Wheels of Compassion at the Belmont Racetrack
SUBMITTED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF FLORAL PARK - BELLEROSE
At Belmont Racetrack, there’s a team of quiet heroes: the caretakers who make sure the horses are well-fed, groomed, and ready for race day. Most people never see them, but they cover a ton of ground every day just to keep things running. So we thought, why not help make that a little easier? The Rotary Club of Floral Park-Bellerose has started collecting old bikes, giving them a second life, and putting them in the hands of these
hardworking folks. It’s a small gesture, but one we hope shows just how much the community appreciates everything they do.
A guided tour behind the scenes
On October 9th, members of the Rotary Club of Floral
See page 14
Rivers Café brews five years of friendship
BY RIKKI MASSAND
Dalila Abigail Rivera is celebrating five years since opening her cozy Floral Park café during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — and five years of the warm embrace that the village and Nassau County have given her in return.
Her business, Rivers Café USA, at 304 Jericho Turnpike, carries packaged coffee from Brazil, Honduras, and El Salvador. Rivera, the friendly face behind the counter, personally prepares an array of specialty drinks — from iced coffees and espressos to tea lattes.
The brand began with two signature blends, Original and Yellow Honey, and has since expanded. Today’s shelves feature a “Traditional Blend” Medium-Dark Roast with notes of brown sugar, milk chocolate, and orange.
Rivera moved to the United States as a young teen “to a land of strangers.” Now, with her husband and business partner Gilberto Lopez, she owns and operates the thriving café. Every day, she commutes from her home in Mastic Beach to Floral Park — often staying late after closing time.
“We got married in 2019 and decided to start a business, and opening up during the pandemic in July of 2020 was tremendously challenging. Back then everything was supposed to be closed, so we had a hard time
with about a 10-month delay for opening. This is our first business so we didn’t even know what we were doing, but the thing is I wanted to have a small place. Everywhere in Suffolk, all the storefronts near my home, were very big locations, and I preferred something with a customer-oriented vibe where I can promote my father’s coffee blends from El Salvador,” Rivera noted.
Community Roots and Green Growth
Inside Rivers Café, the walls are adorned with art and a thriving Monstera plant named Monty that stretches happily toward the ceiling. Rivera hopes her business continues to grow as strongly as Monty’s roots.
“I believe If I had opened my business literally anywhere else, the success would not have worked in the way it has. This community has something special, and people feel closer. I’m from El Salvador where we know and help out our neighbors, we cook and share food with each other. This place brings me back to memories of my childhood where people used to truly be your neighbor – there’s harmony in living with and surrounded by your neighbors, and if something happens to someone they all come together,” she comment-
See page 12
Rich Burgess, Floral Park Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald, and Jim Zabatta check out one of the bikes.
Thanks for coverage
To the Editor:
As the president of the Saint Vincent de Paul Conference in Our Lady of Victory parish, I am writing to express our appreciation both for the recent establishment of a local newspaper for our community, and more recently the paper’s support in publishing information about our Walk for the Poor fundraiser on September 27th.
Our umbrella organization on Long Island has sponsored this event for the last seventeen years. This year, with over $11,000 raised at our local Walk, we
mark our most successful event ever. We believe the publicity offered in the paper significantly contributed to this success. The mission of our Conference was amply described in the articles published in the Villager, so I won’t repeat it here. Suffice it to say that the information published in the paper supported our work to assist the poor from all faith traditions who live within the boundaries of the Our Lady of Victory parish.
Thomas O’Keeffe, President, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Our Lady of Victory Conference
OLV Rosary Altar Society Harvest Fair
The Our Lady of Victory Rosary Altar Society will be holding its Harvest Fair on Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be:
• Many excellent vendors
• Live music
Floral Park Junior Woman’s Club
The next meeting of the Floral Park Junior Woman’s Club will be held on Thursday, November 13, at the Floral Park Recreation Center at 7 p.m. There will be a. business meeting and then members will make dog beds to donate. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.
The Great Giveback at FP Library
The Floral Park Public Library is participating in The Great Giveback, a community service initiative of libraries throughout New York State. The Floral Park Library is collecting
donations of new pajamas for children of the Ronald McDonald House. A donation bin is located in the Library's lobby, and collections will be collected through October 31.
• Barbecue food, baked goods and an outdoor cafe
• A Costume Parade at noon, with special gifts from vendors
• An indoor Haunted Forest
• Raffle baskets
• Lots of fun!
Q uestions? Please email JaniceOLV123@gmail.com
Let your voice be heard!
Is there an issue in your community you want to discuss? Want to respond to something you saw in our paper? Then write a letter to our editor and bring it to everyone’s attention! Send your letter to editor@gcnews.com and we’ll publish it for you!
Last “Weed Out” of the year on November 1
BY RICHARD BURGESS, WEED OUT COORDINATOR, FP CONSERVATION VOLUNTEER.
Saturday, November 1st will be the last “Weed Out” of 2025. The first weed out took place on September 11, 2016. Some people who often walk along the upper gardens of Centennial Gardens, decided an organized weeding effort would be good. There were several garden beds along the path which were overgrown. We reached out to other people walking by and ended with six of us doing a spontaneous twenty minute spruce up of an area in need of help. This area was dedicated to the memory of Keith Fairben, who lost his life at the World Trade center on 9/11. We all felt good doing this simple act and decided that we should continue to do this. One of the participants was an elderly gentleman who said, “We just did a “weed out”. We liked
the description and the name stuck! So the first Weed Out was history.
So for the past nine years volunteers have been meeting at the main entrance gate of Centennial Gardens on Floral Parkway at nine a.m. on the first Saturday of the month. The purpose is to do some weeding to maintain the beauty of Centennial Gardens. We pick a bed or two and work for approximately 1 1/2 hours. It is good exercise and good karma.
Come to the Gardens and “give it a go.” Everyone is welcome.
People hear and read about Centennial Gardens and ask where it is located. The boundaries are Floral Parkway, where the main entrance gate is located, Raff Avenue and Carnation Avenue. It is approximately two blocks west of Sewanhaka High School and three blocks south of Tulip.
Weed Out volunteers ready for action.
Come walk with Mary’s Team
A fun day for the whole family!
Activities include: Fall Festivities, bounce house, inflatable slide, photo booth, face painting, carnival games, raffles, silent auction & more.
Music provided by RVC School of Rock
Kids wear your Halloween costumes to participate in our Halloween Parade!
Donations at the door
$20 donation for adult Children 12 and under are free For more information or to donate
Mary’s Team will again walk in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) annual walk at Jones Beach on Sunday, October 26.
Mary’s Team, representing the Mary Elise Foundation, Inc., will be participating in the Out of the Darkness Walk for the Long Island AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) on Sunday, October 26, at 9 a.m. at Jones Beach, Field 5.
This is the ninth year that Mary’s Team has raised money for AFSP, and each year it is one of the highest fundraising teams on behalf of the Long Island AFSP. All are welcome to participate.
A full breakfast, hats, rain ponchos, and waterproof drawstring backpacks will be available for every team member. Breakfast will be available at 8:30 a.m.
To register, please search for “afsp Long Island walk” and search for “Mary
Floral Park-Bellerose schools celebrate Unity Day
On October 15, the Floral ParkBellerose Union Free School District came together to celebrate Unity Day as a reminder of the importance of kindness, acceptance and inclusion. Students and staff proudly wore orange, the official color of Unity Day, to stand against bullying and promote a culture of compassion.
At both Floral Park-Bellerose School and John Lewis Childs School, each classroom took part in a meaningful activity: students created a collaborative orange paper chain, with each link featuring a message of kindness or a positive drawing. These links were then collected to create a schoolwide paper chain to symbolize unity in the buildings.
Unity Day is recognized every October as part of National Bullying Prevention Month, encouraging schools nationwide to inspire change through empathy and connection.
Floral Park-Bellerose School students are pictured with their paper chains on Oct. 15.
John Lewis Childs School students are pictured with their paper chains
Photos courtesy of the Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District
Reviving Hope: A Breakthrough Approach to Treating Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
"Several years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatments. I'm now in remission and blessed to still be here, but I was in so much pain. My feet and hands were constantly burning - a tingling sensation, almost like when your leg or arm falls asleep," shared Mary of Westbury.
Mary was suffering from Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN. While chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, they are not exactly discriminating in what they destroy. The smaller nerves, specifically those in your hands and feet, are some of the first to be harmed. Those suffering from peripheral neuropathy have described this pain as “burning,” “tingling,” “like walking on sharp rocks,” or like Mary explained, that fuzzy, tingling pain you experience during paresthesia (the technical term for when a limb “falls asleep”).
"Standing all day was not just a challenge, it caused me physical agony. Keeping up with my busy schedule - forget about it. I couldn't even go for walks on the beach." Mary, like so many others, was prescribed Gabapentin to help with the pain and told there was nothing anyone could do. In their words: “There is no treatment for neuropathy.”
Fortunately for Mary, where Western medicine fails, Westbury Acupuncture tends to
prove itself. Jae Won, National Board-Certified Acupuncturist, has been blending the time-tested science of acupuncture with modern, medical technology to design a real solution for peripheral neuropathy that doesn’t involve invasive surgeries or prescription medications with uncomfortable side effects.
These Renew Nerve Ⓡ protocols, specific to Westbury Acupuncture and its network of certified providers, actually treat neuropathy versus attempting to mask its symptoms.
"Acupuncture is incredible at restoring blood flow and stimulating damaged nerves. It’s been used for centuries to treat peripheral neuropathy and similar conditions” tells Jae Won. “We take our treatments a step further by integrating ATP Resonance BioTherapy Ⓡ , which targets specific nerves in the body using microcurrent. ATP Resonance BioTherapyⓇ is
akin to watering a plant. This treatment stimulates the blood vessels to grow back around the peripheral nerves and provide them with the proper nutrients and energy they need to repair and recover.”
ATP Resonance BioTherapy Ⓡ was originally designed by NASA to speed up healing and recovery. “To have access to this kind of technology has been life changing for our patients” shares Gen, one of the incredibly compassionate Patient Care Technicians at Westbury Acupuncture. “We even have people asking if they can take the equipment home, so we’re working on developing some at-home options for our less mobile patients.”
After only four weeks of treatment, Mary is already seeing incredible improvement. "I've taken the handicap placard off my rearview mirror and I'm finally back to walking on the beach. I can't wait to see how I feel at the end of my program! I used to think that
the neuropathy pain was just the price I have to pay for still being alive. Jae Won has really given me hope for a better life!"
Jae Won L.Ac and the staff at Westbury Acupuncture have a 90% success rate in reversing peripheral neuropathy, and not just that caused by chemotherapy. They also have tremendous success in treating diabetic neuropathy and neuropathy of undetermined origin, otherwise known as idiopathic neuropathy. “I watched my grandmother suffer with neuropathy during her final years and it broke my heart when she was told there was nothing they could do. This condition is one of the main reasons I went into medicine. Since then, I’ve been on a quest to help people truly thrive in their golden years.”
The number of treatments needed to allow the nerves to fully recover will vary from person to person and can only be determined after a comprehensive consultation and detailed neurological evaluation.
If you or someone you love is suffering from peripheral neuropathy, call (516) 500-8281 to schedule.
For new patients, an initial consultation is complimentary. Simply visit www.WestburyAcupuncture.com for more information and to take advantage of this offer.
Sixth graders explore robotics at JLCS
The students learn how to program small robots.
This school year, Floral ParkBellerose Union Free School District launched a new Lego curriculum in the Discovery Lab sessions. Students in grades 4-6 will build and code robots, using the Lego Education SPIKE Essential app and kits.
During their first Lego lesson on Oct. 6, John Lewis Childs School sixth graders worked in pairs to build and
program an arctic ride. Using beginner-friendly block coding on the app, the students programmed the snowmobile to move. This lesson enhanced their problem-solving and teamwork skills, as they were tasked with properly following directions to build, program and disassemble their Lego creations.
John Lewis Childs School sixth graders created Lego arctic rides in the Discovery Lab on Oct. 6.
lesson
Photos courtesy of the Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District
Francis Hospital & Heart Center… nationally ranked in 7 adult specialties
Year after year, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a national leader across multiple specialties. With exceptional physicians and an unrivaled patient experience, St. Francis sets the standard for superb care and expertise.
No other hospital on Long Island has been nationally ranked for Heart & Vascular as often as St. Francis—now 18 times by U.S. News.
chsli.org/st-francis-hospital
Discovery Bicycle Tours’ Vietnam: Hue’s Citadel, “City of Ghosts” & the Challenge of Biking the Hai Van Pass
BY KAREN RUBIN TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM
On Day 6 of Discovery Bicycle Tours’ 12-Day Vietnam Tour, we get to ride (22 miles for the day), biking right from the Pilgrimage Village resort in Hue along country lanes. There is only light local traffic (mainly bicycles, motorbikes and buffaloes) to the Royal Tomb of Emperor Gia Long, the first emperor of Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty.
Built between 1814 and 1820, the mausoleum of Gia Long is a complex of several tombs and temples spread across a tranquil park-like setting of 42 hills and pine forest. What makes this place all the more special is the poignant love story of the Emperor and his first wife, for whom he built the tomb so she could be buried beside him (calling to mind the Taj Mahal).
Our bike ride finishes at a pleasant restaurant in an eco-resort where we enjoy a delightful lunch before getting onto a “dragon” boat, that cruises along the Perfume River to visit the famous Thien Mu Pagoda, which dates from the 1870s and has become the symbol of Hue.
We next board our bus and are taken to the magnificent Citadel of Hue. Spanning 520 hectares on the northern bank of the Perfume River, the walled fortress served as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945, the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam. The Citadel was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1993.
Our local guide, Vinh, tells us Vietnam was independent from 18021883. Then the fourth king passed
Our Discovery Bicycle Tours group makes it up the seven-mile stretch to the summit of Hai Van Quan Pass, an iconic pass known around the world as the “Pass of Ocean Clouds,” where an ancient gate used to be a border crossing between two kingdoms © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
away and the French moved in, turning Vietnam into its colony, from 1885-1945. With help of an ally, the Vietnamese pushed out the French, but that lasted only one year, and the French returned in 1946 for nine years. That triggered the Second Indochina War (what we call the Vietnam War and they call the American War).
This very place where we stand today was the site of a major battle in the Tet Offensive - our guide shows us photos of the Battle of Huế, a siege which lasted from January 31 to March 2, 1968. (The restoration was only completed last year and we can still see bullet holes.)
The art, the architecture, the decoration – mosaic, enamel, sculpture –are exquisite, reminding me of China’s Forbidden City in Beijing. It turns out this is not coincidence: Emperor
Gia Long modeled his palace complex after Beijing’s Forbidden City.
We have dinner this evening at the delightful Vy’s Restaurant in Hue and enjoy the bustling downtown activity.
Biking the Challenging
Hai Van Pass
Day 7 of the Discovery Bicycle Tours Vietnam tour brings the greatest cycling challenge and a visit to the intriguingly named “City of Ghosts.”
But the day starts off passively enough, with a delightful breakfast at the Pilgrimage Village resort, and a visit to the Vestige of Thanh Toan Tile-Roofed Bridge, a wooden covered bridge originally constructed in 1776 with seven apartments. The bridge was recognized as a national heritage site in 1990 for its beautiful architecture.
We cross the bridge and enter a busy village market, and after, are brought to an agricultural museum where we are treated to a demonstration of the traditional way of processing rice.
From here, we drive to the An Bang Village Cemetery, known as “the City of Ghosts,” for its thousands of ornate mausoleums that extend over 8 km.
We have a picnic lunch before “hopping on our bikes to conquer” Hai Van Pass, also known as the “Pass of Ocean Clouds.” An iconic pass known around the world, it is the highest in Vietnam at 500 meters above sea level, 7 miles up a gradient up to 7.5% (I think more like 12% at some points).
Now, all of our rides so far have been easy, with very little elevation. But today’s is an absolute challenge and I am one of the few in our group doing it with a regular hybrid bike (not e-bike).
I make it to the top. I take a quick look at the fortress at the summit and the “spectacular view” before biking down the other side.
We arrive at the Royal Hotel Hoi An, a gorgeous, five-star luxury European-style hotel and begin our visit of this dazzling city.
Discovery Bicycle Tours, 2520 W. Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, VT 05091, 800-257-2226, 802- 457-3553, info@discoverybicycletours.com, www.discoverybicycletours.com
Next: Hoi An’s Dazzling Lights, Tranquil Countryside
© 2025 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear. com October 24, 2025
Seeing a Comet After Sunset ... Maybe!
BY DENNIS MAMMANA
Week of October 26November 1, 2025
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen a decently bright comet grace the nighttime sky, but one is now passing through our celestial neighborhood. It certainly won’t compare to the rare cosmic spectacles like Hale-Bopp or Hyakutake of the late 1990s, but it could become bright enough to see with the unaided eye. Or not.
This comet was found on Jan. 3 by the Mount Lemmon Survey in Tucson, Arizona, although there are photos that show it as early as last November. It’s designated as Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6).
As confusing as it might seem, the International Astronomical Union’s naming system for comets is rather straightforward. The comet discoverer’s name comes first (in this case Lemmon). This is followed by “C/” to indicate that it’s a nonperiodic comet and that this may be its first journey through the inner solar system. “2025” indicates the discovery year, and “A6” shows that it’s the sixth comet found during the first half of January.
Of course, most of us just call it Comet Lemmon.
Like other comets, Lemmon is one of countless icy remnants of the primordial
solar system that tumble silently in a region known as the Oort Cloud, billions of miles from the sun. Occasionally, one of these cosmic nomads drifts inward toward the sun’s heat, and its ices disintegrate into a cloud of gas and dust around its nucleus (the “coma”). Sunlight and the solar wind act as a fan and blow this material outward to create one or two tails that always point away from our star.
On rare occasions, a comet becomes noteworthy enough to make the news, and we hope that’s what happens with Comet Lemmon. The last time it passed our way was during the late seventh century, but on Oct. 21 of this year, it again swung only 56 million miles past our planet.
Now on its inward track toward the sun, it might make a nice object to view low in the western sky after sunset during this last week of October. But just how bright Comet Lemmon becomes is anyone’s guess. Will it be bright enough to see with the unaided eye, or will we need binoculars or a small telescope to find it? No one can say for sure.
Predictions about the appearance of comets can be somewhat untrustworthy simply because they seem to have minds of their own. As noted comet-hunter David Levy so eloquently explains: “Comets are like cats. They both have tails, and they both do what they want.”
Their unpredictable nature has led people over the ages - and even some today -- to interpret them as cosmic harbingers of doom. Hard to dispute, since every time a comet appears, something bad is happening in the world. Of course, something bad is always happening even when a comet isn’t visible, so make of this superstition what you will.
Check out the accompanying illus-
LOST IN SUBURBIA
tration for Comet Lemmon’s changing position this week, and be sure to grab binoculars to scan the western horizon during dusk to seek out and enjoy this amazing interplanetary iceball.
If you miss it, don’t worry. It’ll return around the year 3175!
Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
Ding, Dong, the Dishwasher’s Dead
BY TRACY BECKERMAN
We went three weeks and a day without a working dishwasher. And then when we finally got a repairman in, he fixed it in five minutes. When I asked him what the problem was, first he blamed the soap. ... Then he blamed me.
“The dishwasher sensed an excess of soap in the bottom of the unit,” said Larry the dishwasher repairman.
I stared at the dishwasher accusingly.
“How could there be an excess of soap?” I finally said. “I use pods. They’re premeasured.”
“Well, let me ask you a question,” he said. “Do you rinse or scrape?”
“Rinse or scrape what?”
“Your plates.”
I thought this might be a trick question. I had always been taught to rinse my plates before I loaded them into the dishwasher. My mother rinsed, and my father rinsed, and both my brothers rinsed as far as I knew because I never actually studied their dishwashing techniques. We all thought rinsing was the best way to ensure that the dishwasher was able to do its job.
“I rinse,” I said definitively.
“You should be scraping,” he said.
“Augh, I knew I’d get that wrong!”
That night I had to tell my husband the error of our dishwasher ways. Like me, he was a devout rinser who came from a long line of rinsers. As long as there had been automatic dishwashers in
his family, they had all rinsed, and they passed the tradition on like a beloved recipe for brisket. I knew he wasn’t going to be happy to be told that he should be scraping instead.
“Larry said the soap needs something to grab onto,” I explained. “That’s why you should scrape.”
“Who changed the rules?” he said. “The dishwasher people or the soap people?”
“Apparently, the dishwasher repair people,” I replied.
He shook his head and got up with his plate to clear the table. Just then I looked down and noticed one of the dog’s toys right in his path.
“Watch out!” I yelled.
But it was too late, and as he stepped away from the table, he tripped on the dog toy.
I watched as he bobbled his plate and caught it, but not before food had flown off his plate and scattered all over the floor. We both stared at the mess on the floor.
“What should I do?” he finally said.
“Clean it up,” I replied.
“I know that,” he said. “But should I rinse or scrape?”
Tracy Beckerman is the author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Barking at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble,” available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online! You can visit her at www.tracybeckerman.com.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
Comet Lemmon, a comet discovered in January, may be visible with the unaided eye after sunset this week.
Question: to discuss books or to exercise?
BY CLAIRE LYNCH
The last time I went to a book club meeting we talked about a novel called Remarkably Bright Creatures because it’s been on the NY Times fiction best-seller list multiple times. Written by Shelby Van Pelt, the book came out in 2022 and is about a woman named Tova Sullivan who forms a deep bond with Marcellus, a precocious and sarcastic giant Pacific octopus, as she works the night shift at an aquarium. Tova is recently widowed and she believes in keeping busy.
Tova and Marcellus become friends and he helps Tova solve her son’s mysterious disappearance 30+ years ago. Erik disappeared and is presumed to have drowned when he was 18 years old in a boating accident on the Puget Sound. His body was never found and Tova always wondered what happened. The mystery of his death is central to the story and Marcellus tries to solve it for Tova.
Marcellus leaves clues and pieces together the truth about Erik’s death. Alongside a young man named Cameron who is searching for his father, they navigate themes of grief and family among others.
At first I was skeptical and unsure about how interesting it would be because I’m not a marine biology enthusiast but it’s really a fiction story. Unearthing the truth is what it’s all about. I got into the story early on because Van Pelt has different types of
characters and it’s full of action. That novel was a page turner.
Another book we discussed is called The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan. The book was published in 2018 and is a fiction story about two friends, Laura and Casey, who were inseparable in high school. One summer night, however, everything falls apart.
After not speaking for 17 years, they are brought back together and throughout the story we discover what drove them apart, along with some other revelations as well. We read the story from Laura’s first-person perspective. Both she and Casey are very likable and very relatable, too.
Set in a small California lakeside town during the summers, The Summer List is told in the present tense and in the past tense - when the girls are in high school. There are also several smaller sections of other characters from even further in the past and eventually we see how it all connects in the book.
There are vivid descriptions of living on the lake which made me think of the carefree summer days of high school. Sometimes it can be confusing when stories go back and forth from the past to the present but in this case it’s not. Amy Mason Doan did a great job of managing the several different time periods with the various storylines.
Throughout the book the characters acted and talked appropriate for their ages - when they’re in high school they think and sound like high schoolers and when they’re adults, they sound like
the adult version of themselves.
Not one to give spoiler alerts, I won’t say too much about the plot or the ending. Doan has a way of making the characters come to life. They are compelling characters so the book is an easy read. It’s a coming-of-age story that makes you wonder what happens next.
The two books mentioned above sound like “chick lit” but that’s not the case. We have a mix of different types of books on our list every year. My book club meets 12 times a year and it’s a large group of up to 35 people. There are only a handful of men so we read about the sun and the moon, the planets and constellations, World War II and more.
Soon we’ll read John Grisham’s The Whistler which is another one of Grisham’s legal thrillers. Then David Baldacci’s The Edge is slated. That novel is set in a small town on the coast of Maine.
My book club meets at 3 p.m. at the public library and for me, this is a perfect time. I go out, meet and talk with some people then return home in time to prepare dinner - steak smothered in mushrooms and onions along with a baked potato or beef stew cooked in my Instant Pot.
Over dinner I’ll tell my relatives about the book club meeting - what we discussed, how many people participated, etc. Afterwards the moderator sends an email to a group list telling us which book is up next. Sometimes she attaches a book description or a videotaped interview about the book and that’s fun
to think about ahead of time. Looking at the group list is a good way for me to put names to faces. Although we wear name tags during the meetings, the list helps me reinforce the names and their faces especially when there are newcomers.
The moderator often brings a plate of cookies to our book club meetings and while I enjoy eating a couple of them, I sit there thinking that when I go home I’d better look at the list of weekly exercise classes at my local senior center and sign up for one of them.
Sitting around in a big circle talking about the books we love and consuming calories is making my waistline grow. I am not happy about that so I’m eager to work off some of those extra calories. A few miles on the treadmill helps me warm up then I switch to the elliptical machine.
I’ve found that following the Elliptical Workout Guide for Beginners is a great place to start so I focus and do my best on that machine. Warming up for 5-10 minutes at a low intensity I then increase the intensity for 2-3 minutes and then return to a lower intensity for 1-2 minutes. I repeat all of this, continue on and the workout feels good. While exercising I meet some other retirees and we chat for a while.
Maybe we can add some non-fiction books about exercising to our book club list and that will prompt all of us to start - or to keep - working out. We book lovers just need a little inspiration.
When It Comes to Storing Bananas, Don’t Believe Old
BY MARY HUNT
For years, I believed an old wives’ tale that bananas will turn black and spoil almost instantly if you put them in the refrigerator. In fact, I even passed this notion on to you. Whoops! Hearing from reader Lin made me reconsider, test, and now, recant. Lin is right. I was wrong!
BANANAS IN THE FRIDGE
I read in your column a while back about how to keep fruit fresher longer. You said do not put bananas in the refrigerator. I beg to differ. We put fresh bananas in the fridge, and they may turn black and ugly on the outside, but inside, even after seven days or longer, they are as fresh and firm as new. Try it. -- Lin (I have discovered that if I put the bananas in a plastic bag and tie or seal it tightly then place this in the crisper drawer, the bananas retain their yellow color. There’s something about black bananas -- even if they are totally fine inside -- I find to be somewhat off-putting! -- MH)
PICKLED ANTS
I have used vinegar as a weed killer for decades. A couple of weeks ago, I found out it is also an excellent ant killer. Simply spray it on them. There is very little odor; what odor there is disappears quickly. I have had a longtime problem with ants in my kitchen and bathroom and do not like to use insecticides
for many reasons (i.e., cat and dogs, poison, smell, oily, getting on my skin). Now I don’t have to worry about it! -- Ann
ASPARTAMED ANTS
Next time there’s an invasion of ants, spread a single packet of Nutrasweet, Equal or Sweet N’ Low (or another sweetener that contains aspartame) over part of the trail. One treatment gets rid of all the ants in less than a day, and I have yet to see them come back. Try it and see. -- Howell
SWEET SKIN CARE
I have a great home recipe for an exfoliant that uses what I have in my pantry. I mix equal amounts of honey and cornmeal and apply to my face, elbows and heels. It leaves my skin feeling wonderful and it smells nice, too. -- Lee
RUBBER BAND GRIP
Instead of using those rubbery disks designed for gripping a jar lid to make it easier to open, simply put a rubber band or two around the lid and twist! It gives you a great grip on the lid and it’s much handier than keeping one more thing in your kitchen that only serves one purpose. -- Mara
GRINDING THE GROUNDS
Instead of purchasing whole peppercorns for use in a grinder, I just fill my grinder full of regular ground black pepper. The grinds are big enough that when ground again, I get
a fresh ground pepper taste at a fraction of the cost. And a bottle of coarse ground pepper lasts a lot longer than those tiny bottles of peppercorns. -- Jennifer WRAP UP A BOUQUET GARNI
If you make soup, a bouquet garni (spices and herbs tied into a little bundle so they can be easily removed before serving) is a wonderful thing. But instead of buying cheesecloth for this process, I wrap the herbs and spices in a coffee filter, roll it or fold it and wrap it with string. I drop it into the soup pot and fish it out easily with a spoon when the soup is done. -- Jessica FOIL SCRUBBER
One morning I faced a tough job cleaning the dried-on pancake batter in a bowl. Instead of reaching for a scrub pad, I balled up a piece of used aluminum foil and it worked perfectly to scrub the bowl clean. -- Brenda HANDY CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLUID
I’ve discovered that charcoal lighter fluid works well on removing the residue that stickers leave behind. A little on a cloth does the job. I also found that it does a great job getting oil-based paint out of brushes. It has very little odor and it’s a lot cheaper than the stuff you buy in the store for that specific purpose. -- Grace Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is ar-
Wives’ Tales
chived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https:// www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.” COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
Crossword Answers
BY TOM MARGENAU
Sometimes people will write to me complaining that the government, specifically, the Social Security Administration, has messed them up and cheated them out of benefits they might have been due. But many times (to use a sports analogy), the ball is in their hands. And if they drop it, they shouldn’t look around and try to blame others. Here are some examples of what I mean.
Q: I am 72 years old. I have been getting my own reduced Social Security retirement since age 62. I have chronic arthritis and fibromyalgia, and I just learned I could have been getting higher disability benefits all these years. So I called Social Security about this, and they said it’s too late! What? Why didn’t someone from Social Security ever tell me about this? They messed up, and they owe me 10 years’ worth of disability benefits.
A: I’m going to be rather blunt with you. They didn’t mess up. You did. It’s your job to educate yourself about the benefits you might be due from Social Security. I know if I had the kinds of problems you described, I would have said to myself: “I wonder if I might be eligible for disability benefits?” And then I would have checked into that.
And the Social Security retirement application has a question on it that essentially asks something like this: “Are you unable to work because of a disabling condition?” Back when you were 62, you must have answered that question, “No,” because a “Yes” answer would have led you down the path to a claim for Social Security disability benefits.
Q: I am 62 years old and currently unmarried. I have always worked in low-paying jobs and my Social Security benefit will only be about $1,200 per month. I was married to a very wealthy man, but we divorced many years ago. We got the divorce just two weeks shy of our 10th anniversary. The Social Security rep I talked to said that because we were not married for 10 years, I can’t get any of his Social Security. Why was I never told about this before? The government has ripped me off!
A: Do you think a Social Security representative should be stationed at every divorce court in this country, ready to tell women to stay married for 10 years to be eligible for benefits from the ex?
I understand that at the time you divorced this guy, Social Security was probably the furthest thing from your mind. Still, the ball was in your court to educate yourself about this.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND YOU
Don’t Drop the Ball
With just a little bit of effort, you could have easily learned about the 10-year duration of marriage rule.
Q: When I was 65, I retired and took the free Part A Medicare. But I didn’t want to spend all that money the government was gouging us to take the Part B. However, five years later, when I was 70, I decided I needed the Part B, so I took it and started paying a penalty on top of my regular monthly premium. I’m now almost 80, and I’m still paying the penalty. This just proves my theory that the government is made up of a bunch of crooks who are just out to gouge all of us senior citizens!
A: Well, you didn’t really ask me a question. You just got up on your soapbox and blamed the government for the Part B penalty predicament you find yourself in.
But I think if you are looking for blame, you should check the nearest mirror. If you had done your homework when you were turning 65, you would have learned that your Part B Medicare monthly premium would increase by 10% for each year you opted not to participate in that part of Medicare. And you would have learned that the penalties are permanent.
So frankly, you messed up. You were trying to save a few bucks each month by foregoing Part B coverage all those years -- and now you’re paying for that mistake. And it sounds like you’re trying to put the blame for that mistake on someone else!
Q: I had done lots of research and lots of planning to make sure my wife and I maximize our Social Security benefits. I waited until 70 (just two months ago) to start my Social Security. My wife, who was always a homemaker and doesn’t have her own Social Security, is also 70 and filed for spousal benefits on my record. We were counting on her getting half of my Social Security. So imagine my shock when we learned that she is only getting about 40% of my benefit. Everything I’ve ever read says a wife gets 50%. So why is the government cheating us?
A: The government isn’t cheating you. You cheated yourself (and your wife) by not doing enough research. Had you done your homework (by reading my book, “Social Security: Simple and Smart,” for example), you would have learned that your wife’s spousal benefit is based on your full retirement age benefit, not on your augmented age 70 rate. So your wife is getting 50%, but again, it’s 50% of your FRA benefit, not your age 70 benefit.
So that’s the bad news. A little bit of good news (for your wife) is this: if you should die before your wife does, her widow’s benefit will be based on your full age 70 rate.
Q: Something has been bugging me for years. I’m 74 years old and have been getting Social Security since I was 62. But I always felt they didn’t figure my benefits correctly. I think they are cheating me. How can I get them to correct this mistake?
A: You can’t. It’s too late. At the time your benefits first started, your “award letter” told you that if you disagreed with anything, you had 60 days to file an appeal. So why did you wait for over 10 years to bring this up? It may
make you feel better to know that studies show that Social Security retirement benefit calculations have something like a 99.8% accuracy rate. So it is extremely likely that you are being paid correctly.
If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. T
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Long Island Housing Market Trends
The Great Holding Pattern: Why Long Island Homeowners Aren’t Selling
Homes on Long Island feel frozen in place. With inventory extremely low (about 3.1 months’ supply) sellers aren’t rushing to list. In fact, home prices on Long Island keep rising – the median hit $725,000 in Q2 2025, up 8.2% year-over-year libn.com – even as sales slow.
So why aren’t people selling? A big reason is mortgage rates. Imagine buying a house a few years ago at 3% interest, only to consider selling now with rates in the mid-6% range. Many homeowners feel locked in: if they sold, they’d lose their 2–3% rate for a much higher one
For example, someone with a 2.65% mortgage from 2021 would now face roughly double that rate. For many, giving up those cheap payments isn’t worth it, so they simply age in place. Notably, Baby Boomers staying in their homes longer is pushing inventory even lower.
Even nationally, this is a familiar story. Nearly two-thirds of would-be sellers report waiting a year or more to sell, and about half say they feel “locked in” by today’s rates .
Experts warn that with sellers reluctant, markets can get stuck – literally a holding pattern. As one economist notes, instead of cutting prices, some owners choose to take their homes off the market altogether, keeping buyers and sellers apart in a ‘holding pattern.’ Long Island is no exception. Realtor.com data show the Northeast (including LI) remains one of the tightest markets in the country, meaning LI still has very few listings entering the market.
For buyers, that means choices are limited. You might face multiple
BY CHARLYN FARGO
Most of us have heard that if we’re diabetic or watching our sugar, we should avoid fruit. But the truth is, sugar from fruit (and milk) is natural sugar. It’s true sugar by itself is not nutritious, adding empty calories to a lot of items like cookies, cake, candy, ice cream, breakfast cereals, pastries, coffee drinks and sports drinks. And those added sugars can lead to weight gain. Despite our best intentions, the average person is consuming more than double the amount of their recommended daily sugar intake. Added sugars are hidden in nondairy sweetened milks, flavored yogurt, oatmeal, sports drinks and even granola bars. However, naturally occurring sugars
bids on even modest homes or have to look farther east into Suffolk for deals. Some buyers adapt by saving larger down payments or considering adjustablerate loans. Meanwhile, sellers with move-inready homes often still see above-ask offers –often from cash buyers or investors who don’t mind refinancing at high rates.
BY PHILIP A. RAICES
Consider the numbers:
• Sales down, prices up: Long Island home sales in Q2 2025 fell about 10.6% from a year earlier, even as medians hit new highs. Demand remains strong, but the supply of homes has shrunk.
• Homes stay listed longer: Reports show homes that once sold in days are now taking weeks. The average listing in Nassau sits about 66 days on market (versus around 45 in 2024), suggesting buyers are taking their time.
• Local push factors: Steep local costs ($11,000+ annual taxes and high home prices) drive some families off the Island, further lowering buyer demand.
• Renters feel it too: With homebuying paused, rent demand is up. Long Island rent vacancies fell by ~14% in 2024, squeezing a tight rental market even more.
Experts say change hinges on a few big shifts. NAR’s Lawrence Yun notes that if mortgage rates fall toward around 6%, many more buyers will jump in – he expects home sales to rise 6–11% over 2025–26 if rates ease. For now, rates have ticked down slightly: as of summer 2025 the 30-year fixed averaged roughly 6.6–6.7% (down from above 7% earlier). That’s good news,
but not yet at the “magic bullet” level that would break the logjam.
Putting it all together: Long Island’s market is essentially on pause. Sellers who list still hold leverage, but most are choosing to wait. Buyers can’t snap up enough homes to move the needle.
The next big changes will come from shifting mortgage rates or an influx of new listings. As one local analyst warned, “selling now while inventory is still low and demand is decent might be your last chance to get top dollar.”
Until one of those key factors changes, this great holding pattern is likely to continue. So the bottom line you have an option of cashing out today and taking the money and appreciation and run or sit tight and continue to ride the roller coaster that may some way, somehow end this amazing and crazy market on Long Island.
Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 43+ years experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned 3 significant designations:
National Association of Realtors Graduate Realtors Institute (what I consider a Master’s degree in real estate).
Certified International Property Specialist - expert in consulting and completing international transactions.
National Association of Realtors Green designation: eco-friendly low carbon footprint construction with 3-D printed foundations, Solar panels, Geothermal HVAC/Heat Pumps).
He will also provide a copy of
NUTRITION NEWS
Sugar in Fruit
are different.
Fruit also contains valuable nutrients (vitamin C, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals) that support good health. Our bodies actually thrive when we eat fruit. The fiber in fruit slows digestion (and blood sugar spikes) and adds to stool bulk. The fiber also makes us feel full, which can help with weight loss. If you remove the fiber like we do in fruit juices, you lose those benefits. Fiber is why the natural sugars found in fruit are good, and lack of fiber is why fruit juices aren’t as healthy.
The fiber slows the absorption of the sugars, so they enter the bloodstream more slowly and are unlikely to spike blood sugar levels. About half the sugar
“Unlocking the Secrets of Real Estate’s New Market Reality, and his Seller’s and Buyer’s Guides for “Things to Consider when Selling, investing or Purchasing your Home.
He will provide you with “free” regular updates of what has gone under contract (pending), been sold (closed) and those homes that have been withdrawn/ released or expired (W/R) and all new listings of homes, HOA, Townhomes, Condos, and Coops in your town or go to:
https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com and you can “do it yourself (DYI) and search at your leisure on your own. However, for a “FREE” no obligation/ no strings attached 15-minute consultation, as well as a “FREE printout or digital value analysis of what your home might sell for in today’s market without any obligation or “strings” attached call him at (516) 647-4289 or email: Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.com
You can now search at your leisure for properties at:
WWW.Li-RealEstate.com
bit.ly/4bXWVu6 (facebook.com) bit.ly/4inVqaR (X.com) bit.ly/4bVSwrs (linkedIn) bit.ly/4inVK9z (Instagram) bit.ly/4bQH14x (YouTube)
in fruit is in the form of fructose, which has less effect on blood sugar than other types of carbohydrates.
The pairing of fiber and fructose gives fruits a low glycemic index. The index is a measure of how quickly an individual carbohydrate-containing food affects blood sugar levels.
The natural sugar in fruit is even OK for those with prediabetes or diabetes, according to Richard Siegel, co-director of the Diabetes and Lipid Center at Tufts Medical Center. “If one has been diagnosed with prediabetes, it’s much more important to cut down on intake of simple carbohydrates like sugar,” writes Siegel in Tufts’ Health and Nutrition Letter. “This means eating less of foods like can-
dy, cookies, cakes and other baked goods, table sugar, honey and syrup.”
Foods like honey, maple syrup or agave nectar may be natural, but they are not found naturally in most foods.
The bottom line is fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy eating pattern. Spread fruit out over the day rather than consuming large amounts of fruit at one time. Try to consume whole fruits over juices, and limit foods with added sugars.
Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian with SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, and the current president of the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. COPYRIGHT 2025
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Oh Most Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven. Oh, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity.
Oh Star of the Sea, help me herein and show me here you are my Mother.
Oh Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power.
Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee (say three times).
Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (say three times). Amen.
This prayer is never known to fail and is to be said for 3 consecutive days. In Gratitude (CVA312)
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A simple roast ham affords hosts more time to mingle with guests
Roast Ham
Hosting is a time-consuming responsibility. Hosts welcome all that comes with inviting loved ones over, but many might admit cooking for a crowd is a chore that takes up most of their time.
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 apples, cored and quartered
1) Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2) Warm the honey with the mustard in a heavy-based saucepan, stirring until smooth and starting to bubble at the edges of the pan. Set off the heat.
3) Arrange the apple quarters in a large roasting pan and place the ham on top. Score a
The time-consuming nature of cooking leaves many hosts looking for less complicated meals that would afford them more time to spend with loved ones. The following recipe for “Roast Ham” from Lines+Angles is a straightforward dish that will let hosts spend more time with guests and still ensure everyone enjoys a delicious homecooked meal.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 8-pound cooked ham, trimmed Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
diamond pattern on the outside fat; brush with some of the honey-mustard glaze, seasoning with salt and pepper at the same time.
4) Bake the ham until the thickest part of the ham registers at least 160° F, about 1 hour 20 minutes; brush with more of the glaze from time to time.
5) Once the ham has reached 160° F, increase the oven temperature to 450° F and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes until the top is golden brown and starting to caramelize.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving. Can also be chilled and served cold.
Rivers Café brews five years of friendship
From page 1
Brewing business lessons for Girl Scouts
This September, a group of Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 1410 at John Lewis Childs School set up shop in front of Rivers Café. Taking advantage of a school holiday, the girls got an early taste of entrepreneurship by selling lemonade to passersby.
“You are not going to learn business just by coming to look at me – they were gonna learn it by doing it themselves, especially talking with people and listening. The experience was for them to know that working is not just something that needs to be so mechanical. It should be something you have fun with and that you like. Who knows, one of the kids could become a barista and later own their own coffee shop,” she explained.
It was a full-circle moment for Rivera. “When we opened in 2020, the kids were at home back then and I didn’t have my machine to do espresso since we didn’t have the money for new equipment. I started with a coffee pot from Walmart and I bought the lemonade containers, ironically the same containers they used for the lemonade and iced tea sales,” Rivera explained.
A Village of Loyal Supporters
Social media continues to connect the café to new faces. Rivera regularly posts videos of herself preparing drinks, while customers tag their visits online. Two citations from her 2020 grand opening — one from the Town of Hempstead
and another from the Nassau County Legislature — hang proudly on the wall.
“It was such a special moment for us, and to me it told me this family-owned business was meant to be despite any challenges. We love our community here and people have become family for us. I have many regulars and I remember their coffee orders, and we enjoy getting to catch up when they come in. But the visibility on Jericho for new customers is another huge plus of being in the village,” she explained.
Her business grew thanks to wordof-mouth — quite literally. “I recall that one of the moms came here with her daughter and posted a picture on Facebook for local moms to see – the next day ALL the moms came over and ended up making a line out the door to have lemonade here at Rivers Cafe. And most importantly, I want my customers to come in and feel welcomed right away, because they can come here and unwind. My customers should get to enjoy this family environment too, like they are home and enjoying being here with their kids,” Rivera said.
The Human Touch in Every Cup
Rivera says she never wants Rivers Café to lose its intimate charm.
“Whenever I go to a major coffee shop they don’t know me and don’t care. But at Rivers Cafe and other smaller stores in town, I feel we can be therapeutic. To me I know my customers and I know when they are doing well, and I can notice when they are not. I try to make personal connections – I don’t care if I will only have 100 customers,
because I want to know them. Technology and ordering on apps and phones diminishes the personal connections, and I hope the younger kids selling lemonades came away with the joy of serving people,” she explained.
Most of all, she wants the youth to learn that being in business can mean
personal growth and happiness in what you do for a living. “I get to be alive, I get to meet customers and I get to make their days better – that’s my purpose, to bring people a smile. The coffee is just my excuse since I love meeting people,” Rivera noted.
October at the Floral Park Public Library
October, the season of pumpkin spice and everything (pumpkin) nice! And, the perfect time to “fall” into a good book! Or…
There’s a Taylor Swift listening party for Teens this month, along with a Spooky Halloween Lantern craft and several Halloween-themed programs.
For adults, there’s two more sessions in the Mah Jongg triple (pre-registration was required); an Intro to AI program; Medicare Made Clear; Game Nites for Grownups; Rock the Crock Fall Cooking with Chef Barbara; Shop! Cook! Enjoy! healthy eating; and Graveyard Genealogy.
The always artsy Cathy Buckley inaugurates a Beginning Watercolors class for Adults, and Tom Lynch offers a Training and Stargazing Event with the Library’s telescope.
The Gatsby celebration continues. The 1974 movie “The Great Gatsby” starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow airs as a Monday Matinee on October 6, and it wraps up with The Eve-
ning Edition Book Club on Thursday, October 9, at 7:00 p.m., where F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” takes center stage.
October finds the Floral Park Library Urban Explorers on bus trip to Chinatown and Little Italy. Registration for the October 29 date is ongoing at the Reference Desk.
The English Language Learner class meets weekly on Tuesday evenings. Registration is required.
Wednesday Chair Yoga is back in hybrid form every Wednesday at 10:15 a.m.
Learn about volunteer opportunities with Parker Jewish Institute’s Willing Hands… Helpful Hearts at the Wednesday, October 8, Library tabling event.
The first Monday of the month Morning Book Club meets on Monday, October 6.
For the ‘littles,’ there’s a three-session Gardening with Miss Rita program; Build It (K – 3rd grade) with the Long Island Children’s Museum; Storylab for
Kids (grades 3 – 5); Storycraft Halloween craft (pre-K – 2nd grade); and Storytime (ages 2 ½ - preschool).
Plus, the ‘regulars’ are on October’s kiddie calendar, too: Play Hooray; Baby Start and Family Pre-School with A Time for Kids; and a Pom Pom Queen craft for grades 3 – 5).
Family programs feature The Planetarium Guy and Taco Stuffed Shells with Chefs of d’Future.
The Made with Love Knitting and Crocheting groups meet Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m.; no registration necessary. The Library Board meets on Wednesday, October 8, at 7:30 p.m. As always, the meeting is open to the public.
One-to-one tech help with Joe for tablets, smartphones, laptops, Kindles and general questions is available for our Floral Park patrons by appointment only (floralparktechhelp@gmail.com).
The Library is closed on Monday, October 13, for Columbus Day.
For more information on dates and times, events registration and program details, visit the library website, floralparklibrary.org, call 516 326-6330, or visit us at 17 Caroline Place. All events and programs are subject to change and/or cancellation.
The Friends of the Floral Park Library offer “Blind Date with a Book” gifts for sale for varying age groups. Check out their inventory at the Circulation Desk. Call the Library (516 326-6330) to check days and times for the Book Nook. All sales of books, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles, bookmarks and more support the Friends of the Floral Park Library, a 501c3 organization. Follow the Library on Facebook (floralparklibrary), X (fplibrary17), or Instagram (fplibrary 17, floralparkchildrens, fpplteens).
Do you have a service to advertise?
Our Service Directory is sure to bring results. Call 294-8900 for rates and information.
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Wheels of Compassion at the Belmont Racetrack
From page 1
Park-Bellerose, including Rich Burgess, Valerie Magee, and Bill Atria, had the unique opportunity to get a behindthe-scenes look at Belmont Park. Their guide for the day was former jockey Francisco Barrera, Backstretch Employee Service Team BEST employee and Exercise Rider, who led them on a motorized tour of the expansive 430acre racetrack facility. Alongside them was Danielle Alvarez, the Care Service Director of BEST who helped highlight the vital role that over 900 backstretch workers who live at the track play in caring for the more than 3,000 horses housed there at peak season.
Francisco’s insights and stories brought the racetrack’s daily operations to life, giving the Rotarians a deeper appreciation of the hard work and dedication involved. It was a perfect lead-up to the event that followed.
Bikes for the Backstretch
On October 20th, members of the Rotary Club gathered at Rich Burgess’s house to load up the donated bicycles that had been collected through the club’s year-long community drive. Over the past year, not only did Rotarians pitch in, but local Boy Scouts and their leaders have also lent a hand on multiple occasions, helping out at Rich’s house as the bikes were repaired and prepared. Two anonymous local bike aficionados also volunteered their expertise throughout the project, ensuring each bike was in great shape.
After a group photo and some camaraderie, the group headed to Belmont Park to present the bikes during the BEST Health Fair.
The handover was met with smiles and heartfelt gratitude, a true reflection of how a simple act of community kindness can make a meaningful difference. All those who donated the bikes should feel special. In the end, the “Bikes for the Backstretch” initiative was a tremendous success.
Thanks to everyone’s participation, teamwork, and generosity, the effort rolled forward in the best Rotary spirit of Service Above Self.
The Rotary Club welcomed assistance from local boy scouts, as well as local bike aficionados who made sure each bicycle was in great shape.
Rotarians Rich Burgess, Valerie Magee and Bill Atria greet one of the equine residents.
Rotarian Rich Burgess helps load one of the bikes into the van.
Rich Burgess, Valerie Magee, former jockey Francisco Barrera, and Danielle Alvarez, the Care Service Director of BEST.
FP School District seeks
members for committees
The Floral Park-Bellerose School District is seeking members for district committees for the 2025–2026 school year. In joining a District Committee, the District appreciates your full participation at all committee meetings across the year to help shape the academic experience of our students. Your insights will contribute to maintaining a high standard of education that prepares our students for future success. To ensure the effectiveness and continuity of our committees, it's important that members are actively engaged. The District understands that schedules can be busy, but consistent participation is crucial for achieving our goals. Interested individuals should apply by October 22.
FOUR VILLAGE STUDIO
Community Television Serving
FP-B School celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month through art
Bellerose Village Floral Park South Floral Park Stewart Manor
4V S Channels 28 & 1310
Scan the QR code for information on each committee and to fill out the 2025–2026 committee participation form.
FOUR VILLAGE STUDIO
4 V S ~ Fios Ch.28 & Optimum Ch. 1310
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27th & THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30th
Let’s Be Franke
7:30 PM
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
Patty Franke
“The Party Is ON!!!” ~ Melissa Rita, Owner of “You’re Invited To Celebrate” Uncorked
Rex Whicker
“Disney World Wines: VIII” ~ Rex’s Most Recent Trip To The Theme Park Technically Speaking
Stephanie Larkin
“Technology & The Magic of Broadway” ~ Claudia Marino, Stage Manager Davidson & Co.
Larry Davidson
Ian Holt, “Dracula: The Un-Dead” ~ A Sequel To “Dracula”
Wes Houston Presents… Wes Houston
Jim Allen, Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist with Matt Applebaum, Guitarist
School
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Floral Park-Bellerose School students celebrated the vibrant cultures, histories and traditions of Hispanic and Latino communities through art.
First graders learned about Frida Kahlo by examining examples of her self-portraits and reading “Frida” by Jonah Winter. Inspired by her bold
style, they created their own portraits of Frida. Second graders studied Fernando Botero, focusing on his reinterpretation of the Mona Lisa. After comparing his version with Leonardo da Vinci’s original, they discussed Botero’s use of exaggeration and proportion and then created their own humorous “cat Mona Lisas.”
Photos courtesy of the Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District
Floral Park-Bellerose School second graders are pictured with their Mona Lisas.
Floral Park-Bellerose
first graders are pictured with their Frida Kahlo portraits.
