Long Beach Herald 04-18-2024

Earth Arts is coming back, new and improved

School district unveils second budget plan

By ANGElINA ZINGARIEllo azingariello@liherald.com

The Long Beach School District presented its second draft budget and revenue projection for the 2024-25 academic year at a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

$109.1 million, 1.5 percent larger than the current year. The district will also make use of nearly $510,000 from the appropriated fund balance.

TCity votes to settle with Agostisi

At meeting, there’s no shortage of community opposition

By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com

The protestations of livid community members and a lively back-and-forth among City Council members highlighted a meeting on Tuesday, which ended with a vote to settle a 2021 lawsuit against the city by former Acting City Manager Robert Agostisi for $250,000.

The settlement amount, which was not included on the agenda, was announced after a brief executive session, before the public discussion.

Council President Brendan Finn, Vice Presi-

Susan Clancy and her children loved Earth Arts so much when they went there for birthday parties that they were broken-hearted when they heard it planned to close. So Clancy bought it, and planned to reopen it on Friday. Story, more photos, Page 4. Continued

dent Chris Fiumara and Mike Reinhart voted for the settlement. Roy Lester voted no, and John Bendo, who is named in the suit, recused himself.

“I don’t shy away from a battle, I don’t shy away from a challenge, but I feel that this settlement is in the best interests of the people of Long Beach,” Finn said. “I don’t want to continue with this, because we don’t know how it’s going to end and we don’t know how much more money we’re going to spend. I’m voting in favor of the resolution, but it’s very difficult to make

The spending plan totals $155.9 million, 2.85 percent larger than the current budget, and aims to address the district’s educational needs while accommodating financial constraints.

his budget, I feel, uses our students as our focus

Initially concerned about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed $3.3 million budget cut for the district due to a prospective cut in state aid, which would have led to a potential school closure and staff layoffs, district officials now anticipate a slight increase in state aid, to $27.3 million. They also expect an $85,655 payment in lieu of taxes from the Long Island Power Authority, but a drop in other revenue of nearly $183,000.

ANNE CoNwAy Trustee, Board of Education

“The earlier reported loss of funding greatly disrupted our community,” board Trustee Anne Conway said, speaking on behalf of Vice President Sam Pinto, who was unable to attend the session because of a family commitment. “I’m glad that because of the advocacy of many, it was replenished. And we now have the time to do our diligence and work as a community for the next steps in the future. In regard to the upcoming budget, we need to plan responsibly and balance the needs of the students and the impact on our community.”

The bulk of the projected revenue is a tax levy totaling

The spending plan includes the hiring of a social worker and two instructors specializing in supporting student wellness and growth, funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant. It ensures that crucial personnel, like assistant princi-

Continued on page 7

Courtesy Susan Clancy

GREATER LIVES HERE

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Learn more at chsli.org/heart

Ensuring fire safety across the community

Red Cross, Long Beach team up to install smoke alarms for residents

By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com

To install a smoke alarm, find a spot on the ceiling no less than eight inches from the nearest wall. Next, drill holes, attach the alarm to the mounting bracket and twist the smoke alarm into place. Finish up by making sure the alarm is secure and ensuring the necessary batteries are inside.

Those are the steps that American Red Cross volunteers, city and state officials followed on April 13 to ensure fire safety in Long Beach.

All those who volunteered their time helped install free smoke alarms in residents’ homes as part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which started at 10 years ago. The campaign is a national program, so any place in the country can call the Red Cross, and can request for our volunteers to come out and do an in-home fire safety education visit as well as installing free smoke alarms in their homes. The program usually targets a lot of high-risk neighborhoods.

“This is such a lifesaving program,” Red Cross board member Stacey Sweet said. “Over 2,000 lives over the course of this program have been saved, 14,000 free smoke alarms have been put up on Long Island alone. This is a real lifesaver and we couldn’t be more grateful for our partners here in Long Beach.”

City Councilmen Mike Reinhart and John Bendo, City Manager Dan Creighton and Legislator Pat Mullaney joined nearly 20 volunteers at Long Beach City Hall bright and early, were divided into teams, and set out to numerous homes. Not every home needed new alarms, with some just needed the pre-existing ones to be double-checked.

“This is such a great service and I’m so happy to be a part of it,” Reinhart said. “I hope it’s the first of many more.”

For anybody who signed up for the program, the Red Cross sent a team of at least three people, including a documenter, an educator and an installer. They did an assessment, hung the new alarms — if needed — and taught the resident about fire safety, having an escape plan, getting out in less than two minutes and having a meeting point. They also taught them about the hush button on the alarms, which many people don’t know about, according to program director Joe Spaccarelli.

The first home visited by the “elected official team” was Mark Nissenbaum, who moved into his current apartment in 1999. He was unsure if his current alarms worked correctly or if he needed new ones, so he made the decision to have the group come out and check. He didn’t need new ones, but was happy he made the call to be sure.

The team also paid a visit to Harold Prince, who moved to Long Beach recently after 60 years in Franklin Square. He learned of the program from his daughter, Linda, and felt compelled to make the call. He had pre-existing

alarms, but did need one new one. The new alarms installed through the program have a battery life of 10 years.

“We have a wonderful partnership with our friends here in Long Beach,” Jose Dominguez, CEO of the group on Long Island, said. “All these wonderful faces are going out every weekend, practically, and we could not provide the services that we do without our volunteers who are 90 percent of our workforce. Our volunteers here on Long Island alone work over 60,000 hours, so we could not do what we do without them.”

Photos courtesy Eric Strausman, American Red Cross City Manager Dan Creighton and Councilmen John Bendo and Mike Reinhart assisted in installing smoke alarms for residents April 13.

Red Cross volunteers made sure needed alarms were installed and existing ones were checked.

Jose Dominguez, CEO of American Red Cross of Long Island, expressed the importance of alarms in being prepared against potential fires.

Councilman Mike Reinhart with resident Mark Nissenbaum, who was happy to have his alarms checked.

New owner of Earth Arts has big plans

By BRENDAN CARPENTER bcarpenter@liherald.com

Earth Arts has been an artistic staple in the Long Beach community for nearly 15 years. Camps, families and young couples would venture into the 162 W. Park Ave., shop to paint ceramics and get a little messy.

It has been a hotspot for birthday parties, too — something Susan Clancy experienced firsthand when Earth Arts hosted her daughter’s birthday party. “We were looking for a place in town, to support a local business, and to host our party,” Clancy said. “We discovered (Earth Arts). We had a blast, and my daughter had such a great time painting.”

But that birthday party almost never happened. Right before the party, Earth Arts announced it would close.

When Clancy’s son declared that he, too, wanted his next birthday party at Earth Arts, Clancy knew she needed to do something to make that possible — for her son and for everyone else in the community that wanted to experience Earth Arts for years to come.

Spousal refusal is a legally valid Medicaid planning option in New York. By way of background, certain income and assets are exempt from Medicaid if there is a spouse. Generally, the spouse at home, known as the “community spouse” may keep about $3,850 per month of the couple’s combined income and up to about $150,000 of the assets or “resources”. Not included in those figures are any other exempt assets, such as a home (up to about $1,000,000 of the equity only) and one automobile. The spouse who is being cared for in a facility is known as the “institutionalized spouse”.

Many a spouse has advised us that they simply cannot afford to live on the allowances that Medicaid provides. This is where spousal refusal comes in. We start by shifting excess assets into the name of the “community spouse”. He or she then signs a document which the elder law attorney prepares and files with the county indicating that they refuse to contribute their income and assets to the care of the ill spouse since they need those income and assets for their own care and well-being. Note that you may not refuse your spouse’s own income over the $3,850 per month exemption as it is not coming to you.

That’s when she decided to buy Earth Arts and become its new proprietor. A Long Beach resident for five years, Clancy already was making strides into the community as an Arts Council volunteer. Now she has a chance to make an impact in a much bigger way — like adding some new, fresh programs at Earth Arts.

What has primarily been a ceramics shop where a customer would buy a premade piece — such as a statue, mug or

Once the “community spouse” invokes their right to refuse, and all of the other myriad requirements of the Medicaid application are met, the state Medicaid program must pay for the care of the institutionalized spouse.

After Medicaid has been granted, the county may institute a lawsuit seeking to recover the cost of care from the refusing spouse. Nevertheless, there are a few reasons why spousal refusal makes sense, even in light of this risk. First, in many instances, the county never invokes this right. Secondly, these lawsuits are often settled for significantly less than the cost of care provided. Thirdly, the payment to the county can sometimes be deferred until the community spouse dies. As one county attorney told us when agreeing to such an arrangement, “the county is going to be around for a long time”. Finally, even though the county may seek recovery, it is only for the Medicaid reimbursement rate and not the private pay rate. For example, if the private pay rate is $18,000 per month, which is what you would have to pay, the amount Medicaid has to pay is generally a quarter to a third less. The county may only pursue you for the amount they actually paid.

plate — and paint it however they’d like before taking it home, now will open up to even younger audiences.

Clancy will do that by extending daytime hours so caretakers of younger kids can come in, explore different art media, and get messy without having to clean up afterward.

She also plans to incorporate pottery, already working to secure pottery wheels and develop pottery courses — something neighbors have been asking for, for some time.

“We also want to invite local artists who live here to feel like they could be a part of this space as an art hub for everyone,” Clancy said.

“We want to invite local artists who have specific skills to be a part of our group and teach workshops or exhibit their work in our space. We just want different ways that we could work with artists and help amplify their work, and at the same time, help them share their craft.”

Clancy will reopen Earth Arts just before the holiday observance that reflects its name. Earth Day is April 22, but Clancy is ready to welcome artists — new and old — back to the West Park Avenue shop beginning Friday, April 19, for a weekend of festivities and celebration. There will be Earth Day-inspired crafts,

prizes and giveaways to celebrate the new age of Earth Arts.

“I’m not an artist in a traditional sense, but I am very interested in the arts, and I’m very enthusiastic about arts,” Clancy said.

“So, we decided to just jump in and do it. It all happened very suddenly, but we’re very excited and the support that we’ve gotten from people in the community is just unbelievable.

“It really reaffirms the reason why we’re doing this.”

Photos courtesy Susan Clancy Earth Arts will have its grand reopening this Friday, bringing back its staples and introducing new aspects.

The renovated Earth Arts, which will be offering new programs and painting options for all community members.

SUSAN CLANCY

City names new police department chaplain

Rabbi Benny Berlin, of the BACH Jewish Center in Long Beach, was recently appointed to serve as a chaplain to the city’s police department.

The ceremony was attended by City Manager Daniel Creighton, Deputy Manager Philip Ragona, and presided over by Acting Police Commissioner Richard DePalma.

“It is a great honor for me to serve as chaplain to the dedicated men and women of the Long Beach Police Department,” said Berlin.

“I look forward to working alongside those who tirelessly serve our community offering them support, guidance, and spiritual care as the needs arise and advocating for the emergent needs of our Long Beach community.”

As a chaplain, Berlin will provide spiritual support to officers of the Long Beach Police Department and the communities they serve.

His role will entail counseling, participating in ceremonies, supporting and advocating for the spiritual needs of officers and the constituents they serve while building bridges between the department and Long Beach’s burgeoning Jewish community.

“Since taking the helm at the BACH Jewish Center, Rabbi Berlin has worked in partnership with us to develop programming bringing together his congregation and our department,” said DePalma.

“The synagogue’s annual Police appreciation barbecue and other communal events hosted by Rabbi Berlin and his community provide our officers with the opportunity to develop and foster relationships with the community we serve.

“Rabbi Berlin is already a close friend of the department, and we look forward to further growing our relationship with him in his new role as department chaplain.”

Founded in 1946, Bachurei Chemed – BACH Jewish Center is one of Long Island’s most prestigious and oldest synagogues. Members hail from Long Beach,

Lido, Atlantic Beach and Island Park. For more information, visit BachLongBeach.com.

–Brendan

Carpenter

Courtesy Joshua Steinreich Long Beach City Manager Daniel Creighton, Rabbi Benny Berlin — the new chaplain for the Long Beach Police Department — Acting Police Commissioner Richard DePalma and Deputy City Manager Philip Ragona.

GARRET GATES

North Shore Senior Baseball

GATES AND THE VIKINGS couldn’t have scripted a better start to 2024. In the March 25 opener, the hard-throwing southpaw who quarterbacked North Shore’s football team to the playoffs, pitched a perfect game against Herricks. Even more impressive was he needed minimal help from the defense, as he struck out 20 of 21 batters. An All-Conference selection last spring, Gates fanned 12 in his next start and blanked Manhasset over five innings.

GAMES TO WATCH

Thursday, April 18

Baseball: V.S. South at Sewanhaka 4:30 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Calhoun at MacArthur 4:45 p.m.

Softball: North Shore at West Hempstead 5 p.m.

Softball: Elmont at Lynbrook 5 p.m.

Baseball: Seaford at Clarke 5 p.m.

Baseball: Baldwin at V.S. Central 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Baldwin at East Meadow 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Oceanside at Long Beach 5 p.m.

Friday, April 19

Baseball: Malverne at Lynbrook 4:45 p.m.

Girls Flag Football: Lynbrook at West Hempstead 5 p.m.

Softball: Carey at Wantagh 5 p.m.

Softball: East Meadow at Calhoun 5 p.m.

Softball: V.S. Central at Uniondale 5 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Baldwin at Hewlett 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Calhoun at Carey 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Oceanside at Freeport 5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Somers at South Side 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 20

Softball: Freeport at West Hempstead 10 a.m.

Softball: Sewanhaka at V.S. North 10 a.m.

Girls Lacrosse: Seaford at Long Beach 10 a.m.

Girls Lacrosse: MacArthur at Oceanside 10 a.m.

Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”

High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a spring sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information:

Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.

Long Beach has look of contender

By MICHELLE RABINOVICH sports@liherald.com

Confidence is contagious on the Long Beach High School baseball team, and it starts with the experienced lineup leading the charge.

The Marines are off to a phenomenal 5-0-1 start, including two wins and a tie last week against conference rival Mepham.

“We feel like we’re a real contender this year, we feel like we can compete with any team in the county,” coach Jason Zizza said. “We have really strong leadership that we feel can take us pretty far into the playoffs.”

Senior center fielder Troy DeFrancesco is the mainstay at the top of the lineup, according to Zizza.

“We go as he goes,” he said. “He catches everything from foul line to foul line, he’s good for a couple hits a game, he’s dangerous on the basis, I can’t say enough about him; he’s a true leader on our team.”

There’s also Mike Rossi, another solid defender in the outfield on top of the fact that he’s a line-drive hitter, perfect for the middle of the lineup.

Alonzo Espinet stands out amongst the crowd as one of the outfield-pitching twoway players with a stellar start to the season, hitting nearly .600 at one point, plus the quality defense he displays in right.

Another two-way is Christian Parisa as the starting shortstop and pitcher.

“Same thing [as DeFrancesco], he’s a senior, he hits second in our order, he’s good for a couple hits a game and he’s a really, really, really top-level player in Nassau County,” Zizza explained.

Second baseman Hunter Stadtman bats ninth and turns the lineup over. “He’s like a second leadoff hitter for us, very fast, puts the ball in play a ton, he always makes things happen for us,” Zizza said.

There’s also senior catcher Dan Defonte who hits third in the lineup, and Zizza described Defonte as a power hitter, who goes gap-to-gap. Defensively is where he really shines, though. “He knows our pitchers really well, is able to call a really good game pitch-wise behind the plate, and really keeps the pitchers focused,” Zizzo explained.

On the topic of starting pitching, junior Matty Hayes is a dominant figure. Hayes most recently had a heavy hand in an 8-2 win over Mepham April 11, where he allowed two runs on one hit with six strikeouts over six innings.

Another talented pitcher is junior Jack Passman, but no matter who it is, Zizza said that they all have one thing in common: “They’re all pitchers that go right after hitters. They don’t mess around, they don’t dance around the plate.”

With all that senior leadership, it begs the question of how they influence the younger, newer players on the team. Holding a free clinic to teach Long Beach Little

League how to play ball was the perfect way to teach his current team patience, leadership internally and how to constructively help each other.

“[The team] teaches baseball for that day and work on skills with them, and that really does translate for us,” Zizza said. “When the players see what it takes to teach somebody what to do and be patient with somebody, I’ve found that they’re much more willing to work with each other, support each other and that’s a big part of baseball. Baseball is a game of failure and if we don’t learn to deal with that failure and pick each other up in a sense, it’s usually a long year.”

Justine Stefanelli/Herald Junior pitcher Matty Hayes dazzled April 11 in an 8-2 victory over Mepham with six strikeouts and one hit allowed over six innings.

School board reviews spending proposal

pals and Academic Intervention Services teachers, remain in place.

The proposal also outlines enhancements to existing programs, including a revised elementary enrichment program and additional staffing for special education at West School. As well, it sets aside funds for districtwide natural gas expenditure, and funds initiatives like providing books to non-public school students and a musical instrument lease-to-own program.

“We try to listen to our community, focusing on our students’ needs to maintain the programs’ integrity,” Conway said, this time speaking on her own behalf. “This budget, I feel, uses our students as our focus, which is really what we want to do. We want to ensure that our students receive the best education that we can possibly get, and I know that this budget does.”

East Elementary School will remain open for the time being, despite many conversations about its future. The committee responsible for evaluating potential school closures is set to convene on May 1. It will hold two meetings in May and two in June, with additional sessions planned for the summer, according to district Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gallagher.

“It’s not just East people, it’s all people going over this,” Jennifer BaylisAull, a co-president of East School’s

PTA, said. “And just to clarify, it’s about us as a school, not one particular school, and going through all of the schools, visiting all the schools, discussing what it might be like if we were reducing to three schools potentially — or not even necessarily doing that at all.”

Due to financial constraints and a districtwide decline in enrollment, a curriculum director and eight teaching positions were cut, as well as funding for the mindfulness program.

“If there aren’t a lot of students who are requesting a particular class, we may not need … a particular teacher on that subject,” Michael DeVito, the district’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, explained. “And so we’re able to reduce as well, and why I’m saying it doesn’t really have an impact is because the kids are still getting the program they’ve always received — there are just fewer kids. So there are fewer teachers needed.”

A budget hearing is scheduled for May 14, which will give residents an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. The budget vote and board election is May 21.

the possibility of closing east elementary School, which has been one of the focuses of budget discussions, was shelved at tuesday’s meeting.

Herald file photo

Lopez takes over county’s social services

By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO jdalessandro@liherald.com

Jose Lopez has stepped in as the new acting commissioner for Nassau County’s social services department, filling the absence left by Nancy Nunziata.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to serve, to work with the county executive,” Lopez said. “To work with all the employees at the DSS. And to build a team that has a sense of morale, and more importantly, a sense of trust that the administration understands that what they do is vital to everyone that we serve.”

Lopez has spent the last three years as the county’s labor relations director, settling more than 8,000 bargaining agreements with Nassau County employees. He also guided more than 40 county departments in their negotiations with unions, and even served a member of the county’s health care committee.

At DSS, Lopez is now responsible for a department focused on supporting local families with day care, housing and homelessness prevention. He also will oversee the county’s management of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, that assists low-income, disabled or senior citizen residents with needed financial support to purchase food.

“The role is to make sure that we serve the constituency of Nassau County, and to provide services that are very much needed,” Lopez said. “At the same time, you provide an opportunity for those working with the county to do their best.”

Lopez also will lead Child Protective Services, child support enforcement, and accommodating the Abandoned Infant Protection Act, which provides a safe way for those with unwanted infants to part with them. It’s with CPS Lopez would like to add more peo-

ple, including more than a dozen former cops to help manage the department’s ever-growing workload. These new hires will assist caseworkers after undergoing a six-week training period — largely calling upon prior experience as first responders, according to reports.

CPS is responsible for investigating neglect and all kinds of child abuse. The service employs casework-

ers and court liaisons. Child victims are brought to Nassau’s Child Advocacy Center, where they share information and receive various support services from the Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect.

“Jose Lopez has demonstrated through his many assignments in government that he has the intellect experience and work ethic to take on important challenges,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, in a statement. “Protecting our neighbors in their time of vulnerability is of paramount importance to me as county executive.”

Nunziata, appointed in 2019 by then-county executive Laura Curran, abruptly resigned last month, according to reports, after she says she was asked to fire someone in her office from an official in the county executive’s office. Nunsiata left over a disagreement over policy with the county executive.

Blakeman had no knowledge of the request, according to Boyle, who told a news outlet the employee in question was later transferred to a different department. The county executive also said he received no communication from Nunziata about why she stepped down.

Lopez’s experience includes a decade as the human resources director for the Western Beef supermarket chain, where he oversaw more than 2,000 employees across 22 stores and three warehouses.

He’s also a former deputy commissioner of Nassau County Parks, Recreation and Museums, and also oversaw key functions of Eisenhower Park Aquatic Center, including staffing and event planning.

Lopez intends to reduce the amount of staff training occurring upstate, preferring to train them within Nassau instead. He also intends to broaden the services the department provides, although he has yet to share details.

Courtesy Nassau County Jose Lopez is the new acting commissioner for the Nassau County’s social services department.

This is a Passover message for

The very first holiday experienced by the Israelites in the Bible unsurprisingly marked their long awaited liberation after centuries of slavery under the oppressive pharaohs.

In Exodus, we are told that the Almighty ordered Moses to command the people to remember this watershed anniversary as a festival that should be kept throughout all generations into eternity.

Some 3,300 years later, Passover in 2024 will begin at sundown on Monday, April 22.

Interestingly the name given for the celebration in Exodus, Leviticus and elsewhere in the Torah is Chag HaMatzot, the Festival of Matzah (unleavened bread).

So how is it that we know it as “Passover?”

In Hebrew, the word is Pesach, and upon examination, the ancient text tells us that this is actually the moniker for the lamb sacrifice that initiates the observance.

Recall that this replicates the

start of the tenth and final plague, when the Hebrews slaughtered a lamb, smeared its blood on the doorposts of their homes so that the Angel of Death would pass over their homes and only strike the Egyptians.

For millennia the Jews of the Levant would bring the Pesach lamb offering to the altar of the Grand Synagogue in Jerusalem.

However, after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in the year 70, no longer was there the place nor the ability to carry out the ritual of the Pesach-Passover sacrifice.

But why was a sacrifice deemed so significant so as to cause a nation to transform the name of the day its members memorialized their freedom?

This is why from the first century until now we call the holiday of the Seder dinner and matzah, “Passover,” in honor of the animal sacrifice that was at the heart of the remembrance.

According to the Jewish mystics, it was because of the underlying philosophical and theological concept of sacrifice.

They began by noting that the word for sacrifice in Biblical Hebrew is korbon, which means “to draw near.”

We all know this intuitively. When we give something of value to others we become closer to the recipient.

A parent, a spouse, even a businessperson or employer is aware of this basic truth.

The encoded broader lesson is clear and so meaningful, especially

in our time.

Passover stands as an eternal reminder to reach out to all people and give- sacrifice your time, talent, experience, and when necessary any of your resources so as to reflect your genuine care, concern and respect.

In this way you bond, you become close in a manner that results in seeing the dignity and humanity within each human.

Instead of fear, animosity, xenophobia, violence, war and enslavement, if we create an opportunity for emotional proximity, a nexus of sincere connection the world has a better chance of being a place of peace and freedom.

For individuals of any and all faiths this message of Passover is needed in our country and around the globe now more than ever.

Rabbi

Jack Zanerhaft is the spiritual leader at Temple Emanu-El, 455 Neptune Blvd., which is located in Long Beach.

Friedberg JCC rolls out the red carpet

Talent show celebrates advocacy for adults with disabilities

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

The Friedberg JCC in Oceanside once again shone a spotlight on its annual Red Carpet Event to celebrate and advocate for adults with disabilities.

The April 4 event showcased the talents and achievements of individuals with disabilities while raising funds for the Special Advocacy Coalition, which is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion. The money raised will help provide scholarships for members to attend a regional self-advocacy conference presented by the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State.

The Self-Advocacy Association of New York State hosts regional self-advocacy conferences throughout the state. These conferences provide opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to meet and discuss ideas and concerns with others who have had similar experiences.

A lineup of six talented individuals with disabilities showcased their skills in playing the guitar, the martial arts, dancing and comedy. Dozens attended the fun night and funds were raised through sponsorships from different SPEAC ally’s who attended the event. Roni Kleinman, the JCC’s executive director, emphasized the importance of recognizing the special abilities of individuals with disabilities.

“They’re such a cohesive club and so proud of themselves, and they’ve all grown and it’s so important to me and the JCC that people with different abilities are recognized for their ability and not their deficits,” Kleinman said. “Everybody has deficits, sometimes you can see them more in others, and we want to highlight the strengths of this group of people.”

Rockville Centre resident Ashley Gazes,38, grew up in Oceanside and is the coalition’s founder and president, and said she was inspired to start the group seven years ago, after being motivated from overcoming bullying in high school due to her disability.

“I got bullied when I was in school, and I didn’t have a lot of friends and I didn’t know who to come to,” she said. “Fast forward to when I came to the JCC and I needed some help, and here we are.”

Gazes’ coalition works alongside the JCC on issues such as transportation, housing, employment and overall advocacy.

“Our board members are really happy with all the progress that we’re making,” Gazes said. “It’s a lot of fun working alongside a great team. We’re all about inclusion. Inclusion is important in an advocacy group because you want to learn to be just like everybody else, and I feel like it came together.”

Harvey Weisenberg, a staunch advocate for those with disabilities as a former longtime state assemblyman, spoke at the event. Weisenberg was a special education teacher for 20 years and his son, Ricky, 65, was born with cerebral palsy. For Gazes, Weisenberg is also a longtime mentor, friend and father figure.

“God created a genius,” Weisenberg said of Gazes. “This young girl worked all through her life, childhood to young adult, to put together people and to bring happiness to the world.”

The JCC’s café, which has been closed since early on during the pandemic, has been renovated with the help of financial contributions from Weisenberg, to be used as a vocational training kitchen, employing those with developmental disabilities. The café, known as Harvey’s Café, will officially open later this spring.

In addition to enjoying the entertainment, those in attendance had an opportunity to learn more about the coalition’s programs and initiatives through interactive displays and presentations.

Fradeline Branagan, a disabilities coordinator at the JCC, spoke about the coalition’s commitment to providing resources and opportunities to individuals with disabilities, including different programs such as

talent shows, game nights and friendship connection groups.

“It’s very rewarding working with them,” Branagan said of SPEAC. “They’re such a fun group of people and so capable at the same time. They manage the different meetings. During Covid, it (SPEAC) actually expanded outside of the Long Island area, and we have people in Florida, upstate New York, and in the city, so it’s been really nice being able to expand our reach.”

The JCC has demonstrated a continued commitment to supporting individuals with special needs through various programs. The JCC’s Long Beach site has a special gym for children with disabilities, and Kleinman said the plan is to be able to expand it to offer more programs.

“We’re very committed to growing our program for people with different abilities,” Kleinman said. “We’ve always had a small program for preschoolers with special needs, and our goal for next year is to really

increase the services that we provide.”

This years event fund total had not yet been calculated As of press time, but Marcy Hallerman, JCC’s program director for social and support services, highlighted the success of the event and its impact on the community, adding that last year’s Red Carpet Event raised around $6,000 for the coalition.

“Besides our advocacy work, we do all kinds of classes and programs,” Hallerman said about the JCC’s programs for individuals with disabilities. “We do cooking classes. They can become a member of the JCC and be in an inclusive environment. We also started dating and relationship classes. I listen to parents and advocates and listen to what people really want to do with their lives and how they can especially be productive citizens. Then we make things happen. Coming to work every day and working hard is made worthwhile when I see how much of a difference we make in people’s lives,” she added.

Keith Rossein/Herald photos

The Special Advocacy Coalition brought positivity with their fourth annual red carpet talent show at the Oceanside Friedberg Jewish Community Center to promote making programs for those with disabilities. From left was Marcy Hallerman, senior program officer of social services, Roni Kleinman, CEO of the Friedberg JCC, Ashley Gazes, SPEAC President and founder, Harvey Weisenberg, former New York State Assemblyman with his daughter Vicki Laufer and Fradeline Branagan, disabilities coordinator at the JCC.

Ian Schoenberg demonstrates Karate with Coach Adel from Adel’s Martial Arts Academy in Oceanside.

Council OKs settlement of Agostisi lawsuit

that decision.”

Fiumara said that if the city didn’t settle with Agostisi, it risked spending much more money to continue litigation.

Agostisi was the city’s corporation counsel starting in January 2015, and was acting city manager from February 2019 until he resigned that September. His resignation came less than two weeks after State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released a draft audit report that concluded that Long Beach had overpaid current and former employees $500,000 in separation payouts.

Agostisi’s suit claimed that the city refused to pay him money he was owed for unused vacation and other time, and that he did not owe the city any money as part of the alleged payout scandal. The suit named Bendo, former council members Michael DeLury, Scott Mandel, Karen McInnis and Liz Treston, and John McNally, the spokesman for the city.

The suit, filed in December 2021, came seven months after the city filed suit against Agostisi and former City Manager Jack Schnirman, saying the payout scheme cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. The city said at the time it was seeking $1.5 million from Schnirman and $889,985 from Agostisi, as well as punitive damages from both.

The Herald initially reported the alleged separation overpayments in 2018. Schnirman returned roughly half of his separation payment, more than $50,000. Agostisi, on the other hand, had not returned any money. Then former Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas investigated possible wrongdoing in the case. There was not enough evidence to charge criminally, but Singas rebuked Schnirman’s and the City Council’s conduct, and recommended that the city claw back the overpayments.

The vote to settle with Agostisi was preceded by public comment. Resident after resident came up to the lectern to share their opinions, all opposed to the settlement.

“To actually pay a person whom the authorities said had an improper agreement and an improper payout is beyond the pale, John Ashmead said. “That sends the worst possible message to current and future employees and appointees, that you can take improper payouts, you can enter into improper agreements, you can hide agreements, you can mislead residents, and if you’re a difficult litigant, we will pay you nonetheless.”

Ashmead exceeded his allotted three minutes, but other community members in attendance told the council they wanted him to finish, so he did.

“I ask you to think clearly, to think deliberately, without haste, to think about this and what is in the light to best protect the city in the long term,” Ashmead said. “This issue will be with us long after you’re no longer on the dais.”

Finn responded by saying that the council needed to make sure this never happened, again and “the way for this to never happen again is we have to rectify the situation.”

Eileen Hession, a frequently speaker at council meetings, said, “Long Beach could find itself with multiple lawsuits by people who trip on the boardwalk, knowing it always gets settled. Please don’t give Rob Agostisi any more of the taxpayer money.”

Former County Legislator Denise Ford said she worked alongside other community members and elected officials on investigating the alleged overpayments at the time. The settlement, Ford said, makes it seem like their “hard work is getting thrown aside.”

“I’m very upset,” she said. “I understand like the previous speakers, because I was with a lot of them working on this. We have to start standing up to a lot of these bullies. The residents have paid for so much mismanagement on the part of previous administrations. I’m sick and tired of people taking advantage of the city.”

Brendan Carpenter/Herald

John ashmead was one of a handful of community members who shared disapproval of the settlement.

A Joyous Passover to All Our Friends

Warren Vegh Owner/CEO

Crime watCh arrest

Hinmer Carranza-Moreno, 30, of Beach 22nd Street in Far Rockaway, Queens, was arrested on April 11. He was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and other vehicle and traffic law offenses following an investigation on Sunrise Highway.

Marquis Whitmore, 38, of Duryea Place in Lynbrook was arrested on April 11. He was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle following a police investigation.

Steve Figueroa, 35, of Linden Street in Massapequa Park was arrested on April 12. He was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and other vehicle and traffic law offense after an investigation on DeMott Avenue.

Criminal misChief

A motorist reported on April 12 that two individuals broke the side view mirror on her vehicle while she was stopped in traffic along Sunrise Highway.

larCeny

An employee of Polaris Electrical Construction reported on April 10 someone stole several rolls of electrical wire from an unsecured storage area on the exterior of the building, which was accessible to the public.

A resident of Fonda Road reported on April 13 someone entered his unlocked vehicle and attempted to steal property.

leaving the sCene of an aCCident

A pedestrian reported on April 13 she was struck by a vehicle which fled the scene on Merrick Road.

UnaUthorized Use of a motor vehiCle

An employee of U-Haul reported on April 8 someone rented a vehicle and did not return it.

UnUsUal inCident

A resident of Lenox Road reported on April 12, someone used her personal information to open a bank loan.

People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.

Crime brief

Police arrest Flushing man for IHOP theft

A New York City man was arrested just after 3 a.m. on April in connection to grand larceny that took place in Oceanside on Wednesday, April 10. Just after 3 a.m.

Police responded to reports of a larceny in progress at IHOP located at 2971 Long Beach Road. Upon arrival, law enforcement observed a box truck parked near the restaurant’s cooking oil containers. Following an investigation,

27-year-old Jahquay Rowe, of Flushing, was arrested without resistance. Rowe’s arrest also led to the closure of another cooking oil theft incident that occurred on April 8, in Woodbury. Rowe, faces two charges of grand larceny, in addition to an outstanding warrant from Pennsylvania. He was arraigned on Thursday, April 11, at First District Court located at 99 Main Street in Hempstead.

Fire departments rally to recruit new volunteers

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

“Firefighting is all about passion,” said Oyster Bay town supervisor Joe Saladino. “Do you have a fire in you?”

That’s the question being asked across Nassau County by the 69 volunteer fire departments that protect them. It’s all part of a renewed push from the Firefighters Association of the State of New York in its annual RecruitNY campaign to find more volunteer firefighters and EMTs.

To help support those efforts, County Executive Bruce Blakeman declared last week as a volunteer firefighter and ambulance worker recruitment week. That includes the launch of a new website, NassausBravest.com, providing information on volunteering in the county.

“Exactly 30 years ago in 1994, there were 10,000 firefighters here on Long Island. There are now 6.000, so we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Blakeman said. “It’s not just community service. That’s important, and it’s very rewarding to give back to your community, but it’s about the camaraderie between firefighters and EMT’s.”

Steve Klein knows exactly how rewarding it is. He joined the Oceanside Fire Department when he was 18, just a couple years after his father died from a heart attack. Now 77, Klein has decades of volunteer service under his belt, and is even the former president of state firefighters association.

ernments have opted in.

There also are possibilities to earn a pension, as well as tuition reimbursement and scholarships.

Eugene Perry first joined the Patchogue Fire Department in 1979, thanks to his father — even those he was never a firefighter himself.

“My uncles were both in the fire service, but my father … took me to one of the tournament drills they had in Patchogue, and it was something that piqued my interest and got me to come in the door,” Perry said. “I learned quickly after that, that that’s not the whole aspect of the volunteer fire service.”

“I Never Finish Anythi…”

Still, Klein will never forget how it was volunteer firefighters who responded to his father’s medical emergency. And it proves how important these types of services are. That’s why his statewide agency worked so hard to adopt more universal firefighting training methods.

“I Never Finish

“Anything we want to do, it’s going to cost money,” Klein said. “But the offshoot of that is that the volunteer fire service in the state of New York saves the taxpayers approximately $3.5 billion in taxes every year. We need to have trained people available to respond to emergencies.”

Much of that money is saved in sala-

ries, which volunteers obviously do not collect. Departments also look to fundraise as ways to avoid tax levies needed for purchasing, maintaining and operating firefighting equipment.

But there are benefits to volunteering beyond just doing the right thing. Volunteers get free training and equipment, as well as tax breaks and insurance coverage. All of that is provided by the Volunteer Firefighter Benefits Law, first passed in 1957.

Those tax breaks could include income tax credits of $500 to $1,000 per year, as well as property tax reductions of up to 10 percent — assuming local gov-

Perry has been an administrative officer for many years and is involved in fundraising efforts for the fire department and companies and is hoping to help even more through efforts at the state level, encouraging, even more, to receive benefits from the fire service in more ways than one.

“I’m still an active interior firefighter,” Perry said. “It’s still the rush of being in a firehouse and getting on a fire truck and going to a fire trying to help somebody.”

And that’s a big reason why there is so much longevity in this line of work, Blakeman said.

“You have a built-in family when you join a firefighting service,” the county executive said. “You have friends that share a love of protecting the community.”

“I Never Finish Anythi…”

Anythi…”

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“I Never Finish Anythi…”

Does this pretty much sum it up for you?

Or someone you care for?

Or someone you care for?

Does this describe you?

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Or someone you care for?

Or someone close to you?

If the answer is Yes.

Does this pretty much sum it up for you?

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Kepherd Daniel/Herald Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was joined by firefighters in Plainview to share how important these volunteer departments are — and why solid recruitment this month is vital, for residents of all ages.

STEPPING OUT

Cultivating the future at Crossroads Farm

By Danielle Schwab

Vegetables, fruits, and honey, oh my!

Melissa Errico

With the growing season now upon us, Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s is ready to welcome visitors again. The historic 5.5-acre site hosts its annual season-opening event, next Saturday, April 27. It’s a day to enjoy being outdoors, and partake of family-friendly activities, delicious eats, farm-fresh items to purchase, and, naturally, a wealth of information on planting.

Crossroads Farms at Grossmann’s has a long tradition that’s been shared by generations of folks from throughout Nassau County and beyond. Since 1895, it’s been a go-to for produce, plants and related agricultural products. Owned and cultivated for more than 100 years by the Grossmann family, it was purchased by Nassau County through the Nassau Land Trust to preserve the acreage as an open farm space. It’s one of the closest farms to New York City.

“One of the big things for the Grossmann family was that Long Island Rail Road runs directly through the back of the farm,” Crossroads operations manager Michael D’Angelo says. “Back in the early 1900s, that was huge. Instead of having to use a horse and cart to go to Manhattan to sell their produce, they were able to load up onto the train that would then go right into the city.”

With more than 75 products offered, the farm produces diverse and beloved selection of organic produce for its loyal patrons. This includes best sellers like tomatoes and greens, along with turmeric, and even loofas — among the many items

Crossroads also showcases its crops at the Long Island Fair. Its tradition of excellence is evident with strong finishes in the agricultural competition.

“We put in like 50 entries last year, and 90 percent of our crops placed first, second or third,” adds Peter Notarnicola, Crossroads’ field

This year, Crossroads is doubling its production by planting on twice as much of its land. Anything that can’t be grown or produced in-house is obtained through a barter system with other farms and sold at the farm store.

Melissa Errico appears on the Landmark stage with pianistarranger Billy Stritch for her new show ‘The Life and Loves of a Broadway Baby.’ Errico sets her own life to the Broadway songs that she has sung and owned in this theatrical tour de force. She presents both a sensational set of beloved standards and a series of witty and sometimes wicked stories about an ingenue’s life passed on the Great White Way. Its sexy, sublime study of American songs — ranging from Cole Porter to Harold Arlen, Lerner & Loewe to Taylor Swift, with a substantial peek at Melissa’s new Sondheim album, ‘Sondheim in the City’ — with songs like ‘Everybody Says Don’t,’ ‘Take Me to the World,’ and ‘Being Alive.’ A woman of stage, screen and song, Errico has been acclaimed as ‘the Maria Callas of American musical theatre’ by Opera News, referencing both her silken voice and dramatic, expressive intensity.

Friday, April 19, 8 p.m. $63, $53, $43. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 7676444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

• Saturday, April 27, noon-4 p.m.

• $10 per person or $25 per family, kids younger than 3 free

• Farmstand hours: Tuesday and Friday, 1-6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

• 480 Hempstead Ave., Malverne

• XRoadsFarmLINY.com

either are first or second generation, or are foreign-born themselves. They ask for specific products that may be hard for them to find,” D’Angelo says. “And that is always exciting for us. We love hearing and catering to the way people cook different things.”

Crossroads also has a presence at local establishments. You’ll find Crossroads products incorporated into the menu at Malverne eateries such as Uva Rossa Wine Bar and Kookaburra Coffee Co.

While the season is just beginning, there will be no shortage of activities to occupy everyone on opening day. A ribbon-cutting ceremony kicks off the festivities, followed by entertainment, farm tours, hayrides and food vendors on hand with some tasty bites. Check out Rockin Roots, South Shore Brewery and Beach Barbecue, among the participating vendors.

Kids can keep busy visiting farm animals and taking in an ATV ride, along with puppetry and face painting. The youngsters can also gather around a maypole and chase down colorful ribbons.

Mike DelGuidice

Another popular product is the result of a collaboration with millions of special farm workers — worker bees that is. Their buzzy effort supplies the farm with rich tasty honey.

“It’s a family fun day to come down and just enjoy the farm,” D’Angelo says.

Crossroads is so much more than simply a place to visit. Its valued community partner can be relied up to support many endeavors.

“Fresh produce, fresh flowers, educational opportunities and entertainment space truly make Crossroads Farm unique” Maria Casini, Malverne Chamber of Commerce co-president, adds.

Among the projects she’s involved in with Crossroads, the farm has partnered with LIJ-Valley Stream Northwell Hospital to introduce a”Food is Health” program tackling nutrition and hunger.

“We got about a million ladies that work on the farm, and they’re the bees,” D’Angelo jokes.

is of buzzy jokes.

D’Angelo and Notarnicola are always on the go, planning and moving forward with new ideas — and crops. They maintain a close dialogue with visitors.

The farm also offers an interactive Sunshine program to introduce kids up to 11 to agriculture.

“A lot of people don’t know the process that it takes for food to get to their table,” Notarnicola says. “To see that hands-on, I think for someone who didn’t grow up with planting, is eye-opening.”

From a tiny seedling to your dinner plate, it’s a team effort to get it all there.

Mike DelGuidice, one of Long Island’s most celebrated singer/ songwriters continues his ‘residency’ at the Paramount. Mike DelGuidice and his band always give it their all, especially when playing the iconic Billy Joel songs. DelGuidice leads his band in a rousing concert that highlights the ‘Piano Man’s’ decades of hits. Like his idol, DelGuidice has become one of the area’s most celebrated performers, balancing his schedule between doing his own thing and touring with Joel all over the world. DelGuidice, as with Joel, grew up mastering several instruments, including bass guitar, guitar, piano and drums. He’s renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of the Joel catalog, which caught the attention of Joel himself, who ultimately brought him on stage with him. DelGuidice and his band pack hit after charttopping hit, along with his own tunes in a high-energy show that’s always a crowd pleaser.

“We have customers from all different backgrounds, some who

Interested in become a part of the farm family? Crossroads Farms welcomes volunteers to help out. Various volunteering options include working in the fields planting and harvesting, or participating in education and fundraising programming.

Friday and Saturday, April 19-20, 8 p.m. $60, $40, $25, $20. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000. Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY. com.

beloved selection of organic produce for its loyal patrons. This you’ll find here. manager.

Michael D’Angelo, operations manager, is ready to reopen the popular farm for another busy season.

Photos courtesy Crossroads Farm Crossroads field manager Peter Notarnicola tends to his plantings.

THE Your Neighborhood

April 26

Chris Ruggiero

Experience the magic of Chris Ruggiero’s new show, “Teenage Dreams and Magic Moments.” The dynamic vocalist visits the Landmark stage, Friday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. Ruggiero is an old soul. Still in his 20s, the music that speaks to him is the music of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, breathing new life into the timeless classics that form the soundtrack of our lives. His approach to performing is more in line with that of a bygone era, bringing to the stage the panache of Frank Sinatra or Paul Anka, coupled with the energy of Jackie Wilson. Ruggiero first came to national attention when he performed in concert on a PBS coast-to-coast special and was featured on Good Morning America. Since then, he has traveled the country, delivering his unique brand of vintage rock and roll and sharing his passion for the classics.

On stage

Families will enjoy another musical adventure, “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” ripped from the pages of Mo Willems’ beloved children’s books, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, April 19, 10:15 a.m. and noon; Monday through Friday, April 20-26, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Back by popular demand after a sold-out 2023 run, see Pigeon, Bus Driver, and some zany passengers sing and dance their way to helping The Pigeon find his “thing” in this upbeat, energetic comedy based on four of Mo Willems’ popular Pigeon books.

On exhibit

He has shared the stage with artists such as Bobby Rydell, The Duprees and The Drifters. It seems almost preordained that the young man who loves the special sounds of an era is now performing on the same stages as those he admires most. The young singer was a 2020 East Coast Music Hall of Fame nominee and at the 2019 induction ceremony, he performed alongside Tito Puente Jr. singing the iconic song Tito’s father wrote, “Oye Como Va.” In his new show, “Teenage Dreams and Magic Moments,” Ruggiero tells his story by breathing ew life into the timeless music of the eras he loves, enhanced with a six-piece band and live brass. Songs like “Unchained Melody,” “My Cherie Amour,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “This Magic Moment” come to life with unique interpretations of these classics and more, with new orchestrations by Charlie Calello, arranger for the Four Seasons and known in the industry as “The Hit Man.” Chances are you’ll know every word of every song. $59, $49, $39. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington. (516) 767-6444 or LandmarkOnMainStreet.org.

Featuring a live band to bring Deborah Wicks La Puma’s jazzy score to life, audiences will thoroughly enjoy singing and flapping along with The Pigeon and friends. The audience is part of the action, in this innovative mix of songs, silliness and feathers. It’s an ideal way to introduce kids to theater and the humorous stories from Willems’ books. $10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.LICM.org.

Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, “Urban Art Evolution,” is a comprehensive exhibit featuring a diverse range of compositions from the 1980s through the present by creators who were based in the rough and tumble downtown area of New York City known as Loisaida/LES (Lower East Side/East Village) and close surrounding neighborhoods. Artists pushed the boundaries of what was considered “art” with a primary focus on street/graffiti art. The exhibit’s scope, guest curated by art collector/gallerist Christopher Pusey, offers an even broader view from other creative residents, who worked inside their studios but still contributed to the rich fabric of the downtown art scene from different vantage points and aesthetics.

Works include sculpture, paintings, photography, music, and ephemera from many noted and influential artists. On view through July 7. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

S.T.O.P. Program Collection

The City of Long Beach, in cooperation with the Town of Hempstead, holds it Stop Throwing Out Pollutants Hazardous Waste Collection Program (S.T.O.P.) behind City Hall, Sunday, April 21, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. It provides provides residents with a safe, environmentally sound method of disposal of the many hazardous materials found in the average home.

By disposing of toxins as antifreeze, drain cleaners, and pesticides on any of the scheduled S.T.O.P. collection days, you can make a significant contribution to the protection of Long Island’s precious groundwater supply and the preservation of bays and estuaries. For more information, visit LongBeachNY.gov/stop.

Surfrider Canal Cleanup

The Surfrider Foundation holds their 10th annual Canal Area Clean-up, Saturday, April 20 , at noon. Meet at the corner of Heron and East Chester Streets. Bring your own board if you want to collect trash in the canals, or just hit the neighborhood streets to collect debris before it ends up in our waterways. For more information, email Chair@ centralli.surfrider.org.

Long Beach Porchfest

Hear your favorite local bands and musicians play from your neighbors’ porches at Long Beach’s Porch Fest, Saturday, May 18. Walk, bike, stroll from one porch to another and listen to local musicians. Interested in hosting a band on your porch? Visit TinyURL. com/lbporchfesthomes24 and fill out the application.

Blood Drive

The New York Blood Center needs your help, now! Donate at the City of Long Beach’s Blood Drive, Thursday, April 25, 2-8 p.m., at the Magnolia Center. Appointments preferred; walk-ins will be permitted, if capacity allows. Second floor, 650 Magnolia Blvd. Call (800) 933-2566 for an appointment.

47th Annual City Managers Race

Long Beach Department of Parks and Recreation holds the 47th Annual City Managers 10-Mile Race to Remember, Sunday, May 26 Dedicated to the memory of race founder Ralph Kaplan. For more information, visit LongBeachNY.gov.

Having an event?

Eglevsky Ballet Gala

Eglvesky Ballet presents “Live from Studio 4,” an intimate evening of classical and contemporary ballets, Saturday, April 20, 7 p.m. The program features new and existing repertory works chosen to showcase the dancers unique ability to transfer from classical to neo-classical to contemporary with ease and mastery of their techniques. Eglevsky Ballet Studio, 700 Hicksville Road, Suite 102, Bethpage. For information and tickets, visit Eventbrite.com/e/ live-from-studio-4-tickets859994295087?aff=oddtdtc.

Baldwin Homemakers Annual Auction

All are welcome to join Baldwin Homemakers for their annual auction, Wednesday May 1 , 7 p.m., at Baldwin Middle School. $5 admission includes 1 front table raffle ticket. With coffee, cake and door prize. Additional raffle tickets will be available for sale. 3211 Schreiber Place, Baldwin.

Items on The Scene page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to thescene@liherald.com.

Spring Dog Festival

Enjoy the glorious grounds of Old Westbury Gardens with your pooch (leashed of course), Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. With varied vendors and activities. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens. org.

Art explorations

Converse, collaborate and create at Family Saturdays at Nassau County Museum of Art, Saturday, April 20, noon3 p.m. Get inspired by the art and objects in the galleries and then join educators at the Manes Center to explore and discover different materials to create your own original artwork.

Kids and adults connect while talking about and making art together. A new project is featured every week. $20 adult, $10 child. For ages 2-14. Registration required. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Visit NassauMuseum.org for to register or call (516) 484-9337.

Mah Jongg club

Ask the Tech Guy

Do you have questions about your computer or laptop? Want to learn more about Zoom, streaming movies, or downloading ebooks to your device? Join Long Beach Library’s Tech Guy, every Wednesday, 2-3 p.m., to get answers to your pressing tech questions. 111 W. Park Ave. For information, visit LongBeachPL. org.

Baby shower for moms-to-be

Mercy Hospital hosts this free event for expecting moms-to-be, Saturday, May 11, noon to 2 p.m., in the lower level cafeteria. With raffles, giveaways for mom and baby, and meet and greets with physicians, lactation specialists, mother/baby nurses, games and more. For moms only. 1000 N. Village Ave. Email Elizabeth.Schwind@chsli.org to register. For more information, visit CHSLI.org/ mercy-hospital or call (516) 626-3729.

Do you play Mah Jongg and want to meet other community members who play? Join in the game, at Long Beach Library, Wednesdays at 11 a.m. in the auditorium. Practice your skills and have fun while you do it. Bring your own Mah Jongg tiles. 111 W. Park Ave. For more information, visit LongBeachPL.com or call (516) 432-7201.

Public Notices

NOTICE

OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR C-BASS MORTGAGE LOAN

ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-CB4, -againstELLEN M. DAYTON, 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 December 6, 2023, wherein U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR C-BASS MORTGAGE LOAN

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 06/05/2023, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on 5/6/2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 51 East Market Street, Long Beach, NY 11561, And Described As Follows: ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the City Of Long Beach, County Of Nassau And State Of New York. Section 59 Block 94 Lot 73, 74, and 75. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $469,217.53 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 609677/2021

Peter Kramer, Esq., Referee. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, the then Court Appointed Referee will cancel the Foreclosure Auction. This Auction will be held rain or shine.

SHELDON MAY & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law, 255 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre, NY 11570

Dated: 2/20/24

ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-CB4 is the Plaintiff and ELLEN M. DAYTON, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the CALENDAR CONTROL PART (CCP) COURTROOM OF THE SUPREME COURT, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on April 29, 2024 at 2:00PM, premises known as 411 EAST HARRISON STREET, LONG BEACH, NY 11561; and the following tax map identification: 59-148-46 & 47. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 615778/2019. Bruce W. Farquharson, 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. 145742 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION of POWER SCRUB IT OF NY LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 1/16/2024. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to the LLC c/o Michael Mangione, 1625 Hannington Avenue, Wantagh, NY 11793. Purpose: For any lawful purpose. 145740

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing on the proposed school district budget will be held on May 14, 2024 at 7:00 P.M. in the Long Beach Lido Elementary School Multipurpose Room, 237 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, New York, and can also be viewed remotely at tinyurl.com/proudtobeLB; for the transaction of business as authorized by the Education Law, including the following items:

1. To present to the voters a detailed statement of the amount of money which will be required for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

2. To discuss all the items hereinafter set forth to be voted upon by voting machine at the Budget Vote and Election to be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

3. To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting pursuant to Education Law of the State of New York and acts amendatory thereto.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a copy of the statement of the amount of money required for the ensuing year for school purposes (school budget) exclusive of public monies may be obtained by any district resident beginning May 7, 2024, between the hours of 8:00AM and 4:00PM, prevailing time, except Saturday, Sunday or holidays at the Office of the District Clerk, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, New York, at Long Beach Public Library, at 111 West Park Avenue, Long Beach, New York, and on the District’s internet website. A copy of the statement of the amount of money that will be required for the Library purposes exclusive of public money will be available at the Long Beach Public Library and the Library’s district clerk’s office for the year beginning July 1, 2024.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that said Budget Vote and Election will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at the school election districts indicated below, between the hours of 7:00AM and 9:00PM, prevailing time, at which time the polls will be opened to vote by voting machine upon the following items:

1. To adopt the annual budget of the School District for the fiscal year 2024-2025 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District.

2. To elect two members of the Board of Education for a three (3)

year term commencing July 1, 2024, and expiring on June 30, 2027, to fill the positions held by Samuel Pinto and Alexis Pace, whose terms expire on June 30, 2024.

3. To vote on the following proposition: CAPITAL RESERVE FUND EXPENDITURE PROPOSITION

“SHALL THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE LONG BEACH CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT (the “School District”) be authorized to appropriate and expend: a sum not to exceed $1,358,610 representing monies from the 2018 Capital Improvement Fund for the following purposes: replace turf field, windows and interior doors at Long Beach Middle School; repair bulkhead and improve acoustics in gymnasium of Lindell Elementary School; and remove fuel oil tank at the Transportation Building, as well as preliminary and other costs incidental thereto? (Because the funds to be expended hereunder are from the referenced Capital Reserve Funds, approval of this proposition will not require a tax levy upon the real property of the district.)”

4. To vote on the following proposition:

TRANSFER TO CAPITAL RESERVE FUND PROPOSITION

5. “SHALL THE BOARD OF EDUCATION of the Long Beach City School District (the “School District) be authorized and directed to transfer the unexpended balance of $755,648 on deposit in the School District’s Capital Fund, the purposes of which have been fulfilled, to the 2018 Capital Improvement Fund which was previously established pursuant to Education Law Section 3651? (Because the funds to be transferred hereunder are from the referenced Capital Fund, approval of this proposition will not require a tax levy upon the real property of the district.)”

6. To elect one (1) trustee of the Long Beach Public Library for a five (5) year term commencing on July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2029.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that, per resolution of the Board of Education adopted on February 8, 2022, this vote and election will be held at the following school election districts (the accurate description of the boundaries is on file and may be inspected at the Office of the District Clerk, Administration Building, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, New York 11561):

LINDELL SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICT

LINDELL SCHOOL

GYMNASIUM

601 LINDELL BOULEVARD, CITY OF LONG BEACH

This election district embraces the territory bounded on the West by a line parallel to and sixty (60) feet westerly from Malone Avenue, on the North by Reynolds Channel, on the East by the center line of Long Beach Boulevard and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean.

EAST SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICT

EAST SCHOOL

GYMNASIUM

456 NEPTUNE

BOULEVARD, CITY OF LONG BEACH

This election district embraces the territory bounded on the West by the center line of Long Beach Boulevard, on the North by Reynolds Channel, East to the easterly bounding line of the City of Long Beach, and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean.

LIDO/MS SCHOOL ELECTION DISTRICT

LIDO COMPLEX

AUDITORIUM LOBBY

239 LIDO BOULEVARD, LIDO BEACH, NEW YORK

This election district embraces the territory of the area known as Lido Beach, bounded on the West by a line commencing due east of the City of Long Beach, on the North by Reynolds Channel, on the East by the easterly boundary line of Point Lookout and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law, the School District is required to attach to its proposed budget an exemption report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value of the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemption granted by the statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact of each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and the cumulative impact of all exemptions granted. In addition, said exemption report shall be posted on any bulletin board maintained by the District for public notices and on any website maintained by the District.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that petitions nominating candidates for Board of Education trustees and Library Board trustee are available from the Clerk of said School District at her office in the Administration Building, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, New York, 11561. Nominating petitions must be filed with the Clerk of the School District not later than

May 1, 2024, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., prevailing time. Vacancies on both the Board of Education and the Library Board are not considered separate, specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions for Board of Education trustee must be directed to the District Clerk, must be signed by at least 100 qualified voters of the District; must state the name and residence of each signer; and must state the name and residence of the candidate.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that applications for early mail ballots and absentee ballots for the school district election are to be completed on a form prescribed by the state board of elections and may be obtained by visiting the New York State Education Department’s Website (http://www.counsel.nyse d.gov/common/counsel/fil es/absentee-ballotapplication-andinstructions-english.pdf; http://www.counsel.nysed .gov/common/counsel/file s/absentee-ballotapplication-andinstructions-spanish.pdf), or by contacting the District Clerk by email or phone at ldolan@lbeach.org or 516-897-2108. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than April 22, 2024 and at least seven (7) days before the election, May 14, 2024, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, May 20, 2024, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. A list of persons to whom early mail ballots and absentee ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the Office of the District Clerk on and after Thursday, May 16, 2024, between the hours of 8:00a.m. and 4:00p.m., prevailing time, on each day prior to the day set for the annual election, except Sunday, and on May 21, 2024, the day set for the election. Any qualified voter then present in the polling place may object to the voting of the ballot upon appropriate grounds by making his or her challenge and the reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls. A challenge to an absentee ballot may not be made on the basis that the voter should have applied for an early mail ballot.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that any person who is not registered under permanent

personal registration on or before January 1, 2018, or supplemental registration lists furnished by the Nassau County Board of Elections, or has not voted at an intervening school district election, must present himself or herself personally for registration in order to be entitled to vote on May 7, 2024 from 2:00pm to 8:00pm; at Long Beach Middle School Auditorium Lobby, 239 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, New York 11561.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that any person who has moved from one school election district in the Long Beach City School District to another, and who has not registered in the new school election district, and who is still registered in the district from which he or she moved, may vote in the election district in which he or she registered. Such people must advise, at the time of voting, the election inspectors of his/her new address to correct such registration.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that only those qualified voters whose names appear on the registers prepared for said school district election will be entitled to vote on Election Day. The register will be filed in the District Clerk’s Office and open to inspection by any qualified voter of the school district from 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. on weekdays from May 7, 2024 to May 21, 2024, and Saturday May 11, 2024, when it will be available from 9 A.M. to 12 noon by appointment only.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the school district. An application for registration as a military voter can be requested by contacting the District Clerk by telephone (516) 897-2108, facsimile (516) 771-3944, email ldolan@lbeach.org, mail to 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, NY, 11561, or in person (during regular office hours or between the hours of 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM); the application for registration must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 pm on May 6, 2024. In the request for an application for registration, the military voter is permitted to designate his/her preference for receiving the application for registration by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail.

A list of persons to whom military ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the Office of the District Clerk on and after Thursday, May 16, 2024, between the hours of 8:00a.m. and 4:00p.m., prevailing time, on each day prior to the day set for the annual election, except Sunday, and on May 21, 2024, the day set for the election. Any qualified voter then present in the polling place may object to the voting of the ballot upon appropriate grounds by making his or her challenge and the reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to a rule adopted by the Board of Education in accordance with Section 2035 of the Education Law, any referenda or propositions to amend the budget, or otherwise to be submitted for voting at said election, must be filed with the Clerk of the Board of Education at the District Office, Administration Building, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, New York 11561, in sufficient time to permit notice of the proposition to be included with the Notice of the Public Hearing, Budget Vote and Election required by Section 2004 of the Education Law or on or before April 22, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., prevailing time; must be typed or printed in the

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that military voters who are qualified voters of the district may submit an application for a military ballot by requesting an application form from the District Clerk; in order to receive a military ballot, the military ballot application must be received no later than 5:00 pm on May 6, 2024. In the request for an application for a military ballot, the military voter is permitted to designate his/her preference for receiving the application for a military ballot, and the military ballot, by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail. All qualified military voters’ ballot applications and military ballots must be returned by mail or in person. Ballots for military voters shall be distributed to qualified military voters no later than May 7, 2024. Military ballots must be received by the District Clerk (1) before the close of the polls, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, and must show a cancellation mark of the United States postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or must show a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government; or (2) not later than 5:00 pm on the day of the election and be signed and dated by the military voter and one witness, with a date ascertained to be not later than the day before the election.

Public Notices

English language; must be directed to the Clerk of the School District; must be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the District; and must legibly state the name of each signer. However, the School Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, which is unlawful, or any proposition which fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditure of monies is required by the proposition, or where other valid reason exists for excluding the proposition from the ballot.

Dated: Lido Beach, New York, March 26, 2024

By Order of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE LONG BEACH CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Lido Beach, New York Lori Dolan, District Clerk 145985

POR FAVOR TENGA EN CUENTA ADEMÁS que cualquier residente del distrito puede obtener una copia de la declaración de la cantidad de dinero requerida para el año siguiente para propósitos escolares (presupuesto escolar) sin incluir dinero público a partir del 7 de Mayo del 2024, entre las 8:00 a.m. 00 a. m. y 4:00 p. m., horario vigente, excepto los sábados, domingos o feriados en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, Nueva York, en la Biblioteca Pública de Long Beach, en 111 West Park Avenue, Long Beach, Nueva York , y en el sitio web de Internet del Distrito. Una copia de la declaración de la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para los fines de la Biblioteca, sin incluir el dinero público, estará disponible en la Biblioteca Pública de Long Beach y en la oficina del secretario del distrito de la Biblioteca para el año que comienza el 1 de Julio del 2024.

Y POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA

LEGAL NOTICE ANUNCIO DE AUDIENCIA PUBLICA, VOTACION DE PRESUPUESTO Y ELECCION DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR DE LA CIUDAD DE LONG BEACH, CONDADO DE NASSAU, NUEVA YORK POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que se llevará a cabo una audiencia pública sobre el presupuesto propuesto del distrito escolar el 14 de mayo de 2024 a las 7:00 p.m. en el Auditorio de la Escuela Secundaria de Long Beach, 237 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, Nueva York, y también se puede ver de forma remota en https://www.youtube.com /channel/UCzst8qfrB66Ur 7JrZHfodyw/videos por la transacción de negocios según lo autorizado por la Ley de Educación, incluyendo los siguientes artículos:

1. Para presentar a los votantes una declaración detallada del monto de dinero, el cual será requerido para el año fiscal 2024-2025.

2. Para discutir todos los artículos que se establecen a continuación para ser votados por máquina de votación en la Votación y Elección del Presupuesto que se llevará a cabo el martes 21 de Mayo del 2024.

3. Para tramitar cualquier otro asunto que pueda presentarse adecuadamente ante la reunión de conformidad con la Ley de Educación del Estado de Nueva York y las leyes que la modifican.

ADICIONALMENTE que dicha Votación del Presupuesto y Elección se llevarán a cabo el Martes 21 de Mayo del 2024 en los distritos electorales escolares que se indican a continuación, entre las 7:00 a. m. y las 9:00 p.m. Se abrirán urnas para votar por máquina de votación en los siguientes artículos:

1. Para Adoptar el presupuesto anual del Distrito Escolar para el año fiscal 2024-2025 y autorizar que la parte requerida del mismo se recaude mediante impuestos sobre la propiedad imponible del Distrito.

2. Para elegir dos (2) miembro de la Junta de Educación por un término de tres (3) años comenzando el 1 de Julio del 2024 y expirando el 30 de Junio del 2026, para llenar la posiciónes mantenida por Samuel Pinto and Alexis Pace, cuyo término expira el 30 de Junio del 2024.

3. Para votar en la siguiente propuesta: PROPUESTA DE GASTOS DE FONDOS DEL CAPITAL DE RESERVA

“¿SE DEBE AUTORIZAR A

4. Para votar en la siguiente propuesta: PROPUESTA DE TRANSFERENCIA AL FONDO DE RESERVA DE CAPITAL

“¿SE DEBE AUTORIZAR Y ORDENAR A LA JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN del Distrito Escolar de la Ciudad de Long Beach (el “Distrito Escolar) a transferir el saldo no gastado de $755,648 en depósito en el Fondo de Capital del Distrito Escolar, cuyos propósitos se han cumplido, a ¿el Fondo de Mejoras de Capital de 2018 que se estableció previamente de conformidad con la Sección 3651 de la Ley de Educación? (Debido a que los fondos que se transferirán en virtud del presente provienen del Fondo de Capital mencionado, la aprobación de esta propuesta no requerirá un impuesto sobre los bienes inmuebles del distrito).”

5. Para adoptar el presupuesto anual de la Biblioteca Pública Long Beach para el año escolar 2024-2025 y autorizar que la parte requerida del mismo sea recaudada mediante impuestos sobre la propiedad sujeta a impuestos del distrito escolar.

6. Para elegir un (1) Fideicomisario de la Biblioteca Pública Long Beach por un término de cinco (5) años comenzando el 1 de Julio del 2024 y terminando el 30n de Junio del 2029.

TENGA EN CUENTA

ADEMÁS que, según la resolución de la Junta de Educación adoptada el 8 de Febrero del 2022, esta votación y elección se llevarán a cabo en los siguientes distritos electorales escolares (la descripción precisa de los límites está archivada y puede ser inspeccionada en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, Edificio Administrativo, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, Nueva York 11561:

DISTRITO ELECTORAL DE LA ESCUELA LINDELL

GIMNASIO ESCOLAR

LINDELL

601 LINDELL BOULEVARD, CIUDAD DE LONG BEACH

Este distrito electoral abarca el territorio delimitado al oeste por una línea paralela y sesenta (60) pies al oeste de Malone Avenue, al norte por Reynolds Channel, al este por la línea central de Long Beach Boulevard y al sur por el Océano Atlántico.

DISTRITO ELECTORAL DE

LA JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN del Distrito Escolar de la Ciudad de Long Beach (el “Distrito Escolar”) a asignar y gastar: una suma que no exceda $1,360,610, que representa dinero del Fondo de Mejoras de Capital del 2018 para los siguientes propósitos: reemplazar campo de césped, ventanas y puertas interiores en la Escuela Media Long Beach; reparar el cielo falso y mejorar la acústica en el gimnasio de la Escuela Primaria Lindell; y retirar el tanque de gasolina en el Edificio de Transporte, así como los costos preliminares y otros costos incidentales al mismo? (Debido a que los fondos que se gastarán en virtud del presente provienen de los Fondos de Reserva de Capital mencionados, la aprobación de esta propuesta no requerirá un gravamen fiscal sobre el patrimonio real de la propiedad del distrito.)”

LA ESCUELA EAST

GIMNASIO ESCOLAR

EAST

456 NEPTUNE

BOULEVARD, CIUDAD DE

LONG BEACH

Este distrito electoral abarca el territorio delimitado al oeste por la línea central de Long Beach Boulevard, al norte por Reynolds Channel, al este hasta la línea límite este de la ciudad de Long Beach y al sur por el Océano Atlántico.

DISTRITO ELECTORAL DE

LAS ESCUELAS LIDO/MS

VESTIBULO DEL AUDITORIO DEL

COMPLEJO LIDO

239 LIDO BOULEVARD,

LIDO BEACH, NEW YORK

Este distrito electoral abarca el territorio del área conocida como Lido Beach, delimitada al oeste por una línea que comienza al este de la ciudad de Long Beach, al norte por Reynolds Channel, al este por la línea fronteriza este de Point Lookout y al Sur con el Océano Atlántico.

Y POR LA PRESENTE SE

DA AVISO ADICIONAL de que, de conformidad con la Sección 495 de la Ley del Impuesto sobre la Propiedad Inmueble, el Distrito Escolar debe adjuntar a su presupuesto propuesto un informe de exención. Dicho informe de exención, que también formará parte del presupuesto final, mostrará cómo el valor catastral total de la nómina final utilizada en el proceso presupuestario está exento de tributación, enumerará cada tipo de exención otorgada por la autoridad estatutaria y mostrará el impacto acumulado de cada tipo de exención, el monto acumulado que se espera recibir como pago en lugar de impuestos (PILOT) y el impacto acumulado de todas las exenciones otorgadas. Además, dicho informe de exención se publicará en cualquier tablón de anuncios mantenido por el Distrito para avisos públicos y en cualquier sitio web mantenido por el Distrito.

POR FAVOR TENGA EN CUENTA ADEMÁS que las peticiones de nominación de candidatos para miembros de la Junta de Educación y miembro de la Junta de la Biblioteca están disponibles en la Secretaría de dicho Distrito Escolar en su oficina en el Edificio de Administración, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, Nueva York, 11561. Las peticiones de nominación deben ser presentado ante el Secretario del Distrito Escolar a más tardar el 1 de mayo de 2024, entre las 9:00 a. m. y las 5:00 p. m., hora vigente. Las vacantes tanto en la Junta de Educación como en la Junta de la Biblioteca no se consideran cargos específicos separados; los candidatos corren en general. Las peticiones de nominación para el

fideicomisario de la Junta de Educación deben dirigirse al Secretario del Distrito, deben estar firmadas por al menos 100 votantes calificados del Distrito; debe indicar el nombre y la residencia de cada firmante; y debe indicar el nombre y la residencia del candidato. SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que las solicitudes de boletas de voto anticipado por correo y de voto en ausencia para las elecciones del distrito escolar deben completarse en un formulario prescrito por la junta electoral estatal y se pueden obtener visitando el sitio web del Departamento de Educación del Estado de Nueva York (http://www.counsel.nyse d.gov/common/counsel/fil es/absentee-ballotapplication-andinstructions-english.pdf; http://www.counsel.nysed .gov/common/counsel/file s/absentee-ballotapplication-andinstructions-spanish.pdf), o comunicándose con el Secretario del Distrito por correo electrónico a ldolan@lbeach.org o al 516-897-2108. El Secretario del Distrito debe recibir las solicitudes completas no antes del 22 de Abril del 2024 y al menos siete (7) días antes de la elección, el 14 de Mayo del 2024, si la boleta se enviará por correo al votante, o el día anterior a la elección, el 20 de Mayo del 2024, si la boleta se va a entregar personalmente al elector. El secretario del distrito debe recibir las boletas de voto en ausencia a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m., hora vigente, el Martes 21 de Mayo del 2024. Un listado de las personas a las que se les emitieron las boletas de voto anticipado por correo y de voto en ausencia estará disponible para su inspección por parte de los votantes calificados del Distrito en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a partir del Jueves 16 de Mayo del 2024, entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 4:00 p. m., hora vigente, todos los días anteriores al día fijado para la elección anual, excepto el Domingo, y el 21 de Mayo del 2024, día fijado para la elección. Cualquier votante calificado que esté presente en el lugar de votación puede oponerse a la votación de la boleta por motivos apropiados, dando a conocer su impugnación y las razones por las cuales el Inspector de Elecciones antes del cierre de las urnas. No se puede impugnar una boleta de voto ausente basándose en que el votante debería haber solicitado una boleta de voto anticipado por correo.

POR FAVOR TENGA EN CUENTA ADEMÁS que cualquier persona que se haya mudado de un distrito escolar electoral en el Distrito Escolar de la Ciudad de Long Beach a otro, y que no se haya registrado en el nuevo distrito escolar electoral, y que todavía esté registrado en el distrito de donde proviene movido, puede votar en el distrito electoral en el que se registró. Dichas personas deberán informar, al momento de votar, a los inspectores electorales de su nuevo domicilio para corregir dicha inscripción.

POR FAVOR TENGA EN CUENTA ADEMÁS que solo aquellos votantes calificados cuyos nombres aparecen en los registros preparados para dicha elección del distrito escolar tendrán derecho a votar el Día de la Elección. El registro se archivará en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito y estará abierto a la inspección de cualquier votante calificado del distrito escolar de 8:00 a.m. a las 4:00 p. m. los días laborables del 7 de Mayo del 2024 al 21 de Mayo del 2024, y el Sábado 11 de Mayo del 2024, cuando estará disponible de 9 a.m. a las 12 del mediodía solo con cita previa.

Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL de que los votantes militares que no están actualmente registrados pueden solicitar registrarse como votantes calificados del distrito escolar. Se puede solicitar una solicitud de registro como votante militar comunicándose con el secretario del distrito por teléfono (516) 897-2108, fax (516) 771-3944, correo electrónico ldolan@lbeach.org, correo a 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, NY, 11561, o en persona (durante el horario normal de oficina o entre las 8:15 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m.); la solicitud de registro debe recibirse en la oficina del secretario del distrito a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del 6 de Mayo del 2024. En la solicitud de registro, el votante militar puede designar su preferencia para recibir la solicitud de registro por correo,

POR FAVOR TENGA EN CUENTA ADEMÁS que cualquier persona que no esté registrada bajo el registro personal permanente el 1 de Enero del 2018 o antes, o las listas de registro suplementarias proporcionadas por la Junta Electoral del Condado de Nassau, o que no haya votado en una elección del distrito escolar intermedio, debe presentarse o ella misma personalmente para registrarse para tener derecho a votar el 7 de Mayo del 2024 de 2:00 p. m. a 8:00 p. m.; en el vestíbulo del auditorio de la Escuela Media Long Beach, 239 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, Nueva York 11561.

transmisión por fax o correo electrónico. Un votante militar que esté debidamente registrado puede solicitar una boleta militar solicitando un formulario de solicitud al Secretario del Distrito; para recibir una boleta militar, la solicitud de boleta militar debe recibirse a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del 6 de Mayo del 2024. En la solicitud de una boleta militar, el votante militar puede designar su preferencia para recibir la solicitud de boleta militar, y la boleta militar, por correo, transmisión por facsímil o correo electrónico. Todas las solicitudes de boletas de votantes militares calificados y boletas militares deben devolverse por correo o en persona. Las boletas para votantes militares se distribuirán a los votantes militares calificados a más tardar el 7 de Mayo del 2024. El Secretario del Distrito (1) debe recibir las boletas militares antes del cierre de las urnas, el Martes 21 de Mayo del 2024, y deben mostrar un marca de cancelación del servicio postal de los Estados Unidos o del servicio postal de un país extranjero, o debe mostrar un endoso de recibo fechado por otra agencia del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos; o (2) a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del día de la elección y estar firmado y fechado por el votante militar y un testigo, con una fecha que no sea posterior al día anterior a la elección. Una lista de las personas a las que se emiten las boletas militares estará disponible para su inspección por parte de los votantes calificados del Distrito en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito a partir del jueves 16 de mayo de 2024, entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 4:00 p. m., hora vigente, todos los días anteriores al día fijado para la elección anual, excepto el domingo, y el 21 de mayo de 2024, día fijado para la elección. Cualquier votante calificado que esté presente en el lugar de votación puede oponerse a la votación de la boleta por motivos apropiados, dando a conocer su impugnación y las razones por las cuales el Inspector de Elecciones antes del cierre de las urnas.

Y POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA

Fechado: Lido Beach, New York 26 de Marzo del 2024

Por Orden de la JUNTA DE EDUCACIÓN DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR DE LA CIUDAD DE LONG BEACH Lido Beach, Nueva York

Lori Dolan, Secretaria del Distrito 145987

ADICIONALMENTE que, de conformidad con una regla adoptada por la Junta de Educación de conformidad con la Sección 2035 de la Ley de Educación, cualquier referéndum o proposición para enmendar el presupuesto, o que de otro modo se someta a votación en dicha elección, debe ser presentada ante el Secretario de la Junta de Educación en la Oficina del Distrito, Edificio Administrativo, 235 Lido Boulevard, Lido Beach, Nueva York 11561, con tiempo suficiente para permitir que el aviso de la propuesta se incluya con el Aviso de la Audiencia Pública, Votación del Presupuesto y Elección requerida por la Sección 2004 de la Ley de Educación o antes del 22 de Abril de 2024, a las 4:00 p. m., hora vigente; debe estar escrito a máquina o impreso en el idioma inglés; debe dirigirse al Secretario del Distrito Escolar; debe estar firmado por al menos 25 votantes calificados del Distrito; y debe indicar legiblemente el nombre de cada firmante. Sin embargo, la Junta Escolar no considerará ninguna petición para presentar a los votantes ninguna propuesta cuyo propósito no esté dentro de los poderes de los votantes para determinar, que sea ilegal, o cualquier propuesta que no incluya una asignación específica donde el gasto de la proposición requiere dinero, o cuando existe otra razón válida para excluir la proposición de la boleta.

Time to set sail in the Island Park waters

By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com

Behind Peter’s Clam Bar, on Empire Boulevard in Island Park, is a hidden gem that has been sending sailors out onto South Shore waters for decades, the Hempstead Bay Sailing Club. Founded 63 years ago, the nonprofit club has long brought sailing enthusiasts together.

Originally established at the Middle Bay country club in Oceanside, the club found its footing as a humble floating outpost for sailors, and it has flourished at its current location. Its members come from across Long Island, from Island Park, Oceanside and Long Beach, as well as from Seaford, the Five Towns, New Hyde Park and Queens.

Malverne resident Peter Auwarter, the club’s membership chair, joined eight years ago.

“It was always a lifestyle thing for me,” he said. “I had taken sailing classes on the North Shore, and the kids were still in college, and there was too much going on, but I still wanted to pursue it. When I retired, I thought, ‘Where can I get those classes? I want to get back out on the water and spend some time learning how to sail.’”

Auwarter connected with one of the club’s senior members, and re-entered the world of sailing.

“As soon as I joined, as soon as the board accepted me, I was crewing for folks that had so much experience and recognition,” Auwarter recalled. “Racing all up and down the East Coast, competing and winning. You don’t take that lightly, because those people really understand what they’re doing, and so if you can crew for them, you’re going to learn a lot, and that was better than any class I could have enrolled in.”

The club now boasts a membership of 57 people of diverse backgrounds and a range of ages. Rockville Centre resident Karen Greene has deep connections to sailing. A trustee on the club’s board, she has been a member for 20 years, and recalls joining with her husband.

“When my husband and I got married, we didn’t have a honeymoon — we bought our first sailboat,” Greene said. “When we had kids, we kind of gave it up for a while, but I always missed it, so we came back and we came to the board to be members.”

Husband-wife teams frequently sail together, while newcomers find mentors and friends among experienced sailors. The club offers various social events, including a New Year’s Day social, a Super Bowl party, and the highly anticipated Memorial Day commissioning party.

The club’s junior program introduces younger members, ages 5 to 17, to sailing and helps them develop their skills on the water. The program is in the process of being relaunched after a 17-year hiatus, and the club leadership sees it as a vital component in ensur-

ing the organization’s future.

“One of the things that Karen and another one of our commodores, Greg Laufman, was interested in doing (was) growing our youth sail program,” Auwarter said. “Who is the next generation of sailors? Hopefully, it comes by way of these families and their children, and trying to accommodate them by the club sponsoring and purchasing additional boats that are more aligned with the youth sailing program.”

The junior program offers lessons, races and social events for the younger sailors. Members with school connections are encouraged to spread the word about the program, and the club.

“We have to invest a bit more in figuring out how to have properly certified instructors, but as long as the parents are on site and taking charge, it’s been successful,” Auwarter said. “It’s one year in, but I think every year we’re going to build on it.”

The club collaborates with organizations like the South Bay Sailing Association, which provides assistance with equipment and, potentially, grants or other funds for the junior program.

Island Park resident Carole Meyers is the club’s photographer, and has been a member, along with her husband, for 40 years. She attributes their longevity to

The Hempstead Bay Sailing Club has recently restarted its junior program, to get the next generation involved.

the club’s positive atmosphere.

“It’s a very active group, with great people,” Meyers said. “It’s a home away from home, and in the summertime we have dinner down here, and bring our own dinners. We’re all friends.”

Photos courtesy Hempstead Bay Sailing Club The Hempstead Bay Sailing Club is active in every season, featuring a variety of events, and a variety of vessels filling the docks.

The boats are setting sail on the South Shore.

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How can I earthquakeproof my house?

Q. Since the recent earthquake, I have looked all over my house and see some small cracks in corners and a few in ceilings. Some of the cracks were there before, but it made me concerned about whether my house is protected from earthquakes, and what can I do to make it safer. Of course, nobody can predict earthquakes or how strong they’ll be, but if there is anything you can suggest, please tell me.

Nestled on a peaceful cul-de-sac

A. I was surprised by the number of questions I got about this. Obviously, the unknown is scary, because people feel helpless against the power of nature. Your home, unless it’s made of extremely rigid masonry (concrete or brick) without any reinforcement, is already fairly flexible. Unfortunately, seismic design of residential structures isn’t very well understood, either by designers or builders, because there are very few threatening earthquakes in our region.

Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

Our safety factor on Long Island is the ground we are built on, which is very sandy along the shorelines, and becomes a little more rigid moving inland, but not enough to put us in a more restricted category. There are charts and graphs in the New York State Residential Building Code that show what categories to follow when designing a building, and what restrictions and exceptions there are to various conditions.

If your home, for example, has interior walls that are perpendicular to exterior walls, bracing the exterior walls, and if the exterior walls are generally in the same plane, from foundation to roof, you have met some of the first requirements for strength in an earthquake. The exterior walls are sheer walls, and the interior perpendicular walls are brace walls that help resist inward and outward movement in a high-wind or an earth-shaking event.

Many people have opened up the interiors of their homes, making the kitchen, dining room and living room, for example, one big open space. In doing so, especially without the benefit of having included a trained professional architect or engineer in the design, they may have subjected themselves to problems with a lack of bracing or sheer design. Just having a beam connecting an outside wall where a wall used to connect to an interior wall across the room usually isn’t enough to resist extreme seismic or high-wind conditions. But because we rarely have either of these two events, most people ignore the possibility. That makes everything much more difficult when a licensed professional has to mop up the mess from when a homeowner only hired someone who didn’t know the whole scope of different regulations.

Cracks in walls and ceilings are often caused by movement, but there are multiple types of movement, from heating and cooling resulting in expansion and contraction, humidity and settling. There is little you can do to strengthen your home’s conditions without the knowledge of a trained professional, engineer or architect, because you may just be adding weight in the wrong places.

© 2024 Monte Leeper

Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

Migrants get more government support than veterans

Many corners of New York continue to deteriorate thanks to the left-wing policies instituted by radical ideologues in the White House, the governor’s mansion and City Hall — but prioritizing the financial well-being of migrants over American military veterans who served our nation should be a step too far, and a rallying cry for Empire State residents fed up with the status quo instituted by the Democratic “leaders” of New York.

Indeed, recent reporting has uncovered that in many cases, illegal migrants who have made their way to New York City are receiving more public assistance than disabled veterans. What’s even more jarring is that there seems to be no appetite for correcting this glaring misplacement of priorities among Democratic lawmakers.

Reporting by Newsweek revealed that “a family of four migrants in New York City receives more monthly funding than a family of four that includes a military veteran who receives disability compensation.” Many migrants who have arrived in New York City are receiving prepaid debit cards that can be used to cover a wide range of expenses. Indeed, many migrant families of four are receiving debit cards preloaded with $1,400 a month — courtesy of taxpayers. This dwarfs the amount received by a family of four utilizing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which averages $713 monthly.

Too many elected officials believe in open-border, pro-migrant policies.

The assistance for migrants is also higher than military veterans’ disability compensation in many cases: A veteran who has a 50 percent disability rating, a spouse and one child receives only $1,255 every four weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

These infuriating statistics are just the latest iteration of New York’s proillegal migrant record. In fiscal year 2023 alone, the Big Apple welcomed over 175,000 migrants and shelled out

over $1.45 billion to shelter, feed and provide services to these lawbreakers. Thanks to New York City’s progressive “right to shelter” legislation, there is reportedly no end in sight to the droves of migrants consuming taxpayer resources at an unsustainable rate. Indeed, if the current rate of migration holds, the city alone could spend around $12 billion to support migrants by fiscal year 2025.

While President Biden, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City progressives continue to facilitate the migrant cost crisis with their open-border and pro-migrant policies, over 35,000 veterans had no permanent housing in the United States in 2023, and the number continues to rise. It’s time we place the priorities of veterans, and all Americans, ahead of migrants whose first action in this country was breaking our immigration laws.

Correcting Democrats’ horrific migrant policies in New York will require a multifaceted approach, starting at the municipal level and ending at the White House. New Yorkers and all

Americans must elect leaders committed to ending the migrant crisis, and not merely “managing” it.

In Congress, I was proud to join my fellow House Republicans in passing a comprehensive border-security bill last year. This sweeping legislative package is the strongest bill in a generation, and would provide a large infusion of resources to support our Border Patrol agents and enhance security infrastructure along our southern border — tools that would end the migrant crisis. The Democratic majority in the Senate has refused to vote on the legislation, and instead attempted to sell the American people a bag of fake goods in the form of their “compromise” border security plan, which would have merely codified the current migrant crisis, not ended it.

We can stop the prioritization of migrants’ well-being over that of veterans and all Americans by rejecting the radical immigration policies of a Democratic Party that has been captured by its progressive base from the top down, and demanding that Democratic leaders join Republicans in placing the interests of Americans first once again.

Spring cleaning: Forget the brooms and mops

My clothes closet is a throwback, a collection from a past life. Who bought all these clothes, I wonder. Whose life was dressed in these costumes? What woman, aside from the extravagantly shod Imelda Marco, could possibly think she needed so many pairs of shoes?

I stand in awe at the bizarre items hanging inside. I cannot connect to the life these clothes adorned. There is a floorlength, multi-colored, layer-cake skirt that I bought and last wore on a trip to Africa, when it was only marginally appropriate, even in Mozambique. Truth? There are two of these skirts. I also have a bright, bright red, heavily embroidered Chinese jacket I bought in Shanghai in 2003. It’s lovely, and it fits, but it is so, so pre-Covid life.

I see shirts I bought 25 years ago, when big, padded shoulders were de rigueur. They still have paper stuffed into the sleeves from the last time I had

them cleaned, several decades ago.

It’s like wandering through Pompeii. Who was this person? I wonder. The big belts, the silk shawls, the long velvet pants for formal attire add to the sense of disconnection. A hot pink cocktail dress?

Today I could keep my wardrobe in a paper sack. Since the pandemic and the collapse of the social life we once enjoyed, I dress down. Way down. Still, there are four pairs of spiked heels on the shelf. A walk in those babies would be a suicide mission.

On another shelf in the closet is the crocheted blanket that I started with my mother-in-law, who has been dead 40 years. Any day now I guess I’ll take up crocheting again. The bejeweled handbag I bought in the gift shop at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore doesn’t go with my mom jeans.

perfect symbol of all that is tucked away, out of sight.

With that in mind, I want to springclean my mind of the addictive behaviors brought on by the deprivations and anxieties of the coronavirus. The superkiller is done, and we’re still standing. The virus, no doubt, is here to stay, but with the appropriate vaccines, we will go on. What remains is our pathological obsession with devices that intensified during the pandemic, and that needs to be treated.

S ince the pandemic and the collapse of the social life we once enjoyed, I dress down.

You get my point. I hereby publicly vow to use this spring to fling out the old and give away the wardrobe of the woman who once lived a very different life from mine. My new life requires five hangars and a drawer.

There’s more. Closets are a metaphor, are they not? Clichéd, but still the

For example, I thought I had a clear mind when I sat down to write this. Then I glanced at an incoming text. My sister wanted a recipe, so I stopped writing and looked up the ingredients of sheet pan lasagna. But wait — as I searched, there was “incoming”: A new sale by Eileen Fisher, so I checked it out, and was about to buy a new T-shirt to stash in the aforementioned closet when, blip, there were notices from a dozen charities offering to match my donation today if I made them right now. I started to give my $25 to Planned Parenthood when, whoosh, there was a text from my granddaughter, who was turning in a paper in three

minutes that she wanted me to edit.

So, what was I doing? Writing my column — right, that’s it. But sister texted back, thanking me for the lasagna recipe, and then my husband texted to ask which lettuce to buy at the supermarket. I had to tell him romaine, right? Or he might come back with iceberg.

What did I sit down here to do? Oh yes, I want to focus on spring cleaning, but the news and the texts and the endless notifications are a disorienting sound-and-light show signifying nothing but distraction.

But, really, hold on a minute, can I afford to ignore a text from a company that will help me control upper-arm fat? Can I write about spring cleaning this week, when Donald Trump is possibly eating a puppy online in another magic MAGA moment? (Relax, I made that one up.)

What practical steps will I take to clean up the psychological and technological distractions? I will stop “notifications” and turn off my phone when I write. Next time. I really will do that, I promise, but first I have to check out two tiny must-read urgent news flashes: the best undiscovered beaches in Newfoundland and photos of an ancient worm that grew to 37 feet long. Copyright

Anthony D’Esposito represents the 4th Congressional District.

Weaving a future of peace, harmony and justice

as the vibrant hues of spring emerge, so, too, do the sacred observances of Easter, Passover and ramadan — each offering a tapestry of traditions woven with threads of renewal, redemption and hope.

Christians and Muslims have completed their observances of Easter and ramadan, and now Jews are set to celebrate what they call Pesach — a holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites in ancient Egypt, and their eventual exodus to the Promised land.

When it comes to the tapestry of humanity, however, all of these celebrations serve as poignant reminders of our shared quest for spiritual uplift and communal solidarity, transcending cultural boundaries and religious affiliations.

At the heart of Easter lies the profound narrative of resurrection, symbolizing the triumph of life over death, and the promise of renewal. Christians around the world gathered to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, finding solace in the belief that, through faith and redemption, new beginnings are possible.

Letters

There’s ‘my-partisanship’ far from D.C., Jerry

To the Editor:

Similarly, Passover holds a special place in the hearts of Jewish communities. Through rituals steeped in tradition, families gather around the Seder table to retell the story of Exodus, passing the torch of remembrance down from one generation to the next. Passover embodies the timeless themes of liberation and redemption, inspiring people to break free from the shackles of oppression and embrace the promise of a brighter future.

Amid the tapestry of religious diversity, ramadan shines as a beacon of spiritual devotion and self-discipline for Muslims worldwide. During this holiest month of the Islamic calendar, believers fast from dawn to dusk, engaging in prayer, reflection and charity. Through the rigor of fasting, Muslims seek purifications of the soul and a deepened connection with the divine — finding strength and solace in the collective journey of faith.

Despite their distinct cultural expressions and theological nuances, Easter, Passover and ramadan converge on the shared terrain of universal values and aspirations. Across these sacred seasons, the themes of renewal, redemption and hope serve as bridges that

Jerry Kremer’s good heart, I fear, is overly generous for our current moment (“Washington: where bipartisanship goes to die,” April 11-17). His desire for bipartisanship is currently unfashionable, not only in Washington but right here in Massapequa. Our former honorable representative and gentleman, Peter King, is now willing to pronounce on the political qualifications of mourners attending services for an NYPD officer lost in action.

The lawbreaking, felon-praising Donald Trump is noted for his “dignity” at Jonathan Diller’s memorial, while a rumor of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s being snubbed is pandered. Other notable Democrats are named and shamed with King’s party’s “anti-police” canard. Thus was Diller’s memorial stained with gratuitous my-partisanship. Bipartisanship is often a corpse, Mr. Kremer, before it departs for Washington.

BrIAN KEllY Rockville Centre

King praises Trump for attending a funeral

unite humanity in its quest for transcendence and meaning.

In the tapestry of diversity, we find unity in our shared humanity, transcending the boundaries of creed and nationality. As we reflect on the timeless messages of these three observances, let us embrace the richness of our religious heritage, and celebrate the mosaic of traditions that adorn the fabric of our collective existence.

In the face of adversity and uncertainty, these sacred days remind us of the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of faith to sustain us through life’s trials.

Together, let us embrace unity in diversity, forging bonds of understanding and compassion that transcend the barriers of ignorance and prejudice. And may we find strength in our shared humanity, and hope in the process of a brighter tomorrow.

As the spring sun rises, let us embark on a journey of spiritual renewal and communal solidarity, guided by the timeless wisdom of Easter, Passover and ramadan. In this tapestry of diversity, may we weave a future of peace, justice and harmony for generations to come.

breaking death of an NYPD hero”: As the proud daughter and sister of New York City policemen, I was outraged to read King’s praise of Donald Trump attending Jonathan Diller’s funeral. To say that Trump had “great dignity and respect” is a joke.

Of course the death of Officer Diller was a tragedy, and we all mourn him and

pray for his family. But where was Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, when the Capitol Police were being beaten and maimed by the insurrectionists while trying to defend the Capitol? Now Trump is saying that these thugs are “hostages” — and appearing at the funeral of this fallen officer was just part of his dog-and-pony show, as usual. The men and women in

opinions

The silent killer of New York’s economy

as a proud representative of the great state of New York, I am deeply concerned about the ominous threat posed by the alarming trend of outmigration. The recent revelation by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Heather Briccetti Mulligan, president and chief executive of the Business Council of New York State, in an op-ed in the Daily News, sheds light on a crisis silently eroding the foundations of our state’s economic prosperity.

amid the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, New York lost 1 in every 100 personal income tax filers to outmigration, a rate four times higher than the prepandemic average.

The numbers are stark and undeniable.

Between July 2020 and 2023, New York recorded a loss of over 533,000 residents, a staggering exodus that directly impacts the state’s tax base. The personal income tax, the lifeblood of our revenue stream, has suffered a tangible blow. In 2020,

While the outmigration rate slowed in 2021, the departure of high-income earners and married tax filers remained troublingly high. The repercussions are profound, as our state continues to lead the nation in population decline for the third consecutive year, with over 101,000 residents leaving the Empire State in the year ending July 2023.

whas been said that there will be imminent proposals in the One House budgets that will look to punish highincome earners even further.

e’ve

lost hundreds of thousands of residents, and with them crucial tax revenue.

Why should New Yorkers be deeply concerned? Because personal income tax constitutes the state’s largest share of tax revenue, contributing over $60 billion to its coffers in 2021. High-income earners, comprising a mere 1.6 percent of filers but accounting for 44.5 percent of the total liability, wield an outsized influence on our revenue stream. To make matters worse, it

Letters

Washington were heroes, and he shows them absolutely no respect, or remorse for what happened to them.

I stand with former Washington, D.C., Police Officer Michael Fanone, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and all of those who worked so hard to defend our democracy.

ANNE DAlY Long Beach

I’m not praising Hochul for giving us our money back

To the Editor:

Upon learning that Gov. Kathy Hochul had decided to “allow” state school funding to remain status quo, I sent the following sentiments to my Board of Education as well as lobbyist/membership organizations that advocate for school boards, including the Nassau-Suffolk and New York State school boards associations.

The crime of this state aid funding game is that districts ran around in a frenzy and a state of panic for the past six weeks, each looking to make changes and cuts, all for nothing! This disturbing yearly exercise of dangling money like a carrot is getting old and tiresome. A new method must be put in place, immediately.

Perhaps it’s as simple as educating district boards with the understanding that they can run their budgets like a business. Not only can they, they

should! We are the fiduciary stewards of the taxpayers’ money. l et’s teach boards to be fiscally responsible.

The issue with most administrations, which is no fault of their own, is that they don’t earn the money they’re in charge of. Our schools are multi-million-dollar businesses, and there’s a very different understanding of how to spend money when you’re responsible for generating the business and chasing down the receivables. When you’re responsible for making payroll, and paying worker’s comp, insurance and all other fixed costs each week, you spend differently. When fixed costs rise, they eat into your profits, but in the educational world we just raise everyone’s taxes and ask for more. The mindset is vastly different.

The long and short of it is that the entire state just spent six weeks of budget season — the busiest time of year, when we’re planning for next year — wasting time, energy, manpower and productivity, only to be told, don’t worry, you really do have the money. It is counterproductive, cruel, bad business and a cycle that has become accepted by all! We succumb to this every year, praising the governor for giving us our money back.

Our leadership at the state level — the education commissioner, Board of Regents members and elected officials on both sides of the aisle — needs to start having hard conversations with the governor’s office about their modus operandi. This disaster needs to stop.

Any successful businessperson

The exodus is not confined to individuals; it has infiltrated the financial sector, a vital pillar of New York’s economic prowess. An October report from various institutions revealed that over $933 billion in assets has migrated from New York to other states in the past three years. The financial industry, representing 5 percent of our jobs and 16 percent of our gross domestic product in 2022, is witnessing an alarming erosion, jeopardizing the “multiplier effect” it has on our broader economy.

States like Texas and Florida have become attractive destinations, and siphoned off $9.8 billion in income from New York in 2021 alone. As representatives of the people, we must not turn a blind eye to the voices resonating from all corners of our state. Why wouldn’t

these states become the new destinations to raise families and grow businesses? It’s quite simple: Not having a state income tax, and putting hardworking American first, are attractive ways to draw new residents.

It’s now budget time here in Albany, and as policymakers, we must confront the challenge of maintaining New York’s attractiveness as an affordable place to live and do business. The op-ed by DiNapoli and Mulligan rightly points out the urgency of reducing the burden on businesses, to ensure a ripple effect that resonates positively across our state.

The time for action is now. Our policies must reflect the resolve to address this silent killer of New York’s economy. By fortifying our state’s appeal, by respecting the hard-working citizenry before those that have migrated here illegally, we can stem the tide of outmigration, preserving our vibrant communities and securing a prosperous future for all New Yorkers.

Ari Brown represents the 20th Assembly District.

Framework by Nicole Formisano

understands that when an organization is kept in constant crisis mode, it affects every operation. The perma-crisis in which this administration keeps our education system is slowly killing public education. So I’m not thankful that the governor let us “keep” our taxpayers’ money.

Personally I’m disgusted, and I’m waiting

for those who can to advocate for real change.

MARGARET MARCHAND President, Locust Valley Board of Education Founder, Coalition of New York State School Boards

Anticipating the show in the sky on April 8 — Watertown, New York