Jericho-Syosset News Journal (8/23/19)

Syosset family launches new business with deck of playing cards

BY GARY SIMEONE

It was on a whim earlier this year, that Jason Mandel and his family decided to launch their own business with a deck of playing cards. The game they concocted is called Let’s asQ, and it is a way to get to know people with carefully thought out questions and topics played without any set of rules.

“We wanted to start a business and everything that goes along with it including conceiving an idea and designing, selling and advertising a product,” said Mandel, “As

a family, we wanted to learn something and create something together as a unit.”

He said that his wife, Carrie, and their two children, daughter Madelyn and son Carter, put their heads together and came up with the idea of using a deck of playing cards as a trivia game.

“As a family, over the years we’ve always enjoyed playing card games, so I thought why not put questions on the cards and make it like a trivia game,” said Mandel. “We started out with the concept of listing the questions with labels on the aces, kings and

queens and it just kind of took off from there.”

Questions included things like what was a recent trip you’ve taken or what was the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your life.

As a family unit, the Mandels learned about how to market their idea into a product, create an official company, register it with the county and state and obtain a sales tax license. They also learned about the fees included in starting a new business and how to compete amongst similar businesses.

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Gaughran sees potential of LIRR service in TOB

BY RIKKI MASSAND

New York State Senator Jim Gaughran, who represents the 5th District of Long Island’s North Shore, addressed the future of Long Island Rail Road service in Syosset and surrounding communities of Jericho, Plainview-Old Bethpage and Oyster Bay this summer. In an interview with the Syosset Advance and Jericho-Syosset News Journal in June, and again at a Town Hall at the Gold Coast Library July 30, Sen. Gaughran explained discussions held with Long Island Rail Road President Phillip Eng as well as conversations in Albany during budget season, plus an assurance from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. All signs point towards investing in linking LIRR stations along the North Shore, Nassau County to Suffolk County, according to the senator.

“One of the things I have been trying to do is have the Long Island Rail Road improve service. Overall, our mass transit system isn’t working the way it should be working. A lot of people in Syosset use that LIRR station but the service has remained a point of frustration. We are trying to electrify LIRR’s Port Jefferson line all the way out to Port Jefferson, and the reason for that is the trains will run smoother -- with electric trains there will be train service more frequently. It will take the pressure off of ‘western’ stations like Syosset because the electrified stations end in Hun-

tington now. So a lot of people from Suffolk County are travelling (by car) to go to Syosset and they are filling up parking spaces there,” he said.

Gaughran said at the state level, with adoption of New York’s new capital budget, included a change to allocate 10% for Mass Transit to the Long Island Rail Road and another 10% to Harlem and Hudson lines on Metro-North through Westchester to Putnam and Dutchess County, and in Rockland and Orange Counties. Originally all the state funding for transportation in the capital budget was slated for the MTA in New York City.

“Our upstate and Hudson Valley colleagues fought as well. Most of the money is going to be generated by New York City but some people will be paying bridges and tunnels plus new congestion pricing in Manhattan,” he explained.

Sen. Gaughran advised that Phillip Eng will get back to local officials and himself with an action plan “on how LIRR will use this capital money.”

”If we can make mass transit more accessible and convenient, also working with our municipal bus systems so people can actually connect -- some of us are spread out -- we will get people off the roads and onto buses and trains, into Manhattan or other parts of Long Island where they want to work, or just to go to theaters at night and come back

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Jason Mandel with son Carter, wife Carrie and daughter Madelyn.

Local author series at Syosset Continuing Education program

The new Local Author Series created by the Syosset Central School District Continuing Education Program places its first spotlight this fall on three Syosset/ Woodbury area writers. The series is featured on three Wednesdays, at 7–9 p.m., during October and November.

October 23 – Tom Barrella talks about his book, “The Billboard.” It’s a poignant and funny memoir about his unconventional plan to find a wife.

October 30 – Angela Reich presents “Shipwreck of Hopes,” her tale of deception, thievery and murder from a Fire Island beach to worn-torn Italy.

November 6 – Mike Virgintino recounts the story of the 1960s Bronx American history theme park Freedomland that is the subject of his book, “Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History.” Vintage film, photos and memorabilia are featured in the presentation.

The books are available on Amazon and can be purchased and signed at each event.

To learn more, visit the Syosset Central School District Continuing Education website (https://www.syossetschools.org/domain/137).

Ed Anderson, an astronomy hobbyist, was a guest speaker at a recent Syosset-Woodbury Rotary meeting. He is a member of the Astronomical Society of Long Island, and has made presentations at the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, and having a Star Gazer pass from NYS, he plans events at Old

Westbury Gardens, and Stillwell Field in Syosset. Ed shared his experiences with the club members, and showed the club various equipment that he uses as he star gazes. The Syosset-Woodbury Rotary Club meets at Lisbon Cafe, Jericho Turnpike, Jericho on Tuesday afternoons.

516-294-8900

Rotary President Bob Mittleman, Ed Anderson

Syosset resident dives into business, finance and community

BY RIKKI MASSAND

A new financial advisory firm opened last year by 20-year resident of Syosset, Russell P. Green, has invested time, energy and their bottom line into fostering community relationships and helping residents and business owners. RPG Wealth Management is a new Gold-level sponsor for the 2019 Street Fair hosted by the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce on Sunday September 15th from 10 am to 5 pm on Jackson Avenue by the train station.

RPG Wealth Management opened in Syosset in October 2018 as Green, president of the firm, decided to start a local business and do more for the local community after spending 33 years as a financial advisor and manager working for firms in Manhattan and other parts of Long Island. As a committee member for the 2019 Street Fair, Green meets regularly with Chamber colleagues including Bruce Weller of Eagle Eye Professional Home Inspection, Street Fair Committee Chair Alan Goldberg, and Tricia Shannon of Douglas Elliman’s Syosset office.

“For the Street Fair coming up, I am sponsoring a money booth where people will go in and win gift cards, prizes, raffle tickets, and possibly a new TV. I am just planning on making this a really fun activity, and if I put my name out there, people can contact me to learn how I could help them manage their money as individuals, or with retirement accounts, including with specific situations such as guardianships and trusts”, Green said. He tells the Advance and News Journal while the plans for September 15 are grand, he is already looking towards a role contributing and organizing the 2020 Syosset Street Fair.

RPG was also a Bronze-level sponsor for the Heart

& Sole 5k Run, organized by the Northwell Health Syosset and Plainview Hospitals, held on Sunday, July 21 at Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School. Green says two years ago it became a goal to have more active participation within his local community. Since last fall, he has joined the Chamber and tried a few new ways to be involved in Syosset, in addition to the contributions his family have made to the school district and schools’ PTA over the years.

Green’s support for fellow Chamber of Commerce businesses and organizations extends far and wide. He purchases shoes at Naot footware in Woodbury Village, and Green attended the Chamber’s July meeting at that location. Green also participated in the Street Fair Committee meetings, networking nights and grand opening events.

Green says he studied how to advise clients on personal management through his 10 years working for Shearson and its successor firms. Since 1996, Green’s work evolved with smaller, boutique firms including B. Riley Wealth management. He originally planned to open his own financial service business in Manhasset, but he chose to work within the same community he’s lived in for two decades that allowed him the chance to give back to both residents and local businesses through his expertise.

“Being able to be my own boss has really allowed me to help individuals – now I have the ability to decide which areas are best to focus on. I was at the firm B Riley for the previous 13 years, and you become limited to doing what the firm wants to offer. Now I can branch out, within limits, and pick and choose areas of specialization without concerning myself with the direction of an entire firm.   Large firms would not have allowed me to pursue such opportunities as guardianships, 401k advice and retirement savings. Now, I am in an open-architecture environment. I am very happy in Syosset, as I figured I could be of better help to people in my own area. I am doing more with the local community, and our neighbors in business”, he tells the Advance and News Journal. “I am able to offer a lot more than what the larger organization can

See page 8

Russell Green

September Events for Readers at Syosset Library

Tuesday, September 10 at 7:30 PM

Evening Book Discussion

2018 National Book Award for Nonfiction Finalist:  “Heartland” by Sarah Smarsh

Led by Ralph Guiteau, Readers' Services Librarian.

Free. No registration required.

Wednesday, September 11 at 2 PM

Getting Started with Hoopla Syosset Library now offers a second option to download free eBooks and Audiobooks to your personal devices.

We will guide you through the process of downloading books to your smart devices and laptops.

Please bring your devices fully charged.

Free. No registration required.

Tuesday, September 24 at 1 PM

Afternoon Book Discussion/ Banned Book Discussion

Celebrating Banned Books Week. A 2018 Coretta Scott King Honor Book:

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

Led by Pam Strudler, Teen Services Librarian.

Free. No registration required.

Friday, September 27 at 2 PM

Banned Book-To-Film Discussion

Viewing of the 2018 film  “The Hate U Give,” starring Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby.

A short discussion will follow the film. This film is rated PG-13.

Led by Pam Strudler, Teen Services Librarian.

Free. No registration required

All events will be held at the Syosset Public Library, 225 South Oyster Bay Road, Syosset.

For more information, please call 516921-7161 ext 239 or email: Readersservices@ syossetlibrary.org

*All events are wheelchair accessible

**Books are available at the Circulation Desk one month before each program.

Are you a professional?

Our Professional Guide is sure to bring results. Call 516-294-8900 for rates and information.

This Week at the Syosset P ublic Library

Thursday, August 22 at 2:00 PM

Broadway Ballads and Showstoppers - Part 4

Presenter: Richard Knox, retired teacher

Part 4 of this series will include highlights from several notable works such as “ West Side Story, ” “ Annie Get Your Gun, ” “ Mame ” and “ Pal Joey.

Free. Ni registration required.

Friday, August 23 at 2:00 PM

Current Events in Perspective

Presenter: Michael D'Innocenzo, Hofstra University Professor Emeritus of History and board member, National Issues Forums Institute

Discussion on many noteworthy issues in this ongoing series.

Free. No registration required.

Thursday, August 22 at 2:00 PM

What Happened to Amelia Earhart

Presenter: Howard Ehrlich and Harvey Sackowitz, professors at St. John’s University

The story of this courageous pioneer of aviation reads like a classic mystery. The only thing missing is who will solve the case: What happened to Earhart as she flew over the Pacific Ocean? We have located the detectives who claim to have solved this infamous case. You will be presented with the evidence that they have painstakingly researched so you can decide if the mystery is solved. Free. No reigistration required.

Programs will take place at the Syosset Public Library.   225 South Oyster Bay Rd. Syosset.

For more information, go to www. syossetlibrary.org

This Week at the Jericho Public Library

Now through August 30, 2019

2019 Nassau Library Tour

Join the 2019 Nassau Library Tour! Visit as many of Nassau’s public libraries as you can. Take the self-guided tour as a family, a team of friends or go solo. Each library has a unique feature to hunt for, and you’ll earn prizes as you go along. Get started by picking up a map at the Jericho Public Library. For more information, visit: tour.nassaulibrary.org  #nassaulibrarytour

Monday, August 26 at 2:00 PM

Movie: The Public (Drama)

An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnatti take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold.

Starring Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Emilio Estevez.

Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 59 minutes.

Tuesday, August 27th at 2:00 PM

News Currents with Elinor Haber

This is an opportunity to partici -

pate in an informal exchange about topics of the day—the international, national and local scene. We’ll focus on trends that affect us now and in the future. Bring your thoughts, issues and a friend to join in the discussion.

Wednesday, August 28 at 2:00 PM

Two For Broadway presented by Tiger Fried Productions

The magic of Broadway continues to shine with this exciting musical revue. This two-person program performed by talented theatrical artists will take you on a romantic journey through the highs and lows of romance, love and marriage. Experience songs that touch your heart, make you laugh, bring back memories and even create new ones! Non ticket holders will be seated as space allows..

Programs will take place at the Jericho Public Library: 1 Merry Lane, Jericho. For more information, go to www. syossetlibrary.org

Adver tise in our papers!

If you own a business or have a service to provide, we’ll create professional advertisements to promote it and help you be seen by thousands of local readers! Call 1-516-294-8900 to inquire!

Firemen's Assn. scholarship awarded to Syosset volunteer

The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) has awarded the 2019 FASNY Gerard J. Buckenmeyer Volunteer Scholarship to Elizabeth Marchese of Syosset, NY. Marchese received a certificate and scholarship of $1,500 for her volunteer service in the community from Jose DaRocha, member of the FASNY Board of Directors.

“My father has been a part of the fire service for as long as I can remember, and while I was growing up, I always wanted to follow suit. I found firefighting interesting, and I always yearned to hear more when my father would tell me stories. When I joined the Juniors of the Plainview Fire Department, it was to follow in the steps of both my brother and my father,” says Marchase.

Marchese plans to attend Farmingdale State College in the fall where she intends to study criminal justice.

Outside of the firehouse, Marchese

enjoys playing volleyball and softball.

Marchese is one of 26 students chosen for this scholarship.

“If someone was considering joining the fire service, I would tell them to definitely go for it. Once you join, your life will be changed for the better. You will have the opportunity to meet people of all different cultures and backgrounds, make great memories, learn valuable life-saving information and skills, and most importantly help protect your community,” added Marchese.

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of an applicant’s volunteer service to his or her community, such as serving with a local fire department, scouting, church, school, work with senior citizens, fire prevention, and other projects. Additional criteria include consistent demonstration of good character and completion of a written essay.

Elizabeth Marchese with her father, Frank Marchese, Sr.

Elizabeth Marchese at the 2018 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K race.

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Syosset resident dives into business, finance and community

From page 3

offer, and I am not looking to pressure people to work with me. I am happy to have people learn by visiting the website, and come in and talk with me to understand the one on one services”, he said.

His customer base on Long Island’s North Shore has paid dividends in the 10 months he’s been open. Since last fall, Green has gathered close to $5 million in new assets from clients in Oyster Bay “that I would not have gotten if I did not open as RPG Wealth Management.” Although he will only earn by having customer accounts, the greater presence and responsibilities of a local financial management business and a friendly contact “there where you need him” steered Green to “think global and act local” in Syosset.

“Like most of our fellow Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce members, I would like to see people –business people and individuals – deal with people locally. People can come to into the Syosset office, or I will go out to talk to them, never mind the distance because I want to meet with people oneon-one. Many people still appreciate that personal touch. I answer phone calls, there are no systems to work past. This is key for trust and for convenience. People ask me ‘who’s my backup’, but I am my own backup. I am there for people 24 hours a day if they need help – even if someone does not start an account with me, I will still help them understand financial considerations they are involved in”, Green explained.

Business Influence from a Young Age

For a while, Russell believed he would enter the bicycle business. His family was originally the owners of Ross Bicycles, one of the major American bicycle manufacturing companies of the 20th Century along with Schwinn, Huffy and Murray Ohio Manufacturing of Cleveland, Ohio. Ross Bicycles eventually ceased operations in the 1980’s once production from Japanese manufacturers started to take over the market.

When he was growing up in the Five Towns/Hewlett Harbor area, Green was always interested in the stock market, the economy and the concept of helping people manage their money. He learned more about trading stocks, and would follow the market as a teen.

After returning to New York from Tampa, Florida in 1979, Green’s mother, Judy Lev moved to North Shore Towers and Country Club. When Russell was 16, she changed careers and became a financial advisor at Shearson/ American Express, entering their training program. Lev and Russell’s brother, Corey D. Lev, currently work together at their Garden City-based branch of Morgan Stanley as financial and private wealth advisors.

“My mother saw my interest in the stock market, and she started a career

in financial services that she has now been doing for almost 40 years. Then, I started my career when I graduated from college. My mom would bounce investment ideas off of me when I was a freshman in college, and today she has stayed in the same office since 1981, although the company has changed names and locations so many different times. For four years in the early 90’s, we worked together”, Green explained.

He says while from a young age, his interests revolved around the market and investments, his mom’s skill set had take shape with her prior career in teaching and real estate. “It was two different backgrounds, but working with her helped develop my understanding of a consulting approach with money management, as opposed to the trading of individual stocks”, Green said.

At the Wharton School for Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Green earned both a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science in economics. Russell Green and his wife, Lori, have two daughters that were fully educated in the Syosset Central School District, from Village Elementary School to South Woods Middle School and Syosset High School.

Russell’s wife, Lori has her own calligraphy business, LMG Calligraphy helping families add a personalized touch to invitations and other items for their special affairs. His older daughter, Crystal, recently graduated with honors and earned an MBA from SUNY New Paltz, while Green’s younger daughter, Kacey, is entering her junior year at Syosset High. Kacey is an accomplished cello player, with performances at Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center under her belt.

Helping Planning Funds for College

Day to day, Green handles mostly managed money accounts for trusts and guardianships, as well as retirement saving plans, and high net worth individuals.   Green is affiliated with Cabot Lodge Securities, as that firm performs a supervisory role, rather than a top down corporate structure of most large firms. Today, as a more independent locally based professional, he is branching out into new areas of financial management. Green is currently working with family and estate lawyers to handle guardianship accounts, as well as a couple of charter schools based outside of New York to handle their 401k plans.

“Through RBC (Royal Bank of Canada), I have a very large platform of third party managers to help people manage wealth, whether it’s in terms of retirement finances, savings, money towards college and education not put into 529 plans, or really any or savings. There are many financial services firms out there, and I offer an alternative for people to consider due to my experience and background. I am a choice to get help, advice and review of their financ-

es and investing – I’m open to different ways people want to work with me”, Green said.

Green is a straight forward financial consultant. Like many Syosset, Woodbury and Jericho families, he has invested in living in a great school district and likewise, planning ahead for college, his mindset in terms of his own family and in career opportunities to help investors.

“I will help people with finances in every way I an. I suggest they look into the New York State 529 play that when you contribute to it, you can deduct up to $10,000 per your off your state income tax. It is a very good, low fee plan with Vanguard. I tell people I meet that they should start as soon as possible and contribute the maximum into that plan –that has nothing to do with me as I don’t get paid for this, its not my service, and you would go online to the state website to do this. This most someone can contribute to that plan over a lifetime is $375,000”, Green said.

He encourages families to speak with their relatives about potential contributions toward such a college finance plan to invest for grandchildren or nieces and nephews.

“That is the best way to contribute to educational funding. And if you wait until a student is reaching 11th grade, you’re out of luck. Green contributed to this NYS 529 Plan since his older daughter was five and since his youngest was born.

No Joker at Poker

Russell Green can deal out both good financial advise as well as Aces when it comes to playing cards, as some of the best tournament players alive are finding out. He is an accomplished poker player, reaching Day 3 this year at the World Series of Poker held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel . Green finished day 1b ranked 124th out of the 1408 returning players.

“The unique thing about the World Series of Poker is that it’s the only big ‘sporting event” that anyone in the

world can compete in – there are no qualifying events. With the US Open (Golf or Tennis), you go to regional qualifiers and if you are good enough you advance. Obviously, you can’t make to the championships in the baseball World Series, the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals without being on a team and qualifying. The World Series of Poker makes this the most unique way to win a major event”, Green explained.

Supporting the Community

A tragic car accident on July 28 on the Meadowbrook Parkway claimed the life of Syosset High School graduate Tim Lafferty. Russell Green’s older school Crystal was one year younger than Lafferty at SHS, and knew many of his friends. On Thursday, August 15, after speaking with the Advance & News Journal, Green and his daughter were heading directly from the Syosset Woodbury Chamber’s monthly meeting at Cold Spring Hills Rehabilitation to the Oyster Bay Brewing Company to attend a fundraiser organized by County Legislator and former Syosset school district trustee, Joshua Lafazan. Another local initiative Green and RPG Wealth Management has signed up with is the Residents for a More Beautiful Syosset, and active nonprofit with the Chamber of Commerce led by Laura and Robert Schultz.

“I try to be at many community and Chamber events, and I want to be consistently involved in our local community – I’m open to working with whatever groups are doing good work here. Come to my office and visit, call and tell me how I can help out our wonderful community. I had a booth set up at the Heart & Sole 5k , where I basically welcomed participants and spoke to everyone who stopped by about my background in finance, and the services we offer. By keeping a visible presence, attending events and volunteering with organizations what support our community, hopefully the community will come to me”, Green commented.

Place an ad in our Classifieds for reasonable rates and prompt results. Call the Garden City office today 294-8900 for more information.

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Global Scavenger Hunt: Back in Yangon, Myanmar and on to Bangkok

BY KAREN RUBIN TRAVEL

FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM

Another perfect day in Myanmar – our fourth and final day on Leg 3 of the Global Scavenger Hunt, a 23-day around-the-world mystery tour, in which we set out from Yangon to travel about the country, making a triangle that takes me to Bagan and Inle Lake to fulfill the Par 5 challenge.

The 45-minute taxi ride from the delightful, five-star Sanctum Inle Resort on Inle Lake is wonderful – I catch people driving oxcarts and donkey carts and people riding the backs of trucks, villages and pagodas. But I have some trepidation about Heho Airport because of the snafu in booking my ticket, resolved long-distance by text to my son in New York to phone the online booking agent, as I bounced around on the overnight bus from Bagan to Inle Lake. But I arrive, am checked in to Golden Airlines without incident, and relax during the 45-minute flight back to Yangon.

The morning flight gives me time to explore Yangon which I didn’t have when we first arrived on Leg 3 of the Global Scavenger Hunt from Vietnam, and were given our challenges, to travel around Myanmar and return to the Sule Sangri-la Hotel by the 6 pm deadline.

Leaving the airport, I attempt to take the public bus back into downtown, but after two buses pass me by, I take a taxi instead.

ute walk from our hotel, the Sule Sangri-la, bringing me through various bustling market streets August 23, 2019

Riding back, I review a bro-

chure I picked up at the airport which mentions a synagogue in Yangon – in fact, the last synagogue in Myanmar. So I resolve to find it. It turns out it is only a 15-min-

See page D2

Global Scavenger Hunt: Back in Yangon, Myanmar and on to Bangkok

and shopping districts. The Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue itself is set on a busy market street where there are chickens and fish for sale – the chickens clucking, the fish squirming to get out of their container (I see one jump out of its container), the rich scent of spices, and every other manner of item you can imagine.

By the time I arrive at Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue, it is 1:40 pm – which proves extremely lucky because it closes to visits at 2 pm (open daily except Sunday). Inside, it is a lovely synagogue in the Sephardic style, built in 1896.

At one point, the Jewish community in Yangon numbered 2500 before the mass migration of WWII; today, there are only 5 families (about 30 people). The Samuels, one of the last remaining Jewish families, has maintained the synagogue for generations, a plaque notes.

Perhaps not surprising, a short distance from the synagogue is Bogyoke Aung San Market, which since 1926 has been the city’s major marketplace. I am surprised to see all the sellers of jade and jewelry (which is what the market is known for), as well as traditional longyi, and just about anything else

you can think of. I come upon a seller of interesting post cards, and find the post office on the third level (one of my traditions of travel is to send home postcards, which not only have stamps, but mark the date and give some visual and personal notes). Also, I have been impressed by the absolute lack of political messaging in the streets, but here in the market is one art seller who has images of Myanmar’s most famous leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Wondering about the name, I later learn that Bogyoke Aung San market is named for her father, Bogyoke (General) Aung San.

Shwedagon Pagoda

I walk back to the hotel, just a few blocks away, to refresh (it is 104 degrees), in order to prepare for a visit to Shwedagon Pagoda, which I have been saving for the late afternoon (one of the mandatory scavenges of the Global Scavenger Hunt is to visit at dawn or dusk), so that I will be there at dusk (but back at the hotel by the 6 pm deadline for the scavenges), but nothing could have prepared me for the experience of seeing it.

Just as I am about to leave, my teammate, Margo, who had traveled to Mandalay when I went on to Inle Lake, walks in. She relates that after a snafu with her airline ticket, she had to hire a taxi to drive her back to Yangon (ironic because I couldn’t get the airline to cancel my ticket when I changed my plan to go to Inle Lake instead, but such mishaps turn into marvelous adventures). We go off together to Shwedagon Pagoda, which is located west of the Royal Lake, on the vast, 114

-acre Singuttara Hill.

Margo cleverly hires a guide to show us around this vast, vast complex and it is fascinating: this was the first pagoda in the world, he tells us.

Indeed, the Shwedagon Pagoda is Myanmar’s most sacred and impressive Buddhist site. Dating back almost 2500 years, the pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair and other holy relics. It is breathtaking.

The Shwedagon Pagoda stands 326 feet high, its dome covered in 60 tons of gold (we watch workmen on scaffolding replacing some of the gold plates). At the very top, too small to be appreciated from where we stand at the base, is an orb, 22 inches high and 11-inches wide, encrusted with 4531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond. The base is surrounded by 64 small pagodas with four larger ones in the center of each side. There also are four sphinxes, one at each corner, with six leogryphs (a lion-like creature). Projecting beyond the base of the Pagoda. are Tazaungs (shrines) in which are images of the Buddha and where offerings are made. There are also figures of elephants crouching and men kneeling and pedestals for offerings all around the base. In front of the 72 shrines surrounding the base of the Pagoda, there are images of lions, serpents, ogres, yogis, spirits, or Wathundari. Among the most dazzling art is a Jade Buddha. There are also mystical and mysterious places, like the well where Buddha’s sacred hair was washed and Buddha’s foot print.

Representing the highest achievements of Myanmar’s sculpture, archi-

One of the young boys being inducted into the monastery

family ceremony

Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar © Karen

tecture and art, there are hundreds of colorful temples, stupas and statues spanning nearly 2500 years. It is known as Shwedagon, “the Sanctuary of the Four,” because it contains relics of four Buddhas who had attained Enlightenment.

We move among the bustling activity of devotees and monks washing the statues, offering flowers, worshiping, and meditating.

Most interesting is coming upon a procession of families celebrating the induction of two young boys into the monastery.

(The Sule Pagoda which I visited the evening we arrived in Yangon – was it just four days ago? – was also magnificent, but Shwedagon is on a different scale of magnificent.)

(See more information on visiting Schwedagon Pagoda, www.shwedagonpagoda.com).

You could easily spend hours here, but we must dash back in a taxi to get back to the Global Scavenger Hunt group, arriving a few minutes past the 6 pm deadline (we aren’t competing to win the challenge to be the “World’s Best Travelers,” so we did not have to turn in our scorecards documenting our scavenges, though, in fact, we have been doing as many as we can.

At a hosted dinner at a Japanese restaurant, all of us trade our stories of adventure and exploration from Yangon and some combination of Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. One of the scavenges invited the teams to take part in a volunteering opportunity and Lawyers Without Borders, the team from Houston, volunteered at a Youth Development monastery in Yangon.  “The monks take in, house,

GOING PLACES, NEAR & FAR....

Bogyoke Aung San Market, Yangon’s major marketplace since 1926, is named for Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, Bogyoke (General) Aung San © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

feed and educate orphans from farflung and remote villages around the country,” Zoe Littlepage writes on her blog (http://zoeandraineygreatescape. blogspot.com). “My favorite part was eating lunch with the kids. They sing their prayers before they can start eating.. magical.” (Zoe Littlepage and Rainey Booth, of Houston, are on their 12th Global Scavenger Hunt, and are five-time champions, and their law firm helps support the philanthropic works of the Global Scavenger Hunt Foundation.)

We return to the hotel to get our four-hour notice and learn where our 23-day “Blind Date with the World” mystery tour continues next: an eight-

hour layover challenge in Bangkok and then on to Abu Dhabi – essentially having breakfast in Myanmar, lunch in Thailand and dinner (or nightcap?) in the United Arab Emirates.

We are out the door at 5:15 am (the hotel sends us off with breakfast boxes), to get to the airport.

It is worth noting that in addition to having a unique alphabet and language, Myanmar (formerly Burma) asserts its identity by keeping its clocks half-hour different from its timezone.

I realize that time is really fluid – not really stable or fixed ordering our day, a concept rather than an invention. We lost a full day crossing the timezone during that first flight of more than

WRITER’S CORNER

14 hours, and have been picking up an hour or so here as we go.

At the end of this Par 5, Leg 3 dash through Myanmar, SLO Folks, a team from central California who are the returning champions from last year’s Global Scavenger Hunt, earned the second most points with 37 scavenges in Yangon, Bagan and the point rich area of Inle Lake for 2,055 points; and Lawyers Without Border, a team from Houston on their 12th Hunt (they have won it five times) had the most, completing 52 scavenges in Yangon, Bagan & Inle Lake earning 2,745 points.

More Myanmar travel information is at http://myanmartravelinformation. com/top-destinations/yangon.html

8-Hour Layover Challenge in Bangkok, Thailand

Bill Chalmers, the organizer for the past 15 years and inventor of the Global Scavenger Hunt, notes the rare backtracking to Bangkok from Myanmar. “Oddly, we had to fly slightly east to further our westward global trajectory…Myanmar is still hard to get into and out of with limited connections to mostly its regional neighbors… especially Bangkok and Singapore. Today we chose Bangkok as a more interesting layover in our exit strategy. Thus we a have fun 8-Hour Layover Challenge…but I am getting ahead of myself.”

We scurry about the Bangkok airport, finding a place to check our luggage for the precious few hours, finding an information counter with a map and information about how to get downtown (we discover a rail link into the city).

Besides figuring out the logistics of See page D6

Taking chances on some exciting new careers

BY CLAIRE LYNCH

Starting out in one’s career and getting a break is so important in life. It’s hard to have experience if you are a recent college graduate and are just beginning in a profession. It’s hard to have a whole list of experiences when you’re new - but everyone has got to start somewhere.

I was thinking about this recently when talking with friends and in thinking about the paths of various celebrities. Sonny & Cher came to mind because when they first started out in California they were a young couple hoping to get a break as singers. Their dream was to make it big as pop stars.

When Ed Sullivan invited Sonny & Cher to perform on his famous Sunday night show on CBS TV in 1965, they sang their hearts out with “I Got You Babe.” Most of us who were youngsters in 1965 remember them - Cher

had straight long black hair with long bangs. She wore an eclectic outfit with bell bottoms.

She started out singing just a bit tentatively then built up and with that distinctive contralto voice of hers she belted out the song and hit all the right notes. Sonny had long hair, a big, dark moustache and he wore a funky outfit. They were two of the “new hippies” in America and they were making the most of their opportunity on Ed Sullivan’s stage.

Everyone I knew and their families watched “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Sundays from 8 to 9 p.m. during the 1960s. If you could make it on “The Ed Sullivan” platform you pretty much had a ticket to fame.

Sonny Bono

Salvatore Philip Bono was born on February 16, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan, to Santo Bono and Zena Jean who were

immigrants from Sicily. It was his mother who gave him the nickname “Sonny” which most people knew him by. He was the youngest of three children. He had two older sisters, Fran and Betty.

When he was seven years old, Sonny’s family moved to Inglewood, Calif., where he went to high school but dropped out to start working. He tried his hand at song writing. In the meantime, he took up a number of odd jobs as a waiter, a truck driver and a construction worker, according to wikipedia.org.

Sonny Bono first started with the entertainment industry as a songwriter at Specialty Records in the early 1960s. Sam Cooke, who was already a famous singer at the time, recorded “Things You Do to Me,” which was written by Bono. This put him in the music industry and Phil Spector picked him up to do promotion for his company.

He also worked with Jack Nitzsche. Sonny Bono and Nitzsche both wrote “Needles and Pins” that was sung by The Searchers.

The major breakthrough in Sonny’s career and his life came when he met his future wife, Cherilyn Sarkisian, around the same time. Cher, as everyone knows her, was a young singer and performer. Initially she wanted to be an actress.

Cher met Sonny at a coffee shop in Los Angeles in 1962 when she was 16 and he was 27. He was separated from his first wife. They fell in love immediately and were married in 1964. Chastity Bono, now Chaz Bono, was born in 1969. Together Sonny & Cher went on to record a number of songs that became extremely popular.

See page D5

Don’t Listen to Friends and Neighbors About Social Security

BY TOM MARGENAU

I’ve said this before and written columns about this before. Do NOT listen to your friends and neighbors when it comes to Social Security advice. Whatever they are telling you is probably wrong. Here is another batch of questions saved up from this week’s mailbag that proves my point.

Q: My sister’s husband died on July 24. He was 76 and started getting his benefits at 65. He was getting $1,920. She is 70 and is getting her own $1,250, which she started at age 62. One of our best friends told her that because she took her own benefits at 62, she isn’t due any widow’s benefits. Is this true?

A: It’s absolutely not true. What she is due in Social Security widow’s benefits usually depends on one thing only: her age when she became a widow. And at her age, her own benefit will be supplemented up to 100% of what he was getting at the time of death. In other words, she will keep getting her $1,250 per month, and then she will get an extra $670 in widow’s benefits to take her up to his $1,920 benefit rate.

Q: My best friend’s husband died in June. He was 85. She is 81. Her neighbor told her that she would be automatically switched to widow’s benefits because that is what happened when her husband died. But it’s been more than two months now and nothing has happened. How long does it take?

A: If it was a simple conversion from wife’s benefits to widow’s benefits, the changeover would happen very quickly. Probably in less than a week. But I’m guessing that it’s not that simple in your friend’s case. I will explain.

I will bet that your friend’s neighbor was getting straight spousal benefits. In other words, she wasn’t getting her own Social Security, just a dependent wife’s benefit on her husband’s account. In that situation, when the husband dies, the wife is automatically switched to widow’s benefits with just a push of a few buttons at the Social Security Administration.

On the other hand, I’m guessing your friend was getting her own Social Security benefits. In cases like that, there is no automatic conversion to survivor benefits. Your friend has to contact SSA and file a claim for widow’s benefits. She can do that by calling them at 800-772-1213.

Q: I am 64 years old. Recently, I applied for my Social Security and told them I wanted six months worth of retroactive benefits. The SSA clerk told me no such benefits were due. But a neighbor told me that he got retroactive benefits and that all Social Security claimants have the

option of selecting this back pay. So did I get a misinformed Social Security agent?

A: No, you’ve got a misinformed neighbor. Retroactive benefits can only be paid for claims filed after full retirement age, and then only for a maximum of six months. Or to be more precise, the law says retroactive checks cannot be claimed if they involve the payment of reduced retirement benefits.

Here are three quick examples. Huey files for Social Security at age 68. He can claim up to six months of retroactive benefits if he wants. Duey files for Social Security at age 66 and 3 months. He can claim three months worth of retroactive benefits but nothing before age 66. Luey files for Social Security at age 65. He can’t claim any retroactive benefits.

Q: I have been getting my Social Security since I was 66. I’m now 68, and I’m still working. My neighbor tells me that he is in the same boat as me but that he gets a small increase every year in his Social Security check because of his extra earnings. But I haven’t seen any increases. What’s going on?

A: Your neighbor is probably in a different kind of boat than you are in. Any earnings you have after you start getting Social Security, and the Social Security taxes you pay on those earnings, might increase your monthly Social Security check.

Notice I said “might” -- and here’s why. Your original Social Security benefit rate was based on your average monthly wage using your highest 35 years of inflation-adjusted earnings. If the money you are making now is high enough to replace the lowest of those 35 years used in your original computation, then that will raise your average monthly wage, which in turn will increase your Social Security check. On the other hand, if your current earnings are not high enough to replace a low year, then there will be no increase in your Social Security benefit. I’m guessing your neighbor is in the first boat, and you are in the second one.

Q: I will be 62 in December. A friend told me that I should file for Social Security before January 2020. He said if I do that, then I could take spousal benefits on my wife’s record and save my own until I am 70 to get a 32% bonus for doing so. Is this true?

A: It’s not true. Your friend is mixing an apple with an orange. The apple is a rule that says you must always file for your own Social Security benefits first, before you can try claiming anything off of a spouse’s Social Security record. The orange is a loophole to that law that says if you turn 66 before January 2020, then you can file for spousal benefits first and save your own until 70 -- and get that

bonus you mentioned. But you will not be 66 before January 2020. So you can’t have the orange. You’re stuck with the apple. Your only choice will be to file for your own Social Security benefits at whatever age you decide to do that.

Q: I turn 66 on Feb. 19, 2020, and that’s when I want my Social Security to begin. Someone I trust told me to file for it now because it takes the government about six months to line up my benefits correctly.

A: You can trust for friend on other mtters if you want, but not when it comes to Social Security. The Social Security Administration processes most retirement claims in less than two weeks. I’d suggest filing in early January 2020.

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has the answer. Contact him at thomas.margenau@comcast.net.

COPYRIGHT 2019

Taking chances on some exciting new careers

C ontinued from page D3

Sonny & Cher’s biggest hit was “I Got You Babe” which Sonny wrote. The song topped the billboard charts in both the U.S. and the U.K. and made the singing duo of “Sonny & Cher” a household name. Some of the lyrics go: “They say we’re young and we don’t know

We won’t find out until we grow Well I don’t know if all that’s true ‘Cause you got me, and baby I got you …”

Together they produced many songs and other performances for the better part of a decade. Other hits of the duo include ”Bang Bang,” “The Beat Goes On,” “You Better Sit Down” and “Baby Don’t Go.”

Sonny and Cher were offered a TV show in 1971, “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,” and they reached a whole new level of fame. Their variety show was popular and sometimes they sang and sometimes they bantered back and forth with some light comedy.

Sonny Bono wrote songs for other artists as well, such as “She Said Yeah,” which he wrote for the Rolling Stones’ 1965 album “December’s Children.” He also enjoyed quite a bit of popularity as a solo artist. His first single, “Laugh at Me,” reached the 10th spot on the U.S. billboards in 1965. Two years later, he released his only solo album called “Inner Views.”

Sonny liked being involved in several different projects. Apart from writing, singing, producing and arranging songs, he also appeared in films and TV shows on multiple occasions.

He was primarily a guest star who would appear for a brief time on TV shows such as “Fantasy Land,” “The Love Boat,” “Top of the Hill,” “P.S I Luv U” and “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” He also played some small roles in movies such as “Airplane II: The Sequel” in 1982 and “First Kid” in 1996.

Sonny Bono switched careers and became mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988. In 1994, he was elected to Congress as a representative from California’s 44th Congressional District. He unexpectedly died in a skiing accident while on vacation with his family in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., in 1998.

Cher

Cher was born in El Centro, Calif., in 1946. Cher released a single, “Ringo I Love You,” under the name of Bonnie Jo Mason. She is of Armenian background. For most of her life, Cher was raised by her mother Georgia Holt who was also an actress and a singer. Georgia was married and divorced a couple of times and always had trouble finding a good job in California.

Cher dropped out of school at age 16, left her mother’s house and moved

to Los Angeles with a friend. While she attended Fresno High School, however, some classmates said that she stood out from the other students “in both her striking appearance and outgoing personality.”

A former classmate commented, “I’ll never forget seeing Cher for the first time. She was so special ... She was like a movie star, right then and there ... She said she was going to be a movie star and we knew she would make it.” (per biographer Connie Berman)

Cher became a session singer for Phil Spector. Sonny was a record promoter for Spector and got Cher the gig after meeting her in a coffee shop in 1962. Spector used her voice as a backup singer on many recordings including the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin.”

“The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” ended in May 1974 due to their divorce. Cher went on to have her own career as a solo singer. She’s well known for “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Just Like Jesse James,” “Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves” and a whole lot of other hit songs.

She’s got a voice and a style that’s all her own. During her six-decade-long career, Cher has worked in numerous areas of entertainment, as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances.

Cher has won a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, an Academy Award in 1988 for Best Actress in “Moonstruck,” three Golden Globe Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and an award from the Kennedy Center Honors and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, among several other honors.

Jay Leno

Another person who had a huge career then switched careers is Jay Leno.

Leno was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., on April 28, 1950. His birth name was James Douglas Leno but it was quickly shortened to Jay. The Leno family moved to Andover, Mass., where he spent the rest of his childhood and young-adult life.

As a student in grade school, Leno was a prankster and a bit of a comedian. He liked to play practical jokes on his classmates.

His fifth-grade teacher’s report card comment was, “If Jay spent as much time studying as he does trying to be a comedian, he’d be a big star” which is pretty funny considering what he turned out to be. Leno is best known for being one of the busiest performers in comedy. For years he booked more than 300 appearances annually.

Jay Leno attended Emerson College in Boston, Mass., and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech therapy. While in school, Leno per-

formed stand-up comedy in local night clubs and emceed talent shows for extra money. He moved to Los Angeles after graduation and wrote for the TV show “Good Times.”

In 1992, when Johnny Carson left “The Tonight Show,” Jay Leno replaced him as the host. He stayed until 2009 when Conan O’Brien took over but then he returned in 2010.

In April 2013, Leno announced his plans to leave “The Tonight Show” when his contract ended in 2014. He hosted his last “Tonight Show” on February 6, 2014.

After leaving “The Tonight Show,” Leno was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2014. Leno won an Emmy Award for his performance as the host of “The Tonight Show.” He continued to tour as a stand-up comedian and perform at various charity events. He has also been the host of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” on cable TV since 2015. On that show Leno shows off his love of classic cars and motorcycles.

This was a big career change for Jay Leno but he has always been passionate about cars and motorcycles.

Leno has been married to wife Mavis Nicholson since 1980. They have lived in Los Angeles for decades.

Marcia Muller

Another big career change: My favorite writer these days is Marcia Muller who writes fictional mysteries and thrillers. Her books are real page turners.

Born in 1944 in Detroit, Mich., she received her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in journalism from the University of Michigan. Upon graduation she moved to the San Francisco Bay area to work as merchandising supervisor for “Sunset” magazine in California. Then Marcia Muller was a field interviewer in the San Francisco Bay area for the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor.

It was in 1973 that she made a career change – she branched out on her own and started writing novels.

In the years since then Marcia Muller has written many novels and short stories. Her main fictional character is Sharon McCone, a private detective of today’s modern era.

McCone is a refreshingly down to earth detective who is also very savvy and hardnosed just like any other serious detective should be. She’s tough but Sharon McCone also has a sense of humor. This private eye finds herself in some dangerous cases but in the end there is always a resolution.

Marcia Muller has won six Anthony Awards, a Shamus Award, and is also the recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Mystery Writers of

America Grand Master Award which is their highest honor. She lives in northern California with her husband, mystery writer Bill Pronzini.

Seeing a celebrity make a change in their career is different but I think it’s good for them do what really interests them. I may prefer Jay Leno the comedian over the Jay Leno who talks about unique cars and motorcycles but that interests him.

And Marcia Muller? I can wait for this author’s latest book to come out. It promises to be another page turner that will keep me up late at night and on the edge of my seat.

Crossword Answers

&

Global Scavenger Hunt: Back in Yangon, Myanmar and on to Bangkok GOING PLACES, NEAR

C ontinued from page D3

Bangkok without any prior preparation (because that is the essence of the Global Scavenger Hunt, an aroundthe-world mystery tour to determine “World’s Best Travelers”), our visit is complicated by preparations for the coronation of the new King.

Also, my teammate Margo has her own scavenger hunt going: she is trying to find chips from Harley Davidson Motorcycle dealers in every place we go. Her hunt brings us to one of Bangkok’s major urban shopping malls – every luxury and brand name in the world is represented. Harley is on a floor with Jaguar and other luxury cars. It is an amazing opportunity to view local life of Bangkok on a Sunday. (The movie, “Crazy Rich Asians,” immediately flashes in my mind.)

Margo goes off to do sightseeing by the Hop On/Off Bus; I am determined

to take a water taxi. But I learn that the city has already closed off river access to the major attractions and sites that are along the river, including the Palace, and there is, in fact, a giant security cordon from the Grand Palace (later I learn that the Palace was open to visitors earlier and we just missed it). But the water taxi along the canal is still operating.

I go walking (in the intense heat) toward where I can pick up the water taxi. The time is ticking away and I have to calculate the amount of time to get back to the airport in time for our flight to Abu Dhabi. I pass interesting places, like the “Anti-Money Laundering Office”.

It is fun to ride the water taxi and I take it to a place close to the Grand Palace where there is an important temple, the Golden Mount (Wat Saket).

A very nice fellow coming off the water taxi points me in a direction

and impressive Buddhist site. Dating back almost 2a500 years, the pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair and other

© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

to the Democracy Monument. I learn that it was commissioned in 1939 to commemorate the 1932 Siamese coup d’etat which led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in the Kingdom of Siam. Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram saw the monument as the center of a new Westernized Bangkok, akin to the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs d’Elysees in Paris.

I see literally thousands of police, military, and what appear to be volunteers in colored shirts, the streets decorated for a parade (the administration building is nearby)– but no people on the streets waiting for a parade. The coronation is taking place in just a couple of weeks time. I assume that they are doing a rehearsal.

I contemplate hiring a little jitney taxi to take me close to the Grand Palace, but looking at the time and calculating how long it would take to backtrack to the airport, I just head back to the water taxi, walk through a broad shopping boulevard (big portraits of the King and Queen), to the train to the airport.

This moment in history, in fact, becomes the theme for my Bangkok visit.

At the end of it, though I did not get to see the Top Attractions of Bangkok, I fulfilled the essence of the Global Scavenger Hunt: I immersed myself in the everyday rhythm of this place and these people, exotic no longer.

(For more travel information, visit https://na.tourismthailand.org/AboutThailand/Destination/Bangkok.)

We are off to Abu Dhabi!

The Global Scavenger Hunt is an annual travel program that has been operated for the past 15 years by Bill and Pamela Chalmers, GreatEscape Adventures, 310-281-7809, GlobalScavengerHunt.com.

© 2019 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com,  www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karenrubin & travelwritersmagazine.com/ TravelFeaturesSyndicate/ Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar. wordpress.com & moralcompasstravel. info. Send comments or questions to FamTravLtr@aol.com. Tweet @ TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook. com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Yeshua Synagogue, Yangon, the last synagogue remaining in Myanmar © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is Myanmar’s most sacred

holy relics; its dome is gilded with 60 tons of gold, and the top has an orb with 4531 diamonds. It is breathtaking.

Musmeah

REAL ESTATE WATCH

Is downsizing or moving up the best path now?

BY PHILIP A. RAICES

Is downsizing or moving up the most logical and pragmatic path to take now?

You’ve thought about it, but aren’t really sure. You’re comfortable where you are, but the responsibilities and the daily routine of keeping your home in order are starting to wear on you. Plus the financial responsibility of whatever goes wrong, repairs and updating, oh boy, so much to deal with.

Now if you have already updated and your home is in spectacular mint or excellent condition, now might be the time to sell, while prices are still where they are. But as I mentioned in a previous column, the market has been softening, as more families and millennials are leaving New York State and other high priced and taxed states, because,

I believe that the saturation point has been approached, where prices will go up maybe by the rate of inflation or not all and probably will softened further on the higher priced and taxed homes. The tariffs that have been imposed by both the U.S. and China have also put a damper on both economies, which are intrinsically connected from head to toe! If you do your own research and look back over a hundred years, they never accomplished anything but to make the consumer and the industries supplying them, pay more for goods and some services. It’s similar to a lawsuit between two large companies to see who will survive the longest, without coming to the table and negotiating a fair and equitable settlement. Nothing will be accomplished

unless one party realizes that the outcome will be more costly in continuing the battle, no matter who may be right or wrong.

Of course, we know China has consistently taxed our goods unfairly, as well as absconded with some of our intellectual and industrial secrets. But coming to an equitable and fair compromise has eluded us and so all we are doing is a “tit for tat” battle, with most likely no winner and only losers, just us the American consumer!

These types of events will only make the real estate market more volatile and put pressure on prices, since I mentioned this in a column a few weeks ago, that we are in the longest expansion of our economy since 1854. As they say, what goes up, will eventually come down and I see the evidence already. So if you don’t want to lose equity, although you may be happy where you are, considering downsizing as a viable choice.

This maybe your best financial decision today, even though you were considering moving maybe within five years. While purchasers are still active and able to buy, you might want to “strike while the coals are still warm” by putting your home up for sale. Of course, there is a lot of planning, so start doing it. Now, if you are in a rental, but really want to buy and have the necessary down payment and can

afford the monthly “nut” then now is a good time to also begin thinking about it, while rates are very low. If you either have young children or plan to have some, then your long term plan will be to pretty much stay put in whatever home you may buy, let’s say 20 years. I believe at that point, all things being equal, the market will have come back from what we may experience in the near future, as markets go up and then recede, looking back at past history. So you weather the storm and sit tight and all should be ok. Also, if you are in a coop, depending on what you paid for it, getting into a home, with the interest rates being less than four percent now (lower now than they were last December), would be a great opportunity, even if you lose some money.

Because some home prices have softened enough to make the difference worth looking at and what you may potentially gain, maybe a wash or possibly a benefit if the home price has been adjusted down enough to gain more than what one might lose in selling now. Renting, as has generally been shown, is a dead-end street and the lower-priced rentals have been escalating, especially in the excellent school districts, due to those deciding not to take the plunge and purchase. Renting, due to affordability and other reasons, may have been your only choice now or for the foreseeable future, but building

equity and future wealth has generally worked through ownership.

No one can guarantee the future, but based on the past it’s a stronger and more secure bet than staying in a rental. Even if your present home is too small and you cannot expand it properly or want to bother dealing with the construction, moving up in the market, as long as you will be staying in place five to ten years or longer, is an excellent time to consider moving on, especially when financing your next place.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 Great Neck. He has earned designations as a Graduate of the Realtor Institute and a Certified International Property Specialist. Receive regular “free” updates of sold homes in your area and a “free” Comparative Market Analysis” of what your home would sell for in today’s market or search on: WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com If you would like to receive a digital copy or a printed copy of “Unlocking the Secrets of Real Estate’s New Market Reality Or “Our Seller’s Guide for “Things to Consider When Selling Your Home” just email or snail me (regular mail) with your name, email and cell number.

He can be reached by email, at:Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.Com, or by cell: (516) 647-4289

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REPRESENTATIVE P.T.

The Blank Slate Media is seeking energetic individual with good telephone skills to sell newspaper and online subscriptions from 9am to 1pm. Some computer knowledge preferred.

Salary plus commission.

To apply, please email resume and cover letter to sblank@theislandnow.com or call Steven Blank at 516-307-1045 x201

EMPLOYMENT

SITUATION WANTED

A HOME HEALTH CARE

AIDE Irish trained woman with 10 years experience and excellent checkable references available. Honest and reliable. Licensed driver with own transportation.

Please call 516-383-7150

AIDE / CARE GIVER: CARING, EFFICIENT, RELIABLE

Available FT / PT days, evenings, weekends to care for your sick or elderly loved one. Cooking, light housework, personal grooming, administer medications. 15years experience. Just ended 7 years with previous patient. References available.

Please Call 516-448-0502

CARE GIVER

PRIVATE CARE GIVER

Trained Experienced Nursing Assistant/Companion to care for your loved ones at home or in a health care facility. NY State certified nursing assistant with excellent references ! Call: 516-410-9943

EMPLOYMENT

SITUATION WANTED

CARETAKER

Kind, caring woman available to care for sick or elderly. Hard working with 18 yrs experience and excellent references. Expert in Parkinson’s, Dementia, Alzheimer’s. Contact Verona: 347-455-7564

CERTIFIED CAREGIVER

Many yrs exp. Exp’d caring for patients with various illnesses. Over 12 yrs exp. Able to prepare nutritious & appetizing meals. Light housekeeping. Flexible for any working arrangement. Excellent references Please call May 347-898-5804

NURSES AIDE

Irish Nurses Aide available to take care of your loved one. Live in/out. Driver’s license/ own car. Honest, reliable, excellent references. Call 631-707-1702

CAREER TRAINING

AIRLINE CAREERS Start here. Get trained as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information 866296-7094

ANNOUNCEMENTS

A PLACE FOR MOM has helped over a million families find senior living. Our trusted, local advisors help find solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. Call: 1-800-404-8852

FINANCE

DENIED SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY?

Appeal! If you’re over 50+, filed for SSD and denied, our attorneys can help get you approved! No money out of pocket! 855478-2506

GET DIRECTV ! ONLY $35/ month. 155 Channels & 1000s of Shows/Movies on Demand (w/ SELECT All Included Package). PLUS Stream on UP to FIVE Screens Simultaneously at No Additional Cost. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918

LUNG CANCER? And Age 60+?

You and your family may be entitled to significant cash award. Call 866-951-9073 for information. No risk. No money out of pocket.

NEED IRS RELIEF

$109K-$125K+

Get Fresh Start or Forgiveness

Call 1-877-258-1647 Monday through Friday 7am-5pm PST

MARKETPLACE

A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP

********************

TURN YOUR TREASURES INTO CASH!

Come to Consign/Stay to Shop!

109 Eleventh Street, Garden City 516-746-8900

Antiques-FurnitureJewelry-SilverMirrors-Lamps-ArtworkChinaCrystal-Collectibles Tuesday-Friday 10-4

Saturday 12-4

(10% Sr. Discount Tues)

All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society

Email: store@atstewartexchange.org

Like us on Facebook & Instagram

INVITED ESTATE SALES

BY TRACY JORDAN

Looking to sell items from your home?

Consider doing an Online Auction!

Online Auctions reach more interested buyers than tag sales and can often sell for more than what you would make at an estate or tag sale.

Invited Estate Sales by Tracy Jordan can do both! You can sell your items online reaching potential buyers locally or globally as well as hosting a private sale from your home!

Let us guide you on what items to put in auction including furniture, housewares, decorative items, jewelry, collectibles, coins, artwork and anything else you may no longer want or need. Our services can help you to maximize your selling experience whether you are selling 1 item or 500 items. We are a one stop service for all your needs when you are moving or selling a property! Selling, donating, discarding and cleaning out services can be done to meet your time frame with minimal stress.

Estate and Tag Sales

Online Auctions

Cleanout and Moving Services

Home Staging Services

Appraisals

Contact for more info: info@invitedsales.com or Call: 516-279-6378 to schedule a consultation or receive more information. www.invitedsales.com

WANTED TO BUY

LOOKING TO BUY!

Oriental items, clothing, art, old & modern furniture, estates, jewelry, silver, glassware, dishes, old photos, coins & stamps, flatware. Call George 718-3861104 or 917-775-3048

PETS

PET SERVICES

A GARDEN CITY ANIMAL

LOVER doesn’t want to leave your precious pooch or fantastic feline alone all day. I’m reliable, dependable and will walk and feed your pet while you work or travel. Please call Cheryl at 516-971-3242

AUTOMOTIVE

***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS

$Highe$t Ca$h Paid All Years /Conditions! WE VISIT YOU! Or Donate, Tax Deduct Ca$h. DMV 10#1303199

Call LUKE 516-VAN-CARS 516297-2277

AUTOS WANTED

AUTO BUYERS! We visit you. Highest cash paid. Or donate, tax deduct + cash. DMV#1303199. Please call Luke 516-VAN-CARS OR 516-297-2277

DONATE YOUR CAR to Wheels For Wishes, benefitting Make-a-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call 631-317-2014 Today!

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT

GARDEN CITY BORDER

APARTMENT: Huge, Bright 2BR, 2 Bath Apt $2,200.00 + Electric. Gated Parking / Garage Available, Laundry Room, Air Conditioning, Hardwood Floors, LIRR, NO BROKER FEE.

www.gcbapts.com Voice or text: 516-524-6965

OFFICE SPACE

GARDEN CITY

Prime 7th Street Garden City location. Small second floor office space available. $750.00 per month includes all. Owner: 516-510-9452

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

LOTS FOR SALE

ATTENTION SPORTSMEN! New York/VT border, 55 acres only $99,900. Open and wooded, trails throughout, abundant wildlife. Easy drive Bennington and Albany. Financing available 802-447-0779

SERVICES

PRIVACY HEDGES

FALL BLOWOUT SALE 6ft Arborvitae, reg $149 now only $75. Beautiful, nursery grown FREE Installation / FREE Delivery, Limited Supply! ORDER NOW: 518-536-1367 www.lowcosttreefarm.com

SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY! TV, Internet & Voice for $99.97 /mo. 100 MB per second speed. Free Primetime on Demand. Unlimited Voice. NO CONTRACTS. Call 1-855-977-7198 or visit: http :/ / tripleplaytoday.com / press

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

COMPUTERS

COMPUTER ISSUES? FREE DIAGNOSIS by GEEKS ON SITE! Virus removal, data recovery! 24/7 Emergency Service, in home repair/on line solutions. $20 off any service! 844-892-3990

CLASSIFIEDS Call 294.8900

SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

AFFORDABLE NEW SID-

ING! Beautify you home! Save on monthly energy bills with beautiful NEW SIDING from 1800 Remodel! Up to 18 months no interest. Restrictions apply 855-773-1675

AMBIANCE

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

*Handyman & Remodeling

*Kitchen Installations

*Furniture Assembly

*Finish Carpentry

*Minor Electrical & Plumbing

25year GC Resident

Lic & Ins H18E2170000 Call BOB 516-741-2154

AQUATEC LAWN SPRINKLERS

SPRING TURN ONS

Backflow Device Tests

Free Estimates Installation Service/Repairs

Joe Barbato 516-775-1199

BATHROOM RENOVATIONS

EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Grab bars, no slip flooring & seated showers. Call for a free in home consultation: 888-657-9488

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Climate Change causing your Roof and Siding to Leak? The Time is now to Call ARIS Construction To Fix this before Winter sets in.

516-406-1842

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

SERVICES

HEALTH SERVICES

AFFORDABLE HEARING AIDS!!

Buy one/get one FREE!

High quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids are priced 90% less than competitors. Nearly invisible! 60 day money back guarantee!. 855-504-5591

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.drannmariedangelo.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

PAINTING & PAPERHANGING

MICHELANGELO

PAINTING & WALLPAPER

Interior, Exterior, Plaster / Spackle, Light Carpentry, Decorative Moldings & Power Washing. Call: 516-328-7499

SERVICES

PAINTING & PAPERHANGING

STRONG ARM PAINTING

Interior & Exterior

Tape, Spackle, Sheetrock, Molding.

Residential and Commercial Bonded and Insured FREE ESTIMATES

516-538-1125 www.strongarmcleaningny.com

LADIES &

RELAX & ENJOY Your Next Party! Catering and Experienced Professional Services for Assisting with Preparation, Serving and Clean Up Before, During and After Your Party Bartenders Available. Call Kate at 516-248-1545

CLASSIFIEDS Call 294.8900

SERVICES

TUTORING

MATH, SAT, ACT TUTOR: Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 plus Trig, Pre-Calc, AP Calculus. Norm 625-3314

ENGLISH, ACT, SAT TUTOR: 25+ year experience Critical Reading, Writing, Grammar, Essays. Lynne 625-3314

CLEANING

CLEANING AVAILABLE

POLISH WOMAN

with 20 years experience available for cleaning houses, apartments. English speaking. Own transportation. Excellent references.

Call 516-342-0815

CLEANING SERVICE: Houses, Apartments, Offices. Excellent references. Own transportation, Experienced. Call Dinora 516-435-7167

GARDEN CITY WINDOW CLEANING

HOME WINDOW CLEANING INTERIOR/EXTERIOR SERVICE BY OWNER

Fully Insured/25 yrs experience 516-764-5686 631-220-1851

SERVICES

CLEANING

HOUSEKEEPER

Available for Cleaning Monday to Friday. Experienced with excellent references. Please call Julia 516-943-4936

MOM and ME CLEANING SERVICES, LLC.

Available to you 365 days a year, 7 days a week Weekly, Bi-Weekly, as needed Cleaning Services

Move out/Move in Cleaning Post Construction Cleaning Residential, Office, Retail Cleaning Family Owned & Operated Professionally Trained Background Checked Contact us for all of your service needs: Email: momandme.cs@gmail.com Michelle: 516-343-3604 Nohemi 516-272-5154

SERVICES

SERVICES

A & J MOVING & STORAGE:

Established 1971. Long Island and New York State specialists. Residential, Commercial, Piano & Organ experts. Boxes available. Free estimates. www. ajmoving.com 516-741-2657 114 Jericho Tpk, Mineola NYDOT# 10405

COMPLETE DEMOLITION/ JUNK REMOVAL SERVICE:

Strong Arm Contracting Inc. We Remove and Demo Anything. We Take it Down, Take it Apart & Take it Away and Leave Your Home or Business Swept Clean. Residential/Commercial Bonded/Insured Free Estimates. 516-538-1125

DISH TV

$59.99 for 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Call 1-800-943-0838

Get results!

Place an ad in our Classifieds for reasonable rates and prompt results. Call the G.C. office at 294-8900 for more information.

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 now part of their rescue program.

For each new customer that makes a purchase, Last Hope will receive a $20 donation. Click on the ad below or go directly to the Last Hope page at https://www.chewy.com/rp/5941

Specialty cookies on the menu in Syosset

BY GARY SIMEONE

It has always been a dream of Rosemarie Forgione to start her own baking business. As a child, the 24-year-old Syosset resident would walk through the aisles of the supermarket, imagining creative ways to make different kinds of cookies and cupcakes.

“I’d be shopping with my mom and I’d look at items like Fruity Pebbles or Lucky Charms cereal and imagine combining them with marshmallows or rainbow colored sprinkles in a cookie,” said Forgione. “I guess you could say I like to think outside of the box and put together as many different combinations as possible.”

In 2017, Forgione was working as a product developer in the city and balancing a full course load in college while following her passion for baking on the side.

“I always kept baking as a hobby on the side, and posting some of my creations on Instagram. After doing that for a while, I started to get inquiries from people about selling my baked goods.”

She said that is how the idea came about to start her own web based bakery and sell her products from home to consumers.

“I spoke to Cardinale’s Bakery in Carle Place, and they allowed me to rent hours from them on an operational basis,” said Forgione. “I do all of my baking there and do all of my shipping and pickup orders from home.”

Forgione is best known for what she calls her “specialty cookies “ which are

an assortment of stuffed cookies and hand decorated royal ice cookies.

Stuffed cookie items include the Cinnamon Crumb Cake, made with a vanilla cinnamon cookie base and crumb cake crumbs, and the PB Blast, which is chock full of creamy peanut butter topped with chocolate, peanut butter chips and a peanut butter drizzle.

The hand-decorated royal ice cookies are themed cookies like fire truck cookies for kids birthday parties, cookies decorated with wedding dresses for bridal showers and even ones with business logos for corporate events.

Forgione said that what makes her stand out from traditional bakeries is that she is able to put more time and effort into the baking process.

“The majority of bakeries or grocery store don’t have the necessary time to make these types of specialty cookies or cakes. I think that is why people have gone crazy about my baked goods on Instagram, because they are so original.”

Forgione participates in a lot of fundraising events and the money she receives on her orders go straight to local charities on Long Island. Events include a breast cancer fundraiser and an event at Hunters Point Park in Long Island City, Queens.

As for her future business aspirations, she said that she plans to open a small storefront bakery/café and is currently looking for the right location.

To find out more about the business, you can visit the website, fromablondeskitchen.com

Rosemarie Forgione at home with her specialty cookies

Gaughran sees potential of LIRR service in Town of Oyster Bay

From page 1

home,” he said.

Plans to Electrify Oyster Bay Line

Improving the Oyster Bay LIRR line and electrifying it up to Oyster Bay, Gaughran explains, is another way in which parking congestion at and around Syosset’s train station can be alleviated.

“Syosset LIRR station has an awful lot of people coming from the northern parts of Oyster Bay who could actually go to their local train to get on. But since that line still has such infrequent trains and poorer service, residents there have no choice but to drive to places like Syosset. Some of the service stops at 10 p.m. so no one can come back at midnight or later,” he commented at the packed Environmental Town Hall in Glen Head on July 30.

When Senator Gaughran went on the campaign trail in 2018, he met many LIRR commuters on mornings at area train stations. His staff conducted a survey, with one very important question being: “is this the station closest to your home and is there a station near your home that you would go to if the service were more frequent and convenient?”

Gaughran said many commuters who would be using the Oyster Bay line head to other stations now, “but they would love to use their station,” he said. Along with mayors along the LIRR Oyster Bay line, the senator held a meeting at Glen Cove City Hall.

On July 30, he announced “there is a commitment on the part of LIRR to specifically have a long-range proposal to figure out a way we could try to electrify all the way to Oyster Bay. He added that the governor’s office promised him that there will be funding to LIRR for the Oyster Bay line.

“We need more frequent trains all day long, especially during rush hour. If we can make progress to make the Oyster Bay line more popular that the people who live right along it can get on, it will free up congestion at stations like Syosset. The process will likely involve land use and some eminent domain along the line. That’s not an instant solution as it involves longrange planning. But we are also looking at short-term fixes, which all carry a goal of having more trains and trains arriving and departing more frequently,” Sen. Gaughran said.

While Senator Gaughran’s position allows him to work on grant funding opportunities for the downtown and parking in Syosset, Town of Oyster Bay officials maintain a responsibility to continue working for the residents and business owners to improve the area.

“It is really more towards making sure our local municipal governments and planning departments, including County Planning, work as diligently

and effectively as possible and include more and more community participation. With an increase in development in some downtown areas, Huntington for example, there’s a desperate need for parking. One of the big issues we have on Long Island is the number of people who want to take the Long Island Rail Road without having to drive somewhere else to another parking lot further away from their community, or maybe not have to drive at all,” he said.

At the Town Hall July 30, a resident asked what New York State or local level officials can do to reduce the amount of paved surfaces including parking lots, impervious surfaces, that contribute to environmental factors such as stormwater runoff.

Gaughran said Long Island and other suburban regions have paved parking lots that are seldom used, or too large for their commercial activity, and then places like LIRR stations “desperately need more parking.” The senator said he was not sure there is an opportunity for state laws to include where parking lots can or can’t be built.

Transit-Oriented: a Trend for Millennials, Workforce Growth

Transit-oriented development (TOD) or designed transit villages often include premium apartment complexes and a shopping/dining element within a few minutes walk of a “hub” train station. Farmingdale Village is one prime example. In Nassau County, a 50-acre redevelopment zone adjacent to Westbury’s LIRR station -- the Maple Union Transit-Oriented Development Zone -- came into focus in recent months, as the Village of Westbury assuages concerns with development of up 1,500 new residences in multifamily condos or apartments. In his interview, Gaughran noted that transit-oriented developments are attempts to appeal to the millennial generation (typically considered the population born between 1981 and 1997) “as many millennials are not very interested in buying a house and staying on Long Island.”

“A lot of millennials feel that they want the ability to move around at some point, and we need to have the effective housing that meets their needs. A lot of young people are moving away to California or to the Southeast, the Carolinas, and Austin or Dallas as that’s where the jobs are. We have to turn that trend around. If we get more good quality industry coming to Long Island -- really in high tech sectors, with what the future is -- then we will have more opportunities for young people to stay,” he said.

In Albany, Sen. Gaughran is a member of the State Senate’s Economic Development/Small Business Commit-

tee. “The main reason I wanted to do that is because all the communities I live among and represent, from Commack to Hicksville to Glen Cove, Syosset and Northport, all of them have important commercial sectors -- I believe the core of all these commercial centers are our small businesses. We have a lot of big box and chain stores in shopping centers. But what makes Long Island unique, in particular in my district, is that we have so many smaller stores and shopkeepers that thrive here. I want to try to do anything that I can as a state senator to help,” he said.

Senator Gaughran has worked alongside Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan, a 2012 Syosset High School graduate and member of Syosset’s board of education from 2012 to 2017. They have discussed the issues involving millenials not having an appropriate amount of career and associated lifestyle opportunities, primarily housing, on Long Island. The senator says he continues working with business and academic leaders on Long Island to support cutting-edge, “main economic engines that we have including technology and in the sciences.” He says Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Long Island University, SUNY-Stony Brook and Brookhaven Labs.

“We have cutting-edge transformations being made on Long Island but there seems to be a little of a disconnect in bringing some of our young people, many who graduate from our education systems, into these jobs and careers

created by this industry. I think more collaborations between educational institutions, scientific institutions and the corporate world are needed to really ensure we are building the future workforce that Long Island needs so young people will have opportunities to want to stay here,” he explained.

The consortium will extend down from the state-level government to Town and County officials meeting with corporate and industry-specific leadership.

“Legislator Lafazan is a great guy that I really enjoy working with, we collaborate on a lot of issues. I think he is working so hard on so many issues and that allows me to see where the right areas are for the state and county-level governments can ‘tag-team’ and try to address issues, including the potential to offer more county and state funds to local programs and initiatives,” Gaughran said.

Sen. Gaughran says one year ago when he was running for the NYS Senate seat occupied by Carl Marcellino, he pledged that if elected he would host at least four Town Hall events per year. The July 30 event at the Gold Coast Library in Glen Head was the seventh forum he has held through the end of his seventh month as local elected state senator. Prior Town Halls were tailored to address taxes, economic development in local communities, and another coming up will feature public safety as a topic.

Syosset family launches new business with deck of cards

From page 1

Mandel said the next step was finding out how to produce the cards online and turning them into a trivia type of format.

“We shortened the list of questions down to 52, one for each card, and started playing with our friends and kids friends. It was a big hit with everyone we played with.”

He said that the game is a good way to find out about people because the questions are labeled in an abstract sort of way.

“Instead of the normal how was your day at school, the questions can ask

things like, what makes one teacher interesting compared to another,” said Mandel. “Or instead of what’s your favorite smell, the card will ask what particular smell do you remember from your childhood?”

He said that the game can also be played with random people when you’re out at the beach or a concert or a picnic in the park.

“We call them randos, as in random people, and this game helps to kind of break the ice and maybe make a new friend.”

To find out more about this product, you can visit the website, letsasq.com.

Place an ad in our Classifieds for reasonable rates and prompt results. Call our main office today 294-8900 for more information.

Back To School

Friday, August 23, 2019

Manage hectic school mornings

If a typical school morning sees your family rushing around and out the door with nary a moment to spare, only to be left feeling like you ran a marathon by 9 am, a new approach to your routine might be necessary.

Mornings, especially in households in which parents who work outside of the home and have one or two kids requiring drop-off at their respective schools, can often be hectic. Starting off the morning feeling harried and stressed can carry over into the mood of the day, affecting productivity as a result.

According to Dr. David Anderson, PhD, senior director of the ADHD and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute, busy mornings can be the most stressful moments of the day. Homework hour and getting prepared for bed are other typically stressful times of the day for families. If less stressful mornings are a goal for your family, try these strategies. Start the night before Doing as much preparatory work

the evening before can make quite a difference in taming hectic mornings. Things that can be done in advance include checking and stocking backpacks, signing paperwork, making lunches, setting out clothing, showering, and having breakfast foods ready to go.

Establish a ‘launch pad’

Ann Dolin, a Virginia-based education specialist, suggests having a launch pad, or a place where all school-related items are prepped and stored. It can be a basket, box or another container big enough to contain school items. Children can drop and pick up the items as needed.

Make the routine the boss

Positive Parenting Solutions founder Amy McCready says families can implement a “when-then” routine that sets the tone for the morning. “When everyone is dressed, hair combed, breakfast eaten, and school supplies packed, then you can watch 10 minutes of an educational cartoon.” This puts the routine in control rather than making the parents

Garden City Jewish Center

Find Your Connection to Jewish Community Open House

Friday Sept. 6th: Dinner at 6:30 p.m. & Services at 7:15 p.m.

Garden City Jewish Center is an inclusive, warm, and welcoming Reform congregation. Membership is open to all Jews, those interested in becoming Jewish, dual-faith families, singles, and students.

• Three (3) hour Sundays-only Religious School begins Sept. 8th

• Rosh HaShanah services: September 29, 30, and October 1

• Yom Kippur services: October 8-9

• High Holiday children’s services

168 Nassau Boulevard, Garden City NY 11530 www.gardencityjewishcenter.org email: info@gardencityjewishcenter.org 516-248-9180

Rabbi Stephen Wise Goodman

Cantor Rachel Weston

Make kids responsible Too often parents add more stress to their plates by showing up at school with forgotten lunch boxes or band instruments. Instead, parents can stop rescuing their children and help train them to be more responsible — an essential trait.

Chart wake-up times

Did you know?

It may seem like micromanaging, but scheduling wake-up and bathroom times can help everyone know where they should be and when they should be there. It also helps avoid bottleneck situations in the bathroom or kitchen. Keep morning madness to a minimum with some simple strategies.

Many stores employ “loss leaders” during the back-to-school shopping rush. Essentially, loss leaders are products sold at a loss to attract customers into the store. Retailers hope shoppers will be tempted by a “penny deal” or another steep discount and then stick around, ultimately purchasing full-price items. Shoppers can use loss leaders to their advantage. Those looking to save on school supplies should watch the circulars and commercials for these barely break-even deals and stock up on loss leaders, according to the savvy shoppers at The Krazy Coupon Lady. This may require shopping for supplies over the course of a few days, as stores may feature different loss leaders during the week. By doing so, at the end of the week, shoppers may end up with much of their school supplies at quite the discount.

HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY Weekend Workshops

The NYU School of Professional Studies High School Academy offers Weekend Workshops that provide high school students with programs of study that allow them to explore professional options and enhance their college portfolio.

These programs are designed especially for local high school students who are interested in learning more about a particular career path and who prefer to gain this experience during the weekends.

High School Academy Weekend Workshops provide a condensed format for “trying on” a career. Over the course of just a few weekends, students acquire an insider’s look at a professional path in which they may be interested. Taught by experts in their fields, these classes bring an area of speciality to life. Students gain exposure to college-level course content through case studies and interactive group assignments.

In addition to the knowledge they acquire, a student’s Weekend Workshop experience will serve as an impressive credential on his/her college application—another way they can differentiate themselves in the competitive admissions process!

Academic and College-Level Writing

NEW Allied Health Professions

Case Studies in Real Estate Development

Computer Information Systems: Cyber Defense

Creative Approaches to Writing the College Application Essay

Digital Filmmaking: Storytelling on Film

NEW Fundamentals of Financial Technology

Innovative Business Startups

Interactive Marketing Campaigns: The Power of Public Relations and Social Media

Introduction to Architecture

Introduction to Careers in Hospitality

Introduction to Event Planning: Operations and Production

Introduction to Fashion Design in New York

Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship

Investing Fundamentals: Shaping Your Financial Future

Journalism: Reporting, Researching, and Writing Features

Leadership and Management Development

Photography: New York City Through the Camera Lens

Pre-Law: An Introduction to Torts

NEW Public Relations and Crisis Management

Writing for Television: Creating and Writing a New Series

Begin October 19, 2019

To apply, visit: sps.nyu.edu/hsacademy/weekend06

For questions, please call 212-998-7006 or email sps.hsacademy@nyu.edu

Friday, August 23 ,

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF HOME SAFE HOME CHILDPROOFING, LLC.

Art. Of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 7/18/2019. Office: Nassau County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it made be served to 85 Estate Dr., Jericho, NY 11753. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SYO 4299

6X 08/09,165,23,30,09/06,13

NOTICE OF LIQUOR LICENSE

Notice is hereby given that license (number pending) has been applied for by the undersigned to sell alcoholic beverages at retail in a restaurant under the alcoholic beverage control law at 236 West Jericho Turnpike, Syosset NY 11791 for on-premises consumption.

Mara’s Southern Kitchen, Inc.

SYO 4301

2X 08/16,23

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF TWENTY4 HOME SERVICES LLC.

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on May 24, 2019. Location: Nassau. SSNY designated as agent for service of process on LLC. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: Carlos Cabana, 17 Cathedral Ave, Garden City, NY 11530. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

SYO 4302

6X 08/16,23,30,09/06,13,20

NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County of Nassau HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR WELLS FARGO ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, MORTGAGE ASSETBACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007PA2, Plaintiff AGAINST JILL ROSENBLUM, STEPHEN ROSENBLUM, et al., Defendant(s)

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated July 02, 2019 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Calendar Control Part (CCP) Courtroom of the Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501, on September 24, 2019

at 11:30AM, premises known as 45 WINTHROP DRIVE, WOODBURY, NY 11797. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of New York,

SECTION 14, BLOCK 4, LOT 75, 88. Approximate amount of judgment $644,168.70 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment for Index# 16-002640.

KATHLEEN WRIGHT, ESQ., Referee

Gross Polowy, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff 1775 Wehrle Drive, Suite 100 Williamsville, NY 14221

SYO 4303 4X 08/23,30,09/06,13

NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County of Nassau BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF H. CLUB HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Pltf. vs. IRA CHERNICK, et al, Defts.

Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated July 2, 2019, I will sell at public auction on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. in the Calendar Control Part (CCP) of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY prem. k/a 62 Hunt Drive, Jericho, NY a/k/a Section 17, Block 18, Lot 62. Said property lying and being at Jericho, Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of New York, known and designated as Lot 62 on a certain Subdivision map entitled, “Map of the Hunt Club” filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on Nov. 24, 1987, as Case No. 9243. Approx. amt. of judgment is $16,048.59 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index #612467/2018.

MICHAEL B. MIROTZNIK, Referee.

JAY L. YACKOW, Atty. For Pltf., 355 Post Ave., Ste. 201, Westbury, NY. #97344

JNJ 7922

4X 08/02,09,16,23

Shabbat Under the Stars

Hard to believe that it has been twelve years since Temple Or Elohim had its first ‘’Shabbat Under the Stars” BBQ and Service. What is/was this event? It is the first evening of the Fiscal year that the congregation and community gather together as a Temple Family to celebrate each other and have fun together. Everyone eats, laughs, plays and sees old and new friends.

You can feast on yummy chicken, turkey burgers, veggie burgers or other foods all BBQed by the Temple's own grillers. The event is open to the public and will be starting at 6 p.m. on September 6, 2019.

The Temple Band “Nishamah” adds to this festive occasion with music of the past, present and

of a religious nature. There will be a raffle drawing with some very special prizes. The Temple will honor the consolidation of the Temple Or Elohim and Community Reform Temple’s Congregations and of Rabbi Judy Cohen-Rosenberg becoming its spiritual leader alongside Cantor David Katz. The beautiful Shabbat service is led by the clergy along with Nishamah. Please make sure you stay for the service and not just the BBQ. It is something special to participate in front of the gorgeous stained-glass windows outside!

For more information about this event and other events planned, please call the Temple Office at (516)433-9888 or email office@templeorelohim.com

Annual Bluefish Tournament Registration

Registration is open for the 34th Annual Bluefish Tournament, scheduled for Sunday, September 15 and held at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and Beach, in Oyster Bay.

“This all-day sporting event is open to anglers of all ages, but space is limited, so sign up quickly,” Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said. “This annual event that is beloved by residents all across the Town features hours of fun fishing followed by a tailgate party with refreshments, raffles and awards. Anyone who registers prior to September 10th will receive a tournament T-shirt and be automatically entered in a special raffle. Residents can pick up registration forms at all Town facilities.”

The tournament runs from 4:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is limited with entry fees discounted for Town residents. Costs to enter are $35 per fisherman for residents and $45 for non-Town residents.

Prizes are awarded for first through 15th place, with first place winner receiving a $2,000 gift card and plaque.

Raffle prizes include Solstice inflatable boats and Mercury outboards, rods, reels, ice chests, restaurant certificates and more. Raffle winners must be present to receive their prizes.

Co-sponsors of this year’s Bluefish Tournament include: Café Al Dente, Duffy’s Bait and Tackle, Tsunami, Coach Grill and Tavern, Mill-Max Corporation, Zorn’s of Bethpage, Sea Hawk Premium Yacht Finishes, North Shore Fire Equipment, Sagamore Collision, BMW of Oyster Bay, Bridge Marina, Oyster Bay Marine Center, Peppercorn’s Restaurant, Compass Rose, Tow Boat U.S., Wall’s Wharf, and SeaChoiceProducts. com. For more information, call the Town’s Parks Department at (516) 797-4125.

Remembrance Ceremony planned for September 5th

The Town of Oyster Bay will hold a Remembrance Ceremony for the victims of the September 11, 2001 Attacks on America on Thursday, September 5th, beginning at 7 p.m. at TOBAY Beach. Additionally, at the ceremony, the Town will unveil the 9/11 Walls of Honor in memory of those with a connection to the Town who tragically lost their lives to 9/11-related cancer and illnesses. The Town Board invites all residents, families and friends to attend.

The Town’s 9/11 Memorial is inscribed with the names of residents lost on September

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11, 2001. The Memorial features a steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center. The September 5th ceremony includes a candlelight vigil, vocal performances, bagpipe music and religious readings. In addition, the names of those lost, who are inscribed on the wall, will be read and the new 9/11 Walls of Honor memorial will be unveiled along with a reading of the names of those featured on the Walls. For more information, please contact the Town’s Department of Community & Youth Services at (516) 797-7900.

Our Professional Guide is sure to bring results. Call 294-8900 for rates and information.

Syosset Real Estate Market Conditions

Total Taxes: $16,937 MLS# 3119967

31  Southwood Circle, Syosset Sold Price: $580,000

Sold Price: $875,000

Date: 08/05/2019

4

Sold Price: $635,000 Date: 06/25/2019

3 beds, 1 Full baths

Style: Ranch # of Families: 1

Lot Size: 65x105

Schools: Syosset

Total Taxes: $10,334 MLS# 3112643

Sold Price: $501,000

Date: 08/02/2019

3 beds, 1 Full baths

Style: Ranch # of Families: 1 Lot Size: 60x85

Schools: Syosset

Total Taxes: $15,005

3137300

2 Virginia  Road, Syosset

Sold Price: $555,000

Date: 02/04/2019

3  beds,  1  Full  baths Style:  Ranch

# of  Families:  1

Lot  Size: 52x109 Schools: Syosset Total  Taxes: $9,869

Muttontown | $3,150,000 | 5-BR, 6.55-BA | Web# 3119246

Exquisite details persist in this builder’s own custom colonial.

Brian Fagen M: 917.863.2109

Woodbury | $1,089,257 | 3-BR, 2.5-BA | Web# 3146611

High end finishes are evident throughout this luxurious home.

Pascullo M: 516.695.8047

Jericho | $728,000 | 3-BR, 2.5-BA | Web# 3149715

Hunt Club. Lovely Ashley model. New kitchen, wood floors. Judy Fruitbine M: 516.298.5382

Syosset | $1,825,000 | 5-BR, 3-BA | Web# 3154789

North Syosset expanded colonial set on parklike flat acre.

Christine Malloy M: 516.474.8909

Syosset | $1,078,000 | 4-BR, 4-BA | Web# 3123544

Technology meets convenience and efficiency in this colonial. Brian Fagen M: 917.863.2109

| $625,000 | 3-BR, 1-BA | Web# 3143198

Jericho | $1,298,000 | 4-BR, 4.5-BA | Web# 3115712

Something extra is offered in this beautiful Hunt Club home. Judy Fruitbine M: 516.298.5382

| $828,000 | 4-BR, 3.5-BA | Web# 3151795

Hidden Ridge largest end unit model. Perfect location.

Barbara Drucker. M: 516.241.0505

Anne Fishbein M: 516.241.4263

Syosset | $610,000 | 3-BR, 3-BA | Web# 3154296

Hidden Ridge updated ranch‑style condo with master suite.

Barbara Drucker. M: 516.241.0505

Anne Fishbein M: 516.241.4263

Michael

Syosset

Syosset

Syosset Groves ranch‑style home with open floor plan. Christine Malloy M: 516.474.8909