Rockville Centre Herald 07-27-2023

Ihab Ibrahim, chief operating officer of Mercy Hospital, far left; Jeanine Cappello, operations manager of the Family Care Center; Pediatrics Chair Dr. Swarna Devarajan; unit Secretary Margie Baldwin; Christopher Cells, vice president of ambulatory services; RN Danielle Gamba; Camille Campbell; Bishop John Barres; Bevon Campbell Jr.; Bevon Campbell III; Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, president and CEO of Catholic Health; Jean-Paul Murphy, of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation; Mercy Hospital President Joseph Manopella; and Marc Damsky and Daniel Frascella, of the Mother Cabrini Foundation, celebrate the unveiling of the new Family Care Center.

Mercy unveils new Family Care Center

By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital, in Rockville Centre, unveiled its new $12.5 million, state-of-the-art Family Care Center on July 20.

The 16,000-square-foot facility, which is set to open next month, aims to enhance patient access for its underserved populations while relocating its existing 3,500-square-foot outpatient clinic for women and children — currently inside the hospital — to a new home.

The Family Care Center will occupy the first floor of the new space, providCONtINuED ON PaGE 19

The clock is ticking on RVC diocese bankruptcy case

By DANIEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre has 100 days to reach an agreement with more than 600 people who have come forward with claims of child sexual abuse.

Judge Martin Glenn, of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, informed the diocese on Tuesday that it must come to terms with the Committee of Unsecured Creditors and their attorneys on an amended reorganization plan or settlement by Oct. 31.

Attorney James Stang, the committee’s bankruptcy coun -

sel, told the Herald that the group has since reached out to the diocese and its parishes in the hope of coming to a consensual resolution of the case.

“We’ve been in communication with the mediators and the diocese and are waiting for them to respond,” Stang said. “I hope people are working hard, because October 31 will be upon us before we know it.”

Sean Dolan, the diocese’s director of communications, said in a release that the diocese is grateful that the court has denied a motion to dismiss the bankruptcy case.

“This decision recognizes that the only reasonable path for-

seek and work towards that settlement. The Diocese appreciates the timeframe set out for all parties by Judge Glenn and will continue to work toward a consensual settlement.”

In April, representatives of the committee requested a motion that the case be dismissed, due to the unlikelihood of reaching an agreement.

“This case poses the unique challenge that the (diocese) refuses to negotiate with the Committee and is attempting to bully survivors into submission,” Stang said in a statement at the time. “The Committee filed its motion to dismiss to attempt to stop (the diocese’s) litigation tactics and to instead

CONtINuED ON PaGE 16

ward is to reach a global settlement through mediation that fairly compensates survivors and allows the Diocese and parishes to continue their missions,” Dolan stated. “As it has throughout the Chapter 11 process, the Diocese will continue to

Courtesy Joseph Lanzetta Sr.

october 31 will be upon us before we know it.

JAmES STANG Attorney, Committee of Unsecured Creditors

RVC Juniors eliminated in quarter-finals

Little League Juniors Softball team spirit shines through

By CLARE GEHLICH Intern

The Rockville Centre Little League Juniors Softball team showed incredible effort, teamwork and resolve as they traveled to Orange, Connecticut, to represent New York in the World Series East Regional Tournament.

Coming in fresh after a hard-fought victory over Elmsford to claim the New York State Section 4 championship, the RVC Juniors started off the tournament on a strong note with a 10-5 victory in extra-innings over Maryland on July 20.

Despite facing a tough 8-1 loss to Delaware in the afternoon, the team remained resilient and determined to bounce back on July 21. With a strong show of force, RVC Juniors defeated New Jersey with a score of 16-9.

After a two-day break, the team returned to the field on July 23 for their final match in pool play. Despite the rain, the team put in a valiant effort but ultimately fell short, losing to Pennsylvania 11-1.

New York finished pool play with two wins and two losses, leading the 14 and under RVC Juniors to prepare for their first-round elimination tournament against Connecticut.

In the quarter-finals of the Regional

Tournament, the RVC Juniors put up a valiant effort, but the team fell two runs behind, losing 6-4.

Tim Parliman, one of the coaches, reflected on the journey and how the older girls played a crucial role in providing perspective for both the younger plays and the coaching staff.

“Whatever these girls do, in the next year in the sport, we hope this experi -

ence will make them a better player and mentally too, just the pressure of these games,” Parliman said. “What’s at stake is something I don’t think they’ve ever faced before. So hopefully that makes them better players and in high school and beyond whatever they do next.”

Throughout the season, the girls showcased unwavering dedication, supporting each other until the very end.

Colin Connelly, the team manager, emphasized the commitment and camaraderie they developed.

“Each girl has for each other the commitment and dedication that they gave, and new friendships formed, a greater respect for each and every kid, and the sacrifices that not only the girls made but the parents made and brothers and sisters of the players,” Connelly said.

The RVC Little League Juniors Softball team brought together supportive parents and garnered significant support from the Rockville Centre community. Parliman expressed his hope that the team’s legacy would inspire more girls to recognize the fun and competitiveness of fastpitch softball, contributing to Rockville Centre becoming more of a softball-oriented town. Notably, recent Hall of Fame members from the 1981 baseball team reached out to Rockville Centre Little League board members to show their support.

“We are state champions, the first RVC softball team to do that,” Parliman said. “So, it’s easy to focus on the last game, but the big picture is, it was a huge success and just a tremendous experience for everybody.”

Additional reporting by Daniel Offner

Courtesy Tim Parliman/RVC Little League

The Rockville Centre Juniors Softball team celebrated after winning the first game of the World Series Eastern Regional Tournament 10-5 over Maryland in extra-innings.

Local letter carrier retires after 42 years Sal Miscioacia of Rockville Centre reflects on his experience with the Post Office

By LARA MURRAY-STERZEL Intern

Salvatore Miscioacia, a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service, will be retiring early next month after 42 years at the Rockville Centre Post Office. During his time with the post office, he’s experienced the evolution of the delivery industry and how important his role is to the many residents in the community.

Miscioacia said that over the years he’s worked with so many great people that it’s going to be hard to say goodbye.

“I’m really going to miss a lot of people,” Miscioacia said. “People that I’ve worked with and people I’ve delivered mail to.”

Miscioacia’s career path began when picked up a copy of The Chief-Leader newspaper, a privately owned publication with a focus on civil service and government jobs in and around the New York City metropolitan area.

With the encouragement of his parents, he took all of the civil service tests, and was selected as a possible officer with the Postal Police Office, with hopes of working at Kennedy Airport.

When that option wasn’t available, he went back and took a test for a position at the Post Office. He passed and after a job interview, became a clerk. But he wasn’t interested in the job for too long. He wanted to do something different. After speaking with his boss, he decided to become a letter carrier, and quickly found he enjoyed it more than he did with the last job.

“You’re out with the people in the community and you meet some really great people. That’s the best part and that’s the part I’m going to miss,” Miscioacia said. “Throughout all these years, some of these people became a second family. I delivered their mail when they were married. I delivered it when they had children, and then I saw their children go to college. And then get married. So it’s almost like another family.”

Having been in the position for so long, Salvatore developed valuable skills. He became so familiar with his daily routes that he didn’t even need to look at the

addresses on the letter, and could recognize them just by the name alone. He found that even if the address was wrong or missing a number, he could recognize the name of the person it was delivered to.

Miscioacia has delivered the mail to doctors, lawyers, dentists, and so many others that he’s formed companionships with. He recalled how one time, he had a bad toothache while he was delivering the mail to a dentist, and one of them offered to give him an X-Ray without any charge.

But being a letter carrier can also be challenging. Over the years, the numbers of parcels that have been sent through the postal service have increased. Miscioacia said it had gotten out of control during the pandemic. Some mailmen even had to work extra jobs with UPS. While everybody was under pressure, they managed to work through it together as a team.

Throughout the years, he has witnessed a great many changes in the mail service industry. When he first started as a letter carrier, more than four decades ago, the mail was sorted and organized by hand.

When machines were introduced to the industry they were put in charge of sorting, scanning, and documenting the mail too. He went from driving a small delivery truck to driving a big delivery truck with the exception of air conditioning. He believes the one thing that will stay the same is the post office and letter carriers.

Once he retires, Miscioacia plans to take things easy. He hopes to travel and get started on some projects being done at his house. He’s also considering looking for a part-time job at Home Depot or a dog shelter.

“Sal is a super friendly guy that goes out of his way for his co-workers,” Cira Devito, a letter carrier and “work wife” of Miscioacia, said. “He is a union representative that fights very hard for justice. We will all miss him. He’s a peacekeeper who always looks out for those in the craft.”

Devito has known him throughout her entire career at the Rockville Centre Post Office. She said that she will miss Miscioacia for his sense of humor and his good nature and that she wishes him nothing but the best with his retirement.

The Rockville Centre Post Office has undergone many changes over the 42 years that USPS letter carrier Salvatore Miscioacia has worked there.

Courtesy Salvatore Miscioacia Salvatore Miscioacia, a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service will retire early next month, after 42 years in the Rockville Centre community.

Crime watCh

Leaving the SCene

A motorist reported on July 17, her vehicle was struck by another vehicle, which left the scene while traveling on Merrick Road.

UnUSUaL inCident

A resident of Merrick Road reported on July 17 that an unknown person took money from his EBT account.

A resident of Muirfield Road reported on July 20, an unknown person fraudulently transferred airline frequent flyer miles from his account.

A resident of Melton Drive reported on July 21 that an unknown person fraudulently transferred money from his bank account.

A resident of N. Forest Avenue reported on July 22 an unknown person fraudulently opened a credit card in her name.

Fire

A vehicle caught fire on Banks Avenue on July 20, causing damage to the vehicle and two additional nearby vehicles. The fire was extinguished by the Rockville Centre Fire Department.

haraSSment

A medical worker on Maple Avenue reported being threatened by a patient, on July 18, while at work.

LarCeny

A Massachusetts resident reported on July 17 that his vehicle was stolen overnight while it was parked on Hamilton Road.

A resident of Raymond Street reported on July 17 a box containing clothing was stolen from her vehicle while it was parked in her driveway.

The manager of a restaurant on Merrick Road reported on July 18, two subjects walked out of the establishment without paying.

A Massapequa resident reported on July 20, someone stole her laptop from the desk at her place of employment on North Village Avenue.

A resident of Maple Avenue reported on July 21 that someone stole the catalytic converter from his vehicle.

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

Electric department responds to outages

Residences and traffic signals on the south side of Rockville Centre in the vicinity of Lincoln Avenue experienced a power outage on Wednesday night. According to Mayor Francis Murray, the outage was caused when an underground circuit popped open.

Members of the Rockville Centre Police Department responded immediately and closed off portions of the roadway,

to help direct traffic until crews with the electric department were able to respond.

A similar outage occurred on Tuesday afternoon, in the vicinity of Park Lane and Marlborough Court, east of Long Beach Road.

Crews responded quickly and thanks to their diligent work, were able to restore power within a few hours.

–Daniel Offner

Playing on the Porch seeks local acts

Playing on the Porch, the highly anticipated music festival sponsored by the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce, returns on Saturday, September 9 from 3 - 6 pm.

Musicians of all genres, from rock and jazz to classical and country, are encouraged to register online. The dead-

line for sign-ups is August 1.

Playing on the Porch is not only a celebration of music and a showcase of local talent but a community fundraiser. This year, donations will go toward the Chamber’s South Side High School scholarship program. For more information, visit RVCChamber.com.

Village warns of Electric scam attempt

The Village of Rockville Centre is warning residents about a reported scam targeting electric customers in the area. Village officials said that over the last few days, residents have claimed to receive an email from the Rockville Centre Electric Department regarding an energy savings notice.

The email may include your name and correct address, but this is not an authorized notice from the village. It asks residents to “view your profile.” Residents are urged not to click the link, as it is most likely a phishing scam attempting to get information on passwords to gain access to other online accounts.

Suzanne Ettinger Attorneys-at-Law

Multivitamins and Older Adults

About one-third of Americans 60 and older take multivitamins. Perhaps the remaining twothirds should as well. According to a major new study, the second of its kind to reach the same conclusion, taking multivitamins over age sixty delays the onset of memory loss by about 3 years.

The study used a commonly available multivitamin, Centrum Silver, which contains vitamins D, A, B12, thiamine, riboflavin, manganese and other substances, although it was noted that any high-quality multivitamin would do just as well.

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A Washington Post article (5/24/23) about these findings quotes JoAnn Manson of Harvard Medical School “Older adults are very concerned about preserving cognition and memory, so this is a very important finding. They are looking for safe and effective prevention strategies. The fact that two separate studies came to similar conclusions is remarkable.”

Other experts cited were Andrew Budson, Professor of Neurology at Boston University “This study is groundbreaking. Low levels of

vitamins B1 -- also known as thiamine -- B12 and D are associated with cognitive decline. That a simple multivitamin can slow cognitive decline while they are aging normally is quite exciting, as it is something almost everyone can do.”

The reasons that multivitamin “therapy” is so effective is explained by Paul E. Schultz, Professor Neurology at McGovern Medical School, Houston -- the brain requires a lot of vitamins and minerals to function properly. While the goal is to maintain nutrition through a healthy and balanced diet, as we age our bodies may be unable to absorb sufficient levels of the essential elements. In addition, some medications interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Schulz states “Think of a complicated engine that requires lots of specialty parts and needs them all. We regularly see people who are deficient in nutrients come in with cognitive impairment.”

If you are on medications, it is recommended that you consult your doctor before you try a supplement, as some vitamins may interfere with those medications.

Dunn embraces second World Cup experience

By MICHAEL LEWIS sports@liherald.com

Participating in her second Women’s World Cup, Crystal Dunn is living by a simple philosophy: Embrace the moment.

“The question that many of us who have played in the World Cup get is: ‘Oh, it must be easy now’. I’m like, ‘No, it’s not easy now,’ because each World Cup is different,” she said.

This World Cup is different for the Rockville Centre native because Dunn is a mother for the first time. She has brought her 15-month-old son Marcel to New Zealand for the tournament.

“I took a massive amount of time off last year,” she said. “So everything, every moment that led to this moment is so different. It’s a different journey that I didn’t expect to be on. My message to players in their first World Cup is really just embrace it. It’s going to be wild. It’s going to be crazy. There’s going to be moments where you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what did I sign up for?’ But that’s the beauty in it.”

The left back was a member of the 2019 U.S. team that won its second consecutive world championship in France in 2019. The Americans are vying to become the first team — men or women — to capture three successive World Cups.

“We remember that as the last team standing up, you realize that it was also worth it,” she said. “My message to everybody is play with a little bit of noise. It’s not something that you take for granted at all. People are on their fourth World Cup. People are in their first. You just have to embrace it and take that moment

and just smile and laugh with everybody along the way.”

Dunn and her U.S. Women’s National Team teammates got off to a solid start in this year’s tournament, recording a 3-0 win over Vietnam in their opener in Auckland, New Zealand last Saturday. The former South Side High School standout played 84 minutes before she was replaced by Kelly O’Hara. The Americans’ next Group E game is against the Netherlands this Wednesday at 9 p.m. (Fox, Telemundo, Universo and Peacock). They close out group play against Portugal on Aug. 1 at 3 a.m. (same channels.)

Only nine members of the current 23-player U.S. roster competed in France, so the 31-year-old Dunn is one of the team’s most experienced players.

“I find myself in a new role, being more of a veteran player, a leader on this team,” she said, lamenting that team captain and center back Becky Sauerbrunn couldn’t play due to a leg injury. “Becky is a massive loss for us. She is somebody whose impact is felt not only on the field but off the field.

“We’re ruthless,” Dunn continued. “As a backline that’s how we’ve always trained. Becky has been someone who set the tone and the standard for that. Without her being here, we have to be even more collective and relentless in our defending.”

Rockville Centre native Crystal Dunn played 84 minutes in a 3-0 victory for U.S. over Vietnam in last Saturday’s World Cup opener.

Programs for Lifelong Learners at Molloy University!

Learning doesn’t have to end at a certain age—it can be a lifelong pursuit. Molloy University empowers learners of all ages by offering high-quality, flexible and adaptable programs to serve and meet the needs of Long Islanders through two outstanding programs: The Molloy Institute for Lifelong Learning (MILL) which was established in 1992 and the new Sister Mary Celeste Lecture Series. In both programs you learn for the fun of learning in a relaxed environment without assignments, exams or grades.

The MILL program is a membership-based program. Most members are retirees, however, not everyone is retired, nor is this a requisite for membership. All ages are welcome, men and women, singles or couples, as long as there is a willingness to participate in learning and to maintain a rigorous mind. The programs meet in-person one day week during the day: Tuesdays or Fridays in Rockville Centre and Wednesdays in Amityville. Membership is valid from September 1 to August 31 each year and lectures usually start mid-September and runs until mid-June.

The Sister Mary Celeste Lecture Series offers individual courses in a variety of areas, offered in-person during the day for one or more sessions in Rockville Centre. Topics may include, current events, music, art, literature, history, finance, heath, philosophy, technology and more. Whether you’re interested in dabbling in a new hobby or just trying to keep up with technology, there’s a class out there for you.

Find out more at our virtual Open House on Tuesday, September 12th at 10 a.m.

For more information contact us at: 516.323.3940 | jprasad@molloy.edu | www.molloy.edu/ce to RSVP

Courtesy Marco Rosa

HERALD sports

NYS adds classification to seven sports

By TONY BELLISSIMO tbellissimo@liherald.com

the New York State Public High School Athletic Association is going from a five-classification format to six classifications in seven different sports – boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, girls volleyball, baseball and softball – beginning this upcoming school year.

For Nassau and Suffolk County, it means more county champions, more Long Island championship games and more teams competing in state tournaments in those sports. The NYSPHSAA, which last summer voted to approve the new classifications, wanted to create approximate equal numbers across the state in each enrollment classification.

“Every section in the state is different, but for us in what used to be Class A we had more than 30 schools competing for one championship,” Section VIII athletics executive director Pat Pizzarelli said. “Now within that same group there’s an extra opportunity to win a championship.”

For example, Nassau boys and girls basketball had 58 schools compete in the 2022-23 campaign; 15 in Class AA, 34 in Class A and nine in Class B. This coming season, there will be 12 in Class AAA, 24 in Class AA, 17 in Class A, and four in Class B.

Among the second-tiered teams for boys and girls basketball (Class AA) will be Calhoun, Carey, East Meadow (down from the largest grouping), Elmont, Hewlett, Kennedy, Long Beach, MacArthur, Sewanhaka, South Side and Valley Stream Central. Class AA is for schools with an incoming enrollment (grades nine through 11) between 692 and 1,104 for boys, and between 699 and 1,112 for girls. The new Class A numbers are 391691 for boys, and 397-698 for girls.

“With the exception of Floral Park, the new AA schools on the boys side have had the Class A champ for the last 25 years,” said South Side’s Jerry D’Angelo, head coach of the reigning Nassau and Long Island Class A boys’ basketball champions. “So the new setup will give us two county champions among the 41 teams in AA and A.”

Suffolk had 59 boys and girls basketball programs this past winter with 25 competing in Class AA, 22 in Class A and four in Class B. For 2023-24, there would be 18 in Class AAA, 18 in Class AA and 13 in Class A.

Across the board, much of the largest group landscape in Nassau County remains unchanged with many of the fixtures like Baldwin, Farmingdale, Freeport, Massapequa, Plainview, Syosset and Uniondale will vie for a title. However, East Meadow and Valley Stream Central are two schools with dif-

as part

ference classifications based on sport. The Jets remained in AAA in soccer, baseball and softball but dropped to the second largest classification for hoops. The Eagles have an identical setup under the new breakdown but competed in Class A for basketball in recent seasons.

The classification numbers between basketball and soccer are slightly different. For soccer, Class AAA starts at 1,082 students and up on the girls side and 1,090 on the boys side. Softball and baseball breakdowns are closer to soccer than they are basketball, but are all within a range of less than 30.

One minor negative is Nassau and Suffolk will take on an extra expense of securing more postseason venues for some semifinals and finals, and the cost of sending more teams to state competitions.

“It’ll cost a little more money come tournament time with extra playoff games,” Pizzarelli said.

Nassau County softball coordinator Rachel Barry, who coaches Clarke, said the plan at this time is to stick with ability-based conferences during the regular season. “The playoffs will look pretty similar with some smaller brackets,” Barry said. “The extra classification balances our section a little bit better by spreading out the single A schools.

“Suffolk hosts next year’s Long Island championships, so it’s up to them to figure out locations,” she added. “As far as the state championships, softball isn’t going to be impacted as much since we no longer play the semis and finals on the same day. Adding another classification only adds three games to the mix.”

Media Origin Inc./Herald

South Side, the defending Nassau and Long Island Class A boys’ basketball champions, is moving to Class AA this upcoming season

of the new statewide classification setup.

Ron Manfredi/Herald

Baseball is one of seven sports statewide moving from five classifications to six beginning this September.

Little Doll Studio inspires big dreamers

Rockville Centre business celebrates grand opening with Barbie-themed event

By CLARE GEHLICH Intern

Frances Cuomo Perpero reinvents developmental doll play and thoughtful crafts at the Little Doll Studio, a new business that celebrated its grand opening at 137 N. Park Avenue in Rockville Centre on Wednesday afternoon. The Little Doll Studio inspires young children to think imaginatively by incorporating an interactive learning lab that enables them to dream big. It also offers space for parties, workshops, and open play.

Perpero, an Oceanside resident and mother of two with more than 25 years of corporate and non-profit experience, said she embarked on a new journey into the world of entrepreneurship, with a mission to strengthen children’s selfesteem and encourage them to dream brazenly.

The Little Doll Studio will be hosting a series of summer events, now through Sept. 10, including an interactive experience in celebratiob of the release of the 2023 major motion picture, “Barbie The Movie,” starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

During the event, Perpero emphasized the importance of letting children’s imaginations run rampant by building confidence and empowering children through imaginative doll play.

“They’re using their language, they’re sharing, and they’re playing on their own,” Perpero said. “They can dream, they can pretend, and they feel like there’s a good chance it’ll act and move a way. I wanted to create a space that would let the kids explore and let them be.”

She said the inspiration for the moviethemed event goes back to her childhood. In the ‘70s, her parents threw her a Barbie runway party to celebrate her 5th birthday — a tradition which she would continue with her own 5-year-old daughter in 2013.

Perpero said that when she founded the Little Doll Studio in 2022, her business efforts were strengthened by inclusivity and family values.

Not only does open doll play and activities allow children to be imaginative, there are many developmental benefits as well. It helps teach fine motor skills, language development, social empathy, and bonding.

Perpero said that one of the most beloved traditions of owning a doll is cutting its hair in a style that mirrors a professional hair salon. The Little Doll Studio helps by providing kids with scissors, water spray, and paint markers to allow them to think creatively in an unstructred setting. Kids have the options of giving their favorite dolls highlights, cutting off its hair, and transofrming the dolls with the unqiue makeup of their choosing.

“I want them to feel good about it,” Perpero said. “So when they give me feedback like that it’s meaningful, but

when they say ‘best day ever,’ I just want to cry.”

The Little Doll Studio also provides children with the opportunity to “Make A Barbie Movie,” by educating them about green screen technology in an accessible way. Using a Barbie Dream House backdrop, they remodel their dolls with makeup, use images with Barbie, and display Barbie dolls wearing green gloves, curating this imaginative, picturesque scene for their dolls.

Perpero said she understands the difficulties of parenthood in an on-demand, digital age, where the entrepreneurial endeavor is just as meaningful for parents, who have the opportunity to breathe, rest, and pull out a book.

“It made me happy that I was able to

create a space where parents will be able to breathe for two seconds,” Perpero said. “They watch, enjoy their children, while sitting back without having to worry about them. And that made me feel really good.”

The success of the Little Doll Studio has garnered buzz from parents, children, and the entire Rockville Centre community, including Mayor Francis Murray and former Oceanside youth coordinator Nancy Baxter.

Perpero said that returning families have given reviews on social media and recommended the doll studio to other families, raising significant attention in the community.

“It is such a labor of love that when you’re aligned with doing something that

you believe in doing something you feel good about,” Perpero, who commented on the learning curve that comes with opening a business, said. “It’s very, very rewarding. So, I’ve learned that with some jobs, you may settle for temporarily because it helps but when you’re in alignment with what you really love to do, I think it makes a difference.”

Tim Baker/Herald photos

Members of the Rockville Centre village board of trustees and Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce cut the ceremonial ribbon during the grand opening of the Little Doll Studio in Rockville Centre.

Hannah Barraso and Birdie Barraso, 2, of Lynbrook celebrate Barbie at The Little Doll Studio grand opening event.

Former Oceanside youth coordinator Nancy Baxter, left, joins Frances Cuomo Perpero to celebrate the grand opening of The Little Doll Studio in RVC.

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Exploring Britain’s Long Island occupation

By LARA MURRAY-STERZEL Intern

American history is a long and complicated tale to tell. But there are still those venturing into the past to uncover stories never told during the making of our country.

“Chronicles of the British Occupation of Long Island” is a new book by David M. Griffin, taking readers back in time to the Revolutionary War when people lived in fear of the British’s brutal power, while slowly gaining a patriotic desire for freedom.

Griffin is an independent researcher and author who’s always been driven to the history of the Revolutionary War, especially in New York region. When he completed his first book, “Lost British Forts of Long Island” in 2017, Griffin reached out to The History Press, a publishing company known for its collection of history books in communities on Long Island and elsewhere.

He was put in touch with acquisitions editor, Banks Smithers, and the two have worked together ever since. When Griffin came to Smithers about the idea of focusing on the British occupation of this part of the world, the two began shaping his current idea into the story it is today.

The novel follows a narrative story between 1776 and 1783, giving a human aspect to what it was like to experience life on Long Island during British rule. Griffin wanted to explore the British movement and American spy activity through various sources from the time.

To do this, he read historical books and even stud-

ied a period diary, which is referenced in the book about what was discussed, heard and spoken when the British loomed over Long Island.

“It’s very hard to write about the time because everything was very secretive,” Griffin said. “So, stories and the order of things that were happening on the island were hidden. You have to rely on a lot of different accounts from different writers.”

He provided images in his novel — some of which included maps the British used as a part of their network — as well as photographs of historical houses where British soldiers were sheltered as part of quartering laws. Griffin thought by showing these, it would create a certain historical depth for the reader.

After a year of writing, the book was published in July and is expected to arrive soon at Long Island bookstores. The History Press hopes to schedule book events once the stores have received the novel.

Griffin sees his book as rather dark because of the topics it covers, focused on how the power over land divided people. Even when Colonists endured the unpredictable effects that led up to — and included — the Revolutionary War, Griffin was shocked at how long the British stayed on Long Island and what they did.

Which made his research all that more compelling.

“I learned a lot more about the conditions of dayto-day life under martial law in the book,” Smithers said. “David paints a harrowing picture of occupied Long Island — something entirely unfamiliar to today’s Long Islanders — and thus exceedingly interesting.”

Mood lighting

Courtesy David M. Griffin

David M. Griffin’s book — ‘Chronicles of the British Occupation of Long Island’ — is expected to hit bookstores soon, especially on Long Island.

DAviD M. GRiffin

STEPPING OUT

Always in-tune with

Penn & Teller

By Iris Wiener

n its first incarnation since the pandemic, the 24th Annual Long Island Jolson Festival is ready to delight loyal fans once again. The festival’s latest edition, on Saturday, Aug. 12, will bring together devotees for a full day of nostalgia and music, celebrating the talent of Al Jolson — the performer bestowed with the moniker “world’s greatest entertainer.”

STEPPING OUT

Creative advocacy

Jan Hernstat — the International Al Jolson Society’s president, who has helmed the festival since its beginning — is excited to remember the icon, who was a pioneer in many genres in the ‘20s, including music, film (“The Jazz Singer”), and theatre “Hold on to Your Hats”). When Hernstat began the festival many years ago, it was simply because he wanted a platform to show his appreciation for Jolson. It quickly turned into something else.

“It has been fun over the years to bring Jolson to people who don’t normally get to see him,” Hernstat says. “When I started doing this, people came to me and said something which I didn’t really understand: ‘Thank you for doing this service to bring this kind of entertainment that we don’t get to see anymore.’ It was just something that I wanted to do, and as a byproduct, I was making people happy. That’s a good feeling.”

It will be next to impossible not to smile at this year’s festival, which will include a performance from mainstay Tony Babino, who has been treating festivalgoers to the vocal stylings of Jolson for years. He is joined by “Mr. Tin Pan Alley,” Richard Halpern, who is participating in the event — at Lambrou’s in Island Park — all the way from California.

Hernstat explains that Halpern brings a unique set of skills to his Jolson interpretation.

By Karen Bloom

“A lot of people know Jolson from ‘The Jolson Story’ forward,” he says. “He did 20 songs in that film. The majority of people alive today only know those songs and the style in which he did it, which is what Tony emulates. But Richard does Jolson from the ‘20s and ‘30s, the ‘78 (RPM) Jolson,’ as I like to call it. People will get a little contrast, because with Richard, you’re going to get more of the early Jolson and with Tony more of the later Jolson. It’s going to be great.”

• Tickets are $43.95, which includes entertainment and meals; tickets for show only are $29.95

• Information and tickets available at Jolson.org or call Jan Hernstat at (516) 678-3524.

All Stand,” Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibition, examines power of the arts in society.

Pat McGann is quickly rising as one of the sharpest stand-ups on the comedy scene. A relative latecomer to comedy, he began doing standup at 31 after realizing he was not

He hustled his way to become the house emcee at Zanies Chicago, where he distinguished himself as crowd. A husband and father of three young children, McGann’s appeal stems from his quick wit

and marriage. In 2017, McGann began touring as the opening act for Sebastian Maniscalco, moving

The famed duo steps away from their Las Vegas residency to bring their act on tour, appearing on the Tilles Center stage. Penn & Teller’s brand of awe-inspiring illusions mixed with buddy-comedy shtick has kept the duo at the very top of the magic profession for the past 45 years. Their trademark is the updating of worn out or archaic routines, such as bullet catching, or their recent adaptation of the classic bag escape trick (their version involved a trash bag and lots of helium). From humble beginnings busking on the streets of Philadelphia to acclaimed sold–out runs on Broadway to the longest running and one of the most-beloved resident headline acts in Vegas history, magic’s legendary duo continues to defy labels — and at times physics and good taste — by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy. Constantly evolving and refining their unique take on illusion, the pair’s slight of hand always amazes, whether it’s a fresh take on an old ‘trick’ or something altogether new.

Friday and Saturday, July 28, 8 p.m. LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets are $94, $84, $58, $48; available at TillesCenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

Kevin James

• Lambrou’s Catering Hall, 4073 Austin Blvd., Island Park

Alexandra Giordano — the museum’s assistant director of exhibition and exhibit underscores artists’ civic responsibility and influence. the vital role that artists have in activating democratic values that and freedom, encouraging civic engagement, and cultivating unity,” “Artists often lead the charge and expose truths that may otherwise be artists in this exhibition take a stand and call out injustices through their art issues such as immigration, gender, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, racial bias, gun violence, and promises unfulfilled. They all combine the making service that has a grassroots approach in the hope of mobilizing their the nation to ignite movement, create awareness, and inspire others to them.” which runs through July 28, is in conjunction with Hofstra’s conference on the Barack Obama presidency coming up in April. interested in the idea that the artist has a civic responsibility,” says Karen Albert. “The initial idea for this exhibition was inspired by Administration White House briefing that took place on May 12, 2009, 60 artists and creative organizers met with administration officials to collective power of the arts to build community, create change, and chart national recovery in the areas of social justice, civic participation and unlike other recent exhibits that showcased the museum’s collection, Giordano reached out to contemporary artists who loaned selected works. Some 36 pieces are on view — representing Emma Amos, Molly Crabapple and the Equal Justice Initiative, Miguel

Also new this year is an appearance by comedian Jeff Greenberg, a longtime society member known for his humorous act, frequently performing near his New Jersey home. The comedy doesn’t end there. Bob Greenberg (no relation) will be tickling the funny bone as characters from oldies acts, such as Oliver Hardy, Ralph Kramden and Lou Costello. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to meet Brian Gari, grandson of the late performer Eddie Cantor, Jolson’s showbiz contemporary, and can check out a slew of memorabilia from Jolson’s era.

Hernstat is intent on keeping Jolson’s legacy front and center in the public eye.

“He was the first true superstar. In fact, the word ‘superstar’ was not even coined yet,” he says. “He was an international star at a time when there was no real media to promote what he did. Now all you have to do is go on social media and everyone knows you all over the world. When Jolson first started out, there weren’t talking movies, there’s wasn’t radio and TV. For somebody to be as big as he was worldwide, it really talks about your talent. It is a wonderful experience to celebrate his talent, his singing, and his voice.”

When Hernstat reflects on years past, he fondly remembers welcoming entertainers to his gathering, such as Sheldon Harnick (“Fiddler on the Roof” lyricist and songwriter), radio and television superstar Margaret Whiting, and comedian Soupy Sales.

“I don’t want this festival to die,” Hernstat says. “There’s still people out there that love Jolson. I always tell people, ‘We’re not looking to convert you to become a Jolson fan, we just want to find the ones out there who are and let them know that they have this outlet for their enjoyment.’”

Garden. McGann’s relatively short, but impressive resume, includes Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs

Great American Comedy Festival,

Saturday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. $40, $35, $30, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Yarn/Wire

Now in its 18th year, Adelphi University’s ‘new music’ series welcomes Yarn/Wire. The intrepid New York-based piano-percussion quartet has forged a singular path with

The ‘King of Queens,’ ‘Mall Cop,’ ‘Kevin Can Wait,’ and Larry (of ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry’) — Kevin James wears many hats. Catch his comedic brilliance when he returns to his Long Island roots with his Irregardless Tour. Young Kevin was a promising college football fullback until the acting bug bit him. After spending his junior summer with the local community theatre, he realized getting laughs was a bigger rush than stopping running backs from scoring a first down. James took to the comedy circuit where he soon made a name for himself, receiving the deal that every struggling comedian dreams of: The chance to develop and star in his own sitcom. The result was ‘King of Queens,’ and the rest is history. Now, he’s back on the stage with his everyman comedy and warm deadpan delivery. He’ll regale everyone with his quietly hilarious observations on life, fatherhood, and the simple absurdities of the world.

Saturday, July 29, 7:30 p.m. $99.50, $79.50, $69.50, $49.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

Courtesy L.I. Jolson Festival

Top photo: Al Jolson as he appeared in his film ‘The Singing Kid’ in 1936. Middle photo: Jolson enthusiast Joe Wiener with festival mainstay Tony Babino.

Bottom photo: Vocalist Richard Halpern performs the standards of the era in his first festival appearance.

Luciano, Michele Pred, Hank Willis Thomas, and Sophia

change the world? It’s a question been at the focus of our collective for centuries. Now as society the complexities of modern life, path for social change is at the of artistic expression.

The longtime festival is a lively tribute to the ‘World’s Greatest Entertainer’

Aug. 4

Doo-Wop Oldies Spectacular

Revisit the golden oldies with Peter Lemongello Jr. in “An Evening To Remember,” with The Fabulous Acchords, The Tribunes and Teresa McClean, Friday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. With their polished vocal skills and dynamic stage presence, these artists deliver a night of unforgettable entertainment in an energetic show that is pure nostalgia, filled with unforgettable tunes. Headliner Peter Lemongello Jr., is acclaimed as the most explosive and exciting doo-wop performer to appear on the scene in 40 years. The son of singer Peter Lemongello, Peter Jr. has appeared on “American Idol” and performed with The Four Tops, The Temptations, Chubby Checker and Lloyd Price, among others. He’s joined by acapella group The Tribunes, renowned for their authentic New York-bred street-corner harmonies, and The Fabulous Acchords, known for their impeccable harmonies, who captivate audiences with their blend of classic and contemporary songs, spanning genres and eras. The concert, produced by Gene DiNapoli, also features a special appearance by Teresa McClean, who takes everyone on an enthusiastic musical journey with her signature vocals and lush orchestration. $49, $39, $29; available at LandmarkOnMainStreet.org. or (917) 567-5842. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main St., Port Washington.

On exhibit

View the landmark exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait,” at Nassau County Museum of Art. Devoted to the way that Modigliani powerfully re-defined the art of portraiture, the show includes his masterworks along with paintings and drawings by his Parisian contemporaries (Picasso, van Dongen, Laurencin). Modigliani’s enduring influence on artists even in our own time is shown in a selection of Contemporary paintings by such important figures as David Hockney, Eric Fischl, Elizabeth Peyton and others. The exhibition is being curated by Dr. Kenneth Wayne, founder of The Modigliani Project, which authenticates paintings and drawings (two of the works in the show have been recently approved by the committee). Through Nov. 5. Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

July 28

Summer tunes

Get in the Motown groove with Dr. K’s Motown Revue, at Eisenhower Park, Friday, July 28, 8 p.m. The band’s dynamic renditions of those great tunes are performed with passion and conviction in true Motown style. With special guest Chicken Head. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow. For information, visit NassauCountyNY.gov.

Rise Up For Ryan Kickoff Fundraiser

Join the Ryan Patrick O’Shea Foundation, Thursday, July 27, at Kasey’s Kitchen and Cocktails, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Help raise money to help the foundation increase mental health awareness and education at local schools. 23 N. Park Ave. For information visit RyanPatrickOshea Foundation.org.

Aug.

Hot Diggity Dog

It’s barbecue season and Long Island Children’s Museum is feeling in the spirit, Kids can celebrate National Hot Dog Month by making a customized hot dog craft to bring home, at the drop-in program, Sunday, July 30, 1-3 p.m. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

Aug. 17

Write on: College essay workshop

Not sure how to get started on your college essay? The Hofstra University Admission Office is offering a virtual workshop to help high school students learn the skills to tell their story in a way that helps them stand out. The final workshop, Thursday, Aug. 17, 4-5 p.m., is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Hear from Hofstra Admission counselors about how to brainstorm topics, and compose a thoughtful essay that shows your personality, talents and interests. For more information about Hofstra Admission’s other virtual summer workshops, go to Admission.Hofstra.edu/portal/ virtual_admission_webinars. To schedule a summer in-person visit go to: Hofstra.edu/visit.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Mercy Hospital offers a peer to peer meeting for breastfeeding support and resources, facilitated by a certified breastfeeding counselor, every Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Bring your baby (from newborn to 1 year) to the informal group setting. All new moms are welcome, regardless of delivering hospital. Registration required. Call breastfeeding counselor, Gabriella Gennaro, at (516) 705-2434 to secure you and your baby’s spot. Mercy Hospital, St. Anne’s Building, 1000 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre. For information visit CHSLI.org.

Too Fat Guys play at Kasey’s

Phil Zirkuli and Steven LaRose are Too Fat Guys. Don’t miss their performance on the rooftop at Kasey’s Kitchen and Cocktails, Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 23 N. Park Ave. in Rockville Centre.

Having an event?

Storybook Stroll

Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens for a storybook adventure, Saturday, Aug. 5, 10:3011:30 a.m. Stroll the gardens and open your ears to Kirsten Hall’s modern tale “The Honeybe.” Later create a unique take home craft. For ages 3-5. Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information visit OldWestburyGardens. org or contact (516) 3330048.

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

Westbury House Tour

For many years visitors to Westbury House at Old Westbury Gardens asked what was beyond the first floor corridor. Now go beyond the door and discover “secrets of the service wing,” during a 60-minute guided tour, Friday, July 28, noon; Sunday, July 30, 3 p.m.; Monday, July 31, noon; Sunday, Aug. 6, 1:30 p.m. Be introduced to the intensive labor required to create the lifestyle experienced by the Phipps family and their guests; tour the many rooms that were “behind the scenes” to create the formal dining experiences of early 20th century. Go along the corridors to the butler’s pantry and silver cleaning room then descend the 17 steps to the kitchen, scullery, and wine storage rooms located on the ground floor. Reservations required. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. For information contact (516) 333-0048 or visit OldWestburyGardens.org.

Art talk

Sept. 7

Grab your lunch and join Nassau County Museum of Art Docent Riva Ettus for her popular “Brown Bag Lecture,” now back on-site at Nassau County Museum of Art, Thursday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Enjoy an indepth presentation on the current exhibition “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait.” Participants are invited to ask questions at the end of the program and to join the 2 p.m. public tour of the exhibit. Also Oct. 19. 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. (516) 484-9337 or NassauMuseum.org.

3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

The Ryan Patrick O’Shea hosts its annual Rise Up for Ryan 3-on-3 basketball tournament and Suicide Awareness Walk at the Mill River basketball courts in Lister Park, Saturday, July 29, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Registration is open to male and female competitors based on age group. 5 Chester Road. To sign-up visit RyanPatrickOsheaFoundation. org.

Farmers market

Find all sorts of goodies at the Rockville Centre Farmers Market, every Sunday, from 7 a.m. to noon. LIRR parking lot between Long Beach Road and Sunrise Highway. Through Dec. 24. Info at LongIslandGrowersMarket.com.

Judge issues new deadline in diocese case

finally give survivors their day in New York Courts.”

According to Newsday, however, Glenn ruled on Tuesday that the attorneys for the survivors could not substantiate that it would not be possible for the diocese to reach a deal within a “reasonable amount of time,” and rejected the motion to dismiss the proceedings. He further extend the proposed deadline from 30 to 100 days, to allow the diocese to try to reach an agreement, while echoing the sentiment of the committee and its lawyers, saying, “The survivors deserve an opportunity to be heard by a jury of their peers. They’ve been held off too long.”

The diocese initially filed for bankruptcy in October 2020, as a result of the hundreds of lawsuits that were filed when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved the state Child Victims Act in 2019, extending the statute of limitations on sexual abuse claims.

In the nearly three years since, the two groups have been unable to reach a consensus on a reorganization plan.

In January, attorneys representing more than two dozen of the claimants presented the diocese with two potential reorganization plans, both of which it turned down. Under the first, the diocese would settle all of the claims for $450 million in restitution. The second plan involved the diocese and its parishes, which the committee’s attorneys say they

believe have “substantial assets” and should be made to provide “fair compensation to the children they hurt.” Under both options, survivors would be able to continue to pursue abuse claims in state court.

The diocese made a counter-offer, proposing that it, along with its parishes, coinsured parties and other ministry mem-

bers, contribute between $185 million and $200 million to a settlement, not including insurance payouts.

The committee and its attorneys described the diocese’s offer as “business as usual,” stating that it would provide only a minimal contribution from its parishes and affiliates despite the hundreds of claims against it, and that it largely

relied on potential insurance payouts that are being disputed in four separate lawsuits.

In June, Glenn denied the diocese’s request to extend a stay on litigation that would further stall state courts’ actions against parishes and other entities that do not name the diocese.

Following a two-day hearing last month, Glenn acknowledged that the back-and-forth negotiations between the diocese and the committee have only delayed survivors’ rights to pursue claims against the parishes, which are separate entities that are not beholden to the diocesan bankruptcy case.

In declining the diocese’s request for a preliminary injunction, Glenn expressed skepticism of the likelihood of confirming a plan and ultimately concluded that this factor was “neutral at best for the Debtor” — the diocese.

Glenn said that every day of an injunction would not only prevent the survivors from pursuing recovery of their claims, but also weaken the ability to prove their underlying case.

“For many survivors, allowing time to pass means that they simply may not be able to recover, either because the evidence for their case is lost or because they themselves do not live long enough to press their claims,” the judge said. “It is clear that these harms to the survivors become more significant with each passing day in this case.”

Herald file photo

a federal bankruptcy judge has given the diocese of rockville Centre 100 days to come to an agreement with more than 600 people who have come forward with claims of sexual abuse.

Nassau County Library Tour rolls into RVC

Last week, the Nassau County Library Tour traveled to the Rockville Centre Public Library as part of its annual road trip. Participants are invited to visit each of the 58 libraries around Nassau County from June 12 to August 12. During their journey, participants can explore the attractions, restaurants, and parks nearby, and collect prizes along the way.

During the event, the RVC library invited participants to visit tour ambassa-

dors with the circulation staff to pose with fun Nassau Library Tour selfie props.

Prizes are given out to those who visit 30 to 50 participating libraries. By visiting all 58 libraries, you can also enter in the raffle for the grand prize.

To learn more visit Tour.NassauLibrary.org.

–Daniel Offner

Photos courtesy Rockville Centre Public Library

The Rockville Centre Public Library’s circulation staff served as tour ambassadors for the 2023 Nassau County Library Tour.

The Nassau County Library Tour attracts local visitors to the library.

Courtesy

South Side High School rising senior Nicolas Albarano, 16, presents a check $167.60 to MaryLou and Anthony Cancellieri, founders of RVC Blue Speaks.

Student donates to RVC Blue Speaks

This past spring, Nicolas Albarano, 16, a rising senior at South Side High School in Rockville Centre, decided to raise awareness and acceptance for individuals on the Autism Spectrum.

Albarano presented a $167.60 check to MaryLou and Anthony Cancellieri, the founders of RVC Blue Speaks, a grassroots organization that provides grants

and scholarships in support of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Along with the assistance of his guidance counselor, Patricia R. Takach, Albarano orchestrated a school-wide and community fundraiser to support RVC Blue Speaks by selling autism-themed t-shirts at the high school and to the community.

Odd Fellows give back to the community

Gregory Pandolofo with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 279 in Rockville Centre presents a check to Sharon’s Pantry at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center on N. Centre Ave. The donation follows the Odd Fellows annual corn hole tournament in June, which helped raise money for local charities including the food pantry, the RVC Breast Cancer Coalition, and Aiden’s Annual.

RVC Blue Speaks

Courtesy Odd Fellow Lodge No. 279

Family Care Center set to open next month

Continued from page 1

ing obstetrics, gynecology, maternal-fetal medicine, pediatrics, and neonatal care.

The second phase of the project will focus on additional clinical services, including primary care, family medicine, cardiology, endocrinology and more. The new center will also offer help for lowincome families applying for food stamps and Medicaid coverage, as well as assistance in acquiring food, clothing and other necessities.

Patrick O’Shaughnessy, president and CEO of Catholic Health, said that the new facility would continue to provide exceptional health care services to people throughout the communities it serves — especially for those who are underserved.

“Catholic Health is committed to providing world-class health care to all those that enter our doors — and that includes the most vulnerable,” O’Shaughnessy said in a statement. “Mercy’s new Family Care Center is proof positive of how serious we take our mission — and how deeply we care for every member of our community.”

The center is supported in part by a $1.3 million grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, and $7.3 million in transformation funds from the state Department of Health, with the rest of the funding provided by the hospital.

“The services offered at the center have allowed us to break down barriers of care for women, children and to improve the health and the health care communities we serve regardless of socioeconomic background,” Mercy President Joseph Manopella said during the unveiling. “I’m very excited to be celebrating this next milestone and expanding access to care to those we serve.”

Manopella said that even when faced with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the existing Family Care Center, which was established in the late 1980s, remained open for patients who needed its services.

“The center staff — and they are wonderful — understands the challenges of our patients and are committed to being a resource,” Manopella said.

Christopher Cells, vice president of ambulatory service at Mercy, said that before the pandemic, the clinic saw about 11,000 visits annually.

“Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the needs of our community have been heightened,” Cells said. “With volume quickly outpacing the physical confinement that is our four walls, we were given the opportunity to get creative.”

Cells said that with the opening of the new Family Care Center, Catholic Health is looking to further expand its scope of clinical offerings by including family medicine and access to specialist care.

During the unveiling ceremony, Bishop John Barres, of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, also spoke about how the new center will serve in a manner consistent with the faith, before blessing it.

“The Mercy Hospital Family Care Center will serve families in the context of a beautiful fidelity to the objective truths of our Catholic faith pertaining to marriage, the family and the gospel of human life,” Barres said. “My belief is that the sanctity

of human life is the foundation of every other human right … The Mercy Hospital Family Care Center will shine Christ’s light in a manner that proclaims the rights of all New Yorkers and all Americans.”

The center was built on the site of a former Congregation of Infant Jesus convent, which had been used as office space by the hospital until it was demolished in 2021. Before construction began on the new facility, Mercy executives invited nuns from the Congregation of Infant Jesus to the site to give it a final blessing. The sisters also signed a piece of sheetrock in a stairwell wall, to signify that the new space will be one that is deeply rooted in faith and tradition that was established more than 100 years ago.

Sister Marie Emma, a French nun with the Congregation of Infant Jesus, founded Mercy Hospital in 1913. It was initially housed inside a former sanitarium in Hempstead, before moving to its existing facility 1941.

Through the years, the hospital has

continued to provide the community with much-needed family care services. With nearly 1,000 births each year, it is recog-

nized as a leader in care for women and their infants before, during and after their pregnancies.

Public Notices

will be sold 19 ROCKVILLE CENTRE HERALD — July 27, 2023

Pursuant

subject

# 004355/2013. Cash will not be accepted. This foreclosure sale will be held on the north side steps of the Courthouse, rain or shine. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed at the foreclosure sale. If proper social distancing cannot

nassau County Legislator William gaylor, far left, State Sen. patricia Canzoneri-f itzpatrick, mayor fran murray, Catholic Health president and Ceo patrick o’Shaughnessy, assemblywoman taylor darling, assemblyman ed ra, mercy Hospital president Joseph manopella, Hempstead town Councilwoman Laura r yder and assemblyman Brian Curran celebrate the grand opening of the family Care Center.

Bishop John Barres, of the diocese of rockville Centre, far left photo, blessed the new facility.

drs. Hassan frinjari, left, and erum Hashmi will get to work in the new oB/gYn clinic at the family Care Center.

Help Wanted RECEPTIONIST P/T

Busy Cedarhurst Office

Sundays & Some Week Days

Answering Phones, Filing, And Scheduling Appointments Must Be Computer Literate Call 516-374-1010

THE FRIEDBERG JCC Before/After School Program is seeking passionate and hardworking high school/ college counselors. Before Care hours: 7am-9am. After School hours: 2:45PM-6PM. If interested, send your resume to Program Director Toni Corchado: TCorchado@friedbergjcc.org or call 516-634-4179

Child/Eldercare/Help Wanted

NANNY NEEDED EXPERIENCED

Live-In Or Live-Out

Monday - Friday

English/Spanish Speaking Call 516-672-4040

Eldercare Offered

SANTA CRUZ SERAG Caregivers Provide The Best Male/ Female Caregivers In America. Certified HHA's, Professional. Experts In Dementia, Alzheimers, Parkinsons Cases. Call Gertrude 347-444-0960

Maintenance Mechanic Wanted for Residential Building

REAL ESTATE

Open Houses

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Open Houses

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How tall can houses be?

Q. A few homes in my neighborhood are much taller. What are the rules for how tall a house can be — like how many floors, and what is legal? I mostly see only two stories, but the new ones are at least three. Is this a new thing that you can build taller? Was it just traditional to only build two stories until now?

A. The thinking on allowed height has changed recently.

Hurricane Sandy’s flooding moved New York to promote house lifting in flood zones. Influence also came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which, in essence, is really a publicly funded insurance company, covering people in areas where regular home insurance companies avoid the risk of insuring.

Ask The Architect Monte Leeper

The incentive to lift or build higher is to avoid huge flood insurance cost increases — building above flood levels, with the lowest level only allowed to be for a garage and storage, not living space. By making the first livable floor higher, above the flood level, insurance rates are kept lower. People have shown me their rates went from $500 to $2,500 dollars a year, increasing annually since Sandy in 2012.

Gran/Wood EIK, Spac LR/DR with Vaulted Ceiling & Fpl, & Fam Rm. 2 Car Att Gar.Endless Possibilities!

SD#14 $1,349,000

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1 Acre Resortlike Prop Featuring IG Gunite Pool, Patio & Tennis Ct. XL Fin Bsmt. Upper Level has Primary Ste w/ Dressing Rm & Bth Plus 3 BRs & 2

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Some homes are much higher than codes and incentives intended, due to misinterpretation of reasons to build higher and misrepresentation in the review process. For example, a home’s first floor is no longer a first floor if it’s higher than 6 feet above the ground. Over 6 feet high, the floor level automatically becomes a second floor, meaning the next floor above is a third floor, which requires zoning board approval, interior sprinklers, escape terraces and wind strengthening. I have seen home plans misrepresented as being two stories by not correctly showing the floor level heights or describing a second floor as a first floor, the next floor as a second floor that is really a third floor — even where a fourth floor is shown as a mezzanine or roof level balcony.

There is a small country town in Tuscany, in central Italy, San Gimignano, that is famous for its skyline of towers that people built onto their homes during medieval times. As the story goes, one prominent homeowner built a tall tower to watch for potential attackers. His neighbor jealously built a tower a little higher, and, not to be outdone, several adjacent homeowners began building towers higher and higher.

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© 2023 Monte Leeper

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

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Is it time for Yankees and Mets fans to ask for a refund?

Regardless of the heat wave, I love summer, compared with the brutal wind blasts of December. I know that the summer climate doesn’t satisfy everyone, but the chance to breathe the warm air and be greeted with the bright sunshine is very comforting to me. Summer makes me happy, but I must confess to being very irritated by one subject. I refer to the Yankees and the Mets.

Once upon a time, during my very naïve years, I was told that money buys anything. I didn’t really believe that, because with the passage of time, I saw many instances in which money bought nothing. I know wealthy couples who are the most miserable people. I’ve watched companies flush with money fall apart due to mismanagement.

But I wonder how two great sports franchises, flush with cash, can perform so badly.

Being a lifelong Yankees fan, I will start with my gripes about them.

Media reports indicate that the current payroll of the team is around $280 million, which places them close to the top of the list of the big spenders.

With that kind of money and a fan base that pours millions of dollars into the club treasury, how can management justify the fact that their team is in last place in the American League East?

There’s no doubt that Aaron Judge’s toe injury has been a major setback. But there are many other players who take the field each day and do nothing to win or make the loyal fan base happy. If you follow them as I do, they look like a bunch of people who just show up to collect a paycheck and go home.

They are listless, bored and totally disconnected with the job of keeping baseball America’s so-called pastime.

If these players were street sweepers, I could understand their listlessness. Pushing a broom can be a very dull job. But when players are paid millions of dollars, the fans are entitled to watch a team that is energized and trying to succeed. Have you ever watched the Little League World

Series? It pays to tune in and watch kids yell and scream when a teammate gets a base hit. They hug a fellow player when he strikes out to encourage him to do better the next time he’s at the plate.

There are many big league examples of hunger for victory. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays are good examples. Their players come out to play with smiles on their faces and are determined to win. The lack of passion that the Yankees display is similar to what I observe about this year’s Mets team.

The Mets’ owner, Steve Cohen is a very wealthy man. He can buy just about anything he wants just by dialing his cellphone. He has invested billions in a team that has been called one of the best that money could buy. When he broke the bank to hire Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, Mets fans were jumping for joy.

The rest of the lineup is All-Star quality, but the team could end up in fourth or worse in the NL East at season’s end.

When some team owners speak to

the sportswriters, they sound like the kid who claims the dog ate his homework. They moan about injuries and claim that it will be just a matter of time before their players catch fire. They’re afraid to complain about their players for fear of upsetting them. They seem to forget about the dollars they’re shelling out to those employees.

Many of us longtime Yankees fans wish George Steinbrenner was still alive. When he was, and Yankees players failed to perform, he publicly excoriated them.

And Steinbrenner was never reluctant to trade away a player who didn’t meet his standards.

It’s possible that the Yankees, and the Mets, too, will shake up their teams by the Aug. 1 trade deadline. And maybe they’ll send out a few blunt messages that we long-suffering New York fans are entitled to get our money’s worth when we buy those very expensive tickets.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He now heads Empire Government Strategies, a business development and legislative strategy firm. Comments about this column? JKremer@liherald.com.

Food for thought: Whose tuna is it anyway?

We all have our breaking points, and I discovered my husband’s last Thursday evening after we arrived at a nearby restaurant for dinner. We had been there once before. The place had good word of mouth, and the reviews said the service was friendly and the food was imaginatively prepared. Perhaps we should have lingered longer over the word “imaginatively.”

know what I’m having,” he said, with great relish. “The tuna steak with bok choy and wasabi potatoes.” Our daughter said she would have the same.

I saw trouble looming on the horizon, and it had fins.

The waiter arrived to take our orders.

“I’ll have the tuna, cooked medium,” my daughter said.

who remembered us from the week before. “Sir, you sent your tuna back three times last week,” he said.

“That’s right,” Don said. ”Because it was raw each time, even though I ordered it well done.”

“I’m sorry,” the manager said. “But the chef won’t cook it past medium.”

Randi is on a brief leave. This column was originally published Jan. 13-19, 2000.

“What’s with all the blue swirls? Paint me polka dots.”

RANDI KREISS

We were dining with one of our favorite people, our daughter, and my husband wanted it to be a special treat for her.

We were seated by one of the friendly staff, and he made a point of removing the white napkins and offering us black ones, saying, “These won’t leave lint on your black slacks.”

“I’m impressed, “ I said. “What a thoughtful accommodation.”

Don was perusing the menu. “I

The waiter looked pained. “We cook the tuna rare,” he said. “Medium, with pink on the inside, is as far as we’ll go.” She said that was fine.

it had fins.

But it wasn’t fine with the big guy. “I would like the same,” my husband purred, “but I want mine well done. I don’t do pink.”

The waiter looked stricken. “I’m sorry, sir, but the chef won’t cook it past medium.”

“I know how I like my tuna,” Don said, quite reasonably. “I won’t send it back because it’s too well done. I like it that way. It’s my dinner, and I want it cooked the way I want to eat it.”

The waiter fetched the manager,

“You mean to tell me that I’m paying for this dinner and I have to eat it the way the chef likes it?”

“Sorry sir.”

“I assume the chef is the owner,” my husband said.

“Yes, sir.”

“And he doesn’t care if he loses a customer?”

“No, sir. He serves his tuna purple in the middle.”

By now my husband was turning purple himself. He canceled the tuna and ordered a vegetable plate.

Our daughter suggested we try to reframe the situation.

“You’re so angry, Dad. Try to think of this from the chef’s point of view. He’s a food artist. He’s the Van Gogh of food, and you’re saying to him,

The big guy wasn’t in the mood to reframe. “He can paint all the blue swirls he wants, but I don’t have to eat them. This guy is telling me that if I want to eat the meal I want to eat, I have to eat it the way he enjoys it.”

I see it as a control issue: Yes, you will. No, I won’t. The chef was a prima donna, an incarnation of “Seinfeld’s” soup Nazi. My husband couldn’t get the meal he wanted, which is, after all, the general idea of dining out, and he was right.

Scrambled eggs with ketchup, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, burnt steaks, matzo balls hard as hockey pucks: culinary idiosyncrasies are an American tradition. In the future, when we hear about a restaurant where there’s an artist at the burners, we will dine elsewhere.

Copyright 2023 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

At a nearby restaurant, I saw trouble looming on the horizon, and

Many of us Bronx Bombers fans wish George Steinbrenner was still alive.

JERRY KREMER

Local news is good for business

It’s no secret that recent years have been tough on small businesses and on newspapers.

A bipartisan bill, the Community News & Small Business Support Act that has been introduced in Congress, would offer relief to both newspapers and local businesses.

For too many newspapers, help can’t come soon enough. Economic challenges have resulted in too many communities seeing their local newspapers being forced to lay off staff, cut back on publication days, or — worse yet — close. On average, two newspapers are closing each week. That hurts local businesses and residents in the long (and short) run.

However, despite the challenges, what remains true is that local newspapers make a difference in their communities.

But don’t just take my word for it. Let’s look at the numbers, and why America’s Newspapers has been pushing for the Community News & Small Business Support Act to be introduced.

A recent national study of 5,000 Americans older than 18 was conducted by the independent research firm Coda Ventures for America’s Newspapers, and provides compelling evidence of the importance, relevance and vitality of today’s newspapers in the American media landscape.

Readers told us that their local newspaper makes a difference. The study shows that 79 percent of Americans read/use local news “to stay informed” about their cities, counties and communities. They also said they rely on their local paper to feel connected to their community. To decide where they stand on local issues. To find places and things to do. To talk with people about things happening in the commu-

Letters

We need to hear much more from

Peter King

nity, because they find it enjoyable or entertaining, and to be a better citizen.

And, contrary to popular belief, readers across all age groups turn to local newspapers and their digital products to stay informed about their communities.

Readers also told us they need more local news from their community paper. As one survey respondent said, “Our paper keeps getting smaller. I would like to see more news items, what’s happening in town, what’s new in politics, etc. And they need to be quicker to respond to breaking news.”

All of that takes a committed, local staff — something the legislation, introduced by U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, of New York, and Rep. Suzan DelBene, of Washington, will help to make happen.

So, what would this legislation mean to your local community?

Local businesses with fewer than 50 employees would receive a five-year nonrefundable tax credit of up to $5,000 in the first year, and up to $2,500 in the subsequent four years, based on their spending with local newspapers and local media. Our study showed that six out of 10 American adults use newspaper advertising to help them decide what brands, products and local services to buy.

Newspaper readers also are almost twice as likely to purchase products in a number of important advertising categories than nonnewspaper readers, including automobiles, trucks and SUVs; home furnishings; home improvement products and services; and home services like pest control, plumbing and heating.

With this legislation, we expect to see more businesses being able to afford to advertise to consumers, which in turn helps communities thrive.

For local newspapers, a five-year refundable tax credit would help them hire more journalists to bring you more news. It’s a win-win for local communities.

Newspapers would receive a tax credit to be

used for the compensation of journalists. The credit would cover 50 percent of journalists’ compensation in the first year, and 30 percent of compensation — up to $50,000 — in the subsequent four years.

This tax credit would only be available to local community papers with fewer than 750 employees and, if they don’t invest in their newsroom, they don’t get the credit.

And these tax credits are only available to local newspapers. National newspaper outlets are not eligible.

The importance of local newspapers and local business is the reason Reps. Tenney and DelBene introduced the legislation. We are most grateful for their support.

We need your support, as well, to encourage legislators to enact this legislation. Please contact the offices of your senators and representatives in Congress and encourage them to add their support to this legislation.

These tax credits aren’t permanent — they will sunset in five years. But those critical five years will allow the newspaper industry the time needed to address the challenges that it is facing from Big Tech, which often uses newspapers’ content without compensation, as well as other technological and market challenges. Visit USA.gov/elected-officials for the contact information for your legislators.

More local reporting means more access for hometown news readers like you rely on. And stronger newspapers mean stronger advertising vehicles for local businesses.

On behalf of its approximately 1,700 newspaper and Solutions Partner companies, America’s Newspapers is committed to explaining, defending and advancing the vital role of newspapers in democracy and civil life. We put an emphasis on educating the public on all the ways newspapers contribute to building a community identity and the success of local businesses.

Learn more at Newspapers.org.

Dean Ridings is chief executive of the advocacy organization America’s Newspapers.

To the Editor:

Re Peter King’s column last week, “At this dinner, true patriotism was on vivid display”: Mr. King’s columns have been mildly interesting, often nostalgic, but the deprive us of his greatest asset. As a former congressman with long experience as a respectable Republican, his informed opinion is valuable to Long Island. Recounting the Patriot Awards Dinner is interesting and nostalgic, but the present need for heroes is expressed only as wishful thinking. Noting the heroes and the 9/11 terrorists should not blind us to the present terrorist threat.

Candidate Donald Trump proclaims the constitutional right to do anything he wants as president. He further details the goals of his mission of “retribution,” involving destruction, uprooting, elimination and the like. His militant acolytes sign on, his team details the means by which they’ll establish an autocracy during 2025, his media broadcast the message, his donors unsheathe their checkbooks.

Surely the honorable Mr. King has some thoughts on

Election integrity in New York?

over the past 20-something years, election integrity has become a hot-button issue in our country.

In 2000, Democrats claimed that George W. Bush was an illegitimate president because of hanging chads in Florida.

In 2016, Democrats alleged that Donald Trump stole the presidency by secretly colluding with Russia. And in 2020, many Republicans asserted that the presidential election was rigged, which was the catalyst for Jan 6.

None of the claims in any of those elections were proved, but what is clear is that the past twoplus decades of such baseless allegations on both sides of the political aisle have taken their toll on voter confidence on our electoral process. A study in 2000 found an average level of public faith in national elections between 1964 and 1996 of 70 percent. In 2020, a Gallup Poll found that just 59 percent of Americans were very or somewhat confident in U.S. elections.

So you might think it would be government’s main priority to restore faith in our electoral process. Unfortunately, your assumption would be incorrect, and your faith misplaced. Instead, the desire to secure power consistently outweighs restoring public trust in our elections, and common-sense election reforms supported by the public are consistently rejected. A 2021 Monmouth University poll found that 80 percent of Americans

support requiring voters to show photo identification to cast a ballot, but Democrats consistently reject that idea. Despite the requirement of photo IDs for everything from library cards to driver’s licenses to accessing Medicaid to boarding an airplane, Democrats, incredibly, claim that requiring voters’ photo IDs would disenfranchise a portion of the population.

Even more concerning, political parties appear to be passing laws that are fundamentally changing our election process — laws that are designed to place a heavy thumb on the election scale in favor of one party over the other.

For the past five years, New York has been a one-party state, with Democrats controlling the Assembly, the Senate and the governor’s office. In that time, Democrats have passed election law after election law not to strengthen and depoliticize state and local elections, but rather to give a blatant advantage to Democratic candidates.

In 2014, then Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other Democrats supported a state constitutional amendment, passed overwhelmingly by the public, that established a Redistricting Commission to independently draw up the state’s political maps to avoid gerrymandering, beginning in 2021. At the time, Republicans controlled the Senate.

When 2020 rolled around, Democrats were in full control, and their desire for that independent commission was gone. They rejected its proposed legislative maps, and tried passing a law to allow

Letters

these proposed alterations to the government he helped to preserve? Or on the character of some of those he served with? Or on the unusual tactics of Tommy Tuberville, Marjorie Taylor Greene or Jim Jordan? Mr. King must feel something about marionettes like George Santos replacing serious public servants like himself. Mr. King’s service is recent and thus still relevant, but it will become less so with time. The time to speak, to advise, is now.

BRIAN KELLY Rockville Centre

Protect chimps — and unborn babies

To the Editor:

Re Randi Kreiss’s column last week, “Chimps face N.Y. court test of personhood” (reprised from Jun 11-17, 2015): I usually don’t agree with Randi, because we have different political outlooks and worldviews, but this time I do, because cruelty is morally wrong. There are exceptions such as war, but those are rare. Her quote from Jane Goodall and reference to chimpanzees’ similar DNA were poignant. Why, then, don’t we all extend the same concern to creatures that share 100 percent of our DNA — an exact

themselves to draw the new districts, contrary to the 2014 reforms. Over the express will of the people, Democrats drew the new congressional, Senate and Assembly districts. Ultimately, their action was struck down, deemed unconstitutional, and the districts were redrawn by an independent special master.

DAfter such a strong rebuke by the courts, you might think Democrats would reconsider such political overreach. Unfortunately, the exact opposite has occurred. In the last two weeks of the legislative session in Albany, the Democrats passed laws, which Gov. Kathy Hochul has indicated she will sign, that fundamentally transform the state’s election process.

One bill would move most town and county elections to even-numbered years, when Democrats typically have their highest voter turnout. But the Democratic sponsors of the bill excluded from the legislation all cities, including New York City, village and school board elections, which consistently have among the lowest voter turnout. Opponents of the bill, including me, believe that important local issues, and races for Nassau County and Town of Hempstead offices, would be overshadowed by national and state issues and races. The county and town have held elections in odd-numbered years for over 80 years, but the 18 percent higher turnout in even years may be just what Democrats need to win local legislative seats, which I believe is the true purpose of the change.

match, actually? And these creatures look “just like a human baby,” because they are human, and in fact “persons,” regardless of what current laws say. But unfortunately, most people are like Randi’s dinner crowd, who “just couldn’t care about what happens to chimpanzees” — or unborn human children.

I challenge Randi to use her own logic to help defend the unborn.

And I will contribute to janegoodall.org.

JACK HOLLAND Baldwin

Some of us know what teachers go through

To the Editor:

Re Mark Nolan’s column in last week’s Herald, “You have no idea with teachers deal with”: Yep — all sad but true. My wife is a retired first-grade teacher. It’s hard to believe that so much starts there, but it does.

Yes, teachers are well paid, but most of them really earn it! Thanks to them, and God bless them.

DICK CARDOzO Westbury

Another bill passed by Democrats is the New York Early Mail Voter Act, which would allow voters to cast mail-in ballots without an excuse during the nine-day early-voting period. As things stand, the state Constitution allows voting by mail only for those with specific excuses — a disability, an illness, or an absence from their county on Election Day. In 2021, this same measure was put before state voters as a ballot amendment, and soundly rejected. As a result, the Democrats, as they did with redistricting, ignored the will of the voters will and created this legislative workaround that doesn’t need voter approval.

There will certainly be legal challenges to these bills, but the Democrats also have that covered. In the last days of the session, they passed a bill that requires a person filing a constitutional challenge to an election law to do so in one of only four jurisdictions. To no one’s surprise, those four courts are in areas that are heavily Democratic, with similar judicial profiles.

We passed coincidence in New York a long time ago.

The actions of the Democratic-led State Legislature in the past several years, and particularly this past session, would clearly lead a reasonable person to conclude that these so-called “reforms” have very little to do with restoring trust in our voting system, and instead ensure that the majority party remains in power.

But hey, as many of my Democratic colleagues said as they were passing these “reforms,” they “trust the voters.” That is, if they vote the way Democrats want them to.

Brian Curran represents the 21st Assembly District.

Framework by Tim Baker

emocrats have passed election laws just to give their candidates the advantage.

Brian CUrran