Manhasset 2022_10_07

MANHASSET

LIRR express service to stay on

line

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

After proposing changes to the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Washington branch that would have eliminatedexpress service as part of the agency’s East Side Access project, transit officials announced Thursday that they have abandoned their plans to do so.

The draft timetable changes, residents and officials said, would shortchange commuters throughout Port Washington, Plandome, Manhasset and Great Neck by decreasing express service. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority held multiple virtual sessions to hear feedback from North Shore residents and officials, a majority of which was in opposition to the proposed cutbacks.

State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) and state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti (D-Port Washington) helped lead a charge that encouraged residents and other elected officials throughout the North Shore areas to express their concerns to transit officials so that the longstanding express service could be retained. The two expressed their excitement following the announcement that the plans to eliminate the express service would not come to fruition.

“Thousands of residents in this community have spoken up about the impact of the proposed cuts on their

daily lives, and today, the MTA has heard us, and taken action to address our concerns,” Kaplan said in a statement. “I applaud the MTA and LIRR for working to ensure our community still has express train service to Penn Station even after Grand Central Madison opens this winter, but there is still more to be done to ensure our communities get the level of service we need and deserve.”

“When the draft timetables were released at the beginning of the summer, I listened to the thousands of commuters who were outraged to see the elimination of the express trains,” Sillitti said. “After thousands of public comments, three packed public hearings, and hours of testimony, I am grateful that the MTA and the LIRR heard the concerns and restored express train service back to the Port Washington Line.”

Overall, the branch will receive an 11% boost in service, with more trains becoming available for commuters on the Port Washington Branch, according to the draft schedules following the agency’s announcement. A total of 103 trains per day will be servicing the branch, 10 more than the current schedule has, officials said. On weekends, a total of five more trains, 81 total, will be operating along the branch.

The draft morning rush hour sched-

RIDE

Knicks’ Breen owned razed N. Hills home

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

An unoccupied North Hills home that was completely engulfed by flames and ultimately destroyed belonged to longtime New York Knicks

broadcaster Mike Breen, officials announced on Thursday.

Fire officials arrived at 4 a.m. on Sunday to find the residence, which was empty because of ongoing construction, completely engulfed in

flames.

The Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department, Port Washington Atlantic Fire Department, Plandome Fire Department and Roslyn Fire Depart-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANHASSET SCHOOL DISTRICT

Gift of Life recipient returns 47 years later

5-year-old’s life-saving heart surgery in 1975 was non-profit’s first

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

In 1975, when the Rotary Clubs of Manhasset and Kampala joined forces to bring a 5-year-old Ugandan, Grace Agwaru, to Roslyn’s St. Francis Hospi tal for a life-saving operation, Gift of Life International was born.

Forty-seven years later that oncelittle girl returned to where her sec ond chance began last week.

“Being here today, frst of all, I’m very excited to be back at the hospi tal,” Agwaru said on the hospital’s front lawn, “because this is really where my life was saved.”

Agwaru’s parents had told her she wouldn’t live beyond 16 because of a hole in her heart. That changed after Robbie Donno, the founder and presi dent of Gift of Life, found her story in a Rotarian magazine.

He and other Rotarians assisted Agwaru and her father, Silvester, and transported them to America, where doctors saved her life. But unbe known to those involved, this single instance would spark countless more.

Thanks to its vast global network, Gift of Life has operated on nearly 44,000 children from 80 diferent countries. It also provides equipment and training so that local doctors can do procedures on their own.

“We have received the greatest gift,” Agwaru said. “And you have giv en the greatest gift that you can ever give to anyone.”

In the United States alone, 40,000 infants are born with heart defects yearly. If found, doctors will treat an American newborn within the frst six months of life. But a procedure may never occur for those living in places without the infrastructure.

Agwaru, now 52, has not forgot ten her gift. After receiving her mas ter’s degree, she brought the Rotary Club and the Gift of Life to Uganda.

Donno said that he could not fore see back then how a single case would become the Gift of Life. Only 29 at the time, he recalled the frst meeting Ag waru and her father.

“So [her father] took the chance on coming here and at that time, there was no program,” he said. “To make matters more difcult, when he came here, I met him at the airport — only it was the 29-year-old version of me.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GIFT OF LIFE INTERNATIONAL

Grace Agwaru and Robbie Donno in 1975 vs. 2022. Agwaru re turned to St. Francis hospital last week, 47 years after she received life-saving surgery.

He anticipated meeting a gray-haired Rotarian, you know, a more mature person. I looked like I belonged to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.”

But despite Donno and Agwaru’s father’s fears, they saved her life. From that single case, it turned into two and continued to grow exponen tially. To succeed, he said, his team has always put compassion frst and treated each child as if they were their own.

“Wouldn’t you like to go to a little kid and say, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up’ and have them say I want to be kind?” he said. “Kind ness matters. It covers a lot of bases.

Every act of kindness comes with the same elements. Whether you’re doing heart surgery or a Boy Scout helping an old lady across the street.”

Because of Agwaru, Donno said that Gift of Life has collaborated with the Ugandan government on a car diac program at the Uganda Heart Institute. Its doctors will also operate on about 150 children this year in col laboration with Ugandan Rotarians.

“We did research with Dr. Craig Sable out of Washington National Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., who did breakthrough stud ies and research on rheumatic heart

Continued on Page 42

Manhasset schools rank 9th best in N.Y.

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

The Great Neck School District was ranked as Niche’s top school district throughout New York for the second consecutive year, with four others in Nassau County among the top 10.

The other local districts ranked highly by Niche included Roslyn (No. 4), Herricks (No. 7), Manhasset (No. 9) and East Williston (No. 10). Last year, Roslyn was ranked as the state’s third-best school district, Manhasset was ranked as No. 6 and Herricks stayed at No. 7.

Additionally, North Shore Cen tral (No. 22) and Port Washington (No. 23) were featured on the or ganization’s list of the state’s top 50 public school districts.

Nationally, Great Neck was ranked as the third-best school district in the country, Roslyn was ranked as No. 6, Herricks came in at No. 20, Manhasset was ranked as No. 35 and East Williston was ranked as No. 37. Manhasset dropped 16 spots in the national rankings from last year while Herricks moved up nine spots and East Williston moved up a whopping 62 spots. North Shore Central and Port Washington were not featured in the country’s top 100 list after coming in at No. 69 and No. 100, respectively, in 2021.

Great Neck South High School led North Shore public high schools in the organization’s statewide list at No. 6. Other local high schools in the

state’s top 50 included Roslyn High School (No. 10), Manhasset Second ary School (No. 11), Herricks High School (No. 14), Great Neck North High School (No. 18), Wheatley School (No. 27), Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School (No. 36) and North Shore Senior High School (No. 42).

Great Neck Superintendent Te resa Prendergast said the high praise from Niche is a result of dedicated staf, an engaged community and an efective Board of Education.

“It’s an honor to receive this top state and national ranking for the second year in a row,” Prendergast said in a statement. “This recogni tion refects the commitment of our school community to provide every student with the opportunities and tools they need to be successful. Our district is fortunate to have a sup portive Board of Education, excep tional staf, informed parents, and involved residents working together to create the best possible environ ment for student learning.”

Niche is a site where places to live, graduate schools, colleges, K-12 schools, and scholarships are ranked. The site uses data scientists to ana lyze a variety of factors and statistics to make lists each year. Factors taken into account while making the rank ings include academics, teachers, clubs and activities, diversity, college preparation courses, and health and safety.

The Great Neck School District ranked as the best school district throughout the state for the second consecutive year, according to Niche.

REACH

TO REACH

EDITORIAL:

PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN

Town to continue zoning law hearing

would

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The North Hempstead Town Board will be continuing a public hearing at the Oct. 13 meeting to discuss amending a zoning law that would allow the town to revoke cer tifcates of occupancy or existing use.

Currently, there is a procedure in place to revoke both certifcates on residential properties, not commer cial ones.

The seven-member board unani mously agreed to continue the hear ing during the Sept. 22 meeting after multiple residents and business own ers objected to the wording of the lo cal law.

If passed in its current form, the steps needed to be taken before re moving either certifcate include an investigation from the commissioner of building and safety inspection and enforcement and writing a notice of violations if they are found to be creating a hazard to public health or safety, among other steps.

If the owner of the commercial property found to be in violation fails or refuses to comply with the previ ous steps, the town board may hold a public hearing where they may direct the commissioner to revoke the cer tifcates afterward.

Multiple town board members

Frank Scobbo speaking to the North Hempstead Town Board on Thursday, Sept. 22.

said a similar law is in place for resi dential properties and the amend ment flls a gap in the town code.

Many residents said the loose

verbiage of the code means that anyone can call in a fraudulent com plaint on a business and trigger an in spection from the town, which would

be expensive to combat regardless if a business owner was found in viola tion or not.

Port Washington resident Frank

Scobbo said public safety is a broad brush and could possibly make busi nesses more susceptible to potential investigations.

“Businesses are very easy tar gets,” Scobbo said. “I think that the way that it’s written is ambiguous and can be interpreted in a lot of dif ferent ways.”

Members from the town board clarifed that business owners operat ing within the intended use of the cer tifcates would not be found in viola tion.

“We’re asking for compliance with what the certifcates were is sued for,” said Democratic Council man Robert Troiano during the public comments.

Aldo Calabrese, a co-owner of a Port Washington-based landscap ing company and ofcer of the North Hempstead Business Association, asked the board to continue the discus sion in October and to meet with him between meetings to discuss further better ways to implement the changes.

“We are not advocates of skirting violations,” Calabrese said. “That’s not what we are about. We are ad vocates of giving a voice and helping mediate.”

The next meeting for the North Hempstead Town Board will be Thursday, Oct. 13.

PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY

Nurse who got first U.S. vax promoted

Port resident got Pfizer shot in Dec. 2020, will now serve as LIJ’s V.P. of public health advocacy

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Sandra Lindsay, a Northwell Health nurse and Port Washing ton resident who was the frst American to receive the coro navirus vaccine, has been ap pointed to serve as Northwell’s vice president of public health advocacy, ofcials announced on Monday.

Lindsay, who works in the intensive care unit at New Hyde Park’s Long Island Jewish Medi cal Center, received the frst Pfzer vaccination in December 2020. She said that one of her main goals in her new position is to advance Northwell’s mission of promoting “compassionate and equitable care.”

“I plan to work collabora tively with my colleagues to positively infuence social and health issues that are priorities for our communities in New York throughout the U.S. and global ly,” Lindsay said. “I chose a career in health care because I believe in raising the health of everyone.”

When she was 18 years old, Lind say emigrated from Jamaica to the United States.

She took classes to achieve her frst nursing degree from Manhattan Community College while working at a grocery store and babysitting to pay bills. Lind say ended up earning her nursing degree in 1994 and became a U.S. citizen three years later.

After serving as grand mar shal for a parade in New York City honoring local healthcare workers who served on the front lines during the coronavirus pan demic last year, Lindsay received the Presidential Medal of Free dom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Lindsay’s vaccination card, identifcation badge, and hospi tal scrubs are on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s Nation al Museum of American History in a COVID-19 exhibit.

ple for her own team members as the frst person at Northwell to get vaccinated and then to con tinue to advocate for vaccines – and vaccine equity – at every turn, including at the United Nations and the White House,” Dowling said in a statement. “It’s clear Sandra is destined to serve as a public health advocate and excited to elevate her to this role.”

“Sandra Lindsay is one of the remarkable stories of this pandemic,” Northwell’s Senior Vice President and Chief Market ing and Communications Ofcer Ramon Soto said. “She’s given voice to health care workers around the world and served as an inspiration to so many others who share her hardscrabble and humble roots. Her impact is just beginning.”

Sandra Lindsay has been appointed Northwell Health’s vice president of public health advocacy.

Lindsay’s journey to becom ing the frst person in the nation to receive the coronavirus vac cine began nearly three decades ago outside of the United States.

Northwell President and CEO Michael Dowling lauded Lindsay for her leadership and compas sion during her tenure at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, saying she is well-deserving of the promotion.

“I’m grateful for Sandra’s willingness to serve as an exam

Lindsay was also awarded the 2021 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Outstand ing Americans by Choice recogni tion by President Biden, the 2021 Robert Nesta Marley Humanitar ian Award, the American Nurses Association’s 2021 President Award and named USA Today Woman of the Year in March.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH

Lancman to lead LIPA commission

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Great Neck resident and former state As semblyman Rory Lancman was named the new executive director of the state’s Legislative Com mission on the Future of the Long Island Power Authority, ofcials announced last week.

Lancman, who represented the state As sembly’s 25th District in Eastern Queens from 2007-2013, will now be part of a state-budgeted commission tasked with establishing a more ef fective operational model for how the organiza tion serves Long Islanders.

The power authority currently contracts its day-to-day operations to PSEG: Long Island. Ofcials said they are required to present their restructuring ideas to the legislation before Dec. 31, 2025.

Commission ofcials, including state Sen. Kevin Thomas, state Sen. James Gaughran and state Sen. James Sanders expressed excitement at joining forces with Lancman, praising him for his previous governmental work, which they said will serve the group well in its’ work.

“I congratulate Rory Lancman on his ap pointment to the LIPA Commission,” Gaughran said. “His career in public service has been wide spread, and I know he will continue to put con sumers at the center of his work.”

“As a newly appointed member of this com mission myself, I am looking forward to work ing with Rory Lancman, my former colleague in government, as he serves as its new executive director, a role for which he is well qualifed,” Sanders said.

Lancman said Long Islanders and residents of Queens deserve to have accessible, reliable and cost-efective electric service, lauding the establishment of the commission and express ing his appreciation for his appointment to the group.

“I look forward to working with the com missioners, the advisory committee, and other stakeholders to help the commission fulfll its mandate to provide the Legislature with ‘the specifc actions, legislation, and timeline nec essary to restructure LIPA into a true publicly owned power authority,” Lancman said.

Lancman, a trustee candidate in the Great Neck Library District’s upcoming October elec tion, said the appointment to the commission will have no impact on his campaign. Aside from serving as a state assemblyman, Lancman also served as a member of the New York City Coun cil before moving to Great Neck last year with his wife Mojgan, the frst Iranian-American to be elected as a state Supreme Court Judge.

Great Neck resident and former state Assemblyman Rory Lancman has been appointed to serve as the executive direc tor of a state commission tasked with analyzing and presenting proposed chang es to the Long Island Power Authority’s operations.

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He also served as a statewide special counsel for ratepayer protection, presiding over a meet ing where New Yorkers expressed their experi ences with the Power Authority’s service follow ing Tropical Storm Isaias in August 2020.

During that meeting, LIPA CEO Thomas Fal cone described Isaias as a “management failure.”

Beautiful Estate Home on the “Hill”, the most sought after lo cation in Garden City. This unique, timeless architectural master piece featuring 13,500 square feet of elegant but practical interior living space features 8 bedrooms, 7 full and two half bathrooms. Large master suite with a classic wood burning freplace, Jacuzzi, steam shower and enclosed bar with copper sink, refrigerator, wine racks and 18 by 15 foot walk-in dressing room/closet system

The seven zone central air conditioning system and the unique three boiler energy effcient gas heating system creates interior comfort for every season of the year. A full size generator pro vides power to the entire home in an electrical outage. The base ment, with 9’6” ceilings, has endless possibilities. This residence has all the amenities and more that one would expect in an estate home.

“Every failure that occurred during this storm could have been prevented by competent management,” Falcone said during the meet ing. “I want to share with you an internal email from a PSEG employee from mid-July, just three weeks before the storm. The employee stated to his boss that the outage management system, the key system that failed during the storm, was quote, ‘not even managing on a day-to-day basis, and we are defnitely not prepared for a weather event.’ That was three weeks before the storm.”

Beautiful Estate Home on the “Hill”, the most sought after lo cation in Garden City. This unique, timeless architectural master piece featuring 13,500 square feet of elegant but practical interior living space features 8 bedrooms, 7 full and two half bathrooms. Large master suite with a classic wood burning freplace, Jacuzzi, steam shower and enclosed bar with copper sink, refrigerator, wine racks and 18 by 15 foot walk-in dressing room/closet system

The seven zone central air conditioning system and the unique three boiler energy effcient gas heating system creates interior comfort for every season of the year. A full size generator pro vides power to the entire home in an electrical outage. The base ment, with 9’6” ceilings, has endless possibilities. This residence has all the amenities and more that one would expect in an estate home.

In a neighborhood known for its superb traditional architecture and scenic landscaping, the curb appeal of this home is second none.

PSEG estimated that 420,000 of its custom ers across the island lost power during or follow ing the storm, with an estimated 15,528 custom ers having to wait more than a week for their service to return.

In a neighborhood known for its superb traditional architecture and scenic landscaping, the curb appeal of this home is second to none.

The seven zone central air conditioning system and the unique three boiler energy effcient gas heating system creates interior comfort for every season of the year. A full size generator pro vides power to the entire home in an electrical outage. The base ment, with 9’6” ceilings, has endless possibilities. This residence has all the amenities and more that one would expect in an estate home.

The home presents a 140 lineal foot wraparound porch (140’ by 15’) to entertain or sit in privacy and enjoy the private, quiet surroundings. Purchaser can modify the landscaping and return it to its North entry, creating a view of the beautiful golf course and the spacious 100’ by 250’ backyard. The three car heated garage adds additional comfort and convenience.

In a neighborhood known for its superb traditional architecture and scenic landscaping, the curb appeal of this home is second to none.

The home presents a 140 lineal foot wraparound porch (140’ by 15’) to entertain or sit in privacy and enjoy the private, quiet surroundings. Purchaser can modify the landscaping and return to its North entry, creating a view of the beautiful golf course and the spacious 100’ by 250’ backyard. The three car heated garage adds additional comfort and convenience.

Serious

Serious Inquiries Only

The home presents a 140 lineal foot wraparound porch (140’ by 15’) to entertain or sit in privacy and enjoy the private, quiet surroundings. Purchaser can modify the landscaping and return it to its North entry, creating a view of the beautiful golf course and the spacious 100’ by 250’ backyard. The three car heated garage

comfort

convenience.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LANCMAN

Zimmerman, Santos clash at heated debate

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Democratic Congressional candidate Robert Zimmerman bashed George Santos for his stance on a handful of issues facing the 3rd District, while the Republican dismissed his opponent’s claims during a Newsday interview on Tuesday.

Zimmerman, 67, criticized Santos, 34, for his support of a nationwide ban on abortions, for defending the rioters outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and for his political affiliations with individuals such as Congressmembers Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.

“This election for Congress is a test between the mainstream values that define my life that I represent and the values that George Santos represents, from the extremist perspective,” Zimmerman said.”This is a very clear decision between the two of us.”

Santos, on multiple occasions during the forum, said Zimmerman was misleading viewers in an attempt to make the debate about him, rather than the constituents of the 3rd Congressional District. Santos said the race is “personal” to him and that his goal is to “defend the American Dream.”

“Robert Zimmerman [will] make this debate about him and I,” Santos continued. “I want to make it about all of you in the room because this race is not about the two of us, It’s about you.”

Both candidates, who would become the first openly gay member of Congress from Long Island and Queens, if elected, discussed the repeal of Roe v. Wade and how they would vote on the matter. Zimmerman said he would vote to codify the law along with his goal to defend same-sex marriage and the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’m committed because I understand what it is like growing up as an isolated gay kid in

the ‘70s,” he said. “I’m not going to allow a new generation of LGBTQ+ to be forced back in the closet through ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation.”

Santos did not directly answer the question, dismissing Zimmerman’s claims of him defending the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation and his relationship with Republican officials who do not advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Santos said he did not want to “distract” the audience and viewers from the “real issues at hand,” such as public safety and affordable housing.

In terms of public safety on the federal level and what can be done to address crime throughout New York, Santos said it is imperative to ensure criminals are incarcerated for their acts and criticized Democratic officials for “coddling” those who break the law.

“The North Shore has become a target for all of the crime that’s coming in from the city of New York and Congress… should have the moral obligation to secure federal dollars to fund our law enforcement officers, to make sure that they’re well-equipped and prepared to fend off violent criminals,” Santos said.

Zimmerman said he will continue to advocate for modifications to the state’s bail reform laws to give judges more discretion when it comes to reviewing a defendant’s past. The Democrat also said he would support Red Flag laws, background checks for firearms and other federally-funded intervention programs.

“I’m for an assault weapons ban,” Zimmerman said. “I stand very strongly for limiting the number of bullets in the magazine and certainly stand very strongly for stronger background checks.”

Santos noted the hundreds of gun laws already in place on the federal and state level, acknowledging that gun violence continues to persist.

Continued on Page 40

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOTH CANDIDATES

Robert Zimmerman (left) and George Santos (right) are running in the 3rd Congressional District election.

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ECLIPSE SCREENS SHADES

F. Hill seeks to lower speed limit to 25 mph

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

The Village of Flower Hill is looking to reduce

speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph, Mayor Randall Rosenbaum said Monday.

The monthly trustee meeting served as the

public hearing for the proposed local law. According to Rosenbaum, the reductionwould makeresidents safer.

of our streets have sidewalks,” he said.

the kids are walking, the people are walking

on bikes, skate-

In August, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Legislation A.1007-A/S.2021-A into law. It permits municipalities to lower speed limits to 25 mph to reduce traffic-related accidents and fatalities.

According to Vision Zero, vehicle stopping distance improves by 45 feet (23%) when traveling at 25 mph vs. 30.

There were no public comments. The board voted to continue the discussion at their meeting next month.

The next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Nov.7 at 7:30 p.m. It will take place in Village Hall.

Stonytown Road in Flower Hill.

Monday that

vil-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

LIRR’s 3rd Track project completed

New line running from Floral Park to Hicksville finished on time, $100 million under budget

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Long Island Rail Road’s 3rd Track project was completed Monday, both on time and under budget, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul

The 9.8-mile track runs from Floral Park to Hicksville and increases services by 41% systemwide when Grand Central Madison opens later this year.

“The completion of the historic Third Track project connects commuters with a more resilient and flexible railroad with frequent service, modern stations, ADA accessibility and more travel opportunities for Long Islanders and visitors,” Hochul said in a statement. “I applaud the MTA, local communities and the hard-working women and men of organized labor who worked together to deliver this transformative project on time and under budget.”

The 3rd Track is the main centerpiece of the $2.5 billion Main Line Expansion Project, which includes station upgrades in Mineola, New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Carle Place and Westbury, eliminating eight at-grade railroad crossings, upgrading seven railroad bridges, landscaping improvements and parking expansions, among others.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

A train rolls into the newly-upgraded New Hyde Park LIRR station, where state officials including Gov. Kathy Hochul commemorated the event by riding on the just-opened three-mile stretch of track between Floral Park and Merillon Avenue stations.

Four years since breaking ground, the project is set to be completed $100 million under budget.

“This project is being delivered

on time and $100 million under budget, thanks to design-build contracting and many other new and innovative project management strategies.

It’s especially incredible that this was all accomplished during a global pandemic and with no residential property takings,” said MTA CEO Janno

Lieber. “It shows that the MTA can deliver on its promise to bring megaprojects faster, better and cheaper. And this expansion will be a huge boon for Long Island businesses since it will increase access to the region’s talent pool by enabling not only a 40% overall increase in LIRR service but a huge uptick in reverse peak train frequency. It’s a win-win-win.”

The Main Line Expansion and 3rd Track Projects are both part of a $17.7 billion investment into the Long Island Rail Road. Overall, the total investment is going toward the opening of Grand Central Madison, the LIRR Concourse at Penn Station, 13 miles of tracks between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma and infrastructure upgrades, among others.

“The completion of the LIRR Third Track gives the LIRR more flexibility to serve customers on the Ronkonkoma, Port Jefferson/Huntington and Oyster Bay branches,” LIRR interim President Catherine Rinaldi said. “When combined with the new terminal at Grand Central Madison and the newly renovated LIRR concourse at Penn Station, LIRR customers will have more frequent service, upgraded stations with a host of modern amenities, and easier reverse peak trips.”

Madoff victim restitution fund hits $4B

$372M to be distributed in eight payments to those scammed by ex-Roslyn native

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

The Madof Victim Fund has be gun its eighth distribution of approxi mately $372 million in connection with the fraud scheme perpetrated by Bernard L. Madof , the Department of Justice announced.

Madof, a former Roslyn resi dent, orchestrated the greatest Ponzi scheme in American fnancial history, costing investors $18 billion.

The fund will make payments to 27,219 victims worldwide as part of this distribution. Over 40,000 people have received compensation of more than $4 billion for damages.

“The Criminal Division is proud to continue providing compensation to victims through the largest re mission process the Department has overseen,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, Jr. of the Jus tice Department’s Criminal Division.

“The billions distributed worldwide is a testament to the department’s sus tained eforts to ensure justice for the victims of Bernard Madof’s massive fraud.”

Madof used his infuence to defraud his clients of billions and pleaded guilty to 11 federal charges in 2009. A U.S. District Judge gave him a 150-year jail sentence on June 29, 2009. He died in April 2021.

Madof’s sons, Andrew and Mark, who grew up in Roslyn, were also ac tive in the frm. They informed au thorities about their father’s crimes in 2008. They have both died since then: Andrew in 2014 from mantle cell lymphoma and Mark in 2010 by suicide.

The Wilpon family, then owners of the New York Mets, was among those afected. Other victims in cluded the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, later absorbed into Northwell Health as well as the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York said the Department of Justice’s work for rectitude will continue.

“Today’s additional payments of $372 million by this Ofce and the Criminal Division’s Money Launder ing and Asset Recovery Section rep resents the eighth in a series of dis tributions that will leave victims with compensation for more than 88 per cent of their losses — a truly remark able result,” he said. “But our work is not fully complete, and this Ofce’s tireless commitment to compensating the victims who sufered as a result of Madof’s crimes continues.”

About $2.2 billion of the funds distributed to victims came from the civil forfeiture recovery achieved

1 injured in Manhasset boiler explosion

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

One person was injured following a small boiler explosion in the basement of a non-clini cal building next to North Shore University Hos pital in Manhasset, fre ofcials said.

The explosion took place early Friday morn ing after a boiler malfunction. Ofcials trans

ported one person to the hospital for treatment after sufering a minor injury.

The Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department responded with assistance from Port Washing ton Fire Department.

The building was evacuated, but hospital operations have not been afected.

from the estate of deceased Madof investor Jefry Picower. A parallel lawsuit resulted in an extra $1.7 bil lion, which was also collected as part of a deferred prosecution deal with JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.

The rest of the money was ob tained through civil forfeiture pro ceedings against investor Carl Shap iro and his family as well as through criminal and civil forfeiture proceed ings against Bernard L. Madof, Peter B. Madof and their accomplices.

The Queens-born Madof, a Hof stra University graduate, was once seen as a prodigy. At 22, he started his own frm. The former chairman of Nasdaq also facilitated the switch from analog to electronic trading.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COM MONS

Bernie Madoff. The Department of Justice announced that the Madoff Victim Fund has begun its eighth disbursement, of about $372 million, in connection with the former Roslyn resident’s fraud scheme.

DeSena proposes $158.4M budget for ‘23

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jen nifer DeSena has proposed a $158.4 million tentative budget for 2023 that remains below the spending cap.

The tentative budget, submitted to the six other members of the Town Board on Sept. 28 and released on the town’s website one day later, calls for a general fund tax levy in crease of $569,600, or 2.12%, from the 2022 adopted budget, rising from $26,808,627 to $27,378,227.

The general fund tax levy increase results in an average of$6.30 per household, accord ing to town ofcials.

In the town’s $89,098,154 general fund, $40.5 million is allocated to the outside village fund, which covers services for residents who live outside incorporated villages, and $28.8 million for the 20 town-operated special dis tricts, which set their own budget.

The Town Outside Village Fund Tax Levy in creased by from $27,970,865 to $28,874,137, a 3.22% increase that stands as an average in crease of $28.88 per household, according to town ofcials.

“The tentative budget is highlighted by spending restraints, increased efciencies, and an open, honest, and transparent look at how the Town is spending our taxpayer’s money,” DeSena said. “I am so proud to deliver my frst

budget plan on behalf of our taxpayers. The tentative budget is the frst step in the process, and it provides a window into my administra tion’s goals for the upcoming year.”

She added, “While the skyrocketing infa tion rate and unstable economy have presented

PHOTO COURTESY

North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. A small boiler explosion in the basement of an office building near to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset injured one person, according to fire officials.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUPERVISOR

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jen nifer DeSena.

Blakeman bashes concealed carry law

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

Two hundred new gun permit applications have been submitted since the state’s new gun law went into effect on Sept. 1, Nassau County law enforcement says.

County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Commissioner of Police Patrick Ryder and Deputy County Executive of Public Safety Tatum Fox discussed the challenges of enforcing the state’s new concealed carry laws during a press conference on Tuesday morning.

“Although we think this law is arbitrary, capricious and unconstitutional,” said Blakeman. “We are going to do our best way to administer this law until there’s a file of adjudication with the litigation that’s ongoing as to whether or not this law is in fact constitutional.”

cludes firearm training, inperson interviews and social media reviews. They prohibit those with concealed carry permits from carrying weapons in sensitive places such as Times Square, schools, government offices and hospitals. One must also renew or recertify their permits every three years.

Blakeman said he disagreed with forbidding gun owners from bringing their weapons inside houses of worship or on public transportation. He added that the new regulations do little to safeguard the public from a situation involving an active shooter.

According to officials, out of 32,000 permit holders, 900 have applied to upgrade to full carry and 200 more for full carry. (Of the 32,000, 21,000 are for hunting or target practice, 1,500 are for businesses and 950 are owned by former law enforcement personnel.)

PHOTO BY KAREN RUBIN

After the Supreme Court ruled in June that the state’s proper-cause requirement was unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment, it compelled state officials to implement the changes.

The new legislation in-

Blakeman did not respond to questions on data showing that easing concealed carry laws would boost residents’ safety. He also did not reveal any information about the applicants, such as their gender, race or age.

Former Port pharma worker pleads guilty

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

A former office manager for a Port Washington-based pharmaceutical company pled guilty to stealing over $1.38 million from three affiliated businesses over a five-year period, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.

Maria Porras, 32, entered a guilty plea to three counts of second-degree grand larceny, four counts of third-degree criminal tax fraud and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing, the DA said.

From 2015 to 2019, Porras worked as an office manager for the Port Washington-based pharmaceutical company RXUSA. Her respon-

sibilities included access to RXUSA’s bookkeeping system. She generated checks from RXUSA’s account and two other related businesses, Eveready Wholesale Drugs, Inc., and PBM America Inc.

On Nov. 11, 2020, police arrested Porras. They discovered she had deposited checks from RXUSA and rerouted incoming funds into her own account, the DA said. After further investigation, they learned she had stolen $1,384,487.71 between 2015 and 2020, according to Donnelly.

Porras, according to the DA, abused her authority and access. She also submitted fake tax filings, concealing the proceeds of her theft.

“Maria Porras’ greed caught up with her and she is being held accountable with this felony conviction,” she said. “I thank my Financial Crimes Bureau for their

diligent investigation of this case and for ultimately uncovering this massive embezzlement scheme.”

The state Department of Taxation and Finance also launched an inquiry. They found Porras had filed her personal tax returns without disclosing the stolen revenue and had underpaid her taxes from 2016 to 2019.

Before her sentencing on Jan. 9, 2023, Porras agreed to pay $100,000 in upfront reparation. She will have to pay the remaining amount after her sentence.

Donnelly suggested a prison sentence of 2.5 to 6.5 years with a large upfront restitution. Without it, she suggested 3.5 to 10.5 years.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Commissioner of Police Patrick Ryder and Deputy County Executive of Public Safety Tatum Fox at press conference on Tuesday morning, Blakeman outlined the difficulty of enforcing the state’s new concealed carry laws.

Nassau PBA endorses George Santos

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Nassau County Police Benevolent Association has endorsed Republican George Santos as he makes a bid for the 3rd Congressional District in November.

The Nassau PBA is the fourth major county law enforcement organization to endorse Santos, joining the county’s detectives association, superior officers association and correction officers benevolent association.

“If you support law enforcement, and are concerned about the safety of New York’s communities, your choice this Election Day is clear: send George Santos to the House of Representatives — the champion for law enforcement we need now as our Congressman,” said Nassau County PBA President Tommy Shevlin.

If elected, Santos would become the first openly gay member of Congress from Long Island and Queens as would his Democratic challenger Zimmerman.

Santos said the endorsement is an honor and that he would provide law enforcement with as many resources as needed.

“To have the support of the brave men and women who serve in Nassau County is an honor,” Santos said in a statement. “Law enforcement officers protect our communities, and I will be a strong voice in Washington for its members. We need to make sure officers can and want to do their job. Radical pro-criminal elites, like Robert

Zimmerman, are prepared to defund the police and support radical cashless bail. Unlike my opponent, I will always ensure the police have the tools, policies, and resources needed to do their jobs safely. Our momentum is growing every day, and we are building a broad coalition of law enforcement who all know I will always have their back.”

Santos is running for the seat currently held by Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who is coming off a failed run in the gubernatorial primary, losing to Gov. Kathy Hochul in late June. Suozzi is not on the ballot to retain his seat in Congress.

New district maps were submitted earlier this year by a court-appointed special master and have been viewed as more neutral compared to ones that were rejected by the state Appeals Court several weeks ago.

While the 3rd Congressional District under the new proposal does not extend as far west as the Bronx or Westchester, it does stretch to more southern parts of Nassau County, such as Hicksville and Massapequa. The new lines do exclude the parts of the district that now stretch into Suffolk County, mainly Huntington and Smithtown.

Santos, 34, who ran against Suozzi in 2020, was named a “Young Gun” candidate in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program earlier this year, his campaign said.

JCC run raises $114K for cancer wellness center

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

Despite a brisk autumn morning, participants, including children, seniors and even a few dogs, banded together for the Sid Jacobson JCC’s annual Stronger Than Cancer 5k Sunday.

The run benefited the Nancy Marx Cancer Wellness Center. The facility offers cancer patients on Long Island access to exercise, support groups, therapy and more for free. As of presstime, they had raised $114K of their $125K goal.

The field comprised runners from the Town of North Hempstead and the neighboring communities.

Bruce Spenadel, of Manhasset, won the race by a large margin. He finished the race in 21 minutes, 52 seconds — 23 seconds faster than the runner-up, Ed Marcus.

Randy Hight, the director of the cancer center, was the event’s honoree. She began working as a social worker with the Strength to Strength Cancer Wellness Program for Adults in 2007. She was appointed director in 2014.

As the director, Hight has sought to assist people dealing with their diagnoses on all levels. The cancer center has expanded and raised funds to ensure all programs continue to be free and varied.

Hight was instrumental in the establishment of the Jeffrey Marx MD Men’s Cancer Wellness Program, which includes a man-

only discussion group for cancer patients. She has also recruited numerous cancer wellness social workers.

The top donor groups include Karlik Krew, Harvey and Gibbs Heros, Team Hight and Team Small, who have all raised over $14K each. If interested, one may donate through the JCC’s website.

Savings out of this world.

Participants take off running. On Sunday, residents ran, walked and cheered in the Sid Jacobson JCC’s annual Stronger Than Cancer 5K.

Sign Up Today!

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF SID JACOBSON JCC’S FACEBOOK

President Tommy Shevlin lauds congressional candidate for commitment to law enforcement

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANDIDATE

Queens native George Santos is running for the New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

Opinion

VIEWS Editorial Cartoon

Hurricane Ian offers reminder to L.I.

Long Island is surrounded to the north, south and east by water and if you correctly include Brooklyn and Queens, then add the west as well.

What could go wrong?

Long Island residents didn’t need to see the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian to answer that question.

The memory of Hurricane Sandy 10 years ago is still fresh in the minds of those who lived through it. Billions in damage, hundreds of lives lost, businesses and homes destroyed, no electricity for more than two weeks for some.

The question that now needs to be asked is what we have done since then to prepare for the next storm at a time when climate change has increased the frequency and destructive power of nature across the globe.

Consider that Sandy’s strongest wind gusts on Long Island reached 95 mph while Hurricane Ian’s top gusts reached as high as 155 m.p.h. Could Long Island see winds that strong?

Sandy’s top wave surge did rival that of Hurricane Ida, reaching 14 feet in New York Harbor. The water then topped the seawall in Lower Manhattan and flooded parts of New York’s subway system.

The wave surge on Long Island was recorded at less than 6 feet. But that was still enough to cause devastating destruction from which the island is still recovering.

Emergency managers in Lee County, Fla., have rightly come under scrutiny for delaying orders to residents to evacuate until a day after several neighboring counties had ordered their most vulnerable residents to flee.

The county, which includes the hard-hit seaside community of Fort Myers Beach, as well as the towns of Fort Myers, Sanibel and Cape Coral, now has the highest death toll of anywhere in the state.

But the truth is that many on Long Island and beyond appear to be like the Lee County officials in being a day late

– and then some – in responding to climate change.

Opponents of action first denied that man-made climate change was real and then claimed the cost of combating the threat far outweighed the benefits.

Tell that to residents of southwest Florida — and Long Island.

Ironically, then-Congressman Ron DeSantis voted against federal aid to New York and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012.

Now Gov. DeSantis has apparently reconsidered his opposition to assistance from Washington following Hurricane Ian and is asking for federal help. Incredibly, not all of DeSantis’ Republican colleagues agree.

The federal government has made significant progress in the past two years in efforts to address climate change and prepare for the future fallout from our past sins.

Congress, in a bipartisan vote, approved $1.2 billion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, which includes money to modernize roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, airports and wastewater facilities.

In a straight party-line vote this year, Democrats approved the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes $369 billion for energy security and climate change — the largest investment ever made to combat climate change.

The legislation has already sparked billions in investment for the manufacturing of solar panels and automobile charging stations.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Monday Long Island’s own plans to fortify some of its most critical and natural “firewalls” along the coast can move forward because of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.

Schumer said the act makes $2.6 billion available for local governments and other entities to tap to conserve, restore and protect marine and coastal habitats. The New York senator said this part of the bill was written with Long Island in mind.

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EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

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California recently banned gasoline-powered cars by 2035, a move expected to spur a faster nationwide shift to electric vehicles.

Gov. Kathy Hochul then began the process to implement a 2035 ban on new sales of light-duty combustion engine vehicles in New York. She has also signed an executive order to make state operations more sustainable.

Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman announced Monday he has directed a full-scale, table-top exercise to ensure the county’s preparedness for any potential significant natural disaster.

Representatives from every major county department will be present to work through the county’s 120-hour plan should a major storm be predicted to hit the area.

This is all welcome news, but many of the changes will take years to complete. And climate change is a global issue and not every country is on board.

The changes just enacted also do not answer the question of whether enough has been done to adequately prepare for another Hurricane Sandy — or something even worse — in the near future.

State and county officials need to

REPORTERS

determine if areas flooded after Hurricane Sandy would be safe now and take steps to mitigate or prevent flooding if they aren’t safe.

Both the state and federal governments should reconsider their practice of giving money to people to rebuild in areas that have already flooded. No matter how well-intentioned, this is often just tossing good money after bad.

We would also be better served if in at least some cases people were given money to rebuild their homes and businesses somewhere else — in areas not subject to flooding.

Local zoning laws should also be reviewed to require that new homes and businesses are capable of withstanding the wind and rain seen in Hurricane Ian.

All Nassau residents are painfully aware of the need for government and utilities to respond to severe storm damage. Some homes and businesses were without power for more than two weeks following Hurricane Sandy and timely communication was missing.

Are we better prepared now?

More long term, local officials need to consider ways to reduce our reliance on the automobile — at least until electric vehicles become the norm.

Robert Pelaez, Brandon Duffy, Steven Keehner

COLUMNIST Karen Rubin

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Stacy Shaughnessy, Melissa Spitalnick, Wendy Kates, Barbara Kaplan, Amanda Cipriano

DIRECTOR

Yvonne Farley

Some Nassau Republicans have called the MTA’s proposed congestion pricing for Manhattan, which is aimed at reducing traffic and pollution, an attack on the suburbs.

But getting some of the 180,000 Long Island residents who commute by car to New York City each day off the roads would be helpful in reducing the greenhouse gases that have helped create our climate crisis.

It would also reduce the congested roadways that sometimes turn the suburban dream into a nightmare.

Towns and villages can also help by making zoning changes to encourage mixed-use development near train stations that would attract people who commute by train.

Mineola is currently considering changes to encourage mixed-use development in the village’s business districts.

Mayor Paul Periera said the proposal recognized that the downtown business districts of the past are gone and will never return.

We would be well served to use more of Periera’s realism to fight climate change and prepare for the next Hurricane Sandy.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Rosemarie Palacios

DESIGNER Lorens Morris

Deborah Flynn

Giuliani’s rise, decline and fall from grace

Back in 1993, when I was the Conservative Party candidate for mayor of New York City running against Democrat David Dinkins and Republican- Liberal Rudy Giuliani, a young journalist, Andrew Kirtzman, covered the campaign for the fledging cable news station, NY1.

Since that time, Kirtzman has hosted Emmy award-winning political talk shows and has been the chronicler of the man he reported on for eight years, Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Kirtzman’s first Giuliani book, “Emperor of the City” (2000), is a fine description of the pre-9/11 mayoral years.

His new work, “Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor,” is a perceptive and balanced biography that focuses on Rudy’s life after his departure from City Hall.

Born in Brooklyn in 1944, the young Giuliani was an outspoken liberal. He attacked Senator Barry Goldwater, the 1964 GOP presidential nominee, as an “incompetent, confused, and sometimes idiotic man.”

Politically ambitious, Giuliani boasted in college and law school that he would be the first Italian president of the United States.

In his march to achieve that end, Giuliani first switched from Democrat to Independent and then to Republican, not because he embraced the tenets of

conservatism, but in order to advance his career in the U.S. Department of Justice.

It was as U.S. attorney for New York’s Southern District (1983-1989) that Rudy impressed the public and made frontpage headlines.

Kirtzman describes how Giuliani’s successes, often achieved by ruthless means, “cemented his image as a fearless crusader against the corruption and entitlement of New York’s political, financial and social elites.”

During that period, Rudy exhibited what became lifelong traits, “a kind of overkill, a kind of overzealousness” and an “addiction to media coverage.”

Giuliani’s next step was a mayoral run in 1989. An awful candidate with little public policy knowledge, he lost by 47,000 votes to David Dinkins.

Dinkins was a hapless chief executive. By 1993, Kirtzman writes, “the city seemed rudderless in the face of ballooning crime and a deterioration of public order.”

A new and improved Rudy, who spent four years studying the issues with various experts, went on to beat Dinkins in the rematch by 55,000 votes. (I came in third place.)

Kirtzman describes how Mayor Giuliani brought down crime to historic lows, successfully tackled the city’s fiscal problems, streamlined the bureaucracy

In his second term, however, Giu-

GEORGE J. MARLIN On The Right

liani’s arrogance, indifference to the concerns of minority communities, and his soap opera personal life began to wear on the voters. His approval ratings plunged over 30 points and his hopes to run against Hillary Clinton for U.S. senator in 2000 evaporated.

What saved Giuliani’s cratering career was his leadership on 9/11.

Kirtzman, who accompanied the mayor that day, concluded Giuliani’s “courage in the face of near death, his absence of fear when all was falling apart and his candor with the public was a study in leadership.”

Leaving office three months later, Gi-

uliani proceeded to make tens of millions of dollars off his newly acquired fame.

The man who had led something of an ascetic life suddenly became consumed with money and material things. Kirtzman reports Giuliani and his third wife were spending over $250,000 a month to support six homes and 11 country club memberships.

Giuliani’s 2008 campaign for president was a disaster. Celebrity status did not guarantee victory. Traveling with the candidate, the Wall Street Journal’s Dan Henninger, concluded “Giuliani didn’t have supporters, he had fans.”

Giuliani went down because Republicans soured on him after they learned about his very liberal positions on social issues, his messy personal life and his questionable business associates and clients.

That defeat devastated Giuliani. Kirtzman claims Rudy went into a deep depression, remained isolated and allegedly took up serious drinking.

Over time, he lost his client base and resorted to appearing on late-night infomercials.

Giuliani got a new lease on life when his friend, President Donald Trump, hired him to serve as his personal attorney.

It was a terrible choice. Giuliani was, Kirtzman notes, “unconstrained by the mannered conventions that presidential

lawyers were expected to practice. He was a gleefully ferocious attack machine perpetually set to kill. He would say anything, do anything to win. He was, in short, just like Trump.”

Sadly, Giuliani became a national laughingstock after Trump lost the 2020 election.

In his far-fetched attempt to overturn the election, Giuliani proved to be unprepared, disorganized and ignorant of election law.

And while on national television presenting “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations … unsupported by evidence,” Giuliani looked the fool when “[r]ivulets of liquefied hair dye began streaming down his sideburns.”

The additional price Rudy paid for his public antics: His license to practice law was suspended.

Kirtzman’s insightful biography ends on a sad note concerning Rudy’s last foray in the political arena: “Giuliani’s role was to enable the president, feed him lies, encourage his worst impulses, and lead his most malevolent battles. He did so enthusiastically because Trump had made him relevant again, years after he foolishly squandered the love and respect of millions.”

Giuliani’s rollercoaster career affirms the Latin maxim, Sic transit gloria mundi, “All worldly glory is fleeting.”

Spending an evening with ‘Bros’

Maybe it’s me. I hope that it’s me. Because otherwise, it’s them — by which I mean, the cast and writers and other creators of the movie “Bros.”

“Bros” isn’t a bad movie. For all I know, it’s a great one. I just didn’t like it.

It’s supposed to be this great, groundbreaking, big-budget Hollywood rom-com (short for romantic comedy) with big talent involved, only instead of being between a man and a woman, it’s between a man and a man. But — as actor Billy Eichner points out — a rom-com between two men will be a little different.

For one thing, the “meet cute” will happen at an orgy-dance party, with a minimum of clothes.

For another, there will be a lot of mindless sex. I almost wrote “meaningless,” but maybe that’s imposing my own values on these guys. Maybe mindless sex

IS the meaning of life for them — what do I know? It was filmed pretty tastefully, I’ll give them that — but still, I found out way more than I wanted to know about men

who, as the Health Department would put it, “are having sex with other men.”

There was more than one scene where the young twenty-something who accompanied my friend and me to the film was seriously embarrassed and didn’t know where to look. I didn’t either. I was glad we were all in a very dark theater.

When we meet Eichner’s character, “Bobby,” he has given up on ever finding love and is concentrating on trying to finish fund-raising for the first-ever LGBTQ+ museum, which he heads. This device allows a table-full of activists — one for each of those letters, including the “plus” — to bicker about what the museum must and must not include. Listening to them squabble was actually the funniest part of the movie, for me.

But watching Bobby give in to the demands of a total stranger on a dating app, who “must see ass pics,” and so tried shaving his own butt before realizing he didn’t even know how he’d contort to take such a selfie — that wasn’t funny. I just wanted to say, “Honey, don’t waste your time on

JUDY EPSTEIN

Look on the Lighter Side

such a, um, dick!”

But apparently being a dick — indeed, a dick-about-town — is what gay life is all about. At least, that’s according to Billy Eichner, who isn’t just the star of this film — he co-wrote it. Even when Bobby

finds a great guy, one who might like him too, their biggest argument is — spoiler alert— all about physicality, and what body type the other “goes for.”

Even a gender-reveal party isn’t just a party, it’s an orgy.

And when a gay couple of Bobby’s acquaintance (both men) announce “We’re expecting triplets!” I felt some definite pain. Where was this triply-pregnant woman? Nowhere in sight. No mention of her or her health. Do they even know who she is or did they simply order these triplets from Amazon? Is that all we women are to these men —just wombs with legs? That feels no different from how the LEAST liberated people in America view us.

But my biggest problem with this film was that I just didn’t believe it. The love interest — Luke Macfarlane as “Aaron” — is undeniably handsome, with an irresistible twinkle in his eye. But he plays the dumb hunk so believably that I could not believe he made his living as a lawyer.

And I just did not believe any of the

scenes the two men had together. I kept thinking, well, yes, they have to kiss, it’s in the script. When I found out that Macfarlane had been the male lead in any number of (straight) Hallmark movies, I realized I would have found him much more believable in those… even though he’s been “out” and gay for years. Maybe there really wasn’t any chemistry or maybe I’m hopelessly biased — I couldn’t tell you which.

There are musical montages and running sequences, just like any other romcom. And there’s a happy ending — sort of. My only problem is that by the time that arrived, I didn’t care.

This film was produced by Judd Apatow, who also produced “Knocked Up,” “Trainwreck,” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”

I’m sorry, Judd, Billy, et al — I know I’m supposed to like this movie so that more gay story-line films will get made. But the heart wants what the heart wants… and my heart finds this movie a big “Meh.”

Bravo, Aaron Judge! A real American hero

Iturned 10 years old 61 years ago, in the magical year when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris battled to match and then top Babe Ruth’s 34-year-old single-season record of 60 home runs.

Mantle and Maris, known as the M & M boys, were friendly competitors. Nevertheless, many fans resented the Rajah, an import from the Kansas City Athletics. Afterall, he was in the hunt with their hero — the Mick, who played his entire career with the Yankees.

Ruth was also an import. The Bambino was traded to the Yankees by the Boston Red Sox, presumably because he drank and fought too much, not to mention that the Yankees paid top dollar for him.

The trade, the pretext for the socalled “Curse of the Bambino,” was widely believed to be a bad omen that kept the Red Sox from winning a World Series for almost a century, from 1918 until 2004.

Full disclosure: I was a Dodgers

fan back in those days. Having grown up a Jersey kid, I was clueless about the devastating local impact of their move to Los Angeles.

In any case, I was an all-around baseball fan first and I was glued to our black-and-white TV, watching the home run lead change hands all summer.

Maris broke the record in the 162nd and final game of the season. Mantle developed a hip abscess in September and had to bow out of the home run race with 54 dingers.

Yankee fans have embraced Aaron Judge and his quest to pass Ruth and then Maris. Packed houses in Yankee Stadium, including Roger Maris’ children and Aaron Judge’s mom, dad and wife, cheered him on at every turn as he approached 60 and 61 during their late September series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox.

I spoke with a couple of eyewitnesses that remarked about the eerie silences in the stands during each op-

Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Yankees’ organization did little to publicize Maris’ final regular season game, largely in deference to Major League Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick’s ruling regarding how many games played would qualify as home run record-breaking territory.

Frick, Babe Ruth’s close friend, didn’t help to generate support for Maris when he declared that Ruth’s record could only be tied or broken in 154 games. The baseball season had since been extended to 162 games.

respectively. Later reports that they were using performance enhancing drugs put a damper on their accomplishments.

When I think of single-season home run champs, Ruth, Maris and Judge will always be my guys.

In addition to holding the American League and New York Yankees home run record for 61 years, Roger Maris was a seven-time all-star, threetime World Series champion, twotime American League MVP and a Gold Glove winner.

posing pitcher’s windup and pitch to Judge.

As Maris closed in on 61 home runs in game 162, Yankee Stadium was less than half-full, with only 23,154 fans in the stands. Three days later, more than 60,000 Yankees fans attended Game 1 of the 1961 World

Although he did reach 61 home runs in game 162, the fact is that Maris slugged his 60th home run in fewer plate appearances (684) than Ruth (689). Frick’s ruling was petty and unfair. The number of games played cannot be compared to plate appearances.

Judge’s quest for 61 (and more) in 2022 brought me back to 1961; but, not so much to 1998 and 2001, when National Leaguers Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds hit 70 and 73 home runs

Now that the Baseball Hall of Fame has established the Golden Era Committee to admit overlooked players, I await the day Roger Maris is admitted into that exclusive club in Cooperstown to which he deserves full membership.

Once Rajah becomes a Hall of Famer he will join Babe and, somewhere down the line, Gentleman Aaron Judge, who just hit his 61st home run in Toronto on September 28.

Bravo, Aaron Judge!

Let’s start to worship Mother Nature

The common element to all orthodox religions is the way they oppress, subjugate, even enslave but in every case control women. Doesn’t matter who you pray to, this is the common element. It is why “Morality Police” in Iran murdered a 22-year old woman who failed to wear the hijab properly, why in Pakistan a woman could be stoned to death if she is raped, why Orthodox Jews similarly force women to cover up and stay separate from men and allow their husbands to refuse them a divorce, why Christians are content to kill women to “save” the fetus. I could go on.

This is an age-old tactic. Women who were healers and midwives or merely uppity were persecuted, tortured to confess and accuse others and murdered for being witches in Europe for a century, a crusade that spread to Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. Witchcraft became a capital offense by male theocrats who felt threatened by the women who challenged their authority and were a convenient scapegoat for ills and failures in the eyes of men who wanted to keep them in their place. Because they could. And so the witchhunts began.

And now we see the 21st century incarnation in Texas, which unleashed

vigilantes to hunt women for exercising their reproductive freedom. Texas is now looking to make abortion a capital offense, as are Republicans in other states seeking to ban abortion without any exceptions, not even for rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Women who miscarry are already being prosecuted.

When you weigh the benefits of organized, institutionalized religion over the evils, such as the Crusades or the Holocaust, which were “justified” on the basis that non-believers were less than humans, “savages” undeserving of life or liberty, I would suggest that the “moral” order that religion is supposed to provide society can just as easily come from a combination of humanism and the old-time religion of naturalism (derisively known as paganism).

Institutionalized religion has always been used to subjugate people and give religious leaders and those absolutist rulers who claimed to be ordained power and control, whether theocracy was official or just demagoguery. It’s amazing what you can get people to do if they think it is in God’s name, by God’s order, to win salvation in the next life no matter how miserable this life is. It’s called “blind faith.” Karl Marx was right when he said “re-

ANDREW MALEKOFF The Back Road VIEW POINT KAREN RUBIN View Point

ligion is the opiate of the people.” He could have also said, “Religion is the opiate of the oppressed and the crown and shield of the oppressors.”

How many of these tyrants in demigod robes claim to be the son of God or somehow bestowed divine right? Politicians have continued to weaponize religion (or use it like a cloak of invisibility or invincibility for wrongdoing), using it to win elections, and have realized a winning strategy was to turn everything into a culture (religious) war. It’s not even subtle anymore: “Jesus, guns, babies” is now

the campaign slogan and rallying cry for hundreds of Republican candidates.

Climate change is one of those existential issues that has been turned into a totem of tribal allegiance.

I recall a commercial in the 1990s featuring Newt Gingrich (the architect of the Conservatives’ Contract with America) and Nancy Pelosi saying they disagreed on mostly everything, but they agreed on the need to address climate change.

But that changed when Christians saw advantage in making common cause with Capitalists (whose god is the Almighty Dollar), and used religion to justify “man’s dominion over nature.” This suggests that climate disasters are all part of God’s plan (and in any case, have happened over and over since Noah’s flood) or that the destruction is somehow deserved by sinful citizens (except when it happens to Florida), and embrace the idea of apocalypse as the fast-track to joining God in heaven.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Hurricane Ian a storm of “biblical proportions” – as if that somehow lessens the culpability for the failed human policies and forces that made the storm that much more powerful and destructive.

Xiye Bastida, co-Founder of Re-

Earth Initiative, a native American climate activist, spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative of her ancestors’ belief in the sacred spirits of nature – earth, moon, sky — and the requirement to evaluate their actions in terms of respect for their ancestors and the impact on the 7th generation, not the me, mine, now.

“I was raised with the philosophy of reciprocity from Mother Earth – if we take, we must give back. We think of past generations to insure stability of future generations,” she said.

Then she asked: “We have the ability to see the world in a different way – how climate impacts are affecting the most vulnerable, the response insufficient, but so far we haven’t had the courage to change perspective. Why is that? How can we find the courage, the determination, a different world view?”

And the answer to her question came to me: return to the religion of your ancestors. Religiosity is what it will take to engender the same fervor and devotion to the existential cause of saving the planet.

More of us need to put our spiritual devotion toward Mother Nature, the earth, sky, sun, water, fire, seeing these as what is sacred, deserving of our fealty, respect and care.

Films provide premonitions about the future

Films are popular when they reflect the fundamental conflicts and crises of the times. From 1961, Michelangelo Antonioni’s “La Notte” captured mankind’s growing sense of existential isolation and despair through the eyes of a marital couple stuck in a tedious marriage. Fast forward 14 years and you get to see the culture’s answer to marital tedium in the film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” based upon the book of the same name written by Ken Kesey of Merry Prankster fame. Kesey and his Merry Pranksters took it upon themselves “to be here now” and live for today with the help of LSD and free love.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was a premonition that if you attempt to live a life without rules, you are likely to get lobotomized just like Randle McMurphy at the end of the film. But since films are not a culture’s therapist, film premonitions often go unheeded. Which meant that by the 1970s, the culture had fully embraced the drug revolution best represented by the flower children of Haight-Ashbury. But, alas, the flower children gave birth to Charles Mansion and his heinous crew which led to the death of Sharon Tate and thus the end of the fantasy that a life of drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll is a good life.

Well, it’s been a long time since “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and there has been many a popular film made that has acted as a warning of what is to come. In fact, there have been so many

of them and the warnings have been so frequent that it’s tough to consolidate them all into a coherent whole. But let’s try anyway.

The film “Social Network” from 2010 was about Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, and it should have served as a wakeup call to all humans that the internet and social media was a beast that we could not control. Proof of that is seen in data that suggests the logarithms it uses are designed to addict us all to inane mindless content. Other films that express the same warning are the “Terminator” films and “The Matrix” films, which warn that computers are dangerous things. The major difference between reality and these films is that the films have happy endings.

Related to this but set in terms of human despair is the film “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling as a lonely stunt car driver with a need for love and a desire to kill things in his way. This film rests upon the good looks of Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Oscar Isaac and the brilliant film direction of Nicolas Refn. But make no mistake, the message of this film is that we are alone, isolated and are angry enough that we want to kill.

Like the 1942 existential novel “The Stranger” by Albert Camus, which described a man with no human connection who randomly commits murder, the film “Drive” shows modern life as an isolating experience where we are alone and stuck in our cars. The 2021 film “Drive My Car” based upon the short

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

story by Haruki Murakami, holds the same theme of human isolation and the failure to find love.

If themes of human isolation in the age of social media were not enough, we also have another film theme that has been serving up warnings of the apocalypse to come. The most foreboding and predictive was the 2011 film “Contagion” starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow about a virus that nearly destroyed the world. The similarities between this film and the COVID virus is frightening. But “Contagion” is just one of many films that have warned of global virus catastrophes. Films like “World War Z,” I Am Legend,” “28 Days Later” and most zombie flicks are about the way viruses are lethal and why we need to prepare for them.

Another popular film that serves as

EARTH MATTERS

a warning sign to a hypercompetitive culture was “Whiplash” made in 2014 by the director, Damien Chazelle. It’s a story of the unrelenting cruelty and abuse one must endure to get to the top of your field. This theme is common in my practice of sport psychology where week after week, I counsel many overstressed, overwhelmed child prodigies in the field of sports in which abusive coaching, overtaxed bodies, injuries, travel schedules and a hypercompetitive peer groups is more the norm than the exception.

But last and not least, the final theme that one observes in modern cinema is best displayed in the 2017 film “Get Out,” which is about the trials, tribulations, and death threats one can expect if you happen to be a part of an interracial relationship. It starred Daniel Kaluuya, the Black British actor with those magical eyes and the beautiful Allison Williams. This film highlights the barriers, paranoia and overall bad feelings that come with interracial affairs.

Great films tap into our deepest challenges as humans. We watch movies to be entertained but also to be educated. As an example, who knew that Elvis Presley grew up in an African- American neighborhood or that nearly all his popular songs and moves were taken from them?

Thanks to human ingenuity, progress is inevitable. But with progress comes crisis. Existential crisis and anomie started way back when Nietzsche

proclaimed that “God is dead.” Then we had the challenges of the computer age and information overload. Add to that the way artificial intelligence has made social media addictive. Throw in concerns about global viruses and the fact that America is now truly a melting pot which brings together cultures into a stew that is hard to cope with. And we in Nassau County are right in the middle of all this. Not so long ago, it was Queens that had all those cultures, but now Nassau is the new Queens.

Movies cannot change things, but they certainly can warn us of what is coming. So enjoy and learn.

Popular films entertain but they warn as well, like “Contagion,” which was made nine years before COVID hit

Living in my corner of the world

Ilive on a 90’ X 100’ piece of land.

Most of it is taken up by my house, detached garage and driveway, but

I try to utilize the remaining space for vegetables, fig trees and berry bushes, as well as native shade trees and two native flower gardens to encourage pollinator insects and birds. It’s actually amazing how much a little piece of land can produce if you use the growing calendar for your guide and do successive planting.

But I can’t take all the credit! We have farmers in the family and neighbors who have shared their expertise (and plants) over the years. I even have mint from my grandfather’s garden in Holland, Mich. My mother carefully dug it up and put it in wet newspaper for the long car trip home one summer in the 1960s. It survived! And if you know mint, it grows well in almost any soil and so shows up everywhere if you’re not careful to keep it contained. I pick some every morning and add some dried hibiscus flowers for a great tea to drink throughout the day.

I have always had several pots of herbs that I plant early in the spring which provide me with fresh and fragrant garnish for cooking until frost. I take some of them indoors for the win-

ter, putting them in a sunny window to extend that wonderful convenience.

Figs, fabulous figs. Growing figs is relatively new for me. A neighbor who has since moved away brought a fig cutting home from a trip to visit his family in Croatia. It also survived the trip and has become an enormous fig tree located on our property line with delicious green figs setting twice a year. The best way to eat them is right off the tree — if you can get them before the birds. I have advanced to propagating more figs trees by air rooting, a fairly simple process with good success.

On my back porch I have two fig trees in pots from last summer and now have four more making roots for this year. I give them away, wanting others to enjoy the pleasure of owning your very own fig tree. Figs do need to be protected from the cold, so you can wrap them in burlap or as I did one winter, wrap them loosely and fill with leaves for insulation. Both methods worked well.

Since I mentioned leaves and the fall season is upon us, I want to encourage homeowners to save their leaves. You can do this several ways. First, start a compost pile. It can actually look very respectable if you pur-

PATTI WOOD Earth Matters

chase a wooden version with slatted sides or an enclosed plastic compost barrel. I try to avoid plastic whenever I can, so I have a three-sided compost with cement blocks turned on their sides that are surrounded by a nice fence. Keeping neat piles of leaves around the roots of shrubs is also protective for the plants during the cold winter months.

Leaves decompose rather quickly and turn into wonderful rich compost to add to your vegetable garden or planting beds. You can also add some

vegetable kitchen scraps, a little soil once in a while and other soft cuttings, including grass, to make it a proper compost pile. Nature provides us with a much better product with which to enrich our landscapes than what you get at Home Depot.

You can also just grind up your leaves with a mulching mower and watch as they disappear into the soil.

A study by Michigan State University shows that mulching is 100 percent beneficial for your lawn. Mulched leaves are decomposed by earthworms and microorganisms and turned into plant-usable organic matter. Mulched leaves are better for our local environment as well, because they stay on-site and out of our landfill.

Seeing the lineup of black plastic bags filled with leaves in our neighborhoods is very disheartening. With emerging information about the hazards of plastic in our environment and its eventual impact on our air, water and food, use paper bags if you must throw your leaves away. If you don’t maintain your own lawn and are not keen on home composting, ask your landscaper to use the heavy duty paper leaf bags. It’s one of those simple things you can do “to save the earth.”

Some communities prohibit the use of

plastic bags for leaves. We should do that.

I am also beginning to think about my two cold frames and what to seed or transplant into them when the weather turns cold. I have had good luck with greens of all sorts and we usually have enough to eat until we can plant again in early spring of the next year. If it is predicted to be really cold for any length of time, we put a single 60W incandescent bulb in each of the cold frames to keep it just warm enough so the plants don’t freeze. It doesn’t sound like it would work, but it’s just enough heat to keep everything alive.

And I leave the best for last… maintaining my own personal tree farm. Without our help, but doing their job with help from the wind, the sun and soil, tree seedlings appear in flower beds, under trees and even in my permeable, aquifer-friendly river gravel driveway. I carefully dig them up and put them in pots with lots of leaf mold for nutrients and watch them grow. When they are around 6 feet I can transplant them around my property, give them to friends or arrange a home for them in a park or street tree bed. Planting a tree is truly a gift to the earth.

Why only one Hochul-Zeldin debate for governor?

Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul is following the infamous Rose Garden Strategy by ignoring underdog Republican challenger Congressman Lee Zeldin and refusing to schedule a series of public debates between now and Election Day. She did the same for the Democratic Primary by only participating in two debates at the 11th hour with Congressman Tom Suozzi and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

With less than five weeks to go, Hochul’s surrogates will continue to run out the clock in negotiations. They have the goal of agreeing to one or two debates, knowing full well that her election is already preordained. She has only agreed to one debate. on Oct. 25 sponsored by NY1 Spectrum News. Just look at the voter affiliations and campaign funds. Statewide voter enrollment numbers and fund raising clearly favor Hochul.

Based upon the state Board of Elections, registration figures for active vot-

ers as of Feb. 21, 2022, there are a total of 11,905,886 active voters. Democrats outnumber Republicans 5,929,315 to 2,645,799 with 152,669 Conservative, 45,093 Working Families, 419,193 Other Political Party and 2,713,757 Blank (No Party Selected) active registered voters.

The numbers make it very difficult for Republicans to elect anyone to public office, Albany’s infamous State Street lobbyists, who represent various special interest groups, will continue “Pay for Play” by providing more campaign contributions to Hochul. It is an investment to stay on her good side. They know that as governor, she will continue returning the favors and will deliver over the next four years.

All incumbent elected officials, be they Democrat or Republican on the city, state or federal level, start out with many advantages not available to challengers. During any term of public office, incumbents have daily television, radio and

newspaper exposure, press conferences, newsletters, guest columns in newspapers, letters to the editor and speaking engagements on a regular basis. Don’t forget the perks of public office, including announcements of member items (many of which taxpayers consider local pork-barrel projects). These are used to raise name recognition and assist in greasing the wheels of re-election.

Up until the 1980s, both Democratic and Republican candidates participated in numerous television and newspaper editorial board debates. Voters could look beyond the 30- or 60-second TV commercial sound bites to learn about real views and issues among the candidates.

Those candidates who refused to participate in these debates would be subject to critical newspaper editorials. They ended up losing any chance of newspaper endorsements and usually went down to defeat in either the primary or general election.

In the 1980s, a new Rose Garden Strategy emerged. Incumbents or officially designated incumbent candidates of both parties refused to debate lesser-known, under-funded opponents in either the primary or general election. They had no interest in providing a free forum for challengers to get their message directly out to voters. Too many newspapers and good government groups failed to speak up and shame these incumbents into participating in open forums and debates.

They don’t want to provide their respective unknown and under-financed opponents with free forums to explain their positions on issues of the day. It is newspapers that provide a forum at no charge. This affords under-financed and lesser-known candidates a chance to communicate their views on issues of the day to voters.

Why not participate in debates sponsored by each of NYC and Long Island daily newspapers and television

stations? The New York Daily News, Post, Newsday, Times, Wall Street Journal and Staten Island Advance would all be happy to host a debate. Ditto for upstate newspapers and television stations in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithica, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse and Watertown. Let us hope that enlightened newspapers such as Blank Media Publications will call for an end of incumbents’ use of the infamous Rose Garden Strategy in future elections. Intelligent voters deserve frequent debates prior to the general election as opposed to canned TV commercials.

If Hochul continues to refuse to participate in series of debates open to full media coverage with her underdog Republican challenger Zeldin, she should be subject to critical newspaper editorials. Hochul should forfeit any chance of endorsements by media outlets.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Term limits, voting at Roslyn Parent Faculty Assoc.

Iwrite this letter to express my concerns regarding the Roslyn Parent Faculty Association and its procedures for voting and succession planning.

In the spring of 2021, when active members of the Roslyn PFA asked to run for open executive positions in the organization, they were told that the positions had already been appointed by current officers and that no vote would be held. The organization bylaws clearly state that a vote is required if more than one person applies for a position, and that board positions are limited to one two-year term. Instead, members were told that the PFA bylaws are “outdated” and that following them would result in “misplaced rigidity.”

Moving forward through 2022, suggestions to update the bylaws were not made, as there was no “advance written notice of at least 30 days of the proposed

changes to the bylaws stating the date and location of the vote for said proposed changes.” Thus, not only were the organization’s own rules ignored due to their supposedly being outdated, but proposed changes were also not considered or voted on according to the written rules of the organization.

In the spring of 2022, members of the Roslyn PFA who asked to run for certain executive positions were again told that the positions were filled, despite the term limits in the bylaws and the requirement that there be a vote. Therefore, despite my concern for potential negative repercussions to my family, I feel obligated to raise these inconsistencies in a public forum.

As the Roslyn PFA is not under the auspices of the national PTA, I feel that it is important that our PFA continues to thrive as an effective, inclusive, and

legal nonprofit entity. From a legal and fiduciary standpoint, ignoring the bylaws can put our PFA’s tax-exempt status at risk. In addition, our PFA officers may no longer be insured as they have been made aware they are in violation of the bylaws. We also need to recognize that many thousands of dollars flow through the Roslyn PFA, and while certainly not material in comparison to our district’s budget, by not following the bylaws we may jeopardize our ability to implement the proper procedures and controls on the financial transactions.

I do not wish for a situation in which parents do not feel comfortable paying dues or supporting fund-raisers because they do not have confidence in our PFA officers. In addition, an appearance of impropriety may affect recruitment and retainment of involved parents and volunteers. If volunteers are turned away,

and those asking questions and offering opinions are shut out, we have failed to achieve one of the goals of the Roslyn Parent Faculty Association.

I am not unappreciative of the tireless efforts of our PFA’s current leadership. However, I have watched people become disillusioned, disenfranchised, alienated and/or resign from positions in our PFA because there appears to be a lack of open dialogue and no opportunity for disagreement. Lack of an eligible (or any) pool of volunteers is often given as an excuse for not worrying about the rules, but is it fair to say we do not have enough volunteers when those who do volunteer are not given a fair shot?

If the bylaws of our organization created in conjunction with legal counsel are no longer relevant to the current Roslyn PFA, perhaps an open meeting to all parents in the community could consider

how we amend them. If the bylaws were amended at the start of the PFA’s current fiscal year, then they were amended after the fact by leadership that was “offered” positions and not chosen according to due process. We should involve those who participated in the PFA in 2021 and 2022 and were not given the opportunity to run for their desired positions, as well as the current leadership. This would allow the Roslyn PFA to ensure that varying opinions are heard before any changes are made and empower us to follow rules that will ensure our PFA continues to be welcoming, productive, and inclusive. I have made some of my closest friends through my involvement in the PFA, and I would love to see others have a similar opportunity.

Carin Silverman Roslyn

The Federal Reserve is in a very tough spot

I

have never been a Fed Basher. Believe it or not, that’s actually a job description. There are people who have made lucrative media careers out of criticizing the central bank, even when the economy was humming and they kept growth on a steady, even keel. But people have made such a business out of complaining. Resentment generates clicks, which generates media attention, which generates books and “think pieces.”

Now, there is a torrent of concern about inflation. But having lived through the ’70s, this current bout of inflation is contained around a few hot areas, chiefly housing and energy, that monetary policy cannot fix, and the majority of Americans aren’t even critically affected by, especially if they’re still living in a dwelling with a

fixed rate mortgage. People can also learn to be less profligate with their energy use.

Moreover, as Chairman Powell acknowledged in an interview with Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal, “we can’t affect supply with our policies.” If this is the case, it doesn’t seem to make sense from a policy standpoint to stifle demand, which is solid but not overwhelming, to such a degree that markets have to be disrupted so.

It seems the Fed is enacting a policy in which is seeks to curtail demand to such an outsized degree that the supply constraint issue will be dealt with as the byproduct of a second order effect of heavy-handed monetary policy.

I think this is madness.

TOUTED CONDUCTOR AT EGLEVSKY BALLET

Celebrated conductor David Bernard has joined the artistic staff of Eglevsky Ballet as the company’s first music director since the appointment of Maurice Brandon Curry as executive artistic director in 2015.

This historic moment in the company’s history is an extraordinary development, as Eglevsky Ballet returns to having live music for their performances.

Bernard began his affiliation with the Eglevsky Ballet during the run of their 2017 performances of “The Nutcracker” at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, when he masterfully conducted the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra in the playing of the Tchaikovsky score.

Broadway World reported, “The Massapequa Philharmonic under the direction of David Bernard regaled the audience with the classical music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Throughout the performance, at times, I felt as if I were listening to a pre-recorded soundtrack because it was so smooth. What a wonderful addition and elevated element for the audience!”

Since then, Bernard has conducted the ballet each year. For the 2022-23 season, he will conduct “The Nutcracker” and also the company’s May 2023 production of “Cinderella”, also performed at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. “Working with the Eglevsky Ballet’s brilliant, dedicated, and talented artistic staff, professional dancers and students has been a highlight of each season for me,” says maestro Bernard. “I am thrilled and excited to join this dream team as music director, continuing to bring fantastic ballet productions to Long Island.”

In 1961, legendary dancer Andre Eglevsky envisioned a classical ballet school and company on Long Island that would equal, if not, rival, the artistic endeavors offered in New York City. Today, Eglevsky Ballet is growing and expanding its artistic base.

Led by Maurice Brandon Curry, the seventh Artistic Director in the company’s history, the vision and exponential growth of the company and academy have been on an upward trajectory. On this newest partnership, Curry expressed, “I am delighted to welcome David Bernard as our first musical director since my tenure at Eglevsky Ballet.

His passion for music is unparalleled, and his desire to “get it right” for the sake of the dancers is rare in a conductor. Our collaborations are always focused on bringing the best of our work to the stage in a way which is challenging for our artists and accessible and enjoyable for our audiences.

This season will be no different.”

On Oct. 8 and 9, Eglevsky Ballet will present

“This Is Ballet NOW!” at Adelphi University. The program represents a new era for Eglevsky Ballet as the professional company is now in residence and this is the first fall repertory concert of their exciting new season.

New neo-classical works and contemporary ballets by choreographers Brian Reeder (American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet), Morgan McEwan (Artistic Director, MorDance), Kevin Jenkins, and Maurice Brandon Curry, the Executive Artistic Director of Eglevsky Ballet will be paired with works from the classical ballet canon. Tickets are available at the www.eglevskyballet.org.

The Eglevsky Ballet presents the holiday classic “The Nutcracker” at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.

Featuring the professional dancers of the Eglevsky Ballet and students from the Eglevsky Ballet academy, this enchanting ballet tells the story of a

his gift of an enchanted nutcracker doll which has all of us believing in the magic of the holiday season.

New York City Ballet soloist Miriam Miller will dance the role of “The Sugar Plum Fairy” and the role of her “Cavalier” will be danced by New York City Ballet principal dancer, Tyler Angle.

Complete with music performed by the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony conducted by EB music director David Bernard, the audience is sure to be delighted by the sumptuous sets, costumes, and Long Island’s only automated 25-foot growing Christmas tree! Performances are Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. and on Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. https://tillescenter. org/

Eglevsky Ballet returns to the Madison Theatre at Molloy College on Jan. 14 for a one-night only event.

Featuring repertory works by established and emerging choreographers, the company will also present dancers from New York City Ballet, Ameri-

“This performance has become an annual event for us, though due to the pandemic, it was curtailed for two years,” said Curry. “However, I am excited to return to the beautiful stage of the Madison Theatre with our company and these talented guest artists.”

The last performance of this season for Eglevsky Ballet is the storybook fantasy, “Cinderella.”

Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s brilliant score, the story of Cinderella, her evil stepsisters and wicked stepmother, her handsome prince and a fairy godmother who makes all her dreams come true.

“Cinderella” is a tale as old as time though this production is set in the 1950s. This production was first presented in 2018 to mark the 100th birth of André Eglevsky, the founder of Eglevsky Ballet. Curry said, “To have celebrated the centennial birth of Mr. Eglevsky with a new production seemed appropriate. And to bring the production back to the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts is a way of continuing to present world-class entertainment to our audiences.” The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, under the direction of David Bernard, will perform

L.I. Biennial opens at The Heckscher Museum

The Heckscher Museum of Art is pleased to present the 2022 Long Island Biennial, a prestigious juried exhibition featuring works by contemporary artists from Suffolk and Nassau Counties.

The museum received 732 artist entries, with three jurors selecting 95 works for exhibition. There are 57 artists representing communities stretching from Freeport to East Hampton.

Now in its seventh edition, the Biennial presents a cross-section of Long Island contemporary art. “The public will enjoy leaning more about the most recent work of the Long Island’s established and emerging artists,” said The Heckscher Museum’s Curator, Dr. Karli Wurzelbacher. “I am especially impressed by the ways in which many of the artists engaged with the concerns of our time, from social justice, to health, to ecology; and appreciate those who brought new approaches to traditional materials and techniques.”

Present throughout the Museum, the exhibition encompasses a remarkable variety of media, with styles spanning abstraction to hyperrealism. “Contemporary art has been essential to the Museum since its founding more than 100 years ago,” observed Heather Arnet, Executive Director & CEO. “We remain committed to sharing inspiring and thought-provoking new art with our visitors.”

Jurors designated five exhibiting artists as Award of Merit winners: Darlene Blaurock, Wantagh; Neil Leinwohl, Rockville Center; Patricia Maurides, Sag Harbor; Margaret Minardi, Northport; and Kasmira Mohanty, Farmingville.

The jurors for the 2022 Biennial are Heather Carter, the founder of Carter Fine Art Services; Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso, an artist known for her homage self-portraits of historical women artists and narrative paintings; and Susan Van Scoy, associate professor of Art History at St. Joseph’s University, Long Island.

L.I. author event at the Port Library Oct. 9

The Port Washington Public Library Presents:

Long Island Author Event with Ellen Meister and Daniel Paisner

Sunday Oct. 9 at 3:00 pm

Join us for not one, but two Long Island authors. Both Ellen Meister and Daniel Paisner have just released new books and will not only discuss their latest novels, but will interview each other about their other works, the creative process, and what it’s like to be an author in 2022.

Released in August 2022, Ellen Meister’s latest book Take My Husband, will appeal to anyone who’s been driven up a wall by their spouse.

This dark comedy is the perfect post-pandemic read, especially for those who made it through lockdown with a significant other and sometimes thought, “One of us has got to go.” Ellen Meister is the author of several novels including “The Rooftop Party,” “Love Sold Separately,” “Dorothy Parker Drank Here,” and “The Other Life.”

Ellen is also an editor, book coach, ghostwriter, and frequent contributor to Long Island

Woman Magazine. She teaches creative writing at Long Island University Hutton House Lectures.

Daniel Paisner is a Port Washington resident and released his latest novel, “Balloon Dog,” in June 2022. This work tells the story of an art heist gone wrong and a series of midlife crises gone sideways. It’s “darkly funny and painfully true,” according to best-selling novelist Laura Zigman, as it seems to have something to say about art and what it means to matter.

“Balloon Dog: is Mr. Paisner’s fourth novel, but he is perhaps best known for his work as a best-selling ghostwriter. He has collaborated with such celebrities as Whoopi Goldberg, Serena Williams, John Kasich, Denzel Washington, and Ron Darling, as well as longtime

Port Washington resident Krystyna Chiger, co-author of the haunting (and, ultimately, hopeful) Holocaust memoir The Girl in the Green Sweater. He is also the host of the popular podcast As Told To, which features conversations with his fellow ghostwriters.

Books will be available for purchase and signing. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Taking the scare out of Halloween

In this monthly column, therapists from North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center answer your questions on issues related to parenting, mental health and children’s well-being. To submit a question, email communications@northshorechildguidance.org.

Question: Now that life has gotten back to some semblance of normal, my kids (ages 4, 9 and 11) are eager to go trick-or-treating this year. I’m thrilled for them, but the problem is that my little one is absolutely terrified of scary costumes.

As much as he wants to enjoy Halloween activities like his big brother and sister, he’s so frightened that I’m not sure we can take him out. He’s even said he doesn’t want to go to school that day. Any suggestions?—Costume Conundrum

Dear Costume Conundrum: Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays of the year for youngsters. Candy, dressing up, parties at school—what’s not to love?

But your little one isn’t alone in his fear. For children around three to five years of age, and sometimes even older, the ghoulish costumes and yard displays can be overwhelming and very scary. But be assured, that’s a natural part of their development.

Luckily, most preschools and even elementary schools advise parents to avoid the scary kinds of costumes, so the schools themselves are typically safe zones. But once your son heads out to trickor-treat, he’s likely to confront some frightening sights.

Of course, you know your son, so you’re the best judge of how scared he is likely to be. But as with all parenting issues, preparing ahead of time and anticipating any problems is the wisest strategy.

Some tips:

• Let your son express his fears and reassure him in a calm voice that it’s OK to have those feelings.

• Play a game where your child scares you, and then laugh about it.

• Show him costumes online, so he’ll have an idea of what to expect.

• Do some crafts at home that create ghosts and other Halloween décor. Explain that any scary lawn displays are made of fabric and paint, just like the crafts you made together.

• Some children don’t like something like a mask covering their faces (even though they’ve had to deal with a different kind of mask for some time), so you might want to avoid costumes with masks.

• If he is frightened by costume masks on other people, put one on yourself and take it off to show him that you are still there!

• If your older kids are wearing potentially scary costumes, let your young one watch as they put on their makeup or masks, so he can gradually see how his big brother and sister transformed into the witch or warlock—and that it’s still them under the disguise.

• Make a visit to your local library and ask the librarian for books that help children see that Halloween is full of pretend things—some scary and lots of them just plain fun! One great choice: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.

If your son loves his costume but when Halloween arrives, his mood changes and he refuses to wear it, try a compromise. Let him bring the costume to school instead of putting it on before he goes, or have him just wear part of the outfit. It’s definitely not something worth having a power struggle over, so if he refuses to wear it, let it go. It’s a perfect case of knowing when to pick your battles.

North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, Long Island’s leading children’s mental health agency, is seeing clients both remotely via telehealth platforms and in person, depending on the clients’ needs. To make an appointment, call 516626-1971 or email intake@northshorechildguidance.org.

Prepare your garden for winter’s onslaught

Individuals

who don’t live near the equator or in another warm climate know that winter will rear its chilly head this year. Cold temperatures and snowy conditions may be excellent for skiing and sledding, but gardeners recognize these conditions are not ideal for their plants. The inevitable slowing of activity in the garden during fall marks a time to shift attention from constant plant care to preparing the landscape for next season. It may be tempting to simply let Mother Nature take over, but a little pre-winter TLC can ensure gardens make it through winter unscathed.

Remove spent plants

Decomposing organic material is the basis for compost and other fertilizers. However, vegetable plants that are left to sit can lead to decay in the garden. Decaying plants can serve as hosts for pest populations and diseases. Rotting vegetables also can drop unwanted seeds into the soil, which eventually can strip nutrients that normally would go to next year’s crops.

Ornamental plants and perennials can be cut back in fall. Cut down stalks and remove leaves.

Plant a cover crop

The gardening resource This Is My Garden recommends planting a cover crop to set the stage for a successful spring. A cover crop protects the soil and can return nutrients to it. When the soil is

bare during winter, weed seeds can easily blow in and lie in wait, ultimately becoming a problem during the ensuing year. Cover crops can include clover or field peas, which will increase the levels of available nitrogen.

Amend the soil

Fall is a perfect time to add soil amendments, such as manure and compost. These fertilizers will add nutrients and break down gradually, enriching the soil over the winter.

Replenish mulch

Gardeners may have added mulch around shrubs and other areas of the landscape early in the season because it is attractive. But mulch also does much to reduce water loss and protect the soil from erosion. It may inhibit weed growth as well. Replacing mulch when the mercury drops can insulate the soil, which helps to regulate soil temperature. A thick layer of mulch around root vegetables left in the garden can offer protection against hard frosts.

Divide bulbs

Divide plant bulbs and plant them where you want flowers like daffodils and tulips to grow in the spring.

Prune dormant plants

Wait until plants are dormant to prune them and adjust their shape. Most shrubs and trees should be pruned in late winter, right before new growth.

Move potted plants

Bring delicate plants into a sheltered area, such as a greenhouse or indoor garage, so they can continue to thrive during the winter.

Fall and winter still provide opportunities to spend time in the garden. At this point in the year, gardeners can prepare landscapes for the next season.

Adding a layer of mulch around plants can insulate roots and the soil against hard frosts.

Fireplace trends help create attractive, comfortable rooms

Fireplaces are useful features in a home. Fireplaces are sources of ambient heat and also add style to indoor spaces. Fireplaces can complement just about any interior style. Fireplaces can be traditional and burn wood or connect to a home’s natural gas supply for on-demand ambiance. What’s more, fireplaces may come in vented or ventless varieties, depending on homeowners’ preferences and what is allowed by community building codes. That means a chimney or flue may not be needed — expanding the list of rooms where a fireplace can be installed.

Certain trends have emerged among fireplace fans in recent years. Here’s a look at what’s getting consumers fired up about these home decor elements.

Minimalist style: Many fireplaces are designed in neutral colors with minimal trim that directs focus on the fire and not the appliance. When the fireplace is not in use, it blends in with surroundings and will not compete for attention with other design elements.

Convertible fireplaces: Homeowners can choose between open or sealed fireplaces. A convertible fireplace enables

homeowners to have the best features of these options. A convertible fireplace can be converted to wood from gas, or the opposite, in as little as 30 minutes.

Nature-inspired materials: Natural stone continues to be a material of choice in fireplace surrounds. Light colors work well for a fireplace, and also fit with today’s lighter color interior design preferences. Natural stone also works perfectly with both contemporary and rustic decor.

Vintage fireplaces: Vintage continues to be a buzzword in 2022, and the choice to go vintage also applies to fireplace styles. A room

decorated in vintage elements can be complemented with a vintage fireplace or one designed to look vintage.

Integrate into wall decor: Fireplaces that are built right into a wall save space. One can have a television and a fireplace on the same wall. These types of fireplaces work well in modern home designs. Other fireplaces may be built into bookshelves or other wall features. Fireplaces can improve the appeal of a home. Various trends are popular this year, making fireplaces highly coveted features.

What to do with a home ofce afer going back to work

Thenumber of professionals working remotely skyrocketed in 2020, when businesses were forced to close their offices in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As the world transitions from the pandemic phase to an endemic phase, many office workers also are transitioning back to their offices.

A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that 59 percent of workers in the United States are now working from home all or most of the time, while 22 percent are rarely or never working from home. In 2020, 70 percent of workers were working from home all or most of the time, while 17 percent rarely or never worked from home. Those figures reflect that work life, albeit gradually, is returning to prepandemic norms.

As individuals find themselves going back to the office with increased frequency, they might be wondering what to do with their home offices. If space inside a home is at a premium, then repurposing a home office into a space that can be used more frequently is a great way to make better use of the existing square footage. The following are some ways homeowners can transform home offices created during the pandemic into more useful spaces.

Go back in time. Perhaps the easiest thing to do with a home office that is no longer needed is to return the room to its pre-pandemic state. Because the shift to remote work was so sudden, many homeowners were forced to turn washrooms, breakfast nooks or areas of their basements into home offices. Returning those spaces to their initial functions can make a home feel less

cluttered and add more room for residents to relax and get around.

Create a new entertainment area. Many homeowners converted a spare bedroom into a home office during the pandemic. In such instances, guest beds and other furniture might have been moved into storage or even sold or discarded. Either way, that means the office was cleared of bedroom furniture. Now that the room no longer needs to be an office and now that homeowners have made due without the extra bedroom, the room can be converted into an entertainment area. Swap out the desk for a foldout couch that can still accommodate overnight guests when necessary. Then mount a flatscreen television on the wall and utilize the room as a gaming room for kids or a film room/ man cave for mom or dad.

Create an in-law suite. The pandemic separated families, as people living in different households were advised to avoid gatherings to stop the spread of the virus. Individuals with aging parents may have felt particularly heartbroken by this forced separation, especially if their elderly parents were living in nursing homes that were stretched thin by staff shortages and other challenges. In the aftermath of the pandemic phase, families may want to invite aging relatives to live with them.

Home offices can be repurposed into inlaw suites so aging parents don’t have to confront the isolation and loneliness many felt during the height of the pandemic. As professionals return to their offices with greater frequency, they can transform their offices into spaces they’re likely to use more often.

Afordable ways to make homes more appealing to modern buyers

Hometrends come and go. Today’s must-have items tend to become tomorrow’s outdated features in the blink of an eye.

Homeowners who plan to stay in their current homes for years to come needn’t prioritize modern trends over personal preferences. However, homeowners looking to sell their homes can consider these favored features to increase their properties’ appeal to modern buyers.

Separate laundry room: According to the National Association of Home Builders’ 2021 What Home Buyers Really Want report, a separate room dedicated to laundry was the most desired feature among prospective home buyers. Though it might not inspire the awe of an outdoor living room or floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a wooded backyard, a laundry room fills a direct and universal need. Perhaps that’s why 87 percent of buyers want a room dedicated to laundry in a home.

Exterior lighting: Drive through a modern suburban neighborhood at night and it won’t take long before you realize the popularity of exterior lighting. And that’s no coincidence, as homeowners everywhere appear to embrace exterior lighting. The NAHB report indicates that exterior lighting is the most sought-after outdoor feature. The good news for prospective sellers is that exterior lighting is an inexpensive and instant way to transform a property at night. Some solar-powered lighting along walkways and outside the front door can make a home feel more safe, while some uplighting of large trees in the backyard can produce a sight to behold once the sun goes down. Energy-efficient upgrades: Inflation has driven up the cost of just about everything over the last year-plus, and energy is no exception. So it should come as no surprise that 83 percent of prospective home buyers are looking for energy-efficient windows and appliances in a home. These features save money and

benefit the planet, making them a win-win among buyers.

Patio: Patio spaces have long been popular, but that popularity reached new heights during the pandemic. When forced to stay at home for long periods of time, millions of people longed for ways to spend more time outdoors without breaking lockdown rules. Patios provide outdoor living spaces, and 82 percent of buyers indicated they wanted a patio with their next property.

Side-by-side sink: A double or side-by-side sink is among the more affordable features buyers are looking for. At less than $1,000 on average, a side-by-sink is an affordable way to make a home more appealing to modern buyers.

Modern buyers want a lot out of their homes, and sellers can do their best to meet those desires while getting the most money for their properties.

Protect landscapes from wildlife and more over the winter

other rodents to stick around in those areas and feed on plants.

Use a safer melting product

Landscapes

are vulnerable to the elements during the cold weather months. Everything from de-icing products to hungry animals to the weight of snow can affect trees, shrubs and other plants.

Just because certain greenery will go dormant during the winter doesn’t mean landscape maintenance ends when the mercury dips. Homeowners can take certain actions to winterproof their properties and safeguard landscapes so they recover more readily when spring arrives.

Utilize barriers and deterrents

When resources are scarce, animals will be on the hunt for anything that’s edible, and that includes whatever greenery is growing on a landscape. Physical barriers in garden beds and around trees can help prevent damage caused by moles, voles and deer. Line the bottom and sides of garden beds with garden cloth to prevent ground-burrowing animals from getting in from beneath, suggests the gardening resource I Must Garden.

Wrapping shrubs in burlap or covering them in temporary netting can deter deer, who will seek accessible food sources over the winter. Erect fencing around new trees to keep deer away from the bark and lower branches. Make the yard less attractive to deer and burrowers by opting for fatbased suet cakes to feed birds rather than loose seeds and berries in feeders, which herbivores will enjoy. Also, don’t overwater or mulch landscapes too early. The loose soil and warmth of the mulch may entice moles and voles and

Investigate options in snowmelt products, as traditional rock salt can injure buds and branches and kill lawns. In addition, avoid piling salted snow in one area of the landscape, as it will concentrate the salt in that spot. Spread out snow piles to help minimize the damage to delicate plants.

Secure saplings and juvenile plants

Harsh winds and battering snow can damage young plants. Use stakes and lattices to secure them so they’ll be better able to withstand the weather, suggests Total Landscape Management, a commercial and residential landscaping company. Promptly remove snow from branches to help trees and shrubs; otherwise, the weight of ice and snow can break off branches and cause irreparable damage.

Erect a snow barrier

Prior observation tends to educate homeowners about which areas of the landscape are most vulnerable to snow drifts and blustery winds.

During the winter, winds often blow in from a northeasterly direction, but each homeowner can make his or her own assessment. Put up a tarp between two stakes to serve as a “snow fence” that protects vulnerable areas of the landscape from blowing snow.

Keep plants cozy

Wrap plants in burlap, garden blankets and plant domes to insulate them from cold weather and some animals. Move container plants into a garage or shielded area for the winter.

Winter can place landscapes in peril. A few strategies can provide protection.

7 study tips for high school students

Assessments

such as quizzes and

help educators recognize areas where students are excelling and where they might need a little extra help. In addition to tests in the classroom, high schoolers generally take standardized testing for state or provincial assessment purposes,.

Testing may come easier to some students than others, but having solid study techniques can improve students’ performance on a wide range of exams. In fact, research by Stanford scholars, whose data was published in Psychological Science, found that applying a strategic approach to studying helped college students improve their exam scores by an average of one-third of a letter grade.

The testing preparation resource PrepScholar says it is important to build and maintain strong study habits to help students avoid undue stress and last-minute cramming. The following are seven techniques that may help foster good study skills.

1. Find value in the lessons.

Many students lament that what they learn in school just isn’t relevant in daily life. That can make the subject matter feel less important and uninteresting. Finding value in what one is learning and seeing how it can be applied outside of the classroom may make a student more inclined to learn and retain information.

2. Avoid distractions.

Study time is time to take a break from social media, video games and any other

distractions that can pull a student away from studying. Constantly checking notifications can interrupt thoughts and make it hard to learn the material.

3. Establish a study schedule. Develop a system and a schedule for studying. Students should establish a fixed

habit of studying each day or week — whatever is best for him or her. Over time, studying will become routine.

4. Establish dedicated study spots. Students should locate places that work best for them as study and homework stations.

Certain individuals may need the quiet of a

library or a bookstore. Others may do best with the hum of conversation around them or in a group. There’s no right or wrong study spot. Maintaining consistency will help the mind associate a place with studying.

5. Use grades as benchmarks and motivators.

Blaming a teacher for a poor grade won’t get a student anywhere. Rather, grades should indicate how well one is learning the material, and in turn, the effectiveness of students’ studying habits. Students can tweak their habits if they find their grades are not where they want them to be.

6. Rephrase material.

Textbook language can be dry and unappealing. Students can try putting the material into their own words or rephrase passages to make them easier to remember and recall. Similarly, teaching or sharing the material with another person also may improve retention.

7. Make a formula sheet.

Depending on the subject, having a sheet with shortcuts, formulas or diagrams can put the material into smaller bursts of information that are easier to digest. Along this same vein, writing information down can help improve recall.

These are a few study tips that high schoolers can utilize to improve their grades so they can be more successful in school.

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D-Day Living History Flights return Oct. 8

Marking its 78th anniversary, American Airpower Museum’s Douglas C-47B “Skytrain” will perform Living History Flight Experiences on Saturday, October 8th.

Dozens of Long Islanders will get a rare chance to fly in AAM’s historic WWII C-47B, one of the few still in original military condition.

This is a one-of-a-kind immersive educational program, where Living Historians provide a sense of what 101st and 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers felt on their incredible 1,200-plane D-Day assault. Noted WWII Living Historian Robert Scarabino, with help from his 101st Airborne Living Historians, will transport passengers back in time.

Affectionately dubbed “Second Chance,” AAM’s iconic transport is an original C-47B built in 1944 and supplied to the U.S. Army Air Force. Each D-Day flight experience features a mission briefing; a chance for passengers to wear authentic military field jackets, helmets, and gear throughout the mission.

Once on board AAM’s C-47B, passengers watch pilots operate their aircraft as “paratroopers” get ready for battle. It’s so realistic and unforgettable, right up to the moment when passengers hook their parachutes up to the static line and get ready to jump. Don’t worry, no jumping is allowed!

Four flights are scheduled on Saturday, October 8th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There are seats available, but they are booking up fast.

To reserve your place or ask about future

flights, check out AAM’s website at www. americanairpowermuseum.org and click the “Book Flight Experience” tab. Or call (516) 531-3950 or (631) 454-2039. Also, check out

AAM’s gift shop Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway in Farmingdale. As a special promotion, Cockpit USA has over-stocked the gift shop with discounted flight jackets; 10 percent of

all sales this Fall will be donated to AAM!

The public is welcome to visit Hangar 3 all day on Saturday, October 8th, to watch each flight and tour AAM’s many exhibits. Visitors can watch as “paratroopers” (Living Historians) and passengers suit up, apply face black-out, don their parachutes, check weapons and board Second Chance.

Watch as the plane’s mighty twin engines

fire up and she takes off from Republic. Regular admission for adults is $15, seniors and veterans $12 and children 5-12 $10. Tickets and pre-registration not required for regular admission. Snacks and refreshments are available for purchase on site.

Second Chance, an original WWII C47B, was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1945 and flew in the Berlin Airlift (1948 — 1949) with the RAF, serving until 1950. The aircraft next served in the Belgian Air Force for two years. In 1952 she went to the French Air Force, serving two years in Viet Nam, as well as in India, Algeria, Morocco and the Congo.

In 1967 she was sold to Israel and flew in the Israeli Defense Force 32 years. AAM acquired the aircraft in 2000. In addition to AAM’s D-Day flights, she also performs at regional air shows in classic WWII D-Day markings with the original “D8” code.

One of the last C-47Bs still in stock military configuration, this aircraft has just over 17,000 hours in the air, one of the world’s lowest flight times ever!

This is a family-friendly program for all ages and a wonderful way to educate young Americans about WWII and how U.S. military veterans fought to defend our freedom. Support AAM’s mission to honor veterans and military aviation history by helping maintain and preserve the Museum’s historic aircraft.

Contact: Robert F. Salant, Public Affairs, (516) 328-3959, (718) 791-4758, rsalant123@outlook.com

Open mics at Cinema Arts Centre start Oct. 12

The Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue in Huntington) joins with the Folk Music Society of Huntington in presenting the Northshore Original Open Mic three Wednesday nights each month, beginning Oct. 12.

The open mic series, to be held in the Cinema’s Sky Room, is set for 7 p.m. with open mic sign-up beginning at 6:30 p.m. Although it is free to attend, donations will be sought and gratefully accepted.

“It’s our pleasure to continue the everdeepening partnership between the Cinema Arts Centre and two pillars of Long Island music scene – the Folk Music Society of Huntington and Northshore Original Open Mic,” said Dylan Skolnick, co-director of the Cinema Arts Centre. “The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Hard Luck Café series has been a mainstay of our programming for many years, bringing some of the country’s best folk music performers to dedicated folk fans here in Huntington.

“With the introduction of a weekly open mic night we are delighted to offer even more opportunities for music lovers and artists to come together, as well as a space where seasoned performers can try out their newest original pieces and where up-and-coming musicians can get used to performing for a crowd,” Skolnick added.

“NOOM is thrilled to partner with the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Cinema Arts Centre and lay the groundwork for a weekly opportunity for original songwriters and performers to present their original songs in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere,” said Toby Tobias, a Huntington-based singersongwriter who launched the open mic series at a small coffee shop in Northport in the fall of 2013.

One of the longest-running weekly original

open mics on Long Island, NOOM has reincarnated itself at quite a few North Shore locations through the years — most recently at Finley’s in Huntington.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic precluded NOOM from taking place in-person since March 2020, songwriter Richard Parr has been livestreaming the open mic every week since then and will also be playing a major role when it resumes in-person.

“We invite singer-songwriters of varying skill levels and those who love live music, to gather at the Cinema Arts Centre to listen to songwriters, dedicated to the craft of writing and singing their songs, play and talk about their original music in an environment of goodwill and open-mindedness,” said Tobias.

He noted that each NOOM will also include a featured 20-minute performance by a known/emerging local or touring songwriter starting at around 8 p.m.

“I am very excited to be a part of this,” he said.

Michael Kornfeld, longtime president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, shares their excitement. “FMSH is delighted to extend its partnerships with both NOOM and the Cinema Arts Centre and to help provide opportunities for local singer-songwriters to share their music with our community,” he said.

“NOOM has been an Acoustic Ally of FMSH for a number of years. We’ve cross-promoted each other’s events and presented a couple of joint livestreams over the past two years.”

Affording local artists opportunities to share their talents with appreciative audiences in an intimate listening room atmosphere was the initial impetus behind the nonprofit presenting organization’s Hard Luck Café concert series many years ago, Kornfeld noted. That series now features a mix of local, regional and

national touring artists.

The Cinema Arts Centre has partnered with the Folk Music Society of Huntington and hosted the monthly Hard Luck Café concerts in its Sky Room for more than a decade.

That series resumes on Oct. 19 with featured act No Fuss and Feathers and will take place on the third Wednesday of each month, from 7-9:30/10 p.m. An open mic also precedes most Hard Luck Café concerts.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE THE AMERICAN AIRPOWER MUSEUM

Living Historians and participants line up and board AAM’s WWII Douglas C-47B Skytrain Second Chance

Alzheimer’s Assoc. hosts symposium

The Alzheimer’s Association, Long Island Chapter invites the community to its Fifth Annual Hispanic/Latinx Symposium on Friday, Oct. 7. The free symposium features experts from the Hispanic/ Latinx community sharing information on Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

The featured speakers are: Dr. Jesus Lehi Garcia, clinical assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Long Island School of Medicine, and Miguel Arce Rentería, assistant professor of neuropsychology, Columbia University Medical Center.

Garcia will present on memory loss and warning signs of Alzheimer’s, with a focus on what’s normal aging and what might be a sign of a cognitive issue. Rentería’s presentation will cover factors that can lower your risk for Alzheimer’s, including bilingualism.

Hispanic and Latinx Americans are the fastestgrowing population in the United States. They are also at greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s than older white Americans.

• Older Hispanic and

Latinx Americans are more likely, on a per-capita basis, than older white people to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

• Specifically, 14.0% of Hispanic Americans age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia compared with 10% of white older adults.

• Despite having an increased risk, Hispanic and Latinx Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials, making up fewer than 7% of all clinical trial participants.

Kate Anastasia, director of programs at the Alzheimer’s Association, says: “Our goal is to educate Hispanic and Latinx people in Long Island about Alzheimer’s, their risks and ways to reduce them while highlighting local experts. We also

want to share resources available in English and Spanish.”

Alzheimer’s Association 5th Annual Hispanic SymposiumWhen: Friday, October 7, 8:30 a.m. — noon

Where: Alzheimer’s Association, 300 Broadhollow Rd., Conference Room A, Melville, NY 11747

Cost: Free, but registration is required.

The symposium is open to everyone, including caregivers and healthcare professionals, and includes light refreshments.

It is conducted in English, but simultaneous interpretation into Spanish is available by request. To register, visit alz.org/longisland or call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.

Guidance Center raises $250K

As promised, the sunset was a stunner at North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center’s Sunset Soirée at the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, held on Sept. 8. The event raised nearly a quarter million dollars to support the Guidance Center, Long Island’s premiere nonprofit children’s mental health organization.

The guests were thrilled at the smooth sounds of Grammy-winning saxophonist Kenny G, whose appearance at the Sunset Soirée was a birthday gift to longtime Guidance Center Board Member Andrea Leeds from her husband Michael and the rest of her family, all of whom were in attendance to celebrate the magical evening.“It was an amazing experience to have our first in-person gala in three years graced by the incredible talents of Kenny G,“ said Andrea Leeds. Andrea and Michael Leeds, along with Nancy and Lew Lane, were proud to serve together as this year‘s co-chairs. “Everyone in the room, from my two young grandsons to the Guidance Center’s longtime supporters, were moved by the smooth, soulful sounds. “I’m so grateful to Kenny G for making the Sunset Soirée a spectacular night that will long be remembered.“

Former Guidance Center client Samantha Sutfin-Gray shared the story of her severe bout with postpartum depression, which impacts one in seven women.

“I can’t even imagine where I would be or how far my suffering would have taken me if I hadn’t sought treatment,“ she told the audience. “The Guidance Center helped me to see that there was a light at the end of a very dark tunnel, and they were with me every step of the way. For that, my

family and I are eternally grateful.“Guidance Center Executive Director/CEO Kathy Rivera told the guests, “In the year I have been at the helm of this wonderful organization, I’ve been so proud of the dedication of our team, from our frontline mental health care staff to our front-desk staff and everyone in between. The reason we have been able to bring hope and healing to the community for nearly 70 years is thanks to them, and to all of you who support our mission.”

Rivera also thanked the night’s emcee, Stacey Sager of Channel 7 Eyewitness News, and the sponsors of the Sunset Soirée: the Leeds Family; Maureen and John Ferrari; the Ike, Molly & Steven Elias Foundation; WABC-TV; Jane and Martin Schwartz; the Jack & Dorothy Kupferberg Foundation; Americana Manhasset; Klipper Family Foundation; Marilyn and Russell Albanese: and Cerity Partners.

National Grid aids North Shore

On Sept. 16, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center was thrilled to welcome 11 employees from National Grid to its Marks Family Right from the Start 0-3+ Center as part of the utility’s volunteer day of service, called Project C. The volunteers spent the entire day planting, painting, repairing and whole-heartedly doing whatever needed to be done to spruce up the Nature Nursery at the Right from the Start Center, which had been left largely unattended during the pandemic.

Northwell sponsors Islanders’ jerseys

Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, and the New York Islanders Hockey Club today announced a deepening of their already extensive decadeslong relationship by naming Northwell the team’s practice jersey sponsor.

As the Islanders kick off their 50th Anniversary season with the opening of training camp this week at the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, it marks the first time a sponsor’s logo has graced the practice jersey of Islanders players. Northwell already is the official health care provider of the New York Islanders and official health care provider of the Northwell Health Ice Center. In addition, Northwell Health Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) is the official physical therapy provider of the Islanders’ practice facility.

“The New York Islanders have an identity that’s celebrated and deeply rooted in the communities that we

serve, so we’re excited as a health system to continue our collaboration with them,” said Ramon Soto, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Northwell. “These two storied brands have a mission that includes promoting the health and wellness of Long Islanders – through hockey and health care. And that relationship extends beyond the ice.”

Northwell, the Islanders and UBS Arena have worked together to foster community-based wellness programming since 2020. The organizations will focus on youth community enrichment, women’s health and mental health awareness initiatives throughout the 2022-23 NHL season. Northwell is a founding partner of UBS Arena.

“Northwell has been an invaluable supporter of the Islanders over the years and we’re thrilled to extend our partnership with this practice jersey collaboration,” said Simone Perrin, vice president of marketing for the Islanders.

“We are so grateful to all the National Grid volunteers for working so hard and with such great spirits to beautify our Nature Nursery and surrounding areas,” said Dr. Sue Cohen, director of the Right from the Start Center, where the Guidance Center serves its youngest clients and their families. “The Nancy Marks Nature Nursery continues to provide our young children and their parents with an opportunity to enjoy their natural environment using exploratory, hands-on stations and activities, such as musical instruments, water, paints and graduated steps. Having a creative outdoor space to use during therapy and group sessions allows our therapists to engage children in a different way. The youngsters who have experienced this area love all that is has to offer and look forward to regularly returning.”

National Grid’s Alexandra Paoli, who was in charge of the project at the Guidance Center site, worked side by side with her mother, Michele Paoli, who has worked at the utility for 25 years. “Thousands of National Grid employees volunteer on this ‘Day of Service,’ which takes place at locations all across Long Island, upstate New York and New York City,” said Alexandra, a recent graduate of Penn State University and Associate Analyst, Community Customer Engagement. “My mother knew about the great work done at the Guidance Center, so when she suggested it be one of the sites of our statewide volunteer initiative, it was a natural choice.”

Therese Sullivan, National Grid’s director of operations enablement, has participated in both Project C Day of Service events. “I was glad to volunteer for the Guidance Center because mental health is so important, especially helping children at an early age,” she said. “It is a great resource for families, and I’m proud that our company supports these efforts.”

If your company would like to discuss opportunities to volunteer at the Guidance Center or support our mission in other ways, contact Lauren McGowan at LMcGowan@northshorechildguidance.org or call her at (516) 626-1971, ext. 320.

Business&RealEstate

Thinking outside the box in this market

Sellers and buyers are currently experiencing very challenging times. It would still seem like an opportune moment with the lack of inventory for sellers to consider placing their homes on the market. Although the environment is definitely slowing, there still appears to be a sufficient number of qualified ready-to-buy purchasers out there searching for their next place to call home.

Ah, but as we all have been experiencing, the Federal Reserve has been increasing our economy-killing interest rates, not seen since 2007. This has made it much more expensive to purchase and buyers have had to contemplate and rethink their plans about their needs and wants. Many have conveyed to me that they are considering downsizing in order to afford and be able to purchase a home, some are staying where they are and some are leaving New York altogether.

Having some ah-ha moments by taking a step back will be tantamount and necessary in trying to purchase. Providing some creativity and having a new game plan by thinking outside the box will be necessary, which most didn’t have to consider when rates were considerably lower at the be-

ginning of the year. This will involve cooperation from sellers in a giveand-take environment to work with you in your purchase.

As a seller pricing your home correctly today is an ultra important facet in attracting as many eyeballs as possible to observe your listing online. This will hopefully lead those interested parties to schedule appointments and show up. Once you have a buyer making an offer that is acceptable to you, it becomes a starting point. Then your home needs to pass inspection as well as the appraisal from the buyer’s lender. Once it gets through the inspection, the contract is now executed by both parties and now you wait for the appraisal.

Knowing that your buyer already has the pre-approval from their lender based on their income, credit, debt/ income ratio, etc. is a good start. But will the home appraisal come out in favor of the buyer so they will receive the necessary funds to finance their purchase? With more buyers walking away from their deals due to higher interest rates, sellers should consider assisting with some closing costs or credit back to the buyer to make the transaction proceed to a successful conclusion.

PHILIP A. RAICES

Estate Watch

Another consideration would be to offer financing to attract more buyers. Moreover, as a seller, you may have substantial capital gains to pay, so providing a mortgage to the buyer, will be an excellent way to defer capitals gains over the length of the mortgage instead of a lump sum payment; as your income might be less in the future and so too could your gains.

I had a potential sale if the seller provided a mortgage. I went over

the advantages and disadvantages of providing financing to our buyer. The seller agreed to a 5-year mortgage with a balloon payment or possible continued financing to be discussed six months in advance of the final payment. You should also consider strategizing your situation with your financial planner and CPA to determine if there are any other ways to save on the taxes you will eventually owe.

Also, gaining an above-average interest compared with what the banks are giving will be a plus. At the same time, this will save your buyer closing costs, a real win/win situation. You become the bank with a lien on the property until the mortgage is paid off. A sizable down payment should be discussed and considered so that in the event of any payment issues or worst case scenario, a foreclosure action, you will be in a stronger position. Having your attorney create a contract with precise stipulations, as to the payment due date w/grace period and strict penalties as well as dealing with any foreclosure actions to protect you will be of critical importance.

Today, it can be a “nail-biting” process to get through those process-

es and finally to the closing table. In this current market, you do not want to lose a sale and should be thinking with both parties in mind and being more reasonable in your expectations and demands as a buyer and seller that will enable a sale to occur benefiting everyone.

Continue to Donate to the Ukrainian Crisis and save a life or 2: IOM’s Ukraine Response

OR The International Organization for Migration a 501(c) 3 Corporation: OR:http://donate.iom.int

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years of experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S) as well as the new “Green Industry” Certification for eco-friendly construction and upgrades. For a “FREE” 15-minute consultation, value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Com or via https://WWW.Li-RealEstate. Com

The “Internet of Things” and Smart Clothing

You’ve probably heard of the Internet of things, but thought, “what does it mean to me?” To answer that exciting question, let’s first understand the term itself:

The Internet of things (IoT) is the interconnection, via the internet, of computing devices into everyday objects giving them the ability to send and receive data.

We already monitor our home security via smart camera devices and troubleshoot appliance repairs by connecting directly to technical support. But there are even cooler IoT applications in the works!

“Soon, the Internet of Things will meet Gucci in the form of smart clothing. For example, swimwear can include UV sensors to prevent overexposure to harmful radiation. Smart footwear may improve your running technique or monitor the mobility of patients with Parkinson’s disease. Manufacturers might embed haptic feedback into textiles to correct your posture or improve your yoga pose. And don’t forget the accessories, such as the Ray-Ban Stories smart sunglasses (that provide a window to social media when the user is otherwise offline).” - William Diggin, Accenture

SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS

Managed IT

VoIP Phones

Cyber Security

Cyber Compliance

Zimmerman, Santos clash at heated debate

“Every time we create a gun law, we take away a legal weapon from a law-abiding citizen,” he said. “Not from a criminal, criminals don’t follow laws.”

Santos said affordable housing is a problem throughout the nation and that updating public housing to respectable conditions and treating their tenants with respect should be a top priority. He said that taking care of the American public before taking care of other nations is also something that a congressman advocates for.

“We need to come together to understand that we need to put fi rst our American people and make sure that we take care of our own before we start extending help to millions of people trying to pour into our country,” Santos said. “We need to make sure that they come first.”

Zimmerman said he has a “strong record” of border security and called Santos’ connection between that and affordable housing a “desperate try.” Zimmerman touted the need to have a commitment to workforce housing and also to revitalize downtown areas throughout the 3rd District.

“Everywhere I go throughout Nassau County and Queens, there’s a recognition of the need to bring back what they call workforce housing or aff ordable housing,” Zimmerman said. “So young people can live at home, where they grew up, contribute to their communities and get jobs locally, near their families.”

Santos, on multiple occasions, called a vote for Zimmerman a vote for another “rubber stamp” for the Biden agenda and that 3rd District constituents should cast their vote for him instead. Zimmerman said his leadership and his endorsements from a myriad of politicians and organizations reinforce he is the choice to represent the district.

Zimmerman is co-president of ZE Creative Communications on Bond Street in Great

Neck, a public relations fi rm he started 33 years ago with Ron Edelson and a Democratic national committeeman.

Zimmerman previously worked as a congressional aide on Capitol Hill for Congressmen Lester Wolff, James Scheuer and Gary Ackerman. His advocacy also led to his being nominated by President Bill Clinton to serve on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Presidential Commission on the Arts and by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Council on the Humanities.

Notable endorsements for Zimmerman include Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, state Assemblyman Charles Lavine, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and former New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.

Santos, who ran against Suozzi in 2020, was named a “Young Gun” candidate in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program earlier this year, his campaign said. The Republican was recently endorsed by Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association.

Both are running to fi ll the seat of U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor earlier this year.

New district maps were submitted recently by a court-appointed special master and have been viewed as more neutral compared to ones that were previously rejected by the state Appeals Court.

While the 3rd Congressional District under the new proposal does not extend as far west as the Bronx or Westchester, it does stretch to more southern parts of Nassau County such as Hicksville and Massapequa. The new lines do exclude the parts of the district that now stretch into Suff olk County, mainly Huntington and Smithtown.

The Federal Reserve is in a very tough spot

from Page 18

It can also blow up in their faces. As mentioned, housing is the 2000 pound gorilla of CPI, making up 40% of the index. So successive rate rises have curtailed home price growth for now. But it may also curtail the construction of badly needed housing supply, which is the main cause of home price appreciation.

Now some of this is macro and some micro. A mad dash of outmigration due to COVID generated some housing hot spots, which spiked the numbers. New York City can lose 100,000 residents and not even realize it. If Tampa-St. Pete gains 100,000 residents, that changes the housing market dynamics there entirely. Again, these events as well as the disruption in housing from the work from home phenomenon, are unrelated to monetary policy.

So higher interest rates could serve to stall construction of badly needed housing, exacerbating the shortage of the heaviest weighted component of the CPI Index. So while raising mortgage rates have certainly slowed down housing price growth, if not reduced them in

some areas, the reduction in future supply will not alleviate the situation.

Unfortunately, we are now in a position where if the housing component, by itself, doesn’t get deflated sufficiently, the headline CPI number the media fixates on as a proxy for the price of EVERYTHING ELSE in the index from chicken wings to pet supplies, Fed policy will then be seen as an abject failure.

So I believe monetary policy, as it stands now (Sept. 29, 2022) is way too aggressive, especially with several Fed governors warning a lot more is to come. As I’ve written before, the Fed does not want the “whack a mole” inflation environment that took five years to contain back in the 1970s. But this is a wholly different economy from that one, when China was still a primitive backwater, and the only truly powerful Asian economy was Japan.

It’s a different world now. I do hope the Fed’s generals are not fighting the last battle.

Donald Davret Roslyn

Van Arsdale Place,

Park Avenue, Manhasset

Oaktree Lane, Manhasset

Old Ox Road, Manhasset

1st Gift of Life recipient returns

Continued from Page 2

disease,” he said. “We think we can impact the lives of 40 million people where we found a way of preventing rheumatic heart disease, which comes from strep. It’s a complicated thing, but we did all of that in Uganda. And all of this start-

ed with Grace.”

And now, 47 years later, the two remain intertwined along with every child who has come through Gift of Life. As a 5-year-old from half a world away, Donno said she gave back as well.

“So 200 years from now, children will be born because of what we did,” he said. Children

will have life because of what we did today. If you can trace it so that their heritage isn’t necessarily Ugandan, American, Kosovan or Russian, but from an act of kindness, that’s our heritage. That’s our legacy.”

Knicks’ Breen owned razed home

Continued from Page 1 ment all assisted in extinguishing the fire.

New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, who described Breen as “one of [his] best friends in the world,” spoke on Breen’s behalf on the incident during his Wednesday afternoon radio show on ESPN.

Kay said Breen and his wife were in California finishing up their vacation before the NBA season began when they received calls about the house.

“They got a call right before they were getting on a plane that something had happened to the house,” Kay said. “It burned down to the ground. Everything destroyed. No personal memories are left.”

Fire officials said there was damage to the basement and first floor of the three-bedroom home and that the initial indication is that the fire started in the garage. The Nassau Police Arson Bomb Squad detectives and the county fire marshal’s office are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Kay said Breen asked him to speak on his behalf due to the outpouring of support and concern from others while he is attempting to deal with insurance companies “trying to get clothes that he can wear on the air” prior to the NBA preseason starting next week.

“So he just wants everyone to know within the sound of our voice, he considers himself absolutely blessed for the people that have reached out and asked to help,” Kay continued.

Breen, a Fordham University alum, began his tenure as the Knicks play-by-play announcer in 1991, starting on their WFAN radio station and continuing with their TV broadcast on MSG Network.

Breen has also been the voice of the NBA on ABC and ESPN for more than 15 years, calling

every league Finals series since 2006.

ESPN, in a statement to the New York Post, said “Mike is a cherished member of the ESPN family and he knows he has our full support through this excruciating circumstance.”

MSG Network said in a statement that they “are so thankful that everyone is safe” and that Breen’s entire family “have all our love and support during this very difficult time.”

DeSena proposes $158M budget

the Town with many unexpected challenges this year, I am proud that despite this, under the tentative budget plan our exceptional Town workforce will continue to maintain our Town services, all while remaining under the state-mandated spending cap.”

The tentative budget is the first since DeSena took office in January. She was the first Republican nominee to win the town supervisor election in over 30 years, succeeding Democrat Judi Bosworth, who did not seek re-election.

Earlier, this year, Moody’s Investor Service affirmed North Hempstead’s AAA bond rating, the highest a town can achieve, for the 12th consecutive instance.

Additional focus on the beautification and maintenance of the town’s parks and infrastructure is reflected in the town’s parks department budget increasing by $253,970.

The highway landscaping fund in the

highway department has increased 28% year to year to provide more funding for tree plantings around Nort Hempstead, according to town officials.

This year’s tentative budget was put together without a town comptroller, a position that has been vacant since at least January.

Paul Wood, director of finance for the Office of the Supervisor, has been the acting comptroller.

The seven-member Town Board will be conducting two public work sessions at town hall on Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m. and Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., which will allow them to make any changes or amendments, if necessary, and another public hearing on Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. where the tentative budget will become a preliminary budget.

A final special meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3, when the board will vote to adopt the budget. North Hempstead’s Town

Board has continuously adopted the town budget before Election Day.

“At my inauguration in January I vowed to return town government to a taxpayer-first principle and the 2023 tentative budget is a major step in that direction. Since my first day in office, I have put an emphasis on openness, transparency, and integrity in Town government, so that our residents gain greater insight into the way things actually work here,” DeSena continued in a statement.

“Now the most open and transparent budget process in our Town’s history will commence, as I hold multiple budget hearings and multiple public work sessions to provide our residents an in-depth look at Town finances. I am proud that my administration takes a taxpayer-first approach, so I encourage our residents to come down to Town Hall to engage with the process and provide their input.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANHASSET-LAKEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

Longtime Knicks broadcaster Mike Breen’s North Hills home was destroyed by a fire on Sunday, officials said.

LIRR express service to remain on Port line

Catherine Rinaldi said she was pleased to hear the concerns from North Shore commuters, but said more work will need to be done to help the overall expansion of the Long Island Rail Road.

“The true key to the addition of future service increases is expanding track capacity at Port Washington Yard,” Rinaldi said in a statement.

“The Town of North Hempstead has committed to working with Senator Kaplan and Assemblymember Sillitti to advance this long sought-after project that is the bottleneck to having more service on the branch.”

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said she had been involved in preliminary talks with agency representatives to remedy various issues and work with the Long Island Rail Road if they restored the express service. DeSena, in a statement on Facebook, thanked Rinaldi for meeting with her and town officials to restore the branch’s longstanding service.

“Thank you to the thousands of residents who spoke out against these plans, and thank you to Interim LIRR President Cathy Rinaldi for meeting with me and my team over the last few months, listening to our feedback, and finding ways to compromise on a solution in the best interest of our residents,” DeSena said. “I look forward to discussions continuing between the Town and MTA regarding future improvements at Port Washington Station.”

Kaplan echoed Rinaldi’s comments regarding the need to enhance the Port Washington Rail Yard.

ule includes 15 trains arriving in Manhattan between 6:16 a.m. and 9:51 a.m., a 36% increase from the current 11 that arrive at Penn Station between 6:21 a.m. and 9:34 a.m., according to

officials.

The branch’s afternoon and evening rush hour schedule will also see a 43% increase in service, including three express trains. A total of 20 trains will leave Manhattan between 4:06

p.m. and 7:43 p.m., six more than the 14 trains that currently provided that service to commuters on the Port Washington branch, according to officials.

Long Island Rail Road Interim President

“It’s time to get the long-derailed Port Washington Yard expansion project back on track to ensure that we can build on today’s announcement and deliver even more express train service down the road,” Kaplan said. “I’m calling for the MTA and the Town of North Hempstead to find a path forward without further delay.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF STATE SENATOR ANNA KAPLAN’S OFFICE

Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey, state Sen. Anna M. Kaplan, Long Island Rail Road interim President Catherine Rinaldi, Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte (rear), and state Assemblywoman Gina L. Sillitti announce express train service restoration at the Port Washington Train Station.

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e-mail: dflynn@theisland360.com

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Cancellation Policy Ads must be cancelled the Monday before the first Thursday publication. All cancellations must be received in writing by fax at: 516.307.1046

Any verbal cancellations must be approved by a supervisor. There are no refunds on cancelled advertising. An advertising credit only will be issued.

HELP WANTED

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HELP WANTED

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Accountant

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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MARKETPLACE

INVITED ESTATE SALES BY TRACY

JORDAN is doing VIRTUAL TAG SALES and ONLINE AUCTIONS now! Sell the contents of an entire house or sell just a few things! You can host your own sale on invitedsales.com and Facebook and Instagram or we can do it for you. We can photograph, advertise and handle the winning pickups for you within a week!

can get your house ready on time! We are a one stop service for all your needs when you are moving or selling a property! Selling, donating, discarding and cleaning out services can be done to meet your time frame with minimal stress. Contact info@invitedsales.com for more information or call 516-279-6378 to schedule a consultation or receive more information. Visit us at www.invitedsales. com for a listing of our upcoming Virtual Tag Sales and Weekly Auctions!

WANTED TO BUY

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GARAGE SALE

GARAGE SALE

GARAGE SALE GARDEN CITY Saturday, October 8 9am-4pm only 83 Adams St. Garden City, NY Collectibles, household items, home decor, furniture, sports equipment (golf, ski/ snowboard, fishing), tools, books, records, much more. Rain Date October 15

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Sports

a star on field, helps off too

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

Sofia Bigeni eats, sleeps and breathes soccer. It’s in her family blood.

Older sister Bella was a standout goalie on the New Hyde Park High School team, while younger brother Jackson plays for Chaminade.

Sofia has been a starter for the Gladiators for three years now, so it’s no surprise that it’s through soccer that she said she’s found her other passion in life: Helping children.

Through head coach Maiken Bursig, the New Hyde Park team has become involved with TOP Soccer, which is a local community-based program that offers children with special needs an opportunity to participate in soccer.

Its website says that it’s a program for “all athletes with intellectual, emotional and/or physical disabilities who cannot participate in our intramurals or travel programs. We try to provide soccer opportunities for players to develop at their own pace in a safe, fun and supportive inclusive environment.”

Bigeni loves the program and has been inspired by it. She enthusiastically spoke about helping a 4-year-old with Down’s Syndrome, as well as other older kids. TOP Soccer has affect-

ed Bigeni so much that she says her career goal is now to become a special education teacher.

“I love to help little kids, who need help, and need to be in good hands,” the junior midfielder said. “It’s really rewarding and fun to work with these kids, and they really appreciate all the attention you give them.”

When she’s playing club or high school soccer, it’s Bigeni who usually gets all the attention. From opposing defenses, that is. She’s been a mainstay at midfield for the Gladiators, and is “the offensive catalyst of our team,” Bursig said.

Last year as a sophomore Bigeni scored a team-high seven goals, and through seven games this season she has scored four goals and added five assists.

“She’s such a coachable kid, and always wants to make herself better so she can help the team,” Bursig said. “She’s constantly asking me questions like ‘what should I have done there?’ or ‘how can I play that better next time?'”For Bigeni, she’s come a long way since coming up as a freshman, when she said she was “really scared” being around the older players.

But her experience playing club soccer with Islip-based Susa Academy has helped her develop her all-around game.“Club soccer

and high school soccer are so different,” Bigeni said. “High school soccer is a lot more physical, which I love. But as a freshman I wasn’t sure of myself, didn’t want to mess up. But some of the older girls took me under their wing and really helped me.”Bigeni’s best skill, Bursig said, is her passing. She’d much rather set up a teammate for a goal then score one herself. Bursig has urged her to be more selfish, since she’s got a great shot.“I do probably look to pass too much,” Bigeni admitted. “It’s just a lot more fun to help someone score.”Despite New Hyde Park’s struggles so far on the field (through games of Sept. 29 they’d won once in eight tries), Bigeni has attracted a lot of attention from Division I schools. She said her dream school to play for is the University at Albany, who is recruiting her.“I can only imagine how good she’s going to be once she’s a college freshman, with so many skilled players around her and her continuing to improve,” Bursig said. “She’s such a hard worker and is going to get better and better.”“I just love hearing another person’s opinion on my game, and what I can do differently,” she said. “Every coach can make you better and teach you something you didn’t know, and I just want to be as great as I can.”

PHOTO COURTESY

New Hyde Park High School’s Sofia Bigeni is in her 3rd year as a starter on the varsity soccer team, and is being recruited by Division I schools.

WILLIAM J ALLSBROOK Jr.

“William, you were always my hero. I wanted to be just like you, but I didn't play football or basketball like 'The Will', just didn't have your touch. I enjoyed watching you and was always proud to be your brother. Never does a day go by that I do not think of you. What would it be like to be able to call you. I have told my daughters about you letting me drive Mom and Dad’s new car around Tarboro although I was only 14 years old. October 2, 1970, Daddy’s birthday and the day that changed my life. You were my hero before Nam and you are still and one day I hope to walk with you again. I Love you. Mike”

Help us find a photo for ever y name on The Wall

Each name on The Wall represents a family who was forever changed by their loss

Help us find photos for the Wall of Faces to ensure that those who sacr ificed all in Vietnam are never forgotten.

Vist www.V VMF.org/Faces to lear n more

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TRACI