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Friday, August 5, 2022
Vol. 10, No. 31
BEST OF NASSAU COUNTY
UKRAINE GIRL’S LIFESAVING SURGERY
LAFAZAN MAKES CASE FOR CD3 NOMINATION
PAGES S1-S52
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DOGUST FIRST
Manhasset dad urges Hochul to sign bill Reflects on son’s death in tragic car accident last year BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Manhasset’s Kurt Kiess said his son’s death in a Quogue car accident last year and his family’s experience afterward showed him why New York’s dated wrongful death laws need to be modernized. “I have learned a lot in the past year about New York’s legal system, most particularly the devastating impact the negligence of some can have on others and the inequity of New York law in providing remedies for the victims of negligence,” Kiess said in a statement. Last year, a car driving at speeds up to 100 miles an hour in Quogue rammed head-on into a Uber car-
rying Kiess’ son Ryan, 25, and Manhassset brothers Michael and James Farrell, 20 and 25. Both drivers all three Manhasset residents were killed. A fourth passenger, Brianna Maglio, who was Kiess’ girlfriend, was seriously injured in the crash. Since the accident, Kiess and other families have backed legislation that would allow the families of wrongful death victims “to receive compensation for their emotional anguish.” The legislation, the Grieving Families Act, passed 57-6 in the state Senate and 147-2 in the state Assembly. Officials said the legislation will update New York’s law to
be in line with most others throughout the country. New York’s current wrongful death law dates back to 1847 and prohibits claims for the grief resulting in a victim’s wrongful death and does not consider “non-traditional” family members in claims, officials said. The legislation, which is still awaiting approval from Gov. Kathy Hochul, would include domestic partners and other close family members who are currently prohibited from seeking accountability against the offender in wrongful death. Justin Mendez, 22, of Continued on Page 44
Old Westbury family raises $200K to fight cancer Sound to Cove has raised more than $10.5M since 2001 PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA
North Shore Animal League America celebrated DOGust 1st, the official birthday of all rescue dogs on Monday.
BY ST E V E N K E E H N E R In July 2021, Old Westbury resident Carolyn Jaenisch Chestler received the news: She had terminal adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer. Chestler, 62, was as active as they came up to that point. She completed a double relay swim across the English Channel, ran the New York City Mara-
thon and ascended Machu Picchu at 60. She also loved to swim in the open waters of Long Island Sound. Her family immediately began searching for a charity event. They discovered the organization Swim Across America and its open water swim event at Glen Cove’s Prybil Beach. The goal was to have her family swim in her honor while she looked on. Established in 1987, the national
nonprofit Swim Across America organizes open water swims across the nation. The group has raised $100 million to support vital cancer research. But Carolyn never got the chance to watch the race. Only four months after her diagnosis, Chestler died in November 2021. Yet her family refused to give up and forged ahead. Continued on Page 39
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