Manhasset 2023_07_21

KIDS GUIDE PAGE 2

SANTO USES HALF OF $162K RAISED TO REPAY HIMSELF

D’ESPOSITO LEADS IN CD4 FUNDRAISING

PAGES 21-28

Redraw NY’s congressional maps: Court

GOP to appeal order that would give state Legislature final say, aid Dems

BY BRANDON DUFFY

New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission will need to redraw congressional maps after an Appellate Division ruling Thursday rendered the new House maps approved last year as only a temporary fix.

The midlevel court in a 3-2 ruling reversed a decision made last year by the state’s Supreme Court–which rejected maps from Democratic officials in the Legislature that Judge Patrick McAllister said “were unconstitutionally drawn with political bias.”

The Appellate Division’s ruling is seen as a boost for Democrats, who currently have majorities in the state Legislature.

Republicans said in a statement they will appeal the decision to the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, in what could have major implications for who controls the House after the 2024 elections.

“The Appellate Division majority’s conclusion guts the New York Constitution’s explicit prohibition against middecade redistricting. When Democrats can’t compete, they cheat,” U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville), who chairs the U.S. House Republican conference said in a joint statement with Ed Cox, the state party chair. “Their illegal gerrymander violated the State

Constitution and bucked the will of the voters. The Court of Appeals must overturn this ruling, or Democrats will gerrymander the map to target political opponents and protect political allies — all to the People’s detriment.”

U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Espositio (R-Island Park), who represents New York’s 4th District, said in a tweet “New York Democrats know they can’t win on the issues, so now they’re trying to use the courts to gerrymander their way to victory.”

D’Esposito is one of 18 House Republicans–alongside 3rd District Rep. George Santos–that represent districts President Joe Biden won in 2020. Biden won NY-4 by 17 points, according to multiple reports. In New York, Democrats lost six congressional races last year that Biden carried in 2020.

The lawsuit was first introduced on behalf of 10 New York voters that wanted the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to submit a proposal for new congressional maps. The commission’s first proposal was rejected and a lawsuit led to a court-appointed expert to redraw the maps for 2022.

Those 2022 maps were only a temporary fix and can be discarded since the commission “had an indisputable duty under the N.Y. Constitution to submit a second set of maps upon the

Continued on Page 41

PAGE 8

Munsey Park Village Hall restoration in works

BY KARINA KOVAC

The Village of Munsey Park is working toward the renovation of its historic Village Hall. The process began with the issuance of a

Request for Proposal to potential contractors, resulting in three bids being received. The highest bid came in at $250,000, while the other bids amounted to $158,000 and $150,000.

Mayor Lawrence Ceriello expressed his concern over the high bid at the village Board of Trustees meeting on July 12, “That included a lot of stuff that in hindsight we won’t

Continued on Page 42

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Herricks students recently participated in the week-long summer camp at Herricks High School. See story on page 43.

Santos raises $162K, gives half to himself

Fundraising total trails Republican, Democratic rivals

mately $86,500 cash on hand and $630,000 in debt owed to the previous loans for the quarterly period.

Kaplan, of Great Neck, reported raising $455,060.98 for the quarter, which included $190,000 for her own campaign. Kaplan fnished the quarter with $389,839.77 cash on hand.

Malamed, of Great Neck, reported raising $417,945.52 with $322,101.61 cash on hand after announcing his campaign in May.

Lafazan, who came in third for the seat’s Democratic primary in 2022, reported $202,290.35 with $381,613.28 cash on hand for the period. Lafazan is also running for re-election in the county this year and reported raising $345,303 in the previous quarter from January to March.

Curry, a Queens resident who lives just outside the 3rd District, reported raising $200,725 with $164,881 cash on hand.

Democrats Scott Livingston and William Murphy raised $97,595 and $47,017.84, respectively, according to their disclosure reports.

Other candidates who have fled to run, including Democrats Darius Radzius and Steve Behar and Independent Matthew Nappo Jr., did not report any funds raised for the quarter.

The current map of New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which the Appellate Court ordered to be redrawn ahead of the 2024 election.

BY BRANDON DUFFY

U.S. Rep. George Santos of the 3rd Congressional District raised $162,031.52 in the latest quarter for his re-election campaign, repaying $85,000 of the contributions to himself to partly cover over $700,000 in personal loans from previous congressional bids, according to the Federal Election Commission.

An amended fling report showed the indicted congressman is currently behind Democratic hopefuls–former two-term state Sen. Anna Kaplan, advocacy group co-founder Zak Mal-

Top painters lead guild to success

Co-presidents honored for work

BY KARINA KOVAC

The Art Guild of Port Washingtont has become an accolade-rich artistic community, thanks to the intertwined journeys of two artists, Shelley Holtzman and Illene Silberstein. Together, the decades-long acclaimed painters have worked together as co-presidents to build the guild from four to 410 members.

Holtzman has been instrumental in shaping the guild’s direction and fostering its growth. Her artistic passion started during her time as an art director in TV and print advertising after graduating from the University of Michigan.

She always enjoyed using markers to create big bold lines and decided one day to take some classes in the area. Then she discovered her love for vibrant, bursting fowers.

“Once I realized I really loved fowers,” she said, “I’m going to paint them. That’s how I started.” Now she oil paints full time in her retirement and says the key to painting is “all about observation.”

In 1999, when the guild was still in its infancy with only four members, Holtzman discovered the bud-

ding organization. Throughout her tenure as co-president, Holtzman has played a pivotal role in strategy, event planning, and show organization alongside Silberstein. Their dedication and unwavering support has enabled the guild to evolve from a small, volunteer-based endeavor into a prominent artistic institution with a dedicated staf.

In 2007, the guild acquired a building, the Elder Fields Preserve, from Nassau County, providing a dedicated studio space for local artists.

Holtzman’s artistic style is characterized by her vibrant and bold use of color. While initially drawn to watercolor, she later explored oil and acrylic, fnding joy in creating unique landscapes with fantastical elements, blending the beauty of nature with imaginative portrayals of animals.

Her artistic endeavors extend beyond the guild, as she’s also a member of the National Association of Women Artists and the Port Washington Art Advisory Council. Holtzman’s artistic prowess has garnered recognition, with her winContinued on Page 43

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sue Tabakin 516-307-1045 x206 stabakin@theisland360.com

amed and Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (D-Woodbury)–and Republican challenger Kellen Curry in fund-raising eforts for the quarter.

Santos is currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee and faces a 13-county federal indictment alleging multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering, among other things.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges in a June court appearance.

If convicted of the top charges, Santos could face up to 20 years in prison.

Santos reported having approxi-

Kaplan, who represented the state’s 7th Senate District from 20192022, is an Iranian immigrant whose parents sent her to the United States for her safety and was an active member of the Great Neck community before her time in government. She was elected to serve the Town of North Hempstead’s 4th District as a councilwoman in 2011.

In 2016, she sought election to the House of Representatives but lost to current Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) in the Democratic primary. Kaplan defeated former Flower Hill Mayor Elaine Phillips in 2018 to represent the 7th Senate District.

In 2022, she lost to Republican Jack Martins, who previously served the 7th Senate District.

Malamed, 29, is the co-founder of an advocacy group called The Next Continued on Page 42

Steven Blank 516-307-1045 x201 sblank@theisland360.com

CLASSIFIED

: Deborah Flynn 516-307-1045 x218

Park Herald Courier: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Manhasset Times: Karina Kovac 516-307-1045 x203 • kkovac@theisland360.com

Roslyn Times: Cameryn Oakes 516-307-1045 x214 • coakes@theisland360.com

Williston Times: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Port Washington Times: Cameryn Oakes 516-307-1045

MAP COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AND REAPPORTIONMENT

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ART GUILD OF PORT WASHINGTON

Ilene Silberstein’s art at a 2022 Shelter Rock Gallery Exhibit at the Unitarian Universalist Church. This year she won painter of the year.

Waldbaum named JCC board prez

Granddaughter of supermarket founder, philanthropist takes reins at Roslyn-based center

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Nancy Waldbaum, community leader and the granddaughter of the Waldbaum supermarket founder, is the newest board president at the Sid Jacobsen Jewish Community Center and said she is looking forward to continuing the center’s work to bounce back from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Waldbaum said she comes from a family dedicated to philanthropy, a pursuit and passion instilled in her and applied to the work she implements in her life and at the Sid Jacobson JCC.

She has long served in charity work, including for organizations like Northwell Health, the Manhattan Jewish Experience and Variety Preschoolers Workshop. She is currently involved with the Jewish National Fund’s upcoming culinary institute, which is planned to be located in Israel. She is a longtime active member of the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation.

Waldbaum has served on the JCC board since 1992, starting at the age of 24 and serving for the past 31 years – more than half of Waldbaum’s life. She is also the executive director of the I. Waldbaum Family Foundation,

serving since 1991.

During her time as a board member, Waldbaum has chaired the development committee, chaired the dinner dance — the JCC’s primary fundraiser – and has sat on nearly every JCC board committee.

Amassing 31 years on the JCC’s

She said she has been inspired by the JCC’s staf and their eforts for constant innovation, contributing to the center’s expanding programming. Waldbaum has a vision of where she wants to take the Sid Jacobsen JCC, including creating an overarching endowment fund to protect the

board, Waldbaum said she has witnessed a variety of leadership and staf changes. Through these three decades, she’s observed how leadership has conducted itself and said she will take those lessons into her new position as president.

“I’ve watched,” Waldbaum said. “I’ve watched what we’ve done well, I’ve watched what we’ve done exceptionally and I’ve learned from our mistakes.”

center and its members in the event of a future emergency comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want us to have an endowment to protect us so that the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren will have the opportunity to use our programs, to use our facility, to get what they need from us,” Waldbaum said. “Whether they’re cancer survivors looking for resources,

Continued on Page 41

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SID JACOBSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

Nancy Waldbaum, the newest board president at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center.

Whether they’re cancer survivors looking for resources, special needs, whether they’re kids going to camp or preschool, we serve so many populations that need us so desperately it would be a crime for us to exist.”

— Nancy Waldbaum

PW restaurants go plastic-free in July

21 Port Washington eateries join campaign to make take-out orders environmentally friendly

BY CAMERYN OAKES

It’s a question everyone asks: What am I eating for dinner? But after a long day of working and a fridge full of ingredients that need to be prepared for a meal, the answer to the question is often to order takeout.

But along with the food delivered to the house are a plethora of condiment packets that are already in the fridge and plastic cutlery that’s simply thrown out to be replaced by silverware waiting in the drawers.

Rather than having these disposable items go to waste, Grassroots Environmental Education has launched the Plastic-Free July campaign, which Port Washington restaurants are participating in by omitting single-use plastics in their take-out orders.

Grassroots Environmental Education is an environmental health nonproft established in 2000. Executive Director Patti Wood said its mission is to educate the public about the link between common environmental exposures and human health impacts.

The Plastic-Free July campaign is an initiative working solely with Port Washington restaurants and food establishments to drop the use of plastics in take-out orders throughout the month of July.

Participating restaurants include 21 Port Washington eateries, such as DiMaggio’s, La P’tite Framboise, Gino’s and Toscanini Ristorante.

Wood said many participating restaurants have enjoyed the program and are considering implementing the plastic-free practices beyond the

month of July by asking where they can purchase the BioBags for continued use. A BioBag is a compostable, non-plastic bag for take-out orders.

“Which is exactly what we want them to do,” Wood said. “Which is to continue this past July because A: their customers want it, B: they’re saving money not putting all the plastic things in every single bag, and C: they’re responsible people too. They know that climate change is upon us. They know that plastics are part of the problem, that plastic production creates a lot of greenhouse gases.”

This includes participating restaurant Amalf at 49 Old Shore Rd. in Port Washington.

Owner Rafaele Semia said they think the campaign is a great idea and he was willing to participate in it. He said it has been going well, with customers loving the program andthe restaurant is looking towards continuing the initiative past the month of July.

Wood said this campaign and the organization’s plastic-free initiative are for the purpose of advocating for human health.

As a science-based organization, Wood said Grassroots Environmental Education is constantly conducting research.

Leading up to the campaign, Wood said the nonproft’s research found most takeout orders are being

Continued on Page 42

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATTI WOOD

Grassroots Executive Director Patti Wood with DiMaggio’s owners Angelo Gianuzzi and Eddie Marinelli.

Town allows Chaminade to build facility

Sign licencing agreement for school’s crew team storage facility at North Hempstead beach

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The North Hempstead Town Board Tuesday morning during a special meeting authorized a license agreement with Chaminade High School in Mineola to construct a new storage facility for its crew team at North Hempstead Beach Park in Port Washington.

Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said the matter first came to the board in 2020, but terms could not be finalized at the time.

Terms for the license agreement are 20 years and it is revocable at the will of the town with 80 days’ notice that would require Chaminade to be paid by the town a portion of their capital improvements, DeSena said.

Chaminade is one of three parties that uses the beach for rowing activities, including Manhasset Public Schools and Port Washington Rowing Club, which is private.

The resolution was first tabled at the town board’s July 11 meeting last week after questions surrounding the agreement’s language were raised, specifically on increasing the yearly licensing fee from $250 to $500 and making sure the town was not violating New York’s parkland alienation laws, which oversee taking parkland for non-public use.

Chaminade’s previous facility at the beach, which existed for decades, was condemned by the town’s Building Department in May. The new facility will be constructed in the same space as the current facility, DeSena said during the July 11 meeting.

Brother Thomas Cleary, president of Chaminade, thanked the town board Tuesday morning during public comments.

“I want to thank the council for getting us to this point,” Cleary said. “We are very happy with the agreement.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

Chaminade High School in Mineola.

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NY rep seeks Santos censure resolution

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Democrat Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15) announced Monday he is introducing a resolution to censure Rep. George Santos (NY-03), another attempt by Democrats to reprimand the GOP congressman who has been charged in a 13-count federal indictment and condemned by colleagues and constituents for his fraudulent actions.

The 3rd Congressional District covers parts of Nassau and Queens.

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Torres’ resolution states that Santos “repeatedly lied to voters in his district, donors, and the American public during his campaign to be elected to Congress,” and that he deliberately lied about his educational background, being Jewish and that his grandparents survived the Holocaust.

“If you are a member of Congress who has informally condemned Mr. Santos, then you should have no trouble formally censuring him,” Torres told The New York Times. “He has disgraced the institution, and the institution should speak with one voice against his misconduct.”

Torres, who represents the South Bronx, tweeted that House Republicans have been protecting Santos for too long.

“Stop treating Mr. Santos as untouchable,” Torres tweeted. “The time has come for Congress to hold him accountable.”

A censure is a vote taken by a chamber in Congress to express deep disapproval for a Congressmember’s actions as a “form of public rebuke,” according to the House’s history website. House rules state that a censure is reserved for serious offenses.

A censure must be passed with a majority vote in the chamber taking the action.

If passed, the member of Congress who is censured stands in front of the chamber and has their censure read to them. There are no further consequences for a member who is censured.

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The House of Representatives has censured 25 members, including most recently Democrat Adam Schiff (CA-30) on June 21. Schiff, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was censured for “misleading the American public and for conduct unbecoming of an elected member of the House of Representatives.” He led investigations against for-

Santos was charged in a 13-count federal indictment in May, followed by his arrest. His indictment includes seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public

funds and two counts of making materially false statements to Congress.

Santos has admitted to lying about his education and work history, but he has notaddressed other inconsistencies and has equivocated when asked about his business dealings and how they related to his political efforts.

Federal prosecutors accused Mr. Santos of orchestrating a scheme to solicit political contributions that he used for personal expenses; of fraudulently receiving more than $24,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits while he was actually employed; and of knowingly making false statements on House financial disclosure forms.

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges in a June court appearance.

If convicted of the top charges, Santos could face up to 20 years in prison.

Santos is also being investigated by the House Ethics Committee, but their findings have yet to be released. Republican House members rejected a Democratic proposal to expel Santos from the House following his arrest, deferring the decision to the Ethics Committee.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SANTOS CAMPAIGN Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos.

“If you are a member of Congress who has informally condemned Mr. Santos, then you should have no trouble formally censuring him. He has disgraced the institution.”

— Democrat Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15)

mer President Donald Trump. No vote has been taken to censure Santos yet.

D’Esposito takes fundraising lead in CD4

GOPer pulls in $593K in nationally watched race, besting Dems Laura Gillen, Sarah Hughes

BY BRANDON DUFFY

U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (RIsland Park) raised nearly $600,000 during the three-month period covering April through June, according to a quarterly report from the Federal Election Commission.

D’Esposito’s contributions of $592,453 mark a 13.8% decrease from the $674,521 raised last quarter but is still more than both Democratic hopefuls–former Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen and Olympic gold medalist skater Sarah Hughes– reported receiving when added together.

D’Esposito is one of 18 House Republicans–alongside indicted 3rd District Rep. George Santos–who represent districts President Joe Biden won in 2020. Biden won NY-4 by 17 points. In New York, Democrats lost six congressional races last year that Biden carried in 2020.

The Island Park congressman fnished the reporting period with $931,456 cash on hand while approximately 36% of his fund-raising eforts came from PACs and another 36% came from individuals.

Gillen, who lost to D’Esposito for the 4th Congressional District seat in 2022, reported raising $373,336 last quarter with $340,031 in the bank. Gillen reported $6,000 raised from PACs.

Gillen served as Hempstead’s supervisor from 2018 to 2019 after defeating incumbent Anthony Santino. She was the frst Democrat to be sworn into the position in over 100 years.

Prior to serving as supervisor, Gillen worked at the law frm of Westerman Ball Ederer Miller Zucker & Sharfstein.

Hughes, who grew up in Great Neck, reported raising $108,751 last quarter with $104,961 cash on hand. All of Hughes’ contributions came form individuals.

Hughes took home the gold medal for the women’s singles fgure skating event during the 2002 Winter Olympics, defeating Michelle Kwan, who took bronze, and Irina Slutskaya, who took silver. The Great Neck North High School graduate is the only American woman to have won the Olympic title without having won either a World or

U.S. senior national title.

After graduation, she attended Yale University, earning her bachelor’s degree in American studies with a concentration in U.S. politics and communities.

Three of the fve Democrats who have fled to run for the 4th District— Lawrence Henry, Patricia Maher and Gian Jones—did not report any funds raised this quarter

The 4th Congressional District currently includes the communities of Baldwin, Bellmore, East Rockaway, East Meadow, the Five Towns, Lynbrook, Floral Park, Franklin Square, Garden City, Garden City Park, Hempstead, Atlantic Beach, Long Beach, Malverne, Freeport, Merrick, Mineola, Carle Place, New Hyde Park, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, Roosevelt, Uniondale, Wantagh, West Hempstead, Westbury and parts of Valley Stream.

District lines may change ahead of the 2024 election due to an Appellate Division ruling Thursday that rendered the new House maps approved last year as only a temporary fx.

Santos, D’Esposito back controversial bill

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Congressman George Santos (R-CD3) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-CD4) joined fellow House Republicans in voting to restrict abortion access, bar transgender health services and remove all diversity personnel in the military on Thursday,

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which included the amendments passed Thursday, was passed in its entirety along party lines Friday morning with votes amassing 219-210.

With the entirety of Long Island represented by Republican lawmakers in the House – all four of the Long Island Congressional districts – the Long Island vote was integral to passing the amendments to the act Thursday.

Santos and D’Esposito voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act and the three amendments to restrict abortion access, transgender healthcare and remove diversity personnel.

Eforts to contact Santos and D’Esposito for comment were unavailing.

In a vote of 221-213, the House amended the National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing abortion services expenses.

Ten New York representatives, all Republicans, including all Long Island representatives, voted to pass the amendment. All New York Republicans voted afrmatively on the

amendment, excluding Rep. Brandon Williams (NY-22) who did not vote.

The vote was split along party lines, with nearly all Republicans voting “aye” and all but one Democrat voting “no.”

In a vote of 222-211, the House also voted to amend the National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit the Department of Defense from providing sex reassignment surgeries and gender hormone treatments to transgender people. It also prevents TRICARE – the Department of Defense’s

healthcare program – from covering these medical services.

The same 10 New York Republican representatives also voted to pass this amendment.

This vote was also conducted along party lines, with all but one Republican voting for its passage and all but one Democratic voting against the amendment.

The House also removed all ofces and personnel of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Armed Forces and Department of Defense, passing 214-

213.

All Democrats voted against the amendment along with four Republicans. The same 10 Republican New York representatives voted to pass the amendment.

Discussions on the House foor veered into the debate on the culture war, with Republicans accusing Democrats of inserting progressivism into the Pentagon.

Democrats, in turn, accused Republicans of using the amendments to push an agenda of receding the rights

of women, people of color and transgender individuals.

Arizona Republican Representative Eli Crane at one point referred to black people as “colored people,” when arguing for his amendment passed 214-210 Thursday that prohibited training or support for certain race-based concepts a requirement for hiring, promotion or retention of military individuals.

“The military was never intended to be, you know, inclusive,” Crane said. “My amendment has nothing to do with whether or not colored people or Black people or anybody can serve.”

The comment was stricken from the record after congressional members called the representative’s statement ofensive. Crane later said in a statement that he “misspoke.”

The National Defense Authorization Act votes arise in tandem with a New York Appeals Court ordering the state’s congressional maps to be redrawn in a decision made Thursday. The state’s bipartisan redistricting commission has been asked to restart the district line-drawing process immediately.

Republicans say they will appeal.

The new map, drawn by a neutral court-appointed expert, fipped four seats in favor of Republicans.

The potential maps under the court-mandated redraw leave certain Republican seats vulnerable, most notably in Long Island’s Congressional Districts 3 and 4, held by Santos and D’Esposito, respectively.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito represents the New York’s 4th Congressional District.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, PUBLIC DOMAIN

United States House of Representatives chamber at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

NHP street fair date sparks controversy

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Nearly $100K in eyeware taken from Americana Manhasset

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Two men wielding crowbars stole some $100,000 in luxury eyeglasses Saturday from the Morganthal Frederics at the Americana Mall in Manhasset, police said.

At 5:13 p.m., two suspects walked into the store located at 2110 Northern Blvd. before using their crowbars to remove

about 80 pairs of eyeglasses valued at over $90,000 police said.

Both men left the mall in a gray 2018 Subaru Forester, which was being driven by an unknown man. No injuries were reported at the scene.

The frst subject was described as Black, 6 feet tall with a thin build and was wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, black

pants and sneakers with a pink mask. The second suspect was described as Black with a heavy build, wearing a green shirt, white shorts, gray sneakers and a black mask.

Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to call 911 or 1-800244-TIPS.

The Village of New Hyde Park is discussing other options on when to host the village’s street fair, which is currently scheduled to take place on the frst day of Rosh Hashanah, Mayor Christopher Devane said in a letter to residents.

The fair is now planned for Sept. 16, the Saturday of Rosh Hashanah, which marks the Jewish new year and starts at sundown the day before. The fair’s rainout date is currently set for Sat., Sept. 23.

A letter was sent to both Blank Slate Media and Newsday from Donald Panetta, a trustee on the Great Neck Library Board of Trustees since 2022, expressing his frustration with the date. Panetta said the village is the culprit of “blatant antisemitism.”

“Holding the street fair on one of the holiest days of the Jewish year is an insult and a slap in the face,” Pa-

Continued on Page 41

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PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

Morganthal Frederics at the Americana Mall in Manhasset.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ISLAND 360 ARCHIVES

New Hyde Park Mayor Christopher Devane.

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Clarity for NY’s GOP House members

If nothing else, New York House Republicans provided voters with clarity last week when they joined their colleagues, led by its most extreme MAGA members, in backing a defense bill that would limit abortion access, transgender care and diversity training for military personnel.

The House Republicans also included language barring the Pentagon’s educational arm from buying any book that contains pornographic material or “espouses radical gender ideology.” Yet to be determined is who makes those calls.

With the help of nine Democrats, Republicans also won approval of a policy prohibiting Defense Department schools from teaching that the United States or its founding documents are racist. Wonder if this includes blacks being considered three-ffths of a person at the top of the U.S. Constitution.

And Republicans also added language blocking the Pentagon and the military from carrying out President Biden’s executive orders on climate change.

Does the vote mean that Congressmen Anthony D’Esposito (RCD3), George Santos (R-CD4) and Andrew Garbadino (R-CD2) – all of whose districts include at least parts of Nassau County – supported everything in the bill?

No.

But it at least shows that the three were willing to go along with the farright wing of their party in making the culture wars part of the defense bill. Even when the districts Santos and D’Esposito occupy are considered among the most vulnerable in the country for Republicans.

Some Republican legislators in at-risk districts said their votes were not part of an efort by Republicans to bar abortion nationwide as Democrats charged.

They said their opposition was based on a military policy put in place after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal abortion rights to pro-

vide time of and travel reimbursement to service members who must travel out of state to obtain an abortion.

“This wasn’t a bill about abortion; it was about taxpayers paying for travel for military members for elective procedures,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican who occupies a vulnerable seat and opposes abortion.

That is also true of D’Esposito and Santos.

D’Esposito said during his 2022 House campaign he would support a 15-week ban on abortion.

As a congressman, he has said he was likely to support a national ban and, according to the abortion activist group EMILY’s List, “accepted the endorsement of a right-wing extremist group that wants to ban abortion without exceptions for rape or incest.”

Santos has said he would vote to ban abortion nationwide and supports criminal charges against doctors who perform them.

He is unlikely to be the Republican nominee in 2022 due to his many legal problems and his well-documented history of lying about just about everything.

But Santos’ views on abortion were well known to the Nassau County Republican Party when they nominated him for Congress. Twice.

Even more troubling to us than the opposition of D’Esposito, Santos and their House colleagues to reproductive rights is how they sought to impose their views – by using the military budget.

For 60 years, debates over the military budget have focused exclusively on our nation’s security. It has never been used as a vehicle for culture wars. Until now.

And what happened last week is a threat to this country’s national security — at a time of serious challenges across the globe.

Rep. Hakeem Jefries, Democrat of New York and the congressional minority leader, had it right when

he said “extreme MAGA Republicans have hijacked a bipartisan bill that is essential to our national security and taken it over and weaponized it in order to jam their extreme rightwing ideology down the throats of the American people.”

The restrictions on abortion access, transgender medical care, and diversity training for military personnel will discourage women, transgender people and minorities from enlisting at a time when the military is already falling short of its recruiting goals.

What service member will want to enlist if in doing so they or their spouse can lose control of their reproductive rights by being assigned to a base in a state with restrictive abortion laws? Or be transferred to one later?

And as if to make the Democrats’ point, Rep. Eli Crane, Republican of Arizona made a reference to “colored people” while defending his amendment to keep diversity training from becoming a condition for obtaining or keeping Defense Department jobs.

“Colored” people? In 2023? Really?

The House Republicans’ surrender to extremists comes at a time when U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama who doesn’t think white nationalists are

racist, has placed more than 270 military promotions on hold, including the Marine commandant. That has never happened in 160 years.

The reason? The Pentagon’s abortion policy.

D’Esposito, a retired New York City detective, has touted himself as a strong backer of the police and public safety as has virtually every other New York House Republican.

How exactly does that square with legislation that clearly undermines the readiness of our military?

The defense bill will now go to the Democratic-controlled Senate where it has little to no chance of passing.

Lost in the culture wars debate is an $886 billion bill that would grant a 5.2% raise to military personnel, including programs to counter aggressive moves by China and Russia, and establish a special inspector general to oversee U.S. aid to Ukraine.

Ultraconservative House Republicans have already warned they have no intention of giving up on their demands or even compromising with the Senate.

“We are not going to relent, we are not going to back down, we’re not going to give up on the cause that is righteous,” said Rep. Scott Perry, a

Republican of Pennsylvania and the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.

His members, he said, were “going to use every single tool at our disposal” to defend the socially conservative changes to the bill, calling them “a huge victory.”

And in a signal that the far right would have a loud voice in the negotiations, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia would be a member of his negotiating team with the Senate.

This after the House rejected proposals by Greene to bar the Biden administration from sending cluster munitions to Ukraine and to strip a $300 million program to train and equip Ukrainian soldiers that has been part of the defense bill for almost a decade.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida actually did her one better. He had proposed a provision to prohibit Congress from appropriating any more money for Ukraine’s war efort. Nothing would make Vladimir Putin happier.

For the extreme Republicans to wreak havoc on our nation’s defense, they will need the support of House Republicans representing districts considered vulnerable in the 2024 Continued on Page 36

On being the boss of your health care

Over the course of my lifetime, I have been hospitalized for planned procedures and lifeand-death emergencies.

With planned procedures involving an efective team of healthcare providers, I have felt the best-taken care of and received the clearest communication before, during, and after. In other instances, I was less fortunate and experienced breakdowns in communication, often among strangers passing by my bed.

It is not my intention to criticize a particular hospital or specifc healthcare provider. For the most part, individual nurses, doctors, techs, and others have been caring and competent.

Most troubling during my hospital stays were the times when anonymous providers and management personnel passed by my bed individually or in small groups.

Most often, I did not know who they were or why they were standing over me, other than to teach others in the group or generate a bill. They rarely clarifed their role as it pertained to me.

Although they never failed to ask me the perfunctory, “How are you doing?” it often felt like one-way communication, as if they were less there to hear any concerns I may have had, as opposed to logging in that they stopped by.

Case in point. As a 14+ year cancer survivor, who has received multiple chemo- and immunotherapy

infusions I had a port installed in my chest for a procedure some years ago.

A port is a device used to draw blood and provide treatments such as intravenous medication.

My port is situated under the skin, on the right side of my chest. It has been helpful since the veins in my arms have been compromised after many years of blood drawing and infusions, including a stem cell transplant.

During one hospital stay, not directly related to cancer, I asked the providers to use the port rather than my arms as my veins had blown up or collapsed over the years.

Without explanation, I was advised they could not. Consequently, they proceeded to repeatedly butcher my arms and hands trying to locate usable veins. It was not the routine “hit and miss” that is not uncommon in drawing blood and that I had grown accustomed to and tolerated for years.

As the parade of hospital personnel passed by my bed, I appealed to my “visitors” to inform me why the port could not be accessed.

“If you would only give me a valid explanation,” I said, “I could better accept your decision to bypass using the port and do my best to cope.”

After I explained, each of them pledged to get back to me. None did. Not one. The butchering continued. In one instance I was left in my bed in a puddle of blood.

Later, when a group of fve or six

strangers stopped by my bed, I asked to speak frst. “I feel invisible here, like a non-person,” I said. “I ask for basic information, your colleagues nod “yes” and then walk away. Afterward no one returns and I get no answer. It is as if I am a non-person. You disappear like vapor into the mist.”

One does approach me later as she needs information from me for her paperwork. She comments, “You were respectful in what you said. Please continue to advocate for yourself.”

On another occasion, I express my frustration to a manager that stops by for reasons unexplained. I appeal to her and inadvertently let an obscenity slip out.

The visitor reprimands me, “We don’t use that kind of language here.” She ignores my concern, apparently

outraged only by my language, expressed clearly out of frustration as opposed to aggression.

A doctor who I never met before comes by and provides me with information indicating I will be discharged shortly. I tell him that what he is telling me contradicts what the specialist preceding him told me about my having been scheduled for a lifesaving procedure in a few hours.

I tell him, “This is extremely poor communication.” He makes a pathetic excuse. I refuse to talk to him further.

Inexplicably he stops by my bed again on the morning after the procedure when I am in recovery in the Intensive Care Unit. He ofers more inaccurate information. I send him away.

Later that day, a nurse stops by and confdes in me that my request to use the port had been approved a day earlier but failed to be implemented expeditiously.

The issues I am addressing represent impersonal, inadequate, inaccurate, and harmful communication that caused me to question my perception of reality when I was already in a most tenuous situation. Hospital patients under stress need less of that, not more.

One very simple recommendation regarding advocating for oneself is to bring a pen and pad into the hospital and ask everyone you do not know who stops by your bed to write down their name and title.

Do not interact with them until they comply. Be the boss. They are there to serve you. It is not the other way around.

Refuse to talk to them until they comply. When they leave take a brief note of what they said to you. You need to have their names if someone asks or should you decide to make a report to hospital authorities.

Consumers must stick together to keep providers honest when dysfunctional communication and questionable practices prevail. If you have trouble doing so, ask a family member to intervene.

Now, reader, I understand that you might think a few needle pokes to fnd a vein is trivial in the context of the lifesaving procedure or surgery that might follow —much ado about nothing. Although I do not agree, I get it! Even so, straightforward communication always matters.

It matters when you are in a vulnerable state, prone a hospital bed, and trying to communicate with anonymous strangers lording over you as if you are a specimen for study rather than a living, breathing human being who deserves to be treated with dignity.

It can be traumatic when trying to give voice to your distress, whatever it may be, and then left to feel invisible, voiceless, unheard, and stripped of dignity. It challenges one’s sense of faith and trust in the care one seeks.

It does matter. Be bold. Be the boss.

Working longer for personal, public reasons

There is much to write about these days. It is easy to discuss the politics of the day as there is abundant material available. But summer is a time of reflection and I choose to talk about the aging process.

I think about age because I am now in my mid-80s. When you reach that plateau in life, you start out being grateful that the almighty has given me these extra years to enjoy my wife, my children, and my grandchildren.

One of the questions that I hear most often Is whether I am retired?

I always answer with a strong “No” because I have never contemplated retirement. I enjoy working five days a week, writing for numerous media outlets and serving on a number of boards and commissions.

I view the word “retirement” as a dirty word. In my mind, leaving a job and just giving up all work activity is a dangerous decision.

The mind and the body need stimulation and individuals need

some form of stimulation. If you are lucky enough to have a serious hobby your retirement will be easier.

When a 40-year-old person tells me that they are planning to retire no later than the age 50, I wonder how that person will be able to do things that will contribute to their physical health.

Some people I know have retired in their late 30s to mid-40s, but it is only a matter of time before they start a new career, after a year of boredom.

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to continue working. If they do, choose. More types of jobs have retirement provisions there for people to retire, like it or not.

Pushing individuals out of a job is a cruel practice because many of the people forced to retire are at the point of their lives where they still have much to contribute to their companies.

Employers can hire the most talented 30-year-old to fill their job needs but they can’t get any of the

accumulated wisdom that they lost when long-term employees have been pushed out the door.

An interesting case in point is New York State’s treatment of judges who reach age 70.

Once upon a time those judges were able to get a certification that

would allow them to stay until the age of 75. In recent years, the state has taken a hard line about judges staying after age 70, which is the system’s loss.

I have had an interesting experience working for Japanese companies. Many of them hold onto their aging employees and in some cases use their talents to get deals done or a contract award.

Not everyone in the Japanese corporate world is given a meaningful job opportunity. But employers will choose to pay their aging employees, declining to get them to leave the company.

In 1966 I started my first team on the state Assembly. I was in my late 20s. Upon arriving in Albany, I was over surprised to learn that the average-aged Assembly member was 66. This leads me to contrast today’s state legislation to the group I served with back in the 1960s.

While definitely on in years, my Assembly colleagues come from all walks of life. They were bankers,

lawyers, engineers, private business owners, and numerous other callings. Today’s legislator is much younger and, in many cases, have never met a payroll as an employer.

Given a choice between a legislature made up of experienced individuals and very young inexperienced electors, I believe the taxpayers got a lot more for their money from those older and wiser men and women. (No disrespect meant)

It is hard to define exactly when a person is considered “old.” In recent years I find that more and more people tend to hold a door open when I approach it. I am often addressed as “sir” by many young people and the other day a lovely women offered to tie my loose shoelace.

My conclusion is that growing old is really a state of mind. If you fight off the idea of being old you can occasionally win the battle. Health permitting, it is possible to enjoy old age and maybe even get a few extra years of smiles and laughs.

ANDREW

JERRY KREMER Kremer’s Corner

PGA embroiled in sports scandal of decade

For those of you who may not follow golf closely you probably missed the 3-hour grilling that PGA’s Ron Price and the newly appointed PGA Board member Jimmy Dunne experienced in Washington D.C. as they attempted to spin the PGA’s sudden embrace of Saudi Arabia.

For three hours, in front of a national television audience, the two representatives of the PGA attempted to squirm, weasel and cry their way

out of congressional questioning that explored the behind the scene deal making involving billions of dollars being ofered to them by the Saudi Public Investment Fund which has over $700 billion in assets.

And as the commercial says “Money talks and nobody walks.” In this case, money did plenty of talking and apparently no one wanted to walk from this billion-dollar bucketful of cash.

This PGA/Saudi Arabia sports

And to make matters even worse for the PGA, Republican Sen. Hawley asked squirm-worthy questions to PGA’s Ron Price regarding its fnancial relationship with Communist China.

The actual head of the PGA, Jay Monahan, apparently was too sick or too scared to show up for these hearings so it was left to a shell-shocked Ron Price to do the dirty work.

event in front of cheering fans. It was obvious that he was gratifed to receive the fans’ love, to become a part of history just as much as to receive the money.

In the end, the question of LIV versus the PGA relates to the real purpose of playing sports.

scandal is comparable to the steroid baseball scandal that also prompted congressional hearings. The winner in this battle of the PGA versus congressional oversight appears to be Congress and especially Democratic Sen. Blumenthal, the head of this Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

He articulated the threat posed by cozying up to an imperial totalitarian regime that has a questionable human rights, women’s rights, gay rights agenda, an uncomfortable connection with 9/11 as well as the murder of an American journalist.

Blumenthal suggested that this was sport washing of the worst order where a brutal regime is attempting to buy a cherished American institution in order to cleanse its bloody image.

EARTH MATTERS

At one point during this line of questioning, I expected Ron Price to stand up and run out of the room. Hawley’s questions were devastating and Price’s answers began to approximate the famous legal line “I refuse to answer on the ground that it may be incriminating.”

The Saudi takeover of professional golf presents a series of interesting existential questions for the professional golfer as well as the golf fan.

Is the purpose of playing professional golf solely to earn money?

If this is so, then the Saudi threat is real since they have $700 billion to buy the best players in the world who would receive large amounts of cash just for showing up.

But sports, whether on a professional or amateur level is about far more than money. Proof of this was seen when LIV defector Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship in front of large cheering crowds.

You could see how meaningful it was for him to win a historic PGA

Both pro and amateur golfers play the game for applause, to gain respect, to prove one’s courage, to be a part of history and to add some meaning to life.

Money is actually only a small part of the motive to play a game. Golf, as well as every other sport, are games we use to fnd meaning, purpose, approval, and respect. The applause tells us we have shown courage, strength and talent.

We live in a cold, and cynical world and sports is one of the few places where we obtain clear evidence of our worth.

In the end, golf is more about love than it is about money. So all the PGA has to do to regain its pride, dignity and bearing, is understand the deeper meaning of golf.

When you attempt to replace history, courage and competition with money you are truly lost in the empty meaningless world of greed, consumerism, and materialism.

In the end, all sports are about far more than money, even if it’s ofered by the bucketful.

Fires of north bring health problem south

Afew weeks ago, our lives were disrupted when the smoke of distant fres in Canada turned the skies hazy yellow and the air became dangerous to breathe.

Smoke and tiny particles of burning northern forests flled the air, canceling outdoor events, prompting a return of wearing masks outdoors, and keeping people huddled inside. We had options to escape the poor air quality, but wild birds and animals did not.

Just like us, they get sore throats, scratchy eyes, and shortness of breath. The longer they’re exposed to it, and the higher the concentration of exposure, the worse it’s going to be.

Whether it had an impact on the wildlife in our area is still to be seen, but since the impact was of relatively short duration probably did not a long-lasting efect.

For us it was an unpleasant but short-lived experience. The story in Canada is very diferent.

This was the worst year for wildfres recorded in Canada in terms of area burned. Almost 24 million acres

have been incinerated in mega fres. That’s 37,000 square miles or as if the entire state of Maine or 2/3 of New York had been reduced to black, smoking ash. The fres also lead to soil erosion and increase the risk of fooding.

The northern forest would normally be able to handle and has evolved to need fre, with tree species like jack pine and lodgepole pine needing fre to unlock their cones’ seeds.

Smaller, patchy fres create openings allowing new plants to thrive in sunlight and the organic matter of the decomposing trees. Some bird species like the Black-backed Woodpecker feast on the larva of bark- and woodboring beetles that arrive to lay eggs in charred trees.

The new openings in the forest give Dusky Flycatchers and Mountain Bluebirds a place for aerial insect hunting.

But species that rely on mature old-growth forest such as Pileated Woodpeckers, Townsend’s Warblers, and Golden-crowned Kinglets, must

JENNIFER WILSON-PINES Earth Matters

leave to fnd new suitable habitats.

Most adult birds can survive fres as they are able to fy away. But the millions of nestlings that were in the path of these fres very likely perished. Land animals fare much worse, and many species were probably trapped and died.

This year’s fres were fueled by a conjunction of circumstance, a perfect

storm. A drought in western Canada led to a build up of dry or dying trees and plants. Many thunderstorms with lightning strikes and high temperatures led to mega fres that burned hotter and spread faster and farther than in previous years.

According to professor Karen Hodges of the University of British Columbia, British Columbia could lose up to half of its forest due to these repeated fres and drought. There are already 1,900 species at risk of extinction in that province, including plants, fsh, and birds.

Hodges said her students are studying species impacted by wildfre, especially owls, lynx, and snowshoe hares. A number of these species require bigger and older trees, and when the mega-fres destroy thousands of acres at a time, that habitat is lost for those species for decades.

Studies by scientists in both the US and Canada have tied the increase in wildfres to human-caused climate change.

Hotter, drier weather has increased the length of the fre season

and made drought a more regular phenomenon. Another major factor has been the decades of fre suppression, leading to a buildup of dry, highly fammable material. Fires have even been spreading into the tundra, in places that haven’t burned for thousands of years.

When possible, controlled burns are being used to rid the forest of overgrowth and dead, dry material, but dry conditions and high winds can prevent using this technique.

While our taste of the burning of the northern forests was a shock, people and wildlife living in these fre zones must endure these conditions and worse for weeks and months.

For boreal breeding birds, it was a disaster with the loss of a generation and potentially permanent health impacts that could compromise their ability to make strenuous migration journeys and future breeding cycles. There isn’t a quick fx or solution other than doing what we can to lower carbon emissions to reverse climate change and support the natural cycles of the boreal forests.

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

PHOTO BY TOM FERRARO

Golf without the fans or a history is a very dull affair.

Nassau: preserve past to build for future

Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips is crowing about the $80 million surplus in the budget rather than be embarrassed by what it says about the failure of leadership and vision to invest in the future – or the past.

For years, Nassau County, the ostensible “owner” of the historic Saddle Rock Grist Mill, has let it rot instead of spending money or even attention on its preservation, whining that there aren’t the funds to preserve it, let alone restore it.

Now that the county has $80 million unallocated, there is no excuse. (My last column chastised North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena for the town’s monumental failure in its responsibility as steward of the historic Stepping Stones Lighthouse).

The Saddle Rock Grist Mill is one of fve remaining tidal grist mills left in the entire English-speaking world. Dating back to colonial days in 1715, it was central to the settlement and development of the Great Neck Peninsula, providing the economic underpinning. It actually functioned until 1947, when Louise (Udall) Eldridge, whose

family had owned it since 1833, died and bequeathed it to the Nassau County Historical Society, which unable to aford to maintain it, gave it to Nassau County.

It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. Eldridge, it is worth noting, was the frst female mayor in New York State and also founded the Great Neck Library and Great Neck Parks.

Scores of children – now adults –and their parents cherish the memory and the thrill of visiting the Grist Mill and receiving a packet of milled corn. Today the “closed for the season” sign across a locked fence has been up for more than 25 years. The water wheel has rotted away.

A community that values its history shows its pride. Historic landmarks often are the keystone that unifes a community, provides a sense of identity, stability and can also be an economic engine.

These historic structures provide a visceral connection from the past to our present. They also foster a needed sense of humility in recognizing what

we are today is just a tiny link in a chain, that we owe what we have to those who came before and have an obligation to similarly pass along things of consequence to our successors. They help forge an identity and pride for our fragmented Peninsula and bring community together in a shared cause. They bring visitors who not only spend money on the Peninsula, but

also become familiarized – perhaps to buy a home or locate a business.

I recently returned from a series of trips to Canada – Banf, Vancouver, New Brunswick, and Quebec’s Eastern Townships – where I saw this in action. As we traveled through tiny towns and small villages, what was notable were the historic markers, plaques, structures that have been restored and repurposed that made them charming and the reason to visit – a water mill now the Missisquoi Historic Museum, a church now the Sutton arts center.

A high school physics teacher in Cape Enrage on the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, rallied the community to save their historic lighthouse from being replaced by a metal pole, turning this picturesque site into a nature center (fossils!) and adventure park (ziplining! rappelling!), operated by a nonproft. The charming Victorian town of Knowlton in Quebec, the fctional “Three Pines” of detective novelist Louise Penny, entrances visitors to fnd all 56 artful manikins, which get you lingering outside a shop, a café, a patisserie long enough to intrigue you

to go in.

As all these communities have recognized, historic preservation brings enormous economic and social benefts, enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

“Preservation enhances real estate values and fosters local businesses, keeping historic main streets and downtowns economically viable,” the National Park Service states. “Heritage tourism is a real economic force, one that is evident in places that have been preserved their historic character. Developers are discovering that money spent rehabilitating historic buildings is actually an investment in the future, when these structures could be the showpieces of a revitalized city.” (www. nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/ economic-impacts.htm#)

The National Historic Preservation Act was enacted because of a recognition that historic sites provide a keystone for a community, make it livable, give it life, character. “The nation is coming to understand that remaining in touch with its past is part of that Continued on Page 18

Affirmative Action viewed in retrospect

News reports about the Supreme Court’s overruling of two decades of Afrmative Action case law are numerous. Many have focused on the costs to colleges of ensuring a diverse applicant pool when race cannot be considered.

This is true, but the major consequence of the court’s decision is on opportunities for black and Hispanic youth to enter the pathways to prestigious positions.

Just look: Eight of nine of the court’s justices graduated from Harvard and Yale. Twenty percent of federal judges graduated from an Ivy League or highly selective public institution.

Yes, institutions will have to broaden their reach in recruiting black and Hispanic high school students from beyond their traditional feeder schools and communities.

This has been the experience in the nine states that have banned race-based admissions, including California, following that state’s ban on afrmative action in 1996.

Interestingly, there has been little commentary on the court’s exclusion of the military academies from its ruling. They can continue to consider race in their pursuit of diversity as a goal. This may be a carryover from the Powell opinion in the Bakke case, but needs further explanation.

The original impetus for Afrmative Action was overcoming years of public and private racial discrimination, of providing opportunities for advancement.

In announcing his support for the policy, President Lyndon Johnson said in a 1965 commencement speech at Howard University, “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by

chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, ‘You are free to compete with all the others,’ and still justly believe that you have been completely fair.”

He argued that laws against discrimination were not sufcient; afrmative actions were required to make up for past prejudice.

It was in the 1979 Bakke case that Justice Lewis Powell wrote the majority opinion supporting Afrmative Action if quotas were not used, and the policy served to support the educational benefts of diversity.

This is when the goal of overcoming years of racial discrimination was joined by goals for diversity as a consideration in admissions decisions.

In 2003, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote the infuential opinions in the Gratz and Grutter cases supporting race-based Afrmative Action.

However, she also optimistically wrote that she expected that race-based considerations would not be needed in 25 years, although it was necessary at the time. It still is.

Nearly 70 years since Brown v. Board of Education racial and resource disparities among schools persist, resulting in de facto segregation and unequal opportunities for high-quality public education.

The reality today is that most colleges do not practice Afrmative Action in student selection.

Only about 5% of American colleges and universities admit less than 50% of applicants. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and a small number of other institutions admit fewer than 7% of applicants for frstyear enrollment.

Last fall, Harvard admitted under

3% of applicants. So, with many more applicants than spaces for students, these highly selective colleges try to compose a frst-year class of difering characteristics in addition to academic preparation.

Such characteristics include geographic region; high school and family resources; intended major course of study; athletic, musical, or theatrical talents; hardships overcome; and racial, ethnic, or economic considerations, among others.

Most colleges and universities do not have this opportunity. According to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, most institutions admit two-thirds of the applicants for freshman status.

While 85% of those admitted to Harvard accept the ofer, well-known schools such as Colgate and Purdue fnd that less than 30% of those admitted ac-

cept their ofer.

For many colleges, the yield on offers of admission is even lower. These colleges do not have the luxury of composing a class; they need to enroll a class.

The signifcance of the Supreme Court case is not in undergraduate admissions. It is, rather, that these highly selective campuses that have used race to assist in enrolling a diverse student body are major sources of judges, doctors, scientists, patent holders, and other leaders in society.

If these institutions cannot consider race and racism in composing a frst-year class, the consequence will be that black and Hispanic high school graduates will not be enrolled in the same numbers and will not have the same access to positions available to graduates of these institutions.

For example, nearly one-third of corporate ofcers and directors attended elite colleges and universities. U.S. presidential cabinets have been dominated by the graduates of elite schools.

Some 80% of PhD faculty members graduated from 20% of all institutions. Sixty-three percent of medical doctors graduated from the “most selective” or “extremely selective” colleges.

The top patent holders in science and technology are at the most selective and prestigious universities.

While graduates of less selective, regional colleges, such as the ones I led, do well in life and careers, the fact is that graduates of highly selective universities have an advantage.

These institutions are national pipelines to prestigious networks that should be open to more high school graduates. The opportunities they provide should not be limited to those who attend

highly resourced suburban schools and private academies, where black and Hispanic students are in a distinct minority.

Less selective colleges, including historically black colleges and universities, are important in their regions. They prepare teachers, lawyers, managers, entrepreneurs, and others who become the backbones of their communities. Their impact is more regional than national.

Ivy League and similarly selective institutions have the resources to look further for talented young people in rural and urban communities not usually frequented by elite college recruiters.

Let us hope that state legislators will allow highly selective public universities to do the same. By looking more deeply into family and community obstacles overcome by applicants, perhaps they will be able to compose socioeconomically and ethnically diverse student bodies who will fnd new paths to success.

As a nation, we should do more to support our public schools so that more students can reach their potential. We must acknowledge the continuing effects of racially discriminatory practices in schooling, housing, and public resources.

Then, all young people will be able to enroll in colleges that can provide the academic preparation and alumni networks necessary for professional success and community leadership.

Perhaps then our courts and board rooms will be more diverse not only in family background but also in their colleges of origin.

Robert A. Scott, President Emeritus, Adelphi University, and Author, How University Boards Work, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018; Eric Hofer Book Prize Awardee, 2019.

ROBERT A. SCOTT, Ph.D. My Turn

Street fair during Rosh Hashanah an insult to Jews

Inever thought I would see blatant antisemitism in New Hyde Park. And who is the culprit this time?

The Village of New Hyde Park itself.

The annual street fair is being held on Saturday, Sept. 16, which also happens to be the Jewish holy day of Rosh

Hashanah. They are insulting every single person of Jewish heritage by doing this.

I reached out to the village, and the response I received back was just as insulting.

Per Patricia Santomauro, secretary

to the board “We were advised that the holiest of the holiday is during sundown hours.”

I am not sure who she consulted with, but services for the Holy Day begin the night before and continue all day Saturday and Sunday. Did she

bother to reach out to any of the local temples in the area to get their opinion?

Patricia then said, “there are no alternate dates available as the vendors would be attending other street fairs the weekends after the 16th.”

So that makes it okay to be antise-

mitic?

Holding the Street Fair on one of the Holiest days of the Jewish year is an insult and a slap in the face.

Donald Panetta New Hyde Park

Energy transition will take time, needs patience

Regarding the Editorial “Response to climate change can’t wait,” there’s something of a “Hurry up and wait” angle to this. We’ve made a lot of progress that doesn’t make the front page, but the problem the environmental movement has is that it lacks priorities when it comes to focusing on the most egregious emitters of air pollution and often chooses symbolism over substance.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a single cruise ship emits as much greenhouse house gas as a city the size of Barcelona.

Carnival’s 63 cruise ships emit more sulfur dioxide than all the EU’s 291 million cars, and that is after a reduction was mandated just three years ago. And while the California Air Resources Board, in its best California way, is going after the most minuscule emitters, it did nothing about the hundreds of cargo ships that visit its ports every day.

CARB burnishes California’s reputation as the most preposterously regulated place on earth, making impossible demands for gains that don’t move the needle on air quality. All of this from the same state that sanctioned limitless sprawl, daily fve hour commutes, and ten lane freeways.

True to form, no one is more sanctimonious than they are when it comes to air quality. And because their market is so big, their mandates are now everyone’s mandates.

For decades, the maritime sector remained untouched by regulation. But at long last, ships are being converted to alternate fuels, substituting hydrogen, methane, and electric power, and have even deployed sail power, to harness the wind and lessen use of engine power.

Converting these massive polluters will take years, but it’s a start. Why no one focused on these massive GHG

emitters and went after gas stoves, an almost comical tilt at windmills, pardon the expression, is beyond me, but it proves the point.

Technology is making huge strides. Steel that can be forged without the use of coal has become a reality. Alternative fuels, which ofer a zero carbon alternative to gasoline, can keep internal combustion engines on the road for decades.

EVs are not a panacea. The pollution caused from mineral extraction and the mere production of these vehicles means it will take over 120,000 miles of road use for an EV to begin to lessen the impact of an ICE car.

Again, symbolism over substance. The least polluting car on the road is the one you already own, since no additional energy is expended producing a replacement.

It is interesting to note that the editorial places the onus strictly on govern-

ment action. There are plenty of people who don’t need a 5000 pound three row SUV around here, but no one is asking them to make a lifestyle change for the sake of the environment. That’s pretty telling. It’s also very Nassau.

There have been substantial environmental victories around the world. Many European countries no longer rely on coal, which this country would do well to emulate.

Wind power can sometimes generate as much as 40% of Texas’ electricity. Iowa is another wind success story. Solar continues to take market share of energy produced, especially in the Southwest, and it’s cheaper than ever.

Billions of dollars in ESG funding (Environment, Social and Governance) has been issued and will continue to mushroom. The energy transition is a lot like food substitution in a diet. You keep replacing the fat with the lean.

But to ask to speed things up?

As a practical matter, given planning, permitting, land use, stafng up and all kinds of other factors, there is not much we can do to hasten the pace of the transition.

There is a great deal of activity already going on, and the alternative energy space keeps growing and the technology is always improving.

But there are limits to how much faster we can go with what we already have in the pipeline, and you can’t go around like a cat chasing a laser pointer. Every market has limits as to what it can absorb at a given moment.

We are making progress, and I have no doubt that will improve exponentially as more projects are put online. But make no mistake. This will take time. But setting priorities frst is the only way to reduce warming at a faster pace.

Donald Davret Roslyn

It ain’t over until the fat lady sings for MTA funding

The Federal Transit Administrationstill needs to come to terms on a Capital Investment Grants agreement for both the $7.7 billion MTA Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the $18 billion Gateway Development Commission Phase One Gateway Tunnel before either agency can actually access funding from Washington.

The FTA CIG FFGA (Capital Investment Grants Program/FTA) for the $7.7 billion Second Avenue Subway Phase Two would cap federal participation at $3.4 billion. That would be the largest New York MTA FFGA in FTA his-

tory, even greater than the $2.63 billion LIRR East Side Access to Grand Central Terminal to the MTA in 2006.

Only the $6.9 billion FFGA for the $18 billion Phase One Gateway Tunnel (two new tunnels connecting New Jersey to New York Penn Station) would be the nation’s largest in FTA history.

The FFGA for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 still remains a year or more away from approval. All the FTA previously provided to the MTA was permission to advance fnal design and engineering in January 2022.

Eighteen months later, the project still faces a myriad of hurdles.The FTA recently provided permission for the

Gateway Development Commission for the second phase of the FTA CIG program for fnal design and engineering to proceed.

The Federal Rail Road cost estimate, including Gateway Phase 2, is $40 billion.The FTA funding is still not secured.The FTA and GDC need to come to terms on a FTA CIG FFGA..

Only then would the federal funding become real. This would cap federal participation at $6.9 billion.

The Gateway $18 billion Phase One project is far more complex and expensive than the MTA $7.7 billion Second Avenue Subway Phase 2. Many other FTA CIG projects around the na-

tion, after fnal design and engineering cost far less, than either Gateway or Second Avenue Subway Phase 2,

These have averaged two to three years before receipt of an approved FTA CIG FFGA to fund actual construction. Both Gateway and Second Avenue Subway, due to their respective costs and complexities, will undergo far more detailed ongoing review and scrutiny by FTA before funding is actually obligated.

Both the MTA and GDC would be legally responsible to pay for any cost overruns above and beyond the agreed upon respective total project costs contained within future FTA CIG FFGA’s.

It is anyone’s guess how many more years will be needed to bring U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer’s promised delivery of federal funding under future FTA CIG FFGA for either project.

The same holds true for inevitable cost overruns that could be in the billions for either project.

Larry Penner Great

Neck

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a former Director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Ofce of Operations and Program Management.

Nassau should preserve past to build for future

Continued from Page 17

equation, that people do not have to settle for a homogenization of America in which our individual identities, our sense of place is lost.”

The NPS provides grantsto fund historic preservation projects through partnerships with state and tribal historic preservation ofces, local communities and preservation organizations(https://www.nps.gov/ subjects/historicpreservationfund/in-

dex.htm; apply at the grants.gov portal).

New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation also gives generous grants “to improve, protect, preserve, rehabilitate, restore or acquire properties listed on the State or National Registers of Historic Places and for structural assessments and/or planning for such projects.”

(https://parks.ny.gov/grants/historic-preservation/default.aspx)

It’s not that the county can’t af-

ford historic preservation (though it constantly pleads poverty whenever the Great Neck Historical Society appeals for help). The county could have applied a smidgeon of the $192.5 million from the American Rescue Plan federal funds to make an historic investment in preservation of historic infrastructure. (Note that the $79.7 million budget surplus came after surpluses, going back to Laura Curran’s administration: $27.2 million in 2021, $90.6 million in 2020

and $76.8 million in 2019.)

The Legislature’s Democratic minority made this plea back in January for the administration to create an advisory council to guide how the federal funds would be spent, since the funds are governed by stringent federal guidelines and must be obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by 2026: “All of this is indicative of an administration that lacks a coherent vision for the future and insulates itself from the public What is even

more worrisome is that the county’s surplus is being misused to give jobs and money to political allies and promote partisan campaigns in violation of local, state, and federal laws.”

It is stunning that the Bruce Blakeman administration believes Nassau County’s future fortune lies with the Las Vegas Sands casino instead of lifting a fnger or spending a cent to preserve and promote its past and what makes the county a great place to live.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING

Port’s Landmark celebrating songs of yesteryear on Aug. 4

former to appear in 40 years!

Widely known as the son of singer Peter Lemongello, known for his double album Love ’76. Lemongello Jr. is the lead vocalist of the newly formed The Crests and was featured on the PBS Special “Doo Wop Generations”.

Teresa McClean takes her audiences on an enthusiastic musical journey with her signature moving vocals and lush orchestration. Teresa’s experience on many of the major stages throughout the country has instilled in her the ability to tell the stories of songs penned by some of the greatest songwriters of our generation.

Hailing from Long Island, The Tribunes are one of the most talented and entertaining acapella groups of its kind. The Tribunes are renowned for their authentic New York-bred street-corner harmonies that are treasured by their audiences.

Revisit

Showtime is Aug. 4 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at www.landmarkonmainstreet.org.

Celebrate the music from the carefree days of yesteryear. This spectacular concert features the region’s

best artists who will take you on a journey of some of the best music of our time.

This energetic show is pure nostalgia! With their polished vocal skills and dynamic stage presence, these

artists will deliver a night of unforgettable entertainment that is sure to leave the crowd cheering for more. Get ready to experience the magic!

Peter Lemongello Jr. is the most explosive and exciting Doo Wop per-

The Fabulous Acchords are known for their impeccable harmonies and energetic performances. This talented group of singers is renowned for their ability to captivate audiences with their unique blend of classic and contemporary songs, spanning multiple genres and eras.

The Landmark on Main Street Theater in Port Washington. Showtime is August 4 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at www.landmarkonmainstreet.org.

Long Island Arts Alliance nominated for a NY Emmy

The Long Island Arts Alliance on Thursday was nominated for a New York Emmy Award in the category of Teen (13-19) Short or Long Form

Content for its short documentary

“Layla’s African Dance and Drum of Valley Stream” as part of their Back

In the Spotlight: Cultural Dance series with Waldo Cabrera (Islip TV & NVJN).

The 66th Annual New York Emmy Award nominations were announced today at the LIVE with Kelly

and Mark studio at WABC-TV.

Hosting the announcement was Emmy Award winner NJ Burkett, president, NY NATAS, Correspondent (WABC- TV). Presenting the nominations were Emmy Award nominee Gilma Avalos, Anchor (WNBC-TV); Edward R. Murrow Award winner, Ken Buffa, Anchor (Newsday); Emmy-Award nominee Damaris Diaz, Anchor (WXTV Univision 41); Emmy- Award nominee, Shannan Ferry, anchor/reporter

(Spectrum NY1); Emmy-Award winner Virginia Huie, Reporter (News 12 Long Island); Emmy® Award-winner Jessica Moore, Anchor, (WCBS-TV); Emmy-Awardwinner David Rodriguez, Anchor (WNJU Telemundo 47); Emmy® Award-winner, Senior Correspondent (WPIX-TV), Chapter Governor and Awards Committee Chair, Marvin Scott.

Without the ability to meet in person or to perform for an audi-

ence, many cultural organizations were faced with closure during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As New York began to re-open, the Back In the Spotlight series aimed to capture the excitement within five unique cultural dance troupes on Long Island as they prepared to once again share their heritage in person and uplift their communities.

The eight-minute Emmy-Award Nominated episode featuring “Lay-

la’s African Dance & Drum of Valley Stream” follows students and parents as they celebrate the start to Black History Month and the restart of public performances after a long COVID-19 shutdown.

The piece follows the dancers as they go back in the spotlight as the halftime entertainment for the world-famous Harlem Globe Trotters at the UBS Arena.

“Waldo Cabrera’s thoughtful and

Continued on Page 20

the Golden Oldies with Peter Lemongello Jr : An Evening to Remember with The Fabulous Acchords, The Tribunes, and Teresa McClean at the Landmark on Main Street Theater in Port Washington.

LI Arts Alliance honored with Emmy nomination

Continued from Page 19

colorful documentary style captures the heart and soul of the dance troupe and we are so proud of the entire Back in the Spotlight series” says Lauren Wagner, executive director of LIAA. “Beyond capturing the excite-

An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein in Port

ment and anticipation of these dancers, this project holds a greater purpose. By shedding light on the incredible work of these cultural dance troupes, our goal is to raise awareness and facilitate partnerships, collaborations, and support networks that will ensure the future of these organizations. We hope to inspire individuals and other local organizations to engage with these troupes, fostering a vibrant and sustainable arts scene on Long Island”.

Back In The Spotlight wasmade possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the state Legislature.

In addition to the Emmy® Award Nomination, the episode on the Boys & Girls Club of Shinnecock Nation was selected into the Latino and Native American Film Festival, and the episode on Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company was awarded a prestigious Press Club of Long Island Award.

This is the first Emmy Award nomination for LIAA. They are nominated alongside MSG Networks, NYC Life, and My 9 News WWOR. The Emmy® Awards honorees will be announced on October 28th at a live inperson event at the New York Marriott Marquis.

The Port Washington Play Troupe, the oldest community theater group in New York State, is pleased to invite you to Something Wonderful: An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein, on Saturday, July 29.

This free night of music under the stars begins at 7:30 pm at the John Philip Sousa Memorial Bandshell in Sunset Park by Port Washington’s town dock.

The show will include solos, duets, and ensembles performing the music of famed musical theater collaborators Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, who brought us unforgettable shows such as South Pacific, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

“Eighty years after the premiere of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration,Oklahoma!, their music continues to entertain, inspire and thrill us.The music and lyrics tap into universal experiences of love, of hope, of loss and redemption,” said Pamela Seiderman, director of Something Wonderful and vice president of the Port Washington Play Troupe. “It has been a joy to work on some of their most iconic songs, as well as some lesser-known tunes, with this talented group of singers. We hope people of all ages will join us for what is sure to be a ‘Grand Night of Singing’.”

Bring a blanket or lawn chair, and a snack, and join us at the John Philip Sousa Memorial

Something Wonderful: An Evening of Rodgers Hammerstein.

Bandshell on July 29th for an evening that is sure to be Something Wonderful! For more information, visit www.portwashingtonplaytroupe. com

This is the first Emmy Award nomination for LIAA. They are nominated alongside MSG Networks, NYC Life, and My 9 News WWOR. The Emmy® Awards honorees will be announced on October 28th at a live in-person event at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Strategies to encourage kids to read more Ways for kids to get their game on

Simple strategies to protect kids’ vision

Strategies to encourage kids to read more

Many adults feel there’s no better way to relax than curling up with a good book. Though a relaxing afternoon of reading may appeal to adults, kids could prove a little more reluctant to crack a book.

Children have much to gain from reading and being read to. According to the Children’s Bureau of Southern California, a nonproft organization devoted to strengthening vulnerable children, their families and the communities where they live, reading aloud to children supports their cognitive development; improves their language skills; prepares them for academic success; increases their discipline and ability to concentrate; and improves their imagination and creativity. Many of those same benefts apply to kids who read on their own, which may be more appealing as kids advance through elementary school and aspire to become more independent.

Since children have so much to gain from cuddling up with a good book, parents can try these strategies to encourage kids to read more.

· Allow kids to read the same book. Parents of young readers or children learning to read undoubtedly know how much children like to read the same book over and over again. Though that might not engage moms and dads, experts note that allowing kids to read the same books again and again is an effective way to foster a love of reading

in children. Researchers have linked reading the same books again and again to greater vocabulary acquisition and improved reading comprehension, among other benefts. Kids are more likely to enjoy reading if they recognize more words and can better understand the stories, so parents can encourage kids to read the same books again and again.

· Take a book along when running errands or traveling. The Children’s Book Review notes that books can be just as handy in cars as tablets and other devices kids use to watch movies while on the go. Though some children may get car sick when reading while a car is in motion, those who don’t have plenty of time to read while in the backseat. On long road trips, promise a movie after kids have

read for an hour. When running errands with the kids in tow, encourage them to read by keeping a couple of books or magazines in the backseat at all times.

· Practice positive reinforcement with emerging readers. Another way to encourage young readers to pick up a book more often is to praise their efforts even if they struggle with words. Patience can go a long way toward instilling a love of reading in children. If kids are struggling with a word or words, read the sentence aloud with them. Reading also has a tendency to pique readers’ curiosity, so parents can encourage kids to ask questions about the books they read and help them fnd answers to those questions if necessary.

· Enroll kids in library reading programs. Summer reading programs sponsored by local libraries have been found to be conducive to promoting reading in young children. In its report titled “The Role of Public Libraries in Children’s Literacy Development,” the Pennsylvania Library Association indicated that preschool and summer reading programs encourage children to spend signifcant amounts of time with books and also encourage parents to play a greater role in their children’s literacy development. Participation in such programs is typically free of charge, so there’s no reason why families cannot take advantage of these highly effective programs.

PRESENTED BY BLANK SLATE MEDIA

Outdoor activities beneft kids

Outdoor activities benefit kids

MModern amenities and indoor comforts have made life easier in many ways, but they’ve also helped to fashion a generation of people who spend much of their time inside A 2018 report from the international research firm YouGov found that around 90 percent of study respondents from North America and Europe spend close to 22 hours inside every day Children may get a little more time outdoors than adults, particularly if they participate in outdoor sports There are distinct advantages to engaging in more outdoor activities Here’s a look at some of them

odern amenities and indoor comforts have made life easier in many ways, but they’ve also helped to fashion a generation of people who spend much of their time inside. A 2018 report from the international research firm YouGov found that around 90 percent of study respondents from North America and Europe spend close to 22 hours inside every day. Children may get a little more time outdoors than adults, particularly if they participate in outdoor sports.There are distinct advantages to engaging in more outdoor activities. Here’s a look at some of them.

that also stimulates awareness of one’s surroundings.

• Improved vitamin D levels: Vitamin D has been dubbed the “sunshine vitamin” because sunlight hitting the skin prompts the liver and kidneys to create vitamin D in the body. A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to depression and heart failure and may compromise the immune system. Children can improve current and future health by maintaining adequate vitamin D levels through healthy exposure to sunlight.

• Lower risk of obesity: Dr Kenneth Ginsburg from the American Academy of Pediatrics says outdoor play can help reduce obesity in today’s youth Children can enjoy self-directed physical activity that also stimulates awareness of one’s surroundings

• Improved vitamin D levels: Vitamin D has been dubbed the “sunshine vitamin” because sunlight hitting the skin prompts the liver and kidneys to create vitamin D in the body A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to depression and heart failure and may compromise the immune system Children can improve current and future health by maintaining adequate vitamin D levels through healthy exposure to sunlight

• Improved mood and reduced risk of depression: The YouGov report notes that around 15 percent of the world’s population is affected by different levels of seasonal affective disorder, which is believed to be a direct result of lack of daylight. Symptoms go away when days are longer and individuals can enjoy more sunshine. Children who go outside and get ample exposure to sunlight may experience a more positive mood and renewed energy.

• Improved mood and reduced risk of depression: The YouGov report notes that around 15 percent of the world’s population is affected by different levels of seasonal affective disorder, which is believed to be a direct result of lack of daylight Symptoms go away when days are longer and individuals can enjoy more sunshine Children who go outside and get ample exposure to sunlight may experience a more positive mood and renewed energy

• Lower risk of obesity: Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg from the American Academy of Pediatrics says outdoor play can help reduce obesity in today’s youth. Children can enjoy self-directed physical activity

• Lower stress levels: Students of all ages are faced with stressful situations that come at them from every angle. The arrival of the global pandemic has been an added stressor that continues to affect children and adults. According to research by the University of Essex, outdoor exercise offers mental health benefits that exceed those gleaned from indoor exercise. Spending time in a green space can result in improved mood and self-esteem. A 2017 study of Japanese students found those who spent time in the forest for two nights returned home with lower levels of cortisol, a hormone used as a marker of stress, than students who remained in the city. The practice of de-stressing outdoors is often referred to as “forest bathing” or “nature therapy.”

• Better focus: A dose of nature may help children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder improve their concentration levels. A 2008 study from researchers at the University of Illinois found that children with ADHD demonstrated greater attention performance following a 20-minute walk in a park as compared to a residential neighborhood or downtown area. Getting outside and engaging in any activity has a variety of benefits for children and adults.

• Lower stress levels: Students of all ages are faced with stressful situations that come at them from every angle The arrival of the global pandemic has been an added stressor that continues to affect children and adults According to research by the University of Essex, outdoor exercise offers mental health benefits that exceed those gleaned from indoor exercise Spending time in a green space can result in improved mood and selfesteem A 2017 study of Japanese students found those who spent time in the forest for two nights returned home with lower levels of cortisol, a hormone used as a marker of stress, than students who remained in the city The practice of de-stressing outdoors is often referred to as “forest bathing” or “nature therapy ”

• Better focus: A dose of nature may help children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder improve their concentration levels A 2008 study from researchers at the University of Illinois found that children with ADHD demonstrated greater attention

performance following a 20-minute walk a park as compared to a residential neighborhood or downtown area Getting outside and engaging in any activity has a variety of benefits for children and adults

90% of study respondents from North America and Europe spend close to 22 hours inside every day.

How to create safer communities for kids

Various factors combine to make communities great places to be. If asked to describe an ideal community, individuals’ answers would undoubtedly be as unique as the respondents themselves. However, safety is one attribute that would be at or near the top of most people’s lists regardless of their additional preferences.

Communities in which parents feel safe raising children are generally safe for anyone. Such towns and cities are often a byproduct of collective effort on the part of lawmakers, law enforcement and, of course, residents. There may not be a one-size-fits-all formula to building safe communities for children, but these strategies are among those that have proven successful in the past.

• Build partnerships across various sectors. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation notes that community safety and early childhood development practitioners use various approaches in their work. That underscores the importance of building partnerships that include representatives from various sectors, including community development, criminal justice, education, employment, and health care. By working together, these sectors can develop a shared understanding of the role each plays in building safe communities. Individual citizens working within these sectors can reach out to fellow professionals and begin laying a foundation that can benefit children in their communities.

• Encourage input from a diverse array of citizens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

notes the importance of seeking input and leadership from a diverse group of citizens. This is a great way for all citizens to share their lived experiences and provides an avenue for individuals to identify grievances and discover common goals. Community leaders, lawmakers and law enforcement can work together to establish a process and structure for providing input. Once established, promote that process so all community members recognize they have a readily available avenue through which to share their comments and concerns.

• Keep things simple. The CDC urges individuals and organizations tasked with developing initiatives to build safer communities to keep their messages simple and straightforward. This ensures that messages can be clearly and consistently communicated to many different audiences.

• Identify potential hurdles. The CDC notes that advance planning to address potential hurdles is vital to ensuring widespread acceptance of new approaches and policies. Analysis should include consideration of why safety issues were not already a local priority and how the barriers to a safe community have not been overcome in the past. Politics, funding shortfalls and insufficient resources are potential hurdles that communities may need to clear en route to building safer communities for kids.

Communities that are safe for kids are a worthy goal that can be achieved through effective collaboration.

Productions

Into the Woods is presented through special arrangement with Musical Theater International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.

Kids can get their game on

Modern children have somewhat different ideas of what constitutes entertainment, especially when compared to youngsters from a generation or two ago. While it was once commonplace for kids to be out and about with their friends riding bikes and spending time in each other’s backyards - only returning home when the streetlights came on - modern youths spend lots of time at home and indoors on their devices.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids between the ages of eight and 18 now spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen each day. That figure only accounts for recreational time, and doesn’t include the hours kids spend on computers or tablets for educational purposes. In addition, social media is a large part of kids’ days. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry indicates 90 percent of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 have used social media, and 51 percent report visiting a

social media site at least daily. Younger children also use social media, with a recent poll from C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital saying 32 percent of parents of kids between the ages of seven and nine reported their children use social media apps.

A classic children’s game night might be just what the doctor ordered to draw kids away from screens and provide a healthy respite from the barrage of information coming their way through the internet. With these tips, a game night can be a successful way to help children engage socially in person.

• Pick a theme

Unite all elements of the game night by selecting a theme. For example, if you will be pulling out the classic game OperationTM, pre-purchase inexpensive lab coats or doctors’ scrubs for participants to wear. Serve foods shaped like various body parts (borrow from some Halloween ideas) and invite guests with an invitation that serves as a “Prescription for Fun.”

• Choose a good time

Even though “game night” implies the gathering takes place in the evening, choose a time that works best for most. Perhaps meeting directly after school for snacks and play before dinner aligns better with everyone’s schedule. Parents can take turns hosting to give children something to look forward to once a week.

• Shop together

Bring the kids along to the store to select board games and other activities that appeal to them. Explain that the majority of game nights will be dedicated to nonelectronic games. Parents can organize game night how they see fi, but working one video game night into the rotation each month can up the fun factor for kids.

Shaping Children For A Bright Future!

The YMCA of Long Island’s Before and After School Programs support children in reaching their full potential by providing academic support and enrichment experiences in a safe and structured environment for children grades Kindergarten through 5th or 6th Grade*. We partner with school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties to support student learning. Our experienced staff designs engaging enrichment activities to help support your child’s learning in all areas. The program is designed to offer your child daily homework help, STEM activities, arts & crafts, healthy eating and nutrition education, youth movement, conflict resolution strategies, and developing social skills.

*Please check your local branch as ages vary by school district.

• Take it outside “Games” encompass a wide array of activities. Organize a pick-up wiffle ball game in the cul-de-sac or an after-dark manhunt game with flashlights (agepermitting). Families with pools can rotate having kids over for pool games, which can include volleyball, diving games or Marco Polo.

• Plan in advance

Know what kids will be playing before guests arrive to cut down on arguments over which games to play, which only wastes time. An older child or an adult can chaperone.

Game nights can be fun ways for kids to interact away from screens.

TOUR THE SCHOOL

Tours are available Monday-Friday 3:30 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Please contact the offce at (718) 225-5502 to schedule your personalized tour

Simple strategies to protect kids’ vision over the long haul

Parents recognize there’s no aspect of kids’ health that can be taken for granted. Common colds can appear overnight, and injuries on the playground can occur in the blink of an eye. Such issues may be hard to see coming, but the risk for colds, playground injuries and other health-related conditions, including childhood vision problems, can be mitigated with various preventive measures.

Vision issues that affect children can lead to a host of unwanted outcomes, including physical injuries and decreased academic performance. Though kids may ultimately need vision problems to be corrected with the help of an eye doctor, the following are some steps parents can take to protect their children’s vision over the long haul.

· Schedule routine eye exams.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that children’s vision can be screened by various medical professionals, including eye doctors but also pediatricians, family physicians or other properly trained health care providers. The AAO recommends children at all age levels receive eye examinations. Newborns will need eye exams so doctors can check for various indicators of eye health, while a second eye exam conducted during a well visit before the child’s first birthday can confirm healthy eye alignment and movement. Exam intervals can be discussed with a physician as children age, but it’s important that kids receive routine eye exams to confirm their vision is healthy and to identify any issues that could be compromising their vision.

· Feed children a healthy diet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which have the vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain healthy vision.

· Monitor screen time. The CDC notes that excessive screen time can exacerbate uncorrected vision problems. Daily screen time limits can help protect kids’ vision, and parents should ensure kids take frequent breaks when using digital devices. Frequent breaks from additional activities like reading, writing and drawing also can protect kids’ vision.

· Squeeze in time outdoors. Access and exposure to nature pays a host of healthrelated dividends, including some linked to eye health. The CDC notes that going outdoors affords kids’ eyes the opportunity to look at distant objects, which can provide a respite from the eye strain and fatigue that can develop when looking at screens or books.

· Provide protective eyewear, including sunglasses. Exposure to UV rays from the sun can harm children’s eyes, so kids should wear sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection when spending time outside. The CDC also urges children to wear protective eyewear when engaging in activities such as sports that can increase their risk for eye injury and vision loss. Taking steps to protect long-term vision is a vital component of childhood preventive health care.

4 strategies to keep kids occupied on long car trips

Road trips and self-driving vacations tend to produce their own unique moments and memories, but that doesn’t mean they don’t share certain characteristics. Lately, those characteristics might be high gas prices and more traffc as many vacationers drive in an effort to circumvent the escalating cost of air travel. For parents, one component of road trips to count on like clockwork is the moment when kids ask, “Are we there yet?”

A frustration moms and dads from all walks of life and across all generations can share, bored children calling out from the backseat can try any parent’s patience. Thankfully, parents can utilize these four strategies to keep kids occupied on long car trips.

1. Take out the tablet. Unlike their own parents, modern moms and dads have a

reliable ally in the fght against backseat boredom. Tablets can be loaded with all sorts of entertainment, from e-books to movies to interactive activities to school lessons. Rules governing device usage may be a part of life at home, but parents can relax those rules on the road to ensure kids stay occupied until the family arrives at its destination.

2. Encourage kids to scrapbook the trip. If a road trip involves visiting multiple destinations, parents can encourage kids to spend some time scrapbooking their experiences in the backseat. Kids can write about the previous day’s activities and paste ticket stubs and other mementos from the trip into their book.

3. Transform the backseat into a play area. Parents may prefer their vehicles remain toy-free most of the time, but transforming the backseat into a play

area can ensure kids have plenty of things to do and less time to dwell on how long it’s taking to get from point A to point B. Avoid packing anything that can be turned into a projectile, especially for children who aren’t yet school-aged. But be sure to include some books, puzzles, dolls/action fgures, and handheld games.

4. Time the trip well. Of course, kids don’t necessarily need to be actively engaged in an activity in order to be occupied during a road trip. If possible, depart in the wee small hours of the

morning, which can pay a host of dividends. Leaving before sunrise reduces the chances of being stuck in traffc, thus cutting back on the amount of time the family spends in the car. Leaving early also increases the chances that kids will spend a good portion of the trip sleeping in the backseat.

Road trips with young kids in tow can try any parent’s patience. But some useful strategies to keep kids occupied on long car trips can make such excursions much more enjoyable for everyone.

Fri 7/21

2023 Summer Youth Program: QN Parks

Summer Camp Kissena

@ 2pm Jul 21st - Aug 11th

Forest Park Victory Field, Queens. classes@bike.nyc

Fantuzzi Music

@ 6pm POD Spa & Wellness, 221 E Park Ave, Long Beach

Grease @ 7:30pm

The Argyle Theatre at Babylon Village, 34 W Main St, Babylon

Featured

Sat 7/22

Editor's Voice

LOVE AMY: Amy

Experience at My Father's Place @ 8pm / $30

LOVE AMY: The Amy Experience will be play‐ing at My Father's Place on July 21. Ad‐vanced tickets are $30, and tickets the day of the show are $40. My Father's Place, 3 Pratt Boulevard, Glen Cove. myfathersplaceproduc tions@gmail.com

Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot Celebrating the Music Of Billy Joel @ 8pm / $20-$60

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington

Empire State Ride Long Island @ 7:30am / $25

Join a beautiful day of cycling and help raise money to �ght cancer here on Long Island on Saturday, July 22. Choice of 62, 25 or 10 mile routes, designed for riders of all ages and abilities. Oyster Bay, 1 Shore Avenue. esrlongisland@roswell park.org, 833-465-1730

Gary Sellers Band: Charolette's Speakeasy @ 7pm Charlotte’s Speakeasy, 294 Main St, Farmingdale

Thomas Rhett @ 7:30pm UBS Arena, 2150 Hempstead Turnpike, Belmont Park

Featured Featured

Brandi Carlile @ 8pm Tilles Center, 720 North‐ern Boulevard, Green‐vale

Port Washington Manhasset Bay

Kayak Run

@ 10am

Join the Town of North Hempstead for its Port Washington Manhasset Bay Kayak Run. Town Dock, 347 Main Street, Port Washington. feed back@northhemp steadny.gov, 516-8696311

Sun 7/23

Great Neck Farmers Market

@ 10am

Shop local and shop fresh at the Great Neck Farmers Mar‐ket� Fire�ghters Park, 30 Grace Avenue, Great Neck. deeproots farmersmarket@gmail.com, 516-318-5487

Featured Featured

Music For a Sunday

Afternoon: The McCarron Bros. (& Sister)

@ 3pm / $15

In another Gardens tra‐dition, The McCarron Bros. (& Sister) Jazz Quartet - Saxophonist Paul Carlon, guitarist Mark McCarron, bassist Trifon Dimitrov, and drummer Arei Sekiguchi - return to perform the Old West‐bury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury. tickets@old westburygardens.org, 516-333-0048

Deanna Hudson

@ 4pm Sun & Surf Beach Club, 2189 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach

Fantuzzi Music

@ 6pm BuddhaJams, 192 Glen Street, Glen Cove

Wednesday Jul 26th

Roslyn Rocks! Aerosmith Tribute Band Summer Concert at Gerry Park on 7/26/23

@ 6pm Gerry Park, Roslyn. barbara@allkidsfair.com, 516-6211446

Enjoy a summer concert at Gerry Park, brought to you by the Greater Roslyn Chamber of Commerce and the Town of North Hempstead featuring music by Pump, Long Island's best Aerosmith tribute band.

and discussions related to Ju‐daism and Jewish Culture. MidIsland Y JCC, 45 Manetto Hill Road, Plainview

Wed 7/26

Hometown Unknown (Original Rock)

@ 6pm

Join the Town of North Hempstead for its sum‐mer concert series. North Hempstead Beach Park, 175 West Shore Road, Port Washington. feedback @northhemp steadny.gov, 516-8696311

Mon 7/24

Featured Featured

Thu 7/27

MYXD Order @ 7am

FunDay Monday

@ 11am

Join the Town of North Hempstead for its sum‐mer FunDay Monday series. North Hemp‐stead Beach Park, 175 West Shore Road, Port Washington. feedback @northhemp steadny.gov, 516-8696311

Tue 7/25

Jewish Learning Series

@ 12:30pm

Join the Mid Island Y JCC and a host of guest presenters for in‐teresting and relevant lectures

Upcycled Kid Crafts Program

@ 10am

Join the Town of North Hempstead for its Free Summer Upcycled Kid Crafts Program . Blu‐menfeld Family Park, Port Washington. feed back@northhemp steadny.gov, 516-8696311

Featured Featured

Join the Town of North Hemp‐stead for its summer concert series. Clark Botanic Gardens, 193 I U Willets Road, Albertson. feedback@northhemp steadny.gov, 516-869-6311

Dan Reardon @ 5:30pm THE CLUBHOUSE LONG IS‐LAND - BELLMORE, 134 Club‐house Rd, Bellmore

Fri 7/28

Featured

Musical Gems from the Yiddish Theatre World

@ 1pm

Musical Gems from the Yiddish Theatre World Great Neck Social Cen‐ter, 80 Grace Avenue, Great Neck. cen ter.gnsc@gmail.com, 516-487-0025

44th Annual Thunderbird Ameri‐can Indian Powwow @ 7pm / Free-$36

Jul 28th - Jul 30th

Celebrate American In‐dian Culture through music, dance, Native American crafts and food. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Queens. hello@queens farm.org, 718-347-3276

The Virtual Band at My Father's Place @ 8pm / $30

The Virtual Band will be playing at My Father's Place on July 28. Advanced tickets are $30, and tickets the day of the show are $35. My Father's Place, 3 Pratt Boulevard, Glen Cove. myfa thersplaceproductions@ gmail.com

Walrus - Beatles Jam Band @ 8pm / $15

Mulcahy's Pub and Concert Hall, 3232 Railroad Avenue, Wantagh

The best place to promote your events online and in print. Visit us @ https://theisland360.com/local-events/ powered by

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Business&RealEstate Accidents just waiting to happen in homes

You’re now considering putting your home on the market. You have done some painting, spruced up the interior and exterior and everything appears to look superb. However, many have forgotten one thing; the potential hazards that may exist inside and outside your home.

One must walk around your home to see if there are any possible areas where someone could trip, fall, break a leg, etc. whether it is a purchaser, agent, home inspector or appraiser, or even a friend or neighbor. The United States is the most litigious country on the globe and lawsuits are commonplace, especially today with all that is going on in the world.

There have been so many lawsuits due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses like cruise lines and nursing homes, for example, have had to be extremely careful with their safety and hygiene issues to keep their clients free from diseases and exposure to Covid-19. This has been a taxing and challenging situation for all businesses and the costs have had a tremendous impact on the bottom line to keep people safe and healthy.

Businesses have a legal duty to keep their premises cleaned regu-

larly, sanitary and safe for the public. Product safety has been and is a major concern and must be kept up to date so as not to pose an unreasonable risk to users. When using products, proper instructions must always be provided and adhered to for the safety of the public.

I would suggest that you should walk around your home to see what hazards exist, as you also are liable for anyone coming into your home who might get hurt or worse even if

you note “enter at your own risk.” Toys, small objects on the foor, sharp corners, slippery foors, loose carpeting, or anything else that might cause harm to a visitor should be addressed and alleviated, especially when starting the showings of your home for sale.

Once you have rectifed any issues inside your home, then take a stroll around the exterior of your property to see what hazards might exist to cause future issues and potential lawsuits. Most important are your sidewalks and front and rear walkways. Is the cement, slate, or pavers level on your sidewalks level? Are there any slabs that would cause anyone to trip and fall, potentially breaking a leg, or arm, or worse hitting their head, causing them to have a concussion?

This is your responsibility (not your local village or town) to make sure you protect the public from irreparable harm and injury. You should make sure that your homeowner’s insurance provides adequate coverage in the event of a claim. I always suggest to my seller clients to have an umbrella policy, over and above their normal homeowner’s in-

Continued on Page 36

WHAT IS THE DARK WEB?

The Dark Web is an intentionally hidden world where cyber criminals access illegal information, goods and services. Hackers trade in stolen passwords, identities and other exposed vulnerabilities to wreak havoc on the legitimate internet, spreading viruses, ransomware and the like.

Sandwire monitors clients’ domains 24/7/365 with human and machine-powered protection of domains, IP addresses and email addresses. We uncover compromised credentials in Dark Web markets, data dumps and other sources, and sound the alert quickly!

Our clients gain the advantage over the cybercriminals by updating access to passwords and using MFA, multi-factor authentication, to preserve the privacy of sensitive data.

PHILIP A. RAICES Real Estate Watch

Business& RealEstate

Daniel Gale’s new leaders

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty recently announced that two of the organization’s top sales managers, Bryan McMillen and Samuel Marcus, will be joining forces to manage the busy Wheatley Plaza office while remaining at their existing posts.

McMillen currently manages sales in the North Shore office in Sea Cliff and Marcus helms the sales at the Great Neck office.

While under the direction and guidance of sales manager Karen Sharf, the Wheatley Plaza office has reigned as one of the company’s most successful locations. Sharf will continue to assist clients and customers in buying and selling properties as a top-producing real estate advisor.

In addition to assisting individual buyers and sellers over more than 25 years, Sharf has been involved in many complex development projects including land purchases, sub-divisions and home restoration.

She has overseen development branding, created marketing plans and strategies and assembled highly successful sales teams for multiple large development projects across Long Island. Current projects include Stone Hill at Muttontown, Oak Hill Estates Dix Hills and The Polo Club at Islandia.

“Karen has deftly managed and grown the Wheatley Plaza office, mentoring and developing a standout team of real

estate professionals,” enthused Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell. “Sam and Bryan are well up to the task and a strong act to follow Karen’s outstanding sales management in this highly competitive marketplace. Both are seasoned sales managers and mentors who have succeeded in the challenges and opportunities of every real estate market of the last 20 years. Their combined expertise in the luxury segment and middle market makes them a valuable resource for the real estate advisors in this office.”

McMillen started his real estate career in 2005 as a real estate advisor, quickly achieving the highest standard of sales success and earning membership in Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s Gold Circle of Excellence. He’s managed the North Shore office since 2015.

With three decades of residential real estate experience in Great Neck, Manhasset, Roslyn and the North Shore, Sam Marcus has consistently produced outstanding results both individually and as a sales manager.

Before concentrating his efforts on sales management, Marcus was a real estate advisor in the Manhasset office. He later served as the assistant sales management position in Daniel Gale’s Roslyn office. When the Great Neck office opened in 2018, Marcus was tapped to manage its sales efforts.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Bryan McMillen

Business&RealEstate

Accidents just waiting to happen in your home

Continued from Page 31

surance, to provide higher limits of coverage, especially if you have assets and substantial income for greater protection from potential lawsuits.

Many years ago, my first home was on North Road in Great Neck. We lived there for eight years and decided to sell. I was working in my other business and was not home when showings were scheduled. One day an agent came in with a client to show and the agent stubbed her toe on our bricked area where our wood-burning stove was located in our living room. Unfortunately, she broke her toe and initiated a lawsuit.

Our insurance covered the issue and things were settled. But since then, we have carried an umbrella policy because as one’s assets and income grow, one needs to carry enough insurance to be protected. One never knows who may come onto your property and what they do for a living and/or their income. What if a surgeon, CEO, CFO, or any high-end individual comes onto your property and has an unfortunate accident due to negligence on your part in keeping your residence safe for the public. They can’t work for an extended period of time or much worse die, your liability becomes a major problem and the costs inherent in a lawsuit.

No one wants anyone to be hurt, but in today’s world, things happen and the only way to minimize and avoid major or even minor issues is to make your property as bulletproof as possible from any and all liabilities. Most important is that insurance costs have risen dramatically over the last few years, especially if you are in a flood zone area.

Check and see what you need to do before the next major storm or hurricane hits to make your home is more sound, leak, and water-

proof, by making sure the grade of your property is slanted away from your foundation. Check out whether the roof is in excellent condition. Windows need to be caulked and sealed properly. Gutters and leaders should be free of debris, especially going into the fall, when leaves begin falling, so water doesn’t back up into your soffits, causing water damage inside your walls and home.

Before listing your property for sale or even if you aren’t considering selling, survey your residence to determine if there are any hazards to you or the public that might cause harm and injury to anyone or increase your exposure to greater insurance costs. Replace, fix, and repair those issues that you may see so your coverage will not have to be used.

Lastly, you might even consider having a home inspector check out your home from top to bottom to be sure about what is right and wrong with your place, especially if it is more than 20 years old. It will be the wisest and best spent money that you will make.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 42+ 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) 6474289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate. com or via https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com.

OUR VIEWS

A moment of clarity for GOP House members

Continued from Page 14

Those districts became even more likely to flip last week in New York when an appeals court sided with Democrats and ordered the state’s congressional map to be redrawn.

The ruling, which Republicans said will be appealed, would give Democrats a chance to tilt the state’s districts in their favor and help recapture four New York congressional districts lost in 2022 after a court found the Democratic-controlled Leg-

islature had violated state law in gerrymandering the maps.

The court, at the time, stripped the Legislature of its mapmaking authority, vesting it in the neutral expert who drew up a map less friendly to Democrats.

We would hope D’Esposito, Garbadino and other New York House Republicans will stand up against the extremists in their caucus in the House’s upcoming negotiations with the Senate.

Call it another test of who they really are.

nassau COMMUNITY CLASSIFIEDS

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Error Responsibility All ads placed by telephone are read back for verification of copy context.

In the event of an error of Blank Slate Media LLC we are not responsible for the first incorrect insertion. We assume no responsiblity for an error in and beyond the cost of the ad.

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. • Great Neck News

Williston Times

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EMPLOYMENT HELP WANTED

Seeking local lady in Great Neck vicinity or close by for help with daily activities.

Food shopping, medical appointments and other errands. P/T Flexible Days/ Hours. Call 516-829-0542

MARKETING/SALES SUPPORT

Full-Time Marketing/Sales Support/ Administrative Office Position in Floral Park NY Office. Seeking an energetic, professional, reliable person with excellent organizational, communication, and telephone skills. Must be able to multi-task and interact with both staff and customers and utilize excellent follow-up skills. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite. Annual starting salary 5055k with benefits and 401k. Please send your resume to: slupo@s3mps.com

Receptionist Part Time needed for Port Washington Animal Hospital. Including evenings/ weekends. Please call for interview /more info 516-883-2005

SITUATION WANTED

AIDE/CARE GIVER: Available for work in East Hampton and surrounding area. Caring, Efficient, Reliable. Available FT Live In nights & weekends to care for your sick or elderly loved one. Cooking, personal grooming, administer medications. 15 years experience. References available. Fully Vaccinated. Please Call 631-830-9016

CARETAKER AVAILABLE Ukrainian woman seeking position as Housekeeper, Caretaker. Excellent Cook. Available Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Hardworking and well organized. Teacher. Speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and communicative English. Excellent references. Call Katherine: 516-547-6554

SITUATION WANTED

WE’RE HIRING

BLANK SLATE MEDIA is a fast-growing media company with 6 award-winning weekly newspapers and a website in Nassau County, a full array of digital services and high-profle events. We have openings in several categories that we are looking to fll immediately.

n REPORTER. FULL TIME.

We are looking for a versatile, self-starter with good writing and reporting skills, and journalism experience. You will report on all aspects of your communities including local government, politics, education, business and humaninterest stories.

Excellent opportunity to work with editors with many years of weekly and daily newspaper experience.

n ENTERTAINMENT. PART TIME

We are looking for engaging writers who are familiar with and able to write about music, art and features on Long Island.

n SALES. FULL TIME.

We are looking for a highly motivated. self-starter with excellent communication and customer service skills to sell newspaper advertising, digital services and event sponsorships.

To apply, send your resume to: sblank@theisland360.com.

SITUATION WANTED

Home Health Aide/Companion. Gentle. Optimistic. Experienced with many medical conditions and kinds of people. Families have told me I created a lovely environment, more than they could have hoped for. Please call Grace 917-499-9520

CAREER TRAINING

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING

PROGRAM! Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk

Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! (844) 947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET) Computer with internet is required.

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! Don’t worry about your closing date, we 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!

Merchandise for Sale Autographed Collectors Baseball Items. Golf balls and useful power tools like new! Best offer. Call 516-514-6026

WANTED TO BUY

LOOKING TO BUY! Estates, Oriental items, Gold, Silver, Costume Jewelry, Dishes, Flatware, Watches, Clothing, Old Photos, Coins, Stamps, Records, Toys, Action Figures, Comics, Art and Furniture. Immediate Cash Paid Call George 917-775-3048 or 718-386-1104

GARAGE SALE

MULTI FAMILY GARAGE

CERTIFIED CARE GIVER Available. Caring, compassionate, patient, reliable, attentive Caregiver with 11 yrs experience working with Dementia/Alzehimers bed bound ALS patients. Experience in private homes as well as nursing homes. I am very passionate and professional about my job. I look forward to working with you and your family. Please call: 954-305-3646

CHILD CARE AVAILABLE Loving grandmother is available to care for your child. Flexible days/hours. Earnest, caring, experienced in this area over 40 years. Please call Martha: 516-539-7871 (leave message)

COMPANION/CAREGIVER AVAIL-

ABLE Experienced Polish Woman is available for companionship with elderly. Honest, kind, caring, friendly & patient Speaks English. Has own car. Call or text 516-589-5640

ELDER CARE Experienced woman seeks position to care for the elderly live in or live out. Certified HHA. CPR experience.Excellent references. Please call 516-800-6442

TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get trained, certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-543-6440 (M-F 8am-6pm ET) Computer with internet is required.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOVENAS/PRAYERS

NOVENA TO THE BLESSED MOTHER

Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Oh, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me herein and show me here you are my Mother.

Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times). Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Amen. This prayer is never known to fail and is to be said for 3 consecutive days. In Gratitude (M.T.F.)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DIRECTV New 2-Year Price Guarantee. The most live MLB games this season, 200+ channels and over 45,000 on-demand titles. $84.99/mo for 24 months with CHOICE Package. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918

Use ItchNoMore shampoo on dogs & cats to relieve secondary dermatitis, treat yeast infections & eliminate doggy odor. At Tractor Supply (www.happyjackinc.com)

MARKETPLACE

A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP 516-746-8900

Antiques-Furniture-Jewelry-Silver-Mirrors-Lamps-Artwork Come to Consign & Stay to Shop Visit.... Our Shop 109 Eleventh St. Garden City Mon-Fri 10-4 (Wed till 6) Saturday 12-4 Shop Our Online Store ATStewartExchange.org Items to Consign? Email photos (with sizing info) to: store@atstewartexchange.org All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society Like us on Facebook & Instagram

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

OFFICE SPACE

GARDEN CITY OFFICE SPACE

Windowed office available in Garden City law suite. Use of reception area, conference room, kitchen, and copiers.

Large workstation also available.

Ample parking. Office has access from both sidewalk and building lobby. Prime location near parkways, restaurants, and shopping.

$1,500/month

Call: 516-408-7030

VACATION RENTAL

FALL ON THE NORTH FORK! Simply the Best! Cutchogue Waterfront Cottage for rent! Sleeps 6. All new furnishings. Large peaceful property on Haywater Creek with dock. Perfect for Kayaking, fishing or just relaxing by the fire pit. Minutes from wineries, beaches, restaurants, shopping and farm stands. Weeks available in September, October, November. Price reduced to $300/nt. Please call 516-551-1905 www.beebewaterfrontcottage.com

MATTITUCK 2 Bayfront Homes For Rent One 3 BR, 2 BTH, One 2 BR House. Available the weeks of June 24th-July 1st and August 26-September 2nd. 3 BR House $2050-per week. 2 BR House $1850-per week. IDEAL FAMILY VACATION.Call 631-298-8433

SERVICES

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

CONDO/CO-OP FOR SALE

CONDOMINIUM FOR SALE

GARDEN CITY 1 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath

Condominium for sale. Located in Garden City at Wyndham East. Unit comes with 2 parking spaces. Asking $700,000. Call 516-524-3336

OUT OF TOWN

REAL ESTATE

For Sale: Beautiful Upstate New York 1500ft2 Ranch house on 42.51 ACRES with 640ft2 guest house, POND, VIEWS and PRIVATE SETTING! View listing: https://dtaylor.kw.com/property/ LST-7072566530421866496-9 Call

/Text Diane Taylor (Licensed NY State

Salesperson KW Upstate NY Properties) 607-765-4115 (Cell)

SERVICES

JACK’S CUSTOM FRAMING We can frame anything! Quality Care & Workmanship Thousands of frames to choose from!! Over 30 years in business! 92 Covert Ave, Stewart Manor 516-775-9495

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A highly skilled and seasoned bookkeeping and accounting specialist, a CPA with 12+ years of Big 4 tax accounting experience, ready to bring my wealth of knowledge and expertise to your business. Impeccable bookkeeping services to maintain your financial records with precision. Expertise in reconciling accounts and ensuring accurate financial reporting. Proficient in tax preparation and compliance, keeping you ahead of regulatory requirements. A deep understanding of complex financial landscapes, providing invaluable insights. Collaborative, organized and communicative approach, fostering smooth interactions with your team. Let’s discuss how I can add value to your company! For all inquiries, please reach out to: LIPrimeCPAs@outlook.com

ATTORNEY

STEPHANIE A. D’ANGELO, ESQ. Elder Law, Wills & Trusts Asset Preservation, Estate Planning, Probate & Estate Administration/Litigation 901 Stewart Ave, Ste 230 Garden City, NY 11530 516-222-1122 www.dangelolawassociates.com

AQUATEC LAWN SPRINKLERS

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/Repairs Joe Barbato 516-775-1199

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable pricesNo payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636 ROOFS, GUTTERS, CARPENTRY, BATHROOMS, KITCHENS, NEW BASEMENT ENTRANCES, EXTENSIONS, MASONRY, FLOORS, WATERPROOFING, DRAINS, LEAKS, STOOPS, DECKS, DRIVEWAYS, DEMOLITION, RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ARIS CONSTRUCTION 10% Discount w/ad. Call 516-406-1842 www.ArisLI.com

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LEAKS IS MY SPECIALTY! Slate & Tile Specialists All types of Roofing Local References Licensed & Insured 516-621-3869

Redraw NY congressional maps: court

Continued from Page 1

rejection of its frst set,” the court ruled.

“In granting this petition, we return the matter to its constitutional design,” Elizabeth Garry, the presiding justice, wrote in the majority opinion. “Accordingly, we direct the I.R.C. to commence its duties forthwith.”

The commission, made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, failed to reach a consensus on maps for 2022, causing the Democratically-controlled Legislature to create its own.

The Democrats’ proposal, which would have given them a strong majority of registered vot-

ers in 22 of the state’s 26 congressional districts, was said to be gerrymandered and rejected by McAllister.

The maps were eventually submitted by court-appointed a “special master” that were viewed as more neutral.

Waldbaum named JCC prez

Continued from Page 3

special needs, whether they’re kids going to camp or preschool, we serve so many populations that need us so desperately it would be a crime for us to exist.”

The Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center is located at 300 Forest Dr. in East Hills. (Photo courtesy of the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center)

Other goals Waldbaum has include renovations to the JCC building, appropriate security for member safety, strengthening commitment to their community needs bank and securing donors and partners.

“We really are looking to shore up all of our avenues and all of our facilities in an efort to make us strong and sustainable and ofer people the best programming that we can provide,” Waldbaum said.

Waldbaum’s position began July 1, taking over in the wake of former JCC board president David Levy.

“Nancy and her family have taken to heart the idea of Tikkun Olam (“repairing the world”), a tenet embraced by everyone at Sid Jacobson JCC who make it a guiding principle of our daily work on behalf of Long Island families and our community,” Levy said in a press release. “We welcome Nancy to the presidency with open arms and are excited to see the creative ways she will come up with to use her many years of experience for the beneft of so many others.”

NY-CD3 and NY-CD4, districts that appellate court has ruled should be redrawn for 2024 election.

NHP fair date sparks controversy

Continued from Page 12

netta wrote.

Devane said the decision to host the street fair on Sept. 16 was solely his, adding it was his understanding that any conficts between the fair, which ends at 4 p.m., and the holiday would begin on sundown Saturday and the fair would be done by then.

“It has come to my attention that some are trying to use this as a wedge issue for their own purposes,” Devane said in a statement. “Rather than discuss this issue, which is two months away, they are choosing to intentionally embarrass the Village.”

The mayor went on to defend Patricia Santomauro, who responded to Panetta’s initial inquiries with Devane’s full approval he said, saying the village was advised the holiday begins at sundown and there were no alternate dates available.

“A great amount of consideration went into this decision as our wish is not to ofend anyone. We were advised that the holiest of the holiday is during sundown hours. Also, unfortunately, there are no alternate dates available as the vendors would be attending other street fairs the weekends after the 16th. We do hope those that

— New Hyde Park Mayor Christopher Devane

can join us will,” Santomauro said in full.

Devane said the Panetta letter, which excludes the frst sentence from Santomauro’s email to him about not wanting to ofend anyone, was “twisted” to make the village look like

it doesn’t care about the Jewish community.

Readers Write: Scheduling street fair during Rosh Hashanah an insult to Jews

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Devane, who pointed out “the Village Board is actively discussing other options” for the street fair.

Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Jewish New Year, holds signifcant historical and cultural importance in the Jewish faith. With origins dating back thousands of years, the solemn holiday marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance, leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The Hebrew calendar is a synergy between the solar and lunar calendars, which can lead to holidays being on diferent days, Chabad of Great Neck Rabbi Osher Kravitsky said.

“Rosh Hashanah is widely celebrated even by the non-religious or non-observant population among the Jewish community,” Kravitsky said. “Most of the community would not be able to attend a street fair because they would be too busy.”

The last time Rosh Hashanah began on Friday was in 2020.

Now two weeks into her new position, Waldbaum said it has been going well and is proud to be taking on this new role. She said her success so far can be attributed to her planning for the position, which she said has been ongoing for about a year.

She said she has been collaborating with the center’s senior leadership team to utilize their experience and understand the long-term goals for the JCC overall.

“I don’t want it to be my vision, it has to be our vision,” Waldbaum said.

Waldbaum is also welcomed into her new position alongside new treasurer Jef Buslik and assistant treasurer Rita Levy.

“There is nothing the Sid Jacobson JCC can’t obtain because we have been blessed throughout my tenure with a stellar group of staf members who all are passionate about what they do and have real vision and drive,” Waldbaum said. “And that works in tandem with the 30+ board members who also are passionate and are driven and are focused. We all come to the JCC from diferent perspectives, but at the end of the day the unifying goal that the staf and the board share is that we are passionate about the work that happens within our building and outside of our building, and we are committed to making it stronger, better and continuing to grow.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN CERVAS

“It has come to my attention that some are trying to use this as a wedge issue for their own purposes,” Devane said in a statement. “Rather than discuss this issue, which is two months away, they are choosing to intentionally embarrass the Village.”

Munsey Park Village Hall restoration begins

do, like changing the columns out front,” which cost $8,000 each. He further emphasized the need to explore options for reducing costs without compromising the integrity of the project.

The Village of Munsey Park has successfully obtained a $50,000 grant from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, the state’s public fnance and construction authority. DASNY specializes in fnancing, designing and building health and education infrastructure to foster inclusive and sustainable communities.

One of the signifcant renovation aspects includes the replacement of windows. The village is considering salvaging windows from a dismantled village frehouse, estimating that around 10 windows may be suitable for reuse.

The exact cost of the renovation is not known, however. Ceriello explained that “the overall cost of the job is yet to be determined because I can’t get somebody in here to tell me how many windows we can reuse until we say ‘alright, we got the contract’ and I’m not going to give them the contract until I know what the job cost.” He added that the village is doing “apples to apples bidding” to ensure a fair comparison of bids.

The mayor said he is familiar with the work of Iannaccone Home Improvement Corp., which previously handled his house renovations and is currently constructing his house out east.

Moreover, the mayor expressed a desire to explore alternative waste disposal options to ensure cost-efectiveness. The village’s in-house sanitation department could potentially dispose of the construction garbage at a lower cost.

In addition to the windows, the renovation project will address other issues such as the degradation of gutters, which results in water seepage during heavy rain and subsequent basement damage. Some areas inside the building have experienced rotting due to water infltration.

Port eateries join Plastic-Free July

Continued from Page 4

delivered to residences. This means that for many people, they already have cutlery and condiments in their homes.

“These are non-essential things that are going into every take-out food order,” Wood said.

Plastics omitted from the takeout orders include straws, cutlery and condiment packets.

Environmentally conscious replacements are also being used, including restaurant packaging supplies and carry-out bags. Grassroots Environmental Education is providing all participating restaurants with a BioBag.

Wood said that plastics are toxic at varying levels, including during plastic production and in use, with research showing that humans and other living beings now have levels of nanoplastics, or minuscule plastic fragments, in their bodies. These plastics are not only found in humans but also in plants and water sup-

plies.

“And do we know what the long-term impact of this is? No, we just haven’t done enough medical research to actually understand,” Wood said.

She said many of the chemicals used to make plastics are known carcinogens and toxins for humans.

“We’re in a really, really existential problem right now and we are really at a turning point,” Wood said.

She said that none of the methods of disposing of plastics are viable as they contribute to the plastics pollution in our environment. Plastic-Free July is instead showing people the best solution, which is simply fnding alternatives to plastics and ultimately ending the production of them.

This is the frst Plastic-Free July campaign hosted by the nonproft, which is kicking of in Port Washington. It is inspired by legislative

actions, some taken in New York City and in Westchester County, called Skip the Stuf laws that prohibit food establishments from providing single-use plastics unless requested by the customer.

Nassau County does not have any Skip the Stuf laws enacted. So while the Plastic-Free July campaign is focused at a hyperlocal level, Wood said their intent is to propel the issue to a higher level such as the county Legislature.

Wood said the organization has already provided sample legislation to diminish the use of plastics to a Nassau County legislator and is planning to meet with a Sufolk County legislator to provide the same legislation for both counties to consider.

“We could actually do this like Westchester did and like New York City did,” Wood said. “Why not do this island-wide?”

Santos raises $162K in latest quarter

Continued from Page 2

50. He has combatted gun violence, working with former state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel and speaking at a variety of rallies and school events.

At the age of 23, Lafazan became Nassau County’s youngest-ever legislator upon his election to the Nassau County Legislature in

November 2017.

Curry is an Afghanistan war veteran and former vice president at J.P. Morgan. He completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan and currently serves in the Air Force Reserves, according to his campaign website.

After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2009, Curry was on active duty for

eight years, delivering cybersecurity technology to the military.

He served as a vice president for J.P. Morgan’s Corporate and Investment Banking Division from 2019-2023.

He has an MBA from George Washington University School of Business and a Master of Science in Sports Business.

As the renovation plans move forward, the village of Munsey Park wants to refne the project’s scope. The next step involves consulting the Building Advisory Committee, which serves in an advisory capacity to the trustees, to seek their guidance on specifc matters.

The history of the Village Hall began in May 1972, when the then Village Board authorized preliminary drawings for the construction of a Village Hall on the Sargent Place property that year. The Advisory Committee’s recommendation to proceed was accepted in August 1973, with the knowledge that the $60,000 cost would be ofset by Federal Revenue Sharing Funds, sparing residents from any tax increases. Excavation work commenced in May 1974, and the building was completed six months later, culminating in an open house dedication.

Looking ahead, Ceriello recognizes the urgency of completing the renovations before winter weather arrives. “We really need to do it before the bad weather sets in in December,” he emphasized. However, there is a possibility that the work may not be concluded this year, he noted.

To fnance the project, the village of Munsey Park plans to allocate approximately $125,000 from its own funds. Ceriello stressed the importance of addressing the building’s dilapidated exterior, saying “I’m stating the obvious here, but the outside of the building is atrocious, and I think at this point we just have to fx it.”

The Village of Munsey Park has set in motion work to be done on historic Village Hall.

Top painters shepherd Port art guild’s success

Continued from Page 2

ning the “Second Best Painter” award and the guild winning “Best Art School and Gallery.”

For Holtzman, art is a means of bringing joy to both herself and viewers. Her vibrant palette and distinctive style aim to elicit smiles and evoke positive emotions.

“I just do it because it makes me feel good,” she said. “And, hopefully, I’ll make somebody else feel good.”

Herricks kids grades 1-5 attend art camp

Herricks students in grades 1-5 recently participated in Herricks Summer Art Camp which took place at Herricks High School. Students from Center Street, Denton Avenue, and Searingtown elementary schools came together to immerse themselves in a oneweek art extravaganza.

Under the direction of Herricks Art teachers Doreen McDevitt, Amanda Rodriguez and Jessica D’Angelo, students

explored various artists, mediums, and techniques throughout their time at the camp. It was a wonderful opportunity for the young artists to come together and share their love for the arts.

Doreen McDevitt shared, “The students not only created beautiful projects, but created lasting memories and made new friendships throughout the week.”

Herricks Director of Fine

and Performing Arts Anissa Arnold said, “It was a perfect way to kick of summer and seeing all of the joyfulness and smiles along with the beautiful creations of these students each day was simply the best!” She continued, “the students are eager to bring their newly learned skills into art class in September and the art teachers are looking forward to working with them in the fall.”

North Shore TV wins Hometown Media Award

North Shore TV received a 2023 Hometown Media Award from the Alliance for Community Media Foundation. The awards program was established to honor and promote community media, community radio, and local cable programs that are distributed on Public, Educational and Governmental access cable television channels.

Proceeds go to the ACM Foundation which is exclusively used for facilitating, preserving and promoting education in community media.

The Overall Excellence Public Access Award was given to NSTV for their 2022 Year in Review.

The Overall Excellence Awards acknowledge access organizations’ overall operational eforts as well as their programming eforts.

Specifcally, this award is given to an organization that only manages Public Access materials and channels.

The success of North Shore TV’s 2022 Year in Review is attributed to Erica Bradley, executive director; Robert Schaufeld, president; and Rebecca Farina, editor.

“Being awarded the Overall Excellence in Public Access makes me incredibly proud of my staf and our community. It’s a refection of everyone working together to produce quality programming across the board. It’s truly an honor.” said Bradley.

Each year, nearly one thousand entries are submitted. These entries, or programs, are submitted and evaluated on several factors resulting in over 100

Silberstein, recipient of the esteemed “Painter of the Year” award, embarked on a diferent artistic journey before fnding her calling as a painter. She initially pursued a career in clothing design at Aileen, a now defunct clothing brand, specializing in knitwear and separates.

Her love for fowers bloomed, however, when she was working as a forist at John Smith Flowers in Port Washington on the weekends while taking care of two babies at home. This led her to explore painting, a medium through which she could capture the delicate and always shifting beauty of nature.

Silberstein joined the Art Guild about a year after Holtzman. Through the guild, she found an environment conducive to the exchange of ideas and artistic inspiration. Silberstein said she cherishes the camaraderie among fellow artists, emphasizing how the supportive community helps artists recognize and address aspects they may have missed.

“When I have a success, all the people around me feel good, and when somebody else has success, I feel good about them. It’s really wonderful.”

In 2011, the guild faced a setback when a fre triggered by electrical pole polarity reversal during Hurricane Irene destroyed their building. During rebuilding and planning the guild’s future, they both sent out a survey asking the community what they thought of the

guild and its eventual return. An overwhelming response from the community was sent back to them, expressing their support and longing for the guild’s return.

Silberstein’s artistic style is deeply rooted in observation and realism. Trained under David Lafel and other celebrated artists, she embraces traditional techniques and paints directly from life. Inspired by her second home in Patchogue and the blooming fowers it offers, Silberstein captures the beauty of nature with meticulous detail. She expresses her fascination, saying, “I could paint roses forever.”

Looking ahead, both Holtzman and Silberstein envision a future for the guild that includes expansion and increased resources. They hope to acquire more space for creativity, additional classes, and more outreach programs for nonprofts such as the Nicholas Center for Autism, which uses their space.

Providing a platform for talented local artists to showcase their work cannot be underestimated, Silberstein said, along with the transformative power of art not only on the individual artist but the community as a whole.

“I think people don’t realize that if you’re involved in the arts,” Silberstein said, “and it could be music, it could be any kind of arts, it really helps you to live your life better, it helps you to problem solve better, I think there’s a real tangible beneft from being involved in the arts in some way.”

She also said she is always surprised and happy when frst-time visitors from Manhasset, Roslyn and Port Washington, for example, are astounded by the quality of a gallery show.

“It just makes me feel really good that we’re opening those doors for people,” Silberstein said.

award winners. A panel of over 150 judges from the industry evaluate the entries. Awards are presented to the most creative programs that address community needs, develop diverse community involvement, challenge conventional commercial television formats, and move viewers to experience television in a diferent way.

“The Hometown Media Awards celebrate both the excellence of work and the diversity of media that appears on community channels being produced around the country. The ACM Foundation is proud of their achievement and of how they represent their communities in their work,” said Mike Wassenaar, president & CEO, Alliance for Community Media.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Jazz greats honored at Pinelawn event

John Coltrane, Count Basie, Lloyd Trotman, and Guy Lombardo were honored on Saturday, July 1 at Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum during a special musical tribute celebrating the legendary jazz greats laid to rest on the property.

Guests attended the free event which was the frst tribute Pinelawn has ever organized to honor the legendary jazz musicians. The noted Silver Arrow Band, which has performed around the world and with award-winning musical artists including Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Herbie Hancock & Quincy Jones will perform for guests, under the stars, in Pinelawn’s Louis Natalie Mall, home to many Pinelawn events.

“A very special evening was planned where, for the frst time, we honored the extraordinary jazz musicians who are resting peacefully at Pinelawn. Each musician has signifcantly contributed to the history of jazz and 20th century music and we were honored and humbled to share this history with the community,” said Justin Locke, President, Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum.

About the Jazz Musicians

John Coltranewas a 20th century iconic

American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, composer and musical giant. He is among the most infuential and acclaimed fgures in the history of jazz. John Coltrane died on July 17, 1967 at Huntington Hospital, Huntington, Long Island.

Count Basie, born William James Basie, was an Americanjazzmusician and American institution that personifed the grandeur and excellence of jazz. Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all time. He was the arbiter of big-band swing, establishing swing as a lasting music style. The legendary Count Basie Orchestra still performs today. In 1924, Count Basie moved to New York City. Count Basie died on April 26, 1984.

Lloyd Trotman was known as the “sideman to the stars,” an American jazz bassist who performed alongside noted jazz, R&B, Dixieland and rock artists including Duke Ellington, Ben E. King and the Platters. He resided in Huntington, Long Island between 1962 and 2007. Lloyd Trotman died on Oct. 3, 2007.

Guy Lombardo, born Gaetano AlbertoLombardo, was a Canadian and American Big Band leader known for his festive approach to New Year’s Eve through his famous recording of

Auld Lang Syne. He performed with the Royal Canadians charting yearly hits. Guy Lombardo lived in Freeport, Long Island on South Grove Street, later renamed “Guy Lombardo Way.” Guy Lombardo died on Nov. 5, 1977.

Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum is known for its exceptionally beautiful, parklike grounds, unique architectural monuments, fowing bronze fountains and world-class, 500acre Level II Arboretum. Pinelawn recently announced its 2023 event schedule which includes educational, outdoor programs focusing on the environment. Throughout the year, Pinelawn also hosts online and in-person grief support workshops.

Upcoming Pinelawn Events Include:

Morning Yoga Flow -Sunday, July 23

6th Annual Ladybug Release — Sunday, Aug. 6

Sunset Yoga — Friday, Aug. 12

3rd Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration — Saturday, Aug. 19 and Sunday, Aug. 20

Morning Yoga Flow — Sunday, Aug. 27

Honey Bee Experience — Sunday, Sept. 10

Sunset Yoga – Saturday, Sept. 16

Yoga Under the Stars, Hatha

Centering Class — Friday, Sept. 29

Candlelight Remembrance Vigil — Saturday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, October 1

All of Pinelawn’s events are free of charge and open to the public. To fnd out more details, click here to see the full 2023 calendar of events and to sign up for email updates.

Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum, located in Farmingdale, New York, is a nonsectarian cemetery prided on creating and maintaining a beautiful and serene environment where families can fnd tranquility and comfort. Its open and expansive landscape features hundreds of acres of manicured grounds, unique architecture, fowing bronze fountains, and fower-lined walks. Its beautiful memorial gardens ofer all who visit, scenic beauty where they can refect upon their loved ones in peace. For more information on Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum, or to schedule a tour of the property, visit www.pinelawn.com or call 631-249-6100.

JAFCO plans fundraiser at Glen Head Country Club

With summer foliage now in full bloom, plans are underway for JAFCO, a Floridabased child services agency, to hold its 15th Long Island fundraiser, thanks to the eforts of a dedicated local support group. That’s the feeling of Old Westbury resident Pearl Halegua, who for 15-plus years has organized educational and funding events on behalf of JAFCO.

JAFCO, which stands for Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options, has developed strong local recognition through the work of its longtime “friends” group. Next month, JAFCO will host its 15th annual Long Island fundraising event, titled “Fun in the Sun,” from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 8 at Glen Head Country Club,

Glen Head.

A not-for-proft organization, JAFCO serves abused and neglected children and families as well as children with disabilities.

The group has evolved over three decades to become a unique social services organization. It began as a small foster care and adoption agency with a mission to fll unmet needs in the Jewish community. But, JAFCO leaders view it as their privilege to help all children in need, regardless of faith or heritage, in the spirit of “Tikkun Olam,” caring for the world.

As a social services agency, JAFCO sees child care as a community responsibility. Based in south Florida, the organization is housed on two locations there, plus with a

more recently established site in the Philadelphia area, known as JAFCO FamilyMatters, a JAFCO support network.

One of the Florida campuses is JAFCO’s exemplary Children’s Village, which serves abused and neglected children through its Family Preservation, Foster Care, Adoption and Mentoring programs. Another critical JAFCO setting in Florida is its Children’s Abilities Center. This location ofers family support, therapy, child enrichment and respite, all under one roof. Stressing this location’s importance, JAFCO Executive Director Sarah Franco states that “one of six children born today has developmental disabilities.

The JAFCO Long Island/New York board, which is working with Ms. Halegua

to plan this year’s event, helps to educate others about the organization’s mission to strengthen. Board members include luncheon chairperson Pearl Halegua, Rebecca Altman, Nori Elson, Joan Feldman, Randi Feldstein, Kim Floam, Jeanne Goldman, Joan Grant, Amy Levy, Wendy Maurer, Linda Moskowitz, Ronna Niederman, Harriet Rosen, Rose Schecter, Stacey Spitalnick, Susan Tashlik, Jocelyn Wasserman and Dorine Wulwick.

For more information, contact JAFCO FamilyMatters Events Manager Amanda Medina León at amanda@familymattersnetwork.org or 484-385-0728; or Pearl Halegua at phalegua@gmail.com.

Daniel Gale Foundation holds 1st annual outing

The Daniel Gale Foundation, the charitable arm of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty recently held its 1st Annual Outing in support of its mission to benefit charitable causes across Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island.

The sold-out event, which honored Epoch 5 Public Relations President Katherine Heaviside, offered golf, tennis, and pickleball to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters at the Huntington Country Club.

The genesis of this first annual outing was the advisory board of the Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Young Professionals Network.

YPN is a group of approximately 40 real estate advisors who meet regularly to share growth opportunities through networking and mentoring. This most recent event is one of several fundraisers YPN has organized in support of the foundation.

Co-chairing this event were YPN advisory board members Kathleen McCarthy, a real estate advisor who works predominantly in Queens and western Nassau, and Melissa Stark, who manages sales in the Huntington office.

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty CEO Deirdre O’Connell kicked off the evening festivities, thanking the event committee and all in attendance for their support of the Foundation.

President and Chairman of the Board Patricia J. Petersen, Stanley C. Gale, grandson of company founder Daniel Gale, and Katherine Heaviside joined O’Connell at the podium.

“I am thrilled to stand before such a wonderful group of supporters,” she said. “Together we represent a community of caring that can make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors who are struggling.

I am also exceedingly proud of our young professional group, who put together such an enjoyable and successful event.”

Heaviside was honored in recognition of Epoch 5 Public Relations’ 40 years as Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s public relations firm.

A Huntington resident, Heaviside is a regular on the Long Island Press Power List of “Top 50 Influentials” and has been voted “Best Publicist on Long Island” for 14 years in a row.

She has unmatched long-standing contacts and relationships with the media, corporate leaders, and community and government leaders.

In 2022, as part of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s celebration of its centennial year, the Daniel Gale Foundation was launched to consolidate and organize the ongoing charitable giving and outreach efforts of the organization’s management, staff and real estate advisors to make a greater impact.

Town general taxes due Aug. 10

bank, please schedule the payment prior to the deadline and be sure to include your account number (located in the upper right-hand corner of the tax bill), bill number and/or your section, block and lot. A $3.95 fee applies for debit card transactions.

In the year since its formation, the foundation donated the equivalent of 100,000 meals to Island Harvest and

City Harvest food banks during Hunger Action Month, supported

in its fight against breast cancer,

Town skin cancer screening

Town of North Hempstead officials, along with North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, recently held a free skin cancer screening event at Clinton G. Martin Park.

Town of North Hempstead Receiver of Taxes Charles Berman reminds residents that the last day to pay the 2023 General Taxes – second-half bill without a penalty is Thursday, Aug. 10. Second-half of the 2023 General Tax payments must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before Aug. 10 to avoid penalty.

Online tax payment information is shown on the reverse side of your bill. Online payments may be made by check (ACH) or credit card at: northhempsteadny.gov/tax-payments.

A $1.75 processing fee for online check payments will apply. If paying with an online check through your

The online credit card payment processing fee is 2.30% of the tax amount per transaction. New York General Municipal Law requires people paying their property taxes by credit card to also pay the fees associated with the payment transaction. The Town receives no portion of the service fee – that fee is retained by the payment processing vendor.

Accepted credit cards are American Express, Mastercard, Discover, or Visa.

When paying in person, you may pay your bill at 200 Plandome Road, Manhasset, NY 11030, during normal business hours, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (The office is not open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays). The Tax Office will be open until 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2023.

Please bring your entire bill with you when paying in person. For more information or if you have additional questions, please call 311 or 516-8696311.

The event was the first part of the town’s “Wellness Wednesdays” initiative in partnership with the two Northwell Health facilities. The mobile unit was stationed at the park for a three-hour period and offered free screenings to over 30 residents.

“When caught early, skin cancer is very treatable, that is why it is so important to be proactive,” said Northwell Dermatologist Silvija Gottesman. “In addition to those we screened, we hope that other visitors to the park noticed our presence and are reminded to take care of their skin and visit a doctor if they feel something doesn’t look quite right. Thank you to the Town of North Hempstead for making this event possible.”

One in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

The organization encourages individuals to utilize sunscreen (marked SPF 30 or higher that protects against UVA and UVB rays) properly by applying it 30 minutes

before exposure and reapplying every two hours. Additionally, sunresistant clothing (marked UPF) can help minimize the risks of exposure to the sun.

“Hosting today’s skin cancer screening for our residents is important to us at the Town of North Hempstead on so many levels,” said North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena. “We want our residents to enjoy their time at our beautiful parks this summer safely, and we encourage them to use the free sunscreen that has been generously provided to us by North Shore

University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center,” she added.

“We are proud of the Town’s continuing partnership with Northwell Health,” said Council Member Veronica Lurvey. “We welcome our residents to take part in our free Wellness Wednesday series all summer long so they can stay healthy.”

For more information on the Town of North Hempstead and the entire schedule of upcoming Wellness Wednesday events, please visit our website at https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EPOCH 5

Daniel Gale Foundation holds 1st annual outing to benefit local community not-for-profits. Honoree Katherine Heaviside, president, Epoch 5 Public Relations (second from right) with (l-r) Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty President and Chairman of the Board Patricia J. Petersen, CEO Deirdre O’Connell and Board member Stanley C. Gale, grandson of founder Daniel Gale.

Pink Aid

and

raised thousands of dollars with its Young Professionals Networking and Bowlathon events, among others.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD North Hempstead Town Council and Northwell officials at the skin cancer screening

Schreiber grad Thea Rabman plays at Wimbledom on way to college

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

There was so much to take in.

The beautifully-manicured grass courts. The history around every corner. The plaques commemorating past champions going back more than a century.

The famous concession stands selling strawberries and cream.

The grounds of Wimbledon tennis tournament (or as it’s referred to in London, “The Championships”) is the most famous and revered location in the entire sport. Champions are made and re-afrmed there, and it’s the place every person who ever picks up a racquet dreams of one day playing.

Thea Rabman got to live that dream last week.

The 18-year-old former Schreiber High School star, one of the top junior players in America, is headed to play for reigning NCAA national champion University of North Carolina in about a month.

But on July 8 she got to play at the famous grounds at SW 19, at Wimbledon, for the frst time.

In 2022 Rabman tried to qualify for the junior championships, but those matches are played ofsite. This year, she got the whole experience, and she and her father Louis savored every moment.

“It was really exciting and really cool to be so close to the pros and everything there,” Rabman said upon returning home this week. “It’s something you see on TV and hope to get to play at one day, so the whole thing was really great.”Rabman few to England last week but wasn’t even sure she’d be in the main draw of the Girl’s tournament; with her World ranking of No. 52, she just missed the cutof for automatic entry into Wimbledon. But given that she was just a few spots away from getting in, she knew there was a chance other players ranked ahead of her would withdraw and that Rabman wouldn’t have to go through qualifying.And that’s exactly what happened; two days before the draw was made Rabman learned she’d be in.She drew Australian Taylah Preston in the frst round, and despite battling back in the second set, Rabman fell, 6-1, 7-6 on Court 10.“It was hard because you weren’t able to practice on the main courts until your match,” Rabman said. “I was defnitely nervous in the frst set, she’s a really good player and

the atmosphere was so diferent than usual. And it was so awesome to see so many people at the match cheering for me.“When I was warming up, (Wimbledon men’s quarterfnalist) Holger Rune was warming up right next to me!”Rabman made her Junior Grand Slam debut in 2021 at the U.S. Open, when she won a round in front of dozens of family and friends from Port Washington.In January of this year, she won a round in the Australian Open junior girls event in Melbourne before falling to Rebecca Munk Mortensen of Switzerland in Round 2.“I got to go to the Melbourne Zoo which was so cool,” Rabman said after that event. “I also went to the south Melbourne market and Queen Victoria market which was also such a fun experience.”In addition to competing in singles, last week Rabman also got a chance to play doubles at Wimbledon, as she and her partner, Mortensen, fell in the frst round to the seventh-seeded duo of Nikola Bartunkova and Nina Vargova.With her junior career coming to a close soon, Rabman said she’s very excited to get to North Carolina.According to UNC associate coach Tyler Thomson, Rabman was a top recruiting priority and he’s excited about her joining an already-stacked Tar Heel team.“We are so excited for Thea to join our program,” Thomson said. “She’s very passionate about getting better and about being a Tar Heel. Thea’s game is really versatile, and it will be fun to coach her and to see her grow.”Rabman said she closely followed UNC’s run to the championship this spring, as the Tar Heels beat N.C. State to win their frst team title.“Seeing the college tennis atmosphere and how well they did really made me want to be a part of it even more,” she said. “I talked to a few of the girls and I can’t wait to get there.”Rabman is scheduled to move to Chapel Hill in mid-August, but she still hopes to play one more U.S. Open juniors tournament.Whether she gets directly in or not will depend on her results over the next month, specifcally how she does at the prestigious USTA Nationals in San Diego in early August. If she can win a few rounds there, she’ll certainly get into the main Open draw.“If I get a chance, I’m defnitely going to play the Open,” Rabman said. “Not sure how it will work yet but if I’m in I’ll defnitely come up (from UNC) and play.”

PHOTO BY LOUIS RABMAN

Port Washington’s Thea Rabman competed in the Wimbledon Junior Tournament for the first time on July 8.

Douglas Elliman

Proudly Welcomes Alexandra Gregorek

Douglas Elliman Real Estate is thrilled to announce that Alexandra (Alex) Gregorek has joined our team.

Alex has over 10 years of experience in real estate. As a Certifed Luxury Specialist, she believes that the marketing and positioning of your home is key in fnding the most qualifed pool of buyers. Licensed in both New York and New Jersey, she has worked as an agent representing buyers and sellers in both urban and suburban markets. With Douglas Elliman’s Knight Frank afliation, Alex has the ability to be locally focused while simultaneously being connected to the top brokers across the country and internationally.

Please join us in welcoming Alex to Douglas Elliman Real Estate!

Alexandra Gregorek

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson

O 516.883.5200 | M 551.427.3271

alexandra.gregorek@elliman.com