Williston Times 2024_07_26 by The Island 360

Singh admits to drinking

Footage after crash kills 2 Roslyn

teens

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Amandeep Singh, the Roslyn resident charged with the deaths of high school tennis stars Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz in an alleged drunk driving crash, is seen in police bodycam footage slurring his speech, confused about where he is moments after the incident and admitting to drinking and driving. Now his attorneys are seeking to prevent it from being presented in his upcoming trial.

Defense attorneys Edward Sapone and James Kousouros argued that Singh was in custody when he made the statements yet had not been read his rights against self-incrimination, according to Newsday.

But Newsday reported police bodycam footage shows Singh speaking with police after he had been informed of his rights.

Singh, 35, was allegedly driving an Alpha Romeo on the wrong side of the road at 95 mph on May 3, 2023, with a blood alcohol count of 0.15 four hours after his arrest and cocaine in his system.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said at a news conference following his arraignment June 26, 2023, that the speed limit posted in the area of the collision was 40 mph.

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SUMMER DINING

PAGES 21-28

MAN SHOOTS DOG IN MORLEY PARK

D’ESPOSITO REACT TO BIDEN BOWING OUT

FUNDAY MONDAY

Park. The event was part of the town’s Project Independence for senior citizens.

Sands’ Coliseum bid advances

County Legislature Rules Committee votes in favor of 42-year lease

BY MICHAEL MALASZCZYK

Despite protests and counterprotests, the Nassau County Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to lease the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale to the Las Vegas Sands casino company.

The 42-year lease, which still requires approval by the full county

Legislature and County Executive Bruce Blakeman, gives the Sands control of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This includes booking events and maintaining the property but not the right to develop the site.

The Sands is seeking to build a casino at the site and is asking the county to approve a separate, 99year development lease that would require the county to conduct an environmental review before any construction can occur on the 72acre Coliseum site.

Sands wants to build a casino on the property, a move supported by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and his allies in the Re-

publican-controlled county Legislature, which voted 17-1 to approve a casino last year.

The Sands said it intends to apply for a state commercial gaming license to operate a casino. The New York State Gaming Commission is expected to decide which entities will be awarded four downstate casino licenses next year.

Labor activists with green signs reading “Say Yes to Sands” gathered at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola to support the county’s move forward with the plan in anticipation of Las Vegas Sands potentially winning a state contract.

“The casino has no implication on

what we’re doing today,” said Grant Newburger, director of communications of the AFL-CIO-aﬃliated Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suﬀolk counties, which celebrated the news. “Sands is the employer who is going to keep paying for our people that are unionized, local Long Islanders. This is the entity that is trying to take over the Coliseum right now. We all live on Long Island. And we just want to feed our families and I want to make sure they can go to work tomorrow.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena dances with a resident during the town’s Funday Monday event at North Hempstead Beach

Liu assesses 1st 6 months on Council

Touts Bombay Palace demo, eviction of squatters

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Town of North Hempstead District 4 Councilmember Christine Liu’s first six months in office have been marked by highlights like finally demolishing the old Bombay Palace and aiding in the eviction of squatters, but her momentum is not stopping as she seeks multiple other projects to deliver to her constituency.

“You have to realize that there is just going to be a lot of work ahead and we have to roll up our sleeves and get down to it,” Liu said.

Liu, the town’s first Asian American elected to the town board, began her councilmember role in January after defeating James Gounaris in the November election. She represents the town’s 4th District, which includes the Village of Great Neck Plaza, University Gardens, Russell Gardens, Lake Success, Great Neck Manor, Spinney Hill, North New Hyde Park, and parts of Herricks.

Highlights Liu made note of from her first six months in office include various senior programs, leading initiatives to bring in businesses, establishing an environmental pilot program using solar lights to relocate geese at Herricks Ball Field and introducing legislation declaring May Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

For Liu, the first six months of being in office have been defined by steep learning curves and her commitment to carry out the hard work she said she has done.

“The learning curve was very steep, the issues were very wide and deep and probably hadn’t been addressed in a long time,” Liu said. “Coming in I had to understand and navigate through all of that.”

Being a new face on the town board, a major aspect of her job was finding the best route required to carry out actions, she said. This involved getting to know thetown’s various commissioners and department heads.

Understanding the different roles within town government and seeking out collaboration among

Gift of Life preps red-letter day

Eyeing treatment of 50,000th child

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Gift of Life International, a Manhasset-based group providing life-saving cardiac treatment for children across the globe, is eyeing treatment for its 50,000th child and will be launching a campaign headquarters to raise money and awareness for this milestone.

“It gives us an opportunity to tell that story and the sequence that will lead up to a 50,000th child coming here,” Gift of Life founder Robbie Donno said.

Gift of Life was established in 1975 when the Manhasset Rotary brought 5-year-old Grace Agwaru from Uganda to Roslyn’s St. Francis Hospital for life-saving heart surgery. Since then Gift of Life has saved the lives of thousands of children from more than 80 countries.

Donno said Gift of Life provides help to families and children who have no other means to provide life-saving measures for their child, oftentimes with the threat of death looming over them. He called Gift of Life a “miracle” to these families who face no other options.

Now they are anticipating a new milestone of treating their 50,000th child later this year. Donno estimated the 50,000th child will arrive for treatment sometime at the end of August or September.

The headquarters for this milestone will be located at the old Chocolate Works store on Plandome Road and will be unveiled at a ribboncutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Sunday during Manhasset’s Al Fresco. The campaign headquarters will be open for two months.

The organization will be selling $2 hearts to raise money for treating children in its “buy a heart/save a heart” campaign. Hearts will then be displayed in the store window.

Donno said this is intended to get as many people from the community involved as possible.

“We hope to cover the walls and windows with hearts so that when the child and mother arrive, they will feel the love of all the good people involved,” Manhasset Rotary President John Kennedy said in a statement.

Continued on Page 37

516-307-1045 x206 stabakin@theisland360.com

departments to carry out action has been the biggest lesson she said she’s learned thus far.

“Christine has gone above and beyond the amount of hours she has put in to know how to do this job properly and effectively,” Liu’s legislative aide, Jane Russell, said.

Projects brought to fruition, Liu said, including the demolition of Bombay Palace after an 18-year stalemate and the removal of squatters from New Hyde Park homes after months of issues. She said collaboration was key to having resolutions.

“Everything has to work towards one goal and nobody can steer from this direction,” Liu said.

Squatters are one of the issues that have affected Liu’s district the most in North Hempstead. But Liu’s introduction to New Hyde Park’s squatter issue began before she took office in the town and was working in the office of state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti.

While working for Sillitti, Liu said she took part in the process of initially getting the squatters on Brussel Drive arrested and the house boarded up before they returned to occupy it once again last December.

It was in February while Liu was on the board, that these squatters were finally evicted from the home

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Oakes 516-307-1045 x214 •

Hyde Park Herald Courier: Taylor Herzlich 516-307-1045 x215 • therzlich@theisland360.com

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

Roslyn Times: Taylor Herzlich 516-307-1045 x215 • therzlich@theisland360.com

Williston Times: Taylor Herzlich 516-307-1045 x215 • therzlich@theisland360.com

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBBIE DONNO

Gift of Life will be launching a campaign headquarters on Plandome Road to raise money and awareness for treating their 50,000th child later this year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF CHRISTINE LIU

North Hempstead District 4 Councilmember Christine Liu stands in front of Bombay Palace, a site she aided in getting demolished after being vacant for 18 years.

Painting celebrates county’s 125 years

Valley Stream artist’s friendship with county exec leads to artwork hanging in Roosevelt building

BY CAMERYN OAKES

Valley Stream’s Mike Stanko said he has not given much thought to his legacy as an artist, but now his art will indefinitely leave a mark on Nassau County as his painting of the county’s executive and legislative building hangs inside it.

“I was totally blown away when it sunk into my head,” Stanko said. “ It is going to be there forever. I am just so totally honored and first of all I am very privileged that Bruce asked me to do this because this is going to be there a lot longer than I’ll be here on earth.”

Stanko, a self-made painter, was commissioned by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to paint a picture of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building for the county’s 125th anniversary.

The painting was unveiled on July 12 at the anniversary ceremony where the building’s namesake, former President Theodore Roosevelt’s greatgrandson Tweed Roosevelt, was in attendance.

Stanko has been an artist, beginning to explore his craft in childhood.

Although it started as a hobby, Stanko has been making a living selling his paintings for the last 25 years.

“It’s turned into a way of life,”

went into art,” Stanko said.

While their lives drifted apart, Stanko said they crossed paths once again about five years ago when they frequented the same local Valley Stream cafe, where they would catch up and discuss various topics.

Stanko was also commissioned for a painting by Blakeman to honor his nephew killed during the Sept. 11 attacks in 2021 for the 20th anniversary. The artist said he was proud of this painting.

Two years later, Blakeman asked Stanko for another painting, this time for Nassau County.

The painting took a month to produce, which Stanko said is longer than his typical timeframe of one week.

Although Stanko said he takes artistic liabilities in his representation of scenes, waning from a realistic interpretation, the artist opted to take a more accurate approach in his painting of the county government seat.

Stanko said. “ Like everything in life, you should really enjoy doing it and have fun, obviously, if you can, and I still have fun. I still enjoy painting.”

He said he was honored and excited to produce the painting, which he gladly accepted.

But Blakeman and Stanko’s re-

Stanko said Blakeman approached him a year ago to make a painting for the county’s 125th anniversary. The painting was to be of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building.

lationship preceded the anniversary celebration by decades, with the duo meeting for the first time in the first grade. They both lived in Valley Stream yet followed down different paths from there.

“Bruce went into politics and I

Stanko’s pop art-style paintings embody mysticism and surrealism, using big, bold colors. He typically paints familiar scenes, drawing influence from everything around him.

As a child of the 1960s and an avid Beatles fan, Stanko said much of his style is inspired by the period.

Continued on Page 37

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Stephanie Bello

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE STANKO

Artist Mike Stanko, left. stands beside the painting he created of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building with the former president’s great-grandson Tweed Roosevelt, right.

Oyster gardens bloom again in LI Sound

Tom Suozzi (D–Glen Cove) helps plant oysters in the Long Island Sound as part of the oyster gardening program to clean the Sound’s water.

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The oyster gardening program has returned to Hempstead Harbor and Manhasset Bay once again to aid in cleaning the harbor’s water, but a new face came around this year as Rep. Tom Suozzi joined to get his feet wet in the program.

“Protecting and preserving the Long Island Sound, our ‘National Park,’ and its shellﬁshing heritage, is a top priority and a shared responsibility,” Suozzi said.

The community oyster garden program, which is in its third year, is an initiative by the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor to restore the local body of water.

Suozzi joined the committee Tuesday when 80 crates of these 1 million oysters were delivered.

The program was made possible through funding sponsored by Suozzi, which was initially delivered in 2022 during his prior term in oﬃce. The 2022 Community Project Grant delivered up to $2 million for programs in Manhasset Bay, Hempstead Harbor and Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor.

The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee operate the Hempstead Harbor program.

Oysters clean the harbor by ﬁltering the water through their bodies, removing phytoplankton, bacteria, and other small particles.

The oysters also aid in promoting the harbor’s biodiversity by providing habitat and protection for other water fauna.

The Manhasset Bay Protection Committee, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Friends of the Bay and the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee aid in conducting the other programs.

Volunteers manage the conservation education program by helping raise oysters in cages throughout the harbor. The cage locations are Tappen Beach Marina, North Hempstead Beach Park, the Hempstead Harbour Club, and Sea Cliﬀ Yacht Club.

Their responsibilities include keeping the cages clean and tracking the oysters’ growth. Once oysters mature to a certain size, they can be released into the water outside of the cages to naturally repopulate the harbor and continue cleaning it.

“By having community members participate in this program, our goal is to increase awareness about factors aﬀecting Hempstead Harbor and provide information about the important role oysters play in the environment,” program project manager Sarah Stromski said. “With increased awareness and engagement from the community, we can work toward restoring Hempstead Harbor’s shellﬁsh resource.”

About 85,000 spat-on-shell oysters were brought to the harbor this year. The oysters were provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suﬀolk County’s shellﬁsh hatchery in Southold.

“In 2021, Tom invited me to a press conference to announce federal funds he had allocated to Hempstead Harbor for oyster seeding. During the press conference, I advocated for, and asked him not to forget about Manhasset Bay. He assured me that he would not forget and soon allocated $100K from the grant for oyster seeding in Manhasset Bay,” North Hempstead Councilmember Mariann Dalimonte said. “Today, we deposited another million spat-on-shell oysters in Manhasset Bay with the funding Rep. Suozzi secured. I am incredibly grateful to Rep. Suozzi for hearing me and delivering for Manhasset Bay.”

A Greentree Foundation Good Neighbor Fund grant also funds the Hempstead Harbor program.

Suozzi has advocated for the Long Island Sound during his tenure, which recently included the passage of a bill co-sponsored by the representative that continued the Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound programs through 2028.

“I have worked on restoring shellﬁshing beds, reseeding our harbors, cutting nitrogen from sewage treatment plants and stormwater runoﬀ, and cleaning up pollution in the Sound,” Suozzi said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF TOM SUOZZI

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Cheers and a jeer for Biden bowing out

BY JULIE PRISCOF

The response from Nassau to President Joe Biden’s announcement that he was ending his campaign for president and supporting Vice President Kamala Harris to run has followed party lines.

Nassau Democrats, like Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, endorsed Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign — a decision with important implications for two congressional races in the county. The contests in Congressional District 3 currently represented by Tom Suozzi and CD 4 represented by Anthony D’Esposito are seen as potentially aﬀecting the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Jay Jacobs, the chairman of the Nassau County and the New York State Democratic Party, praised Biden’s decision to step down at a time when polls found the president’s presence on the ballot threatened the chance of Senate and House Democratic candidates.

“Joe Biden’s selﬂessness, his putting country and party above his own personal desires places him in the category of every great political leader since George Washington set the standard some 225 years ago,” Jacobs said in a press release.

Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-District 3) took to X (formerly Twitter) to say, “My heartfelt thanks to President Biden for his years of accomplishments. I will continue working with anyone of good faith who genuinely wants to ﬁx the border, to reduce the cost of living, and to help heal the divide in our nation.”

Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader and Democratic National Committee Delegate DeRiggiWhitton said Biden’s decision not to seek a second term as president exempliﬁes his commitment to prioritizing the nation’s interests above his own.

“Over the past four years, President Biden has led our country through some of the most challenging times in recent history. His leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic recovery has been nothing short of extraordinary. President Biden’s dedication to guiding us through these crises has solidiﬁed his place among the great leaders of our time,” said DeRiggi-Whitton. “His administration has worked tirelessly to restore decency and respect to the highest oﬃce in our land, and for that we are deeply grateful.”

DeRiggi-Whitton also acknowledged that his decision reﬂects an understanding of the challenges that come with getting older.

“It is never easy to confront the realities of aging, especially in a role as demanding as the presidency,” said DeRiggi Whitton. “His decision to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders is a testament to the enduring strength of our democracy.”

Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman also commended Biden for prioritizing the nation’s needs.

“President Biden’s decision today once again demonstrates why he will be recognized as a truly great and transformational president. He placed the nation’s needs ahead of his own political ambition,” said Zimmerman. “This is the exact opposite of Donald Trump.”

Zimmerman called upon his colleagues on the Democratic National Committee, members of Congress and delegates to unite as a party and support Harris in the election because of the achievements she and Biden have made in oﬃce.

“The stakes are at their highest; the threat [Trump] poses is more dire than ever. And the future we can forge together has never been brighter,” said Zimmerman.

While Democrats are thanking Biden for his decision and supporting Harris, Republican Congressman Anthony D’Esposito (R-District 4) is now calling for Biden to resign from the presidency following his decision to end his re-election campaign.

“It is clear to all Americans that President Biden is in a state of cognitive decline, and Biden’s decision to end his candidacy is tied directly to that troubling fact. If President Biden, his campaign team, and Democrats writ-large believe Biden is unable to engage in a re-election campaign given his failing health, it begs the question as to whether Biden can carry out his presidential duties through the end of his term,” said D’Esposito. “For the good of the country, President Biden should resign as president.”

Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race comes after intense pressure from his own party.

In his statement announcing his decision, Biden said he believes dropping out of the race is best for the Democratic Party and the country so he can focus on fulﬁlling his duties as president for the remainder of his term.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHITE HOUSE

President Joe Biden issued an executive order Tuesday placing temporary holds on asylum-seeking migrants.

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Women’s Health Care of Garden City committed to personalized care

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John L. Gomes, MD, founded Women’s Health Care of Garden City in 1995. It has remained an independent private practice, providing personalized obstetrical and gynecological services.

He employs the technical advances of conventional medicine with an integrative approach to navigate women through difficult pregnancies into the menopausal years. He treats a wide variety of OB/GYN conditions and is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care.

All tests are conveniently done on the premises, and a dedicated, compassionate staff is on call 24/7.

He is committed to excellence in patient communication, education and support, as many patients come with anxiety associated with past experiences and future concerns.

Dr. Gomes received his undergraduate degree from Brown University, and his Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University.

He is both Board Certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Women’s Health Care of Garden City is located at 1000 Franklin Avenue, Suite 200, Garden City.

Blakeman, DeSena give jet skis warning

BY MICHAEL MALASZCZYK

With summer kicking into high gear, Nassau County and Town of North Hempstead officials are ramping up the police presence to combat reckless boating – particularly people driving smaller watercraft such as Jet Skis and Sea-Doos.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the increase in manpower was a standard summer procedure, and that increased police presence on the water has seen a reduction in boating-related accidents and injuries in recent years.

The start of the increased patrols, Blakeman said, was the 2019 death of 18-year-old Caitlin McDonald, who was killed when her Jet Ski collided with a speedboat in Baldwin Harbor.

The driver of the speedboat, Christopher Palma, was indicted on manslaughterand other charges relating to the accident.

“In 2020, we had six accidents, five injuries,” Blakeman said. “In 2021 three accidents, two injuries. 2022, the same three accidents, two injuries. 2023, three accidents, no injuries. So as you can see, our increased enforcement is making a material effect on the fact that we are bringing down accidents and that we are stopping the injuries that occur when these accidents happen.”

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said she had requested county support on this particular issue due to the number of complaints received in recent weeks.

Blakeman said there have also been boating safety-related complaints on the South Shore as well.

“Long Island has about 90,000 registered boat owners, many of them right here in North Hempstead,” DeSena said. “If people are being reckless, endangering our loved ones, or even just harassing and menacing our boat owners and our people who live along the shoreline, that is unacceptable. We cannot and will not allow our residents to be robbed of one of life’s simple pleasures: to enjoy their backyards and our beautiful waterways.”

The increased patrols include a heightened presence of Nassau County Police’s Marine Division as well as police helicopters – which double as shark surveillance.

“There have been some shark sightings close to Nassau County,” Blakeman said. “We’re very vigilant. I’m happy to report that the last three days, I have personally tested the ocean waters and I can tell you from going in that they are safe.”

Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said similar laws exist for operating a boat or other watercraft as they do for operating a car –with some unique aspects designed to keep boaters safe.

“You must be 14 years or older to operate a Jet Ski, and everybody that operates that Jet Ski must have attended a boating safety class and get a certificate,” Ryder said. “You can only operate during the day – you cannot drive a Jet Ski at night. You have to stay 500 feet from designated swimming areas, and 100 feet or more from the shore if you’re operating at more than five miles an hour.”

He added, “Personal watercraft operators are required to wear a lifejacket regardless of the age. You cannot swerve in and out behind the boats are obviously trying to pick up that speed and jump those waves. You can only carry the amount of persons that are recommended by the manufacturer. You must have personal floatation device, fire extinguisher, a sound device like a horn or a horn that you carry with you to distress or distress fled, and you must have flares.”

Ryder pointed out that NCPD has issued over 100 summonses in the past two weeks – nearly half of all the summonses issued last year.

“We got no problem seizing the Jet Skis of those that are not following the rules in Nassau County,” Ryder added.

A Nassau County Police helicopter flies over a harbor in Manhasset. These helicopters will provide additional eyes to NCPD’s Marine Bureau both for boating safety and shark surveillance.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MALASZCZYK

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena called on the county to provide additional patrols to ensure boating safety in the town this summer.

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Man shoots, kills own attacking dog at Morley

BY CAMERYN OAKES

A man shot and killed a dog at Christopher Morely Park out of fear for his life after it had begun attacking its owner Thursday afternoon, the Nassau County police said.

The man, 43, was at the North Hill’s park with his Belgium Dutch Shepherd, a large herding dog, when the dog began to “viciously attack him,” police said.

The dog caused lacerations to the man’s left arm and left leg, police said, and was transported to a hospital for treatment. Police said no other injuries were reported.

During the attack, police said, the man was “fearing for his life” and shot the unleashed dog once. The dog died from the gunshot.

The man is a licensed gun owner, police said.

The police’s investigation is ongoing.

The Port Washington Water District will conduct a pilot treatment on its wells in Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE

Upcoming events at Williston Park Library

From the Director

The library is collaborating with Sen. Jack Martins for his “Fill a Backpack” Program. The program will run from July 8 to August 16, and the library is a drop-oﬀ point for supplies. New, unused supplies needed include but are not limited to, backpacks, lunch boxes, pencil cases, markers, erasers, glue sticks, rulers, and calculators. Flyers will be available with a full list of supplies.

The summer 2024 Reading Program theme is in full swing! Our program will run from June 29-August 10. There’s still time to register. The program schedule is listed in this column and our Facebook page.

We are suspending donation acceptance until further notice. We are at storage capacity. Please consider donating to The Book Fairies. Their contact number is 516-557-6645.

The Williston Park Fire Department will hold a blood drive on Wednesday, July 24, from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the ﬁrehouse, 454 Willis Ave. Appointments are strongly encouraged. Please call 800-933-BLOOD.

The library is still distributing Covid-19 tests while supplies last. Please ask at the Reference Desk.

New titles added to the collection: Dad Camp—Evan Porter Dear Dotty—Jaclyn Westlake Everytime I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies—Catherine Mack Bruce Willis—Sean O’Connell Situation Room—George Stephanopoulos Age of Grievance—Frank Bruni Clete—James Lee Burke Goddess of Warsaw—Lisa Barr Rom-Comers—Catherine Center Summer Romance—Annabel Monaghan Last House—Jessica Shattuck Glassmaker—Tracy Chevalier Stuart Woods’ Smolder—Brett Battles

Adult Programs

Reiki—July 25; August 8 & 22; September 5 & 19 October 3 & 17; November 7 & 21; December 5 & 19—6 pm in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. $10 p/person; p/session. Yoga—Saturdays—July 27; August 3 (10:30am),10, 17, 24, 31 —Noon-1 pm in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. $10 p/person, p/session. Please bring a yoga mat, water bottle and towel; Wear comfortable clothes. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Free Shredding Service will be available on Saturday, August 10, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Schechter School parking lot. No registration is necessary.

Ceramic Sitting Fairy Craft—Tuesday—August 20—6 pm in the Library. $15 material fee. Limited to 25 participants. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Empire Safety Driving Course—Thursday—August 29—10 am-4 pm in the Assembly Room of Village Hall for drivers of all ages. $33 p/person due at registration. Limited to 35 participants. Check only payable to Diana Palumbo-Wilson. The payment deadline is August 22.

World Folk Music—Saturday—September 7—1:30pm in the Assembly Room of Village Hall. Enjoy Indian classical music and familiar folk songs. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or call the library (742-1820) to register.

Book Discussion—Wednesday—September 18—7pm in the Assembly Room of Village Hall and via Zoom. Copies of Demon Copperhead are available at the Circulation Desk.

Children’s Programs

Thursday Morning Movies—July 25; August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29—11 am in the Children’s Room. Light refreshments will be provided. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Dueling Piano Show by John Arden Music—Wednesday—July 24—6:30 pm on the East Williston Village Green for all families. This interactive show with all your favorite hits will have you singing along! Bring your folding chairs. No registration is necessary.

Petra Puppets Zany Adventure Team—Saturday—July 27—10:30am in the Assembly Room of Village Hall for children of all ages. Call the library (742-1820) or email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com to register.

Bingo for all ages & families—Wednesday—July 31—6 pm on the East Williston Village Green. Bring your folding chairs! No registration is necessary. Dominick’s Deli food truck will be there will favorites available for purchase.

LEGO Engineering—Monday—August 12—4-5 pm in the Children’s Room for ages 5-9. Limited to 15 participants. Email willistonparkprograms@gmail.com or call the library (742-1820) to register.

Guidance Center opens lactation room

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North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center has opened a lactation room at the Leeds Place— Serving Young People in Westbury to support the needs of breastfeeding mothers.

The Leeds Place is home to a variety of services oﬀered by the Guidance Center, notably Good Beginnings for Babies, a program that provides support, counseling, advocacy, and education for pregnant and parenting teens.

“Our lactation room provides access to a safe and welcoming space for nursing mothers to pump milk, breastfeed or chest feed their baby,” says Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust, director of the Leeds Place. “This contributes to the bonding and wellbeing of both the child and mother, allowing her to care for the health of her baby without feeling shamed or judged.”

accepting place for parents by normalizing human milk feeding.”

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena attended the opening, showing her support for this important initiative. “Nursing helps a mother bond with and nourish her baby at no cost. Thanks to this innovative collaboration, a nursing mother can ﬁnd privacy in a beautiful, quiet room while her family receives vital mental health or substance misuse counseling,” she said. “That’s possible because the Guidance Centerand Northwell Health are dedicated to improving access and support for our families.

The lactation room was made possible through a grant from the Northwell Health Breastfeeding, Resiliency, Engagement and Empowerment (BFREE) team.

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 see below: Williston Park Professional Center 2 Hillside Ave, Suite E. Williston Park NY 11596 (building parallel to E. Williston railroad station) drtomferraro.com drtferraro@aol.com (516)

“We are so excited to have partnered with the Guidance Center to support parents by creating a pleasant and private lactation-friendly space for their community and employees,” said Pamela Reichert-Anderson, program manager of the BFREE team. “By increasing awareness about the beneﬁts of breastfeeding and chest feeding, we hope to make communities a more

“I’m especially thankful to Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust for her 35 years of care at the Guidance Center, North Hempstead’s Substance Misuse Advisory Committee and our Yes We Can Center,” continued DeSena. “Whether it’s diagnosing and treating maternal depression, supporting grandparents raising children, or assisting nursing mothers, the Guidance Center always leads the way.”

As a result of the positive reaction garnered by this initiative, the Guidance Center will be replicating the lactation room in both the Marks Family Right from the Start 0-3+ Center in Manhasset and the Roslyn Headquarters, ensuring that all clients and staﬀ have equal access to nursing facilities.

Accoustics

GLENN STRANGE

Nancy Lane, Alexis Siegel, Ruth Fortunoff Cooper, Dr. Nellie Taylor-Walthrust and Sara Popofsky

St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center is once again nationally recognized by US News & World Report in eight adult specialties. With exceptional physicians and staff, and an unrivaled patient experience, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center has been nationally recognized for Heart & Vascular for 17 years.

OUR VIEWS Editorial Cartoon Opinion

Playing our cards right on casino deal

The County Planning Commission’s Friday approval of a 42year lease with Las Vegas Sands to operate the Coliseum was not without its critics—as is the case with almost any development in Nassau.

The Say No To The Casino Civic Association correctly said the lease to operate the Coliseum was the next step to the county’s approval of a 99-year agreement with Las Vegas Sands to build a $4 billion entertainment center intended to include a Las Vegas-style casino.

The project took another step forward Monday when the Nassau County Legislature’s Rules Committee unanimously approved the lease to operate the Coliseum lease and agreed to be the lead agency on an environmental review.

The civic association and Hofstra University, which sits across the street from the 72-acre site that would house the casino, have said the project would generate “traffic congestion, crime, economic harm to local businesses and the school community.

These are legitimate concerns that the county should address. But the county has not done a good job of easing the critics’ concerns so far.

The state Supreme Court last November voided a 99-year lease signed by Nassau County that would have permitted Las Vegas Sands to develop the site.

The reason?

The County Planning Commission— yes, that County Planning Commission— violated various laws when it held a meeting in June 2023 to discuss the fate of the proposed event center and casino.

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by Hofstra, which said the commission did not properly notify the public and provide materials about the lease transfer of the Coliseum, violated executive session rules by improperly meeting, prematurely voted to close public comment and held a meeting before the lease negotiations were completed.

The Planning Commission, the opponents said, also skirted its responsibility to conduct a thorough environmental review.

State Supreme Court Justice Sarika

Kapoor ordered Nassau to redo the lease transfer process and conduct an environmental review before considering a new lease.

A state judge then ruled in February that the Las Vegas Sands not only lacked a valid lease to develop the Coliseum site but it was not entitled to operate it.

Hence, the vote by the Planning Commission on Friday and Monday by the rules committee.

The county’s original 99-year lease agreement announced by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in April 2023 called for the Las Vegas Sands to provide Nassau County with $54 million – whether or not the casino is eventually built.

Notwithstanding Las Vegas Sands’s deep pockets, the approval is no layup. The gaming company is competing with various downstate competitors for a license from the state Gaming Commission.

Nassau is guaranteed $25 million in revenue if the casino is approved and opens. With escalation costs, that figure increases to $50 million a year once the operation has been running for three years.

If Sands does not obtain the gaming license, it would still have to pay Nassau County $54 million and construct other aspects of the proposal besides the casino.

In addition to the $54 million payment to the county, the Sands would also pay $5 million in recurring rent until the gaming license is obtained, at which time the recurring rent would increase to $10 million annually.

The project would also generate sales tax revenue for the county, hundreds of construction jobs at the outset and hundreds more hospitality jobs.

Should there be legitimate concerns about Las Vegas Sands’s ability to run a casino and make its payment? Sure.

Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee for president, initially ran for office based on a reputation as a smart businessman, even though casinos he operated in Atlantic City went bankrupt. Four times.

Hofstra and the Say No To The Casino Civic Association also have legitimate

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concerns about traffic congestion, crime and economic harm.

One would think that, given the benefits the Las Vegas Sands project offers, the county would be completely transparent in the approval process and listen to the critics’ legitimate concerns.

So far? Not so much.

Blakeman made things worse in late 2023 when he called for Hofstra University President Susan Poser to resign, falsely claiming she did not respond sufficiently following Hamas’ savage attack against Israel.

Unlike other college presidents, Poser responded strongly to the attack as well as the aftermath and Hofstra did not experience the kind of antisemitism and protests seen elsewhere.

Did Blakeman think Hofstra would be more willing to back off its casino opposition by attacking Poser? If so, he was wrong. Hofstra remains a strong and powerful critic of the Las Vegas Sands project.

We suggest a different, more friendly approach – address the legitimate concerns of Hofstra and the Say No To The Casino Civic Association.

We would start with congestion.

REPORTERS

Cameryn Oakes

COLUMNIST Karen Rubin

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Yes, if the project is successful, it will increase traffic to the area and more people could mean more crime.

One answer is more police — something already planned by the county

But we think the casino project – and the economic boost it would provide the county – offers an even greater opportunity to Nassau. The Las Vegas Sands proposal offers a chance to address the congestion problems across the county, especially when heading north to south.

This includes existing mass transit in the form of buses as well as innovative ideas like light rail that would carry travelers to the Coliseum, Roosevelt Field, and even the beaches on the South Shore.

Yes, this would be a major undertaking with a large price tag, construction hurdles and the inevitable resident opposition in some places.

But it is not without precedent.

The LIRR recently completed a third track eight miles long, stretching from Floral Park to Hicksville, which improves services along the line. Then Gov. Andrew Cuomo wisely made the project more palatable to critics by eliminating above-ground crossings and parking garages.

Stacy Shaughnessy, Melissa Spitalnick, Barbara Kaplan, Bill Lucano, Angela Shirian

ART DIRECTOR

Yvonne Farley

This occurred around the time the MTA provided East Side Access with a LIRR stop at Grand Central Terminal.

A LIRR stop was also added in Elmont to address parking concerns with the UBS arena.

In Queens, light rail was built, linking JFK Airport and downtown Jamaica.

The money generated by a Las Vegas Sands casino allows the county to study, if not contribute to, a light rail project linking Nassau County from north to south.

Further funding could be provided by the MTA, perhaps in exchange for congestion pricing in New York City –another program that would help ease congestion in Nassau County.

And depending on the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, federal transportation money could also be available.

Such forward thinking by the county might even help the Las Vegas Sands’ application with the state.

But we suggest the county start with baby steps by being transparent in reviewing the project casino project and responsive to critics’ legitimate concerns.

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Central Park, the heart of New York City

New York offers up any number of priceless gems. If gives us Broadway, Lincoln Center, and The Museum of Modern Art. For comfort and a touch of class we have The Carlyle Hotel and for our eating pleasure we have La Grenouille. However, all of these establishments do come with a hefty price tag. As an example, to take in a Broadway show for two with a dinner beforehand you will spend at least $1,000.

But there is one gem that is free to all and that is Central Park, created in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and designed to offer a truly democratic experience for all New Yorkers and a place where all the classes intermingle. By 1970, the park had decayed due to neglect, but thanks to the Central Park Conservancy, which has invested over $1 billion to restore the park, it is now visited by 43 million tourists and Manhattanites every year.

The park is almost entirely manmade and contains many lakes, open meadows, rambling tree-lined pathways and important sculptures. Central Park represents the beautiful

heart of New York.

Many people are first introduced to Central Park by going to Tavern on the Green, a structure originally designed by Jacob Mould and built to house the flock of Southdown sheep used to mow Sheep Meadow. The interior of Tavern on the Green once contained a magical stain glass passage that led to the restaurant and the famed chandelier-ed Crystal Room, but has since been redesigned.

Directly adjacent to Tavern on the Green is the Sheep Meadow of “The Commons,” which is a huge a lawn used for sunbathing and the occasional concert.

Just south of Sheep Meadow you will find “The Children’s District,” which has a carousel rivaling the one in Rome’s Borghese Gardens.

My favorite part of Central Park is “The Mall,” which is a formal promenade lined with American elms carefully tended to by the Conservancy. The mall evokes a religious-like experience with the elms acting like columns and the branches intertwining above like the vaulting of cathedral ceilings (see photo.)

a boat, get a gondola ride or simply have brunch in their lovely restaurant and watch the boats go by.

After brunch you can head west by crossing the low-slung Bow Bridge, which resembles the subtler curve of an archer’s bow, and you enter “The Ramble,” one of the greatest landscape sequences ever created by Olmsted and Vaux. “The Ramble” is like

going into a dark forest and is filled with mystery, surprise and adventure, including hidden caves and Azalea Pond.

As I said, Manhattan is a treasure to behold and Central Park is the heart of New York, offering history, beauty and a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of New York. And it won’t cost you a single penny.

There is also the Central Park zoo and the charming Delacorte Clock featuring a group of animal musicians that rotate every hour and half hour to nursery rhymes and popular tunes. Further north around 74th street on the east side of the park is the Sailboat Pond made famous in 1945 when E. B. White wrote “Stuart Little” about the little mouse who sailed his ship “the Wasp” on this very same pond. Further along in the park you come to Loeb’s Boathouse, where you can rent

ON THE RIGHT

My take on the GOP convention, JD Vance

Seconds after Donald Trump named J.D. Vance his vicepresidential running mate, the media’s left-wing Talking Heads pronounced the 39-year-old senator from Ohio “unqualified.”

Unqualified?

Let’s compare J.D. Vance’s curriculum vitae with Barack Obama’s. Both Vance and Obama served 18 months in the Senate at the time of their nominations to a national ticket. Both went to Ivy League law schools. Both authored best-selling books about their upbringing.

Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Obama worked as a community organizer, an instructor at the University of Chicago Law School and as Illinois state senator.

Prior to Vance’s election to the U.S. Senate, he was a U.S. Marine who served in Iraq, and worked at a venture capital firm where he specialized in financing technology startups and creating jobs.

Do you get my point?

If Obama was qualified to be president, Vance is certainly qualified to be vice president and, if necessary,

to assume the office of chief executive.

Nevertheless, there are significant differences between the two. Unlike Obama, Vance is a low-key, modest guy.

Vance would not make the following crass statement Obama made about people in the Rust Belt: “So it’s not surprising then that [people there] get bitter, they cling to their guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or antiimmigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

No, Vance understands that the people in flyover America are good people, decent people, who may believe that the elitists in Washington and cosmopolitan America have deserted them—and they are not “deplorables.”

Nor would Vance articulate a view of himself as Obama did when he became the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party in 2008: “This is the moment the world has been waiting for…. This is the moment when the rise of the ocean be-

GEORGE J. MARLIN On The Right

gan to slow and our planet began to heal.”

And if elected, I do not expect Vance to say anything close to what Obama said after his 2008 election: “I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about politics on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m a better political director than my political direc-

tor.”

Unlike Obama, Vance is not a super egoist. He lifted himself by his bootstraps and worked hard to achieve the American dream.

As for the Republican convention—it was well choreographed.

The words spoken by family members who lost their loved ones in Afghanistan were moving. The words spoken by the victims of New York’s defund the police policies and lax bail laws sent a strong law and order message.

To hear Sean O’Brien, the head of the 1.3 million Teamsters Union, castigating “big business” at a GOP convention, was extraordinary. “Massive companies like Amazon, Uber, Lyft, and Walmart,” he bellowed, “take zero responsibility for the workers they employ. These companies offer no real health insurance, no retirement benefits, no paid leave, relying on undefined public assistance. And who foots the bill? The individual taxpayer.”

O’Brien’s pro-union speech could have been delivered at the 1948 Democratic convention that nomi-

nated Harry Truman or at JFK’s 1960 convention.

As for Donald Trump: dodging an assassin’s bullet by a quarter of an inch was remarkable.

Trump’s brush with death was his “come to Jesus” moment. One can only hope that there is a “New” Trump who campaigns as a unifier and who appeals to the better nature of all Americans.

Trump began his acceptance speech at the convention by taking the high road describing the assassination attempt, and paying tribute to the retired fireman who died and to those who were seriously injured.

But later in his 90-minute speech, when he was ad-libbing, he lapsed into the same old accusations and name-calling. That was unfortunate.

At this point in time, the November election is Donald Trump’s to lose. If he forgets the grudges, describes his governing vision for America and curbs his outlandish comments about the heir apparent, Kamala Harris, he may well be the first ex-president since Grover Cleveland in 1893 to regain the office of chief executive.

Cathedral Walk in Central Park

EARTH MATTERS

The state of the birds is a scary one

In 2019 the journal Science published a seminal report, “State of the Birds.”

It concluded that over three billion birds had vanished since 1970 due to habitat loss, pesticides, climate change effects and other impacts on birds. Only wetland birds like diving and dabbling ducks were holding their own and, in some cases, increasing populations.

In 2022 a State of the Birds for the United States was released by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, a group of 33 government agencies and conservation groups. (https://www. stateofthebirds.org/2022/ ) It showed a continuing trend in decline for most species. The bright light in that dense gloom were trends coming from areas where a concentrated effort to restore habitats or remove invasives species had taken place. Populations of Cerulean Warblers and Wood Thrushes, overall in deep declines, showed an increase in Appalachian areas where forest restoration had taken place.

Restoring habitats for birds has a host of benefits, not just for the target species but all other birds, wildlife and insects in

the area. The widest benefits are from additional carbon sequestration capacity by more healthy plants, which also increases oxygen production and regional cooling.

The report has a special focus on places where habitat creation helps humans and birds, like planting trees in urban areas, creating shelter and food resources for birds and cooling and lowering pollution in urban areas.

The report highlighted 70 “Tipping Point” species, ones that have lost 50% or more of their population over the last 50 years and are projected to continue that trend without intervention. None of these birds are currently protected by the Endangered Species Act, and given the up to 12 year timeline that is current for listing a new species, some birds may vanish before the paperwork is finished.

Of those listed birds, several either visit or breed on Long Island. The Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows nest in the marshes of the south shore. Nesting in the marsh grasses is a risky venture because one extra high tide or storm can wash away nests or unfledged young. And those events are happening more

JENNIFER WILSON-PINES Earth Matters

often due to climate change. Over time, marshes would build up to elevate above higher storm surges, but this change is happening too quickly.

The Least Tern nests on our beaches where they face disturbance by beach goers, unleashed dogs, feral cats, raccoons and foxes. The brilliant yellow and black streaked Prairie Warbler brightens

shrubby woodlands during spring migration and there is a small population that breeds on the east end of the island. Their habitat is prone to be viewed as vacant land to be developed.

Several shorebirds that are on the list visit us during migration to feed up, including Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Hudsonian Godwits, Ruddy Turnstones, Stilt Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, and resident Great Black-backed Gulls. What most of these birds have in common is pressure on the places that they breed and feed from sea level rise due to climate change, human disturbance, shoreline hardening, and competition for resources, like the over harvesting of Horseshoe crabs and destruction of sandbar ecology by clammers.

BirdLife International’s 2023 report (https://datazone.birdlife.org/2023annual-update ) showed this decline is a world-wide trend. BirdLife is responsible for assessing and documenting the global extinction risk of all 11,000+ species on The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

BirdLife summarizes the problems as, “Analysis of data from BirdLife’s latest species assessments for the IUCN Red List shows that the threats affecting the greatest number of the world’s threatened bird species are (in descending order) agriculture, logging, invasive alien species, hunting and trapping, and climate change. These same threats also emerge highly from monitoring of Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) by the BirdLife Partnership.” They also had the same glimmers of hope found in the US report, “Since 1988, 93 species have been downlisted to a lower Red List category due to genuine improvement in status, but this is outweighed by the 436 species that moved to a higher category of threat because of genuine deterioration in their status.” That downlisting was due to habitat restoration or removal of invasive species like rats.

Amid the depressing statistics there is hope of reversing the downward trends with effort from impacted communities and outside support. These changes will benefit not only birds, but everything living in the area, including people.

Said and unsaid in Trump’s RNC speech

What struck me about Donald Trump’s “acceptance” speech at the RNC wasn’t how it was the “New Leaf” Trump after his brush with death, but how he rehashed the same diatribes from 2016 campaign and rallies. He replayed his gratuitous attacks (“China Virus,” “Crazy Nancy Pelosi”) as well as his vision of a dystopian, pre/post-apocalyptic America, carnage and a failed nation. Even his pre-election charge of election rigging echoes 2016.

“The election result, we’re never going to let that happen again. They used COVID to cheat,” he said in a claim that Politifact ruled “Pants on Fire!.” But it also served as an inadvertent reminder that Trump’s disastrous handling of COVID led to 400,000 needless deaths and that Republicans would do anything to suppress voting instead of facilitating voting during a deadly pandemic.

Trump lied that U.S. inflation was “worst we’ve ever had” under Biden. Not only is America’s inflation lower than every other industrial nation’s, even after the post-Covid/supply chain crisis, but the brief 9% rate (now down to 3%, the lowest in three years) at its height was a fraction of what it was at 23% in 1917 and the double-digits in the 1970s and 1980s. And Biden is actually doing something about drug costs, housing affordability, student and medical debt, and going after price gouging, responsible for half of the inflation rate.

Trump actually declared, “I will end the devastating inflation crisis immediately, bring down interest rates and lower the cost of energy. We will drill, baby, drill.” His big idea (which he got just days before from a waitress) was to “end the tax on tips,” while his party

is actually trying to rescind drug price reductions, veterans health care, and student debt relief. Trump seems to be unaware that a president doesn’t set interest rates or prices.

In fact, Trump’s big Day 1 idea to impose 10 percent tariffs on all imported goods (groceries, clothes, appliances) would ignite inflation, send costs skyrocketing and cost an average family $2,500 more in what amounts to a tax.

Trump lied when he declared that Biden ”wants to raise your taxes four times” Biden’s tax policy is to get the wealthiest individuals and corporations to pay their fair share (billionaires are paying a tax rate of 8.2%).“No billionaire should pay a lower federal tax rate than a teacher, nurse or sanitation worker,” Biden said.” In essence, Trump was promising a return on the investment of the billionaires funding his campaign, like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, who are eager to dictate policy on AI and deregulation.

Instead of fair tax, Trump is promising to make permanent his tax cuts that went almost entirely to the 0.1%, while the middle class (thanks to the SALT cap) paid more, and adding $2 trillion to the national debt. Trump’s newest giveaway to the rich is calculated to add $6 trillion to the national debt over 10 years.

Trump and the MAGA Republicans continue to call climate change “a hoax” and climate action investments a “Green New Scam” while lying that incentives to buy electric vehicles and appliances are “a mandate.” Ignoring the worsening climate disasters and record heat that are costing the economy $165 billion a year and thousands of lives, Trump is promising to reverse Biden’s

immigration, reverting back to the same lies and insults (“rapists, criminals, they’re sending their worst”) about the desperate migrants fleeing climate disaster, starvation, gang violence and political upheaval as he did when he came down the golden escalator to announce his 2016 campaign,

climate actions on Day 1 (much as he did when he took office in 2017).

Trump absurdly declared that encouraging EVs (by offering a $7,500 incentive) means the auto industry is facing “complete obliteration” even after it has added 127,800 jobs. With climate action, historic infrastructure investment and Made in America policies, the Biden-Harris administration has created over 15 million jobs – more than any other president in a single term.

Trump and Republicans constantly lie about crime to attack Democrats. They continue to charge that crime rates are going up when FBI rates show violent crime is down by 15%, that the murder rate – which hit records under Trump – is falling by the largest annual decline ever. It’s not by accident but largely because of Biden’s investments in local law enforcement and violence prevention programs.

But the area which Trump and Republicans focused on the most at the Republican National Convention was

“It’s a massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease, and destruction to communities all across our land. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.” In fact, illegal border crossings were 14.7% higher in Trump’s final year in office compared with Obama’s last year (FactCheck.org) despite using COVID as an excuse to close the border and his cruel family separation policy. Politifact judged Trump’s claim that Biden “is letting millions of people from jails, from prisons, from insane asylums, from mental institutions, drug dealers pour in” as “Pants on Fire!” (https:// www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/ jun/06/donald-trump/fact-checktrumps-ridiculous-claim-that-millionso/)

What Trump (and the RNC) left out of his harangue was that he ordered the Congressional Republicans to reject the Bipartisan Border Security bill so that he could keep the “border crisis” issue hot for his election and deny Biden a major accomplishment. Rebuffed, Biden has issued executive orders that have effectively reduced illegal border crossings by 40%, and has sped up expelling individuals deemed unqualified for asylum. Besides going back to “build the wall,” Trump proudly promised the largest deportation crusade in history — erecting massive detention camps

and immediately deporting 10 million undocumented migrants who have lived in the country for decades, have businesses, homes, pay taxes and may well have children who are citizens (Trump wants to overturn the 14th Amendment’s birthright citizenship). “107 percent of [Black jobs, Hispanic jobs] are taken by illegal aliens,” he absurdly charged.

And while he offered a list of actions he would take on Day 1 — “drill, baby, drill,” “close our borders” and reversing every Biden-Harris policy – he omitted mentioning his promise to be a dictator on his first day in office and to weaponize the Department of Justice to seek retribution against his enemies.

What else did Trump, J.D. Vance and the RNC leave out? Any mention about their plans to implement the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 operations manual for a White Nationalist Christo Fascist autocracy: ban abortion nationwide; shut down NOAA and Education Department; restrict the EPA and FDA; privatize and/or cut Social Security and Medicare, deregulate.

Read The New York Times review of Trump’s term in office to be reminded what a horror it was to have someone with such contempt for the Constitution, rule of law, human rights, democracy (https://www.nytimes.com/ interactive/2024/07/18/opinion/ trump-presidency-record.html). But Trump will only be so much worse if he returns to power, because this time around he has learned he can do anything he wants without being held to account by Congress or the Supreme Court, and has his henchmen around him who are prepared to immediately implement their Project 2025.

VIEW POINT

KAREN RUBIN View Point

FROM THE DESK OF TOM SUOZZI

A new chance to seek common ground

Sometimes good things come from bad things. That’s why I am hopeful.

The assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump has once again shaken the foundation of America’s democracy; deadly shots fired could further tear our country apart … or not.

Like all Americans, I was sad and worried after the shooting. I have been praying for the families of the victims, including former Fire Chief Corey Comperatore, who tragically died after being hit by a stray bullet.

This horrific event might just give America a new opportunity to heal the divide. Presidents Biden and Trump and elected officials can all help us come together as a nation.

I have always tried to work across party lines. At my swearing-in speech before Congress in February, I said, “Wake up. The people are sick and tired of finger-pointing and petty partisan politics.”

We know our country is fractured. Partisanship prevails. Confrontation has replaced cooperation. Anger and hate speech seem much too common. Con-

gress is literally a “house divided against itself.”

Our founders disagreed on many things but were unanimous in their contempt for partisan politics, calling it “a dangerous vice and a moral disease.”

I have championed the belief that we must find “common ground” and that we must work across party lines to actually get things done for people. We can disagree with each other, but we must remember that we are in the “solutions business.”

Again, we can disagree, but we must not hold each other in contempt. Contempt is one of the biggest problems in our politics. It’s a recipe for disaster.

I have always worked hard to build a coalition of like-minded Democrats and Republicans to solve problems. Right now, I am focused on the border. So, what is causing this intense division?

I think there are four major contributing factors contributing to today’s divisions: 1) safe seats 2) social media 3) cable news and 4) our foreign adversaries.

First, one of the problems we face is “gerrymandering,” drawing congressional and other seats to favor one party.

TOM SUOZZI

Ninety percent of House seats are “safe,” overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican. The only way to beat a member of Congress from a “safe district” is to primary them. But since so few people vote in primaries—less than 15 percent—and those who vote tend to be more extreme on the political spectrum, extremist candidates on both sides tend to win. Candidates in safe seats only need to win the primary. The general is “safe.”

MY TURN

To win the primary, too many candidates just “pander to the base.”

Second, the more extreme you are on social media, the more “likes” or “follows” you get. We have all seen hateful, venal posts that seem to get more views than even the cute cat videos. Extreme social media is also more likely to generate small donor contributions from a vast audience. “Let’s work together” doesn’t seem to generate much excitement!

Third, cable news. Think FOX and MSNBC. Depending on the show and the target audience, cable news stations will hire talent and invite guests that will reinforce their own narrative that “the other side is destroying our country.” The crazier the quotes, the more airtime you get.

Fourth, and the most pernicious, our foreign adversaries Russia, the Chinese Communist Party, Iran and North Korea are using our freedom of speech, our social media, and more, and they are sowing disinformation and discontent. They are blowing up issues where we have the slightest disagreement and trying to make us unrecognizable to each other.

Our laptops and cell phones have

become treasure troves of misinformation, disinformation and phony websites. Computer algorithms are deliberately programmed to feed us more and more of the same content we seem interested in.

But I still have great faith in the American people and in our system. President Biden and President Trump have a wonderful opportunity at their conventions and in the coming months to move beyond divisive rhetoric and try to bring us together. We can disagree. Disagree strongly, but do not promote contempt, hate, or certainly not violence.

I’m hopeful, too, that we might all seize this moment to recognize that politics is serious business and realize how harmful hate is and how badly it affects the political climate.

No foreign adversary can ever hope to defeat America. No one ever has. The greatest threat to our Republic comes not from external forces but from within. Only internal divisions could topple our government.

Now more than ever, let us all find common ground, work together and make America the best it can be.

Learning to speak up on one’s own behalf

In “Letters to Students: What it Means to Be a College Graduate,” my co-author and I explore topics such as critical thinking, the meaning of the liberal arts and sciences, how do we know what we think we know, the meaning of success, and finding and using one’s voice to speak up, among others.

Students enter college with a wide range of experiences in exercising their voice and expressing their thoughts and opinions. Some have been at a dinner table at home or with relatives where the standard was “you can speak when spoken to.” The lucky ones were encouraged to speak, even to describe what questions they had asked in school that day.

Yet while experiences for individual expression can be few and far between, two of the important goals of education are to develop students’ critical thinking and communication skills. We want students to be able to analyze and critique information, assumptions and assertions, be able express their thoughts and conclusions with clarity and coherence and be tolerant of others. We want them to know the value of questions

and learn to express themselves with imagination in both written and oral communications. We also want them to take responsibility for the consequences of their speech and actions.

Voice is in many ways a window into one’s personality. Are you assertive, insecure, bold, or shy? Your voice will reveal your inclinations. Are you assertive or deferential, inquisitive or domineering? Again, your voice tells.

The topics on which to express oneself are varied, of course. A good place to start is to think about life goals. Are you interested in wealth; do you seek praise and admiration, or glory; or do you want power? Do you seek knowledge or virtue?

An important topic to consider is one’s definition of success. Most people seem to think of success in terms of status, wealth, or power. For me, success is the optimal balance of talent, time, and treasure, and how we use and understand each.

There are those who measure success through the size of bank accounts or the brand of cars, who keep score by counting currency. They may know the price of everything but the value

ROBERT A. SCOTT, Ph.D. My Turn

of nothing. This is not to say that we should ignore financial rewards, or that money is not important. No, it is to argue for balance in how we organize our lives.

The successful life is one that achieves symmetry in the attention given to the appreciation and use of talent, time and treasure in the fulfillment of life’s dreams and in service to others. College provides opportunities for

mastering critical analysis and developing skills in writing and speaking outside of class and well as within it. When living in a residence hall, students have opportunities to express ideas for the improvement of facilities and amenities. Being active in student government, a club, a team, or even a part-time job, provides still more opportunities.

Another venue for expressing ideas is the campus newspaper or online chat board. All of these and more provide opportunities to express ideas and to practice the skills and abilities in the written and spoken word.

These experiences in speaking and writing also help us develop imagination. We learn to imagine the topic and how to develop it, imagine the audience and what would be both of interest and persuasive, and decide on the tone to be taken.

Another opportunity for exercising our voice is in voting, for voting is an expression of voice and choice.

We also can express ideas in letters to the editor, speaking at school board and local Library meetings or Rotary and other service clubs, or at church,

synagogue or mosque. The opportunities for exercising one’s voice on behalf of ideas and in support of others’ ideas are numerous.

A word of caution, however, about the use of social media for expressing opinions. Once the button is clicked words can take on a new life as they are distorted and promoted by others. Think twice before sending a message that might have been crafted in a moment of anger.

So, as students embark on their college career, they should think about what they care about, what they have thought about and want they want to express. When clear in their thoughts, they should speak up.

Robert A. Scott, President Emeritus, Adelphi University; Co-Author, Letters to Students: What it Means to be a College Graduate, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024

An earlier version of this article appears as Chapter 3 in Letters to Students: What it Means to Be a College Graduate, Rowman and Littlefield, 2024, co-authored with Dr. Drew Bogner, President Emeritus, Molloy University.

Congressman

Events show Democrats as the party of chaos

The events of the last month leading up to President Biden’s departure paints the Democrat Party as the party of chaos.

Democrats have villiﬁed Trump as a liar and a threat to democracy while Biden has lied often and well. Biden stated that US sanctions would deter Russia in Ukraine, that no troops died during his presidency, that he inherited 9% inﬂation in January 2021 (1.5% in reality), and he would shut down Covid.

The Biden/Harris team promised to unify the country. Sadly that hasn’t happened. The Democrats allowed their primary to be an empty exercise in Biden’s coronation.

The primary election should have served the purpose of allow-

ing voters the opportunity to choose from among Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom or any other candidate.

Now a pinch-hitter who will have been thrust upon the voters without proper vetting and input. Are the

Democrats the greatest threat to democracy? Democrats, Republicans and Independents like me are watching. Stay tuned !!!

Joe Campbell Port Washington

Big investments in city transit projects under ADA

Let us all celebrate the 34th Anniversary for the Americans With Disabilities Act. This was signed into law by former President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990.

The Federal Transit Administration has done an excellent job during this period when it comes to investing in public transit to bring capital assets into compliance with ADA.

Billions of dollars in FTA grants to over 900 transit agencies across America, including the MTA NYC Transit bus, subway and Staten Island Railway, Long Island and Metro North

Rail Roads, Nassau Inter County Express Bus, Suﬀolk County Transit Bus and NYCDOT Staten Island Ferry, have paid for tens of thousands of buses, para-transit vans, light rail,. subway cars, commuter rail and ferries that are ADA accessible.

Numerous subway, light rail and commuter rail stations, bus and ferry terminals along with other transportation facilities are accompanied with elevators and/or ramps and have also become ADA compliant.

The FTA previously announced a Notice of Funding Availability followed by a Notice of Grant Awards

for federal ﬁscal year 2024 several months ago. The MTA was awarded a grant worth $159 million.

This provided funding for NYC Transit to improve accessibility at the Wakeﬁeld-241st Street, Kingsbridge Road, 167th Street, 145th Street, and 110th Street subway stations.

Before the end of 2024, there will be a new opportunity for the MTA and other transit agencies around the nation to apply for a share of the $333 million or more under the new federal ﬁscal year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024 — Sept. 30, 2025) national competitive All Stations Accessibility Program. The

program totals $1.75 billion over ﬁve years.

The MTA could also ask any major business, college or hospital that beneﬁt from many of the 472 NYC Transit subway stations adjacent to their facility to sponsor installation of elevator(s). Let them split the cost 50% with the MTA NYC Transit in exchange for naming rights to the elevator(s). This could stretch both federal and local MTA dollars to bring even more stations into compliance with ADA.

City, state and federal elected oﬃcials who have access to member item

funding can also sponsor projects. NYC zoning laws oﬀer private developers the incentive of 20% more ﬂoor space for construction of new buildings in exchange for paying both NYC Transit station improvements including maintenance costs.

Larry

is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a former Director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Oﬃce of Operations and Program Management.

Martins should have eyes checked for blind spot

With so many things going on, I ﬁnally managed to read New York State Sen. Jack Martins’ column of July 5, 2024 titled “New Yorkers deserve better than DA Alvin Bragg.” Martins starts by saying about DA Bragg, “If ever there was an ideological demagogue shilling a political agenda, he’d be a poster child.” Martins makes that claim after DA Bragg “dropped all the charges against protesters that had been arrested in April for taking over Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall.”

These “protesters openly chanted pro-terrorist, anti-Jewish and antiAmerican hatred for the world to see” that “disrupted the education of thousands of students” and forced

the cancellation of graduation commencement ceremonies. “Nearly half of those arrested were not even students, but professional agitators” who “seized a historic building, held it for days, and caused untold property damage.”As for the consequences for the multitude of crimes, hatred and chaos, there were none as District Attorney Bragg claimed there wasn’t enough evidence.

Martins goes on to say that “everything you and I saw for days on end with our own eyes — everything that millions of people saw somehow was all a mistake.” As for Bragg, “he routinely releases violent repeat offenders who go right back out onto our streets.” Martins concludes that Bragg “is clearly beholden to a po-

litical ideology and placed that ideology ahead of his oath to protect New Yorkers and prosecute crimes. He has forgotten what it means to be a New Yorker.”

According to Martins, millions of people saw it. I wonder how many people outside of New York City saw it? But there was an event, the magnitude of which dwarfed the Columbia protests, that hundreds of millions of people saw, not only in the United States but all over the world. Those hundreds of millions of people had their eyes glued to their television screens on Jan. 6, as a mob of supporters of then -U.S. president Donald Trump attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., preventing a joint session of Congress

from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

Many people were injured, including 174 police officers. Four police officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months. Damages caused by the attackers exceeded $2.7 million. More than 1,265 individuals have been charged and Justice Department prosecutors have secured more than 718 guilty pleas — including 213 who pleaded to felonies that include assaults on police officers, obstructing law enforcement and seditious conspiracy.

And Trump wants to pardon most of those who were convicted. A convicted felon wants to protect fellow convicted felons. Trump wants to ﬁx

government? “Fix” is the proper word.

Seeing is believing. “The eyes have it,” but since State Sen. Martins follows his leader, Dictator-wannabe Donald Trump, he is one of many Republican oﬃce holders who have become blind and pretend Jan. 6 was a fabrication and did not happen. It is clear that Mr. Martins is beholden to a political ideology and placed that ideology ahead of his own oath to follow the Constitution.

Mr. Martins has forgotten what it means to be an American. Lies! The current foundation of the Republican Party. Without truth, there can be no democracy.

Larry Penner Great Neck

Penner

Alvin Goldberg Great Neck

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Belle Voci concert in Oyster Bay intended to entertain, support

Belle Voci Intergenerational Choral Society, a Long Island-based organization dedicated to supporting wellness, cancer prevention, and cure through choral performances, is celebrating 20 years of Sisterhood in Song with the “You Do Not Walk Alone” series.

Their Rose Remembrance concert will be held on Aug. 4 at Christ Church in Oyster Bay, and the Candlelight Remembrance concert will take place on August 9 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Huntington.

The concerts will feature works by Carnelia, Evsenvalds, Hagenberg, Brahms, and Runestad, performed by professional and amateur singers, accompanied by pianist Alex Pryrodny, and also featuring strings, ﬂute, brass, percussion, and

harp.

Belle Voci was founded in 2004 by Dr. Jennifer Scott Miceli, Director of Long Island Sound Vocal Jazz at LIU Post in Brookville after losing her mother, Bonnie Scott, to cancer.

Since its establishment, Belle Voci has provided a healing space for others through song. The ensemble has grown into a recognized philanthropic treble choir, oﬀering a forum for prayer, reﬂection, grieving, meditation, inspiration, and celebration for both singers and audiences.

“We are thrilled to mark this milestone with performances that celebrate our musical achievements and honor those aﬀected by cancer,” said Dr. Miceli. “Our Remembrance con-

certs are particularly moving, recognizing those who have passed, those living with cancer, and survivors. This year, we look forward to bringing our community together for these moments of deliverance and connection.”

In 2023, Belle Voci was named a ﬁnalist for the American Prize in Choral Performance—Community Division. The ensemble also extended its mission of cancer prevention and cure to the United Kingdom, where it performed several concerts to celebrate its 20th season and promote wellness.

Over the years, the organization has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to support wellness and cancer prevention through donations to the American Cancer Society, St. Jude

Children’s Research Hospital, and Northwell Hospice Care Network.

“Our mission has always been to use the power of music to foster healing and hope,” Miceli added. “The continued support from our community has been invaluable in helping us reach more people and make a greater impact.”

Christ Church is located at 61 East Main St. in Oyster Bay. St. John’s Episcopal Church is located at 12 Prospect St. in Huntington.

Tickets are available for $30, with a discounted rate of $20 for seniors and students with ID. They can be purchased through the Belle Voci website.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLE VOCI INTERGENERATIONAL CHORAL SOCIETY

Belle Voci will feature works by Carnelia, Evsenvalds, Hagenberg, Brahms and Runestad at its Rose Remembrance concert.

4 tips for backyard barbecue success

When the weather warms up, the opportunities to enjoy more time outdoors increase. For many people that means firing up the grill to cook dinners in the backyard and also to host friends and family for outdoor gatherings around the patio.

Barbecuing is enjoyed around the world and is especially popular in the United States, where even presidents have touted the virtues of cooking outside. Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter and even Ronald Regan hosted barbecues with tasty grilled or smoked food during their terms.

Barbecues are especially popular in spring and summer. Memorial Day often marks the unofficial kickoff to the summer barbecue season. After Memorial Day weekend, the smell of barbecue often can be detected on a nightly basis in suburban neighborhoods. Follow these tips to make backyard barbecues even more successful this year.

1. Make food safety a priority. A successful barbecue is one in which everyone goes home sated and stuffed with delicious foods. However, ensuring people don’t fall ill also is vital. Keep in mind that the temperature outdoors impacts the rate of spoilage for raw and cooked foods. Always keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold (place items on ice or in coolers). The Food and Drug Administration, advises moving leftovers indoors promptly and discarding any items that

have been sitting outside for longer than two hours at room temperature. Items should be moved indoors or discarded even more quickly in especially hot conditions.

2. Learn how to smoke. Grilling is one skill, and smoking is another. As the popularity of food smokers has increased, prices have come down. Novices can visit barbecue competitions and talk to professionals about their tips for smoking foods, or learn more by watching tutorials online. Smoked foods take a lot of time to cook, allowing hosts an opportunity to mingle with guests.

3. Keep things simple. Serve only a handful of items to cut down on the amount of preparation required. Two main proteins and maybe three side dishes is adequate. Chips or other premade snacks can fit the bill. Condensing options also reduces how much you have to manage. Be sure to have options for those with food allergies or intolerances when planning the menu.

4. Set up clusters of seating. Grouping sets of chairs at tables around the yard encourages guests to mingle. Also, it helps space out people for social distancing and avoids a bottleneck around the food.

Make the most of barbecue season by embracing strategies to be successful hosts and hostesses.

Key components of a enjoyable summer picnic

Dining al fresco is often associated with securing outdoor seating at a local restaurant. However, anyone can enjoy al fresco dining at home, in a park or even on the beach.

Picnics make it easy to enjoy a meal in an idyllic setting. Though there's no rules governing picnics other than those posted by local park officials, the following are some essential components of a fun picnic.

Food

The menu for a picnic need not be elaborate, but there's also room for foods that are a little more fancy than sandwiches. Sandwiches are still acceptable picnic fare, but those who want to expand their horizons can prepare cheeseboards, salads, fresh fruit, and other items that are easily prepared and packed in a picnic basket. It's best to avoid hot foods, as they can be difficult to keep warm. Small grills might be allowed in certain parks, but it's best to keep in mind that others may not want to deal with smoke from burning coals. So individuals who plan to grill during a picnic should choose a remote spot that won't affect those around them.

Beverages

Cold beverages, including water, can ensure no one is overcome by heat. Individuals who want to bring alcohol should only do so on private

property, as many local laws do not allow consumption of alcoholic beverages in public spaces like parks and beaches. A cooler with cold beverages stored in ice can be a good idea if a lot of people will be attending the picnic.

Reusable containers

Reusable containers decrease the chances of creating litter. All it takes is one stiff wind for single-use, resealable plastic bags to blow away, and it's not always easy to track those bags down. Picnickers should aspire to take out everything that they take in, and reusable containers make that easier to accomplish.

Basket and tablecloth

A tablecloth does more than just set the scene for a picnic. Tablecloths collect crumbs and keep them off the ground, which can decrease the likelihood that uninvited guests like ants will join the festivities. Tablecloths also ensure utensils can be set out and put down without getting dirty.

Comfortable seating

Though it's entirely possible some guests will want to sit on the ground throughout the picnic, some comfortable seating can provide the perfect respite when the hard ground begins to feel a little less accommodating. Instruct guests to bring their own foldable lounge chairs, and don't forget to bring a picnic blanket or two so any-

one who wants to nap can catch a few winks. When hosting a beach picnic, look for blankets that dry quickly. Some are even made of fabric that filters out sand to keep it off of food.

Miscellaneous items

Bug spray, sunscreen, a bluetooth speaker, biodegradable waste bags, some sports equipment and other items to keep adults and kids occupied, and even a portable fan to keep guests cool

and repel mosquitoes are some additional must-haves for a fun picnic.

A picnic in the park or on the beach can be a great way to dine outside and relax in the summer sun.

How to make grilling healthier

Summer is synonymous with many things, including family vacations and relaxing days at the beach. For foodies, perhaps nothing evokes the spirit of summer more effectively than grilled foods.

Grilling is a beloved tradition, but it’s not necessarily the healthiest way to eat. Traditional backyard barbecue fare like hot dogs and hamburgers likely won’t make physicians’ hearts flutter, but there are ways to enjoy the flavor of grilling without compromising a nutritious diet.

· Replace burgers and hot dogs with healthy proteins. The occasional hamburger or hot dog won’t do much damage, but people who regularly grill should skip these summertime staples and replace them with healthy proteins. The American Heart Association reports that fish and skinless chicken breasts are healthy alternatives to hamburgers and hot dogs. Burger devotees can still enjoy their go-to grilled food, but replace ground beef with lean ground poultry, which contains less saturated fat than red meat.

· Avoid overdoing it. Most people have overindulged at a backyard barbecue at one point or another. The relaxed, party-like at -

mosphere of the backyard barbecue makes it easy to snack on chips and other unhealthy fare before moving on to burgers and hot dogs. Hosts can do guests a favor by replacing snacks and sides like chips and potato salad with healthier fare like celery, fruit salad or chickpea salad. Keep portions of grilled fare as close to a healthy size as possible. The AHA notes that a healthy portion of meat is around three ounces and no more than six ounces.

· Create a salt-free rub. There’s no denying salt makes food more flavorful. But that flavor comes at a high cost. The health care experts Piedmont note that excessive amounts of salt can contribute to inflammation from fluid retention and increase a person’s risk for hypertension, or high blood pressure. Salt may be a go-to for many grilling enthusiasts, but it doesn’t have to be. A salt-free rub made with chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, and/or other spices is an effective and salt-free way to add flavor to meat, chicken and fish.

· Grill more vegetables. Grilled vegetables, whether they’re part of kebabs or simply grilled alongside the main course, add significant flavor and provide all the health

benefits of veggies cooked in more traditional ways. The AHA notes that coating vegetables in a healthy oil like olive oil makes it easy to grill them directly over an open flame without sticking. Cooking in this way imparts that

signature smoky, grilled flavor to vegetables. This summer, grilling can be as healthy as it is flavorful. All it takes is a few simple strategies to make the menu at your next backyard barbecue one any doctor would love.

How to make magical marinades

Grilled foods boast inviting flavors that put many diners on the lookout for second helpings. Quite often the magic behind grilled meals lies in the marinade used to give foods that flavorful kick.

Marinades can be used to enhance the flavor of meats, vegetables and poultry. While marinades add flavor, they also may be responsible for some other benefits in grilled foods.

Marinades add flavor

Defined as a savory acidic sauce in which food is soaked to enrich its flavor, marinades help break down fiber and tenderize certain foods. The base of many marinades include vinegar, lemon juice or wine, and marinades can be enhanced with spices, oil and herbs.

It’s important not to let foods sit in marinades for too long, as any alcohol, acid or salt in the mixture can chemically “cook” the food in a process known as “denaturing.” Adhere to timing recommendations when using store-bought marinades, and keep such guidelines in mind when using homemade marinades as well. Many may tell you to let foods sit no longer than four hours. Marinades with citrus juices may require even less time for flavor to penetrate.

The timing of marinade use also will depend on the foods being marinated. Delicate items, such as seafood, may change with regard to texture or color in a matter of minutes.

It’s important to always marinate foods in the refrigerator. Food left sitting out on a counter -

even when it’s in a marinade - invites the growth of bacteria. If a recipe calls for marinating at room temperature, continue to marinate in the refrigerator, but extend the length of time you marinate. This helps to prevent foodborne illnesses.

When marinating, use plastic or glass containers so the marinade does not cause a chemical reaction, which may occur if you marinate foods in metal containers. Discard all marinades for raw meats and poultry when the time comes to cook the foods, as leftover marinades may contain bacteria that makes them unsafe to reuse on other foods.

The nutritional benefits of marinating In addition to flavor, marinades may improve the nutritional value of grilled foods. In 2008, researchers at Kansas State University discovered that marinating meat in antioxidant-rich spice blends can reduce the risk of forming heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, by more than 80 percent. HCAs are harmful, cancer-causing compounds that form when food chars over an open flame at high temperatures. Marinades must be rich in spices to have any HCA-busting properties.

Marinades are a secret weapon in the creation of tasty, tender and healthy foods. They come in quite handy when grilling, and add an extra dose of flavor when cooking over high heat.

A summer dessert that is just peachy

Peaches are a nutritious summertime favorite. Peaches are antioxidant-rich, include a wide range of vitamins and minerals, and are rich in ﬁber. And there is no denying how sweet and tasty peaches can be, whether they're plucked right from a tree or enjoyed in any number of recipes.

Cobbler is a type of dessert that gained popularity in the United States during the 19th century. It is made by putting fruit in a deep baking dish and then topping it with a drop biscuit batter and sometimes a crumb topping. Any number of fruits work well in cobblers, including apples, pears and various berries. However, peach cobbler is the quintessential summertime treat.

Cobbler gets its name from the fact that early American settlers didn't have strict recipes with exact measurements for ingredients, so they took what they had and "cobbled" them together.

Today's cobbler bakers enjoy the beneﬁts of having more direction when putting together their desserts. This recipe for "Southern Peach Cobbler" comes courtesy of Paula Deen.

Southern Peach Cobbler

Serves 15

1 1/2 cups self-rising ﬂour

1 stick butter

1/2 cup water

2 cups sugar, divided

4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced

1 cup milk

Ground cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, ﬂour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir.

Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

- Seafood Mediterranean

Freshen up warm weather cuisine

When the weather is warm, many people are inspired to expand their culinary horizons and look for foods that are light, fresh and satisfying.

Although warm-weather cooking may call to mind backyard barbecues, there is much more to seasonal dining than charbroiled frankfurters and beef patties. Taking a fresh approach to cooking can yield a number of new and innovative meals.

Cool down

When the temperature is high, few people want to fill their stomachs with heavy, hot foods. Instead of cooking up a batch of stew, reinvent recipes for a warm-weather spin. For example, experiment with chilled soups. Borscht is a beet-based soup of Eastern European origin that is very often served cold. Other vegetables or fruits can be pureed and served as a cold summer soup. Gazpacho, a Spanish tomato-based soup, is the most widely known cold soup. However, cucumber- and avocado-based soups and creamed vegetable soups also can be enjoyed chilled.

Embrace salads

While salads may be relegated to side dishes for most of the year, they tend to take center stage when the weather is warm.

The addition of fresh berries, grapes or raisins can lend a different flavor to salads. Think about topping salads with grilled fish or chicken to add more substance to salads serving as entire meals.

Rather than using heavy dressings that may end up covering the delicate flavors of lettuce leaves and other greens, use vinaigrettes made from citrus fruits to add both sweetness and tartness to dishes.

Quench your guests’ thirst with this healthy concoction

Few foods are as synonymous with a particular season as watermelon is with summer. For many people, a backyard barbecue or picnic in the park is not complete without a refreshing slice of fresh watermelon.

But while watermelon is most often associated with dessert at warm weather soirees, this beloved fruit is much more versatile than that. For example, watermelon can be used to make a refreshing beverage for guests of your next outdoor get-together. Easy to prepare and ideal on warm afternoons and evenings, the following recipe for “Pressed Watermelon With Basil Water” from Brian PetersonCampbell’s “Cool Waters: 50 Refreshing, Healthy, Homemade Thirst Quenchers” (Harvard Common Press) is sure to cool down your guests.

Pressed Watermelon With Basil Water Makes 6 servings

4 cups watermelon

6 to 8 large basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar

4 cups chilled still water

Pinch of sea salt

1. Combine the watermelon chunks and basil in a colander placed over a large bowl. Using a metal ladle or spoon, press the watermelon to extract as much juice as possible (the remaining pulp should be fairly dry).

2. Season the juice with the sea salt and vinegar and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher. Add the water, stir and serve.

Savory sandwiches

Who says sandwiches are only for lunch? When the weather is warm and families are busy hurrying here and there, sandwiches make for fast and portable meals.

Grilled vegetables paired with grilled mushrooms can make hearty, satisfying sandwiches that are relatively low in calories. Previously grilled chicken can be shredded and turned into chicken salad when mixed with Greek yogurt and apple cider vinegar. Even standard cold cuts can be given a new twist when turned into cold-style reubens by being topped with cole-slaw or chilled sauerkraut on gourmet slices of herbed bread.

Pastas and casseroles

Much as warm-weather soups can be served cool, so can pastas and casseroles. Pasta is a versatile food that can be paired with traditional salad ingredients or mixed with vegetables or dressings to make a variety of different dishes.

Baked casseroles can be served at room temperature for pot-luck meals in the yard or brought along when visiting friends and family. Chunks of mushrooms, summer squash, eggplant and garlic can be sauteed and baked together to make a hearty and flavorful vegetable casserole.

Seafood

Lobster, shrimp and clams can be harvested from the coast and then cooked on the grill or over an open fire. For those who want chilled seafood, opt for shrimp cocktail or head out for a sushi and sashimi meal at a local restaurant.

Warm-weather dining means exploring different flavor options to find lighter fare.

Tips to throw a memorable end-of-summer soirée

One last bash as summer winds down is a great way to send oﬀ a season that's synonymous with recreation and leisure. And end-of-summer soirée also provides an opportunity to get together with friends and family before a new school year begins and families' schedules ﬁll up.

As August inches closer to September, hosts can consider these tips as they plan a memorable sendoﬀ to summer.

· Avoid Labor Day weekend. Labor Day marks the unoﬃcial end of summer in many places, but hosts may want to avoid choosing this popular three-day weekend for their endof-summer soirée. A survey from the travel experts at The Vacationer found that roughly 137 million people had travel plans over Labor Day weekend in 2022. Travel is undeniably popular on Labor Day weekend, and hosts likely won't want to contend with guests' travel plans. The weekend before Labor Day may produce a greater turnout, which undoubtedly makes for a more enjoyable aﬀair.

· Pick a summer theme. An end-of-summer party should have a theme that evokes the season's special vibe. A beach theme with some sand in the backyard, some specialty cocktails served with mini beach umbrellas and, of course, some water play for adults and kids can help to establish a vibe that's synonymous with summer.

· Serve traditional fare. Though hosts who already hosted a handful of backyard barbecues this summer might have had their fill of hamburgers and hot dogs, an end-of-summer party is the last time many people will eat such foods until next spring. So while it's alright to offer some alternatives, such as meat cooked on a smoker or grilled fish, be sure to offer the

standard hamburgers and hot dogs as well.

· Invite the neighbors. It's tempting to throw a season-ending bash that lasts into the wee hours, but that can be problematic for hosts whose neighbors are within arm's length. That potentially sticky situation can be remedied by inviting the neighbors to the party. Neighbors won't be upset by a little extra nighttime noise if they're living it up as well. If that's not an option, hosts can just remember

to turn the volume down a notch once the sun sets.

· Create a contingency plan. August can be a bit on the rainy side in many areas, particularly those where hurricane season hits full swing as summer winds down. Though summer storms tend to come and go in the blink of an eye, it's best to have a contingency plan in place. If possible, ensure outdoor entertaining areas can provide some respite from the elements if

need be. A well-placed pergola can keep guests and food safe from the rain and a retractable patio awning can provide an extra layer of protection. Hosts also can clear out part of their home interior and have some backup games at the ready to accommodate guests if the party has to move inside for a little while.

An end-of-summer soirée can be the perfect way to say so long to a beloved time of year.

Fri 7/26

Ally Venable Band @ 8pm Huntington Art Center, 11 Wall St, Huntington

Sat 7/27

Deep Roots Farmers Market Glen Cove @ 9am

Opening Day of the Deep Roots Farmers Market in Glen Cove Saturday, June 1st, 9AM-1PM. Garvies

Point Park, 100 Garvies Point Road, Glen Cove. info@deeprootsfarmers market.com, 516-3185487

Train & REO

Speedwagon - Sum‐mer Road Trip 2024 @ 6:25pm / $35$149.50 Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, Wan‐tagh

THE SPARROWS in "Once More, From the Top!" A Musical Comedy

@ 7pm / $40 Jul 27th - Jul 28th

It’s 1936. After a ro‐mantic entanglement gone wrong, the biggest dancing duo of the century abruptly leave their partnership —and movie careers— behind. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old West‐bury Road, Old West‐bury. mramirez@old westburygardens.org, 516-333-0048

Bye Bye Birdie @ 7:30pm The Argyle Theatre at Babylon Village, Babylon

Vonda Shepard: Boulton Center For The Performing Arts @ 8pm Boulton Center For The Per‐forming Arts, 37 W Main St, Bay Shore

Sun 7/28

The Concert: A Tribute To ABBA @ 7:30pm / $22.50-$99.50 Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair, Westbury

Great Neck Farmers Market @ 10am

Shop small and shop local at the Great Neck Farmers Market Fire‐�ghters Park, 30 Grace Avenue, Great Neck. info@deeprootsfarmers market.com, 516-3185487

Old Westbury Gardens Sunday Concert Series: Savannah Sky @ 3pm / $15

Afternoon concert of classic country music by Savannah Sky Coun‐try Duo. Free with ad‐mission to Old West‐bury Gardens. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury. ninagor don@gmail.com, 917771-9519

Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago: Heart & Soul Tour 2024 @ 7:30pm / $49.50$499.50 Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, Wan‐tagh

Mon 7/29

Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could: Brady at Seaford Library!

@ 10:15am Seaford Public Library, 2234

Jackson Ave # A, Seaford

Saturday Jul 27th

SAMSARA - Turn The Music Up! (Fundraiser) @ 5pm / $10

Nostalgia, 380 North Wantagh Avenue, Bethpage. rick@magnet icvine.com

On Saturday July 27 at 5 p.m., join SAMSARA, The Kindergarten, Set Theory, Ryan Wals�ch and more for a very special bene�t concert fundraiser to support Ronald McDonald House at Nostalgia Bar.

Caregiver and Me Yoga Classes for Children 6-24 months and Caregivers @ 9am Jul 29th - Sep 9th Caregiver and Me Yoga (Children 6-24months and Caregivers) at Here and Now Yoga, Well‐ness & Arts Collective Summer Session I (June 17-July 22) enroll‐ment on-going Summer Session II (July 29Sept. 9) Here and Now Yoga, Wellness & Arts Collective, 22 Verbena Avenue, Floral Park. info@hereand nowyoga.com, 516440-7057

Mix Up Some Magic @ 3pm

Be amazed and as‐tounded by chemistry magic with the Long Is‐land Children's Mu‐seum. Mineola Memor‐ial Library, 195 Marcel‐lus Road, Mineola

Tue 7/30

Summer Breeze Bash: Yacht Rock at the Preserve @ 6pm / $35-$50

Join us for a concert enjoying the breezy soft rock and cool vibe of the Yacht Lobsters. Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point. info@sand spointpreserve.org, 516-571-7901

Mike DelGuidice: John J. Burns Town Park, Massapequa, NY @ 8pm

John J Burns Park, 4990 Merrick Rd, Mas‐sapequa Park

Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: REMAIN IN LIGHT @ 8pm / $35-$85 The Paramount, Huntington

Wed 7/31

400 Figure in Motion @ 2:30pm / $250 Jul 31st - Aug 2nd The Long Island Academy of Fine Art, 14 Glen Street, SUITE 305, Glen Cove. 516-590-4324

Fleetwood Macked The Ultimate Tribute to Fleetwood Mac: Town of Oyster Bay “Music Under the Stars” @ 8pm Tappen beach glenwood land‐ing, Roslyn Shore drive, Glen‐wood Landing

Thu 8/01

Nate Charlie Music @ 6pm BayVue, 854 S Wellwood Ave, Lindenhurst

AMC14 Thursday 6pm @ 6pm / $149 Aug 1st - Aug 22nd Eisenhower Park driving range, Eisenhower park, East Meadow. 516-222-2620

Otan Vargas @ 7pm Nutty Irishman, 323 Main St, Farmingdale

Dave Jordan @ 8pm Still Partners, 225 Sea Cliff Ave, Sea Cliff

Cuthbert Live: Solo at Great South Bay Brewery - Lindenhurst @ 7pm

Great South Bay Brewery of Lindenhurst, 147 S Wellwood Ave, Lindenhurst

Luke Woltanski: LIVE at Northport's Music in the Park @ 7pm Northport Park, 63 Bayview Ave, Northport

Imagine Dragons: LOOM WORLD TOUR @ 7pm / $49.50-$269.50 Northwell at Jones Beach The‐ater, Wantagh

NYCFC II vs Columbus Crew 2 @ 8:15pm / $10-$15 Belson Stadium, Jamaica

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.

Business&RealEstate

Affordable housing impacts local market

We have a severe affordable housing crisis on Long Island and in many cities around the U.S. This began with the historic demand from consumers who had left large cities and towns in combination with the historically low interest rates during the pandemic, sending housing prices through the roof.

Before the pandemic, the market in 2019 had run its course and was cooling off as every cycle has its start and finish. Once Covid-19 became a serious threat to life, however, those cities with large populations saw an unprecedented exodus. New York City (lost 328,000 residents), Chicago (lost 91,000), Los Angeles (lost 176,000), and were the top three on the list that lost a considerable number of their inhabitants.

On the other end, the top three cities to gain population were Phoenix (added 78,000), Atlanta (increased 43,000), and Miami (added 34,000). Prices in those cities and outlying suburbs and areas away from the big cities and towns saw a marked increase.

Because a portion of the population was able to do their jobs and businesses from home, it created an environment that was never experienced before in the U.S. Those homes with an extra room or two to enable one to

work remotely became a crucial part of the decision-making when purchasing. Remote work was the key word to describe that situation. Then hybrid work became the term as people went back to work part-time.

The other factor causing our current critically low housing inventory was the Fed cutting interest rates to the lowest point in history. About twothirds of homeowners refinanced either to the lower rate or did a rate and term Refi, reduced their rate substantially but at the same cutting the time to repay the loan.

So we now have millions of homeowners with the lowest mortgage rate who will not be moving any time soon, due to the current considerably higher costs. There are those who have gained phenomenal appreciation and have a large equity position. They can put a larger downpayment on their next purchase to upgrade, so interest rates aren’t as much of a concern.

The real problem is more purchasers going after a finite inventory. This will continue, increasing overall prices for first-time and repeat purchasers. It is the same old supply-demand economics 101. The question is when will it end and when will we see prices adjust downwards? This will only occur when demand is reduced for whatever

Even rental prices increased drastically for those who couldn’t afford to buy due to downpayment requirements by the banks and the higherpriced housing. Personal credit issues caused much higher rates for those who do not have Tier 1 credit. Stricter bank regulations were enacted, due to the 2008 impact of the implosion and collapse of the mortgage industry, eliminated no doc, stated income, or what we call “liar” loans to secure financing.

potable water. Traffic would be even more unfathomable than it already is today. The infrastructure would suffer greater wear-and-tear and would increase drastically.

reason and supply has the opportunity to increase, which I said last week could take five to ten years.

Affordable housing hasn’t yet been seriously addressed and no concrete steps or solutions have been considered or taken to ease the continued loss of the population of Millennials, GenZ, and GenX to other lower-cost states, which also may not have any state income tax. Foreclosures are still at historic lows (20% lower than in 2023) and there isn’t enough housing available.

The local, state, and federal governments now have to step up to the plate and be cognizant of our real problems, and have more creative ideas and provide lower-cost funding, which could lead to solutions. This will hopefully keep more of our residents here in New York State rather than leaving. My professional opinion is to construct affordable housing upstate, where land is plentiful and more economical per square foot.

Constructing low-cost housing on Long Island is cost-ineffective and more importantly, our water supply from our underground aquifers will be depleted more quickly as per research (seatuck.org) that has been done. We may only have 50 years remaining before greater pollution or salt infiltration become the major obstacles for

Abandoned and unused buildings in NYC and the five boroughs could also assist in providing reasonable rental housing. Even a rent-topurchase situation could be devised, where you have an option to purchase. First-time buyers could be given grants to buy. Having an ownership position will assist in creating a family’s future wealth. Also, those who own tend to be more proactive and spend more on upkeeping and upgrading their properties than those who lease.

We need to move forward more quickly to solve the housing dilemma locally and nationally for the U.S. to stay competitive and have capable and available workers for our local and national economy.

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

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Legislature advances Sands’Coliseum bid

Anti-casino advocates rallied outside of the building as well, stressing the need to consider the long-term implications of building a casino in Nassau.

“The change in the culture [with a casino] is going to be profound,” George Krug, Garden City resident and member of the Say No To The Casino Civic Association said.

“What this does to parents looking at Hofstra as a prospective school for their kids, when they’re driving up, to check out the school that they might want to send their son or daughter to and they see there’s a Las Vegas-style casino right next door literally across the street, and they learned that it’s the second largest casino in the country bigger than any casino in Las Vegas, they’re going to be looking at other options, right? I firmly believe that years from now if this casino gets built, people are going to think of Nassau County in terms of before the casino and after the casino.”

Since the New York Islanders left the Nassau Coliseum in 2015 – playing at Barclays Center in Brooklyn for a few years with a brief return to the coliseum before eventually settling at UBS Arena in Elmont – questions have lingered about the coliseum’s status, and many plans for its future have fallen through over the years.

stand

“Before Bruce Blakeman became county executive, there was the Rechler plan for mixed-use,” Krug said. “This one was gaining traction and gaining approval and had widespread support until County Executive Blakeman brought everything to a halt.”

The Village of Garden City voted unanimously in 2023 to condemn any plans for the casino.

Village Mayor Mary Carter Flanagan spoke at the rally, echoing Krug’s sentiment on the effects it could have.

“The serious security issues that surround casinos are well known, including DWI, prostitution, drugs, sex trafficking,

compulsive gambling, and moreover, a severely negative impact on our village roadways, which are already overburdened with traffic,” Flanagan said. “The [Village] Board urges the Nassau County Legislature and the Nassau County IDA to actively seek out development ideas which will enhance our communities.”

The Planning Commission’s decision to approve the lease sent another vote up to the Legislature’s Rules Committee Monday. After a lengthy public hearing that included over 100 speakers – largely consisting of anti-casino advocates and pro-Sands labor organizers – the Rules Committee voted to approve the lease.

“This is not about a casino, this is about an integrated resort,” Matthew Aracich, president of the Long Island Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, AFL-CIO, said, “The casino is about 10% of this whole project. The idea is that building this creates all that economic wealth, it gets people out of poverty, it gets them to go ahead and become middle class, it gets them to go ahead and ensure that all of the events that will happen will transpire from those people coming over to Sands as well. So it’s it’s not just those 400 people, it’s expanding those 400 people.”

The vote will now go before the full County Legislature Aug. 5.

after residents filed suit and the town paid for the movers to remove the squatters. This then gave police the go-ahead to evict the squatters.

With changes in the state law, Liu said evicting squatters has been made easier recently, which aided in the removal of squatters from New Hyde Park’s Evans Street also in Liu’s district.

Liu said much of her time has also been spent with the senior citizen community. Many of the memories she looked back upon fondly involved this community, including the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events held for those who oftentimes live distantly from their children.

Divisiveness has also been an issue among town board members, with many squabbles between council members and the supervisor laid out in public during their meetings.

Liu attributed much of this issue to a lack of communication among the board members, saying that all of the communication happens on the dais which leads to public disputes.

“Communication is very key in how to get work done. Whether you’re talking to your supervisor or you’re talking to your staff, fellow peers, you have a dialogue of communication going back and forth,” Liu said.

But she said that is missing within the town.

To address this issue, Liu suggested that

more communication be fostered between council members and the supervisor to create better understanding among the town’s districts.

With six months behind her, Liu is now looking towards the next 42 months with the foundation already laid for multiple projects.

The one Liu said she is most excited to establish is a hometown heroes program, which would honor local veterans throughout the town through banners at the town’s parks. She said this program would be achieved in collaboration with the town’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Supervisor’s Office.

These banners, including the veteran’s photo and biography, would be hung from Memorial

Day through Veterans Day with the heroes then able to take the banners home afterward.

She said the idea was presented to her by a local veteran, calling the program one that the community wants.

“This way you know we have these heroes in our community,” Liu said.

She said the goal is to introduce this program in November to gather local veteran involvement before launching it on Memorial Day in 2025.

Other ideas Liu said she is looking forward to bringing are a dragon boat festival, establishing more affordable senior housing and promoting business development.

But the headquarters’ purpose extends beyond just raising money, Donno said, as it will also raise awareness of the notable people within the Manhasset community who have made it possible for Gift of Life to continue treating so many children.

Gift of Life is made possible by the collaboration of multiple organizations and individuals, Donno said. This includes the Rotary Club of Manhasset, the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce and local hospitals like St. Francis.

“It speaks to the nature of the people that are here,” Donno said. “This is a great community to live in and to work in.”

Donno said Gift of Life unifies individuals under a common denominator: the love people have for their children.

“What’s started here in Manhasset, we’re now doing 5,000 children a year,” Donno said. “So it’s taken us 48 years to do 50,000 children. If I eat my fruits and vegetables, I may last long enough to see the 100,000th child. So when you look behind you, you’ve changed the lives of a lot of people.”

He spoke fondly of the impact the Beatles’ 1969 album “Yellow Submarine” had on him, which encompasses the same bright colors and surrealism often found in his paint -

ings.

To capture the building accurately, Stanko said he spent many trips to and from the building to take photos from multiple angles and accurately understand the colors

and details.

The painting will be hanging in the building it conveys for an indefinite amount of time, which Stanko said will encapsulate his legacy as an artist beyond his time here.

The artist said that this is another painting he is proud of. Stanko’s art is displayed throughout the island, with his next gallery opening at The Christensen Gallery in Babylon on Oct. 11.

PHOTO BY MITCHEL MALASZCZYK

Protestors

on the County Legislature steps advocating against Nassau County leasing the Nassau Coliseum to the Las Vegas Sands casino company.

Singh admits to drinking and driving

His truck struck the Alpha Romeo occupied by four teenagers, all Roslyn High School boys varsity tennis players, resulting in the death of young tennis stars Hassenbein, 14, and Falkowitz, 14. The two other teens in the car survived after being treated for internal injuries.

Det. Capt. Steven Fitzpatrick, commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad, previously told reporters that the scene of the crash was “probably one of the most catastrophic” he had seen “in a long time.”

The teens’ deaths reverberated throughout their communities, particularly within Roslyn and the broader tennis community.

Singh was charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated vehicular homicide, assault, driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and a drug, reckless driving and a felony count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, authorities said.

Newsday published a 49-minute bodycam footage, obtained through court documents, of the moment Nassau County police officers found Singh after the crash. In the footage, the officer tells Singh he is being recorded by his bodycam.

The camera footage begins at about 10:40 p.m. on the night of the crash on May 3, 2023.

At the beginning of the video, Singh is found standing in the rear of a commercial building by Broadway Mall in Hicksville. A police officer asks Singh what he is doing. Singh says he is looking for his friends.

The officer asks Singh why he is hiding, which Singh denies. He tells the officer he is just looking for his friends and is lost, which he repeats multiple times throughout the footage. Singh claims that his friends dropped him off at the location where police found him 20 minutes before.

Singh does admit to drinking in the bodycam

Roslyn resident Amandeep Singh, 34, faces a slew of charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide, for a fatal car crash while driving intoxicated.

footage, telling officers he was at a party in New Jersey earlier in the night. He wavers in describing the party as a wedding and a bachelor party.

He said he drank “a couple” and “a few” drinks of beer and liquor about three hours before police found him.

“I was just hanging out,” Singh said. “I didn’t drive. I was just hanging out with some girls or whatever it is, but I’m here.”

Singh, who is slurring his words, denies that he

had been driving when asked by the officers multiple times. He also denies to police that he had been in an accident.

Singh doesn’t answer officers when asked multiple times what car he drives. He also denies that he drives a red Ram truck when questioned by police. It isn’t until about 40 minutes into the police footage that Singh admits he drives the red Ram truck.

He says minutes before being arrested in the video that he “said the right thing” by telling officers he was not driving.

When the officers begin to pat down Singh, they notice blood on him. He told officers his injuries were from being hit in the back of the head by someone. Singh later tells paramedics he doesn’t know how he was injured.

A couple of minutes into police questioning, Singh tells officers he lives in New York and not “here” where they found him. He also tells officers he lives in Queens and then later says in Roslyn. Singh lived in Roslyn at the time.

Later he tells officers “I never come down to Jersey” to which an officer responds by telling him he is not in Jersey but in New York.

An officer then asks Singh if he knows where he is, to which Singh responds with “New York.” When asked where in New York, Singh continues to repeat “New York.”

“You’re on Long Island, though, right now,” an officer tells Singh.

“This is not Long Island,” Singh replied.

When asked what he does for work, Singh tells police he is a contractor and offers to show them his taxes to prove he is a millionaire.

Almost 20 minutes into police questioning, Singh asks officers if someone was injured. Police do not answer his question.

About a minute later he tells police he feels like he is under arrest. A police officer tells him he is not under arrest but is being detained until they “figure

everything out.”

Singh then asks officers if something happened for him to be detained. Police responded by saying that he was hiding when they found him and then attempted to walk away from them.

About 25 minutes into the video, police have Singh perform a breath alcohol test. The test is performed three times after Singh failed to blow hard enough the first two times.

Singh asks after the breath test if he can leave, which the police deny. He then asks if he will be arrested and a police officer tells him: “We’re getting there.”

After being told he can’t leave, Singh engages in small talk with some of the officers where he tells them about his family and his desire to have a daughter in the future.

About 34 minutes into the video, Singh asks again if he can go home and an officer tells him “No, not right now.” Less than a minute later he again asks officers if he is in New York.

Minutes before being arrested, Singh says he was not aware they were police officers. At the beginning of the video, the officers identified themselves as the police and did so multiple times during the video.

After 44 minutes, police put Singh into handcuffs. He continues to tell them that he did not do anything.

The recording ends when Singh is placed in the back of an ambulance where they tell him they are taking him to a hospital.

Newsday reported that body camera footage presented in court last week showed Singh the following morning admitting to police that he had been drinking and driving. This footage was not published by Newsday.

Newsday also reported that footage shows Singh crying after police informed him he was being charged with the deaths of the two teens.

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LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC HEARING

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF MINEOLA

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Mineola will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 6:30 p.m., at the Village Hall, 155 Washington Avenue, Mineola, New York 11501, or at some other location to be hereafter designated by the Board of Trustees, in order to receive public comment upon the following: APPLICATION OF MINEOLA 212 LLC TO AMEND THE APPROVAL DECISOIN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, DATED SEPTEMBER 13, 2023 AND FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE CLERK ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 TO CONSTRUCT AN APARTMENT BUILDING WITH UNDERGROUND PARKING UPON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 212-214 THIRD STREET, MINEOLA, NEW YORK, KNOWN AND DESIGNATED ON THE NASSAU COUNTY LAND AND TAX MAP AS SECTION 9, BLOCK 674, LOTS 2, 3, 5, 10-12, TO NOW AMEND CERTAIN DIMENSIONS OF THE BUILDING AND CONVERT THE APPROVED RENTAL UNITS TO CONDOMINIUM UNITS.

The Village of Mineola does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in administration or access to or employment in its projects and activities. Bryan L. Rivera, Village Clerk has been directed to coordinate compliance with non-discrimination requirements of the Federal Revenue Sharing regulations.

At this scheduled meeting of its Board of Trustees, reserved decisions from previous meetings, if any, may be acted upon by the Board of Trustees.

At the aforesaid time and place, all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard.

By Order of the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Mineola

Bryan L. Rivera, Village Clerk Dated: July 18, 2024

Notice of Formation of Sharp Business Services LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/28/2024. 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 Sari Ferraro: 200 Bengeyfield Dr East Williston, NY 11596. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, successor in interest to Bank of America, National Association, as Trustee, successor by merger to LaSalle Bank National Association, as Trustee for Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-1, Plaintiff AGAINST Leonor Morales Rivera a/k/a Leonor Morales, et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered March 28, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501, 'Rain or Shine' on August 20, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 34 Garden Avenue, Carle Place, NY 11514. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of North Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section: 10, Block: S01, Lot: 17. Approximate amount of judgment $732,096.72 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #001442/2017. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 Protocols located on the Office of Court Administration (OCA) website (https://ww2.nycourts.gov/Admin/ oca.shtml) and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call (844) 400-9633. Avrohom Y. Gefen, Esq., Referee Frenkel Lambert Weiss Weisman & Gordon, LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 01-083454F00 81440

Notice of Formation of La Fete La Fete, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/06/2024. 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 Sarah Vargas: 37 Cambridge Ave, Garden City, Ny 11530. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

VILLAGE OF MINEOLA LEGAL

NOTICE

Please Take Notice that the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Incorporated Village of Mineola will hold a public hearing on Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Hall, 155 Washington Avenue, Mineola, New York upon the application of:

BZA Application #24-046

Laringo Clayton

100 East 2nd Street

Mineola, New York 11501

Construct an enclosure under an existing second floor

Chapter 500 (Zoning) Schedule of Regulations: 37 parking spaces are required, where 15 parking spaces are proposed.

BZA Application #24-019

Carlos Silva

157 Lincoln Avenue

Mineola, New York 11501

Reconstruction of dwelling

Chapter 500 (Zoning) Schedule of Regulations: Front yard setback 25’ft. is required, where 6’8”ft. is proposed; and Minimum Lot Width: 75’ft. is required, where 50’ft. is proposed.

BZA Application #24-064

Frank Venezia

118-120 Jericho Turnpike

Mineola, New York 11501

Construct 2nd floor addition with two (2) apartment units

Chapter 500 (Zoning) Schedule of Regulations: 4 parking spaces are required, where 0 is proposed.

BZA Application #23-262

Yuhung Tsai

88 Roselle Street

Mineola, New York 11501

Construct a 2nd floor addition

porch

Chapter 500 (Zoning) Schedule of Regulations: Minimum Lot Width

50’ ft. is required, where 40’ ft. is proposed; and Front yard setback is 25’ ft., where 14’4” ft. is proposed.

At the scheduled meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals, reserved decisions from previous meetings, if any, may be acted upon. Plans and specifications are on file in the office of the Building Department and may be seen during office hours by all interested parties. All those wishing to be heard will be given such opportunity.

Bryan L. Rivera Village Clerk Incorporated Village of Mineola

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR WELLS FARGO ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-8, -againstYUN SEEK BAHK A/K/A YUNG SEEK BAHK, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on October 5, 2017, wherein HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR WELLS FARGO ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-8 is the Plaintiff and YUN SEEK BAHK A/K/A YUNG SEEK BAHK, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on August 20, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 415 TITUS WAY, EAST WILLISTON, NY 11596-2542; and the following tax map identification: 9-664-3. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE, OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF EAST WILLISTON, TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 004914/2012. Scott H. Siller, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

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Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Oh, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me herein and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times). Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Amen. This prayer is never known to fail and is to be said for 3 consecutive days. In Gratitude (M.T.F.)

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LEADING DUCKS’ SUCCESS

Manhasset Michael Praff builds minor league powerhouse

BY MICHAEL J. LEWIS

When Michael Pfaff was in elementary school at St. Paul’s in Garden City, he had two passions: sports and music.

One day young Michael’s parents got a letter home from school: Your kid will not do well in school if he doesn’t stop drumming on his desk so much.

“And they were right,” Pfaff recalled, laughing. “I did love drumming and took lessons, but it was clear that I probably should’ve been paying more attention.”

Pfaff, 53, clearly paid enough attention because he has had a sterling career in the sports world. Since graduating from St. John’s in 1995, he spent seven years in the NFL’s New York office in the communications department, helping with conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

He joined the Ducks in 2002 as the director of communications, and by 2006 was promoted to general manager. He added the title of Club President in 2011, and moved up again this year, becoming CEO and chief business officer.

All the while the Manhasset native and son of a broadcast ad salesman has outworked all comers and done it with a style that’s made him beloved by colleagues.

“He outworks everyone, bar none,” said Tony Amin, owner of Island Shore Physical Therapy who’s had a relationship with Pfaff and the Ducks for two decades. “He works hard and never lets any detail slip, and does it all with an approach that makes you want to keep working with him. He’s the captain of that ship and a huge reason they’ve been so successful.”

“You need someone to clean up the peanut shells from the ground, or check the bathrooms and make sure they’re clean, Mike will absolutely get in there and do that,” adds Sean Smith, who was hired by Pfaff in 2014 and succeeded him as general manger in 2024. “And he always wants to hear what (employees) have to say, whether it’s ideas we can do better, or issues they’re having. He sets a high standard for everyone to get to.”

Pfaff graduated from St. John’s University in 1995, and dreamed of being the head public relations person for an NFL team.

“I just thought that was the coolest job, because you’re involved with everything, from the players and coaches to the media,” Pfaff said.

To that end, thanks to some well-connected St. John’s professors like legendary sportswriter and educator Bernie Beglane, Pfaff was able to land in internship at the NFL during his senior year.

While there he learned from people at the top of their profession and became close friends with Michael Signora, now the NFL senior VP of communications.

“He was always very driven and passionate about the work, and tried to show initiative wherever possible,” Signora said. “I had no doubt he was going to be really successful.”

After getting hired by the NFL after graduation, Pfaff helped coordinate media and communication efforts for three Super Bowls and six NFL Drafts in his seven years there, all while keeping his dream

of running a team’s PR dept. alive.

“What I began to realize was that everyone who had that job that I wanted, first left and ran a team somewhere else,” Pfaff said.

So, when an opportunity arose to return to Long Island with the Ducks, then in their infancy after starting out in 2000, Pfaff jumped at it.

And he hasn’t left since, helping guide the independent franchise to four Atlantic League championships while carving out a niche for familyfriendly entertainment in a highly-saturated sports market.

“We don’t compete with the Mets or the Yankees: we compete with the movie theater or the bowling alley for your leisure dollar,” Pfaff said. “There are not that many affordable options for families on Long Island anymore, and we’re proud that we’re one of them. We’ve only raised season ticket prices $2 in the last 10 years.”

For Pfaff, the greatest challenge he faces in 2024 is maintaining affordability while costs everywhere rise.

“We have to work a little harder than other folks, because PSE&G aren’t giving us discounts, and neither are other vendors who raise prices,” Pfaff said. “Remaining relevant and staying affordable is the biggest thing for us.”

One example of Pfaff’s ingenuity and kindness took place during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. While scores of sports teams laid off workers and in some cases folded their organizations, the Ducks did not. They didn’t lay off any employees, instead keeping them on part-time and relying on New York State’s unemployment assistance program.

They even hosted an adult kickball league at Fairfield Properties Ballpark during the pandemic, with Pfaff working concessions at the games.

Smith said that the Ducks group sales in 2023 surpassed where they were pre-Covid, in 2019, “and that’s directly correlated to Mike’s leadership and knowledge.”

With his success in minor league baseball has, naturally, come offers from other leagues and teams to leave. And Pfaff admitted he did once come close to leaving, about 13 years ago when there was a chance to work in the NBA’s league office.

“But with three kids and a wife, the idea of traveling a lot and making that commitment wasn’t something I ultimately wanted to do,” Pfaff said. “I learned from the best parents in the world that you want to be as involved as you possibly can with your kids and your family.”

As for the future, Pfaff doesn’t rule anything out, but seems perfectly content keeping the Ducks engine humming. The fact that they once again lead the Atlantic League in attendance (an average of 4,652 fans per game as of July 17) proves the Ducks are still a big hit.

“This club was founded as a public trust, and it’s important to us to keep that going,” Pfaff said.

“Right now as I’m talking to you, we’ve got little kids out there running the bases, having the time of their lives, and some of their parents have told me they came to Ducks games when they were kids.

“I just concentrate on what’s in front of me, every day, and I’m very fortunate to have been able to be with this organization for so long.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF LONG ISLAND DUCKS

Long Island Ducks President Michael Pfaff and his daughter, Caleigh during a recent fireworks night at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip.