A taste of the tropics
A taste of the tropics in Hempstead Town! Supervisor Don Clavin (3rd left) and Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti (3rd right) ceremoniously plant the first of 40 tropical palm trees that will now be featured at Hempstead Town pools this summer. The officials were joined by Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby (left), Councilman Dennis Dunne, Sr. (2nd right), Town Clerk Kate Murray (2nd left), and Peter's Clam Bar Owner Butch Yamali (right), who donated the palm trees to the Town of Hempstead.
Surrounded by dozens of tropical palm trees, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and Nassau County Legislator John Ferretti today announced that several Town pools will get a bit of a tropical makeover for summer, thanks to a generous donation of approximately 40 palm trees from the owner of Peter’s Clam Bar in Island Park. The palm trees, which were donated to the Town by Butch Yamali, will be placed at pools throughout America’s largest township, creating a festive and tropical ambiance for residents to enjoy all summer long. Attending the press event were Clavin, Ferretti, Yamali, and a crew of Town workers, who planted the first palm trees.
A press conference marking the announcement was held at the Carman Avenue Pool in Salisbury — one of several Town pools that will receive the palm trees as part of this beautification initiative.
“Thanks to Legislator Ferretti’s initiative and Butch Yamali’s generous donation, our Town See page 11
BY RIKKI MASSAND
At its July 15 meeting at Village Hall, the Floral Park Board of Trustees approved multiple personnel resolutions, including a total salary increase of $67,976 for the 2025–26 fiscal year. Among the items was a resolution formally accepting the retirement of longtime Building Inspector Kevin Bove.
Trustee Michael Longobardi, the Board’s liaison to the Building Department, shared words of appreciation for Bove, who joined the department on June 26, 2000, as a code enforcement official and was promoted to building inspector in October 2001.
“I would like to take a moment to congratulate and thank Kevin Bove. Kevin began his career with our Building Department on June 26, 2000, as a code enforcement official and through his dedication and professionalism was quickly promoted to building inspector on October 22, 2001. Those attributes continued to be evident over the past 25 years as he assisted residents and commercial property owners with their renovations and home improvements. Mr. Bove has ensured projects have followed the State of NY
and local building codes as well as the parameters set by the Floral Park Architectural Review Board (ARB). Kevin’s dedication and exceptional service to our community has left a lasting positive impact. Thank you Kevin for your dedication and services to our residents, and we congratulate him and wish him well in his retirement with many happy and safe years ahead,” the trustee explained.
Deputy Mayor Dr. Lynn Pombonyo also recognized Bove and two other retiring employees: Superintendent of Recreation Kurt Meyfohrt and James Pohl, a senior maintainer in the Department of Public Works. Together, the three have contributed 75 years of service to the village.
The Board authorized payment of Bove’s unused accruals, totaling $55,094, including: 200 unused sick days (paid at 60%) — $44,974.80
25 vacation days — $9,369.75
Two personal days — $749.58
Bove’s salary was increased to $94,150 prior to his official retirement date of June 28, 2025.
on local projects Trustee Longobardi also
See page 11
Staying cool under pressure
BY SHANE PAROUSE
Six Strategies for Dealing with Market Volatility
When the market’s temperature keeps changing, it’s easy to feel the heat — or as if you’ve been left out in the cold. Your workplace retirement plan can withstand these swings if you know how to keep your cool. Here are some smart strategies to help your retirement savings thrive despite unpredictable financial climates.
Don’t Let the Heat Get to You
Market drops can make you sweat, but pulling your money out during a downturn locks in losses. Historically, markets bounce back over time. Instead of reacting emotionally, stick to your long-term strategy and ride out the fluctuations.
Keep Your Portfolio Well-Balanced
A stable retirement plan is like a well-regulated thermostat — balanced and consistent. Diversifying your investments across asset classes like stocks, bonds and cash equivalents helps reduce risk and smooth out the impact of volatile markets. Regularly review and rebalance your portfolio to stay on track.
Stay Invested During Cold Spells
When the market cools off, don’t
freeze your contributions. Continuing to invest during downturns means you’re buying shares at lower prices, setting yourself up for potentially greater growth when the market warms up again.
Don’t Get Burned by Market Timing
Trying to guess what market will do is nearly impossible. Therefore, it’s important to stay disciplined by making consistent contributions and avoiding rash decisions based on short-term movements. Missing even a few of the market’s hottest days can seriously dampen your long-term returns.
Adjust Your Risk as You Approach Retirement
As you get closer to retirement, consider dialing down an appropriate amount of risk to help preserve your savings. Gradually shifting to more conservative investments can help protect your nest egg from sudden market chills.
Consult with a Market Climate Specialist
When the financial climate leaves you feeling uncertain, an experienced advisor can help you put things in perspective and maintain a steady investment strategy. Don’t hesitate to seek guidance tailored to your unique situation.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Email: Editor@GCNews.com
Candidate for Legislature
To the Editor:
My name is Dr. James Lynch. For those of you who don’t me, I would like to introduce myself as I am running for the Nassau County Legislature in District 8. District 8 encompasses Garden City, Stewart Manor, Franklin Square, Floral Park, Garden City South and parts of New Hyde Park. I have lived in Stewart Manor for almost 20 years. My wife and I have raised our children in Stewart Manor with my daughter, Rosie, graduating Garden City High School in 2019, and my son, Jimmy, in 2020. I have served as Trustee of the Village of Stewart Manor and am a founding member of the Garden City Friends of STEM, helping young people access science and technology programs. I have served as a youth soccer, baseball, volleyball, and track coach, and know the importance of ensuring the well-being of young people. I have been a dedicated physician with over 30 years’ experience in the healthcare field. I have been continuously committed to improving patient care and advocating for accessible, affordable healthcare. My extensive experience includes serving in clinical and administrative roles, allowing myself to understand the system from multiple perspectives. When I am elected as Nassau County
Legislator, I will support innovative union-built solutions for our aging housing stock, and for our roads, water, sewage, mass transportation, and electrical infrastructure. I will vote to improve and expand NICE county bus service and will cooperate with, not sue, the Long Island Rail Road and MTA. I will guarantee our finances are brought in order. We will obey the tax cap, not override it. Nassau County has for decades so poorly managed its financial house that we are still under the control of an outside state agency, NIFA. This will end.
I will review all county lands held in reserve and seek to transfer any possible to our engines of innovation including Nassau Community College, Hofstra, Adelphi, Molloy, LIU Post and the SUNY’s at Farmingdale and Old Westbury.
We all bought homes here with the promise of good schools for our kids and safe neighborhoods. Our job as parents, and mine as your elected official, should be to guarantee our children have the same shot at success as we did.
The political leadership in Nassau County has not met the needs of our community. We deserve better. Nassau deserves better!
Thank you.
James J. Lynch, M.D.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
The Civic Associations of Floral Park
The Incorporated Village of Floral Park has four civic associations which meet monthly:
• Hillcrest Civic Association: Meeting - 4th Thursday of each month
– 7:30 p.m.
• South Side Civic Association: Meeting - 2nd Thursday of each Month
– 7:30 p.m.
• North End Civic Association: Meeting - 3rd Thursday of each month – 7 p.m.
• West End Civic Association: Meeting - 1st Thursday of each Month – 8 p.m.
Location: All Civics meet at the Floral Park - Pool/Recreation Building September through June (Meetings time and dates are subject to change)
The civic associations are not political organizations. The associations were established to educate and inform the residents on happenings taking
place within the Incorporated Village of Floral Park and the surrounding area.
Each Association prepares a program to put focus on items that affect the specific area but also provides updates on big issue items that affect the entire Village. The Civic Association also acts as a communication link between the residents and the local government to foster fellowship in the community. The Board does their best to provide a forum for discussion of ideas and the resolution of problems of common concern.
Each Association meets once a month September through June with a summer break so that everyone can enjoy being with their family. They meet at the Floral Park Recreation/Pool building on Pool and Garage Street. There is a Village Trustee at each of the meetings as well as a representative from the Police Dept to provide updates on police actions.
District champions
The Floral Park 10U All Star team competed in the District 29 Little League Tournament. The All Stars were undefeated, winning the Championship game against Garden City by a score of 6-3.
Floral Park Public Library lawn concert
Library Director Pat Eren and Terry Meegan
The crowd gathered on the lawn of the Floral Park Public Library to hear a performance by Bob D’Amato.
Performer Bob D’Amato does his show “Bobby Does Bobby”.
Room, Eat-in-Kitchen with Gas Cooking and Mudroom on the First Floor. Second Floor has Three Bedrooms and Full Bathroom. Attic has 2 rooms for Storage space. Full Unfinished Basement with Utilities, Bathroom Plumbing, Oil Heating and Egress to the Backyard. Selling “As Is”.
Floral Park Village amenities: Private Police; Private Sanitation;Award Winning Library; Recreation Center with Olympic Size Pool/Pickleball/Tennis/Volleyball/Basketball Courts/Baseball Fields/Tiny Tot Park. Easy Access to LIRR 4 blocks away with a 35-minute commute to Penn Station or the new Grand Central Terminal, Shopping, Restaurants, Highways, School District #22 FPBS. Don’t miss this Potential to build a Dream Home as a property like this doesn’t come to market often! Offered Price at $800,000. Please call Marie O’Connor-Grant at 516-524-2781 for a private showing.
Dr. Levon Nikoyan, DDS FORWARD ORAL SURGERY
Your Teenager and Wisdom Teeth: A Garden City Parent & Oral Surgeon’s Guide
Hello Garden City neighbors!
As a fellow resident of our wonderful village and a proud parent with two children right here at Garden City High School, I know firsthand the busy lives of our teenagers and the countless milestones we navigate alongside them – from sports and school events to thinking about the future.
Beyond being a local parent deeply invested in our community, I’m also a Board-Certified Oral Surgeon Combining these perspectives, one topic I see frequently, both professionally and as a dad/mom in town, is wisdom teeth
Like navigating driver’s permits or prepping for exams, understanding wisdom teeth is another important step during these formative high school years. Because I care deeply about the health and well-being of our community’s young people – our kids, our students – I wanted to share some straightforward insights.
Think of this as a chat between neighbors. This Q&A is designed to answer your common questions in simple terms, helping you understand why an early consultation with an oral surgeon about wisdom teeth isn't just routine, but a smart, proactive step for your teenager's longterm health and comfort. Let's clear up some common questions!
Q1: First off, what exactly are wisdom teeth?
A: Wisdom teeth are the very last set of molars to come in, usually appearing in the late teens or early twenties (hence the name – supposedly when a little “wisdom” arrives!). They are located way in the back of the mouth, behind the second molars. Think of them as the “third molars.”
Q2: Why do wisdom teeth seem to cause so many problems?
A: It often comes down to space. Our jaws have generally evolved to be smaller than our ancestors’, meaning there’s often not enough room for these final four teeth to erupt properly. This can lead to sev-
eral issues:
* Impaction: The teeth get stuck under the gums or bone, or only partially break through.
* Angled Growth: They might grow sideways, tilted, or towards/away from other teeth.
* Cleaning Difficulty: Even if they come in straight, their position way back in the mouth makes them hard to brush and floss effectively, increasing the risk of cavities and gum disease.
Q3: My teenager isn’t complaining about any pain. Why should we see an oral surgeon now?
A: That’s a great question! The key is proactive planning versus reactive treatment. Waiting until pain starts often means a problem like infection, crowding, or damage to adjacent teeth has already begun. An early consultation allows us to:
* Assess Development: We can take special X-rays (like a panoramic X-ray) to see exactly where the wisdom teeth are, how they are developing, and predict if they are likely to cause future problems based on their position and the available space.
* Easier Evaluation: Evaluating wisdom teeth when the roots are not fully formed can often give us the clearest picture of potential issues.
* Plan Ahead: If removal looks necessary, planning it during a time that works best for your teen’s schedule (like summer break) is much better than dealing with an emergency situation during exams or a busy school year.
Q4: When is the best time for this first consultation?
A: While it varies, a good time for an initial evaluation is typically during the mid-teenage years, often between ages 15 and 17. At this stage, the wisdom teeth are developed enough to see their path, but the roots are often not fully formed, which can be advantageous if removal is eventually needed. Your general dentist might also recommend a visit based on routine X-rays. 248-62 Jericho Turnpike Floral Park, NY 11001
Website: www.forwardos.com
Phone: (516) 775-2222
9:30 PM
FOUR VILLAGE STUDIO
4 V S ~ Optimum Ch.18 & Fios Ch.28
MONDAY, JULY 21st & THURSDAY, JULY 24th
Healthcare Aware
George Ingram
“Nursing As A Career” ~ Jacqueline Wigfall, MSN, RN
The Author Corner
Stephanie Larkin
“Prophets of the New Testament” ~ Kieran Larkin
FPFD: Red Alert
Larry King, AEMT
“Hazardous Materials” ~ Paul Rogers, Lieutenant FDNY (Ret.)
Wes Houston Presents…
Wes Houston Gerald Bair ~ Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist
Uncorked
Rex Whicker
“Nashville Music & Wine” ~ Singer-Songwriters Celeste Krenz & Bill Feehely
PAROUSE, ChFC® Wealth Management Advisor, Principal 516-921-1482 Office • 646-528-7570 Mobile shane.parouse@lpl.com • shelterrockwealthmanagement.com 1 Floral Blvd., Floral Park, NY 11002 Phone: 516.326.1150 ~ Email: 4VS@4VS.org
WE DON’T RELY ON MIRACLES.
We continually monitor over 800 quality and care metrics in real time, so we can constantly innovate and improve on every factor that impacts patient recovery and survival.
Our relentless focus on every detail has helped us to achieve the lowest mortality rates, the lowest hospital-acquired infection rates, and the lowest lengths of stay in the nation. That’s why we were named #1 for quality care in the U.S.
T:11.3"
Boat Bike Tours Netherlands Islandhopping on the Wadden
Sea: Sailing, Biking, Exploring Terschelling, Harlingen
BY KAREN RUBIN
Day 4 of our eight-day Boat Bike Tours’ Islandhopping tour of the Netherlands is spent sailing to the island of Terschelling. It takes about six hours to sail across the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“Big boat, small water,” our captain, Age, says about the Wadden Sea (“Wadden” means “mudflats”), guaranteeing that the ship is “unsinkable” because the water is so shallow, we would run aground first.
We have a northwest wind so we can raise the sails instead of just motoring to Terschelling.
Lukacz, who I call the first mate, gives us the safety talk and invites us to help raise the sails (we don’t do it very well). He says it is more important to be safe “You are on vacation, a nice time. You can’t have a nice time with a broken hand. Bad pain is bad time.” But looking around at several of us with boating jackets, says, “I can see this isn’t your first rodeo.”
‘It’s about being happy,” Lukas says, finishing with “What do you think about my speech?”
Lukacz describes himself as a “little monkey jumping around,” and we soon see why as we watch him leaping around to get the sails unfurled, The wind is so strong (“Respect the power,” he says), but once the sails are raised, we feel the quiet tranquility of sailing. But having come from Texel, and seeing the scores of shipwrecks of those tall trading ships, I can only imagine what this would feel like in a storm, or how those sailors
goingplacesfarandnear.com
felt for months, even years crossing vast oceans to Asia, Africa, and North America.
We have lunch on board as we sail (tonight, we will be on our own for dinner in Terschelling, armed with a list of recommended restaurants).
The scene is stunning, with several tall sailing ships along the horizon, the swirling green/blue water, the white cottony clouds.
It is just 4 pm when we sail into Terschelling, flabberghasted by the finesse Captain Age shows to park our enormous ship, Leafde fan Fryslân, now 210 ft. long, 24 ft. wide and the only four-masted ship sailing the Dutch waters.
We walk off the ship from the crowded harbor crammed with sailing ships tied up two and three abreast and
explore the popular village. Huge ferry boats deposit thousands of visitors each day (remarkable considering a mere 9,700 people live on Terschelling).
Terschelling, one of 15 islands in the North Sea and the furthest north we will travel on our Islandhopping tour, is just 30 km long and 4.5 km wide with vast sand beaches, strong winds and wild water - and we will cycle around most of it.
The town is dominated by the 400 year-old Brandaris lighthouse, standing 388 ft high that can be seen from far off in the distance. I learn this is the oldest lighthouse in the Netherlands. The first tower was built in 1323 to guide ships on their way to Amsterdam through the Zuiderzee, the narrow opening between Vlieland and Terschelling. The tower we see
today was built in 1594. It became the first lighthouse in the Netherlands equipped with a rotating Freshnel lens in 1837 and was electrified in 1907.
I meet up with a German couple from our ship and follow them up a path over the dunes to the hilltop for a stunning view of the island and the port as the sun streams through clouds.
Back in the charming village, I come upon a gaggle of girls, who, it turns out, are Ukrainians taking refuge here from the war in their homeland. This brings a jolt of the world and current events to this small, isolated, peaceful place, shocking me back to the present out of my reverie for ages past. But as the historic markers and notes remind, the vast majority of human history has been one invasion, one war, one revolution, one disaster after another, and the nostalgia that sweeps over us looking back has a way of tempering the horror. One reason history is so much more palatable than present events is that we know how that chapter of the story ended.
Cycling Terschelling, Sailing to Harlingen
While the previous day was all about sailing, Day 5 is all about cycling. Terschelling offers 70 km of cycling tracks and four charming villages to discover. We will cycle 26 miles roundtrip, then, in the afternoon, sail across the Wadden Sea to Harlingen, the most important harbor city of the province of Friesland.
This is the first day of cycling where I understand why people get e-bikes in the Netherlands: the paths may be flat but the wind is strong (all
Continued on next page
Sailing into Terschelling on our ship, Leafde fan Fryslân, on Day 4 of our Boat Bike Tours’ Islandhopping Netherlands bike tour © Karen Rubin/
Boat Bike Tours Netherlands Islandhopping on the Wadden Sea:
Continued from previous page
the charming historic windmills and now modern wind turbines should have been a clue). I power through and at one point, one of our group becomes very conscientious about riding right in front of me to break the wind a bit.
We set out along the dyke, then turn off into villages, farms and fields. Our route takes us to the Stryper Wyke (wife) statue, a short distance from a cemetery. The monument heralds back to the 1666 wars with the English over trade with India. The British declared the North Sea as theirs and invaded this area, burning, raping, killing. The British, the story goes, confronted the Stryper Wyke demanding to know how many defenders there were, to which she replied, “100 standing, 1000 laying down” - referring to the cemetery. The legend goes that they took her literally and retreated, and she is credited with saving the town.
We ride passed an intriguing Toesaks Museum (pirates!) which is described as “an exciting and pleasantly eccentric museum for kids and adults” offering a collection recovered from shipwrecks. The museum is housed in a farmhouse and has a real pirate ship, a tree house and a castle. Owner and wreck diver Hille van Dieren, I learn later, has been collecting recovered inventory pieces from the many shipwrecks around Terschelling since 1975. The museum is full of curiosities from 1650 to the present (https:// wrakkenmuseum.nl/). I take a quick peek inside.
We ride through open fields (battling the wind), through forest and come to Koor Hoorn, hiking over enormous dunes which open up to this vast expanse of sand beach almost completely vacant. I walk what seems a quarter mile before I finally reach the actual water, where the sea is swirling with whitecaps and the beach is
strewn with a thick white foam that looks like pieces of clouds have fallen.
A popular thing to do is take a horsedrawn carriage ride on the beach and we see one of these carriages on the road. Leaving the beach, our guide, Edith, leads us through the “Dark Forest” so we can
We have dinner as we sail, and pull into Harlingen’s port in time to have a 7:45 pm walking tour of Harlingen led by our guide, Anya.
The first thing we see is a restoration of the De Witte Swaen (the White Swan). This was the famous vessel sailed
be shielded a bit against the wind.
We get to a charming Cranberry inn (spectacular desserts, all made with cranberry), and walk out to the cranberry field (not a bog).There is a small exhibit and video on a second floor.
The route takes us up and over dunes, and finally, into the village to the port, where we stop at a monument to those who have been lost at sea.
It’s been a lovely ride – we’re back at about 3:15 pm and the ship soon pulls out of the harbor.
We are in awe – along with everyone else on the dock - collectively holding our breath as Captain Age maneuvers out of the tight harbor. We sail across the Wadden Sea to Harlingen, considered the most important harbor city of the province of Friesland.
NUTRITION NEWS
by16th-century Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz when he discovered the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (now known as Svalbard) and Bear Island. He then sailed onward to the Russian archipelago of Nova Zembla, where, in 1596, the ship got stuck in the ice in 1596 and they were forced to stay the winter. Barentsz did not survive, but 12 of the 17 crew were saved. Here, in the port of Harlingen, marine archaeologist Gerald de Weerdt is directing volunteers in building a genuine replica of the ship using 16th century techniques and materials. After years of work, his team is planning to finish the ship by year’s end. It will be sailed to Amsterdam and then returned here. Eventually, de Weerdt and his team want to retrace Barentsz’s voyage by sailing the vessel to Spitsbergen and Nova Zembla
Family Breakfast Benefits
BY CHARLYN FARGO
A new study finds eating a healthy breakfast -- together at home -- goes a long way to help your children’s psychosocial health.
We already know that eating a healthy breakfast is important to help children’s cognitive scores at school. This study found eating a healthy breakfast was just as important for children’s behaviors.
In the study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers found that missing breakfast or eating breakfast away from home was linked to higher odds of psychosocial behavioral problems.
“Our results suggest that it is not only important to eat breakfast, but it’s also important where young people eat breakfast
and what they eat,” said Jose Francisco Lopez-Gil, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain, in a press release. “Skipping breakfast or eating breakfast away from home is associated with increased likelihood of psychosocial behavioral problems in children and adolescents.”
Using data from the Spanish National Health Survey, Lopez-Gil and colleagues analyzed the eating habits of 3,773 children aged 4 to 14 years. To gather information on psychosocial behavior, parents of the children who participated in the study completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, reporting details about the child’s anxiety, self-esteem, mood and more.
This study of Spanish families may have been unusual as nearly every par-
(hopefully with a better outcome).
Anya points out the architecture – the Celtic tradition of putting a symbol to protect the house from evil – and how 600 buildings in the town are protected for their historic significance.
Magnificent buildings like the elaborate City Hall show the wealth of this town.
As we have seen before, the biggest building, typically a church, was built on the highest point, to provide safety when the town flooded. Holland broke with the Catholic Church of Spain, and declared religious freedom, when it won its independence after an 80-year war. She points to a tradition of people endowing homes for widows, the elderly and orphans (many today occupied by students and artists).
She notes that under Napoleon, who conquered the Netherlands in 1800 and installed his brother, Louis, as its first king (who ruled 1806-1810), every home had to replace the ornaments that showed a coat of arms or profession with a house number and street, and a registry was kept of names, religion and where they lived.
“In World War II, the Nazis could see where Jews lived” (one of the reasons why today, the Dutch are still wary of having their private information on the internet).
Today, we see some of the ”stumbling stones” – square copper plates in the sidewalk -documenting the name of the Jews who lived in the home, “the last place they lived in freedom,” before being taken by Nazis to concentration camps. There are some 70,000 of these “stumbling stones” in Europe, about 7,000 in the Netherlands, Anya says.
More information, Boat Bike Tours, www.boatbiketours.com, 203-814-1249.s
Next: Boat Bike Tours’ Netherlands Islandhopping: Exploring the Solar System through an 18th Century Lens
ticipant ate breakfast at home -- 98.9% ate breakfast overall and 95.8% ate it at home -- and most had what researchers deemed normal psychosocial behavior (87%). That number of breakfasts eaten at home might be much lower in America since many elementary and middle-school students eat breakfast at school.
The most reported breakfast meals in the study were cereals, toast, pastries and bread.
The researchers found that children who skipped breakfast regularly faced much higher odds of having psychosocial behavioral problems -- at least three times more than those of children who ate breakfast regularly. Children who ate breakfast away from their homes were much more likely to have behavioral problems.
Continued on page 6
© 2025 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com
Setting out cycling Terschelling along the dyke © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear. com
Handling the Generation Gap Nice & Smoothly
BY CLAIRE LYNCH
When I was a child we never talked about the generation gap. It existed, that’s for sure, because we kids knew that what our parents had experienced was very different from the lives we were leading but it wasn’t talked about that much.
We might tease my parents about going down memory lane or talking about the good, old days but all of us would laugh off those references, gather around the dinner table then turn the TV onto a good show.
It was in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, however, that people really began talking about the phenomenon called the “generation gap.” It was mentioned on TV shows and in various newspaper and magazine articles. College students and professors also started talking about it at this time.
Some people referred to the generation gap as “intergenerational conflicts” but once I understood exactly what it was, I simply called it misunderstandings between my parents and their six kids - and between my high school teachers and my classmates and me. I was indeed a high school student in the early 1970s and no matter what class I was in, something would come up in conversations or academic discussions that were good illustrations of the generation gap.
At home there’d be occasional disagreements about political or religious topics but once again, we good naturedly shrugged off the fact that we younger and older people had very different views on whatever subjects were being discussed.
I remember my older brother, Greg, would say something was “cool” or “nifty” and we’d all smile at his choice of words. I also remember whenever he said something was “groovy,” such as the sleek look of a brand-new car being advertised on TV, my dad would roll his eyes at the term. We’d laugh but let me
say that groovy is not a word my mom, dad, aunts or uncles would ever use.
Now that I’m a Baby Boomer who is dealing with 18 nieces and nephews ranging in age from 50 years old to two years of age, I see and hear about examples of the generation gap almost every day. I’ve come to accept it as inevitable because the language my contemporaries and I speak is very different from the language the Millennials and Gen Zers use when speaking, texting and on the occasional times they email us.
Sometimes we get what they’re saying but other times we feel like we need a translator. We laugh and kid each other about needing someone to translate our language and the slang the younger kids use but it makes me stop and think: how did their words - and the ways we communicate with each otherget so different?
My oldest nephew, Patrick, is a Gen Xer and my other nephew Jake is also a Gen Xer but their brother, Dan, is a Millennial. I wish their parents, my brother, Peter, and sister-in-law Patty, had simply announced it the minute they were born and told us family members their new babies’ names. Then at least those of us who are 50+ would have been prepared.
It would have been much simpler for all of us if they had said, “Get ready for the generation gap! We’ve got two Gen Xers and one Millennial here.” Then we would have been a little bit ready for what was coming down the pike. Our words and their lingo were about to take a sharp turn and I can say that we would never be the same.
The fact is there was plenty of slang to be heard in the 1960 and ‘70s but kids today have a whole new version of slang. My niece, Shannon, was telling me about a new job she’d started a few months back and she said it was “Gucci.”
I couldn’t help but ask Shannon what she meant by that and she laughed and
said Gucci means something is good, cool or going well. I said I was happy for her but a quizzical look was on my face because I was still wondering about the words the young kids use.
When Patrick was telling me about a car he had his eye on he called it “bussin’” and I stopped him right there and asked what that word meant. To people my age bussin’ means we’re at a restaurant and the employee is clearing all the dishes after we’ve finished eating.
Patrick laughed and said, “No, that car is extremely cool and awesome so it’s bussin’.”
Once again I hesitated and looked perplexed but that’s okay because what else can you do when the generation gap rears its head?
What I’ve learned over the years is that as the new generations come along, they want to define themselves as something apart from the old so they use new words or what I call new lingo and slang. It becomes a matter of principle and pride for a particular generation to
have these variations on language. It’s not a matter of being right or wrong, it’s just different. Slang sets them apart, that’s for sure.
My contemporaries and I talk on Facebook but my younger friends and relatives prefer using Instagram as their preferred method of social media - and they made a big point of announcing the fact that Facebook is so “yesterday.”
Some of us jumped back when they said that, amazed because we’d spent years perfecting the art of using Facebook and didn’t see any need for Instagram but what can you do? That was it. Times changed and we wished them well but most people I know - my friends and other family members more or less my age - keep using Facebook.
The fact is these younger kids would rather text than phone or stop by and have a conversation but I’ve gotten used to the way they do things. It may not be how this Baby Boomer prefers doing things but that’s okay. I’m learning - in fact, I’m expanding my horizons.
BY TOM MARGENAU
I am so embarrassed by my former employer, the Social Security Administration. By issuing a press release that not only supports but outright glorifies the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” they have crossed a line that should never have been crossed. They may even have acted illegally. It was One Big Ugly Press Release.
Before I proceed, I must make an important point. I am NOT going to provide general comments on the newly enacted legislation itself. Whether you think “One Big Beautiful Bill” is the greatest piece of legislation in American history or whether you think it is the biggest boondoggle in American history, I don’t care. I am simply not smart enough to comment on it.
But I am smart enough to comment on the Social Security Administration’s response to the passage of the bill. They issued a press release headed: “Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors.” And then they turned around and sent it by email to all senior citizens in this country.
The bill may indeed provide “historic tax relief for seniors.” Again, that is not the point of this column. The point I must make is that a federal government agency has no right to engage in political commentary. In fact, the Hatch Act specifically forbids partisan political activity by federal government employees.
A federal government employee’s job is to simply carry out the laws passed by Congress. It is not their job to comment on those laws. Of course, each employee has his or her own political beliefs. During my 32-year career with the SSA, I worked with both staunch, conservative Republicans and die-hard liberal Democrats. I worked with Libertarians and I worked with Socialists. But all of us knew our job was to keep our opinions to ourselves and just help people get the Social Security benefits that they were entitled to.
And now the agency has crossed the line and made their opinions public. Well, actually, one person has. More about that in a minute.
But first, let me share this. As part of my three-decade career with the Social Security Administration, I served for a time as the agency’s deputy press officer. During my tenure, we never issued any kind of press release that was even remotely political in nature. In fact, we rarely issued any news releases at all because, well, there rarely was any news to issue a press release about. The agency was doing its job. Benefit claims were being taken and processed quickly, and Social Security checks went out on time every month. So, no news was good news.
But under the Trump administration, the people running the agency have been issuing press releases almost weekly. And some of them have been overtly political. For example, a press release issued on
One Big Ugly Press Release
April 29, 2025, was headlined, “Social Security Administration Highlights Key Accomplishments in the First 100 Days of the Trump Administration.”
I could parse the dickens out of the “One Big Beautiful” press release but let me just look at the first three words: “Social Security applauds” (passage of legislation ... ).
That implies that the Social Security program itself applauded the legislation. And of course, that is not true. I’m sure they meant to say, “The Social Security Administration” applauds the legislation. But even that is not true. The agency as a whole was not applauding, and again, because of the Hatch Act, cannot applaud the legislation.
What was meant to be said is that one person was applauding the passage of the legislation. And that one person is Frank Bisignano, a former Wall Street executive whom President Donald Trump appointed as the Commissioner of Social Security several months ago.
As a political appointee, of course Mr. Bisignano is going to have political opinions and he has every right to express those opinions. He could have issued his own statement saying that “I applaud the passage of One Big Beautiful Bill.” But he should not have issued an agency press release and then emailed it to every senior citizen in the country, saying that “Social Security applauds the passage of the bill.” Shame on him!
In addition to the blatant political messages, the press release and the email sent to all seniors were a bit misleading. For example, it said that “the new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits.” By now, I think most seniors have learned from more reliable news sources that it doesn’t do that. What it does do is introduce a temporary deduction that some seniors can claim to lower their federal income tax. And notably, this deduction does not apply to all Social Security beneficiaries. For example, it does not apply to retirees who are under age 65. And it does not apply to people getting Social Security disability benefits, nor does it apply to widows and widowers who are under age 65.
Here is another misleading statement that was in the SSA press release. It said that “ ... this legislation reaffirms President Trump’s promise to protect Social Security.” Well, not really. Many Americans may not know this, but the money derived from the taxation of Social Security benefits is a small but important source of income to the Social Security trust funds. For example, last year, about $55 billion was added to the trust funds because of Social Security benefit taxation. While not all of that is going away, a significant percentage of it is.
So, this provision of the “One Big Beautiful” bill does not “protect Social Security.” Instead, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, it
pushes up its bankruptcy date by one year -- from 2033 as the Social Security Trustees recently reported to 2032.
Finally, because of the long lead time to write, edit, and publish this column, I am writing this just a day or two after the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed. I, and millions of other Americans, are still digesting what was in the bill. Once that happens, I will likely write a follow-up column on this issue.
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
What happened in the 2nd Quarter 2025?
There are many states and localities where housing inventory has increased drastically, as buyers have been retreating back on the fence waiting for lower rates. Moreover, financially they just can’t afford the current prices. Mortgage rates have been hovering between 6.5-7%. When you add the other costs of insurance and the ongoing costs of ownership, this market has moved many to the sidelines to wait and see when and if rates and especially prices will subside.
Prices will still be stable, increasing slightly, until there is a marked decrease in demand on Long Island. However, Jerome Powell, our Fed Chair, isn’t succumbing to pressure, as Trump is trying his best to do so) to lower rates. He is still waiting for the market to provide him more concrete insight to determine if job increases/ attritions, unemployment are occurring and any other criteria in a negative way, that would warrant decreasing the Fed Funds rate.
In Nassau County, during the second quarter, closed single family home closed median sales were down yearover-year 5.4% to 1, 846 units: but sale prices increase yoy 4.5% to $820,000. Condo median closed sales increase yoy 3.5% to 186 units: but sale prices increased yoy 3.5% to $807,500. However, median closed sales of co-ops were down home closed median sales were down year-over-year 15.8% to 187 units, but sale prices increased 11.3% to $345,000.
Sale prices across the board in Q-2 2024 were 100.4% and in Q-2 2025 were 100.3% of the asking priced, are still being paid by purchasers. Either they have fomo (fear of missing out) or need and want to purchase, because they are in an excellent financial position, need the tax deductions and are willing to pay what the sellers are asking.
Overall sales of all properties are down 5.5%. Year-over-year the number of homes for sale has decreased 6.7%. However, median sale prices have increased 6%.
New listings inventory for single
BY PHILIP A. RAICES
family homes has slightly increased 4.7% from 3,458 units in Q-2 2024 to 3,619 in Q-2 2025. The total number of homes listed 1/1/24-6/30/24 was 6,026 compared with 6,216 during the same period in 2025; an increase of3.2%. The number of days on the market has gone down from 52 in Q2 2024 to 44 in Q2 2025. The number of months’ supply has also receded from 3.4 months in Q2 2024 to 3.2 months in Q2 2025; a decrease of 5.9%.
New condo listings decreased from 296 units in Q2-2024 to 278 in Q2-2025; a decrease of 6.1%. Available condos for sale decreased from 242 units in Q2 2024 to 203 in Q2 2025. However, the days on the market has increased yoy from 50 inQ2 2024 to 61 in Q2 2025. The number of months’ supply has gone from 4 months in Q2 2024 to 3.3 months in Q-2 2025 a decrease of 17.5%. It’s very obvious that demand is still there causing this decrease to occur and also contributing is that not enough new inventory is entering the market.
Co-op inventory has also decrease yoy from 306 units in Q-2 2024 to 296 in Q2 2025 a decrease of 3.3%. Available listings during the same period has changed yoy from 246 units to 218. The number of months to sell the entire coop inventory has decreased from 3.7 months to 3.1 months comparing Q-2 2024- Q-2 2025, a 16.2% decrease.
Overall inventory of single family, condos and coops has increased comparing 2024 and 2025.
However, sales of single family homes have ticked up to 1,846 units comparing to the Q1 \2025 of 1,729 units; but have continued to trend lower compared to Q2 2024 of 1,951 units, a decrease of 2.5%. Same holds true of condos where 186 have sold in Q2 2025 compared to 158 in Q1 2025. However, those sales are higher comparing Q2 2024 of 175 units an increase of 6.3%.
Coop sales were down from 214 in
Q-1 2025 comparing 187 in Q2 2025. But down significantly, from 222 in Q2 2024, decreasing yoy, 15.8%
Nationally, inventory has increased yoy, to over one million units according to Realtor.com. This hasn’t been achieved since the winter of 2019. In a multitude of markets, it is taking a week longer to sell a home on average compared to 2024. Prices as well are being adjusted lower and are becoming more normal due to buyers in the South and Midwest having second thoughts about purchasing due to rates and prices, according to Realtor. com.
Affordability continues to become an issue, even on Long Island. A score of 120 on the affordability index means a buyer has 120% of what is needed to purchase. For single family homes. That number has trended down from 86 in Q-2 2023, 74 in Q-2 2024 and now 72 in Q-2 2025. The index has dropped drastically for condos from 97 in Q2 2023, 74 in Q2 2024, to 73 in Q2 2025.
For coops although the number was high, 199 in Q-2 2023, it has steadily decreased to 187 in Q2 2024, and to 171 in Q2 2025. Taking a 40 year conventional mortgage might be one solution to lower your monthly cost. However, like student debt, and whether or not you’ll eventually pay off your loan and at the same time, hopefully build appreciation and equity at the end.
(Nassau County stats courtesy of OneKeyMLS),
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)
EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE
Cleverly Delicious Ways to Use Up Leftovers
BY MARY HUNT
If your refrigerator is at all like mine, it harbors an odd assortment of leftovers and “almost gones.” After all, it’s hard to throw out what appears to be perfectly good food, but what can you do with a little of this and not very much of that? Here are some suggestions that may get your creative juices flowing to come up with your own ideas for what’s lurking in your refrigerator.
BOTTLED SALAD DRESSING
It’s a rare refrigerator that doesn’t have an assortment of almost empty salad dressing bottles. Here’s what you can do with any oil and vinegar-based dressings like Caesar, Italian or other vinaigrettes, even the low-fat varieties: Mix all those small amounts together in one bottle, then label for marinade for beef, pork or chicken. The oil adds flavor, and the vinegar (or another acid such as lemon juice) tenderizes. You need enough to coat the meat or poultry, then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before roasting, grilling or baking.
APPLESAUCE
That last bit of applesauce in the jar will make a wonderful coleslaw dressing. Make sure you have about 1/2 cup applesauce left in the jar and then add about 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/3 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Apply the lid and shake well. To use: Toss with about 4 cups shredded cabbage or packaged cole-
slaw mix. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld. Yield: 8 servings.
MASHED POTATOES
Leftover mashed potatoes make a great topper for almost any casserole, such as Shepherd’s Pie, for example. Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute 1 pound ground or shredded turkey (you can also use chicken, beef or other meat), 1/4 cup minced celery and 1/2 cup chopped onion until brown. Add 3/4 cup beef or chicken broth, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. Mix in frozen or drained canned green peas. Pour mixture into an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan. Spread the leftover mashed potatoes over the top. Sprinkle with a little paprika for color (optional). Bake for 30 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.
COOKED RICE
Turn that leftover rice into a wonderful quiche crust. Mix together 2 cups
white or brown leftover cooked rice, 1 beaten egg and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Spread evenly to cover a well-buttered quiche or pie pan. Bake crust at 350 F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Place any kind of fresh or frozen vegetables (broccoli is a good choice) or meat on the crust. Mix together 4 beaten eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk or half-and-half, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of nutmeg. Pour over vegetables and meat. Top with 1 cup grated cheese (Swiss, cheddar, Monterey Jack or any combination). Bake at 350 F for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near center of pie comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving. You can practically clean out the refrigerator right into your quiche pan. Just remember to add the cheese last to make a beautiful, golden-brown crust on the top.
BUTTERMILK
Lots of recipes call for a fairly small amount of buttermilk. That’s great, but
Family Breakfast Benefits
Because those who ate at home were more likely to do so with family members, the researchers wrote that social and family needs may factor into the results.
“Family meals are a family time that provides an opportunity for families to connect despite the ongoing intense demands of modern life,” they noted. The bottom line is family meals matter and are beneficial for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Q and A
Q: Is there a nutritional difference between oatmeal and oat bran?
A: Oatmeal is the entire oat grain, including the bran. Oat bran has been separated out and is often cooked into a hot
porridge or added to baked goods. The biggest difference nutritionally is the fiber; oat bran has more fiber. Oatmeal is about 12% bran while oat bran is 100% bran.
Both oatmeal and oat bran are healthy choices. Top the cooked cereals with fresh fruit or sprinkle oat bran on Greek yogurt or cereal.
RECIPE
Pizza for breakfast? That’s a sure way to get the entire family to eat breakfast together. The recipe is from Eating Well magazine. Alter it with your favorite veggies -- like spinach, red or yellow pepper strips and chopped onions. You can make it in 10 minutes or less.
BREAKFAST NAAN PIZZA
Servings: 1
or pesto
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil and ground pepper for garnish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place naan on the prepared pan. Mix ricotta, marinara (or pesto) and lemon zest in a small bowl. Spread the mixture onto the naan, creating a well in the center. Carefully crack egg into the well. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until naan is golden, the egg white is set, and the cheese is melt-
what to do with the rest of a quart or pint? That 1/2 cup of buttermilk languishing in the back of the fridge won’t last forever. Here’s an awesome suggestion: Before it goes bad, use it to make fabulous overfried fish. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. In a flat dish or pan, mix together 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, salt and pepper to taste, stirring with a fork until blended. Pour the buttermilk into a shallow bowl. Cut fish fillets to equal 4 servings into portion-sized pieces (Catfish is perfect for this recipe, but any white fish works really well.) Dip each piece in the buttermilk and then in the cornmeal mixture, making sure to dip both sides of each piece. Place on the sprayed foil. Drizzle olive oil over the fillets or spray with olive oil-flavored cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes.
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
ed, 8 to 10 minutes. Garnish with basil and pepper, if desired. Serves 1. Per serving: 458 calories; 24 grams protein; 52 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams fat (7 grams saturated); 202 milligrams cholesterol; 5 grams fiber; 5 grams sugar; 758 milligrams sodium.
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. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
BY DENNIS MAMMANA
Week of July 20-26, 2025
Folks think I’ve lost my mind when I suggest the best time of year to visit me for stargazing here in the Southern California desert is during late July and early August.
Yes, the days are scorchingly hot. It’s the desert. It’s summertime. I get it. But to be honest, I rarely go outside when the sun is in the sky. Neither does anyone else without a nearby swimming pool and a functioning brain.
No, most of us desert rats know to wait until sundown before venturing outdoors. By then, the temperatures have dropped to a more tolerable -- some might even say pleasant -- level. And once darkness falls, we are rewarded with some of the most amazing sights overhead.
The nighttime sky of summer has always been my favorite. Perhaps this comes from my childhood on the East Coast, when summer was a time of school vacation, hanging out with friends, cooling off with ice cream and watermelon, and, yes, for me, stargazing late into the night.
It’s a shame that people don’t spend much time enjoying the night sky anymore. Cities have become so immense and light-polluted that, without a long drive to the mountains or wilderness, it’s impossible to see the starry heavens
Our Magnificent Milky Way
at their finest. And doing that always seems to take too much effort.
But stand outdoors under a dark night sky of summer just once, and you’ll be stunned by its beauty. What makes this sky my favorite is seeing the Milky Way arching gently across the heavens.
High in the east, we can see it streaming through the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle. On its southern end, it passes between the star groupings of Scorpius, the scorpion, and the teapot of Sagittarius.
Though it appears as a softly glowing cloud against the darker sky, what we see is so much more remarkable. This is the rim of our galaxy’s disk arching across the sky. Its hazy appearance, of course, is an illusion caused by the countless stars that seem to blend to create the cloudiness.
One of the most obvious features of the Milky Way is that it’s not uniform in brightness. It is, instead, mottled with dark rifts and rivulets along its entire length. Though they may appear as voids in the Milky Way, these are known to astronomers as giant molecular clouds -- or GMCs -- massive globs of interstellar dust that stand in silhouette against the Milky Way’s brighter stellar band. It is within these GMCs that massive starand planet-forming regions exist, hidden from eyes not privileged enough to have infrared vision.
Many Native American tribes believed the Milky Way to be a road that led the souls of recently departed to their final resting places in the heavens. The seafaring Polynesians saw it, instead, as a great blue shark. But it was the ancient Greeks who described its appearance as that of milk spilled across the heavens, and this led to the name we use today.
Make some time this summer to get
away from the light-polluted cities and enjoy the magnificent Milky Way. Take my word for it: It’s worth the effort!
Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM
Journey to the Center of the Shed
BY TRACY BECKERMAN
One of the things I was really excited about when we moved to the suburbs was having a shed. I imagined something pretty with flower-filled window boxes, organized shelves of potting tools, and rakes and brooms hung neatly in size order. However, since I failed to bring Martha Stewart along with us to help create this garden tool utopia, the shed looked less like an image from “Shed Beautiful” magazine and more like a tornado had gone through Home Depot. Eventually, of course, there comes a day where you either have to clean out the shed or have it condemned. And since we needed the space to store our stuff, as well as have a place where I could banish my husband when he snored, I had to bite the bullet and clean the shed.
With clear weather in the forecast, I decided to roll up my sleeves and
get the shed cleaning done for the season. Having done this dirty deed several times before, I had developed a step-bystep series of instructions to help me get the job done as quickly and painlessly as possible. Feel free to use my helpful list for yourself or pass it on to someone you love:
1. Open shed doors quickly.
2. Scream as raccoon comes flying out of shed.
3. Slam shed doors close.
4. Open shed doors slowly. Glance around to make sure there are no more live wild animals in shed.
5. Enter shed.
6. Forget to check for dead wild animals.
7. Find dead animal.
8. Scream and run out of shed.
9. Get garbage bag, rubber gloves, face mask, hazmat suit and NASAcertified decontamination chamber.
10. Dispose of dead animal.
11. Begin emptying shed.
12. Go to pull rake out of corner. Discover it is woven into large spider web.
13. See spider the size of Godzilla in the corner of the web.
14. Decide rake looks really good in corner and leave it.
15. Remove pile of hoses. Find another pile beneath first pile. Find third pile under second pile. Keep finding more hoses. Wonder if Jimmy Hoffa is buried under final pile.
16. Remove shovels, spades and brooms. Keep one broom and use it to swat down dirt clump in corner of shed ceiling.
17. Dirt clump turns into bat, which flies around inside of shed looking for exit.
18. Scream and run out of shed.
19. Return to shed with bat spray, which is really aerosol deodorant because there is no such thing as bat spray.
20. Spray deodorant in corners of shed. Shed now smells powder fresh.
21. Remove half-used bags of potting soil, fertilizer and mulch.
22. Find hammock in corner.
23. Discover mice made hammock into mouse mulch.
24. Find mice.
25. Scream and run out of shed.
26. Return in hazmat suit. Sweep mice out of shed. Dispose of hammock mulch. Spray more deodorant.
7. Assess remaining work to be done.
28. Go back in house.
29. Call husband.
30. Tell him it’s his turn to clean out the shed.
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.
LOST IN SUBURBIA
Summer is perhaps the best time of year to view the Milky Way in the night sky.
ONE CALL TO 516-294-8900 AND YOUR AD WILL APPEAR IN 6 LOCAL NEWSPAPERS. CALL TODAY FOR OUR VERY LOW RATES. www.gcnews.com
Garden City News • Mid Island Times Bethpage Newsgram • Syosset Advance Jericho News Journal • Floral Park Villager
DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS IS TUESDAY AT 1:00PM.
2 EASY WAYS TO PLACE ADS:
1) Directly on website: gcnews.com & click on “Classified Order”
2) Email Nancy@gcnews.com
Please include your name, daytime phone number, address and ad copy.
Visa and MasterCard Accepted
EMPLOYMENT
HELP WANTED
PERSONAL ASSISTANT WANTED
Seeking Personal Assistant Part Time position
Various Duties Include: Research, Photos, Computer Skills, Phoning. Most work can be done at home Payment negotiable
Email: twoexteachers@aol.com
SITUATION WANTED
A HOME AIDE/CAREGIVER
Caring, Honest & Reliable woman with 10 years experience available to care for your elderly loved one. Personal grooming, dispense medications, cooking, cleaning. Checkable references. Licensed driver with own transportation. Please call 516-383-7150
CAREGIVER/COMPANION
Honest and reliable woman seeks position as caregiver or companion. Much experience with Dementia/Alzheimer patients. I can also do light housekeeping, shopping or doctor appointments. Please call: 631-355-9017
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ATTENTION OXYGEN
THERAPY USERS!
Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-833-661-4172
DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Direct and get your first free months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99 / mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918
MARKETPLACE
INVITED SALES BY TRACY JORDAN
Transform your space, maximize your value: Are you looking to add value to your property and enhance its appeal? Look no further! At Invited Sales, we offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet your needs: Personal Property Appraisals and Evaluations: Get expert insights into the true value of your personal property.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GET BOOST INFINITE! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power Of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 844329-9391
WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-888-704-5670
MARKETPLACE
Antique & Vintage Items
Jewelry-Crystal-Silver Furniture-Mirrors-Tabletop Artwork-Lamps Consign, Shop or Visit the Yellow House 109 Eleventh Street Garden City 516-746-8900 Mon-Fri 10-4 (Wed to 6pm) Saturday 12-4 (entrance & parking in back) Consignments by appointment atstewartexchange@tgchs.org All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society
Estate and Tag Sales: Simplify the process of selling estate items with our professional online and in-person tag sale services.
Home Updates: From carpet removal to one-day floor refinishing and contractor services, we handle it all to refresh your home effortlessly.
Staging Services: Elevate your space with our curated selection of furniture, accessories, lighting, and decorative items for a stunning transformation. Explore our captivating before and after photos showcasing homes where we’ve added significant value, making them stand out in the market: Visit: InvitedSales.com today to discover how we can help you achieve your property goals! Please Call: 516-279-6378 Or Text Tracy Jordan: 516-567-2960
AUTOMOTIVE
AUTOS WANTED
***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS $Highest$ Ca$h Paid$ All Years /Conditions! WE VISIT YOU! Or Donate, Tax Deduct Ca$h. DMV ID#1303199 Call LUKE 516-VAN-CARS 516-297-2277
GET A BREAK ON YOUR TAXES! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2025. Call Heritage for the Blind today at 1-855484-3467
GOT AN UNWANTED CAR??? Your car donation to Patriotic Hearts helps veterans find work or start their own business. Fast free pick. Running or not! Call 24/7: 1-833441-4496
WE BUY 8,000 CARS A WEEK
Sell your old, busted or junk car with no hoops, haggles or headaches. Sell your car to Peddle. Easy three step process. Instant offer. Free pickup. Fast payment. Call 1-855-403-3374
REAL ESTATE FOR RENT
VACATION RENTAL
SAG HARBOR
August rental thru Labor Day
Luxury Modern Contemporary 4 Bedrooms, sleeps 7, 2 Full Baths, Chefs Kitchen, Pool, Jacuzzi, multiple oversized decks Call 516-445-1377
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
OUT OF TOWN REAL ESTATE
PALM COAST FLORIDA
Totally renovated 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage house
$335,000 listed on zillow.com, address 37 Lindsay Drive. Call Owner for info: 1-386-437-7058 landline
SERVICES
AGING ROOF?
NEW HOMEOWNER?
STORM DAMAGE?
You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-833-880-7679
BARNES GALLERY
Custom Picture Framing Two Nassau Blvd Garden City, NY 516-538-4503
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5
CONSUMER CELLULAR
the same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No long-term contract, no hidden fees and activation is free. All plans feature unlimited talk and text, starting at just $20/month. For more information, call 1-844-919-1682
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
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
AQUATEC LAWN SPRINKLERS
S E rvices
Home Improvements
BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-833-807-0159
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 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.
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
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
LI’S ACUPUNCTURE
Hicksville Acupunctuirst
30+ years of expert care for a wide range of conditions. Major Insurances Accepted. Senior discount available. CALL NOW 516-806-5538 Visit Us: acupliang.com
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
PAINTING & PAPERHANGING
PROFESSIONAL PAINTER
Interior/Exterior Repairs, Spackls, Wallpaper, Mouldings & More! Clean & Dependable Free Estimates
Licensed & Insured
#H0106110000
CALL SAL TODAY! 516-343-2152
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! 1-833549-0598 Have zip code of property ready when calling!
CLASSIFIEDS Call 294.8900
Chicken-fried finger foods
Best-Ever Steak Fingers
Country-fried or chicken-fried are terms given to breaded and deep-fried poultry and meat. In fact, chicken-fried steak is an institution in the American south, where thinly sliced cuts of cubed steak are prepared in this way and served with country gravy and biscuits. There’s not much room for improvement in this classic… or is there?
In “Best-Ever Steak Fingers,” chicken-fried steak gets a makeover into easily picked up finger foods tailor made for dipping in a savory sauce. They are perfect for picnics and meals on the go. Dig in, courtesy of “Lord Honey Traditional Southern Recipes with a Country Bling Twist” (Pelican Publishing) by Chef Jason Smith. Serves 6
Veggie oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose steak seasoning, divided
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
4 pounds beef cube steak
Dipping sauce
1 cup mayo
1⁄2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 package dry Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons dried dill
1) Preheat oven to lowest temperature.
2) Pour 1 inch oil into a large cast-iron or other thick-bottomed skillet. Turn heat to medium low. Place the flour in a shallow pan. Sprinkle half the steak seasoning over flour, and mix together.
4) Sprinkle a few drops flour over oil. If it sizzles, it’s ready to fry. Using tongs or a fork, place strips side by side in hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan, or it will cool the oil.
3) Cut steak into 1-inch strips. Add the rest of the steak seasoning, rubbing into each piece. Turn heat to medium on skillet. Place each strip in the flour mix, then into the milk and egg mix, then back into the flour. Shake off excess and place each strip on a plate. Repeat until all strips are coated.
5) After about 2 to 3 minutes, when strips start to brown on bottom, turn over. When second side is brown, remove and place on a cooling rack that has been set on a cookie sheet. Set the sheet in the preheated oven. Repeat until all fingers are cooked.
6) In a bowl, whisk together all dipping sauce ingredients.
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.
Board thanks departing staff, eyes 250th celebration
From page 1
provided updates from the Building Department. On Covert Avenue, the site of the former fire property is expected to be completed within the year.
The One Carnation Avenue luxury apartment project, located at the old Masonic Temple site, is now substantially complete. Landscaping is being finalized, and tenants began moving in last month.
In addition, 50 Carnation Avenue has submitted an application to expand its storage buildings. The case was first heard at the April 10 zoning meeting and was the subject of a special use hearing at the June 17 Board of Trustees meeting. The application will next go before the Architectural Review Board.
Board approves salary increases
Through their approval of a resolution on Tuesday night the Board of Trustees authorized new salaries for Chief of Police Stephen G. McAllister of $259,000. Former Deputy Village Administrator Darlene Lanza became the Recreation Department superintendent a little over a month ago. Her new salary, as approved Tuesday, will be $108,000. The longtime Recreation Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt, whose retirement from the role was announced in spring, will receive an increased salary of $120,500 this year.
Village Administrator/Treasurer Gerard Bambrick was approved for an increased salary, to $187,945. Village Clerk Joseph O’Grady receives an increase in salary, up to $100,783. Superintendent of Public Works Kevin Gin-
nane’s salary increases to $140,000 while Superintendent of Buildings Renee Marcus will have a new salary of $163,403.
FP plans U.S. 250th celebration
Trustee Jennifer Stewart announced that Floral Park will host a celebration for the United States’ 250th birthday on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
“We will have a late afternoon parade and an evening fireworks display at the Recreation Center. Please mark your calendars for a night of fun in the Village of Floral Park as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on Earth,” she announced.
Stewart also shared updates from the Floral Park Fire Department. She attended the swearing-in of a new member and a returning member the evening before the meeting.
“Although many of us are not prepared to think about back-to-school, our FPFD has already scheduled its first rounds of fire drills for our elementary schools. As always training is ongoing, with several members taking courses at Fire School. Additionally the FPFD has a Pre-planning Committee which investigates all the buildings in the village and creates a plan should they ever need to enter these buildings during an emergency. Our department is always working, and one resident recently sent them a Thank You note for their response to her home as the Fire Department responded to find her carbon monoxide detector’s alarm faulty when it went off. Members took the time to reassure the resident – these fine men and women are truly dedicated to serving the community,” she said.
A Taste of the Tropics
From page 1
pools will be even more beautiful and welcoming,” said Supervisor Clavin. “We’re always looking for ways to enhance the experience at our community facilities, and this is a great example of how local partnerships can make a real difference.”
“I was happy to be able to facilitate this donation, and I want to thank Butch Yamali for his generosity,” said Legislator Ferretti. “These palm trees will help create a fun, relaxing, and tropical setting that families across the Town can enjoy all summer long.”
Yamali, a Town of Hempstead resident himself, expressed pride in contributing to the community. Visitors to
Peter’s Clam Bar are greeted by beautiful plantings and artwork that recreate the spirit of a tropical oasis right here in America’s largest township. Legislator Ferretti approached Yamali with the idea of bringing that same island-style ambiance to Town pools.
“I’m happy to make this donation and help bring a little tropical flair to our great Town pools,” said Yamali. “As someone who enjoys these facilities with my own family, it’s nice to be able to give back in a way that helps everyone have more fun this summer.”
The palm trees will be placed at pools across the Town of Hempstead in the coming days, just in time for the heart of the summer season.
SATURDAY, JULY 19TH | 6:30PM
Floral Park Village
Floral Park Village