Roslyn 2022_10_14

GUIDE TO

Nassau on pace for 34% major crimes increase

32% increase in grand larcenies leads spike over first eight months

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Nassau County is on pace for more than 7,000 major crimes this year, roughly a 34% increase over the 5,230 major crimes reported throughout the county in 2021, according to statistics from the Nassau County Police Department.

A total of 4,675 major crimes took place in Nassau County through the first eight months of the year, nearly 90% of the total major crimes the county reported all of 2021, according to crime statistics obtained by Blank Slate Media under a Freedom of Information Law request submitted to the Nassau County Police Department.

Nassau has provided monthly crime statistics that were posted online in the past, but the county has not updated them since March.

Aside from grand larceny, the list of major crimes includes murder, rape, criminal sexual acts, sexual abuse, commercial robberies, other robberies, assault felonies, residential burglaries, other burglaries and stolen vehicles.

In 2021, a total of 3,201 or 61% of the county’s major crimes were grand larcenies, the highest percentage out of all other crimes, according to the statistics.

During the first eight months of 2022, county numbers show a total of

2,809 grand larcenies accounted for 60% of Nassau’s major crimes. Nassau County is on pace to report more than 4,200 grand larcenies this year, an increase of roughly 32% from 2021.

A total of 560 vehicles were stolen in Nassau last year, a figure that has already been surpassed during the first eight months of 2022 with 690 thefts in 2022, according to statistics. That figure is projected to grow to 1,032 by the end of the year, an increase of more than 84% from last year’s total.

A total of 13,190 “other crimes” occurred in Nassau during the first eight months of the year, a number projected to surpass 19,000 by year’s end, according to the figures.

The projected total would be an approximate 20% increase from last year’s total of more than 16,000 “other crimes” reported.

Nassau has reported five murders, eight sexual abuse instances, two criminal sexual acts and six rapes during the first eight months of the year. A total of 10 murders, 11 sexual abuse instances, 10 criminal sexual acts and 19 rapes were reported in 2021, according to the statistics.

More than 640 residential and “other” burglaries were reported to the police department all of last year, while 548 total burglaries were reported dur-

VIKINGS RETURN

Students and staff dressed up in bright colors to demonstrate their enthusiasm for the Boosterthon Fun Run at Sousa Elementary School.

DeSena calls for 11% tax cut in town budget

BY BRANDON DUFFY

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena on Tuesday called for an 11% tax cut to be included in the $158.4 tentative bud-

get for 2023 she had previously proposed.

DeSena said the proposed tax cut would be the largest in the town’s history and would be paid for by tapping into reserves her office

had recently discovered. The town supervisor said the town’s current reserves are at least $26 million, well in excess of the minimum set by the town board in

PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT WASHINGTON SCHOOLS

Feinstein Institute gets $10M research grant

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes in Manhasset will receive a $10 million grant as part of the state’s Long Island Investment Fund, which will finance new state-of-the-art labs to support general medical research on studying infectious diseases, officials announced.

The funds Feinstein will receive are part of the $350 million statewide grant to finance large-scale projects that will have a lasting impact throughout Long Island ranging from supporting downtown revitalization to various innovation endeavors, officials announced. Gov. Kathy Hochul touted the importance to fund cuttingedge, life-saving research throughout the state that institutes such as Feinstein conduct.

“Our investment in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine is already improving the lives of everyday New Yorkers, and the additional Long Island Investment Fund award announced today reaffirms our commit-

ment to remaining a national leader in the health and medical research fields,” Hochul said in a statement.

“I am proud to support the Feinstein Institutes and their research, which will lead to life-changing medicine and treatments that will improve the lives of New Yorkers on Long Island and across the state.”

Additionally, Feinstein recently completed a $35 million 20,000 square-foot renovation project to energize future breakthroughs in the bioelectronic field with $30 million coming from New York’s Empire State Development.

The renovated lab includes 13 private offices, cold storage rooms,100 research and administrative workstations, conference rooms and more than 1,300 square feet of wet-lab bench space, according to officials.

“At Northwell, we strive to improve the health of the communities we serve and are committed to providing the highest quality clinical care, educating the current and future generations of healthcare profession-

als, and searching for new advances in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research,” Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling said in a statement.

The lab renovation included the creation of a new biosafety facility, which allows for new research into infectious diseases and complex viruses, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result of the expansion and state grants, Feinstein will be able to hire 13 new principal investigators and support 100 new staff hires.

“Day in and day out our scientists and staff work tirelessly to research and develop novel therapies for cancer, diabetes, obesity, lupus, among others, and we continue to lead in bioelectronic medicine research,” Feinstein Institutes President and CEO Kevin J. Tracey said in a statement. “We can now hire additional investigators, expand our research capabilities and solidify Nassau County and the Feinstein Institutes as the destination for scientific discoveries.”

$3.2K stolen from Manhasset’s Fendi

Police seek tips on trio who robbed store

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Around $3,200 worth of merchandise was stolen from the Americana’s Fendi store by three people Friday, officials from the Nassau County Police Department said.

Three individuals entered the Fendi store on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset just before 5 p.m. Friday when they began to place merchandise into a bag, according to officials. The manager, a 48-year-old woman, noticed this and approached the suspects, according to officials.

The three then pushed and shoved the manager before fleeing the store in a white-colored Nissan that left in an unknown direction,

officials said. The suspects were described as a 6-foot-2 black male, around 25-29 years old wearing a gray-colored long sleeve shirt, gray pants and black sneakers; a 5-foot9 black woman also 25-29 years old with long black hair, wearing a gray shirt with red sleeves, white shorts, red sneakers, sunglasses and a blue face mask; and a 5-foot-7 black woman around the same age and with long black hair wearing a light pink sweat suit.

Efforts to reach law enforcement or store officials for further comment were unavailing. Officials encouraged anyone with information to reach out to the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.

A trio reportedly stole $3,200 from the Fendi store in the Americana last week, according to police.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWELL HEALTH

Michael Dowling (left) with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (center) as she tours Feinstein Institutes’ upgraded labs alongside Dr. Kevin Tracey (right).

PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN

L.I.-raised Hollywood reporter dies at 68

Finke grew up in Sands Point, attended N. Hill’s Buckley

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

Nikki Finke, who grew up in Sands Point and was a reknowned entertainment reporter, died on Sunday in Boca Raton, Fla., at 68.

A family spokesperson an nounced her death, noting only that it was the result of a prolonged illness.

Finke attended Buckley Coun try Day School in North Hills as well as the Hewitt School in Man hattan. She later received her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College, where she served as the newspaper’s editor-in-chief.

After graduating from Welles

ley, Finke’s frst job was as a staf assistant for Congressman Ed Koch, a Democrat, who would later be come New York City’s mayor. She said she became a reporter after observing Koch and his employees bowing to journalists.

Finke started working for the Associated Press as a reporter in 1975. She moved to The Dallas Morning News in the early 1980s before joining Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times and other publica tions.

She began writing an online column called Deadline Hollywood for the LA Weekly in 2002. In March 2006, she started the Deadline Hol

lywood Daily blog as an online supplement to her weekly column which became a must-read in the entertainment industry.

In 2009, the Jay Penske com pany, now known as Penske Media Corp., purchased Deadline. Finke would leave Deadline on Nov. 5, 2013.

She started NikkiFinke.com on June 12, 2014. She also launched HollywoodDementia.com on Aug. 3, 2015, as a platform for showbiz short stories written by her and other insiders.

Finke was divorced and had no children. Her sister, Terry Finke Dreyfus, survives her.

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One in critical condition after crash in Glen Cove LIRR’s Elmont station open for service, Isles

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

A man is in critical condition after being hit by an SUV in Glen Cove on Thursday morning, police say.

The incident occurred at 9:42 a.m. Police

say a white SUV heading south on Dosoris Lane struck a man at the intersection of Dosoris Lane and Maple Avenue.

The 56-year-old male victim was airlifted to a nearby hospital and is in critical condition. An investigation is ongoing.

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

The LIRR’s Elmont-UBS Arena station will now ofer two-way service for all events through select trains on the Huntington and Ronkonkoma branches, acting interim LIRR President Catherine Rinaldi said Thursday.

For the time being, that service will be limited to event days. By the end of the year, the station will provide fulltime service.

Westbound began with last Wednesday night’s Is landers’ preseason game. It will also be available for the team’s regular season opening night Oct. 13.

“You have a one-seat ride to watch the Islanders beat the Panthers,” Rinaldi said at a press conference along side other ofcials, “saving time and reducing congestion around the arena.”

Elmont-UBS Arena station. Interim LIRR President Catherine Rinaldi announced on Thursday that the sta tion will now provide bidirectional service for all events.

tington and Ronkonkoma Branches, will add stops at El mont-UBS Arena. Westbound Hempstead Branch trains will also stop at the station on event days beginning Oct. 31.

A man is in critical condition after being hit by an SUV in Glen Cove on Thursday morn ing, according to authorities.

When there are events, all eastbound Hempstead Branch trains, as well as select trains in both directions on the Hun

The station will eventu ally provide year-round ser vice. But for the time being, it will only be accessible for

events held at the arena. Later this year when Grand Central Madison, a commuter rail ter minal, opens, the transfer to full-time will occur.

Rinaldi did not comment on future schedule modifca tions after the station intro duces full-time service. Other

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Calls for transparency in redistricting process

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Democratic officials on Nassau County’s Temporary Districting Advisory Commission have continued criticizing their Republican counterparts for a lack of transparency during their redistricting process.

But Chairperson Francis Moroney, a Republican appointee, said the comments made by the Democratic delegation “paint a dark picture” of the process and that the Republican members of the commission are equally willing to work to create maps that do not favor one party.

“This is an honest process,” he said. “I think every one of these people on the Democratic side are good, solid citizens, but they have got to sticks to the facts. I think everybody over here is a good, solid citizen and they will be sure to stick to the facts.”

Jared Kasschau, a member of the Democratic delegation, said the Republicans have been asked multiple times to provide information on the redistricting process online, but have not done so.

Kasschau announced, that a shared drive online can be accessed by residents looking for more information and proposed maps that have been submitted.

“It’s essential to meaningful public participation and there is no reason why this information has not been posted to the county’s website,” Kasschau said.

Fellow Democratic delegation member Michael Pernick echoed Kasschau’s comments and said there have been public comments submitted dated upwards of 20 days prior to the meeting that had not been addressed by members of the commission.

Pernick asked for an email address to be set up where the public could submit their comments and have them be accessible for viewing by the entire commission.

David Mejias, a former Democratic legislator who served from 2003 to 2010 representing the 14th District in Farmingdale, said at a previous meeting the public has been purposefully excluded from the process thus far.

Mejias said the redistricting commission failed to properly provide meeting dates, times and agendas, relevant laws and statutes and a dedicated email address for public comments in a timely manner.

“Maybe that’s the difference between the 120

people we had in the last meeting and the number of people we had in the room here today,” Mejias said at an early September meeting held in North Hempstead. “Which is far less than 120 people that we had at our last so nothing has been changed.”

The five majority appointees include Peter Bee, John Reinhardt, Maureen Fitzgerald, New Hyde Park Mayor Christopher Devane and Eric Mallette.

Minority appointees include Mejias, Kasschau, Pernick, Andrena Wyatt and James Magin.

Pernick referred to a comparative analysis of the county’s current legislative maps conducted by Daniel Magleby, a political science professor at Binghamton University. Magleby, Pernick said, used a particular methodology for assessing maps by generating thousands of random legislative maps and measuring the current one to those that were technologically generated.

The 10,000 random neutral maps that were generated and analyzed against the county’s current legislative map proved that the current map is more biased toward Republican candidates. Pernick described the results as an “extreme partisan gerrymander” and said the county cannot continue to use the maps currently in place.

“We need to start from scratch and draw a map that’s legal from the ground up,” Pernick said.

Moroney, following Pernick’s explanation of the analysis, said no legislative map since 1984 has been successfully challenged.

Every 10 years, the county participates in the redistricting process to revise districts to ensure none contain a substantially disproportionate difference in the voter population compared to other districts.

As it stands, Nassau County currently has 19 Legislative Districts where Republicans hold an 11-8 majority over Democrats.

Of the 19 districts, at least two are minoritymajority districts, which was a point of concern to keep together.

In 2014, Republicans held a 10-9 advantage when the current district maps were voted on party lines. At the time,Democrats had a 20,382 advantage among registered voters – 344,078 to 323,696.

The commission has a deadline of Nov. 10 to submit recommendations to the county legislature before they are considered and could be accepted, rejected or amended, among other things.

PHOTO BY NOAH MANSKAR

Discussions

transparency throughout Nassau County’s redistricting pro-

continuing.

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Hochul urged to sign anti-hate bills

Legislation

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) called for Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign two anti-hate bills into law Monday.

The two bills, both sponsored by Kaplan, would promote anti-hate education to advance acceptance and diversity throughout New York and prohibit the cancellation or increase in cost of an insurance policy for victims of hate crimes. Kaplan said it is time for Hochul to sign the pair of bills after the rise in antisemitic events throughout the states since the beginning of the coronavirus pan demic.

“As a Jewish refugee who came to this country feeing antisemitic violence in my homeland, my heart aches over the explosion of hate and extremist fueled violence that we’ve seen in this country since the pan demic,” Kaplan said. I’ve been proud to stand up and fght back against hate at every opportunity, but we need to do more.”

The insurance legislation would extend to victims, whether it be a person or property, of hate crimes that occurred in the preceding 60 months, she said. The bill was passed in the state Senate and Assembly this

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SENATOR’S OFFICE

Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) rallies to stop hate through education at a rally she held in May.”

Temporary block on concealed carry

Federal judge deems some new requirements excessive, including social media accessibility

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

A federal judge temporarily blocked parts of a recently enacted state concealed carry law that created locations where firearms are restricted, raising questions about the law’s constitutionality.

Chief Judge Glenn Suddaby of the U.S. District Court in Syracuse made the order on Thursday. In it, he deemed some new requirements, such as making applicants give information about their social media accounts, excessive.

“Simply stated, instead of moving toward becoming a shall-issue jurisdiction, New York State has further entrenched itself as a shallnot-issue jurisdiction,” he wrote. “And, by doing so, it has further reduced a first-class constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense into a mere request.”

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

The new legislation came into effect on Sept. 1. It includes new requirements, including firearm training, in-person interviews and social media reviews. It prohibits those with concealed carry permits from carrying weapons in sensitive places such as Times Square, schools, government offices and hospitals. One must also renew or recertify their permits every three years.

The judge’s decision maintains the ban on bringing firearms into public venues like schools, offices and houses of worship. However, he said that the state couldn’t forbid guns from entering other sensitive areas like Times Square.

By blocking parts of the law, it allows a legal challenge by a gun rights group to proceed. The plaintiffs, six Gun Owners of America members, claim the law is unconstitutional.

To give the state time to file an emergency appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Suddaby said that his order would not go into force for three business days. The court could hear the case and provide a longer stay of the order. (A stay is a court action to halt a legal proceeding or a party’s actions.) But, if it does not, the order will go into effect.

The law hasn’t gone uncriticized in Nassau County, either. On Tuesday, at a presser, County Executive Blakeman discussed the challenges of enforcing the law.

“Although we think this law is arbitrary, capricious and unconstitutional,” he said.

“We are going to do our best way to administer this law until there’s a file of adjudication with the litigation that’s ongoing as to whether or not this law is in fact constitutional.”

Officials also said 200 new gun permit applications have been submitted since the law went into effect.

Times Square, which is one among the “sensitive locations” where those with concealed carry permits are not permitted to carry guns. A federal judge temporarily suspended parts of a recently enacted state concealed carry law on Thursday.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

N. Shore schools seek to offset LIPA loss

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

North Shore Central School District officials highlighted the ongoing predicament over their loss of the Glenwood Landing power plant as a taxpayer during a special meeting on Oct. 6.

In 2011, the Glenwood Landing power plant was decommissioned. LIPA had been disputing its taxes with Nassau County since 2010, and after more than 10 years of litigation, the district was notified in June of a final settlement that did not include them. The county will now collect direct assessments from LIPA instead of gradually decreasing tax payments.

“Going forward, we’re bringing in a new spirit of efficiency,” Superintendent Chris Zublionis said. “[We’re] really taking this very seriously and also advocating with legislators to bring aid and looking for ways to bring in revenue.”

The district planned on getting $16 million from LIPA as tax revenue and payments in lieu of taxes. But because of the direct assessment, it will lose $3.1 million from what officials had budgeted for this year.

Over the next five years, Zublionis said the LIPA agreement will cost the district $38.6 million after the loss of the tax revenue. He added that even if the district could pass on the cost to taxpayers, the tax cap would make it difficult.

“The tax cap is really meant to cover those annual increases in expenses, like salaries, health insurance, those things that naturally go up,” he said. “It’s not built to handle this kind of catastrophic loss in a neighborhood.”

The taxes paid by LIPA will likely transfer to

the remaining properties. The district says the increase will likely result in a shift from one taxpayer to another and is a function of the county’s assessment system.

The courts did not finish the deal until after the budget vote. Because the county is the assessing authority, the district is unsure how the settlement will affect specific taxpayers.

“The impact of the LIPA settlement on taxpayers is compounded by the county assessment system,” said Zublionis. “So we’re seeing wild variation in individuals’ property taxes which we’re going to research into.”

The district secured an extra $3.25 million in settlement payments. It spent $500,000 this year to reduce the impact of a prospective tax shift. In the future, the district will continue to use this cash to mitigate potential tax shifts.

Following the final approval of the settlement, the district reduced the tax levy to lessen the burden on the community. If this had not been done, the residents could have faced a tax shift of up to $9 million, according to the district.

Zublionis said LIPA is going to renegotiate its direct assessments with the county in 2027. By that point, instead of $16 million, it will be paying about $8.2 million in total. He said the district will need to advocate for LIPA to continue paying those direct assessments.

“For our purposes, planning for the next five years we have to get to a zeroing out point,” he said, “where we make cuts or find new revenues that handle this LIPA loss.”

PHOTO BY STEVEN KEEHNER

Christopher Zublionis, superintendent of North Shore Central School District, addresses a crowd during a special meeting on Oct. 6.

WHO’S #1?

Town and St. Francis partner

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the North Hempstead Town Board are proud to announce that Project Independence, the town’s innovative aging-in-place initiative, is once again partnering with St. Francis Hospital’s Community Outreach Program to provide residents with free health screenings.

“The Town is so proud to partner with St. Francis Hospital to protect the health and wellness of our older residents through these free health screenings,” Supervisor DeSena said. “Project

Independence is an innovative aging-inplace initiative that helps support our senior residents who wish to continue living in their own homes and communities as they get older. Community outreach programs such as this one offered through Project Independence and St. Francis Hospital help further the Town’s goal of affording the ability to age-inplace for any of our older residents who wish to do so.”

The screenings, which will be offered at the St. Francis Outreach Bus, will include a brief cardiac history, blood pres-

sure screening, a simple blood test for cholesterol and diabetes screening with appropriate patient education and referrals as needed for clients above the age of 18. If available, flu shots will be offered. Screenings will be held on:

Thursday, October 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the North Hempstead “Yes We Can” Community Center, 141 Garden Street, Westbury

Friday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Clinton G. Martin Park, 1601 Marcus Avenue, New Hyde Park Tuesday, November 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Great Neck Social Center, 80 Grace Ave, Great Neck Monday, November 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port Washington Adult Activities Center, 80 Manorhaven Blvd., Port Washington Tuesday, November 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fuschillo Park, Carle Road at Broadmoor Lane, Carle Place Wednesday, November 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Magnolia Gardens, 899 Broadway, Westbury Thursday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Manhasset Valley Residence, 155 East Shore Road, Manhasset

Dates and protocols are subject to change. Please call 311 or (516) 8696311 before going to a location.

For the latest news, visit us at

Promoted to vice dean at Zucker

The Zucker School of Medicine has announced the promotion of Dr. Samara Ginzburg to vice dean and dean for education.

Ginzburg is a founding member of the leadership team for the Zucker School of Medicine. In her new role as vice dean and dean for education, she will continue to lead the school’s medical education and other critical strategic initiatives, including curriculum renewal, which will help shape the school’s curriculum to ensure today’s medical students and future physicians are prepared to meet the healthcare challenges of tomorrow.

PHOTO BY PHILIP HINDS, HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Lavine outraises Anzai in District 13 race

Incumbent

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

In the most recent fund-raising period, incumbent Democrat Charles Lavine brought in nearly double the amount tallied by his Republican challenger, Ruka Anzai, as part of the battle for Assembly District 13.

According to the New York State Board of Elections, between July 14 and Oct. 3, Lavine raised $13,025 while Anzai raised $7,758.30. Contributors’ names, the amounts and the types of contributors were among the information that was made available.

Lavine is a longstanding figure in state politics, having represented District 13 since 2005. His current term ends on Jan. 1, 2023.

He is running on the Democratic Party and Working Families Party lines. Lavine has also served on the Glen Cove City Council, as a committee member, chairman and vice chair of the Glen Cove Democratic Committee and as a committee person for the Nassau County Democratic Committee.

Anzai is representing the Republican and Conservative parties. She is a mother, immigrant and IT professional who says she is running because the government lacks common sense. Her primary campaign messages include eliminating present bail laws, “refunding” the policeand making the Property Tax Rebate permanent.

Lavine’s fund-raising advantage over Anzai is primarily because of contributions from individuals and political action committees.

Compared to Anzai’s $5,733.30, Lavine raised $9,775 from individual donors. Lavine raised $3,000 from political action committees while Anzai raised nothing.

With $1,575, compared to Lavine’s $250, Anzai has a sizable advantage in the amount of money raised from political committees.

A political action committee is a political committee that does not make any expenditures other than contributions. The data provided classifies a “political committee” as anything that does not fit into this description.

Assembly District 13 comprises Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, Plainview, Woodbury, Glenwood Land-

ing, Cove Neck, Centre Island and Jericho as well as residents in parts of Bayville, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, Laurel Hollow, Syosset, Old Bethpage, Bethpage, Hicksville, Westbury/ New Cassel, Muttontown, Brookville, East Hills, Greenvale, Roslyn, Roslyn Heights and Roslyn Harbor.

PAC funds give Sillitti edge in fundraising

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

State Assemblywoman

Gina Sillitti, the incumbent Democrat, outraised Vibhuti Jha, her Republican challenger, in the latest fund-raising period less than a month before the Nov. 8 election in Assembly District 16.

According to the New York State Board of Elections, between July 19 and Oct. 3, Sillitti raised $40,986 while Jha raised $34,035. Contributors’ names, the amounts and the types of contributors were among the information that was made available.

Sillitti has served as the representative for District 16 since Jan. 1, 2021, after defeating Ragini Srivastava in 2020. Her current term is up on Jan. 1, 2023.

She is running on the Democratic Party and Working Families Party lines. Her previous positions in the Town of North Hempstead include deputy commissioner of the Department of Community Services, deputy chief of staffand director of legislative affairs.

Jha is representing the Republican and Conservative parties. A specialist in business

turnaround and a former banker, he hopes to flip District 16 next month.

Comparing the total raised divided by the number of contributors, the average Sillitti donor donated $284.63, while the average Jha donor gave

$486.21.

The biggest disparity in the candidates’fund-raising comes from their political action committees. Sillitti outraised Jha by $17,950 to $1,000. The NASRCC Political Education Committee and Voice Of Teach-

ers For Education contributed the most money to Sillitti in this category and were also her top two largest donors in this period.

Despite having a lower total amount, Jha raised $30,285 from individual contributions,

more than Sillitti’s $21,736.

Only seven of the 144 contributors to Sillitti were from states other than New York. Of the 70 donors to Jha’s campaign, 33 were from outside the state, making up almost half of the total.

Assembly District 16 comprises Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington, Herricks, Mineola, Baxter Estates, parts of East Williston, Old Westbury, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn, Albertson, Williston Park and New Hyde Park.

Opinion

VIEWS Editorial Cartoon

Blakeman’s shift on access to guns

When the six Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices ruled in June to overturn New York State’s century-old law strictly limiting carrying guns outside the home, Democratic officials throughout Nassau and the state slammed the decision.

The Democrats said the ruling, which came just days after mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas, was a threat to public safety.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision may have opened an additional river that is going to feed the sea of gun violence in our city and in our nation,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.

Adams had launched a campaign at the time to remove guns from the streets of New York in response to shootings and gun fatalities in the city.

This seemed like a logical response to the problem. Fewer guns would mean fewer shootings. This formula appeared to work as both shootings and gun fatalities — if not overall crime — declined in the city.

In September, New York City showed a 23.5% decline in murder over 2021 and a 13.2% decline in shootings.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was more non-committal following the Supreme Court’s decision.

Blakeman said he personally believed in every American having the right to bear arms but said “reasonable restrictions” are important as well.

“I want to see what the restrictions are, what the guidelines are and then we’ll act accordingly,” Blakeman said. “We have a great Police Department and our Pistol License Bureau will be on top of this and the county attorney will give me the guidance that I need to be able to make sure we keep ourselves safe and at the same time follow what was decided by the Supreme Court.”

Led by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the state approved legislation that requires firearm training, in-person interviews and reviews of applicants’ social media.

It also prohibits those with concealed carry permits from carrying weapons in sensitive places such as Times Square, schools, government offices and hospitals.

These seem like reasonable steps.

As Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in his dissent in June, “In 2020, 45,222 Americans were killed by firearms. Since the start of this year, there have been 277 reported mass shootings – an average of more than one per day. Gun violence has now surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause among children and adolescents.”

But on the eve of a decision challenging New York’s legislation, Blakeman appeared to drop his support for the state’s sensible approach, calling the law “arbitrary, capricious and unconstitutional.”

Blakeman specifically said he disagreed with forbidding gun owners from bringing their weapons inside houses of worship or on public transportation.

Given the number of shootings at religious institutions around the country and concerns about public safety in places like the New York City subways, this seemed odd after Blakeman’s complaints about the “state of lawlessness” in New York.

Does the county executive really believe that we will be safer if the person sitting next to us in the subway or the next pew is armed with a gun?

If so, why limit the right to carry guns anywhere?

Still, Blakeman’s comments seem to echo the Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices who wrote the court’s decision.

Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote the majority decision, said states were free to ban guns in sensitive places, giving a few examples: schools, government buildings, legislative assemblies, polling places and courthouses.

But Thomas cautioned that “expanding the category of ‘sensitive places’ simply to all places of public congregation that are not isolated from law enforcement defines the category of ‘sensitive places’ far too broadly.”

We would very much like to hear why there is a need to ban guns in courthouses but not movie houses, supermarkets or other scenes of mass shootings.

And why states have been handed unlimited discretion in writing abortion laws, but not gun laws — Second Amendment or no Second Amendment.

But that is another discussion.

Blakeman’s comments do appear to

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bring Blakeman more in line with U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), the Republican candidate for governor and his political ally who has made public safety a centerpiece of his campaign.

Zeldin lauded the Supreme Court’s ruling at the time, saying that the previous framework was an attack on the Constitution’s Second Amendment.

“The Supreme Court’s decision marks a historic, proper, and necessary victory for law-abiding citizens of New York, whose Second Amendment rights have been under constant attack,” Zeldin said in a statement. “It reaffirms their inherent right to safely and securely carry to protect themselves, their families and their loved ones, and the principle that this Constitutional right shall not be infringed.”

In this case, Zeldin was going even beyond the Republican-appointed justices on the Supreme Court by saying the right to carry guns is absolute or as he said “shall not be infringed.”

This is not something any Supreme Court Justice has said.

As then-Justice Antoin Scalia wrote in a prior landmark decision, “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.”

Further, it is not “a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever

purpose.”

We say this just a day after two teenagers were wounded in a shooting outside Zeldin’s home in Shirley that frightened his two teenage daughters.

Zeldin said his daughters ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911. The authorities said there was no connection between the shooting and the Zeldin family.

We express our sincere regrets to Zeldin and any other parent whose children were subjected to such a traumatic event.

The shooting followed a ruling by a federal judge in Syracuse who supported Blakeman’s constitutional concerns with the state’s new gun law if not the actual specifics.

U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby halted key provisions of the law, saying licensing requirements — like a rule requiring applicants to turn over information about their social media accounts — went too far.

Not allowing a review of social media accounts as part of a background review appears to fly in the face of nearly every mass shooting we have seen in recent years. In almost all the incidents the shooter discussed their plans on social media accounts in advance.

Suddaby’s ruling would keep restric-

Robert Pelaez, Brandon Duffy, Steven Keehner

COLUMNIST Karen Rubin

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Stacy Shaughnessy, Melissa Spitalnick,

Kates, Barbara Kaplan, Amanda Cipriano

DIRECTOR

tions in place that bar firearms from being carried into schools, government buildings and places of worship.

But for other sensitive locations, such as Times Square, the judge said we are on our own.

There is no question that the crime rate, including murder, is too high in New York, but New York has actually been well served by its strict guns law in the past compared to other states and is doing no worse than other states in a rise in crime.

Don’t believe us? Check the national crime rates, particularly homicides.

You would think New York is at the top based on the political rhetoric. But national crime statistics paint a much different picture.

According to the worldpopulationreview.com, New York ranks 34th in homicides per 100,000 people in 2020.

At the bottom? Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont?

At the top? Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama?

Guess who has stricter gun laws?

Blakeman rode to victory in November 2021 by focusing on crime. Other Republican candidates across New York are now trying to do the same.

But advocating for greater access to firearms will only make the problem worse, not better.

REPORTERS

Yvonne Farley

PRODUCTION MANAGER Rosemarie Palacios

Morris

Get ready for House Republican Hell

Iam not a prophet of gloom and doom and have never been a pessimist in my eighty-plus years on this planet.

But having been in government for over 30 years, I can foretell what a new Republican House of Representatives will look like when the next session of the House convenes on January 20 and the news isn’t good for the people of America.

To be able to predict what will happen with a change of control all you have to do is pay some attention to the people who will be members of the House in January.

You may laugh at Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA.) who claims she has spoken to many of the majority to be and stated that the first order of business is to begin impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden.

The Biden impeachment will likely fail in the House but it will take up the first four to six months of the next session.

The next topic on the new

House agenda will be a national ban on abortion. Currently, there are over 150 Republicans running for re-election or election, who have pledged that they will support a national ban on abortions.

That is more than half of the Republican conference, which means that a concerted eff ort will be made to achieve that goal. Dozens of Republican House members seeking re-election have been scrubbing their websites to keep out the national ban language, but that changes nothing from their January goal.

Many of the current Republican House members whose lives were threatened on January 6th, have stated that their earliest priority will be shutting down the committee investigating the insurrection and begin hearings to show that the riots were just a “peaceful demonstration that got out of hand.”

Their main goal is to show that former President Trump did not play a role in the event and he was just as shocked as they were over

JERRY KREMER Kremer’s Corner

the demonstration at the Capitol.

While the impeachment proceedings are proceeding, a committee led by Congressman Jim Jordan(R-OH) will begin hearings into why Hunter Biden has not been prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

They will subpoena Biden to come before the committee so that the majority can take out all of their grievances with President Biden on his son. They will display the contents of Hunter’s laptop on a large screen and attempt to show that the current president profited from his son’s business activities.

The next priority of the new gang is to pass as many bills as possible protecting assault weapons from being regulated by any state law. If you think this is just an over-exaggeration, then you haven’t heard about a current lawsuit started in the New York courts to throw out the restriction of no guns on the property of religious institutions.

The plaintiffs argue that parishioners should be allowed to carry guns of any kind to protect themselves at a church service. The lawsuit was started by a Republican-led group from upstate New York.

Do you want to exercise your right to apply for an absentee ballot when circumstances allow it? Most

of us want that right, but you can bet that absentee ballots will be a Republican target in 2023.

There is currently a lawsuit in Albany Supreme Court, started by the state Republican Party, to stop people from using absentee ballots because they are COVID anxious. If you recently attended a church or a synagogue, you will notice that there are still people wearing masks for fear of getting sick. Many of those people are reluctant to go to a polling place.

Many of our readers may say that this is political hogwash and the Republican majority will instead propose a positive agenda to curb inflation and resolve the immigration debate.

I suggest that you clip out this column and every time something that I predicted happens, send a $10 donation to your favorite charity. I will send the same amount if any of these items doesn’t happen during the first year that the new majority power is in power.

Let me tell you about our fall specials

Now that there’s a little autumn chill in the air, I’m willing to spend time over a hot stove or oven, once again. I’m even ready to open a cookbook or two but I can’t promise anything about the results.

Many years ago, a trip to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia furnished me with a lavishly illustrated cookbook of “traditional and contemporary recipes” from the town’s inns and taverns. I can still see the stars I penciled into the book’s margin, next to the recipe and gorgeous photo of “King’s Arms Tavern Cream of Peanut Soup.” I can even remember how delicious that soup was in the candlelit tavern. But no sooner did I get home and start making the shopping list than my husband realized that the vague rash he’d been battling was probably a (mild, but persistent) reaction to nuts. So—no soup.

I got a little farther with the Acorn Squash Puree, from the sumptuously illustrated “Spa Food,” by Edward J. Safdie. Seduced as I was by those mouth-watering photos of beautiful china and silverware — I mean, the food, of course it’s about

the food — I duly purchased four acorn squashes.

And I meant to follow through with the baking, and pureeing, and combining with tofu and egg whites and spices, and baking again. I truly did (although tofu?) — and it probably would have been quite delicious — if only I had thought to check inside the oven before turning it on. Alas, I have to admit that the smell of melting plastic rather took away our appetites.

In hindsight, the oven was probably not the right place for storing unmatched Tupperware lids.

One thing I knew I could make was brisket — or pot roast, as my mom always called it. But I had a problem: I had two different recipes for it. One was my mother’s, with a lot of onions; it required a lot of monitoring and basting and adding liquids for most of an afternoon.

The other promised to be ridiculously simple: Just pop your meat into a dutch oven and add one packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup mix, a lot of ketchup, and a large bottle of cola or ginger ale. Put that in the oven and it supposedly watched itself.

JUDY EPSTEIN

A Look on the Lighter Side

I had company coming, but I just couldn’t decide which recipe to use.

“Why not make both?” suggested my husband. “That way it’s like a controlled experiment and you’ll know forever after which is the best recipe to use.”

“But won’t we have too much brisket if both recipes work out?”

“You let me worry about that,” he said, licking his lips.

It was a crazy idea — but it just so happened I had recently bought a second Dutch Oven for next to nothing at one of our local thrift shops (my first one was a wedding gift), so I had all the equipment I needed.

I managed to get both roasts all set and side-by-side in the oven, a few hours before company arrived. I had enough time to vacuum the rug, set the table and decide which dress to wear.

But it seemed like no time at all before the doorbell rang and guests had arrived.

Then the timer went off. It was time to take the briskets out of the oven. (Yes, you’re supposed to cool and slice them the day before, just warming them up for serving. Now you tell me.)

I pulled out the first one — my mom’s recipe — and discovered that the liquid had all boiled away. Clearly, I should have hovered more in the kitchen, but at least I’d caught it before anything burned — much. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them,” I said, throwing a few charred onions into the sink.

And what about pan No. 2? I al-

most couldn’t look. But I pulled that one out, too — and learned three things right away.

The first thing I learned was that the thrift-shop roasting pan was much lighter than the weddinggift pan — and consequently came swiftly toward me. Much faster than I was expecting.

The second thing I learned was that the soda recipe was nowhere near burning, but instead had made a ton of delicious gravy!

Alas, very little of that gravy made it to the table because the third thing I learned was that when you pull a pan full of gravy swiftly towards yourself, the lid will lift and any juices inside slosh up and out like a gravy tsunami — all over your apron, if you were smart enough to wear one. Or else your dress.

“We have a winner!” my husband chirped, as he finished pulling out both pans.

He was talking to himself, however; I had run upstairs to change out of my gravy-covered dress.

In spite of all these memories, I am willing to try again this fall. But as I said, I make no promises about the results.

Children’s heartbreaking grief and pandemic

Although it appears as if headline news regarding the pandemic has ebbed, a recently released global study found that 10.5 million children lost a parent or secondary caregiver, such as a grandparent, due to COVID-19.

The study, conducted through a partnership among the World Health Organization, World Bank, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Imperial College London and others, includes deaths from January 2020 through May 2022.

Lead author Susan Hillis, a former CDC epidemiologist who is now at the University of Oxford, called the findings “heartbreaking and disturbing.”

She added, in a Sept. 6 report in the Washington Post, “When you have deaths of this magnitude, certainly without help you can weaken the fabric of a society in the future if you don’t take care of the children today.”

Hillis and her co-authors concluded that “while billions of dollars are invested in preventing COVID-19-associated deaths, little is being done to care for children left behind.”

The devastating consequences for children may include, “institutionalization, abuse, traumatic grief, mental health problems, adolescent pregnancy, poor educational outcomes and chronic and infectious diseases,” they said.

Among the 10.5 million children who lost one or both parents or caregivers worldwide, there are 4.2 million in Southeast Asia, 2.5 million in Africa, 1.5 million in the Americas, 1.5 million in the Eastern Mediterranean region and 500,000 in Europe.

In the United States, roughly

250,000 children lost one or both parents. While some nations are taking the initiative to address these shattering losses with steps to support bereaved families, the U.S. has fallen behind in this effort, according to social epidemiologist Rachel Kidman.

Kidman, who has studied the longterm impacts of the HIV-AIDS epidemic on children, concluded: “I’m not seeing any concerted efforts or even a lead by the federal government to address the needs of these children.”

University College London Psychologist Lorraine Sherr pointed to the overwhelming economic consequences of this degree of bereavement, particularly in circumstances where the deceased caregiver was the family’s primary wage earner. “A family’s loss of income can put kids at a higher risk of food and housing insecurity,” she noted.

Joe Kita, reporting for WebMD on Aug. 18, wrote that “Minority children [in the U.S.] have been disproportionately affected. American Indian kids are four times more likely to have lost a parent or primary caregiver to COVID-19, Blacks and Hispanics 2.5 times, and Asians 1.6 times. In all, 1 in every 340 children in the U.S. lost a parent or other caregiver to COVID-19.”

This information led the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association to jointly declare a national state of emergency in children’s mental health.

Two prominent psychiatrists Asim Shah, MD, professor at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and

ANDREW MALEKOFF

The Back Road

Warren Y.K. Ng, MD, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York defined six distinct challenges that must be kept in mind when counseling bereaved children. They are: Trauma. Many of these kids have been through “the equivalent of war,” with what they have observed and endured. “How do kids deal with trauma?” Bessel van der Kolk, MD, who has spent his professional life studying how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences put it this way, “It all depends on quality of their attachment system…the attachment system trumps the trauma system.” In other words connections count – in the family, school and community.

Stigma. For families living in highdensity population circumstances, where everyone knows everyone else’s business, Dr. Ng says, “people were ostracized for having COVID. It’s like they had a big red C on their door, warning neighbors to stay away.”

VIEW POINT

Blame. If a child comes home with a virus that, in due course, led to the death a parent or caregiver, that reality can seriously erode one’s mental health. “The memory is a cruel and persistent reminder that you may be responsible,” according to Dr. Ng, “and that can have devastating effects.”

Lack of closure. “The trauma people had at that time is just unimaginable,” Dr. Shah says. “Consider you’ve just lost a loved one: You cannot see them, you cannot go to their funeral and you cannot even come close to their dead body. It was treated like a contaminated fixture. All those things combined to multiply the trauma.”

Some may say this is past history, and to let sleeping dogs lie.

However, it is a present reality for those who directly experienced it and have not had adequate opportunity to process the loss.

Financial insecurity. The United Hospital Fund report for New York State found that 50% of children who lost a parent or caregiver were likely to enter poverty, with 23% at risk to enter foster or kinship care. “These compounding factors add to the level of distress these kids may experience,” Ng says. Furthermore, as indicated above, such dislocation disrupts the attachment system that is so vital for children.

Ongoing reminders. Susan Lechuga, who moved to California shortly after her husband’s death, to be closer to family, described the situation she encounters daily in the Web MD report.

“Even though my husband died a year and a half ago,” says Lechuga, “every single day my children are hearing about what killed their dad. If he had

died in a car accident, I wouldn’t have to worry about turning on the TV and hearing there were 2,598 car accident deaths today. But if I turn on [the TV], I can guarantee you that in 10 minutes there’s going to be something about COVID.”

To date, no government program is specifically geared to help children who lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. However, there are resources available.

New York Life’s Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative provides information on tangible resources for grieving children and their families, as well as training, practical tools and a connection to a network of supportive services: https://www.newyorklife.com/foundation/bereavement-support/grief-sensitive-schools-initiative

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief, whose vision it is “for no child to have to grieve alone…[and to] have the support and resources they need to positively adapt to a loss in their lives.” The NACG is a nationwide network that promotes critical resources to advance the mental, emotional and physical health of grieving children and their families. https://childrengrieve.org/about-us/

As Dr. Ng states, support “starts with family [and] then there’s their faith-based community, their pediatrician or primary care doctor, their school and its health services, and finally the community mental health services and treatments that are available if needed.”

If you have a child who is grieving and needs support, please reach out to one of these local or national resources. When grief goes underground, it is likely to surface in ways that will be exceedingly more problematic in time.

Much at stake in Great Neck library election

Since being moved from January to October, the Great Neck Library election has been in the shadow of the general election hullaballoo, and this year the in-person voting is on Halloween, making low participation even more likely. But this community of well over 30,000 served by our library should know that as an association it is easy to vote by proxy (absentee).

Libraries, as the citadel of knowledge, of history, with the ability to transport minds and imaginations beyond one’s immediate experience, and public schools whose function is to promote critical thinking are quite literally the bulwark for democracy and civil society.

Indeed, increasingly, libraries –along with schools – have been the target in the culture wars fomented by vicious partisan politics in their quest to overturn democracy and civil society. That is not hyperbole. Trump henchman Steve Bannon has basically targeted local elections.

So we need to pay attention to who we elect to our school and library boards and not take for granted the power these

trustees have in shaping our culture and society. Because who is in leadership, who controls policies and purse strings, determines how the mission of our libraries and schools is carried out.

The library board oversees a vital institution that is one of the linchpins that makes Great Neck so desirable, along with the best schools in the state (third best district in entire country), best parks, and an easy commute to the city.

So, at the well-attended Meet the Candidates Forum held by the League of Women Voters of Manhasset-Port Washington, the answer to the question about book banning was particularly illuminating.

Rory Lancman, a former New York State assemblyman and New York City councilman who was just appointed to the LIPA Commission and is running for the vacated seat on the board, declared, “I’ll be blunt: there is a movement in this country that exists here in Great Neck as well that wants to inject ideology and culture war into schools, libraries, and restrict our freedom to read, learn, study and think about issues we care about.

There is no place in the Great Neck Li-

brary or any other library to restrict content based on topic if it makes you uncomfortable – LGBTQ, civil rights. There is a long history in this country, unfortunately to this day, of people trying to ban, restrict, remove books from our libraries.

“That has no place here in Great Neck, and is a reason I am running,” Lancman said.

president running for re-election, said, “Questions such as where to place the books, what books we purchase and how to run programs are decided by library professionals. As trustee, my job is to hire the best qualified staff for the job, trained how to approach these topics. I rely on their professional opinion and training — I frankly don’t know the best location to place any books, I’m not professional in this area.” But she added, “I firmly believe that intellectual freedom is the pillar of democracy – there should be no book banning in any shape or form,” which drew loud applause, cheers.

Christina Rusu, crime analyst for the New York Police Department and trustee candidate who emigrated from Romania, said, “I do not believe in banning books or censorship. Coming from a communist country, I know exactly what that means.” (Rusu, a candidate for the open seat against Lancman and Karen Hirsch Romero, who did not attend the Candidates Forum due to illness, except for this remark about banning books, kept saying she had no knowledge, no expertise, is too new to answer the question, so that I had the impression she

was running for Nominating Committee rather than trustee.)

Jessica Hughes, who is challenging Hu to join the board, said, “This is not about censorship, but we shouldn’t be promoting content that is divisive and exclusionary. Going into a movie theater, we know exactly what we will see by a rating system to give parents and the larger audience the ability to understand content available. That’s all I think is being asked for in this community – most people just want to know what children will come up against when go through library stacks. Most important, parent engagement – the board should be involved with the community’s desires and needs, in these decisions. The library director has a role, but that doesn’t mean the board absolves itself of content for what’s in children’s section, with parental consent.”

That drew applause from a small claque of people who at the end shouted out a question of whether a sexually explicit video should be in the children’s section (well, no, I don’t think that ever happens).

KAREN RUBIN

View Point

Corleone demystifies a cerebral sport

Michael Corleone has the four things all great champions seem to possess: guts, smarts, really good training and a stubborn will power. When we met 25 years ago, he was a welterweight champion and radio shock jock, Halftime Howie had invited me to watch him fight at the Westbury Music Fair.

It was the first time I had ever witnessed a fight from the front row and it became abundantly clear to me that night that boxing was not about brute strength but much more about tactics and focus. I watched as two highly trained professionals carefully circled each other, probing for weakness before they struck, or as Michael told me: “Boxing is like chess but with human pieces.”

Since that time so many years ago, Michael Corleone has moved on from boxing to ownership of the famous boxing gym “Kayo Boxing” located on Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead. I felt it was time to catch up after all these years, so I went down to his high-end gym and sat down with him for this interview.

We returned to the question of why he became a boxer in the first place. When he was 22 he was running the family clothing factory in Puerto Rico and in charge of 500 employees. During one festival in P.R. he

was asked to fight the Puerto Rican national amateur boxing champ since the promoters could not find anyone else to face this guy. Michael said yes to the offer, beat the champ in two rounds and was promptly approached by a boxing promoter to turn pro.

This story demonstrated the first aspect that all champions must possess, that being guts, bravery or courage. I think this must be a genetically inherited gift and one which I personally do not have. Maybe that’s a good thing because it certainly kept me out of the ring and onto the golf course, a place where one rarely has to deal with someone throwing a punch at you.

Following this win, Michael began working in earnest with the best fight trainer in Puerto Rico and after about a year of preparation he faced his first real sparring partner who promptly made mince meat of poor Michael, giving him a bloody nose and fat lip. All involved thought that would be the end of his boxing dream and that soon he would return to his rightful place in the family business. But this is when smarts and training, the second and third gifts that all champions possess, kicked in.

All night long, Michael kept analyzing the fight and where he went wrong. By the morning he realized that he was being pulled in by the spar-

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

ring partner’s right feint. He returned to the gym the next day and asked to be put in the ring with the guy that beat him yesterday. His trainer advised against it, but Michael demonstrated the final gift of will power and insisted the match be set up.

Well, somehow Michael’s analysis of his mistake translated into a rousing win against his sparring partner and thus began his boxing career. At the very beginning of his career he demonstrated the four gifts of a champion, which include guts, smarts, a willingness to work with good trainers and will power.

There is a quote on the wall at Kayo Boxing by the poet/warrior Mohammed Ali, which says: “A champion

EARTH MATTERS

must have skill and will but will must be stronger than skill.” This describes Michael to a tee.

I asked him why people take up boxing and he said: “Everyone in the world has lots of pent-up frustration and aggression and what we do here at Kayo Boxing is let them release all that anger and frustration regardless of their level of talent.”

Asked about what was most challenging about boxing, he said: “You must be able to call your own audibles between rounds. You may train one way for a fight but must be able to adapt to what you are facing in the ring. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the best at that. He never lost two rounds in a row.”

This again highlights how cerebral this high level sport actually is. Years ago I played golf with a Jets quarterback and I asked him about the biggest issue he had in football and he told me: “I worry whether the team will be able to learn and memorize the 250-page playbook they are given each week.”

Who would have guessed that boxing is a cerebral exercise which requires focus, the ability to learn on your feet and to adapt and change tactics within minutes? Who would have guessed that you need just as much will as skill and that great training is crucial to success?

Boxing has generated some of our greatest champions like Mohammed Ali, Jake Lamotta and Mike Tyson, and some of our finest films such as “Raging Bull” and “Rocky.” It’s perhaps the most exciting of sports since it requires one to face pain and injury but at the same time to keep your wits about you and adapt to what your opponent is throwing at you.

To be a champion in the ring calls for you to muster up all of these skills and be willing to face and master either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. And if you want to see what a champion looks like in the flesh and learn the art of boxing, give Mr. Corleone a call.

Former Welterweight champion Michael Corleone at his KAYO BOXING gym in West Hempstead.

Environment on the ballot in November

In addition to important federal, state and local elections on Nov. 8, New York voters will be asked to approve a 4.2 billion-dollar Environmental Bond Act.

The last time New Yorkers had the opportunity to do this was in 1996 when the 1.75 billion Clean Air/Clean Water Bond Act was passed by voters. That bond act enabled projects such as the purchase of thousands of acres of land for preservation, cleaner heating systems to replace coal-fired furnaces in New York City schools, remediation of heavily polluted sites, landfill closures, and millions in grants and loans for drinking water projects.

If approved the fund will be allocated in four categories: $650 million for water quality improvement and infrastructure, $650 million for open space and conservation and recreation, $1.5 billion for climate change and $1.1 billion for risk reduction. Within each category are more specific allocations.

Water quality improvement and infrastructure designates at least $200 million for wastewater infrastructure upgrades and repairs, to allow sewage treatment plants to reduce pollution in discharges.

$250 million is earmarked for municipal stormwater projects like capturing runoff, reducing erosion, and

implementing green infrastructure.

Types of eligible projects can include reducing soil loss and runoff from farms, improving soil health, and restoring buffers between farms and streams, reducing harmful algal blooms and water pollution in lakes, rivers and embayments, extending or establishing sewer lines to replace polluting septic systems, reducing water pollution by eliminating point or nonpoint source discharges to conform with MS4 requirements and reducing lead exposure by replacing lead service lines.Open space, conservation and recreation specifies $300 million for open space land conservation. This will allow municipalities and not-forprofit organizations to purchase land or put it under permanent conservation.

There is another $150 million for farmland preservation and $75 million for fish hatchery creation and upgrades. Eligible projects would include land and farmland conservation projects with willing landowners/ sellers, fee or easement purchases by the state, a municipality, or a not-forprofit organization, planning, design, and construction of projects to develop and improve parks, campgrounds, nature centers, fish hatcheries, and other recreational facilities

Climate change gets the biggest

JENNIFER WILSON-PINES Earth Matters

share of the pot with a wide range of eligible projects. $500 million is slated for zero-emission school buses and supporting infrastructure. $400 million will go for green buildings, energy efficiency or renewable energy on state-owned properties, SUNY/ CUNY, community colleges and public schools.

$200 million to clean up air and water pollution in environmental justice communities which have borne an unfair share of polluting industries.

$100 million will fund climate adaptation and mitigation projects. Eligible projects can include; urban heat

reduction through green roofs, open space, community gardens, cool pavement, community cooling centers, and reflective roofs. Urban forestry projects such as forest and habitat restoration, planting of street trees and protecting natural and working lands that store or reduce carbon or methane pollution from agricultural lands

Risk reduction looks at the current and impending damage that climate change can bring. $100 million for coastal rehabilitation and shoreline restoration benefits NYC, Long Island and Westchester.

$100 million will go to reduce inland flooding as was seen after Hurricane Irene, and revitalizing waterfronts. $250 million will be for flood buyouts and associated costs in areas where flooding is regular and high risk to lives and property.

Eligible projects can include restoring natural areas and wildlife habitat including wetlands, streams, and forests and protecting people, roads, and buildings from flooding by acquiring, moving, lifting, or raising flood-prone properties, structures, and infrastructure; relocate, repair, or raise flood-prone roadways; and update dams, bridges, and culverts.

In addition to the 200 million specified for clean-up of air and water pollution in environmental justice

communities, the language of the act includes this statement, “The department shall make every effort practicable to achieve a goal that forty percent of the funds pursuant to this article disadvantaged communities… disadvantaged communities shall receive no less than thirty-five percent of the benefit of the funds pursuant to this article.”

This will begin to undo the damage that packing high pollution industries, trash transfer stations, auto junkyards and others into poorer neighborhoods has done over the decades.

Projects undertaken with act funding are projected to create 34,000 jobs directly. Additionally, it will create almost 9 billion in indirect spending for the New York economy and 84,000 jobs.

The act will leverage federal funds from the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act. 4.2 billion seems like a large sum but should be taken in context of the state’s $220 billion 2022-23 budget. Costs will be spread out over years as projects are approved and completed in stages.

New York voters have a long tradition of approving environmental bonds; 11 in all starting in 1916. When you mark your ballot on Nov. 8, make sure to vote yes for the environment.

PHOTO BY DR. TOM FERRARO

State Sen. Anna Kaplan keeps community safe

I’m so proud to support State Sen. Anna Kaplan’s campaign for re-election to New York State Senate District 7. We have experienced an unprecedented and unacceptable rise in gun violence over the last two decades. Since 2009, there have been 281 mass shootings in the United States. Everyday 12 children die from gun violence in America. When a gun

is present in a domestic violence situation, a woman is five times more likely to be killed.

The Republican Party has been in the pocket of the NRA for far too long, and we cannot stand on the sidelines and allow these extremists to make our communities less safe. It is past time that we take serious action to hold gun lobbyists accountable and stop these prevent-

able tragedies.

Sen. Anna Kaplan is a champion of common-sense gun safety. She wrote the law that gets untraceable ghost guns out of our community and has delivered more than $200 million for gun violence prevention programming. All our families deserve to feel safe in our schools, on our streets, and in our houses of worship.

No legislator has a better track record of keeping our community and our families safe than Sen. Anna Kaplan. Please join me in voting to re-elect our state Sen. Anna Kaplan in the general election on Nov. 8.

Paula Frome Glen Cove

Renaldi half-right about LIRR ride to UBS arena

LIRR President Catherine Renaldi reminds me of Pinocchio when she said “fans who live east of Belmont now have a one-seat ride to attend Islanders and other events at the UBS Arena” at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the west-bound platform at the new Elmont UBS Arena Station last Friday.

That may be true for Oyster Bay, Port Jeffer-

son, Huntington and Ronkonkoma branch riders. It does not apply to Babylon, Speonk, West Hempstead, Long Beach and Far Rockaway branch riders.

They will have to change at Jamaica before doubling back east to reach the UBS Arena.

Port Washington branch riders have an additional Woodside transfer. She neglected to mention that the source of funding for the station comes

from the Empire State Development Corporation, transferring $105 million from their budget to the MTA.

This financed the new Elmont LIRR Station. The developers put in $30 million upfront and the state $75 million. The developers will make payments, without interest, to reimburse the state over the next 30 years. They end up with an interest-

free loan.

So much for truth in advertising!

Larry Penner Great Neck

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.

In support of state Sen. Anna Kaplan’s re-election

As a little girl, I was one of the few children who was not allowed to own a water gun.

My mother opposed not only toys that were “representative of guns” but also violent cartoons and video games. She believed that the sale of such paraphernalia marketed to children led to adolescents and adults who perpetrated gun violence. Unfortunately, my mother was ahead of her time.

While I did not understand her reasoning at the time and believed that my own mother was setting me up to be bully bait, she could not have been more spot-on in her beliefs. As many other millennials did in 1999, I sat on my mother’s bed, scared, as we watched the news coverage from Columbine High School.

These experiences led to my support for candidates who support common-sense gun legislation. As such, I’m so proud to support State Senator Anna Kaplan’s campaign for re-election to New York State Senate District 7.

We have experienced an unprecedented and unacceptable rise in gun violence over the last two decades. Since 2009, there have been 279 mass shootings in the United States. Every day, 12 children die from gun violence in America.

When a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, a woman is five times more likely to be killed.

In addition to the results of the staggering statistics above, it is a sad fact that the Republican party has been in the pocket of the NRA for far too long, and we cannot stand on the sidelines and allow these extremists to make our communities less safe. It is past time that we take serious action to hold gun lobbyists accountable and stop these preventable tragedies.

Sen. Anna Kaplan secured $1 million for gang violence prevention programs on Long Island, wrote landmark legislation to keep ghost guns out of our community, and passed the Red Flag Law that keeps guns out of the hands of those who might be a danger to themselves or others. Everyone deserves to feel safe on their street, in their schools, and at their place of business.

No legislator has a better track record of keeping our community and our families safe than Senator Anna Kaplan. Please join me in voting to re-elect our State Senator Anna Kaplan in our General Election on Nov. 8.

Mary Grace “Gracie” Donaldson Glen Head

Albany must be changed for N.Y. to move forward

Irecently saw a car with a bumper sticker: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” I completely agreed with that sentiment.

Here in 2022 we have a governor and a legislature that needs to be ousted for many reasons. A WalletHub study from March 2022 identified New York State with the “highest tax burden” based on an examination of property taxes, individual income taxes, and sales and excise taxes — as a share of total personal income.

This reality should not be celebrated by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature and should move readers to vote accordingly in November. Gov. Hochul promised over eight months ago to release a promised probe of the Covid-19 nursing home scandal to no avail. Why is she slow-walking her own “independent” probe of New York’s early response to the deadly COVID-19 outbreak ?

In May 2022 prior to the Buffalo Tops Supermarket mass killing of 10, New York State had only one analyst monitoring toxic social media posts, according to the Albany Times-Union paper. The state’s Domestic Terrorism Task Force created in 2020 only began to have its first scheduled meeting after the Buffalo killings.

The Democrat-controlled state Legislature in 2021 made sure the Independent Redistricting Commission, which was evenly split between Democrat and Republican commissioners, deadlocked. Due to this impasse, the Democrat-controlled state Legislature began to redraw congressional lines, which were anything but fair or neutral, and failed to reflect “communities of interest.” Remarkably, four of the eight Republican seats were essentially eliminated. Not surprisingly, the New York State Court of Appeals threw out Democrat-drawn maps

saying they violated the state Constitution. This debacle resulted in the taxpayers being on the hook for the establishment of a “special master” costing more than $147,000 delegated to redraw legislative districts.

Blank Slate Media Publishing has done a superb job over the summer highlighting in the Port Washington/Manhasset Times that major crime has surged 75% in Nassau County with a 93% increase in the 3rd and 6th Precincts from Jan. 1 through March 31. It is an understatement to claim that New Yorkers are troubled by the rising crime. The Albany Times Union paper reported last year that the governor enjoys a State Police detail of about 65 officers while local communities need more police officers and targeted security cameras to reduce crime.

On the North Shore of Nassau County over the last three months we have heard of the gunpoint

robbery of the gas station on Plandome Road in Manhasset, the sledge hammered robbery of the Wheatley Plaza jewelry store in Greenvale and the daring robbery of the Fendi Store on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset. This year has also seen an explosive rise in the number of car thefts across Nassau and Suffolk.

Crime in New York City and the surrounding suburbs is an issue falling on deaf ears in Albany. Police officers and law-abiding citizens must be supported and protected. If you’re outraged and paying attention, make sure to vote in November. Your life depends on it.

Joe Campbell Port Washington

OYSTERFEST RETURNS AFTER 2-YEAR HIATUS

BY STEVEN KEEHNER

After a two-year hiatus, the 39th annual Oyster Festival returns Oct. 15-16.

The festivities will be at Oyster Bay’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Drawing more than 150,000 visitors a year, the event is the biggest waterfront celebration on the East Coast.

The occasion raises money for local charities while promoting Oyster Bay’s beauty and history. The event took place virtually in 2020 but was not held in 2021.

Live music and entertainment, vendors and nautical attractions will be showcased at this year’s festival. Included is the return of oyster eating and shucking contests.

Together with the traditional festival fare, volunteer chefs and culinary experts will prepare and serve dozens of original oysters, clams and other seafood dishes in the food court. It will have both traditional food booths and food trucks.

This year the Belgium Beer Garden is a returning, albeit altered. Only those 21 and older are allowed entry and no drinks are permitted outside. The Waterfront Experience, which features environmental groups teaching about the area, is also coming back.

The oyster eating and shucking competitions, as well as a performance from The Electrix, will take place on Oct. 15 at the Len Rothberg Main Stage. The festival’s West End will feature a musical performance for children and a unicycle training and balance center.

DJ Theo and That 90’s Band will play on the Main Stage on Oct. 16. The balance center will be back in the West End, along with several kid-friendly programs.

Admission to the event is free. The Syosset train station and the James H. Vernon School in East Norwich will serve as the primary hubs for bus shuttles. The Long Island Rail Road will also offer a unique Oyster Festival package to promote rail travel.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

View of a water pumping demonstration at the 2018 Oyster Festival. The event returns to Oyster Bay’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park on Oct. 15-16 after a two-year hiatus.

Covert Ave. street

Food truck show, inflatable rides, live music, pumpkin patch headline 26th iteration of event

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The 26th annual Covert Avenue Street Fair is set to return on Saturday, Oct. 15, ending a two-year hiatus following a fire in September 2020 that damaged over 10 buildings.

The quarter-mile event on Covert will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tulip to Cisney Avenue, rain or shine, and feature at least 80 community groups and vendors, food trucks, inflatable rides, live music and a pumpkin patch, among other attractions.

For food, a food truck show called the Tasty Tailgate will involve Mama’s Cuban Kitchen, Extreme Empanadas, The Cone Depot with different food varieties served in waffle cones, B Bistro serving Vietnamese cuisine, Smoke ‘n Wheelz with barbeque, Frankie’s Famous Zeppoles, Zef’s Pizza Firetruck and Knot of This World pretzels, among others.

Additionally, Pellegrini’s will be serving sausage and peppers and burgers.

In 2020, Floral Park police responded to reports of a building fire at the Park Place Bar and Grill at 41 Covert Ave.

When they arrived at the scene, officers saw fire and smoke pouring from the building that extended to at least 11 other adjacent storefronts, according to a news release from the Nasau Police Department.

Firefighters from the Floral Park Fire Department along with the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department, Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company, the New Hyde Park Fire Department and almost 20 others were represented at the scene throughout the day.

Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said at the time it took firefighters more than four hours to control the fire.

Six businesses sustained major damage or were destroyed, while four others were damaged by smoke, Uttaro said. A private residence

also had smoke damage, officials said.

Neighboring stores to Park Place affected by the fire included Villager’s Perk, Shin’s Tae Kwon Do, Luna Eyelash, Capo Ristorante, Covert Nail & Spa, Covert Barber Shop, Original V.I. Pizza, Covert Optical and K. Hunter Boutique.

Fund-raisers sponsored by Floral Park community leaders and the village’s Chamber of Commerce raised more than $37,000 for the damaged businesses.

Kids will have a bevy of games and ride options Saturday, including the towering rock wall, inflatable slides, bouncy houses and obstacle course. There will also be the Choo Choo Express.

Two new additions this year include Toxic Meltdown, an inflatable survivor game that has two foam arms spinning and players need to avoid while staying on their respective platforms.

There will also be an inflatable maze game called Dizzy X, which spins players in the middle of the maze before they must maneuver their way out.

At the north end of the fair will be a showmobile which will feature the opening ceremony at 11 a.m. before musical acts and demonstrations throughout the day.

Music includes the band In the Mix performing the Barry White Experience featuring Ejyp Johnson, a demonstration from the Floral Park Memorial High School kickline and solo artists from Breakout Performances singing different covers from Disney, Broadway and the Rat Pack.

As always, Saturday will also include the giant craft fair, pumpkin patch courtesy of the Lions Club, face painting and raffles.

The event is held in conjunction with L.I. fairs and will be emceed by members of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Rise Up program.

PHOTO BY ROBERT PELAEZ

A Floral Park fire substantially damaged multiple businesses on Sept. 27, 2020.

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Celebration of Latinx Heritage at Art League

In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, the Art League of Long Island and Colored Colors present a day of exciting activities on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 12pm to 6pm at the Art League of Long Island’s Art Center in Dix Hills.

This event is free and open to the public!

Activities include:

Art Exhibit in the Strolling Gallery: Works by Diego Garcia on View 12 pm-6 pm

Amate Activity for Children at 1:30 pm

Intro to Salsa Classes at 2:30 pm

Influencer Panel Talk at 4:00 pm with Jose Tutiven (Founder of Colored Colors), Diego Garcia, Angelica Melo (visual designer, illustrator, author and principal of Marvelous Whale), and Adriana Devers (author, educator, speaker, and founder of Cuentos de Triadas).

Artisan & Food Market –

Support Latinx Owned Businesses:

Del Carmen

Dyslexia Art

ESAXNEGRA

Eddie Fresco

Kaara’s Style Lioness Rituals

The Paint Odyssey Serra Creations and Treats

Melinda’s Cocina De La Isla Elymar Candle Company

SweetWolf Confectionaries Inc

Presented by Colored Colors –“Diversity, authenticity and creativity in a professional platform, that is colored colors”.

For more information visit coloredcolors.com

WINNER!

TOPSY-TURVY TAKE ON THE ‘UPSIDE DOWN’... EXTRA DELIGHTFUL AND REFRESHING.

Re-elect Kaplan to protect women’s right to choose

I’m so proud to support Sen. Anna Kaplan’s campaign for re-election to the New York State Senate in District 7. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, I felt like I’d been plunged back into the Dark Ages. I’m old enough to remember when abortion wasn’t legal, and I’m furious at the elected leaders who support taking away women’s right to choose.

The Republican Party has been building an

anti-choice campaign for the past four decades to control women’s bodies and lives and we can’t let these extremists win. Because they won’t stop at abortion — they’ll be coming after birth control next.

On multiple occasions, Sen. Kaplan’s Republican opponent, Jack Martins, was the deciding vote against the Reproductive Health Act that protected women’s choice here in New York. He was conspicuously absent at the Town of North

Hempstead’s public hearing on repealing local abortion restrictions. Sen. Kaplan was there and spoke up loudly for women’s choice. Sen. Kaplan led the fight to pass the Reproductive Health Act. She wrote the new law that makes New York a safe haven for women living in antichoice states. Time and again, Sen. Kaplan has proven her commitment to protecting women’s reproductive freedom in New York.

With so many challenges still facing us in

the wake of the Supreme Court’s radical decisions, we need an experienced leader like Anna Kaplan fighting for us — not another extreme anti-choice Republican like Jack Martins.

Please join me in standing up for our rights by voting to re-elect our Sen. Anna Kaplan on Nov. 8.

Nina K. Gordon Great Neck

Roe v. Wade and living with a disability in Nassau

A

s a disabled woman, only I know what is best for my body and my circumstances. No one can, will or should control what decisions I make in my best interest. My life as a disabled woman is precarious. Every decision I make is weighed and calculated. Getting pregnant is not an option for me and what contraception I use is a decision that

is private.

But the thought of contraception failure is realistic and in the world of the Republicans, I would be forced to have a pregnancy that could potentially kill me. How utterly frightening is that?

That is why I am very proud to support Senator Anna Kaplan’s campaign for re-election

to the state Senate. Sen. Kaplan led the fight to pass the Reproductive Health Act. She wrote the new law that makes New York a safe haven for women living in anti-choice states.

With so many challenges still facing us in the wake of the Supreme Court’s radical decisions, we need an experienced leader like Anna Kaplan fighting for us–not another extreme anti-

choice Republican like Jack Martins.

The Republican party has been building an anti-choice campaign for the past four decades to control women’s bodies and lives — and we can never let these extremists win.

Nadia Holubnyczyj-Ortiz Floral Park

Re-elect state Sen. Anna Kaplan to keep safe

If residents want a hardworking New York State Senator to help eradicate gun violence, then I encourage all voters no matter their party affiliation to re-elect Anna Kaplan to the New York State Senate. She has spent every waking hour researching gun safety protocols and then sponsoring and voting for gun safety legislation in the State Senate.

Like many Americans, I worry every day about school shootings along with others as well. I fear for our school children, their teachers, school support staff and more. I cannot

imagine what they experience psychologically every morning as they walk into their schools and classrooms. What kind of a society have we become? Will it ever end?

Recently, I told some European friends about the gun safety drills our kids have to go through should a shooter suddenly start shooting into a classroom mowing our children down. Our friends were shocked. Absolutely shocked since they don’t have any such worries like this yet.

Sen. Kaplan co-sponsored the anti-ghost gun legislation – the Scott J Biegel Unfinished

Receiver Act — in the state Senate. It was quickly signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

How many of us have heard of ghost guns before? They are untraceable firearms used by criminals. The NRA and other pro-gun organizations have spent millions of dollars to stop legislatures from outlawing ghost guns.

These guns are do-it-yourself guns made up of gun parts that anyone, including kids, can assemble and then use. They do not have serial numbers or specific components. This is an easy and secretive way a person can evade gun per-

mit laws requiring registration and tracing.

I am pleading with every single voter to please re-elect Anna Kaplan to the state Senate so she can continue her critically important work protecting us, our families and friends.

This election is like no other one. Not only is it about saving our democracy, but it is about protecting and saving our children and others from gun violence and death.

Eleanor Lange Manhasset

Most important election for women’s choice

I’m so proud to support Sen. Anna Kaplan’s campaign for re-election to the New York State Senate.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, I felt my stomach drop. The Republican Party has been building an anti-choice campaign for decades to control women’s bodies and lives — and we can’t let them win. We cannot let them take away our fundamental human rights to

privacy and bodily autonomy.

On multiple occasions, Sen. Kaplan’s Republican opponent, Jack Martins, was the deciding vote against the Reproductive Health Act that protected women’s choice here in New York.

Recently, he refused to show up to the Town of North Hempstead’s public hearing on repealing local abortion restrictions. Sen. Kaplan was there and spoke up loudly for women’s choice and a woman’s

right to make decisions about her own body and her own future.

Sen. Kaplan led the fight to pass the Reproductive Health Act. She wrote the new law that makes New York a safe haven for women living in antichoice states. Her compassion for all women, regardless of who they are or where they live is truly inspiring.

With so many challenges still facing us in the

wake of the Supreme Court’s unprecedented decisions, we need an experienced leader like Anna Kaplan fighting for us–not another extreme anti-choice Republican like Jack Martins who wants to turn back the clock on women’s rights.

Please join me in standing up for our rights by voting to re-elect our Senator Anna Kaplan on Nov. 8.

Jane Russell Manhasset

President Joe Biden in the chips

Almost unheralded by the press, which seems to focus on visuals of apartment fires, stabbings and floods, is the avalanche of success triggered by President Biden’s CHIPs Act. For New York State, this is a watershed moment.

After decades of trying to revive the upstate economy after America’s deindustrialization, uneven and compromised attempts like the “Buffalo Billion,” the act accomplished what others failed to do. Micron’s $100 billion investment will breathe new life into this moribund part of the state and other parts of the country as well.

This may be enough to silence perpetual bellyacher William F.B. O’Reilly for about six minutes.

Thanks to the domestic content rules embedded

in the act, as well as the other economic initiatives the administration has taken, there is now a flood of newfound onshoring from many parts of the world, including South Korea and Europe. Also enacted were rules forbidding the export of American chip technology to other nations, notably China. Many will remember when foreign firms set up shop on the Mainland, the Chinese government mandated technology transfer. That stops now.

The push for more EVs has also attracted massive investment from overseas in battery manufacturing. Biden may have reversed the eroding tide of our manufacturing base and for decades to come.

This is the kind of intelligent policy you get when there are experienced, competent hands at the helm.

And what a refreshing difference from just throwing rocks at the Chinese and putting trade policy into the hands of someone as deranged as Peter Navarro, who is now under indictment for contempt of Congress. In fact, the former guy’s tariff and trade policy COST American jobs and raised taxes on consumers, but as with everything, the drama was the point. Scapegoating, preening, insulting, and empty bravado took the place of the hard work of governing.

You can see the same debilitating traits in local Republicans.

We shouldn’t be surprised. When Biden picked out his economic team, all of the people were established, credentialed, and with long track records in public policy. This is probably the best team of econo-

mists guiding policy you’re ever going to see. And the quality of the legislation and its execution proves it.

The former guy had Fox media dunce Larry Kudlow.

Also unnoticed is that this president, in concert with a newly revived Western Alliance that the former guy spat on, ridiculed, and insulted, is facilitating the laying waste of Russia’s military without the loss of a single American life. This is one of the most stunning strategic and political foreign policy achievements in our history, and no one is paying attention to it! You would think this is as common as the sunrise. It’s actually a pivotal moment in world history, and you’re living through it. But no one cares.

Business&RealEstate

Buying a home or a community lifestyle?

As you search for that hard-tofind, special, first-time or move-up home, is it all about the home or the neighborhood or both? I believe the most crucial item for families with children or about to have children is the school system. Obviously, your budget comes into play, so you can only buy what is affordable in today’s higher interest rate environment. But do your research and find those school districts that have the highest percentage of children going on to higher education.

Another important thought that not everyone may contemplate is the lifestyle that one would like to have for themselves and their family in the town that they will live in. Specifically, what activities and cultural offerings and opportunities are available as part of your taxes?

As an example, if you are fortunate to live in Great Neck, it has a special Park District, with 21 active and passive parks. Every weekend music concerts occur from July through September as well as special Family Day events during July and October, with slides, bouncy houses, food ven-

dors and Long Island microbreweries bringing their handcrafted ales. Tuesday nights are concert nights in Ielpi Park on Grace Avenue, too, from JulySeptember. Many other towns nearby like Manhasset, Port Washington, Roslyn, etc. have music venues during the summer months. Schedules are sent out to all Nassau County residents to enable everyone to participate in those events that occur in the local parks.

Are you looking for a community pool, tennis courts, tracks to run on, and an excellent library that offers educational and fun activities? If these features are important to you and your family, then one must ascertain which towns interest you as a buyer or renter and what they have to offer as far as those added value benefits that would make you want to move there.

Checking into the crime and safety of a local town will also provide perspective for your family on possible unwanted events in the future. Going online will provide excellent information to aid you in your decisionmaking. As many people are traveling and vacationing once again, it is still imperative to know that where you

PHILIP A. RAICES Real Estate Watch

are living allows you the opportunity to participate in whatever your town has in ancillary activities, e.g., holiday events. It will be more beneficial to get your kids off their computers and cellphones to go outside in the fresh air and move their bodies.

All towns that I am aware of have activities for children. You need to check your town’s website and make

sure you sign up to receive regular emails to be aware of all that is happening in and around your town throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties, or wherever you decide to move..

Does the town you are looking into have sufficient restaurants with available dining outside, and promenades during the summer that closes off certain streets for eating and entertainment? During the Pandemic, most towns, including New York City and its five boroughs, allowed sidewalk dining. It appears that many are continuing the practice as a more permanent benefit to enable the restaurant industry to survive and thrive and enable their patrons to be able to dine at al fresco.

It really isn’t about just the space that you will be living in but what else is being offered and available in the community to make your family’s life more fun, enjoyable, and entertaining in satisfying your maximum needs and wants.

To me, a house is not totally a home unless there is a component of involvement in the local community that will support its residents in creat-

ing, producing, and enhancing activities for a healthy and fun lifestyle.

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

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

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

Managed IT

The “Internet of Things” and Smart Clothing

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

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

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

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

SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS

VoIP Phones

Cyber Security

Cyber Compliance

Business&RealEstate

Named as Super Lawyers King Kullen promotes two

For the first time in the history of the Makofsky Law Group, every single firm attorney has been named to the 2022 New York Super Lawyers list in the same year. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Each year, no more than 5% of lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor. Even more impressive – three of the four Makofsky Law Group attorneys – partner Lisa Valente, and associates Christina Lamm and Deidre Baker –were named to the Rising Stars list – an honor that no more than 2.5% of lawyers in the state receive.

Founding partner Ellen Makofsky was named to the

Top 50 Women Super Lawyers list, an extremely exclusive group. In addition, this is also the 14th year in a row that Makofsky was named a Super Lawyer in the Elder Law Category.

Super Lawyers makes its selection using a multiphase patented process which begins with a nomination by the attorney’s peers, followed by an independent evaluation of a dozen indicators of professional achievement.

The final selection is made by a panel of top attorneys from the same field who evaluate candidates in their primary practice area. It is a particular honor to be selected as a Super Lawyer because the determination is made by experts in the same field.

“Being named a Top 50 Woman Super Lawyer is especially meaningful to me because my fellow Elder Law colleagues are the ones who have placed me at the top of a very select group,” said Makofsky. “I am particularly proud that Lisa, Christina, Deidre, and I were all chosen in the same year. It demonstrates the dedication of our entire firm to stay at the top of our field in order to best assist our clients.”

Since 1991, Makofsky Law Group, P.C. and its predecessor firms have devoted their efforts to providing competent and caring legal services in the areas of Elder Law, Trust and Estates, Special Needs Planning, Probate and Estate Administration, and Guardianships.

The firm’s competent and compassionate attorneys handle asset protection and estate planning issues such as Medicaid planning, long-term care planning, guardianships, powers of attorney, special needs, retirement trusts and more. As an all-female firm, the Makofsky Law Group prides itself on sensitive, knowledgeable, and caring service to clients. Makofsky Law Group is located in Garden City and serves all of the New York area.

King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc has promoted Kamie Seepersaud and Theresa Maricevic, two longtime employees who have each served King Kullen for more than 30 years.

Seepersaud, previously Supervisor -Accounts Payable (Retail), has been named Senior Manager of Accounts. Maricevic, who most recently served as Internal Audit Manager, has been promoted to Senior Man-

ager of Store Audit & Inventory Controls. The announcement was made by King Kullen Vice President & Controller James Leary.

“These are well-deserved promotions of two exceptionally talented individuals,” Leary stated.

“Their unremitting work ethic and dedication to our company epitomize what King Kullen employees are all about.

I know everyone here joins me in congratulat-

ing Kamie and Theresa and wishing them luck in their new roles.”

As Senior Manager of Accounts Payable, Seepersaud and her team will be in charge of most accounts payable functions across all departments, including expense billings. As Senior Manager of Store Audit & Inventory, Maricevic will utilize her years of experience in accounting, store audit, store operations, and most recently, inventory control. Headquartered in Hauppauge, King Kullen is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as American’s first supermarket.

Founded in 1930 by Michael J. Cullen, King Kullen operates 27 supermarkets and five Wild by Nature stores in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

District 13

miss these conversations where you will learn more about where each candidate stands on issues that are important and may afect you.

Gina Sillitti (D) Vibhuti Jha (R)

Anna Kaplan (D)

New York Assembly District

York State Senate

Charles Lavine (D)

Much at stake in

Neck library election

Continued from Page 16

Here is just a small part of the list of books that have been challenged or banned: “Maus,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” as well as highly praised books that deal with LGBTQ, slavery, racism subjects. Florida even banned math books that are deemed to promote social justice in their word problems. (See ala.org).

I frankly think it is healthy for Young Adults, whose greater risk is being naïve and uninformed, to read books about unwanted teen pregnancy, what an abusive or exploitative relationship looks like and

how to get out of one, and what a healthy relationship looks like. I think it is important for children to see how racism becomes embedded through society, how bigotry and hate impacts people whose selves can be validated, and to have their perspective and worldview expanded, their mind opened. Books are like magic carpets that transport beyond walls of immediate experience.

Based on what I heard at this very effective forum, I intend to vote for Liman Mimi Hu and Rory Lancman for trustees and Kim Schader for Nominating Committee.

President Joe Biden in the chips

Yeah, I know. Hunter Biden and the border. Got it.

There is a deeper meaning here. For decades, people were taught to detest the government for its own sake. They were told it was useless and corrupt, so the rubes went out and voted for the party that is useless and corrupt.

What this administration has reaffirmed is that good governance matters, that governing is a learned skill and not a performance, that activism in public life by government is something to be encouraged, and not belittled. The lesson here that government should serve so that things can be made to work.

This is happening right before your eyes. These

I do hope this isn’t upended by the feckless stupidity of a huge part of the electorate, should the GOP gain control of even ONE chamber of Congress, so please vote accordingly. I see no reason to recommend ANY Republican for public office given the derelict state of the party as it stands today.

There is nothing in their policy set that comes close to matching these initiatives. In fact, if someone knows what the GOP stands for besides flooding local school boards with mentally unstable bachelors and paling around with goose steppers, please chime in.

Who would be demented enough to vote for a Republican today?

Donald Davret

Recent

46 Ridge Drive East, Roslyn

18 Hemlock Lane, Roslyn Heights

8 Short Drive, Roslyn

43 Highland Road, Glen Cove

Hochul urged to sign anti-hate bills

past May and would go into effect immediately if Hochul signed it into law.

The education bill, passed in the Senate and Assembly in March, aims to work with public and private entities to create social media and online campaigns that will combat bias and discrimination throughout the state. It would go into effect in April 2023, if signed into law.

In August, Hochul signed a bill also sponsored by Kaplan that promotes Holocaust education throughout New York’s schools into law. It permits the state’s commissioner of education to analyze what school districts throughout the state are offering Holocaust instruction.

Section 801 of the state’s education law mandates the teaching of citizenship, patriotism and human rights issues “with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of genocide” in schools. It also requires a report on the findings of the study by January.

Hochul said that New Yorkers are united in their remembrance of the historic tragedy and that requiring schools to educate students on it is the best way to honor those directly affected

by it.

The Holocaust is one of three tragedies mentioned by name in the law and mandated to be taught, with the other two being slavery and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850.

Kaplan said that a recent study by the nonprofit Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany revealed that 58% of New Yorkers aged 18 to 39 cannot name a single concentration camp, that 19% believe that Jews caused the Holocaust and that 28% believe the Holocaust is a myth or has been exaggerated. In each of these three metrics, New York had the worst score of any state in the country.

Recent findings published by the AntiDefamation League found that antisemitic attacks throughout Long Island increased by 23% percent last year, with 32 incidents reported throughout Nassau County.

The local increase of antisemitic incidents reflects a larger statewide trend. A total of 416 antisemitic incidents were reported throughout New York in 2021, a 24% increase from 2020, according to statistics.

Statistics showed New York’s rise in antisemitic incidents last year accounted for 15% of such incidents throughout the entire country in 2021.

Scott Richman, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League New York/New Jersey, said the rise in antisemitic instances should be a cause of concern for everyone, not just those within the Jewish community.

“The fact that these incidents included an unprecedented number of vicious assaults – frequently targeting visibly Jewish individuals on the streets of New York, including young children, is incredibly disturbing,” Richman said in a statement.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the AntiDefamation League, stressed the importance of understanding history to effectively combat racism, intolerance and other forms of hate in the United States during a virtual forum with Blank Slate Media earlier this year.

“If we want to address racism and hate, we need to make sure we understand where we’re coming from, so we know where we’re going,” Greenblatt said.

State Sen. Anna Kaplan urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign anti-hate legislation into law.

WILLIAM J ALLSBROOK Jr.

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

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

Each

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SENATOR’S OFFICE

Continued from Page 1

Nassau on pace for 34% rise in crime ing the frst eight months of 2022, according to the statistics.

Nassau is projected to report more than 820 burglaries by the end of the year, an increase of roughly 28% from last year’s total.

Major crimes increased by 75% during the frst three months of the year compared to last year, according to numbers recently posted on the police department’s website,

The police department reported 1,662 major crimes were committed throughout Nassau from Jan. 1-March 31, an increase of 950 crimes dur ing the same time frame last year and on pace for more than 6,000 major crimes reported for the entire year.

In Nassau’s 3rd and 6th precincts, which make up a majority of North Shore communi ties, 645 major crimes occurred during the three-month span this year, compared to 333 last year, an increase of 93%.

The 3rd Precinct, located in Williston Park, serves the communities of Albertson, Bellerose Terrace, Bellerose Village, Carle Place, East Gar den City, East Meadow, East Williston, Floral Park Center, Garden City Park, Herricks, Mine ola, New Cassel, New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Roslyn Heights, Salisbury, Searing town, Stewart Manor, Uniondale, Westbury, and Williston Park.

The 6th Precinct, located in Manhasset, serves the communities of East Hills, Flower Hill Great Neck Plaza, Harbor Hills, Manorhaven, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome, Pland ome Manor, Plandome Heights, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Sea Clif, Thomaston, Glen Head, Glen wood Landing, Great Neck, Greenvale, Manhas set, Roslyn Heights and University Gardens.

Eforts to reach elected ofcials for com ments on the statistics and increase in major crimes were unavailing.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, during a July interview with Blank Slate Media, attributed New York’s bail reform laws to the

rise in crime throughout the county. Blakeman, who has been outspoken in his displeasure with the bail reform laws since he launched his campaign for county executive last year, said there is a “state of lawlessness” throughout New York and it has resulted in re

DeSena calls for 11% tax cut in budget

2011.

That policy mandates a reserve equal to no less than 10% of the town’s general fund, a por tion of the town budget that in 2021 was $71.1 million.

“It’s shocking that the Town Board has un necessarily raised taxes on our already hardpressed homeowners every year for a decade, knowing full well that there was more than enough in reserves to take some of the tax bur den of North Hempstead homeowners,” DeSena said in a statement.

“The Town Board has overtaxed our resi dents for years simply because they could, and I am proud to end that practice today,” she contin ued. “My proposed 11% tax cut for our residents is the single largest tax cut in our Town’s history. Utilizing a portion of these bloated reserves will give our taxpayers some much-needed relief as

infation continues to skyrocket, the economy remains volatile, gas prices are climbing again, and New Yorkers continue to experience some of the highest property taxes in the nation.”

DeSena, who was elected as a Republican, submitted the tentative budget to the six other members of the Town Board on Sept. 28.

It called for a general fund tax levy increase of $569,600, or 2.12%, from the 2022 adopted budget and a 1.14% increase in town spending from $156.6 million to $158.4 million.

The original budget can be amended until the board votes to adopt it on Thursday, Nov. 3.

Town Board Democrats said they were given no notice about the use of reserves to cut taxes by DeSena and, therefore, could not yet com ment on the proposed amendment.

“Unfortunately the supervisor thought it was more important to call a press conference about the Town’s budget rather than provide any infor mation to her colleagues on the Board,” Town

Councilman Peter Zuckerman said in a state ment. “In the interest of transparency and in the spirit of collaboration, I would have hoped governing superseded grandstanding. We will now have to consult with our fnancial experts to determine whether or not this proposed amend ment is fscally prudent.”

DeSena said the proposed amendment would lead to approximately a $33 decrease per household for the general fund and keep the tax levy fat for the Town Outside Village Fund.

In the town’s $89,098,154 general fund for the original budget, $40.5 million was allocated to the outside village fund, which covers services for residents who live outside incorporated vil lages, and $28.8 million for the 20 town-operat ed special districts, which set their own budget.

The Town Outside Village Fund Tax Levy was previously increased from $27,970,865 to $28,874,137 in the original budget, a 3.22% in crease that would increase taxes on the house

LIRR Elmont station open for service

Continued from Page 4

ofcials shared a similar excitement about the announcement.

“The idea of investing in public goods,” Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado said, “like public trans portation and making access points to opportu nity, to enjoyment, to services, to pleasure across the board for everybody is critically important

for our administration.”

Elmont-UBS Arena is the LIRR’s frst new station since 1976. The station, which serves the Main Line, was frst announced by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July 2019. On Nov. 20, 2021, the eastbound platform opened.

The project cost approximately $105 mil lion. The arena’s developer contributed $97 mil

lion, with the state covering the rest.

John Ledecky, the Islanders’ co-owner, said that the opening is a game-changer for nonLong Islanders.

“It’s been a pain point sometimes for them to get out here,” he said. “But now they have the ability to go from either Penn Station or Grand Central Madison station in 30 minutes directly

peat ofenders 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 com mitting crime after crime and judges are not giv en the discretion whether or not to hold these people and I think it’s a huge mistake.”

Until the laws are modifed, Blakeman said, police departments throughout New York will have a more difcult time doing their jobs.

“These criminals are allowed out without having to post bail, without any accountability for their actions and the number of crimes they have committed,” he said. “It’s dangerous and its made us all less safe.”

An analysis of Nassau County crime statis tics for the past fve 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 through out the county in 2017, compared to 12,535 in 2021.

The biggest year-to-year decrease in major crime during the fve-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.

Nassau County spends $1,148 per capita on police and fre protection while the nation al median is $359, according to U.S. News & World Report fnding in 2020 that named Nas sau 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%.

The county again received that distinction as the safest community in America from U.S. News & World report in 2021.

hold by $28.88 according to town ofcials.

During the Sept. 22 town board meeting, the Democratic town board majority voted against setting budget workshop and hearings dates until the Sept. 28 meeting because the original dates DeSena submitted only gave the town board four business days to review the proposal, among other things.

DeSena’s proposed amendment comes two days before the board is set to have its frst bud get workshop on Thursday, Oct. 13.

The seven-member Town Board will be con ducting two public work sessions at town hall on Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m. and Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.

The Town Board is permitted to make changes and amendments during this period and, if necessary, add another public hearing on Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. when the tentative budget will become a preliminary budget.

A fnal special meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3, when the board will vote to adopt the budget. North Hempstead’s Town Board has routinely adopted the town budget before Election Day., which this year is Nov. 8.

to the game. Thirty minutes. Think about that in terms of what game-changer that means for this arena, for our county, the City of New York.”

Ledecky also thanked elected ofcials and fans for their support.

“Thank you for believing in the New York Is landers. Thank you for believing in us,” he said. “And to the greatest fans in the National Hockey League: you’re the most loyal in all sports. This two-way train station service is for you.”

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Buyers’s Guide Error Responsibility All ads placed by telephone are read back for verification of copy context. In the event of an error of Blank Slate Media LLC we are not responsible for the first incorrect insertion. We assume no responsiblity for an error in and beyond the cost of the ad.

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

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

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Town to host ‘Spooky Walk’

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board have announced the return of the annual Spooky Walk event.

Join your friends and neighbors for some frightening nights and one of North Hempstead’s most popular events of the year! The event will be held at Clark Botanic Garden at 193 I.U. Willets Road in Albertson.

Zombies, vampires, ghouls, and many of their gruesome friends will inhabit Clark Botanic Garden on Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The event is expected to draw hundreds of visitors who will experience a spine-tingling walk through the realm of fear and fright. The cost of admission is $5 per person. There will also be music and food for sale at the event. Spooky Walk may not be suitable for young children, and minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Younger children can enjoy the Not-So-Spooky Walk on Sunday, October 23, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Not-So-Spooky Walk will also include a pumpkin patch, face painting, a magic show, arts & crafts, and more. Not-So-Spooky Walk’s price of admission is $5 per person.

Only cash will be accepted for admittance to both Spooky Walk and Not-So-Spooky Walk.

For more information on this event, please call 311.

DeRiggi-Whitton seeks oversight of $250M fund

At a time when Nassau County has more than $250 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding at its disposal, County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) has filed legislation to form the American Rescue Plan Act Community Advisory Board and introduce much-needed transparency and community input into the spending of this once-in-a-generation influx of federal aid.

Nassau County received $385,003,440 in American Rescue Plan Act funding via payments of $192,501,720 on May 19, 2021 and June 9, 2022. The Blakeman administration has stated its unilateral intentions to “spend $265 million in accumulated pandemic aid… on initiatives to boost

mental health services and help small businesses,” but has offered no concrete details of what those projects would entail or how those decisions were reached.

To date, the administration has allocated $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward a grant program for veterans’ organizations and $250,000 to a summer internship program.

On Oct. 3, the Legislature committees were set to consider a board transfer filed by the administration that seeks to reallocate $20,140,000 of the more than $70 million in leftover ARPA funds that had been previously earmarked for the now-defunct Household Assistance Program.

“With more than a quarter billion dollars at our disposal, Nassau County

Special ed law seminar on Oct. 15

The Vincent Smith School in Port Washington will host a free seminar—“Special Education Law Explained”— Saturday, Oct. 15 at 9:30 pm, presented by leading special ed attorney Christine Thivierge. In this free, 90-minute lecture, Christina will explain the basics of federal and NY special ed law, how parents can advocate for their children or utilize professional expertise, and what resources are available for the different kinds of services that are provided under the New York special ed umbrella, with a special focus on learning disabilities like dyslexia and language processing disorders.

Christina Thivierge is one of Long Island’s top special education attorneys, focusing exclusively on the representation of children and adolescents with disabilities. Christina has presented on IDEA/IDEIA and other special education law topics for a number of organizations in the Tri-State area. In addition

to successfully litigating due process matters on the state level, Christina has extensive Federal court experience and has argued and presented dispositive motions and matters of first impression. RSVP required to reserve seat: https://vin-

centsmithschool.org/Calendar/Event/RSVP

The Vincent Smith School is at 322 Port Washington Blvd., across from the North Hempstead Country Club.

More info or to reserve by phone: 516-365-

must operate with the maximum possible levels of transparency, oversight and community input to ensure that these federal funds are spent wisely and efficiently,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “Convening this advisory board will provide key decision makers with crucial feedback and insights that will help guide them to deliver the greatest possible benefits for Nassau County’s future.”

Under Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton’s proposal, a 14-member Community Advisory Board would give a voice to the people of our county who know firsthand the issues affecting them and their neighbors while simultaneously advising and recommendations on how best to use these funds.

The American Rescue Plan Act

Community Advisory Board would be required to meet at least four times per calendar year, deliver recommendations to the County Executive and the Legislature for expenditures at least twice per year and publish an annual report detailing recommendations it had submitted during the calendar year; actions taken under the biennial recommendations; and funds that were appropriated during the calendar year.

Membership would comprise the Nassau County Attorney, the Budget Director for the Office of Management and Budget, one Legislator from the Majority and Minority Caucuses and three community members chosen respectively by the County Executive, Presiding Officer and Minority Leader whose nominations

would be approved by the Legislature. The board will continue to meet until the County’s American Rescue Plan Act allotment is spent and a final written report has been issued to the County Executive and Legislature.

The advisory board would function similarly to the COVID-19 Economic Advisory Council — a panel of business, education and social services leaders that was convened by former County Executive Laura Curran to assess the countywide impact of the pandemic on businesses and provide recommendations on how best to spend federal relief funds.

DeRiggi-Whitton served as the Minority Caucus representative on the Advisory Council until it ceased operations in 2022.

Hochul signs Nazi Art Bill

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed the Nazi Art Bill into law at a special ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.

The bill, S.117A, by state Sen. Anna M. Kaplan (D-North Hills) and Assemblymember Charles D. Lavine (D-Glen Cove), requires museums to post a notice or placard alongside the display of any art stolen during the Nazi era in Europe acknowledging the piece’s history and provenance.

The bill was signed by Hochul along with the Holocaust Education Law also sponsored by Kaplan.

Kaplan said, “During the Holocaust, some 600,000 paintings were stolen from Jewish people not only for their value, but to wipe our culture and identity off the face of the Earth. Today, artwork previously stolen by the Nazis can be found hanging in museums around New York with no recognition of the dark paths they traveled there. With the history of the Holocaust being so important to pass on to the next generation,

it’s vital that we be transparent and ensure that anyone viewing artwork stolen by the Nazis understand where it came from and its role in history.”

Lavine said, “80 years later we are still forced to confront the horrors of the Holocaust. Too many people remain ignorant of the indiscrimi-

nate wholesale murder of more than six million Jews by the Nazis during World War II, plus the countless examples of humiliation and, in cases such as this, blatant profiteering. This law is indicative of how we must continue to fight hate through education.”

Old Westbury cited for diversity

SUNY Old Westbury has been awarded the 2022 Higher Education in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity. This marks the fifth consecutive year the institution has been recognized.

cipients will be featured in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

Albertson-Roslyn Hgts. GOP event

The Albertson-Roslyn Heights Republican Club is hosting a “Meet the Candidates” event Wednesday, Oct. 19

from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Williston American Legion Post 144 at 730 Willis Ave., Williston Park.

Presented to U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, the HEED Award recognizes Old Westbury’s ongoing initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusivity across its campus.

As the most diverse student body in the State University of New York system, SUNY Old Westbury and 102 other re-

“It is a great honor for SUNY Old Westbury to have received the HEED Award designation for the fifth year in a row,” said College President Timothy E. Sams.

“Although we still have much work to do, this recognition confirms our approach is the right one as we continue our evolve into an ever-more equitable community, as our college mission demands of us.”

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected SUNY Old Westbury for its continued efforts to ensure its core strategic priorities to ensure access, inclusion and success.

DISCOVER THE FINEST IN SENIOR LIVING

Te Bristal Assisted Living has been serving seniors and their families in the tri-state area since 2000, ofering independent and assisted living, as well as state-of-the-art memory care programs. We are committed to helping residents remain independent, while providing peace of mind that expert care is available, if needed. Designed with seniors in mind, each of our communities feature exquisitely appointed apartments and beautiful common areas that are perfect for entertaining. On-site services and amenities include daily housekeeping, gourmet meals, a cinema, salon, plus so much more. Discover a vibrant community, countless social events with new friends, and a luxurious lifestyle that you will only find at The Bristal.

Students bring arts to life at Denton Ave.

Herricks students at Denton Av enue Elementary spent time working on an educational and creative proj ect during recent music and art class es that encouraged them to bring art to life.

Denton Avenue music teacher Nana Aomori and art teacher Jessica D’Angelo brought music and art to gether, collaborating on an interdis ciplinary project with their students based on the song “What a Wonder ful World.” In music class, the stu dents learned about Louis Armstrong

and learned a scarf dance to the song. In art class, the students read the children’s book that illustrates the song.

Following the collaborative ef forts, kindergarteners, frst and second graders worked on crafting leaves and fowers, third and fourth graders created self-portraits, and ffth graders made birds, butterfies and dragonfies. Once completed, the student artwork was displayed together on a mural entitled “Denton Avenue’s Wonderful World.”

Herricks students honored

Herricks High School is proud to announce that seniors Rocco DiGirolomo and Orlando Salinas were selected for the College Board’s National Hispan ic Recognition Program (NHRP). Like the Na tional Merit Scholarship program, the NHRP rec ognizes Hispanic/Latino students for their aca demic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT.

NHRP eligibility re quires that students take

the PSAT/NMSQT dur ing their sophomore or junior year, identify as Hispanic American or La tino, achieve the required PSAT Selection Index score and earn a cumula tive GPA of 3.5 or higher. Fewer than two percent of high school juniors in the country met the crite ria to be selected for this honor.

The district congratu lates Rocco and Orlando and wishes them contin ued success.

Herricks seniors Orlando Salinas, left, and Rocco DiGirolomo were honored in College Board’s 2022/2023 National Hispanic Recognition Program.

Herricks students in Merit mix

Herricks High School is proud to congratulate 37 seniors that have been recognized as Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Pro gram. Commended Students are iden tifed based on their Preliminary SAT scores. They placed among the top 50,000 of more than 1.5 million stu dents who entered the 2023 competi tion by taking the exam, which serves as the National Merit Scholarship quali fying test. These students are part of a select group being recognized nation ally for this exceptional academic ac complishment.

Congratulations to Jarod D. Chan, Zachary A. Chheda, Edwyn H. Choi, Kyle G. Chu, Ammar Gondal, Chen Bing Y. Huang, Ashish Jalwan, Pearl N. Joseph, Ashlee V. Katz, Brian D. Kim, Kailey Klibansky, Hailey Ko, Carolyn Y. Lau, Patrick Leu, Ryan T. Lin, Alexander J. Marcoline, Alexa A. Mendez, Nicho las Pappalardo, Joshua S. Park, Kath

erine Park, Mahir J. Patel, Raj S. Patel, Hannah Z. Rams, Rohit A. Rasquinha, Rushil Saini, Ashay M. Shah, Kailey A. Simons, Dheyala Simrin, Tanush N. Soni, Adrianna K. Staniszewski, Liam P. Tan, Tyler Wu, Katherine H. Yee, Mi

chael H. Zanetti, Celeste K. Zhang, Eric Zheng and Natalie Zhou.

In addition to exhibiting academic excellence, these students participate in a range of programs, organizations and activities both in and outside of school.

Herricks High School Commended Students representing the Class of 2023. Not pictured: Rushil Saini, Adrianna K. Staniszewski, Michael Zanetti and Celeste Zhang.

Mammography screenings offered in mobile van

While October is when many think about breast cancer screen ings, of course, any time of the year is right to have a potentially life-saving mammogram.

County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove) regularly sponsors free mam mogram events, which are free to women 40 and older who do not have insurance. She recently sponsored free mammography events at the Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club and the Port Washing ton Adult Activities Center.

“I cannot stress enough how important annual mammograms are,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “No matter how busy our lives are, these exams are easy and fast. We hope more people consider taking advantage of these con venient mammo vans in the fu ture.”

Mammograms are provided by trained Nassau University Medical Center staf and are done in the NUMC “mammo

van,” which is a fully equipped screening facility with highly qualifed staf. Plus, having the mammography van come to local communities ofers convenience.

Some people who were tested noted how appreciative they were of the convenience of a mobile location since they could not be tested during the height of COVID-19. Founded in 1985, Na tional Breast Cancer Awareness Month was created to increase awareness of the disease and educate people about the impor tance of early screening. Over the decades, many countries around the world joined the U.S. in pro moting the importance of early detection through mammograms during the month of October.

For information on free mammographies and other health events sponsored by Leg islator DeRiggi-Whitton, contact her ofce at 516-571-6211 or dderiggiwhitton@nassaucoun tyny.gov.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Denton Avenue students perform a scarf dance to the song “What a Wonderful World” under the “Denton Avenue’s Wonderful World” mural created by the students.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELIA DERIGGI-WHITTON

NuHealth’s mobile medical van brings

convenient mammographies to communities across Nassau County.

M A S T E RY o f t h e c r a f t A C H I E V I N G

T h e h i g h e s t a v e r a g e s a l e s p r i c e a s a m a t t e r o f r o u t i n e .