New Hyde Park 2022_09_30

GUIDE TO MINEOLA STREET FAIR

NHP MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUNK DRIVING

Bail reform’s minor impact on rearrests

State report shows slight rise in repeat offenders in N.Y. since ‘19

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

New York’s bail reform laws, enacted at the beginning of 2020, have not resulted in significant changes in rearrest rates, according to a new report from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Statistics showed that outside of New York City, rearrest rates in 2019 were 16%, followed by 23% in 2020 and 21% in 2021. The city’s 2019 rearrest rate was 19%, followed by 22% in 2020 and 20% in 2021, according to the statistics.

Additionally, roughly 80% of suspects who were arrested throughout the state over the three-year analysis were not rearrested within six months of their initial arrest. Out of the more than 147,000 releases throughout the state, outside of New York City criminal courts, nearly 29,000 individuals, or roughly 19% were rearrested, according to statistics.

Roughly 12% of the rearrests were those who committed violent felonies, with more than 35% identified as individuals who committed non-violent felonies and 52% as people who committed misdemeanors, statistics showed.

Local officials have claimed that the laws, aside from allowing crimi-

nals to conduct repeat crimes throughout Nassau County, have resulted in many individuals skipping their court dates. Statistics showed that, outside of New York City, only 17% of more than 61,000 individuals failed to appear to court in 2019, with that percentage increasing to 18% two years later.

The statistics also showed an overall decrease in total arraignments throughout the state since 2019. In New York City, more than 97,286 arraignments were reported in 2019, with that figure decreasing to 57,160 during the first three quarters of 2021. Throughout the rest of the state, a total of 61,587 arraignments were reported in 2019, with that number decreasing to 38,176 during the first nine months of 2021, according to statistics.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said earlier this year that there is a “state of lawlessness” throughout New York and it has resulted in repeat offenders coming back to Nassau County to commit crimes.

“We have to get serious about changing the laws so that we don’t give criminals more rights than victims,” Blakeman said. “Unfortunately, that’s the way it is now. We’ve got people committing crime after crime and

Continued on Page 50

Firefighters from the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department contain a house fire in North Hills. See story on page 11.

NHP man charged in alleged fraud scheme

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

A New Hyde Park man was among five individuals charged with money laundering conspiracy as part of an alleged scheme to defraud

U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York said Irfan Bajwa, 42, was one of five individuals in the alleged scheme that would use bank accounts to receive proContinued on Page 51

New York City out of millions of dollars in connection with public contracts to perform work at homeless shelters throughout the city, officials announced on Wednesday. Federal prosecutors from the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANHASSET-LAKEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Floral Park’s Joseph McKie, a retired FDNY chief, died on Sept. 18 due to an illness related to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

McKie, 60, was battalion chief of Battalion 41 and served the department for 31 years before retiring in 2019. In September 2001, he was a lieutenant at Engine 284 in Brooklyn.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York made the announcement of McKie’s passing, along with firefighters Gregg Lawrence and William Hughes.

The total number of firefighters that have succumbed to World Trade Center-related illness has now topped 300. The number of FDNY members killed on Sept. 11, 2001, was 343.

McKie is survived by his wife Eileen, four children Joseph, Christopher, Emily and Grace, brother Paul, sister Joann and other extended family members.

McKie’s funeral was held Thursday morning at Our Lady of Victory Parish on Floral Parkway with his internment taking place at Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury.

Joseph McKie

NHP man pleads guilty to drunk driving 2018 incident seriously injured officer

BY BRANDON DUFFY

A New Hyde Park man and Coast Guard veteran Keith Dillon has pleaded guilty to a 2018 drunk driving incident that seriously injured a Nassau County police officer.

Dillon, 33, was intoxicated and impaired by Xanax when he drove his 2014 Dodge Ram onto the center median at 70 miles per hour southbound on Glen Cove Road in Greenvale and eventually crashed into an unmarked police car, driven by Nassau Police Officer Willard Gomes early on Jan. 1, 2018, officials said. Gomes suffered serious injuries.

Dillon pleaded guilty Tuesday at the Nassau County Courthouse to aggravated vehicular assault, assault in the second degree, aggravated driving while intoxicated and tampering with physical evidence.

He is expected to be sentenced to 6 to 12 years in prison on Oct. 19.

The collision pushed the police car about 50 feet backward and rotated it 180 degrees, according to the district attorney’s office.

Dillon’s car flipped over and came to a stop about 30 to 40 feet away from Gomes’ car, according to the district attorney’s office.

Cocaine and Xanax were found in

Dillon’s car following the crash, according to the district attorney’s office.

“Officer Gomes’ life was forever changed by the defendant’s reckless decisions to drive at excessive speeds while extremely intoxicated and high,” said District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “More than four years after this horrific head-on crash, Officer Gomes continues to fight for his recovery every day. No one should have to suffer as he has. We continue to wish Officer Gomes the best and thank him for his heroic service to Nassau County.”

Dillon previously pleaded guilty on May 13, 2019, and was sentenced but an appellate court decision overturned the conviction before the case was returned and prosecuted again by the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.

Gomes suffered a brain bleed, broken elbow and leg fractures which required multiple surgeries to repair.

Today, he walks with a permanent limp and cannot fully bend his left elbow or touch his face with his left hand. Gomes will require additional surgeries to regain mobility in his left arm. Dillon suffered a fractured ankle in the crash.

Dillon apologized to Gomes during his sentencing in 2019, expressing his regret for “selfish, reckless actions”, according to Newsday.

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Officials said Keith Dillon, of New Hyde Park, will receive the same plea deal in the Nassau courts as he did in a Brooklyn appellate court for a drunk driving incident in 2018.

Kaplan advocates for anti-theft bill

Takes aim at prohibiting the sale of stolen catalytic converters, scrap processors

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) urged Gov. Kathy Ho chul to sign legislation aimed at prohibiting the sale of catalytic converters by dismantlers and scrap processors into law Monday.

Nearly 1,300 catalytic converters have been stolen through out Nassau County since the beginning of the year, compared to just 131 last year, ofcials from the Nassau County Police Depart ment said during a meeting of the Lakeville Estates Civic Asso ciation several weeks ago. Catalytic converters use a chamber to transform harmful engine emissions into safe gases before they get released in the air.

The legislation, which has been passed in the state Assembly and Senate, would impose restrictions on selling catalytic con verters and require all qualifed dealerships to carry etching kits to ofer to anyone purchasing a new vehicle.

“We need to give our law enforcement the tools and resources they need, and while I’ve been proud to deliver more funding to our police to help them keep our community safe, we can still do more to address the theft of catalytic converters in our commu nity,” Kaplan, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

Etching kits allow for a catalytic converter to be marked so that it makes it more difcult for thieves to resale the converter to other dealers. While it is illegal to resell catalytic converters, Det. Sgt. Jefrey Raymond, the commanding ofcer of the Nas sau County Police Department’s Burglary Pattern Crime Squad, said the precious metals found in catalytic converters — rhodium, platinum and palladium — can be worth signifcant money.

According to a report from Kitco.com, one of the world’s largest precious metal retailers, the price of rhodium is more than $12,000 per ounce, with palladium coming in at more than $2,000 per ounce and platinum worth nearly $900 per ounce as of July. The report said that the price of those precious metals has increased since the start of the 21st century. Other reports have credited the overall rise in stolen converters to how easy it is for

individuals to steal them.

The legislation will also ensure necessary record-keeping and documentation for catalytic converter owners and dealerships who sell them is properly fled to help prevent thieves from re selling the materials. Various fnes will be enacted if the required documentation is not fled properly.

Eforts to reach a representative from Hochul’s ofce for com ment were unavailing.

Raymond said locking cars and parking them in a garage or protected/monitored driveway area are the two best ways to pro tect against people stealing the converters. He also noted that bail reform laws and New York’s Raise the Age laws make it difcult for police to ensure that the individuals who commit these crimes are not able to do so again.

“Unfortunately with Raise the Age…it afects us,” Raymond said. “There are no repercussions for them. What we’re seeing is a lot of younger kids, 15, 16, 17 years old, coming here, working for an organization…to steal high-end cars, bring them over to New Jersey, get paid for it and if they get arrested, nothing hap pens to them.”

In 2017, New York raised the age of criminal responsibility to at least 18 years old. The civil age of majority and age of criminal responsibility is 18 in both New York and New Jersey. Any juve nile case for an individual 13 years or older can be transferred to an adult court in New York. In New Jersey, a discretionary and presumptive waiver can be used for youth 15 years or older that meet certain criteria.

From Jan. 1- Mar. 31, more than 300 stolen vehicle reports were fled with the county’s police department, a 255% increase from the same time frame last year, according to statistics.

Ofcials said nearly 90 percent of the 11,000 people arrested in the county in 2021 were released without bail. More than 300 of those individuals were released without bail following a weap ons-related ofense, according to ofcials.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SENATOR’S OFFICE

State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a law aimed at preventing the theft of cata lytic converters into law.

Dems block DeSena’s picks for ethics board

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Town of North Hempstead Democrats voted to block appointments to the Town’s Board of Ethics and table resolutions on dates for public hearings on the town budget to discuss dates that work for all seven members during the Sept. 22 meeting.

The five-hour meeting saw a resolution to authorize the execution of an agreement with the law offices of Leventhal, Mullaney and Blinkoff, LLP for legal services tabled on a vote of 4-3 along party lines.

Resolutions to set public hearings in October on the tentative town budget were tabled to the Sept. 28 meeting to make sure all seven members can agree on dates.

Resolutions appointing Francisco Vazquez, Melissa Slobin and Derek Chan to the ethics board were voted down 4-3 by the Democrats, who hold a majority.

Without specific counsel to the Board of Ethics, the town attorney’s office will act in that capacity, which currently also serves the town board.

There was no discussion during the vote to table, except questioning by Republican Supervisor DeSena before her vote.

“Why are you moving to table this? This is something we have talked about for months. Mr. Leventhal would provide counsel to our ethics board, he’s very well-known and basically wrote the book on ethics,” DeSena said. “We are in a situation where our ethics board that’s supposed to be rendering decisions possibly on the town board is being advised by the town attorney, who also represents the town board.”

“The appointment of Mr. Leventhal as special counsel to the Board of Ethics is not being requested by the Board of Ethics. This is yet another instance of overreach by the Supervisor, and frankly a waste of taxpayer funds.

Democratic Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey said in a statement to Blank Slate Media outside counsel can be called when needed.

“The Board of Ethics can request the appointment of outside counsel as the need arises. Indeed, I’m told that they have appointed outside counsel — including Mr. Leventhal — in the past,” Lurvey said. “I see no need to change that

arrangement just because the Supervisor wants it. ”

DeSena said in a statement the votes a tactic to prevent investigations.

“The Town attorney has a legal responsibility to represent his clients, Town officials. As the Board of Ethics is charged with oversight of Town officials, obtaining legal advice from the Town attorney is clearly a conflict of interest,” DeSena said. “Tabling the appointment of counsel and instead leaving legal guidance of our Board of Ethics in the hands of political appointees can only be seen as a tactic to prevent investigations into misdeeds and conflicts of interest.”

After the vote to appoint Slobin to the ethics board failed, Democratic Councilman Robert Troiano clarified that there are issues with the process DeSena followed rather than Slobin herself.

“I have been consistent since January that the process you followed was not beholden to the town code,” Troiano said. “It was the process, not the individual.”

DeSena disputed that it is her responsibility to make appointments for the ethics board and that everyone has known the names for months. But Troiano said it should be in consultation with the town board, saying there was no consultation before DeSena submitted her picks.

During the vote for Chan, Lurvey said it’s her position that appointments for the ethics board should be staggered.

“I have been consistent since these residents have been put on the agenda early this year, the Board of Ethics, regardless of the fact that they are in holdover terms that they should be staggered.”

Lurvey continued to contend that DeSena should not be able to fill the ethics board herself.

“If the terms were staggered, then there would have been two reappointed at the end of last year and there’ll be two we appointed at the end of this year,” Lurvey said. “What you are doing is trying to replace the entire board with your hand-picked people and I think it’s enough of implying that there’s some sort of collusion between the majority and the ethics board.”

In the Sept. 22 agenda, the resolutions to confirm Vazquez, Slobin and Chan said their re-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUPERVISOR’S OFFICE

Current members for North Hempstead’s Board of Ethics are operating on unexpired terms, said Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.

Mineola eyes revised business district

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Mineola Board of Trustees Wednesday night was given a presentation on potential ways to revitalize different business districts in the village.

The presentation was in line with the vision of newly elected Mayor Paul Pereira and the rest of the board’s interest in reimagining different parts of Mineola.

“My view is that retail as we know it no longer exists,” Pereira said. “And it’s not coming back the way we knew.”

Specifically, the board heard a presentation from Paul Grygiel on creating an overlay district on the strip of Jericho between Willis Avenue and Marcellus Road and on Main Street, First Street and Second Street between Mineola Boulevard and Willis.

Grygiel is a city planning and development consultant with previous experience in Mineola, which included a helping hand in the creation of the master plan of Mineola in the mid-2000s.

Overlay zones create special zoning districts on previously established districts that can allow for additional criteria.

An overlay zone, as presented, would allow future development to possibly be residentialonly and exceed the maximum height of 25 feet but not go above 40 feet.

“The overlay districts essentially mean we will entertain good projects,” Pereira said. “If we don’t like it, you can still build but at 25 feet.”

Grygiel noted that the master plan, enacted in 2005, labeled the Jericho Turnpike area as an appropriate place for pedestrian-oriented development, mentioning specifically that some outside-the-box methods of increasing development would be mixed-residential buildings, a conference space, hotel or movie theater, among other possibilities.

“The idea with Jericho is to take what you have and potentially allow the market to say, with newer options for development, let’s invest money here,” Grygiel said.

Pereira clarified that nothing was being voted on Wednesday night but added that the current setup doesn’t allow businesses to be bought and redeveloped outside of what the current parameters are. The mayor said that on Jericho developers are not allowed to put residential units on the first floor and that is something he would

MY VIEW IS THAT RETAIL AS WE KNOW IT NO LONGER EXISTS. AND IT’S NOT COMING BACK THE WAY WE KNEW.

Paul Pereira MAYOR

entertain in the future, if possible.

Grygiel said the focus for the Main Street area was to preserve and enhance a traditional downtown area. He pointed out that buildings can only be two stories and allowing for a third could promote development.

For additional residential units to be developed, current regulations would require parking spaces to be put in place, but a potential remedy would be a payment in lieu of parking program that would set funds aside for specific parking developments in the village.

Any specifics on a potential payment in lieu of parking program would be dictated by the village, Grygiel said.

“Developers could pay a one-time fee per parking spot and funds can go to a parking lot or parking structure if the opportunity presented itself,” Grygiel said.

Pereira said he liked Grygiel’s suggestions and that he is open to gathering any information to improve the village.

“This enables us to be able to entertain opportunities that are beneficial to developers, property owners, landlords and the village,” Pereira said.

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PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY

Paul Grygiel speaks to the Mineola Board of Trustees on Wednesday night.

Suozzi endorses Zimmerman for CD3

Congressman praises Dem nominee for commitment to SALT deduction, fighting gun violence

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Months after endorsing Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan to succeed him in Congress, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) formally endorsed Robert Zimmerman ahead of the state’s 3rd Congressional District election in November.

Suozzi, who lauded Lafazan for being a “common-sense Democrat” prior to the district’s Democratic primary election that took place in August, said Zimmerman is “the clear choice” in the general election later this fall.

“Robert has committed to fight to end gun violence in our nation, protect the shorelines of Queens and Nassau Counties, and will be dedicated to fully restoring the SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction,” Suozzi continued. “Robert Zimmerman will work to deliver results for the people of the 3rd Congressional District.”

Zimmerman, in a tweet, said he was proud to have Suozzi’s endorsement, expressing his desire to work closely with the outgoing congressman on various issues, if he is elected.

Suozzi is coming off a failed run in the gubernatorial primary, losing to Gov. Kathy Hochul in late June, and will not be running to retain his seat in Congress.

New district maps were submitted

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

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

Zimmerman, 67, is co-president of ZE Creative Communications on Bond Street in Great Neck, a public relations firm he started 33 years ago with Ron Edelson and a Democratic national committeeman.

rights, among other things, as threats to the country’s fabric.

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

Santos, 34, who ran against Suozzi in 2020, was named a “Young Gun” candidate in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program earlier this year, his campaign said. The Republican was recently endorsed by Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANDIDATE

Great Neck’s Robert Zimmerman is running for New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

recently by a court-appointed special master and have been viewed as more neutral compared to ones that were rejected by the state Appeals Court several weeks ago.

Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (D-Woodbury) was in third place with 5,296 votes, Port Washington’s Melanie D’Arrigo received 4,197 votes and Oyster Bay’s Reema Rasool received 661 votes.

While the 3rd Congressional District

Zimmerman received 9,482, or 36%, of the votes in the 3rd Congressional District primary in August. Former North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman finished second with 6,884 votes for 26%.

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

The businessman referred to numerous pieces of legislation in state governments aimed at compromising voting, abortion and the LGBTQ+ community’s

“I am confident that George will deliver solutions in Washington, D.C. George is a friend and true leader with a passion for the people,” DeSena said in a statement. “He’s about fixing government and getting things done, and that’s the type of representation we need.”

Santos, who is running for his first elected public office, said DeSena is an inspiration and problem solver.

“I am honored to have the endorsement of North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena,” he said. “When the government cannot agree on anything, Supervisor DeSena makes things happen.”

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Hempstead, Oyster Bay repeal abortion restrictions

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay

Earlier this month, North Hempstead’s Town Board voted unanimously Thursday to repeal a 50-year-old section of the town code that limited where pregnancies could be terminated to hospitals, facilities adminliated

with a hospital.

On Wednesday morning, elected officials gathered at the Nassau County Courthouse to provide an update on municipalities that have also repealed their restrictions and those that have not.

The Villages of Williston Park, Freeport and the Town of Huntington have not yet taken any actions.

“Two weeks ago, I called on local officials to repeal draconian abortion restrictions that were still on the books here on Long Island, and today I’m proud to announce that the Towns of Oyster Bay and Hempstead did exactly what I told them to do: they repealed their abortion restrictions! While they may not have done so with any fanfare, this is a moment worth celebrating, and I thank them for this achievement,” state Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) said. “Now, it’s time for officials in the remaining three Long Island communities to do their part and repeal their abortion restrictions, which we know were enacted with the sole purpose of getting between women and their right to choose.”

On Sept. 8, Kaplan and state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti went through the municipal code of over 110 Long Island communities.

“I joined my colleagues in the state Legislature to send an unequivocal message,

Northwell hits $1B in campaign to fund expansion

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Northwell Health announced that they surpassed $1 billion in its first system-wide fundraising campaign, with nearly 170,000 donors providing support to its continuing expansion and furthering research, officials announced on Thursday.

The system’s ‘Outpacing the Impossible: The Northwell Campaign’ was publicly launched in October 2018 with the hopes of raising funds to support capital projects, advance research and improve hospitals and other clinical programs. New York’s largest private employer and non-profit healthcare provider officially raised $422 million for their programs, $412 million for capital projects and $186 million for its’ endowment program.

“We don’t believe in limits. We set a goal to raise $1

billion and we’ve done that,” Northwell President and CEO Michael Dowling said in a statement. “The extraordinary generosity from our donors has significantly boosted advancements in research, education, prevention and treatment. Philanthropy is an investment in one another, in our community and in the future, and it saves and improves people’s lives.”

More than 11,000 Northwell employees, including 100% of the healthcare system’s leadership officials, made donations totaling more than $15 million, officials announced. Some of the donations supported the Caregivers Support Fund, which Northwell team members created to aid those whose families were struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our communities and employees have come together to support the philanthropic needs

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF STATE SEN. ANNA KAPLAN

Pictured left to right state Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, state Sen. Jim Gaughran, state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti, Jennifer Eramo (Planned Parenthood of Greater New York) and state Sen. Anna M. Kaplan celebrate the repeal of local abortion restrictions.

on

on

More unions endorse Kaplan in re-election bid

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

State Sen. Anna Kaplan (DPort Washington) has received the support of three more labor unions ahead of her race for the 7th Senate District on Nov. 8.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 25, the Enterprise Association Steamfitters Local 638 and the Public Employees Federation of New York State have all endorsed Kaplan. The announcement comes on top of the 14 labor union endorsements that she has recently received.

Kaplan is running against former state Sen. Jack Martins (R-Old Westbury). From 2011 to 2016, Martins, a former mayor of Mineola, served as the 7th District’s representative.

Kaplan said she is proud to be the self-labeled “labor candidate” in her race.

“As a state senator, I’ve fought hard for unions and working families,” she said. “As long as I have the privilege of representing this community in the Senate, I will continue fighting for orga-

nized labor and the millions of union families across the state.”

Wayne Spence, president of the New York State Public Employees Federation, said Kaplan has always battled alongside organized labor. In doing so, she has ensured that New Yorkers have access to dignified employment with competitive pay and benefits.

“We are excited to continue working with her to deliver for

Long Island families by creating greater opportunity for our members and for all workers across New York,” he said.

Kaplan has served in the Senate since 2019. In 2020, she defeated former Port Washington Police Commissioner Dave Franklin to win re-election. She said she has concentrated on tax relief for the middle class, women’s rights and lowering gun violence and hate crimes.

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State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Port Washington

DeSena endorses Santos for Congress

Town supervisor ‘confident’ Republican will improve quality of life for 3rd District

BY BRANDON DUFFY

North Hempstead Supervisor Jen nifer DeSena has endorsed Republi can George Santos as he makes a bid for the 3rd Congressional District in November.

DeSena, a registered Democrat who ran as a Republican, is currently serving her frst term of public ofce.

“I formally endorse George San tos for Congress in New York’s Third Congressional District. I was elected North Hempstead’s Town SUpervi sor to bring some desperately needed change, and my administration is get ting things done for our residents,” DeSena said in a statement. “The fed eral government is in need of change as well, as infation is hitting record highs and straining the budgets of families. I am confdent that George will deliver solutions in Washington D.C. George is a friend and true lead er with a passion for the people. He’s about fxing government and getting things done, and that’s the type of rep resentation we need. I look forward to partnering with him to help improve the quality of life for the people of North Hempstead and the entire con gressional district.”

Santos, who is running for his frst elected public ofce, said DeSena is an inspiration and problem solver.

“I am honored to have the en dorsement of North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena. When

the government cannot agree on anything, Supervisor DeSena makes things happen. She is a true inspira tion and problem solver,” Santos said. “Supervisor DeSena and I will work together in whatever capacities to shift the accountability back to the

I AM HONORED TO HAVE THE ENDORSEMENT OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD TOWN SUPERVISOR JENNIFER DESENA. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT AGREE ON ANYTHING, SUPERVISOR DESENA MAKES THINGS HAPPEN. SHE IS A TRUE INSPIRATION AND PROBLEM SOLVER.

George Santos REPUBLICAN

elected ofcials and in the best inter est of North Hempstead residents.”

If elected, Santos would become

the frst openly gay member of Con gress from Long Island and Queens as would his Democratic challenger Zim merman.

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

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

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

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

For local news that matters Visit www.theisland360.com

Unnoccupied North Hills house catches fire

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

There were no in juries in an early Sun day morning house fre in North Hills, po lice announced.

Ofcers were dis patched to 9 Cher rywood Lane in re sponse to a house fre. They arrived to fnd the residence, which was empty because of ongoing construction, completely engulfed in fames.

The ManhassetLakeville Fire Depart ment arrived and put out the fre. The Port Washington Atlan tic Fire Department, Plandome Fire De partment and Roslyn Fire Department all assisted.

There were no reported injuries. The investigation is ongo ing.

Firefighters from

house

Manhasset-Lakeville

Hills

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The firehouse for the Manhasset–Lakeville Fire Department’s Company No. 1. There were no injuries reported in a house fire in North Hills early Sunday morning, according to police.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUPERVISOR

Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANHASSET-LAKEVILLE

FIRE DEPARTMENT

F.P.’s Walsh named clerk of the year

The Village of Floral Park is celebrating again! Susan Walsh, Village Clerk for the In corporated Village of Floral Park, was recent ly named Clerk of the Year by the New York State Association of City and Village Clerks (NYSACVC).

Susan was recognized earlier this month at the New York Conference of Mayors in Saratoga

by over 500 colleagues in the NYSACVC. Floral Park’s Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald, Board of Trust ees and Village Administrator Gerard Bambrick nominated Susan for this prestigious award for her dedication and service to the Village of Flo ral Park. Mayor Fitzgerald in his nomination, stated that “Susan Walsh is the living defnition of an outstanding public servant and a role mod

el for all who serve the public good.”

The Board honored Susan at its September 20th Board of Trustees meeting and thanked her for her twenty-three years of outstanding service to the Village residents and to the Mayor and Board of Trustees. Susan responded that she was “truly humbled and honored to receive this award and that she truly loves Floral Park.”

South High Class of ‘02 reunion

Calling all Class of ’02 Rebels! Please join us for an evening flled with fun and laughter celebrating our 20th Reunion! Taking place on Saturday, Nov. 26, from 8 p.m.-Midnight at the Inn of Great Neck (30 Cuttermill Road, Great Neck, NY). Festivities include a cocktail-style format with a four-hour top shelf open bar, passed appetizers, a delicious bufet and more to be announced. All guests of classmates are welcome! Semi-formal attire is encouraged.

*Rooms have been blocked at the Inn at Great Neck Hotel for any out-of-towners (or those who are local who are looking to make it an overnight). The rate is $179.00 per night for a Deluxe Room. Please contact the Reserva tion’s Department directly at (516) 773-2000 and mention the Great Neck South 20th Re union group to receive our special rate. Over night valet parking is available at $14 per night.

For any questions, concerns, or updates please contact Errol Eisner at 20yeargnsh sreunion@gmail.com

Happening at the Great Neck School District

National Merit Scholarship semifnalists

Twenty-seven students in the Great Neck Public Schools have been named Semifnalists in the prestigious 2023 National Merit Schol arship Competition (NMSC).

John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School Semifnalists are: Joy Huang, Danielle Kobrick, Benjamin Souferian, Shuyuan (Julie) Sun, and Katharine Tang.

William A. Shine-Great Neck South High School Semifnalists are: Ryan Chen, Claudia Cheng, Brayden Chien, Justin Choi, Spencer Hom, Charles Huang, Edward Huang, Wil liam Huang, Alok Karkare, Drew Kim, Sooah Kwak, Sebastian Lennox, Kanheng (Martin) Lin, Sophia Liu, Emma Maliar, Riya Mitra, Amit Saha, Amber Sun, Ashley Wu, Joy Yang, Dayoung Yu, and Richard Zhuang.

These Semifnalists are among the 16,000 named nationwide, having scored among the highest in New York State on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which they took last year.

The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show excep tional academic ability and potential for suc cess in rigorous college studies. These Semi fnalists, who represent less than one percent of seniors in the country, will be identifed to colleges and universities in order to increase their educational opportunities.

Semifnalists are invited to complete a detailed scholarship application and provide academic and leadership credentials to be considered as a Finalist in the competition. Approximately 15,000 students will be an nounced as Finalists in February 2023. Merit Scholarship Winners will be chosen from among the Finalists to receive one or more Merit Scholarship Awards.

Music students selected for All-State

Eight highly talented musicians from North High School and South High School have been selected for the prestigious and very competitive 2022 New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State Conference, to be held in Rochester on Dec. 1–4. In addition, 14 students have been named Alternates for the event.

North High All-State musicians

North High School All-State musicians are: Samuel Friedmann (Bass, Mixed Chorus), Ju lia Huang (violin, Symphony Orchestra), Owen Roubeni (tenor, Mixed Chorus), Shuyuan (Julie) Sun (fute, Symphony Orchestra), and Maverick Williams (bass, Mixed Chorus). Alternates are: Ryan Cho (Bb clarinet), Man Chun Han (violin), Matthew Kwong (cello), Hwi-On Lee (violin), Mizuki Natsu (cello), and Alex Zhuang (cello).

North High vocal musicians are taught by Dr. Pamela Levy, fne and performing arts de partment head/vocal music teacher. Instrumen tal musicians were previously taught by Joseph Rutkowski, who retired in June 2022; current instrumental music teachers at North High are Dr. Esther Noh and Jacquelyn Tomlet.

South High All-State musicians

South High All-State musicians are: Kanheng (Martin) Lin (baritone sax, Symphony Band); Nancy Schoen (soprano, Mixed Chorus), and Joy Song (Bb clarinet, Symphony Orchestra). Alter nates are: Jillian Chang (cello), Yonathan Eilon (bass), Drew Kim (violin), Elizabeth Levine (vio lin), Shira Lichter (violin), Victoria Lin (cello), Nathan Park (tenor), and Sidney Wong (violin).

South High musicians are taught by Michael Schwartz, performing arts department head/in strumental music teacher; Mark Boschen, instru mental music teacher; and Dr. Janine Robinson, vocal music teacher.

At the All-State Conference, sponsored by NYSSMA, the State’s fnest student musicians will perform together in various ensembles.

Thousands of students auditioned for this com petition last spring at solo and ensemble festivals throughout the state.

South High musician selected for All-National honor ensemble

The South High School Performing Arts De partment is pleased to announce that senior Day oung Yu has been selected to play the violin in the All-National Symphony Orchestra, part of the 2022 All-National Honor Ensembles.

This is the second consecutive year that Dayoung will perform with a National Honor Ensemble, presented by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Dayoung’s mu sic teacher at South High is Michael Schwartz, performing arts department head/instrumental music teacher.

The NAfMEAll-National Honor Ensembles, taking place Nov. 3-6 in National Harbor, Mary land, represent the top performing high school musicians in the United States.Honor Ensemble participants are selected through a rigorous pro cess that includes a recorded video audition. Eli gible students have qualifed for their state-level honor ensemble program and competed against top students for a spot in these national honor ensembles.

NYSSMA Piano Showcase

South High School senior Xinyi (Zoe) Zhang has been selected to perform in the sixteenth an nual New York State School Music Educators As sociation (NYSSMA) Piano Showcase, part of the 2022 All-State Conference.

There were 95 applicants for this year’s Pia no Showcase and only 10 were selected for this prestigious honor. Zoe will perform Étudein C# minor, Op. 2, No. 1 by Alexander Scriabin.

“We are very proud of Zoe for this distin guished honor,” says Michael Schwartz, perform ing arts department head. “She helps to inspire all of our music students throughout the depart ment.”

The NYSSMA All-State Conference will feature various performances by the state’s fn est student musicians as individuals and in en sembles. This year’s conference will take place in Rochester on Dec. 1–4, 2022.

JFK students learn about 9/11

Students in Rebecca Schapira’s ffth-grade class at the John F. Kennedy School studied 9/11 and the impact it had on New Yorkers, the United States, and people around the world.

During the week-long unit from Sept. 9–16, students listened to read alouds including “14 Cows for America” and “September Roses,” and watched the famous “Boatlift” documentary.

Local frefghter and South High School teacher John Motchkavitz visited the class to share his frst-hand experiences with the rescue and clean-up at Ground Zero. Touching a piece of the Twin Towers and seeing photos made a tremendous impact on students’ understanding of that tragic day.

After learning about the events that unfold ed, students interviewed family members about their experiences on 9/11/01. Students also wrote letters to local frefghters, frst respond ers, and police ofcers to share their admiration for the responders’ heroism.

Save the date: GNPS Faculty Recital returns Oct. 20

The Great Neck Public Schools is pleased to announce the return of the District Faculty Recit al this fall! Please mark your calendar and plan to attend this year’s Faculty Recital on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. in the South Middle School auditorium, 349 Lakeville Rd.

The Faculty Recital is an exhilarating evening of concert-hall-caliber music performed by GNPS faculty and friends. Tickets at the door are $5 for students and seniors, $10 for adults (suggested donations). Proceeds beneft the Music Scholar ship Fund. Additional details will be provided as the event date approaches.

Opinion

OUR VIEWS

Facts get in way of bail reform claims

Nassau Republicans swept the four county-wide seats in November 2021 based in large part on a rise in crime statewide that they blamed on reforms to New York’s bail laws approved by the Democraticcontrolled state Legislature.

Republican candidates running for office across the state led by Lee Zeldin, a congressman from Suffolk County vying for governor, are now using the same playbook.

Zeldin, a close ally of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, is calling for an end to cashless bail for all crimes.

There is no doubt the state’s reforms – eliminating cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies — have been a politically potent argument for Republicans.

But there is one problem with the claim that the reforms are responsible for the increase in violent crime in the state. It isn’t true.

A state report issued last week shows that criminal suspects are being rearrested at roughly the same rate as before bail laws were overhauled. Outside of New York City, the rate was 16% in 2019, 23% in 2020 and 21% in 2021.

The report broke down the statistics between New York City and outside New York City. The numbers tracked fairly closely between the two areas.

Rearrests for violent crimes also remain low. Outside of New York City, about 1% of suspects were rearrested for a violent felony in 2019 compared to about 3% in 2021.

The report, which takes data going back to 2019, indicates that judges, who can’t assess bail as frequently as before, are using non-monetary supervision tools such as ankle bracelets to monitor suspects.

Bail reforms also have not sparked a rash of no-shows at required court appearances.

Yes, the agency that issued the report – the state Division of Criminal Justice Services – is under the control of Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, who is running for re-election against Zeldin.

But the report closely follows findings made by several news outlets when they reviewed the data earlier this year

that showed bail reform had a minimal impact on the crime rate.

An analysis of Nassau County crime statistics for the past five years conducted by Blank Slate Media shows a decrease of more than 10% in major crimes from 2017-2021 but an increase of more than 16% in violent crimes.

Major crimes, overall, increased less than 3% in 2021 from 12,244 in 2020. Violent crime increased 5% from 1,826 to 1,917 during this period and property crimes increased less than 2%.

In short, no evidence exists to support the claim that New York’s bail reform is to blame for increases in violent crime, which have occurred nationwide, including in jurisdictions without bail reform, during the pandemic.

Nassau County recently reported that authorities rearrested about 7% of defendants who were released without bail during the second quarter of 2022. But that included nonviolent crimes, such as possession of controlled substances, larceny, criminal mischief and not showing up at trial.

This has not prevented Blakeman and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder from blaming a 75% rise in crime in Nassau in the first three months of the year on bail reform.

“These criminals are allowed out without having to post bail, without any accountability for their actions and the number of crimes they have committed,” Blakeman said in an interview with Blank Slate Media in July. “It’s dangerous and it’s made us all less safe.”

Without any evidence to prove it, Blakeman also said there is a “state of lawlessness” throughout New York and it has resulted in repeat offenders coming back to Nassau County to commit crimes.

This may be a good sound bite. But it is not supported by the facts.

The problem with blaming bail reform for the spike in the county’s crime rate is that it allows Blakeman, Zeldin and other Republicans to avoid addressing the actual cause — whatever that might be. And actually doing something about it.

But before that question is answered, it would be helpful to know what the county’s crime rate has been since March.

The county had not updated 2021

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Nassau crime statistics since October, when Laura Curran was county executive, until July and only then in response to a Freedom of Information Law request by Blank Slate Media.

The county also did not release monthly crime statistics for 2022 until then.

By contrast, New York City releases its crime statistics monthly and has used them to target areas of concern such as gun shootings.

In response to a spike in gun shootings, the city focused on areas where a disproportionate number of shootings occurred and launched an aggressive program of getting guns off the street. Gun shootings declined in subsequent months.

Do Blakeman and Ryder not know whether the crime rate continues to spike over 2021?

Or do they know and are not sharing that information with Nassau County residents? If so, why?

Releasing crime statistics that show crime has spiked since Blakeman took office would certainly cast his first year in office in an unflattering light. But that’s not a reason to withhold the information.

The last two years in which Curran was county executive, before losing to Blakeman, Nassau was ranked as the safest county in the United States by U.S.

REPORTERS

News & World Report — an honor questioned by Blakeman.

OK, but how does Blakeman explain the small increase in Nassau’s crime rate the two years after the bail laws reforms were enacted when Curran was county executive and the increase since he took office in the beginning of this year?

And what is Blakeman going to do about the rise in crime now?

Ryder and Blakeman did warn criminals from out of state to stay out of Nassau after reporting that 75% of the 300 cars thefts in Nassau in the first three months of the year were committed by Newark, N.J., residents. This represented a 255% increase in car thefts.

Ryder said at the time the county’s Police Department was working with Newark police to catch the offenders and said Nassau County Crimestoppers was offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information that led to arrests of car theft criminals.

So, what has happened since?

Nassau County’s police are among the best paid in the county. The county spends $1,148 per capita on police and fire protection while the national median is $359, according to U.S. News & World Report.

And for that money county taxpayers have gotten good results in the past.

Robert Pelaez, Brandon Duffy, Steven Keehner

COLUMNIST Karen Rubin

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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

ART DIRECTOR Yvonne Farley

What went wrong in the first three months of the year? And have the steps taken by the county since then been enough?

These are questions that Blakeman and Ryder as well as every county legislator – Republican and Democrat – should answer.

And yes, they have been asked. And no, they have with the exception of Blakeman and Ryder not been answered.

The state’s bail laws were grossly unfair before they were first reformed in 2019, penalizing poor (disproportionately minority) defendants unable to pay their way out of jail while rewarding those with the means to buy their freedom.

For those who could not pay, the results were often catastrophic not only for those who were arrested but for their families as well.

Lawmakers have twice amended the bail laws, most recently this past spring, to address the concerns of Republicans and some Democrats who relied on anecdotal evidence but no hard facts.

Now, we have hard data and they show that bail reform is not behind the rise in crime in New York.

Will that stop politicians from trying to exploit the issue and find real solutions? Probably not. But it should.

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The U.S. Senate ain’t what it used to be

Imust confess that I am hooked on the political history of this great country.

We have had great Supreme Court justices, legendary members of the House of Representatives and a Senate, once referred to by President James Buchanan as the “world’s most deliberative body.”

Despite such great choices, I have focused most of my time on the Senate.

By law, the U.S. Senate is a 100-member body. It has produced many great names and has the distinction of having produced a number of U.S. presidents.

In 1959, the sitting members of the Senate were asked to pick the top five senators in history. Their choices were Henry Clay, (Ky.), John C. Calhoun, (S.C), Daniel Webster (Mass/), Robert Taft, (Ohio) and Robert La Follette Sr. (Wis.).

I have my own favorites, in no particular order.

My list includes: Everett Dirksen, John F.Kennedy, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, John Mc Cain and Lyndon

B. Johnson.

This walk through history creates a real contrast with today’s Senate. Over the past 100 years so many great senators did so many great things, but only a handful of the current members are entitled to any accolades. In fact, there are too many senators who are a total embarrassment to the institution.

My list of disappointments is topped by Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ted Cruz (RTexas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.).

I may have missed a few from both sides but this group stands out like the proverbial sore thumb. Lindsey Graham is in a class by himself. He has more colors than a chameleon. He was a close friend of the late John Mc Cain but when Mc Cain died, he became the polar opposite of his buddy.

In 2016, he denounced Donald Trump with ugly words, then embraced him and then disavowed him followed on January 6.

Currently, Graham is a staunch

JERRY KREMER Kremer’s Corner

supporter of Trump and has managed to become one of the most disliked members of the Senate Republican caucus. His latest attempt to drag his party in the abortion battle has been roundly criticized by most of his GOP colleagues and has been a walking, breathing, gift to the Democrats.

He has attacked the FBI and the

Justice Department, as well as other law enforcement groups. It is hard to name a senator who has been as ineffective as Graham, but Ted Cruz comes in a close second.

Even though he is an Ivy League graduate, Cruz practices being obnoxious on a daily basis. His Senate speeches have been a turnoff to both sides of the aisle and his trip to the Caribbean at the height of the Texas blackouts is an incident that will not be lost on his constituents.

Florida’s Marco Rubio fits the definition of an “empty suit.”He has produced nothing of significance for his state and has gone out of his way to vote against many bills, supported by both parties, such as storm aid for flood-ravaged communities.

Rubio had the gall to vote against assistance for the 9/11 survivors, which incurred the wrath of former Congressman Pete King, who urged Wall Street donors to “boycott Rubio” fundraisers.

It’s not appropriate to spend too much time on Josh Hawley, but his fist bump to the Jan. 6 rioters, fol-

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

lowed by the famous film of him running away from the same group, says all there is to say about another Ivy league addition to the Senate. Hawley may be a hero to his conservative base in Missouri, but he has done nothing to make the U.S. Senate an effective body.

Bernie Sanders is well-liked by senators from both parties and works well with them on some issues.

But Sanders has had many opportunities to advance causes that are important to his party and has failed. Somehow Sanders still seems to be nursing the wounds of losing to Joe Biden and has lost the dynamism that he displayed during the presidential campaign.

Most of his current speeches are a repeat of the many he gave in 2020 and he has been of little help to his party’s leader.

I salute Senator Chuck Schumer for his current legislative successes, which have boosted his party, but most of the current Senate in no way resembles the great Senate of the past.

Not exactly grace under pressure

It could have happened to anyone.

Well, at least to anyone signing the royal visitor’s book in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

To be more specific: Prince Charles — I mean, His Majesty Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — was signing a guest book as part of a visit to Northern Ireland, five days after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had died. And the pen he was using had leaked on him — as fountain pens are wont to do.

“Oh God, I hate this,” Charles exclaims. As he gets up, away from the desk, he hands the evil thing to his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, who takes it but calmly remarks that the ink “is going everywhere.”

The king then stands in front of his wife, going through his pockets and looking for all the world like he is about to give her a handkerchief.

Indeed, he finds one — and proceeds to wipe off his own hand. Nothing for Camilla until another aide comes up and relieves her of the disastrous pen. She sits down and calmly signs her name in the

book (with a different pen), while Charles continues to fulminate in the background: “I can’t bear this bloody thing, (it’s) what they do, every stinking time.” Then he exits the room, leaving his wife to her fate at the hands of the replacement “bloody thing.”

If you think I spent far too much time playing and replaying this tiny bit of video on my computer, you are absolutely right, but I was fascinated. By Charles, yes — because it looked, every time, as if he were going to help his wife, and yet he never did.

But mostly, I was drawn in by his complaint that “it’s what they do, every stinking time.” Those evil fountain pens, lurking, just lying in wait for the chance to leak all over your fingers.

Because he’s right, if unforgivably rude. Fountain pens do love to leak on people. In fact, everyone in my fourth-grade class came home with those same ink-stained fingers. But most of us didn’t mind because it meant we were learning to write script, or what the teachers called “cursive.” (Now I realize where the cursing comes in.)

JUDY EPSTEIN

A Look on the Lighter Side

Still. You’d think that a King who hates fountain pens would just carry around his own ball-point. Or create a “First Equerry of the Ball Point” to carry one for him.

More generally, I could not believe the utter peevishness of this 73-year-old man. “I would make a better king,” I exclaimed.

“Oh really? For one thing, you wouldn’t be a king, you’d be a

POLICY

queen,” corrected my child, who was visiting for the holidays.

“Try telling that to Viola Davis, whose newest movie is titled ‘The Woman King,’” I replied. “I’m sure I could call myself king if I had the chance. Besides,” I continued, “I’d be a lovely king. I would never be so rude or so imperious. Hey, that can’t go here!” I said, interrupting my own thought as I tripped over something in the living room.

“What did you just trip over?” asked my son.

“This blasted box — of books, or something,” I snapped. “Who put that there, anyway?”

“Why you did, Mom, just the other day. I asked you if maybe I should take it upstairs, but you said, ‘Just leave it there.’” So I did.”

“Oh. Well. Thanks for the offer,” I said. If I’d ever had a plan for that box, I’d forgotten it.

“But why are these stupid suitcases all over the floor?” I asked my husband, as I tried to keep walking.

“Well, you said you were too tired after our trip to bring them upstairs, and asked me to leave them there.”

“Humph,” was all I could say.

I was still thinking about Prince Charles. Er, King Charles.

Because here’s the thing. If anyone could set a good example for how to behave with a pen leaking all over him, it’s my husband. I still remember how his favorite pen exploded in his shirt pocket on our one and only trip to Disney World. He was very sad about that pen — it was his favorite — but he said very little at the time. I didn’t find out till later that the pen had been a casualty of his wrestling our then-baby’s car seat into the middle-seat seat belt on the plane. It gave him quite a fight, and when it finally succumbed, it took his Pilot-tip with it, smashing it into inky shards.

But did he swear ? Bluster all over the plane? Curse all car seats as damnable? He did not, because he didn’t want to wake the baby. If a mere middle-class dad can keep his cool in such a stressful situation, I think the King of England could manage a leaky pen.

If not, my husband and I are available to switch jobs with Charles and Camilla. I would even furnish the ball points.

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Tell it to Duane Reade, the National Archives

The shoplifting surge in New York City’s chain pharmacies, captured on security videos and broadcast on network news, is shocking; but, no less so than Donald Trump looting top-secret documents from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

As scores of thieves ran amok and filled plastic garbage bags with mouthwash, antacid and hair gel, the former president loaded classified files containing information about top-secret U.S. operations into boxes, along with love letters from Kim Jong Un.

“You go to a local pharmacy, Duane Reade or Rite Aid, any of them, and you gotta get someone to help assist you,” civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton lamented. “What did I miss that we now have to lock up toothpaste?”

Commercial shoplifting victims in New York City feel like easy-marks, as seasoned thieves loot their stores in broad daylight with impunity. Many New Yorkers blame the 2019 bail re-

form law, which eliminates cash bail for most misdemeanor and non-violent felony charges.

Is it really such a leap from shoplifting pharmacy items in bulk or luxury goods from high-end stores and selling them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, to glomming classified government documents that might realize a nice return from the highest international bidder, in cash or favors?

I don’t believe Palm Beach, Fla., has bail reform law like New York’s. Although, if you are apprehended in Florida for shoplifting, you could be transported to Martha’s Vineyard with the promise of housing, healthcare and employment.

In any case, bail reform or no bail reform, it doesn’t really matter to people that operate above the law. One way or another, they believe they will slide.

The U.S. National Archives locks up classified documents and has established protocols for reviewing them and declassifying them.

ANDREW MALEKOFF

sified documents from the National Archives.

When discovered, the former president, who never missed an opportunity to brag about “backing the blue,” accused FBI agents of planting the documents in his beach house in Florida, effectively putting a target on their backs.

He lied. Nothing was planted by the FBI.

When the authorities first came to fetch the classified documents, Trump certified, through his attorney, that he returned them all.

He lied. He returned some and knowingly kept others.

else in federal government to indicate that that was the case.

He lied. He declassified none of the stolen documents.

He has yet to account for the classified documents that presumably fit into the 43 empty folders the FBI found. He then said he was holding all the documents he stole from the National Archives for his presidential library. Even the missing and mutilated ones?

“It’s not just that [Trump] stole the docs. And it’s not just that he lied about them. It’s that every fact we learn makes it worse and worse,” tweeted Neal Katyal, former Solicitor General of the United States.

The fact is that Donald Trump stole and then concealed highly clas-

When the FBI returned to his beach house with a subpoena, more classified documents were found in his office, desk and closets. Trump complained that the FBI agents didn’t remove their shoes.

He then asserted: “I declassified them.”

However, there is no paper trail at the National Archives or anywhere

The Washington Post reported that “Some of the documents retrieved by the Archives had also been torn up, which Trump had a habit of doing.” Destroying documents that belong to the US government is a crime.

Trump’s MAGA-Republican election-denying base continues to play follow the leader and live by the Marx Brothers’ admonition, ‘Who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?”

Or, in Donald Trump’s own words, “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.”

Tell it to Duane Reade.

A responsibility to aid refugees, asylum seekers

What if the United States and the rest of the nations applied the same concept of capitalism that states use to woo businesses to the world’s people – where people were able to choose where they wanted to live based on the opportunities and quality of life a country offered instead of people essentially being prisoners of their motherland?

The immigration crisis in the U.S. and around the world is only a crisis because of the lack of will to fix it.

This was brought home to me during the Clinton Global Initiative, revived after a hiatus of six years, where I once again felt transported into an alternate universe of progress, not just possibility; humanity instead of the cruelty that has seized hold of out-of-the-fringes gaggle of nativists, populists, nationalists looking and sounding horrifying like 1930s Nazis (as so stirringly shown in Ken Burns documentary, “The United States and the Holocaust”) and governments around the world that shut off paths of escape.

The most moving and inspiring session, simply themed “Home,” brought home the reality of the global refugee crisis – an explosion of 100 million desperate people displaced by war, violence, climate crisis, hunger, poverty — the most since World War II. Climate refugees alone now number 21 million and are projected to increase to 200 million by 2050 – showing how the issue of refugees, migration, immigration are inextricably linked with climate, public health, food insecurity, political repression and instability (issues that

President Biden raised in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly). People can’t turn a blind eye, or worse, as MAGA Republicans like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott have demonstrated, actively, even extrajudicially, obstruct solutions.

There needs to be an immediate response to catastrophes that force thousands to flee – by immediately setting up food, clothing, shelter, medical services, communities and long-term responses.

Among the most creative and engaged in this pursuit are the very people whose lives demonstrate the benefits to society when the human potential of immigrants can be unleashed:

Noubar Afeyan, co-founder and chairman of Moderna and founder and CEO, Flagship Pioneering (a life sciences venture capital company), the grandson of survivors of the Armenian genocide, recalled his own experience in 1975 as a 13-year-old fleeing Lebanon’s civil war and how it ultimately contributed to his success.

“When you have had the experience of being displaced, you are more open to the challenges, the struggle [and thinking outside box].”

“What propels you forward?”

Hillary Clinton asked. “Almost losing life is a damn good motivator,” Afeyan said. “I was told 50 years ago, the U.S. is a melting pot. Those words stayed with me. If the whole world can accept refugees, not as others, but make them feel like the majority, let them show the way to new opportunity, take risk, it will inspire ‘native folks,’ who may have lost that [mindset, energy, interest, motivation].”

KAREN RUBIN View Point

It’s a different mindset, he said. For refugees, “home is in the future, not the past – home of the past was taken away. People who are oriented to making the future better than the present are what we need to make better society by definition .Give a chance to survivors who failed to die, to revive, to establish a new life. After that, they don’t need a lot of help.”

Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and founder of Chobani, is another. He founded Tent Partnership for Refugees after attending an earlier CGI, which is dedicated to hiring and training refugees in the Chobani plants he establishes (including New York), and recruiting other companies to do the same. An event he just held resulted in companies committing to hire 23,000 in the US–among them Tyson Foods, Hilton, Marriott, Pfizer, Amazon. “We have 260 large multinational companies in our network actively hiring, training, advocating for refugees.”

Another company actively engaged in improving lives for refugees – and their host country, — is IKEA, which is actively helping alleviate Jordan’s substantial burden in hosting one million Syrian refugees.

Of the Fortune 500 companies, 102 were founded by immigrants and 117 more by children of immigrants. Nearly 3.2 million immigrants run their own businesses employing many more millions at neighborhood stores, restaurants, professional services. Immigrants paid $492 billion in federal and other taxes in 2019.

“It’s good for society but also good for business,” Ulukaya. But while it doesn’t take long to convince CEOs, “one of biggest obstacle for companies is how the topic is used politically in very unpleasant way.”

The breakdown, said David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee, is the shameful reaction of governments to the refugee crisis.

“Governments are retreating from solutions. It takes private sector to come up with solutions, persuade governments to come in,” Miliband said.

Private companies could be the innovators, adapting the systems they already have in place. Walmart, Target – both with philanthropic foundations – and Amazon to set up disaster relief funds and source, store and then distribute essential supplies. So when a California community has to flee wildfires, a Pakistan community has to flee flooding, a Ukrainian community has to flee Russian bombs, a Puerto Rican community has to flee hurricane, they can get a sense of

how many men, women, boys and girls are displaced, what the climate is like where they are sheltering, and send boxes of clothing, toiletries and essentials.

Apple, Microsoft, IBM can supply ipads, i-phones so displaced people can continue online education, access telemedicine, do e-commerce, and stay informed.

Solar power and battery companies can supply portable energy supplies (it’s vitally important for security to keep lights on).

Financial services companies like Mastercard, Visa and American Express can assist displaced people to set up e-commerce businesses, provide micro-loans to families.

Mastercard, in fact, is applying some of its products to crisis situations and people who need it, related Jody Barnett, Head of Global Cities & Transit and Mobility for Mastercard. In Ukraine, it is offering a Star Path acceleration program for startups.

“Cities know how they benefit from immigrants,” she said. “Even these last six years when we saw toxicity in national politics to refugees, citizens in localities have been innovating inclusive practices that enable refugees to make their economic and social contributions as soon as possible.”

Indeed, Welcome.US, was launched a year ago in direct response to the urgency to resettle Afghans escaping the Taliban, to empower a broader range of ordinary Americans to assist resettling refugees. “Refugees need goods and services, but also friends and neighbors,” said Nazanin Ash, CEO.

VIEW POINT

The Back Road

Sports can heal the American soul

If you had any doubts about whether American nationalism still exists, all you had to do was to tune into the Presidents Cup down at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. The Presidents Cup brings the best 12 golfers from the United States to play biennially in a four-day event against the best 12 players internationally minus Europe.

For sports fans, this kind of international event is riveting because it is based upon national spirit, national identity and national pride. Shouts of “USA” were chanted when rising American stars like Max Homa, Sam Burns or Patrick Cantlay made putts.

So let us take a moment to deconstruct the nature of this nationalism, a mysterious term that we are educated to embrace from the first day of kindergarten when we are asked to stand up and pledge our allegiance to the flag.

I guess the first time I recognized that a big part of my identity was

American was when I was 17 and got to shake Bobby Kennedy’s hand during his New York Senate campaign. I remember the moment. I stood up real tall as he drove around a shopping mall parking lot in Massapequa and as I reached up, he reached down from the car and shook my hand. The buttons on his shirt sleeve were all ripped off by the crowd grabbing at him.

He was boyish, good looking, very Ivy League, with his hair tussled back and a nice smile. A big guy was behind him holding him so that he wouldn’t be pulled out of the car. Pure charisma. It was about 10 months after his brother had been shot, but I think America still had hope then.

That memory of mine of this little handshake is what we call a “screen memory” in psychoanalysis. A screen memory is distant but distinct and which represents much more than it seems. We all have these memories that remain in our minds like a bea-

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

con from the past. This was my very first political memory and represents for me what it meant to be American.

The Kennedys were adored by the world. The assassination of John F. Kennedy occurred more than 59 years ago, and Bobby Kennedy was assassinated 54 years ago. I think the nation is still grieving from those losses. The

EARTH MATTERS

two deaths shattered the American identity to such an extent that ever since then we have been within a repetition compulsion, systematically eviscerating every president who has dared to follow in their footsteps.

We shield ourselves from new attachments to prevent any of them from entering our hearts and souls. Instead, we get rid of them fast. Nixon was destroyed, Ford was voted out, Carter was out in one term, Bush I was out after one term, Reagan was shot, Clinton was impeached and so was Trump. A nation that can’t heal is a nation that repeats its past. And the question is exactly how does one heal from loss, especially big losses like the killing of a beloved president?

I think this is why we see such passion, longing and cheering at these international sporting events like the Olympics or golf’s Presidents Cup. This is America turning its lonely eyes to our American heroes, the athletes. I think it is a way of trying to heal

or patch up the shattered American identity. Freud once said that it is impossible to heal from loss but instead one must find replacements for lost objects. Though Freud never took any interest in the world of sports, I think it is accurate to say that the way a nation heals from deep losses is to turn to our favorite American heroes, our sports stars. You may recall how the nation rallied around baseball after 9/11. This is sports providing a way for the fan to heal the shattered soul.

So, this year we can thank Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns and Tony Finau for ministering to our national wounds and re-establishing our identity and our pride. In the years past we had Patrick “Captain America” Reed or Tiger Woods do the same thing at the Ryder Cup. This is the glory of sports, the wonder of our superstar athletes and even the mysterious way that a nation heals from its deepest losses of the past.

N. Hempstead acts to fight climate change

We are fortunate to live in a community where our local government recognizes the threat of climate change and chooses to take steps to protect its residents. I will be using this space over the next few months to further publicize the Town of North Hempstead’s environmental protection and environmental sustainability programs.

The Town has several efforts under the category of “Sustainability Programs.” According to the posted mission, “[t]hese programs aim to engage and inspire residents, businesses, and municipalities, throughout the Town of North Hempstead, to participate in actions that will foster ecological balance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help North Hempstead adapt to a changing climate, ensuring a healthy, resilient community now and in the future.”

The activities listed as part of the Town’s sustainability program begins with Native Plants. This Town undertaking encourages resident to “[u]se native plants to beautify your property, lower your yard maintenance, and help the natural environment.” After defining native plants as “those that historically and naturally occur in an area and tolerate the climate of the local environment,” the Town’s webpage offers resources for planting na-

tive plants and lists the environmental benefits of doing so. The listed environmental benefits of planting native plants include:

1. Providing food, shelter and nesting places for pollinators, birds, small mammals and other wildlife species

2. Cleaning polluted stormwater before it reaches the groundwater Long Island residents use for drinking water

3. Absorption and retention of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants

4. Water conservation and protection because native plants require little to no irrigation once established and never need any fertilizer

The Town financially supports native plant gardens through its Native Plant Residential Rebate Program. In collaboration with the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District (one of 58 statewide districts), the Town reimburses residents for the cost of installing native plants in their home yards.

The native plants webpage also has a series of resource documents with information on design, maintenance and benefits of native plants. These documents are created by the Town or from the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (one of the eight Partnerships for Invasive Species Management that work across New

LYNN CAPUANO

Earth Matters

York to track and manage invasive species), Long Island Native Plant Initiative, Inc. (an all-volunteer cooperative effort) and ReWild Long Island (a non-profit). There is a resource sheet highlighting all the native plants one can find in Town Parks.

Finally, the webpage ends with a link to recordings of workshops on native plant and rain gardening.

A second sustainability effort by the Town is Home Sustainability Workshops. In 2022, the Town sponsored a series of three workshops covering sustainable yard care, rain gardens and gardening with native plants. All

workshops were recorded and recordings are available on the webpage, https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/ workshops. More information about each workshop is also available at that website.

The Town’s concern for pollinators is evident in its Protecting Pollinators promotion. This is headlined by asking residents to take the Town’s Pollinator Pledge to:

1. Reduce/eliminate use of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides and fungicides

2. Plant a garden with native plants for pollinators that bloom from spring to fall

3. Provide bee nesting areas and caterpillar host plants

4. Manage invasive species

5. Help to educate others on the importance of protecting and providing for pollinators

6. Volunteer to help other with efforts to help pollinators

7. Register habitat on the Monarch Conservation Efforts to Map by Monarch Joint Venture

8. Participate in community science projects involving pollinators

9. Anything else a resident offers to commit to do

This year, the Town declared June 20-26 as National Pollinator week, as part of an initiative by the Pollinator

Partnership. The Protecting Pollinators webpage has write-ups explaining what pollinators are, how they are in trouble and how residents can help. Suggested actions are to plant native plants, reduce or eliminate pesticide use, provide nesting habitat, provide water, reduce outdoor lighting, and participate in community science.

Several links to outside organizations involved in protecting pollinators are also provided.

There are eight more ventures under the Town’s Sustainability Program as well as efforts in other Town departments. It is encouraging to see our local government addressing these global issues and taking proactive steps to address the climate crisis.

More information on everything written about here can be found on the Town of North Hempstead’s website, https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/, and by calling the Town’s 311 information line. Please call and ask questions. Let Town elected leaders and government officials know that you support these efforts and encourage expansion of them.

Join me in commending our elected leaders and Town officials for creating these programs, funding them and maintaining them. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months on all of them.

FROM THE DESK OF MICHAEL HYNES

What my child with Down Syndrome taught me

My daughter Sadie has taught me more in her nine years of life than I have learned in my past 52 years of existence. My wife Erin and I had no idea that our daughter had Down Syndrome when she was born. Sadie had to stay in the newborn intensive care unit for a few weeks, and we met some of the most compassionate and amazing professionals in the world.

Unfortunately, we also met others who were much better off keeping their thoughts to themselves. I remember a doctor at the hospital telling me he was “sorry” after Sadie was born. On another occasion, a family member shared with my wife and me that “Mongoloids can be nice people.” She didn’t mean to upset us. It was her mental model about Down Syndrome.

Initially, as parents, we were surprised with the multitude of closedminded comments we came across.

As Sadie grew and we brought her to restaurants, stores or in public, people would stare at her longer than one should. I’m sharing this with you not to complain but to share the insights our journey has given us. We began to learn how the world can perceive others without knowing anything about them whatsoever, except through the lenses of their biases and assumptions.

Little did they know our little Sadie has the best sense of humor and can read on grade level like her peers. She enjoys music and hanging out with her best friends as all children do.

As parents, we began to advocate for more programs in her school and for the school districts we served in. I perhaps should have started this commentary by sharing that both Erin and I are school district administrators. She is an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and I have served as a superintendent for the past 11 years.

MICHAEL HYNES PW School District Superintendent

Here are the lessons we learned from our personal lives that now transcend to our professional ones. You never know what others are going through. I have a much deeper respect for parents who have children with

READERS WRITE

autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD or “Other Health Impairment,” which is one of the 14 categories of disability listed in our nation’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. They have incredible stories to share, and we need to support them as much as their children.

Never place limits on your child or students. Don’t always accept what professionals say at face value. If Erin and I listened to what some professionals believed Sadie would never be able to do, her life would be so much more unfulfilled. She is flourishing. We need to remove the word “special” from education. This word places a label on a child that never leaves them and carries a negative connotation with it. Yes, the children are special, but they certainly are not less than “typical children.” Yes, I loathe that phrase as well. Inclusion is important, but integration is criti-

cal.

It’s great to be included but to be fully integrated is where the secret sauce is. Separating and segregating children is not the answer. Teach them to become independent and watch them soar! A Reality for All. Sadie is now in 4th grade. She continues to surprise people with her intelligence, humor and, at times, stubbornness. We are so fortunate to have her in our lives. There are other “Sadies” in every school in America. Are we as school leaders doing everything, in our power to make our school system more inclusive and integrated? That’s for you to answer and my hope is that you strive to make that a reality. Every child will benefit from it.

Michael Hynes is superintendent of the Port Washington School District E-mail: mhynes@portnet.org.

Twitter: @MikeHynes5

145 West Shore Road in Port Washington

The Tennessee-based Southern Land Company is on an all-out P.R. blitz campaign to promote a false narrative in the hope of gaining public support for the development of 145 West Shore Road, a proposed 7-story, 176-unit luxury apartment building and motorboat marina on the last remaining open space on Hempstead Harbor.

To get the deal they want, they have embarked on a publicity tour and want you to believe that their development will be an environmental oasis, return wildlife to the area, provide public access, and have no discernible negative impact on the surrounding towns of Port Washington and Roslyn.

These claims are self-serving absurdities, a sales pitch of an out-of-town developer, whose only interest is to make a profit and leave with pockets full of cash while we, the residents, are left to deal with the fallout of a bloated, polluting, ill-

conceived eyesore for years to come.

Here are the facts:

The proposed 7-story (5 above ground and two below the water table in a flood zone!), 212,000 sq. foot high-rise on 2+ acres violates multiple zoning code protections.

The developers want to get around this by getting permission from the town to build. At one time, they went so far as to claim that public water be counted as their private acreage so the proposed building would meet certain zoning restrictions!

Their claim was so absurd that they were forced to abandon it and now want to circumvent zoning ordinances by having the town grant permits that override current zoning laws. If they are not stopped, a dangerous precedent will be set for further development along our precious shores.

To get what they want, the devel-

opers have made wildly far-fetched and false statements about all the good the development will bring, including the enticing promise to “clean up” what is now an industrial site and an environmentallyblighted area. This is a spurious claim and a PR publicity stunt with no legs.

Any “clean-up” they initiate will be negated by the long-term impact of over 400 residents and their cars, their sewage, and their trash.

To build their 2-story underground parking garage they will need to dredge and dig causing further damage to the fragile waterfront. This development will pollute local beaches and parks, and over-stress town infrastructure for years to come.

But there is more to this “clean-up” charade. The Southern Land Company have no plan to fund the “clean-up” privately. Instead, they plan to apply for public funding to do it!

Yes, they will use your tax money to help them build a private development to enrich themselves all the while pretending they are helping you saving the environment!

Southern Land Company wants us to believe their false narrative that we only have one choice: either we support their development, or we are left with an undeveloped and unsightly mess that is currently the industrial area in question.

This is a blatant falsehood. The Town of North Hempstead can vote NO on the Southern Land Company proposal and can itself take steps to acquire the land or allow others to bid for it.

But wouldn’t that mean public money and possibly cost us residents in the long run?

NO! The Department of Environmental Conservation has offered to support such a town acquisition, should it be on the table.

There are grant options, such as the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative that can be mobilized for the purpose of public land protection and conservation.

We do not have to be forced to choose between the Southern Land Company’s abysmal project or having a messy undeveloped industrial area.

There are far better alternatives that will be more environmentally friendly, far less costly, provide actual public access, protect our wildlife and marshlands, and not stress the fragile eco-system and infrastructure on our peninsula

Don’t be fooled by Southern Land Company’s glitzy PR campaign. They are only here to make a profit and go, leaving the residents of our area with irreparable ecological and financial damage for generations to come.

Dr. Jack Hoppenstand Port Washington

A city slicker’s tale of manipulation

This is for all you folks in the South, Southeast, Southwest, Midwest and all others who have a distrust of folks in the East, especially those who come from New York City. Them city slickers, they’ll try anything to put something over on you all.

But what’s really funny is that the biggest city slicker of them all has taken most of you good folk on a ride on a road that will lead you to only one place. Hell!

Ask any New York City slicker who is the worst of them all and they’ll give you a name, and of course you’ll nod your head in agreement. But it’s funny how all you so-called country folk believe every word that this “God in his own mind” tells you. Are you folks stupid or just plain ignorant? Let me ask you a

question. How many of you wear shoes?

You all know about his love for money and that he is a poor loser. Do you know what he does when he loses? He seeks revenge. Imagine getting revenge and making huge sums of money at the same time. After losing the presidential election to Joe Biden, all he had to do was to steal documents, especially those highly classified, and simply sell them off to his good friend Putin or to others. Truth is, they weren’t classified, since he declassified them.

That priestly God-like figure simply raised his hands upward towards heaven and exclaimed; “Yesterday you were classified. Today you are declassified.”

It’s all in the power of the president or rather the former president. Witnesses

to the event of reclassifying documents were such legendary figures as Snow White, Cinderella, Mickey, Donald and representing the military, Popeye.

We all know that he has expertise in the art of the deal. Make them an offer and they can’t refuse. Buy two and a third will be tossed in free of charge. Do you know what? At first, the thinking was that Putin would be alone doing the bidding, thus being able to name his price. However, with so much on the line, others will join the festivities and once the bidding begins, zeroes will add up, especially with seven of them, with a one in front of them all. Sold! To the highest bidder. Country secrets? You know this former president doesn’t seem to care. Do you know what else is up his

sleeve? He’s got plenty more of this same type of his personal property to sell. And we all know that he is the Master. Not the Apprentice. He’s second to none.

“We love you” his supporters shout out. But where are their shoes? He sold them out from right under their feet and shortly he’ll be running to his new business headquartered at his new Trump Czarina Hotel, located in downtown Moscow, a one-minute walk from Red Square.

Being the faithful leader of his party, he will invite his band of jolly Republicans, at all levels of government, to follow him to this new holy land, where they will all be like heads of state. “Off with their heads” he commands, and their heads will all be placed atop flag-

poles surrounding his hotel. He loves having them hang around, especially when they cannot disagree with him. As their leader, he knows all about justice.

“Long live the ” Well, not for long. Although he did prove that he could lead his party to the heights, or rather the depths, of undoing democracy, this political fairy tale of a city slicker will end with a one-word sentence: Jail! You better count on the Supreme Court agreeing with that sentence Otherwise, real chaos will follow since “We The People” will fight for real democracy

Alvin Goldberg Great Neck

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING PHOTOGRAPHIC ART, TRASH SCULPTURE

The Art League of Long Island presents a body of digital photographic artwork and trash sculpture, highlighting the contrast between nature’s beauty and the environmental pollution and decay found throughout the country, including on Long Island’s roadways, parks, and beaches.

The exhibit, created by Scott Schneider’s Toxic/Nature Studios®, is on view Oct. 1 through Oct. 28. The opening reception on October 1 is from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm and open to the public.

Schneider said: “Toxic/Nature Studios® features environmental photography that celebrates the majesty of nature and laments its demise, in small moments. Using close-up macro techniques, the photographs express my appreciation for and concern about the environment.

As we become increasingly distracted by our devices, we tend to overlook small disasters beneath our feet.

Likewise, we can fail to notice the beautiful moments present in nature. I explore these concepts in the “Toxic” and “Nature” galleries on the website, ToxicNature.com. Beauty can also be found in the rust, decay, and textures of everyday objects, which I highlight in the “Manufactor” gallery.

All photos are taken by me, Scott Schneider, with an iPhone, thereby leveraging the power of technology to observe rather than to distract. I take photos every day, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I don’t go out to take pictures; I take pictures because I’m out.

From my photographs, I create archival, digital pigment prints using environmentally friendly inks on bamboo paper, which is highly sustainable.

In addition to my photos, I have crafted a series of sculptural pieces which I’m calling “3D(isasters).” This thoughtprovoking artwork is designed to challenge the viewer to make sense of the quantity of litter displayed in a #finditfillit container.

I hope that my art will inspire others to notice the world around them and to take action to preserve its natural beauty. We can’t do this while plugged in and tuned out. That’s why I ask viewers to unplug, look around, and get the small picture. By turning off our blinders of technology, and noticing the small detail of a piece of litter, a fallen petal, or an interesting bit of rust, we can then look up and notice the big picture, which is that the world needs our help.

The Instagram account @toxicnaturestudios spreads awareness through my art. Its sister account, @5.pieces.a.day. everyday, encourages others to pick up litter, thereby noticing and improving the environment.

Furthering my mission, a portion of sales is donated to charities that focus on protecting the environment.”

The Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is open free of charge Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 am-8 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays 10 am-3 pm. The Art League is located at 107 East Deer Park Road in Dix Hills. For more information call (631) 462-5400 or visit www.artleagueli.org.

North Hempstead to host Fall Family Festival Spooky Fest returns with new attractions

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board have announced the Fall Family Festival will be returning to the beach. The family-friendly celebration will be held at North Hempstead Beach Park in Port Washington on Saturday, October 1 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“This free fall festival is a great opportunity for our residents to celebrate the fall season with activities that are fun for all ages,” said Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said. “So come down and enjoy a beautiful autumn day on the beach! Families are sure to enjoy all the festival has to offer, including with arts & crafts, bouncy slides, live music, a craft fair, pumpkin decorating, and more.”

The second annual Fall Family Festival will feature many free activities including pumpkin decorating, bouncy slides, train rides, princess and superhero character meet-and-greets plus a princess sing along.

There will also be live music from Decadia featuring hits from the 80s through today along with EJ the DJ. Attendees will be able to purchase food and refreshments as well as shop from our local arts and crafts vendors. Those interested in being a crafts vendor can call 311 or email events@northhempsteadny.gov to learn more.

Admission and parking are free. For more information about the event, please call 311 or 516-869-6311.

Spooky Fest 2022 is presented by The Center for Science Teaching and Learning.

It will return to celebrate the 2022 Halloween season with new activities and attractions. This year, the transformed Spooky Fest will focus exclusively on family activities and attractions for younger visitors.

“Halloween is a great time of year for families to have fun. We have transformed Spooky Fest to appeal to children 12 and under. This year we are also introducing Long Island’s only outdoor zombie animatronic dinosaurs as part of our quarter-mile Spooky Walk through the Tanglewood Preserve. We encourage families to come, wear their costumes and take part in all our great activities,” said CSTL Executive Director Ray Ann Havasy.

The event includes the “Spooky Walk in the Woods” with new animatronic “Zombie Dinosaurs.”

Also, new for this year is the expanded “Enchanted NotSo-Spooky Walk” where visitors take a walk through the woods and are treated to a colorfully

SUNDAY, OCTOBER

lit Halloween story and friendly Halloween characters including butterflies, friendly ghosts, happy scarecrows, dinosaurs, aliens and Cinderella’s carriage complete with a prince and princess.

Family activities include a kids’ arts and crafts area, a meet-and-greet with merry monsters, fortune telling, kids DJ dance party, jugglers and other performers.

Spooky Fest 2022 takes place at Tanglewood Preserve at 1450 Tanglewood Road in Rockville Centre on October 7-9, 14-16, 21-23, and 28-30. Each night the event is open from 6 pm to 9:30 pm, rain or

shine. Tickets are sold in advance online on a limited firstcome, first-served basis.

To purchase tickets, go to https://www.cstl.org/spookyfest/. Prices are $20 for nonscary attractions only and $25 All Inclusive (Scary and nonscary attractions). Ages 2 and older must have a purchased ticket.

The organization’s mission is to encourage science learning and literacy. The organization is also home to a wild animal rescue program.

For more details, information and directions visit https:// www.cstl.org/spooky-fest/ or call (516) 764-0045.

HILLS

A Blank Slate Media Special Section • September 30, 2022

How to use science for health and wellness

BY KEITH FIVERSON

We all know that there is a mind-body connection. But what does that mean, exactly? And how can we use science to take advantage of it and improve our health and wellness? This article will explore the power of mindfulness, cognitive science, neuroscience, physiology, nutrition, environment, and relationships for health and wellness.

We will also discuss how technology can help us perform better, using wearables to scan heartbeats, rapid breathing, eat good foods, etc. By understanding the mind-body connection, we can take control of our health and improve our quality of life.

The mind-body connection is the communication between our brain and our body. This connection is essential for maintaining our health and wellbeing.

Our brain controls all the functions of our body, so it’s essential to keep it healthy, clear, calm, and connected to those things that help it to be happy and function at its best. When our mind is stressed, it can send signals to our body that make us feel tense, anxious, or even sick. Conversely, when we are calm and relaxed, our mind sends signals to our bodies that promote healing and relaxation.

So how can we use science to take advantage of the mind-body connection and improve our health and wellness? One way is to practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is practicing paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the present moment without judgment. When mindful, we can observe our thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. This can help us to be less reactive to stress and more responsive to our needs.

Cognitive science is another way to take advantage of the mind-body connection. Cognitive science is the study of how our brain processes information. It can help us to understand how we think, learn, and remember.

By understanding how our brain works, we

can learn ways to optimize its function. For example, we can learn strategies to improve memory, focus, and decision-making.

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system, including the brain. It can help us to understand how our thoughts and emotions affect our physical health. For example, stress can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. Conversely, we also know that relaxation can lower blood pressure and promote healing. By understanding how our nervous system works, we can learn ways to keep it healthy and balanced.

In addition to mindfulness, cognitive science, and neuroscience, other sciences can help us to improve our health and wellness. Physiology is the study of how our bodies work. It can help us to understand how our bodies respond to stress and how we can optimize our physical health.

Nutrition is the study of how food affects our bodies. It can help us to understand how to eat for better health. And finally, environmental science studies how our environment affects our health. It can help us to understand how to create a healthy environment for ourselves and others.

Understanding the mind-body connection and using science to take advantage of it can improve our health and wellbeing. We can learn to be more mindful, understand how our brain works, optimize physical health, and create a healthy environment for ourselves and others.

When we care for our minds and body, we can live healthier, happier lives.

We are now more aware of how important it is to manage our health and wellness. We live in a fast-paced world where it is easy to neglect our well-being in favor of work or other obligations. However, wearable technology can help us stay on top of our health by keeping us aware of our physical activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns.

This information can be invaluable in spotting potential problems early and intervening before they become serious. In addition, wearable technology can also remind us to stay hydrated or take breaks throughout the day, helping us avoid burnout.

As we become increasingly reliant on technology, it is reassuring to know that it can also be used to keep us healthy and well.

By understanding the mind-body connection and how to use science for our health and wellness, we can live happier, healthier lives. With the help of technology, we can ensure that our minds and body are getting the care they need to function at their best.

When we care for ourselves, we can better care for the world around us. Let’s use science to create a healthier, happier world for all.

For a free assessment, to discuss your health and wellness, or to use our coaching programs for better cognitive and physical performance, contact Keith Fiveson at 917-952-9662.

Mineola set for Oct. 2 street fair

Chamber vice president says family-focused event will feature food, games, music and more

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Village of Mineola’s Chamber of Commerce is set to host a family-focused street fair this Sunday after two years of less-than-ideal circumstances.

On Jericho Turnpike between Mineola Boulevard and Willis Avenue, there will be a frenzy of food and fun from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In 2020, the street fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2021 was rained out after a downpour started two hours after it began.

This year will be the second fair under the leadership of Louis Panacciulli, who is the music director for the Nassau County Pops Symphony Orchestra. Panacciulli, who was installed as chamber president in June 2021, took over from Joel Harris, who organized the previous three fairs before Panacciulli took over.

Tony Lubrano, the chamber’s vice president, told Blank Slate Media this year will spotlight Mineola businesses and families.

“We decided this year we are going to take it back and go to our roots,” Lubrano said. “We decided to target a theme this year of a family fun day.”

Lubrano mentioned how this year the chamber took on the full responsibility for planning the street fair after having a third party help out over the past few years.

“The atmosphere was there was really no reason to hang out there,” Lubrano said. “Once you take one lap, you’ve seen everything and don’t need to stay.”

To fix the problem, there will be a bigger focus on interactive activities, including kid rides, a yearly staple, and the dunk tank, which the chamber donates to the Mineola Junior Fire Department.

In addition, there will be carnival games with the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, donated by the chamber, bouncy houses, clowns and magicians, among other activities.

Can You Escape? Long Island will also be bringing a portable escape room and attendees can expect additional activities such as ax throwing or viewing a boxing demonstration.

For musical entertainment, a show mobile will be set up and feature 10 acts.

At 11 a.m., JHL Dance Dynamics will perform, then American Theater Dance Workshop at noon, an opening ceremony featuring

bagpipers, color guards and elected officials at 12:30 p.m., Ariel Loft at 1 p.m., Jason the Clown Magic Show at 1:30 p.m., Portuguese Dancers at 2 p.m., Master Jeon Tai Kwon Do at 2:30 p.m., vocalist Nick Fabiano at 3 p.m., Jason the Clown Magic Show again at 3:30 p.m. before ending with Herricks musicians at 4 p.m.

For live music, Run for Cover will be playing at a designated spot for each live act at 11 a.m., Perfect Strangers at noon, North American Pandas at 1 p.m., Delusions of Grandeur at 2 p.m., Fuzz at 3 p.m. and Skyward Effect at 4 p.m.

Panacciulli thanked The Booking Ave, who provided four of the music groups playing Sunday.

The Mineola Street Fair started over 200 years ago but adopted the name “Mineola Fair” in 1899, according to Panacciulli. It was held in Mineola Memorial Park from 1991 until 2013 when it moved to Main Street. It then settled in its current Jericho Turnpike location in 2016.

The decision to move the fair to Jericho Turnpike was made because the chamber’s goal is to help local businesses and it thought the park was too small to help them, said Panacciulli.

Lubrano said he and the chamber are expecting Sunday to be the best fair yet.

“We all do this because we love the community and we’ve always enjoyed doing things like this, Lubrano said. “We put a lot of time into this and we have a great group of people who give a lot to make this happen. We’re looking forward to this being the best one ever.”

PHOTO BY CARRIE ANN SALVI

The Mineola Street Fair in 2019.

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EVENTS ARE BACK!

Keats Agency part of a best practices study

were nominated to take part in the annual study, but only 282 agencies qualified for the honor.

Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) “Best

Each year since 1993, the Big “I” and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, join forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories. The agencies comprising the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices Agency” designation. The selected “Best Practices” agencies retain their status during the three-year cycle by submitting extensive financial and operational data for review each year.

“Our ability to serve our clients best and with added value starts with Best Practices, integrity and education,” says Ron Keats, Keats Insurance Agencies president and CEO. “It ends in the everyday practice of these tenets.”

There are an estimated 36,000 independent agencies in the US. More than 2,600 of them

To be chosen, the agency had to be among the top-performing agencies in one of six revenue categories.

The agency was nominated by either a Big “I” affiliated state association or an insurance company and qualified based on its operational excellence.

The Best Practices Study was initiated by the Big “I” in 1993 as the foundation for efforts to improve agency performance. The annual survey and study of leading independent insurance agencies document the business practices of the highest performing agencies and urge others to adopt similar practices.

The Keats Insurance Agencies was founded in 1993 and can offer insurance products from several different companies including Nationwide, Travelers, Hanover, Hartford, CNA, Utica National, Chubb, PURE, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Safeco and Progressive.

For further information, please contact Ron Keats of Keats Insurance Agencies at (516) 3544849.

An open letter to candidate George Santos

Mr. Santos, I recently read your quote where you stated “Supervisor DeSena makes things happen. She is a true inspiration and problem solver.”

My questions are —

1) What things has she made happen?

2) What has she done to inspire you?

3) What problems has she “solved”? Please

be specific.

DeSena, a lifelong Republican who simply changed her party affiliation a year before running, claims to be a Democrat, and she’s done

absolutely nothing as supervisor. I fail to see why you would even seek her endorsement.

Eric Lawrence Manhasset

Who remembers N.Y. Giants, Polo Grounds?

Did you know that the New York Giants Major League baseball team played their last game in the Polo Grounds on Sept. 29, 1957, in NYC during the ’50s? It was a three-way rivalry between the American League Bronx Yankees, National League New York Giants

and Brooklyn Dodgers. All three teams claimed to have the best center fielder in baseball.

On street corners all over town, citizens would argue whether the Giants’ Willie Mays, Yankees’ Mickey Mantle or Dodgers’ Duke Snider was champ. Most everyone could afford a bleach-

er, general admission, reserve or box seat. Hot dogs, beer, other refreshments and souvenirs were reasonably priced. Residents of the era sat outside on the neighborhood stoop listening to games on the radio. Baseball fans would also look for their favorite sports writer in the morning, midday and

late afternoon newspaper editions, available at thousands of newsstands. Television was a relatively new technology.

Larry Penner Great Neck

The loss of a family pet, what it means

I’m writing about a concern that affects many pet owners who are forced to put their pets to sleep due to illness. Let me talk about what my wife and I just went through this past week with our beloved Jack Russell named Jack, who we loved very much. He lived to over 18-years-old and through the years gave us much love and kisses.

Jack had a great deal of love for my wife Eva

and seem to get very nervous when she was not around. When she was in the hospital for two weeks, Jack would pace around the apartment and even lay down at the door waiting for her to come home. Last year Jack was getting sick, he had trouble walking, seeing, and hearing and had seizures. The vet said he would have to be put to sleep, but we were not ready to lose him.

Last Thursday he was in a great deal of phys-

ical pain and yelping and we were forced to put him to sleep. We went to a vet in New Hyde Park who put him to sleep. That was so very painful for us. Let me point out that we called a number of vets and had gotten quotes ranging from $350-$800. It was much more than we could afford.

Our good friends Dave and Marian lent us the money for a place that was less than $250.

But let me point out that many seniors like us who are on fixed incomes are not so lucky. I think many poor seniors can’t afford the cost of putting their sick pets to sleep. Something needs to be done to ease their pain and lost. Remember our pets are so much a part of our extended families.

Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Bellerose

Santos unqualified to serve in Congress

As Sen. Mitch McConnell noted, the GOP has fielded some awful candidates for 2022. I’ve seen plenty of mediocrities over the 50 years I’ve voted, but most were relatively harmless. At this moment in our country’s history, this time is surely different. And it is hard to imagine a more loathsome candidate than George Santos, who is running for Congress in the 3rd District.

Time was you could take the measure of a person by their bookshelves. Their interests, character and depth of knowledge was on display. Today, social media performs that function, but for the world to see. Who you follow is who you are. So, too, is who follows you.

So it’s Mr. Santos’ own Twitter timeline that marks him as someone not fit to hold public office anywhere, much less Washington. He would be an embarrassment to our district, as he engages in the same buffoonery as Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the other members of the GOP’s lunatic fringe. Indeed, he relishes their support.

Ye shall be known by the company you keep.

Mr. Santos follows some deranged characters: J.D. Vance; conspiracy nut Dinesh D’Souza; Mar-

jorie Taylor Greene herself; Blake Masters, who is running for Congress and has hired fake electors; as well as renowned demagogue Jack Posobiec, considered an antisemite and white supremacist by some. Add in Ryan Fournier, head of “Students for Trump,” who tweeted, “Joe Biden is not president. He’s #PedoHitler All HEIL THE PEDO LORD.”

Those “students” must have one hell of a future in front of them.

Mr. Santos lists his occupation as an “economist.” It doesn’t sound like it. Indeed, he tweeted: “Due to reckless government spending, the housing market has gone up 16.5% or $89K in New York over the past two years. It’s time for change in DC!”

I know of no correlation of the federal budget to local housing prices, but there you have it.

Then he tweeted: “The U.S. economy is officially in a recession because of Joe Biden’s reckless spending. In November, we must vote RED save our country and get our economy back on track.”

Well, no. First, spending is stimulative and can’t cause a recession, and real economists know we’re not in one. With this level of job creation, record low unemployment, industrial capacity uti-

lization, etc., we can’t be.

Here’s a nice word salad:“I am disturbed by reports of a raid of President Trump’s home, and I’m watching closely. A raid of Biden’s top opponent, while Hunter Biden walks free, would indicate a dangerous abuse of power. This would undermine the credibility of our FBI and violates the trust of voters.”

His take on education: Maybe we’ll use recess to burn books.“Our classrooms have become indoctrination camps for our children. Recess has turned into a place where students learn the radical ideology of CRT. It is time to turn our classrooms back into a place of learning what is important.”

Supporting a GOP governor who sends migrants to his home city he wants to represent:“Almost 1,000 Illegal Immigrants have been bused to New York from Texas. That is not an indictment on Texas, but on the Democrats doing Pelosi’s work. It is time to secure our border and the citizens of this great nation.”

A moment of Right Wing paranoia seized Mr. Santos when he tweeted:“So Twitter just deleted my 19k followers! The censorship against conservatives is real please follow and share to fight

back!”

Then it turned out it wasn’t real.

“Thank you all for the support! It seems there was a ‘glitch.’ We must always remain aware of any sign of speech censorship.”

Well, even paranoids have real enemies.

Mr. Santos’ characterization of Democrats being “anti-police radicals” is on the same moral level as antisemitism. Make your own judgment about his intellectual integrity.

Throughout his timeline, Mr. Santos, like his cohorts in his Party, has no policy solutions, only resentment, grievance, and bile.

Most damning of all, Mr. Santos was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. According to Newsday, he “wrote a nice check” to a law firm to help pay legal bills of the insurrectionists. Now THAT’S an “anti-police radical.”

I don’t care what your politics are. If you want to send an infantile, cackling hyena like this to sully our district’s good name, I honestly don’t know what you’re looking for in a candidate.

Donald Davret Roslyn

Kaplan to hold mobile office hours

State Sen. Anna M. Kaplan will be holding four Mobile Office Hours events to provide constituent services and assistance in our community and to hear from residents about their concerns and issues.

Senator Kaplan’s upcoming mobile office hours will be held at:

• Hillside Public Library, 155 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park –Thursday, Oct. 6 from 2 pm-4 pm

• Great Neck Library, 159 Bayview Avenue, Great Neck – Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 12 pm-2 pm

• Port Washington Public Library, 1 Library Drive, Port Washington –Thursday, Oct. 20 from 4:15pm-6:15 pm

• The Bryant Library, 2 Papermill Road, Roslyn – Saturday, Oct. 22 from 12pm-2 pm

Walk-ins are welcome, and no appointment is necessary. Contact Senator Kaplan’s office at 516-7465924 with any questions or if you require any assistance.

Daniel Gale island-wide fundraiser

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty (DGSIR), one of the nation’s leading realtors and the top-ranked luxury real estate organization serving Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens has launched a month-long fundraiser to collect food and funds for Island Harvest Food Bank and City Harvest, two of the region’s largest hunger relief organizations. This companywide effort is part of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s 100 Anniversary celebration, and the goal is to raise funds to provide 100,000 meals during the month of September, which is Hunger Action Month®.

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell and members of her executive team kicked off the fundraiser, presenting Island Harvest and City Harvest with an initial donation of $10,000 from the Daniel Gale Foundation.

Hempstead Harborwide cleanup

On Saturday, Sept. 17, over 115 volunteers took part in the first-ever Hempstead Harbor-wide coastal cleanup removing 375 pounds of debris from over a mile of shoreline.

A variety of debris was collected, including the most commonly found items in New York State and the top of the “Dirty Dozen” list — 1,233 plastic pieces, 876 cigarette butts, 638 bottle caps and 634 food wrappers. With the approval of each municipality, events were held at all publicly accessible Hempstead Harbor beaches. The sites included the Town of North Hempstead Beach Park, Tappen Beach, Sea Cliff Beach and Morgan Park Beach.

Coordinated locally by the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor (CSHH), the effort was part of the International Coastal Cleanup, an annual event sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy and the American Littoral Society. Now in its 37th year, the International Coastal Cleanup is more than just an attempt to clean beaches and waterways.

Volunteers from around the world who take part in the cleanup

also contribute to a massive data-collection effort by cataloging the type, amount, weight and location of the debris. The information is then sent to Ocean Conservancy, entered into a database and analyzed to track trends in pollution, educate the public and inform long-term solutions for marine debris and its environmental effects.

Participants worked in teams at each of the sites with data collection coordinated by trained volunteers and CSHH staff. The Town of North Hempstead Beach Park

was captained by members of Transition Town Port Washington, Tappen Beach was captained by dedicated community members, Sea Cliff Beach was captained by the Sea Cliff Environmental Conservation Commission and Morgan Park Beach was captained by Congregation Tifereth Israel.

Representatives from Volunteers for Wildlife were at two of the sites exhibiting diamondback terrapins and helping to educate participants about the threat coastal debris poses to local wildlife.

“With sales offices across Long Island and more than 1,000 real estate professionals, managers and support staff enthusiastically committed to our goal, we are eager to make this significant contribution to alleviate hunger in our communities,” said O’Connell. “Every office will be contributing and accepting donations of nonperishable goods and monetary donations online, as well as rolling up their sleeves as the boots on the ground.”

Randi Shubin Dresner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Island Harvest, explained the continuing need for food banks such as Island Harvest and City Harvest and the ways in which the Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty community can help. “While Long Island is home to some of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the nation, one in ten Long Island families experience food insecurity at some point during the year. This includes school children who may have trouble concentrating in class because they went to bed hungry and woke up to a minimal, or no breakfast; seniors who helped to build our communities and now must choose between medicine and a meal; and our veterans who served our country but now face hard times. It’s our responsi-

Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty kicked off a month-long fundraiser to collect food and funds for Island Harvest Food Bank and City Harvest, two of the region’s largest hunger relief organizations with a $10,000 check. Pictured left to right, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty team members Lisa Kiefer, Susan O’Steen, Randi Shubin Dresner, President and CEO of Island Harvest; Vivian Leonard, Deirdre O’Connell, Dana Dinowitz, Theresa Brown, Kathy Wallach, Patricia Bretone, Patricia Petersen, Veranika Johnston, Jessica Crowley, Michael Tucker, Myla Borucke, Karen Wadkovsky, Norma Dispenza, Nicole Vacchiano, and Jeanine Tepper.

bility to make sure that no one on Long Island goes without food.”

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City was facing a profound hunger crisis—particularly in the marginalized communities that City Harvest has long served, with nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers, including one in five children experiencing food insecurity,” said Jilly Stephens, City Harvest Chief Executive Officer. “Those numbers surged during the pandemic and remain at historic highs with nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers, including more than 462,000 children, in need of assistance.”

In addition to contributing food and funds, Island Harvest and City Harvest will welcome volunteers from Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty to help them get food into the hands of

those in need. Activities include volunteering at distribution centers, helping to sort donations or working at Island Harvest’s Brentwood farm.

“Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty has a 100 year tradition of serving our communities, and we couldn’t be more excited that to put our hands and hearts to work to help Island Harvest and City Harvest meet their goals to end hunger,” added O’Connell. “We will working individually and as a team to make a difference across Long Island from Brooklyn to our easternmost offices on the North Fork. Our team is ready and willing to work shoulder to shoulder with these two incredible food banks.” Donations to Island Harvest and City Harvest can be made online at Island Harvest donation or City Harvest donation.

Girl Scout Gold Award recipients

On Sunday, Sept. 18, state Sen. Anna M. Kaplan (D-North Hills) joined Girl Scout Troop 1622 for a ceremony honoring three outstanding young women, Tula Chatterton, Emerson Lucatorto, and Ella Iannitti, upon their earning the highest award in the Girl Scouts, the Gold Award.

Gold Award Girl Scouts are challenged to make a sustainable change in their community by completing a Gold Award Project in their community. Only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award.

Kaplan said “As recipi-

ents of the Gold Award, these remarkable young women join a long, proud tradition of trailblazing leaders who represent the best our communities have to offer. Through their service, they’re not only giving back, but they’re also becoming role models for us all to look up to, and ultimately making our world a better place. I’m so grateful for their service and dedication to our community, and it was my honor to present them each with a Proclamation on behalf of the State of New York in celebration of this milestone.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY OFFICE OF STATE SEN. ANNA KAPLAN

Pictured left to right Tula Chatterton, Emerson Lucatorto, Ella Iannitti, state Sen. Anna M. Kaplan.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COALITION TO SAVE HEMPSTEAD HARBOR

Nino Luciano and Martha Braun weighing collected debris at Morgan Park Beach.

Business&RealEstate

Preparing your home for a hurricane

We are still in the middle of our hurricane season and if you watch TV, listen to the news, or read a paper, hurricanes have become more deadly every year. Just look at Puerto Rico. Five years after Hurricane Maria smashed the island, along came Hurricane Fiona last week which had dumped up to 30 plus inches of rain in the southern locations, and 6-20 inches in the northern sections of the island. Some 80 percent of the electric grid was shut down and there was a lack of potable water.

So far our island hasn’t seen any activity, but we are not done with the future possibility of a hurricane affecting our area. We surely need the rainfall, but not necessarily from a severe weather event.

Preparing your home for such an event is important to eliminate and minimize any major problems that might occur. The following are items that you should have on hand in advance:

1.) Flashlight and a good supply of batteries

2.) Gas generator and 5-10 gallons of gas (for lights, refrigerator, etc.)

3.) A few gallons of water and

a bucket

4.) Candles and matches (or electric lighter)

5.) Blankets in case of lack of heat during a blackout

6.) Non-perishable food items

7.) First aid kit

8.) Battery-powered radio

9.) Sandbags

10.) Shovels and road salt (maybe consider a snowblower)

11.) Required medications

12.) Hand sanitizers and wipes

You can add any other items that you deem necessary for you and your family. Whether a hurricane or major snow event, being prepared for emergencies will be most beneficial in making your situation a bit easier or even save your life! Also, make sure you have a full tank of gas.

There are other preparations that you should be aware of if you own a home or even rental property. Make sure all outdoor furniture is now well secured or stored away. Take care of any roof repairs as needed. Have you or your gardener cleaned out all the accumulated debris from your gutters and leaders? Clogged gutters and leaders will potentially cause severe damage if water gets behind the soffits, creating problems inside your in-

PHILIP A. RAICES

Real Estate Watch

terior ceilings and walls.

Also, make sure your leaders drain far enough away from your foundation that water doesn’t get into your basement or crawl space. If you have windows in your basement, purchase some type of fitted plastic bubble to cover over your window well to keep water from accumulating to keep water from getting into your basement.

For those with moisture issues, as many do on the North Shore of Long Island, use of a dehumidifier

will greatly minimize those issues and keep them in check. Are there any major tree limbs overhanging your home that could snap and cause damage during a hurricane? When the ground gets too saturated during a storm, some older large trees could fall. If there are any near your home, the cost of removal would be something to consider.

This check list of sorts holds true for your investment rental properties. Consider your tenants an investment that is hopefully benefiting you now and in the future. My suggestion is to create and email them a punch list of items that they should possess in advance of severe weather, no different from what you would do for your home.

It is crucial that you should also go over your homeowner insurance policy and ask questions of your insurance agent as to whether your coverage is adequate with respect to weather-related damages. Would an umbrella policy over and above your regular coverage be something that would be of benefit?

Keeping you and your family safe is always of utmost importance. However, being proactive and minimizing damage to your property will always

come back to you in savings and preserving the value of your real estate.I want to wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday.

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Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years of experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) and also as a Certified International Property Specialist (C.I.P.S) as well as the new “Green Industry” Certification for eco-friendly construction and upgrades.

For a “FREE” 15 minute consultation, a value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.Com or via https:// WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com Just email or snail mail (regular mail) him with your ideas or suggestions on future columns with your name, email and cell number and he will call or email you back.

TECH

The “Internet of Things” and Smart Clothing

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

the future is now

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

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

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

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Little increase in state rearrest rates: report

judges are not given the discretion whether or not to hold these people and I think it’s a huge mistake.”

While judges throughout New York have the option to set bail in almost any case involving a violent felony, they may also release individuals in almost all other cases on their own recognizance or enact certain terms to make sure they ultimately return to court.

Blakeman signed an executive order in January shortly after taking office that cites a need to “increase transparency by disclosing in daily reports the pending criminal case data and bail status of those rearrested” by the Police Department.”

An analysis of Nassau County crime statistics for the past five years conducted by Blank Slate Media shows a decrease of more than 10% in major crimes from 2017-2021 but an

increase of more than 16% increase in violent crimes.

Statistics that were reported by the Nassau County Police Department to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services show that a total of 14,039 major crimes were committed throughout the county in 2017, compared to 12,535 in 2021.

The list of major crimes included in the report were murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.

The biggest year-to-year decrease in major crime during the five-year analysis was from 2019 to 2020 with a drop of nearly 9% – from 13,387 to 12,244 -during the pandemic-riddled year, according to the statistics.

Major crimes, overall, increased less than 3% in 2021 from 12,244 in 2020. Violent crime increased 5% from 1,826 to 1,917 during this period and property crimes increased less than

2%.

The crime report appears to contradict claims that reforms to New York’s bail reform laws had led to an increase in crime, which was a central part of Republicans’ successful countywide campaigns in November 2021.

New York implemented bail reform laws in January 2020, with modifications being passed in April that same year. State officials said the modified laws eliminated pretrial detention and optional cash bail in an estimated 90 percent of cases.

Nassau County spends $1,148 per capita on police and fire protection while the national median is $359, according to a U.S. News & World Report finding in 2020 that named Nassau County the safest community in America. Public safety professionals account for 1.26% of the county’s population, compared with the national median of 0.70%.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

NHP man charged in alleged fraud scheme

from Page 1

ceeds from the illgeal activity along with making financial transactions to cover up their illicit origin.

Officials also arrested Liaquat Cheema, Ali Cheema, Shouket Chudhary and Khizar Hayat on Wednesday morning.

Liaquat Cheema and Ali Cheema were president and vice president of the Queens-based AFL Construction Co. Inc. around 2015, officials said. The company entered into public contracts with New York City worth roughly $12 million to perform contracting work such as landscaping, roofing and other general maintenance at the shelters, officials said.

From around 2014 to 2018, the pair allegedly stole from the funds paid by the city and filed false invoices and other documentation claiming the contracting work at various shelters had been done, according to officials.

To date, the company has been paid at least $8 million for the work that the pair claimed they conducted.

Aside from allegedly aiding Liaquat and Ali Cheema in their scheme, Bajwa, Chudhary and Hayat also obtained tens of thousands of dollars

worth of Medicaid benefits by submitting false certifications, filing nearly identical employment letters that were signed off by a “project manager” who was dead, officials said.

“The defendants entered into public contracts so that they could provide vital maintenance to homeless shelters to aid New York City’s most vulnerable residents; however, instead of honoring these contracts, the defendants allegedly concocted multiple schemes to steal public funds,” U.S. Southern District Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

Bajwa, Hayat and Chudary were charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy, a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, one count of health care fraud conspiracy, a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and one count of aggravated identity theft, with a mandatory two-year prison sentence, officials said.

Additionally, Liaquat and Ali Cheema were charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, a maximum of 20 years in prison, officials said.

Liaquat Cheema received the same charges as the other three while Ali Cheema received all but the health care fraud conspiracy, officials said.

A New Hyde Park man was charged in an alleged scheme to defraud New York City out of millions of dollars last week, federal officials announced.

Dems block DeSena’s picks for ethics board

Continued from Page 4

spective terms were Vazquez to serve until Dec. 31, 2022, Slobin until Dec. 31, 2024 and Chan until Dec. 31, 2025.

The seven-member Board of Ethics is responsible for implementing the provisions of the Town’s Code of Ethics, according to the Town’s websites.

Upon DeSena taking office, the Board of Ethics at the time was completely made up of members who were in holdover status and could be removed at any time.

Its responsibilities include approving and reviewing financial statements, rendering advisory opinions to Town employees on the Code of Ethics and enforcing the code while determining penalties, among other things.

Unabbreviated terms for the board are four years.

As of now, the Town’s Board of Ethics is made up of Chair Joseph Sciame, Robin Bolling, Isma Chaudry, Rabbi Anchelle Perl, Rabbi Robert Widom, Justice Richard Kestenbaum and Betty Leong.

31, 2023, after being confirmed in May. Westbury/New Cassel NAACP President Robin Bolling and Chabad of Mineola Rabbi Anchelle Perl were also confirmed in May and will serve until Dec. 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively.

If confirmed, Vazquez would replace Kestenbaum, Slobin would replace Leong and Chan would replace Widom.

Professionally, Vazquez is senior counsel to Norton Rose Fullbright, Slobin is a speech-language pathologist for Manhasset Public Schools and Chan is president of Greater Hudson Financial.

Steven Leventhal, of Roslyn, has professional experience, including Nassau’s ethics board counsel, Town of Hempstead ethics counsel, president of the Nassau County Bar Association and consultant to the United Nations Ethics Office.

the island 360

Leventhal has served multiple municipalities in different legal roles, including Manorhaven, Flower Hill, Massapequa Park and Lattingtow.

lieves are consistent with schedules from previous administrations and that she insists on one hearing a week to increase transparency.

“I’m trying to be transparent with our budget. I’m trying to give everyone time to look at the budget and make it better and ask questions,” DeSena said. “I’m not trying to hide.”

Rabbi Osher Kravitsky of Chabad of Great Neck said the dates of the public hearings, Oct. 6, 11 and 18, needed to be moved to not conflict with Sukkot and Simchat Torah.

councilmembers for over six months. Councilwoman Lurvey and the majority must explain to taxpayers why they have allowed this important oversight board to fail in their obligations to protect taxpayers,” Supervisor DeSena said.

Lurvey responded by calling the appointment attempts a waste of time.

the island 360TICKETING

“These are biblical holidays. Sukkot and Simchat Torah are celebrated around the world since the time of Moses,” Kravitsky said. “Being that we are an inclusive town, it might seem insensitive to not invite people who are observant and I know that’s not the aim of the council here.”

The Town Council convened Friday to pick dates that are appropriate for everyone and can set them as early as the Sept. 28 meeting.

“The Supervisor is wasting everyone’s time by trying to replace the entire Board of Ethics at one once with her handpicked people. You don’t need to be a lawyer to know that a Board of Ethics — which may investigate anyone including the Supervisor — should not be replaced all at once by one Supervisor!”

Lurvey continued by questioning where the ethics board as failed.

Of those seven, only Bolling, Chaudry and Perl are serving on defined terms after being appointed earlier this year. The remaining four are serving unexpired terms and can be removed at any time.

Chaudry, a current holdover from the previous administration, will finish her term on Dec.

During the vote to set budget hearings, Lurvey said four working days between receipt of the tentative budget on Sept. 28 to the first hearing on Oct. 6 were not enough time.

“I think it will be an embarrassment for those of us who have not been part of the budget process to be in a public hearing after only four working days,” Lurvey said.

DeSena said she submitted dates she be-

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Budget hearings are not mandated by law and the Town Board has consistently voted on the budget ahead of Election Day, although there is no law that requires it.

In a statement sent to Blank Slate Media, DeSena was critical of the town Democrats, and specifically Lurvey, in the ethics board votes.

EVENTS ARE BACK!

“To protect our residents’ wallets, I’ve nominated professional people to serve in this oversight capacity, only to be obstructed by majority

“If you watch closely, the Supervisor has a history of making unsubstantiated allegations, this time against the Board of Ethics. She claims the Board of Ethics has failed the taxpayers. If nobody is going to ask the necessary followup questions, then I will. Supervisor DeSena, to what failure by the Board of Ethics are you referring? I hope she gives me a better answer than the one she did when I asked for information about her “thorough and complete review” of the Building Department. The answer to my July request has been SILENCE.”

The next town board meetings are scheduled for Sept. 28, Oct. 13 and Oct. 27.

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

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

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Hempstead, Oyster Bay repeal abortion restrictions

Page

New York will always support a woman’s right to choose,” Sillitti said. “I am glad that the Town of North Hempstead, the Town of Hempstead, and the Town of Oyster Bay have joined our call to action and repealed the anti-abortion statutes still on

their books, sending a message to women everywhere that your rights are too important to leave unprotected.”

The local laws were adopted after the state Senate in 1970 legalized abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy. They are also practically enforceable due to

overarching legislation such as the state’s Reproductive Health Act.

State Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Westbury) said it was important to support women’s reproductive freedom.

“Action such as this is necessary to provide the legal support

for women to be able to choose what to do with their own bodies,” Lavine said. “We must continue at every level of government, from a municipality on up to the state, to do whatever is necessary to protect women’s reproductive freedom amidst a continuous assault on their rights.”

Northwell raises more than $1B

Continued from Page 8

of our organization. In order to Outpace the Impossible, our work is never done,” Northwell Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brian Lally said in a statement. “We’re using this momentum to extend our campaign and provide additional support in critical areas where the need is great.”

Northwell’s endowment program provides financial aid to

sustain vital leadership and faculty positions, including some at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell and the Geinstein Instititues for Medical Research, officials said. Donations from the campaign helped Northwell established 13 newly-endowed professorships and chairs since 2018.

Due to the success of the campaign, officials said, it will be extended through December

2024, with the goal of raising an additional $400 million. The extra funds, officials said, will be used in the behavioral health, cancer and health equity sectors of the healthcare system. Northwell officials said the system treats nearly 20,000 cancer patients each year, more than any other provider throughout New York.

Additionally, funds will be used towards the construction of

a new state-of-the-art outpatient medical pavilion, including a cancer center for Northwell’s Manhattan location.

“When you contribute,” Dowling said. “You are part of the team that helps move healthcare forward.”

More information about the campaign and how to donate can be accessed by visiting: give. northwell.edu/outpacing-impossible.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL

Northwell leaders, led by President and CEO Michael Dowling, represent key areas that a

million campaign extension

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Town of North HempsteadBoard of Zoning Appeals Pursuant to the provisions of the Code of the Town of North Hempstead, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Zoning Appeals of said Town will meet at Town Hall, 220 Plandome Road, Manhasset, New York, on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 to consider any matters that may properly be heard by said Board, and will hold a public hearing on said date to consider applications and appeals. The following cases will be called at said public hearing starting at 10:00am. APPEAL #21296Clarence Domingo; 88 Greenway, New Hyde Park; Section 8, Block 209, Lot 38; Zoned: Residence-A Variance from §70-100.2(A)(4)(b) to legalize fencing that is too tall. Persons interested in viewing the fle for this appeal may request to do so any time before the scheduled hearing by contacting the BZA department via e-mail at BZAdept@northhempsteadny. gov. Additionally, the public may view the live stream of this meeting at https://northhempsteadny.gov/ townboardlive. Should you wish to participate in an appeal hearing, we encourage you register in advance by email to bzadept@ northhempsteadny.gov by Friday, October 7, 2022. Please include your full name, address, email address, and appeal number you wish to be heard on. Comments are limited to 3 minutes per speaker. Written comments are accepted by email up to 60 minutes prior to the hearing. Timely comment submissions will be made part of the record.

DAVID MAMMINA, R.A., Chairman; Board of Zoning Appeals

Bicyclist killed in North Hills accident

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

A man riding a bicycle died after colliding with a truck in North Hills on Tuesday morning, police said.

The accident occurred at 9:01 a.m. The cyclist, 56, was heading westbound on the Long Island Expressway’s North Service Road when he was hit by a FedEx truck near the intersection of Searingtown Road.

The victim suffered critical injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The male FedEx driver, 25, remained at the site.

The investigation is ongoing.

ON

ON

HERE

October events at the Floral Park Library

As participants in the “Great Give Back” initiative, the Library is hosting a family event to make cat toys for shelter cats, and an October 22nd cat adoption program through the Give Me Shelter Adoption Program.

Thank you to Anthony Marinello of Dropseed Native Landscapes for a fabulous and informative late summer afternoon tour of Floral Park’s Centen nial Gardens. We had almost 50 patrons – and friends – take the tour, and An thony has already agreed to Spring ’23 program.

Special Children’s programs have kids in grades 2 thru 5 learn Sign Lan guage in a four-part program, or enjoy a

Sensory Storytime for Atypical Learners for pre-school up to age 5.

Make a Fall Mason Jar Nitelite (ages 3 – 5) and Drip Paint Pumpkins (K – 2) crafts are on the calendar, along with Pre-School Storytime, Jump Bunch PreSchool, Play Hooray Kids, Funkytown Playground, and Family Time with A Time for Kids.

It gets serious for Teens this month with the College Prep evening events for High School Junior and Seniors and their parents. For fun, there’s the Strang er Things Inspired FX Makeup Extrava ganza!

The Monday morning Friends of the Floral Park Library meets on October 3rd

All-State recognition at H. Frank Carey

to discuss “The Venice Sketchbook” by Rhys Bowen, while the Evening Edition Book Club takes up Louise Erdrich’s “The Night Watchman” on October 6th.

October Adult programs include: Author Talk with former news person ality Patti Ann Browne (“How I Took Control by Letting Go”), Folded Book Art with Louann, craft event “Make a Har vest Gift Bag,” A Mediterranean Cook ing Demonstration with Naela Zaidan, Eco-Explorers Paranormal Long Island (ZOOM only), The Haunted Theatres of Broadway lecture, the frst of three new Game Nite for Grownups, Mah Jongg, and the Monday Movie Matinee “Death on the Nile.” The popular Wednesday

morning’s Hybrid Chair Yoga program with Micheline Debono continues. The Library is also host to English Language Learner classes through Literary Nassau, and monthly Empire Safety Council De fensive Driving classes.

Trivia Night returns on October 26th, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Floral Park Library.

A good time was had by all during September’s visit to Gracie Mansion with the Floral Park Explorers group.

The Made with Love Knitting and Crocheting volunteer group meetings are weekly Mondays at 6:30 pm and Wednesdays at 11:30 am. New volun teers are welcome.

The Library Board meets at 7:30 pm Wednesday, October 12th. All are wel come to attend.

Book Nook hours vary based on vol unteers’ schedules. Call the Library (516 326-6330) to check hours. Proceeds from the sale of books, DVDs, etc. go to support the Friends of the Floral Park Library.

The Library is closed Monday, Octo ber 10th for the Columbus Day holiday. For more information, registration dates and times, visit the library website, fo ralparklibrary.org, or stop in at 17 Caro line Place. Please note all events and programs are subject to change and/or cancellation.

Students learn about bridges

H. Frank Carey High School student-musicians Kate Marcino and Vaughn Sheehan have been selected to participate in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State Winter Conference.

The NYSSMA All-State Winter Conference is scheduled to take place Dec. 1-4. in Rochester, NY.

Both students were chosen to perform in the All-State Symphonic Band; Marcino on the trumpet and Sheehan on the alto saxophone. They were selected among thousands of ap plicants who auditioned for the honor last spring.

Science program for NHP student

New Hyde Park Memorial High School junior Guranaad Kaur has been accepted into Columbia Univer sity’s Science Honors Program.

The program, held on Saturday mornings at the university through out the academic year, is for high school students who have a strong interest in science and mathematics.

Courses primarily focus on physical, chemical, biological, behavioral and computing sciences, and the instruc tors are scientists and mathemati cians who are engaged in research at the university.

Kaur was accepted into the pro gram after undergoing an application process and a 2-hour entrance exam.

John Lewis Childs School ffth graders in Pa tricia Olson’s class kicked of their Discovery Lab Bridge Unit on Sept. 15.

Students were chal lenged to create a bridge out of paper that would be strong enough to hold a toy car and then 100 bolts. They learned efective ways to fold the paper that would keep it sturdy.

The Discovery Lab, which is run by teacher Janice Hyland, aims to foster creativity, discovery, invention and imagination in K-6 students through STEAM lessons.

Students learn and read in the library at John Lewis Childs

John Lewis Childs School fourth graders in Douglas Palmer’s class en joyed their library lesson with school librarian Lidia DeVita on Sept. 15.

Stations were set up for the students to explore, including Call Number Puz zles, Lego challenges and an apple-themed station with Johnny Appleseed books and a STEM challenge to build a fence around apple trees. At the end of the les son, they read books on the new fexible seating furni ture purchased last school year and checked out books to take home.

Ms. DeVita meets once weekly with each class K-6. Her goal with the library lessons is to promote in dependent, 21st century learning.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FLORAL PARK-BELLEROSE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

John Lewis Childs School fifth graders in Patricia Olson’s class created paper bridges in the Discovery Lab on Sept. 15.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FLORAL PARK-BELLEROSE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

John Lewis Childs School fourth graders enjoyed their time in the school library on Sept. 15.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SEWANHAKA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

New Hyde Park Memorial High School junior Guranaad Kaur has been accepted into Columbia University’s science honors program.

Sports

Cargiulo never takes a play off

Manhasset football player a stor on both sides of the ball in personal quest for excellence

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

The Chipotle bowl is his relief, his salvation, and his reward.

Manhasset senior Matt Cargiulo is exhausted every Saturday evening during football season. There are somewhere between 60-80 plays in a typical high school game, and Cargiulo is on the field for all of them.

If he’s not quarterbacking the Indians’ triple-option offense, getting hit on nearly every play, he’s manning the

secondary on defense as a strong safety, making tackles and trying to break up opponents’ passes.

Very little time to rest, or think, or plan when you’re the 6-foot-3, 200 pound Cargiulo.

So when it’s all over, he goes home and finds some small comfort in the Mexican fast-food chain.

“I’ll get a bowl with brown rice, some chicken, some cheese and some queso,” he said this week. “And I’ll eat it, take a shower, and then just lay in

bed for hours. Not really wanting to move.”

This is what happens when you’re one of the best athletes on a smallsized football roster: The coaches need you on the field all the time.

And make no mistake, Cargiulo isn’t complaining. While lacrosse is the sport he most excels in (he’s headed to UMass next fall on scholarship, and Cargiulo was a key member of Manhasset’s state championship squad last spring), he’s become an outstand-

ing football player as well, and said he loves the sport

Last season he passed for 780 yards and six scores, and rushed for 1,090 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Indians struggled to a 2-6 record.

When Manhasset was on defense, Cargiulo also made 74 tackles, including 22 for a loss, with five interceptions.

But this year Manhasset has started strongly, winning two of its first three games after a 21-7 win over Flo-

ral Park on Sept. 24.

Manhasset coach Jay Iaquinta, who just won his 200th game on Sept. 16, wishes he didn’t have to play his QB so often.

“It’d be better if he could be over here with us (while the defense is on field) and we could go over things like most QB’s get to do,” Iaquinta said. “He’d be even more awesome. But he’s just too good on defense and we don’t have enough other kids.”

Cargiulosays that while, sure, it’s exhausting being on the field for every play, his conditioning in the offseason, including playing lacrosse, has helped.

“I did a lot of running, a lot of strength work to get bigger, and worked hard on becoming a better quarterback,” Cargiulo said. “Honestly, my passion for football is greater than for lacrosse, maybe because football is newer to me.”

Indeed, while Cargiulo, like most Manhasset kids, started playing lacrosse fresh out of the crib, he only put on a football helmet in seventh grade, and switched to being a signal-caller in ninth grade.

This past summer he was invited to be a part of the Long Island Quarterback Challenge, a showcase event, and got to train with Oceanside legend and former longtime NFL quarterback Jay Fiedler as well for several weeks.

“Matt is a tremendous athlete, who is raw in throwing the football but a big, physical kid who learns quickly,” Fiedler said in a phone interview. “Having to play both ways is a challenge, but he’s a terrific kid who definitely improved in each session we did.”

“Getting to work with (Jay), who has been at the highest level, was an incredible experience,” Cargiulo said. “His tips and knowledge and everything he knows, helped me a lot.”

Cargiulo, who also returns kickoffs and punts for Manhasset as well (no truth to the rumor he sells hot dogs and hamburgers at the concession stand, and plays trumpet in the band at halftime), said he expects a playoff berth and other big things for Manhasset this season.

And as long as Chipotle stays open on weekends, he’ll be good to go.

“I love going to battle with my teammates, and even though we’re a young team I think we’re going in the right direction,” Cargiulo said. “We still have a lot to learn but we’ve been in both games this year and are learning how to win. I’m excited about the season.”

Manhasset quarterback Matt Cargiulo (2) will be a big key to the team’s success this season

F.P. board report summaries for Sept. 20, 2022

Trustee Lynn Pombonyo

Fire Department

This week, our Fire Department and Village honored Ex-Captain Donald Gor man of Reliance Company on the north side. Captain Gorman served FPFD for ffty years, in addition to working in our DPW. Honors included a FPFD service and a fretruck fag salute at his funeral.

This week, FDNY, FPFD, FPPD and our Village are honoring FDNY Chief Joseph McKie, a long time, devoted lo cal resident who, with his wife, raised four amazing children who attended our schools and enthusiastically participated in all that our Village has to ofer. Chief McKie passed away following a 9/11 re lated illness.

We thank these two courageous fre fghters for their years of service, and will keep the Gorman and McKie families in our hearts and prayers.

With their ongoing commitment to training, the Fire Department has com pleted two nights of intensive frefghting at the Nassau County Fire Service Acad emy in Bethpage. There our companies, including Rescue, have executed interior attacks on fres in a six story building and a two story, L-shaped garden apartment building. In both experiences, our fre fghters had to climb smoke-flled stair cases in full bunker gear, carrying hoses. Once there, they tackled multiple fres on multiple foors in hot, smoky blackout conditions. They bravely extinguished two sets of staged fres each night, and re ceived instruction and feedback from the ofcers, chiefs and expert NCFSA leaders. The focus has been important fre attack strategies, including the complexities and challenges of hose operations, especially when multiple lines are in use. Our Res cue company is there to provide impor tant support for all.

We thank our FPFD for keeping us safe and continually training to remain at their best. Two additional NCFSA training evenings are scheduled for September.

Department of Public Works

The fall months are busy for our DPW. At the corner of Plainfeld and Magnolia, you will see beautifcation and accessibil ity enhancements with colorful fowers, fowering bushes and small trees, and an accessible sidewalk path connecting the parking lot and sidewalk on Plainfeld.

With our road construction proj ects, Spooner Street is well under way. The roadway will be removed next. The Spooner parking lot will be the last phase of the project, in mid to late October.

Other road repairs and storm drain

cleanout will both continue in the fall. Thank you Superintendent Kevin Gin nane and DPW for making our Village safe and beautiful.

Conservation Society (FPCS)

We are all in love with Centennial Gardens, so all fans out there are invited to our FPCS monthly weed-outs. Bring your family, friends and neighborhood for a few fun-flled hours of beautifying our Gardens. Meet our FPCS volunteers, and fnd out how you can become active in our BEST PUBLIC GARDEN OF NAS SAU COUNTY treasure. Next weed-out: Saturday, October 1st at 9am. Save the date!

Chambers of Commerce and Our BusinessesAll of our Floral Park and Stewart Manor business people are in vited to a Floral Park Chamber network ing event on Thursday, October 6th, 6pm at Jameson’s Courtyard. Learn about our Tulip Avenue, Jericho Turnpike and Co vert Avenue businesses and develop new partnerships and friendships.

And we’re counting the days to the Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce Street Fair — 25 days until October 15th. Join the browsing, shopping and dining fun in Floral Park and Stewart Manor, and have a great time!

Congratulations!

The Village Board extends our con gratulations to Girl Scout Troop 1622’s Gold Award recipients. This is the high est award in the Girl Scout organization.

Floral Park Memorial Seniors Ella Ian nitti, Tulah Chatterton and Emerson Lu catorto wowed our community and their high school peers with their impressive Gold Award projects including promot ing inclusion and special needs-friendly communities and businesses; guiding teens to teach the younger tweens about Internet safety; and preparing students to prepare themselves for employment. All three Gold Award recipients incor porated technology in their projects in highly innovative ways. Our future is in great hands!

Trustee Frank Chiara

Police Department

On Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, Com mission McAllister, Lt. Will Doherty and school resource Ofcer Kelly Murphy made a presentation to the Floral Park Bellerose School District Board of Educa tion on the services our school resource ofcers and police department will be ofering to our schools this year. Topics range from school safety, internet safety and public safety and methodologies.

The presentation was well received and the new superintendent, Ms. Ruiz, noted how fortunate we are here in Floral Park to have our own Police Department who are so engaging with the schools and our community. Our school resource Ofcers are the liaisons between our children, law enforcement, teachers and school staf, families and the community. They have become a welcomed presence in our schools and provide a valuable ser vice to all of the students.

Thank You to Commissioner McAl lister, Ofcer Murphy, and Lt. Doherty for sharing this information on the services our school resource Ofcers are perform ing and for all that you do to keep our community safe.

Building Department

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, the Architectural Review Board (ARB) will be having the frst of the split sessions for the month of September to accommo date the magnitude of the projects cur rently proposed in our Village. On Sept. 21, 2022, there will be a number of items on the agenda, most notable is the Covert Ave project resubmission. The second session will be on Sept. 28, 2022 and will have the Centennial Hall project along with other agenda items. Please note the change of venue for both meetings – they will take place at Fire Fighters Hall, 1 Flo ral Blvd at 8pm. If residents would like to submit questions on either project prior to these meetings, please do so at ARB@ FPvillage.org. These questions will then be answered at the respective meetings.

I would like to congratulate our Vil lage Clerk Susan Walsh for receiving the Clerk of the Year award for NYS. We here in the Village all know and recognize the fantastic job Susan does for all of us and for our Village and this is well-deserved. Congratulations Susan and we can never thank you enough for all that you do for us!!!

Trustee Jennifer Stewart

Recreation Center

We continue to see many residents at our Recreation Center daily of all ages enjoying this gem in our Village. Many thanks to long time village resident Mary Petrosino who spent many years enjoying all the Village and in particular, the Rec reation Center has to ofer. As she leaves our Village, she was kind enough to leave a gift of a steam cleaner for the Recre ation Center. Thank you Mary and we wish you well in your new community.

We will have news regarding the Multi-Purpose rink in the coming weeks.

LIRR/MTA/3TC

Despite their representations to resi dents and over the objections of the Vil lage, the MTA/Long Island Rail Road intends to install a permanent vehicle access gate at their access point on Tun nel Street. Prior to the Third Track con struction project there had only been a pedestrian access gate at this location. Representatives of the MTA met with the Village at the site several times over the last two weeks, to hear the Village’s safety concerns. The Village is appreciative of the MTA’s representations that they will make modifcations to their plans to ad dress the Village’s safety concerns. How ever, the Village remains unconvinced that a permanent vehicle access gate at this location is needed.

As a reminder to residents, especially parents, although the Third Track Project is hopefully coming to a conclusion in the near future, it is still an active construction project. There are several construction access points for the Third Track Project in the Village and the Village Police and Department of Public Works (DPW) try to monitor these access points to make sure they are properly secured when there is no ongoing construction activity taking place. But if you notice a location where the construction fencing is not properly secured, please contact our DPW at 516326-6320 or our Police at 516-326-6400. Thank you for your assistance with this.

As always, I urge you to log into MTA. org or please email them at community outreach@lirrexpansion.com and leave a comment. You may also call the MTA at 516-203-4955, especially if you have called the Village to report a concern, let the MTA know as well.

Trustee Michael Longobardi Floral Park Library

Friends of the Library is a great vol unteer organization that raises money and supports the Library. Their support and programs are expanding and they are welcoming more kids, teens and adults to volunteer.

The Library is excited to announce they will be launching a new homepage shortly for the website. Please watch for that.

Also, the Library is currently in the top ten in circulation for Nassau County thanks to the great staf and programs they run. October 26th is Trivia Night; tickets are available. The Book Nook is now open Monday to Saturday. The Ur ban Explorers are looking to run a bus trip to the Botanical Gardens for the Holiday

Train Show. Another defensive driving class is scheduled for October 13th. De tails for these and many other events are listed on the Library website: www.foral parklibrary.org.

Four Village Studio (4VS)

4VS currently has openings for High School Students, residing in the fourvillage area, to join the staf as television production crew members. No experience is necessary. This is a great opportunity to learn about the technical positions and equipment used to create our programs. If interested, please contact Jim Green at 516-326-1150. Please visit www.4vs.org for the complete list of shows, dates, and times.

Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald

The Village will be fnalizing it sub mission for the NYS Downtown Revital ization Application later this month. The public information meeting that was held on September 13, 2022 regarding the ap plication was very well attended. There was a great exchange of ideas after my Business Project Improvement presenta tion. The Village also has also received tremendous feedback on the initiative with over 950 responses to the survey. The survey results reveal some really great ideas. The Village will be reviewing and incorporating the feedback into the application process. Thank you to all of the residents, businesses, Deputy Mayor Pombonyo and Building Superintendent Renee Marcus for all of their hard work on this so far. The grant would be for $10mm to improve the downtowns and the Village will continue to apply until we win!

Please share this information with your neighbors. Please attend the Civic Association Meetings which are held on Thursday nights. I recently attended the North End Civic Association meeting with Trustee Stewart and it was a good way for us to exchange information – there is a lot going on and a lot to absorb.

As I recently reported, the Village Email blast and online E-news are key com munication channels that we are using to keep residents, businesses and the public updated on current news in the Village. Over 3,000 residents have subscribed for notifcations. To sign up individuals can visit the Village website: fpvillage.org, click on Quick Links: Important Notifca tions. The direct link is: https://fpvillage. org/notifcations/. Thank you.

The full versions of the Mayor & Trustee Board Reports are available on line at www.fpvillage.org.

H. Frank Carey High School honors A.P. scholars

H. Frank Carey High School students from the Class of 2022, Class of 2023 and Class of 2024 have been named AP Scholars in recognition of their excep tional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Exams in May 2022.

Congratulations to the following stu dents on achieving this honor:

AP Scholars with Distinction

Lauren A. Ammendolea, Daniel G. Biscardi, Devin M. Casano, Tifany Chen, Isaac Chin, Brianna M. D’Ambrosio, Na talia L. Dominguez, Lauren J. Faglione,

Yasmine Fendoune, Caitlin B. Fitzpatrick, Ryan S. Gallagher, Caroline D. Gilman, Teagan Graham, Hannah John, Emily C. Lavin, Alvin Lee, Ryan C. Leimgruber, Gavin R. Levitt, Rosalia LoGrande, Ash ley L. Mathew, Tyler C. Mazzella, Joseph P. Moryl, Donovan B. Murray, Jeanna M. Neglia, Alexandra E. Ortiz, John T. Or tiz, Tania M. Papanagnostou, Thomas G. Peers, Alessandro Perna, Patrick J. Reddy; Raymond F. Ringston, Hailey R. Roca, Smriti Rout, Solomon Roy, Isabel Santana, Nicholas M. Sardes, Tyler R. Sookralli,

Oluwagbemisola G. Soyemi, Christopher J. Stacchini, Michael J. Sullivan, Michelle Thai, Rachel E. Toro, Mia E. Tzikas, Man dy K. Webber and Ryan Yu.

AP Scholars with Honor

Analucia Acero, Raymond M. Bede ian, Victoria M. Brotschol, Christian M. Cordova, Michael Demarco, Cristina N. Ferrara, Lilly A. Garofano, Nicholas A. Hernandez, Grace E. Leder, Peter A. Marti nez, Alexis Mayer, Gabriella F. McCartney, Kimberly M. Mercado, Rachel L. O’Day, Vaughn E. Sheehan and Cynthia Vokshi.

AP Scholars

Laura M. Acquafredda, Berna Aliu, Alexander M. Almache, Sofa M. Barongi, ; Eliana S. Basher, Gianna M. Burke, Jo seph L. Campisi, Paul V. Cirone, Christo pher S. Colace, Karalina M. DiMaggio, Annabella P. Elbaz, Joshua A. Elbaz, Justin R. Emhardt, Valentina Falanga, Hisham Fendoune, Mya Fiorentino, Christen P. Frandina, Gabriella P. Gallardo, Reagan C. Govaert; Samantha K. Hanlon, Sarita Haripal, Shane D. Hogan, Edison Huang, Arshneet K. Hundal, Daniel C. Jeremias,

Jacob M. Joseph, Selin Kahyaoglu, Abdul W. Khan, Salma L. Khan, Thomas M. Le Rouzic, Grace A. Leimgruber, Dania M. Lo pez, Jason A. Malovich, Nicholas J. Marci no, Luisana M. Mavarez, Emily McKenna, Omari K. Mckenzie, Annie S. Moore, Pat rick C. Murnane, Alyssa G. Nittoli, Ryan E. Noonan, Juan C. Pena, Vincent Peragino, Joseph Pili, Selina L. Polisi, David J. Reed, Domenick J. Romano, Juliana E. Squil lante, Emily M. Stollberger, Rebecca P. Sunny, Sandy Yang, Ivan Yun and Michelle X. Zheng.