Williston Times 2023_10_06

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

PAGES 21-32

CHAMINADE NAMES NEW COO

DeSena budget calls for 10% property tax cut

BY BRANDON DUFFY

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena is proposing a $163.9 million budget for 2024 that includes a 10% property tax cut and maintains town services and programs.

Allocated in DeSena’s second spending plan is $91.9 million to the town’s general fund, $41.8 million to the town’s outside village fund, which covers services for residents who live outside incorporated villages, and $30.1 million for the 20 town-operated special districts, which create their own budgets.

In a statement, DeSena said her administration is projecting to end the year with a nearly $2 million surplus.

“My administration is working hard every day to put money back in taxpayers’ wallets because prior administrations have overtaxed homeowners unnecessarily and exorbitantly,” DeSena said. “Now, as I submit my 2024 Tentative Budget, I am proud to again cut taxes by record-setting amounts, putting millions of dollars back in the pockets of taxpayers.”

The North Hempstead Town Board fi nalized the budget schedule during their Oct. 3 meeting.

A work session on the tentative budget will be held on Tuesday, Oct.

42 OF NASSAU’S TOP WOMEN HONORED

17 at 10 a.m. A tentative budget hearing will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. and a preliminary budget hearing and fi nal vote will be held on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.

Town board members can make changes and amendments to the budget DeSena submitted prior to the vote, which North Hempstead has typically held prior to Election Day.

The general fund tax levy is $22,921,376 according to the tentative budget, compared to $25,468,196 in the 2023 adopted budget, a 10% decrease. The tax levy for the town outside village fund will also decrease by 10% from the current year.

Taxpayers who pay both general and town outside village fund taxes would save an average of $183.12 and those who pay solely general fund taxes would save an average of $38.06, according to the supervisor’s offi ce.

This is the second time in as many years that the tentative budget was submitted without a full-time comptroller. Kristen Schwaner, who was hired earlier this year after a long bipartisan search process, resigned in August.

Paul Wood, the town’s fi nance director, was appointed as interim comptroller, similar to last year.

Sunday brings record turnout to Mineola fair

BY BRANDON DUFFY

A picture-perfect autumn day in Mineola was the backdrop for another street fair filled with music, friends and fun.

Residents and attendees were treated to a record number of vendors that lined up along Jericho Turnpike from Mineola Boulevard almost to the Nassau Boulevard offering a wide selection of goods, food and entertainment.

Tony Lubrano, vice president of

the Mineola Chamber of Commerce which sponsors the street fair, said Sunday was a testament to the commitment from all parties involved to put on a high-quality event.

“These things don’t happen by themselves,” Lubrano told Blank Slate Media. “We are truly blessed in our chamber to have a very strong core group of people who really care and put so much effort into making this happen.

The Mineola Street Fair started over 100 years ago but adopted the

name “Mineola Fair” in 1899. It was held in Mineola Memorial Park from 1991 until 2013 when it moved to Main Street. It then settled into its current Jericho Turnpike location in 2016.

A few years ago a third party took over the majority of planning and responsibility for the fair, but Lubrano said the chamber took it back last year to provide more of a family fun day and make the event about enjoying what the village has to offer.

Continued on Page 46

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEL HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY Mineola Street Fair attendees stroll down Jericho Turnpike under clear skies on Sunday.

Chaminade appoints alumnus as 1st COO

Brian Crimmins takes reins at top-rate private school

Fingers pointed over comptroller

DeSena, Dems blame each other for departure

BY BRANDON DUFFY

North Hempstead officials have continued to blame each other for the sudden resignation of Comptroller Kristen Schwaner, who left the town in August after four months on the job.

In an interview with Blank Slate Media, North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, a Republican, said ex-Comptroller Kristen Schwaner was repeatedly asked to change her opinion on using investment firm NYCLASS by town majority officials and their staff.

“She felt that she was unable to work in this environment,” DeSena said. “She was being asked to come to meetings with a councilperson and then the councilperson wasn’t there. It was the town board majority’s staff directing her what to do. She did not feel that was a safe environment and that is why she left, unfortunately.”

DeSena said Schwaner, who was hired earlier this year after an extensive bipartisan search process, was invited to a meeting with Councilmember Veronica Lurvey, a Democrat; Mitchell Pitnick, secretary to the commissioner of finance; and business-

man Adam Haber, the former head of economic development for the Town of Hempstead at which she was asked to use NYCLASS’ for the town. Long Island municipalities that use the local government’s investment pool include Nassau and Suffolk Counties and over 40 villages, among others.

Using the services of a firm like NYCLASS would require the town to issue a request for proposal, otherwise known as an RFP, where companies offer bids to work with the town.

Lurvey and Pitnick said DeSena blaming others for Schwaner’s departure was a diversion from the broader trend that qualified candidates are leaving the town due to her and her office.

Efforts to reach Schwaner for comment were unavailing.

“If it was just one instance, I would write it off because attrition is natural. But we now see a disturbing pattern,” Lurvey said in a statement to Blank Slate Media. “Unfortunately, the supervisor and her leadership team seem to have created a working environment that is causing dedicated and valuable public servants to reconsider their commitment to public service.”

Continued on Page 46

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Chaminade High School in Mineola announced Monday it is appointing alumnus Brian Crimmins as the preparatory school’s first-ever chief operating officer.

Crimmins, who graduated in 1995, served on the school’s Board of Advisors prior to his appointment. Professionally, Crimmins was the CEO of Changing Our World Inc., a philanthropy and management consulting firm.

“Chaminade High School has a tremendous history of educating the whole man – body, mind and soul.

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And, as someone who personally experienced this opportunity, as did my brothers, my brothers-in-law, my nephew, and my father-in-law, I understand the importance of developing Chaminade Men for our society today,” Crimmins said in a statement. “In addition, I’m excited to take 22plus years of consulting – including with many colleges and high schools – and bringing that experience to my work at Chaminade.”

Part of Crimmins’ responsibilities will include reporting to President Bro. Thomas Cleary and collaborating with other key administrators, the school said in a release.

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“We are thrilled to welcome home Brian Crimmins ’95 as our first-ever chief operating officer,” said Thomas. “His track record of leadership, dedication to education, and commitment to our Chaminade Family aligns perfectly with the need to support our current and future operational plans and strategies.”

Thomas said Crimmins will help plan for the school’s 100th anniversary in 2030.

Chaminade’s yearly enrollment includes 1,700 students and has over 22,000 alumni worldwide. The school’s alumni association has nine regional chapters nationally.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAMINADE HIGH SCHOOL Brian Crimmins.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SIGHTGROWTHPARTNERS

Ex-North Hempstead Comptroller Kristen Schwaner.

1 temple’s plan OK’d, 2nd’s vote delayed

Sikh group gets go ahead to convert former funeral home, vote on Islamic Center postponed

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The North Hempstead Town Board delayed a public hearing over the expansion plans for the Hillside Islamic Center and approved the plans for the former R. Stutzmann & Son funeral home on Hillside Avenue to be converted into a Sikh temple.

Town Board Democrats also voted to approve a local law that requires fiscal impact statements for budgetary items submitted for a board meeting to be given to the comptroller’s office for review.

New Hyde Park residents raised concerns in previous meetings raised concerns with the Islamic center’s expansion plans focused on parking issues related to congregants, some of whom come from Queens.

Hillside Islamic Center Chairman Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan previously said expanding the parking lot into the two adjacent properties would help with the overflow. He also said the center’s security has marked cars violating parking laws but ultimately the enforcement is a Nassau County Police Department matter.

Council Member David Adhami has also held multiple public meetings with residents to address their concerns. The hearing will continue at the Nov. 14 town board meeting.

The seven-member town board unanimously approved the expansion plans for the Sikh temple on Hillside on a contingency that the applicants apply for a parking variance within 180 days to remove the buffer in the rear of the building for

additional parking.

Adhami said the no parking sign in front of the property can be adjusted following an application that would increase parking.

Council Member Robert Troiano said before voting for the expansion that the applicants have been responsive to concerns, specifically by applying for a parking variance when they don’t need to under town law, and the traffic study for the application showed no increase in traffic on the area.

“I want community members to know it is very unusual that an applicant is within their parking requirements and still agree to submit a variance,” Troiano said. “They are making an accommodation.”

Lurvey said in a statement a resolution on fis-

cal impact statements will go into effect on Jan. 1 next year due to the vacancies in the comptroller’s office and

“This decision ensures an independent and impartial assessment of the fiscal impacts of each resolution that the town board members vote on, safeguarding the interests of our community,” Lurvey said.

Lurvey said she discussed the resolution with former Comptroller Kristen Schwaner before she resigned in August and submitted the fiscal impact statement forms that coincide with the resolution to Paul Wood, the town’s director of finance who is also serving as the interim comptroller.

Included in the fiscal impact statements to be reviewed by the comptroller’s office would be disclosing the purpose of the legislation, the pro-

posed funding source and whether expenses are accounted for in the town’s budget, among other things.

DeSena in June submitted a similar resolution that made the town’s director of finance, not the comptroller, review fiscal impact statements. Town Board Democrats abstained from the vote, citing issues over what office should be responsible for reviewing.

DeSena said Tuesday night she was concerned with the amount of work it would add to the comptroller’s office, which is currently missing a full-time comptroller and two deputies.

“I’m going to vote no because I think that we need to be flexible as we try to adopt this very important legislation that should be helpful and not making it harder on our staff,” DeSena said.

PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY

The North Hempstead Town Board held their monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Cedarmere Mill wheel turning once again

Power source built in 1862 by Cullen Bryant returned to use as part of restoration project

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The Cedarmere Mill, a historic landmark in Roslyn Harbor built for notable poet and journalist William Cullen Bryant, added a new water wheel that signals the near end of its restoration project.

The gothic-revival-style Cedarmere Mill was constructed in 1862, serving as a mill and summer cottage for Bryant. The mill worked to power the machinery used to maintain Bryant’s land.

President of The Friends of Cedarmere Thomas Powell said Bryant was integral in “creating American culture,” and that his history in Roslyn should be preserved.

“He was an important figure,” Powell said.

The newly restored water wheel. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Powell)

The water wheel is made from white oak, which is authentic to the original mill. Powell said the material is the most resistant to rot from being constantly wet.

Powell said the original water wheel is “long gone,” which was replaced in the 1880s with a turbine. That turbine was recovered and will be on display.

But before the wheel could be restored, the rest of the mill had to be finished to support it.

“So all this work on the structure had to be done before the wheel,” Powell said.

The exterior of the mill was the first element restored for the mill, which features “intense ornamentation” akin to the gothic revival style of the original mill, Powell said.

The restoration of the exterior was conducted

between 2008-2012 and was aided by funding from the Gerry Charitable Trust. This first step in restoration was managed by the Roslyn Landmark Society.

Powell said the Roslyn Landmark Society was instrumental in assisting to get the restoration nearly complete, helping to end a 10-year hiatus on the project. Howard Kroplick, co-president of the landmark society, said he considers the Friends of Cedarmere a sister organization.

Powell said work was halted in 2013. Work resumed about seven years later in 2020, led by The Friends of Cedarmere. This phase began with restoring the stone foundation.

“The mortar comes out of the bricks, it just turns to powder and sand,” Powell said. “Inside, that was very noticeable.”

He said the pandemic slowed things down in 2020.

“But we kept going,” Powell said.

He said the foundation was put back together with the proper mortar, which is “old- fashioned” and does not harden as much as modern mortar.

“But you have to use it on a historic structure because otherwise the two don’t go together, old bricks and the new mortar,” Powell said.

He said the entire interior of the mill also had to be restored, with the wood deteriorating and elements crumbling.

Today the mill is nearly restored in its entirety. The final project of restoration will be connecting the original machinery to the water wheel, like a water pump and a grindstone, which is fueled by the energy the wheel generates.

Once the machinery is connected, Powell said they will finally be able to have displays in the mill for viewers to learn about its history.

The Cedarmere estate in Roslyn Harbor. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Powell)

Powell said restoration of the machinery elements will begin in early November.

The restoration cost approximately $400,000, Powell said, of which $300,000 was contributed via grants.

The restoration was made possible through grants, Powell said, with donors including the Gardener Foundation and the Nassau County Parks Department.

Individuals can see the wheel in action at the Plein Air Art Contest held at the Cedarmere estate from Oct. 7-9. The contest will feature original artwork created at the Cedarmere grounds. Tickets for the event can be purchased online.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMAS POWELL

The Cedarmere Mill, located in Roslyn Harbor, has a newly restored water wheel which will ring the restoration project to near completion.

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The Albertson Herricks Little League serves all the communities in the Herricks School District including players attending Notre Dame School & St. Aidan’s School

DeSena touts tax cuts, commitment

Says she will pursue a town zoning master plan if re-elected in bid against Jon Kaiman

BY BRANDON DUFFY

North Hempstead Republican Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said she wants to keep providing town services to residents in a fiscally responsible way.

“Most important to me is that we use taxpayers dollars responsibly and provide services the residents need,” DeSena said in an interview with Blank Slate Media. “I want to improve our infrastructure and make sure our parks are beautiful and safe and that they are a pleasure for all our families to enjoy.”

DeSena, of Manhasset, is running for a second two-year term and is being challenged by Democrat Jon Kaiman, the Suffolk County deputy executive who previously served as town supervisor for 10 years.

DeSena, a registered Democrat, won her first public office in 2021 as the first Republican nominee to claim the supervisor post in more than 30 years, succeeding Democrat Judi Bosworth, who did not seek re-election.

Addressing the town building department that the Nassau County Comptroller’s office has been auditing for over a year, DeSena said she ob-

viously would prefer that the process had been been faster but believes services have been improved as a result.

The supervisor said she has made recommendations to the building department, but it is difficult to do so and make changes without the majority support of the seven-member town

board, where Democrats hold a 4-3 majority.

“I believe that with the audit and questions being asked, there have been some improvements in the services,” DeSena said. “I’d like there to be more improvements.”

She said the town needs to up-

date its master plan, which is nearly 35 years old, to identify the areas that should be rezoned to build more housing. DeSena reiterated her stance against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s previous proposal ahead of this year’s state budget to prioritize state-mandated zoning over local control.

DeSena, along with Hempstead and Oyster Bay Supervisors Don Clavin and Joe Saladino, denounced Hochul’s New York Housing Compact in January, which called for building 800,000 new homes over the next decade to address the state’s housing shortage.

Redoing the town’s master plan, which DeSena said she would like to do “very soon,” would take at least a year and give residents the opportunity to be heard.

“Part of that process is holding community hearings and identifying what would be well suited for different types of housing,” DeSena said. “Then we can move forward together and consider zoning changes for those areas after they’ve been identified.”

DeSena, who has often had tense relations with Town Board Democrats during meetings, said it’s a problem when commissioners are being asked to report daily to other staff members. The supervisor said all commissioners are available for questions or information, but the chain of command is disrupted when commissioners are told to report to other employees aside from herself.

Continued on Page 36

Blank Slate Media honors

42 Women of Distinction

BY BRANDON DUFFY

Over 40 women were honored for their contributions in their respective fields during Blank Slate Media’s second annual Women of Distinction of Nassau County awards event.

Keynote speaker Renee Flagler, award-winning writer and executive director of Girls Inc. of Long Island, whose mission is to empower girls to be strong, smart and bold, reflected on what the honor meant to her.

a fighter,” Flagler said during the event Thursday night at Leonard’s Palazzo of Great Neck. “I needed those skills because later in life I had to fight to not be overlooked as a woman.”

See additional photos

PAGES 12, 13

Flagler, the founding board chair for Literacy Empowerment Action Project Global, which provides programming and scholarships to students in Ghana, Africa, went on to say to be distinct is to be recognized for your differences, good or bad.

“I realized there was something fundamental about myself when I was younger, that I was

“It also means that you are unique, each of you an amazing and unduplicated masterpiece,”

Continued on Page 40

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEL HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Blank Slate Media held its second annual Women of Distinction of Nassau County awards event on Thursday, Sept. 28.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANDIDATE

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.

Bid to curb ad messages, fees of tax challenge industry

BY KARINA KOVAC

State and local legislators met on the steps of the Mineola Executive Building last Thursday to propose legislation that would force fiscal transparency from tax challenge firms in their advertising and practices along with advocating for a qualified assessor to be appointed to help Nassau residents whose taxes have been affected.

State Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown)

introduced legislation aimed at curbing what he sees as deceptive and predatory practices within the tax challenge industry.

Thomas, who chairs the Senate’s Consumer Protection Committee, is pushing for reforms that would require tax challenge firms to provide clear information to their clients, specifically that hiring such a firm is not a necessity when disputing property tax assessments.

The proposed legislation would also

place a cap on the fees these firms can charge property owners in the event of a successful assessment grievance.

Local firms include Maidenbaum Property Tax Reduction and The Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance Group. Both firms were unavailable for immediate comment.

The move comes in response to growing concerns regarding the fairness of the tax assessment system and allegations of political influence in the industry.

One of the primary issues is the use of deceitful tactics by tax grievance firms in their solicitations, which may mislead many residents into believing that filing a grievance is too complex for the average person. However, as Thomas and other local legislators emphasized at a press conference last Thursday, “That is not the case.”

Property owners have the option of filing grievances in person or online, and no specialist is required for the process nor is there a fee to file.

2 Nassau GOP reps vote for spending bill

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown late Saturday night, with overwhelming bipartisan support key in the passage of the stopgap funding bill that included local House Republicans Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04) and Rep. George Santos (NY-03).

“I have been working hard as Nassau County’s voice in Congress to avert a government shutdown,” D’Esposito said in a statement. “Yesterday, I voted for a measure that would have funded our government while curbing runaway federal spending and enhancing our border security. Regretfully, a small band of Republicans joined Democrats

Continued on Page 36

Nassau County legislators joined Senator Kevin Thomas to propose legislation that would require firms to inform clients that they do not need to hire a tax certiorari firm to grieve their assessment, and caps the fees that tax challenge firms can charge property owners.

“My bill would limit the fees these firms can charge clients grieving their assessment to 25% of the reduction,” Thomas said. “More importantly, it will require clear and concise disclosures informing homeowners that, yes, you can read your own tax bills, and the font should be 16 or larger.”

Continued on Page 40

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, PUBLIC DOMAIN House of Representatives chamber at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

PHOTO BY KARINA KOVAC

Jewelry showroom, luxury ear piercing

Ali Weiss in Roslyn offers one-stop shopping for high-end earrings, serving 1st time users

BY CAMERYN OAKES

When Ali Weiss first got her ears pierced as a young girl, her grandmother took her to the local jewelry store where they pierced her earlobe with a piercing gun and adorned her ears with little, fake diamond earrings.

But with piercings from a piercing gun, earring options are limited and leave many people waiting for when they can change their first pair to the earrings they want to wear.

Weiss’s new store in Roslyn eliminates this wait by piercing the customers’ ears and immediately putting in the jewelry they desire.

“So I feel like we’re a one-stop shop for jewelry and luxury ear piercing,” Weiss said.

Ali Weiss Jewelry combines the traditional jewelry showroom store with luxury ear piercings and styling consultations. At a newly opened store at 1085 Northern Blvd., people along the North Shore can now see her designs firsthand and get styled in them by professionals.

Ali Weiss Jewelry opened its second storefront in Roslyn. (Photo courtesy of Ali Weiss Jewelry)

This is what sets her apart from comparable businesses, Weiss said, as it combines jewelry services not commonly offered in a singular space with jewelry designs and services catering to high professional standards.

“I didn’t want to be just another jewelry store,” Weiss said. “There’s a million jewelry stores and to stand out is really difficult.”

Weiss’s ear piercing services do not utilize a

piercing gun, which is common in many jewelry retail stores.

Piercing guns pierce an individual’s ear with a sharp earring. The machine is hand-held, with the operator positioning it on the individual’s ear, and a simple squeeze of the trigger pushes the earring into the ear.

With this method, earring options are limited. Weiss said this can leave customers unsatisfied with the jewelry they have to wear until their ears heal and the jewelry can be changed out.

“You don’t want to take your earrings out after the six to eight weeks after your healing,” Weiss said of the piercing services she offers. “You’re not rushing to take it out. It’s something that you love and you just want to keep it.”

The ear-piercing procedure is an entire experience, Weiss said.

The store employs professional piercers who understand safety protocols and sanitary standards as well as having the styling knowledge to give the customer exactly what is wanted.

“They’re real artists,” Weiss said.

Weiss has been in the jewelry business for 16 years but said her original goals never included opening up a retail store.

She said she was always drawn to jewelry, but it was not until she pivoted from a career as a speech pathologist that she turned it into her full-time job.

Weiss started out as a client of jewelry designer Helen Ficalora but quickly became a friend and began working alongside her.

This is how Weiss got her jewelry career start-

ed, learning jewelry designing and the business of it. In tandem with working with Helen Ficalora, Weiss also began designing her own jewelry.

Using Helen Ficalora’s clients as a starting point, Weiss started growing her own clientele. From there, Weiss said everything just grew as she did pop-up trunk shows and private appointments.

Weiss opened her first store in Armonk, N.Y., in September 2021. Just shy of two years later, her second store has opened in Roslyn.

The store’s jewelry is a mixture of Weiss’s personal designs and pieces she has curated, all 14K fine jewelry. She described the style as classic with an edge, but with diverse pieces for anyone.

Weiss said she loves the look of layering jewelry, whether it’s stacked bracelets, multiple necklaces or a collection of rings. She invites customers to bring in jewelry they already own to learn how to put pieces together, complemented by Weiss’s jewelry.

“It’s not just the designs of the jewelry but how we help you style it as well,” Weiss said.

So far, business in Roslyn has been great, Weiss said. She said the store has steadily been building its clientele.

“I wouldn’t have opened there if I didn’t feel it in my gut that we weren’t going to do well there,” Weiss said.

While customers can go into her Roslyn brickand-mortar store to get styled, have their ears pierced and purchase jewelry, they can also scour her website to see her designs and purchase them online.

Manor design board OKs landscaping plan

BY KARINA KOVAC

The Village of Plandome Manor’s Design Review Board gave the green light to Islander Bo Horvat’s landscaping plans for his new property on Plandome Road last Thursday after an hour of public comments all in opposition to the plans.

The Horvat family was absent from the proceedings.

The landscaping proposal involved the installation of green giants and boxwoods around the property on Plandome Road bordering Leeds Pondas well as perennials, as mandated by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The presence of green giants at the front of the property was proposed to enhance privacy, although the exact height of these trees could not

Continued on Page 46

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALI WEISS JEWELRY

A customer gets pierced at Ali Weiss Jewelry in Roslyn.

PHOTO BY KARINA KOVAC

Frank Piccininni, co-founder and partner at SMPIL Consulting, went in front of the Village of Plandome Manor Design Review Board with concerns over the ecological impact the approval of landscaping plans would have on Leeds Pond.

Target, Burlington coming to NHP center

BY KARINA KOVAC

Lake Success Shopping Center in New Hyde Park is set to welcome several new tenants, including Target, Burlington, Foot Locker, The Paper Store, Claire’s, and a Northwell Health urgent care center.

These newcomers are a welcome addition for the shopping center, which has grappled with a high vacancy rate in recent years due to the departure of major retailers like Modell’s Sporting Goods, Sears, Pier 1 Imports, and Bed Bath & Beyond, largely owing to their parent companies’ financial difficulties.

The site for Target, one of the prominent new names, was announced in 2019 and is currently under construction, taking over the former Sears space. Inside the space will be a Starbucks and CVS Pharmacy. The arrival of

such a well-known retailer, along with others, is expected to attract more foot traffic and entice additional tenants to the shopping center.

“It can’t hurt at all having a big brother like [Target as] your anchor. … Target carries itself, I think, across all the demographics. It’s a pricepoint store, but it fulfills the desires of Great Neck as well as eastern Queens,” said Robert Peck, managing agent and partner in Lake Success Shopping Center LLC, to Newsday.

Target is expected to open 20 new stores this year, with nine in New York State, mostly in the city. The Lake Success Target’s opening was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Lake Success Shopping Center, originally constructed in 1956, spans 523,583 square feet, according to the CoStar Group, a real estate information provider based in Washington, D.C.

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Target, among other big retailers, is slated to join the Lake Success Shopping Center in New Hyde Park.

Nassau County’s Women of Distinction

Blank Slate Media honored 42 women who have all a made significant impact in their field, from business, entrepreneurs to health, education, law and not-for-profit. The event was held at Leonard’s Palazzo of Great Neck on Thursday, September 28. Renee Flagler, Author and Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Long Island was the keynote speaker and Antoinette Biordi, 4 time Emmy Award-winning News 12 reporter and anchor was the emcee.

For information on each honoree, visit https://theisland360.com/women-ofdistinction/

All photos by Joel Harris Joel Harris Photography www.joelharrisphotography.com

2023 Networking & Awards Event

All photos by Joel Harris Joel Harris Photography www.joelharrisphotography.com

OUR VIEWS Editorial Cartoon

Don’t let candidates duck public scrutiny

Ashort time after George Santos was elected as congressman for the 3rd Congressional District we learned that he had lied to Nassau County voters about his professional background, educational history, religion and property ownership. Among other things.

This was followed by a 13-count federal indictment in which Santos was charged with embezzling contributions from supporters, fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits and lying on campaign disclosures.

And questions still remain about the source of hundreds of thousands of dollars Santos had listed as contributions to his campaign.

This has raised legitimate questions about who was to blame for a congressional candidate getting elected by deceiving the voters of his district.

Some blamed Santos’ election on the Nassau County Republican Party, which picked him twice as its candidate. Some blamed his opponent, Robert Zimmerman, for not doing a better job in getting out the Democratic Party’s opposition research.

Others blamed the press, Blank Slate Media included.

That is what raises our concerns about the unwillingness of some candidates who will be on the ballot the first week of November to sit down with news organizations such as Blank Slate Media for one-on-one interviews or to participate in debates.

Voters will be choosing all 19 members of the Nassau County Legislature as well as control of town governments with the town supervisor, town receiver of taxes and trustee positions in the balance.

Candidates running for these offices should be expected to make themselves available to answer whatever questions voters and the press believe are necessary for the public to make a decision.

During the 2022 congressional campaign, Santos ducked sit-downs with both Blank Slate Media and Newsday, which employ journalists who get paid to stay informed about the issues.

Yes, this does sound self-serving on our part. But it’s really not.

There is a reason the founding fathers made freedom of the press part of

the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – to keep elected officials accountable and honest. On behalf of the public.

During the 2020 campaign, Blank Slate Media did have a one-on-one sitdown with Santos and learned that he supported overturning Roe v. Wade and would be in favor of criminal charges for doctors who performed abortions.

Santos also called the Mueller Report on Russian interference in the 2016 election a “hoax.” No, we didn’t learn that he was lying about his background, but we did learn that he had extreme views and, in our opinion, should not be elected to Congress.

Santos was not alone then in refusing to sit down with Blank Slate Media for one-on-one interviews and other news organizations in 2022.

And he may not be alone now in turning down our invitation to sit down for one hour via Zoom for an interview to be recorded via YouTube for all to view as well as be the subject of a news story published in our six newspapers. The date and time are left up to the candidates.

The excuses for not participating, or hesitating to take part, vary.

One official said he needed to see the questions in advance.

This is not something any legitimate news organization will do or the public should want.

Candidates should be well enough prepared on issues to answer questions without seeing them in advance.

Getting the questions in advance also gets in the way of news organizations like ours from asking follow-up questions, which is particularly useful when candidates respond without answering the question asked. Or when the answer they give raises more questions.

Another candidate has expressed concern that we are asking “national” questions to local candidates and are not just focused on the particulars of the job they are seeking. Which is true.

We are asking Republican candidates about former President Donald Trump, who is leading the field by a wide margin in the race for the GOP presidential nominee.

This question is based on the belief that any candidate for a county, town or village government job should be willing

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to fulfill the oath of office that they take by swearing to uphold the U.S. Constitution — something Trump did not do following the 2020 presidential election.

It is also our belief that character and good judgment can be just as important as having the right background for the job.

So, yes, we will ask all Republican candidates if they believe President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidency in a free and fair election.

We will also ask, as a Fox News interviewer asked the GOP presidential candidates in a recent debate, if they would vote for Donald Trump even if he was convicted of one or more of the 91 criminal charges he faces in four jurisdictions.

A candidate certainly has the right to say Biden didn’t win the presidency in a free and fair election and that he or she would still vote for Trump if he is convicted on felony charges.

They can also refuse to answer the question because they believe it is not relevant to the job they are seeking. Or because they fear the political price they might pay if they answered one way or another.

This may be inconvenient to some candidates, but we also believe it gives voters a fuller picture of who the candidate is before they enter the polling booth.

Some Republican candidates also

contend that the paper is slanted in favor of Democrats and they do not have a chance to get the paper’s endorsement. This is not true.

Our papers have endorsed candidates of both parties in the past. It is true that we have endorsed more Democrats than Republicans of late.

Why? Because the editorial board, in this case the publisher, preferred the Democratic candidates and policies.

In a place in which a Republican county executive, his wife, his deputy, the state Senate majority leader and a town supervisor were convicted of political corruption that doesn’t seem like such a crazy idea.

And our opinions, clearly marked in the paper, should not be a reason for a candidate to avoid a sit-down.

The sit-downs we offer, recorded for replay on YouTube, allow candidates the chance to present themselves and their views.

We are confident these videos will demonstrate that the news stories we publish are fair, balanced and free of our own opinions.

Will we press for a full response when a candidate is avoiding the question or not answering it fully? Yes. And we believe that serves the public well.

If the paper really wanted to be onesided, it would not give the candidate a platform and/ or write a story to present

their views.

We believe that voters already get enough one-sided presentations in often misleading mailers, television commercials and newspaper ads.

Those mailers, television commercials and newspaper ads are part of every campaign And they are protected by the First Amendment just as the press is protected in reporting on the news.

Together they make up a marketplace of ideas that has served this country well for more than 200 years.

But especially in recent years, with the growth of cable television and the internet, many people have come to live in bubbles, never hearing the other side.

Papers such as ours seek to break through that bubble. We may not agree with both sides, but we want to give them the opportunity to make their case to our readers in news stories and letters to the editor from their supporters.

Will this prevent another George Santos from being elected? We hope so, but there are no guarantees.

We do believe that voters who wish to avoid the mistakes that led to Santos’ election should take into account whether a candidate is willing or not to subject themselves to questioning in public forums and by news media representatives such as Blank Slate Media.

If not, you may have nobody to blame but yourself.

Rubin

Stacy Shaughnessy, Melissa Spitalnick, Wendy Kates, Barbara Kaplan, Marie Musacchio

DIRECTOR Yvonne Farley

Revisiting ‘A flower for the Graves’ column

Recently, I was reminded of Eugene Patterson’s most celebrated newspaper column “A Flower for the Graves,” written in response to the deadly violence carried out during the 1960s civil rights movement. Patterson was a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor of the Atlanta Constitution.

Patterson’s Jan. 12, 2013 New York Times obituary began by citing the following passage from his column: “A Negro mother wept in the street Sunday morning in front of a Baptist Church in Birmingham. In her hand she held a shoe, one shoe, from the foot of her dead child. We hold that shoe with her. Every one of us in the white South holds that small shoe in his hand.”

Patterson penned the column on September 16, 1963, after white supremacists bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church one day earlier, killing four girls — Addie Mae Collins (14),

Carol Denise McNair (11), Carole Rosamond Robertson (14), and Cynthia Dionne Wesley (14). Walter Cronkite read Patterson’s column to a national audience on the “CBS Evening News.”

“Our lesson for that Sunday morning was a love that forgives,” recalled church secretary Carolyn McKinstry. “It was youth Sunday,” she said, “Everyone was excited about that.”

Following, I highlight excerpts from Patterson’s piece that might resonate in the light of what we are facing today, 60 years later: “We — who go on electing politicians who heat the kettles of hate; We — who raise no hand to silence the mean and little men who have their n—er jokes; We — who stand aside in imagined rectitude and let the mad dogs that run in every society slide their leashes from our hand, and spring.”

Is it not abundantly clear that we are represented today in Washington D.C. by individuals who routinely

“heat the kettles of hate,” without the needed pushback to hinder their attempts to delegitimize the government institutions charged with holding them accountable?

In his essay Patterson spoke to the dire consequences of apathy and

inaction: “We are the ones who have ducked the difficult, skirted the uncomfortable resented the necessary, rationalized the unacceptable, and created the day surely when these children would die.”

Presently, with rare exception, our elected representatives and millions of Americans are silent about the threat we continue to face, after more than 60 years of activists working to aerate the common ground in our commitment to advancing civil rights.

“Let us not lay the blame on some brutal fool who didn’t know any better,” wrote Patterson, suggesting that the Birmingham church perpetrator felt like a hero to his like-minded comrades engaged in advancing a climate for child killing.

With respect to Donald Trump inciting violence, his threatening rhetoric has evolved in seven years from: “Lock her (Hillary Clinton) up” (2016), to “Hang Mike Pence”

(2021), to “Execute General Milley” (2023).These catchphrases and others are employed to advance political violence that leads to dictatorship and authoritarian rule.

“We know better. We created the day. We bear the judgment,” wrote Patterson. “May God have mercy (and) we will rise to this challenge of racial understanding and common humanity, and in the full power of its unasserted courage, assert itself.”

“History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme,” noted Mark Twain.

Sixty years later, it’s one step forward, two steps back.

Time to step on the accelerator toward 2024.

Holding one small shoe in our hands.

Patterson’s column can be accessed at www.poynter.org/ethicstrust/2020/a-flower-for-the-graves/

More strange but true politics in New York

Here are the latest strange happenings within New York’s body politic.

A new Siena College public opinion poll indicates 52% of New Yorkers believe the state is going in the wrong direction.

As for New York’s major problems, 83% say it’s the high cost of living, 73% cite crime, and 62% view the influx of migrants as a top issue.

The most interesting finding: 62% of Democrats named crime as a top concern. Yes, the lax law enforcement policies imposed by Progressive Democrats are now infuriating their base. Will radical leftist adherents in Albany take note and rescind the so-called bail reform laws? I doubt it.

While most cities throughout the nation have regained their pre-COVID retail job levels, New York City has not. There are presently 60,000 fewer retail jobs than in 2019.

Steve Malanga, of the Manhattan Institute, has reported that New York City “has lost approximately 675 outlets operated by national chains…the total includes over 100 drugstore closeups.”

These declines “can be attributed to the triple whammy of COVID shutdown, residents leaving the city and rising social disorder in the wake of Black Lives Matter .”

Another reason for the retail shop crisis: “theft spurred by bail reform and reduced charges for shoplifting.”

Meanwhile, it appears many of New York’s financial giants are taking seriously Gov. Kathy Hochul’s advice to those who disagree with Progressive policies: “ jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong.”

More than 150 investment firms that manage over $1 trillion in assets have left since 2019. Most of them have relocated in Florida.

What will be the impact of this exodus? Financial sector income taxes that provide the biggest chunk of the state’s revenue, 22%, will continue to decline and will eventually wreck New York’s tax base.

The Far Left’s Service Employees International Local Union 1199, which represents 304,000 healthcare workers and calls for “equality, justice and democracy,” is being accused of hypocrisy.

According to a report in the New

York Post, the SEIU, which has over $450 million in assets, has refused “to invest in diverse businesses” and is “selling out underpaid workers.”

The CEO of the National Association of Investment Companies told the paper, “They have very little invested with minority-run investment funds.” Instead, their money is with big-time Wall Street firms.

The Post quoted one activist, Vicky

Niu, as saying, “The union has deeper political ties with insurance companies and healthcare agencies and is completely uninterested in representing workers.”

I’m not in the least surprised. The president of the union, George Gresham, is so taken with himself that he recently told Gov. Hochul, “We don’t work for you—you work for us.”

The average cost per student in New York will top $35,000 this academic year. (The national average is $12,000.)

What is the return on this huge investment? Very little.

The New York Times recently reported that New York reading scores are behind the rest of the nation.

“In large districts like Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, as many as eight in 10 kids fail reading tests; in Gotham, less than half passed,” the newspaper said.

Another major public school problem is “chronic absenteeism,” which is defined as missing a minimum of 10% of the school year, according to the Post.

In New York City the absentee

number hit 36% in 2023.

In other words, at least 86,000 students missed 18 or more school days.

While excessive no-shows, according to Department of Education regulations, cannot affect student grades, it most certainly helps explain why the results of standard math and reading tests are dismal.

Here’s another beaut: New York City’s Math and Science Exploratory School, once a center for high achievers, has changed its name to “The Exploratory.”

Why? Because the lower standard for admission, ordered by Mayor Bill de Blasio, has resulted in a major drop in math scores. “While 95% of MS 7th graders scored a passing math grade on end-of-year tests in 2018, only 69% did last year,” the New York Post has reported.

So, instead of restoring standards, the school changed its name to cover up the failure.

And get this: In rationalizing the new name, the principal said “the old name scared off girls.”

Strange but true folks, strange but true.

Heights,

European communal spirit beats U.S. team

Golf’s biggest event is the biannual Ryder Cup, which pits the best 12 golfers from the USA against Europe’s top 12 players. This event regularly stirs up enormous nationalism, passion, and pride along with its share of controversy.

This year we almost got to see a fist fight between European superstar Rory McIlroy and Joe Lacava, who is an American caddy carrying for the everdour American Patrick Cantley. That fight was prompted by Lacava waving a hat at the European crowd after his man made a big putt and as Lacava celebrated he walked in front of McIlroy, who was lining up his putt at the time.

The Ryder Cup continually presents the eternal question of how do the Europeans players, who appear to be massive underdogs, manage to beat the American team especially when on home turf? This year they played in Rome, Italy, and the European team consisted in part of Spaniards (Jon Rahm), Irishmen (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) Englishmen (Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood) and Scandinavians (Victor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg). The American

team consisted of the usual suspects like Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantley, Brian Harmon, Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa.

These head-to-head matchups, along with the pre- and post-game interviews give any armchair psychologist plenty of data to gain insight into the differences in personalities between Americans and Europeans. Overall, one can see that the Europeans seem more intellectual. They all speak two or more languages, and as an example of how literate they seem to be, Rory McIlroy read Marcus Aurelius’ treatise on stoicism in preparation for this match.

On the first tee when the partnerships for each four-ball matches were introduced, the European pairs would be standing there with their arms on each other’s shoulders while the Americans stood next to each other with arms folded. You can learn a lot from body language.

The European players were unguarded with their willingness to show love and receive love. This is a sign of good mothering. Before they hit a sin-

gle shot you could see the communal connection displayed by the Europeans and the rugged individualism shown by the Americans. Along with this American individualism, you sensed their arrogance, aggressiveness, narcissism, and greed and none of those characteristics make for great team spirit. To corroborate that is the rumor that emerges every two years that American players feel they should be paid to play in this event and that playing just for the team or worse yet for the nation is rather

EARTH MATTERS

mundane, childish and naive.

This is in sharp contrast with the European persona, which seems far more low key, fun- loving, relaxed, humane, communal, jovial, literate and articulate. This demarcation was first drawn by Alexis de Tocqueville in the classic text “Democracy in America.”

Back in the 19th century this French sociologist spent a year in America and his landmark book still has an impact on scholars.

He described the democratic revolution that was taking place in America and concluded that Americans were very industrious, hardworking, materialistic, practical and not too interested in either the arts or literature. He contrasted this American attitude with the European, who was influenced by a long history of aristocratic rule in France, England, and Germany.

It is easy to understand why the American Ryder Cup team has such a hard time with this team format. American PGA stars are individualists, which gives them their drive to win and ease as they lead a solitary life on the road traveling from tournament to tournament in America and making large

amounts of cash each week as they try to beat everyone in sight. But putting them in a team environment once every two years and expecting them to embrace each other, feign love and affection for their teammates and play for country rather than money is asking too much.

It is no surprise to me that these American stars have such a hard time playing for team or country. I would recommend that the 2025 American team captain give the players a copy of “Democracy in America.” The Ryder Cup will be played at Bethpage Black on Long Island, near the birthplace of American democracy and the stands will be filled to overflowing with many rugged individualists fueled by beer and ready for a fight.

Now that is going to be an interesting Ryder Cup. I would recommend that Joe Lacava and Rory McIlroy keep far away for each other because if an intense, verbal spat takes place in front of an American crowd that is angry and filled with Bud Lights, you just might see golf briefly become a sport like soccer or hockey where fights are as commonplace as scoring.

Pesticides poison pollinators needed in nature

Kids get it. If you poison pollinators, you are putting Earth’s ecosystems in jeopardy.

Pollination, a nearly invisible natural process going on in backyards, farms, forests and meadows, is essential to support life on Earth. Pollinators visit flowers seeking nectar and pollen for food where they accidentally brush against the flower’s reproductive parts, unknowingly depositing pollen from flower to flower. Plants then use the pollen to produce a fruit or seed. Why, say our children, would people kill pollinators, like honeybees and butterflies, with pesticides?

That question, and colorful accompanying artwork created by some of our youngest citizens, were recently sent to Gov.Kathy Hochul in an effort to urge her to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act (A7640/S1856-A) which was passed in the NYS Legislature and is on the governor’s desk waiting for her signature.

The bill is a first-in-the-nation call to restrict the use of neonicotinoid, or “neonic” pesticides, and will set an important precedent for other states. It calls for restricting the pesticide’s use in lawn and garden products as well as its most ubiquitous use — coating seeds used in agriculture.

Indisputable scientific data points to these particular insecticides, the

most widely used in the world, as the main culprit for pollinator losses. Europe has banned the three most common neonics and Quebec has phased out corn and soybean neonic seed coating treatments. According to research by the Natural Resources Defense Council, just one neonic-treated corn seed has enough active ingredient to kill a quarter million bees.

How do neonics actually kill pollinators? They kill by attacking the nerves and don’t let go of the nerve site, over-stimulating it until it fails. The insects shake uncontrollably before becoming paralyzed and dying. Nerve damage is permanent, and small doses that are not immediately lethal harm the bees’ ability to navigate, interrupt their growth and reproduction and slowly destroy their immune function, which may make them more vulnerable to disease.

Pollinators are declining worldwide due to the same factors that threaten all biodiversity, which include loss of habitat, pesticide use, disease, parasites and invasive species. While some of these problems are highly complex and without clear solutions, pesticide use can and should be addressed urgently. In 2015 alone, over 40% of honey bee colonies in the United States were lost and the numbers are increasing yearly. Wild bees, which are key pollinators, and

PATTI WOOD Earth Matters

Monarch butterflies are threatened with extinction, as well as other pollinator insects and birds. This year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made an unprecedented finding that neonics could be sending more than 200 species toward extinction.

Let’s look at how much humans depend on pollinators. Bees, butterflies, birds, bats, beetles and even small mammals pollinate plants and between 75% and 90% of all flowering plants. About 180,000 different plant species and more than 1,200 food crops on Earth need their help with pollination. This translates into one out of every three bites of food,

including vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

From an economic perspective, pollinators add $217 billion to the global economy and, according to the US Department of Agriculture, pollinators provide approximately $389 million worth of pollination services to New York State alone. Pollinators also support healthy ecosystems that increase carbon sequestration, provide food for other wildlife and insure the health of plants that stabilize soils and protect from severe weather events. And they are not on anyone’s payroll or costing taxpayers a single penny!

But there is a cost to humans from neonic use. According to a recent article written by Dan Raichel and Richard Schrader from NRDC, neonics are easily carried long distances in rainwater, leaching into new soils, plant life and public water sources. The buildup of neonics from their extensive use year after year have made them pervasive in New York’s water supplies, especially on Long Island, where millions depend on underground aquifers. Only advanced filtration systems remove neonics from water.

Researchers are also seeing neonics in our bodies. Recent testing shows 95% of pregnant women in New York State and four other states have detectable levels of neonics, raising concerns for birth defects and neu-

rological harm in prenatally exposed children.

Dr. Samuel Myers, at Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health says, “the loss of pollinators is already impacting health on a scale with other global health risk factors, such as prostate cancer or substance abuse disorders. But there is a solution out there in pollinator-friendly practices. This includes increasing flower abundance on farms, cutting pesticide use, especially neonicotinoids, and preserving or restoring nearby natural habitats.”

Importantly, Cornell University researchers continue to demonstrate that neonic seed coatings are practically useless and less effective than cover cropping for agriculture and there are much safer replacements for lawn and garden uses.

But the chemical industry is, as usual, sowing seeds of doubt and spouting misinformation. That’s to be expected. But the Birds and Bees Protection Act, which will eliminate 80 percent to 90 percent of the neonics polluting our state, has broad and bipartisan backing in the Legislature and the academic and scientific community and is widely supported by the public and much of the farming community.

Now we just need the governor to pick up a pen and sign it.

DR. TOM FERRARO Our Town

Immigration reform could be win-win for us

Solving immigration would not be complicated. It only takes a grasp of reality and dealing with that reality. The reality of desperate people forced to leave their ancestral home and all that they know to risk life and all that they own to come to a strange country that has proved anything but welcoming. The reality that failed governments, lawlessness, gang violence, political violence, climate disasters, poverty (sounds like the MAGA Republicans’ agenda for the USA) is what is driving millions to uproot.

But Republicans don’t want to solve immigration. They haven’t for 30 years. They like the rolling crisis. They like being able to demonize. They salivated at the cruelty and brutality of Trump’s family separation policy and caging; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s razor wire in the Rio Grande that has already resulted in deaths; Gov. Ron DeSantis’ human trafficking from Texas to Rhode Island with Florida-taxpayer funded flights.

It is important to recognize that the vast majority of these migrants are not “illegal” or even “undocumented.” The vast majority who push across the Rio Grande and present themselves (surrender) to border patrol are shepherded through a control process, given an appointment to return to immigration court. A significant percentage are immediately deported — 70 percent of asylum claims are rejected. The real problem arises because of the insufficient number of immigration judges and inadequate services, producing a years-long backlog.

So if the flow of people who have a legal right – by federal and international law – to seek asylum is continuing, there are solutions at hand to minimize the hardship on communities, which is what Republicans are using to gin up anti-immigrant hysteria.

The fact is America needs to fill some 6 million jobs — the tight labor market is why the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to “fight” the inflation triggered, it claims, by higher wages. So wouldn’t a better, fairer solution be to increase the labor supply?

That is what New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has been pleading for – give these migrants who have arrived in New York at the rate of 3,000 a week (100,000 in the past year) a means of earning a living so they are not dependent on shelters and aid, but instead can be productive, tax-paying contributors to society as millions of immigrants have before them. With New York’s unemployment rate at a very low 3.9% and some 400,000 unfilled jobs statewide, businesses are clamoring to hire migrants.

“Migrants and asylum seekers came here to work — so let’s put them to work,” Hochul said. “Right now we have a migrant crisis and a workforce crisis. By connecting workeligible individuals with jobs and opportunity in New York, we can solve them both and secure a brighter future for all New Yorkers.”

Why not rationalize the system as people did a century ago: let people apply for jobs even before they arrive, so that people will have a place to go

KAREN RUBIN View Point

when they present themselves to an immigration officer? Let those who are granted some kind of preliminary status go to communities where they may have family, friends or countrymen. Use computer technology to match people with communities where they will be welcome.

In fact, there is a model for this: Welcome. US works to resettle refugees by forging alliances between private sector and local community sponsors. It has assembled more than 240 organizations in 40 states, among them the Lions, Rotary, veterans and faith groups, refugee and Diasporaled organizations.

Welcome US has done this to help resettle Afghan and Ukrainian refugees and is now expanding to help resettle Haitians and Venezuelans.

There is even a rational immigration proposal from a Texas state legislator, of all places: instead of fueling

a billion-dollar human trafficking industry, allow migrants to go through legal land crossings, interview them, issue an RFID “permit” which allows them to work and drive legally while enabling government to keep tabs, charge $2,000 for the “permit” (instead of the $2000-$5000 they are paying smugglers) and funnel them to where they can best be integrated into the community. But that’s only a state legislative proposal. Let’s see if Gov. Greg Abbott, who enjoys seeing migrants drown in the Rio Grande, approves.

Obtaining work authorization for migrants has been a key focus for Hochul, who lobbied the Biden administration to allow migrants to work.

The administration has now granted Temporary Protection Status to nearly 600,000 Venezuelans, of whom 15,000 are in NYC, allowing them to immediately obtain work permits.

Hochul has sent personnel, including 250 National Guard personnel, for case management to help migrants and asylum seekers complete the paperwork to attain legal work status, and allocated $20 million to local nonprofits serving asylum seekers and migrants, $20 million to help New York City with casework through NYC Health + Hospitals and $10 million for migrant legal services..

Most significantly, she is facilitating matching migrants with jobs with the launch of a new Department of Labor portal, after identifying 18,000 private sector job openings at 379 companies willing to hire eligible migrants and asylum seekers.

“There are individuals who have

skills – technology, nursing, construction skills, doctors, and scientists. They all had to leave. And so we want to make sure we match them with their skills to the jobs that we have open,” Hochul said.

“We have to show our compassion to people. We’re never going to compromise our values – never, ever. We’re proud of the Statue of Liberty Reflect on the fact that likely many of your family members saw that statue when they steamed into this harbor in search of the same thing that the migrants are looking for today, and that is the dignity of a job. We put them to work, we achieve that for them, we maintain our values, and we also solve a crisis here in New York. That is the opportunity that lies before us.”

Rational, humane immigration strategies are possible. Instead of building a medieval wall, they should be funding more immigration judges, more legal aid, more social workers, more computer systems (AI!) to steer people to where they are needed and will be welcomed, so no community is overwhelmed.

And finally legalize the Dreamers once and for all and create a path to legalize their parents so people can be fully productive instead of living in constant fear of being swooped up and deported.

The Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats are eager to advance Comprehensive Immigration Reform. But Republicans find the border crisis just too juicy, just too satisfying, just too politically useful to solve.

Time to send Nassau Republicans home

George Santos is still in Congress. To clarify, MAGA-Fascist Republican George Santos is still in Congress. So are his ‘Three Amigos’ from the local MAGAfascist Republican cult, LaLota (See no

Evil), D’Ambrosio (Speak no Evil) and Garbarino (Hear no Evil) whose campaigns were likely polluted by the Santos finance scam as well. With ethical dwarves like Cairo and Garcia at the top of the Nassau and Suffolk MAGA-fascist

Republican cults, we can expect more of the same- a reliance on deep cesspools of dark money to inundate us with dishonest, negative campaign mailers and media scare adds.

Maga-fascist Republican Jennifer

DeSena, for example, North Hempstead Town Supervisor, who displayed an appalling lack of judgement and actually endorsed and supported GEORGE SANTOS, drinks deeply at the cesspool.

Maga-fascist Republican cult members

must be turned out of office at every level to preserve our democratic Republic. Send her home, send them all home.

Eric Cashdan Sands Point

G.N. Library in good hands under Corcoran

When we were searching for a house in 1979 we selected Great Neck for the commute to New York City, the public schools, and the library. Our families have always been holders of a library card in the way some people carry a card to a private club.

Soon after moving to Great Neck in 1980, I formed with people I met in

Allenwood Park a little playgroup. That also became a mom’s group for activism in our community, socialization, and reading.

After over more than four decades that group of several dozen women has evolved and still functions. I am currently in a second reading group of Great Neck women with more than 30 women at our last discussion meeting.

Both groups contain librarians, teachers, medical professionals, lawyers as well as other professionals.

The Great Neck Library has also evolved over those years. I must say, today, under Denise Corcoran’s directorship, it has reached a new level of functioning. She is forward-thinking, supporting revisions in building and rebuilding collections, introducing new

programming, improved digital and printed communication with the public, building a STEM program, and more.

The atmosphere among the staff and patrons is at the highest level of congeniality and efficiency. I have seen that the availability of the director sets a model for the staff of what leadership and service mean. I encourage the support of the

public and the library board of trustees who were elected by the community to support the continuation of this progress led by our current director, Denise Corcoran. I would be sad to see dissension and secretiveness damage our current rising achievements.

Eileen Walk Great Neck

Vote yes on for MLFD Ambulance Unit

Iwrite in response and strong disagreement to the letter printed in last week’s issue by certain “concerned taxpayers,” objecting to the construction of a modern facility to house the ManhassetLakeville Fire Department Ambulance Unit on Cumberland Avenue.

My son joined the Ambulance Unit in 2004, at age 17, later joining Engine/Rescue Company #3 in 2008. He has been a member of the Ambulance Unit for 18 years, of Company #3 for 14 years, and served as Lieutenant and Captain of Company #3 from 2015 — 2021.

I have spent significant time at the Prospect Street firehouse and have seen firsthand the conditions that the Ambulance Unit and Company 3 work under while sharing the space meant for one company.

The MLFD Ambulance unit has been based out of 25 Prospect Street since 1988. Their ambulances are already based out of a residential neighborhood — so the real questions here are which neighborhood should they be based on?

And more importantly, what conditions should the volunteers who sacrifice dozens of hours or more per month endure while performing their duties to protect the community?

The ambulance unit has needed its own quarters for many years; we are lucky that the current board of commissioners has treated the situation with the appropriate urgency, and I am thankful for [state Assemblywoman] Gina Sillitti’s help in securing significant funding for the project.

The concerns raised about traffic are speculative at best. Neither MLFD ambulances nor fire apparatus contribute significantly to traffic congestion in Thomaston, where they are currently based.

I have lived a few blocks away from the Prospect

Street firehouse since 2014, and while there is often traffic on South Middle Neck Road, ambulances are not the cause of it.

The MLFD Ambulance Unit responds to 2-3 calls per day, which is negligible compared to the hundreds of cars that already use Pond Hill Road and Cumberland Avenue as a cut-through from Community Drive to Lakeville Road.

Ambulance drivers go through extensive safety training, and do not activate their sirens until they reach Northern Boulevard, to avoid causing disrup-

tion to residents in the neighborhood. These practices would continue in the new building.

Originally, members slept at home and responded to calls on an as-needed basis, but as the years have gone by, the community has come to rely more heavily on them, and call volumes have increased.

The volunteers of MLFD have responded by instituting standby shifts, where members rotate staying overnight at the firehouse one night per week to ensure staffing during overnight hours. However, the Prospect St firehouse was not designed to house two companies of firefighters and EMTs.

Currently, female firefighters and EMTs sleep on cots and inflatable mattresses in a repurposed conference room, male EMTs sleep on cots in the meeting room, 4 male firefighters sleep in a bunk room downstairs, while the remaining male firefighters sleep on couches or chairs downstairs.

Neither was the Prospect Street firehouse designed to hold 2 companies’ worth of apparatus. The apparatus bay, originally designed to hold 2 fire engines and one heavy rescue, now holds 2 ambulances, 2 fire engines, and one heavy rescue, leaving almost no room for firefighters and EMTS to store and get dressed into their turnout gear, making movement on the truck room floor difficult and/or dangerous.

The ambulance unit first response vehicle must be left outside, as there is no room for it in the apparatus bay.

Regarding the concerns over the financial burden, the District commissioners have made clear that existing fire/water tax revenue is sufficient to cover ongoing bond payments, but not sufficient to pay for construction all at once.

The entire point of the bond issue is to spread the cost out over time and minimize the burden on taxpayers — just as we take mortgages to buy our homes.

Concerns raised about “why not modify an existing property” reflect the objectants’ lack of engagement with the fire district throughout the process — the proposed Ambulance headquarters will be built on existing Water District property, to minimize the expense to District taxpayers, and to decrease response times across the district by stationing the ambulances in a central location with easy access to both North Shore-Manhasset and Long Island Jewish hospitals.

It seems to me that the objections raised about traffic, financing, and the pre-construction process are cover for a general “not-in-my-backyard” attitude — people want to enjoy the high quality of service provided by the M-LFD without contributing to its well-being.

In addition to the “residential enclave” of Spinney Hill, the MLFD ambulance unit covers 10 square miles of other enclaves with 44,000 residents, and at least twice as many occupants in the many commercial properties during the day.

The space-sharing arrangement put in place in 1988 was intended as a temporary solution at the time, and 35 years later, it’s long past time to provide a permanent home to the men and women who help us in times of dire need.

I have seen firsthand the diligence and professionalism of the Ambulance Unit many times as they have responded to care for me, my neighbors, my partner, and my mother on numerous occasions.

I’m sure many of our friends and neighbors have as well. Indeed, I’ve been grateful to have them stationed so close — when they are called, they have often arrived at my door in five minutes or less.

We can all sleep easier at night knowing that the MLFD Ambulance Unit is willing to get up at any hour and give their time to ensure our health, safety, and well-being. It’s time for us, the residents who enjoy that protection, to do our part for them, and vote yes on Oct 10.

Welwyn Road

At the post office you admired my car And I’m still wondering who you are We talked about Diwan but the moment was gone

I’m no Charles (or Emily) Dickens but believe it or not, now the plot thickens

You were driving the white Benz and you said “Let’s be friends”

I was sitting in a blue convertible but my thoughts were not divertable

And if you want to get creative I remember you’re a Thomaston native If I actually knew who you was I would take you to Haagen Dazs Where we could eat our cones and discuss auto loans

Or discuss the Taj Mahal (you’re from India, as I recall)

Then one another we’d seek to know while the autumn breezes blow I hope this fable finds you well and I’ll be waiting for you on AOL

Do I come with the car? I just might If you play your cards right

And if there is no reply to this ode We’ll always have Welwyn Road

Leslie Feldman (GeeClef@aol.com)

Great Neck

Nina K. Gordon Great Neck

COURTESY OF MLFD AMBULANCE UNIT COMPANY 3

Tennessee Walt to bring Hank Williams to life on Oct. 8

Hank Williams, the man who, more than any other, defines country music in the American mind turns 100 this year (or would, if he hadn’t died 70 years ago).

To celebrate the Williams centennial, the New York-based country singer Tennessee Walt will be performing an all-Williams concert on October 8 at the Great Neck Public Library.

The show will include classic Williams songs such as “I Saw the Light,” “Jambalaya” and “Your Cheating Heart,” but also lesser-known Williams songs and rarities, including songs that were never commercially

recorded and survived only as posthumously released demo tapes.

And, as always, Walt will talk about the stories behind the songs and the man who wrote them.

“In one sense, everybody knows Hank Williams,” said Gayden Wren, the Queens resident who performs on voice and piano as Tennessee Walt. “Even if you’re not a country fan and were born decades after his death, you’ve heard his unmistakable voice on movie soundtracks, on television and on radio. When people who don’t know country think about country, it’s his voice they hear.

“On the other hand, he’s also sur-

prisingly unknown for someone of his stature, an iconic figure who lived in the 20th century and is arguably more popular today than he’s ever been,” Wren continued. “He died at 29, released only 31 singles and no albums, never appeared in much of the country, never appeared in a movie and is featured in less than eight minutes of surviving television footage. He did very few newspaper interviews, wrote no memoir and no books about him appeared in his lifetime.

“There are a lot of things that people don’t know about Hank Williams,” he concluded, “even if they

think they do.

How many of his songs did he write? Where did his ideas come from? How often was he married? We don’t even really know when he died or even in what year he died. This show is an opportunity for people to hear some of the greatest American songs ever written, and also to learn some fascinating things about the man who created them.”

The Hank Williams Century is the seventh show from Tennessee Walt, following on the heels of “The Other Great American Songbook,” “Bristol & Beyond: The Birth of Country Music,” “Hanks a Lot!,” “Riding with the

Outlaws,” “An Afternoon in the Country” and “Three Chords and the Truth: Country’s Greatest Songwriters.”

Those shows have been enthusiastically received in dozens of venues in the greater New York area, as well as in Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas.

Tennessee Walt’s The Hank Williams Century will be presented on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m. at the Great Neck Public Library at 159 Bayview Ave. in Great Neck. Admission is free. For further information, call (516) 466-8055 or visit the library’s website.

PHOTO BY ALLYE ZUBLI. C. 2016 THE NEW PUNCTUATION ARMY INC.

Tennessee Walt will be celebrating Hank Williams’ centennial in Great Neck on Sunday, Oct. 5.

SATURDAY

OCTOBER 21ST 7:00PM

Tony Danza to bring hit show to Tilles Center

Combining timeless music with wit, charm, storytelling, and a dash of soft shoe and ukulele performances, Tony Danza, his band, and The Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra will perform a selection of Danza’s favorite standards from the “Great American Songbook” while interweaving stories about his life and personal connection to the music.

The live show has entertained audiences around the country with The New York Times

raving “Tony’s a live wire who tap-dances, plays the ukulele, tells stories and radiates irresistible charm…he exudes the kind of charisma that can’t be taught!” Broadway World said, “His voice and showmanship is a welcome reminder of why the standards are just that—because they’re timeless. The man has true stage presence like we don’t see anymore. His singing voice is on par with any of the great performers of yesteryear or any year. Seeing Tony Danza on stage in your lifetime is a must,” said Scott Spears of WWGH Radio.

Danza has been one of the worlds most beloved and iconic entertainers for over 40 years, starring in two of television’s most cherished and long-running series, Taxi and Who’s The Boss, and in hit films such as Angels In Outfield, She’s Out of Control, Hollywood Knights, and Don Jon. Well established as a song and dance man, he has also starred on Broadway in The Producers, A View from the Bridge, and received rave reviews for his performance in the Broadway musical comedy, Honeymoon in Vegas.

Danza, who grew up on Long Island and attended Malverne High School, most recently starred in the Hulu original film, Darby and the Dead, Power Book III: Raising Kanan on Starz, the Netflix series The Good Cop, There’s Johnny on Hulu, the animated feature, Rumble, for Paramount, and And Just Like That, the sequel to Sex In The City, on HBO Max. Danza also has a much buzzed about sequel to Who’s the Boss in development with Amazon’s Freevee.

Tickets are available online at www.npso.booktix.com.

Sponsored by

Mom and Dad, Let’s Talk: About the Facts, the Finances and the Final Wishes

Not being prepared can be a drain on your family, both emotionally and financially. This free 3-part series of workshops will cover and address vital information to help manage possible confusion and hardship so your loved ones are better prepared

PART 1: Wednesday, November 1

6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

“Mom and Dad, let’s talk…about The Facts” Starting the conversation is the first, and very often, the hardest step. Learn the importance of planning, creating checklists and organizing relevant information about your contacts, legal and health issues, financial and business affairs, and much more.

Panelists: Paula Pagan-Rosas, Ron Fatoullah, Ted Mageau, Ron Roel

PART 2: Wednesday, November 8

6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

“Mom and Dad, let’s talk…about The Finances” Talking and planning may feel uncomfortable at first, but it can ease your anxiety about the financial future and help provide clarity as you determine what’s important to you and your loved ones. We will walk you through important documents you should have ready.

Panelists: Ron Fatoullah, Ted Mageau, Donna M. Stefans, Esq., Bernard Macias

PART 3: Wednesday, November 15

6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

“Mom and Dad, let’s talk…about The Final Wishes”

Each of us have a commonality, and that is that we’re not eternal. An uncomfortable topic at first, but it can help provide clarity for you and your loved ones. Including family and friends allows everyone involved to share and record your preferences and options for your last wishes and final arrangements.

Panelists: Susan Carpuso, Crystal Gonzalez, Ron Roel, Bernard Macias

Questions? Call 516-307-1045 x 206 or email stabakin@theisland360.com

(718) 225-5502

3601 Bell Blvd | Bayside 11361

www.Isfb.org

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FREE FULL DAY 3-K & PRE-K • KINDERGARTEN - GRADE 8 BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE

* Seats Available (K-3rd Grade, 4th - 8th Grade)

* DOE sponsored 3-K & Pre-K for All program

* Large classrooms, outdoor playground and indoor gymnasium

* Stress of the Fine Arts and 30 minutes of recess everyday along with the major subjects

* Certified and Experienced Staff

* Extended hours available

* Located a few blocks north of the Bayside Train Station

TOUR THE SCHOOL

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

“Big Enough to Challenge- Small Enough to Care”

How students can b enefit from study abro ad pro grams

to normal, and that means tens of thousands of students are once again considering study abroad programs. Participation in a study abroad program can be a life-changing experience for young students As students and their families consider study abroad programs, they can consider these notable benefits of signing up to study overseas.

Smissed out rtunities capable of who study owded ly among nd their orking is fore. dy abroad graduate rks and international networks through their universities at home and abroad

Study abroad program participation understandably dipped in recent years as the world confronted a global pandemic, during which many countries closed their borders to non-residents for a period of time In fact, according to NAFSATM: Association of International Educators, the number of students from the United States studying abroad in the 2020-21 academic year declined by 91 percent from the year prior Since then, the world has largely returned to normal, and that means tens of thousands of students are once again considering study abroad programs

• Experience a foreign culture: The chance to experience foreign cultures firsthand compels many students to study abroad each year

Data from NAFSATM indicates that 44 percent of American study abroad students study in just five countries: Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Ireland. But study abroad programs are active in just about every corner of the globe That means study abroad participants can experience foreign cultures similar to their own or go to school in countries with cultures vastly different from their own homeland.

Participation in a study abroad program can be a life-changing experience for young students As students and their families consider study abroad programs, they can consider these notable benefits of signing up to study overseas

• Enhance your career prospects: Study abroad programs can help students enhance their career prospects after graduation

NAFSATM notes that a 2014 survey found that nearly 40 percent of

• Experience a foreign culture: The chance to experience foreign cultures firsthand compels many students to study abroad each year. Data from NAFSATM indicates that 44 percent of American study abroad students study in just five countries: Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Ireland But study

companies indicated they missed out on overseas business opportunities due to a lack of personnel capable of working abroad Students who study abroad can stand out in crowded applicant pools, particularly among employers looking to expand their international operations.

Career placement offices at both schools can help students connect with alumni and professionals In addition, students can build relationships with professors and fellow students they meet while studying abroad, further expanding their professional and personal networks

• Build networks: Networking is perhaps more valuable to professionals than ever before Students who enroll in study abroad programs may ultimately graduate with both domestic networks and international networks through their universities at home and abroad Career placement offices at both schools can help students connect with alumni and professionals In addition, students can build relationships with professors and fellow students they meet while studying abroad, further expanding their professional and personal networks

• Improve your earning potent ial: The Institute for the International Education of Students, also known as IES Abroad®, reports that its alumni earn an average of $6,000 more in starting salaries compared to recent college graduates in the United States That’s a significant benefit for students on the cusp of graduating who will have to confront a rising cost of living that has made it as challenging as ever for young adults to establish their financial independence

Study abroad programs have much to offer. Students who enroll in such programs may find the benefits of studying overseas pay dividends for the rest of their lives

• Improve your earning potent ial: The Institute for the International Education of Students, also known as IES Abroad®, reports that its alumni earn an average of $6,000 more in starting salaries compared to recent college graduates in the United States. That’s a

Unique academy and e duc ational tracks in scho ol

chools continue to evolve and change their curriculum to meet the needs of modern students. Many schools now recognize the importance of helping students develop skills that will help them be competitive in the world and workforce. One way they are doing so is through the development of educational academies or specific academic tracks to give students an advantage later in their academic careers. Here’s a close look at such offerings, which tend to be primarily at the high school (secondary school) level.

Early college academy

SSchools continue to evolve and change their curriculum to meet the needs of modern students. Many schools now recognize the importance of helping students develop skills that will help them be competitive in the world and workforce. One way they are doing so is through the development of educational academies or specific academic tracks to give students an advantage later in their academic careers

offerings. Others provide college courses in a high school setting. High schools develop complementary relationships with accredited colleges in the area, typically community colleges. Upon completion of the programs, students in the early college courses will receive associates degrees. Advantages to an ECA is that students already have completed two years of college, which saves time and money.

Dual enrollment/Advanced placement

on students’ scores on the tests. Both of these avenues may help students earn college credits, provided the school they attend will accept the credits.

Career tracks/pathways

Early college academy, also known as early college high school, is a program that enables high school students to earn two-year associates degrees at the same time as they earn high school diplomas, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Early College High School Initiative was established in part in 2002 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Early colleges have expanded over the last 20 years, and these programs may work in different ways. Some bring high schoolers to college campuses to take courses in-person, or there may be remote course

Here’s a close look at such offerings, which tend to be primarily at the high school (secondary school) level.

High schools have been offering this option for some time now. Dual enrollment classes are essentially college courses that high schoolers take while in high school. Professors from nearby colleges may teach these courses right in a high school classroom. High school teachers also may be trained to instruct a college’s approved coursework. At the end of the course, the student will have received credits for that college course.

Early college academy

Early college academy, also known as early college high school, is a program that enables high school students to earn two-year associates degrees at the same time as they earn high school diplomas, according to U S News & World Report. The Early College High School Initiative was established in part in 2002 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Early colleges have expanded over the last 20 years, and these programs may work in different ways Some bring high schoolers to college campuses to take courses in-person, or there may be remote course offerings. Others provide college courses in a high school setting. High schools develop complementary relationships with accredited colleges in the area, typically community

Advanced placement (AP) classes are classes with collegelevel curricula created by the College Board. AP students must pass AP exams at the end of the classes. Certain colleges will accept AP classes as college credit depending

colleges Upon completion of the programs, students in the early college courses will receive associates degrees. Advantages to an ECA is that students already have completed two years of college, which saves time and money.

Students may choose to follow particular tracks in high school if they pick a college major or choose a trade school. Sometimes these programs are called pathways. Nevertheless, they may be offered in Visual Arts, STEM, Business Management, Automotive Repair, Hospitality, or Mathematics. While students will still get an array of core classes, by enrolling in a track, their electives and certain other classes may be geared toward a particular pathway. For example, an eligible math course for a business student may be accounting as opposed to calculus for a general education student. These pathways help develop passions and interests and enable high schoolers to grow accustomed to the customization of a degree.

scores on the tests Both help students earn colleg school they attend will a

High school has evolved to introduce students to higher education in novel ways.

Dual enrollment/ Advanced placement

PORTLEDGE SC OOL

High schools have been offering this option for some time now Dual enrollment classes are essentially college courses that high schoolers take while in high school. Professors from nearby colleges may teach these courses right in a high school classroom. High school teachers also may be trained to instruct a college’s approved coursework. At the end of the course, the student will have received credits for that college course Advanced placement (AP) classes are classes with college-level curricula created by the C llege Board. AP students must pass AP exams at the end of the classes Certain colleges will accept AP classes as college credit depending on students’

Career tracks/pat

Students may choose to in high school if they pic choose a trade school. S are called pathways Nev offered in Visual Arts, S Management, Automotiv Mathematics. While stud array of core classes, by electives and certain oth toward a particular pathw eligible math course for be accounting as oppose general education studen develop passions and int schoolers to grow accus customization of a degre High school has evolved higher education in nove

GRADES

How to help student-athletes balance academics and athletics

The rigors of academia demand every student’s utmost devotion. For some, the challenges in the classroom are accompanied by the thrill of competition on the playing fields. Multi-tasking may be most associated with modern professionals, but many might have learned how to balance multiple responsibilities at once during their days as student-athletes.

Student-athletes typically have a lot on their plates. Managing multiple priorities at once can overwhelm anyone, especially young student-athletes without much experience handling such a juggling act. As a new school year begins, student-athletes can consider these strategies as they try to do their best in the classroom and on the competitive playing fields.

• Practice time management over the summer.

Summer vacation provides a much-needed respite for all students, but it also can serve as

a time management trial run for studentathletes. Over the course of summer break, create a schedule of activities and allot a certain amount of time to devote to each. In the spirit of summer vacation, these activities need not be rigorous, but the schedule can lay the foundation for the hopefully successful management of time that will be necessary when the school year begins.

• Take steps to avoid burnout. Burnout can affect student-athletes in the classroom and on the field. Work with parents, coaches and school staff, including a nutritionist if one works for the school’s athletic department, to devise a meal plan that will help to energize the body and reduce injury risk. In addition, follow a consistent sleep schedule that helps to overcome mental and physical fatigue. According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 should sleep eight to 10 hours each night.

• Avoid distractions. Student-athletes who are finding it hard to get at least eight hours of sleep each night might be too distracted during the day to get everything done so they can go to bed at a reasonable hour. Smartphones ensure distractions are never too far away, but student-athletes can take a proactive approach and turn off app notifications once a new school year and season begins. In addition, pick a quiet homework/study room in the house without distractions like a television or the hum of outside noise.

• Set academic and athletic goals. Coaches typically establish goals for players before the season and then again during end-of-season exit interviews. Such goals can help athletes maintain their motivation, and a similar strategy can be employed in the classroom. Parents and student-athletes can meet with teachers to establish study goals to keep them striving toward academic achievement. Clearly defined goals can improve student-athletes’ focus, and that can make it easier to balance their responsibilities. Student-athletes face a balancing act once a new school year or season begins.

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Dr. Tom Ferraro has specialized in sport psychology for 20 years and works in the fields of golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, football, wrestling, lacrosse, figure skating, gymnastics, softball, fencing and more. He has helped professional teams, Olympians and elite young athletes learn how to manage the intense pressure of competitive sports. He appears on both TV and radio and has sport psychology columns in 5 different newspapers and has been featured in The New York Times, Wall street Journal and the London Times. Golf Digest includes him in their list of top mental game gurus in America. For a consultation

ENJOY AWARD-WINNING LOCAL JOURNALISM Signs your child might be experiencing bullying

HONORABLE MENTION

BEST FREEDOM OF INFORMATION-BASED

STORY

2022 PRESS CLUB OF LONG ISLAND

AWARDS

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BEST HUMOR COLUMN

Bullying continues to be a major problem across the country. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that one out of every five students reports being bullied, although many people do not admit to it occurring, so bullying might be even more prevalent than statistics indicate. The primary reasons for being bullied include physical appearance, race/ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, and sexual orientation.

In the past, bullying may have ceased when students left school. But since the internet and digital devices provide round-the-clock exposure and access, bullying now takes places even after school hours through social media posts and texts. Students who experience bullying may be susceptible to anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and dropping out of school, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Discovering the signs of bullying early on may help students get the help they need. Parents and other adults may not be sure how to identify signs a child is being bullied. Here are seven signs that could indicate a child is being bullied.

1. Reluctance to go to school: Students being bullied may make excuses to stay home, such as saying they are sick. Frequent calls from the school nurse for early pickups also may occur.

2. Mood changes: Children may appear sad, moody, teary, or depressed more often than usual.

3. Changes in friendships: Loss or changes of friends could be signs of bullying. A reluctance to hang out in a once familiar social circle could signal bullying is taking place within that group.

4. Bad dreams or trouble sleeping: Bullying could cause worry at night or subconsciously while a child is dreaming, interrupting sleeping patterns.

5. Intense emotional reactions: Intense emotional reactions to school or social activities could be indicators that bullying is occurring. Although children may not always be able to articulate their feelings, excessive emotions concerning certain topics may be red flags.

6. Signs of physical abuse: By and large a majority of bullying tends to lean toward the verbal and emotional. However, RaisingChildren.net, an Australia-based parenting website, reports bruises, cuts, scratches, torn clothing, or missing property might be indicators of physical bullying.

7. Withdrawal from devices: Students being bullied online or over social media may decide not to use mobile phones or gaming systems as frequently as they once did.

Maintaining an open dialogue with a child may help him or her feel more comfortable, which can lead to the child sharing details of bullying at school or elsewhere.

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Original watercolor paintings in Oyster Bay

The public is invited on Saturday, Oct. 14 for the opening of our 9th Annual Exhibit of Original Watercolor Paintings created by members of The Watercolor Artists of Oyster Bay.

The opening Reception and Award Celebration will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at The Haybarn — Planting Fields Arboretum (1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay 11771). The Exhibit runs from Oct. 14 through Nov. 15 and is free and open to visitors daily.

The exhibit is curated by Roberta Erlagen, artist and instructor.

“I am so very proud of the artists who continue to grow and explore the medium of watercolor in a wide variety of styles.”

“This year, the exhibit will be judged by Antonio Masi, artist, author and teacher. Masi is the president of The American Watercolor Society in New York City.

Masi has given workshops to our class and provided his shared his knowl-

edge and experience in composition, technique and color to our group. His expertise is nationally recognized and respected.”

The reception includes the awarding of prizes, light refreshments provided by Sexy Salad Cafe, wine and a musical performance by “Elemental Quartet”.

Original Artwork, Giclee prints and cards will be available for purchase that day and during our “Last Chance Sale” on Nov. 4 and 5 from 10:00 am — 3:00 pm.

Why not spend an afternoon strolling through the lush Planting Fields Arboretum grounds and greenhouses and visit the exhibit at The Haybarn? Parking fees are waived with an Invitation and there is no cost to attend the exhibit and reception.

Vincent Simeone, executive director of Planting Fields, played an essential role in making the event possible.

For more information, contact (631) 241-6366 or (516) 368-4456.

Famous Food Festival 2023 - Oct

6th - 9th - Deer Park, Long Island NY @ 1pm / $8 Oct 6th - Oct 9th

Famous Food Festival

"Taste the World" Re‐turns To Tanger Outlets (Deer Park, NY) this Columbus Day Week‐end With over 60 food vendors on deck, get ready to taste the world!www Tanger Out‐lets - Deer Park, 152 The Arches Circle, Deer Park. management@fa mousfoodfestival.com, 662-221-2223

Preseason: New York Islanders V New Jersey Devils @ 7pm / $19-$200 UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Belmont Park - Long Island

Spooky Fest @ 6:30pm / $27 Oct 6th - Oct 29th

Our updated Halloween adventure is perfect for families who don't want to be scared.... or maybe just a little. 1450 Tanglewood Rd, 1450 Tanglewood Road, Rockville Centre. helpdesk@cstl.org, 516-764-0045

Circo Hermanos Vazquez @ 7:30pm

Circus Vazquez - Walt Whitman Shops, 160 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station

Suzanne Vega: An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories @ 8pm / $51

Suzanne Vega – An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories

Jeanne Rimsky Theater, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. boxof�ce@landmarkonmain street.org, 516-767-6444

Men on Boats - Post Theatre Company at Long Island

University Post @ 7:30pm / $15 Oct 6th - Oct 8th

Men On Boats is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition when a one-armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River. Lit‐tle Theatre, Old West‐bury. post-theatre@ liu.edu, 516-299-2356

Sat 10/07

Fleetwood Macked: Huntington Fall Festival @ 7pm Heckscher Park, NY-25A & Prime Ave, Huntington

Jethro Tulls MARTIN BARRE & BAND @ 8pm / $40-$75

The Space at Westbury The‐ater, 250 Post Avenue, West‐bury

Fall into Science

Family Workshop at SMLI

@ 10am / $20

Explore the Leeds Pond Preserve as you learn all about fall in the Forrest. Science Mu‐seum of Long Island, 1526 North Plandome Road, Manhasset. info @smli.org, 516-6299400

Ron Jackson @ 12pm

Arts In The Plaza, 1 W Chester St, Long Beach

The Mixx Up @ Lily's Babylon

@ 1pm

Lily Flanagan's Pub, 345 Deer Park Ave #2360, Babylon

Chris Stapleton's AllAmerican Road Show @ 7pm / $53.75-$133.75

UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Turnpike, Belmont Park - Long Island

Max Amini @ 8pm / $1-$89

The Space at Westbury The‐ater, 250 Post Avenue, West‐bury

Saturday Oct 7th

Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society’s Fall Colonial Fair

@ 10am

Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, 336 Port Washington Boulevard, Port Washington. info@cow neck.org, 516-365-9074

This popular event features fun for the entire family. Kids can enjoy the petting zoo, pony rides and climb aboard a real �re truck. Adults can peruse a massive antique tool collection, browse the annual book sale and much more.

and Alan Zwiebel. The Bryant Library, 2 Papermill Road, Roslyn. info@bryantlibrary.org, 516-621-2240

Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes @ 8pm / $49.50-$99.50

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington

Autumn Adventures Hol‐iday Workshop at SMLI @ 10am / $90

Celebrate the changing of the seasons at Leeds Pond Pre‐serve! Science Museum of Long Island, 1526 North Plan‐dome Road, Manhasset. info@ smli.org, 516-629-9400

Al Stewart with his band The Empty Pockets

@ 8pm / $48

Al Stewart with his band The Empty Pock‐ets Jeanne Rimsky The‐ater, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. boxof �ce@landmarkonmain street.org, 516-7676444

New York City Ballet @ 7:30pm

David H. Koch Theater, 63rd Street, New York City

Andy Grammer @ 8pm / $25-$65

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington

Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All @ 7pm / $35-$75

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington

George Lopez: Alllriiiighhttt! @ 8pm / $29.50$125.50

NYCB Theatre at West‐bury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury

Sun 10/08

Literary Delights & Humorous Insights: Adam Mansbach & Alan Zweibel on The Golem of Brooklyn

@ 2pm Our annual William Cullen Bryant Lecture, sponsored by the Friends of The Bryant Li‐brary features Adam Mansbach

An Evening with North Mississippi Allstars @ 7:30pm / $47

An Evening with North Mississippi Allstars Jeanne Rimsky Theater, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. boxof�ce @landmarkonmain street.org, 516-7676444

Italian Heritage Month by the Town of North Hempstead @ 7pm

The Town of North Hempstead is hosting its �rst ever Italian Her‐itage Celebration at Clinton G. Martin Park. Clinton G. Martin Park, New Hyde Park. jmm lodge1389@gmail.com

Fri 10/13

Deanna Hudson @ 6pm Peppercorns: Restaurant & Catering, 25 E Marie St, Hicksville

Jimmy Failla @ 7pm / $29.50-$69.50

The Paramount, 370 New York Ave, Huntington

Where Stars Collide NY @ 7pm Great South Bay Brewery, 25 Drexel Dr, Bay Shore

KANSAS: Another Fork in the Road - 50th Anniversary Tour @ 8pm / $40.50

Fans will hear songs spanning 50 years of KANSAS music. Tilles Center, LIU Post College, 720 Northern Boulevard, Greenvale

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

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Business&RealEstate

Don’t get checkmated in real estate

Homes, condos, and coops are still selling due to the market demand. It all depends on how you are pricing your property. There are some places where bidding wars are still a common occurrence as the needs and wants of some buyers remain paramount regardless of the interest rates and prices.

Cash is still king and some buyers are putting down a large sum of money, so interest rates are not as worrisome for them as it is for others, especially those who have left the fray and decided to wait to save more money or leave the area entirely.

The question arises as to when this tumultuous environment will become stable once again, where inventory is normal and interest rates become affordable. The answer is who knows? What has to really occur is for prices to come down to earth, inventory has to increase and maybe rates might come down 1-2%.

Historically rates are somewhat normal as they were back in early 2000. However, the rates escalated 11 times over the last several years at a pace never seen before in such quick succession since 1981, when

rates at their height were around 18%. But the median price of homes was $65,446 back then and monthly mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities averaged $514, according to the Washington Post. At the time of the survey, rates were 11.6% nationwide and more than half of the respondents found the rate to be acceptable. In January 1981 once rates hit 16%, then 85% of buyers were shut out of the market, even though home prices were significantly lower than today’s prices.

Although incomes have risen for some substantially and others are not as much as needed, the median price of a home is $416,100 in the U.S. whereas in January 2022, the price was $348,079. This was a record high due to the pandemic, and reflected excessive demand from historically low interest rates and low supply. This sharp increase and the much higher rates have put a monkey wrench into the ability of a majority to purchase a home. So although rates are what some would call normal looking back over time, it’s the prices of homes that have caused the change in demand and what is doable for many.

What will occur in 2024? Will the Fed lower rates, I am not very confident that this will happen. This might be excellent for government debt as our current rates have caused our debt to increase to over $1 trillion just in interest alone per year and will be the fastest-growing part of the federal budget over the next three decades. Will housing have the same al-

lure as it has always had? Will the Fed begin increasing the money supply once again. I don’t think this will happen in diluting the value of our dollar and adding to our national debt. As per the Fed, rates will remain higher than normal for the foreseeable future and this might cause a lowering of demand and a further softening of prices.

Moreover, we could see an economy slipping into a more challenging recession. I do not see a soft landing as business slows and layoffs increase. Next year will be a new phase for our economy. Will sellers feel more confident selling or will they be more afraid to due to the higher interest rates and giving up their considerably lower rates and not knowing where to go. Or will they sit back watching prices moderate?

I believe from having conversations with many buyers, sellers and even investors that most are in a quandary at this time. People are indecisive and concerned at the moment as to what to do. However, if you can afford to purchase (stable job and business income) and plan to stay in your home for at least seven

The “Internet of Things” and Smart Clothing

years, you must determine the cost vs. renting and if the numbers make sense in your brain, then they should make sense in your pocketbook.

Life is also a bunch of calculations and you have to feel comfortable in your decision making. Some take more risk than others as it is your individual choice to do so. If you were playing a game of chess, some know how to play the game and win and some do not. So you must learn and understand how to win and not be in a losing position.

No one is clairvoyant in predicting the future, but preparation and doing your homework to be able to navigate the selling and buying process should enable you to make the proper decisions to be in a safe and profitable position.

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) 6474289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Comor via https://WWW.LiRealEstate.Com

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

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

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

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

William Diggin, Accenture

Let Sandwire Technology Group show your small business that the future is NOW.

PHILIP A. RAICES

Real Estate Watch

DeSena touts tax cuts and commitment in re-election bid

Continued from Page 6

It was not clear who is directing the commissioners to do this.

In August, Comptroller Kristen Schwaner resigned suddenly, leaving the top three positions in the Town’s comptroller department open alongside two deputy vacancies. Both DeSena and Town Democrats have blamed each other for Schwaner’s departure.

“Some commissioners are able to work around it, but in the case of the comptroller she did not feel that she could continue under those circumstances,” DeSena said, referring to the broken chain of command.

On Sept. 29 DeSena submitted her second tentative budget that includes a 10% property tax cut and said the town is projecting a $2 million surplus in this year’s budget. She added that increasing taxes within the state-mandated 2% tax cap just because the Town can is not right

and that she is returning the money to taxpayers from North Hemsptead’s tax reserves.

“They are too high,” DeSena said of the town’s reserves. “I was able to return some of that…when you’re careful, you can spend less money.”

When asked about not changing her party affiliation prior to running, DeSena said she didn’t feel it was appropriate and issues in North Hempstead are not partisan.

“I’ve held myself out as a person who wants to walk the center line and bring people together,” DeSena said.

“I don’t think that these issues we face at the town level are Democrat and Republican issues.”

When asked about her endorsement of Congressman George Santos–who she called a friend–DeSena said she initially believed what he told her but was intentionally misled along with the 3rd Congressional District. She said his history should have been

D’Esposito, Santos vote for budget bill

revealed during his campaign races.

“I believed those things that made me think he was a good candidate,” DeSena said. “Obviously I was wrong, and I was lied to. We were all lied to.”

DeSena said residents should vote for her because she is committed to the job and wants to continue working for the town in a bipartisan way for tax relief. She said she believes the biggest concerns for residents are increasing costs and being able to stay in their homes and that she wants to be able to provide that security.

“I hope people will choose me because I am dedicated, I have delivered on what I wanted to and I want to do more,” DeSena said. “Local elections have a big impact on neighborhoods and are decided by small margins so every vote counts. I’d be very grateful for the support to have another twoyear term as North Hempstead town supervisor.”

Continued from Page 8

in rejecting those common-sense legislative solutions but I kept working.”

Partisan fighting within the House brought the decision right up to the deadline of 12:01 a.m. Sunday, with a group of staunch Republicans demanding that any bill only be passed by GOP members and meet all their budget demands.

The stopgap funding bill, which funds the federal government through Nov. 17, was passed 335-91 in the House and 88-9 in the Senate. More Democrats than Republicans voted to pass the bill, with only one Democrat in the House voting against it.

President Joe Biden signed the bill Saturday night before the deadline.

This was the second time last week that Congress attempted to pass a stopgap funding bill, after a GOP-led bill failed Friday that would have funded the government through the end of October. All House Democrats and 21 Republicans voted against it.

If the bill had failed to pass again, it would have caused the fourth partial government shutdown in a decade. A government shutdown would have prevented nearly 4 million federal employees from getting paid – regardless of whether they continued to work or not – and temporarily stopped federal programs and services.

“Today, I once again took to the House floor and helped pass a bipartisan measure that keeps the government open for 45 days,” D’Esposito said. “This legislation provides Congress much-needed time to negotiate long-term spending levels while ensuring military service members as well as border security personnel do not miss paychecks and veterans do not see a lapse in benefits.”

One aspect missing from the passed bill is billions of dollars in funding for Ukraine, which the White House had asked Congress to approve. The decision to remove the funds was made by conservatives who objected to the spending.

Despite the bill garnering overwhelming support, its passage led Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz calling for a vote that would oust House Majority Leader California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who supported the stopgap funding bill. McCarthy made statements in response that he was not concerned about the threat.

The stopgap measure is a temporary fix, with funding only settled for the following 45 days. This bill is typically implemented to provide more time for further funding negotiations. Another bill must be passed before Nov. 17 in order to prevent a government shutdown.

Blank Slate Media honors 42 Women of Distinction

Continued from Page 6

Flagler said. “Rare individuals existing as a sole example of oneself. The very things that make us uniquely distinct are the characteristics that make us uniquely ourselves.”

Flagler implored the audience and her fellow honorees to keep providing the leadership needed today through each of their unique qualities.

“The world needs leadership, it needs our ideas, our resilience, and also our softness,” Flagler said. “It needs us, so whatever you are doing, women of distinction, we need you to keep

showing up.”

Blank Slate Media Editor and Publisher Steven Blank said the night’s honorees represented a diverse, talented and committed group of individuals at the forefront of embracing new ways of thinking in order to grow their businesses and serve their clients.

“You all have a vision and a mission and have surpassed many goals that you most likely set for yourself,” Blank said. “What unites us all tonight is how our organizations are contributing to the economic growth and well-being of Nassau County.”

State, county Dems back legislation on certiari firms

Continued from Page 8

He said the goal of this legislation is to dismantle what is perceived as an unfair system and rein in predatory tax challenge firms.

The introduction of fee caps for grievance settlements is intended to reduce the profits of tax challenge firms, potentially mitigating their inclination to pursue high grievance levels and weakening their perceived political influence.

The issue of property tax assessment accuracy has been a point of contention in Nassau County amid allegations of a deteriorating system. Legislators have noted the impact of political donations on legislators and their ability to initiate change. The current system has been criticized for benefiting the wealthy while burdening the middle class with disproportionately high tax burdens.

Legislator Debra Mulé (D–Freeport) said under Former County Executive Thomas Suozzi, the county had one of the most accurate tax assessment roles in the state.

“Fast forward a few years, under (County Executive) Mangano, we went to having one of the worst, if not the worst tax assessment roles in the state,” she said. Mulé also said the county Legislature gave millions to reassess the tax rolls and that when Former County Executive Laura Curran was in office, she hired a qualified assessor for the county and once again the roll was accurate.

“Are you sensing a pattern?” Mulé asked, saying Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said he’d fix the tax rolls and now “we’re back to Mangano days” relying on the state to Band-aid the “broken promise” just like the tax cut that didn’t happen either.

Legislator Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview) said everyday there are warnings not to get scammed or be vulnerable, but that’s what is happening with the tax refund firms. “They are taking advantage of people who can do a process and challenge their tax assessment easily,” he said.

Many legislators conduct workshops for residents to grieve their taxes.

“Instead of shelling out 50% of the tax reduction to these tax grievance firms we’re making a fortune off of people’s hard-earned money,” Drucker said, “It’s not fair. It’s not right. And we as the shepherds of the taxpayers’ dollars, as the public servants, hope to control some of the outlandish things that are being done.”

Legislator Carrié Solages (D-Lawrence) said the system is corrupt and that the Mineola press conference was not the first time legislators have complained about this issue.

“We have big political donations going to the other legislators, the 12 legislators, and these donations are preventing them from initiating any

change.”

He said Nassau County should not only be a place to buy a home and start a family, but where people can retire.

“People like my parents in Elmont own a $500,000 to $600,000 home, they’re paying $15,000 in taxes. People on the North Shore with million-dollar homes, they’re paying just $30,000. This system benefits the rich and hurts the middle class and we need to keep our middle class here.”

The unequal taxes have created a ripple of inequality he said.

“The ongoing deterioration of Nassau County’s assessment system has created an atmosphere in which inequity prevails, and property owners who fail to grieve are forced to shoulder a disproportionate large share of the tax burden,” Solages said.

While the proposed legislation seeks to address these concerns, challenges remain in finding a qualified assessor to improve the tax assessment process. Property owners are being urged not to shy away from attempting to grieve their own taxes, and there is a call for Blakeman to prioritize finding a qualified assessor.

Matthew Cronin had been the acting Nassau County Assessor up until June when he departed to become director of asset management for Suffolk County, which started on July 10.

Blakeman named Cronin as the acting assessor for a six-month term in May 2022. However, there was no subsequent request made by Blakeman to the Legislature to confirm Cronin as the permanent assessor once the acting appointment elapsed.

In recent years, there has been turnover in the position. In 2018, former Nassau Executive Laura Curran appointed David Moog, who served until January 2021. Subsequently, Curran appointed Robin Laveman as Moog’s successor, but the county Legislature, predominantly comprised of Republicans, did not convene a hearing to confirm this appointment.

Laveman assumed the role of acting assessor until January 2022 when Blakeman assumed office, replacing her with Cronin just four months later.

The Assessment Department has approximately 160 employees and a budget of $46 million and is responsible for developing an assessment roll covering the county’s 425,000 residential and commercial properties. This roll is used to calculate tax bills for schools, towns, and the county itself.

At the most recent budget hearing, Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, (D–Glen Cove) said that “we are nowhere close to finding an assessor at this point.” She said residents need to urge Blakeman to make finding a qualified assessor a priority and “don’t be afraid to try and grieve your own taxes.”

nassau COMMUNITY

▼ EMPLOYMENT, SITUATION WANTED, MARKETPLACE

To Place Your Ad Call

Phone: 516.307.1045 x 218

e-mail: dflynn@theisland360.com

In Person:

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We’re Open: Mon–Thurs: 9am-5:30pm Fri: 9am-6pm

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Buyers’s Guide

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

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

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

Publisher's notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Publisher’s notice: All employment advertising herin is subject to section 296 of the human rights law which makes it illegal to advertise any preference based on religion, sex, familial status, arrest record, national origin, color, age, or disability. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for employment which is in violation of the law. Employment opportunities advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

VISIT US ONLINE TODAY!

WE’RE HIRING

BLANK SLATE MEDIA is a fast-growing media company with 6 award-winning weekly newspapers and a website in Nassau County, a full array of digital services and high-profile events.

We have openings in several categories that we are looking to fill immediately.

n REPORTER. FULL TIME.

We are looking for a versatile, self-starter with good writing and reporting skills, and journalism experience.

You will report on all aspects of your communities including local government, politics, education, business and humaninterest stories.

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

n ENTERTAINMENT. PART TIME

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

n SALES. FULL TIME.

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

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

BlankSlate

WANTED TO BUY

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

TAG SALE

INVITED ESTATE SALES BY TRACY

JORDAN Thursday, October 12, 2023

9:30 a.m. 197 Kilburn Rd Garden City, NY 11530 Public sale selling furniture, sporting equipment, collectibles, decorative, housewares and books. Visit www.invitedsales.com for pictures & details!!

HELP WANTED

DRIVING INSTRUCTORS PT: Teaching Driver’s Ed. Located in Centereach. $16-$18/Hour.Call/Text 631-831-7277 or Email: johnperetta@yahoo.com

FRONT DESK POSITION LOCAL

DANCE STUDIO Looking for mature local woman willing to work evenings 3pm-8pm one or two nights per week. Will train for front desk duties which include but are not limited to registering students, taking attendance, collecting payments, cashing out, billing, filing etc. If interested please contact: 516-616-1601

TAX SENIOR Rankel Loughran Starr & Vallone LLP is seeking a Tax Senior to provide tax advisory and compliance services for High-Net-Worth Individuals, family groups, estates, trusts and partnerships associated with those clients etc. Position requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or related; 2yrs’ experience as tax senior or related. Rate of pay: $90,979$91,000/Year. Interested applicants can mail resume with code FLSV23 to: Frankel Loughran Starr & Vallone LLP 1475 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530

SITUATION WANTED

A HOME HEALTH CARE AIDE Irish trained woman with 10 years experience and excellent checkable references available. Honest and reliable. Licensed driver with own transportation. Please call 516-383-7150

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 888-514-3044

DIRECTV Sports Pack 3 Months on Us! Watch pro and college sports LIVE. Plus over 40 regional and specialty networks included. NFL, College Football, MLB, NBA, NHL, Golf and more. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918

HEARING AIDS!! High-quality rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee! 855-598-5898

MARKETPLACE

INVITED ESTATE SALES BY TRACY

JORDAN is doing VIRTUAL TAG SALES and ONLINE AUCTIONS now! Sell the contents of an entire house or sell just a few things! You can host your own sale on invitedsales.com and Facebook and Instagram or we can do it for you. We can photograph, advertise and handle the winning pickups for you within a week! Don’t worry about your closing date, we can get your house ready on time! We are a one stop service for all your needs when you are moving or selling a property! Selling, donating, discarding and cleaning out services can be done to meet your time frame with minimal stress. Contact info@invitedsales.com for more information or call 516-279-6378 to schedule a consultation or receive more information. Visit us at www.invitedsales.com for a listing of our upcoming Virtual Tag Sales and Weekly Auctions!

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

Antiques-Furniture-Jewelry-SilverMirrors-Lamps-Artwork Come to Consign & Stay to Shop Visit....Our Shop 109 Eleventh St. Garden City Mon-Fri 10-4 (Wed till 6) Saturday 12-4 Shop Our Online Store ATStewartExchange.org

Items to Consign? Email photos (with sizing info) to: store@atstewartexchange.org

All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society Like us on Facebook & Instagram

GARAGE SALE

GARAGE SALE October 7, 2023 9am to 4pmb 11 Loretta Lane Hicksville, NY Household items, books, fabric, small furniture and more.

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOS WANTED

***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS $Highest$ Ca$h Paid$ All Years/Conditions! WE VISIT YOU! Or Donate, Tax Deduct Ca$h. DMV ID#1303199 Call LUKE 516-VAN-CARS 516-297-2277

DRIVE OUT BREAST CANCER: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup 24hr response Tax deductionEasy to do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT

GARDEN CITY BORDER APARTMENT. NO BROKER FEE Huge, bright 1 Br 1 bath apt $1,815 +electric. Gated Parking. Laundry room, air conditioning, Hardwood floors. Near LIRR. www.gcbapts.com. Voice or text: 516-524-6965

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR SALE BARBERSHOP FOR SALE Great Location! Long Lease. Williston Park Please call 516-294-7407

SERVICE DIRECTORY SERVICES

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

MY CARING

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

SERVICES

MAGNUM SECURITY SYSTEMS, INC. Serving Garden City for 40 years. Let Magnum Upgrade Your Existing Security System. Burglar & Fire Alarms Cellular Radio 3G Upgrades Remote Access Call: 516-486-5484

PASSION FOR SENIORS Certified HHA’s, Companions & Homemakers. 24

Louie 516-850-4886

PAULIE THE ROOFER STOPPING

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

What’s our greatest asset at The Bristal Assisted Living communities? It’s the lifetime of interests and experiences you bring to it. After all, that’s what makes you special. A caring team that spends the time getting to know you so you can continue nurturing, sharing and exploring those interests? Well, that’s what makes us special, too.

See for yourself. Explore all of our locations in the tri-state area. thebristal.com

Recent Real Estate Sales in the

225 Dickson Circle, East Williston

4 bd, 3 ba, 3,117 sqft, Sold On: 8/17/23, Sold Price: $1,230,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: East Williston

682 Foch Boulevard, Williston Park

4 bd, 4 ba, Sold On: 8/16/23, Sold Price: $900,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Herricks

243 Cornwell Avenue, Williston Park

5 bd, 5 ba, 2,650 sqft, Sold On: 8/23/23, Sold Price: $1,450,000

Type: Single Family, Schools: Herricks

588 Marcellus Road, Williston Park

5 bd, 3 ba, Sold On: 8/24/23, Sold Price: $823,000

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.

Sunday brings record turnout at Mineola fair

Continued from Page 1

“We wanted to try our best to make a family atmosphere where there’s plenty of reasons to stay and not do one lap before leaving,” Lubrano said.

Lubrano said the upswing the chamber started on last year jumpstarted this year’s event, which had at least 150 vendors, if not 160, a new high. The vice president said the show mobile at the east end in previous years was stationed in front of Dunkin’ but had to be moved back further to accommodate the total number of vendors.

In the middle of Jericho stood multiple inflatable rides for kids, who enjoyed a bouncy house, RC car demonstration through different obstacles outside Willis Hobbies, carnival games courtesy of the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, dunk tank with the Mineola Junior Fire Department and a magic show.

Mineola Bicycle challenged at-

tendees to ride 50 feet as slowly as possible, recording the lowest times throughout the day.

On the corner of Willis and Banbury Road, the Irish American Society of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens had their own live music and refreshments.

Local and town officials thanked residents for turning out for the fair.

Mayor Paul Pereira thanked the chamber for their efforts and the village staff who helped organize the planning before reminding attendees to support Mineola businesses.

“Shop local today, shop local tomorrow and shop local all year,” Pereira said to the crowd Sunday.

Shortly before noon at the west end mobile stage, the Mineola Historical Society honored businesses in the village that have been operating for over 25 years. This year’s honorees included Mineola Diner, Robert’s, The Valentine Agency, Harry Katz Carpet One and Mineola Bicycle.

Also at the west end, perfor-

mances and demonstrations were held by musical duo LeeAnn & John, the American Theater Dance Workshop, Master Jeon Taekwondo, the Ariel Loft and singer Nick Fabiano.

On the opposite side of Jericho, attendees were treated to live music from outfits Calliope Wren, Original Gossip, Skyward Effect, Yankee Rebel, the School of Rock and the Tony Santos Band.

Lubrano said feedback on Sunday has been positive, with attendees commending the wide variety of food options and vendors appreciating the professionalism of the event for everyone involved.

“Some emails have commented on how nice and well-organized everything was and how much business they brought in,” Lubrano said. “They’re already looking forward to next year and we are really excited. I can’t imagine anyone who was there yesterday that wouldn’t want to come back next year.”

Town officials point blame over resignation

Continued from Page 2

Pitnick said DeSena’s statements are inaccurate and instead of blaming others for Schwaner’s departure she “should be accepting responsibility for the actions her staff had on the comptroller resigning.”

Lurvey and Haber both acknowledged the meeting DeSena referenced but said it was purely informational, with Lurvey saying previous requests to talk to DeSena on the same issue were ignored.

Haber said in an interview with Blank Slate Media he has given dozens of presenta-

tions throughout the state on possible ways for municipalities or organizations to manage their money.

“I was invited to give non-partisan, good government, municipal finance suggestions like I’ve done dozens of times before all over New York State,” Haber said. “Maximizing revenue by placing account balances in the highest interest-bearing accounts approved by the state comptroller is a no-risk way for the Town of North Hempstead to earn an approximately additional $1 million in interest income.”

Lurvey added that short-term interest rates have risen to over 5% now compared to 0.2% in January last year when DeSena’s term began, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Schwaner, who was set to make $160,000 this year, was unanimously appointed to the role in April after an extensive bipartisan search process.

Prior to Schwaner’s appointment, Finance Director Paul Wood was appointed interim comptroller and now has been appointed again to the same position following

Schwaner’s departure.

Lurvey also said DeSena should stop disparaging town employees and pay more attention to the town’s finances to prevent losing potential income.

“That’s the real story, and instead of creating a work environment where she casts aspersions on the motives of her fellow Town Board members at every opportunity, she should be working with her fellow Town Board members to appropriately ensure the financial health and stability of our Town,” Lurvey said.

Manor design board OKs Horvat’s landscaping plan

Continued from Page 10

be described to the board by Scott Tyrone, who displayed a mock-up of the planting plans and types of plants suggested by Sivilli Landscaping Contracting.

Despite an initial readiness by the board to vote on the landscaping plans after 10 minutes of hearing the design, the audience asked the board to be heard. There was a miscommunication with the board, which did not realize that members of the public wanted to speak.

Village counsel John Farrell emphasized that the board’s jurisdiction was limited solely to architectural and landscape matters, excluding any discussions related to Leeds Pond’s impact.

Horvat, a New York Islanders hockey player, and his wife are currently named in a lawsuit filed in Nassau County Supreme Court over a landfill decision on their Plandome Road that could potentially harm Leeds Pond. The lawsuit application claims that qualified experts have raised concerns about the potential harm to Leeds Pond caused by the substantial landfill.

The Board of Zoning Appeals allegedly approved the deposit of 350 cubic yards of landfill

in Leeds Pond, which is a stark violation of the Village’s zoning laws. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Eastern LLC, the owner of property around Leeds Pond, who is seeking a reversal of the recent decision.

The issue has raised concerns about the preservation of Leeds Pond, which is a 22-acre fresh body of water in Plandome Manor and a essential part of the surrounding ecosystem

“The board is only considering a landscaping plan tonight,” Farrell said. “We’re not going to hear testimony about any impact on Leeds Pond. This board has very limited jurisdiction. The jurisdiction is the architecture and the landscape. It has nothing to do with anything that was approved by the zoning board. So, if that’s the intent of the opposition, you’re wasting your time because it’s not going to be considered by the board.”

Despite the restrictive scope, numerous attendees voiced their concerns about the broader ecological impact of landscaping decisions, including those beyond the board’s purview.

Frank Piccininni, co-founder and partner at SMPIL Consulting, said he did not know how to

talk about landscaping without mentioning the grade and drain.

“The mandate of the board is to promote the public health, safety, welfare and conserve the value of buildings to encourage the most appropriate use of the land. And to improve the physical and visual appearance of the village. There’s nothing more important from my standpoint as an environmentalist and an ecologist than the actual visual appearance of the pond.”

The issue of potential flooding of the pond was raised.

Piccininni said if there is a flooding issue, it will lead to neighbors putting more site fill to move the flooding off of their property and shift it elsewhere.

“The only thing that is really the only remedy left is an arms race with your neighbor,” he said to the board. “So if your neighbor dumps 500 yards next to you, the only thing that you can do is dump another 780 yards on that still land and then all of that goes into the pond.”

Piccininni also said that there is a larger village problem that has become “a pattern of behavior here. It’s about asking for forgiveness

instead of permission.”

Board member Semiramis Geiger had a question for those opposed to the design asking why this project in particular had people speaking out when in recent years they’ve made decisions regarding houses near or next to Leeds Pond that weren’t challenged.

Margaret Galbraith said she wished she had the time to go to every hearing but because of climate change, flooding concerns and overall environmental concerns she was there now.

“There has to be a change in the paradigm,” Galbraith said. She pointed out that native trees were cut down that would have helped with flooding but boxwoods “don’t cut it.”

She advocated for native plants to be used instead, a sentiment shared by Piccininni who called the current plants on the plans “Home Depot specials.”

“Frankly,” Galbraith said, “somebody has to start dealing with the environment because it’s not going to be pretty, Leeds Pond will not be pretty so I do think the landscaping board has to think a little wider. I wish the BCA thought a little more about it.”

PHOTO BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Mineola Street Fair on Sunday on Jericho Turnpike.

Property owners urged to apply for up to $20K in S.E.P.T.I.C. grants

Nassau County property owners are being encouraged to take full advantage of millions of dollars in available funding to help them defray the cost of upgrading their septic systems.

Nassau homeowners and small businesses that discharge less than 1,000 gallons a day of wastewater are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in grants toward the installation of modern, nitrogen-reducing septic systems through Nassau County’s S.E.P.T.I.C. (Septic Environmental Program to Improve Cleanliness) program.

The program was launched in April 2021 during the administration of former Nassau County Executive Laura Curran using millions in American Rescue Plan Act funding and state grant funds.

Since that time, at least 100 property owners have availed

themselves of this initiative. On May 19, the Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously to appropriate an additional $2 million grant received from the state’s Environmental Facilities Corporation toward expanding the program.

“Modernizing the waste treatment systems that we use at our homes and businesses is one of the most important steps that we can take to protect the environment, preserve our precious aquatic ecosystems, and improve our quality of life,” Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said.

“That is why I have proudly supported Nassau County’s S.E.P.T.I.C. program since its inception in the spring of 2021 and continue to strongly encourage any property owner who needs to replace an aging septic system to see if they are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in assistance through this important program.”

Nassau County Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton and County officials promoting Nassau County’s S.E.P.T.I.C. program on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at Long Island Clean Water Vendor Day at Oyster Bay’s Fireman’s Field

Academic discussed racial literacy in Old Westbury

The SUNY Old Westbury School of Education recently welcomed a nationally recognized speaker on issues of race, culturally responsive pedagogy, and diversity to discuss with its students, alumni and partnering school districts how to move towards more equitable school experiences for black and Latino students.

Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, an associate professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, works around the nation with K-12 and higher education communities to increase their racial literacy knowledge.

In her presentation, “Moving to Action: Racial Literacy DevelopmentFrom Theory to Practice,” Sealey-Ruiz

challenged the approximately 150 in attendance to consider what she describes as the “Archeology of Self” when teaching, which engages students to dig deep into their life experiences and explore how those experiences have shaped the lives they have today.

In both 2022 and 2023, SealeyRuiz was named one of EdWeek’s EduScholar Influencers — a list of the Top 1% of educational scholars in the United States –a highly selective group of 200 scholars. She also earned the Edward B.

Fry 2022 Book Award Winner from the Literary Research Association for her work, “Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Activism for Eq-

uity in Digital Spaces.”

At Teachers College, she is the founder of the Racial Literacy Roundtables Series where for 15 years, national scholars, teachers, and students facilitate conversations around race and other issues involving diversity.

Yolanda has appeared in several documentaries including Spike Lee’s “2 Fists Up: We Gon’ Be Alright” (2016), a documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement and the campus protests at Mizzou. Her first full-length collection of poetry, Love from the Vortex & Other Poems was published in March 2020. Her sophomore book of poetry, The Peace Chronicles, was published in July, 2021.

LI Elite to host 2023 gala in support of Paws of War

Long Island Elite, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering the growth and development of local Long Island business professionals and emerging regional leaders, will host its “Stars and Stripes” Gala for their 2023 charity partner, Paws of War.

The gala will take place on Thursday, October 26 at Oheka Castle. The LIE Gala is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising tens of thousands of dollars for their charity partner.

This year’s gala honorees, Steven A. Castleton (Veteran Advocate of the Year), Thomas Joy (First Responder of the Year) and Amrish Dias (Contemporary of the Year) were introduced to over 150 guests and supporters at the LIE Meet the Honorees Night held on Aug. 16.

This event brought together members of the veteran, armed forces and first responder community with elected officials and community stakeholders, to raise awareness and funds for Paws of War through the Stars & Stripes Gala.

“Long Island Elite has embraced our organization and our mission.

Since being selected as the charity partner for 2023, their members have promoted our mission, volunteered at events and raised funds. This important work, as well as the proceeds from the gala, will change and save the lives of veterans and first responders as well as many dogs. The Gala

will allow us to celebrate and support our heroes who must never be forgotten,” said Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War.

“Our members are committed to raising funds and awareness for Paws of War and making this Gala a memorable event. As a Marine Corps vet-

eran, I know the struggles that many veterans have with returning to civilian life.

For some, a service or companion animal is a vital component of leading a stable and fulfilling life. The cost and process of getting and maintaining a service dog is a barrier. When

Paws of War steps in, the veteran or first responder is relieved of the red tape and cost and is left to focus on living healthy. We encourage the Long Island community to support Paws of War by taking part in our Gala as a sponsor or guest,” said Frank Morizio, Jr., Long Island Elite President.

To purchase tickets, sponsorships or donations, please visit, https:// www.liegala.org/sponsorship.

The funds raised by Long Island Elite in 2023 will give Paws of War resources to further its mission of “helping both ends of the leash” by providing services to veterans, first responders and their service or companion animals.

For over 20 years, Long Island Elite has supported over 80 not-forprofits and the organization has raised over $2 million. Past charity partners have included United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island, ACLD, SIBSPlace, The Safe Center LI, New Ground and Long Island Alzheimer’s & Dementia Center. For information on how to support the Long Island Elite and Paws of War, visit www.longislandelite.com, www.pawsofwar.org or e-mail info@ longislandelite.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNY OLD WESTBURY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz addresses students, faculty and school officials at SUNY Old Westbury.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATOR DELIA DERIGGI-WHITTON

PHOTO COURTESY OF LONG ISLAND ELITE

2023 Long Island Elite honorees pictured with state Sen. Kevin Thomas at the LIE Gala Kickoff Cocktail Event (Pictured left to right: Thomas Joy, First Responder of the Year 2023; Steven A. Castleton, Veteran Advocate of the Year 2023; Thomas and Amrish Dias, Contemporary of the Year 2023.

Notice of Formation of CPR Training Authority LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 202302-23. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Andrea Terrano: 6 Prescott Place Old Bethpage NY 11804. Purpose: Any lawful purpose

Notice of Formation of Patel Law Associates, PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 202309-26. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to The Firm: 151 Nassau Drive Albertson NY 11507. Purpose: Any lawful purpose

Notice of Formation of PreciousView Windows and Doors. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2023-08-24. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Li Chan: 28 Center Drive Syosset NY 11791. Purpose: Any lawful purpose

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MEETING

INC. VILLAGE OF EAST WILLISTON

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Board of Trustees will hold its monthly Board of Trustees’ Meeting at Village Hall, 2 Prospect Street, East Williston, NY on Tuesday October 17, 2023. This meeting has been re-scheduled from the regular meeting date of October 9, 2023. PLEASE TAKE

FURTHER NOTICE, that the Board member Work Session will be held at 6:00pm followed by the Monthly Meeting at 7:30pm.

Order of the Board of Trustees

Joanna E. Palumbo Village Clerk September 29, 2023

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of East Williston will convene to hold a public hearing on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 7:30 PM at Village Hall, located at 2 Prospect Street, East Williston, New York, on the following applications:

New Case:

Application of Mr. & Mrs. Kearns for variances of Chapter 160, Article IV Sections 160-14H (Floor Area Ratio) & 160-14G (rear yard depth) of the Code of the Village of East Williston, to construct a rear addition, on the property owned by them in a Residence RA District and located at 205 Charles Street, East Williston, New York 11596, also known as Section 9, Block 525, Lot 280 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map.

Continued Case:

Application of Mr. Gorlewski for variance of Chapter 160, Article IX Supplementary Use and Dimensional Regulations Section 160-32 Subsection D (1) (c) (Placement of Accessory uses and buildings) of the Code of the Village of East Williston, to change the configuration of a driveway, on the property owned by them in a Residence RA District and located at 38 Ridge Road, East Williston, New York 11596, also known as Section 9, Block 525, Lot 280 on the Nassau County Land and Tax Map.

The applications, plans and specifications are on file at the Office of the Village Clerk, 2 Prospect Street, East Williston. At said time and place of Hearing as aforesaid stated all persons who wish to be heard will be heard.

BY ORDER OF THE ZONING

BOARD OF APPEALS

MICHAEL HOLLAND,  CHAIRMAN

JOANNA E. PALUMBO,  VILLAGE CLERK October 2, 2023

360

Herricks recognizes 29 Merit Commended Students

Herricks High School continues its tradition of excellence with 29 students recently named Commended Students in the 2023-2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.

To qualify for recognition as a commended scholar students have typically scored in the top 3% of all students on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test taken in October of their junior year.

Congratulations to the following National Merit Com-

mended Students: Prisha Agarwal, Peter E. Aliprandis, Aieshah B. Ashfer, Katherine H. Cha, Michael A. Chao, Anderson R. Chen, Christine Chen, Masen Chow, Samuel Z. Huang, Philip Z. Joseph, Sitaara Kesavan, Devon J. Lee, Aidan J. Lin, Chloe C. Lin, Kaylee Luo, Brandon Moy, Katherine M. Murphy, Andrew Muzaka, Darian Pan, Yvette Y. Park, Neil J. Patel, Raghav Ramkumar, Kishan Shanmugananthan, Amrik Singh, Tristan L. Surajbali, Ethan J. Tran, Ellie Ye, Kristine L. Yoo and Liyana Zaman.

Ladies auxiliary celebrates 90 years

The Ladies Auxiliary of Albertson Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 celebrated its 90th anniversary on Sept. 24 at the I.U. Willets Road Firehouse.

They were joined by North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and Council Member Peter Zucker-

man.

The officials presented proclamations of recognition to the organization for 90 years of dedication and honored long-time member Patricia Brala who recently celebrated 73 years with the Ladies Auxiliary.

Pictured left to right, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Patricia Brala, and Council Membes Peter Zuckerman celebrate the Ladies Auxiliary of Albertson Hook and Ladder Company No 1’s anniversary.

Herricks High School principal Joan Keegan and Superintendent of Schools Tony Sinanis recognized the 29 students recently named Commended Students in the 2023-2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.

GOP Club candidates night

The Albertson-Roslyn Heights Republican Club will hold a meet the candidates night on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Williston American Legion, Post 144, at 730 Willis Ave. in Williston Park. Pizza will be served.

Upcoming at Williston Park Library

From the Director

During the month of October, the library will be participating in the Great Give Back. We will be collecting pet food and supplies to be donated to Baxter’s Pet Pantry, a division of LI Cares. A donation box will be located inside the library by the front window. We are once again asking everyone to NOT put donations in the book bins outside the library. They are for library materials only. Donations will be accepted inside the library during regular business hours.

New titles added to the collection:

Emotional Labor: The Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives & How to Claim Our Power—Rose Hackman

Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight—

Andrew Leland

Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity—Peter Attia, MD

Only One Left—Riley Sager

Talulah’s Back in town—Brenda Novak

Road towards Home—Corrine Demas

It Happened One fight—Marueen Lee Lenker

Gone Tonight—Sarah Pekkanen

Invisible Hour—Alice Hoffman

Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson—

Sally Jacobs

Magic Season: A Son’s Story—Wade Rouse

Beyond This Harbor: Adventurous Tales of the Heart— Rose Styron

Adult Programs

Reiki—October 5 & 19; November 2 & 16—6 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. $10 p/person; p/session. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Nassau County Property Tax Exemptions Workshop—Wednesday—October 11—1-3 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. Assistance will be provided for the following exemptions: Veterans, Senior Citizens, Cold War Veterans, and Volunteer Firefighter/Am-

bulance Workers. Call 516-457-2036 for specific information.

Autumn Leaf Lantern Craft with Rosemarie Attard—Wednesday—October 11—6 p.m. in the Library. $15 p/person. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or call the library (742-1820) to register.

Author Event with Mary Calvi—Wednesday—October 18—6 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. The CBS news anchor will discuss her new novel, If a Poem Could Live & Breathe. Copies will be available for purchase. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Book Discussion—Wednesday—October 25—7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of Village & via Zoom.

https://adelphiuniversity.zoom.us/j/96885670102?pwd=VG

tSYnkyUW9acVJyV0tyNUtUZnMyZz09

Meeting ID: 968 8567 0102

Passcode: WPBookClub

Or just call 1-929-205-6099 on your phone and it will ask for the meeting id and password above.

Copies of Hidden Valley Road are available at the Circulation Desk.

Children’s Programs

Story Time with Miss Beth—Tuesdays—October 3, 10 & 17— 11 a.m. — 11:45 a.m. in the Children’s Room. Limited to 15 participants. No Walk-Ins! Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or call the library (742-1820) to register.

Zombie House Painting with Lisa Colon—Saturday—October 21—10-11 a.m. in the Children’s Room for ages 7+. $5 p/person. Per Vendor: Limited to 20 participants. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or call the library (742-1820) to register.

PEN PAL PROGRAM

The library is proud to work with Kayla, of Girl Scout Troop 1825 on her Gold Award. She has established a Pen Pal Program for children in grades 1-8. If any children are interested, parents are welcome to stop by the Reference Desk to complete a small registration form. This is not a sponsored library activity; Kayla will be in charge of the project. All information is confidential.

Mineola station celebrates 100

On Friday, Sept. 22, Mayor Paul Pereira, together with the Board of Trustees, LIRR interim president Catherine Rinaldi, state Senator Jack Martins, advocates for the disabled and others celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the Mineola Train Station.

Now that the station is complete, it complements the ongoing transit-oriented developments and general

downtown revitalization that the Village has made its central priority for well over a decade.

Mayor Pereira stated, “Our residents, business owners, commuters and visitors have been rewarded for their patience and understanding during construction with a beautiful stateof-the-art transit facility that will serve generations to come.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF HERRICKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VILLAGE OF MINEOLA

ROSLYN WINS, FINALLY

Varsity football teams gets first win since 2016, in overtime

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

The tackle was made by Ethan Yedvab, the whistle blew, and the eruption was on.

The Roslyn High School football team, a combo squad with Friends Academy, had not enjoyed this feeling for seven long years.

It had been since 2016 that the Bulldogs tasted the sweet sensation of success and Yedvab was ready to celebrate as soon as the Jericho High School runner was tackled in overtime of Roslyn’s 22-20 double overtime win Saturday.

“I saw the QB rolling left, I shot through the gap and just tried to hit him,” Yedvab said. “And then I just got up and it was the most incredible feeling, finally, to get that win we’ve been working so hard for.”

For the Bulldogs, who broke an 18game losing streak, this win was a long time coming. After not gaining a victory in 2017, the program did not field a varsity team in 2018-19, first-year head coach Kevin McKeown said, and there was no season in the fall of 2020 because of Covid.

The 2020 games were played in the spring of 2021, with Roslyn only fielding a junior varsity program, as the school sought to rebuild, with the return to varsity official in the autumn of that year.

“It was very difficult because you had ninth graders who really should’ve been on JV that year, playing varsity because we didn’t have enough for a JV team,” said McKeown, then an assistant. “So you’ve got freshman all over the field, getting banged up and still playing, and then we were getting blown out most games.

“It wasn’t easy to keep the kids spirits up.”

“It was really difficult, because the other teams were so much bigger and stronger than us,” said senior defensive/ offensive lineman Charlie Heller. “We tried our best to stay together and fight together, and kept telling ourselves that our day will come.”

But slowly, things started to get better for the Bulldogs. Last season they were in some close games, even taking a 17-0 lead over Herricks before falling, 19-17, with the winning points occurring on the game’s final play.

This year, with upperclassmen like Heller, Yedvab and Justin Vishnick, the Roslyn players thought a win was coming.

“We were pointing to (last week) as the one we could get, because we thought we matched up well with

them,” said Yedvab, a running back/ defensive back who took over at quarterback when an arm injury felled teammate Sean Shallat.

Still, Saturday’s triumph didn’t come easy. After a scoreless first half, Jericho took a 7-0 lead early in the third quarter, and Heller admitted he had a “here we go again” thought going through his noggin.

But late in the fourth quarter the Bulldogs tied the game on a pass from Yedvab to Frank Moscati to send it to

overtime, where after the teams traded touchdowns, Shallat ran it in from five yards out. The two-point conversion put Roslyn up 22-14.

Then the Jayhawks scored on their first play of the next drive, setting up the 2-point try that Yedvab snuffed out.

“I’ve never been so happy to see someone fly through the air,” Heller said of the final stop. “It was just the greatest feeling ever, seeing that tackle get made and knowing we finally won,” Heller said.

Monday at school was a very different experience for the Bulldogs players; Yedvab and Heller said they were met with a stream of classmates and teachers congratulating them on getting the 400-pound gorilla off their back.

“It’s been hard because kids say stupid stuff to us, like ‘so, how many points are you going to lose by this week'”? Heller said. “But today was great; everybody was talking about it, there was a buzz at school. Finally people were feeling good about us.”

McKeown said the team’s captains have been great leaders in keeping faith and confidence that good times would come.

And now that they have one win?

“We want two,” Heller said with a laugh.”Let’s get more than one.”

“It really felt like a come-together moment for everyone,” McKeown said. “Just a feel-good moment for the school and we all really needed it.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF HELLIP

The Roslyn/Friends Academy high school football team poses in front of the scoreboard on Sept. 30., following its first varsity win in seven years, 22-20 over Jericho.