Williston Park 2023_04_14

TOP BUSINESS LEADERS A GOP CHALLENGER FOR SANTOS

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ELMONT MAN CHARGED WITH BELMONT STABBING

National group takes aim at local schools

Project Veritas attending education meetings to find signs of liberal bias

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Project Veritas, a right-wing group known for deceptively edited exposé videos with ties to prominent conservative and Republican groups nationally, has recently made its presence felt in some of Nassau County’s public school districts.

The nonprofit organization has had representatives present in some of the North Shore’s public school districts, with videos showing various officials discussing diversity, equity and inclusion in the class.

An email to Manhasset School District officials last month called for an investigation into Donald Gately, the district’s assistant superintendent for curriculum. The email was sent following comments Gately made about the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum in a Project Veritas video.

The email, signed by “Manhasset Parents.” was sent from the email address “ManhassetParents@proton.me.”

Efforts to reach the sender’s to verify their identity were unavailing.

Public concerns were also addressed at an East Williston Board of Education meeting last month, where Gately’s wife, Danielle, serves as superintendent, about another Project Veritas video with statements made by David

Casameto.

Casameto is an assistant superintendent for the East Meadow school district who served as a director of technology in East Williston before leaving in 2017.

Project Veritas officials said the complaints were based on comments made at EdCamp Long Island, described on its website as “a grassroots, teacherled event that brings together educators from across the region to share their ideas and expertise.”

Gately, the co-founder of EdCamp Long Island, was one of the individuals Project Veritas interviewed while attending the EdCamp session.

Mario Balaban, Project Veritas’ media relations manager, told Blank Slate Media last week organization’s presence at EdCamp Long Island was part of an initiative launched in the fall of last year called “The Secret Curriculum.”

A Connecticut vice principal had resigned following Project Veritas’ exposure of discriminatory hiring practices, Balaban said.

“We attend all sorts of events and we became aware of [EdCamp Long Island] and we just wanted to investigate and see what was going on in schools in the region,” Balaban said in a phone interview.

Continued on Page 46

Students at North Side School in East Williston saw their favorite books come alive in front of their eyes during the school’s annual “Books Alive” event, a unique community show that helps foster excitement for reading. See story on page 55.

Mineola robotics team wins regionals in shocker

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

When she heard her team name called as a winner, Skyla Azaharie’s first reaction was shock.

Pure, pure shock.

The Mineola First Robotics Competition Team went to the FRC Regionals in Rochester on March 18 just hoping to have a fun experience. They had spent hundreds of

hours over the past few months building “Ghost” a robot that could move independently and perform certain tasks. And after a few days spent marveling at other teams’ proj-

Continued on Page 47

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Mineola trustees OK $28.6

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Village of Mineola announced a $28.6 million budget for the 2023-2024 fscal year Wednesday night.

There is a 1.79% tax levy increase, equating to an increase of approximately $253,000 from the current budget that does not exceed the state’s tax cap. Mayor Paul Pereira said the tax levy amounts to about a $65 increase in village taxes for the average homeowner.

Pereira said during the April 5 hearing that there are many projects the village is looking to begin in the near future, including updating the village pool and making improvements to the playgrounds.

Earlier this year, the village also fnished installing turf on its baseball felds at the Mineola Athletic Association on Willis Avenue.

The general fund budget is projected to have $22,974,723 in appropriations. Water fund appropriations amount to $3.15 million and the budgets for the village’s library and pool are $1.83 million and $707,000, respectively.

General fund revenues equal $8,568,389 for the upcoming fscal year.

In unrelated village news, Deputy Mayor Janine Sartori said leisure passes are available until June 15 and can be accessed online or at the village’s community center.

“Our pool is defnitely a jewel in our village,” Sartori said during the April 5 Board of Trustees meeting. “You can’t beat it for what you get and how much you pay.”

Pereira added that due to weather the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new turf felds was moved to Saturday, April 22, at 10 a.m. at feld #1.

The Village Board also recognized bowlers from Mineola High School,

East Side access changes routines

Commuters adjust to changes in LIRR schedules, Grand Central stop

BY CAMERYN OAKES

For many Long Islanders who work in Manhattan, their commute is a defning aspect of their lives. With many spending upwards of two hours a day riding the train to and from the city, commuting defnes part of their day.

But with the addition of the Grand Central Madison terminal, the newly established LIRR destination, the schedule changes made have not just changed their commute but also a crucial part of their weekday routine.

Blank Slate Media’s Cameryn Oakes rode the Long Island Railroad Port Washington line for the Monday morning commute into Penn Station to speak to commuters about how the new schedule had afected their trip and experience it for herself.

Grand Central began full LIRR service Feb. 27 with a revised schedule that added trains running into Grand Central to its regular Penn Station service.

Trains running to and from Penn Station were reduced under the new schedule in order to reroute trains to Grand Central instead.

The schedule also cut the number

of express trains running along the Port Washington branch after the MTA originally proposed that all would be eliminated.

The 7:54 a.m. train from Port Washington is scheduled to arrive at 8:30 a.m. in Penn Station. One of the three express trains during the morning rush, it only stopped at three stations – Plandome, Manhasset and Great Neck – before arriving on the West Side of Manhattan.

The MTA’s Train Time app, which provides the train schedules for all LIRR and Metro-North trains as well as online ticket sales, includes a feature that reports the occupancy of each train car.

The app describes each car on the train with the number of occupants and a color associated with the percentage of seats taken. Colors range from green, yellow, orange and red, each respectively associated with less than 35%, 35-50%, 50-85% and over 85% of seats taken.

The train was made up of M7 rail cars, which use the train’s suspension systems to measure the weight of each car’s seating cabin and approximate its occupancy, according to the MTA.

Continued on Page 46

including the entire girls’ Mustang team for winning the Nassau County tournament and one member of the boys’ team, William Grotheer, for being a county all-star.

The Mustangs repeated as county champions for the second year in a row, fnishing 88 pins ahead of second-place MacArthur to secure a trip to the sate championship in Syracuse

last month.

The team consisted of Michaela Palumbo, Kelsey Morrison, Brianna DiVirgilio, Kate Flynn, Allison Gayson, Emma Foley, Jackie Lewis and Leana Coelho fnished their regular season this winter undefeated.

The Board of Trustees will be voting on adopting the budget at the next regular meeting April 19.

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

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

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: Deborah Flynn 516-307-1045 x218 dflynn@theisland360.com

EDITORIAL:

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

Manhasset Times: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203 • rpelaez@theisland360.com

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

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

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

PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY

Mineola Mayor Paul Pereira gives his report during the board of trustees meeting on April 5.

PHOTO BY CAMERYN OAKES

Commuters from Port Washington arriving at Penn Station Monday morning.

Convicted of killing ex at Belmont

Jose Franco-Martinez of Elmont traveled from Kansas to stab Maria Larin with kitchen knife

BY BRANDON DUFFY

An Elmont man was convicted Tuesday of murdering his ex-girlfriend at Belmont Racetrack, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced Wednesday.

Jose Franco-Martinez, 58, stabbed his exgirlfriend, Maria Larin, multiple times around her body with a silver kitchen knife as she was working with horses on the track, the DA’s office said.

He faces a potential maximum of 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of murder in the second degree. He is due back in court May 19 for sentencing.

Franco-Martinez was upset with Larin after their romantic relationship ended, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

“This defendant drove more than 1,000 miles across the country to murder his ex-girlfriend after he began to suspect that she was seeing another man. Without warning, on Father’s Day morning in 2018, he showed up to the Belmont Racetrack where she worked, waited for her to appear, and without uttering a single word, viciously attacked her with a knife,” Donnelly said in a statement.

“He stabbed and cut her 23 times as her coworkers ran over to try and save her life. Thankfully, staff at Belmont responded quickly and apprehended this defendant before he could flee. Our prayers are with the Larin family as they mourn this completely senseless loss.”

Franco-Martinez paid an acquaintance on

June 16, 2018, to drive him from Kansas, where he was working, to New York to kill Larin the next day, the DA said.

Larin was a hot walker, which cools the horses down after racing, at the time of her murder.

Franco-Martinez previously worked as a hot walker at Belmont.

A co-worker of Larin’s who saw what happened picked up a shovel and hit Franco-Martinez in the head with it before he ran away and threw the knife into the bushes while security staff from the New York Racing Association chased and apprehended him.

Your eyeglasses shouldn’t cost as much as a mortgage payment.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NASSAU COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

Jose Franco-Martinez, of Elmont, was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend.

“He stabbed and cut her 23 times as her co-workers ran over to try and save her life. Thankfully, staff at Belmont responded quickly and apprehended this defendant before he could flee.”

ANNE DONNELLY NASSAU COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Herricks trustee named to water board

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Herricks Board of Education Trustee Brian Hassan was appointed to a vacant seat on the Albertson Water District Board of Commissioners Tuesday night by the North Hempstead Town Board.

Hassan, an Albertson resident, will finish the term of Richard Ockovic, who moved out of the district, until Dec. 31. A successor to the seat will be chosen during the district’s annual elections in December.

The Albertson Water District spans 1.5 square miles and has a population of 13,500 while serving Albertson, Searingtown and parts of Roslyn Heights. There are three storage tanks with five wells. In addition, there are 447 fire hydrants and 50 miles of water mains. The district provides water to both residential and commercial sites with a daily capacity of 7.7 million gallons. About 4.5% of its 4,069 connections are commercial in nature.

The district has a budget of $4.26 million, according to the Town of North Hempstead.

Hassan is currently serving his fourth term on the Herricks Board of Education.

Long Island Craft Guild

Long Island Craft Guild

Long Island Craft Guild

Ninth Juried

Ninth Juried

Ninth Juried

Original work in clay, fiber, glass, metal, paper and more

Original work in clay, fiber, glass, metal, paper and more

Original work in clay, fiber, glass, metal, paper and more

Glass Paper Fiber Clay

Glass Paper Fiber Clay

Glass Paper Fiber Clay

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Saturday, April 22, 2023

10 AM to 5PM

10 AM to 5PM

10 AM to 5PM

Free admission

Free admission

Free admission

www.licg.org

www.licg.org

www.licg.org

Ethical Humanist Society

516- 350- 8984

516- 350- 8984

516- 350- 8984

Ethical Humanist Society

Ethical Humanist Society

38 Old Country Road, Garden City, NY

38 Old Country Road, Garden City, NY

38 Old Country Road, Garden City, NY

Both LICG and Ethical Humanist Society are non -profit organizations.

Both LICG and Ethical Humanist Society are non -profit organizations.

Both LICG and Ethical Humanist Society are non -profit organizations.

Artists: Pamela Hanna, Nancy Yoshii, Sally Shore, Patricia Bridges

Artists: Pamela Hanna, Nancy Yoshii, Sally Shore, Patricia Bridges

Artists: Pamela Hanna, Nancy Yoshii, Sally Shore, Patricia Bridges

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Brian Hassan of the Albertson Water District.

Local real estate firms, brokers sued

Housing Rights Initiative charges discriminatory practices in rental units across North Shore

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

The Housing Rights Initiative filed suit last week against local real estate brokers and companies, charging them with discriminatory practices.

The Housing Rights Initiative, a nonprofit housing watchdog group, lists 11 defendants in the lawsuit and cites an undercover investigation they launched that revealed a refusal of renting apartments in Nassau to those who would pay with government vouchers, according to court documents.

Potential tenants sought to rent properties in Port Washington, Great Neck, New Hyde Park, Mineola, Westbury, Glen Cove and Hempstead, among other areas.

Those listed include Baxter Real Estate, Rowan Realty, 137 Post Avenue LLC, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty, Laffey Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker American Homes, DeSimone Real Estate, Kaya Homes, Jenny Medina, Kings Homes & Associates and Anderson Minaya.

The investigation, which was conducted in Nassau from 2020-2022, revealed a “rampant source of income discrimination by brokers and landlords,” according to the lawsuit. The complaint was filed by attorneys from Handley Farah & Anderson along with

Hempstead attorney Frederick Brewington.

“In many instances, [the Housing Rights Initiative’s] investigation revealed a policy or practice of refusing to accept vouchers, which prompted HRI to take steps to address such violations of the law,” according to the complaint.

Efforts to reach those represented in the complaint for comment were unavailing.

The federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, according to the lawsuit, currently aids more than 2 million American families and 9,000 Nassau residents find affordable housing. Those who receive a voucher have 120 days to find an apartment, according to the lawsuit.

Real estate agents for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International allegedly told prospective renters that landlords would not accept housing vouchers as payment, according to the lawsuit.

A representative from the company told Newsday they were not aware of the lawsuit last week.

The lawsuit seeks a judgment for the defendants to stop refusing rent to those who possess vouchers and monetary damages, according to the court documents.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS

The Nassau County Legislative building.

School officials join housing plan foes

Herricks, Roslyn board presidents attend rally with DeSena in opposing plan to increase housing

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena was joined by local school district officials on Monday to make a final push against a housing plan proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Hochul’s plan call for a 3% increase in housing units over three years, the possibility of the state stepping in if the 3% goal was not met and the use of transit-oriented developments to achieve that objective.

The plan is intended to close a shortage of 800,000 housing units in the New York metropolitan area.

DeSena, who has vocalized her opposition to the plan in previous months, urged state officials to consider the impact Hochul’s plan would have on Nassau’s public schools.

“The school districts in our towns have worked hard to rightfully earn their distinctions as some of the best schools in our nation,” DeSena said. “But even some of the best schools would face a significant challenge handling the sudden influx of students that high-density zoning would surely bring.

If the proposed legislation were to pass, the state would have control of zoning for 29 miles of area in Nassau County within a half mile of its 58 train stations, officials said. Recent villages

and local municipalities have approved transit-oriented developments without direct state interference and it should remain that way, according to officials.

Herricks Board of Education President Jim Gounaris said leaving the housing plans to local municipalities rather than the state would be in the best interest of the school districts so that their capacity can be effectively monitored and not put under heightened stress.

“There is no one standing here that does not support affordable housing,” Gouranis said. “A government mandate like this would only compromise school districts from being able to provide the excellent services, classrooms and programs they provide, especially for us here in Herricks.”

Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy, president of the Roslyn Board of Education, said the work she has undertaken to aid the public school system for more than 20 years was not so that the state would mandate housing in those areas.

“We need partners in Albany to understand the way of life of our communities,” she said. “School boards and the general community have been given precious little of information about the housing compact.”

The housing issue, Ben-Levy said, should not be considered a partisan one.

Hochul and the rest of the legislators in Albany have until Monday to come to terms on a new state budget.

The governor unveiled her plan to build 800,000 new homes over the next decade to address the state’s housing shortage in January. Included in the New York Housing Compact are local

participation requirements and incentives to achieve housing growth along with requiring municipalities with MTA stations to rezone for higher-density residential development.

Hempstead officials estimated that more than 14,000 additional housing units would be established in Nassau

County as a result of Hochul’s proposed legislation. Nassau and Suffolk counties, under the plan, would be required to grow housing stock by 3% every three years along with downstate areas such as Westchester and Putnam Counties, while upstate New York would be required to grow by 1%.

Data from the 2020 Census showed there were more than 78,000 households in North Hempstead. A total of 2,364 housing units would have to be constructed in the town over the next three years to meet Hochul’s 3% goal.

Nassau’s population has also decreased by more than 32,000 since 1970, with 1.35 million residents reported in the 2020 Census. DeSena and the six North Hempstead councilmembers sent a letter to Hochul in January urging the governor to have local officials maintain control of zoning the areas they were directly elected to govern.

In 2022, Hochul rolled out a $25 billion, five-year housing plan aimed at creating and preserving 100,000 affordable homes throughout New York, 10,000 of which would have support services for vulnerable populations.

Hochul also called last year for changing zoning laws for Accessory Dwelling Units, which include basements, attics and garages, but it was criticized by Long Island officials.

SCREENCAP BY ROBERT PELAEZ Roslyn Board of Education President Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy.

Santos challenger seeks to regain trust

Republican Kerry Curry announces bid to unseat disgraced congressman for the 3rd District

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Republican congressional candidate Kellen Curry said his campaign will be focused on re-instilling the trust 3rd District residents should have in their representatives after controversial U.S. Rep. George Santos was elected to the spot in November.

In an interview with Blank Slate Media. Curry, who announced his candidacy to run for the seat held by the fabulist Santos last week, said his campaign’s platform will be expanded going forward, but that it is imperative for 3rd District residents to have an elected official in Washington who can effectively serve them. Curry said Santos, who faces a number of investigations after lying repeatedly about his personal, professional and financial background, is the “most ineffective member of Congress.”

“What we’re really focusing on right now is making sure that we draw attention to the current state of leadership,” Curry said Thursday. “Quite frankly, nothing happens if we don’t have leadership that we can believe in.”

Curry, a Queens resident who lives just outside the 3rd District, is an Afghanistan war veteran and former vice president at J.P. Morgan. Curry completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan

and currently serves in the Air Force Reserves, according to his campaign website.

After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2009, Curry was on active duty for eight years, delivering cybersecurity technology to the military. He has an MBA from the George Washington University School of Business and a Master’s of Science in Sports Business. He most recently served as a vice president for J.P. Morgan’s Corporate and Investment Banking Division from 2019-2023.

His military experience, he said, would serve the district well, since he is familiar with the operational aspects of day-to-day government. Dealing with diverse groups such as agencies, local businesses and veterans affairs homes, he said, also provided him with experience to engage constituents and discuss the pressing issues facing the 3rd District.

“Having worked in that environment for eight years, navigating a very Byzantine kind of process and federal procurement, you begin to understand how the federal government works and how the agencies work and interact,” Curry said.

Heightening accountability in Washington through ethics reforms, making Long Island more affordable.

But he mentioned that the 3rd District has other specific issues that need to be addressed, including environmental preservation.

Curry said he sees himself as a “bridge-builder,” not being afraid to work across the aisle and accomplish the necessary work to best serve Long Island. He said he does not view himself as someone who is on “the far-far right” and can’t conduct bipartisan work.

“I think this is an opportunity for the party to really reach out and to bring everybody that we can in our communities, no matter what they look like, no matter where they’re from, to bring them into the Republican Party in a much more inclusive way than we’ve done in the past,” Curry said.

Santos, in a letter to the Federal Election Commission last month, said he will be running for re-election in 2024, despite GOP groups including the Nassau County Republican Committee saying they will not back him going forward.

Contributions have been made to Devolder-Santos for Congress, which has been designated as the embattled congressman’s campaign finance committee. Santos has not made a formal announcement that he will run for reelection.

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PHOTO FROM THE CURRY CAMPAIGN

Congressional candidate Kellen Curry.

Town returns lighthouse grant: DeSena

BY BRANDON DUFFY

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said the town was forced to return a $165,000 grant from the U.S. National Park Service because the town did not get a permit secured for construction done in 2019 as part of the Stepping Stones Lighthouse restoration.

The town began construction on the lighthouse without a permit in August 2019, DeSena said. She said that to be eligible for future grants the funding originally approved in 2017 had to be rescinded.

“There was no return of money because we did not have it, but that grant is no longer in existence,” DeSena said during the April 4 board meeting ahead of a vote to allocate $6,800 for updating the plans on the construction for a fxed pier and foating dock at the Stepping Stones Lighthouse.

The resolution, which was blocked in a 4-3 vote, was to prepare updated bid documents, among other things.

Democrat Mariann Dalimonte voted against the resolution alongside Republicans DeSena and Council Members David Adhami and Dennis Walsh.

DeSena wrote in an email to the state Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation that town engineers at

the time advised the Town Board to allow a contractor to proceed with construction without approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She added that communication acknowledging a permit application from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was mistaken as a letter of per-

mission, or permit.

The current administration and seven-member Town Board were not involved with the mistake, DeSena said.

Council Member Veronica Lurvey said the news of the grant being rescinded was “deeply distressing” but

2 men charged with stealing cooking oil

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

Two men were arrested for stealing used cooking oil from a variety of restaurants in Nassau County, including several in the

North Shore, on Friday, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

Melvin Howell, of Brooklyn, and Rodney Lofton, of Queens were arrested Friday after a police investigation re-

vealed they stole used cooking oil from nine restaurants in Nassau County, according to police.

The restaurants included Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck, Stresa Restaurant and IHOP in Manhasset, Monster Crab and Fyhre Hibachi Sushi Lounge Restaurant in Carle Place, Mint in Garden City and the Cheesecake Factory, ChickFil-A and Benihana Restaurant in Westbury, according to offcials.

Howell was charged with eight counts of petit larceny, grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal mischief in the third degree and two counts of possession of burglar tools, according to police.

Lofton was also charged with the eight counts of petit larceny and grand larceny in the fourth degree, ofcials said.

The two were issued an appearance ticket and will return to court on May 2, according to police. Eforts to reach ofcials or the targeted restaurants for comment on the matter were unavailing.

voted in favor of the resolution after clarifying the $6,800 was not going to be put toward physical work on the lighthouse, but instead to Rising Tide Waterfront Solutions for professional engineering services.

“I want to stress that the Great Neck Historical Society and Light-

house Restoration Committee have indicated grants could be forthcoming and they believe that private donations could also be forthcoming if some progress is made on this project,” Lurvey said during the vote.

A new fxed pier and foating dock had $535,000 in town funds included in the 2023 capital plan. No funds have been expended as of now for the project.

The town acquired ownership of the lighthouse, which sits about 1,600 yards of the shore of Kings Point, from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2008 as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

It agreed to submit yearly reports to the National Park Service on “any capital improvements to preserve and restore the structure within its historical accuracy.”

Preserving the lighthouse, which was built in 1877 and updated in 1944, has been an area of concern for local ofcials and community organizations in the area.

Former state Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso helped secure $200,000 from state funding for the town.

State Sen. Jack Martins, during his frst time in the state Senate, aided in securing $100,000 for the Great Neck Park District and the Great Neck Historical Society has raised more than $120,000 for restorations.

Father, son team up to prevent overdoses

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Roslyn High School junior Alex Rubin helped save another student’s life from a potential overdose at a party. Using his lifeguard training and what his dad referred to as common sense, Alex Rubin was able to provide her with medical attention and called for paramedics who admin-

istered Narcan, a life-saving overdose reversal drug, and transported her to the hospital.

Now he’s continuing to save lives by working with his dad, Edward Rubin, and partnering with Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services to provide overdose prevention information sessions and Narcan training to the North Shore.

Alex Rubin said he approached the unresponsive girl at the party to make sure she had a pulse and was breathing.

“She was, thank God,” he said.

As he was surrounded by some 50 high school kids trying to tell him what to do so that he would not call the police or frst responders to avoid trouble, Alex Rubin refused to listen and instead chose to go with what he knew was right.

The high school student said she was admitted to the hospital and recovered – a fortunate ending.

But that wasn’t true for their family friend, who unexpectedly died of an overdose.

Alex Rubin said the friend was just like any other high-achieving college student. While his death was tragic, Alex Rubin said it was unfortunately not a unique circumstance.

At a March 20 press conference, County Executive Bruce Blakeman said 270 overdoserelated deaths were reported in Nassau County in 2021. Of those deaths, 190 were due to fentanyl.

Continued on Page 47

PHOTO COURTESY OF EDWARD RUBIN

Alex Rubin presenting about the risks of drug overdose and fentanyl for teenagers.

PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN

Stepping Stones Lighthouse, as seen from Steppingstone Park.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NASSAU COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

Melvin Howell, left, and Rodney Lofton were arrested on Friday, according to police.

Camp owner Doug Pierce dies at 70

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Doug Pierce, third generation owner of Pierce Country Day Camp in Roslyn, died Wednesday at the age of 70. The family did not release the cause of death but said he died peaceful during his sleep.

He is survived by his wife Marie Pierce and their three children, including his youngest daughter, Courtney Pierce-Philippou, who is an owner and director of the camp.

“It is with heavy hearts that we want to inform our camp community that our beloved grandfather, father, brother, uncle and Big Chief, Doug Pierce passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep yesterday,” the Pierce Country Day Camp posted on Facebook Thursday.

Pierce was the owner and director emeritus of the renowned day camp for over 30 years, a generational familyowned business that was started by his grandfather, Forrester Pierce, in 1918.

Pierce graduated from Hofstra University. He continued his family’s legacy in the day camp business and became “a stalwart of the New York State camping community” in furthering the cause, according to the camp’s website.

Stops for flat tire, gets robbed of $8K in Mineola

BY BRANDON DUFFY

A woman was robbed in Mineola of $8,000 on Monday afternoon after stopping for help after getting a flat tire on Old Country Road, police said.

The victim, a woman, withdrew the cash from Chase Bank on 400 Old Country Road in Carle Place before heading westbound and pulling over after seeing a low-pressure light come on inside the vehicle and hearing noise from her car.

A large metal object was sticking out of the

victim’s right rear tire, police said.

At this point, a middle-aged female with blonde hair offered the victim a can of Fix-a-Flat, which she used, police said.

While using the Fix-a-Flat, the victim was suspicious of the woman’s behavior and realized her $8,000 was gone. She said she then saw the woman running away westbound on Old Country Road around 12:45 p.m., police said.

Authorities are asking anyone with information on the incident to contact1-800-244-TIPS or call 911.

“It gives us great comfort to know Doug’s legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of the countless lives he touched in our community,” the Facebook post says.

He previously served as the president of the American Camp Association – NY Section, the Long Island Association of Private Schools and Day Camps, the New York State Camp Director’s Association and Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education.

“Doug was not only the leader of our family, but a leader in camping and our community,” the post says. “He served as president of more organizations than can be named here, but was most proud to be a founder of SCOPE to help as many children experience the magic of camp as possible.”

He was awarded the Distinguished National Service Award from the American Camp Association for his contributions to the field of summer camping and was named a Legend of Camping.

The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Pierce’s favorite organization, SCOPE.

The details of the funeral arrangements will be shared by the family once they become available.

PHOTO BY CAMERYN OAKES

Doug Pierce, third generation owner of Pierce Country Day Camp in Roslyn.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A female was robbed of $8,000 in Mineola after stopping to tend to a flat tire on her vehicle.

Little Leaguers on Parade

The Albertson-Herricks Little League had its annual parade on Sun from April 1 due to inclement weather. Many sacrifced their Sunday plans to come together as a community on a cold and windy day. The league begins games on April 5 at Caemmerer Park.

Williston Park Fire Dept. open house Sunday, April 23

As part of the annual RecruitNY statewide initiative, the Williston Park Fire Department will open its doors so residents can learn how they can serve their volunteer fire department.

Volunteer fire departments across New York state have been faced with decreased membership and increased call volume. Like most volunteer fire departments, the Williston Park Fire Department needs to bolster its ranks so it can continue to provide the optimum level of protection for its residents.

As part of RecruitNY Weekend, the Williston Park Fire Department will open its doors on Sunday, April 23 between 10 a.m. and noon. The department is located at 454 Willis Ave., Williston Park. It will join hundreds of volunteer fire departments across New York to raise public awareness regarding the need for volunteers and to highlight the rewards of being a member of a volunteer fire department.

Firefighter Association State of NY

Throughout the day, the Williston

Park Fire Department will conduct tours of the station and apparatus, allow visitors to try on gear, demonstrate firefighting activities, provide information, and address questions about becoming a member. Additionally, there will be a live auto extrication demonstration. These activities give visitors a taste of what it means to be in the fire service. Volunteer firefighters will also be on hand to discuss the requirements and rewards of joining. All are welcome and encouraged to attend, including families with children.

“We welcome the community to join us during RecruitNY Weekend,” said Chief of Department John D. Chester. “This is an excellent opportunity for people to meet their local volunteer firefighters and learn more about the fire service. We are always looking for new members, and it is our hope that after meeting us, more people will be interested in becoming part of our family.”

The Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) is committed to assisting New York’s 1,700-plus volunteer departments to connect with their communities and have sufficient members to protect them properly. Established in 2011, RecruitNY is an undertaking of FASNY. It is made possible by the continuing support and generosity of Lincoln Financial Group (LFG). In 2012, LFG announced the introduction of a new National Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) HEROPLUSSM Program. A first of its kind, LOSAP was designed for individual fire and emergency services departments to help recruit, retain, and reward dedicated volunteers with a program that will help boost their retirement readiness.

For more information, contact us at chiefs.wpfd@gmail.com, call us via our non-emergency phone number at (516) 742-8535 or stop by the firehouse any Tuesday night at 8 p.m.

Upcoming events at the Williston Park Library

From the Director

Are you new to Williston Park? Don’t forget to apply for a library card. Just bring proof of residence in the village such as an updated driver’s license, credit card statement or any bill sent by the Village. Staf will be happy to help you.

Just a friendly reminder for parents/caregivers—please supervise the children in your care, and don’t allow them to climb on library furniture and/or shelving. It poses a safety hazard, and we don’t want to see anyone getting hurt. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you’ve borrowed a museum pass, we ask that it be returned to the library by 10 a.m. on the due date to ensure timely pick up for the next patron on the waiting list. If you wish to return the pass prior to the due date and the library is closed, please put in the book drop. We appreciate your cooperation.

The library is distributing Covid-19 self-test kits while supplies last.

New titles added to the collection:

Sam—Allegra Goodman

Midcoast—Adam White

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun—Elle Cosimano

When I First Held You—Anstey Harris

Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals—

Melissa Clark

Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone—Audrey Burges

Heart Full of Headstones—Ian Rankin House of Eve—Sadeqa Johnson

Killing of Innocents—Deborah Crombie

Picture in the Sand—Peter Blauner

Adult Programs

Reiki Circle—Thursdays—April 20; May 4 & 18—6 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. $10 p/person, p/session. Call the library (742-1820), email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or stop by the library to register.

Basic Origami—Saturday—April 22—10:30-11:30 am in the library for all ages. $5 p/person material fee. Per vendor, limited to 10 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Empire Safety Defensive Driving—Thursday—April 27—10 a.m. — 4 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. Limited to 25 people. $30 p/person. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Bracelet Workshop—Wednesday—May 10—6 p.m. in the Library for ages 16+. $12 material fee. Per the vendor, limited to 12 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Book Discussion—Wednesday—May 10— 7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall and via Zoom. Copies of The Maid will be available at the Circulation Desk. https://adelphiuniversity.zoom.

us/j/96885670102?pwd=VGtSYnkyUW9acVJyV0tyNUtUZnMy

Zz09 Meeting ID: 968 8567 0102 Passcode: WPBookClub Or just call1-929-205-6099on your phone and it will ask for the meeting id and password above.

Children’s Programs

Story Time for Tots—Tuesdays—April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30—11-11:45 a.m. in the library for children ages 1-4 with a parent or caregiver. Call the library (742-1820), email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or ask at the Circulation Desk to register. Maximum of 15 children. No walk-ins!

Minecraft—Two Part Series—Thursday & Friday—April 13 & 14—1-3 p.m. in the Library for children ages 7+. Join in games & challenges in Big Bad Wolf and Jack & the Beanstalk. Per vendor, limited to 15 participants. You must bring your own device compatible with Minecraft. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Basic Origami—Saturday—April 22—10:30-11:30 am in the library for all ages. $5 p/person material fee. Per vendor, limited to 10 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Chery Blossom Lattice—Monday—May 8—4:00-5:00 pm in the library for ages 5+. Perfect for Mother’s Day. Per vendor, limited to 20 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ALBERTSON-HERRICKS LITTLE LEAGUE

League photo at Caemmerer Park.

OUR VIEWS Editorial Cartoon

Nassau exec has no place in N.Y. DA’s biz

Perhaps Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is clairvoyant.

Maybe he can read the future

and, more importantly, see the contents of a sealed indictment miles away in New York City before it is fled.

How else to explain Blakeman’s calling the indictment against former President Trump on 34 felony counts “political and malicious prosecution” — fve days before it was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Unless, of course, Blakeman, who served as the Nassau County Republican Party’s liaison to Trump’s political campaign in 2020, did not know the contents of the indictment. That he blasted Bragg without having the facts.

Which raises the question of why?

Manhattan prosecutors accused Trump of orchestrating a hush-money scheme to pave his path to the presidency and then covering it up from the White House. In at least one case, from the Oval Ofce.

The charges against Trump trace a $130,000 hush-money payment to his fxer, Michael Cohen, made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the fnal days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

The payment, which Cohen said he made at Trump’s direction, suppressed her story of an alleged sexual liaison with Trump.

Cohen was repaid by Trump’s company, which is alleged to have falsely classifed the payments as legal expenses.

The result: 11 counts involving the checks repaying Cohen, 11 monthly invoices Cohen submitted to the company and 12 entries in the Trump Organization’s general ledger reporting the payments to Cohen as legal expenses.

Prosecutors said the payments to Daniels were part of a broader scheme to infuence the 2016 presidential election by having the National Enquirer purchase damaging stories about him to keep them hidden from voters. The alleged scheme includes an afair Trump had with a Playboy model. Trump denies being involved with either woman.

Bragg, a Democrat, said the indictment was a matter of treating Trump the

way his ofce treats everyone else and that the charges were routinely made by his ofce.

“Everyone stands equal under the law,” Bragg said at the press conference after Trump’s arraignment. “No amount of money and no amount of power” changes that, he added.

Perhaps Blakeman believes otherwise. Perhaps he believes the rich and the powerful should be treated diferently.

Or there should be a diferent standard for a former president or a presidential candidate. Despite the indictment and three other criminal probes underway, Trump is currently the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for president.

Would the same rules apply to a senator, governor or county executive?

This would seem to be a very dangerous idea.

Under a Justice Department ruling, sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted while in ofce.

If they cannot be prosecuted after ofce, this would give presidents and presidential candidates a get-out-of-jail card for all sorts of criminal activity. Talk about a bad incentive.

Perhaps Blakeman believes the charges against Trump were not serious enough to warrant an indictment against a former president and current candidate.

The charges of falsifying business records qualify as a felony rather than a misdemeanor only if Trump’s “intent to defraud” included an efort to commit or conceal a second crime.

It is unclear whether Bragg has settled on the second crime. In his news conference, he mentioned a number of potential underlying crimes, including state and federal election law violations and intent to commit tax fraud.

But even if the charges are found to be misdemeanors, Bragg said his ofce – located in the world’s fnancial capital — has for decades routinely prosecuted charges of making false claims in books and records, often against powerful, high-profle individuals

Do we really want to allow execu-

BLANK SLATE MEDIA LLC

22 Planting Field Road, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577

Phone: 516-307-1045

E-mail:

tives at fnancial frms to falsify their records? After watching the entire banking system recently threatened by runs at two banks?

Bragg was harshly and rightly criticized by Republicans and some Democrats after he took ofce in January 2021 and said his ofce would no longer prosecute low-level ofenses such as subway-fare evasion, resistance to arrest or prostitution unless they were part of an accompanying felony charge.

Lee Zeldin, the Republican former congressman who ran unsuccessfully against Gov. Kathy Hochul, promised during the campaign to remove Bragg from ofce for not prosecuting low-level misdemeanors.

So now we don’t want to prosecute Trump for white-collar fnancial misdemeanors but we do want to prosecute poor people for subway-fare evasion?

Blakeman also implied that Bragg had rushed the charges against Trump for political purposes, saying if he were to rush an indictment of a political enemy to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, she would “throw me out of her ofce.”

We are happy to hear that Blakeman does not plan to rush into Donnelly’s offce with charges against a political opponent, but who does he believe rushed charges into Bragg, a prosecutor elected by the voters of Manhattan? Which

Blakeman is not.

The better question is what is a county executive from Nassau County doing pressuring a Manhattan district attorney in a case in which, at the time he made his comments, he did not have the facts?

And the case brought by Bragg was not rushed. It was fve years in the making following a Wall Street Journal report on the deal between Cohen and Daniels a year after Trump was elected president.

In the summer of 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign fnance charges brought by Trump appointees in the Southern District of New York related to the hush-money payments to Daniels on Trump’s behalf.

Cohen received a three-year prison sentence for the hush-money payments and other charges, spending 13 months in prison and the rest of the sentence under house arrest.

The federal prosecutors never charged Trump but revealed in court papers that Cohen acted “in coordination with and at the direction of” Trump.

Why didn’t U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland charge Trump after he left ofce is a good question that has yet to be answered.

Also unanswered is why Bragg’s critics did not complain about Cohen doing time for things prosecutors said were

done at Trump’s direction.

Cohen’s case did spur former Manhattan DA Cyrus R. Vance Jr. to open an investigation into the then-president and his business, the Trump Organization. Vance did not run for re-election and he left ofce at the end of 2021. Bragg inherited the case but grew concerned about whether they could prove it. Weeks into his tenure, he halted the presentation before a grand jury, prompting the resignation of two senior prosecutors.

One of the prosecutors, Mark Pomeranz said in a book and public comments that Trump should have been charged then with crimes.

Bragg continued the investigation and by summer his prosecutors returned to the hush-money payment. In January, he impaneled a new grand jury.

The frst witness was David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer, the tabloid that helped broker the deal between Cohen and Daniels and bought the story of the Playboy model and a doorman who falsely claimed Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock.

So much for someone rushing into Bragg’s ofce and pressuring him to indict Trump.

Blakeman is not alone among Republicans in criticizing Bragg before,

Continued on Page 16

Justice for all in the arts? Not even close

Choral singing is believed to be among the most popular of the participatory performing arts. The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in Salt Lake City pointed to the benefts of joining a choir, which include regulating heart rate, reducing stress and depression, improving feelings of social wellbeing and strengthening community. Some believe that being in a choir increases life expectancy.

Earlier this year a group of 20 convicted Capitol rioters, referred to as the J6 Prison Choir, recorded a song called “Justice For All” over a prison phone in the Washington, D.C., jail. At the receiving end of the phone call was Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach County, FL. The ex-president was eager to participate. His role was to recite the Pledge of Allegiance as the inmates sang The Star-Spangled Banner. When the national anthem wound down, the inmates proceeded to chant: “USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!”

A music video of the performance depicts footage of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol,as well as socalled “patriotic acts” carried out by the ex-president. University of Michigan Law professor Barbara McQuade

characterized the song as “a disinformation tactic right out of the authoritarian playbook.”

Are there prison rules or limits for recording and disseminating songs performed behind bars? According to Ennui Magazine, a platform for people searching for support in the world of music, “in general, prisons do not allow inmates to record audio or video within the facility. However, some prisons have a music room or recording studio where [selectively] incarcerated musicians can record music during recreational hours.”

The Department of Justice has reported that more than 985 people were arrested for their alleged participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection. More than half of those under arrest pleaded guilty for their role in the riot.

Profts from “Justice For All,” which has been made available on streaming services, have been promised for the legal aid of those incarcerated for the Jan. 6 coup attempt. How the money will be used, though, is questionable given the fairy tale the ex-president repeatedly tells his base: “They’re coming for me because I’m fghting for you.”

It is astonishing that $100 million was raised in the three days fol-

lowing the 2020 election, supposedly for the Trump campaign to address non-existent voter fraud in an election that Trump verifably did not win. It was just another big-time grift to optimize the small-donor money grab to then use as he pleases – carte blanche. This is all well-documented in the Jan. 6 Committee report in Appendix 3 (pages 770-789), entitled:

“The Big Rip-of: Follow the Money.”

“Justice for All” reached the top spot on the iTunes chart. A YouTube upload of the single had been viewed more than 865,000 times as of March 31, 2023. The music video was shown

CORNER

at the Trump rally at Waco (Texas) Regional Airport on March 25, 2023.

“You know what that is?” Trump asked rhetorically about the song and choir. “That’s a tribute to the fact that people feel that J6 people have been very unfairly treated.” In September 2022, during an appearance on Wendy Bell Radio, the criminally indicted ex-president said that if he wins reelection he will “very, very seriously” consider pardons for the rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol.

Although the recording of “Justice for All” reinforced Trump’s charge that his domestic terrorist troops have been treated unfairly, one need only travel 400 miles northwest of Palm Beach to learn about Tallahassee Classical School, where fagrant unfairness involving the visual arts is in full bloom, no doubt inspired by the upsurge in censorship and book banning. Following is a recap.

During a lesson on art history at the Tallahassee charter school, a teacher displayed a photo of Michelangelo’s colossal 16th century marble sculpture that depicts the biblical fgure of David. The breathtaking 17 X 6.5-foot nude statue that resides in Galleria dell ‘Accademia in Florence, Italy, is an example of Renaissance Art, which symbolizes independence,

strength, and a return to the classical style.

When three parents discovered this, they bitterly complained that they weren’t consulted for permission for their children to view the magnifcent work of youthful beauty. Consequently, Tallahassee Classical School Principal Hope Carrasquilla was forced to resign by the campus’s governing board.

Hillsdale College, a Michiganbased Christian college that supplies the charter school’s curriculum, issued the following statement: “This drama around teaching Michelangelo’s ‘David’ sculpture, one of the most important works of art in existence, has become a distraction from, and a parody of, the actual aims of classical education. Hillsdale’s K-12 art curriculum includes Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and other works of art that depict the human form.” Subsequently, Hillsdale revoked the charter school’s license, which expires at the end of the year.

As, for the prison choir that performed “Justice for All,” in a March 28 report issued by The Hill online newspaper, Trump said he feels “like Elvis” after the song hit the top of music charts.

Go fgure.

Bail laws, affordable housing plague Albany

Once upon a time, William Jefferson Clinton ran for the position of president of the United States. He was surrounded by many wise advisers, including a character named James Carville. Clinton was opposing the incumbent George W. Bush. Of all the wisdom that Carville provided, the most important campaign strategy was when he told Clinton “it’s the economy, stupid.” Clinton ran on that issue and defeated President Bush.

For the past three months, the state Legislature has been hung up on two issues. One is bail reform and the other is housing. If I were to paraphrase Carville’s advice to the Albany members, I would say “it’s bail reform, stupid.” Last year Gov. Kathy Hochul squeaked out an election victory in a campaign that was dominated by one issue, bail reform. Republican candidate Lee Zeldin hammered Hochul day in and day out on the crime issue with cries for bail reform as his consistent

message.

Gov. Hochul, to her credit, has insisted that the fnal budget contain language giving judges more discretion in certain cases. By providing more discretion on making certain bail decisions, quite a few felons will remain jailed and will not be a threat to the community. For some unfathomable reason, some of the Democratic decision-makers are determined to battle against any reforms, even though it is the Republican Party’s most potent issue. Last year that issue was so deadly that it even impacted four congressional races and it cost the Democrats in Washington a House majority.

The major stumbling block to revising bail conditions comes mostly from a handful of New York City legislators, who vehemently oppose any changes. Many of the reform opponents never travel outside of their own districts and have no idea what the rest of the region is thinking. In the 2022 elections, a number of long-

term Democratic Assembly incumbents were defeated because of the public’s concerns about rising crime and the bail issue. The Queens Asian community, which had been a consistent supporter of the Democratic Party, chose to

support more Republicans for the same reasons.

The 2024 elections promise to be the most hotly contested races in our country’s history. In addition to the battle for the White House, there are contests for the United States Senate that could tip the scales to the Republican Party. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will be seeking a new term and both the Assembly and Senate candidates will be running in revised legislative districts. It is fair to assume that once again crime and bail issues will dominate all of those races. If the current legislature falls to tackle these issues, it is a recipe for electoral disaster.

The second issue that the Legislature must address is the lack of affordable housing throughout New York State. Each year thousands of young New Yorkers leave our state because they can’t aford to rent an apartment or buy a home. Local college graduates are departing in staggering numbers because Long Island is not ofering

them a place to call home. Many of them fnd apartments in Queens, but others opt to move to places like North Carolina, where you can buy a home at afordable prices.

Because of her concern for the lack of housing Gov. Hochul proposed that local communities be forced to build new housing. Her good faith proposal has stirred up enormous opposition and cries about violations of home rule. If you want to rile up Long Island politicians, all you have to do is suggest that local zoning should be ignored. So at this point in time, the governor has found out that you don’t mess with local zoning laws in the name of the state.

Most issues before the state Legislature are capable of being solved, but the housing shortage confrontation will require the services of a magician. I don’t have any advice on housing compromises, but if the Democrats don’t get rid of the bail issue once and for all, they will face oblivion in 2024.

JERRY KREMER

Kremer’s Corner

ANDREW MALEKOFF The Back Road

A letter to the president of the United States

Aletter to the president of the United States

Dear Mr. President,

I visited Washington, D.C., this weekend and regrettably we never sat and had that lunch I was hoping for. Of course, it’s not your fault in any way since I was the one who hesitated to call knowing you would be busy with the Easter Egg Roll on the White House Lawn. But as a concerned citizen of the United States, I did want to share with you my impressions of Washington, D.C., and what it seems to be saying about America’s identity.

The train trip from NYC to D.C. was arduous and expensive, so I was

in a frazzled and even grumpy state of mind when I arrived at Union Station. Despite that, I remained undaunted, in good cheer and determined to enjoy my four-day visit. We managed to fnd a cab straight away and told the driver to take us to the Watergate where we would be staying.

As we drove past the White House, I once again thought of you and my longed for lunch at the White House and I asked the driver if he might be able to arrange a meeting with you. He just looked at me strangely and ignored my request.

The ride down Pennsylvania Avenue with all those solid neoclassical buildings made of granite was my frst impression of what America is. Prior to seeing these buildings, I was like most Americans and held the fantasy that America is a fairly humble nation founded by young rebellious types like Thomas Jeferson and George Washington.

But spying on all of those very solid, formidable and rather expensivelooking granite edifces told me that, in fact, we have been a very powerful and wealthy nation. Thankfully, like Paris, Washington, D.C., has zoning laws which prevent any building to be over 13 stories high. The avenues are wide, the sky can be seen and this makes the city walkable and friendly. This city is not like New York.

The Watergate Hotel is a curvy, sprawling architectural masterpiece designed by Luigi Moretti that sits up against the Potomac River. We unpacked

THE

and decided to walk over to the Kennedy Center to see what was playing. As luck would have it, the Jofrey Ballet was in town performing “Anna Karenina,” which is already considered a 21st century masterpiece.

The next day we planned on walking to the National Mall to check out the 3,000 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees and see the Lincoln Memorial, Jeferson Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and Korean War Memorial. As we wandered about, I did what all the tourists seem to do, which was to use the Washington Monument to gain my bearing and steer me in the right direction.

The Washington Monument is that magnifcent marble and granite obelisk which towers over the National Mall, standing 554 feet high and surrounded by 50 American fags representing the 50 states. It was completed in 1885 and remains the tallest stone structure on Earth.

When one travels to Paris, the gaze is always drawn to the Eifel Tower because of its elegant beauty and because it defnes the sophisticated French identity.

The Washington Monument functions in a similar way. It shouts out: “This is America, strong, simple, proud, powerful, undeniable.”

There are two key architectural structures that defne America, the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument. The Statue of Liberty is the mighty Mother of Exiles who stands in New York harbor with a torch and says “give

DESK OF JOSHUA LAFAZAN

me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The immigrants of the world heard this message of freedom and came to our land in droves, which by now has resulted in one of our biggest political storms, the issue of diversity.

Donald Trump’s campaign was based upon this trepidation that American identity was in a state of multicultural fragmentation. His efort to rebuild The Wall to keep out the world was connected to this unconscious fear of diversity and the loss of the American identity.

But I could see that the Washington Monument, the other iconic and enduring architectural structure of American identity, is the counterpoint here. Just as the Statue of Liberty is feminine, the Washington Monument is powerfully masculine with its supremely rigid phallic power pointing straight up to the sky.

It would be proper for every American to gaze upon both of these two structures and to realize that our identity and our strength are found in both of them. Strong phallic power coupled with compassionate kindness are the two sides that make America exceptional.

So let this letter reassure you, Mr. President, that America is as strong and as solid as it has ever has been. And next time I come to D.C. I hope to have that lunch in the White House, a dream that I share with every American.

Sincerely yours, An American Citizen

Make Nassau County carbon neutral by 2035

Though it may be obvious, I begin with a reminder about something that we too often forget here in Nassau County: that we — all 1.3 million of us — live on an island.

And while living on this island, our exposure to climate change is a constant threat to our homes, our communities, our infrastructure, our drinking water, and our collective safety. In fact, Long Island ranks fourth among major population centers for its exposure to the physical and economic risks of climate change.

Reports show that Long Island is especially vulnerable to warming temperatures, extreme weather, sea level rise and “water stress” from our reliance upon a sole-source aquifer for po-

table water. This underscores the need for collective urgency here and how the actions we take now will help protect Long Island for generations to come.

This view is not hyperbolic. Powerful once-in-a-generation storms that happened every century are happening every month. Recently, 26 people died from the extreme tornado in Mississippi. Thirty-seven people died this winter from extreme storms in Bufalo. And lest we not forget Hurricane Sandy, when 44 New Yorkers lost their lives and 69,000 people sufered property damage.

Local governments are on the front line of this crisis, and we have the opportunity to transform our community and make it healthier and more sustainable. That is why I have introduced

JOSHUA LAFAZAN Nassau County Legislator

legislation to make Nassau County’s government operations carbon neutral by 2035. New York State has already

set a timeline of 2050, and there’s no reason that we shouldn’t be ambitious in leading the way right here in Nassau.

To be absolutely clear, my proposal strictly relates to Nassau County’s government and our municipal operations. So while this law does not establish new mandates for individual Nassau County homeowners, all citizens in Nassau will be the benefciaries of a cleaner environment.

Whether it’s improving the quality of our air, our drinking water, our beaches, buildings, parks and preserves, we all beneft from a greener Nassau. And of equal importance, this bill will make Nassau County a “Climate Smart” community, ensuring that state and federal grants ofset the costs

of these improvements so we don’t have to hike a single dollar in taxes. In fact, going green will actually save taxpayers money by making our operations more efcient.

A bipartisan group of U.S. mayors representing 130 American cities have joined the initiative “Cities Race to Zero” to move towards a zero emissions future. I’m calling on County Executive Blakeman and my Republican and Democratic colleagues in the Legislature to join with them by passing this bill and making Nassau County the 131st participant. We don’t have any time to waste.

Joshua A. Lafazan, of Woodbury, has represented the 18th Legislative District since 2018.

Nassau exec has no place in N.Y. DA’s biz

Continued from Page 14

during and after the indictment. And like Blakeman, they are calling the indictment political.

In doing so, Blakeman and the oth-

ers are standing the truth on its head. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Ofce routinely charges people for falsifying business records. Not indicting Trump would itself be political.

There is debate about whether Bragg can be successful in convincing a jury that the charges qualify as felonies based on the intent to use them to further a second crime. And for that

matter whether Trump is guilty of any crime. Under the law, Trump has a presumption of innocence.

That’s what trials are for.

In the meantime, Blakeman and

the other critics should stop trying to politicize this or any subsequent prosecutions of Trump. And stand behind the legal system they take an oath to uphold.

FROM

PHOTO TOM FERRARO

The towering Washington Monument, a symbol of the American identity

DR. TOM FERRARO Our

What are those liberal arts anyway?

In recent years, governors and other elected ofcials have criticized colleges and universities for advocating the liberal arts and sciences as basic to undergraduate education. Instead, they have promoted job preparation, questioning the value of study in the humanities and social sciences. It is striking that some of these same politicians graduated from prestigious institutions known for their liberal arts orientation.

Many futurists argue that a liberal arts education is the best preparation for work, citizenship and family life. They assert that training is about answers——how to——and that liberal education is about questions and imagination. In ancient times, the liberal arts were known as the seven useful arts, including rhetoric, logic and quantitative reasoning, i.e., the arts of a free person.

So, what is a “liberal” education? Is it a political leaning? Or is it an approach to life’s questions and professional challenges that continuously leads to new questions and understanding? I think of the liberal arts (and sciences) as liberating——freeing us from the provincial origins of time, place and culture.

The goal of liberal education is to

teach the ordinary student to become a cultured person and to appreciate other cultures; to develop in students the capacity to assess assumptions and understand the value-laden choices that await them as citizens, consumers, decision-makers and arbiters of ethical alternatives; to inspire students to contemplate the meaning of life and the role of religion, politics, and economics; to help students develop in their capacity to build a civilization compatible with the aspirations of human beings and the limitations of the natural environment; to ask “What if?” and consider unintended consequences.

Liberal education helps students gain the confdence to formulate ideas, take initiative, and solve problems; develop skills in language, learning, and leadership; and increase their abilities for reasoning in diferent modes. It helps students appreciate the pursuits of pure science and the diference between science and technology. It helps them fulfll their responsibilities as a citizen in a nation of immigrants. More than any other form, the liberal arts help us understand nature, the world we meet; culture, the world we make; and ethics, the systems of thought by which we

ROBERT A. SCOTT, Ph.D. My Turn

mediate between the two.

With liberal learning, students can advance in clear and graceful expression in written, oral, and visual communication; organizational ability; tolerance and fexibility; creativity; sensitivity to the concerns of others; and aesthetic values. Liberal learning prepares students to weigh competing arguments and distinguish between and among fact, faith, and fear as ways of knowing; it frees them and us from ignorance and apathy. Liberal education fosters imagination, which

Albert Einstein said, is even more important than knowledge.

To fulfll its potential, a liberal education must also involve experience in internships, voluntarism and study abroad. Only then can the useful elements of the liberal arts be realized to their fullest, by using what is learned in one setting to defne and solve problems in another.

This emphasis on liberal education should not suggest a lessening of importance for professional education. Indeed, many liberal arts colleges began by preparing teachers— by building professional preparation on a frm foundation of liberal study. That same philosophy continued in colleges and universities with the addition of engineering, nursing, social work, psychology, and business, and the expansion of graduate education. Many universities call themselves “liberal arts” at the core.

The connections between liberal learning and professional preparation are underscored by the four key elements defning a profession: “an accepted body of knowledge, a system for certifying that individuals have mastered that body of knowledge before they are allowed to practice, commitment to the public good, and

an enforceable code of ethics.” These elements are formed through liberal learning and the knowledge, skills, abilities, and values we gain from it. It is common for college and university mission statements, i.e., their statements of purpose, to express a commitment to preparing students for both careers and citizenship. The vision statements cite the benefts of learning stories from literature and biographies from history, and the advancement of the imagination through the arts. It is up to university leaders, including the board of trustees, to monitor the efective alignment of mission and vision statements with goals, curricula requirements, uses of resources, and results in terms of student learning and graduation rates. Liberal education is fostered in institutions that serve as curator of the past, creator of the new, and critic of the status quo. Therefore, it is both liberating and conservative. It is about freedom, but not necessarily about politics. It is the most useful foundation for continued growth as an individual and as a member of a community.

Dr. Robert A. Scott is president emeritus of Adelphi University

DeSantis seeks to turn the U.S. into Florida

Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor itching to be president, in his recent appearance at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale, lauded the surge in Republicans on Long Island, but never mentioned George Santos. He also never mentioned Donald Trump, not to praise him or bury him. Or permitless carry. Or abortion.

He boasted of turning Florida from a 1-point swing state to solidly Republican, winning re-election in 2022 by 20 points, and for the frst time since the Civil War, with not a single statewide elected Democrat elected to ofce. “The Democratic party is dead, dead, dead,” he cheered.

How did that happen? Because he alone ignored the pundits who said he should rule like a moderate and instead boldly lead with policies and an agenda – only 50% of the vote but 100% of the authority. And then he ofered his policy prescription, The Florida Blueprint, to do the same to New York and the rest of the country.

But how much of that mega-swing was due to voter suppression (he called it “election integrity”) and voter intimidation (a new election police force). Just a few days after his victorious visit to Long Island, Florida Republicans introduced a massive new voter suppression bill afecting all aspect of elections.

Instead, he attributed the gigantic swing in Florida voter registrations (from 301,000 more registered Democrats

than Republicans in 2018 to 450,000 more Republicans than Democrats, “Can you believe that!”) to his bold leadership in attacking the Biden’s administration’s public health-COVID policies at a time before vaccinations, when more than 3,000 people a day were dying.

“We weren’t going to let Florida descend into Fauci-ism A lot of stuf was done not to protect health but control your behavior.”

He lauded the Tampa judge who overturned the whole concept of public health by declaring mask mandates on airplanes unconstitutional, and boasted passing a law to bar Florida from following federal public health mandates ever again.

But while he is touting Florida as the Freedom State, he didn’t mention denying women their reproductive freedom or teachers and doctors their freedom of speech or reporters their freedom of press. He justifed banning books as pornography. (Vero Beach High School banned “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation.”)

He also didn’t mention he would “quietly” sign permitless carry into law just two days later, in a state notable for Stand Your Ground, the murder of Trayvon Martin, mass shootings at Parkland and Pulse Nightclub (Florida accounts for 10% of all mass shootings).

He blasted Obama and Biden for their “open border” policies and for fentanyl deaths (“Biden doesn’t care”). But he said he is eager to build a border wall

KAREN RUBIN View Point

and would send his guys to build it.

He joked about using Florida money to send 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, but didn’t mention his plan to go after undocumented immigrants, which modeled after Texas’ anti-abortion law, aims to terrorize and intimidate: prosecuting for felony anyone (even the adult child who is a citizen who drives their parent to the doctor or their lawyer) who aids, transports, hires, houses or gives support to undocumented immigrants and to track costs for providing them with health care.

DeSantis laid down the law about fring those “progressive prosecutors often funded by people like George Soros – elected not to enforce law in an evenhanded way but to advance an ideological agenda. A menace to society – letting

real criminals go, making communities less safe. I’m the only governor in the U.S. to remove a Soros-backed DA.”

He crowed about his education policy: “Over 1.3 million are in choice programs and likely to have more. Florida is leading the way in school choice and rejecting CRT in K-12. We’re not going to teach kids to hate their country and each other. Parents have a right to how curriculum is being taught.”

He also has ended Diversity, Equality, Inclusion standards (“Division, Exclusion, Indoctrination has no place in public institutions.”) On the other hand, DeSantis signed legislation designating Nov. 7 as a day all students will receive instruction on the “evils of communism, and communist dogma, Marxist socialism.”

“We take pride in Florida, how we really protect freedom.”

And you should, too, was his message to Long Island parents. “Invade your school board. Fight. Don’t give up. Show courage.” Cheers from the standing-room-only crowd.

Nobody has asked DeSantis what he is doing for the Floridians whose homes, communities and livelihoods have been destroyed by Hurricane Ian and the steady stream of climate disasters, costing the nation’s taxpayers billions of dollars, when DeSantis is taking action to make it ILLEGAL for investors, for bond holders to take climate risk into consideration (or do any social investing).

“Environmental social governance

is a Trojan horse to impose leftists ideology through corporations on society –climate, guns. We will eliminate ESG in state pension (applause). We are making sure big fnancial institutions aren’t discriminating against gun owners, Christians, or they will be deprived of our lucrative market.”

Yet he has the gall to boast of a $23 billion surplus in a $109 billion budget in a state that has no income tax and how he vetoed $3.3 billion in spending (3% of the total) – the reason, he asserted why so many New Yorkers are feeing to Florida. So why are New York taxpayers paying to restore the damage from Hurricane Ian and the other climate disasters that DeSantis is doing nothing about, and why are Floridians advertising in New York pleading for charity to help rebuild?

He attacked the Biden administration for funding COVID relief that kept people from being evicted from apartments, foreclosed on houses, desperate for food, saying the stimulus spending is responsible for infation now.

“Our president Joe Biden is weak, foundering, controlled by Leftist elements.”

His fnal message: “Defend people against pathology of the left imposed on them. Fight the woke – in government, schools, corporations. Never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die,” he declared.

More accurately, Florida is where people go to die.

This is the time for all of us to compost

With so much in the country and world demanding our attention, it’s nice to fnd something we each can do with the confdence that it will have an impact. That something is converting our food waste to compost.

Food waste contributes to climate change and other environmental degradation before it becomes food waste. The production of food involves energy use, which typically means burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, a root cause of climate change. Food production involves water use and, depending on how food is produced, can also cause a great deal of soil and water pollution. By the time the food reaches a plate to be eaten, a lot of natural resources have been consumed and impacted.

If the food isn’t at least eaten completely, all of those resources are wasted and damaged for no reason. If food is disposed as trash, it eventually ends up in a landfll where it produces methane as it decomposes. Methane is the most potent greenhouse gas, contributing to climate change more signifcantly than carbon dioxide.

Rather than dispose of food as trash, thereby throwing away all the resources used to produce that food and generating methane in return for all of that resource consumption, we each can compost. Composting is the way to return food to the soil from which it came, allowing it to nourish and support growth of more food. In this way, it can return some of the resources it took rather than cause more damage as its last act.

Admittedly, composting is not super easy to do, like changing your toilet paper brand. It’s also not very hard. It involves collecting certain food scraps (not including any animal-based foods like milk, cheese, fsh, chicken, or meat) in a container and mixing those food scraps with brown materials like cardboard, dried leaves, and hay. You can include cofee grounds, tea bags, cofee flters, newspaper, toilet paper rolls, compostable paper plates, regular paper, nut shells, and eggshells.

In time, all the material decomposes with the help of an array of insects and invertebrates. It becomes rich, dark soil that can grow more food or any kind of plant. It is a re-

CAPUANO Earth Matters

markable process to experience. It will save you money (no need to buy compost or fertilizer, and plants need less water) and it will dramatically reduce your trash.

But composting is not for everyone. It requires some monitoring to maintain the ratio of browns to food scraps (greens) and it requires extracting the compost from your container and using it in your pots or yard. If you don’t want to get involved in those ex-

tra steps, but you do want to reduce your contribution to climate change by reducing your food waste footprint, there are options. If you’re willing to get involved somewhat, there is a composting program run by Transition Town Port Washington at the Science Museum of Long Island that you can join. You collect your compostable materials and deliver them to the composting site and help to mix your contribution into the larger collection.

If you want to keep it simpler for yourself, Grounds For A Peel Composting Inc. ofers residential pickup. You can sign up for weekly pickup of your compostable materials and know that you have done something signifcant for the environment, your community, yourself and all living things. For more information, go to https://www. groundsforapeel.com/how-it-works/.

Grounds For A Peel converts food scraps into compost which is available for purchase. To learn more, Glenda, the founder and owner can be reached at 917.647.7348 or by email at Glenda@groundsforapeel.com.

If you recycle, then separating your waste is something you’re already familiar with doing. Compost-

ing involves developing a habit similar to rinsing your glass and aluminum containers and putting them in a separate container. Grounds For A Peel will provide you with a collection container. This is even easier than recycling because there’s no additional cleaning step. All you do is put your acceptable food scraps into a separate container and have it picked up on a weekly basis.

If you don’t recycle, you should. Starting to compost will help you develop the habit of separating your waste into items that can be kept out of the landfll and items that cannot be. Keeping material out of the landfll is an important way we each can address causes of climate change and other environmental harms.

New York State has mandated food waste collection for producers of food waste over a designated amount. New York City is ofering curbside compost pickup on a voluntary basis. Like recycling, this is a relatively simple and doable response to a catastrophic situation. The more of us who do it, the greater and more signifcant the impact—an impact that is real, measurable, and exponential.

WRITE Education should be politically neutral

When I was a student at Schreiber High School in Port Washington, I never knew the political views of any of my history or government teachers, and this was by design.

In fact, despite a number of my peers begging to know whether our American history teacher was voting for Bush or Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, he adamantly refused to disclose this information.

When we wrote essays on politically controversial topics, it was understood that we would be graded solely on the quality of our writing and rhetoric. We would not be penalized if the teacher held diferent political views.

In one case, I wrote an essay arguing that the way that car insurance companies set rates using factors such as gender and marital status is unethical. The teacher grading it had worked

READERS

for years in the insurance industry before going into education, so it is likely that she disagreed strongly with my position. Nonetheless, she handed it back with a grade of A+. My political views weren’t what was being evaluated. I was in class with both Democrats and Republicans, but I never heard anyone say that they worried about being punished for their beliefs.

This standard of professional behavior seems to be rapidly vanishing for the generation going through the system today. I have spoken with young people for whom the idea that educators should teach them how to think rather than what to think is completely alien. The psychologist Jonathan Haidt has written and spoken at length about this problem, including in the book “The Coddling of the American Mind” that he co-authored with Greg Lukianof. Dr. Haidt describes teachers as having a fduciary duty to use

their authority for the beneft of the students they are charged with educating. When a teacher uses their position to advance their own personal political agenda, that is a breach of their fduciary duty. Recent comments from Manhasset administrators quoted in Blank Slate papers do not inspire confdence. By taking issue with citizens viewing DEI as political, Donald Gately seems to be indicating that he views the values of many Americans as being beyond the pale. Let’s be clear: In most cases, DEI does not mean simply that people of all races and genders should be treated equally under the law and with respect by their fellow citizens. Rather, it is an ideological framework holding that it is acceptable to discriminate against individuals viewed as “privileged” in the name of promoting diversity, that the most important things about a person are their group identity labels, and that systemic biases are the

only possible explanation that may be considered for diferences in outcomes between groups.

Do you believe in Martin Luther King’s dream of a world in which no one is ever judged by the color of their skin? Do you believe that students applying for college admissions or scholarships should all be judged by the same standard, without regard to their race or gender? Do you believe that objectivity and meritocracy are ideals toward which our society should strive? Do you believe that, on average, men and women tend to have diferent interests and that certain occupational choices would appeal to a larger percentage of one gender or the other, even in the absence of any bias or discrimination? If you answered “yes” to even one of these questions, then you hold views that are deemed problematic by DEI proponents.

Our students deserve better than to

have views held by millions of Americans treated as illegitimate by those in positions of authority. If this is not what Mr. Gately means by DEI, then the district should clarify exactly what is meant and assure parents that their students will not be chastised or penalized for diferent views from their teachers. If the district is in fact promoting this divisive ideology, then parents and other community members have every right to demand change. Until that happens, I applaud those who have brought these concerns to the attention of the public and encourage them to continue to do so. If change does not come, then I hope that the people of Manhasset and other districts sufering from this type of problem will hold their school boards accountable at the ballot box.

David Golub Mineola

There’s more to the late state budget

Adoption of the budget on time is what the state Legislature and governor get paid to do. This budget continues to be negotiated behind closed doors between Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Senate Democratic Majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Democratic state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. Only they, their key aide and many of the

infamous Albany State Street lobbyists representing various special interest, Pay to Play groups are privy to the details.

Republican State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt and Republican State Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay along with most members of the state Senate and Assembly are left out in the cold. Hochul’s proposed

budget includes $14.8 billion in spending whose purpose is undefned. This opens the door for waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayers’ dollars. So much for honest, above-board, transparent and open government promised by Hochul, Stewart-Cousins and Heastie. Too many members view the funding of member item pork barrel projects as a path to grease the wheels of

re-election or a run for higher ofce. Like a monkey on their back, they appear to be addicted to this spending. Stewart-Cousins and Heastie both use this as a tool to keep their respective loyal focks in line. Vote as directed by the “leadership” for adoption of the new budget and you will receive your share of the several hundred million member items pot of gold. Those few

Democrats who have to run in competitive races receive “extra” earmarks from Heastie, courtesy of taxpayers. Will members of the Legislature take an Evelyn Wood speed-reading class to absorb over 1,000 pages contained in the fnal spending bill? They usually receive these only hours before being asked to vote up or down.

Continued on Page 35

LYNN

"Fearless Girl" is a bronze sculpture by Kristen Visbal, originally on Broad Street across from the New York Stock Exchange Building in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. A replica stands on the SHA campus and has come to symbolize the strength and perseverance of female leaders.

Town OKs tax break for firefighters, EMTs

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The North Hempstead Town Board unanimously passed a resolution last week to grant volunteer firefighters and EMTs a tax exemption of up to 10% on property taxes.

The resolution opts into new exemptions for first responders enacted last year for firefighters or ambulance workers with at least two years of service to get abatements on

town and special district taxes.

“By opting into this tax exemption, we can help alleviate the financial burden placed on our volunteer first responders,” Council Member Mariann Dalimonte said ahead of the vote at the April 4 board meeting. “Our volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. It is only right that we provide them with the support they need and deserve.”

Exemption applications

need to be made to the Nassau County Department of Assessment that includes a letter of certification on the exact date of enrollment and current active status within the incorporated volunteer fire company, department or ambulance service.

“As a resident of the greater North Hempstead community for many years, I have seen firsthand the dedication and sacrifice that our volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers make on a daily basis,” Council Member Peter Zuckerman, who co-sponsored the resolution with Dalimonte, said. “They deserve our appreciation and support for their service, and I am thrilled that we will now be able to offer this exemption.”

Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said the exemption will be a tool to better help with recruiting.

“This is for our firefighters, all of them in the Town of North Hempstead, and this is going to help their recruitment, retention and rewarding them for their service,” DeSena said. “We’re all very happy that we can offer this.”

Abrahams slams hiring of Leventhal

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Nassau County Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said the county will not benefit from the Legislature’s hiring of Roslynbased attorney Steve Leventhal.

On Monday, April 3, the county Legislature’s Rules Committee voted 4-3 along party lines to approve a five-year, $55,000-per-year special counsel contract with Leventhal, Cursio, Mullaney & Sliney, LLP.

The contract is to provide services as special counsel to the county’s Board of Ethics from Nov.1, 2022 through Oct. 31, 2027.

“While Steven Leventhal was sanctioned for engaging in ‘frivolous, obstructionist behavior’ in a 2017 court case, he did not begin disclosing this ruling until this year – and I believe that is a highly concerning lapse in judgment,” Abrahams said in a statement. “The operations of our Board of Ethics must be fully beyond reproach at all times, and it is hard to see how Mr. Leventhal’s continued involvement helps Nassau County meet that standard.”

Leventhal was sanctioned for his performance during a 2017 court case and did not indicate as such when his contract with the county board was extended that year, though the form only asks for disclosures “with respect to any professional license,” according to Newsday. The 2017 incident was never reported to the New York Attorney Grievance Committee, so Leventhal’s law license was not affected, the newspaper said.

Leventhal, a partner at the Roslyn law firm, said he was “fully ethical in meeting my obligations to the county” when in 2019 the county

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUPERVISOR’S OFFICE

The North Hempstead Town Board recently approved a resolution granting tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ISLAND 360 ARCHIVES

Steve Leventhal a partner at Leventhal, Cursio, Mullaney & Sliney, LLP.

Annual All Kids Fair has many new attractions

The 12th annual All Kids Fair is excited to return to Westbury following last year’s enormously successful event. This is the second in-person All Kids Fair since Covid-19.

This year’s All Kids Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 23 at Samanea New York Mall, formerly The Source Mall, at 1504 Old Country Road in Westbury. This is the same mall that houses Dave & Buster’s and where Fortunof’s previously resided.

Since 2011, the All Kids Fair has provided a fun day each April for kids and their families to spend time together and also learn about Long Island-based companies with services and products available to them.

There are many exciting reasons for families to attend each year. While this has always been an indoor event with an outdoor petting zoo, this year has even more outdoor attractions.

Here are some of the things to do and see at the All Kids Fair –indoors and out — all of which are free with admission:

Indoors

• More than 80 kid-centered exhibitors

• More than a dozen activity areas

• Three large bounce houses

• DJ along with Mr. and Mrs. Mouse

• Princesses and superheroes

• Guinea pig and bearded dragons for touching

• Face painting

• Balloon animals

• Cotton candy

• Photo booth

• Child ID cards

• Lego table with sensory play

Outdoors

• Petting zoo with a pig, goats, rabbits and chickens

• A game truck

• A mobile STEAM lab bus

There will be opportunities to purchase food for lunch, indoors

and at a food truck, along with pretzels, desserts and Italian ices.

“Building on last year’s success, we decided to have the All Kids Fair at Samanea Mall again because of its spacious layout, high ceilings and excellent parking,” Barbara Kaplan, director of the expo, said. “As a result, we will be able to have many exciting opportunities for Long Island families to enjoy together.”

The All Kids Fair will have over 80 vendors, including camps, places to play, after-school activities, birthday party providers, travel, non-profts, college planning and many kid-centered products

Kaplan said that she is “excited to have many new oferings, including the mobile STEAM lab bus and game truck in the parking lot near the petting zoo on Merchants Concourse, perpendicular to Old Country Road.”

This year’s list of activity areas has many new choices. There will be more than a dozen, including hip hop, two arts and crafts projects, sewing on a machine and fashion drawing, martial arts, musical chairs and soccer. Most of these areas will operate all day.

This fun-flled event ofers exciting educational and leisure activities to interest kids and their families each year. The fair has

opportunities for all ages, including kids who have special needs.

“It was hands down a beautiful event,” 2022 attendee Larissa Wright said. “Plenty for the kids to do [a] fun-flled day. [We] would defnitely come back next year and every year after!”

“Mr. & Mrs. Mouse, Alex & Andrea and the rest of our team would like to thank Barbara Kaplan [All Kids Fair Director] for putting together such an amazing event!” AA Entertainment & Events, an exhibitor who also acted as DJ at last year’s event, said. “It truly was a fun time for everyone!”

The All Kids Fair looks forward to seeing AA Entertainment & Events, including Mr. and Mrs. Mouse, again this year.

A charity drive to beneft Giving is Living, a local 501c3 that provides non-perishable food, including formula, to those in need, is a new addition this year. Those who donate boxed and canned food or money will receive rafe tickets to win great donated prizes.

Sponsors for the 2023 All Kids Fair are Saf-T-Swim, Jovia Financial Credit Union, All in 1 SPOT with TheraTalk, Acupuncture Wellness Services, Epic Escape Rooms LI, Clowns.com, Dave & Buster’s, Your Local Kids Source, Blank Slate Media, Litmor Publications/ Garden City News, Long Island Media Group/South Bay’s Neighbor, Herald Community Newspapers and 516Ads.com/631Ads.com.

Tickets purchased in advance at www.AllKidsFair.com/Tickets are $5 for children ages 2 and up and adults. Tickets purchased at the door are $10 for children ages 2 and up and $5 for adults. Children ages 1 and younger are admitted at no charge.

Information about the expo is available at www.AllKidsFair.com

About the All Kids Fair

The All Kids Fair is an annual event organized by Specialty Connections. It showcases schools, after-school activities, places for kids to play, camps, childcare centers, kid-friendly products such as toys and books, and health/wellness products and services. For more information about all the events that Specialty Connections produces, visit www.SpecialtyConnections.com. For information about the All Kids Fair, visit www.AllKidsFair.com. Contact Barbara Kaplan at 516-621-1446.

D-Day living history flight experience

In honor of D-Day’s 79th anniversary, the American Airpower Museum’s Douglas C-47B “Skytrain” troop transport will conduct four Living History Flight Experiences on Saturday, April 29. Dozens of Long Islanders will get a rare chance to fy in AAM’s iconic World War II C-47B, one of the few still in original military condition. This is a one-of-a-kind immersive educational program, where Living Historians show passengers what the 101st and 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers experienced on their incredible 1,200-plane D-Day assault. Noted WWII Living Historian Robert Scarabino, with help from his 101st Airborne Reenactors, will transport passengers back in time.

Stories of our nation’s “Greatest Generation,” heroes of the Normandy D-Day invasion, are being retold to a new generation of Americans. AAM takes the next step and turns these events into teachable moments or “living history,” so passengers can feel, hear, see and smell how it was on the “Night of Nights,” when the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion was launched, or on the daytime “Operation Market Garden” airdropinto Holland from September 17-27, 1944.

AAM has created a totally unique and immersive experience to honor heroic C-47B troop transport crews and paratroopers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. Passengers are issued M-1942 jump jackets, helmets and harnesses, take part in an Airborne mission briefng, then “form up” with AAM’s professional reenactors in full WWII 101stAirborne gear. Next, passengers and reenactors board the museum’s C-47B Skytrain, just like America’s heroes did 79 years ago, when they risked all to liberate occupied Europe from the Nazi scourge.

On board the C-47B, passengers experience authentic sights and sounds as the aircraft’s mighty twin engines fre up and she takes of from Republic. During fight, they observe the aircrew operating their C-47B and paratroopers prepping for battle. They’ll relive the Airborne experience to the very moment when they’re ordered to hook up to the overhead static line. Don’t worry, no one leaves the airplane until safely back on the ground!

Upon returning from this exciting fight, all will learn what our heroes did 79 years ago, when they helped achieve victory for the allies, culmi-

nating in the Nazi surrender. Each Living History experience is about 1.5 hours long and the actual fight time to Long Island’s South Shore and back is about 20 minutes.

Seats are still available on the four fights –which take place between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. To book a seat, go to AAM’s website at www. americanairpowermuseum.org and click on “C47 D-Day Living History Flight Experience.” Or call (516) 531-3950, (631) 454-2039 and/or visit the museum’s gift shop Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., located at Hangar 3,1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY 11735.

Each passenger on a C-47B fight may bring an extra guest at no charge, to watch the fights plus tour museum exhibits all day. In addition, C-47B passengers may bring up to four additional guests for an entrance fee of $10 each.

The public can also attend AAM’s Hangar 3 all day on April 29, to watch each fight and tour the exhibits. Regular admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and veterans, and $12 for children ages 5-12. Tickets and pre-registration are not required.

Afectionately dubbed Second Chance, AAM’s iconic C-47B was built in 1944 and supplied to the U.S. Army Air Force. She was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1945 and few in the Berlin Airlift (1948 — 1949) with the RAF, serving until 1950. The aircraft next served in the Belgian Air Force for two years. In 1952 she went to the French Air Force, serving two years in Viet Nam, as well as in India, Algeria, Morocco and the Congo. In 1967 she was sold to Israel and few in the Israeli Defense Force for 32 years.

AAM acquired the aircraft in 2000. In addition to AAM’s D-Day fights, she also performs at regional air shows in classic WWII D-Day markings with the original “D8” code. One of the last C-47Bs still in stock military confguration, this aircraft has just over 17,000 hours in the air, one of the world’s lowest fight times ever!

This is a family-friendly program for all ages and a wonderful way to educate young Americans about WWII and how U.S. military veterans fought to defeat Nazi Germany and defend our freedom. Support AAM’s mission to honor veterans and military aviation history by helping maintain and preserve the museum’s iconic aircraft. Help “Keep ‘Em Flying!”

PHOTO COURTESY OF BARBARA KAPLAN

Kids have fun at the All Kids Fair!

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE AMERICAN AIRPOWER MUSEUM

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

PARAMOUNT TOPS

BY ANNABEL HOFMANN

The Paramount, recently ranked as the No. 1 club venue in the world based on ticket sales by Pollstar Magazine, offers a multi-faceted approach to live entertainment. With a diverse range of shows, close-ups of artist interviews and countless food options, the Huntingtonbased locale provides more than just a show.

The venue, with about a 1,500-person capacity, hosts a variety of shows from music to comedy and beyond.

“[We are] certainly trying to fill the calendar with as many different types of events you know, from the comedy shows to the rock shows to boxing and everything in between,” said Dan Ellis, director of marketing for The Paramount.

The Paramount can be rearranged to fit the needs of the show that is performing. There can be all-standing configurations, all-sitting layouts and a hybrid mix of both.

“Some of the older artists where the audience is older, they want to sit, and consequently with the rap and the hip hop shows and the heavy metal shows, they want to stand,” Ellis said. “We have the flexibility for both.”

For a yearly fee, individuals or corporations can have access to a membership-only private area located downstairs in the venue called the Founder’s Room.

Ellis said it is a 1920 speakeasy-themed room which has special events and gives members the option to buy tickets before the public. “Hopefully, the band will come down [to the Founder’s Room] and hang out at the end of the night, and we’ll do some specialty events on the holidays,” he said.

The Paramount also has a partnership with Connoisseur Media Long Island – which owns five radio stations – to broadcast interviews with people performing at the venue along with other bonus content.

“We give the artist the opportunity before a concert if they want to come down and do an interview on the radio to promote the show, to promote their album, to promote themselves,” Ellis said. “I think we’re definitely unique in that partnership and in the way that we utilize it. I think we’ve had some good success with it – giving the artists a little different opportunity other than just coming to perform a concert.”

They also offer street-side views of the radio booth for fans to see the interviews happening live.

“[Fans] can come early and catch their fa-

vorite artists in the radio studio out front and get that ‘Today’ show, ‘Good Morning America’ kind of feel, where we’re broadcasting to the street, and people can come and check it out,” Ellis said.

The Paramount makes sure its guests won’t go hungry while watching a show.

“We have three locations that serve food before and after the shows for different types of folks,” Ellis said.

In addition to the food available in the main venue, Spotlight at the Paramount is a restaurant, bar and stage on the premises that

was taken over and renovated before the pandemic.

“We have this stage in the back and we can do shows up to 200 people in the back for smaller bands and local bands,” Ellis said. “We did this to feature local artists and local musicians and local talent.”

They have also partnered with Ella’s – a local Italian bistro next to the venue – to offer even more dining options.

The Paramount also strives to be more than just an entertainment venue by being active in the local community.

“Any of the organizations that are doing good, we are always trying to help — you know, donate tickets for auctions and raffles and things where we can,” Ellis said. “Offering up our facility to try and help with their own razors and clothing drives and food drives and blood drives and all that stuff throughout the year.”

“It’s part of what we do, and we enjoy it,” he said.

The venue does not have permanent seats, so they can be removed to allow for expanded standing room.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PARAMOUNT

The Paramount hosts a variety of artists, from country to oldies and beyond.

Harvey Granat to do Cole Porter at Emanuel 44th Annual Thunderbird American Indian Powwow

On Sunday, April 16 at 3:00 p.m., Stephen C. Widom Cultural Arts at Emanuel will present a virtual program, The Genius of Cole Porter, featuring Harvey Granat.

Cole Porter is considered one of a handful of America’s greatest Broadway and film composers.

“Night and Day,” “Begin the Beguine,” “Just One of Those Things,” and “What Is This Thing Called Love?” are just a few of his many songs that have graced the great American Songbook for so many years.

The temple is delighted that Harvey Granat returns

for one of his special programs combining his performance of Cole Porter songs with the stories behind them.

As always, he will include some memorable film clips — this time of Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly, and Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel — doing some of the best of Cole Porter.

Harvey Granat is an entertainer and historian of the American Songbook. He regularly appears at a variety of venues in New York, Florida and the Berkshires, including his popular series at the 92nd St Y, Canyon

Ranch where he has done more than 300 shows, and a recent, sold-out series at Delray Beach Playhouse.

He has also appeared at the Norton Museum in Palm Beach, The McCallum Theater in Palm Springs, and a host of other theaters and clubs. Harvey has collected important letters and manuscripts of the greats of the American Songbook and is proud to have established “The Harvey Granat George and Ira Gershwin Collection ” at the Library of Congress.

Registration for this virtual event is $15.

This program is funded by Andi & Steve Levine.

For further information, to register and purchase a ticket online , go to:

https://www.scwculturalarts.org/sunday-series

After April 16 at 2:00 PM, call 516.482.5701 to purchase a ticket. Video is available for viewing thru April 30.

Call 516.482.5701 if you have any questions.

Celebrate American Indian culture through music, dance, Native American crafts and food. This spectacular three-day powwow features intertribal Native American dance competitions by over forty Indian Nations. The program features an expansive market of authentic Native American art, crafts, jewelry and food (don’t miss the fry bread!).

The Thunderbird American Indian Powwow is an experience not to be missed, connecting the public to ancient Native American traditions and cultures and to each other.

The powwow includes six major dance categories for competing dancers. In addition, there are several other non-competitive dances such as Gourd Dance, Round Dance, Rabbit Dance, and demonstrations of various Iroquois, Pueblo and Apache dances. Each dance’s significance is explained to the public.

The Grand Entry is a spectacular moment to experience the full regalia of these dancers. The bonfire on Friday and Saturday evenings is the culmination of these beautiful programs, where the audience is invited to join the

dance circle. The bonfire is lit at dusk on Friday and Saturday between 8–9 p.m.

All event proceeds support Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Scholarship Fund and the Queens County Farm Museum Education Program.

Online tickets only. Advance purchase recommended as tickets are limited. Ticket is required to enter powwow and craft/food market; no gate fee to enter farm grounds.

The schedule is as follows:

Friday, July 28: Performances 7-10 p.m.(Gates open at 6 p.m.)

Saturday, July 29:Performances 12-5 p.m. & 7-10 p.m.(Gates open at 10 a.m.)

Sunday, July 30:Performances 12-5 p.m.(Gates open at 10 a.m.)

1-Day Pass: $18; $12 (Children ages 2-12)3-Day Pass: $36; $24 (Children ages 2-12)Free for ages 0-1 years old

Harvey Granat, Cole Porter

PHOTO PROVIDED BY QUEENS COUNTY FARM MUSEUM

Annual Thunderbird American Indian Powwow

An eco-friendly home offers many benefits. Besides reducing your carbon footprint and being better for the environment, you can save lots of money on your energy bills in the long run. Plus, many of the latest trends are simply beautiful. Here are some to consider for your next home or remodel:

Bamboo materials: Bamboo is a renewable resource that can be harvested gently, without disturbing the surrounding environment. It’s also a great alternative to hardwood, since it can regenerate faster than trees. The timeless material is very popular for flooring and can also be used for bathroom and kitchen cabinets. When buying this material for your home, look for a high-quality, sustainable producer since cheaper versions can be less sturdy.

Passive house: Go beyond efficient appliances with an entire house that uses little-to-no energy. Derived from the German Passivhaus, passive house is a movement that refers to a design process that creates buildings that have a small ecological footprint and require little heating or cooling. Use the philosophy to guide decisions for your home - from adding solar panels on your roof to boosting your insulation.

Reclaimed pieces: One of the quickest and easiest ways to have a positive environmental impact is buy-

ing as little new as possible. The next time you need a piece of furniture, create something rustic by recycling or upcycling an old or vintage item with a new coat of paint or a fresh wood stain. If you’re planning a demolition, try deconstruction instead“un-build” the structure and find elements you can salvage or reclaim, like exposed brick and wood beams.

Water conservation: With more parts of the world experiencing drought, saving water is one of the top concerns for environmentalists. Wasting water is also expensive and leads to higher utility bills. Upgrading your home with water conservation features can go a long way, and most are designed to look sleek and minimalist. Opt for low-flow showerheads, toilets and sink fixtures.

Insulated concrete forms: Many homeowners now prefer to build with insulated concrete forms (ICFs) because the material offers better energy efficiency and performance than traditional wood. Homes built with Nudura ICFs also provide better fire protection and can help you save as much as 60 percent on heating and cooling costs. Your home is less likely to contain cold areas as the insulation is continuous around the entire house.

Find more information about the benefits of building with eco-friendly ICFS at nudura.com.

BY WENDY TRUNZ

The beauty of Spring brings feelings of renewed hope, energy and excitement. It’s a time to believe again in new beginnings and see growth. It’s a time when the days stay brighter for a longer amount of time, the fresh air smells sweeter, nature’s beauty is bursting forth outside, and an expectant joy is bursting from within us.

As the days get brighter, we all want to feel lighter.

After a long winter, those first signs of crocuses and daffodils blooming brings a smile and a hopeful filling of the soul. Anticipation builds each day as we continue to see the magnificent blooming of cherry blossoms, magnolia trees, bright yellow forsythia, hot pink azalea bushes and so many colors radiating from flowers everywhere.

The colors get bolder, the sun shines brighter, the birds sing louder, the sky seems bluer, and as nature bursts forth… people and families seem to burst out of their homes to play, walk, ride bikes, and look to gather more and more together.

The beauty, awe and majesty of spring each year is a result of all the seeds that were planted, sown and scattered months and even years before. Seeds that took root, weathered the storms and continued to multiply.

We plant seeds with the expectation of seeing and enjoying beautiful growth, as well as reaping a harvest.

The seeds we plant every single day, inside or outside produce a growing, thriving harvest if we tend to them…not only the seeds planted in the ground, but more importantly the seeds planted in hearts and minds, in our everyday habits, in our lives, relationships, and in our homes.

Where is the area of growth that you would like to see bloom in your life this year.. or in the years to come? Are you planting those seeds yet, or are they still sitting in the seed packet? Do you need a fresh packet of seeds with a few ideas to lighten and brighten your life and your home this spring? As the world feels lighter and brighter outside, it’s the perfect time to make your home lighter and brighter inside.

Here’s a little “ Lighter and Brighter Seeds” packet that you can open and scatter into the various areas of your life and home. (Caution: These little seeds of wisdom, once scattered, just may take root, multiply, and become ever blooming!)…

5 Ways to Feel Lighter as the days get Brighter

1. Lighter clothing and closets

*Coat Closet/Mudroom- Go through all coats, wash or send to dry cleaners. All outgrown or unwanted coats place in bag for donation.

*Match all gloves, hats and scarves and place in basket or bins per family member. All ready and organized for next season. Donate all unwanted items

*Swap out your fall and winter clothes for spring and summer clothes

*Put all boots away and take out your sandals and flip-flops!

2. Lighter pantry and refrigerator

*Pull out all food from pantries, drawers and refrigerator. Check all expiration dates and discard as needed.

*Donate fresh unwanted food to a food pantry or a friend in need

*Defrost your freezer as needed and wipe out

*Wipe out all shelves and drawers. Freshen up with new drawer liners if needed

*Fill your kitchen with all the fruit and veggies now in season.

*Eating lighter and brighter foods fuel you to feel lighter and brighter

3. Brighter decor

*Swap out heavy fabrics and colors - lighten up your bedding. Put away flannel and fleece blankets. Replace with light and bright bedding

*Swap out heavy pillows and draperies and replace with lighter textures

*Use delicious bright fruits or lemons in a gorgeous bowl as a centerpiece

4. Brighter Lighting

*String lights around your backyard or porch or throughout your sunroom or even in bedrooms

*Set up fire pit to gather outside with friends and family

*Light citrus or floral candles throughout your home or use remote control artificial lighting/candles

*Light up an essential oil machine and let the beautiful aroma fill your home and soul.

5. Lighter and brighter home

*Clean your windows, vacuum your screens, open the windows and let the fresh air inside!

*Pull the shades all the way up so the sun streams in

*Bring in nature from outside - cut flowers, branches, pussy willows, daffodils, tulips, hydrangeas, sea glass, shells and beautiful stones and rocks. Make arrangements for your home, and drop off some brightening the homes and lives of others.

These are just a few of our favorite seeds to plant into your heart and mind, to scatter into the areas you need help with…to lighten and brighten your home and life for this spring season. Remember that planting, growing, sowing and reaping happen all year long. There is always growth happening, even when we can’t see it.

So in this spring time of renewed hope, growth and expectant joy…enjoy the abundant beauty growing from all the seeds previously sown, by you or by others… continue planting the little seeds in the areas of your life where you would love to see even more growth. Remember, the seeds you plant and tend to, are the seeds that grow.

Plant seeds of love, joy, faith, hope and patience…and that’s what grows. Plant and tend to seeds of healthy living…and that is what you will produce. Plant and tend to those little habits that will grow into a meaningful, abundant lifestyle in your home and with all of your loved ones.

It’s the little things that nobody sees, that leads to the big things everybody wants. Just keep doing, planting and tending to the little, yet most important things.

Those seeds will all multiply, and you will eventually see growth. And the beauty, like spring, that bursts forth and blossoms at the perfect time, will continue to take your breath away… and leave you in complete awe.

For contractors, utility operators, homeowners, gardeners and landscapers,digging around homes where utility and service lines could be is dangerous and potentially costly.

During April, National Safe Digging Month, New York 811 urges community members to call 811 before putting shovels in the ground or beginning any project that requires digging or excavation.

By calling New York 811, areas, where digging will occur, will be checked by utility companies and areas where underground water, gas, electric, telecommunication and sewer lines are located are marked with different color paint or flags.

With this information, projects include planting trees, water sprinkler installations, gardening, landscaping, pool installations or other similar activities can be done safely.

Earth Day and Arbor Day both take place in the month of April.

On these days, people often plant trees, clean up properties and focus on protecting the environment. When planting trees near homes and close to streets and sidewalks, contacting New York 811 at least two business days before digging begins will help to ensure safety.

Those who plan on planting trees on Arbor Day this year should submit requests by Wednesday, April 18.

“April is a time when temperatures increase and spring home improvement and projects that involve digging begin. Although people may think digging is safe around their properties and homes, they may not know that utility and service lines lie just beneath the surface.

Even if excavating has been previously done, factors such as erosion, settling ground and other natural elements can shift the depth and location of utilities over time,” said Roger Sampson, executive director of New York 811. “In the

United States, every nine minutes an underground utility line is damaged. We remind everyone to contact us at New York 811 and we will alert the utility operators so they can mark where their utility line is buried. This will make sure areas are marked and safe to dig.”

Failing to call 811 raises the risk and potential for accidents and damage to buried lines. When underground gas, electric, power, water and other service lines are hit or damaged, major disruptions and outages can occur.

There is also the potential for serious injuries and financial implications. Many don’t know that utility and power lines can be buried just inches below the surface.

New York 811, Inc. is a non-profit organization that acts as the communications link between utility companies and contractors, individuals, private excavation companies and other utilities that are planning any digging activity in the five boroughs of New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island.

New York 811 provides services and programs that play a critical role in protecting one of the largest populated, congested and complicated underground infrastructures in the nation.

All calls to New York 811 and services offered to the public are free of charge; there is no fee to have areas marked by utility companies.

The team at New York 811 urges individuals and contractors to call at least 2-10 business days before the project begins to ensure all safety measures are in place. If unsure about areas being checked or marked, a follow-up call should be made to New York 811 before digging begins.

For further information about National safe Digging Month, New York 811or other questions you may have about digging, please visit their website.

Whatever the project you are dreaming of...large or small, Northern will turn your dream into reality!

COURTESY OF NEW YORK 811

811 employee draws out red markings to identify electric utility lines that lie beneath the ground. For identifying utilities under grass, colored flags are used.

Consumer eforts to be more eco-conscious are more and more noticeable. For proof of that, one need look no further than the increase in vehicle charging stations. Such stations are more accessible than ever and illustrate that consumer preference is increasingly leaning toward products that leave as small a carbon footprint as possible.

Another indicator of a growing interest in eco-friendly products is the popularity in energy-efcient homes. In fact, a recent survey from the National Association of Home Builders found that energy-efcient features are among the most soughtafter “must-haves” among homebuyers. Among those surveyed, 83 percent desired Energy Star-rated windows, 81 percent wanted Energy Star-rated appliances and 80 percent preferred energy-efcient lighting.

Though eco-conscious sensibilities compel millions of homeowners to make their homes more energyefcient, that’s not the only reason to upgrade your home. The following are a handful of the many benefts of energy-efcient homes.

· Save money: Infation was one of the biggest stories of 2022, as the cost of living rose dramatically in the wake of world events. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor

Statistics, infation led to an overall 6.5 percent increase in prices. But that increase was dwarfed by the cost of electricity, which increased by 14.3 percent in 2022. Energyefcient appliances can help homeowners overcome that spike, as the U.S. Department of Energy indicates upgrading to such products can help homeowners reduce their energy costs by as much as 30 percent.

· Improve resale value: As the NAHB survey indicates, modern homebuyers want energy-efcient homes. They’re also willing to pay more for such homes. Research from the mortgage lender Freddie Mac found that homes with energy-efcient ratings sold for nearly 3 percent more on average than homes without such ratings.

· Live healthier: The benefts of energy-efcient homes aren’t just economic, though health-related benefts certainly produce an economic incentive as well. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efcient Economy, insulation and air sealing protect individuals from heat waves and other ripple efects of climate change. The ACEEE notes that weatherization can improve indoor air quality and comfort, a notable beneft for asthma suferers and seniors. In fact, the ACEEE estimates that integrating energy efciency programs in homes could

reduce seniors’ risk for falls in their homes, potentially saving $2 billion in fall-related health care costs over the next decade, and improve asth-

ma outcomes, which could reduce health care costs by as much as half a billion dollars.

Energy-efcient products and

practices pay numerous dividends, making them a worthy expenditure for any homeowners looking to upgrade their homes.

Gardening is a worthwhile endeavor that not only passes the time, but can be a form of exercise and relief from the daily grind. Gardens also provide ample opportunity to experiment, as individuals can produce everything from vegetables to bountiful blooms.

Recent years have witnessed a growing emphasis on eco-friendly gardening that aims to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides in an efort to protect the planet. One

way to do so is to rely on native plants.

What are native plants?

Native plants are indigenous to particular regions. The National Wildlife Federation says native plants grow in habitats without human introduction or intervention. Native plants have formed symbiotic relationships with local wildlife over thousands of years, which the NWF notes makes them the most sustainable options.

Native plants help the environment

and thrive with little supplemental watering or chemical nutrients.

Natives vary by region

Native plants vary by region. In arid climates, certain succulents may be native because they don’t need much rainfall to thrive. In lush wetlands, succulents might be out of place.

Start native planting

The NWF ofers native plants for 36 diferent states that can be shipped

right to customers’ doors to help replenish native varieties. In addition, gardeners can visit local gardening centers to select native plants. Small and independently owned centers often feature knowledgeable local staf whose expertise can prove invaluable to individuals seeking native varieties.

It’s important to keep in mind that native varieties may look less cultivated than more exotic blooms

and foliages designed to sell for their unique appearances. Wildfowers and native grasses may be the types of native plants found in abundance, which may grow up and out quickly. These other tips can help the process.

· Plan and prepare the site by removing weeds and turning over the soil. This will give seedlings an opportunity to take root without competition from weeds. Seedlings will give gardens a faster head-start than waiting around for seeds to germinate. However, gardeners can start seeds indoors and then move them outside once they are seedlings.

· Avoid planting native plants in rows, as that’s not how they’re likely to grow naturally. Vary the placement so the plants look like they sprouted up haphazardly.

· Gardeners can still exert some control over native gardens prone to growing a little wild. Borders and paths can better defne the growing areas.

· Grow Native!, an initiative from the Missouri Prairie Foundation, suggests planting two to four species in broad sweeping masses or drifts. Mix grasses with fowering plants. The grasses produce dense, fbrous roots that can prevent weed growth.

Native plants should require minimal care. Keep an eye on them and supplement with water if conditions have been especially dry.

The season for fresh fruits and vegetables grown right in the backyard is upon us. Warm weather breathes life into fresh berries, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, and many other delectable fruits and vegetables.

Home gardens can be supplemented with delicious finds from the supermarket or farmer’s market, including melons, corn and more.

The bounty of the garden can be made more abundant and fruitful with the addition of the right soil amendments. Compost is a key element of rich, nutritious soil. Scraps from items that have been grown in the garden can then be reused in the production of the compost that feeds that same garden. It’s a continuous circle of garden life.

Getting started with compost is relatively easy. Homeowners should choose an outdoor space near the garden but far away from the home so that it won’t be disturbed by kids or animals. Some people opt for an open compost pile, while others choose closed bins to contain the possible smell and to camouflage the compost. A sunny spot will help the compost to develop faster, according to Good Housekeeping.

The next step is to start gathering the scraps and materials that will go into the compost. Better Homes and Gardens suggests keeping a bucket or bin in the kitchen to accumulate kitchen scraps. Here are some kitchen-related items that can go into the compost material:

· Eggshells

· Fruit peels

· Vegetable peels and scraps

· Coffee grounds

· Shredded newspaper

In addition to these materials, grass and plant clippings, dry leaves, bark chips, straw, and sawdust from untreated wood can go into the pile. Avoid diseased plants, anything with animal fats, dairy products, and pet feces.

Pottery classes available for all ages. Beginners welcome.

the perfect handmade gift all ages. Beginners welcome.

Consumers shopping around for home improvement projects may be leaning toward overhauls that can reduce energy consumption and save them money in the long run. This is a driving factor behind a growing number of homeowners investigating solar energy for their residences.

How does solar power work?

Solar power harnesses the sun’s energy and converts it into electricity that can be used in homes. Many people are familiar with photovoltaics (PV), which are the panels that absorb sunlight and create an electric field across their layers. Another solar technology, known as concentrating solar power, is primarily used in large power plants and is not appropriate for residential use, according to Energy.gov.

According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, hundreds of thousands of solar panels have been put in use across the United States since 2008 .

Costs associated with solar

The upfront expense of solar panels is significant, costing anywhere from $10,000 to $14,000 for initial installation. However, comparatively speaking, homeowners can spend $1,500 or more per year on electric-

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A low-maintenance pile has an equal amount of brown and green plant matter in the compost plus moisture to keep the bacteria growing and eating at the right rate. Aerating the compost occasionally, or turning the bin when possible, will allow the compost to blend and work together. Compost will take a few months to form completely, says the Planet Natural Research Center. The finished product will resemble a dark, crumbly soil that smells like fresh earth.

Compost will not only add nutrients to garden soil, but also it can help insulate plants and may prevent some weed growth. It is a good idea to start a compost pile as a free source of nutrition for plants and a method to reduce food waste in an environmentally sound way.

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ity, so solar panels will pay for themselves over time. Keep in mind that costs may vary depending on energy needs and how many panels will be required to service the system.

How much electricity can I expect?

The Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice says that the amount of power generated from a solar energy system depends on a few factors:

1. The average number of hours of direct, unshaded sunlight your roof gets each year;

2. The pitch (angle), age and condition of your roof, and the compass direction it faces;

3. The size and strength of your system; and

4. Environmental factors such as snow, dust or shade that may cover the system.

Save even more money

Consumers can contact their utility companies to find out if they provide homeowners who produce solar power with “net metering.” This program pays the homeowner money or gives credit for excess power the system produces and returns to the electric grid. Individuals also may be eligible for energy tax credits or other benefits.

Homeowners may find it worthwhile to explore solar energy, particularly if they consume a high amount of electricity.

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Sign up for summer kids classes coming soon!

Pottery classes available for all ages. Beginners welcome.

Sign up for summer kids classes coming soon!

Pottery classes available for all ages. Beginners welcome.

Pottery classes available for all ages. Beginners welcome.

Sign up for summer kids classes coming soon!

Sign up for summer kids classes coming soon!

HANDMADE POTTERYFOR THE perfect gift

HANDMADE POTTERYFOR THE perfect gift

Sign up for summer kids classes coming soon!

HANDMADE POTTERYFOR THE perfect gift

HANDMADE POTTERYFOR THE perfect gift

All work is made on Long Island and is one of a kind

All work is made on Long Island and is one of a kind

315AWillis Avenue, Mineola, NY11501 516-493-9490 • www.islandpotterystudio.com

HANDMADE POTTERYFOR THE perfect gift

All work is made on Long Island and is one of a kind

All work is made on Long Island and is one of a kind

Nassau County’s Premier Pottery Studio

315AWillis Avenue, Mineola, NY11501 516-493-9490 • www.islandpotterystudio.com

315AWillis Avenue, Mineola, NY11501 516-493-9490 • www.islandpotterystudio.com

315AWillis Avenue, Mineola, NY11501

Nassau County’s Premier Pottery Studio

All work is made on Long Island and is one of a kind

516-493-9490 • www.islandpotterystudio.com

Nassau County’s Premier Pottery Studio

Nassau County’s Premier Pottery Studio

LI Music, Entertainment Hall April events

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, located at 97 Main St., Stony Brook, New York announced its April 2023 music event line up. Most events during regular museum hours are free with purchase of general admission ticket. For more details please visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org/events/

On April 2 the Toby Tobias Ensemble will be performing from 3-4 p.m.

On April 16, The Como Brothers will be performing from 3-4 p.m.

On April 23 David Bennett Cohen will be performing from 3-4 p.m.

On April 30 Somehow Sorry will be performing from 3-4 p.m.

About THE TOBY TOBIAS ENSEMBLE

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Huntington Station-based Toby Tobias has immersed himself in many genres of American music while never leaving behind his roots in the rhythms and melodies of his homeland. His keen ear for intuitive arrangements is a hallmark of his writing and performance, and he has garnered a strong following on Long Island and in the tri-state area. The Toby Tobias Ensemble consists of some of the best musicians on Long Island and performing at LIME HoF will be:

Toby Tobias / Acoustic Guitar and Vocals

Bill Titus / Electric Guitar and Vocals

Glenn Palermo / Bass

Andy Witt / Drums

Michael Amendola / Tenor Saxophone

About The Como Brothers

Matt and Andrew Comoare musicians (singers,songwriters and performers) from Long Island who are passionate about songwriting, creating heartfelt lyrics and recording original music. Combining a pop and rock easy listening sound with a blues vibe, they have written and recorded multiple albums and EP’s of original songs. Their latest songs have been recorded with Grammy nominated engineer Kenta Yonesaka at Germano Studios in New York City. Matt and Andrew have toured the East Coast performing at venues such as the Hard Rock Café and The Cutting Room in New York City along with performances around the country from Hollywood, California to Texas’ South by Southwest, as well as Florida, Boston, New York City and more.

Matt and Andrew have had songs being featured in TV shows such as E! Network’s “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” MTV’s “The Real World” and The Oxygen Channel’s “Best Ink” and on global in-store playlists for H&M, Zara, Pull Bear among others. Their videos have been playlisted in U.S. stores like Walmart, Costco, BJs and others. The Como Brothers have established themselves as singer-songwriters working with industry legends such as drummer Steve Jordan (who performed with John Mayer, the Saturday Night Live band and Late Night with David Letterman), keyboardist Andy Burton (who was in Little Stephen & the Disciples of Soul), Aaron Sterling (Taylor Swift) and many more.

About David Bennett Cohen

David Bennett Cohen has been a professional musician for more than 60 years. Best known for his innovative keyboard playing as an original founding member of the ’60’s rock band, Country Joe and the Fish,he is an equally accomplished guitar player who has been involved in numerous music scenes throughout his varied career.

David began his musical education at the age of seven, studying classical piano for seven years. While studying the piano, he began to teach himself the guitar, beginning at the age of 12. When he was about 14, he heard boogie-woogie piano for the first time and was hooked. Since then, he has explored many different styles of blues and popular music. He was fortunate enough to have heard Otis Spann, Professor Longhair, Johnnie Johnson and other masters of the genre perform live.

Over the years, he has played and/or recorded with The Blues Project, Mick Taylor, The Luther Tucker Blues Band, Hubert Sumlin, Melvin Van Peebles, Happy and Artie Traum, Arlen Roth, Eric Anderson, David Blue, Tim Hardin, Norton Buffalo, Jerry Miller, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Buddy Miles, John Cippolina, Huey Lewis, Michael Bloomfield, Bob Weir, John Kahn, Johnnie Johnson, Jimmy Vivino, Jay Owens, Debbie Davies, Byther Smith, Bobby Kyle, Rocky Lawrence, Johnny B. Gayden, Sandra Feva and many others.

As a solo performer, he has shared the bill with Country Joe McDonald, Kenny Rankin, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Jerry Garcia, Leo Kottke, Rufus Thomas, Meatloaf, Booker T., The Roches, Kingfish, J. Giles and Magic Dick and many others.

About Somehow Sorry

Somehow Sorry are an American rock band formed on Long Island, New York. Their lineup consists of singer and guitarist Raine McCarthy, guitarist and singer John McCarthy, bass guitarist Robert Jay and drummer James Bosko.

Jay and Bosko’s influential playing styles rounded out to be a solid rhythm section for Somehow Sorry. John McCarthy’s guitar technique has created and has developed their unique sound. John and Rain’s voices, when combined, puts the signature on this project – with their harmonistic style to the lead vocals.

They are influenced by many rock and folk-rock bands, and their songs receive regular exposure.

Somehow Sorry developed from an earlier group, called D’Vine Ryte who toured extensively in the U.S. D’Vine Ryte, established themselves as part of the hard rock era of the late ’80’s and ’90’s and was signed to the Road Runner Records Label.

John and Raine McCarthy are noted for the “When Album” under the group D’Vine Ryte 1994. A seven song demo recorded at Modern Voices Records 1997 under recording artist John & Rain. “Fit to Be Tied” is a full length album recorded 2007 at Modern Voices Records, and it is the first release under the artist’s name Somehow Sorry – recorded with James Bosko on Drums and Paul Maugeri on Bass.

Their most recent release “Same Great Taste” is a full-length album recorded in 2021. Released under Rain Arts and Entertainment – the band’s independent label. It features nine original songs and one re-make.

Festival appearances at Woman’s Rights to Rock, Lilith Fair, Woodstock Revival and the CCAR Recovery Fest established their reputation as a respected rock act. Additionally, they have been supporting artist for many national rock acts including, Warrant, Nino Betancourt and Missing Persons.

The band consists of:

John McCarthy – Lead Vocal and Electric Guitar.

Raine McCarthy – Lead Vocal and Acoustic Guitar

Jimmy Bosko – Drums and Backing Vocals

Robert Jay – Bass Guitar WEBSITE: https://www.SomehowSorry.com

Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem

SMLI SMLI

Planeteers Holiday Workshop

@ 10am / $80-$90

Learn all about conser‐vation and small ways we can each help pre‐serve our planet in this Holiday Workshop. Sci‐ence Museum of Long Island, 1526 North Plan‐dome Road, Manhas‐set. corellana@ SMLI.org, 516-564-2274

Nate Charlie Music @ 6:30pm McQuade's Neighborhood Grill, 275 Merrick Rd, Lynbrook

Mike Cunningham @ 7pm Laura's BBQ Waterfront Restaurant and Bar, 76 Shore Rd, Glen Cove

Dudley Music @ 7pm Brixx & Barley, 152 W Park Ave, Long Beach

Tim Dillon Live @ 7pm / $35-$75

Andy Ascolese: Yes

Epics & Classics

Featuring Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks @ 8pm The Space at Westbury, 250 Post Ave, Westbury

Sat 4/15

Cedar Creek Park Spring Duathlon @ 8am / $44-$109 CEDAR CREEK PARK, 3340 Merrick Rd, Seaford

Art in Bloom at The Heckscher Museum

@ 12pm

Apr 15th - Apr 16th

The Heckscher Mu‐seum presents Art in Bloom featuring 12 beautiful �oral arrange‐ments inspired by art‐work on view. The Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Avenue, Huntington. info@ heckscher.org, 631380-3230

Thursday Apr 20th

Top Business Leaders of Nassau County Event presented by Blank Slate Media @ 6pm / $175

Leonard's Palazzo, 555 Northern Boulevard, Great Neck. stabakin@theisland360.com, 516-307-1045

Blank Slate Media hosts networking and recognition events throughout the year which include Top Business Leaders of Nassau County, Women of Dis‐tinction and 40 Under 40. Join us on April 20 to honor and recognize top busi‐ness leaders whose contributions have changed the landscape of how you live, work and play. In addition to their successes in their organizations, they have also taken on philanthropic endeavors that have made a difference and have had an impact on so many. Take the opportunity to network with these very accomplished individuals. Our keynote speaker is Jim McCann, founder and executive chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC. Our emcee is Emmywinning News 12 anchor and reporter Antoinette Biordi. For more informa‐tion, contact us at stabakin@theisland360.com or call 516-307-1045 x 206.

Nag's Head Ale House, 396 New York Ave, Huntington

Vanilla Fudge @ 8pm

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The Space at Westbury, 250 Post Ave, Westbury

The Genius of Cole Porter featuring Harvey Granat @ 3pm / $15

Girl Named Tom @ 8pm The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Hunting‐ton

The 90's Band @ 9pm

Paula Poundstone @ 8pm / $43-$60

Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. Jeanne Rimsky Theater, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. Richard@ landmarkonmain street.org, 516-7676444

On Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 3:00 p.m., Stephen C. Widom Cul‐tural Arts at Emanuel will present a virtual program, The Genius of Cole Porter, featuring Harvey Granat. Great Neck. missy150@opti mum.net, 516-482-5701

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd Spectacular @ 8pm / $35-$55

Tilles Center Concert Hall, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville

My Conversations with Elie Wiesel by Marvin Kalb @ 7pm

100 ALL DAY Indepen‐dent Projects (10 wks) @ 10am / $1000

Apr 17th - Jun 26th

The Long Island Academy of Fine Art, 14 Glen Street, SUITE 305, Glen Cove. 516-590-4324

UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Belmont Park - Long Is‐land

Gold Coast Cinema Series present

Somewhere in Queens @ 7pm / Free

Somewhere in Queens is an American comedy �lm directed by Ray Romano from a screen‐play by Romano and Mark Stegemann. Man‐hasset Cinemas, 430 Plandome Road, Man‐hasset. info@goldcoas tarts.org, 516-829-2570

Karen Bella @ 7pm Campagne House, 339 Broad‐way, Bethpage

Rachael Sage @ 8pm Hard Luck Café, 423 Park Ave, Huntington

Matt Rife @ 7:30pm / $25-$65

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

Fri

After School ProgramsFlorence Brownstein at Chabad - Nursery & PreK 12:05pm - 5 Classes @ 12:05pm / $125

Apr 21st - May 19th

Chabad of Port Washington Gym, 80 Shore Road, Port Washington. 516-801-3533

Cuthbert Live: Solo at Insieme Wines @ 7pm Insieme Wines & Tasting Room, 3333 Lawson Blvd, Oceanside

Michelle Jameson @ 7pm South Shore Craft Brewery, 3505 Hampton Rd, Oceanside

Brendan Brisk Band @ 8pm Barrier Brewing Co., 3001 New St Unit A2, Oceanside

Gimme Gimme Disco @ 8pm

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4/21 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Mulcahy's Pub and Concert Hall, 3232 Railroad Ave, Wan‐tagh

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Baseball on speed is too fast for my tastes

Rick Reilly wrote that he loved baseball but stopped watching it when the games got slower than sloth races, that is, until this year now that baseball has installed the wonderful, brain-saving clock. I, too, love baseball, but not as much as I used to since as one gets older there are so many other distractions that one must deal with in life.

My love for baseball began during winter in early 1951 when I found a baseball card of “Whitey” Ford on the sidewalk in the street on New York City’s Lower East Side. Shortly thereafter, piquing my interest, I caught on the radio station WINS the voice of the Yankees, Mel Allen, broadcasting a Yankees’ spring training game from St. Petersburg and I became hooked on the sport. Mel’s broadcasting the game was one thing, but it was his sharing specifc history of the game which remains indelibly stuck in my mind, especially the most important numbers of the game.

Sixty was the greatest number in the game for the longest period of time. How about 2,130 or 56? Most baseball fans should know that 60 was Babe Ruth’s 1927 single-season, home run record that stood for 34 years until Roger Maris

broke it with 61 in 1961. 2,130 was Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played that ended in 1939 until Cal Ripken broke it in 1995, some 56 years later. But then there’s the 56 that stood high above in Yankees’ lore. The 56 was Joe DiMaggio’s record, set in 1941, for the most consecutive games hitting safely. That earned Joe the American League’s Most Valuable Player award.

But baseball is a game also of argument. The award given DiMaggio for his accomplishment was questioned. How is that possible you ask? 1941 happened to be the same year that Ted Williams became the last player to reach .400 when he batted .406. Mel certainly made the game more interesting. But let’s face it. In reality, baseball is a game of numbers and statistics. If you screw around with the numbers, you screw around with the game.

Getting back to speeding up baseball, as a young boy, how great was it to go to the ballpark and root for your team and hope that the day would never end? Being at the ballpark was ecstasy. The longer the game, the better. The longest game in baseball history? Twenty-six innings! Baseball is like a novel. It tells a story with so many twists and turns. At

times it created greatness.

Unlike other sports, there are so many more variables. Let’s take a simple one like batting, like the concentration needed to make sure that you don’t get hit in the face with a baseball traveling 90 miles an hour or more. Pitchers also must be ready for a ball coming of the hitter’s bat at over 100 miles an hour. Check out a pitcher by the name of Herb Score. He was a Sandy Koufax to be before Sandy Koufax, but In baseball, you need time to think, even if it’s for only a split second. “What if the ball is hit to me, what should I do?” or “Should I throw a fast ball, curve or change up?” or “If he attempts to steal, what should I do?” or, or, or “or to the Nth power. Let’s not forget that baseball is a thinking game. So many variables. When a clock is used to speed up the game, the focus is no longer be on the ability of the players but more on how fast they can get things done.

With the new clock rule, crazy things are bound to happen and in a spring training game this year, it already happened. In a Braves-Red Sox game, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game, Cal Conley of the Braves walked with the bases loaded on

a 3-2 pitch to apparently win the game, but the umpire ruled him out because he wasn’t set in the box as the clock wound down under 8 seconds. The penalty is an automatic strike which led to the game fnishing in a tie. The pitcher got the strikeout after throwing only two real strikes. A batter can also walk after only three balls are called.

Baseball doesn’t need a time clock. Between pitches, there ain’t nothing like sipping some beer quickly to make sure you don’t miss any action. There’s so many stoppages that it’s easy to fnish a can of beer and enjoy the game even more, You want a shot clock? Basketball has it because it’s a fast-moving game. The pros must get a shot of before 24 seconds are up. The moves the players make are breathtaking. Speed! Speed! Speed!

You ever watch a game when the score is close moving into the fnal two or three minutes? Each team could have four timeouts and with substitutions, those fnal two minutes could take longer than the ofcial 12-minute time for a quarter. This is the epitome of slow motion in action.

Baseball? I want my money’s worth. If the baseball game is over fast, I can

run to my smart phone and tell all my friends about how long it’s taking for me to get out of the stadium’s parking lot. Speed! Speed! Speed! Hurry. The world is coming to an end.

Let me respond to a comment made by Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts to Mr. Reilly who said, “If we’d had a pitch clock my entire career, I might have learned how to play the violin by now.” What Mr. Roberts failed to mention is that playing the violin would probably have earned him a minimum wage salary. Let the players earn their millions by working longer hours. If you really want to speed up the game, reduce the number of advertisements shown during the game.

Baseball should be treated more like a rock star performing at a concert where their fans are shouting “MORE! MORE! MORE!” like they never want it to end. As Mel Allen would say, baseball’s “a Ballantine Blast”, with afrmation by the “Voice of Basketball”, Marv Albert, with his declaration of an emphatic “YES!” You want a time clock? For baseball, it should be the sound of alarm.

Alvin Goldberg Great Neck

We must guard against rising antisemitism

We like to assume that it will never happen again. No, we are far too sophisticated and we have experienced far too much obliteration of human life to ever witness, allow, tolerate such gross inhumanity. No, it won’t happen again.

But it is back. It is real. The pernicious specter of antisemitism has emerged from its Stygian crypt and is displaying its dog whistles, its ugly, vile rhetoric, its nonsense fused with abject

hatred. The evidence is as real as the sun is in the sky.

In the year 2022, the Anti-Defamation League pinpointed 3,697 antisemitic incidents throughout the United States, a 36% increase over 2,717 incidents amassed in the year 2021. The 2022 tally was the highest mark since the ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.

As the ADL clearly and dramatically clarifes on its website: “The dra-

matic increase in antisemitic incidents in 2022 in almost all categories cannot be attributed to any one cause or ideology.

“Signifcant surges in incidents include high volume increases in organized white supremacist propaganda activity (102% increase to 852 incidents), K-12 schools (49% increase to 494 incidents) and college campuses (41% increase to 219 incidents), as well as deeply troubling percentage

increases in attacks on Orthodox Jews (69% increase to 59 incidents) and bomb threats toward Jewish institutions (an increase from eight to 91 incidents).”

The ADL goes on to state that:

“The states with the highest number of incidents are New York (580), California ( 518), New Jersey (408), Florida (269) and Texas (211).”

This ignominy does not bespeak the New York that I know. It is a shame-

ful distinction that needs to be addressed at the state and local level. I, as a citizen of North Hempstead, would like to know exactly what the current administration in North Hempstead is doing to combat this scourge, ofering hopefully an appropriate antidote for any possible anti-semitic outburst in our Town.

Brian Kilgannon Carle Place

There’s more to the late state budget

Continued from Page 18

Liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, we would all be better of if our Assembly and Senate members took the time to actually read, line by line, any proposed legislation before voting. Their legislative actions impact both our economic and civil liberties. Future generations have to pay for and live with the consequences. There

should have been an open budget process agency by agency. The public, media and members of the Legislature should have been aforded sufcient time to read the fne print line by line, page by page and conduct an open debate before adoption.

It is still business as usual in Albany. Upon retirement, too many members of the Assembly, Senate and their em-

ployees join the thousands of infamous State Street Albany lobbyists. They subsequently return to the Capital on behalf of their new employers for client “favors.” Albany lobbyists, just like in Washington, play a behind-the-scenes role in assisting members and staf of the state Legislature to write and insert favorable language for clients into bills. This is buried in the fne print contained

within the hundreds of bills and annually adopted state budget. This is known as a quid pro quo

Lobbyists purchase tickets to elected ofcials’ fund-raising events held during evening hours after the daily legislative sessions. They also have their own political action committees make direct campaign contributions to candidates running for another term. Former

elected ofcials and their staf supplement generous state pension plans by double-dipping as lobbyists. Upon retirement, they win the trifecta by also collecting Social Security.

This is a nice gig which ordinary taxpayers can only dream about.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Abrahams blasts Legislature’s hiring of Leventhal

Continued from Page 20

Professionally, Leventhal has served as Town of Hempstead ethics counsel, president of the Nassau County Bar Association and consultant to the United Nations Ethics Of-

fce.

Leventhal has also served multiple municipalities in diferent legal roles, including Manorhaven, Flower Hill, Massapequa Park and Lattingtown.

inspector general’s ofce brought the disclosure issue to light after reviewing documents.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jen-

nifer DeSena, a Republican, tried to appoint Leventhal to special counsel for the town’s Board of Ethics, but Town Democrats blocked the resolution.

The Town majority said during the September Town Board meeting that outside counsel can be requested by the board when needed, which they have not done as of now.

Stefanizzi named a healthcare emerging leader

Nick Stefanizzi, CEO of Northwell Direct, has been named one of the Top 25 Emerging Leaders of 2023 by Modern Healthcare for his work in bringing much-needed health services to employers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Launched during the darkest days of the pandemic, Northwell Direct uses an integrated health care management approach to help employers bend the cost curve, improve productivity and keep their employees healthy. Northwell Direct is owned by Northwell Health, New York state’s largest health system.

“As we continue to look for ways to provide health and wellness services at a lower cost, with a superior experience, going directly to employers, there is no one better suited to lead that journey for Northwell other than Nick Stefanizzi,” said Joseph Moscola, the executive vice president of enterprise services for Northwell Health.

Northwell Direct created testing, triage and navigation programs for some of the largest companies in the region,

including RXR, JetBlue and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. These testing programs were designed to meet the needs of the employers so they could keep their businesses operating while ensuring employee safety.

Northwell Direct administered 4,526 COVID-19 tests in 2020, 28,549 in 2021 and 29,690 in 2022.

Additionally, as the response to the pandemic evolved, Northwell Direct began administering on-site vaccinations for employers such as Amazon, Madison Square Garden and the New York Power Authority. Northwell Direct distributed more than 5,100 vaccines in 2021 and 2022.

In the waning days of the pandemic, Northwell Direct has diversifed and expanded the services it ofers to employers. Services now focus on employee resiliency, health and wellbeing and employee beneft solutions for employers with self-funded insurance programs.

This includes working with the New York Police Department to provide behavioral health triage, navigation and

care for all 36,000 uniformed ofcers, collaborating with the United States Department of State to provide virtual provider consultations to support the

100,000 diplomats and family members deployed abroad, and providing a highperforming narrow network for team member benefts to more than 90,000 employees from self-funded employers in the New York metro area – including Northwell’s own team members. Since its launch, Northwell Direct has experienced exponential year-over-year growth, and is one of the fastest-growing initiatives at Northwell Health.

“I am honored by the recognition and humbled to be included among such an illustrious group of healthcare leaders across the country,” said Stefanizzi. “Working for Northwell has been an absolute privilege, and I am grateful for the opportunities I have been aforded by the organization over the last 14 years to support and lead a variety of strategic priorities. I am so proud of the team we have built at Northwell Direct and the impact we are having on cost, quality, access and experience, and I believe we will have a transformational impact through the work we are doing on innovative payment and delivery models

in partnership with employers and their team members.”

Stefanizzi, 35, has been with Northwell Health for 14 years, serving in various roles, including assistant vice president for HR innovation and organization efectiveness, as well as director of management services for Northwell’s ambulatory network.

In 2016, he served as the chief administration ofcer and interim CEO of Formativ Health, a joint-venture founded by Northwell Health that enhanced the patient and provider experience and access to health care.

Stefanizzi received a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Boston University and his MBA in healthcare administration from Hofstra University.

Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Emerging Leaders highlight the fexibility, innovation and talent represented by this generation of under-40 leaders. For more information, go to:

https://www.modernhealthcare. com/awards/top-25-emerging-leaders-2023

N.S. University exec. director gets expanded role

Northwell Health today announced the appointment of Jon Sendach to deputy regional executive director for the health system’s central region. The role is an expansion of his current duties as executive director at North Shore University Hospital.

Sendach, a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, assumed leadership of NSUH in January 2020, just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic. He successfully navigated the 800-bed quaternary care hospital through the worst of the pandemic while maintaining its world-class cardiac, neurology and transplant programs, and he led the hospital through the evolution of its campus, which included the construction of the 280,000-square-foot Petro-

celli Advanced Surgical Pavilion.

“Jon Sendach is a seasoned health care executive with an exceptional record of success,” said Dr.John D’Angelo,senior vice president and regional executive director for Northwell Health’s central region. “I’m excited to have him join the executive team of Northwell’s largest region, where we’ll leverage his broad experience and record of building best in class clinical programs across the Nassau County and Queens markets.”

Sendach has held leadership posts in the health system for nearly 20 years, demonstrating success at several stops, including associate executive director of operations and deputy executive director at NSUH. Prior to that, he served as associate executive director of fnance at

Glen Cove Hospital. He began his career at Northwell as a staf emergency medical technician at the Center for EMS. Prior to Northwell, Jon worked as a senior account executive in the New York health and medical practice at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and a master’s in public administration from the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.

“The experience of the last few years has only cemented the importance of organizing and executing care delivery by leveraging our regional strength,” said Sendach, who is board-certifed in health care management. “I am excited for the opportunity to work in this ex-

panded role to deliver on that expectation.”

NSUH is a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital that treats more than 90,000 patients each year. It is home to the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital, theKatz Women’s Hospital, neurosurgery, multi-organ transplant services and one of the busiest emergency departments in the New York Metropolitan area. It is a Magnet-recognized hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which spotlights excellence in nursing. Seven critical care units at the hospital have earned the Beacon Award for Excellence by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, which highlights evidence-based practices to improve patient and family outcomes.

2023 Student Research Day at SUNY O. Westbury

From an assessment of taurine as a cognitive enhancer to the view among students about the good and bad of ChatGPT, research and discovery from the world-renowned to the campusbased will be the focus of the day when the State University of New York at Old Westbury holds “2023 Student Research Day: Rights and Responsibilities” on Tuesday, April 18.

The 2023 theme for the event is “Rights and Responsibilities: What do rights and responsibilities mean to you?” which has attracted more than 70 student participants who will present their work through oral presentations, poster exhibits and artistic displays.

“Research Day is a showcase for the intelligence, interests and viewpoints of our students,” said Betty Berbari, the event’s organizer and assistant dean of the school of arts and sciences. “Whether a student is studying in the sciences, public policy, business, visual arts or any other feld, we challenged them to question the world around them, to explore what’s has gone on before and, in some cases, to surmise what might

happen as we go forward.”

While much of the day’s activity surrounds the work of student-researchers enrolled in courses in the college’s schools of arts and sciences, business, education and professional

studies, a highlight of the program will be the 1 p.m. keynote address by Max Kerner, founder and executive director of the Bard Prison Initiative, which among many notable achievements was the subject of the acclaimed documentary flm “College Behind Bars,” directed by Lynn Novick, produced by Sarah Botstein and executive produced by Ken Burns.

SUNY Old Westbury’s Student Research Day takes place in the Multipurpose Rooms of the college’s Student Union from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Complete information on the day can be found on the SUNY Old Westbury website.

Max Kenner is founder and executive director of the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) which enrolls incarcerated women and men in academic programs that culminate in degrees from Bard College.

A leading advocate for the restoration of college-in-prison, Kenner frequently speaks publicly on issues of education and criminal justice. He is also co-founder of the Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison, which supports colleges

and universities in establishing college-in-prison projects nationwide, and also of the Bard Microcollege, which establishes rigorous, tuition-free college opportunities within urban areas in partnership with community-based institutions.

At Bard College, Kenner serves as vice president for institutional initiatives and advisor to the president on public policy and college affairs. He has been a fellow-in-residence at the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American history at Harvard University and has served on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s New York State Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration since its inception. He is the recipient of many awards including the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s New Frontier Award and the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Education. In addition to the “College Behind Bars” documentary, which aired on PBS in 2019, BPI has fgured prominently in the media, including but not limited to features on 60 Minutes, PBS News Hour, the New York Times Magazine and the Washington Post.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NORTHWELL HEALTH

Northwell Direct CEO Nick Stefanizzi was named one of the Top 25 Emerging Leaders of 2023 by Modern Healthcare.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY NORTHWELL HEALTH

Jon Sendach has been appointed to deputy regional executive director for Northwell’s central region.

At research day, SUNY Old Westbury students present their findings through speeches, poster presentations, artistic displays and more.

Business&RealEstate

How will the housing market do in 2023?

It sure does appear that our market is still moving expeditiously along, although in some areas it’s a bit slower depending on the listing price, type of property, location and school district as well as the negotiability of the sellers today.

There are still some buyers who qualify for a mortgage and are putting down 20% to 30% with 700 credit scores or better and low debt/income ratios, making it easier to qualify for their fnancing. Then again, there are others purchasing for cash and buying outright without any fnancing.

This appears to be relevant in the states and locations where a majority of purchasers have moved from higher-priced states.

The top 10 states that have had losses in population in 2022 and 2023 (and some over the last 10 years) New York, Illinois, Hawaii, California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to the Census Bureau. New Jersey is 11th on the list.

There are some obvious reasons for population decline in those states. The cost of living and real estate and state taxes were the main cause, especially for those not earning an adequate income. Many have been laid

of and more will be let go over the next six to 36 months.

Major corporations like Amazon had doubled the number of employees as the head count peaked in 2021 with 1.6 million full-time and parttime employees (excluding external contractors). However, in 2022, layofs reduced that number to 1.54 million employees from the start of the pandemic continuing through 2022. Layofs have continued as an additional 27,000 have been let go. Sales have drastically retreated in many industries, creating the immediate need to cut expenses, meaning more layofs. Many hi-tech companies’ sales have been reduced as more individuals have made the decision to work remotely and companies are cutting back their budgets and purchasing less equipment and technology.

Layofs will continue as long as there is pressure on company sales and profts, refecting the continuing impact that our pandemic has made on a multitude of companies and our economy. As layofs continue there will be a lag efect in the way that foreclosures and short sales will occur. For those whose businesses have failed or who have lost their jobs and are currently homeowners, it would

PHILIP A. RAICES Real Estate Watch

be prudent today to take advantage of the higher prices, plan ahead and consider selling and cashing out, while you have a substantial amount of equity gained over the last few years. This is an opportune time to get out so you can leave with an ample sum of money in your bank account. Why wait until prices moderate lower in the future? Long Island has seen strength in the market with buyers still out trying to fnd their next place to call home. However, some buyers have hopped back on the fence to wait it

out until rates go lower. This may take a few years based on where infation and our economy are currently.

Lawrence Yun, economist for the National Association of Realtors’ research, said statistics showed that people living out West, where fve out of the 10 most expensive cities are in California, have seen the greatest price reductions. San Jose was the most expensive place to purchase a home in the nation in the fourth quarter of 2022 when the median price was $1.57 million. It is now down 5.8% from a year ago, and prices there have already dropped 17% from the peak of $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2022. According to N.A.R, San Francisco had the largest price drop in the country, year over year, last quarter, with a median price of $1.23 million, down 6.1%.Homes there were already down 21% in the fourth quarter of 2022 from the peak median price of $1.55 million in the second quarter. Other cities where prices were down are Los Angeles; Boulder, Colo.; Boise, Idaho, and others. Prices have increased in many areas by as much as 42% over the last three years, said Yun, noting that the swelling of prices has far surpassed wage increases and consumer price

infation since 2019.

Single and multi-family homes have still increased, although at a much slower pace than in the last two years. However, co-ops have done extremely well and have increased, I believe, due to the lower price points and they are much more afordable, compared to condos and homes allowing those entering the market to become homeowners. As you can see, our areas are still doing quite well, even though interest rates have increased, there are cash purchasers still buying and even with the loss of population, demand is still fairly strong. However, no one can predict the future.

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

Phishing: A Real and Present Danger to Small Business

Phishing is a form of cyber fraud that uses bogus emails in order to lure victims to part with something of value, such as passwords and credit cards. It does this by mimicking a trusted sender, convincing an employee to click a link. This immediately installs malware like viruses and ransomware to the company’s network where it can access invaluable data.

Sandwire Technology Group fights back on behalf of its clients, small and midsize businesses (SMBs), with limited budgets. Our CyberSafe stack serves as a defensive shield, featuring:

• Email/data backup to retrieve and restore data

• Spam filtration, secure email platform

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven anti-phishing software

• Dark web monitoring/credential exposure protection

• Employee training with phishing tests and educational videos

Phishing emails are becoming increasingly difficult to spot, a trend that sees no end. Today, nearly every major data breach begins with a successful attack. Is your company protected?

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OBITUARIES, TRIBUTES AND MEMORIES

Share thoughts of those who have passed. Honor the memories of your loved one with your message of remembrance and love. Tributes will appear in-print in a Blank Slate Media newspaper and on-line at theisland360.com.

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2022 NYPA Better Newspaper Contest

Recent Real Estate Sales in the

149

Emory Road, Mineola

3 bd, 2 ba, 1,344 sqft, Sold On: 12/23/22, Sold Price: $605,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Mineola

105 Brown Street,

Mineola

3 bd, 1 ba, Sold On: 12/27/22, Sold Price: $705,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: East Williston

141

Cornwell Avenue, Williston Park

4 bd, 4 ba, 2,290 sqft, Sold On: 11/15/22, Sold Price: $1,150,000 Type: Single Family, Schools: Herricks

139 Hughes Place, Albertson

4 bd, 2 ba, Sold On: 1/5/23, Sold Price: $700,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Herricks

Editor’s note: Homes shown here were recently sold in New Hyde Park, the Willistons, Mineola and surrounding areas by a variety of real estate agencies. This information about the home and the photos were obtained through the Zillow.com. The homes are presented solely based on the fact that they were recently sold in New Hyde Park, the Willistons, Mineola and are believed by Blank Slate Media to be of interest to our readers.

National group takes aim at local schools

Continued from Page 1

Balaban said the work Project Veritas does should not be viewed in a partisan light because videos showing what educators are saying are not prompted by a political agenda.

“We at Project Veritas don’t see anything political about informing parents and the community, wherever it might be, about what teachers or educators are saying about how they educate, and on occasions, indoctrinate children.”

In a video released on March 13, Gately said teachers now have kids with some parents that are “extremely conservative and right-wing.”

“Now you’re gonna have people make –they’re gonna connect politics to DEI work,” Gately continued.

The email signed by “Manhasset Parents”

called for the school district to launch an investigation into Gately and for him to be placed on leave until the probe is fnished.

“We request that the Board of Trustees promptly place Dr. Gately on leave until the investigation is complete,” according to the email.

“As you know, the board has a legal and fduciary obligation to investigate this matter and we therefore respectfully request your immediate attention.”

Casameto, in previous videos published by Project Veritas, also discussed diversity, equity and inclusion work to the organization’s unidentifed reporter.

Comments made by Casamento include: “I think I said this before, but people don’t give up power, you have to take it from them…you stop

hiring those types of people [conservatives]…we created a whole rubric for hiring in light of DEI.”

The video continues, showing him saying: “It’s all secret. So, I would rank them [conservatives] so low [in their interview process] that their score couldn’t possibly raise them up to the level of moving on to the cabinet.”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion curriculum has been a target of conservative groups, with some claiming educators are attempting to indoctrinate school-age children with discussion inappropriate for the classroom.

Manhasset Superintendent Gaurav Passi, in a March 17 letter to the Manhasset community, said parental input about curriculum is welcomed by the school district and that classroom instruction is outlined in Board of Educa-

tion meetings archived on the district’s YouTube page.

Passi said a majority of conversations surrounding students’ education and instruction are resolved at the classroom level, occasionally being escalated to the administrative level.

Some teachers and parents in East Williston contended that Project Veritas’ video had been edited and highlighted the most revealing comments.

Balaban said that claims against the organization having deceptive video tactics or dubbedover videos are not followed up with what specifcally is incorrect or misleading.

“They won’t say which part or which sentence or which words that we published that weren’t what they meant,” Balaban said. “I haven’t seen any of these people say, ‘I didn’t say so and so thing’. There was no denial of the words that came out of that individual’s mouth.”

Project Veritas was founded by James O’Keefe in 2011 and describes itself as a nonproft organization that “investigates and exposes corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud and other misconduct in both public and private institutions.”

O’Keefe, who was known for targeting Democratic ofcials and groups, left his post in February.

The organization’s 2020 revenue, according to the most recently accessible tax flings, was $20.7 million. The group reported more than $4.5 million in legal fees in 2020 and $20.6 million in expenditures, according to the flings.

Project Veritas’ list of prominent right-wing supporters includes former President Donald Trump and Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, according to multiple reports.

Virginia Thomas collected nearly $600,000 in anonymous donations for a Republican group called Crowdsourcing for Culture and Liberty, which were reportedly obtained “through a right-wing think tank in Washington,” according to the Washington Post. Little information was available on Crowdsourcing for Culture and Liberty in the Post article or other reports.

The newspaper said $400,000 out of the total $600,000 in donations was funneled in through Donors Trust, a nonproft donor-advised fund source that has also supported Project Veritas with millions of dollars since 2014.

Donors Trust was described by Mother Jones, a media organization, as a fxture in the conservative movement, with its fve-member board channeling money into right-wing organizations.

East Side access changing commuters’ schedules

Continued from Page 2

Upon leaving Port Washington, all 12 of the train’s cars had fewer than 35% of seats taken. The most densely populated areas were the fve cars in the back of the lineup, with the peak occupancy estimated at 33 people in one car, according to the MTA Train Time app.

Each car can seat a maximum of 110 passengers.

Seats began to fll up more as the train stopped at the following three stops before arriving at Penn Station. Upon leaving Great Neck, the last station before Manhattan, the back fve cars had reached the 50-85% range of seats taken. The highest occupancy of a single car was 72 passengers, according to the app.

The occupancy of the 7:54 Port Washington train after leaving Glen Cove, the fnal stop

before Penn Station. (Screenshot from the MTA Train Time app)

The middle four cars stayed within the 3550% range of seats taken, and the front three cars continued to have fewer than 35% of seats taken.

While on the nearly 30-minute stretch between Great Neck and Penn Station, multiple passengers spoke among themselves about their frustration with the changes. Grievances included the schedule changes made to the LIRR timetables, while others criticized Grand Central Station for a confusing layout.

Dave Neugebauer, a nearly 30-year-long commuter from Sea Clif who hopped onto the train at the Port Washington station, said he had utilized the LIRR’s Port Washington branch for the shorter commute. Yet that short commute

has now become longer by nearly 20 minutes, he said.

Sea Clif is closer to the Oyster Bay branch, but LIRR trains do not run directly to Penn Station with the new schedule, requiring transfers at Jamaica that make commuting times nearly an hour and a half.

While trips to Penn Station along the Port Washington branch are not that long, Neugebauer said many people move to Port Washington for that convenience, which is now diminished due to longer commuting times and longer wait times between trains.

Neugebauer said he has also had to change his commuting schedule as his previous train does not run any longer.

The 7:54 a.m. train is the only train out of Port Washington that arrives at Penn Station

within the hour before 9 a.m.

He said he used to arrive at his ofce around 8:20 a.m. but now gets there closer to 9 a.m. This is due to fewer trains running to Penn Station and providing riders with fewer options with longer wait times between departures.

While Neugebauer said the addition of a few more express trains into Penn Station would be benefcial, the negative aspects of the new schedule refect growing pains.

“It’s been a little more difcult at the beginning, but you know, once you settle into a routine you just make it work,” Neugebauer said.

The train arrived at Penn Station at 8:36 a.m., six minutes late but with 24 minutes for commuters to arrive for a 9 a.m. work day. Approximately 573 people arrived at Penn Station on the 7:54 a.m. train from Port Washington.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Donald Gately Manhasset assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and personnel, left, and his wife, Danielle Gately, who serves as East Williston superintendent.

Mineola robotics team shocks themselves

Continued from Page 1

ects, the Mineola kids were prepared to go home and apply what they’ve learned for future years.

But then, the judges announced Mineola as a winner and a team that got to advance to the FIRST World Championship on April 19-23 in Houston.

Now, armed with a $5,000 entry fee paid for by NASA, a group of two dozen Mineola robotics students and their coaches are headed for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We had no idea and no thought we were going to win, so all of our faces were just stunned when we found out,” Azeharie said. “It was the most amazing moment.”

The FRC team at Mineola was formed in 2018, under the direction of co-coaches Kuri DiFede and Andrew Woolsey, and slowly became a hit with students.

“This was our superintendent Dr. (Michael) Nagler’s vision, to have a group of kids who really were interested in technology and building

have a chance to work on some special things,” DiFede said. “We started with eight kids, now we have 30 on the team.”

The actual process of building “Ghost” began in early January, when the rules and instructions were given out by the national FIRST judges (FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) for teams across America.

This year’s challenge involved building a robot that could pick up traffic cones and beach balls, and place them in certain areas.

“Until we get the assignment, we train new people on the team and work on practice robots,” said sophomore Julia Manevitz. “We look at what we did last year, we work on our swerve drive (which enables a robot to move and work in all directions) and just try to be ready to go when the project is revealed.”

Starting from scratch, and running into supply chain issues, the Mineola team raced to finish in time to present “Ghost” in regional compe-

titions, including one at Hofstra University and the one in Rochester, where they were selected as the team worthy of the “Engineering Inspiration award,” given to the squad who most “advances respect and appreciation for engineering within the school and community.”

“This is so much about the students and their drive and determination,” Woolsey said. “Kuri and I are along for the ride. These kids take leadership roles, and tell us ‘we need to buy this’ or “why don’t we try doing it this way.'” They’re so devoted and hard-working.”

“We spend a lot of hours in the winter working on this, but we love it,” Manevitz said. “A lot of our friends wonder where we’re spending all of our time doing this, but it’s so much fun and we have such a good group.”

Manevitz and Azeharie, a junior, said the team first built some of the acessories to “Ghost” like an elevator and a cascading lift, and then built a wooden model of the robot to work off of and study.

The team is as diverse as can be; DiFede said the squad speaks 13 different languages, and has made outreach to other communities a major part of their work. They’re currently helping start an FTC Outreach team in Italy, for example.

“I love being in the community and showing others about how much fun robotics can be,” Azeharie said. “We are trying to reach out to communities (in Mineola) that may not have access to learning coding and doing things like this.”

In Houston on April 19, the Mineola squad will be competing against teams from all over the world. NASA has paid the entry fee (the team hopes to tour the NASA headquarters while in Houston) but the school district and students are responsible for travel and hotel costs.

“It’s expensive but we’re so grateful the district and community support us,” DiFede said. “These kids have such a passion for doing this and we’re lucky to be able to show them experiences like going to a world championship.”

Father, son team up to prevent drug overdoses

Continued from Page 10

The father and son started their program in November, but Alex Rubin said they had been brainstorming the idea since the beginning of 2022 in the wake of their family friend’s death.

Alex and Edward Rubin with the Village of East Hills officials for their Nov. 13 training.

(Photo courtesy of Edward Rubin)

Edward Rubin said their purpose is to educate teenagers, their families and the broader community about the risk of fentanyl-laced substances and drug overdoses, combining it with comprehensive Narcan training to reverse an overdose if it does happen.

The father-son team with Kathie Lombardi, the outreach coordinator for the guidance and counseling center, have offered overdose prevention talks at the East Hills park, Temple Beth Shalom, two at Roslyn High School and at Paul D. Schreiber High School. Their next session will be at the Shelter Rock Public Library on May 11.

During their talks, each person represents a different aspect of the community and the issue at hand. Alex Rubin shares the statistics and the insight of teenagers experimenting with drugs, Edward Rubin utilizes his phar-

macological background to share the medical aspects and Lombardi provides the formal Narcan training and shares her experience as a former drug user.

Attendees are provided overdose prevention kits, which include two doses of Narcan and fentanyl test strips. Similar kits have also been implemented in about 50 Nassau County buildings for use in emergencies.

Alex Rubin said it is important to include two doses of Narcan in case administering the first dose does not work. The kit also includes a card to present at a pharmacy for Narcan refills, which informs a pharmacist that you are trained to administer it.

The overdose rescue kits include two doses of Narcan, two fentanyl test strips with instructions, a rescue breathing face shield, gloves, a Narcan training certificate and an information pamphlet from the Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling Services. (Photo by Cameryn Oakes)

Edward Rubin said one of the key aspects of their educational presentations is that people cannot be guaranteed that illegal drugs they purchase are not laced with fentanyl. This is why the fentanyl test strips are important.

He said the community is not facing an is-

sue where teenagers are seeking out fentanyl, but rather are buying recreational drugs illegally, like Xanax and oxycodone, that can be laced with the highly fatal substance.

Alex Rubin said a common misconception is that Narcan will encourage teenagers to use drugs as they will now have a “magic, fix-itall” treatment for overdoses, but he stressed that this is an emergency drug intended to prevent overdose deaths.

His father said parents commonly ask about this during their seminars, wondering if this will greenlight drugs for their children. But he assures them that the intent is to educate people on the risks of drug experimentation while still having resources in the case of an emergency.

Edward Rubin compared Narcan and overdose prevention training to providing teenagers with condoms, a historically criticized act for potentially promoting underage sex.

It’s a fact of life that teenagers are going to experiment sexually and drug experimentation is also a reality. Rather than take the abstinence approach to overdose prevention, the father and son are approaching it like condoms to prevent any harmful or fatal outcomes.

Just as condoms have become normalized

despite negative pushback, Edward Rubin said Narcan can be treated the same way.

Edward Rubin said fentanyl, a drug commonly used in operating rooms by anesthesiologists, is not inherently an evil drug, but it is the uncontrolled and uninformed use that leads to deaths.

As an owner and operator of a surgery center in Garden City, Edward Rubin said purchasing fentanyl is fairly inexpensive. He said this is why it is so commonly used in illegal settings as well.

Edward Rubin said that fentanyl slows a person’s breathing down to a point where their oxygen levels drop and they become unconscious. He stressed that Narcan is a shortterm fix to get someone breathing again after an overdose and to provide more time for the person to receive medical care.

“Our community has been fairly lucky in that we haven’t had a lot of these situations arise,” the elder Rubin said. “But now that there’s a lot of fentanyl being laced into products, it’s a matter of time before some kid who thinks they’re experimenting with a little Xanax ends up getting a dose of fentanyl. It’s about getting ahead and trying to prevent a tragedy.”

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”

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EW students win LI history contest 2 EWSD students’ art at state exhibit

Two student artists from The Wheatley School in East Williston were selected to have their artwork included in the 33rd annual New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) Legislative Exhibit.

Ninth graders Gillian Roberts and Pavithra Eswar were both nominated by their art teacher for this honor, which is a testament to their talent, creativity and dedication to this year’s exhibit theme, “Art Connects Us.”

Art students in K-12 from across New York State are featured in this virtual exhibit, which is available for public viewing on the NYSATA website (nysata.org) through December 2023.

Seventh graders from Willets Road School in East Williston are making history as their triumph in the Long Island History Day competition earns them a coveted spot in the state contest.

The students chose a historical topic and conducted research, using libraries, archives and museums, oral history interviews, and visits to historic sites. Once they draw a conclusion about their topic, they are tasked with presenting their work in one of fve ways: a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary or a website. This year’s theme is “Frontiers in History: People, Places and Ideas.”

The New York State History Day Contest will take place on April 24 at SUNY Oneonta.

East Williston ninth grader student artists Gillian Roberts and Pavithra Eswar were selected to have works included in the NYSATA Legislative Exhibit.

Books comes alive at N. Side School

Students at North Side School in East Williston saw their favorite books come alive in front of their eyes during the school’s annual “Books Alive” event, a unique community show that helps foster excitement for reading.

Over 60 North Side School faculty and staf were recently joined by 40 parents for the performance in the North Side School auditorium.

The show featured six book readings, complete with a colorful cast in handmade costumes acting out the stories surrounded by a full set design. The show included musical accompaniment provided by a band featuring fve North Side School teachers. The students were not only just audience members but played a part in the experience by serving as ushers, leading the Pledge of Allegiance and helping to create the artwork that decorated the auditorium.

“Books Alive” is an initiative that not only inspires a love of books, but also allows East Williston families to work together and create a special experience for their students to enjoy. “The books jump from the page to the stage to encourage a love of reading for all North Siders,” North Side speech pathologist Ms. Klein said. “The most important thing is to look around at the faces the day of the show on parents, staf and children, knowing that we have done something that will truly resonate with them for a long time to come.”

North Side School Principal Mr. Bloomgarden summed up the event by saying, “It is my favorite day of the year and showcases how well our parents and staf collaborate for the beneft of our students.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Students at North Side School in East Williston saw their favorite books come alive in front of their eyes during the school’s annual “Books Alive” event, a unique community show that helps foster excitement for reading.

After months of exhaustive research and presentations at the districtwide contest, 16 seventh graders from East Williston’s Willets Road School were selected to present at the Long Island History Day Contest on March 26.

Trustees honors student artists

At the April 4 meeting, the Mineola Board of Education recognized twelve student artists who had works selected for the 33rd annual New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) Legislative Art Exhibit.

The learners honored by the board include Lucy Ambrose, Brody Faulkner, Madeline Gildea, Alyssa Gillen, Teagan Hernandez, Eunice Lee, Clara Levy, Sophia Meola, Jacob Park, Hayet Reyes, Camilla Tello and Sebastian Truong. They range from second to eleventh grade and represent the district’s Meadow Drive School, Hampton Street School, Jackson Avenue School, Mineola Middle School and Mineola High School.

Art students in K-12 from across New York State are featured in this virtual exhibit, which is available for public viewing on the NYSATA Website (nysata.org) through December 2023.

The Mineola Board of Education recognized twelve student artists who were selected to have artwork featured in the NYSATA Legislative Art Exhibit.

Focus on future at career day

Mineola High School

Career Day brought over 50 professionals together to help enlighten and inspire learners as they prepare to consider their plans for the future.

Presenters at the event represented a variety of felds, including entertainment, public safety, software development, advertising, engineering, fnance, healthcare, government, social work, education and cosmetology.

Over 200 eleventh grade students participated in roundtable discussions, which highlighted postsecondary education requirements, job responsibilities, work/life balance, salary expectations and other topics that were important to the students.

Mineola High School Career Day brought over 50 professionals together to help enlighten and inspire learners as they prepare to consider their plans for the future.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PHOTO COURTESY OF EAST WILLISTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

PHOTO COURTESY OF MINEOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT

PHOTO COURTESY OF MINEOLA SCHOOL DISTRICT