THE GATEWAY TO NASSAU COUNTY
SERVING FLORAL PARK, BELLEROSE AND STEWART MANOR
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
Students at Floral Park Memorial High School teamed up with local Rotary Clubs to package meals for those facing food insecurity on May 2. See page 6
Bridging business and community at FP Chamber
BY RIKKI MASSAND
The Floral Park Chamber of Commerce is maintaining its momentum through the early months of 2025, with
excitement building for the special Belmont Stakes Street Fair on Tulip Avenue, scheduled for Friday, June 6, from 5 to 10 p.m. Prominent residents are eager to fos-
ter connections and welcome neighbors getting together for good times and good causes.
Among those embody-
A Floral Park attorney has been accused of embezzling more than $1.2 million from the escrow accounts of 20 individuals, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. According to the DA, Terrance Dougherty, 36, used client funds on personal expenses, including adult entertainment clubs, nightclubs, other luxury lifestyle purchases, and to carry on his law practice unrelated to the victims’ real estate transactions.
Dougherty, a resident of Oyster Bay, was arraigned on two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (a C felony); three counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a D felony); and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (an E felony). He pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted he would face up to 5 to 15 years in prison.
“This defendant shamelessly embezzled more than a million dollars from dozens of individuals who trusted him to handle property sales and purchases, according to the charges. Some of those transactions unfortunately fell through because of the defendant’s alleged theft,” said DA Donnelly. “Instead of acting as a fiduciary and safeguarding his clients’ funds, this defendant allegedly burned through their money on high-roller nights out at gentleman’s clubs and other entertainment venues. It is a
Terrance Dougherty
disgraceful abuse of trust between an attorney and his clients, and I will not tolerate it.”
DA Donnelly said that Dougherty was a practicing real estate attorney with an office on Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park representing clients in the sale and purchase of property.
According to the District Attorney, Dougherty maintained an Attorney Trust Account in which he held client funds from various real estate transactions, including down payment funds and sale proceeds. She said that an investigation showed that between March 2021 and November 2024, Dougherty withheld sale proceeds or down payment funds from at least 20 individuals. Many of the transactions
Bridging business and community at FP Chamber
From page 1
ing a community-first mindset is Jose Rosario, a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. A native of Astoria, Queens, Rosario moved to Floral Park 15 years ago after marrying Valerie, a local resident. The couple are raising their daughter in the village and regularly participate in neighborhood events.
Rosario works as a loan officer at Guaranteed Rate, where he helps clients secure home mortgages. He has been in the mortgage industry for five years and leads a team with over 30 years of combined experience.
“I’m a loan officer, and in that role I help people get mortgages to purchase their homes. At the end of the day we are sales, and I like being at the office more than I would have to because I take my time being on top of files to do the right things for my clients. Our company’s CEO however, likes to see us out there throwing events and hosting more people. In business I am always out doing things – networking, at a meeting, hosting something,” he explained.
As a Chamber member, Rosario’s outgoing personality and collaborative approach make a significant impact.
Growing up in Queens, Rosario dreamed of playing in the NFL. However, his high school in Long Island
City didn’t establish a football team until his senior year. He instead joined various Long Island sports leagues and eventually became a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, inspired by his uncle’s admiration for quarterback Joe Montana. Around 2003, he shifted his loyalty to the New York Jets.
Rosario also fell in love with theater during high school. He attended New York Institute of Technology (City Tech) for two years, studying stage technology and working on lighting and behind-the-scenes elements of productions. “I took a year off from college, in 1997, and never went back – I went right to work instead,” he said.
In an interview with The Villager Rosario shared his personal motto: “Givers gain.” He believes most business leads stem from building relationships and doing good work.
“It’s not about what I can get, but about what I can give to others…Floral Park is a small community, everyone knows each other especially if you are a business owner. It’s no brainer who to refer to but you also have to be a good business owner. I need to know you, trust you, like you and then I will refer the business to you. That’s typically how I run business and I find it easy here in Floral Park because everyone’s so willing to get to know each other and what we get with the chamber.”
Rosario is currently the lead volunteer on the Chamber’s Membership Committee.
“You get to meet many different people, and you don’t realize who you contribute to. For example, Joey the dog groomer (LaMagnas Dog Grooming) came to our Chamber meeting, and I have many homeowners who own dogs. Now with my interactions, I can give business to the groomer. In my work for mortgages, someone who’s looking to retire or buy a smaller home can speak to Shane for financial and investment advice,” he explained.
He’s also passionate about encouraging residents to shop locally. “My family and I intentionally keep our dollars here in Floral Park, just to see our local area thrive. And I think the more people realize that and they do the same; every business has the opportunity to thrive like that.”
As a Chamber board member, Rosario played a key role in organizing the Belmont Stakes Street Fair kickoff, helping select vendors, plan themes, and design promotional materials. The event is fully sponsored and will feature live music, children’s performances, face painting, and appearances by the New York Islanders.
In December, Rosario also served as the emcee for the village’s Christmas tree lighting.
“Those opportunities came from being active on the board and the chamber as a whole. You may have to be the president or treasurer, but for the most part everyone has the responsibility of how we can support local business owners when they come with their concerns. We express that the chamber has created a closer relationship with the local officials, mayor, trustees and various departments. Our village Superintendent of Buildings updates the chamber on all the projects taking place.
The chamber truly serves as the bridge between the local residents and village, and we help shape the goals for how we can make the town better,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Rosario hopes to expand Chamber outreach to local high schools, introducing students to entrepreneurship, branding, networking, and strategic planning. “It definitely gives a sense of opportunity where you can listen a bit more, or where they can hear what you have to say. The opportunities are endless there, and it’s really about how much are you willing to bring to the table when it comes to the neighborhood.”
One idea he’s developing is a Street Pizza Party networking event featuring Zef’s Pizza Firetruck, with possible collaboration from local bars or breweries.
“I hope to invite every realtor, insurance broker and attorney that works or lives in Floral Park – as well as others in business – and we’ll throw a huge pizza party in town. The companies can team up with either a bar or brewery where people can come, meet, eat and get to know each other, mingle and see how they can do business with one another. The goal there is eventually they will come to us (the Floral Park Chamber) to help with clients and leads,” he explained.
“We’ll make it about salon treatment, giving away free blowouts. We can engage one of our terrific hair salons in Floral Park – close it to the public for about 2 hours – and invite several females in the real estate business or marketing, to share their insights on our community. But it’s for those working in Floral Park, to bring attention to the business that we should be doing business and standing together with. It’s like this village operates as a whole ecosystem,” he shared.
From page 1
were cancelled because of the missing funds or closings occurred without the defendant providing the necessary funds.
The District Attorney said that a review of the defendant’s account showed that client funds consisting of $1,202,600 were deposited into the account between August 2023 and November 2024. By November 29, 2024, the balance was $5.35. She said that
records reviewed during the course of the investigation revealed that the Dougherty allegedly withdrew funds from the attorney account through cash withdrawals, transfers to another business checking account, and to various credit card accounts.
Dougherty was reported to the Grievance Committee for the 10th Judicial District on August 30, 2024, and ceased practicing from his Floral Park office in August 2024, DA Donnelly said.
Centennial Gardens
In the Centennial Gardens newsletter of January 2010, it was announced that Shane Moynagh and Dr. Fred Cogan were attending classes with the plan to develop productive bee colonies at Centennial Gardens. The project would be located in the north portion of the west basin with fencing to protect visitors. Three beehives and a colony of bees was established. As time went on went on Shane took over the raising of the bees and collecting the honey. A colony
of bees consists of the queen bee, drones and worker bees.
The lower section of Centennial Gardens was once a catch basin for overflow water from the community. The sewer system helped avoid the overflow and the basin was dry most of the time. Unfortunately, Mother Nature and climate change has caused some flooding in the basin. Unfortunately, also, the beehives were negatively effected with the drowning of the bees. One time the
flooding and force of the water was so strong the beehives floated over the fencing.
Today there are three new gentleman who are the “Centennial Gardens Beekeepers”, Chris Walsh, his fouryear-old son Henry, and Jim Mac Donald. Thanks to the carpentry ability of Jim the bee hives are on floating docks. Why are the beehives so important? Not only do the bees produce honey they also pollinate flowers. One in three foods humans eat are the result of pollination. In 1450 B.C., beekeeping and honey were an important industry in Egypt. Travelers today can find native produced honey all over the world. Interestingly, each location will have a different tasting honey depending on the food the bees have consumed. Almonds, avocados, apples, oranges, blueberries all rely on the bee pollination to survive. A beehive provides shelter and protection for the bees. The hexagon shape of the honeycomb stores the honey. The shape prevents wasting of space in the hive.
A queen bee lives two to five years. The worker bees have shorter lives, lasting from weeks to months depending on the time of the year . The worker bees feed the queen bee and keep the hives clean. There are many books and resources to learn about bees.
Also in Centennial Gardens Doug Cioffi, a photographer and bird enthusiast, shares picture of the many birds he is seeing at the gardens. The Garden website shows his photography and many birds most people will not notice. Centennialgardens.org. is always displaying his finds. The birds contribute tremendously to pollination.
Henry Walsh, another team member
Christopher Walsh and Jim MacDonald at new beehives
9:30 PM
4
FOUR VILLAGE STUDIO
Artists & Collectors
The National Gallery of Art
“Artists At Work: II” ~ Profiling Artists from Past Exhibits
The Author Corner
Stephanie Larkin
Michael Vecchione ~ The “Fallen Angel” True Crime Fantasy Series
Davidson & Co.
Larry Davidson
Reed Farrel Coleman ~ Crime Fiction Writer
Wes Houston Presents…
Wes Houston
“Frank Latorre & The Kingbees” ~ 3-Piece Blues Band
Uncorked
Rex Whicker
“Lend Me A Tenor” ~ Rex Pairs Vocalists with Deserving Wines
4VS to present “The Poster: Our WWII Gold Star Veterans”
Four Village Studio will be debuting a very special installment of “Community Spotlight” this Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, at 9:00 p.m. Titled “The Poster: Our WWII Gold Star Veterans”, the show takes an up-close look at an incredible framed document long displayed at the American Legion Hall Post #334 in Floral Park. Comprised of original newspaper obituaries, the poster details the individual stories of local World War Two veterans that paid the supreme sacrifice to protect our country and preserve our freedom. Digitally remastered and set to music, these images and descriptions tell the tales of allegiance, heartache, and resilience experienced within our community.
Produced by Four Village Studio staff members James Green and Francis Brandt, “The Poster” was recently pre-
viewed for the membership of Post #334 and received an enthusiastic response. “We believe that this program is worthy of being rebroadcast every Memorial Day,” said James Green. Co-producer Francis Brandt added, “It was an honor to work on such an important piece of our community’s history.”
Four Village Studio programs are broadcast on Cablevision’s Optimum Channel 18 and Verizon's Fios Channel 28. “The Poster” and many other 4VS shows may also be viewed online from the studio’s website by going to the “Watch Now” link at www.4VS. org. Visit “4VS.org” anytime to watch 4VS shows, see the extended 4VS program schedule, scroll through the 4VS Community Billboard, access the 4VS Weather Station, or simply get more information about the studio.
1 Floral Blvd., Floral Park, NY 11002
Phone: 516.326.1150 ~ Email: 4VS@4VS.org
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In a heartwarming display of community spirit and service, Floral Park Memorial High School teamed up with local Rotary Clubs to package meals for those facing food insecurity on May 2.
The volunteer event, held in the school’s cafeteria, brought together 51 students, 10 staff and 25 Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Floral ParkBellerose, Williston Park and Freeport-Merrick. The student-volunteers represented the Leo’s Club, Student Council, Romance Language Club, Art Honor Society and National Honor Society.
Donning hairnets and gloves,
on page 8
Floral Park Memorial High School students teamed up with local Rotary Clubs to package meals for those facing food insecurity on May 2.
Includes small fruit platter with watermelon, strawberries, pineapples, and blueberries, along with piña colada dip Grilled Veggies • Roasted Potatoes Sautéed String Beans w/ Garlic
FP High School, Rotary team up to help the hungry
Continued from page 6 the volunteers worked together to package fortified rice and bean din -
ners. Each bag of dried goods feeds approximately six people. By the end of the event, Floral Park Memorial and the Rotarians were able to
donate 10,000 meals to local food pantries. The Rotary Clubs fundraised to purchase the food materials from The Outreach Program.
The student-volunteers represented the Leo’s Club, Student Council, Romance Language Club, Art Honor Society and National Honor Society. The volunteers worked together to package fortified rice and bean dinners.
Photos courtesy of the Sewanhaka Central High School District
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Discover Long Island Navigates New Challenges as it Searches for New Leader
BY KAREN RUBIN
TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE
Long Island is getting ready for its prime tourism season but with a set of unanticipated challenges: the virtual boycott by Canadian visitors, antagonism of Europeans, and Americans’ economic anxiety. This is where a professional tourism marketing organization rises to the fore, but this year, Discover Long Island will soldier on without Kristen Reynolds, CDME, who for the past 10 years has lead and reshaped it. (The organization has just appointed the current Board Chair Mitch Pally as Interim President & CEO as a search is underway for a new president and CEO.)
I’m betting that most Long Islanders do not understand the importance tourism plays in our economy and quality of life, and I am certain most do not understand what Discover Long Island does.
“It’s always a challenge to educate locals why tourism matters,” Reynolds said in a telephone interview just before her final day, April 25. “It’s not just about bragging. It’s about the economy. Long Island in particular has challenges understanding the true value to every resident. We’re lucky - our proximity to New York City, incredible beach locations insure the island will be busy during summer weekends.”
It helps having two major airports,Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia, feeding into the region. Now MacArthur Airport in Islip is growing as well, giving Long Islanders to get to Florida in a hur-
Discover Long Island has been promoting the 100th anniversary of the publication of Great Necker F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” for a year, promoting Gatsby-era mansions like The Oheka, now a hotel, in Suffolk © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com
ry.”Discover Long Island’s task is to ”change the direction” and entice travelers to take advantage of the new routes to come to Long Island.
“We’re working closely, making strides to bring people in, as opposed to out – especially the international visitors who come through JFK. As a destination, we are lucky to have that feeder market – people don’t realize tourism is an economic strategy.”
Most Long Islanders view tourists as a burden, overcrowding their beaches in summer. The task for DLI is to attract visitors “not just over summer weekends when the weather is good. There is so much to see and do across Long Island-, sea to sea, shore to shore. We want to welcome people when we want, so it would be more of
a year-round strategy, and not such a burden on locals.”
Tourism is a $7.5 billion industry on Long Island – bringing 42 million visitors a year and supporting 76,000 jobs– and this is without a convention center, which Reynolds says is both the initiative she is most proud of bringing to the fore and most disappointed to be leaving unfinished.
Consider this: Chicago, where Reynolds will become the CEO and president of Choose Chicago (Discover Long Island’s counterpart) gets 52 million visitors a year with largest convention center in North America; her mission will be to develop more tourist traffic.
For Long Island residents, that $7.5 billion in visitor spending means $900
million in local and state tax revenues a year – paying for the public services, roads and infrastructure that contribute to Long Islanders’ quality of life. The funds help sustain cherished sites as Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Cradle of Aviation Museum, the Long Island Aquarium, Montauk Point Lighthouse, Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, and Old Westbury Gardens for all of us.
Over the past 10 years, she helped increase that tourism dollar spend by $2 billion from 2015’s $5.3 billion.“[Chicago was] very excited about what we’ve done over 10 years.”
But for the past year, those figures do not include Nassau County, since Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman pulled Nassau out of Discover Long Island and handed the $1 million per year contract to promote tourism to RRDA, a brand marketer with no tourism promotion experience.
“So many Nassau major attractions have opted to pay directly – they understand the value of Discover Long Island, the importance of being able to promote to a global audience, bringing visitors from outside the region, so they pay out of their own budgets,” Reynolds said.
Attractions that have opted to pay to stay part of Discover Long Island include the UBS Arena, Old Westbury Gardens, WildPlay at Jones Beach, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, the Children’s Museum, and Cradle of Aviation Museum.
The money for tourism promotion does not come from county taxes but from the county’s hotel-motel tax, so is literally paid by the visitors that May 9, 2025
Continued on next page
GOING PLACES, NEAR &
Discover Long Island Navigates New Challenges
Discover Long Island drives into the hotels. Nassau had allocated 16.7% of its 3% hotel tax, while Suffolk allocated 24%. Suffolk has since raised its hotel tax to 5.5% and kept its allocation to Discover Long Island at 24%, capping the amount at $6 million.
How does Discover Long Island decide where and how to allocate that funding?
“We are a very data driven organization. We subscribe to proprietary data research which use mobile geo locators, tracking cell phone data...We have over 200 points of interest of Long Island attractions, business, and hotels across the island that we can pull reports on –that tell us the origin markets. We know where, when, and what travelers visit.... Everything we do, we do strategically. And then we track it, measure every campaign on what the ROI was, we track every dollar spent and how much we got back. We track everything. As a not-forprofit, we have to justify every dollar spent. And we’re happy to do that.”
She noted, “A key thing for Long Islanders to understand – as a report from Comptroller Dinapoli last year validates – the biggest economic impact from tourism is when the visitor comes from outside the region. For every $100 spent at a hotel, the visitor spends $221 in the local community. When we get people to stay in hotels, there is greater economic impact and lesser impact on residents’ quality of life – the fewer day trips, the less car traffic. It is an important strategy to make sure we know what markets [to pursue] for the largest economic impact for residents and visitors.”
And business travelers – especially convention and meetings participants –
spend the most, with the least negative impact – a difficult task for Discover LI without an actual convention center and hotels large enough to accommodate big groups.
“This is the only market where people can attend a convention equidistant from the heart of Manhattan and the Hamptons. A convention center would be a game changer. I am confident it would happen.” So far, Suffolk County has been the most receptive, with plans to move forward with “Midway Crossing” at Ronkonkoma, next to MacArthur Airport. An RFP has just been reissued.
“It’s the #1 thing that will change the trajectory of our tourism industry. Right now, we are mostly a leisure destination, and depend on weather, weekends, beaches, but the business traveler would come Monday-to Friday, on expense accounts, year-round. A convention center would host 3000-5000 attendees, in industries that will be looking at what’s happening here in tech, science, education. How we raise the intellectual capital of a destination is by bringing 3000-5000 colleagues. Conventions book years in advance, so it is business on the books. And that’s how we drive airlift at Long Island’s Macarthur Airport. We would get new direct routes. Conventions are a completely different audience that we are not tapping into now because we don’t have the meeting space or the hotels.”
The economic impact a convention center would generate is estimated upward of $88 million a year in tax revenue.
But, to host conventions and meetings, she said, Long Island needs hotel rooms. “At Discover LI, we turn away business every day because they want 200-300 rooms for a corporate retreat get-
away from Manhattan and we don’t have the hotel space.”
She supported the Las Vegas Sands Casino development because it is a worldclass operation. (Since our conversation, the Sands announced it was pulling its application for a casino and looking to resell its lease.)
But promoting “Long Island” now, means promoting Suffolk, since Nassau County left the regional promotional organization.
“One thing we’ve struggled with and insured, is to keep the brand of ‘Long island’,” Reynolds said. “If we’re going to talk to people from outside the region, they only know us as Long Island, not two counties. Visitors don’t know the difference.”
“We did a perception study in 2017 which confirmed, ‘Long Island’ is the brand people know. Economically, we operate as one region –The prestigious Ryder Cup is a huge opportunity for tourism promotion, expected to draw 250,000 from all over the globe in September to Bethpage State Park. Interestingly, three of the holes are in Suffolk. [Because Bethpage is a state park, the event is benefiting from support from the state’s I Love New York tourism promotion.]
Because of the lack of hotel rooms on Long Island, the vast majority will stay in New York City, and come to the event by Long Island Rail Road and shuttle. Discover LI is already working with the LIRR and contracting shuttle companies.
“This year also marks the 100th anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald publishing his era-defining novel, “Great Gatsby,” largely based on his time living in Great Neck.
Places like Oheka Castle, in Huntington, the Gatsby-era mansion
USAF Thunderbirds Headline Memorial Day Weekend FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach
(now a hotel) that was featured in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 movie, “The Great Gatsby,” are reaping the benefit. Indeed, the state’s I Love New York tourism promotion agency is hosting a dinner with international travel writers at the Oheka. “That’s what they will write about: the Great Gatsby in Suffolk.”
Successful tourism promotion depends on collaborations, partnerships. Discover Long Island works with the state’sI Love NY, which has provided a $1.7 million economic development grant and $250,000 in Market New York matching grant for the Ryder Cup.
Reynolds said that Discover Long Island incorporated an AI chatbot onto Discover LI’s website. “It had to be on brand,” so they created LILI, an iconic Long Island ice cream truck.
When Reynolds arrived 10 years ago, she re-branded the Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau & Sports Commission as Discover Long Island, “one year to the day” of her arrival.
“Nobody thought it was bad until I came. ‘Discover Long Island’ is a great call to action.”
Tourism spending increased, breaking records year over year. “We navigated through the pandemic and was one of the first destinations to recover. We won national and global awards for marketing strategies [including “Best Social Media” in the nation by the US Travel Association] and got funding for Long Island’s first convention center which will be the game changer. So over the past 10 years, I have done what I could do,...I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my experience on Long Island – such an incredible destination.”
To stay up to date on Discover Long Island’s efforts, visit discoverlongisland. com
© 2025 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.
US Air Force Thunderbirds will headline the FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, for Memorial Day weekend, May 24-25, 2005, 10 am-3 pm. Download the FourLeaf Air Show Mobile App for performer and sponsor information, a site map, helpful FAQs to prepare. Text ‘Airshow’ to 516-842-4400 to download or get from the App Store and Google Play © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com
Celebrating Mother’s Day in a special way
BY CLAIRE LYNCH
Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 11, this year and one woman who most people know is actress Patricia Heaton. She played Debra Barone on the TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond” which ran from 1996 to 2005.
The show worked well because both Ray Romano as Ray Barone and Patricia Heaton as Debra Barone are good comedic actors. The chemistry between Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton was real and it allowed audiences to believe that they actually were watching a married couple go back and forth discussing their three kids, in-laws, golf games and other everyday subjects.
Heaton won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series plus another Emmy for Outstanding Culinary Program.
Patricia Helen Heaton was born on March 4, 1958, in Bay Village, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. She is the daughter of Patricia and Chuck Heaton, who was a sportswriter for “The Plain Dealer.” The fourth of five children, Heaton’s mother passed away when she was just 12 years old.
Heaton attended Ohio State University where she became a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts in drama. Later in 1980, Heaton moved to New York City to study with drama teacher William Esper. Heaton made her first Broadway appearance in the chorus of “Don’t Get God Started” in 1987 then she and fellow students created Stage Three, an off-Broadway acting troupe.
Heaton auditioned for the role of Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld” in 1989. When Stage Three brought one of its productions to Los Angeles, Heaton caught the eye of a casting director for the ABC drama series “Thirtysomething.” She played an oncologist and had six appearances on the series from 1989 to
1991. Other guest appearances include “Alien Nation” in 1989, “Matlock” in 1990 and a supporting role in “Shattered Dreams,” also out in 1990, which was a made-for-TV movie.
In 1992 Heaton made her big screen debut appearing in a supporting role in the comedy-drama film “Memoirs of an Invisible Man.” Later that year, she appeared in the popular family comedy film “Beethoven.” From 1992 to 1993, Heaton starred as a lead character in the ABC sitcom “Room for Two.”
In 1994 she starred in another sitcom, “Someone Like Me,” but it only lasted for six episodes on NBC. Later that year, Heaton appeared in the comedy-drama film, “The New Age.” In 1995 she starred opposite Delta Burke in the CBS sitcom “Women of the House,” a spin-off of “Designing Women.”
Patricia Heaton also played Frankie Heck in the ABC sitcom “The Middle,” which ended in May 2018 after nine seasons. The show centered around the Heck family’s life and featured Heaton as the matriarch.
Heaton has been married to English actor and director David Hunt since 1990. They have four sons and they divide their time between Los Angeles and Cambridge, England. Her memoir,
“Motherhood and Hollywood: How to Get a Job Like Mine,” was published by Villard Books in 2002 and made the N.Y. Times bestsellers list. In 2020, Heaton released the book, “Your Second Act: Inspiring Stories of Reinvention.”
Right after college Patricia Heaton moved to New York City. She worked at different jobs including waitressing and proofreading. She met David Hunt when she sublet a room from him as he was leaving Manhattan for an acting job, according to People. They fell in love and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where they married in 1990 and found out how much they enjoyed entertaining.
“I love parties,” Hunt has said. “Love them. I grew up in a working-class household in England, and I was often lonely, so now that I have the chance to have people over, I enjoy it tremendously. I think I’m trying to make up for lost time.”
Patricia Heaton and David Hunt and have four sons, Samuel, John, Joseph and Daniel. A Juilliard School graduate, Hunt was a school teacher and coach before he moved to New York to study with acting teacher Larry Moss.
Hunt is most well-known American movie role is as Harlan Rook in the 1988
action film “The Dead Pool,” part of the Dirty Harry series. He has also appeared from time to time on “Everybody Loves Raymond” as Bill Parker, Ray’s irritating neighbor.
In May 2012 when Heaton got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she thanked co-stars Ray Romano and Neil Flynn, her TV husbands, plus the casts of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle.”
Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett were there plus her sons, her mother-in-law, her brother, Michael Heaton, who is a columnist for “The Plain Dealer” and countless friends.
Patricia Heaton described how she balanced her work schedule and home life when her four boys were younger:
“I spend as much time with my kids as any mom who stays home. I only work during the hours they’re at school, but there is always the sense of trying to catch up with all their stuff and not only organize my work life but also their school lives.”
“Being a mother is indescribable; joy, worry, delight, frustration, but ultimately the greatest satisfaction and deepest human love of your life. So grateful.”
“Like every mom, what I wouldn’t give to go back for an hour and just cuddle them!”
Her best advice to her own family, as well as to others who may be wondering what to do for Mom on Mother’s Day?
“Just leave her alone for a day. Just let her sit outside and bring her a glass of iced tea and let her read the newspaper or a book or whatever. Pop your head out every once in a while and say, ‘Mom, could I get you something?’”
“It’s really the time you spend with your family. It’s sometimes just about taking a walk or hanging out and watching television together.”
Happy Mother’s Day to one and all!
BY TOM MARGENAU
Time for Another Survey of SSA Services
Sadly, there has been more than a little bit of “government bashing” going on lately. In addition to general rants about alleged government inefficiency, government employees come in for more than their share of criticism. All I really know is Social Security and the services provided by the Social Security Administration. So that’s what I am going to write about today.
I hear about the issue all the time from readers. I’ve learned over the years that people are much more likely to complain to me about poor service than they are to send me an email praising good service. That’s why I was a little surprised when I got about a half-dozen unsolicited emails this week from readers in various parts of the country telling me how pleased they were with the people they encountered at the Social Security Administration and with the services they got. Several told me that they filed for Social Security benefits online, found the process very simple and got their “award letter” notifying them of benefits they would be due in about a week. Several others told me that they called the agency’s national toll-free number (800-772-1213), and that even though they waited on hold for a long time (which they correctly blamed on staffing cuts), they praised the help and efficient service they got once their call was answered.
Despite this recent spate of positive comments, as I said, I’ve learned over the years that more people tend to complain about poor service. I’ve always been intrigued by this. So, occasionally, I survey my readers’ opinions of the SSA’s services. The last one I did was about a year ago. Maybe it’s time for another one.
What I learned from past surveys is that when given the chance to voice their opinion, the folks who were very satisfied with the SSA’s services and employees come out of the woodwork and let me know what they think. In the last survey I did, I asked my readers to rate the service they got from the Social Security Administration in the form of stars: 5 stars for excellent service, down to 1 star for poor service. I got 254 responses from readers. The ratings broke down like this:
-- 5 stars: 191 ratings
-- 4.5 stars: 7 ratings
-- 4 stars: 31 ratings
-- 3 stars: 13 ratings
-- 2 stars: 4 ratings
-- 1 star: 8 ratings
If I’m doing my math right, that comes out to a 4.5-star average rating. I understand this is an unscientific survey. But I still think it’s a pretty good representation of what most people think about the service they get from the SSA.
And I did glean some points from the responses I got to that last survey. As I’ve reported on before, the SSA does routine work extremely well. And the good news is that when it comes to our involvement
with the Social Security Administration, almost all of us have routine issues. We file for retirement benefits, or we want to change our address in the SSA’s records. These jobs are handled quickly and efficiently -- usually by the SSA’s website: www.socialsecurity.gov. Many readers who gave 5-star reviews specifically mentioned the ease of using the website.
Conversely, many people who gave lower ratings had messy situations. One guy had been trying for years to get disability benefits. And even though he eventually got those benefits, he gave the agency a 1-star review.
Two other readers gave a low rating because they said they got wrong answers from SSA reps. But when they described their situation to me, they actually got the correct information. I don’t think people should give a low rating based on what they think an answer is supposed to be. But still, they did.
Some people who gave lower ratings cited the long wait times when calling the agency’s toll-free number. One guy gave a 1-star rating for that reason. But interestingly, another person who said he waited for about an hour gave a 4-star rating because once his call was answered, he said he talked to a knowledgeable rep who gave him good advice.
And this leads me to another observation I gleaned from readers’ responses to my last survey. I think happy and optimistic people tend to give good ratings, and grumpy and pessimistic people give low ratings. Here is a perfect example of that. Two people, one kind of grumpy and one kind of happy (I could just feel those vibes in the emails they sent), reported almost identical issues with the SSA’s in-office service they experienced. They each ended up sitting for about an hour in the waiting room of their respective local SSA office before being served. Mr. Grumpy gave the SSA a 1-star because of that. Mr. Happy still gave a 5-star review because he said he understood there had been staffing cutbacks, and once he was served, he got his issues taken care of in a professional way. By the way, I am not saying that all those who give low reviews are grumpy people. But I am saying that all grumpy people give low reviews.
Anyway, with the latest round of staffing cuts we’ve all heard about, I think it’s time to do another survey. If you’ve had to deal with the Social Security Administration lately, tell me what you think. Use the same star system I mentioned earlier: 5 stars for excellent service, down to 1 star for poor service. Send those ratings to my email address: thomas.margenau@ comcast.net. All I need is the rating. But if you feel inclined to comment on your rating, go ahead. But please don’t make it a long, drawn-out critique. Due to the high volume of emails I get from my readers around the country, I simply don’t have time to digest them all.
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.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
How has real estate performed in Q1, and what the future holds
If you haven’t read part 1 or part 2, then go to litmorpublishingcorp Publisher Publications - Issuu to any town, 4/25 part 1 and 5/1 part 2 in the Discovery section
Those countries, especially China, can export and dump their cheap goods here, as they are now doing with their electric cars world-wide. My idea is to balance our tariffs and by reducing our local and federal income taxes proportionately. Putting more money back into the pockets of our dwindling middle class, will boost and scale our excellent economy to higher levels, providing increased sales and income taxes to our local and federal government. However, taxing our most crucial and critical trading partners, Canada and Mexico, is a mistake and a huge error in judgment by our President. Neither country is benefiting as it’s just a tit for tat back and forth increases in tariffs by those countries and will provide no winner in the long run; but the consumer will be the biggest loser! Tariffs just don’t work the way we are carrying them out.
As I have said, our real estate market will be affected, but as to the length and severity no one can know for sure. But at some point, as increasing inventories continue to occur across our nation, prices will become more normalized in a more balanced and/or slower and reduced priced market as they have become in certain areas of California, Florida and other areas. Inventory was up 27% higher from 2023-2024. Ten States had more inventory unsold last year than in 2019, what one might consider a normal year prior to the pandemic.(housewire.com)/ Builders are sitting with excess new construction and prices have been reduced.
The median price of a single family home at the end of 2024 was $419,200,
but the average was approximately $510,300 (fred.stlouisfed.org).
For more up to date information on the current market as of March 2025 and to determine some of the most beneficial, affordable and worst places to reside in 2025, go to: cotality.com
BY PHILIP A. RAICES
National single-family home prices are forecast to reach a new high, The current median price for all single-family homes in the U.S. is $375,000. The one surprising thing that is apparent is that the northeast continues to buck the overall U.S. trends, remaining unfazed by reduced job growth, higher interest rates and continuing affordability issues. (cotality.com)
The income needed to afford to purchase a median priced home of $375,000 is now $83,400. Home price growth from January 2024-January 2025 was 3.3%. the future forecast is the same from January 2025-January 2026. See more pertinent information go to (cotality.com).
For those considering moving to another state or staying locally, it is imperative that you perform your research in a pragmatic and logical fashion in order to provide you the greatest insight into your most valuable asset that the average person will own in their lifetime. It is a crucial and monumental decision that will not only affect your family but of the building of your future wealth factor. No one can look in a crystal ball and predict the future, but if history is a way to understand what may happen, then real estate will still hopefully be an major factor as a way to grow one’s future prosperity and well being; that
is, if we don’t implode or blow ourselves up.
However, just maybe the 3 billionaires, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson have considered another idea leading to a different solution. They may realize and believe that just maybe the earth is too far gone, with the irreparable damage being caused by the, irreversible degrading of our ozone layer changing our climate, pollution around our globe, the continued burning of fossil fuels and other contributing variables, will make living an impossibility in the future.
Could this be why Elon Musk’s Space X, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic are so driven, passionate and committed to travelling to Mars and other planetary systems to re-populate and further the continued survival and existence of our human race? Maybe in the future our being and reality will not be so focused on whether or not we own real estate and/or possessions but just being able to live and let live in a more peaceful and tranquil environment.
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 “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)
BY MARY HUNT
Simple Organization and Storage Tips
“Sorry my place is such a mess!” If you have to pull out that one every time you welcome friends or family into your house, it might be time to get organized. Marla Cilley, also known as the FlyLady, calls that CHAOS: Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome!
Organization is an important aspect of any home. And we’re quite familiar with the rule: a place for everything and everything in its place. Right? The challenge is finding that place and then actually following through!
What follows is a random selection of tips and tricks I’ve received over the years from my dear readers. Undoubtedly, some will have a ring of familiarity, while others will have you smacking palm to forehead wondering, “Why didn’t I think of that?!”
Reading all the way to the end just might give you an uncontrollable urge to get started. You might come up with your own organization and storage tips and tricks, which we hope you’ll share!
CORD CORRAL
Computer cords and charging cables make homes and offices unsightly. Camouflage the cords by threading them through a length of a 1/2-inch PVC pipe you’ve attached to the wall.
DRAINER DO-OVER
Take a forgotten dish drainer that’s most likely stashed under your kitchen sink, and give it a new life in the office. Use it for organizing paper, pencils, pads, cards and envelopes. It works great and will save you a few bucks from buying a desk organizer.
EARRING ORGANIZATION
Clearly, there is no single way to accomplish the matter of keeping earrings organized and not hopelessly orphaned! Here’s one more:
Are you always rummaging through your jewelry box in the morning to find a matching pair of earrings? Purchase a 28day pill organizer from a dollar store to organize your earrings. The box is clear plastic, so you can easily see all of your earrings at a glance.
CABINET STORAGE GUIDE
Once you have your kitchen cabinets organized, take photos of every item that goes into each of your kitchen cabinets and drawers. Then print them in thumbnail view, one page per cabinet. Tape each handy reference guide to the inside of the cabinet door, and now your family is perfectly clear about what goes where. It’s a quick guide to finding what you have stored in deep or low cabinets as well.
GOLF BAG REVIVAL
An old golf bag makes a great caddy for
all of those long-handled tools in your garage or garden storage shed. It looks cool, too.
SAFEKEEPING
For things you would hate to lose in a fire or tornado but won’t fit into a safety deposit box, do this: Put them in freezer bags, and store them in the freezer. Chances are they will survive a disaster quite nicely.
STORAGE SPACE SOLUTION
If your storage space is limited and you have to stack several boxes on top of one another, make a diagram on an index card, and keep it in a handy place. When you look for something, you’ll know exactly where it is. Store items that you’re more likely to use often toward the front, with less frequently used items at the back.
STORED CORDS
Tangled, unorganized cords can quickly clutter your space. Use empty paper towel and tissue rolls to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat, and you can write on the roll the appliance or item it belongs to.
THE LAW
To keep your possessions from overtaking your life and your space, declare a new personal dictum: For every new thing that comes in, something old must go out. You must obey The Law. It’ll work. In fact, there will be times that you’ll really want to bring home something new, but the thought of getting rid of something of equal size or value will help you distinguish between a true need and a passing desire.
FLOWER POWER
Use a terra-cotta flowerpot (super in-
NUTRITION NEWS
expensive in the garden department) to hold all your kitchen-cleaning tools under the sink. The terra cotta absorbs moisture, which will help to keep your tools dry and rust-free.
THE PERFECT BOX
Buy milk from Costco, and recycle the box they come in, which is perfect for storing 8-by-11 sized documents and magazines. These sturdy boxes are easy to manage because they are smaller and hold less than typical storage boxes.
Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived 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 “DebtProof Living.”
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
Mediterranean Diet Pattern for Health
BY CHARLYN FARGO
If you’re looking for a healthy way to eat, look no further than the Mediterranean Diet. It’s healthy, environmentally friendly, flexible and perhaps the most healthful way to eat.
May just happens to be International Mediterranean Diet Month, a great time to investigate the health benefits of the Mediterranean way of eating. It’s the traditional dietary pattern of Greece, Italy and other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The pattern focuses on whole grains, vegetables, legumes,
fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices with olive oil as the main source of fat. Fish, seafood, dairy and poultry are included in moderation; red meat is eaten once a week.
Following the diet plan has shown in studies a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, several types of cancers, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
The Mediterranean Diet represents the gold standard in preventive medicine, according to the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care’s Nov. 2016 issue. Since then, it’s been one
of the most studied eating patterns. The journal credits the diet’s harmonic combination of many elements with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which overwhelm any single nutrient or food item. The study, called Predimed, was the first randomized trial showing that an intervention based on changes in dietary pattern can reduce the risk of breast cancer and improve cognition.
Here’s how to get started:
No. 1: Choose a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds daily.
No. 2: Add small servings of olive oil,
eggs, cheese and yogurt.
No. 3: Add fish and seafood, poultry and occasionally, red meat.
No. 4: Focus on fresh, unprocessed ingredients.
No. 5: Be physically active and enjoy meals with others.
No. 6: If you drink wine, have it with meals.
No. 7: Drink plenty of water.
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 CREATORS.COM
Watching Earth-Orbiting Satellites
BY DENNIS MAMMANA
Week of May 11-17, 2025
Gaze skyward on any spring and summer night and you’ll surely see what appears to be a star drifting slowly across the night sky. This is probably an Earth-orbiting satellite. I should remind you that if it’s got red and green blinking lights, don’t get too excited. That’s an airplane!
Keep watch for an hour or so and you’re sure to see quite a few satellites. I recall watching for satellites outside with my dad back in the early 1960s. Back then there were only one or two in orbit, so it was quite a thrill to see one. Today, however, there are about 10,000 active satellites (and many that are inactive) circling our globe, so it’s pretty hard to look up at night and not see one.
A satellite will occasionally change its brightness as the angle of sunlight falling on it changes. Sometimes it will even catch a brief glint of sunlight and brighten rapidly. And don’t be surprised if the satellite fades away entirely; if it does, it’s just crossed into the night side of the Earth.
I still enjoy watching these artificial moons as they crisscross the sky. It’s even more fun knowing in advance which satellites will be passing over tonight, then going outdoors to see them right where you expected them to be.
So how does one know when and where to look? Back in the “old days” when I began watching satellites, we relied on the local newspapers to tell us if a
satellite might pass over our town. Today, however, there are many smartphone apps you can find that provide times and locations of bright satellites, but my favorite for predicting satellite passes is the website heavens-above.com.
About 10,000 active satellites currently circle the Earth, making spotting one at any given time easy.
LOST IN SUBURBIA
The
Feet Flightmare
Visit this site and take a few minutes to register. It costs nothing, but it’ll make your future visits much more enjoyable. Here you can learn not only which satellites are passing over your neighborhood but also astronomical information such as times of sunset, sunrise, twilight, moon phases and much more. First, either select your town from the massive database or enter your latitude and longitude manually. Once you do this you will see a list of upcoming satellite passes coming over the next few nights.
One feature that I love comes from clicking the time of a satellite’s maximum altitude: a full sky map appears showing a satellite’s path across the familiar stars and constellations.
Now let’s say, for example, that you discover that the International Space Station or the Hubble Space Telescope will be making a bright pass tonight and you’d like to see it. Just take the star map outdoors, hold it over your head with the directions on the map aligned with those at your location, and begin watching. As with anything celestial, it’s always a good idea to begin your watch a few minutes early.
It’s always great to see satellites pass overhead, especially when you know which ones you’re seeing. But it’s most fun to call the neighbors outside because ISS or another satellite will be passing over in a few minutes.
When it does, you’ll look like a rocket scientist!
Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
BY TRACY BECKERMAN
About five years ago I started having a problem with airplanes. It wasn’t a fear of flying or a fear of the plane food or a fear that the person in front of me would recline so much that I would be forced to look up his nose for the duration of the flight.
No, the problem was my feet.
For some reason, suddenly, my body decided that feet and flying don’t mix. Regardless of the length of the flight or the shoes I wore, my feet would swell. And it wasn’t just a little swelling. It was like a cross between elephant feet and an African baobab tree stump. My ankles would disappear and the area between my calves and the tips of my toes would merge into one large uberfoot. This is not an attractive look for even Horton or Dumbo, so you can imagine how pleased I was when we flew home from vacation last week and
my feet looked like I had turned into a hobbit.
After several years of this, I had started to wear compressions socks. These are supposed to help with the swelling but for some reason have not been updated style-wise since women won the right to vote. Combined with orthopedic shoes (yes, I was also blessed with flat feet), the overall look is essentially nursing home chic. When I put them on, not only do I look like an old lady, but I suddenly have the desire to change my name to Helga and tell everyone stories about how hard life was in the old country.
Now, this is something I am willing to put up with temporarily to avoid said hobbit feet, because a) I generally don’t care what the other people on the plane think of me, b) the flight attendants have seen far worse, and c) the 40-year-old woman in the zebra-print onesie with matching slippers and a tail
looked a lot stupider than I did.
Unfortunately, this time, I forgot to pack the compression socks, and within an hour of takeoff, my feet were so swollen that I had to remove my shoes for fear that my feet would burst out of them and the shoes would become dangerous projectile missiles capable of shooting across the plane and knocking out the lady in the zebra onesie.
As my feet grew in size, I wondered who was more miserable: me or the mother of three who forgot to download movies onto her iPad for her kids to watch (this was an old plane with no TV screens on the back of the seats). I thought for a moment of helping her out by distracting her kids with swollen foot tricks I had mastered on previous flights (sort of like making balloon animals) but ultimately decided it was every unhappy frequent flyer for themselves.
With no end in sight to this foot
flightmare, I finally decided to give in and accept my frankenfeet and try to get some sleep. My husband, seated next to me and without any kind of foot trauma, had immediately dozed off when we got on the plane. But no sooner did I close my eyes than my husband began to snore so loudly he nearly drowned out the plane’s engines.
I realized then that there was actually one benefit to having freakishly enormous feet. I turned on my side, extended one of my hobbit feet and ... Kicked him.
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
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EMPLOYMENT
HELP WANTED
LEGAL SECRETARY
Garden City attorney seeks legal secretary to work part time. Excellent typing skills necesary; Reply to: LTJonesAtty@cs.com OR 516-747-1141
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
(1 pos) Social Butterflies Psychotherapy LCSW PLLC (Garden City, NY) Prov. in-pers / Teleh. behav. ther; Crte/upd/ adj treatment plan; Teach skil / techqs; Doc. in HER. Min. MA in MH Couns / Psylgy / Soc.Serv / rel + 3m exp. CV: luz@sbptherapy.com
PELLEGRINI PRIME MEATS
in Stewart Manor is looking for a Cashier/Store Manager. This a full-time position not a summer job.
Hours are between 8am-6pm Part-time or full-time opportunities available.
Email: PellegriniMeats@gmail.com
SITUATION WANTED
CNA / HOME HEALTH AIDE
MATURE LADY SEEKS employment as CNA. Home health aide, very reliable, hard working, willing to do background checks, 15 yrs nursing home experience. Please call: 516-514-9442 or 516-205-9584
COMPANION HHA PCA
Seeking position overnight or weekends.
29 years experience with Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Dementia, Cancer Patients. References available upon request. Call Miss Browne 516-302-7564
MARKETPLACE
Antique & Vintage Items
EMPLOYMENT
SITUATION WANTED
EXCELLENT NURSE’S AIDE
Striving to make elderly comfortable in their own surroundings. Seeking FT/PT position. Flexible hours. Have worked with many prominent people. Excellent references. Driver w/ car. Will do errands, doctor appts, housework, light cooking. Call Lorna 347-425-2804
MALE & FEMALE CAREGIVERS Experienced wtih a wide range of Medical care including Dementia, Alzheimer’s & Parkinson patients. Caring & Dependable. Drivers. References available. Derrick 917-363-8924
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INVITED ESTATE SALES BY TRACY JORDAN
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9:30 a.m.
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JACK’S CUSTOM FRAMING
We can frame anything! Quality Care & Workmanship Thousands of frames to choose from!!
Over 30 years in business! 92 Covert Ave, Stewart Manor 516-775-9495
SAVE ON YOUR TRAVEL PLANS! Up to 75% More than 500 AIRLINES and 300,000 HOTELS across the world. Let us do the research for you for FREE! Call: 877 988 7277
ATTORNEY
STEPHANIE A. D’ANGELO, ESQ. Elder Law, Wills & Trusts Asset Preservation, Estate Planning, Probate & Estate Administration/Litigation 901 Stewart Ave, Ste 230 Garden City, NY 11530 516-222-1122 www.dangelolawassociates. com
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
AQUATEC LAWN SPRINKLERS SPRING TURN ONS Backflow Device Tests Free Estimates Installation Service/Repairs Joe Barbato 516-775-1199
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR RENT
GARDEN CITY
SEVENTH STREET
PRIVATE OFFICE
10 x 15
AVAILABLE FOR RENT
61 Hilton Ave
Call Michael: 516-510-9666
BEAUTIFUL BATH
DATES in as little as ONE
Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-855-399-2076
DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S IN YOUR WATER? Leaf Home Water Solutions offers FREE water testing and whole home water treatment systems that can be installed in as little one day. 15% off your entire purchase. Plus 10% senior & military discounts. Restrictions apply. Schedule your FREE test today. Call 1-866-247-5728
MADE IN THE SHADE
CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS
Blinds, Shades, Shutters, Draperies
Top Brands at Discount Prices! Family owned & operated www.madeintheshadensli. com 516-426-2890
MASONRY
All types of stonework Pavers, Retaining Walls, Belgium Block Patios, Foundations, Seal coating, Concrete and Asphalt driveways, Sidewalks, Steps. Free Estimates
Fully Licensed & Insured #H2219010000 Boceski Masonry Louie 516-850-4886
PAULIE THE ROOFER STOPPING LEAKS IS MY SPECIALTY!
Slate & Tile Specialists
All types of Roofing Local References Licensed & Insured 516-621-3869
PREPARE FOR POWER OUTAGES with Briggs & StrattonPowerProtect(TM) standby generators the most powerful home standby generators available. Industry-leading comprehensive warranty 7 years ($849 value.) Proudly made in the U.S.A. Call Briggs & Stratton 1-888-605-1496
PREPARE FOR POWER outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5 year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-877-5161160 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
SAFE STEP
North America’s #1 Walk-In Tub.
Comprehensive Lifetime warranty. Top of the line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step: 1-855-916-5473
SERVICES
HEALTH SERVICES
FAMILY CARE CONNECTIONS, LLC
Dr. Ann Marie D’Angelo
PMHCNS-BC
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Advanced Practice Nurse Care
Manager
Assistance with Aging at Home /Care Coordintion
Nursing Home & Assisted Living Placement
PRI / Screens / Mini Mental Status Exams
Medicaid Eligibility and Apllications
516-248-9323 www.familycareconnections.com
901 Stewart Ave, Ste 230 Garden City, NY 11530
SERVICES
PAINTING & PAPERHANGING
INTERIOR & EXTERIOR
PAINTING
Plastering, Taping, Sheetrock Skim Cutting, Old Wood Refinish, Staining, Wallpaper Removal & Hanging, Paint Removal, Power Washing, Wood Replacement
JOHN MIGLIACCIO
Licensed & Insured
#80422100000
Call John anytime:
516-901-9398 (Cell) 516-483-3669 (Office)
SERVICES
TUTORING
COMPUTER SCIENCE
TUTOR
AP CS A or Principles, College courses Dessie MiMino, Caltech grad, TA; Software Engineer at Mirosoft & Google Teaching CS for over 11 years; Virtual Contact: Dessie.DiMino@gmail.com
TUTOR AVAILABLE
Elementary Education NY State Permanent Cert. 30+ years experience Local resident Learn to: Read, Write, Math Babysitting upon request Call 516- 510-3093
Love to write?
SERVICES
SERVICES
AFFORDABLE TV & INTER-
NET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-855-399-2803
PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-866-448-8311 Have zip code of property ready when calling!
We’re looking for writers in our community to compose ar ticles on local topics, opinions, reviews, noteworthy places to visit on Long Island, and even pieces of fiction. We aim to feature at least one new article and writer each week in our Discovery magazine section.
Email submissions: editor@gcnews.com
• Attach article and any photos (1MB), along with your name and contact info.
• Articles must be between 1,500 - 3,000 words. • Each writer will be reimbursed a stipend of $25.⁰⁰
Chocolate is the finishing touch this Mother’s Day
Mint Chocolate Mousse
Serves 4
Mother’s Day presents an opportunity for people to shower the special women in their lives with extra love and affection. There are many ways to show Mom you care apart from gifts and dining out. A homemade dessert featuring rich and creamy chocolate might be exactly what Mom needs to cap off a perfect day spent with her family.
This recipe for “Mint Chocolate Mousse” from “Chocolate: Deliciously Indulgent Recipes for Chocolate Lovers” (Ryland, Peters & Small) by Maxine Clark is ideal for mothers who love the taste of mint and chocolate. It’s relatively simple to make, so it should be something that young children can handle with a little help from an adult.
5 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped or broken up into smaller pieces
4 to 6 chocolate covered dinner mints, chopped
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1) Melt the chocolate with the dinner mints over a double boiler or in the microwave. Let cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick and mousselike, then beat in the melted chocolate-mint mixture.
2) Sprinkle the gelatin over 4 tablespoons water in a small,
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
2 tablespoons chopped chocolate mint sticks, or frosted mint leaves and 1 cup heavy cream, to decorate
4 pots or dessert cups, for serving
heatproof bowl and let soak and swell for 2 to 3 minutes. Put the bowl in a pan of simmering water and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Beat into the chocolate-mint mixture. Working quickly, beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until stiff but not dry, then fold into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon.
3) Divide the mousse between the pots. Scatter with the chopped mint sticks, then refrigerate until set. Alternatively, whip the 1 cup cream and use to decorate the mousses, along with the frosted mint leaves.
4) Leave at cool room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Last Hope Part of the Chewy.com Rescue Program
If you haven’t tried Chewy.com yet for your pet food and supply purchases, this is a great time to check them out. Last Hope is part of their rescue program. For each new customer that makes a purchase, Last Hope will receive a $20 donation. Go to Last Hope’s Chewy page at https://www.chewy. com/g/last-hope-animal-rescue_b100553681 for info on Last Hope and to shop for items and necessities on the shelter’s wish list.
Friends of Floral Park Public Library host Lawn Sale
On Saturday, May 4, the Floral Park Public Library held its Lawn Sale. Vendors provided treasures for the whole family to discover.
Families enjoyed participating in the lawn sale.
The Friends raffled off this gift basket filled with library and book-themed goodies.
Floral Park residents came out to enjoy the lovely weather and see the treasures for sale.
It was a good place to find toys for the children as well as jewelry for Mom.
The Friends of the Library were the sponsors of the event.
Collectibles and glassware were popular items.
We don't do it for the attention.
We don't do it for the recognition. We don't do it for the personal gain.
And we certainly don't do it for the awards. We do it for you.
Catholic Health is the winner of Press Ganey’s 2025 HRO Foundation Award for exceptional reliability and patient safety.
At Catholic Health, we pursue the very best in health care for one reason only: you. Every single one of you that walks through our doors, every day. So, while we’re honored by this recognition, we also know there’s no finish line in health care. There’s always a new goal just over the horizon, and a new level of excellence for us to achieve for the health of Long Island.
Learn more at DedicatedtoBetter.org
MORTALITY RATES. HOW’S THAT FOR AN ICEBREAKER?
Our health system maintains the lowest mortality rates in the nation. And at the end of the day, this is what matters. We apply the highest standard of care to every factor that impacts patient recovery and survival, so more people who come here, go home. No wonder we were named #1 for quality care in the U.S.
Better health starts with a better health system.
