ROCKVILLE CENTRE
Animal fun at science center
Boy Scouts show leadership through projects
By KElSIE RADZISKI
kradziski@liherald.com
Two Boy Scouts from Rockville Centre’s Troop 40, Michael Riomao and Joseph Kozlik, have recently completed significant projects for the Rockville Centre Historical Society as part of their journey to becoming Eagle Scouts.
Riomao, a senior at South Side High School, worked with the historical society to enhance the visitor experience at the Phillips House Museum. His project involved creating QR codes for various displays throughout the museum, offering detailed descriptions of items such as a vintage wind-up phone and record players.
Riomao collaborated with the trustees at the museum, including historian and co-president Debbie Fehringer, and he enlisted the help of his fellow scouts to write descriptions and produce the QR codes.
“[Debbie] had a lot of information on the house that I compiled into easy descriptions,” he said about the proj-
Pribil Foundation hits new major donation milestone
By KElSIE RADZISKI kradziski@liherald.com
The Ken Pribil Jr. Foundation is celebrating a new donation milestone of $100,000 over nearly two decades of fundraising for cancer research and community support. The nonprofit was founded in 2006 in honor of Ken Pribil Jr., who died that year, at age 19, of angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.
The Rockville Centre-based foundation has grown from modest beginnings to become a significant force in cancer research — and local scholarships. After a hiatus during the
coronavirus pandemic, Kevin Pribil, its president and Ken Jr.’s brother, said that the organization has returned to in-person fundraising events, bringing community members together in support of a cause that remains close to the hearts of the Pribil family and supporters.
The foundation’s primary mission is twofold: to fund angiosarcoma research, and to provide an annual $1,000 scholarship to one or two graduating seniors from South Side High School. Its most recent cancer research grant, $14,500 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, was the organiza -
tion’s eleventh grant donated. Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer that develops in the inner lining of blood and lymph vessels. It occurs most often in the skin, breast, liver and spleen.
According to the National Cancer Institute, one of every million Americans is diagnosed each year, and while the disorder is most common in people over age 70, it can afflict those of any age.
“It’s definitely one of those rare cancers that we think doesn’t quite get the funding that it could get,” Pribil said, “especially considering the impact on families and friends when someone is diagnosed
with it.”
The foundation’s main fundraiser is a cocktail event each fall, which it started in 2019 and brought back after the pandemic. Held at Centre Station in the village, the event draws hundreds of local supporters, who take part in raffles and auctions and are treated to live performances. It is made possible
through the support of local businesses, Pribil said, which contribute raffle prizes and make other donations to the evening.
The cocktail fundraiser last October drew a crowd of 125 and raised over $15,000.
“Every dollar counts in some way,” Pribil said. “If, at
Courtesy Michael Riomao
Michael Riomao, a Boy Scout from Troop 40, finished his Eagle Scout project in January with the help of the Rockville Centre Historical Society trustees Debbie Fehringer, left, Mary Bossart and Jim Belling.
ROCKVILLE CENTRE
Animal fun at science center
Boy Scouts show leadership through projects
By KElSIE RADZISKI
kradziski@liherald.com
Two Boy Scouts from Rockville Centre’s Troop 40, Michael Riomao and Joseph Kozlik, have recently completed significant projects for the Rockville Centre Historical Society as part of their journey to becoming Eagle Scouts.
Riomao, a senior at South Side High School, worked with the historical society to enhance the visitor experience at the Phillips House Museum. His project involved creating QR codes for various displays throughout the museum, offering detailed descriptions of items such as a vintage wind-up phone and record players.
Riomao collaborated with the trustees at the museum, including historian and co-president Debbie Fehringer, and he enlisted the help of his fellow scouts to write descriptions and produce the QR codes.
“[Debbie] had a lot of information on the house that I compiled into easy descriptions,” he said about the projConTinuED on pagE 9
Pribil Foundation hits new major donation milestone
By KElSIE RADZISKI kradziski@liherald.com
The Ken Pribil Jr. Foundation is celebrating a new donation milestone of $100,000 over nearly two decades of fundraising for cancer research and community support. The nonprofit was founded in 2006 in honor of Ken Pribil Jr., who died that year, at age 19, of angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.
The Rockville Centre-based foundation has grown from modest beginnings to become a significant force in cancer research — and local scholarships. After a hiatus during the
coronavirus pandemic, Kevin Pribil, its president and Ken Jr.’s brother, said that the organization has returned to in-person fundraising events, bringing community members together in support of a cause that remains close to the hearts of the Pribil family and supporters.
The foundation’s primary mission is twofold: to fund angiosarcoma research, and to provide an annual $1,000 scholarship to one or two graduating seniors from South Side High School. Its most recent cancer research grant, $14,500 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, was the organiza -
tion’s eleventh grant donated. Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer that develops in the inner lining of blood and lymph vessels. It occurs most often in the skin, breast, liver and spleen. According to the National Cancer Institute, one of every million Americans is diagnosed each year, and while the disorder is most common in people over age 70, it can afflict those of any age.
“It’s definitely one of those rare cancers that we think doesn’t quite get the funding that it could get,” Pribil said, “especially considering the impact on families and friends when someone is diagnosed
with it.”
The foundation’s main fundraiser is a cocktail event each fall, which it started in 2019 and brought back after the pandemic. Held at Centre Station in the village, the event draws hundreds of local supporters, who take part in raffles and auctions and are treated to live performances. It is made possible
through the support of local businesses, Pribil said, which contribute raffle prizes and make other donations to the evening.
The cocktail fundraiser last October drew a crowd of 125 and raised over $15,000.
“Every dollar counts in some way,” Pribil said. “If, at
Courtesy Michael Riomao
Michael Riomao, a Boy Scout from Troop 40, finished his Eagle Scout project in January with the help of the Rockville Centre Historical Society trustees Debbie Fehringer, left, Mary Bossart and Jim Belling.
Nobody covers YOUR HOME TOWN
Crime watCh
homiCide
On Feb. 20, an elderly Rockville Centre resident was pronounced deceased in her residence after being discovered unresponsive.
LarCeny
On Feb. 20, a Garden City resident reported his vehicle was stolen while it was parked in a municipal parking field.
On Feb. 22, a Rockville Centre resident reported that a recently delivered package containing a new laptop was stolen from his porch.
Leaving the sCene
On Feb. 19, a Hempstead resident reported that his parked rental car was struck and damaged by a second vehicle, which fled the scene.
neighbor who left the scene without stopping.
Lost property
On Feb. 20, at 11:24 am, a Rockville Centre resident reported that she lost her handicapped parking permit.
UnaUthorized Use of motor vehiCLe
On Feb. 19, the manager of a Rockville Centre rental car business reported that a rented vehicle was retained past the return date.
UnUsUaL inCident
On Feb. 18, a Rockville Centre resident reported that someone added a new phone line to her existing Verizon account without her permission.
On Feb. 23, a Rockville Centre resident reported his vehicle was struck by another vehicle being operated by a
On Feb. 22, a Rockville Centre resident reported that an unauthorized Verizon account was opened in his name.
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.
fire watCh
The Rockville Centre Fire Department is always looking for help in serving our community. If you live here or in any one of the adjacent communities and are interested in joining or just
Feb. 16 – Feb. 23
General Alarms – 9
Still Alarms – 4
Rescue – 4
Aided Cases (Ambulance) – 45
Mutual Aid Fire – 2
Mutual Aid Rescue – 0
Mutual Aid Ambulance – 0
Total – 64
have questions, please visit any firehouse on Sunday mornings and speak with one of the officers or call (516) 6789320. For emergencies dial 911 or (516) 766-0400.
Year To Date
General Alarms – 81
Still Alarms – 38
Rescue – 23
Aided Cases (Ambulance) – 435
Mutual Aid Fire – 10
Mutual Aid Rescue – 0
Mutual Aid Ambulance – 2
Total – 589
news brief
Knights of Columbus annual blood drive
The St. Agnes Knights of Columbus Council #2548 held a blood drive on Feb. 16, during which they collected a total of 47 pints of blood.
According to member and blood drive coordinator John Madson, 51 volunteer donors from the Rockville Centre community braved the rain and snow to donate their blood to those in need at the St. Agnes Parish Center. Their donation, Madson said, made a significant contribution to address New York Blood Center’s emergency blood shortage.
Madson emphasized that the need for blood is constant, which he said is why the Knights of Columbus sponsors three blood drives throughout the year — in February, July and September.
“We have a dedicated group of returning donors but we have been trying to inspire new first-time donors and donors who might have donated before but not recently,” he said.
Madson, who has been donating blood for 54 years, said that he was motivated to become a “sustaining” donor because “blood donors save lives.”
Madson and the Knights of Columbus encourage members to join them at the next blood drive, on July 13, to “become a member of the three percent that enables our medical community to perform today’s lifesaving and sustaining services.”
For more information on donating blood, visit
Animal adventures and science learning
The Center for Science Teaching & Learning, a nonprofit organization in Rockville Centre, invited kids and families to spend their winter break learning about animals during Animal Encounters Week.
“Every time there’s a week off,” Ray Ann Havasy, director, said, “for families, we do something special.”
The theme, she said, was centered around getting to know the animals the center has. Kids made crafts, including making turtles out of green paper plates, and got their faces painted for a “little pizzazz.” The highlight was the animal shows throughout the week.
Each day, employees at the center would show off some of the different animals they have to whoever was visiting. They have a wide variety of animals, including reptiles and rabbits. On Thursday, Feb. 20, Chris Lake’s animal show attracted a big group of excited kids — and parents.
He brought out Chex Mex the Mexican king snake, Coloné the Greek tortoise, Drago the blue-tongued skink and Xavier the ball python. He shared facts about each animal and let the kids gently touch each one.
The goal of the center, Havasy said, is to encourage science learning. “We find that with the emphasis on math and reading, science has kind of fallen by the wayside,” she said, “but understanding science as it relates to the world around you is really important.”
The nonprofit organization has been around for 25 years, she said, and is open to people of all ages to learn about dinosaurs and animals. They have the largest permanent exhibit of animatronic dinosaurs in the state.
–Kelsie Radziski
While visitors gathered during Animal Encounters Week to see the animals, they also got to check out the dinosaur exhibit.
Lake pulled Drago, the blue-tongued skink, out of his pocket after showing the crowd how he likes to sit in there.
Kelsie Radziski/Herald photos Chris Lake carried Bowser the bearded dragon around the room at the Center for Science Teaching & Learning, introducing her to visiting families.
The center has the biggest permanent exhibit of animatronic dinosaurs in the state, Havasy said.
Xavier the ball python curled up around Lake’s hand as he carried the snake around the room.
Backyard Breakfast raises funds for RVC
By XIOMARA TRINIDAD PEREZ Herald Intern
On March 2, Rockville Centre’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, in collaboration with Backyard Players & Friends, will host their third annual Backyard Breakfast fundraiser. The event aims to raise money for several charitable organizations, including SIBS Place, a local nonprofit that supports families facing serious illness.
Attendees will enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day-themed pancake breakfast with three seating options: 9:00 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children. Guests will also be able to participate in raffles and shop for St. Patrick’s Day-themed arts and crafts at Backyard Players’ Front Porch Market.
“Our main goal in any of the events is to raise money so that we can give back to the community,” Ashley Brennan, a member of the committee, said. “Essentially, we want people to come because it’s a great breakfast, It raises money for charity and gets to be part of the community.”
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee makes RVC’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade possible, which began in 1997. Over the years, the parade has become “one of the bestattended and supported parades outside of New York City,” according to the
committee’s website. Each year, the committee selects one national, one Irish, and one locally focused charity, to benefit from the proceeds. This year, the three charities supported will be SIBS Place, The Remember Nolan Project and The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.
SIBS Place provides free therapeutic support to children between the ages of 5 and 17 who have a sibling or parent with cancer or another serious illness. The Remember Nolan Project works to
The Pursuit of Excellence
“Being forced to work, and forced to be your best, will breed in you...a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.” — Charles Kingsley
A few years ago, your writer was contacted, as an accomplished alumnus, by McGill University in Montreal, asking for a one-word answer on my experience at the university. I answered “excellence”. It was there that I learned what excellence looked like. Before you can emulate it, you have to see it.
Prior to grade inflation, you had to do a modicum of extra work to get from a “C” to a “B”. But you had to do an extraordinary amount of work to get from a “B” to an “A”.
Your writer was hoping to gain early acceptance to law school -- awarded to only ten students. Not only did that mean A’s across the board, but the A’s also had to be in the most difficult subjects, as the A’s themselves were weighted. One of the courses was “Anthropology 101”. Fifty percent of the grade was based on the essay portion for which your writer received a “B” grade. Not being easily
deterred, I asked the professor if I might read a couple of “A” papers. She agreed to that and also agreed to my request that if I submitted another essay she would grade that one instead. The new essay I submitted received an “A” grade. Once I had seen what an “A” paper looked like, in other words what “excellence” looked like, I was able to emulate it.
When I applied to the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) for a Masters degree in law, LSE accepted me, on the condition that I receive my McGill Law degree with honors. In my final exams at LSE, the answer to one of the questions was in a footnote. They expected you to not only know the course materials, but the footnotes too.
Here at Ettinger Law Firm, we strive for excellence in the same way. Nothing is overlooked in a constant quest to be as good as we possibly can. From our staff, to our furnishings, fixtures and equipment, to the vendors we choose to work with, to the services we deliver, we work to improve every single day. Striving for excellence is its own reward.
x117 or email info@trustlaw.com 100 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre • 3000 Marcus Ave., Lake
offices in Huntington
educate students, parents, and schools about preventing hazing and creating safe, positive environments. The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, based in Northern Ireland, helps families repatriate the remains of loved ones who die abroad under sudden or tragic circumstances.
“Although the charities do change every year, our mission has never changed,” Brennan said. “We give away all of the money to charity and to be you know, that’s done to make it a bet-
ter place. We want to involve the community as much as we can and give all the money to charity.
For the past two years, Backyard Players has hosted the annual breakfast and will once again be responsible for preparing the pancakes. Located on North Long Beach Road, Backyard Players is an arts-based nonprofit that supports neurodiverse teens and young adults — known as the Backyard Players — through classes in art, music and cooking. These classes focus on teaching social skills, and the organization holds year-round fundraisers to support various programs, including Love Nana, which collects baby clothes for families in need.
For 15 years, the committee held its breakfast fundraiser at CJ’s Coffee Shop on Long Beach Road, but after a change in management, Ellen White, the committee’s Grand Marshal from 2020 to 2022, welcomed the event to Backyard Players. White is now the codirector of the nonprofit.
As the event’s date approaches, the committee is currently seeking sponsors cover the cost some of the ingredients for the event’s breakfast menu.
The fundraiser will take place at Backyard Players’ location on 215 North Long Beach Road. To register and select a time slot, visit the committee’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/ RVCSTPATRICKPARADE.
PETITIONS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND LIBRARY BOARD TRUSTEES
The Annual Election and Budget Vote for the Rockville Centre Public Schools and the Rockville Centre Public Library is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Residents will elect one person to fill one, three-year term on the Board of Education, commencing July 1, 2025, to succeed the incumbent Donna Downing whose term expires June 30, 2025.
Residents will elect two persons to fill two, three-year terms on the Library Board, commencing July 1, 2025, to succeed the incumbents Michael Lucchesi and Meryl Sussman whose terms expire June 30, 2025.
The last day for filing a petition to be a candidate for the School Board and the Library Board is Monday, April 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
Petitions are available through the District Clerk’s Office at:
The William H. Johnson Administration Office Rockville Centre UFSD 128 Shepherd Street Rockville Centre, NY (516) 255-8921
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Maureen Lennon/Herald
Families from throughout Rockville Centre gathered for the Backyard Breakfast last year.
SPORTS
Baldwin rallies to defeat South Side, 55-45
By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com
A dream playoff matchup between two of the most successful Long Island boys’ basketball programs over the past 20 years was a tale of two halves Feb.19.
Baldwin’s drive for a fifth straight county championship was in serious jeopardy as it trailed South Side by a dozen late in the first half of a Nassau Class AA quarterfinal.
“We felt like we came out flat and needed to play at a faster pace,” Bruins junior center Gabriel Phillips said. “Nobody panicked.”
Sophomore Michael Saint Jean rattled in a 3 to open the third quarter and the comeback was on. Baldwin outscored the fourth-seeded Cyclones by nine in the third and 10 in the fourth for a 55-45 victory in front of an electric standing-room-only crowd.
Phillips had a game-high 21 points and senior Chase Timber-
lake scored all but one of his 10 points after halftime as the fifthseeded Bruins (15-7) advanced to the semifinals for a stunning 19th consecutive season. They’ll face No. 1 undefeated Great Neck South March 4 at 6 p.m. at Farmingdale State College looking to avenge a pair of narrow regular-season defeats.
“We’ve got 10 first-year varsity guys, but they’ve bought in and want to write their own script,” Baldwin head coach Darius Burton said. “This was an uphill battle on the road against a very good and well-coached team. What we were able to do in the second half, play fast, defend and force turnovers, is what we do best.”
Junior Ryan Schmitt had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead South Side (18-4), which trailed for the first time with 6:28 remaining when Timberlake sank a trey for a 39-36 Baldwin lead.
“The second half was nothing like the first,” Cyclones head coach Jerry D’Angelo said. “We didn’t
handle pressure well. We committed some uncharacteristic turnovers and they took advantage.”
Senior Charles Munro added 8 points, and senior Sean Arnott and junior Connor Erickson chipped in 6 apiece for South Side, which held the game’s largest lead at 27-15 late in the first half before Baldwin senior Jacen Bacon’s three-pointer cut the margin to nine at intermission.
It was tied at 34 after the Bruins enjoyed a 16-6 third quarter with Phillips, Timberlake and senior Vaughdrea Johnson combining for 13 points.
After taking its first lead on Timberlake’s shot from behind the arc, Baldwin put an exclamation point on the victory with a 6-2 spurt capped by a dramatic running slam by junior Isaiah Lett.
Junior point guard Ethan Sainsbury had a key layup and set up Lett for another in crunch time.
“That dunk was huge and took the guys and our crowd to another level,” Burton said.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
Junior Ryan Schmitt, center, had 17 points and 12 rebounds in South Side’s 55-45 loss to Baldwin in the Class AA quarterfinals Feb. 19.
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.
StAcEy FELDMAN
SARAH KAtE ELLIS
Aiming for Eagle Scout rank this summer
ect, “but then also I did some outside research on more specific things.”
The project, which took approximately 90 hours over six months to complete, culminated in a Jan. 19 open house, where the museum showcased the new QR codes, now placed throughout the exhibits. Riomao achieved his goal with the project, which he said was to “get stuff a little bit up to speed.”
Fehringer has also expressed her appreciation for Riomao’s Eagle Scout project and what it has done for the museum.
“It really has helped us kind of bring the museum a little more future forward,” she said. “Hopefully when we get more visitors in the spring, which tends to be a high season, they’ll be able to use it.”
Ibenches by adding concrete to prevent them from sinking into the ground.
“I think the best part was probably the concrete, because that’s not something a lot of people really get to do in their lives,” he said. “And I worked with my dad with concrete before, but a lot of kids probably don’t really do something like that very often.”
t really has helped us kind of bring the museum a little more future forward.
DebbIe FehrInger Co-president, Rockville Centre Historical Society
Kozlik, also a South Side senior, focused on the museum’s outdoor area. His team of fellow scouts and other volunteers spent the summer of 2024 refurbishing benches and cleaning stone structures in the museum’s garden. After discovering that two of the wooden benches were beyond repair, Kozlik and his team built new ones, as well as stabilized the stone
Kozlik’s project took a total of 101 hours to complete over the course of July and August. He was aided by a group of about 10 scouts each day, completing the work through a combination of physical labor and problem-solving.
“They literally cleaned the ground and the yard of a lot of garbage that had blown back there and generally made this space a lot more aesthetically pleasing,” Fehringer said, “made it somewhere that you might want to sit and spend an hour just sitting amongst the pretty greenery. So, we really appreciate everything he did for us.”
Both Riomao and Kozlik’s projects exemplify the leadership skills central to the Eagle Scout rank. Mike O’Hare, the Troop 40 leader, explained that the required Eagle Scout project must bene-
fit the community, showing the scouts’ ability to lead peers and manage significant tasks.
“It has to be something that will benefit the community or church or something similar, and it shows having the commitment to stay with it and organize help that they need,” he said. “They’re supposed to be leading the younger scouts or peers and sometimes adults, having them help and showing them what’s needed and getting the job done, almost like a little project manager.”
Both scouts are aspiring to achieve the Eagle Scout rank, which they will earn in the summer, as part of their big plans for the future. Riomao is applying to colleges to study business, while Kozlik will be going to the University of North Dakota for aviation.
“I just really joined Boy Scouts to hang out with my friends, but after I got a few ranks in, I was convinced more and more to go all the way to Eagle,” Kozlik said. “It was a really big goal, and it would be helpful for my future.”
Courtesy Michael Riomao
Scouts that helped riomao with his project, from left: michael o’Hare, r yan Breen, Charlie mcKeever, aiden Breen, michael riomao and Christopher Bednar.
RVC resident to read her new memoir
By JANET PRETE Correspondent
Merilee Kaufman, 82, of Rockville Centre, has been a poet, writer, actress, and vocalist since at least the age of 12. In her newly published memoir, “Valleys and Mountains - Navigating,” she writes about how she pursued her creative passions throughout her life, even if at times they were put on hold temporarily. Kaufman will discuss her memoir on Saturday, March 1, at the Island Park Library.
Kaufman was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes at the age of 15, a condition that has at times derailed her from a chosen path due to her difficulty in managing it, especially as a teenager. She was accepted into the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, but had to transfer to her local high school after one semester due to her flagging energy and performance caused by her illness.
When it was time for college, Kaufman won a scholarship to NYU’s Bronx campus through the New York State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. This opportunity was available to her because of her diabetes, and she achieved high marks on the eligibility tests for the scholarship. However, wanting to fit in with the other co-eds on campus, she was unable to resist sharing in the Cracker Jacks, soda, and other goodies that everyone shared on their breaks from class. Once again, her grades suffered for it and her scholarship was revoked.
Kaufman believes that her parents’ divorce when she was 11 contributed to feelings of anger and sadness that may have played a part in how she also took care of her physical health. A turning point for her was when she moved in with her sister Elaine, who was 6 years older and had an apartment in the city. She learned that she could manage her diabetes on her own, and she wanted to live independently.
When she could no longer attend college, she
entered the working world, first as a receptionist in the Home Care Department at Montefiore Hospital, then as a secretary in the hospital’s nursing department. Her contacts there led her eventually to a job with the Shubert Organization. Kaufman was thrilled, since she dreamed of one day being on Broadway. Throughout this time she had been performing in various plays and musicals, keeping up with her love of the art.
Kaufman met her husband Herb at the age of 18. Her summer vacation in the Hamptons with a few girlfriends, whose express purpose was to meet husbands, had panned out. The night that she met Herb, he called to make sure she got back to her house safely, and she knew he was sweet. Throughout their courtship and marriage, he took care of her when her blood sugar got too low.
Kaufman said of Herb, “He was just wonderful. He was just so kind and he had a wonderful brain, and he was just wonderful to me. He was always there.”
Herb was a good match because he also was very creative. He was an art teacher, played the mandolin, wrote poetry, and did calligraphy as a hobby. Kaufman framed one of Herb’s beautifully done calligraphied poems and has it hanging on her apartment wall. Kaufman and Herb performed together at senior homes, with him on the mandolin and her singing.
After 40 years of marriage, Herb was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, and for the last 10 years of their marriage, their roles were reversed. Kaufman became the nurse, and Herb passed away in 2023. Kaufman started attending classes at local libraries to stay active and social. One of those classes was a writing workshop, where Kaufman revived her poetry writing, and started her memoir.
Kaufman will relay some of the stories from the book during her talk on Saturday.
Blakeman vs. Koslow for county executive
By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD cbabirad@liherald.com
A large crowd showed for the kickoff to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s re-election campaign.
Over a 100 supporters filled the American Legion Post 1066 in Massapequa on Monday with a number of Nassau County officials in attendance including Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips, and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino who asked the crowd if they’re ready to send a strong message across Nassau County and across America.
Saladino said that the last time the Democrats had control of Nassau County, they hiked taxes and crime soared through the roof, but Blakeman changed all of that.
“We love our families, we love our country, and we have a saying here in Massapequa, we stand for the American flag and we kneel for God,” Saladino said.
Blakeman has been serving for 3.5 years since he defeated incumbent Laura Curran in 2021. He is looking to serve for another four years and this race is said to be one of the closest watched races in 2025.
“I’m here to support Bruce, keep Nassau red and keep it safe and more affordable for the middle class,” county resident Amber Anderson said.
Other supporters included American
Legion Post 2736 of East Meadow members Frank Salamino and Carl Hager, who both said that Blakeman is a “good guy.”
“Bruce Blakeman is a real gentleman,” said Hager.
The crowd cheered loudly as Blakeman stepped up to the podium and spoke of his accomplishments from lowering the crime rate and taxes, banning masks that supposedly led to hate crimes, prohibiting men from playing on women’s teams and supporting the police.
“We’re not defunding the police, we’re growing the police,” said Blakeman, who also lauded that he signed an executive order that prohibited the county from becoming a sanctuary place.
His expected opponent, Democratic County Legislator Seth Koslow, noted his opposition to Blakeman’s record.
“Under Bruce Blakeman, Nassau taxpayers are paying more and getting less,” Koslow said in a statement. “Taxes are higher, crime is rising, and millions in illegal fees have not been refunded. Instead of helping hardworking families, he is using taxpayer dollars to line the pockets of his political donors and party cronies. Nassau County deserves better. I will fight to put money back where it belongs, in the hands of taxpayers, and ensure our county is safe, affordable, and well-run for everyone.”
Janet Prete/Herald Rockville Centre resident Merilee Kaufman, will present her newly published memoir, ‘Valleys and MountainsNavigating,’ on Saturday at Island Park Library.
Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald
Incumbent Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced that he is running for re-election in Massapequa on Feb. 24.
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.
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.
According to a letter sent to Hochul from the federal transportation office, Duffy rescinded the govern ment’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
“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
Luke Feeney/Herald
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.
Discover what’s coming in the Our Story
MAR
Real Estate Movers and Shakers
This edition spotlights the individuals driving positive change, from revitalizing neighborhoods to pioneering sustainable development and inclusive economic growth. This edition features in-depth profiles, and takes a look behind-the-scenes at how communityfocused real estate and business leaders are reshaping local communities.
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Your Health
Your Health: Hearing & Vision, a special section dedicated to bringing you essential aspects of hearing and eye care. In this section, we explore the latest advancements in audiology and optometry, provide expert advice on maintaining healthy hearing and vision, and share practical tips for all ages. From recognizing early signs of hearing loss to choosing the right eyewear, we cover topics that matter most to you and your loved ones.
Higher education is more than just earning a degree— it’s a gateway to personal growth, career success, and community development. This special supplement explores the transformative impact of colleges and universities on individuals and society, highlighting the latest trends, opportunities, and resources available to students and lifelong learners.
2025 High School Lacrosse Preview
Get ready for an action-packed season with the 2025 High School Lacrosse Preview, your ultimate guide to the upcoming year in local high school lacrosse. This special section highlights the teams, standout players, key matchups, and expert analysis of what to expect on the field.
Look for the Football Preview on Sept. 11 and Basketball Preview Dec. 18
Pribil spreads awareness of angiosarcoma
the very least, we get 100 people together to remember Ken Jr. and the loved ones that they’ve lost or friends that they’ve lost to cancer, then that’s worth it, just raising the awareness and making sure that people are getting together for a good cause.”
Cristina Antonescu, the director of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology Service, expressed her gratitude for the foundation’s contributions. Beginning in 2018, it has provided significant support for Antonescu’s research into angiosarcoma, which she said receives “very limited and infrequent support from federal agencies.” Her team relies on organizations like the Pribil Foundation to help it advance research on treating the disease.
“We are grateful for the generosity of the Ken Pribil Jr. Foundation, whose ongoing support has helped my colleagues and I pursue promising areas of research and explore new treatment options for angiosarcoma,” Antonescu stated in a news release. “We also extend our thanks to the foundation’s donors. Their gifts have a direct impact on our efforts to improve the lives of people with cancer.”
Antonescu’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that drive the tumors that develop, how and why resistance begins, and genetic clues that can
be used to target angiosarcoma.
Looking to the future, the foundation remains committed to encouraging more people to get involved.
“To continue spreading awareness is
one of our main goals, just getting more people involved, getting more people thinking about how to give back,” Pribil said. “It’s about, to me, motivating more people in our community to engage and
spread awareness of rare cancers and, really, illnesses of any kind. You never think about it until it happens to you.”
The foundation is preparing to award its 26th scholarship to a deserving South Side student in June, and for the next cocktail fundraiser, in October. For more information on the organization, visit its website, KenPribilJr.org.
the raffle winners celebrated their prizes after a night of raising awareness, and money, for angiosarcoma research.
Photos courtesy Kevin Pribil patrick Jay mcKenna, left, and mike Van roten, both from rockville Centre, attended last year’s cocktail fundraiser.
Presented by:
STEPPING OUT
courtesy Robert
(Two Young Teens
c. 1970s, pencil and pastel on paper, is an open-ended composition, depicting race relations.
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
Graham Carter Family Collection Untitled
With Empty Chat Bubbles),
To the right: Proud Queen, Tribute To My Wife, 1995, wood and acrylic, underscores the versatility of his form.
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.
On stage
Adelphi University Performing Arts students present the musical adaptation of “The Spitfire Grill,” now through Sunday, March 2. Based on the 1996 film by Lee David Zlotoff, this is a heartwarming and inspirational musical tale of redemption, perseverance and family. It follows a troubled young parolee yearning for a fresh start who follows her dreams to Wisconsin, based on a page from an old travel book, only to find a small town with a gritty heart aching with longing and regret. Unexpectedly discovering the healing power of community while working at the Spitfire Grill, Percy reawakens the entire town’s capacity for rebirth, forgiveness and hope.
Set to a melodic folk-inspired score, it’s a joyous celebration of human kindness. $30, with discounts available for seniors, students Adelphi alumni and staff. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.
In concert
The influential proto-punk/garage band The Dictators performs at My Father’s Place, Sunday, March 2, 7-9 p.m. My Father’s Place at The Roslyn, 1221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. For tickets/ information, visit MyFathersPlace. com or call (516) 580-0887.
108th Annual Red and Blue Competition
The South Side High School gymnasium will be packed for the 109th annual Red and Blue extravaganza. The threeday event will begin with its revue night, Thursday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. followed by two days of competition, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-March 1. Following the final event, the points will be tallied up and the winning team will be declared.
Board of Trustees meeting
The next Village of Rockville Centre Board of Trustees meeting takes place on Monday, March 3, 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 1 College Place.
Backyard Breakfast
This event is a collaboration between the St. Patrick’s Parade Committee and the Backyard Players & Friends organization. Community members are encouraged to gather, Sunday, March 2, for pancakes and bacon to benefit the all-inclusive nonprofit that supports individuals with special needs. 215 N. Long Beach Road, Rockville Centre. For more information, visit RVCStPatrick.com.
Family theater
Long Island Children’s Museum welcomes families to its stage, Friday, Feb. 28,10:15 a.m., noon, 6:15 p.m.; Sunday, March 2, 2 p.m.; also Wednesday and Thursday, March 5-6,10:15 a.m. and noon. It is 3017 in this futuristic, musical retelling of “Cinderella.” She’s now a space engineer looking to revolutionize space travel. When the Prince holds a space parade, Cinderella saves it by helping fix the Prince’s spaceship.
But first, she’ll have to keep her evil stepmother from throwing a wrench in her plans! $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or licm.org.
Memories into memoir
Join Iyna Bort Caruso at the Phillips House Museum, Tuesday, March 4, 7 p.m. Learn a step-by-step guide on how to craft engaging narratives from your life experiences. 28 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. To register, visit RVCHS. org/Event-List.
In concert
Jupiter String Quartet returns to Adelphi University
Performing Arts Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. The intimate group of violinists Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brotherin-law) are brought together by ties both familial and musical.
The ensemble brings its well-honed musical chemistry to three works shaped by bold musicality and deeply meaningful thematic inspirations, including Warmth from Other Suns by Carlos Simon; String Quartet No. 3, Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory by Shulamit; and String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130 with the Grosse Fuge by Ludwig van Beethoven. 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi.edu/pac.
Having an event?
9
Best of Broadway: ‘Looking Forward, Looking Back’
Adelphi University
Performing Arts students celebrate the music that shaped Broadway during their semi-annual Best of Broadway concert, Sunday, March 9, 4 p.m. The talented students bring to life the magic of Broadway with music from classic and contemporary musicals.
This edition includes selections from celebrated composers and lyricists, including Kander and Ebb, Alan Menken, Jason Robert Brown, and many more! This event will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, 1 South Ave., Garden City. (516) 877-4000 or Adelphi. edu/pac.
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 followup 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.
Hempstead House tour
March 9
Sands Point Preserve is the backdrop to explore the elegant Gold Coast home that’s the centerpiece of the estate, Sunday, March 9, noon-1 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. Visit the grand rooms inside the massive 50,000-square-foot Tudor-style mansion, the former summer residence of Gilded Age financier Howard Gould and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim. Tours are limited in size and tend to sell out. Arrive early to purchase tickets. $10. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road. For information, visit SandsPointPreserveConservancy.org or call (516) 571-7901.
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SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF NASSAU
WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST, Plaintiff AGAINST ARTHUR EDWARDS, ELIZABETH EDWARDS
AKA ELIZABETH MC ARDLE, ET AL.,
Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered December 16, 2022, 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 10, 2025 at 2:00PM, premises known as 259 LINCOLN AVENUE, ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situated, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 38, Block 347, Lots 380 & 381. Approximate amount of judgment $723,702.12 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #609188/2019. Karen C. Grant, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-009233 84137 151396
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU Mortgage Assets Management, LLC,, Plaintiff AGAINST Nassau County Public Administrator, as Limited Administrator of the Estate of Yolande E. BayardGaston a/k/a Yolande Gaston; et al., Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered October 17, 2023 I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on March 24, 2025 at 2:00PM, premises known as 1180 Woodfield Road,
Rockville Centre, NY 11570. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of NY, Section 38 Block 105 Lot 153. Approximate amount of judgment
$506,388.47 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 607221/2017. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”
Peter Kramer, Esq., Referee- 516-510-4020 LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC
Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792
Dated: February 5, 2025 151729
To place a notice here call us at 516-569-4000 x232 or send an email to: legalnotices@liherald.com
LEGAL NOTICE
Public Notice to Bidders
Sealed Bids will be received by the Purchasing Department of the Village of Rockville Centre, One College Place, Rockville Centre, New York for the matter stated below until 11:00 am prevailing time on MARCH 13, 2025 at which time they will be publicly opened and read aloud. The contract will be awarded as soon thereafter as practicable for: PARKING FIELD #3 REHABILITATION Bid No. 2503CP1(1140) The contract documents, specifications and plans can be examined on the Village’s website at www.rvcny.gov. Follow the link to the Purchasing Department. Each bid must be accompanied by a certified check, bank check or bid bond payable to the Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre in the amount of five (5%) percent of the gross amount of the bid. All questions should be directed to the Purchasing Department. Please contact Lisa Strazzeri via email only at Lstrazzeri@rvcny.us. Questions must be submitted no later than March 6, 2025.
All contractors and subcontractors submitting bids or performing construction work on public work projects or private projects covered by Article 8 of the Labor Law are required to register with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) under Labor Law Section 220i and must include a copy of the registration with their bid response. Award of Contract will be made to the lowest responsible bidder in accordance with applicable provisions of the law. The Village reserves the right to reject all bids or make such determination as in the best interests of the Village, as provided by law.
Purchasing Department Lisa Strazzeri Purchasing Agent 516-678-9213 151866
LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL INSTALLATION OF REINFORCED LOBBY WALL AND DOOR WITH BULLET
RESISTANT GLASS
Request for Proposals (RFPs) are currently being accepted for contractual services for a Rockville Centre, NY, nonprofit seeking to replace its security partition in the lobby with a reinforced wall and door utilizing ballistic glass. This will include:
Removal of existing door, leaving frame intact; install new bullet resistant level 3 wide stile door in existing door opening with continuous hinge LCN 4040 series surface mounted closer, electric rim panic device, exterior offset 12” pull, and keyed cylinder.
Removal of existing 1/4” glass in sidelight and installation of bullet resistant level 3 no spall glass in the existing frame with new screw down glass stops at interior and exterior of glass. New 1” thick glass will span the 1/4’ glazing channel, 1 pcs. 8” x 82”.
Removal of existing operable teller window, leaving perimeter frame to create a new 53” x 40” opening, and installation of new fixed bullet resistant level 3 glass and frame in opening with bullet resistant level 3 speak through.
Removal of existing sheetrock below transaction, and installation of bullet resistant level 3 sheetrock panel. 1 pcs. 53” x 43”
Requires proven experience with security construction and ballistic material installation. References required. Interested vendors may submit qualifications to the address below. Those selected will tour the facility to ascertain the scope and needs for submitting a final proposal. Deadline For Responses: 3/31/25
LOBBY
REINFORCEMENT
PROJECT PO BOX
800 250 MERRICK RD
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY 11570 151867
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF MEETING OF BOARD OF REVIEW; Continuation of the meeting of the Board of Review
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that
The undersigned Board of Assessment Review will meet at Village Hall, One College Place, Rockville Centre, New York on March 3, 2025, at 7:00 pm to finalize complaints in relation to assessments. All changes in the tentative assessment roll made as a result of said Board of Review hearing of such complaints will be entered on such roll on or before the date when the final assessment roll is to be completed.
Francis X. Murray, Mayor Kathleen Baxley, Deputy Mayor Emilio Grillo, Trustee Katie Conlon, Trustee
Gregory P. Shaughnessy, Trustee
Thomas Domanico, Assessor
Dated: Feb 19, 2025 151864
LEGAL NOTICE
Village of Rockville Centre
Nassau County, New York
Notice of Board of Zoning Appeals Hearing Date: March 5, 2025
Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 340 Rockville Centre Village Code NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Appeals of the Village of Rockville Centre will hold a Zoning Appeals Hearing at the Eugene J. Murray Village Hall
At the Nassau Community College Legislative Breakfast Assemblyman Ed Ra, left, State Sen. Siela Bynoe, NCC Board of Trustees Chairman Jorge L. Gardyn, NCC Chief Administrative Officer Maria Conzatti, and State Sens. Jack Martins, Steve Rhoads, and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.
Legislators meet at NCC to talk about local issues
The need for increased state funding for community colleges was on the menu at the annual Nassau Community College Legislative Breakfast as staff members, including NCC Chief Administrative Officer Maria Conzatti and other college leaders met with and other college leaders met with state elected and appointed officials on Feb. 7.
Held on the NCC campus in Garden City, the event featured remarks from college leadership, students, administrators and elected officials.
Along with Conzatti speakers included Jorge L. Gardyn, chairman of the NCC Board of Trustees; Jerry Kornbluth, NCC’s vice president of community and government relations and Jessialy Avilez, president of the NCC Student Government Association.
Nassau Community College serves 14,000 full-time, part-time and continuing education students, awards 67 associate degrees and 25 certificates on its 225-acre campus. Through on-campus and online offerings, the college educates local and international students, and boasts 168,000 alumni. Since 1959, NCC has earned a nationwide reputation for academic excellence and ease of transferability to four-year schools.
–Jeffrey
Public Notices
1 College Place, Rockville Centre at 7:00 p.m.
LEGAL NOTICE
March 5, 2025 at 7:00
PM
Case # 31-2024Joseph DiFigueroaAdjourned from February 12, 2025
To construct a mixeduse building within a “Business A District” which requires a ten foot (10’) front yard setback where zero feet (0’) front yard is proposed, fifty six (56) parking spaces required for the medical office use where zero(0) parking spaces are provided, where roof top dining is proposed
which requires approval of the Board of Appeals and is subject to a substantial Occupancy Permit from the Board of Appeals.
Premises known as 24
South Park Avenue
***Note: This case will be adjourned at this upcoming hearing for a future date certain, no presentation***
Case # 05-2025 - Paul Galati
To construct a twostory rear addition with a proposed lot coverage of 38.2% where 30.0% is the maximum allowable, impervious surface coverage of 57.7% where 45.0% is the
maximum allowable, F.A.R of 56.0% where 50.0% is the maximum allowable, and a side yard setback of 3.7 feet where 8.0 feet is the minimum required within a Residence A district.
Premises known as 19 Ormond Street
Case # 06-2025Jennifer Quackenbush & Charles Rassier
To construct one- and two-story rear additions with a proposed side yard setback of 4.83 feet where 8.0 feet is the minimum required within a Residence A district.
Premises known as 165
Brower Avenue
Dated: February 20, 2025
BOARD OF APPEALS OF THE VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE, Rockville Centre, New York
J. Robert Schenone, Chairman Patrick D. O’Brien, Secretary Information and records for appeals cases are available at the Office of the Secretary of the Board of Appeals, 110 Maple Avenue, RVC, NY 151865
Bessen
Courtesy NCC
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Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges fromo $16.50 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
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Inside Sales
Looking for an aggressive self starter who is great at making and maintaining relationships and loves to help businesses grow by marketing them on many different advertising platforms. You will source new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound cold calls. Must have the ability to understand customer needs and requirements and turn them in to positive advertising solutions. We are looking for a talented and competitive Inside Sales Representative that thrives in a quick sales cycle environment. Compensation ranges from $34,320 + commissions and bonuses to over $100,000 including commission and bonuses. We also offer health benefits, 401K and paid time off. Please send cover letter and resume with salary requirements to ereynolds@liherald.com Call 516-569-4000 X286
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FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
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Updated 2 Family
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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opinions Government must be efficient, coherent and transparent
Throughout my career in public service, I’ve steadfastly championed government efficiency, easing the burden on taxpayers, and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. It’s critical that we continue to examine all levels of government for potential savings, and hold our agencies to the highest standards. As Hempstead town supervisor, I rooted out waste and corruption, enabling the town to cut taxes, but I did this with transparency and in a deliberative fashion. This is what the American people expect and deserve.
While I support efforts to rein in government spending and waste, I’m deeply concerned by the impact of some of the recent funding freezes and firings that will hurt Long Islanders and throw vital services into chaos.
Just days ago, nearly 20 percent of the World Trade Center Health Program’s staff was abruptly terminated due to staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services. Eliminat-
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.
ing staff members who are working to ensure that 9/11 first responders and survivors receive the care they deserve is outrageous. This is a family matter on Long Island: Every one of us likely knows someone who was impacted by the Sept. 11 attacks. Nearly 7,000 of my constituents in the 4th Congressional District are eligible for the health program, including those who helped our nation when we needed it most.
EThe idea that our government would ever abandon these heroes is unthinkable. I’m glad that President Trump’s administration listened to the New York delegation’s bipartisan outrage and is now rehiring affected staff and working to undo these errors. This is a priority for Long Islanders and all New Yorkers.
leagues to urge the National Institutes of Health to reverse their planned cuts to research institutions across New York state, including Hofstra and Adelphi universities.
fforts to rein in spending in Washington are producing too much chaos.
I’m also closely tracking the developments around federal grant funding freezes. Already we have heard that proposed cuts will have drastic impacts on the universities and nonprofits that are carrying out groundbreaking research and providing critical services on Long Island. I recently joined a bipartisan group of my New York delegation col-
These cuts threaten our progress on lifesaving medical research, and make it harder for Long Islanders suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses to participate in clinical trials that could save lives. I’m glad the administration reversed course on the indiscriminate federal funding freeze proposed earlier this year, which I warned could directly impact our law enforcement agencies’ ability to carry out their jobs and threaten public safety in our communities. I remain concerned, however, about cuts to grant programs, including those for services for survivors of domestic violence and for veterans, and for other nonprofits on Long Island doing important work.
Long Islanders have also raised concerns about the potential cuts to Medicaid, which would have a devastating effect on Nassau County. Last week I heard from many health care organizations and hospitals in my district, and
joined health care advocates for a roundtable discussion of the drastic impacts that Medicaid cuts would have here. More than 100,000 of my constituents, including children and nursing home residents currently covered by Medicaid, could lose access to health care, and costs would rise for tens of thousands more Long Islanders.
We need to protect and strengthen access to health care, not rip it away from seniors, children and veterans on Long Island who rely on Medicaid. This is a bipartisan priority for residents threatened by these cuts. I’ll continue the fight to ensure continued access to health care, and I’m calling on my Republican colleagues to join me in that cause.
The administration has publicly stated that if mistakes are made during its cuts, they’ll be corrected. The White House and its allies in Congress should stand by that promise. They should seek to avoid frenzied mistakes going forward. I agree that we must tighten the belt of government and ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are being utilized efficiently and effectively, but our nation deserves transparency and organized, lawful action instead of the current chaos.
Laura Gillen represents the 4th Congressional District.
Destroying Roosevelt’s legacy
executive branch to keep moneyed interests out of politics, despite pushback from members of his own cabinet and party.
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. 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 the
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.
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 civicminded 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.
once other methods of diplomacy had 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.
Trump, on the other hand, appears to be more easily herded than any previous president, let alone Roosevelt. His administration’s shameful aboutface 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.
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.
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
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
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.
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HERALD
There should never be a legal excuse for rape
imagine 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.
opinions University leaders should not remain neutral
after the congressional hearings that challenged university presidents on campus activism amid allegations of antisemitism, many institutions adopted policies of “institutional neutrality.” Boards of trustees resolved that they would not comment on political issues such as international conflicts, investments in certain countries, and policies proposed by elected officials. Many of the resolutions cited principles enunciated by the University of Chicago. according to the Chicago principles, university leaders should not engage in speech that would appear to infringe on others’ speech. The university should be a protected, neutral place for the expression of all ideas, a safe space for “strong disagreement, independent judgment, and the questioning of stubborn assumptions.” (“Report on the University’s Role in Political and Social action,” University of Chicago, 1967.)
There are good reasons for this. When a board or president issues a statement, it can stifle contrary views; it can suppress debate. This would violate the university’s responsibility to foster
critical thinking. Making statements about some issues, but not others, could indicate that some deserve comment but others do not.
But the Kalven Report, which affirmed the University of Chicago’s mission of free inquiry and independence, did not prohibit leaders from commenting on public policies that would affect institutional autonomy and the freedom of scholars to pursue truth no matter where that pursuit may lead. So, “no” to taking partisan positions, but “yes” to evaluating proposals such as those in the much-discussed Project 2025, prepared by the Heritage Foundation, that infringe on the purposes of education.
the muchdiscussed
Project 25 infringes on the purposes of education.
i agree with these principles. neutrality does not mean silence. a campus president should not remain silent in the face of proposals that would undermine free speech. a university president has an obligation to question proposals that would undercut quality controls. it is the responsibility of a president and the board to protect the university as the home of critics even as it is not itself a voice of criticism.
a university has three fundamental roles. it is the creator of new knowledge as well as of new professionals. it is the curator of knowledge in all its forms.
Letters
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. a s 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
and it is the home for critical thinking and critics who ask “why?” and “why not?” in these ways, a university is as much about the advancement of ethical character and engaged citizenship as it is about preparation for careers and commerce. across the country, governors and state legislators promote policies that proscribe what subjects can be taught and what books can be read. Project 2025 is a “blueprint” for multiple changes in federal policy related to knowledge and expertise. it alleges, without evidence, a radical leftwing bias in university teaching. at the same time, it would require a selective teaching of american history by omitting mention of race and slavery. it also would substitute religious belief for scientific evidence, including weather forecasting and study of the environment. it would substitute political tests for professional expertise, stifling critical thinking and free speech.
The Project calls for the abolition of the U.S. Department of education, and reclassifying federal scientists as political appointees. it would turn over consumer protections from predatory proprietary schools to the states and retract the “borrower-defense” provisions of the federal loan system put in place to protect students from for-profit schools
and lenders.
Project 2025 also calls for eliminating Head Start; overhauling the educational accreditation system, reducing its political neutrality; and rolling back Title iX protections for sexual assault survivors and lGBTQ students. it calls for prosecuting all government agencies, colleges, corporations and other private employers that maintain diversity policies.
Public education was established to ensure an informed citizenry, essential to a functioning democracy. Project 2025 would deny freedoms in favor of authoritarian dictates. instead of supporting public education, it would allow for the banning of books and restrictions on independent inquiry.
Project 2025 should be studied and debated. We should affirm the purpose and benefits of education to society and the individual. Project 2025 limits rights, opposes inconvenient history and science, and would impose biased views. We can be passionate in the defense of academic values without becoming politically partisan. Only by advocating for freedom of inquiry and free speech will we preserve them, and our democracy. On this, university leaders should not be neutral.
Dr. Robert A. Scott is president emeritus of Adelphi University and co-author of “Letters to Students: What it Means to be a College Graduate,” Rowman & Littlefield, 2024.
Framework by Tim Baker
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.
a t 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 e lon 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.” i t’s never too late to say, “ i was wrong.” a nd 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
roBert a . sCott
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