Syosset–Jericho Tribune 1/04/23 edition is published weekly by Anton Media Group.

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Camp Jacobson Fights To Return

perameters. It should be noted there is no written proof of this interaction.

JENNIFER CORR

David Levy, the board president of Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center, and David Black, the executive director of Sid Jacobson JCC, sent out a letter to families that enjoy the center’s Camp Jacobson day camp on a 14.27 acre property in Brookville, stating that the camp would not be open for the summer of 2023 because the Village of Brookville filed a motion with the Supreme Court of New York to force the cease of operations on the property.

Parents, including Stephanie Small, were devastated. “I didn’t know there were any potential issues or it never even crossed my mind that this would be something that would happen,” Small said. “The camp is a really special place and it’s a place where my son loved to be and to go, and I was excited to send my daughter this summer also.” Small said she especially appreciated how her son was treated with fellow campers in the summer of 2020 after months of quarantining. She said counselors displayed empathy towards the children’s needs, especially after the traumatic experience of being a child during a pandemic.

“It was a travesty for many and a shock for many,” Black said. “It was very sad for many because of the relationships they’ve had... We were a very family oriented, close knit, joyful experience for our children as well as the families who came to us.”

Black explained the camp’s legal troubles began, allegedly, with the village several years after the camp was established.

“We asked to widen the driveway,” Black said, explaining that it was a safety matter. “Because it’s essentially a culvert, and buses and ambulances were not able to navigate it as well as we would have liked.”

Multiple public hearings were held on the camp’s request to widen the driveway, as well as to add features including additional bunks, restrooms and classrooms, and kitchen, dining hall, water supply, sanitary system and draining improvements.

During the hearings, nearby residents to the camp worried that the widened driveway would cause additional traffic and other safety concerns, and concerns

were expressed that the noise from the camp impacts their quality of life. It was also questioned if the camp met the zoning requirements of being a religious and educational institution, and if emergency services could work around the narrow driveway. The Village of Brookville Board of Appeals, after receiving from the JCC a survey of the camp property, a survey of the driveway, a site map, plans for the driveway re-design, a memorandum in support of the decision and a full environmental assessment form, voted down the extension of the driveway and other improvements in 2017.

The JCC tried to annul the decision against the Zoning Board, and eventually ended up ceasing the preschool ran on the property because it wasn’t able to continue the program without the renovations.

On Aug. 22, 2022, the Village of Brookville enforced its zoning code by obtaining a permanent injunction preventing the JCC from operating a summer camp and daycare on the property. According to court documents, the Village of Brookville argued that the Day School and Camp operated by JCC does not qualify as a religious or educational use, and that the JCC’s camp operation is recreational, not academic in nature, both of which would, according to the Village of Brookville, violate its zoning codes.

“The village’s zoning board of appeals

found that the summer camp use of the subject property was not permitted by the village’s zoning ordinance or by any conditional use,” John M. Chase, the attorney for the Village of Brookville wrote to the Syosset Jericho Tribune. “Thereafter, the Supreme Court, Nassau County held, and the Appellate Division, second Department confirmed, that the JCC is not a religious organization or educational institution which would be entitled to deferential zoning treatment under NY law, and therefore the operation of its summer camp at this location was in violation of the village’s zoning regulations... Irrespective of these court determinations, the JCC has continued to operate the summer camp in violation of the village’s zoning regulations leaving the village with no alternative but to now seek injunctive relief from the court. The village is compelled to enforce its zoning regulations in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of its residents, including the neighboring property owners whose quiet use and enjoyment of their properties and quality of life have been adversely impacted by the JCC’s illegal use.”

Black explained that representatives of JCC sat down with Brookville Mayor Daniel Serota to explain that the camp would operate in the parameters that the village would give them, but Serota and the village, according to the JCC, never gave those

“There are many diverse institutions, such as LIU, NYIT, Nassau County BOCES, AHRC and several places of worship that call Brookville home and the village and these private interests have co-existed for decades,” Kim Devlin, spokesperson for the Village of Brookville, responded, in part, to the Syosset Jericho Tribune. “To that end, the village spent years trying to work with Camp Jacobson’s leaders to come to a mutually beneficial solution, to no avail, which is very unfortunate for all involved.”

For some background, the former property owner operated a school and summer camp called Robin Hood on the property from 1959 to 2008 before JCC began operating a Jewish preschool and summer day camp program on the property since.

Black referenced past litigation relating to the Village of Brookville Zoning Board of Appeals towards the Robin Hood Camp. In the 1970s, an application to construct a 32 foot X 82 foot pool was denied because the board found no evidence of academic programming.

“Why is simply a mystery... Nobody really knows for sure what their objectives are,” Black said.

However, in 1995, the board granted applications for the swimming pool and other structures.

Camp Jacobson is not going down without a fight.

Attorney Michael H. Sahn, who is representing JCC, requested a cross motion, a legal pleading or document filed in opposition to a motion filed by a moving party, in November, with the Nassau County Supreme Court. Arguments by Sahn included that; the village’s zoning code violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Person’s Act, which prohibits the imposition of burdens on the ability of prisoners to worship as they please and gives churches and other religious institutions a way to avoid zoning law restrictions on their property use; surrounding non-religious institutions, including the Tam O’Shanter Country Club, North Shore Equestrian Center and Long Island University operate outdoor recreation activities; among other arguments.

As for the latest updates on the cross motion; the village has until Jan. 4 to file opposition papers, and the JCC has until Jan. 25 to file reply papers, if it so chooses. Then the motion will be fully submitted for decision by the court.

The attorney, Sahn, said he’d be surprised if there was a decision on the motion before April 1. The court may also want to hear oral argument, which could delay a decision as well.

Sid Jacobson JCC was a special place for many of its campers. (Photo courtesy Sid Jacobson JCC)

Town Appoints New Highway Superintendent

The Latest From The Jericho Union Free School District Board Of Education

MADISON KANE

editors@antonmediagroup.com

On Thursday Dec. 22, the Jericho Union Free School District held their monthly Board of Education meeting.

The Town of North Hempstead is proud to announce the appointment of Douglas Schlaefer, an experienced Highways employee and public servant, as the Town’s new Highway Superintendent. The Town Board approved the appointment at its December 15 board meeting after Mr. Schlaefer was selected after a thorough search process that included the consideration of 22 applicants from the region.

ing the opportunity to spend time at the parks, performed at Disney Springs as individual performing groups. Dr. Sherman said, “They were incredible. They glowed. It was beyond heartwarming.”

“The behavior of the students was incredible,” she added.

tinue for the balance of the year. We are really excited about it and we can just see it with the number of students purchasing lunch…We look forward to the board visiting the cafeteria at the end of January/beginning of February.”

exam administered by Nassau County. Additionally, Mr. Schlaefer served as the Chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Commissioner of Public Works, and Superintendent of Highways for the Village of Manorhaven.

“I love this Town and am extremely proud to have been presented with such an extraordinary opportunity,” said Douglas Schlafer. “It will be my honor to serve as Highway Superintendent, and I look forward to serving the entire North Hempstead community.”

Mr. Schlaefer has 31 years of experience working for the Town of North Hempstead, and during that time he cultivated extensive knowledge regarding

The meeting began with a moment of silence for the loss of two former employees of the district. Victor Manuel, Assistant Superintendent of Business Affairs, then began to talk about the recent trip that 130 high school students went on to Disney World. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Ivy Sherman, then summarized the trip, as she was a chaperon for the time being. Students, besides hav-

The next item of conversation was the new school food service provider, Aramark, that was brought in early December. The purpose of changing the food provider was to include more variety and fresh fruits and vegetables in the lunch options. About three or four weeks in, a lot of positive feedback was being heard. 1,089 lunches were served on Tuesday, Dec. 20, which broke the record for most school lunches served in a day. Victor Manuel said, “The variety that’s there and will con-

the operations of the Town’s Highway Department. Mr. Schlaefer held the top civil service title in the department, Highway Maintenance Supervisor II, after recording the highest score on the civil service

Manuel, in place of Superintendent Hank Grishman due to his absence, read a letter to Mr. Grishman and the board on behalf of Allison Edelman, the President of the Jericho Joint PTA Council. The letter entailed information that summed up the council’s December meeting, including distribution of new Jericho apparel, life skill classes setting up a pen pal program, and a presentation from Dr. Patrick Fogarty, Director of Educational Technology, about password protection, online security, school accounts and more.

“During Mr. Schlaefer’s long career, he has demonstrated extensive knowledge and skill regarding the daily operations of the Town’s Highway Department,” said Council Member Veronica Lurvey. “He was eminently qualified, and we are excited to have him take the lead as Superintendent of Highways for the Town.”

Jericho High School’s own Student Council Presidents, Ruby Shanker and Patrick Zhao, briefly explained some of the events that have been going on at the school over the course of the month. They spoke about the new school musical, Jericho Talent and Fashion show, high school band concert, the Disney trip for band, orchestra and chorus students, Spanish classes dressed up in Argentinian colors for the win, Poetry out loud, Christmas spirit week, and course information night.

and efficient as an employee of the Town of North Hempstead, but he has a wonderful track record of success as Commissioner of Public Works and Superintendent of Highways for the Village of Manorhaven as well,” said Council Member Peter Zuckerman. “He undoubtedly possesses the knowledge necessary to succeed in this role, and we are fortunate to have him as our new Superintendent of Highways.”

“I had the opportunity to work with Doug prior while I served as the Town’s Director of Operations,” said Council Member Robert Troiano, Jr. “He proved to be a valuable asset to the Town. I look forward to all he will accomplish for our residents as our Highway Superintendent.”

“Not only has Doug proven to be effective

Jill Citron, member of the Board of Education, called upon Manuel to discuss the new property tax exemption for low income senior citizens and people with disabilities in Nassau County. The county asks school districts if they want to sign on for the same exemption. If they

would like to do so, they would need to have done so by Jan, 2. Jericho currently has 37 residents that fall under the category that meets the need for the exemption, who, on average, make $37K per year. What this resolution does is increase their salary to a range of $50K-$58K per year. Manuel said “What we are recommending here is to go along with what the town has already approved and the county has already approved and provide this additional exemption for our low income senior citizens that live in Jericho and for our persons with disabilities that live in Jericho as well.”

“Mr. Schlaefer is a life-long resident of the Town of North Hempstead, which is an invaluable attribute that will serve him well in this new role,” said Council Member Mariann Dalimonte. “I am thrilled to have someone with such intimate knowledge of our roadways and the operations of our Highway Department appointed to the position of Highway Superintendent.”

The meeting closed out with Citron reading through the agenda and the resolutions.

—Submitted by the Town of North Hempstead

—Madison Kane is a sophomore at Jericho High School

Cleanup Action Completed At Brownfield Site

Action has been completed to address the contamination related to the Syosset Park Lots 251 and 252 site (“site”) located at 305 Robins Lane, Syosset, Nassau County, under New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP).

$10.3 Million In Grants Awarded To Improve The Health Of Long Island Sound

Top federal and state environmental agencies and officials from New England and New York, including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), recently announced 41 grants totaling $10.3 million to organizations and local governments to improve the environment of Long Island Sound. The grants are matched by $5.8 million from the grantees themselves, resulting in $16.1 million combined total funding for conservation projects in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Cleanup activities were performed by Syosset Park Development, LLC (“applicant”) with oversight provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The applicant has submitted a draft Final Engineering Report (FER) for NYSDEC review which states that cleanup requirements have been or will be achieved to fully protect public health and the environment for the proposed site use.

In all, these Long Island Sound Futures Fund (Futures Fund) 2022 grants will reach 319,000 people through environmental education programs. Water quality improvement projects will prevent 5.3 million gallons of polluted stormwater from flowing into

Highlights of the Site Cleanup: The following activities have been or will shortly be completed to achieve the remedial action objectives.

Long Island Sound waters. The projects will also remove 8,000 pounds of marine debris from the sound shorelines and enhance 215 acres of habitat vital for fish and wildlife.

Funding for the grant program comes from the EPA as part of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS), from the FWS and NFWF. Salesforce, Zoetis, Avangrid Foundation and Covanta have provided other funding.

The LISS initiated the Futures Fund in 2005 through EPA’s Long Island Sound Office and NFWF. The grant program has a strong history of making tangible environmental improvements by supporting people and communities who value the sound and take a direct role in its future. Since its inception, the Futures Fundhas invested $42 million in 570 projects. The program has generated an additional $54 million in grantee match for a total conservation impact of $97 million.

•Site Cover System - The new development will maintain a site cover, which consists of the structures (buildings, pavement, sidewalks) comprising the site development and a onefoot clean soil cover in land-

Projects have opened 119 river miles for fish, restored 811 acres of wildlife habitat, reduced 206 million gallons of stormwater pollution, and engaged more than 5 million people in the protection and restoration of the sound.

term management of residual contamination as required by the Environmental Easement, including plans for: Institutional and Engineering Controls; monitoring; operation and maintenance; and reporting.

scaped areas. The soil cover will be placed over a demarcation layer, with the upper six inches of the soil of sufficient quality to maintain a vegetation layer.

“In this time of climate change, it is more important than ever toempower local communities toincrease the resilience of their rivers and coastal habitatsfor the safety of their citizens and health of fish and wildlife,” said Kyla Hastie, Acting Northeast Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.“The projects funded today willreducefloodingand storm damage, boost water quality, and increase educational andrecreational opportunities, particularly for historically disadvantaged communities. At the same time, migratory fish willregain access to spawning

• Development of a Site Management Plan (SMP) for long-

Districtwide Winter Coat Drive A Success

Nassau County Legislator

The drive, which ran from Nov. 18 to Dec. 21, was similarly successful at its Syosset Public Library location.

“I will never cease to be awestruck by the tremendously generous spirit that is found in the hearts of my friends and neighbors in the 16th Legislative District,” Legislator Drucker said. “Thank you to our wonderful partners at the Jericho and Syosset Libraries - and most importantly, each and every person who made a donation - for stepping up to give the gift of warmth to deserving families in our area this winter.”

—Submitted by the office of Legistlator Drucker

•An Environmental Easement was recorded to prevent future exposure to any contamination remaining at the site and to ensure implementation of the SMP.

Next Steps: When NYSDEC approves the FER, it will be made available to the public. NYSDEC then will issue a Certificate of Completion (COC) that will be announced in a fact sheet. In addition, the applicant will be eligible for tax credits to offset a portion of the costs of performing cleanup activities and for redevelopment of the site.

Site Description: The 39-acre Syosset Park Lots 251 and 252 site is located at 305 Robbins Lane on the northeast corner of the intersection of Miller Place (Long Island Expressway North Service Road) and Robbins Lane. The site has been recently developed into a large warehouse surrounded by paved and landscaped areas.

grounds,andwildlife at risk from rising seas, like saltmarsh sparrow, will benefit.”

The site is currently zoned light industrial and has been remediated to the commercial soil cleanup objective standards.

Additional site details, including environmental and health assessment summaries, are available on NYSDEC’s Environmental Site Remediation Database (by entering the site ID, C13002) at www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8437. html.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said,“The Long Island Sound is a cherished natural resource in New York State, providing important nursery habitat for marine life, migratory birds, and wildlife, while supporting diverse economic, recreational, and environmental benefits to local residents.DEC is proud to partner with the Long Island Sound Futures Fund to advance initiatives that support critical habitat restoration, water quality improvement, and community outreach. We congratulate all the awardees and look forward to the continued progress towards the implementation of these projects.”

—Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency

—Submitted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The site location. (Photo courtesy the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)

Arnold W. Drucker (D - Plainview) visited the Jericho Public Library on Dec. 20 to thank Jericho Public Library Director Angela Cinquemani and PR/Program Coordinator Phyllis Cox for their partnership in Legislator Drucker’s highly successful districtwide winter coat and clothing drive for the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.

More than 15 bags of coats, hats, gloves and scarves were donated by Jericho Public Library patrons.

(Photo submitted by the Office of Legislator Arnold W. Drucker)

Highway Superintendent Doug Schlaefer, (Photo submitted by the Town of North Hempstead)

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

To place an item in this space, send information two weeks before the event to editors@antonmediagroup.com.

SUNDAY, JAN. 8

In-Person Defensive Driving School

From 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., there will be a defensive driving class offered at the Jericho Public Library Meeting Room, 1 Merry Lane. Completion of this program entitles you to a New York State insurance discount and point reduction. Bring your New York State Driver License and a pen to class. This course is geared towards all drivers. The cost is $30. No refunds unless the class is canceled. You must register in person. One check for each person payable to “It is Well Driving School,” must be submitted when signing up. Bring your lunch. For more information, visit jericholibrary.org.

Echoes Of Sinatra

Enjoy this afternoon concert as the performer pays tribute to the legendary Frank Sinatra at the Syosset Public Library Theater, 225 S Oyster Bay Road, from 1 to 2:15 p.m. There will be stories and songs that will bring attendees back to the golden era. This show captures the emotion and the sound of this unique period where swing was king. The concert is co-sponsored with the Town of Oyster Bay’s 2022-2023 Distinguished Artist Concert Series. Registration is required. Visit syossetlibrary.org to learn more.

THURSDAY, JAN. 12

In-Person: Seniors Of Syosset Drop-In Funded through New York State Office for the Aging, Seniors of Syosset is a Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Program. The program will offer social work support, community health nursing, volunteer-based transportation to local medical appointments and shopping and other activities and services, including some at the Syosset Public Library, 225 S Oyster Bay Road, where this event is taking place from 1:45 to 3:30 p.m. Whether you are a senior in need of support, someone who wants to volunteer helping the community, or just someone who wants to learn more, drop in and get involved. For more information, visit syossetlibrary.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 13

Trisolaran aliens and the rise and fall of both civilizations. Its English edition won the 73rd Hugo Award for Best Novel. The Dark Forest is the second book in a series of three. Netflix will release “The Three-Body Problem” in 2023. Now is the pefect time to read about this popular, award winning story.

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

Casino Night

TUESDAY, JAN. 31

Afternoon Book Discussion

Join Donna Burger, a readers’ services librarian at Syosset Public Library, for an in-person discussion at the library, 225 S Oyster Bay Road, of the bestselling LibraryReads Pick The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin. Copies of the book will be available at the Circulation Desk one month before the program. No registration is required. The event will begin at 3 p.m.

ONGOING EVENTS:

The Collective Presents Tartuffe by Moliere

In-Person:

A Chinese Book Discussion: The Dark Forest

By Liu Cixin

Sunnie Zhang is a columnist who loves reading, food and travel. She will be leading a book discussion on The Dark Forest in Chinese at the Jericho Public Library Meeting Room, 1 Merry Lane, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Copies of the book will be available in Chinese at the Circulation Desk. Book description: The Three-Body Problem is a science fiction series about the communication and fight between humans on Earth,

Midway Jewish Center, 330 South Oyster Bay Road in Syosset, is hosting a Casino Night at 7:30 p.m. with games like a Texas Hold’em Tournament. Buy tickets in advance for $85 ($150 in chips) through Jan. 13. Prices at the door are $95, which will get you $100 in chips. Checks payable to MJC Sisterhood, or Venmo @MJCSisterhood. All proceeds will benefit MJC. More details will follow. Enjoy dinner, drinks, dessert, music and raffles. For more information, visit mjc.org.

Introducing the first show of the new year for The Collective: Tartuffe by Moliere at the Cultural Arts Playhouse, 170 Michael Dr. in Syosset. Come let this dynamic cast of 11 transport you to Tartuffe’s world. Tartuffe is a scoundrel who, professing extreme piety, is taken into the household of Orgon, a wealthy man. Under the guise of of ministering to the family’s spiritual and moral needs, he almost destroys Orgons family from the inside out. See what made King Louis XIV ban this play. Experience the comedic words of one of the greatest writers in all of world literature. Performances will take place on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m., Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $23. Visit www.culturalartsplayhouse.com to buy tickets.

Try your luck at Midway Jewish Center’s Gambling Night. (Photo courtesy Khancs12 via Wikimedia Commons)

Look Who’s One

UBS Arena celebrates its first-year milestone

ANTON MEDIA GROUP STAFF

specialsections@antonmediagroup.com

Happy Birthday UBS Arena, the venue that was made for music and built for hockey. The state-of-the-art arena at Belmont Park in Elmont opened in November 2021 and has already welcomed numerous top artists including Sebastian Maniscalco, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, TWICE, The Eagles, John Mayer, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone. Here are some of the highlights and successes the venue has had to date.

• Programming at UBS Arena has spanned a wide variety of genres including Latin, rock, pop, rap, R&B, K-pop, country, comedy, additional sports (wrestling, college basketball, figure skating) along with family show programming. With more than 100 events hosted in the first year, grossing more than $60 million, highlights include two Harry Styles concerts within the first six months of operation— both of which were immediate sellouts, along with an additional 16 full-house shows.

• Guest experience at UBS Arena is the highest priority, always evolving to make sure fans are provided a world class experience through service and amenities. One of the biggest successes of the year is the integration of the train via LIRR onto the campus. Elmont-UBS Arena, the first new LIRR Station built in nearly 50 years, offers fans the opportunity to have direct access to the venue. The station opened just ahead of the building’s official grand opening last year, but the unlocking of two-way service at the station began in early October 2022. This provides fans both eastbound and westbound service across the LIRR network to get to and from the venue. Various direct lines have access to the arena, including a 30-minute train ride from Penn Station and a 10-minute ride from Jamaica.

• The unveiling of the arena’s three sensory rooms this summer helps provides accommodation to those that have family service and sensory needs so that everyone can experience the enjoyment of live entertainment. Outside the venue, on-site improvements include the opening of the new Belmont Park garage that features park assist and Find My Car kiosks, expanded car lanes to aid with traffic flow, as well as electric vehicle trams to provide shuttle transportations support. The expansion of the venue’s food and beverage program leading into the anniversary included bolstering the selection of locally inspired fare along with adding family-friendly options while also elevating stadium fan favorites.

• Sustainability has been an important part of the venue’s legacy. To help offset the building’s environmental impact, UBS Arena has achieved carbon neutrality for all scope one and two emissions from operations. Through the purchase of carbon and renewable energy credits, the arena has reached this milestone two years ahead of schedule. This milestone makes the venue the first arena to do this on the eastern seaboard. UBS Arena is a Founding Circle Member of GOAL (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership), a program that provides venues with clear guidelines to minimize negative environmental impact while amplifying social impact.

New York’s newest premier entertainment and sports venue and home of the New York Islanders was developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders and Jeff Wilpon. The venue will host more than 150 major events annually, while delivering an unmatched live entertainment experience including clear sightlines and premier acoustics.

For additional information, visit www.UBSArena.com or @ UBSArena on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Check out www.longislandweekly.com for our chat with Kim Stone, president and executive vice president of Oak View Group East Coast about UBS Arena’s first year.

UBS Arena UBS Arena/Dennis DaSilva

No detail was overlooked with the opening of UBS Arena.

The venue is bright and airy.

The venue is enjoying sold-out events.

The arena is laid out well and is spacious.

A Festive, Beautiful Show Filled With Talent

A review of Eglevsky Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

On Sunday, Dec. 18 I brought my mother with me to watch the Eglevsky Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” at the Tilles Center for Performing Arts in Brookville. She had always told me about how she went to see “The Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center with my grandmother when she was young. And I thought it would be a beautiful thing to bring her with me.

I didn’t know what to expect, as I’ve never watched a ballet before, from what I can remember. But I was absolutely blown away.

The show began with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, led by David Bernard, playing an overture. It really set the tone for the show and brought about lots of anticipation for what’s to come.

What followed was the guests arriving to the Stahlbaum’s home for the annual holiday party. The set design was amazing, and all the dancers that filled the stage brought so much grace, including the children who did an excellent job. Each group, from Clara’s

Friends, to the Party Parents and the Party Children each brought their unique styles to the stage. My favorite part of this scene had to be when Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara’s beloved godfather, presented the Harlequin Doll, played by Omar Rodriguez, the Columbine Doll, played by Della Lin, and the Soldier Doll, played by Thierry Blanchard. I also loved the scene when the Maid, played Mari Takayama and Butler, played by Chris Loeschner danced.

After the party, Clara, played by Briana Laman, comes down with her nutcracker soldier she received from Herr Drosselmeyer, played by Lou Brockman, to sleep on the sofa by the Christmas tree, when the Rats and Mice famously entered, and a battle of the Captain of Soldiers, the Soldiers and the Nutcracker Prince between the Rats, Mice and the Rat King, played by Rodriguez and his Rat King Mini, played by Allison O’Lenick ensues. The sword battle between the Nutcracker Prince and the Rat King was thrilling and excellently choreographed by Maurice Brandon Curry. And I also have to say the effect of the Christmas tree growing in size was excellently done.

After the Nutcracker Prince, played by Ryan Cavaline, becomes just a prince; him and Clara dance beautifully together. “The Dance of the Snowflakes,” follows. It was

absolutely breathtaking, with snow falling on them as they waltzed around the stage. My mom whispered the name of the dance when it came on because she said it is iconic.

During the intermission, my mother and I went outside of the auditorium to discuss the show, and we both loved to see all the little girls attending trying their own ballet moves, inspired by what they saw on stage.

Act Two was also very impressive, beginning with a beautiful and vibrant dance of the Archangels, featuring costumes with colorful lights, and an adorable display by young Angels. The Sugar Plum Fairy, played by Miriam Miller, a soloist of the New York City Ballet, and Cavalier, played by Tyler Angle, a principal of the New York City Ballet, both put on breathtaking solos and duets throughout Act Two. As Clara and the Nutcracker Prince enjoy entertainment from worldly denizens of the “Land of Sweets,” the audience watched multiple performances with worldly inspiration. My favorite had to be the “Arabian” performance by Elisabeth Shim and the Arabian Attendants. I loved the use of the long, blue silk cloth that made it look like Shim was dancing on the sea. My only critique with Act Two as a whole is that I wish more was done with the set of “The Land of Sweets.”

Overall, with reading the synopsis of

“The Nutcracker,” all the dancers perfectly told the story through dance. I was captivated through out the whole show and left feeling delighted. My mother also had a wonderful time and called it a “lovely afternoon.”

And though the production has come to an end, you don’t have to wait a year to catch a show by the Eglevsky Ballet, as the company will be putting on the production of “Cinderella” on May 5 at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. For more information, visit eglevskyballet.org.

Briana Laman as “Clara” and Ryan Cavaline as “The Nutcracker Prince,” (Photo by Eduardo Patino NY)

Reflecting On My 2022 Travels

JENNIFER CORR

This p ast year was the year for going to places whether I’ve been there or not, and whether locally or all across the country.

I started the year by going to the beach a lot, in the winter. I’d try to go once a week to walk around the meditate on the beach, and hopefully I’ll be able to start doing that again this year. Something about the beach in winter, and the cold sea air rushing towards your face, is so refreshing. Plus, you get to see deer roaming around, and some really cool surfers catching some waves.

I took a couple of ski trips in the beginning of the year. I went to Windham Mountain in January with my father and brother, and we stayed in an Airbnb very close to the mountain. My father taught me how to ski starting at threeyears-old, so it’s always special for my father to take us skiing and watch the fruits of his labor. And it certainly came in handy when I went to Windham again in late January, escaping that giant snow storm Long Island had, and taught my boyfriend how to ski in a day. I was really impressed by his ability to do an intermediate trail almost right away, but he did have some snowboarding experience. While there, we also checked out “The World’s Largest Kaleidoscope.”

And in late April, my boyfriend and I went to Philadelphia. I’ve been wanting to go because the other two times I’ve been there I was either to young to remember or it was too hot and my friends wanted to leave. But this time the weather was perfect. My boyfriend and I went to Eastern State Penitentiary to do a tour; we went to Philadelphia’s Magic Garden (which was a magical experience); we overlooked the city on the “Rocky Steps”; tried different snacks at the Reading Terminal Market and acted like kids again at The Franklin Institute.

In May, I went with my brother and friend to Clearwater,

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Editor and Publisher Angela Susan Anton President Frank A. Virga

Vice President of Operations Iris Picone

Florida for a three day weekend to see my great uncle and aunt. The stay was absolutely beautiful and we made the most of it, getting up as early as we can to enjoy every minute of our short time there. I enjoyed the walkable little town, seeing many types of birds and swimming in the crystal clear water. We also went on a buffet cruise and got everyone dancing on the empty dance floor, my brother not included because he doesn’t like to dance. But he did enjoy the food. It was also the first time I’ve seen my great uncle and aunt as an adult, and I’m glad I got to see them.

Before leaving for my big trip in July, my boyfriend and I spent the day at Montauk for a long, heart felt goodbye because I was going to be gone for almost two months. We were there from early in the morning until late at night, ending the day with a fire on the beach.

Then July brought the trip of a lifetime. My friend and I left on July 1, traveling via Amtrak to Erie, PA; Huron, Ohio; Ann Arbor, Mich,; Chicago; Minneapolis; Stanley, ND.; Browning, MO.; Spokane, Wash.; Seattle; Olympic National Park; Eugene, Ore; Napa Valley; Carmel, Calif; Los Angeles; The Grand Canyon; Sedona and Flagstaff, Ariz. The trip felt like another lifetime.

In September, my boyfriend and I celebrated my birthday in Cooperstown, New York, not for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but for the Rail Explorers attraction, which took you through the mountain on a motorized surrey. It was a lot of fun, even with the pouring rain.

This year was certainly one for the books and I look forward to what 2023 has to offer.

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Editors

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Art Director

Catherine Bongiorno

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Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.

A pelican in Clearwater, Florida. Babb, Montana.

Windham Mountain in New York.

(Photos by Jennifer Corr) Smith Point Beach in the winter.

HERE FOR EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY LIFE

At Catholic Health, exceptional medical care and personalized support is inspired by every one of you.

Our Faith puts all your needs and comfort first. So, our innovative medical care is always delivered with unmatched compassion. It’s because we understand that we’re not treating just patients, we’re treating someone’s family, best friend, and neighbors to us all.

Learn more at chsli.org

I Donated A Kidney

BY MINDY DAVIDSON specialsections@antonmediagroup.com

On May 25, I did something that I never would have imagined I’d do, and I would do it again if I could. I donated a kidney altruistically, which means that I donated to a stranger. As much as it has been a life-changer for my recipient (more about him later), it has been life-changing for me as well. I am hoping that someone reading this might feel touched by its content and want to learn more so that people like East Meadow resident, Autumn, can find a donor.

Two years ago, I was asked to watch a video about a former colleague’s cousin who needed a kidney. I was very moved by it. At that time, I was an athletic 60-year-old...a longtime runner and triathlete. My daughter was just beginning her second year in the University of Delaware’s doctor of physical therapy program. I decided to contact the organization that the cousin was working through, to get a little more information. After giving me more background into what a kidney donation process was like, the representative asked that I speak with my daughter. At that point I decided that I really needed to wait until she completed her graduate school program so that she could fully concentrate on that. Over the course of that next year, I kept seeing articles and news stories pop up about kidney donation. I had very casual discussions with my daughter and knew that if and when the time came, she would be fully supportive.

In November of 2021, I was able to start to formally consider becoming a kidney donor. By then, my colleague’s cousin had already been approved for a donation, so I was waiting to see what my next step should be. A couple of months later, my daughter saw an article about a young man needing a donor. I went to the website provided and filled out an informational questionnaire. I soon received a call from Montefiore Hospital. While I was not a match for him, I let them know that I was open to donating to a person in need.

I was lucky to have known several people in the running and triathlon community who were donors and scheduled a Zoom meeting with a few and with my daughter and ex-husband so that they could get a better feel for the process and for what to expect after surgery. It was very helpful for them and relieved some of their anxiety.

I began testing at the beginning of April 2022 and passed the extensive process. A recipient was identified and even lived locally in the Bronx! Surgery was set for May 25. I was so at peace with my decision, I was not even nervous going into surgery. I knew that I was going to be helping to make a difference in someone’s life and that this experience would be a life changer for me as well. Also, I realized, that since both my parents died by suicide (26 years apart) it would be wonderful to give more life to someone. Surgery went well and the recipient immediately responded positively to my donated kidney.

I stayed in the hospital for two nights and then went home. Yes, I did have some discomfort, which is totally expected with major surgery (the surgery was done via laparoscopy) and I did experience nausea and a lack of appetite for two weeks. All was tolerable. They encouraged walks as soon as I was able and I took well advantage of that, starting with about a quarter of a mile and building up. I was able to start cycling and running at three weeks. At four weeks of recovery, I didn’t even feel as if I had ever gone through surgery.

I participated in my first post-surgery 5K in mid-July and completed my first post-surgery sprint triathlon at the end of August.

Most importantly, I felt great physically and I felt a great sense of peace knowing that I had impacted another person and their family. That person, Vu Dang, who moved to the U.S. from Vietnam 30 years ago, feels great. He no longer needs

dialysis, which was part of his life for six years. My daughter and I got to meet him, his wife and his niece at the end of August. It was such a wonderful experience. We continue to email one another weekly.

I write this so that I can raise awareness about live organ donation. It’s a real thing and the impact on the recipient waiting list a testament to it. Currently, there are more than 100,000 people waiting for an organ donation in the U.S. The wait for a kidney is generally five years or more.

ABOUT AUTUMN

She needs a kidney to live. Her health is declining, and she will be starting dialysis any day now. She has been a resident of East Meadow for 33 years and raised her son there. She is a caring person who has always helped others. She helped start a community garden a few years ago to assist those in need. She was unable to continue it this year due to a lack of strength caused by her kidney disease. She lives with her two dogs who depend upon her.

Mindy, Jessy and Vu Dang with his family.

Mindy Davidson

Mindy and Jessy Davidson

January Is National Blood Donor Month

Did you know that every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood? Or that winter months make it extremely difficult to collect the necessary amount of blood and platelets needed to supply hospitals?

This January, the American Red Cross celebrates National Blood Donor Month and recognizes the lifesaving contribution of blood and platelet donors.

National Blood Donor Month has been celebrated each January for nearly 50 years and coincides with one of the most difficult times to maintain a sufficient blood supply for patients.

When it comes to blood and platelet donations, the winter season is often filled with hurdles as blood drives compete with things such as seasonal illnesses and inclement weather. A donation shortfall over the winter holidays has prompted the American Red Cross to issue an emergency call for blood and for platelet donors to give now to prevent a blood shortage from continuing throughout winter and affecting patient care. The Red Cross collected more than 27,000 fewer blood and platelet donations the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s than needed to sustain a sufficient blood supply, as busy holiday schedules kept many donors away.

During this critical time of year, the Red Cross depends on donors to continue to

supply these resources in order to make sure that blood products are available at about 2,500 hospitals nationwide.

Thanks to the generosity of volunteer blood donors, the American Red Cross helps patients receive the blood and platelets needed to battle illness and injury. According to the Red Cross, nearly 2.7 million people in the U.S. volunteer to donate blood and platelets every year. Blood

and platelets are available for distribution to hospitals through the Red Cross 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Blood transfusions are given to patients in all kinds of circumstances, including serious injuries, surgeries, childbirth, anemia, blood disorders, cancer treatments and many others. This consistent demand makes National Blood Donor Month an integral piece of the puzzle. Each day the Red Cross must collect

13,000 pints of blood from across the country to meet the needs of patients. This makes a blood and platelet shortage during the colder months a crucial matter for the Red Cross and the hospitals they serve.

Blood is a perishable product that can only come from generous volunteers. A blood donation takes about an hour from start to finish, but the actual donation itself only takes between 8 to 10 minutes. By spending an hour giving blood, donors can aid their community and help save lives! Each blood and platelet donation can save the lives of as many as three people, so this January be a hero in your community and find the closest blood drive or blood donation center in your area.

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit RedCrossBlood.org to make an appointment. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

—American Red Cross

Covered From Head To Toe

The New Year is the best time of year to finally invest in you. Give yourself the gift that will have you looking and feeling your best and schedule your complimentary consultation with Stephen T. Greenberg, M.D., F.A.C.S. at his Manhattan, Woodbury, Smithtown, Southampton or Boca Raton, FL locations. Don’t just show up this New Year, arrive with a new breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction which many times is combined with liposuction, a tummy tuck or facial procedures such as facelifts and eyelid lifts to achieve the look you have been dreaming of.

With Dr. Greenberg’s Rapid Recovery System, breast, body and facial procedures have patients back to daily routines in 24-48 hours. Body contouring is the solution to reshape those undesirable areas and produce the results you are struggling to achieve at the gym. There are several new and amazing technologies that deliver advanced outcomes to tighten, and lift the skin on the face and body. Dr. Greenberg’s Plasma Face Lift provides greater skin retraction for a more sculpted and defined neck and jawline while his Plasma Lipo produces more dramatic results, achieving firmer and well contoured abdomen, chest, legs, and arms. Many times these procedures are combined with med spa treatments such as the revolutionary Morpheus8 that tightens and tones the face, neck and body as well as CoolPeel that resurfaces and rejuvenates skin, both without downtime.

Dr. Greenberg’s proprietary 24-hour Breast Augmentation System has patients back to daily activities the very next day. “Patients need and want to resume normal activities immediately following surgery. Many people simply do not have time for downtime, this reality has given me the inspiration to offer a true rapid recovery option to my patients,” said Dr. Greenberg. Minimal swelling and bruising coupled with a notably decreased recovery time have resulted in proven patient satisfaction. Dr. Greenberg recognizes the

importance of addressing each person’s unique requirements, goals and objectives, and implements an overall plan (inclusive of diet and exercise), to help achieve both a beautiful look and realistic result. His rapid recovery procedures include mini facelift, micro mini facelift, liposuction and tummy tuck.

Dr. Greenberg has coined his newest and wildly popular procedure combination the Modern Mommy Makeover, which is the perfect combination of breast augmentation

with or without a breast lift, abdominoplasty with or without liposuction and labiaplasty with or without laser vaginal rejuvenation to fully restore a woman’s body after the fluctuations associated with pregnancy and childbirth. If you are looking for a nonsurgical solution this season, a combination of the latest injectables and highly advanced laser options will rejuvenate your face and body and give you a youthful appearance. Now is the optimal time to take advantage of advanced chemical peels which chemically exfoliate damaged skin cells resulting in even skin tone, smooth texture and fabulous, glowing, healthy skin.

Dr. Greenberg has provided beautiful and natural looking results for thousands of men and women from across the globe. He is currently writing his second book as a follow up to A Little Nip, A Little Tuck. His weekly radio show “Nip Tuck Today with Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg” has fans of listeners every Sunday at 10 a.m. on 710 AM radio. Listen live through Dr. Greenberg’s Instagram account @drstephentgreenberg or at 710WOR.iHeart. com.

The correct treatment regimen can help create the ideal you. Dr. Greenberg provides an exceptional experience in a beautiful, safe, caring and supportive environment. There is no better time for a new you than now. Call 516-364-4200 or visit www. GreenbergCosmeticSurgery.com to schedule your complimentary consultation today.

—Greenberg

Preparing Perfect Popcorn

Stay near and play it by ear

There’s nothing like the taste of freshly popped popcorn and nothing like the disappointment of burnt popcorn or too many unpopped kernels. If you’ve ever made popcorn, chances are you’ve bungled a batch. Follow these simple steps and you’ll have nearly perfect popcorn every time. The best tip is to stay near and play it by ear. Literally. The sound of popcorn popping is your best clue as to when it’s ready.

STOVETOP POPCORN TIPS

Step 1: Pour enough vegetable oil to just cover the bottom of a pan, turn on medium high heat. Allow pan to warm. The best popping temperature is between 400 and 460 degrees. Oil burns at 500 degrees. If your oil starts to smoke, it’s too hot.

Step 2: Add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer, shake to coat the kernels with oil, and cover with lid (too many kernels will “blow” the lid).

Step 3: Corn will begin to pop within three minutes. When the popping slows, listen until you can count two seconds between pops. Turn off heat and remove pan from stove-top. Lift the lid to allow steam to escape

away from your face. Steam may burn and remaining kernels may continue to pop.

Step 4: Immediately add herbs, spices or other toppings if desired.

Salting

Pre-salting kernels toughens popcorn. Salt the popcorn after it has been popped— or skip salt altogether and add salt-free spices.

Oil & Butter

You can pop popcorn in any type of oil— sunflower, olive, canola, corn, or coconut— but do not use butter as it will burn under high heat. You may choose to drizzle melted butter on your popcorn after popping.

General Measure Rule

One ounce of unpopped popcorn equals a quart popped.

Storage Tips

Without moisture—13.5 percent to 14 percent per kernel is needed—popcorn can’t pop. That’s why it’s important to store popcorn correctly. An entire percentage of moisture can be lost if your kernels are left uncovered on a hot day. Though that may not sound like a lot, it adds up. A loss of

three percent can render popcorn unpoppable, and even a 1 percent drop in moisture will harm the quality of your kernels. So what’s the best way to store popcorn?

Airtight containers—plastic or glass— are your best bet to avoid moisture loss,

Cosmetic Surgery

especially when stored in a cool place like a cupboard.

Avoid the refrigerator. Some say the cold storage makes the popcorn taste better, but many refrigerators contain little moisture and can dry out kernels.

—Popcorn Board

Dr. Stephen Greenberg

COLUMN

Still No Second Avenue Subway 100 Years Later

This year marked the 100th Anniversary of promised construction of the Second Avenue Subway. All we have is the first phase with three stations running from 63rd to 96th Street opened in January 2016 at a cost of $4.5 billion. In April 2019, then MTA Office of Capital Construction President Janno Lieber claimed that the MTA could save between $500 million to a $1 billion in costs for the proposed Second Avenue Subway Phase 2. This would have reduced the overall tab down to almost $5 billion. Promised cost savings were based upon reduction in excavation for the 125th Street Station and building the 116th Street Station in space no longer needed for other project work. Instead the cost has grown to $6.9 billion,

Under the $51 billion 2020-24 Five-Year Capital Plan, the cost increased by $1 billion. The previous federal share of $2 billion or 33 percent has now been assumed to be 50 percent or $3.4 billion. There is no guarantee that the final cost might end up billions more. This is based upon future advancement of design and engineering, construction contractors responses to the procurement process for contract(s) award followed by change orders during construction due to unforeseen site conditions or last minute changes in scope.

A legal Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment New Starts Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) to fund the Second Ave Subway Phase 2 would cap federal participation at $3.4 billion. This still remains an open question. The MTA would be legally responsible to pay for any cost increases above $6.9 billion. All the FTA has provided to the MTA is permission to advance final design and engineering. The project still faces myriad hurdles. It will cost more than $200 million per block to advance the Second Avenue subway from 96th to 125th Street. Is this a sound investment for commuters and taxpayers? Fully funding the $51 billion MTA 2020-24 Five-Year Capital Plan is dependent upon receipt of $15 billion generated by Congestion Toll Pricing. There is no guarantee that this will be implemented until January 2024, which would be four years later than previously assumed. The most critical issue to be resolved is identifying and securing the $3.5 billion local share toward the total project cost. It is a basic legal requirement. This is needed to leverage future FTA capital funding under an approved FFGA to support advancement of the project. The MTA must also demonstrate that they have the financial capacity to pay for any unanticipated cost increases or funding shortfalls. How do they do this when we just learned that the agency now faces a multi-year, multi-billion dollar financial shortfall?

Final design and engineering is underway, but far from complete. More time is still needed for completion of all business

relocation, real estate acquisition and private property easement rights. Agreements with New York City and various owners of underground utilities including water, sewer, gas, electric, steam and cable need to be finalized before being ready to commence construction. It is anybody’s guess how long it will take the MTA to successfully resolve all of the above. This will not be a shovel-ready project tor federal funding until these critical tasks are done. This is necessary to convince the FTA to approve a Capital Investment Grant New Starts FFGA for financing. At the current rate of project progress, the FFGA may not be approved for another year or more.

It is a fair question to ask if spending $3.4 billion in MTA local funding for the purchase of hundreds of new buses and subway cars, upgrading out-of-date signal systems on several lines increasing the number of subway stations to be ADA-accessible and securing the subway system from future Super Storm Sandys are better investments of financial resources than advancing the Second Avenue subway. Reaching a state of good repair accompanied by safe and reliable service would benefit far more riders. It should be a higher priority than system expansion.

Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer, who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for the MTA, NYC Transit, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road, MTA Bus along with 30 other transit agencies in NY & NJ.

Larry Penner

WORD FIND

HOROSCOPES

By Holiday Mathis

Mathis

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re exible and free as you rush in the direction of an exciting dream. Nobody can stand in your way because you’re not on a narrow path that only ts a few travelers at a time. Your path is as wide as a eld and so scarcely populated it would be nearly impossible for anything or anyone to block you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Even the relationships that seem like they should happen naturally will take work, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Relationships are held together by the honoring of contracts, spoken and unspoken. Most of the work is just doing what it takes to ful ll an expectation, or more likely, in your case, exceed it.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Before you gure out your own way of doing a thing, it’s normal to do an imitation of what you believe the part entails. In time you’ll settle into the version that’s all you. Until then, take note of when you feel like you’re enacting a characterization. Keep trying things until you get comfortable making it yours.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It can be seriously detrimental to give your trust to the wrong person, for the wrong reason or at an ill-timed moment. So if you’re not sure who you can trust and you opt to trust no one, it just might be among your luckiest moves. Let people prove themselves rst, and in the meantime, work toward self-su ciency.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It’s di cult to adjust expectations you don’t even realize you have. Disappointment can be a gift -- a chance to investigate what you thought it would be before you knew better. ere’s a creative opportunity here, too. Mine the magic in your naive vision. What would it take to make your original hopes come to life?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You make powerful choices when you know your own rules and live by them. If you have too many options, you don’t really have any because you’ll walk away instead of deciding. Narrow it down to ve. It doesn’t matter which ve. Any ve will teach you your criteria and get you in the decision-making mode.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You are not inclined toward comfortable complacency. Playing a bigger game means you’re wrong more often, and you’ll know more stress than those who live in a small bubble of certainty. Your courage and persistence will be rewarded. You’ll learn more because there’s more to learn.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re an expert strategist, and whatever game you put your head into, be it business, love, politics or Scrabble, you’ll come up with a brilliant plan. It’s sometimes wise to play theoretically, as many plans aren’t worth the energy it would take to execute them. Success depends on knowing what to act on.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ve put e ort into relationships, and you’ll enjoy the fruits of it this week. People you can communicate well with are the treasures of your life. When you can say everything with a shared look, it’s a true connection. Of course, this kind of mind reading is made possible through dozens of prior conversations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You know an array of people with a full range of energy styles. e overachievers teach you the prizes and cost of ambition, and the laid-back individuals demonstrate the pleasures and perils of relaxation. You’ll settle into the groove that comforts and challenges you in equal measure.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re friendly and compassionate. You’re not looking for obvious or constant rewards for your every action. Still, “What’s in it for me?” is a good question to keep asking yourself this week. Whatever is in it for you, self-respect must be included in the bene ts package, or it’s not worth your time.

THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS

You’ll get what you want for two excellent reasons. First, you want something that is good for more than just you. Second, you gure out the correct exchange for it. Your team will win because of your e orts. Whether it’s your turn or you’re cheering on the others, your contribution is priceless and appreciated. Instead of striving for happiness, you’ll achieve it as a side e ect of an adventurous challenge. Don’t overthink, just go; you’ll discover you have greater faculty than you’d imagined.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CREATORS.COM

INTERNATIONAL WORD FIND

Adelaide

Solution: 18 Letters

WORD FIND

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have completed the puzzle, there will be 18 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Adelaide

Solution: 18 Letters

Inc.

Cavan

Churches

Crafers

Downs

Dry Creek East Elizabeth Enfield Fair Fitzroy Fulham Hilton Hove Joslin Klemzig

Kudla Largs Bay MacDonald Park Marden Moana Ottoway Pinera Seaford Semaphore Show

Kudla Largs Bay MacDonald Park Marden Moana Ottoway © 2023 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate

Skye Soil Sturt Taperoo Unley Urrbrae Walks Woodville South

Woodville South Solution: The city of festivals Date: 1/4/23 Creators Syndicate 737 3rd Street Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 info@creators.com

© 2023 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

Solution: The city of festivals

Date: 1/4/23 Creators Syndicate

737 3rd Street Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 info@creators.com

declarer went down two after a second club finesse failed. Had East returned the king of hearts instead, declarer would have made the contract.

The Rule of Eleven can be applied whenever a player is thought to be leading the fourth-best card of a suit. Here, East had every reason to believe that West’s opening lead was his fourth-best spade. Since West’s lead was the five, East subtracted that number from 11, which in turn told him that the North, East and South hands combined had six cards in spades higher than the five West led.

applied the rule. West led the spade five against three notrump, declarer taking East’s jack with the ace. South then led the ten of clubs, losing to East’s jack, and the outcome now hinged on whether East returned a spade or switched to the king of hearts.

The heart shift was indeed very tempting, but East, thoroughly versed in the Rule of Eleven, returned a spade. As a result,

East could see three spades higher than the five in his own hand and two higher than the five in dummy. He was thus able to deduce, according to the Rule, that South had only one spade higher than the five, which turned out to be the ace South played at trick one. Consequently, East knew that a spade return to dummy’s king at trick three would establish West’s remaining spades.

Note that declarer can also make use of the Rule of Eleven. In the actual deal, South can work out, in the same way, that East has three spades higher than the five West led, but this information does not help him in the present case. He must go down if East defends correctly, and there is nothing he can do about it.

Weekly Sudoku Puzzle

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New York State and local laws prohibit

because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, familial status, age, marital status, sexual orientation or disability in connection with the rental, sale or financing of real estate. Nassau also prohibits source of income discrimination. Anton Community Newspapers does not knowingly accept advertising in violation of these laws. When you suspect housing discrimination, call Long Island Housing Services’ Discrimination Complaint Line at 800660-6920. (Long Island Housing Services is the Fair Housing Agency of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.)

SYOSSET

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Plaintiff AGAINST Eva Marie Ponce as Executrix and Beneficiary under the Last Will and Testament of Hipolito C. Ponce; et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered September 30, 2022 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 18, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 400 South Marginal Road, Jericho, NY 11753. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Jericho, in the Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section: 11 Block: 430 Lot: 28. Approximate amount of judgment $359,788.75 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 008859/2016. The auction will be conducted pursuant to the COVID-19 Policies Concerning Public Auctions of Foreclosed Property established by the Tenth Judicial District. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine.”

Daniel Baker, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro Barak, LLC

Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: November 18, 2022 For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832

1-4-2023; 12-28-21-14-20224T-#236199-SYO/JER

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LSY BK LLC Arts. Of Org. filed with Secy. Of State of N.Y.(SSNY) on 11/28/22. Office location: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 107 Saddle Ridge Lane, Woodbury NY 11797 which is also the principal business location. Purpose: any lawful activity.

1-18-11-4-2023; 12-28-2114-2022-6T-#236309SYO/JER

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated September 30, 2022, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION is the Plaintiff and ALTHEA M. TRAVIS, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on January 24, 2023 at 2:30PM, premises known as 66 HUMPHREY DRIVE, SYOSSET, NY 11791: Section 15, Block 23, Lot 53: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT SYOSSET, (UNINCORPORATED AREA) TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 019162/2010. Rita Solomon, 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 ACORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.

1-11-4-2023;12-28-21-20224T-#236281-SYO/JER

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT: NASSAU COUNTY. BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF H. CLUB HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Pltf. vs. JOSEPH DEFALCO, JR., et al, Defts. Index #601428/2020.

LEGAL

9243. Approx. amt. of judgment is $16,024.73 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provided by law. Foreclosure auction will be held “rain or shine.” If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the auction.

LAWRENCE M. SCHAFFER, Referee. JAY L. YACKOW, Attys. for Pltf., 355 Post Avenue, Ste. 201, Westbury, NY. #99928 1-18-11-4-2023; 12-28-212022-5T-#236283-SYO/JER

LEGAL NOTICE

E, Syosset, NY 11791. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 18 Park Dr. E, Syosset, NY 11791. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

1-25-18-11-4-2023; 12-28-21-2022-4T-#236568SYO/JER

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT MONTHLY MEETING SYOSSET CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, JANUARY 9, 2023

Drive, Mineola, NY 11501, County of Nassau, State of New York, at 2:00 PM the premises described as follows:

2 Copperfield Lane Old Brookville, NY 11545 SBL No: 22- K -02300

ALL THAT TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND situate in the Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau, State of New York.

The premises are sold subject to the provisions of the filed judgment, Index No. 003205/2016 in the amount of $1,264,633.47 plus interest and costs.

Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. John G. Kennedy, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 16-002378 74285 1-25-18-11-4-20234T-#236832-SYO/JER-

LEGAL

NOTICE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKCOUNTY OF NASSAU BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, V. ALTHEA M. TRAVIS, ET AL.

Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Oct. 11, 2022, I will sell at public auction on the north side front steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on January 26, 2023 at 2:00 p.m., prem. k/a 13 Hunt Court, Unit 13, Jericho, NY a/k/a Section 17, Block 18, Lot 13. Said property being at Jericho, Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of NY, known and designated as Lot No. 13 on a certain sub-division map entitled, “Map of The Hunt Club, situated at Jericho, Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York” dated March 31, 1986 and filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on Nov. 24, 1987 as Case No.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU NATIONSTAR HECM ACQUISITION TRUST 2018-1, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE, Plaintiff AGAINST VICTORIA S. ORTIZ, ROLANDO P. ORTIZ, ET AL., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 24, 2020, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on January 24, 2023 at 3:00PM, premises known as 78 BARRY LANE, SYOSSET, NY 11791. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Syosset, Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 15, Block F, Lot 1431. Approximate amount of judgment $846,886.44 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #606948/2019. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction. Foreclosure Auctions will be held “Rain or Shine”. Russell S. Burman, Esq, Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 18-008149 73992

1-11-4-2023; 12-28-21-20224T-#236290-SYO/JER

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice of formation of FAFO 4 LLC, a domestic LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/29/2022. Office location: 18 Park Dr.

There will be a meeting of the Board of Education on Monday, January 9, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in South Woods Middle School, 99 Pell Lane, Syosset, NY.

At that time, the Board of Education will determine whether to go into Executive Session. If there is a need for an Executive Session, the Board will vote to go into Executive Session for the purpose of discussing matters regarding collective bargaining negotiations, the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person and to obtain legal advice regarding proposed, pending or current litigation. If no Executive Session is needed, the Board will recess until the public portion of the Monthly Board of Education Meeting at 8:00 p.m.

The Board of Education will reconvene at approximately 8:00 p.m. for the public portion of the Monthly Board of Education Meeting at South Woods Middle School, 99 Pell Lane, Syosset, NY 11791.

The Syosset Board of Education and Administration welcome you to observe the Board of Education Meeting via livestream broadcast on the District website.

Dated: January 2, 2023, Syosset, NY 1-4-2023-1T-#236625-SYO/ JER

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Plaintriff, CONSTANCE AQUINO, ROBERT J. AQUINO, MONICA AQUINO A/K/A MONICA A. AQUINO, ET AL, Defendant.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT

In pursuance of a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the Office of the County Clerk of Nassau County on August 16, 2019, I, Audra A. Divone, Esq. the Referee named in said Judgment, will sell in one parcel at public auction on February 1, 2023 at The North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court

Foreclosure Auctions will be held Rain or Shine. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the Court Appointed Referee will cancel the foreclosure auction.

Richard S. Mullen Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP Plaintiff’s Attorney 500 Bausch Lomb Place Rochester, NY 14604 Tel.: 855-227-5072 1-25-18-11-4-2023-4T#236635-SYO/JER

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU CIT BANK, N.A., Plaintiff AGAINST HARENDRA SINGH, RUBY SINGH, ET AL.,

Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 10, 2018, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on February 1, 2023 at 2:00PM, premises known as 310 LAUREL LANE, SYOSSET, NY 11791. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Laurel Hollow, in the Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 14, Block 027, Lot 10. Approximate amount of judgment $2,933,483.24 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #006034/2016. The aforementioned auction will be conducted in accordance with the NASSAU County COVID-19 mitigation protocols and as such all persons must comply with social distancing, wearing masks and screening practices in effect at the time of this foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot be maintained or there are other health or safety concerns, then the court appointed referee will cancel the foreclosure auction.

Visit our website at antonmediagroup.com

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Looking Back At January 6

Two years after the historic Capitol insurrection, a quick review of consequences and rhetoric that have followed

ANTON MEDIA GROUP STAFF

editors@antonmediagroup.com

When rioters stormed the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a joint session of Congress was assembled to count electoral votes certifying President-elect Joseph Biden’s victory.

People around the country and world watched, often via social media livestreams picked up by major news networks, as hundreds rushed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where they took selfies and looted in evacuated rooms and left behind a trail of violence and confusion that Americans and their elected officials are still sorting through today.

Two busy years later, some of the outcomes from that day are quite clear. Others are still being processed, and still other effects seem to remain up in the air, almost entirely unsettled. Such is the case nationally, as well as here in Nassau County, which had plenty of its own ties to events that day.

The Facts

Thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump gathered in the nation’s capitol to protest certification of Joe Biden’s election win.

In the aftermath, Congress reconvened to certify the election results. Five people died amid the riot, and more than a hundred law enforcement officers were reportedly injured; several officers also later died of suicide.

Hundreds have since been charged with crimes related to their activities at the Capitol that day, including at least 65 individuals who live in or predominantly frequent New York State, according to NPR and Insider. They also include numerous individuals from Nassau and Suffolk County communities, and several from New York City; many but not all of them are young or middle-aged men.

In October, for example, an East Williston man was charged with multiple crimes in relation to his actions at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. John O’Kelly, an attorney who previously served as a board member at the East Williston School District, was charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors for his actions on Jan. 6, which allegedly include trying to take a police officer’s baton and shoving a barricade into a line of police.

In late December, the congressional committee investigating the Capitol assault voted to recommend that the U.S. Justice Department pursue the prosecution

of former president Trump on four charges, based on the available evidence: Obstruction of an official proceeding; Conspiracy to defraud the United States; Conspiracy to make a false statement; and Inciting, assisting, aiding, or comforting an insurrection. BBC News called the vote to recommend those charges “largely symbolic.”

A number of Nassau County officials were also on hand that historic day, including now-outgoing Congresswoman Kathleen Rice and Congressmen Tom Suozzi, Lee Zeldin, and Andrew Garbarino.

“When people asked if it was as bad as it was on TV, I said it was worse,” Garbarino told Anton Media Group roughly two weeks after the insurrection. “You had a lot of people there demonstrating for whatever reason they believed and you had a couple of hundred people who turned the whole thing into an attack on the Capitol. It’s sad, because these tens of thousands of other people just wanted to be heard. And now, they won’t be, because the assault on the Capitol tainted every concern they had. That’s who I feel bad for—the people who wanted somebody to listen to them. They wanted to be heard. And now, they’ll forever be tainted with this.”

Congressman-elect George Santos, who has become the subject of national scrutiny in recent days over allegedly fabricated core details in his public biography, was also in Washington, D.C. that day. Following his own unsuccessful run for office in 2020 back in New York, Santos attended Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally in D.C.’s presidential park on Jan. 6, 2021, according to Santos, and later claimed that he donated money to bail out arrestees.

The Rhetoric

Using the WayBack Machine, an online archive that takes screen shots of various websites everyday, Anton Media Group was able to see the way different news websites initially reported on the Jan. 6 event.

On the Fox News website, headlines on Jan. 7, 2021 included; “Woman shot during Capitol violence dies as curfew goes into effect; next steps in certification unclear;” “GOP rep who objected to election results condemns protestors breaching Capitol: ‘this is despicable;’” “‘This is a sad day for the country,’ says GOP lawmaker and veteran” and “Trump addresses violence, maintains election was ‘stolen.’”

On the CNN website, headlines on Jan. 7, 2021 included; “Congress to move ahead with vote count;” “US Capitol secured after rioters stormed the halls of Congress to block Biden’s win;” “Trump incites mob in violent end to presidency;” “Ivanka Trump calls rioters patriots, then deletes tweet;” and “George W. Bush derides US Capitol breach as ‘sickening and heartbreaking.’”

On June 10, 2022, a day after the Jan. 6 Committee hearings began, on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Carlson said “what we saw tonight was not a hearing, it was a show trial ... The whole thing was indecent. How many people were convinced by what they saw last night? Hmm… Right around zero. They’re not going to win a single vote.”

On the June 10, 2022 episode of Anderson Cooper, John Berman (who was standing in for Anderson Cooper) focused on a few aspects of the first Jan. 6 Committee Hearing, including the fact that former U.S. President Donald Trump said of his daughter Ivanka Trump’s testimony: “Ivanka Trump was not

involved in looking at, or studying, election results. She had long since checked out and was, in my opinion, only trying to be respectful to Bill Barr and his position as Attorney General (he sucked!).”

On Dec. 19, 2022, Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Jan. 6 Committee, stated, “To cast a vote in the United States is an act of faith and hope. When we drop that ballot in the ballot box, we expect the people named on the ballot are going to uphold that end of the deal. The winner swears an oath and upholds it. Those who come up short ultimately accept the results and abide by the rule of law. That faith in our system is the foundation of American democracy. If the faith is broken, so is our democracy. Donald Trump broke that faith. He lost the 2020 election and knew it. But he chose to try to stay in office through a multi part scheme. To overturn the results and block the transfer of power. In the end, he summoned a mob to Washington and knowingly they were armed and angry, pointed them to the Capitol and told them to ‘fight like hell.’ There’s no doubt about this.”

On that day, the Jan. 6 Committee referred criminal charges against Trump to the Department of Justice.

In Tucker Carlson’s three-part streaming feature Patriot Purge on the Fox Nation platform, Carlson argues that the events of Jan. 6 are being used for political persecution. In it, Carlson compares rhetoric around the ‘War on Terror’ that led to the war in Iraq to current rhetoric around the threat of domestic white supremacist terror: “They are tying white supremacist terrorists to Trump voters.”

‘Tear gas’ rises above the steps of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021 as hundreds of rally attendees rush the building. (Tyler Merbler via Flickr/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

Santos Under Fire

NY-03 Congressman-elect George Santos is facing national criticism and calls for investigation after falsifying much of his life story

ANTON MEDIA GROUP STAFF

editors@antonmediagroup.com

As winter weather digs in across the country, Nassau County is also facing a whirlwind of revelations about Congressman-elect George Santos to kick off the new year.

On Monday, December 19, Grace Ashford and Michael Gold published a story in the New York Times that unraveled serious, substantial portions of the campaign resume that Santos, a Trump-aligned, strongly conservative man in his 30s, has been presenting to the public over the past two years. Based on that reporting, portions of Santos’ resumé that appear to be false included his two degrees, his employment at major financial firms, his own financial assets, and the state of his residence in Whitestone, Queens.

Further troubling information regarding Santos, raising questions about nearly every aspect of his public persona, poured out in the days since. Numerous publications, from the site The Daily Beast and the Washington Post to the Jewish outlet Forward, quickly produced further credible, bio-undermining investigations into his cultural and family

heritage, his sexuality as he’s publicly defined it, his financial disclosures and sources of income, an alleged decades-old criminal charge in Brazil, and even his actual state of residence.

Others, from the North Shore Leader to Rolling Stone and the media-focused The Daily Beast, have pointed to earlier (often pre-election) reporting they had done on questionable aspects of Santos’ life (and particularly his campaign finances), which, for whatever various reasons, apparently didn’t get a big reaction.

On December 20, Representative-elect

Santos’ Twitter account posted an image containing a brief statement which seemed to deny outlets’ claims regarding most of his campaign resumé; he also accused the New York Times of maligning him, and seemingly misattributed a defiant quote to Winston Churchill. On December 22, another statement on Santos’ Twitter account said that Santos, like everyone, has “a story to tell,” and that he would share his the following week.

On Monday, December 26, in interviews with the New York Post and WABC, Rep.-elect Santos broadly confirmed that much of his campaign bio and public resume was false, including his claims that he had worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and held degrees from CUNY and NYU. “I didn’t graduate from any institution of higher learning [and] I’m embarrassed and sorry for having embellished my resume,” Santos told the Post

As the news site Axios summarized, “Santos also addressed accusations that he lied about having Jewish ancestry, including that his grandparents fled the Holocaust. ‘I never claimed to be Jewish,’ he told the Post. ‘I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was Jew-ish.’”

Among other things, Santos has walked back his claim that he employed four victims

of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, suggesting instead that they would have been future employees of his.

Santos also pushed back on growing calls among local and national Democrats for his resignation, among other potential next steps. When asked if he would consider suing the New York Times over aspects of its reporting that he disputed, Santos told WABC that he didn’t “know what [his] options are,” adding, “But the one thing is, I will be sworn in, I will take office.”

In November, the now-troubled Republican defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman by eight points to represent New York’s third congressional district, serving northern Nassau County and parts of Queens.

Following the recent public revelations about his former opponent, Zimmerman told Vanity Fair, “The media knew that he was a [Donald] Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene candidate. But what they didn’t really grasp, or really understand, is he was also the Anna Delvey candidate of this congressional midterm election cycle.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who attended a Chanukah celebration alongside Santos and outgoing Rep. Lee Zeldin on December 18, was reached out to for comment, but did not reply by press time.

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Representative-elect George Santos (NY-03). (Image via GeorgeForNY.com)

2023 FIRST Robotics Competition Season Kicks Off At LIU Post’s Krasnoff Theater On Jan. 7

The Long Island Regional FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition season will kick off at the Krasnoff Theater at LIU Post, located at 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 at 9 a.m. FIRST Robotics Competition teams from across Long Island will gather in anticipation of learning about the upcoming season’s robotics competition.

Knowing only that this year’s theme is CHARGED UPSM presented by Haas, the local FIRST teams, and the 4,000 teams representing 35 countries around the world, will receive this year’s game rules via a video feed that will be broadcast at the same time across the globe.

During the Long Island Kick Off, FIRST® Long Island, which presents the event, will treat students and parents to presentations from its members and guests regarding the impact of the program on local communities and businesses. Towards the close of the event, each team will collect its kit of parts to construct a 120-pound robot.

This year, two regional tournaments will be held as part of the FIRST Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. They will take place on March 20-25, 2023 at Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Each event will serve as a separate regional, with different teams competing in separate alliances and

JERECHO

tournament rounds. Some of the teams set to participate in the local regionals will move on to compete at the 2023 FIRST Championship in Houston.

Leading up to the regionals, FIRST Long Island students will work with engineering mentors to apply concepts of math and science learned in the classroom to build their robots. Students will also learn important concepts such as teamwork, problem solving and healthy competition. Many FIRST Long Island students use these skills while pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies and careers.

Over the years, FIRST students from Long Island have received millions of dollars in scholarships for higher education. This year, there are 200 scholarship providers who will give students participating in FIRST access to more than $80 million worth of scholarships.

“We are thrilled to get our 2023 season underway and are looking forward to another great kick-off event,” says Larry Toonkel, Co-Director, FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Long Island. “We are also excited to bring the Long Island Regional back as more teams are looking to be part of our annual event.”

For more information on FIRST Long Island, visit www.firstlongisland.org. —Submitted by Long Island Regional FIRST®

REC Night Held For Robbins Lane Kindergarten, Fifth-Graders

Robbins Lane Kindergarten Rec Night

The PTA sponsored Kindergarten rec night at Robbins Lane School was a huge success. The children had such a great time as they were led through a dynamic warm up, several relay races followed by a fierce but friendly tug of war competition against their parents! The night ended with lots of laughs, stretching and even a dinosaur march. It was an event enjoyed by all.

Robbins Lane Fifth-Grade Rec Night

The Robbins Lane PTA hosted its FifthGrade Rec Night and it was a huge success! Each year, the Robbins Lane PTA has a Rec Night for each grade – this night was for the

Fifth-Graders -- a special night, as it will be their last Rec Night at Robbins Lane. he turnout was fantastic, with more than 70 children in attendance. The event was organized and led by two Robbins Lane parents, with the help of some excellent parent volunteers. During the event, the kids participated in relay races, events called “egg on a spoon” and “steal the bacon,” and a tug-ofwar, where the kids battled each other (and even the parents got in on the competition). Both kids and parents went home happy and exhausted, a wonderful combination for their final Robbins Lane Rec Night.

—Submitted by Lynette Birnbaum, the PTA VP

Dussel’s Dose Of Inspiration

BY LILLY MARK OF JERECHO editors@antonnews.com

After a childhood of feeling like he was a poor student, newly hired social studies teacher Dr. Brian Dussel is passionate about making his students feel just the opposite.

Dr. Dussel was inspired to become a teacher after coaching swimming for years and thoroughly enjoying it. He strives to make learning exciting for students who feel disconnected like he did. “When I inspire people to actually want to learn, I feel proud,” he said.

Dr. Dussel was an undergraduate and graduate student at Boston College. He majored in history and secondary education. He also worked there for his masters in the topic of curriculum and instruction. Later, Dr. Dussel earned his doctorate from LIU Post. He said, “I published a dissertation on museum field trips and even led a school

through Washington D.C. as the main tour guide.”

Dr. Dussel has been working in education for 13 years. Before teaching at Jericho, Dr. Dussel worked at two schools in Jackson

Heights, Queens. He said, “Being in the field for 13 years I still feel like a new teacher. I always have something interesting and new to learn from my students.”

This year’s homecoming had a special meaning for Dr. Dussel and his family. He said, “I read a story with my daughter every night about a fair. She says she has been to the most amazing fair and then says Daddy’s school fair. It was so wonderful being able to share my school with my family.”

Outside of school, Dr. Dussel loves spending time with his family, especially taking his wife Kate and children Sienna and Finn to the park. Dr. Dussel also enjoys watching soccer, drinking coffee, and going on long walks.

Curriculum associate Dr. Sundberg praised Dr. Dussel. “Dr. Dussel is very charming and enthusiastic. He is very strong and passionate when it comes to

teaching and he really does get students excited about learning,” he said.

Dr. Sundberg has received outstanding feedback from colleagues about Dr. Dussel, who is known as a strong team player in the department. Dr. Sundberg said, “Teachers are getting COVID and Dr. Dussel is jumping in because he has the ability to work with new students and help out.”

Students also have positive thoughts about their teacher Dr. Dussel. Freshman Sadie K. said, “Dr. Dussel’s teaching style is unlike any of my other teachers, which makes his class exciting to go to. He is an amazing teacher.”

Freshman Emma G. added, “He is very flexible and fair. He always makes sure everyone is engaged. He even has a new student come up every day to tell a joke.”

Dr. Dussel has already had a significant impact on students and faculty, who are excited to see him continue in Jericho.

Dr. Brian Dussel is a newly hired social studies teacher at Jericho High School. (Photo courtesy JerEcho)

Smiles all around! (Photo courtesy the Robbins Lane Elementary School PTA)