MANHATTAN TIMES 2024_05_31

Gulf remains in per pupil spending

$20K difference between N. Shore school districts

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The disparity in North Shore school districts’ spending per pupil is projected to continue next school year, with a more than $20,000 difference between the highest and lowest spending districts, according to an analysis by Blank Slate Media.

The average spending of all the school districts per student is expected to rise for the next school year, surpassing the state average and New York City average by thousands.

A slew of financial pressures exacerbated by rising insurance costs and inflation plagued nearly every school district this recent budget sea-

son.

These rising costs were compounded by threats of school districts seeing drops in their state foundation aid for the first time. While districts’ foundation aid was reinstated by the state, many still reported not receiving the full amounts they had anticipated.

But school districts’ rankings for spending per student remained nearly the same from the 2023-2024 school year to 2024-2025. The range of spending tops out at $47,627 per student and falls as low as $25,233.

In each of the town’s 11 school districts, spending per student is based on student enrollment for the

2023-2024 school year provided by New York State and the district’s adopted budgets for 2024-2025.

The Town of North Hempstead’s 11 school districts will spend an average of about $36,523 per student. For 2023-2024 the average was $35,425.

The New York State average is estimated at $33,404, according to The Empire Center, a nonprofit think tank.

In 2022, the most recent year with national figures available, national spending per student averaged $15,633. This was the highest year-to-year increase as well, rising by 8.9% from 2021, which averaged $14,358 per student.

Continued on Page 64

Smith, Melkonian say look to work with newcomer

Alvarez elected to Port Board of Education, ousts Block

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The Port Washington Board of Education will be changing in July with newcomer Sandra Alvarez set to replace Trustee Adam Block, who was not re-elected.

While disappointed in Block’s impending exit from the board, reelected board members Adam Smith and Nanette Melkonian said they are looking forward to working with Alvarez and the unique perspective she will bring.

Port Washington Board of Education May 21, prevailing in a field of eight candidates.

While the field was crowded, Melkonian said greater participation strengthens the Board of Education.

Alvarez and incumbents Smith and Melkonian were elected to the

“I believe that it’s a wonderful

Continued on Page 65

PHOTO BY JOSEPH NEUMAYER, COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD

A fireworks extravaganza was displayed over North Hempstead Beach Park for the town’s 40th annual Memorial Day commemoration. See story on page 2.

Town honors fallen soldiers at Beach Park

1 runs for N. Hills village justice

Former Judge Reisman died Jan. 21

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

Residents will vote on an uncontested village justice candidate in the Village of North Hills in an election June 18 to fill the vacant seat of late Village Justice Jerome Reisman.

Reisman died Jan. 21. He had served as the village justice since 2019. Previously, he was the associate village justice.

Newcomer Jacob N. Schwartz is running unchallenged for the position. Schwartz is currently the associate village justice.

He is running for a three-year term under the Homeowner Party. Efforts to reach the candidate were unavailing.

North Hills residents can vote June 18 at Village Hall at 1 Shelter Rock Rd., North Hills from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

BY CAMERYN OAKES

An estimated 12,000 residents gathered at North Hempstead Beach Park Saturday for the town’s 40th annual Memorial Day Commemoration and fireworks show, honoring fallen soldiers and U.S. veterans.

“North Hempstead Town is always happy to put on our Memorial Day fireworks and honor the countless men and women who have given everything to this great country,” Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said.

Attendees enjoyed the sunshine and a variety of entertainment and

activities at the Memorial Day commemoration, drawing in one of the largest crowds.

“This 40th anniversary celebration was the busiest fireworks display we’ve hosted in years,” Park Commissioner Kelly Gillen said.

The event included music performers The Ronald Reagans and an ’80s vs. ’90s show.

Attendees were also able to enjoy food from a variety of local food trucks, including Dom’s Chicken Finger Truck, Filthy Pig BBQ, Monarch Foods, Mama Mia What A Taco, Sausage Kings, Pupusas City and Smusht

The commemoration concluded with a fireworks show over the water after sundown.

The Memorial Day Commemoration and Fireworks Extravaganza was hosted by the Town of North Hempstead and the Veteran’s Advisory Committee

“It makes me proud to know that I represent a town where people of all faiths and backgrounds from all over the world come together as Americans to offer our thanks to the fallen,” DeSena said.

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Ice Cream.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

North Hills Village Hall.

PHOTO BY JOSEPH NEUMAYER, COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD

Children play in the sand at North Hempstead Beach Park during the town’s Memorial Day commemoration.

Transmission project draws praise, concerns

Activists support shift to renewable energy, call for environmental safety measures

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Residents and environmental activists expressed support for a transmission line project proposed for Long Island that will bolster energy sustainability but are calling for measures to ensure environmental harm is mitigated once implemented.

“The state needs to move to renewable energy and has to increase the energy production and not produce it by fossil fuels,” Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor board member Kay Bromberg said. “It’s just the situation today where every household demands more energy and it’s not going down.”

Community members gathered at the Bryant Library in Roslyn on Tuesday evening for an open house hosted by the New York Power Authority and New York Transco – the leaders of the transmission line project.

George Povall, executive director of renewable energy and environmental protection organization All Our Energy, said it is important for New York Power Authority and New York Transco to be transparent with residents and foster conversations with the community. He said they are moving in the right direction in promoting this.

placed on Long Island, with just 12 miles in New York City and 12.6 miles in Westchester County.

Nearly 10 miles of submarine lines will also be installed, cutting through Hempstead Harbor and the Long Island Sound. Of this, 6.25 miles will be considered part of Long Island.

The project is a collaboration between the New York Power Authority, the state’s public power utility, and New York Transco, a developer, owner, and operator of bulk electrical transmission facilities in New York.

Its intent is to bolster reliability, resiliency and redundancy in the electrical grid and aid in environmental sustainability goals.

Margaret Galbraith, president of an environmental action group, Transition Town Port Washington, said something needs to be done to address climate change and that sustainable energy options are the right direction.

Barbara Holzkamp, a member of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and the Glenwood Landing Glead Head Civic board, said she is trying to be open-minded about the project but has concerns.

The Propel New York Energy project proposal calls for about 66 miles of electrical transmission lines throughout Long Island, with a majority pro-

posed in Nassau County.

The project includes the implementation of new and upgraded electrical stations along with nearly 90

miles of underground and submarine – or below the sea floor – transmission lines.

A majority of the lines will be

Holzcamp said her main concern was the installation of transmission

Continued on Page 66

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PHOTO BY CAMERYN OAKES

Residents speak with staff working on the Propel New York Energy project to ask questions on the transmission line proposal.

Antisemitism forum sparks criticism

Resident says framing of discussion will incite fear, organizer says fear already exists in families

BY CAMERYN OAKES

A forum questioning whether Jewish students should pursue higher education amid the wave of antisemitism on campuses has sparked criticism claiming it will incite fear, but the organizer contends the discussion is intended to ease fears that already exist.

The forum panelists include local officials, all of whom are Republicans. This has also drawn criticism, with one resident questioning why no Democrats are involved and referring to it as a platform for Republicans to tout themselves.

“This has nothing to do with Republicans and Democrats,” forum moderator and organizer Fred Bassali said.

The forum is to be held Thursday with attendees invited to join in person at Congregation Kol Israel Achim in Great Neck or virtually. Registration is required.

Bassali, a professor at The City University of New York with a doctoral degree in electrical engineering, will be moderating the forum. Attendees who register can submit questions for the panelists.

Panelists include Nassau County District 10 Legislator Mazi Pilip (NY-

A forum taking about antisemitism on college campuses features a panel of local officials.

Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral, Stand With Us Northeast Director Avi Posnick and Yale student Sahar Tartak.

The flier asks: “Should Jewish students pursue higher education despite violence on campus?” and “Can enacting new laws help reduce these violent incidents?”

Antisemitism on college campuses has been a national focal point in recent months, with multiple university presidents testifying before Congress on the subject and a series of campus protests erupting against the war in Gaza across the country.

Great Neck resident Nina Gordon said the forum’s framing of the issue is “stoking fear” through the language used. She said it is coupling violence and antisemitism, which she said is not necessarily the case.

Gordon, who said she was the target of antisemitism while in college, called this an issue that has persisted for generations right up until today, but claimed the forum is not adequately addressing it.

“What’s new is that…things are amplified through social media and all of the world events are causing feelings to run high,” Gordon said. “But this event, I don’t see that this

event will solve anything. I think that the only thing this event will do, like I said, is stoke fear among people.”

While she said nuanced discussions should be held on the extent of free speech related to current events, that is not what she perceives to be the focus of the forum. She said laws restricting free speech in response to antisemitism can be a slippery slope.

“Of course, we need to discuss what’s happening on campuses and, of course, kids need to be safe and the colleges need to do something to make them feel safe, but I don’t think bringing in the National Guard and legislating what people are allowed to say is the way to do it,” Gordon said.

She said resolving issues can only be achieved through thoughtful discussions.

Bassali said the fear of sending their children to higher education is something that he knows Jewish parents are experiencing – including his own family. This is what inspired him to host a panel.

He said the forum is not intended to fuel fearfulness, but rather ease the fears which already exist and call for stronger protections for Jewish students.

Bassali said he contacted Pilip

Continued on Page 64

10), Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (NY04), state Sen. Jack Martins,

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRED BASSALI

State Senate Dem candidates to debate

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The Port WashingtonManhasset League of Women

Voters will be hosting state Senate District 7 Democratic candidates Kim Keiserman and Brad Schwartz at a forum to precede the primary election this June.

The forum will be held from 7:30-9 p.m. on June 6 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock Road. It will also be available to watch via livestream through North Shore TV and after the fact on the league’s YouTube channel.

Keiserman and Schwartz are set to face-off in the race to replace state Sen. Jack Martins – a Republican.

The district, which includes much of the North Shore and the Town of Oyster Bay as far east as Woodbury, is currently represented by Martins, who flipped the district red in 2022.

Keiserman is an education consultant and serves as a commissioner for the North Hempstead Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, chairwoman of the Baxter Estates Planning Board and a board member of the Come to Believe Network.

She is also president of the Port Washington Democratic Club, a zone Leader for the Nassau County Democratic Committee and co-president of the Baxter’s Pond Foundation.

Her campaign platform encompasses advocating for reproductive rights, investing in public education, fostering gun safety legislation, lowering taxes and bolstering affordability, protecting the environment and standing up against bigotry.

Keiserman’s intent in running is to give Long Island a seat at the table at the state level to ensure their voices are heard, according to her campaign.

Continued on Page 65

Glen Cove man to pay $170K for company kick back scheme

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

Glen Head resident Angelo Stanco and his Glen Cove paving and masonry company were sentenced Thursday on wage theft charges and made to pay more than $170,000 in restitutions for forcing employees to kick back checks from the Department of Labor after the company failed to pay prevailing wages from public work projects.

The 59-year-old was convicted before Judge Helene Gugerty of petit larceny. His company, American Paving & Masonry Corp., was convicted of grand larceny in the third degree. Stanco was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and his company was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge.

The Stanco and his company paid $171,278.02 in restitution to 18 former employees on Thursday.

“This defendant not only failed to pay his employees their fair and rightly owed prevailing wage but further victimized and bullied workers by shaking them down for checks they received as compensation from the State and threatening their future employment if they did not hand the checks over,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.

Both Stanco and his company are

Glen Head resident Angelo Stanco and his paving company were sentenced to pay more than $170,000 in restitution for a kick-back scheme.

prohibited from entering New York public work contracts until May 23, 2029 since the convictions were related to Brookville and Sands Point public work projects.

“Angelo and American Paving will continue to pay for their deceit,” Donnelly said.

The state labor commissioner required Stanco and his company to give

Continued on Page 65

The scheme began when Stanco acknowledged with the New York State Department of Labor Public Work Bureau prevailing wages owed to employees from public work projects, the DA said.

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D’Esposito targets MTA chairman

Joins N.J. Dem, fellow congestion pricing opponent in barring use or federal funds for Lieber’s car

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

Nassau Republican Anthony D’Esposito and New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer introduced a bipartisan bill in the House Friday calling on Congress to prohibit the use of federal funds for a passenger vehicle or personal driver for MTA Chairman Janno Lieber after they discovered he commutes to work in a government car.

“Whether it’s a big piece of legislation or a small piece of legislation, I think it’s a piece of legislation that is beneficial to the people we serve,” said D’Esposito, who represents Nassau in Congress and Gottheimer the northern border of New Jersey.

D’Esposito and Gottheimer, both members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, slammed the MTA for its incoming congestion pricing plan and financial “mismanagement.” The duo accused Lieber of hypocrisy.

“Apparently, he uses a government vehicle, a car, to get around the city – the very thing his congestion tax, ironically, is aiming to get off the road,” Gottheimer said. “Here’s the kicker. Janno’s government car won’t even be subject to the congestion tax when the congestion tax goes into place.”

J. McCarthy told Blank Slate Media in a statement. “Meanwhile, Gridlock Gottheimer stays in his traffic-congesting chauffeured car doing nothing to improve transit in New Jersey and instead sticks its riders with a 15% fare hike.”

The congestion pricing is set to hit commuters June 30, MTA officials said. Car drivers face a $15 charge to enter Manhattan at 61st Street and below, while truck drivers can expect between a $24 to $36 charge depending on vehicle size. Motorcycle drivers are looking at a $7.50 charge.

Proponents of the plan argue that it will reduce traffic and generate much-needed revenue for the MTA. Opponents say the tolls are unfair for residents who work and seek healthcare services in the city.

The bipartisan legislation pushed by D’Esposito and Gottheimer is not the first attempt to halt the longcoming congestion pricing plan – the Town of Hempstead filed a federal lawsuit May 1.

suits attempting to halt the plan, including a suit filed by Rockland County.

Hempstead’s suit made it the first Long Island town to initiate legal action against the plan. Town Supervisor Don Clavin called congestion pricing a “money grab” and said the town is seeking an injunction to stop the plan.

“It’s a way for them to try to find money to pay for their mismanagement and it needs to stop,” D’Esposito said.

To paint a picture of this financial mismanagement, D’Esposito listed some examples of MTA spending over the past few years.

He said the MTA allocated $3 billion toward its debt, spent $1 billion to expand a SecondAvenue subway station that alleged experts said was “twice as much money as needed,” spent $5 million on employees and $700,000 on subway gates.

But the MTA said the organization is fiscally responsible and called out Gottheimer for his own hypocrisy.

“The MTA is the one with soar-

ing reliability and satisfaction ratings all while balancing its financial plan with a half billion dollars in annual savings from efficiencies,” MTA Chief of Policy and External Relations John

And New Jersey Gov. Philip D. Murphy and other state officials have sued the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, a lawsuit which the MTA later joined.

There have been at least six law-

According to D’Esposito, the MTA spends $700 million per year to compensate for fare evasion. The representative said the congestion pricing plan is meant to decrease traffic and increase public transit ridership, yet many riders are evading the ticket fares.

Continued on Page 60

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, of Island Park.

T:12.45"

Trump endorses D’Esposito in NY-04

Former president calls congressman ‘fantastic and highly effective’ representive in post

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito Sunday in the NY-04 congressman’s race for re-election.

“Congressman Anthony D’Esposito is a fantastic and highly effective representative for the people of New York’s 4th Congressional District,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “A retired NYPD police detective, Anthony is working hard to Uphold the Rule of Law, Create Jobs and Lower Inflation, Secure the Border, and Support our Incredible Military and Police Officers. Anthony D’Esposito has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

The Nassau County Republican Committee officially made D’Esposito the party’s nominee in February. The congressman publicly endorsed Trump on the night he was nominated during a speech.

D’Esposito echoed this message of support for the controversial former president after Trump’s recent endorsement.

“Under President Donald Trump, America was respected on the global stage, families had more money in their wallets, and our southern border was not the disaster that it is today under Joe Biden’s watch,” D’Esposito said in a statement. “With President Trump back in the White House, my House Republican colleagues and I will finally have a partner in government equally committed to securing our borders, stopping the crime crisis, standing up to our enemies overseas, and ending Joe Biden’s inflation-inducing, progressive spending spree. I am honored to receive President Trump’s endorsement.”

D’Esposito has been outspoken on a number of recent issues, including his disapproval of the incoming MTA congestion pricing plan and proPalestinian college protests.

The Island Park representative called congestion pricing a “cash grab” and accused the MTA of financial mismanagement in May.

D’Esposito joined 13 other congressmen in an April letter imploring Columbia University alumni and donors to pull their donations until the university president resigned amid the pro-Palestine protests that took place on college campuses across the country throughout April and May.

D’Esposito first ran for Congress in 2022, securing a victory and flipping the seat from Democrat to Republican.

While in Congress, D’Esposito has supported the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. House Republicans claimed Mayorkas was to blame for issues at the southern border amid high illegal immigration. Mayorkas’ impeachment was only the second Cabinet secretary impeached in the country’s history.

D’Esposito supported H.R. 2, the Republicanbacked “Secure the Border Act,” which passed the House but had not made it through the Senate before a new border bill was introduced in January.

The congressman also supported a House resolution that overturned a Washington, D.C., law that lowered penalties for certain crimes.

Prior to his work in Congress, D’Esposito served as an NYPD detective for more than a decade and worked as chief of the Island Park Fire Department.

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Taxpayers agree to spend on education OUR VIEWS Editorial Cartoon Opinion

Long Island residents apparently don’t mind paying taxes. At least if the money is spent on education.

Out of 122 Long Island school budgets, voters rejected only two last week – Sachem and West Babylon, both in Suffolk County.

Every budget on the North Shore was approved, including Port Washington’s, whose 4.55% tax levy increase exceeded the state-mandated tax cap.

This meant the budget needed more than 60% of the vote. Which it got.

Like Port Washington, virtually all North Hempstead School districts approved budgets by lopsided margins.

Given that schools account for about two-thirds of the money raised through property taxes in Nassau, this seems surprising in a county where complaints about high taxes are common.

The new budgets push school spending per pupil in North Hempstead to new heights — an average of about $36,523 per student.

This includes the North Shore School District spending $46,830 per pupil, followed by East Williston at $43,428, Great Neck at $41,324 and Roslyn at $39,490.

North Hempstead’s 11 school districts spend among the highest amount per pupil — if not the highest—in New York State.

The state average is estimated at $33,404, according to a recent report by the non-profit think tank The Empire Center.

This is more than double the national average of $15,633, based on 2022 figures, the most recent year with national figures available,

States like Florida and Texas, which have drawn many New Yorkers in recent years, are under $10,000 per pupil.

Most North Shore school spending is funded by property taxes, with state aid covering most, if not all, of the remaining expenditures.

State aid varied this year among K-12 districts, from Herricks, which received 20% of its revenue in state aid, to Manhasset, which received 5.12%.

State aid, paid mainly from the state income tax, was a major source of contention on Long Island.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget initially proposed a record $34.5 billion in school

aid. This included enough money to comply with a court order that schools in New York provide a sound basic education to all students—as guaranteed by the state Constitution.

State Budget Director Blake Washington told Newsday the new budget followed three years in which school aid increased by $7 billion, with an additional $13 billion increase in federal aid during the same period.

“It’s now time for the state to provide a more sustainable level of funding,” Washington said.

This sounded reasonable for budgetconscious New Yorkers trying to keep a lid on state spending.

But that doesn’t appear to apply to school spending.

Hochul’s proposed budget included revisions to the state’s funding formula, including the elimination of the so-called “hold harmless” policy, which barred any decreases in state aid from year to year— no matter the school’s enrollment, and money for pre-K classes.

The elimination of the hold harmless policy had large implications for many school districts on Long Island. Some 94 of its 124 school districts—76%—saw declines in their student population from 2012-13 to the 2033-2023 school years.

Kings Park saw a 29% decrease in school enrollment over the past 10 years, Port Jefferson 26%, West Hempstead 23%, Smithtown 22% and Commack 21%.

In North Hempstead, Carle Place saw an 8.9% decline, East Williston 8.2%, and Manhasset 8.1%.

It seems reasonable that state aid would increase when enrollment rises and decrease when enrollment declines, all things being equal.

But that is not how it was seen on Long Island.

Republican Long Island Congressmen Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) and Nick LaLota (NY01) called the cuts in state aid “shameful” and “Draconian.”

State Sen. Jack Martin (R-7th Senate District) titled his op-ed that appeared in Blank Slate Media’s six newspapers and website “They’re Cutting Bone.”

We wish these officials had expressed similar concern for students outside Long

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Island, who for decades attended schools that did not provide even a sound basic education, let alone spend $35,000 or $40,000 per pupil.

The Long Island Republican officials were joined by school and Democratic officials in demanding more state aid. Perhaps, not coincidentally, all the congressional and state seats are on the ballot this fall.

Never mind the increase in the past three years, with New York already leading the nation in school aid to local districts and residents’ complaints that New York’s taxes are too high.

Hochul ultimately compromised with state legislators, increasing state aid to schools to $35.9 billion – more than 15% of the $237 billion total budget — and retaining the “hold harmless” policy.

Hochul has said the state will overhaul its school-aid formula to account for school districts that have lost enrollment in the future.

This seems to be a matter of common sense, especially on Long Island, where zoning restrictions drive up the price of existing homes and discourage the construction of new housing.

Hochul should also address what we call a public school system, but that often functions like a private school system with large disparities in spending per pupil

In North Hempstead, spending per pupil ranges between $46,830 in the North Shore School District to $25,233 in the Floral Park-Bellerose School District.

That is known as destiny by zip code.

New York City, which has just one

REPORTERS

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

school district, is projected to spend $31,256 per student in 2024. This is over $5,000 less than the average spending per student on the North Shore. Why?

In theory, public education should level the playing field and provide a pathway for future success. But in practice, it is doing just the opposite, in part funded by taxpayers from across the state whose children attend schools with less funding.

A system based on fairness would spend more per pupil in New York City, with its large population of new Americans, many of whom speak English as a second language, not less.

That is not politically possible.

But Hochul could look to narrow the disparity further by gradually eliminating foundation aid intended to guarantee a basic education from affluent school districts that spend more than the state average.

School districts that lose revenue under this plan could make up for the lost revenue by increasing the money raised through property taxes.

In turn, school districts whose spending per pupil is below the state average should be exempt from a state-mandated tax cap that requires 60% of the budget vote to exceed. This would give them a better chance to narrow the gap with higher-spending districts.

Hochul and the Legislature should also take a look at why the state’s national lead in spending per pupil does not appear to correspond with the ranking of its schools.

U.S. News & World Report recently

ranked New York State fifth in pre-K-12 education, trailing Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire. New York fared even worse in rankings done by the personal finance site WalletHub, based on performance, funding, safety, class size and instructor credentials, to name a few.

The state ranked New York 22nd in the country, according to WalletHub. It is true not all rankings are accurate, that the quality of public schools can vary greatly within a state and New York State has more than its fair share of new Americans who face language challenges.

It is also true that school spending on Long Island is inflated by the cost of living – driven in part by a shortage of housing.

But shouldn’t someone be checking to see if New York is getting the biggest bang for the many bucks it spends on education?

This may raise some difficult questions, like whether Nassau County really needs 56 school districts, superintendents, and boards or just wants it that way for other reasons. But that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a discussion.

The quality of education in a school district is not only a priority for parents of school-age children who want the best for their children. It also plays an important role in the value of homes within a school district.

Nassau County residents have shown with their votes that they understand this. The least that can be done is to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely and fairly.

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The call to greatness is a worthy quest

Last week one of my patients had returned from a particularly difficult amateur golf tournament, one where he didn’t do well, and he asked me: “Why is golf so important to me?”

The question of why elite amateur athletes put themselves through the torments of hell is a good question. Whether they play golf, tennis, run in marathons or Iron Man races, the question that sometimes emerges during therapy is why should they bother. Why spend so much time, energy, money and risk injury just to earn a trophy?

Surprisingly, I found an answer to his crucial question in Manhattan while watching the New York City Ballet perform the Jerome Robbins masterpiece “Glass Pieces” with music by Philip Glass.

I had seen this ballet once before in Paris and that performance marked the first time I was ever proud to be an American. I wished to see it again and so despite not getting a press passes to review it, I forked over my own hard-earned money to see it again. That ought to give you an idea of just how good this ballet is.

The first three ballets on the program included “Pieces at an Exhibition,” “Red Angels” and “Play Time,” all of which were more contemporary and not memo-

rable with the exception of watching India Bradley perform in “Red Angels.” Bradley has somehow channeled the spirit of the Russian ballerina Natalia Makarova with identical hand, arm and body movement.

But now let us get to the meat of the matter, discuss the American masterpiece “Glass Pieces” and discover how Jerome Robbins answered the question of why anyone should sacrifice their life to a craft, whether the craft is dancing or golf.

“Glass Pieces” is divided into three sections, “Rubric,” “Facades” and “Akhnaten,” all set to the mesmerizing music of Philip Glass. The first piece has a background that looks like graph paper with 40 members of the corps walking quickly across the stage as pedestrians would walk on a Manhattan sidewalk. And interspersed among the casual walkers are three pair of dancers performing classical lyrical balletic pas de deuxs.

The contrast is jarring. Jerome Robbins has shown in a simple way the huge difference between regular people and those who have developed their craft in a transcendent way. The contrast between the theme of a pedestrian life vs. an artistic life is highlighted even more so in Scene Two called “Facades” where you see in the back the slow shuffling walk of ballerinas as they make their way from

DR. TOM FERRARO

Our Town

stage right to stage left. In the front of them are two principal dancers doing another classical pas de deux. The contrast between the many who walk and the few who dance is again in full view.

The final segment called “Akhnaten” is where Robbins’ humor and choreography take full flight with the corps of men entering on stage left, moving quickly to the Glass music with elbows leading the way. Then come the corps of ballerinas, who have their own cute, stylish and charming moves in unison.

The message delivered to the audience’s minds is clear. Here we see danc-

ers, set in bold relief against regular humans. The dancers are attempting to express and display excellence, greatness, beauty and perfection. They are trying to demonstrate what it means to engage in the struggle to transcend human limitations.

This effort is reminiscent of the great debate and the bet made between Mephistopheles and God in the first act of “Faust” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. God believes in the best in man. Someone like Dr. Faust is always striving to obtain perfection and his quest is morally good.

Satan holds a more negative, cynical view of Dr. Faust, saying that he is like the bulk of humanity, weak, lazy, selfish and stupid and is little more than a cricket trying to jump into the air only to fall back into the mud.

And to return to the question my patient asked about why his golf game was so important to him. He has always been an elite golfer from the age of 12. He may not have realized it, but he had a calling. The calling comes from innate and special talent that may be God- given.

And every elite golfer, dancer, swimmer, runner, artist, and musician are all in the same boat. They showed talent and heard the call to greatness. When you have heard this call, you then must shoul-

der the burden that comes with it. Talent is like a Frankenstein monster that must be listened to, nourished and respected. If you ignore your talent, you will suffer with guilt.

But if you shoulder the burden of talent and submit to its demands, then you will have pride, the respect of others and at times even fame and applause.

And that is what I will tell that golfer. Teddy Roosevelt once said: “It is not the critic who counts. The credit goes to the man in the arena, whose face is marred in dust, sweat and blood and who continues to strive valiantly.”

The call to greatness is a worthy quest, no matter what field you are in.

Training is backbreaking, no matter what the craft.

DiNapoli’s analysis of New York’s budget

My last two columns were devoted to scrutinizing the state’s unsustainable and irresponsible $237 billion tax-and-spend budget that projects a structural deficit of at least $16 billion.

On May 17, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released his analysis of New York’s Fiscal Year 2024-2025, which not only confirms some of my observations but raises additional concerns.

“At the state level,” DiNapoli explained, “certain revenue streams that have been critical to maintaining budget balance are either scheduled to expire or to be depleted in the years ahead, including temporary higher Personal Income Tax, Corporate Franchise Tax rates, and one-time COVID-19 financial assistance from the federal government.”

When these revenue streams dry up, the comptroller concluded, “Current spending levels will be difficult to sustain.”

No surprises there. However, it’s a sure bet leftists in Albany will extend the PIT and franchise taxes—they rarely let temporary taxes expire. But dried-up COVID money hurts. It will

only pump up the structural deficit.

The next red flag: “All Funds” revenues are projected to decline by $7.3 billion. “This decrease is primarily attributable to projected reductions in investment and gaming receipts. In addition, receipts from the American Rescue Plan are expected to be depleted.

Growth in PIT, which is threequarters of total tax revenue, is projected to grow a mere 1%.

DiNapoli goes on to warn that the state’s financial plan is too reliant on a “volatile PIT that depends on a small number of filers.”

Sound familiar? I have been preaching that for years in On the Right columns.

For taxpayer year 2021, DiNapoli noted, “Those with incomes over $1,000,000 comprised 1.6% of the PIT filers but paid 44.5% of the total PIT liability.”

And since 2021, a significant number of that 1.6% of PIT filers have moved to—a drum roll please— Florida. (A newly released Census Bureau report indicated that between 2020 and 2023, the Empire State lost

any appropriated purpose, without requirements for replenishment.”

In other words, the “Economic Uncertainties Fund” is the governor’s personal slush fund to spend at any time on favored projects.

To give the appearance of “containing costs” in Medicaid, the state is utilizing fiscal sleight of hand tactics that go back to the days when Nelson Rockefeller was governor. The state deferred Medicaid payments “across state fiscal years, pushing $1.4 billion that was due to be paid in March 2024 to April 2024,” according to the analysis.

empt from the Office of Comptroller’s oversight and normal competitive procurement requirements. An additional $1.5 billion is exempt from normal competitive procurement requirements; and another $1.9 billion may allow funds to be distributed at the discretion of the Executive/DOB without following the normal competitive requirements,” the report said.

Apparently, the governor does not want the state comptroller’s independent pre-review of contracts, which “serves as an important deterrent to waste, fraud and abuse,” to reward cronies and contributors.

561,164 residents.)

As for “rainy day” reserve funds: “Despite greater revenues than originally anticipated by the Department of Budget, no additional deposits were made to the statutory reserves in 20232024,” the comptroller said. Instead, so-called “reserve” funds are being deposited in informal reserves, such as the “Economic Uncertainties Fund” that can be used by the executive for

The comptroller also pointed out that the governor’s budget continues to utilize “back door” borrowing to fund capital spending.

To avoid voter rejection of new borrowing on Election Day, billions of new debt will be issued by public authorities, “further adding to the state’s already high debt burden and utilizing limited remaining capacity under the state’s debt cap,” Di Napoli said.

Then there is the lack of transparency and oversight: “In the enacted budget, at least $367.6 million is ex-

There’s more: “The budget continues to include problematic provisions with respect to accounting standards that have the potential to distort the appearance of reported receipts, disbursements, and liabilities, and obscure the picture of true spending growth,” according to the report.

Once again, the governor and her pals in the state Legislature are abusing power and are overspending. And the only people that will be punished for their shenanigans will be the taxpayers.

PHOTO BY TOM FERRARO

Environmental nightmare of plastic continues

The worldwide scourge of plastic as a human health issue is reaching epic proportions. Not only have tiny pieces of plastic been found in human placentas, but last week a new study reported the presence of plastic particles in testicles. If that makes you squirm in your chair, it should.

We’re witnessing a historic decline in sperm counts in males, and the remnants of plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic diapers, plastic food packaging, synthetic fabric clothing, and vehicle tires that are showing up in our most sensitive organs may be partly to blame.

It stands to reason, of course. As we’ve written before in these pages, all plastic items, from your plastic laundry detergent bottle to the wrapping of your favorite candy bar, are made from a mixture of chemicals and fossil fuels. Many of those chemicals are known to be toxic to humans. Some cause cancer, some disrupt the endocrine system, mimicking or interfering with the body’s hormones in ways that have serious implications.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, are particularly worrisome for children. In a little body that has been contaminated with tiny bits of plastic, some of which contain chemicals that mimic hormones, all kinds of chaos can result. A growing number of studies are suggesting that EDCs can contribute to

early puberty (especially in girls), as well as obesity and diabetes.

Prenatal exposure to EDCs can affect fetal neurodevelopment resulting in attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. The most susceptible time frame begins during the third trimester of pregnancy and continues through the first two years of life. Do pregnant women know this?

To be fair to the plastic industry, the pieces of plastic that we ingest from eating fish or hot dogs or tofu and the plastic that we inhale whenever we breathe are not our only source of EDCs.

These same chemical toxins can be found in cosmetics, food and beverage packaging, toys, carpet, pesticides, building materials, personal care products, cleaning products, clothes, and cooking pans. So why am I picking on plastic?

Epidemiologists studying toxic chemicals look for “pathways.” In other words, how does an exposure actually occur? Exactly how does the toxin find its way into the body? Some pathways are more direct than others. In the case of plastic, it couldn’t really be more direct. We eat it. We drink it. And we breathe it.

Every day. According to a study by the World Wildlife Fund, the average adult consumes about 2,000 tiny pieces of plastic each week, which is roughly the

by 2050 and plastic pollution will jump 62% during that time.

Industry experts predict that 25 years from now, the world will be producing three times as much plastic as it does today. I have to wonder about the testicles of the men (and the placentas of pregnant women) who sit on the boards of the petrochemical industries and devise new ways to increase the production of plastic while they simultaneously thwart government regulation at every step.

bility of every individual in the world to navigate the obstacle course of life, trying to reduce their exposure to all the different toxins in the environment that can cause harm. That’s the government’s job. And it’s what legislation and regulations are for.

Right now, as I write this, an army of oil and gas industry lobbyists is busy in Albany trying to stop a bill that would limit single-use plastic production.

Matters

DOUG WOOD Earth

equivalent of eating a credit card. More recently, researchers at Columbia University found an average of 240,000 microscopic pieces of plastic in every 16-ounce bottle of water they tested.

So we know exactly how we’re being exposed to plastic and the chemicals that it contains.

And yet, the use of plastic is expanding. Plastic is the last, desperate lifeboat for the oil and gas industry as the world eschews the use of fossil fuels for energy. Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara estimate that global annual plastic production will rise 22%

Is it that they don’t believe the science? Do they think they know better? Or do they have some secret way of avoiding the personal plastic contamination that the rest of the world is being subjected to?

I also wonder what people are thinking when I see them stocking up on shrink-wrapped plastic bottles of water ahead of a long summer weekend or putting their kitchen garbage out in neat white plastic bags. Do they not realize their bodies are being polluted with plastic, and they are unwittingly contributing? Or are they just busy with their lives, hoping and expecting that the government is regulating all the dangerous things in the world and that they can concentrate on living.

Well, that is the way it’s supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be the responsi-

The Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act would save taxpayers and municipalities money, force polluting companies to pay for the cost of their packaging waste, get many of the most toxic chemicals and substances out of packaging (such as lead, PFAS, formaldehyde, cadmium, and many more), and require companies to reduce single-use packaging by 50% over 12 years.

The industry is claiming this will cost jobs, and that the legislation isn’t necessary.

Well, if your state representatives start talking about defeating “job-killing” legislation or opposing “unnecessary” regulations, think about the plastic floating around inside your brain, your lungs, your heart, your eyeballs or your testicles, and then decide if you think tough government regulations on plastic pollution and toxic chemicals is a good thing or not.

Uncertain effect of even-year elections

On this sliver of an issue I actually agree with Republicans, though not for the same reason. Republicans are filing lawsuits to prevent New York State from moving local elections to even years, when it is calculated turnout will be measurably higher. Their opposition is consistent with every action and suit they have pressed to suppress voter turnout.

Actual democracy – one person, one vote and every vote counted – is anathema to Republicans at every level of government in order to give the minority the better opportunity to rule.

The law (S3505-B/A4282-B) will move many county and town elections (those that can be changed through legislative actions) from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years. (Changing the election for other offices including judgeships and city offices requires a constitutional amendment, which Gov. Hochul supports,)

The basis for the law was a powerful statistic: voter participation in elections held in even-numbered years is substantially higher than participation during odd-numbered years. For example, millions more New Yorkers participated in elections in 2020, when 64 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots than in 2021, when just 25 percent of eligible voters turned out to take part in local elections around the state.

Supporters of the measure also argued that elections held in odd-numbered years impose cost and burden, particularly for voters who may have difficulty get-

ting time off from work and traveling to their polling site (though improved access to early voting and absentee ballots could and should remedy this).

“Democracy works best when all eligible voters can participate, and this new law advances New York State toward that goal,” Hochul said in a press release announcing the signing. “Other states and jurisdictions around the country have made similar common-sense adjustments to their election calendars and have subsequently seen significant increases in voter participation in local elections.”

In theory, syncing town and county would more than double turnout in local races, save taxpayer dollars, and begin to streamline the extremely unconsolidated patchwork of elections in the state.

New York State, once one of the worst for voter turnout because of the most insane obstacles to voting, has made several important changes to strengthen voting rights and expand access to the ballot under Hochul. In June 2022, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, the strongest state-level act in the nation, protected voters against voter dilution, suppression, intimidation and other barriers to voter participation. In December 2022, legislation moved the deadline for voter registration from 25 days ahead of an election to 10 days ahead of an election. In September 2023, Hochul signed legislation establishing a system for early voting by mail.

While I applaud the theoretical boost to voter turnout that is the basis for moving local elections to even years, my fear is that local candidates and issues will sim-

makes: “In even-year elections, state and national politics will drown out local concerns that have a direct impact on the everyday lives of New Yorkers. It is this very reason why some municipalities have constitutional protections to have odd-year elections – so the focus can be on local issues.”

The state Board of Elections has raised the logistical challenges of expanding the ballot in even years — a technological and practical nightmare.

made to increase mail-in voting and early voting reduce the hardship and barriers to voting in off-years.

ply be overshadowed and outspent. It will be hard for low-down ballot candidates, let alone issues like a county bond referendum or town proposition, to get attention or discussion. It will be more likely than not that people will just vote a party-line, which is perhaps the thinking behind this proposal (and could backfire if there is a backlash against the top of the ticket).

Party-line voting has become a danger to “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” especially with the U.S. Supreme Court in the recent South Carolina case basically inviting Republican legislative majorities to gerrymander to their delight, putting yet another nail in the coffin of the spirit and letter of the Voting Rights Act.

This is the argument that the New York State Association of Counties also

Indeed, this was apparent in November 2022, when NYC Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams put out an advisory: “Whether you are voting early, absentee, or on Election Day, remember to flip your ballot! In addition to individual candidates, New Yorkers will vote on four ballot proposals that will impact daily life in New York City and State.” (The absentee ballot provision lost.)

Additionally, there may be some credence to the fear that the longer the ballot, the greater the likelihood that voters will not bother to vote for down-ballot races (“voter fatigue”), where local candidates will fall.

Counties also question how much this proposal would actually save since there are city and county offices (sheriff, treasurer, clerk and district attorney) that will still be held in odd years, negating any purported savings. But turnout, not savings is the main motivator).

Another concern is that local governments claim they were never asked about the changes nor consulted by lawmakers. Also, the very reforms that have been

Republicans predictably have filed suit to prevent this election law change from going into effect. The Republicans aren’t arguing for any (small “d”) democratic benefit by keeping the odd-year elections – in fact, they have opposed every reform intended to ease access to voting in New York, which had been among the states with the lowest election turnout. And they are really hair-on-fire because this reform is intended to promote turnout by Blacks, Latinos, Asian, and other under-represented, hard-pressed groups.

Republicans argue that the state doesn’t have authority over local elections.

That’s the argument Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is making in his lawsuit. Nassau is just one of the many Republican-led counties and towns filing suit to overturn the law (interesting they are filing separate lawsuits): On Long Island, these include Nassau County, Suffolk County and the towns of North Hempstead, Brookhaven, Islip, Huntington and Smithtown.

“If this change will result in more people voting for down ballot races, that’s a good thing. Good for our country, good for democracy. And if Republicans don’t like it – which comports with their history of trying to suppress votes — and if that is their goal, they should use party dollars, not my tax dollars to sue,” said Jody Kass Finkel, interim chair of the Great Neck Democratic Club.

KAREN RUBIN View Point

Letter to My Son

Past the confetti and congratulations, the years and words fall over themselves now you are gone.

All the things said and not said.

I see your happiness resides elsewhere, unlike how I am—my fear remains unbetrayed. How alike and unalike we are. (I hope you forgive me).

I bite my tongue for fear my father will come out, in force… sometimes… often.

My guard is that I must not shatter your moment, not just once, no matter how much I long to be. Something I leaned as a younger version of myself, knowing to let others speak.

You stood poised on a limb that I held at the edge of the world ready for flight, as I stood my firm ground, amazed.

My heart beating in its cage, my hands clenched tight ready to let go as your life took on its shape. Alas, ready to let go of immortality.

Stephen Cipot Garden City Park

Taxpayers come 2nd to DeSena

Iattended a recent Town of North Hempstead Council meeting with several of my neighbors to oppose an agenda item authorizing the town attorney to initiate litigation concerning a state law consolidating most elections into even-numbered years.

It is unfortunate that some councilmembers as well as our supervisor, Jennifer DeSenna, think support of such a frivolous item rivals their primary responsibility of protecting the hardworking, tax-paying middle-class families that call North Hempstead home. The only reason the supervisor and her allies want to challenge this law using taxpayer dollars is to protect their own incumbency.

This law is designed to increase voter participation, which is something the Nassau County Republican Party has been trying to depress for years in various forms. I urge those councilmembers and Supervisor DeSenna to abandon this selfish political pursuit and support ways to enhance our governmental operations to benefit our residents.

I suggest to Supervisor DeSenna if she truly believes this law to be unconstitutional, then reach out to Nassau County Republican Chairman Joe Cairo and ask him to use the vast resources of his party rather than those of the people of North Hempstead to conduct her unnecessary lawsuit.

Scott Wolff Village of Great Neck Estates

New York City Transit presidents such as Richard Davey and his past predecessor Andy Byford and others going back decades come and go after a few years. NYC Transit has a fleet of 6,418 subway cars, 472 stations, 28 rail yards, 4,500 buses and 29 bus depots. Since 2002 there have been six NYC Transit Presidents.

They depart to become the CEO of another transit agency, engineering firm, rail car manufacturer, construction company or equipment manufacturer. They leave the nation’s largest subway and bus operator with a generous separation package. This includes a six figure severance payout plus financial compensation for unused sick and vacation time.

Promoting from within the current NYC Transit senior organization management team to fill any vacancy makes sense.

Rather than wasting time and money in a national search for a new permanent NYC Transit President, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber should promote from within.

There are a number of very capable senior vice presidents to choose from. They include the NYC Transit senior vice presidents for subways and buses, chief engineer, chief financial officer, executive vice president and several others.

They, already have a good understanding of the NYC Transit’s organization, staff, operations, stations, subway yard and shops, bus depots, other capital assets, facilities and customers needs. Any would be able to hit the job running with little need for on-the-job training. The next NYC Transit president will need to develop a relationship with funding partners such as City Hall, Albany and the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New

I’ve always been loathe to assign blame for a problem on what seems to be a facile, ready-made excuse.

But media reportage now seems to be fully engaged with downplaying the success and strength of the American economy. And it’s having an effect on people’s perceptions.

According to a new Harris poll:• 55% believe the economy is shrinking• 56% believe the economy is in a recession• 72% believe inflation is getting worse

None of this is remotely true, but scores of articles being fed on sites like Axios, Politico, Yahoo Finance and others have people believing all sorts of things.

Most common is the belief that millions “are working two or three jobs” to make ends meet. In fact, the number of multiple job holders in the economy has been pretty consistent for decades.

And millions choose this kind of work for the flexible hours or extra pay they want and do not necessarily need.

The use of statistics here shows the amateurism of the media: they count in the sheer number of jobs, so as the economy gets bigger, it’s only natural that more multiple job holders grow with it. Just as it does for single job holders.

The other “trick” is to benchmark the price of gasoline from the point where oil prices actually went negative during the pandemic.

From there, prices are surely higher. But $2.50 a gallon now seems to be a birthright for the American citizen, the better not to feel the pinch when filling up the F-150.

Another trope is that 60% of Americans are living “paycheck to paycheck.”

The data doesn’t bear that out either, but some people are pretending there were no poor people in this country before the pandemic.

We’ve had 40 straight months of sub-4 % unemployment, millions have entered the workforce, GDP is the highest it’s been for some time, the markets are soaring, and yet the media spreads tales of woe. If TFG had hit these numbers, it would have been proclaimed an economic miracle.

Prices are surely elevated from the supply shocks and whiplash effects of the pandemic, but most have stopped rising, and judging from Target and WalMart’s new price war, they may even come down.

But wages have risen, too. And I still believe this bout of inflation was more of an irritant than a calamity.

Politically, this is a big problem. The trope “this piece of news spells trouble for Joe Biden” has become commonplace and lampooned by many on social media. The perpetrators of this line of thinking, including the New York Times, are aware they’re being dragged online by it and they don’t seem to care.

One parody account, “The New York Times Pitchbot,” has more followers than any New York Times columnist, yet the paper ignores that it’s being mocked for this kind of “journalism” on an almost hourly basis. Unfortunately, the Times’ coverage just keeps validating the satire.

Hans Nichols, a veteran reporter now at Axios, scripted a piece headlined “Biden’s Fast Food Problem,” related to prices at fast food chains. Oddly, I would think this would be a problem for McDonald’s and Wendy’s, but apparently, it’s the President’s.

How Nichols descended into selfparody after all his years in the trenches is a mystery. Do I sense a pattern here?

The gloom peddling isn’t limited to inflation. Bloomberg ran an article with an alarmist headline about more homes being “underwater” on their mortgages.

Reading the article itself, it turns

York office along with riders and union employees.

The MTA usually allocates up to 80% of the $1.8 billion in annual grant funding it receives from FTA to fund NYC Transit capital projects and programs. It is critical to make it a priority to meet with the FTA New York Region 2 Office administrator and staff. It is a simple walk across the street from NYC Transit headquarters at 2 Broadway to visit the FTA Region 2 office located on the fourth floor of the United States Customs House at 2 Bowling Green.

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 Office of Operations and Program Management.

NYC transit presidents leave the station every few years Media manufactured misery

out that the number of additional homeowners at negative equity is just 2500. A cross a dozen states . That’s not a “news” story.

Know what’s NOT a problem?

President Biden’s opponent in the next election, who is currently on trial for 34 counts of falsifying business records, has been exposed as a serial philanderer and liar, has been convicted in a court of law for rape, who’s inaction during the pandemic murdered over 150,000 people by the lowest estimates, and who was recorded on tape conniving to subvert an election, seems to face no critical scrutiny from journalists. Nothing is ever a “problem” for TFG. I find that amazing. Why is this happening? The media wants a horse race in the coming election. They may ensure that we never have another one.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Donald Davret Morristown

The Intolerable Angst of the Middle Class

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ulous Dining • Outdoor seating hant shopping indoor & outdoor ting G te for the Annual Belmont On Tulip Avenue! from Verbena Avenue to Plainf ield Avenue ace painting • Balloon Art • Food, Fun & Giveaways

FRIDAY, JUNE 7TH • 5PM-10PM Belmont Park Starting Gate

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

The Floral Park Chamber of Commerce, New York Racing Association and Belmont Stakes are co-hosting the Annual Floral Park Street Festival on June 7 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Vendors will line up on Tulip Avenue, from Verbena Avenue to Plainfield Avenue.

“The Tulip Avenue street festival will be fun for all ages. We’ll have face painting, balloon animals for kids,” Uptown Taco owner William Barry, who is running the festival, said. “We have a local dance school performing as well as sampling all of the food from the local restaurants and there’s lively music and entertainment from 5 to 10 p.m. hopefully on a sunny [day].”

About 40 different local vendors will set up at the street fair, Barry said. The street festival has been held for at least 20 years, but stopped for a year or two because of the pandemic, he said.

Last year, about 5,000 people attended the festival throughout the day, Barry said.

Lots of local Floral Park restaurants will be participating in the festivities, including Jameson’s, Jack Duggan’s Pub & Restaurant, Barry’s own Uptown Taco and more.

The Knights of Columbus, Floral Park Fire Department and other organizations will have booths at the street festival.

BARRK Long Island will be holding a dog adoption event.

And there will be live music throughout the day from Eman, Cross Island Collective, local DJs and more.

PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Floral Park Street Fair in 2023, its first year back since a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

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HarborFest 2024 HarborFest 2024

HarborFest Dock Day and Craft Festival is June 2

The Port Washington Chamber of Commerce and the Town of North Hempstead will be presenting the 32nd annual HarborFest Dock Day and Craft Festival on Sunday, June 2. All events officially begin at 10AM at the Town Dock and lower Main Street. Admission is free and there will be free parking at the train station and Manorhaven Park. The Admiral Sponsors of HarborFest are Anton Media Group and Blank Slate Media.

Look for the Chamber of Commerce booth near the entrance to the Dock. They will be selling commemorative HarborFest tee shirts with a beautiful nautical design created by Richie Garofalo (Anthony’s World of Floors.) The Chamber will also be giving out free reusable tote bags for your tee shirts and everything else you get at HarborFest. The royal blue bags feature the HarborFest logo and are courtesy of Bayside Tax & Wealth.

HarborFest is bringing back the fun and exciting Children’s Model Boat Regatta. All Port Washington students in 3rd grade are invited to build a model boat and race it on Baxter’s Pond on Sunday, June 2. Boat building instruction will be held in the Port Washington Library by pre-registration. Racing heats will also be by pre-registration. All 3rd grade sailors must be accompanied by an adult. Racing slots are limited but the fun is unlimited. The Model Boat Regatta is sponsored by the Nautical Council of the Port Washington Public Library and The Baxter’s Pond Foundation.

A huge attraction in the tri-state area is the HarborFest Craft Fair featuring over 85 talented craftspeople and artists. Their booths will be located along lower Main Street, near the waterfront of Manhasset Bay, making it one of the most picturesque Craft Fairs on Long Island. The HarborFest Craft Fair is made possible by the sponsorship of Precision Work, Inc.

Another attraction along the waterfront is Art in the Park in Sunset Park. In this beautiful setting, The Art Guild will offer free Plein Air (outdoor) painting instruction beginning at 1:30PM and a free “Fun With Clay” Workshop for children from 12PM to 1PM. The Art Guild will also offer Button Making Fun for all ages throughout the day. Art in the Park is sponsored by The Art Guild, Fathoms Hotel & Marina and Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy.

As soon as you enter the dock, look for Port Hole Pete in the “Pride of Cow Bay” tugboat Nautical Museum. He is at the helm of a new exhibit, “Birds of Manhasset Bay,” a collection of photos by Eric Titcomb. The exhibit is sponsored by the Sands Point Center for Health & Rehabilitation and Total Dollar Insurance. It was curated by Debbie Greco Cohen (Strategic Planning & Communications) and contains spectacular photos of birds seen around our waters like you’ve never seen them before. You can view the exhibit through the tugboat’s portholes. The exhibit will be on display throughout the coming year, beginning at HarborFest.

Everyone is excited that Long Island Boat Rentals will bring back the luxury yacht, Elixir, to HarborFest again. On Saturday, June 1, the Elixir will depart the Town Dock for two 40-minute Sunset Cruises at 6PM and 7PM. During HarborFest Dock Day, on Sunday, June 2, the Elixir will depart hourly from 10AM to 5PM. Reservations for all cruises may be made online at LIBoatRentals.com/harborfest. Tickets are $30 per adults ($25 on or before May 27) and $15 kids 12 and under.

A highly anticipated event is the demonstration of the Port Washington Fire Department’s Fire Boat. It will be moored off the Town Dock for HarborFest and the demonstrations are always an exciting sight at the festival.

The very popular HarborFest Family Fun Park is organized by The Parent Resource Center (PRC) and the Chamber of Commerce. Visit the PRC Fun Tent which delights the children with lots of games and crafts. A highlight of the PRC activities will be a mini train - always a favorite! There will be many other Fun Park activities by other organizations and businesses to keep the kids happy all day!

The Fun Park also features free family entertainment on the Family Fun Stage. The packed lineup is:

10AM - Songs for Seeds; 10:30AM - Kerboomkidz; 11AM - Pluckd Studio; 11:30AM - Rachel Blackburn Bandshell Musical; 12PM - Berest Dance Center; 12:30PM Rally & Pep; 1PM - Blue Moon Project Taekwondo Demonstration; 1:30PM - Danceworks NY; 2PM - RuDanceNY Studio; 2:30PM - Friday Morning Band; 3PM - Bach to Rock and 4PM Language with Yoli. The Family Fun Stage is supported by Diane’s Place Hair Salon, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Flatiron Pediatrics, Healthy Kids Pediatrics, Mathnasium, Orangetheory Fitness, Port Jewish Center, Sheehan Accountants & Advisors, Sherwin Williams Paint Store and the Sid Jacobson JCC.

The Town Dock is where dozens of local merchants and organizations will offer fine shopping, browsing, demonstrations, activities, give-aways, services and information. As always, a main attraction will be HarborFest’s Fabulous Food Court. Port’s finest restaurants and organizations will present their specialties to feed the hungry crowds. There will be tasty lunch selections from Ayhan’s Shish Kebab, Bosphorus, Ikedo Ramen, LI Festival Catering, the Manhasset Bay Sportsmen’s Club, Mesita, PYA, Rosie’s Food Truck, The Wild Goose, and Yummy Gyro. For sweet treats you will find cool and refreshing choices from Ralph’s Italian Ices and Smusht. Mel’s Ice Cream truck will be parked near the Art in the Park tent. Come hungry – you can feast all day at HarborFest!

HarborFest will showcase free live entertainment in two locations. The main stage area is in front of the “Pride of Cow Bay” Tugboat Museum at the entrance to the Dock. On June 2, the headliners include: 11AM - World Tae Kwon Do Demonstrations; 12PM - Wildcard; 1PM - Red Stocking Review encore performances; 2PM - Hat Trixx; 3PM – Homebrew Music and 4PM - Dexter Scully. By popular demand, Music in the Park will be back at the Sousa Band Shell: Acoustic Color will be featured at 12PM and the Port Jazz Project will take the stage at 1:00PM. For the first time, HarborFest will feature a free Saturday evening Sunset Concert by Tiberius at 6:30PM, at the Band Shell! The entertainment is brought to you by Beacon Pharmacy and Smusht.

The mission of HarborFest is to promote environmental awareness and the HarborFest Committee offers free booths in the Enviro-Expo to organizations that promote the environment. The Enviro-Expo is sponsored by the Honorable Fred Pollack. There will be fascinating new hands-on demonstrations, special displays about Manhasset Bay and up-to-date information and products.

Grassroots Environmental Education has organized a timely environmental education project with fifth graders called “Planet vs. Plastics.” Look for their creative display in the Enviro-Expo area. The Environmental Education project is supported by Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty and the Port Washington PBA.

The support of many businesses and organizations make this wonderful event possible. Other sponsors are: Anthony’s World of Floors, Balanced Medical PLLC, BEB Capital, Captain Steve’s Sailing Experience, Catholic Health Services – St. Francis Hospital, Dance Arts Centre, Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Lisa Donatelli LRES – Douglas Elliman, Happy Montessori School, Heartwood Theory, Hoop Lab – Roslyn, Island Chimney Service, Kiwanis Club of Manhasset-Port Washington, Laffey Real Estate, Kathy Levinson and Animal Cancer Foundation, Long Island Author’s Group, Long Island Builders, Lorber Hoffman RE Group, Law Office of Kenneth S. Magida, NYS Senator Jack Martins, My Spectrum School/Center, My Style Camp, N2 Design + Architecture, New York Life Insurance, North Shore Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, One River School of Art & Design, Port Washington Calendar, Port Washington Federal Credit Union, Port Washington Living Magazine, Prine Health Medical Group, Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore, Renewal By Andersen, Snyder Wealth Group. For additional information about HarborFest, call the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce at (516) 883-6566, email office@pwcoc.org, visit pwcoc.org or visit us on Facebook.

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PORT WASHINGTON’S 32nd ANNUAL

DOCK DAY AND CRAFT FESTIVAL

PRESENTED BY THE PORT WASHINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD

SATURDAY NIGHT, JUNE 1

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2024,10AM - 5PM

TOWN DOCK AND LOWER MAIN STREET, PORT

WASHINGTON, N.Y.

Free parking and free shuttle buses from the LIRR station and Manorhaven Park.

A CELEBRATION OF OUR NAUTICAL HERITAGE ON THE WATERFRONT OF BEAUTIFUL MANHASSET BAY, IN ORDER TO ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THIS PRECIOUS ASSET.

ADMISSION IS FREE (Fee for Cruises)

EVENTS

(all events on Sunday June 2 unless otherwise noted)

• CRAFT SHOW, 85+ VENDORS

• CRUISES ON THE LUXURY YACHT ELIXIR

Saturday Sunset Cruises at 6PM and 7PM; Sunday hourly cruises from 10AM to 5PM

• FIRE BOAT DEMONSTRATIONS

• LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE TUGBOAT: 11AM: World Tae Kwon Do Demonstrations 12PM: Wildcard

1PM: Red Stocking Revue Encore Performances

2PM: Hat Trixx

3PM: Homebrew Music

4PM: Dexter Scully Group

• LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE SOUSA BANDSHELL: SATURDAY at 6:30PM: Tiberius

SUNDAY: 12PM: Acoustic Color

SUNDAY: 1:15PM: Port Jazz Project

• CHILDREN’S FUN PARK: GAMES, CRAFTS, MINI TRAIN, CRAFTS, SPORTS, SCIENCE FUN

• FAMILY FUN STAGE & TALENT SHOW: 10AM: Songs for Seeds

10:30AM: Kerboomkidz

11AM: Pluckd Studio

11:30AM: Rachel Blackburn Voice Studio

12PM: Olga Berest Dance Studio

12:30PM: Rally & Pep

www.pwcoc.org

1PM: Blue Moon Taekwondo Demonstration

1:30PM: Danceworks NY

2PM: RuDanceNY

2:30PM: Friday Morning Band

3PM: Bach to Rock

4:15PM: Language with Yoli

• CHILDREN’S MODEL BOAT REGATTA AT BAXTER’S POND, 10AM START

• ENVIRO-EXPO

• ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: “PLANET VS. PLASTICS”

• ART IN THE PARK

All Day: Button Making 12PM: Fun with Clay 1:30PM: Plein Air Painting

• NEW PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT IN TUGBOAT MUSEUM: “Birds of Manhasset Bay” by photographer Eric Titcomb

• FABULOUS FOOD COURT“A TASTE OF PORT WASHINGTON”

• PAL SPORTS CONTESTS

• MERCHANT AND ORGANIZATION BOOTHS AND EXHIBITS

• MUCH MORE!

JILL BERMAN

PENDING

30 Grace Avenue, Great Neck, Web# 3539063* 38 Vanderbilt Drive, Great Neck, Web# 3537177* 140 Crabapple Road, Manhasset, Web# 3539365** 82 Hill Drive, Oyster Bay, Web# 3535856** 9 Hampton Court, Port Washington, Web# 3545217

96 Radcliff Avenue, Port Washington, Web# 3511721* 16 Soundview Lane, Sands Point, Web# 3506969

Planet vs. Plastics

The HarborFest 2024 Environmental Education program, created every year by Port Washington-based nonprofit Grassroots Environmental Education, will draw attention to the global crisis of plastics, building on this year’s official Earth Day slogan. Sponsors are Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty and the Port Washington Police Benevolent Association.

The 5th grade project will focus on learning about how humans have crossed the planetary boundary with our plastic waste and how we can participate locally to draw attention to and address this crisis. Students will produce educational materials for the public and create a display of plastic-free alternatives for the everyday items we use and discard. A colorful mural of the planet and the different sources of plastic waste and their impact on our world will be prominently featured.

For more information about “PLANET vs PLASTICS” and other programs from Grassroots Environmental Education, contact Patti Wood at gee@grassrootsinfo.org.

Join Long Island Boat Rentals (LIBR) at HarborFest and experience their “History Tour of Manhasset Bay’s Gold Coast” aboard the Elixir Yacht. Sit in luxury during their escorted tour while learning about the Pan Am Clippers (seaplanes) that took off for Bermuda and Europe; John Philip Sousa’s home; the Sands Point Hotel and Beacon Towers, as well as the historic mining of “Cow Bay Sand” that built the sidewalks, subways, and the skyline of Manhattan! And bring home a beautiful free memento of the tour - an historical pictorial map of the waters and sights around the Cow Neck Peninsula. The contents of the map and tour information are provided courtesy of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society.

LI Boat Rentals, Long Island’s premier boating service, will be offering 40-minute cruises around Manhasset Bay on Elixir the Saturday night (6 PM and 7 PM) before HarborFest (June 1) and hourly all-day Sunday, June 2, (10 PM -5 PM!) Step aboard the custom designed, luxury party yacht and enjoy the Gold Coast mansions while experiencing history through your free pictorial map. The cost for the HarborFest cruises is $30 per adult ($5 discount for Adults only if purchased online by May 26) and $15 for those 12 years and younger. Elixir, a private luxury yacht for parties and events of up to 24 guests, is based in Port Washington and services the Tri-State area waters.

Don’t be disappointed on a sell-out - Pur-

chase advance tickets on-line for the special HarborFest Historical Elixir cruises at www.LIBoatRentals.com/Harborfest. Use the promocode “Harborfest” for any discounts available at the time you sign up!

The Elixir –

LI’s Unique Luxury Party Yacht

Private charters of Elixir can take you for a tour of Long Island Sound, dropping anchor at local beaches for swimming and playing on floats or upgrade your event with stand-up paddle boards or a deluxe inflatable couch for lounging on the water. Elixir offers the perfect backdrop for memorable photos, including NYC skyline views. Take a tour around the island of Manhattan and enjoy a

selfie with Lady Liberty! Elixir charters include waters, soft drinks, iced tea, and mixers. The Elixir Yacht works with local caterers, delis and liquor stores for provisioning light bites, wine, and liquors. The Elixir Yacht is one of a kind, offering a once in a lifetime experience for a Gold Coast yacht charter.

About Long Island Boat Rentals/ Carefree Boat Club

Long Island Boat Rentals’ (LIBR) goal is to “Get everyone out on the water”! As LI’s premier “one stop shop” for boaters, we offer your choice of bareboat rentals, captained rentals, the Carefree Boat Club, semi-private powerboat training classes as well as luxury yacht charters accommodating from 6 persons on their express yachts to 24 guests on “The Elixir”, their unique intimate luxury party yacht! The Elixir is the perfect venue for parties, business get-togethers and client events! Frequent boat renters can save 15% when they rent 5 times or more during the same season. LIBR also hosts the Carefree Boat Club, with 5 locations on Long Island, including Huntington, Hampton Bays, Greenport and Moriches! The Boat Club offers frequent boaters the most cost-effective boating option hands-down! We Club members can also use boats at over 180 clubs in the US and beyond. Located at Inspiration Wharf in Port Washington, call or text (516) 405-3931or visit LIBoatRentals.com.

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The Art Guild offers workshops at Art in the Park

On Sunday, June 2nd, 2024, The Art Guild will be participating in and sponsoring the 17th Annual Art in the Park, during HarborFest, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. In addition to The Art Guild, Art in the Park is supported by Fathoms Hotel & Marina and Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy

There will be a “Button Making” all day and “Fun with Clay” at 12:00 PM for children of all ages. Beginning at 1:30 PM, “Plein Air

Painting” will offer participants the opportunity to paint on location at this waterfront park with the guidance of an instructor.

The Art Guild of Port Washington, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing encouragement, education and a forum for the appreciation of the visual arts. For further information about The Art Guild visit their website at www.theartguild.org or call 516304-5797.

HarborFest = HarborFeast

Everyone loves festivals and looks forward to having a tasty lunch or snack at the food booths. HarborFest’s Fabulous Food Court does not disappoint! This year you can look forward to wonderful and diverse selections brought to you by Port’s own restaurants and organizations. Ayhan’s Shish Kebab, Ikedo Ramen, Mesita and Yummy Gyro will serve delicious ethnic cuisines. The Wild Goose will return to HarborFest with perfect lobster rolls. Long Island Festival Catering will offer steak sandwiches, French fries and other popular festival food. PYA will return with grilled hot dogs and burgers. The Manhasset Bay Sportsmen’s Club will be offering shrimp cocktail and the popular “pickles on a stick.” Two food trucks will join the Food Court – Bosphorus and Rosie’s Grilled Cheese.

In addition to lunch, there are options for des-

sert and treats at HarborFest. Ralph’s Italian Ices and Smusht Homemade Ice Cream will offer ice cold treats in many flavors. Mel’s Ice Cream truck will be in Sunset Park, near the Art in the Park tent. Some of the food vendors will also have baked dessert goods.

If you have ever been to HarborFest, you know the Food Court is unique among festivals because it offers both quality and diversity. If you are looking for a gourmet lunch or a snack on the waterfront of beautiful Manhasset Bay, HarborFest is the place to be! The Port Washington Chamber of Commerce has lined up a Food Court that is sure to please everyone. Whether your taste runs to traditional festival food or to more unique cuisine, bring your appetite and get ready to feast all day at HarborFest on June 2!

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of Harbor Acres.

“Birds of Manhasset Bay,” a photo exhibit by Eric Titcomb

By Debbie Greco Cohen

Port Washington resident and brilliant photographer Eric Titcomb has spent countless hours taking pictures of birds on and near Manhasset Bay. Selecting just a dozen photos from the many images provide for selection for this year’s Nautical Museum exhibit was a difficult task, but those chosen do a wonderful job of depicting some of Port Washington’s most beautiful waterside birds.

To celebrate Port Washington’s wildlife and Eric Witcomb’s talented eye and lens, the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce proudly presents this year’s photo exhibit: “Birds of Manhasset Bay.” The exhibit is located in the “Pride of Cow Bay” Nautical Museum, located near the entrance to the Town Dock. The exhibit will be unveiled on

June 2 as part of the 32nd HarborFest celebration. It is sponsored by the Sands Point Center for Health & Rehabilitation and Total Dollar Insurance.

Eric and his family have lived in Port Washington since 1997. While his interest in birding and photography started about 17 years ago, Eric’s love for birding and photography grew tremendously after retiring from his 44-year career at Radio City Music Hall. In Eric’s words, “Traveling to different parts of the world with my wife Judy is my passion, and bird photography is the cherry on top!”

Be sure to visit the exhibit while at HarborFest or afterwards. The exhibit will be on display until next year’s HarborFest celebration and is always “open” since the photos are viewed through the museum’s portholes and rear windows.

This piping plover was photographed along the shoreline between the Sands Point Preserve and Prospect Point. The piping plover is on the New York State endangered species list.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC TITCOMB

ENTERTAINMENT 10:00AM - 5:00PM

SPONSORED BY BEACON PHARMACY AND SMUSHT

NEW! SATURDAY, JUNE 1

SUNSET CONCERT AT THE SOUSA BAND SHELL 6:30PM: Tiberius

SUNDAY, JUNE 2

AT THE “PRIDE OF COW BAY” TUGBOAT MUSEUM

11:00AM: World Tae Kwon Do 12:00PM: Wildcard

1:00PM: Red Stocking Revue Encore

2:00PM: Hat Trixx

3:00PM: Homebrew Music

4:00PM: Dexter Scully

MUSIC IN THE PARK AT THE SOUSA BAND SHELL

Co-Sponsored by the Sousa Band Shell Committee

12:00PM: Acoustic Color

1:00PM: Port Jazz Project

DOCK DAY AND CRAFT FESTIVAL

The Port Washington Chamber of Commerce is grateful for all the members of the HarborFest Planning Committee who make this event so special!

HARBORFEST 2024 COMMITTEES

CHAIRWOMAN

Debbie Greco-Cohen, Chamber President, Strategic Planning & Communications

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Katherine Crean, Apple Home Organization

Lisa Donatelli LRES, Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Kathy Levinson, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Kiwanis

Bobbie Polay, Chamber of Commerce

Drina Scheiber, The Bart Group

ART IN THE PARK

Lisa K. Grossman, The Art Guild

CRAFT SHOW

Mike Bitalvo

Drina Scheiber, The Bart Group

Mitch Schwartz, Millenium Software

CRUISES

Bill Gordon, Long Island Boat Rental

ENTERTAINMENT AT THE TUGBOAT AND SOUSA BAND SHELL

Lisa Donatelli LRES, Douglas Elliman Real Estate

ENVIRO-EXPO

Bobbie Polay, Chamber of Commerce

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECT

Patti Wood, Grassroots Environmental Education

FAMILY FUN STAGE

Debbie Greco Cohen, Strategic Planning & Communications

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Brian Kenny, LI Festival Catering

Bobbie Polay, Chamber of Commerce

FUN PARK TENT - PRC

Nichole Asselta, Parent Resource Center

Erin Orr, Parent Resource Center

GROUNDS, EQUIPMENT & COMMUNICATION

Katherine Crean, Apple Home Organization

Brandon Kurz, PAL, Sports Washington

Jimmy Orr

Mitch Schwartz, Millenium Software

MARKETING AND PUBLICITY

Ally Deane, Port Washington News

Kim Jones, Port Washington Living Magazine

Marie Marcellino, Port Washington Calendar

Ann Merfogel, Newsday and Newsday Media Group

Bobbie Polay, Chamber of Commerce

Julie Prisco, Port Washington News

Melissa Spitalnick, Blank Slate Media

MEMBERS AT-LARGE

Stuart Herman

Carl Lalena

Fred Pollack, Esq.

MODEL BOAT REGATTA

Holly Byrne, Greater Port Washington BID

Shannon Davis

Corey Peterson, Bayside Tax & Wealth

NAUTICAL MUSEUM EXHIBIT

Debbie Greco-Cohen, Strategic Planning & Communications

Eric Titcomb, Photographer

PAL

Brandon Kurz, PAL, Sports Washington

POLICE DISTRICT LIAISONS

Det. Tony Guzzello

Sgt. Peter Griffith

Sgt. Suzanne Petrizzo

SHUTTLE BUS COORDINATORS

Holly Byrne, Greater Port Washington, BID

Sgt. Suzanne Petrizzo

TEE SHIRTS

Richard Garofalo, Anthony’s World of Floors

TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD

Mariann Dalimonte, Council Member

Estefany Garay, Parks & Recreation

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Kathy Levinson, Douglas Elliman & Kiwanis

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

ANTHONY’S WORLD OF FLOORS

For over five decades, the Garofalo family has been the heart and soul behind Anthony’s World of Floors. Since its establishment in 1971, three generations have dedicated themselves to delivering nothing short of excellence in quality, reliability, and expert craftsmanship. Guided by the late Anthony Garofalo’s vision, our name has become synonymous with trust and reliability within our community. At Anthony’s World of Floors, Inc., we pride ourselves on providing exceptional service and the finest carpet and flooring products. Now, expanding our commitment to meet all your home needs, we’re thrilled to introduce a range of new products and services. From exquisite countertops to elegant wallpaper, from stylish window treatments to luxurious upholstery, we’re here to elevate every corner of your space. When transforming your home, look no further than Anthony’s World of Floors.

ANTON MEDIA GROUP

The Port Washington News has proudly served businesses in Port Washington for 116 years. The Port News is an important part of our residents’ lives, covering everything from village and school board meetings to the civic associations. It’s bursting with the latest news each week from community groups, what’s happening at the Public Library, Senior Center, Sands Point Preserve, Landmark on Main Street and elsewhere. And, of course, Port’s children are always featured in our issues: their accomplishments in athletics, academics and philanthropy. The Port Washington News is your trusted source for accurate information on Port’s issues, events and people, as well as a great place to get values and information on your favorite local merchants. The Port Washington News is proud to be an Admiral Sponsor of HarborFest helping to promote and support the event since it began in 1990. Feel free to visit the new website at www.portwashington-news.com.

BALANCED MEDICAL PLLC

Balanced Medical is a full-scope gynecology practice with a special focus in menopause, and lifestyle medicine. The founder, Dr. Adrienne Mandelberger, a Port Washington native, provides a unique patient experience that is focused on quality and prevention without the constraints of corporate health systems and insurance companies. There is a strong emphasis on lifestyle, disease prevention, and quality of life. p 516-853-7891

BAXTER’S POND FOUNDATION

The Baxter’s Pond Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to assist Nassau County in maintaining, beautifying and improving Baxter’s Pond and the area immediately surrounding it in the Barbara Johnson Park and Preserve. We are a proud sponsor of the HarborFest Model Boat Regatta, as well as host to the hundreds of ducks, birdwatchers and daffodils that visit us each spring. We meet our goal to help keep Manhasset Bay’s watershed clean through the support of generous donations and volunteer efforts by our whole community and salute all the participants of the regatta and wish you “Bon Voyage!” To learn more or to support the work of the Baxter’s Pond Foundation, follow our socials @baxterspondfoundation or visit www.baxterspond.org.

BAYSIDE TAX & WEALTH

Bayside Tax & Wealth offers full-service wealth management with one coordinated platform encompassing investment management, income tax preparation, financial planning, and estate planning. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, visit baysidetaxandwealth.com, call 516-500-1248 or come to our office at 174 Main St. Port Washington.

BEACON PHARMACY

Beacon Pharmacy is excited to be part of this year’s HarborFest celebration, providing health services is our specialty! Join us as we provide information and tips to keep you safe and healthy while you enjoy the maritime fun. Come visit our booth for giveaways, Henna Tattooing, and more as we support our community in protecting their well-being at this exciting event! - Your friends at Beacon Pharmacy

BEB CAPITAL

BEB Capital is a real estate development and investment firm with a portfolio of industrial, office and multifamily properties located across the Northeastern U. S. In addition, BEB Capital has interests in a diverse set of businesses, some of which it owns and operates, and others in which it serves as a limited partner. Our corporate offices and a number of our properties are located right here in Port Washington at Harbor Park Drive. For more information about BEB Capital please visit www. bebcapital.com.

BLANK SLATE MEDIA

Blank Slate Media is the publisher of 6 award-winning weekly newspapers including the Port Washington Times, the new newspaper of Port Washington, as well as our website – theisland360.com. The newspapers and website provide professionally written, professionally edited coverage focused on each community – from schools to village government, from sports to entertainment, to everything in between. They also provide the most cost-effective way for businesses, professionals and service to reach their audience. You can reach us at 516.307.1045 x213. Editorial submissions can be made to news@theisland360.com. You can also mail us at 22 Planting Field Road, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577.

CAPTAIN STEVE’S SAILING EXPERIENCE

Experience the beauty of Manhasset Bay in a unique way with Captain Steve. Aboard his well-maintained sailboat, you’ll enjoy a memorable adventure led by an expert captain who knows the bay like the back of his hand. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a first-timer, Captain Steve will ensure a safe and comfortable voyage while sharing his passion for sailing. Book your trip today and create unforgettable memories on the water. 6 guest maximum, BYOB. Book the day of HarborFest online or in person for 10% off with discount code HarborFest

CATHOLIC HEALTH SERVICESST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL & HEART CENTER

St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, with community roots going back more than 100 years, is offering free blood pressure screenings at HarborFest. Join us for informative heart healthy information and an opportunity to discuss your Cardiac Health concerns with a Registered Nurse. St. Francis Hospital, part of Catholic Health, has a network of employed and affiliated physician practices, offering multiple specialties for your family’s healthcare needs.

CHECHIL LLC

At Chechil Cheese, our passion is rooted in creating hand-crafted, artisanal cheese snacks ideal for pairing with Beer, Wine, Whiskey, and more. Our Smoked Chechil is a savory & salty, braided string-cheese crafted as the ultimate beer snack, and our Plain Chechil is loved by Wine connoisseurs all over the world. Our products elevate the drinking experience with its rich flavors and authentic quality, transforming each bite into a memorable tasting journey.

DANCE ARTS CENTRE

At Dance Arts Centre our goal is to enrich our students’ lives through dance and movement as well as to inspire a love of dancing! We ask our students to challenge themselves by learning something new and watch them enjoy their individual sense of achievements as they succeed!

DANIEL GALE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Now, more than ever, buyers and sellers are looking for a partner to help them navigate their real estate transactions. Despite market demand and increased client expectations, our local real estate advisors consistently deliver a high-quality experience. It’s not just about where we can take you, it’s about how we get there together. 350 Main Street

LEGISLATOR DELIA DE RIGGI-WHITTON

As Port Washington’s representative in the Nassau County Legislature, I am tremendously proud to sponsor HarborFest – an event that continues to grow stronger and shine an even brighter light upon everything that makes Port Washington such a special place in the world. This massive array of vendors, entertainment, food and shopping has something for every member of the family to enjoy in an iconic waterfront setting, and I applaud the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce for their dedication to supporting our small businesses and strengthening the entire Port community. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at HarborFest 2024!

SPONSORS CONTINUED

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

DIANE’S PLACE HAIR SALON

Here at Diane’s Place Hair Salon we offer a variety of services for women, men and children – cuts, waves and colors. Our doors are always open – come in and give us a try! Store hours: Tuesday and Friday: 7 AM – 6 PM; Wednesday and Thursday: 7 AM to 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday: 7 AM to 6 PM. Closed Mondays. Call 7673834.

LISA DONATELLI, LRES

Congratulations to the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce on a fabulous HarborFest 2024! Come celebrate our shoreline and civic heritage with fun for all at this must-attend festival: Sunset Concert June 1, all day merriment June 2. Curious about living here? As a Douglas Elliman Realtor and longtime resident, I can answer your questions. Lisa.Donatelli@elliman.com.

DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE

Douglas Elliman is one of the largest independent residential brokerages in the United States with approximately 7,000 agents in over 100 offices nationwide. Moreover, Douglas Elliman has a strategic alliance with Knight Frank Residential for business in the worldwide luxury markets spanning 60 countries and six continents. We have the reach and the resources to promote your property from coast to coast and around the globe.

FATHOMS HOTEL & MARINA

Fathoms Hotel is an intimate waterfront hotel directly on Manhasset Bay. Perfect location for visiting friends and family, or for an effortless staycation. Close to NYC, Close to nature, close to all things Port Washington! Easily accessible by car, boat or train. www.fathomshotel.com

FLATIRON PEDIATRICS

Flatiron Pediatrics of Port Washington, originally started in NYC in 2014, is happily now serving patients and families in the heart of Port Washington. We are accepting new patients, ages 0-21 years, and we look forward to meeting you! We accept most major insurances. Please call us or check our website for more information! 516 588 3888. www.flatironpediatrics.com

HAPPY MONTESSORI SCHOOL

For over fifty years, the Happy Montessori School has provided the essentials of quality education for young children: support, predictability, warmth, and acceptance, in the context of intellectually-stimulating, enriching activities.

HEALTHY KIDS PEDIATRICS

Dr. Madeline Pugliese and Dr. Naomi Jackman are board certified pediatricians specializing in newborns, infants, children and adolescents. They are affiliated with Northwell Health, Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and NYU Langone/Winthrop. The office is located at 211 Main Street. Office hours are by appointment. They can be reached at 516 944-8555.

HEARTWOOD THEORY

At HEARTWOOD THEORY, our approach to furniture design focuses on innovative and creative space solutions. We blend traditional techniques with modern innovations to create eclectic pieces that can serve as focal points in a room or enhance your decor with subtle sophistication. Our unique designs are sturdy and exclusive, crafted to inspire those who incorporate them into their lives.”

HOOP LAB

Hoop Lab is a one - of a kind academy training for beginners to competitive players to develop skills with world-class trainers. Through the Hoop Lab players will have access to year-round training from some of the most well-known trainers in the country, where they will be brought in to teach our members an innovative basketball training curriculum. At our core, we teach resilience and build confidence beyond the court. Hoop Lab is the difference between a player and a skilled player. It’s the 1:1 game that never ends. We are committed to positively impacting basketball skill development and building the foundation of the discipline. Welcome to the new way.

ISLAND CHIMNEY SERVICE

Island Chimney Service cleans gas, oil, fireplaces, woodstoves, does masonry work, repointing, liners, caps, crowns, flashing, tarring, chase covers, housings. We are fully licensed and insured. Our clients like you have made us “Heights Above The Rest.”

IVY REHAB

With 15 locations on Long Island, including here in the heart of Port Washington, our clinics and staff are passionate about providing for your therapy needs. Our Ivy Rehab clinics are proud to offer state-of-theart, compassionate care. By sharing knowledge and investing in research, Ivy Rehab empowers our therapists in advancing the field and improving patient quality of life. Please call our Port Washington clinic at 516-464-7959 to schedule your physical therapy appointment!

KIWANIS CLUB OF MANHASSETPORT WASHINGTON

Why join Kiwanis? We believe children and their communities benefit from the efforts of a dedicated group of caring and hands-on volunteers. Contact Kathy Levinson for more information. Kathylevinson@yahoo.com

LAFFEY REAL ESTATE

Discover the magic of Port Washington’s Waterfront with Laffey Real Estate, your trusted local realtor for 50 years! Our deep-rooted knowledge of the area sets us apart whether you’re buying, selling, or investing. Experience the difference with Laffey Real Estate - your partner in real estate success! 516-883-7780

KATHY

LEVINSON AND ANIMAL CANCER FOUNDATION

Animal Cancer Foundation and Dr. Kathy Levinson are teaming up to Unleash a Cure for cancer at HarborFest’s Doggie Watering Station. The booth provides fresh water, a snack and cute bandannas for all our furry friends who visit.

LONG ISLAND AUTHOR’S GROUP

Long Island Authors Group is a grass-roots organization composed of Long Island residents who also love the craft of writing and publishing. Our

members are published authors and, as representatives of our communities, we mirror the diversity that supports Long Island’s rich artistic tradition. Name a writing genre or topic, and we have it covered - from self-help to science fiction, from poetry to paranormal, you can find it all with Long Island Authors Group!

LONG ISLAND BOAT RENTALS & CAREFREE BOAT CLUB

Long Island Boat Rentals’ (LIBR) goal is to “Get everyone out on the water”! As LI’s premier “one stop shop” for boaters, we offer your choice of bareboat rentals, captained rentals, the Carefree Boat Club, semi-private powerboat training classes as well as luxury yacht charters accommodating from 6 persons on their express yachts to 24 guests on “The Elixir”, their unique intimate luxury party yacht! The Elixir is the perfect venue for parties, business gettogethers and client events! Frequent boat renters can save 15% when they rent 5 times or more during the same season. LIBR also hosts the Carefree Boat Club, with 5 locations on Long Island, including Huntington, Hampton Bays, Greenport and Moriches! The Boat Club offers frequent boaters the most cost-effective boating option hands-down! We Club members can also use boats at over 180 clubs in the US and beyond. Located at Inspiration Wharf in Port Washington, call or text (516) 405-3931or visit LIBoatRentals.com.

LORBER/HOFFMAN TEAM

Who you partner with to sell your home makes a REal difference!

• As Port Washington Broker Owners, we offer a unique and flexible approach to your specific real estate needs

•Find out how our boutique brokerage and team approach can make your next move less stressful Lorber Hoffman RE Group. Your Key To Real Estate. 516-331-1280

LHTEAMLI.COM

150 Main St

Suite 11

Port Washington

SPONSORS CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

Born and raised in Port Washington, I understand this town and the value of Real Estate here. Contact me today to discuss your needs, get your questions answered, and set you on a profitable track to maximizing your most important investment.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

KENNETH S. MAGIDA, ESQ.

The Law Office of Kenneth S. Magida provides individualized legal representation in all real property, business and trust and estate matters.

NYS SENATOR JACK M. MARTINS

Jack M. Martins and his wife Paula are the proud parents of four daughters. He is an attorney at Harris Beach PLLC as well as successful business owner. As a public official, Jack was elected for a fourth term to the New York State Senate in November 2022, having previously served the 7th Senate District on Long Island from 2011 to 2017. Prior to his senatorial tenure, Jack served as Mayor of Mineola, spearheading initiatives that transformed their downtown into a trailblazing, transit-oriented development hub. His foresight and leadership were widely lauded as responsible for the Village’s Master and Debt Management Plans, as well as the recalibration of its tax base. Jack is also the humble but grateful recipient of awards from many Long Island nonprofits, was named a Long Island Business News “40 Under 40” and was most recently added to their “Most Powerful Influencers” list in 2023.

MATHNASIUM

The benefits of attending Mathnasium go far beyond simply getting better grades in math. Kids gain independence, the ability to think critically, and increased confidence. This leads to greater success not only in math, but also in other subjects, and in life beyond the classroom! At Mathnasium, we customize a plan specifically for each student and teach math in a way that makes sense to them. It’s a fun, dynamic, reward-based approach that is proven to accelerate learning and deliver exponential results. Make math a priority and call us today at 516-400-MATH (6284), email us at portwashington@mathnasium.com, or go to mathnasium. com/math-centers/portwashington to schedule a free assessment!

MY SPECTRUM SCHOOL/CENTER

Innovative Private School chartered by NYS Dept. of Education and a high quality Early Childhood Center licensed by Office of Children and Family Services, under the direction of Dr. Linda D’Agostino Ed. D., M.S., M.A., M. S. The enriched inclusive learning environment is designed to ignite the imagination, inspire selfconfidence and instill a lifelong love of learning in children attending Preschool, Prekindergarten, After-School, STEAM Summer Camp, Workshops. My Spectrum School won BEST Private school, BEST Preschool, BEST Summer Camp, BEST Day Care, BEST Teacher Mr. Jason - Nassau County 2022, 2023. 516.883.8035 www.myspectrumschool.com info@myspectrumschool.com 11 Sintsink Dr. E. Port Washington, NY 11050

MY STYLE CAMP

My Style Camp is the Gold Coast’s original fashion design, sewing, and art studio! We offer creative workshops, holiday break camps, after-school classes, and unforgettable birthday parties for all ages. New ‘Mini Style Camp’ introduces Pre-K designers to art and fashion through sensory and tactile crafts. Enjoy adult night outs with painting, knitting, embroidery, sewing & customization classes led by our talented and experienced teachers! Located in the heart of Port Washington, our studio is a hub of fun and inspiration! *Registration is Now Open for our Weekly Summer Camps and After School Fall sessions! Reserve your spots now!

N2 DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE

Serving the local Port Washington and north shore communities. Call us to explore design options for your home, business or office. ON MAIN STREET and FOR MAIN STREET. IN PORT and WITH PORT. Visit us at 315 Main Street, 2nd floor - (516) 883-4907. Staff@N2Design.Net

NAUTICAL COUNCIL OF THE PORT WASHINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Port Washington Library’s Nautical Advisory Council is funded by the Library Foundation. The Nautical Advisory Council promotes knowledge and interest in the nautical history of Port Washington. In addition, they sponsor programs for the nautically minded as well as the general public. The Council also sponsors the Manhasset Bay Boat Tours and the Manhasset Bay Historical Walking Tour App. One Library Drive (516) 883-4400

NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE

AGENT MATTHEW NEWFIELD

1660 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747. 631-252-0907

NORTH SHORE SMILES PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

North Shore Smiles Pediatric Dentistry is a stateof-the-art pediatric dental practice, designed specifically to cater to the needs of children. From the moment you walk through the door, you’re greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere, filled with vibrant colors, playful decor, and friendly faces. Dr. Tiana Hakimi is a board-certified pediatric dentist and has carefully considered to ensure that children feel comfortable and at ease during their visit. For children who experience severe anxiety or have special needs, the practice offers sedation dentistry options. This allows the dental team to provide necessary treatments while ensuring the child remains calm and comfortable throughout the process. This isn’t just any dental office; it’s a haven for children, especially those who may experience anxiety or fear when visiting the dentist. Pediatric dentistry is not just about keeping their teeth healthy; it’s about nurturing a positive relationship with oral health that will last a lifetime. North Shore Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 25 Red Ground Rd. 2nd Floor, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577. Phone: (516) 686-9494 - Web: NSSMILES.com

ONE RIVER SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN

One River School of Art and Design is an allages art school located on Northern Blvd. in Manhasset! We do weekly studio + digital art classes, creative half and full-day summer camps, birthday parties, and more! Our programs are tailored to individual interests- focusing on different mediums and content, scheduled according to your availability! We also have a unique gallery space featuring students, local contemporary artists, and outside businesses on a rotating basis! Join us for our 2024 Summer Camp and Class Season! Call/text us at 516-447-3660 or visit us at 1504 Northern Blvd. Manhasset to get more information.

ORANGETHEORY FITNESS

PORT WASHINGTON

Orangetheory is a 1-hour, full-body heart rate zone and strength training workout that delivers a more personalized experience in a group setting. Designed to be effective and efficient, our workout classes boost your metabolism, burn fat and calories, build strength and confidence, and improve your overall fitness. And these are just some of the results you gain. Call us at 516-3024044 to book your first free class!

HONORABLE FRED POLLACK

Fred L. Pollack is a former North Hempstead Town Council Member, He is involved in numerous community activities, including serving as cochair of Pride in Port. he is an attorney with an office in Mineola, specializing in criminal defense and family law.

PORT JEWISH CENTER

Port Jewish Center is a progressive reform temple in Port Washington. We welcome all families from diverse backgrounds to come experience the magic of PJC. Come join us for a shabbat, tot program or an afternoon at the religious school. Email us at info@portjewishcenter.org or call at 516 944-7202. Port Jewish Center: *A warm, down-to-earth atmosphere. *A place where families, couples and singles are comfortable. *An innovative, one day a week religious school where your child can truly be themselves.*Engagement in social action.

PJC - Open Arms - Open Minds - Open Hearts

PORT WASHINGTON CALENDAR

The Port Washington Calendar of Events was introduced at HarborFest 16 years ago. It is designed to provide local not-for-profit type organizations with an avenue for promoting their events and meetings. This provides Port residents and visitors with the opportunity to attend, be involved and informed. The Calendar carries local merchant and organization advertising reaching those same residents and visitors with shopping and services information. The Calendar is a great example of the special synergy between the Port business community and our plethora of not-forprofit organizations. The advertising also helps us broadcast and support the upcoming events sponsored by the not for profit community. The Calendar is distributed monthly by The Nicholas Center Navigators through our network of local, high traffic businesses and organizations. It is available via email by subscribing to Dave@PWCalendar.com, or dallen@mainlymarketing.com. Type “FREE SUB” in the subject line.

PORT WASHINGTON FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

We are the Port Washington Federal Credit Union (PWFCU) chartered in 1968. We are located on middle Main Street in Port Washington, we continue growing as a local community based, financial institution. Our motto is: “We welcome those who live, work or worship in Port Washington, Manhasset, Roslyn, Great Neck, the employees of the Town of North Hempstead and the employees of the PW School District ”. Recently, the PW Teachers Federal Credit Union merged into our Credit Union and we now offer all of our services to the employees of the PW School District. Call: 516 883 3537, or visit: www.pwfcu.org

PORT WASHINGTON LIVING MAGAZINE & MANHASSET LIVING MAGAZINE

We are YOUR community connector! A place where you can tell your story or get to know your neighbors and learn what they are doing in town. Nominate a family, person, or pet for our features or reach out to discuss a story idea. For local businesses: Connect with Publisher Kim Jones to learn about our unique advertising and sponsorship programs crafted to build your brand in our area. We offer digital ads PLUS the magazine, we are a one-stop shop. ENJOY! www.NorthShoreMagazines.com. Email KimJones@BestVersionMedia.com and follow us on social media @PortWashingtonLivingMagazine & @ManhassetLivingMagazine

PORT WASHINGTON POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSN. Port Washington Police Benevolent Association proudly supports the HarborFest Celebration

PRECISION WORK

PRECISION WORK INC. (PWI) has been in the outdoor power equipment business since 1965. PWI is the wholesale distributor for Walker Mowers in the 12 states along the USA and Canadian border from Michigan to Maine with over 240 dealer outlets. PWI also distributes Square Barrel Receptacles and Ecolawn Turf Applicators.

PRINE HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP

PRINE Health Is Leading, Foot First! We proudly introduce PRINE Podiatry, a complementary offering toward our goal of providing a more comprehensive level of care to our patients. Our Podiatrists are experts in providing foot and ankle care. We treat athletes foot, ingrown toenail, balance, orthotics, bunion, plantar fasciitis, diabetic neuropathy, warts, wound care and laser therapy. Contact us today!516-952-0551; Instagram: prinehealth; Facebook: PRINE Health Website: www.prinehealth.com

RECONSTRUCTIONISH SYNAGOGUE OF THE NORTH SHORE

Be a part of our modern, Jewish, caring, connected community! Gan Shalom Nursery School offers full and half-day schedules for children ages 18 months to 5 years old. For more information about RSNS synagogue membership or school enrollment, please call 516-627-6274 or visit our website: www.RSNS.org

RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN

Renewal by Andersen is a custom-made window and door replacement company. Our representatives are there to book your next FREE in-home consultation with our expert design consultants to ensure you with the best solution to replace your window and door problems. We offer the best customer service when it comes to the replacement process for our valued customers. Book your next in-home consultation with our professional representatives at the Renewal by Andersen booth. For more information, please call 631-745-2331.

SANDS POINT CENTER FOR HEALTH & REHABILITATION

The Sands Point Center for Health & Rehabilitation is a beautiful state of the art skilled nursing facility located at 1440 Port Washington Blvd. It features the highest quality personalized care and comprehensive services and is a perfect fit for anyone in need of sub-acute, rehabilitative or long-term care. Personalized attention combined with the expertise of a professional team of health care providers offers residents a uniquely superior level of care.

SHEEHAN ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISORS

A full service accounting firm that shares your vision for the future. 15 South Bayles Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050 (516) 883-5510

SHERWIN WILLIAMS PAINT

STORE

Transform Your Space with Sherwin Williams! Discover a world of vibrant colors and premium paint products to bring your home to life. Whether you’re refreshing a room or tackling a full renovation, trust Sherwin Williams for quality, durability, and endless inspiration. Visit us 59 Shore Road and let us help you find the perfect shade to express your style, or call us at 516-883-1395 for more information!

SID JACOBSON JCC

Sid Jacobson JCC, the only full-service JCC on Long Island’s North Shore, is dedicated to serving every aspect of community wellness, regardless of age or ability. We serve our community with quality programs and services that promote social, cultural and physical well-being. Our focus is on our community, those we touch directly and those we touch in collaboration with others. Feel free to contact us for a tour or more information at 516-484-1545 or membership@sjjcc.org.

SMUSHT

Smusht makes homemade ice cream, cookies and ice cream sandwiches. They have a private party room, and offer a variety of catering options. They have a very inclusive environment and support many local Port Washington organizations. Check them out today! 158 Main Street.

SNYDER WEALTH GROUP

Snyder Wealth Group specializes in providing detailed financial planning and investment management services, tailored to meet the individual needs of each client. As a fiduciary, our focus is on building long-term relationships based on trust and transparency, ensuring your financial goals are met with integrity and professionalism.

THE ART GUILD

The Art Guild of Port Washington, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Located on the Elderfields Preserve in Manhasset, we have been voted “ Best Art School” and “Best Art Gallery” seven years in a row. As Nassau County’s premier community visual arts center, we serve as a hub for local artists, students and families to broaden their creative pursuits. Our door is always open to the advancement of the visual arts for people of all ages and demographics.

TOTAL DOLLAR INSURANCE

Total Dollar Insurance is a full service Insurance Agency located in Port Washington, NY, licensed in all 50 states, providing professional guidance and advice to homeowners, business owners and boat owners since 1969. We represent A rated Insurance Companies to provide our clients with the best options for their insurance needs. Our Personal Lines division specializes in custom-designed insurance protection for your particular lifestyle, assets and risks for Home, Secondary Residences, Auto, Flood Insurance, Private Collections, Umbrella & Course of Construction solutions. 1 Pleasant Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050 (516) 883-1555, https://totaldollar.com

Town Dock and Lower Main Street, Port Washington, L.I., NY

THE PORT WASHINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PROUDLY THANKS THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD AND ALL OF OUR SPONSORS WHO HAVE GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED HARBORFEST 2024.

We Salute Their Community Spirit!

ADMIRAL SPONSORS

ANTON MEDIA GROUP

BLANK SLATE MEDIA

CAPTAIN SPONSORS

BAXTER’S POND FOUNDATION

PRECISION WORK

THE ART GUILD

LIEUTENANT SPONSORS

BAYSIDE TAX & WEALTH

BEACON PHARMACY

NAUTICAL COUNCIL OF THE PORT WASHINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

SANDS POINT CENTER FOR HEALTH & REHABILITATION

SMUSHT

ENSIGN SPONSORS

DANIEL GALE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

DIANE’S PLACE HAIR SALON

DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE

FATHOMS HOTEL & MARINA

FLATIRON PEDIATRICS OF PORT WASHINGTON

HEALTHY KIDS PEDIATRICS

IVY REHAB

MATHNASIUM

ORANGETHEORY FITNESS

HONORABLE FRED POLLACK

PORT JEWISH CENTER

PORT WASHINGTON CALENDAR

PORT WASHINGTON PBA

SHEEHAN ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISORS

SHERWIN WILLIAMS PAINT STORE

SID JACOBSON JCC

TOTAL DOLLAR INSURANCE

MATE SPONSORS

ANTHONY’S WORLD OF FLOORS

BALANCED MEDICAL PLLC

BEB CAPITAL

CAPTAIN STEVE’S SAILING EXPERIENCE

CATHOLIC HEALTH SERVICES - ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL

CHECHIL, LLC

DANCE ARTS CENTRE

NASSU COUNTY LEGISLATOR DELIA DE RIGGI-WHITTON

LISA DONATELLI, LRES - DOUGLAS ELLIMAN

HAPPY MONTESSORI SCHOOL

HEARTWOOD THEORY

HOOP LAB - ROSLYN

ISLAND CHIMNEY SERVICE

KIWANIS CLUB OF MANHASSET- PORT WASHINGTON

LAFFEY REAL ESTATE

KATHY LEVINSON – ANIMAL CANCER FOUNDATION

LONG ISLAND AUTHORS GROUP

LORBER/HOFFMAN REAL ESTATE GROUP

KENNETH S. MAGIDA, ESQ.

MY SPECTRUM SCHOOL/CENTER

MY STYLE CAMP

N2 DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE

NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE AGENT MATTHEW NEWFIELD

NEW YORK STATE SENATOR JACK MARTINS

NORTH SHORE SMILES PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

ONE RIVER SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN

PORT WASHINGTON FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

PORT WASHINGTON LIVING AND MANHASSET LIVING MAGAZINES

PRINE HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP

RECONSTRUCTIONIST SYNAGOGUE OF THE NORTH SHORE

RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN

SNYDER WEALTH GROUP

THE ELIXIR YACHT BY LONG ISLAND BOAT RENTALS

CREW

LONG ISLAND BUILDERS, LLC

THE PORT WASHINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFERS SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Ayhan’s Mediterranean Marketplace, CancerCare’s “Red Stocking Revue,” Grassroots Environmental Education, Hicksville Beer & Soda, Nassau County Health Dept., the Parent Resource Center, the Port Washington Fire Department, the Port Washington Police District, the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, Schmear Bagels & Café, Sousa Band Shell Committee, The Art Guild, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Town of North Hempstead Council Member Mariann Dalimonte, Town of North Hempstead Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Town of North Hempstead Highway Dept. and the Village of Baxter Estates.

As the summer approaches, we are still seeing a bustling real estate market. If you’ve been contemplating selling your home, seize this opportune moment.

Contact me for a personalized strategy that aligns with your goals. For a quick overview of your home’s potential value and a snapshot of the broader market, simply Scan this QR code.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING

WWW.THEISLAND360.COM

Symphonic band to play Sands Pt. Black Box Theatre

The Northwinds Symphonic Band returns to the Sands Point Preserve’s Black Box Theatre, on Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m. with “Broadway, Movies and Light Classics.”

Conductors Helen P. Bauer and Brandon Bromsey have designed an entertaining program of instrumental and vocal selections from popular movies and Broadway shows, as well as familiar classics including the music of Johann Strauss, George Gershwin and Leroy Anderson.

This exciting program includes music from South Pacific, The Producers, Down With Love and The Sound of Music, and from critically acclaimed film composer John Williams. The band will also perform Parade Day in New Orleans by Raymond Osnato.

The percussion section will recreate Thunder and Lightning from the Broadway show Riverdance, arranged by Long Island composer Carl Strommen. Northwinds musicians will perform spot solos.

The concert will also feature vocals from Broadway actors Karen Murphy and John Preator.

Performing on stages around the world for nearly two decades, Preator recently completed a highly acclaimed run as Julian Marsh in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s production of 42nd Street. Regional credits include “Mamma Mia!” (Bill & Harry), “Show Boat” (Ravenal), “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (Jimmy), “Les Misérables” (Marius) and “Oklahoma!” (Curly).

In 2004, Preator performed for millions of viewers as one of 32 semi-finalists, alongside Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson, on Season 3 of FOX’s smash television sensation, American Idol.

Murphy has enjoyed a long Broadway career, including roles in 42nd St., Titanic, All Shook Up, 9 to 5, and A Little Night Music (where she understudied Angela Lansbury).

Northwinds Symphonic Band returns to Sands Point Preserve with ‘Broadway, Movies and Light Classics.’

Off-Broadway roles include “The Jerusalem Syndrome,” “My Vaudeville Man,” “Zombie Prom,” and “Forbidden Broadway.”

reer included a Bistro Award for her New York City debut and regular appearances at 54 Below.

She performed in national tours of “Mary Poppins,” “The Wizard Of Oz,” “Finding Neverland,” and “White Christmas.” Her cabaret ca-

The June 9 performance features an afternoon of entertainment for the entire family. The concert will include one hour of music with a 15-minute intermission.

Audience members, including children, will have the opportunity to meet the musicians after the concert and learn about the instruments they play. Tickets are $10 each and are

available on the day of the performance – cash at the door or by credit card in the Welcome Center. Nonmembers must pay the $15 parking fee. Visit the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy website for more information: www.sandspointpreserve.org

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SANDS POINT PRESERVE

A stage reading of ‘The Invaders’

Queens College to premiere performance about Freedom Summer of

On Tuesday, June 18, at 7 pm, Queens College will premiere a designed reading of “The Invaders,” a play about the Freedom Summer

Project of 1964—a voter registration effort in segregated Mississippi that drew black and white volunteers from all over the coun -

try—and the Ku Klux Klan’s murder of participating activists James Chaney, then-QC student Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.

Their deaths spurred an awakening of public opinion in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The reading—which takes place in the college’s Goldstein Theatre and features eight alumni among the 16 cast members—coincides with the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer and will be held just days before the anniversary of the murders on June 21, 1964.

At the college’s 100th commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 30, siblings of the martyred activists will receive the Queens College President’s Medal, the institution’s highest administrative honor.

David Goodman, Andrew’s younger brother, has been a key leader of the Andrew Goodman Foundation’s decades-long work of registering voters, challenging voter suppression, and training young people as future leaders.

Stephen Schwerner—a psychologist, educator, dean, and radio host—was working as a counselor at Queens College when his younger brother Michael was killed; an activist then, he has remained an outspoken defender of social justice all his life.

Julia Chaney-Moss, James Chaney’s younger sister, is a minister with many years of experience in social services and organizing. She is a nationally respected voice for racial and gender justice and is especially talented at reaching young people.

“For us at Queens College, Freedom Summer has a hallowed place in our memory and history,” says Queens College President Frank H. Wu. “Many of our students worked for civil rights, including by joining efforts to register African American voters—in Mississippi and elsewhere—and they experienced the hostility of segregationists firsthand.

Andy Goodman was one of them; he was killed far from home when he was still a very young man, and the trauma and sense of loss are still with us. We see a daily reminder of his, James Chaney’s, and Michael Schwerner’s sacrifice in the Chaney-Schwerner-Goodman Clock Tower that rises above campus.”

The play is being produced by the Andrew Goodman Foundation. It was written by theatre veteran Ralph Carhart, a senior college laboratory technician who has also served as an adjunct lecturer at the college and directed by Reneé Flemings.

Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney-Moss will be highlighted as special guests at a VIP reception before the show at 6 pm in the atri -

1964

um of the Aaron Copland School of Music. The performance will be followed by a talkback, when the guests will be interviewed by Carhart.

The play opens with Andrew Goodman volunteering to go South. “As a member of the Queens College community, I was very inspired by Andy’s story and his role as one of our shining lights,” says Carhart, an accomplished director as well as the production manager for the college’s Drama, Theatre, and Dance Department since 2007.

In the play, Goodman gives the audience entry to the larger world of the civil rights movement, which included legendary figures such as Bob Moses, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Stokely Carmichael.

Carhart agrees that voting rights and obligations are at the heart of the play. “It’s an election year,” he says. “For the most part, unless you jump into politics yourself, that’s the one control we have over our government: whom we vote for. That’s why it’s important that it comes out now. I’m hoping that one of the takeaways for someone sitting in the audience is that they need to vote; it’s absolutely necessary.”

In developing this play, Carhart consulted with the families as well as Queens College alumni veterans of the civil rights movement. In addition, Flemings, an African American writer and director, is skilled at bringing unheard voices to the stage, especially through her work with the Queens-based Houses on the Moon Theater Company.

Throughout this year, Queens College is observing the anniversary of the murders in numerous ways. It continues its ongoing work of preserving written, photographic, oral, and material records of its students’ activism in its Civil Rights Archives, part of the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library Special Collections.

The materials have been largely donated by alumni and their families. In addition, the college is producing a video docuseries titled Legacy Connection: QC & Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the newest episode concerns Heroes in Harm’s Way: Dr. King and Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner.

Tickets for “The Invaders” are available through Ticketmaster at $45 for the general public and $20 for Queens College students, faculty, and staff. There is a $30 additional charge to attend the VIP reception. The entrance to Goldstein Theatre—located on the Queens College campus—may be accessed at 153-49 Reeves Avenue in Flushing.

COUNTY’S

TOP BUSINESS LEADERS 2024 HONOREES

THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024 • 6PM LEONARD’S

Jean-Marie Addeo Levantini

Senior Director, Ambulatory Care Garden City NYU Langone Health

Dr. Neva Alexander

CEO & Founder Nevalliance

Co-Director Ascend Long Island

Phil Andrews

President

Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce

Bob Bernard

Senior Vice President, Debt & Equity Northmarq Capital

Adam Boll

Senior Vice President, Strategic Business Initiatives Northwell Health

Jerome J. Bost

Director of External Affairs IBEW Local 1049

Lisa Burch, MPH CEO & President EPIC Family of Human Service Agencies

John Burke

Global Head of Business & Professional Services Citi Commercial Bank

Dr. Martin R. Cantor, CPA Director Long Island Center for Socio-Economic Policy

Mary Conway CEO & Founder MKC Strategies

Dr. Maria P. Conzatti Chief Administrative Officer Nassau Community College

Doug Cormack

Executive Director Orchard Estate of Woodbury Armando D’Accordo

President CMIT Solutions of South Nassau

Roy DiMarco President & Founder RGD Marketing

Dr. James Dolan

Executive Director CEC Health Care

Jose Dominguez CEO American Red Cross Long Island

George Duffy

Executive Director & CEO SCOPE Education Services

Andrea Elder-Howell Vice President, Legal Services PSEG Long Island

Cherly Fajardo

Senior Vice President ExpanseFT

Sari Friedman, Esq.

Managing Partner Long Island

Friedman & Friedman, PLLC Attorneys at Law

Thomas J. Garry

Office Managing Partner Harris Beach PLLC

Louis C. Grassi, CPA, CFE

CEO

Grassi Advisory Group, Inc.

David Green, Esq.

Partner Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP

Jeffrey M. Kimmel

Managing Partner & CEO Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro, LLP

Adam Koblenz, Esq.

Member & Partner

Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz Coschignano PLLC

Howard Kroplick

Co-President

Roslyn Landmark Society

Donna LaScala

President Financial Planning Association of LI

Maqsood A. Malik

President & CEO M&J Engineering P.C.

Nancy Marie-Thérèse Manigat, MBA, LCSW COO CN Guidance & Counseling

Services

Edna Mashaal Founde & Managing Partner

Edna Mashaal Realty

David P. McKelvey, CPA Tax Partner Marcum LLP

Vinny Muldoon Owner

Old World Quality Corp.

Louis Panacciulli

President Mineola Chamber of Commerce

Michael Pfaff

President & Chief Business Officer Long Island Ducks

Michael Recco

President & CEO Friends For Life Home Care

Michael Reed, CCM

CEO & Managing Member Elite Construction Company of NY, LLC

Michael Rosenblutt

President & CEO

Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation

Josephine Savastano Chief Banking Officer New York

Frank Scalese CEO

Blue Ocean Wealth Solutions

JB (Jeff) Schwartzberg Co-Founder & Managing Principal Premier Commercial Real Estate

Sheldon Shrenkel

CEO & Executive Director

Nassau County Industrial Development Agency

Howard M. Stein

Managing Partner Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

Mark Stempel CEO & Co-Founder Blue Island Homes

Linda Stuurman

President Last Hope Rescue, Inc.

Katie Swanson

Executive Director Bethany House

Sherry Tucker CEO WellLife Network Inc.

Luis Vasquez

President & CEO Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Devon Zappasodi, MSW Director PFY, A Division of Long Island

Bernard to continue run with philharmonic

The Massapequa Philharmonic has renewed Music Director David Bernard’s contract for three years through 2027. Since his appointment in 2016, the Massapequa Philharmonic has established itself as Long Island’s premiere symphony orchestra through significant growth and acclaim.

“I am excited to continue on this journey with the Massapequa Philharmonic as its music director,” said Bernard. “It is truly inspiring to see both the orchestra and the Long Island residents thrive through our performances and collaborations.

When successful, the performing arts are a symbiosis of artists, communities and audiences, and it has been a pleasure to work with the Massapequa Philharmonic musicians, board and our partners to deliver on this ideal. I am proud and delighted to continue to bring great music to Long Island as music director of the Massapequa Philharmonic.” said Bernard.

“The Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra is thrilled to continue working with David Bernard as our Music Director”, said Jennifer Trested, president of the Massapequa Philharmonic. “Under his gifted leadership, the Massapequa Philharmonic has become a premier orchestra on Long Island. David Bernard is a skillful musician and conductor, with a gift for fostering musical communities within the orchestra, throughout Massapequa, and across Long Island. We look forward to many years of insightful and artistic musical leadership and collaboration.”

Under maestro Bernard’s leadership, the orchestra has developed deep artistic partnerships with the Eglevsky Ballet, Nassau County Museum of Art, the Massapequa Schools and Long Island Choral Society, building its audiences and sponsor/donor base and solidifying its reputation in bringing cultural leadership to Long Island. Poised for its 40th anniversary season this Fall, the Massapequa Philharmonic kicks off a series of concerts as Resident Orchestra of the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts with “Rhapsody at 100: A Gershwin Celebration” in July.

“David Bernard has made a huge impact on culture on Long Island through his artistic vision and commitment to Long Island audiences,” said Tom Dunn, Executive Director of the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. “He has been

an excellent partner as we prepare for the Massapequa Philharmonic joining us as our Resident Orchestra.”

“Maestro Bernard has a way of convincing you everything is possible! Our collaborations have been rewarding artistically, as well as for our dancers and audiences” said Maurice Brandon Curry, Executive Artistic Director of the Eglevsky Ballet. “Whether he is leading our annual production of The Nutcracker, providing chamber music for our special events or having us as guests for his innovative InsideOut concerts, you can always count on a unique audience experience.”

“David Bernard is the epitome of the kind of arts leader most needed today—a maestro whose high standards inspire all of us, a teacher of extraordinary originality, and a visionary who can unite thinkers in the visual arts, literature and music. Long Island is extremely fortunate to have a talent of his stature and gifts,” said Charles A. Riley II, PhD, curator, author of several interdisciplinary books on music, art and the humanities, and former director of the Nassau County Museum of Art.

David Bernard is also music director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony and founder and Director of InsideOut Concerts Inc., a pioneer and innovator in the design, development and production of immersive classical music events, and is inventor of US Patent No. 11,673,070 entitled

“Methods and Systems for Arranging Seats for Audience Members and Musicians.”

Bernard has brought this approach to Massapequa Philharmonic events, impacting both seasoned concert goers and younger audiences.

“The Annual InsideOut Event Maestro Bernard leads for the entire third grade is an invaluable tool to not only draw in students to our music programs, but also gives them the gift of music that they will cherish for their entire lives” said Vincent Green, Director of Fine and Performing Arts, Massapequa Schools.

The Massapequa Philharmonic’s 40th Anniversary Season includes its concert series in Massapequa with programs of repertoire across three centuries with world class soloists, new works in partnership with the Long Island Composer’s Alliance, and a holiday celebration.

As the Tilles Center’s Resident Orchestra, the Massapequa Philharmonic will perform an InsideOut event where they audience sits among the musicians, as well as a multimedia presentation “Out of this World” featuring Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” and interactive presentation by Jackie Faherty, senior scientist and astrophysicist of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History.

For more information about the Massapequa Philharmonic’s 40th anniversary season, visit www.massphil.com.

David Bernard

Fri 5/31

We Are The Future Summit @ 9am / $80.50 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale

Lauren Jaimes @ 7pm Lilly's of Long Beach, 954 W Beech St, Long Beach

Creatures of the Night: Evening Bat & Wildlife Walk @ 7:30pm / $17-$22 Join Ranger Eric Pow‐ers for a presentation and nighttime walk through the Preserve in search of Long Island’s only �ying mammal: the bat. Sands Point Pre‐serve, 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point. info @sandspointpre serve.org, 516-5717901

Daffodils in Watercolor Workshop with Eliz‐abeth Fusco Friday, May 31 | 10am -1pm @ 10am / $67.50-$75

Daffodils in Watercolor Workshop with Eliza‐beth Fusco Friday, May 31 | 10am -1pm Begin‐ner to Intermediate Lev‐els Adults and Teens 16+ $67.50 members | $75 nonmembers The Manes Education Cen‐ter at Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Drive, Roslyn. events@nassaumu seum.org, 516-4849337

Jared Sage Cowen @ 8pm J Pauls Terrace Cafe, 239 Mer‐rick Rd, Oceanside

The Wankers (British Pop Tribute) & Idolized (Billy Idol Tribute) @ 8pm / $10 Mulcahy's, Wantagh

TAYLOR SWIFT NIGHT @ 9pm / $20

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington. letsparty@ify ouknowitsingit.com

Aztec Two-Step: The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook at Land‐mark on Main Street @ 8pm

Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St, Port Washington

Sat 6/01

Opening Day of the Deep Roots Farmers Market Glen Cove Satuday June 1st @ 9am

Opening Day of the Deep Roots Farmers Market Glen Cove Sat‐urday June 1st, 9AM1PM. Garvies Point Park, 100 Garvies Point Road, Glen Cove. info@ deeprootsfarmersmar ket.com, 516-318-5487

Guided Nature Walk - Birds, Bees and Blooms @ 10am / $10-$15

Join us for this series of all-ages walks as we explore different as‐pects of the preserve’s environment. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point. info@sand spointpreserve.org, 516-571-7901

Thursday Jun 6th

Democratic Primary Candidate Forum for NY Senate District 7

@ 7:30pm

Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock (UUCSR), 48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset. president.LWVPWM@gmail.com, 516-883-1297

Meet the candidates for the Democratic Primary for the NY Senate District 7 seat.

Arizona Diamondbacks at New York Mets (Darryl Strawberry Number Retirement) @ 4:10pm

Citi Field, 123-01 Roosevelt Av‐enue, Flushing

Dan Orlando: Mandelino Project w/ Randy Brecker and more @ 8pm

My Father's Place at The Roslyn Hotel, 3 Pratt Blvd., Glen Cove

Great Neck Farmers Market Opening Day @ 10am

Opening Day of the Great Neck Farmers Market Sunday June 2nd, 10AM-2PM! Fire‐�ghters Park, 30 Grace Avenue, Great Neck. info@deeprootsfarmers market.com, 516-3185487

17th Annual 5K AIDS & Cancer Run/Walk @ 10am / $25 Race Site, 3232 Grand Ave, Baldwin. events@elitefeats.com

DSD DANCE CENTER'S 46th ANNUAL RECITAL @ 3:30pm / $31.10

The Space at Westbury Theater, Westbury

ICC Twenty20 World Cup - Sri Lanka vs South Africa @ 10:30am

Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York

AMC 08 adult clinic Tuesday 7pm @ 7pm / $169 Jun 4th - Jul 2nd

Eisenhower Park driving range,

Eisenhower park, East Meadow. 516-222-2620

East End Volleyball League sponsored by Orlin & Cohen Sports Medicine @ 6pm Jun 4th - Aug 27th

East End Volleyball will hold weekly beach vol‐leyball leagues for coed 6-player teams at the Town of North Hemp‐stead Beach Park in Pt. Washington during the 2024 summer season. 175 W Shore Rd, 175 West Shore Road, Port Washington. eevb@op tonline.net, 631-3551293

Wed 6/05

How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer @ 7pm / $16

Gold Coast Cinema Se‐ries presents a fasci‐nating documentary on Norman Mailer! Man‐hasset Cinemas, 430 Plandome Road, Man‐hasset. info@goldcoas tarts.org, 516-829-2570

Dustin Lowman: Northshore Open Mic Featured Act @ 7pm Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington

A Bronx Tale @ 7:30pm

The Argyle Theatre at Babylon Village, Babylon

Thu 6/06

Kevin James: Owls Don't Walk @ 7:30pm / $49.50-$99.50 The Paramount, Huntington

Fri 6/07

Silk Scarf Painting in Hot Batik Workshop with Oksana Danziger Friday, June 7, 10am-1:30p @ 10am / $81-$90 Silk Scarf Painting in Hot Batik Workshop with Oksana Danziger Friday, June 7, 10am1:30pm Adults and Teens 16+ Location: The Manes Art Educa‐tion Center $81 mem‐bers | $90 non-mem‐bers Manes Education Center at Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Drive, Roslyn. events@nas saumuseum.org, 516484-9337

The Rocket Man Show @ 8pm / $30-$65 The Paramount, Huntington

Calendar information is pro‐vided by event organizers. All events are subject to change or cancellation. This publica‐tion is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in this calendar.

The Art Guild offering summer workships

Summer is a time to put yourself first. The Art Guild understands that it’s hard to commit to classes over the Summer, so we are excited to offer many one-day and two-day workshops for you at The Art Guild!

Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional artist or just want to dabble in a new medium, there is a workshop for you.

What makes these so special is how satisfied you will feel creatively with such a small commitment of time, in addition to our unique setting on the Elderfields Preserve. The Art Guild is located in a home dating back to 1,675 on a 3-acre preserve.

Our Get Creative This Summer series includes:

Mosaic Creations with Judith Caseley, Saturday, June 1, 10 am-1 pm on all levels. SOLD OUT

Silk Scarf Batik Painting with Oksana Danziger, Tuesday, June 11, 9:30 am-12:30 pm all levels

Abstract Landscapes in Watercolor with Steve Vando, Thursday, June 20th, 10 am-1 pm, intermediate and up

Monotype Screen printing with Stephanie Navon-Jacobson, Saturday, June 22, 10 am-3 pm

New Oriental Brush Painting: Creative Ink Landscapes and Flowers with Gan Yu, July 12 – 13th, 10 am-4 pm all levels

Mosaic Creations with Judith Caseley, Monday July 15, 5:30-8:30 pm all levels

Eco Printing with Oksana Danziger, Tuesday, July 16, 10 am-12 pm all levels

Watercolor Secrets with Marc Josloff, Wednesday, July 17 10 am-2 pm all levels

Drawing with Watercolor with Marc Josloff, Wednesday July 31, 10 am-2 pm all levels

Workshops fill up quickly so register today at www.theartguild.org or call 516-304-5797.

More workshops are added all the time, so check the website.

The TAG team looks forward to welcoming you to our family!

PHOTO COURTESY OF ART GUILD Woman painting.

Temple Tikvah Golden Age Luncheon honors veterans

Sisterhood’s Golden Age Luncheon at Temple Tikvah of New Hyde Park was a five-star experience for residents of the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stonybrook and the Northport Veterans Home.

Thank you to all who donated items for the goody bags, provided desserts, and volunteered their time. A special thank you to Julie O’Donnell and Kathryn Kitt and the starfishes from Harbor Child Care for their musical performance.

Thank you to Rabbi Randy Sheinberg for emceeing the event and performing the blessings, Tony and Julio for helping to set up and clean up, the Brotherhood for donat-

ing the drinks, and the Social Action Committee for donating the tote bags for the goody bags.

A special thanks to Ahyan from Gourmet Bakery for donating the challahs, and the Chinese Center of Long Island for donating masks. Thanks also to Dominick’s Deli for catering the luncheon and to Ridgewood Savings Bank for donating goody bag items.

Remember, please save your toiletry items from vacations and note cards you receive in the mail for next year’s luncheon. You can contact us at goldenageluncheon@ templetikvah.org. www.templetikvah.org

New York Tech salutes the Class of 2024

On May 19, more than 6,000 graduates, family members, and friends joined faculty, staff, and administration at New York Institute of Technology’s Long Island campus to celebrate its 63rd annual commencement.

The event celebrated 2,392 candidates for graduation from 67 countries and throughout the United States, 26 percent of whom are earning undergraduate degrees and the remainder earning graduate, medical, professional, or post-graduate degrees.

Of note, New York Tech also conferred its first Ph.D. degrees to three candidates enrolled in its combined osteopathic medicine (D.O.)/medical and biological sciences (Ph.D.) program.

“We salute our Class of 2024, their accomplishments, and their embodiment of our doer-maker culture,” noted New York Tech President Hank Foley. “We are confident that their New York Tech education and experiences will serve these new graduates well in the next chapter of their professional and personal journeys.”

Foley conferred honorary degrees upon Kyri-

Sands

acos A. Athanasiou, distinguished professor of biomedical engineering and the Henry Samueli Endowed Chair at the University of California, Irvine, and Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, one of only two holding the title of university professor at the University of Connecticut.

Both were honored with a Doctor of Science Athanasiou then delivered the keynote address to the Class of 2024; Laurencin is the keynote speaker for the College of Osteopathic Medicine Commencement and Hooding, to be held later in the day.

“This honor from my alma mater touches a deep chord in me and fills me with nostalgia for the beloved university that set me on a path toward achievement and excellence,” Athanasiou shared. “I have no complaints from life as I consider myself one of the luckiest people. After high school, I had a place to go to the National Technical University in Athens. Instead, my instinct was to go to the United States to work and go to university. And that’s what I did I consider it the most pivotal decision of my life!”

He concluded by saying to the graduates, “I

exec honored at Founders Day event

Tracey Edwards, senior vice president and corporate social responsibility officer for Sands New York, was honored with the Sojourner Truth Award at the Central Nassau Club Annual Founders Day Celebration.

Established in 1959 as part of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc., the Central Nassau Club is committed to the betterment of the community and promoting leadership, entrepreneurship and technology development. Congratulations to Tracey and the other honorees, including Angela Stanley, Joy Williams, LaShawn Lukes, Samantha Lawson, Adrian Goodwin, and Brianna Vaughn.

Tracey Edwards receives Sojourner Truth Award at the Central Nassau Club Annual Founders Day celebration

hooding the honorary degree recipients. Queensnative Zeiad Kawy, a health sciences major and student orator who addressed his classmates during the ceremony, and Roslyn Paul, a biology major from Dix Hills.

In his address, Kawy spoke of overcoming challenges, like starting at New York Tech during a pandemic, and of navigating through devastating experiences, like losing his father unexpectedly.

look at you, and … think about the things you will be doing in 10-20 years. I will be rooting for you, I will be admiring you, and I will be looking forward to reading about your accomplishments and successes that I know will make our New York Tech family proud.”

Two members of the Class of 2024 assisted in

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board will raise the Pride flag at Town Hall prior to their monthly board meeting on Tuesday, June 4, at 6:30 p.m.

Pride Month was established in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan which was considered the turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

The North Hempstead flag raising demonstrates the town’s commitment to achieving a more open and accepting society.

“North Hempstead is a community committed to celebrating its diversity so I am pleased to announce that the Pride flag will again be raised at Town Hall,” DeSena said. “We are one town and when we come together, we create a community that is stronger, more resilient, and just a better place to live.”

But, he said, “I know that many people in our graduating class have gone through so much worse. So, for every single one of us, whether the obstacles were large or small, as we step out into the world, let us do so with our heads held high, our hearts full of hope, and our spirits unyielding.” He will now begin his studies in New York Tech’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Following the main ceremony, students are recognized individually at in-person graduations for the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, School of Architecture and Design, School of Health Professions, and School of Management.

Councilmember Mariann Dalimonte added, “The Pride Flag is a rainbow, specifically because it’s a symbol of diversity and hope. So, we proudly raise this flag and show the world that North Hempstead is a beacon of that hope.”

Residents are invited to attend this ceremony and meet Mr. Frank Ullman, a distinguished member of Port Washington’s Be the Rainbow, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together to support the LGBTQ community.

“When towns like North Hempstead raise the flag, we know that these are communities that place a high value on diversity and acceptance. It means North Hempstead is a welcoming home to everyone,” Ullman said.

For more information, please call 311.

PHOTO BY SANDY PORTNOY

Students from Harbor Child Care greet veterans at Golden Age luncheon at Temple Tikvah of New Hyde Park.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL LE BRECHT II

Members of New York Tech’s Class of 2024

PRIDE 2023 at Town of North Hempstead.

Town officials attend SHAI celebration Legislature committee OKs hotel-motel grant for JCC

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and Council Member David Adhami recently attended the Sephardic Heritage Alliance’s Mother’s Day celebration at the Great Neck Social Center on Monday, May 13.

The day was filled with delicious food and lively discussion among friends and neighbors. Supervisor DeSena and Councilmember Adhami presented Certificates of Recognition

to honorees for their ongoing commitment to SHAI, their families, and their communities.

Since its inception in 1992, SHAI has been dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of Persian Jewish families and individuals while embracing positive immersion in the United States.

SHAI regularly organizes events at the Great Neck Social Center and throughout the Great Neck community.

UUCSR gives annual music scholarship

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset, is excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Edward Miller Memorial Music Scholarships. The winners are Kieran Calderaro, who will graduate from Seaford

High School this June, and Liam Osborne, who will graduate from Mepham High School. Both winners were selected by the prestigious Nassau Music Educators Association (NMEA) from a pool of very highly accomplished music students.

Kieran Calderaro

The Edward Miller Memorial Music Scholarship was founded by the UUCSR Music Committee in September 2004 to honor the congregation’s former music director, who was also a music teacher at East Rockaway High School. The scholarship is funded entirely by donations from UUCSR members and friends.

Official scholarship presentations will highlight the Sunday, June 2 Worship Service titled Appreciation and Renewal, led by Rev. Natalie M. Fenimore at 11:00 a.m.. The UUCSR Young People’s Choir and the UUCSR Jazz Ensemble will also participate. All are welcome.

For more information about UUCSR music scholarship guidelines and applications, please visit www.uucsr. org.

The Nassau County Legislature’s Rules committee voted unanimously on Monday, May 6 to approve a $13,500 Hotel-Motel Occupancy Tax Fund grant for the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hills.

In addition to renovations and technological enhancements for the facility’s auditorium, the funds will be applied toward supporting JCC programs and community events like café nights, art exhibits, and storytelling and poetry slams.

Past events at the JCC have featured countless films, authors such as Harlan Coban, Daniel Silva and Kirsten Hannah; and guest speakers such as Joy Mangano and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak; Broadway stars, and acclaimed storytellers.

A vote to provide final approval for the grant could come as early as the regularly scheduled Monday, May 20 meeting of the full Legislature.

“For so many Jewish families in Nassau County, organizations like the Sid Jacobson JCC are indispensable hubs of cultural programming, youth enrichment, and other essential resources that build a true sense of community,” Deputy Minority Leader Drucker said. “I am proud to support the Sid Jacobson JCC in its pursuit of Hotel-Motel grant funds that will empower them to expand their programming and serve more families in our region, and I look forward to their application receiving the unanimous, bipartisan support of the full Legislature in the coming weeks.”

lbs. of

food to help Long Islanders

Generous Long Island postal customers recently donated 382,175 pounds of food as part of the National Association of Letter Carrier’s annual Stamp Out Hunger® food drive, according to Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank, a Melville-based human services organization, which was the beneficiary of the food collection event.

Held each year on the second Saturday in May, Stamp Out Hunger is the largest one-day food collection event that spans all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

United States Postal Service letter carriers pick up bags of food left by postal customers’ mailboxes as part of their letter carrier duties. Since its inception in 1993, Stamp Out Hunger has collected more than 1.75 billion pounds of food to help address the ongoing public health crisis of hunger in America.

Donations collected on Long Island will help Island Harvest replenish its network of food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency feeding programs in communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

According to Island Harvest estimates, the 382,175 pounds of food collected is the equivalent of approximately 318,500 meals for food-insecure people on Long Island.

“We are grateful for the generosity of Long Islanders who donated to this year’s Stamp Out Hunger campaign, whether it was just a can of soup or a bag full of groceries; that

Volunteers worked tirelessly to sort and pack food to help replenish the shelves of Long Island’s food pantries.

simple act of kindness will go a long way in improving the life of a person struggling with the uncertainty of not knowing where their next meal may be,” said Dresner. “Island Harvest also acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the leadership of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 6000, and the postal workers across Long Island, along with the support of our sponsors for their generosity and tireless efforts in our efforts to help our neighbors in need. And a special thanks to our hardworking volunteers who gave of

their time, sorting and packing all of the donations we received.”

This year’s Stamp Out Hunger collection campaign on Long Island was generously supported by presenting sponsor National Grid, lead sponsor JPMorgan Chase & Co., and major sponsors Allstate, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Dime Community Bank, Empire Automotive Group, Nonna’s Garden, Rheem ProPartner, and Stop & Shop, and supporting partners College Hunks Moving, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Amazon, and Steel Equities.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Councilmember David Adhami and Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip with members of the Sephardic Heritage Alliance at the Great Neck Social Center.

PHOTO BY ED PRETE

Troop 612 tours G.N. Water Pollution Control District

The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District recently welcomed the Great Neck-based Girl Scouts Troop 612 to its facility for a tour of the District’s plant.

Led by GNWPCD Chairman Steve Reiter, Commissioner Mark Berger and Superintendent Christopher Murphy, the scouts were able to get a close-up view on everything the GNWPCD does to serve its community.

“It was such a pleasure to bring Troop 612 into our facility to show them the hard work that we do to protect our environment on a daily basis,” said Reiter. “We always enjoy giving tours of our plant, but especially so when the attendees are young people. They represent the future of the Great Neck Peninsula, and fostering an ap-

preciation for environmental conservation within them at an early age helps ensure that this community is in good hands for future generations.”

Upon their arrival at the facility, Berger provided the scouts with a presentation on how the district operates in a format specifically tailored to elementary students.

Following the presentation, the scouts and their parents were led throughout the GNWPCD plant, learning about the many advanced practices that go into treating more than 3 million gallons of wastewater every day.

The district is proud to say that it remains at the forefront of wastewater treatment technology in service to such an environmentally-conscious community.

Vinny Muldoon - Owner and Garden City Resident

Custom Homes, Renovations, Extensions, Roofing, Painting, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Mudrooms, Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, Custom Mill Work, Exterior Spaces, Masonry Work, and much more. There is no project too big or too small for OWQC!

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock (UUCSR), Manhasset, is excited to announce the winners of the 2024 Edward Miller Memorial Music Scholarships. The winners are Kieran Calderaro,who graduates this June from Seaford High School and Liam Osborne, who is graduating from Mepham High School. Both winners were selected by the prestigious Nas-

sau Music Educators Association (NMEA) from a pool of very highly accomplished music students.

(516) 741-8226

Custom Homes, Renovations, Extensions, Roofing, Painting, Bathrooms, Kitchens, Mudrooms, Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, Custom Mill Work, Exterior Spaces, Masonry Work, and much more. There is no project too big or too small for OWQC!

Instagram and Facebook: @Oldworldqualitycorp

11550

The Edward Miller Memorial Music Scholarship was founded by the Music Committee of UUCSR in September 2004 to honor the congregation’s former Music Director who was also a music teacher at East Rockaway High School. The scholarship is funded in entirety by donations from UUCSR members and friends.

Official scholarship presentations will highlight the Sunday, June 2, 2024 Worship Service titled, “Appreciation and Renewal,” led by Rev. Dr. Natalie M. Fenimore at 11:00 AM. The UUCSR Young People’s Choir and the UUCSR Jazz Ensemble will also participate. All are welcome.

For more information about UUCSR music scholarship guidelines and applications, please visitwww.uucsr.org.

Jenn@oldworldqualitycorp.com

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Great Neck Water Pollution Control District Chairman Steve Reiter, far left, Commissioner Mark Berger and Superintendent Christopher Murphy, far right, guided Girl Scouts Troop 612 on an in-depth tour of the GNWPCD facility.

Business&RealEstate

Sacrifices required to be a homeowner

I appreciate Memorial Day and what it has meant to me: the ability to do whatever I want, with our freedoms in an unobstructed environment because of the current and past sacrifices of lives and limbs of so many before me.

So, do you want to be a homeowner to build your future wealth? That concept is surely universal for most families and individuals who want to be in an ownership position.

The majority would prefer not to have to rent for any length of time, especially providing their landlords with their hard-earned dollars to pay down their mortgages (instead of their own), increase their wealth, give them all the tax deductions, and most important, the power not to have to renew your lease.

The $64,000 question is what are you willing to do to make that goal come to fruition? How can you save more money regularly to make your dream of homeownership come true? The name of the game is called “Sacrifice.”

The first thing you can do is stop eating out completely. Cut back on buying clothes and find alternative ways to purchase what you need to save as much as possible.

Buy less meat and consume alternative foods high in protein, e.g. beans and legumes. Some activities that will benefit your savings goal are taking walks,

bicycling, and working out at home by canceling your gym membership (that’s what I did, as I have already been a homeowner for 31 years) and doing many activities at home.

Think of whatever other activities you can do to squirrel away your money for your down payment. So many of us are spoiled with conspicuous consumption as this is, unfortunately, what our economy is based on and dependent upon.

Games on a hand-held device or computer for the children will go a long way toward keeping them occupied. However, the games my children played way back when they were growing up were Candyland, Battle Ship, Monopoly, and Scrabble.

Before computers and computer games, having fun with Hide and Seek, tag, duck, goose, hopscotch, baseball, football and street hockey was the norm. Being outdoors and playing these games and activities kept our children healthier and in a much better and more positive mindset from what we are experiencing today. They even used my pogo stick (do you know what that is?) that I was given more than 25 years before.

There are so many alternatives to spending money that are free and cost you nothing, with time that is well spent with your family or significant other in

strengthening your bonds.

We have been deficient in our social connections since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused major problems. Depression and suicides have increased dramatically, far beyond what would be considered normal, especially among our teens.

These sad situations show that we need more involvement in personal connections than ever before. Indirectly, sacrificing money spent over time, doing less costly things will help in your purchasing goal. Whether it is a house, HOA, condo, or coop, homeownership

is within reach if you need and want it badly enough.

So, ask yourself, how badly do you want it? Over the last 11 years, multitudes of people have left NYS for other states as another way to afford a home or greater opportunities. My webmaster left a few years ago, relocating to North Carolina as he could live anywhere being self-employed.

But another consideration is starting a side hustle to earn additional income or a second or third part-time/fulltime job that will add to your savings for that elusive but attainable dream of homeownership.

It is easy to complain about the high interest rates and prices, but that doesn’t solve your issue of how to succeed in purchasing a home here in Long Island or elsewhere. Today, you may be experiencing unfortunate circumstances as your grumble and moan about your plight while trying to figure out what to do about your predicament.

Most don’t like to be in what I call the “uncomfortable zone,” because it isn’t a safe and easy place to be. However, it is where effort, discipline and sacrifice are required to be successful.

Recently, I saw and heard a clip on Instagram by actor George Clooney, and he said, and I quote, “I never learned anything from my successes but learned

everything from my failures.” This is where the biggest strides can be made. It isn’t a popular place that people seek or learn from, but it is where your greatest future improvements and successes can be made.

You have to ask yourself one question: “How bad do I want to be a homeowner?” Am I willing to sacrifice my time and provide the effort and discipline to do what needs to be done to gain that American Dream of homeownership?

I know what I had to do back then, but that isn’t relevant to anyone else. You have to look in the mirror and ask yourself what am I willing to do to get where I want and need to be in the homeownership game?

Some will stay here and have a positive outcome, while others will decide to go to other states for an easier way of life, but the choice is yours. However, irreparable harm to NYS will occur with the continued brain drain and loss of our population.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. For a free 15-minute consultation, value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Comor via https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com

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D’Esposito

Continued from Page 6

The congressman said the MTA “unnecessarily spent [$200 million] on the Long Island Rail Road expansion,” referencing a now-completed, years-long Third Track project.

The MTA said the new tolls will relieve Manhattan traffic and fund Long Island projects.

“Central Business District Tolling is expected to not only manage the traffic congestion that is clogging Manhattan streets, but also fund $1 billion in infrastructure improvements across the Long Island Rail Road, much of it the congressman’s district,” MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan told Blank Slate Media in a statement.

Nearly 80% of Long Islanders who travel to Manhattan for work use public transportation, according to the MTA. The corporation said the tolls will further improve the LIRR by funding capital projects.

The MTA said it has invested $15 billion already to upgrade the LIRR, including a 41% increase in services with the addition of lines to Grand Central, the Third Track project on the Main Line, an additional Second Track to Ronkonkoma and a reconstruction of the LIRR Concourse at Penn Station.

D’Esposito, who represents District 4 including parts of Valley Stream, Freeport, Oceanside and Garden City, said many of his constituents live in neighborhoods bordering the five boroughs. The representative said business owners have told him they are worried about affording the incoming congestion pricing, since their company truck drivers often have to travel between the boroughs and Long Island.

• Great Neck News

• Williston Times

“These are our Main Street businesses who are saying we don’t know if we can keep our doors open with the increase in congestion pricing,” D’Esposito said.

• New Hyde Park Herald Courier

D’Esposito and Gottheimer said they want transparency from the MTA and answers on how the organization came up with congestion pricing numbers and where the money is headed.

• Manhasset Times • Roslyn Times

“We have been on the front lines and fighting the good fight against the MTA, their mismanagement, the congestion pricing, the fact that they’re not keeping riders safe, and again this is another step in the right direction of finding what I think is common-sense solutions to problems,” D’Esposito said.

• Port Washington Times • Garden City News

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Spending per pupil disparity in schools

Continued from Page 1

New York State nearly doubled the national average in the 2021-2022 school year with spending at $29,873 per pupil.

New York City, which has just one school district, is projected to spend $31,256 per student in 2024. This is below the average spending per student on the North Shore by more than $5,000.

According to The Empire Center, Long Island school districts are on track to spend the most per student in the state.

The North Shore School District is expected to spend $46,830 per student, the highest amount among school districts included in the Town of North Hempstead.

The North Shore School District has 2,619 students and a budget of $122,648,900. It is the fourth smallest school district on the North Shore based on enrollment and falls in the middle of the field with the sixth largest budget in North Hempstead.

While the North Shore School District remained at the top, its spending per student declined from 2023-2024. It fell by more than $1,000 from the calculated $47,627 for the 2023-2024 school year.

The district lost $2,388,670 in the 20242025 budget due to a settlement between Nassau County and LIPA that reduced the taxes paid on the Glenwood Landing power plant.

The district is using an increase of $80,556 in state aid to slightly offset the revenue lost in the settlement, according to a message from the superintendent.

Behind the North Shore in spending per student are East Williston (No. 2), Great Neck (No. 3), Roslyn (No. 4), Mineola (No. 5), Manhasset (No. 6), Port Washington (No. 7), Sewanhaka (No. 8), Herricks (No. 9) and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park (No. 10).

At No. 11 is the Floral-Park Bellerose School District, which will be spending $25,233 per student.

The New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District has the second lowest spending per student with $29,951.

Both the Floral Park-Bellerose and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park school districts are only made up of elementary schools. Both also have the lowest student enrollment and smallest budgets of school districts in North Hempstead.

GRAPH BY CAMERYN OAKES

Spending per student on the North Shore has changed little change from the 2023-2024 school year to 2024-2025 with a disparity of as much as $20,000 between school districts.

The East Williston School District and the Great Neck School District spend the second and third highest amounts per student, respectively.

East Williston is slated to spend $43,428 per student and Great Neck is to spend $41,324 per student.

The East Williston School District has the third-lowest student enrollment, with 1,639 students, and the third-smallest budget at $71,177,806.

The largest budget in North Hempstead is for the Great Neck School District at $281,995,500. Great Neck has 6,824 students enrolled, the second-highest enrollment in North Hempstead.

While the Port Washington School district has the third largest budget and third

largest enrollment, it constitutes the fifth lowest district for spending per pupil.

Port Washington has an enrollment of 5,332 and a budget of $194,578,217. Its calculated spending per student would then be $36,493.

Port Washington was the only school district whose budget included a tax cap override. The district implemented a 4.55% tax increase, which surpassed the cap by 1.16%.

The district had to bridge a $5 million gap using its rollover budget, which was achieved through $2 million in cuts, $1 million of reserves used, and $2 million in taxes increased to balance the budget and maintain the district’s standard.

The Sewanhaka School District has the largest student population, with 7,754 en-

Antisemitism forum sparks backlash

Continued from Page 4

with the idea of hosting such a panel because she is his legislator and he has had a longtime correspondence with her.

Gordon also questioned how panelists were chosen for the forum, with all the elected officials on the panel Republicans and no Democrats represented.

“It’s so brazenly obvious what this is,” Gordon said. “This event is an opportunity for Mazi Pilip and Jack Martins and…D’Esposito to get up there and ruffle their feathers and say ‘I’m going to do something about antisemitism.’”

Bassali said the selection of the panelists was not done to exclude Democratic politicians but was a selection of Pilip’s closer circle of local officials. He said she was responsible for inviting the panelists.

“The goal of holding this event is not to promote any political parties,” Bassali said. “The goal of this meeting is…to protect the future students of colleges that they don’t feel fear (when) they go to college.”

Bassali said invitations were not extended to Rep. Tom Suozzi and he did not know why. He said inviting him now would be too “offensive” due to such late notice, but an invitation would be extended to him for succeeding forums.

He theorized that Suozzi may not have been invited because he defeated Pilip earlier this year in a special election for the House after disgraced George Santos resigned his seat. He said the forum was being planned and panelists were chosen amid the election.

rolled, yet it spends the eighth-highest perstudent amount out of 11 districts: $32,977.

Sewanhaka has the second-largest budget in the town for the 2024-2025 school year at $255,707,308.

While Herricks has the fourth-largest budget and student enrollment, its spending per student falls to the third lowest in North Hempstead.

Herricks’ budget is set at $141,710,364, and with a student enrollment of 4,447, their spending per student is $31,867.

The Manhasset School District and Mineola School District remained consistently in the middle of the field for their budgets, enrollments and spending per student.

The Manhasset School District has the seventh-largest budget at $111,286,207, the sixth-highest enrollment at 3,015 students, and the sixth-highest spending per student at $36,911.

The Mineola School district has the eighth-largest budget of $109,552,352, the seventh-largest student enrollment of 2,941, and the fifth-largest spending per student of $37,250.

Mineola’s spending per student was the only other North Shore school district to reduce its spending per student. In 2023-2024 it was calculated it would spend $38,140.

Spending per student on the North Shore mirrors almost the exact same rankings as last year, with the only change being Herricks and New Hyde Park-Garden City Park switching positions.

Last year, Herricks was ranked No. 10 in spending per student, while New Hyde ParkGarden City Park was ranked No. 9.

Roslyn, Great Neck and East Williston are ranked as the top three school districts of the North Shore in 2024 based on statistics, test scores, and district ratings. These three are also No. 2-4 of districts spending the most per student.

But Herricks falls right behind those three districts despite spending the third lowest per student. Niche ranked the district overall No. 11 in New York State.

While the North Shore School District spends the most per student on the North Shore, Niche ranked it No. 20 in the state this year, falling behind Roslyn, Great Neck, East Williston, Herricks and Manhasset.

Sassouni said. “However, I will be out of the country on May 30.”

Sassouni and Bassali both described her inclusion on the panel despite never officially committing to participate as a misunderstanding.

Bassali said he was unsure if other Democratic Long Island politicians were invited to participate.

Efforts to reach Pilip for comment were unavailing.

Bassali said he also sought a panelist involved in education to speak on educating students on antisemitism.

Great Neck Board of Education President Rebecca Sassouni was originally listed as one of the panelists but has since been removed. Sassouni said she was not available to join the forum and never confirmed whether or not she would join after being invited.

“As a Jewish mother of four, two of whom are in school, and as a lawyer, I am deeply concerned by the issue of antisemitism on campus,”

“Mr. Bassali is well-meaning and spoke to me months ago regarding the possibility of a panel,” Sassouni said. “However, he did not check with me on the use of my photo, the use of my Board of Eucation title or my availability on the date prior to publishing this flier. I am unavailable to be part of the panel and hope that the event goes well for all involved,” Sassouni said. “I will be unavailable.”

A new flier has since been made which omitted Sassouni.

Bassali said this event is just the beginning and that a wider field of politicians will be invited to future forums.

Gordon said the Great Neck community is already faced with divisions, and a forum like this one would not work toward unification.

Incumbents say to work with Alvarez

Continued from Page 1

demonstration of people participating in the democratic process as candidates and as voters, and I believe that when there is great interest in representation, I believe that makes for a stronger board,” Melkonian said.

Block was ousted from his seat along with four newcomers, Michael Bitalvo, Teodora Choolfaian, Joseph Delerme, and Beth Weisburd, who also fell short.

Both Smith and Melkonian were initially elected to the board in 2021, alongside Block. This will be Smith and Melkonian’s second term.

Smith said he was disappointed Block was not re-elected and that the community did not see the value he brought to the Board of Education.

“He’s a voice on many issues where he’s the only voice and that is going to be lost,” Smith said. “I think that is sad and it’s going to be a detriment to the stakeholders.”

At the same time Smith said he was excited about Alvarez joining. He said she, too, brings a voice that is missing on the BOE and was looking forward to working with her.

Melkonian said she was grateful for Block’s

service to the district as a trustee, but was also looking forward to working with Alvarez and believes she has life and community experiences that will be a valuable asset to the Board of Education.

Alvarez is a lifelong resident of Port Washington who runs a private youth athletics com-

pany on Long Island.

She is also the co-president of the school district’s Special Education Parent Teacher Association, treasurer for Parents Council and has served on various school committees.

She said she began attending Board of Education meetings three years ago after struggling

Senate Dem candidates to debate

Continued from Page 5

She has received endorsements from many local Democratic leaders present and past, including Rep. Tom Suozzi, Nassau County and New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, state Assemblymember Gina Sillitti, former state Sen. Anna Kaplan, Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman and Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton.

Schwartz, who ran in the 2018 race but dropped out before the primary against former state Sen. Anna Kaplan, is a former television editor and producer with a Ph.D in public policy. He is a lifelong resident of Long Island’s North Shore and lives in

Roslyn.

He is the founding chairman of Sid Jacobson JCC’s Community Needs Bank.

Schwartz’s campaign is focused on addressing the district’s high cost of living, bolstering public school funding, developing housing, supporting reproductive rights, healthcare affordability, combatting hate and antisemitism, protecting the environment and bettering public safety.

Schwartz has been endorsed by the New York Working Families Party and Frederick Brewington, a Long Island civil rights attorney.

The primary election for party nominees is June 25. The general election will then be held on Nov. 5.

The Port Washington-Manhasset League of Women Voters will host New York State Senate District 7 Democratic candidates Kim Keiserman and Brad Schwartz for a forum.

Paving company, owner pay $170K

Continued from Page 5

$102,631 to the Department of Labor for the prevailing wages and interest.

Then, the DOL issued 25 restitution checks to 22 paving company employees for the underpaid wages on Dec. 7, 2018.

Between Dec. 13, 2018 and Jan. 3, 2019, Stanco demanded several of those employees kick back the checks to him and his company if they

wanted to keep their jobs at American Paving & Masonry Corp., Donnelly said.

Stanco allegedly fraudulently endorsed many of the checks and deposited them into his bank accounts, the DA said.

The kickbacks from the seven employees victimized in the scheme totaled $42,595.57.

The additional $128,682.45 paid in restitution accounts for the defendants’ wage theft on

multiple public work jobs between 2019 and 2022 at the Glen Cove School District and the Villages of Great Neck, Great Neck Plaza, Flower Hill, Roslyn, Roslyn Harbor, and others.

“This restitution serves as a crucial step in rectifying the harm done and emphasizes our continued commitment to enforcing prevailing wage laws,” state Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said.

to find adequate after-school programs for her child. In attending these meetings, she said she was introduced to a diverse array of concerns from other parents.

Alvarez said she ran for the Board of Education to increase community representation on the board and stress the importance of inclusivity.

Efforts to reach Alvarez were unavailing.

Smith, who has lived in Port for the past 12 years, works for a New York-based real estate investment and development firm. He also served on the board of Temple Beth Israel in Port Washington

He and his wife have three children who attend district schools.

Smith said his approach as a BOE member has been one in balancing the needs of all of the district’s stakeholders. He said the results of the election reflect that the community saw this and they appreciated it.

Melkonian and her husband Matt moved to the area in 2000, with all three of their children passing through the Port Washington school district. She has spent time as an elementary, secondary and post-secondary special education teacher.

She attributed her re-election to her approachability and willingness to listen and learn. She said this is something the community has observed and has led her to being a member who represents the community.

“I think people felt respected and heard by me,” Melkonian said.

Looking forward, Melkonian said she will continue to focus on educational excellence, improve communications with the community and enhance the district’s school culture and climate. She said her values are aligned with the board’s goals as well.

Smith said with another three years he is looking to continue the board’s momentum since he joined. Also passed in the election was the school district’s budget, which required a supermajority vote due to its exceeding the allowed tax cap.

The budget garnered more than a 70% approval vote. Smith said this was a testament to the work the district has been doing and the trust the community has in it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PORT WASHINGTON-MANHASSET LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANDIDATES

Port Washington Board of Education President Adam Smith, left, and Trustee Nanette Melkonian, who were re-elected alongside newly elected member Sandra Alvarez.

NHP teacher tied up student: parents

BY TAYLOR HERZLICH

The parents of a 15-year-old nonverbal student filed a notice of claim against the Sewanhaka Central School District and two of its high schools seeking $3 million in damages after special needs teacher William Buith allegedly tied their son to a chair on April 4, according to the notice and a police report.

The teacher allegedly tied a rope around the student’s stomach, causing “multiple bodily injuries” and “emotional distress,” the notice of claim said. The police report said the student did not have any physical injuries.

The notice said the student’s father, Carlos Diaz, has not experienced any “companionship” or “affection”

from his son since the incident.

Stephanie Ovadia, the family’s lawyer, called the incident an unbelievable and disturbing case.

Interim Superintendent Thomas Dolan filed a police report April 5, the day after the incident. The child’s parents were not informed of the incident until April 5, according to the notice.

“Once we learned of the incident, we immediately conducted an investigation, the teacher was removed from the classroom, and the proper authorities were promptly contacted, including the Nassau County Police Department and the New York State Department of Education,” Dolan said in a statement. “As this is pending litigation, the district cannot comment further.”

The nonverbal boy, referred to as C.D. in the notice of claim, is an Elmont Memorial High School student.

On April 4, he was brought to New Hyde Park Memorial High School for special instruction, the notice said.

A teaching assistant and nurse told the chairperson of the special education department at Elmont that they witnessed Buith tie the student to a chair using a rope, according to the police report. The special education chairperson then notified Dolan, the police report said.

It is unclear why the teacher allegedly tied the student to a chair and how long the student was left there.

Efforts to reach Buith were unavailing.

This is not the only teacher scandal

the district is facing.

At a board meeting in early May, dozens of Palestinian and Muslim community members spoke out against what they called an offensive history lesson about Israeli-Palestinian relations taught by Deirdre McIntyre at Sewanhaka High School on May 2.

The teacher reportedly used a document in a history lesson that prompted students to role play as an Israeli and a Palestinian by using a script. Community members said the script included factual inaccuracies and Islamophobic stereotypes.

The teacher was absent from classes for a week and a half before returning to instruction with a co-teacher the morning after the early May board meeting, Dolan said.

Transmission project draws praise, concerns

Continued from Page 3

cables in the harbor, which she said could potentially have negative environmental impacts on the ocean floor environment.

“We have been working for years to get it better, the population cleaned up,” Holzcamp said. “They’ve been seeding oysters in there and now they’re going to put huge cables in there.”

Bromberg said the project could harm the environment if not done properly, but it can also foster beneficial environmental impacts. She said this would be achieved through the project’s utilization of renewable energy.

Shannon Baxevanis, New York Transco director of communication and

public affairs, said the project will go under a “robust” environmental review during its permitting process and is required to provide environmental reports. She said environmental agencies will review the project as well.

Once permits are awarded, Baxevanis said conditions will be attached to the project to protect the environment and monitoring will occur during the project to ensure they are adhered to.

Hildur Palsdottir, a community energy educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension, said there are ways to mitigate environmental harm and opportunities to foster environmental growth.

Palsdottir offered suggestions, including active reforestation when

closing the trenches to install the transmission lines. She said that closing the trenches is an opportunity for urban greening and planting native plants in those areas.

The transmission lines are planned to be placed under existing public rights of way and utility properties throughout Nassau County and in Suffolk County, Queens, the Bronx and Westchester County.

Three segments of the transmission lines route will run through North Hempstead on Northern Boulevard, Mineola Avenue to Willis Avenue, and Glen Cove Road.

In Nassau County, most of the lines will run through the Town of North Hempstead and cut through 11 villages. Approximately 19.5 miles of lines

will be installed in North Hempstead.

These lines would cut through the villages of Westbury, Old Westbury, East Hills, Roslyn Harbor, Mineola, Williston Park, Roslyn, Flower Hill, Lake Succes, Russell Gardens, and Thomaston.

The project is in its pre-permitting outreach and survey phase, during which it will solicit community and municipality feedback on the project. This is a required component before permits can be applied for.

The application for a state permit to begin the project is anticipated to be filed this summer, but the process is estimated to take place through 2026. It is estimated that the permitting process will take about two years.

COURTESY OF THE SEWANHAKA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

New Hyde Park Memorial High School.

Manhasett boys lacrosse beats Garden City, but loes in finals

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

There was elation.

So much elation that it felt like a championship game.

On May 21, the two-time defending state champion Manhasset boys lacrosse team enjoyed the kind of victory it is known for.

In a titanic battle with fellow defending state champion Garden City (we’ll explain in a minute how they could both be defending state champs), the proud Manhasset program avenged an earlier Trojans drubbing and won, 6-5, in a Class B semifinal.

As expected, the game came down to the final seconds. With a minute to go, Manhasset was nursing a 6-4 lead, holding the ball and seemingly able to run out the clock. But a turnover led to a quick strike by Garden City, and suddenly, it was 6-5, and a faceoff win went to the Trojans.

A timeout was called, and Manhasset coach Keith Cromwell tried to settle his troops down.

“We have total confidence in our defense, especially how great they were playing today,” said junior attack Daniel Kolin. “So everyone just focused on making one more stop.”

The stop came, but wow, was it tense. A rifle shot from Garden City’s James Ullrich hit the

post behind keeper Matthew Im with 18 seconds left, then Im had to make one more big save on Garden City’s Charlie Koester with four ticks left before Manhasset could celebrate as it advanced to the May 23 title game against South Side.

Against the Cyclones, the top seed, Manhasset surged ahead 5-2 in the second quarter, but South Side rallied and eked out a 12-10 win for its first county crown since 2004.

Manhasset was dethroned, but not before putting up a heck of a fight and earning a signature win in the semis.

This was no normal semifinal win at Shuart Stadium on Hofstra’s campus. This was such an atypical year for Manhasset; it suffered six regular-season losses, endured injuries to key players like Kolin, and came into the Class B playoffs as a No. 3 seed.

But when it counted, Manhasset came through. An early 3-0 deficit six minutes into the game stunned the underdogs and knocked them back on their heels.

“We were just slow to react and not doing what we were supposed to be doing,” said senior All-American defender Jack Mulholland. “We started slow a lot this year, then settled in and played our game.”

That game meant a stifling defense that allowed just one more goal over the next 2.5 quar-

ters while the Manhasset offense settled in.

And it meant Im playing his usual spectacular brand of goalkeeping in net; the three-year varsity starter, headed to the University of Tampa next season, was so good on low shots and made nine saves, including the final one that preserved the win.

Kolin scored three goals, while Mikey Mondiello, Conor Sheerin and Tommy Leder each added one, as Manhasset first tied, then surged past Garden City in the third quarter.

“It’s been a long year, a very unusual year, and nothing’s been easy,” Crowell said. “So I’m just so happy for our kids to see their hard work pay off.”

Both programs are steeped in accolades; Garden City entered 2024, owning nine state titles and 19 Long Island Championships, while Manhasset owned six state crowns and 16 LICs.

A change in the classification system moved Manhasset into Class B with the Trojans this year, and Long Island lacrosse fans knew these two teams were on a collision course as soon as the season started, as only one would be able to be called “state champs.”

Manhasset (11-6) and Garden City (15-2) had their annual Woodstick Classic game on April 20 and the Trojans emerged with a 7-2 win.

“We wanted them again, 100 percent, after

that game,” Mulholland said. “We knew that we could play a lot better and do a lot of different things if we played them again.”

After the huge win over Garden City, Manhasset had to come back and face powerful South Side two days later. The Cylcones, looking for their first county title in 20 years, fell behind 5-2, as Conor Sheerin (four goals on the day) powered the Manhasset offense.

South Side rallied to lead by two at halftime, but then, with the score tied at 8 in the third quarter, they pushed ahead with three goals to go up 11-8.

Manhasset cut the deficit to two after a Patrick Arnold goal, but could not quite close the gap again.

“We had our possessions and had our chances, we were right where I thought we needed to be,” Cromwell said. “But we played a ton of defense, our guys were getting a lot of pressure. We were chasing the game and just couldn’t quite get over the hump.”

Still, with a lot of young talent on this 2024 team, it sure seems like Manhasset can get back to its usual perch atop the county soon.

“Our seniors put so much sweat into the program, to help win two state championships and get our program back to where we want it to be,” Cromwell said. “So proud of all of these guys.”

PHOTO BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

Manhasset junior attack (Daniel Kolin, 23 in orange) looks for an opening while Garden City’s Matt Kephart (32) tries to defend during the Nassau Class C semifinal on May 21 at Hofstra.