sunday (Sundays are not counted among the 40 days of the Lenten season). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops traces the tradition of wearing ashes on the forehead to the Old Testament, which depicted wearing ashes as a sign of repentance for one’s sins and a sign of one’s humility before God. Ashes are most often distributed as part of Ash Wednesday Mass, and adherents to the faith wear them throughout the day.

• Avoiding meat on Fridays: Many Christians do not eat meat on Fridays during Lent. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis notes that canon law calls for abstinence from eating meat on all Fridays of the year, but bishops throughout the United States allow the faithful to eat meat on Fridays outside of Lent so long as they substitute another penance that is particularly meaningful to them. Avoiding meat, which all Catholics 14 and older are urged to do on Fridays throughout Lent, is to honor Jesus Christ, who the faithful believed sacrificed his flesh on Good Friday. To honor that sacrifice, Catholics do not eat flesh meat, which includes beef, pork, chicken, and turkey. Fish are not considered flesh meat, and many Catholics consume fish on Fridays throughout Lent.

• Almsgiving: Lent is often seen as a season of sacrifice, but it’s also a time for giving. Many Christians engage in almsgiving throughout Lent, and some tie it into the sacrifices they make in the name of Jesus Christ. When Christians sacrifice something during Lent, some donate the value of what they forego to the Catholic Church or a charity that gives money, food or other items to the poor. Almsgiving is a wonderful means of combining the many traditions that make the season of Lent such a special time of year for Christians across the globe. Lent is a unique tradition and special time of year for Christians, adding to the anticipation billions have for Easter Sunday.

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MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP

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Is this a good time to build?

Q. We have been planning a large renovation of our home but have put off construction for the past two years due to family circumstances. Now, as we’re ready to move forward, we’re wondering, with everything going on right now, is this a good time to build?

A. It is a good time to build. There are obviously many factors involved in choosing when to start, including costs, permits, the right fit for a contractor relationship, the logistics of where to go while work is being done, where to store things — it’s a long list. But there are many reasons not to hesitate, assuming you have all the necessary plans, approvals and money.

The labor force has been shrinking for many years — especially skilled labor and the workers that skilled laborers need to do a job. Associated Builders and Contractors, a nationally recognized industry trade association, began reporting in January 2024 that an additional 504,000 workers would be needed just to complete current construction in the United States. This year, the association is reporting that 454,000 more workers will be needed. Where will they come from, considering that there are fewer people going into constructionrelated fields?

The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, which (at least for now) compiles reports on local economics, stated last October that “it remains difficult to find workers with certain skills in some industries such as technology, manufacturing and construction.” As I meet on construction sites, I talk with contractors who are all voicing their frustration that they need trained and skilled workers. Since that problem is getting worse, you may use it as the biggest reason to move ahead sooner than later.

Material prices are predicted to rise as well. One contractor blamed the cost of copper for the higher price of bathroom construction. We compared the cost, seven years ago, of rough plumbing going up, then, from $3,500 to $4,500 dollars. Last week we discussed the cost for the same work, just for supply and installation of the piping, without the fixtures, at $9,500 on average. Lumber from our neighbors to the north and steel from overseas are going up. Typically, by the end of January each year, material prices increase slightly. This year those increases were noticeably greater.

Holding off on your construction job probably isn’t a good idea, based on history. When the economy is booming, prices rise because of supply and demand. When things slow down, manufacturers and trades may have to charge even more just to keep the workforce they gave raises to when things were better or even just to stay in business, to cover their expenses to meet overhead costs. This answer isn’t intended to cause panic, but the statistics are right in front of you, on your smartphone, to follow trends and realize that nobody is going to work for less, and it may be hard to find materials or labor at the prices you hoped for. Good luck!

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New York’s exodus: policies are driving residents away

new York state is hemorrhaging residents at an alarming rate.

Over the past four years, the Empire State has led the nation in “outmigration,” with hundreds of thousands of people leaving for states with lower taxes and costs of living, and safer communities.

This mass exodus is the direct result of policies that have prioritized government expansion over economic stability and public safety. If current trends continue, New York will lose three congressional seats after the 2030 election, further diminishing our national influence and economic standing.

One of the primary drivers of this outmigration is New York’s crushing tax burden. The state imposes some of the highest personal income, property and business taxes in the nation. Albany’s approach to fiscal policy has driven both middle-class families and businesses to seek refuge in states like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas, where taxes are significantly lower. As they flee, remaining

Aresidents must shoulder an increasingly heavy financial load, creating a vicious cycle that, if left unchecked, will further erode the state’s fiscal stability.

Compounding this crisis are criminal justice policies that have weakened public safety. Bail reform has created a revolving door for criminals, allowing repeat offenders back onto the streets within hours of their arrests. The consequences have been devastating: rising crime, and neighborhoods that feel less safe than they did a decade ago. Even in traditionally secure suburban areas, residents are feeling the effects of these failed policies, pushing many to relocate to states where crime is taken seriously.

Bcontrol measures that discourage new housing development and climate policies that drive energy prices up.

ut in Oyster Bay, we cut property taxes in 2018 and have frozen them since.

Meanwhile, the cost of living has spiraled out of control. Sky-high housing costs, energy prices inflated by greenenergy mandates, and inflation-driven expenses are making it increasingly difficult for working- and middle-class families to get by. The dream of homeownership is slipping away for young families, while retirees on fixed incomes struggle to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

Rather than addressing these pressing issues, state leaders continue to push policies that exacerbate costs, such as rent-

Adding to this financial burden is the ongoing migrant crisis. New York has spent billions of taxpayer dollars on housing, health care and other services for migrants, placing an unsustainable strain on local resources. These costs are shouldered by taxpayers. The funds allocated to support the influx of migrants could instead be used to reduce taxes or reinvest in critical services such as public schools, police departments and infrastructure improvements.

As schools become overcrowded and police departments face budget constraints, communities are left struggling to maintain the quality of public services. This unsustainable situation only further incentivizes families and businesses to seek stability elsewhere, compounding the outmigration problem.

In the Town of Oyster Bay, we have taken a proactive approach to fiscal responsibility and public safety. We cut property taxes in 2018 and have frozen them every year since, despite inflation driving up the cost of doing business. We

are also adding 500 new housing opportunities in downtown Hicksville to support sustainable growth.

Public safety remains a priority, as we work closely with the Nassau County Police Department, oppose sanctuarycity laws, and continue to demand the repeal of cashless bail laws. Towns across Long Island have joined us in these initiatives, but meaningful change must come from the state government to truly reverse New York’s downward trajectory.

The state’s outmigration crisis is no mystery — it is the predictable result of policies that prioritize high taxation, unsustainable spending, and lenient criminal justice approaches over the needs of working families. To reverse this trend, Albany leaders must take bold action, reducing taxes to make the state more competitive, restoring law and order by rolling back ineffective criminal justice policies, and implementing serious measures to lower the cost of living. Taxpayer resources must also be prioritized for legal citizens and essential services. If state leaders fail to act, outmigration will only accelerate, and New York will continue to be the nation’s leading exporter of its most valuable resource — its own people.

Joseph Saladino is supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay.

It’s time for the county executive to do his job

s I enter my 14th year as a Nassau County Legislator and reflect on my time in office, it dawned on me that I have served for all of those years as a member of the Legislature’s minority caucus. While there have been disagreements with county executives and my colleagues in the majority along the way, I have always maintained cordial and productive relationships, and worked with county executives of both parties to get things done for my district and the county’s taxpayers.

Since Bruce Blakeman took office as county executive in 2022, however, progress on crucial initiatives, grants and capital infrastructure proposals has stalled — and minority caucus-represented areas have shouldered a disproportionate impact. To get all areas of the county back on the right track, I urge the Blakeman administration to begin addressing these key priorities:

■ Finalize a comprehensive, equitable capital plan that invests in the communities of all 19 legislative districts. Per the

Nassau County Charter, a capital plan must be adopted by Dec. 15 each year — but the Blakeman administration has achieved this only once in the past three years. The 2025 plan is once again running late, jeopardizing economic growth, good jobs and increased safety and quality of life generated by these projects.

B■ Get the politics out of CRP grants. Since the beginning of 2024, the majority has received more than 30 Community Revitalization Program grants, and the minority has received none. Some grant proposals for volunteer firefighters, village police departments and other first responders in minority districts have been held up for years. These funds need to get out to our communities regardless of legislators’ party affiliation.

somely off a broken system. Until then, the best way to protect yourself from overtaxation is to grieve your home’s assessed value, and the deadline to do so is March 3.

ruce Blakeman has failed to deliver on his promises for three years.

■ We need real solutions to stabilize the future of Nassau University Medical Center. NUMC is an essential part of our regional health care matrix, a Level 1 trauma center with a state-ofthe-art burn center and an in-demand drug detox facility. Moreover, it serves as a lifeline for some of the county’s most economically vulnerable patients. The Blakeman administration must stop treating this vital facility like a political football and have a serious conversation with the state about keeping it open.

lecting interest, and the ordinance currently making its way through the Legislature to create a grant portal for agencies on the front lines of addiction, treatment, prevention and recovery services is long, long overdue.

■ Last, but certainly not least, disband the dangerous, illegal militia. Nassau County has one of America’s best-trained police departments, and it is instrumental in making us the safest county of our size year after year. An armed militia with minimal training by the county — regardless of its participants’ previous experience or background — is not something the public or police ever asked for or needed, and Blakeman has no legal authority to marshal such a force. End the militia and allow our outstanding law enforcement professionals to do their jobs without interference.

■ Blakeman promised to “fix” the county’s assessment system. He hasn’t — and it’s only gotten worse. His administration has frozen the assessed values of our properties for three consecutive years. With each passing year, the tax rolls become even more unfair and distorted. The administration must live up to its promises and put the people ahead of the big tax-grievance firms that donate heavily to his campaigns and profit hand-

■ Distribute the opioid funding the county has been sitting on for years. In the past several years, the county has received nearly $100 million in settlement funds from the distributors, manufacturers and retailers of the addictive opioids that continue to devastate families. But the Blakeman administration has only spent roughly $3.3 million of that money to date. It is infuriating that so many people have died in the past year while settlement funds sat in bank accounts col-

Blakeman took an oath to serve all of Nassau’s 1.4 million residents, but his hyper-partisan approach and failure to deliver on promises has been evident throughout the past three years. We deserve better, and addressing these key issues would be a step in the right direction for an administration that has routinely focused on matters far beyond its proper jurisdiction or control.

Delia DeRiggi-Whitton represents Nassau County’s 11th Legislative District and is the Legislature’s minority leader.

JosEpH sALADino

RiGGi-WHiTTon

Ira

Massapequa

There should never be a legal excuse for rape

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HERALD

magine going to a party with friends, or attending your high school reunion or a wedding. You see a lot of familiar faces, and some new ones. Everyone is having a good time sharing memories, and you drink into the night.

By the end, you realize you’ve had too much to drink. Walking doesn’t come as easy, and your words are a bit slurred. No worries. It’s nothing that others haven’t done before. You take precautions, don’t drive. Surely you’ll get home safe.

Except you don’t.

Instead, you are sexually assaulted or raped. The evening before is a blur and you can’t quite put the pieces together, but you know something went horribly wrong. You go to the police to file a report, but suddenly you’re the one being interrogated. Officers start asking you if you had any alcohol or drugs last night, and they may even give you a Breathalyzer test. But that shouldn’t matter, right? Someone committed a crime — full stop.

In New York state, however, there is no law in place that protects survivors of sexual assault if they were voluntarily intoxicated during the crime.

It seems absurd that this is not already law in a state as progressive as New York, especially when compared with conservative states like Alabama and South Carolina, which have laws in place protecting sexual assault survivors who are voluntarily intoxicated.

The bill before the New York State Assembly (A.101), sponsored by dozens

letters

Whither civil discourse?

To the Editor:

of elected officials, aims to amend the law “to allow sex crimes charges to be brought in cases where the victim had become voluntarily intoxicated if a reasonable person in the defendant’s position should have known that the victim was incapable of giving consent due to intoxication.” It has languished in the Assembly since a similar bill was introduced in the State Senate by then Sen. Alessandra Biaggi in 2020, and passed two years later.

“Voluntarily” is the crucial word.

Those who oppose the law are afraid the language will allow for false accusations involving voluntary intoxication among consenting adults, specifically if someone regrets the decisions they made the night before and claims they were not in their normal mental state to give consent.

But advocates argue that those extreme and uncommon situations diminish the seriousness of sexual assault and rape, no matter the situation, and have presented cases to support their cause. We agree with those advocates. There is never an excuse for rape or sexual assault — nor for victim blaming or victim shaming.

In 2017, choreographer Bijan Williams, who worked with high-profile entertainers Beyonce and Jay-Z, was arrested on charges of rape and false imprisonment when a 17-year-old girl called 911 and accused him of raping her in a Manhattan hotel room. Williams was 34 old at the time, and both were under the influence of alcohol. Williams pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of sup-

Re last week’s editorial, “In civil discourse, everyone deserves respect”: Those of us who agree must realize that this is a contested proposition, currently facing open challenge by those who declare it an invalid premise. To many, “respect” is a virtue only when it is a synonym for obedience, when “persuasion” may include violence, and “disagreement” is a tool useful for exposing enemies, not for discussion but for vicious doxxing.

Various history months face official obliteration, propaganda terms like Gulf of America, “gender ideology” and “patriotic history” are being devised, their use enforced by lawsuit.

Coerced conformity to stereotype attempts to erase individual expression. Our president claims kingship, uses the royal “we,” disparages diversity. Few such bigots are convertible, so our resolve must be keep them from power through our majority of votes.

James Russell Lowell, in 1873, described our situation: “I have always been of the mind that in a

plying a minor with alcohol, and the rest of the case was dropped.

In 2021, The Washington Post published, “A Minnesota man can’t be charged with felony rape because the woman chose to drink beforehand, court rules.” The headline stemmed from a 2017 case in which a woman consumed several shots of alcohol and a prescription pill before accompanying an unknown man who invited her to a party. She was raped, but because she was intoxicated voluntarily, and the state law only protected those who were mentally incapacitated due to intoxication administered by someone without a person’s consent, the man was not charged.

Victim blaming is all too common for survivors of sexual assault and rape, and while the scars may be invisible, they run deep.

Survivors of sexual assault are 10 times more likely to attempt suicide, according to 2020 research by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Others are plagued by a lifetime of psychological and emotional issues that interfere with their ability to handle everyday activities like holding a steady job.

While criminals walk away with a relative slap on the wrist, survivors continue to suffer from the crimes perpetrated against them, and in many cases they are relegated to carrying the shame heaped on them by society.

Our elected leaders in Albany must pass A.101 now, and close the voluntary intoxication loophole.

Like any resident of Oyster Bay, I’ve always had a fascination with our hometown president, Theodore Roosevelt. He seemed like such a larger-than-life character, a writer who was a soldier, a hunter who was a politician, and a statesman who truly cared for, and understood the needs of, the common man.

Which is why it is so disappointing that the new presidential administration seems so invested in tearing down everything that Roosevelt achieved. And no, that’s not hyperbole. President Trump has said numerous times that America was richest during the Gilded Age, from about 1870 to the 1890s, and that he hopes to bring us back to that level of prosperity.

opinions Destroying Roosevelt’s legacy

the executive branch to keep moneyed interests out of politics, despite pushback from members of his own cabinet and party.

Contrast that with Trump, who, rather than regulating big businesses, has invited them into his cabinet, and even more terrifying, into the country’s inner record system. Elon Musk, the J.P. Morgan of the 21st century, has been given the keys to the castle and is currently ransacking our public records, from Social Security to Medicaid and more.

been exhausted. TR’s embrace of “soft” power, and its importance in foreign relations, was a hallmark of U.S. foreign policy for much of the last century.

p resident Trump seems hell-bent on tearing down everything T.R. achieved.

Except that prosperity was a lie, built on the backs of working-class employees who slaved away for limited wages and had no protections, while that generation’s top 1 percent got richer and richer. Roosevelt saw the damage this corrupt system was doing to the country, and earned the nickname “Trustbuster” for his fearlessness in breaking up the early monopolies. He used the power of

Furthermore, Trump has signed one executive order after another weakening regulatory agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission — which was created in response to the Roosevelt administration’s lawsuit against Morgan’s monopoly. Rather than working to make big business more civic-minded and protect regular Americans from its excesses, Trump is enabling the worst aspects of capitalism in this country, enriching the few at the expense of the many.

Roosevelt was also famous as a diplomat, with his best known-quote describing his approach to foreign policy, to “speak softly and carry a big stick.” That meant maintaining a strong military presence, but only using it as a threat once other methods of diplomacy had

Trump, on the other hand, appears to be more easily herded than any previous president, let alone Roosevelt. His administration’s shameful about-face on Ukraine shows his inability to see the benefit of supporting a free, democratic nation unjustly invaded by Russia’s oligarchic president, Vladimir Putin. That, and Trump’s apparent sycophancy toward Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un and other autocrats, contrasts sadly with Roosevelt’s ability to play the autocrats of his age against one another without forsaking American honor and dignity.

Trump’s attempted destruction of USAID and similar agencies shows a further lack of understanding of soft power, and the limitations businessmen can have when switching to public service. Not everything needs to be profitable to be useful, despite what Trump and Musk may say. USAID not only saves lives, but also reaffirms the fundamental belief among Americans, our allies and even our enemies that we are a country of fundamentally good people. The goodwill we earn internationally from this and similar organizations is a

fundamental aspect of our soft power, which offers another, often more elegant, solution to global threats than simply sending in our military.

But what would really break Roosevelt’s heart is Trump’s apparent disregard for our nation’s natural beauty and the extraordinary people who steward it. Roosevelt was known as a conservationist, and protected roughly 230 million acres of public land during his presidency, including 150 national forests and more than 40 federal bird sanctuaries.

Trump, meanwhile, has gutted our National Park Service and the United States Forest Service — founded by Roosevelt — and has repeated made clear his desire to open public land to oil drilling while deregulating environmental restrictions that big businesses face. His refusal to acknowledge the role humans play in climate change and his unwillingness to hold oil, coal and similar industries accountable would, I have no doubt, make the Bull Moose apoplectic.

I’ve spent countless hours poring over biographies, watching documentaries and listening to podcasts about Roosevelt. While I obviously never met him, and have never met Trump, I can say with certainty that Trump is no Teddy Roosevelt.

Will Sheeline is an editor covering Glen Head, Locust Valley, Oyster Bay and Sea Cliff. Comments? WSheeline@liherald.com.

Framework by Tim Baker

democracy, manners are the only effective weapon against the Bowie knife.” Resolute in manners, wary, registered to vote.

BRIAN KElly Rockville Centre

Which of these presidents doesn’t belong?

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column last week, “Recalling the presidents I’ve met”: Former Congressman King continues his attempt to gaslight Herald readers by including the current occupier of the White House on his list of former U.S. presidents he’s collaborated with over the last several decades. As if Donald Trump’s attack on U.S. democracy and scorched-earth approach is comparable to the political ideology of any former president, Republican or Democrat. King attempts to gloss over Trump’s abhorrent behavior by reminiscing about an invitation King’s grandchildren received to visit the White House. Why is King trying to normalize the first 30 days of this chaotic presidency by recalling mundane details about

Trump — and including him on a list of former presidents who, by contrast, had a very clear and unwavering love for this republic? Why omit mention of Trump’s flurry of nonsensical executive orders, blanket pardons of the criminals who attacked our Capitol, mass firings of federal employees, attempted eviscerations of the CIA and the FBI, elimination of the Department of Education, and countless threats of retribution against perceived enemies?

Because normalization of outrageous tactics is a tool of MAGA’s propaganda machine — much like the Third Reich systematically rationalized its attacks on the free press and takeover of the military as necessary evils in order to take control of an ailing and dysfunctional government. MAGA’s use of this tactic is deceptive and dangerous, and King seems to be a willing cog in the wheel.

At the very least, in the interest of standing up for his former constituents, King should question Trump’s blatant surrender of our government systems — which include our personal and private information — to Elon Musk, under the guise of DOGE, and acknowledge that it is (at the very least) an overstep by an administration that is suddenly in the hands of an unsanctioned group of non-elected private citizens.

Not even Trump’s supporters voted for Elon Musk.

Congressman, it’s never too late to say, “I misjudged him.” It’s never too late to say, “I was wrong.” And it’s

never too late to hold someone accountable.

The indie and R&B cover band Salvee performing at Sparkle on Stage — Freeport

ElIzABETH MURPHy Franklin Square

Lifesaving Heart Care Close to Home

In 1993, Anita Rothenberg of Valley Stream was ﬁrst admitted to Mount Sinai South Nassau’s ER in Oceanside and treated for a heart attack at the age of 37. She recovered, raised a family and worked as a teacher on Long Island for the next 29 years. Then, in November of 2022, an angiogram showed three blocked arteries. She underwent triple bypass surgery a few days later at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in Manhattan and completed her cardiac rehabilitation close to home at Mount Sinai South Nassau.

Mount Sinai South Nassau o ers comprehensive heart care for Long Islanders, and has received the following ratings and quality awards:

• Rated High Performing in heart attack and heart failure from U.S. News & World Report ® for 2024-2025

• Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention™

• Healthgrades Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™

• Healthgrades Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Interventional Procedures

• Named among the top ﬁve percent in the nation for Coronary Interventional Procedures by Healthgrades

L ea r n mo r e a t mountsinai.org/southnassauheart

Lifesaving Heart Care Close to Home

Mount Sinai South Nassau o ers comprehensive heart care for Long Islanders, and has received the following ratings and quality awards:

• Rated High Performing in heart attack and heart failure from U.S. News & World Report ® for 2024-2025

• Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention™

• Healthgrades Coronary Intervention Excellence Award™

• Healthgrades Five-Star Recipient for Coronary Interventional Procedures

• Named among the top ﬁve percent in the nation for Coronary Interventional Procedures by Healthgrades