Jericho-Syosset News Journal (9/19/25)

VET OF THE GAME

Jericho Alumni Hall of Fame

Town to dedicate park in memory of Omer Neutra

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and the Oyster Bay Town Board will host a special dedication ceremony at a Town of Oyster Bay Neighborhood Park in memory of Captain Omer Neutra, a Plainview native and graduate of the Schechter School of Long Island, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists while serving in the Israel Defense Forces on October 7, 2023.

This ceremony will honor Omer’s unwavering courage, selfless bravery, and his ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom and democracy. To ensure his legacy lives on, the Town has redesigned this Plainview neighborhood park, which now features significant upgrades, including a new basketball court for children and families to enjoy.

BY RIKKI MASSAND

The Jericho Alumni Hall of Fame Committee is accepting nominations for this year’s candidates for the Jericho HS Alumni Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Its purpose is to concur recognition on those individuals who have been successful in their chosen field, and to promote an appreciation of their accomplishments as examples for students to emulate.

If you would like to nominate a candidate, request an application form by

contacting Bob Hoffman at 516-681- 0178   email: twoexteachers@aol.com or Micheala Finlay at 516-203-3225 email: mfinley@ jerichoschools.org.

The 2025 deadline for nominations is Monday, October 27.

The Jericho Syosset News Journal is published every Friday by Litmor Publishing Corp. Periodical Postage paid at Hicksville, N.Y. 11801Telephone 931-0012 - USPS 3467-68 Postmaster: Send Address Change to: The Syosset Jericho News Journal, 821 Franklin Ave., Suite 208, Garden City, N.Y. 11530 • Meg Norris Publisher

The heart of Syosset’s downtown has an asset and partner in education and childcare that truly operates “from the heart.”

For more than two decades, Blooming Buds Learning Center at 60 Ira Road (formerly known as Paradise Organization) has welcomed children from infants as young as six weeks to 12-yearolds. Programs include infant care, preschool, pre-K, beforeand after-school care, summer camps, and school holiday pro-

grams. Blooming Buds is open year-round, closing only on major holidays.

Inside the center, nine classrooms are staffed by 35 to 40 teachers and assistants, most of them full-time. Staff credentials range from certified teachers and CDA credentials to advanced college degrees in early childhood education.

“Everybody here knows what they’re doing, and they are excellent with the children,” said founder and director of

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Don MacAvoy, the 1st Vice Commander of the Syosset American Legion was named "Vet of the Game" by the New York Mets on Sunday, September 14th.. Presenting a memorial flag to Don is Mets Pitcher Clay Holmes. (The Mets beat the Texas Rangers 5-2.)

Free Narcan training at POB Library

Recently, Senator Steve Rhoads hosted a free Narcan training at the PlainviewOld Bethpage Public Library in collaboration with NYS OASAS, the PlainviewOld Bethpage Chamber of Commerce, SERVPRO, the Plainview Volunteer Fire Department, Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz, and the Mid Island Y Jewish Community Center. Attendees gained life-saving skills to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses—because of these proactive community efforts, lives will be saved.

Get rid of your unwanted items by placing an ad for them in our Classifieds! We have reasonable rates, and you’ll have prompt results! Call our Garden City office at 294-8900 for rates and other info.

Free musical performances at local libraries

The Distinguished Artists Concert Series will return this October with free performances at local libraries throughout the Town of Oyster Bay.

"The Distinguished Artists Concert Series provides free musical and dance programs for the enjoyment of our residents," said Town Councilman Tom Hand. "I encourage residents to take advantage of these wonderful performances offered by the Town for free at local libraries."

Scheduled performances for October and November include:

Something Special Big Band on Sunday, October 5, at 2:00 p.m. at the Hicksville Public Library“ Swinging in the 21st Century! ” One of the finest nostalgia/jazz swing bands in the New York-Tri-State area. 18-piece ensemble.

4 Ways From Sunday on Sunday, October 12, at 2:00 p.m. at the Bethpage Public Library - A lively program of time-tested classic hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Tom Pappas & The Gavrieli Trio on Saturday, October 18, at 2:00 p.m. at the Massapequa Public LibraryPerforming American standards and jazz.

Just Sixties on Sunday, November 2, at 2:00 p.m at the Hicksville Public Library - A multi-media retrospective of the 1960s with sing-alongs and trivia questions.

Gino Di Napoli on Sunday, November 9, at 2:00 p.m. at the

Bethpage Public Library - Gino sings “ O Sole Mio, ” “ Quando, Quando, Quando, ” “ My Way, ” and many, many more!

The Golden Tone Orchestra on Saturday, November 15, at 2:00 p.m. at the Farmingdale Public Library18 musicians who have been playing jazz and swing standards for more than six decades.

Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks on Sunday, November 16, at 1:00 p.m. at the Syosset Public Library - Local country, rockabilly legend Gene Casey and his musical entourage present a show of favorites and originals.

Open to all. Free tickets required. Registration begins Oct. 22. Visit: https://syosset.librarycalendar.com/ events/month and select the date of the concert and register.

* Savannah Sky on Sunday, November 23, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at the Bethpage Public Library - Playing the best of classic country, western swing, folk-rock, and so much more!

The Distinguished Artists Concert Series is sponsored by the Cultural and Performing Arts (CAPA) Division of the Town of Oyster Bay's Department of Community & Youth Services. For the full concert schedule and further information, please call (516) 797-7900 or visit www.oysterbaytown.com/CAPA.

Catholic Daughters plan Bingo fundraiser

The Catholic Daughters will be hosting a Bingo fundraiser on Sunday, September 21, at the Senior Center, 103 Grumman Road West, Bethpage (handicap accessible and plenty of parking).

Doors open at 1:30 p.m.

Reservations in advance: $12.

Walk-ins welcome: $15 (Please make checks payable to CDA #869) For reservations. please call Karen at (516) 937-5527

Snacks, water, coffee/tea and dessert included!

All money raised is donated to local charities!.

Levittown Schools hosts Postsecondary Fairs at high schools

Students from Division Avenue and General Douglas MacArthur High Schools in the Levittown School District gained insight into the many possibilities open to them after graduation at each building’s Postsecondary Fair. Each fair was joined by dozens of representatives from colleges, universities, military branches and vocational trades, giving all students of both

Division and MacArthur the opportunity to network with professionals and find future passions. Organized by the high schools’ guidance departments, the Postsecondary Fair returns throughout the year and reflects the district’s mission to provide students with futureready education.

Students at Division Avenue High School attended the Postsecondary Fair on Sept. 10. The Postsecondary Fair was a great networking opportunity for soon-to-be graduates.

Students asked university representatives thoughtful questions.

Attendees got a glimpse of what different colleges and universities have to offer.

Photos courtesy Levittown Public Schools

Change of principal announced at Division Ave. HS

The Levittown School District is proud to announce that Jeffrey Myers has been warmly welcomed as the principal of Division Avenue High School. Former Principal John Coscia has been appointed as the new director of health, athletics and physical education.

Mr. Myers comes to Division with a breadth of experience in educational leadership. Mr. Myers is the former principal of Long Beach High School and was previously an assistant principal at Copiague High School. He began his career as a social studies teacher at North Babylon High School in 1994 and later was named dean of discipline at North Babylon High School. Mr. Myers currently serves as a North Babylon board of education trustee.

“I love working at Division,” Mr. Myers said, “with great students, the most talented staff and superheroes for assistant principals.”

Mr. Coscia served as principal of

Division since 2016, during which the school has seen many successes. In athletics, Division soars with a county-championship winning flag football team and cheer team and numerous teams and athletes that excel each year. While principal, Division was ranked among the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for two years in a row. Mr. Coscia previously served as assistant principal of Division after serving as the dean of students at Scholars’ Academy Middle and High School in Rockaway Park while teaching both Advanced Placement/ Honors U.S. Government and Politics and eighth grade humanities.

“I am thrilled to take on this new role for the Levittown community,” Mr. Coscia said. “Our athletes constantly impress, and I look forward to supporting them throughout each season.”

Photos courtesy of Levittown Public Schools

Casino bus trip

The Catholic Daughters of the Americas will host a bus trip to Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, PA, on Tuesday, September 30.

The cost is $60 per person, which includes the driver’s tip, and includes a give back of $35 slot play.

Please arrive at 8:30 a.m. Return will be approximately 8:30 p.m.

Parking: # 999 So. Oyster Bay Road (dead end)

Reservations: Call Barbara at (516) 935-5576

Please make checks payable to “CDA”.

Levittown 9/11 Memorial

Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti, Councilman Dennis Dunne, and Town Clerk Kate Murray attended the Levittown 9/11 Memorial Ceremony on September 11, 2025 at Levittown Veterans Park. Also attending were members of the Levittown American Legion Post 1711, Nassau County Legislator Tom McKevitt, New York State Assemblyman John Mikulin, New York State Senator Steve Rhoads, and other friends and neighbors.

Fall Toddler Sports Program

The Town of Oyster Bay ’ s Toddler Sports Program will return this fall, beginning October 7. This 6-week program offers sports classes at the Hicksville Athletic Center for children ages 3 and 4.

“ The Town ’ s Toddler Sports Program is a fantastic way to teach your toddler the fundamentals of sports in a fun and social environment, ” said Town Councilman Lou Imbroto. “ This program is sure to be a hit with children and parents alike, as youngsters are given the opportunity to learn the basics of various different sports such as tee-ball, flag football and more along with children their own age. ”

Do you have a ser vice to adver tise?

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

The Toddler Sports Program begins October 7 and is 6 weeks in duration. Residents who sign their toddler up for the program must choose one class per week, per child. Classes will take place on: Tuesdays at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. at the Hicksville Athletic Center in Hicksville; and Thursdays at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. at the Hicksville

Athletic Center in Hicksville. Registration will take place online through the Parks Registration Portal available at oysterbaytown.com/ sports on September 8 at 9:00 a.m. Space is limited — first come, first serve. Registration will close when the program reaches full capacity. Each class is approximately 50 minutes. The cost of the program is $75 per child who is a Town resident, and $90 per child whose care giver is a Town resident but not the child. The child ’ s birth certificate and a tax or utility bill will be required to validate age and proof of residency. A guardian must be present during the class. The child MUST be 3 years old by the start of the program. The last day to request a refund for this program will be October 17.

The Toddler Sports Program is run by the Town ’ s Parks Department, Recreation Division. For further information, please call (516) 797-7945.

John Coscia was named the director of health, athletics and physical education.

Jeffrey Myers was named principal of Division Avenue High School.

Lee Road makes its mark for Dot Day

Lee Road Elementary School students Aaron Kane and Aarav Mahajan showed off their Dot Day artwork on Sept. 11.

The students at Lee Road Elementary School in the Levittown School District left their mark with artistic expression on Sept. 11 in celebration of Dot Day.

Students were challenged by art teacher Mrs. Thompson to create with only one rule in mind: it can only be made one dot at a time. Using markers, scissors and teamwork, students unleashed their creativity

and crafted colorful projects brought to life with simple dots. Some students thought outside the box and created dots with circular holes. Inspired by the children’s book “The Dot,” Dot Day teaches students to never be afraid to leave their mark on the world.

Photos courtesy Levittown Public Schools

Dot Day challenged students to collaborate and get a creative.

Music store celebrates grand reopening

Guy Brogna, owner of All Music in Plainview, with Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker.

Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D – Plainview) proudly joined leaders of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce and the greater Plainview community on Saturday, Sept. 13, in celebrating the grand re-opening of All Music in Plainview. Located at 391 S. Oyster Bay Road, the ribbon-cutting ceremony coincided with the 40th anniversary of a one-stop community shop for instruments, instrument repair, school rentals, music lessons, and more.

“For 40 years, All Music has given everyone in our community and especially our young people opportunities to immerse themselves in the world of music and the many ways that picking up an instrument enriches our lives,” Deputy Minority Leader Drucker said. “Congratulations to Guy Brogna and his team on this major milestone and exciting new chapter – I wish him many more years of success and growth in their beautiful new space!”

Seminar set to protect seniors from scammers

In a concerted effort to safeguard senior citizens from increasingly prevalent scams, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly and the Town of Oyster Bay are partnering to host a series of educational seminars this fall. The initiative aims to equip seniors and their caregivers with the knowledge and tools necessary to recognize, report, and combat fraudulent schemes.

Senior citizens, often targeted due to their limited familiarity with modern technology and scam tactics, face heightened risks of manipulation. Factors such as loneliness and medication-related vulnerabilities can exacerbate their susceptibility. The seminars will cover a range of topics including:

• Common scam tactics and how to identify them

• Steps to take if you suspect a scam

• Practical strategies for safeguarding personal information

• Resources for reporting fraudulent activities

These informative sessions will be held at community centers throughout the Town of Oyster Bay, ensuring easy access

for residents. The remaining seminar is:

• Friday, September 26, at 1:30 p.m. at Marjorie Post Park Community Center, 451 Unqua Road, Massapequa.

“Protecting our seniors is a top priority,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “By working with District Attorney Donnelly, we are taking proactive steps to ensure that our elderly community members are informed and empowered against deceitful tactics.”

District Attorney Donnelly stated, “My office is dedicated to combating fraud using all the tools at our disposal, and community engagement is vital to keeping Nassau County safe. Through these educational seminars, seniors will learn how to spot the warning signs of a scam and, most importantly, protect themselves and their finances. Working together with leaders like Supervisor Saladino, we can fight back against senior scams across our county and blunt their impact on our most vulnerable residents.”

Residents are encouraged to attend these seminars to gain valuable insights and share the information with family and friends.

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Blooming Buds blossoms in Syosset’s downtown

operations, Sonu Chadha.

A Philosophy of Love

For 23 years, Blooming Buds has served the community with a curriculum that weaves 35 research-based skills into play-based lessons promoting social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive growth.

“Blooming Buds is all about love. This is the best school environment ever, and this place is my soul – we can never let go of our soul and our connection to this community,” Chadha said.

Raised in a large multigenerational family in Delhi, India, Chadha often cared for younger cousins, making sure love, harmony, and respect were ever-present. That early responsibility inspired her lifelong passion for nurturing children.

Chadha, who has lived in Syosset for 26 years, credits her two directors— Angie Castro, with more than 20 years of experience, and Victoria Tessitore, a veteran pre-K teacher with advanced degrees—for carrying forward the center’s philosophy. At Blooming Buds’ graduation events in June, even two-

year-olds lit up with smiles when their teachers called them by name.

Her vision was always to create something different from traditional childcare centers, with a strong emphasis on social-emotional development.

“I made a promise to myself that every child who walks in here will feel happy and excited to come to school, and grow in confidence while learning and enjoying their early years,” she recalled. “I wanted this to be a loving, positive environment where children’s confidence skyrockets – that’s why I do what I do. And our parents in Syosset tell us they find us so welcoming and loving as their children gain both educational and life skills,” Chadra shared.

Programs and Services

Blooming Buds enrollment is open year-round, with the preschool program beginning September 2 alongside public schools. The center also hosts Syosset Central Schools’ UPK program, with two UPK classrooms. Teachers are wellversed in the district’s curriculum and prepare children for a smooth transition into kindergarten.

The after-school program includes bus transportation from Syosset’s Vil-

lage Elementary School. Blooming Buds is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with flexible schedules ranging from full-day care to half-day programs.

Beyond academics, children participate in Chinese, Hindi, and German language classes, as well as karate, soccer, and tumbling. Every child is exposed to a variety of engaging activities for both mind and body.

A Family Commitment

Chadha and her husband, Deepak, a business owner in satellite services, live in Jericho. Their son attended Jericho schools, and their nephews and future grandchildren will as well.

The heart of Syosset was the only place Sonu considered for opening the learning center.

“Families choose this community because of the excellent local schools. They understand the long-term value of sending their children to great schools with a loving and caring atmosphere,” she explained.

Blooming Buds has remained a steady resource through Syosset’s population surges in 2002 and again in 2021, when new homeowners filled the district with young families. This year, Chadha also joined the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce, strength-

ening ties with local businesses and organizations.

Community Connection and Nutrition

Blooming Buds emphasizes constant communication with families. Staff provide resources and support for children experiencing changes at home.

The center is also proud to be fully organic and vegetarian—the only program of its kind on Long Island, and possibly in the state. Meals feature veggie nuggets instead of chicken, with a nutritionist reviewing and approving all menu items.

One proud grandparent, Palaniswami Thiru Kumar, better known as the “Dosa Man of NYC,” has a granddaughter enrolled at Blooming Buds. He praised the love and care of the staff, joking that their warmth comes “because they’re vegetarian.”

A Guiding Spirit

In her office, Chadha displays a favorite quote from her meditation teacher, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj: “Love turns life into a blooming paradise.”

“We say love is contagious—be a carrier,” she said.

For more information, call 516-4961050 or visit BloomingBudsNY.com. From page 1

Pre K students enjoyed graduation festivities.

The staff of Blooming Buds congratulated the new graduates. Photos by Rikki Massand

This Week at the Syosset Public Library

Thursday, September 18, at 2:00 p.m.

The Making of King Kong (IN-PERSON)

Presenter: Sal St. George, pop culture historian

Learn the captivating back story of one of cinema's grandest and most memorable adventures produced. Considered to be the greatest ground-breaking horror film of all time, King Kong features a superb cast and a magnificent music score. The 1933 film has spawned countless remakes and sequels, but none have ever captured the imagination and excitement of the original. No registration needed.

Thursday, September 18, at 7:00 p.m.

Writing Workshop: How to Write Great Dialogue (VIRTUAL)

Presenter: Erin Coughlin, award-nominated writer and producer and author of “Pop and Fizz’s Double Feature Movie Night Guide”

In this intensive writing workshop, you’ll discover all of the writing tips and tricks that you need to create great dialogue. Learn how you can use dialogue to engage your readers/audience and improve your writing. Registration needed. Register at syossetlibrary.org.

Friday, September 19, at 2:00 p.m. Friday Movie at

the Library (IN-PERSON)

Join us for an afternoon movie at the library. Check our website for the movie that will be shown. Go to syossetlibrary. org.

Thursday, September 25, at 2:00 p.m.

Gilda Radner (IN-PERSON)

Presenter: Marc Courtade, retired arts director

Gilda’s career was brief but brilliant. She is most remembered for her stint as one of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” on “Saturday Night Live ”from 1975-1980. Radner perfected a series of comic characters which she helped create, becoming an iconic figure in the history of American comedy. No registration is needed.

Friday, September 26, at 10:00 a.m.

Simply Stronger with Balance (VIRTUAL)

Instructor: Mindy Vasta

Handheld weights, resistance bands and balls will help improve strength, flexibility, and coordination. Includes a balance segment to enhance posture, core strength, and proper alignment of muscle groups. Exercises can be performed sitting or standing. Equipment recommended but not required. Registration needed. Register at syossetlibrary.org.  The Zoom link will be sent out once you register.

Readers Services Events at the Syosset Public Library

Tuesday, October 7, at 2 p.m.

Readers Services

Banned Book Discussion

We’re celebrating Banned Books Week with a special program. Join Kaye Spurrell, Readers’ Services Librarian, for an in-person discussion of the 1963 classic novel, “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath. Copies of the book will be available at the Circulation Desk one month before the discussion. No registration.

Tuesday, October 14, at 2 p.m.

Title Swap Tuesdays

Excited to hear about our favorite books? Join the Readers’ Services librarians for a fun, lively in-person presentation of all the books we can’t stop talking

about. Leave with a list of great reads. No registration.

Tuesday, October 28, at 2 p.m.

Afternoon Book Discussion

Join Lisa Hollander, Readers’ Services Librarian, for an in-person discussion of “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride, Winner of the 2024 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. Copies of the book will be available at the Circulation Desk one month before the discussion. No registration.

*All events are wheelchair accessible. The Syosset Public Library is located at 225 South Oyster Bay Rd., Syosset. For more information please call 516-921-7161 ext. 239 or  email: Readersservices@syossetlibrary.org

See what's happening at your library!

From classes to lectures and concerts to movie screenings, there's never a dull day at your local library! Check this paper each week for fun and informative all-ages activities, all for free or cheap!

IN MEMORIAM

George Haber

August 23, 2025

George Haber, age 81, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and educator, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2025, at the age of 81.

Born in Brooklyn, George graduated from Brooklyn College, where he met his future wife Elinor in a history class. He earned his master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

George built a distinguished career in public relations and journalism with various organizations before establishing his own PR firm. He also contributed freelance writing to The Jericho News Journal and other publications.

Later, he discovered his true calling as an educator, teaching business and technical writing at the New York Institute of Technology, Vaughn College of Aeronautics, and SUNY Farmingdale. His students nicknamed him "Professor Stories" for the colorful anecdotes he wove into every lesson.

George was renowned for his extraordinary sense of humor and gift for storytelling. He loved sharing tales from his colorful life—from interviewing Malcolm X for his college newspaper to attending Bob Marley's funeral. His interests included travel, great food, noir films, bluegrass music, and the perfect cup of coffee.

Even during his final illness, he continued preparing lessons from his hospital bed, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to education.

George lived fully, loved deeply, and leaves behind countless stories and cher-

ished memories. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the students he inspired, and the family who carry his spirit of curiosity, laughter, and zest for life.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 58 years, Elinor; his son Jeff; daughter-inlaw Kathy; and two cherished grandsons, Zachary and Bryan.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Temple Or Elohim in Jericho, NY.

Arts and Crafts for Toddlers

The Town of Oyster Bay’s popular Toddler Arts & Crafts Program will be offered again this fall, beginning on October 7. This 6-week program offers classes at the Town’s Ice Skating Center Community Room in Bethpage and at the Hicksville Athletic Center, and is open to children ages 2 through 4.

“The Town’s Toddler Arts & Crafts Program is a wonderful way to help support your toddler’s development through nurturing their artistic expression,” said Town Councilman Andrew Monteleone. “Classes will certainly fill up quickly as this program offers children an opportunity to meet others their age and explore their creativity. Highlights of the program include holiday crafts and ceramics.”

The Toddler Arts & Crafts Program begins October 7 and is 6 weeks in duration. Residents who sign their toddler up for the program must choose one class per week, per child. Classes will take place on:

• Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. for twoyear-olds, and 11:00 a.m. for three-andfour-year-olds at the Hicksville Athletic Center in Hicksville

• Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. for twoyear-olds, and 11:00 a.m. for three-and-

four-year-olds at the Ice Skating Center Community Room in Bethpage;

• Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. for twoyear-olds, and 11:00 a.m. for three-andfour-year-olds at the Ice Skating Center Community Room in Bethpage.

Registration will take place online through the Parks Portal, and is available at oysterbaytown.com/portal as of September 8 at 9:00 a.m. Space is limited- first come, first serve. Registration will close when the program reaches full capacity.

Each class is approximately 45 minutes. The cost of the program is $35 per child who is a Town resident, and $45 per child whose care giver is a Town resident but not the child. The child’s birth certificate and a tax or utility bill will be required to validate age and proof of residency. A guardian must be present during the class. A smock and supplies will be provided with enrollment. The final day to request a refund for this program will be October 17.

The Toddler Arts & Crafts Program is run by the Town’s Parks Department, Recreation Division. For further information, please call (516) 797-7945.

George Haber

Discovering Cambodia’s Angkor Archeological Park, Among the World’s Most Fabulous Monument

BY KAREN RUBIN TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM

Today - technically the third day of our four-day Discovery Bicycle Tours Cambodia pre-tour - is our first real bike ride, scheduled for 36 miles. We pick up our bikes at the tourist office where we also pick up our passes for the national historic sites, and cycle right into the Angkor Archeological Park. We cycle on the Angkor Bikeway and hidden trails through the ruins and forest of Angkor.

We bike on country lanes with rice paddies and fields on either side, seeing homes with thatch roofs, water buffalo. Our guide, Tang, shows us a cashew nut as it is plucked from the tree, the outer layer opened releasing a noxious acid; and the abandoned skin of a snake.

Then we have our first real challenge. What feels like 10 of the miles (and is probably less), though, is riding through a thick layer of sand (like skiing on ice). Once I get the hang of it (the trick is getting into a lower gear), it is still stressful, requiring concentration, but not as scary, with immense and lasting satisfaction when we come to the end of this country road, where we come to a literal archway. Here we find a USAID hat in the middle of that sandy road - crumpled, ripped, dirty, trampled - a metaphor it seemed for what Trump/Musk had just done by shutting down USAID.

We ride a bit further on regular streets and have our first snack stop – with local foods (best cashews ever), dragon fruit, bananas, and

The dramatic sunset scene of the warrior statues on the Tonle Om Gate bridge outside the Preah Khan temple on our Discovery Bicycle Tours four-day Siem Reap, Cambodia pre-tour. More photos at goingplacesfarandnear.com © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

coconuts cut so we can drink the juice with a straw, and then come upon a wedding and learn a bit about the two-day ritual.

We come to our first temple, Banteay Srei, a 10th century temple dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva and Parvati. It is considered a “jewel of Khmer art” because of its intricate carvings.

Our next stop is Ta Som with its dramatic ficus (fig) tree enveloping one of the towers. It was constructed at the end of 12th century, beginning of 13th C during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. It was destroyed centuries ago and lay in ruins until partners around the world provided assistance to restore it. The temple earned a place on the World Heritage list in 1992 and was the first

project to be managed by the World Monuments Fund’s Cambodian staff.

The art work – and especially the views you get as you walk through the archways and frames – is dazzling.

The full ride is 36 miles, but we have to cut it short by 6 miles for time, so are transported to the last two temples by bus (others could cut short the ride even earlier because the bus and bike truck pretty much follow us).

We next come to the stunning and significant Preah Khan, which I find most intriguing and spell-binding – perhaps because one of the guides offers to give a private tour for $5.

Preah Khan (it means «Royal Sword») was built in the 12th century

GOING PLACES NEAR AND

for King Jayavarman VII  to honor his father on the site of his victory over the invading Chams in 1191.

The guard explains that the King built this temple with an aim of bringing Hindus and Buddhists together – a Buddhist sanctuary is offset by satellite Hindu temples; half of the temple has Hindu carvings; the other half is Buddhist – and I wonder if this is why the temple was intentionally destroyed.

What is so fascinating about these vast temple complexes is that they were not just for worship but would have been like palaces, castles or fortresses, housing hundreds, if not thousands of people.

The Preah Khan complex combined the roles of city, temple and Buddhist university and would have had 97,840 attendants and servants, including 1000 dancers and 1000 teachers.

The stone – which mostly appears grey-black- becomes a blazing orange in the setting sun as we leave.

We cross a bridge lined with impressive military figures– several with the heads cut off, very possibly to sell on the black market.

As we cross, the sun, glowing a fiery red, offers a spectacular scene and our guide, Hang, stops the bus for us.  We have just two minutes to capture the setting sun before it falls behind trees.

Between 800 and 1200 A.D., hundreds, if not thousands of temples were built through the region. The oldest ones have all but disappeared due to weather, war, religious conflict and greed (stealing the art for sale). The ones we see today have

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GOING PLACES, NEAR & FAR....

Discovering Cambodia’s Angkor Archeological Park

Continued from previous page

had to be excavated from overgrowth and restored, and represent the Golden Age of monument building. They have a certain common style – largely because of they were built in the same era, and many of the ones we see were built by King Jayavarman VII, which makes you wonder about how he had the resources and manpower. But the temples are remarkably individual for their art, theme and most especially how you experience of discovering them, so I come away with my favorites.

The most famous – for good reason –is Angkor Wat, widely recognized (confirmed by the Guinness World Records) as the largest religious structure or monument in the world, a religious complex spanning more than 400 acres (five times the size of the Vatican). It was originally built by the Khmer Empire, commissioned by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple before being converted into a Buddhist site by the end of the century.

Back at the Aviary Hotel, I get in a 20-minute swim in the rooftop pool before meeting our group for a 10-minute walk to Chamrey Tree, an elegant restaurant filled with gorgeous art, where we have a fantastic dinner.

After dinner, Calista and Jake go off to explore the night market, where Jake is game to try any unusual food. The next morning, he reports back of his experience eating insects (not sure if he also snacked on snake or just observed).

Departure Day: Angkor Sunrise & Biking

Day 4 is our departure day, but our last morning in Cambodia starts at 4:30 am (we are given a bagged breakfast to take with us) so we can be at Angkor Wat (with thousands of others) for the sunrise. The famous view would have

BY CHARLYN FARGO

We all know that fiber -- and even more fiber -- is beneficial. Scientists are now studying if fiber can help cancer treatments be more effective.

A clinical trial is underway at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to see if giving patients a fiber-rich diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains to nourish the microbiome might improve the odds that a cancer treatment of immunotherapy is effective. It turns out that some cancer patients respond to immunotherapy, and some don’t. Scientists have found that patients who harbor certain gut bacteria have better responses to immunotherapy than patients who lack them.

Jennifer McQuade, an assistant pro-

the iconic temple back-lit and reflected in two large pools in front - alas the sunrise is not all that impressive and even coming so early, it is hard to get a good enough position, but the experience is exciting enough.

The real thrill comes after, when we go to explore the temple. Most of the sunrise goers leave, so we are able to visit with comparatively few people if we hustle - our guide urges us to get on line fast so we aren’t trapped in an hour-long wait to climb the steep staircase.

We get inside the temple just as the sun is penetrating the structure.

It took hundreds of thousands of workers just 37 years to build – (the 37 year deadline coincides with the belief in 37 heavens and 32 hells and there are 37 steps to enter. Like Machu Picchu, these temples were built by devotees as well as slaves. The stones came from a quarry 35 miles away (during COVID, they had time to study and discovered a canal, which they now believe was used to float the stones).

The temple would have been overgrown after centuries of abandonment; it was rediscovered in 1941 and the French helped restore the temple after a collapse in 1947;

the World Monuments Fund has been working to preserve and restore these temples since 1991. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

Built in early 12th C under the reign of Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat was both the grandest of all Khmer temples and a city in its own right.

Angkor Wat houses what are considered the finest examples of Khmer art – carved bas-reliefs stretching nearly 600 meters.

In the eyes of Khmer people, the most significant bas-relief located in

Fiber Benefits

fessor and physician scientist in melanoma medical oncology at MD Anderson and her colleague Jennifer Wargo, a cancer surgeon, are studying if patients’ microbiomes can be changed by what patients eat.

Some of the gut microbes that appear to improve how patients respond to immunotherapy are known to thrive on fiber.

McQuade’s team examined the diets of 128 melanoma patients and found that those who regularly ate large amounts of fiber from fruits, vegetables and other plant foods had better outcomes on immunotherapy than patients who ate the least amount of fiber. Their findings, published in Science in December, showed that every five-gram increase in daily fiber intake was associated with a 30% lower risk of death or cancer progression.

In the new study, patients are given

the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery portrays devas and asuras in a dramatic tug of war, representing the eternal struggle of good and evil that churns  amrit, the elixir of everlasting life, from the primordial ocean.

Heaven and Hell is depicted in an astonishing 68-meter long wall carving: heaven above consists of two tiers; hell has 32 tiers. The inscriptions tell what kind of sin a person may have committed in life judging by the tier the sinner ended up on after death.

In the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas (Preah Poan) a few stand out dramatically from the grey statues for their gold robes.

From Angkor Wat, we bike to the Bayon Temple, with its enormous, fantastical enigmatic faces looking in every direction from every stone tower – 216 in all. It is not known who the face represents – we heard they represented Buddha before achieving Nirvana, or possibly the ruler who built the temple, Jayavarman VII.

Dating from the late 12th century (after Angkor Wat) and the last to be built in the Angkor, the Bayon is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built to pay homage to the king responsible for its construction, Jayavarman VII, and dedicated to his mother. We are told that 12,640 people would have lived within it, including 650 dancing girls.

With time growing short before some of our group has to get to the airport, our 12-mile bike ride is cut short (though some have biked along the top of the defensive walls of Angkor Thom). and we travel by bus to the last temple we get to visit Ta Prohm, famous for scenes from Angelina Jolie’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” film.

You really feel the age of the Ta Prohm temple with massive trees growing out of the stone and massive stone

blocks in heaps.

It’s fairly amazing how much we do on Day 4, our departure day when we fly to Hanoi to start the 12-day Vietnam bike tour: three temples, a fabulous bike ride, lovely lunch, and since they have arranged a late check out (the flight several of us are on is at 7 pm), I even have time for a swim. But then I remind myself: we got up at 4:30 am!

Discovery Bicycle Tours organizes everything to make our biking as satisfying and our brief time here as productive and pleasant as possible.

Discovery does a great job of providing advance materials, the day-by-day itinerary, packing lists; excellent bikes (e-bikes are available but not really necessary) and helmets, and even though we do ride together with guides at the front and back and not really a great idea to go off on our own, we have Ride GPS so we can follow the route.

Get the required visa and arrival document at Cambodia’s website (evisa. gov.kh), where the fee is $30 (if you use a visa service it costs something like $197), but give yourself enough time to get the confirmation.

Also, always double-check the U.S. State Department’s travel advisory and make sure no vaccinations are required or recommended.

It is also recommended to purchase travel insurance – especially for the medical and evacuation coverage. You can check a site like travelinsurance. com to get recommendations.

On to Vietnam!

Discovery Bicycle Tours, 2520 W. Woodstock Rd., Woodstock, VT 05091, 800-257-2226, +1 802 457 3553, info@discoverybicycletours.com, discovery bicycletours.com.

© 2025 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear. com

daily meals that include as much as 50 grams of daily fiber from foods like beans, lentils, farro, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables -- about twice the recommended amount of 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. By comparison, the average American eats roughly 15 grams a day. (A control group will eat a healthy diet that follows guidelines from the American Cancer Society.)

The bottom line is even if a person doesn’t have cancer, eating more fiber is beneficial. Additional fiber means a healthier microbiome and a host of other benefits, from lowering cholesterol to helping with weight loss.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian wit SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, and the current president of the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

BY CLAIRE LYNCH

It’s crisp and cool - this is Autumn

The sights, sounds and scents of autumn never cease to amaze me. They always seem to take me by surprise when I walk out my door and I smell or see something that is “typically fall.” Because of that - and because of temperatures that are cooler and crisper than summer - autumn always has been my favorite season. Each fall my young niece and nephew like standing under a tall maple tree and getting showered by a splay of leaves falling gently to the ground. Then they stomp on the leaves and laugh when they hear the crunch, crunch sound. They get such a kick out of it that I laugh and can’t help but join in their fun. We call it “dancing under the good, old trees.” Here are some other things I like about fall.

The scent of fireplaces

I’m sitting here reading a book next to the open window and the smell of a fireplace burning is drifting in. Someone has a fire going down the street and it smells delightful. It’s also a reminder to me that it is a first sign of autumn. I like these reminders that a page has turned, that a new season has begun. My friend, Nicole, told me a few months ago that her parents have a small house upstate and they use their open-hearth fireplace to heat the home when they go there in the colder months. It is built into a wall and made completely of stone. I have visited Nicole’s family in that home which they call “the cabin” and that smell of woodsmoke always reminds me of upstate - of small towns, tall pine trees and winding rivers. Some people say that our sense of smell is one of our least appreciated senses. But it is also one of our most powerfully evocative senses. The minute I smell any type of fireplace burning either in the distance or close by it conjures up all types of memories: being 10 years old and standing in my grandparents’ kitchen with my two sisters smelling the food cooking on their wood burning stove. Of being 13 years old and when I walked into my best friend’s house next door early one winter morn-

ing when we were off from school I was greeted by the smell of their open hearth fireplace roaring. Her father had just placed some logs on the fire minutes before and I liked being greeted by its scent and feeling the warmth those logs threw off. My mother had sent me to get three cups of flour from her mother because in our kitchen we were almost out of it. I knew that mom wanted to bake three dozen chocolate chip cookies for our family and that sounded mouth watering to me so I was on a mission to get that flour. These are warm memories - my grandparents’ kitchen and my friend’s house - that I instantly conjure up whenever I smell anyone’s fireplace.

Drinking cold apple cider

Driving home into the sunset last fall I looked over to make sure that the gallon of fresh apple cider was secure in the car. I had just picked it up at a farm and I wanted to surprise my family by serving chilled glasses of apple cider the next day at dinner. Arriving home, I put the gallon in the back of the refrig-

erator to chill overnight, hoping that no one would notice it and I started making dinner. I wanted to surprise them because I know that all of my relatives like drinking apple cider. It goes great with a meal or after dinner with a slice of cake or homemade pie no matter what flavor the pie is. That weekend my guests including my sister, Susan, and her husband, Don, planned on staying

overnight and afterwards Susan said that she had seen the gallon of apple cider in the refrigerator but didn’t let on. Susan knows me well - she knows that sometimes I like to surprise people. Sure enough my relatives were pleasantly surprised when I started placing some fancy glasses of cider on the dining room table that night. I pulled out my best crystal goblets and we toasted each other to health and happiness before starting to drink our fresh apple cider. Explaining that I got it at a farm selling fresh produce, I mentioned that I also picked up some apples at the same time. But baking and serving a homemade apple pie? That’s for another day.

Hearing the geese overhead

At some point in early October I hear the familiar sound of Canada geese flying south for warmer climates. I say at some point because I never know when it’s going to happen, never know when I will hear their honking sounds and stop everything for a few minutes to look skyward and see if I can spot them up above. It’s always such a beautiful

sight, seeing the geese in V-formation, with one following after the other, as they head for lands known or unknown where they can find food, water and comfortable temperatures. They tend to return to the same migration locations but individual flocks have their own patterns so I wonder where this particular flock will end up. Geese can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees F because their feathers act great as insulators. If the water is frozen over, however, they will migrate to another location. Warmer weather keeps the water from freezing, which can keep geese in the area for longer. The Canada geese raise their young near water where the goslings can feed and if necessary dive or swim away to escape any predators that may be around. Watching these flocks of geese is a marvel to behold each fall.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, has said: “Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.”

Little Green Spacemen and Social Security

BY TOM MARGENAU

Well, if I listen to news reports or review the emails I get from many readers, I guess I’d have to conclude that Social Security is doomed. So that means it’s time to once again trot out my “little green men and Social Security” story. This story has to do with an intriguing newspaper headline I read about 20 years ago that went like this: “More people think they’ll see little green spacemen than a future Social Security check.” The story that ran with that headline was based on a poll of young people that asked a question something like this: “Do you believe you will have a better chance of seeing a Social Security check someday or of seeing Martians land on Earth?” And guess what? Most people answered that they figured they’d be more likely to see little green men from outer space than their promised Social Security benefits.

I wasn’t surprised by those poll results then, and I’m not surprised by people’s pessimism now. That’s because I’ve been listening to Social Security skeptics for half a century. I remember way back in 1973 when I was sent out as a relatively new Social Security Administration spokesperson to deliver my first speech on the topic. And hardly before I had a chance to introduce myself, some guy in the audience who appeared to be around 40 years old jumped up and said, “I don’t know why we should listen to anything you have to say. We all know Social Security will go belly up long before we ever have a chance to collect a dime out of the system!”

Well, of course, if that guy is still alive, he’d be pushing 90 now and would have been collecting many millions of dimes in the form of Social Security checks, month in and month out, for about 30 years now. I’ve often wondered if he ever looked back and regretted his rude interruption of that neophyte Social Security rep’s maiden Social Security presentation. At least I hope he accepted the fact that he was wrong.

That story always reminds me of something I learned from one of my mentors when I started working for the Social Security Administration. He was a fairly high-placed official within the agency who started working for the SSA shortly after it was created in 1936. And he told me that way back then, many members of the public were telling him that the Social Security program was doomed to failure.

Well, those doomsayers in 1936 were wrong about the future of Social Security. And that rude audience member who interrupted me in 1973 was wrong about the future of Social Security. And those poll respondents from about 20 years ago who said they’d see Martians from space before they’d see Social Security benefits were also wrong about the future of Social Security. And so too are the people I still hear from today who tell me that Social Security is destined to fail.

I mean, come on, folks! The Social Security program is 90 years old now. It has

been paying monthly benefits for many decades without fail to hundreds of millions of people. How long must the program be around before people accept the fact that it is here to stay?

But of course, I’m not naive. I know what fuels people’s recent skepticism about the future of the program. You can hardly go a week without seeing some newspaper report or some internet story predicting Social Security’s demise.

Some of the headlines, like this one: “Social Security going broke in 2034” are just outright false. Some of the headlines, like this one: “Social Security benefits to be cut 20% in 2034,” are misleading. And of course, none of the headlines tell the whole story.

If you go beyond the headlines and read the rest of the story, you will see a statement similar to this one: “By 2034, Social Security will only have enough cash reserves to pay 80% of promised benefits IF NO CHANGES ARE MADE TO THE SYSTEM BY THEN.”

I added the emphasis to the “if no changes ... “ part of that sentence because it is the key. The Social Security program will never reach the point where future benefits will have to be cut by 20% because there is absolutely no question that the system will be reformed before we reach the 2034 crunch date.

How do I know that? Well, for one thing, it’s just common sense. No member of Congress, no president, no government official is going to let the Social Security program go belly up. You can be as cynical as you want about the state of politics and about the lack of bipartisanship in our country today. But I can assure you that no politician is going to say to their elderly constituents: “Sorry Grandma, because I’m bickering with my colleagues across the aisle and can’t get anything done, I’m going to just forget about reforming Social Security and cut your Social Security checks by 20%!” (OK, maybe there are a few rogue members of Congress out there who might say that, but certainly nowhere near a majority.)

How else do I know that Social Security will not go belly up by 2034? Well, history is on my side. Throughout its history, the program has been reformed many times to keep it relevant and to keep it financially secure. The last time that happened in a big way was the early 1980s. At that point, the Social Security system was about five years away from going in the red. Back then, President Reagan appointed the National Commission on Social Security Reform, made up of a bipartisan coalition of Senators and members of Congress and other experts. They proposed, and Congress eventually passed, a series of relatively modest tax increases and benefit cuts that have kept the system solvent for the next 50 years.

And that’s what’s going to happen again. I’m betting there will be another commission established that will suggest relatively modest reforms that will keep

the program solvent for the next half-century.

Before I close, I must make this point. I get dozens of emails from readers who tell me that the aforementioned Social Security headlines scare them. So, they are choosing to take early (and reduced) benefits now so that they can get “grand-

fathered in” to the current system before the program goes bust. My advice to them is always the same. DO NOT make Social Security decisions based on politics. Make decisions based on your own personal economic situation. And I say that because

Continued on page 7

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Selling in a Seller’s Market: The Hidden Challenges on LI

When people hear the term “seller’s market,” the immediate reaction is usually excitement. After all, the phrase implies that homeowners hold the upper hand. With limited inventory, rising demand, and eager buyers, what could go wrong? On Long Island, though, even in a market tilted in favor of sellers, challenges abound. Selling a home is rarely as simple as putting up a “For Sale” sign and waiting for bidding wars to begin.

The Price Trap: Overconfidence Meets Appraisal Reality

One of the greatest pitfalls sellers face in Nassau and Suffolk counties is overpricing. Because media headlines often highlight record sales, many homeowners believe they can set the bar sky-high and still attract offers. While buyers may show interest, the deal often stumbles when lenders require an appraisal. If the property does not appraise at the inflated asking price, the buyer’s financing can fall apart, forcing sellers to renegotiate or accept less.

Sellers who price strategically— slightly under market value to generate multiple bids—often walk away with stronger results than those who reach for unrealistic numbers. Overconfidence can leave a property languishing on the market, even when demand is strong.

Timing the Market: A Delicate Balance

Another issue is timing. A true seller’s market can shift rapidly. Rising mortgage rates, new inventory, or seasonal slowdowns can cool momentum in weeks. A homeowner who hesitates, hoping for prices to climb just a little higher, may suddenly find themselves with more competition and fewer buyers.

This is especially relevant on Long Island, where seasonal trends are significant. Spring and early summer traditionally bring the strongest demand, while late fall and winter see slower traffic. Sellers who miss the seasonal peak might not feel like they’re in a seller’s market at all.

Interest Rates and Buyer Affordability

Even in a robust market, affordability remains a hurdle for buyers. As mortgage rates climb, purchasing power shrinks. For sellers, this means that while multiple buyers may be interested, fewer can actually afford to close. Deals can fall through late in the process, leaving sellers frustrated.

On Long Island, where property taxes are already among the highest in the nation, higher borrowing costs create added strain. Buyers quickly hit

their ceiling, which can cap price growth even when demand remains strong.

Inspections and the Hidden Cost of Deferred Maintenance

BY PHILIP A. RAICES

Many sellers assume a hot market allows them to skip repairs. While buyers may overlook cosmetic flaws when competition is fierce, home inspections still carry weight. Issues such as aging roofs, outdated heating systems, or structural concerns can trigger last-minute renegotiations. Sellers who have deferred maintenance often find themselves conceding thousands of dollars in credits or scrambling for repairs before closing.

This challenge is especially acute in Long Island’s older housing stock. Homes built in the mid-20th century are now showing their age, and what sellers see as “character” can look like costly repairs to cautious buyers.

Cash Offers: Tempting but Risky

The rise of investor and cash buyers has also complicated the playing field. A cash offer can be alluring because it promises speed and fewer contingencies. However, these buyers often expect discounts in exchange for fast closings. In some cases, investors back out at the last minute or use inspections to renegotiate aggressively.

Sellers should weigh the benefits of a cash offer against the possibility of getting a higher price from a traditional buyer, even if it means waiting a few extra weeks for financing approval.

The Stress of Life Transitions

Not every seller enters the market by choice. Divorce, downsizing, job relocation, illness, or the need to transition into assisted living often create pressure to sell quickly. Even in a favorable market, these homeowners may not have the luxury of time or resources to prepare a property for maximum return.

This creates a paradox: the market favors sellers broadly, but individual circumstances can still leave some feeling at a disadvantage. For these households, careful planning and expert guidance are essential to avoid leaving money on the table.

Local Realities: Taxes, Regulations, and Moving On

Long Island’s unique landscape adds another layer of complexity. Property taxes are a constant consideration for

buyers and can influence how much they are willing to pay. Additionally, zoning restrictions, permitting delays, and strict regulations can make it harder for sellers who hope to market their property as a “fixer-upper” or redevelopment opportunity. Another challenge often overlooked is what comes after the sale. Sellers who intend to remain on Long Island must face the same tight inventory and rising prices as buyers. Many find that while they can sell quickly, finding an affordable next home proves difficult. This reality sometimes causes sellers to delay putting their home on the market altogether.

How Sellers Can Navigate the Challenges

While the issues are real, they are not insurmountable. Homeowners can take several steps to protect themselves and maximize success:

1. Price with precision. Work with a local professional who understands recent comparable sales and appraisal standards.

2. Prepare the property. Address major maintenance issues upfront and consider modest upgrades that increase buyer confidence.

3. Plan for inspections. Expect them to happen and decide in advance how flexible you are willing to be on repairs or credits.

4. Evaluate all offers carefully. Don’t just chase the highest price— consider the buyer’s financing strength, contingencies, and likelihood of closing.

5. Have a post-sale plan. Whether moving locally or out of state, think through your next step before signing a contract.

Conclusion: A Market That Rewards the Prepared

On Long Island, a seller’s market can be both a golden opportunity and a minefield. Prices may be strong and demand high, but that does not eliminate the risks of overpricing, failed appraisals, inspection disputes, or timing missteps. Sellers who assume they cannot lose in this environment often find themselves surprised.

The key to success lies in preparation, realistic expectations, and strategic decision-making. A seller’s market may tilt the balance in favor of homeowners, but the best results still go to those who enter the process with clear eyes and careful planning.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 43+ years experience in the Real Estate industry and has earned 3 significant designations:

National Association of Realtors Graduate Realtors Institute (what I consider a Master’s degree in real estate).

Certified International Property Specialist - expert in consulting and completing international transactions.

National Association of Realtors Green designation: eco-friendly low carbon footprint construction with 3-D printed foundations, Solar panels, Geothermal HVAC/Heat Pumps).

He will also provide a copy of “Unlocking the Secrets of Real Estate’s New Market Reality, and his Seller’s and Buyer’s Guides for “Things to Consider when Selling, investing or Purchasing your Home.

He will provide you with “free” regular updates of what has gone under contract (pending), been sold (closed) and those homes that have been withdrawn/ released or expired (W/R) and all new listings of homes, HOA, Townhomes, Condos, and Coops in your town or go to:

https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com and you can “do it yourself (DYI) and search at your leisure on your own. However, for a “FREE” no obligation/ no strings attached 15-minute consultation, as well as a “FREE printout or digital value analysis of what your home might sell for in today’s market without any obligation or “strings” attached call him at (516) 647-4289 or email: Phil@ TurnKeyRealEstate.com

You can now search at your leisure for properties at:

WWW.Li-RealEstate.com

bit.ly/4bXWVu6 (facebook.com) bit.ly/4inVqaR (X.com) bit.ly/4bVSwrs (linkedIn)

bit.ly/4inVK9z (Instagram) bit.ly/4bQH14x (YouTube)

BY MARY HUNT

What would we do if we actually had to use everything we own, including all that stuff in the drawers, cupboards, closets, shelves and boxes in our kitchen, bedrooms, living room, basement, attic, garage, rafters, driveway, patio, side yard and cars?

Could we do it? It’s not likely. Instead, we pack it, stack it and pile it away -- we even pay rent to store it -- and keep accumulating even more. More stuff dilutes the quality of our lives.

Every possession carries two price tags: the original purchase price and the continuing toll. That second amount is paid in upkeep, time, maintenance and storage. It can charge its toll in anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, financial distress and even impaired function.

I’ve done it. Perhaps you have, too. I’ve packed it all up and paid someone to move it to a new place. “I’ll sort it there,” I told myself. Years later, I’m still hounded by unpacked boxes that I’ve moved from one house to another, from one floor to the basement, from one room to another or just one side of the closet to the other.

Who could calculate the number of hours we’ve tossed down the drain because of clutter? Simple tasks turn into search-and-rescue missions. There are some people in my neighborhood who

EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE

Clutter’s Last Stand

move the entire contents of the garage onto the front lawn to retrieve holiday decorations. Then, they take the rest of the day cramming it all back before dark.

Perhaps you know about or have heard of the 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. It says that 80% of outcomes result from 20% of inputs. The rule is uncannily predictive. For example, the average person wears 20% of the clothes he or she owns; 80% just take up space in the closet. Here’s another: 20% of employees are responsible for 80% of the results; 20% of students have grades of 80% or higher. It is quite amazing how that works out.

JUDGE

YOUR CLUTTER

Ask yourself these five questions to decide if it is clutter or not:

No. 1: Does it work?

So much of the clutter in our homes is made up of broken things we plan to fix and clothes that might someday fit.

No. 2: Do I really need it?

Determine the impact of this item disappearing from your life.

No. 3: Do I enjoy it?

If this item brings beauty and joy to your life, it is not clutter. Sentimental belongings and things that bring true beauty to our lives should be treated with great care and respect, not packed away in the attic to be forgotten.

No. 4: Am I using it now?

Although the 80/20 rule is frequently used in business and economics, you can apply the concept to just about anything -- especially clutter. Remember, Pareto says we use and enjoy 20% of what we own. The other 80% is made up of items we don’t use, feel we should use or think we might use someday. If that item doesn’t fall into the 20% of things you own that you use on a regular basis, love and enjoy, consider it suspect.

No. 5: Will I use it in the next year?

If you are not certain you will use it soon, more than likely, it’s clutter!

MOVE IT OUT

Sell it, give it away or throw it out. One of the best solutions for “good stuff” is to give it to someone who wants or needs it. The more seriously you take this mat-

ter of de-junking, the greater the positive impact it will have on your life. Important stuff will be easier to find when you don’t have to rifle through piles of worthless clutter.

Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “DebtProof Living.”

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

Meal Prep for People Who Hate Meal Prep

BY MARY HUNT

Some people love meal prep. They plan every meal, color-code containers, and smile as they portion out grilled chicken and broccoli like a seasoned chef. This article is not for them.

This is for the rest of us. The folks who want dinner on the table but without surrendering their entire weekend to a week’s worth of meals all neatly loaded into labeled Tupperware.

If the words “meal prep” make you want to lie down with a bag of chips, keep reading. This is meal prep for people who hate meal prep.

Before you toss the whole idea out the window, let’s get practical. Eating out is expensive. The average restaurant meal in the U.S. now costs over $20 per person once you add tax and tip -- and that’s if you skip the appetizer, soda and dessert.

A fast-casual dinner for a family of four? Easily $60 or more. Do that a few times a week, and you’re spending like it’s vacation, only you’re still at home and now the dishwasher’s full.

On the flipside, making meals at home can bring your cost down to as little as $3 to $7 per person. Over the course of a month, that can translate into hundreds of dollars in savings -- enough to pay down debt or stash away for a rainy day.

Forget about prepping every bite of every meal for the entire week. Instead, think in terms of components. Cook up a few basic ingredients you can mix and match throughout the week:

-- Grains (rice, pasta, quinoa)

-- Protein (rotisserie chicken, beans, hardboiled eggs)

-- Vegetables (chopped, roasted or raw)

-- Extras like shredded cheese, salad dressing or tortillas

You don’t need a meal plan spreadsheet.

less, and makes future you very happy. Lunch doesn’t need to be a four-star experience. Some days it’s a sandwich and some carrot sticks. Other days it’s last night’s leftover stir-fry. The goal is to avoid the “What’s for dinner?” panic that leads to overpriced

Just a few building blocks to make your weeknights less frantic.

Batch while you cook. This means just double up while you’re already cooking. If you’re chopping onions for tonight’s dinner, chop a few extras and store them. Making chili? Freeze half for next week. Boiling eggs? Make six instead of two. It’s efficient, pain-

drive-thru regret.

There is no award for doing everything from scratch. Buy the bagged salad. Use the pre-chopped onions. Let your slow cooker or sheet pan do the heavy lifting. Use frozen vegetables. Rely on that $5 rotisserie chicken like it’s your kitchen intern.

Take five minutes and make a list of

meals your household likes and that you actually know how to cook: tacos, stir-fry, pasta and sauce, sheet pan chicken. Rotate those. Don’t try to become the Barefoot Contessa overnight.

You don’t need a label maker, but a Sharpie and masking tape can save your future self from defrosting something that turns out to be soup when you were hoping for enchiladas. Write what it is and when you made it.

This isn’t a contest. Some weeks you’ll prep more. Some less. Some meals will be creative masterpieces. Others will be peanut butter toast with apple slices. It’s all OK.

The goal isn’t perfection -- it’s to stop dreading dinner and avoid feeling like the only options are expensive takeout or cereal.

Meal prep doesn’t need to be a lifestyle. It just needs to make your life a little easier. That’s a win in my book.

For even more info, links and the opportunity to make comments, I’d love to meet up with you at EverydayCheapskate.com/mealprep. See you there!

Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https:// www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

BY DENNIS MAMMANA

Week of September 21-27, 2025

A Unique Return of Saturn

We’ve been many months without a bright planet in the night sky, but that’s all about to change! On the night of Sunday, Sept. 21, the ringed planet Saturn officially returns to the evening sky, and all planet watchers will surely rejoice.

On that night, Saturn reaches its opposition point, which readers of this column know means it will lie in the heavens opposite the sun, rising in the east-southeast at sunset and glistening all night long. Its opposition also means that the planet is closest to the Earth. This week, Saturn lies only about 794.5 million miles from us and, as a result, a telescope makes it appear larger than at any other time.

Spotting Saturn in the sky isn’t too tough. Look for a bright “star” low in the eastern-southeastern sky just after dark. You should have little trouble finding it because it’s the only bright object in that area. It will remain in our evening sky for a few months, drifting westward from fall to winter, but only during the next month or so can we expect the best view with a small telescope.

Stargazers often cite Saturn as their favorite planet because of its glorious ring system that we can easily see with even a small, low-power telescope. But if you’ve never experienced this magnificent sight, I’m

afraid you’ll have to wait a bit.

That’s because as Saturn orbits the sun, it alternately displays to us different sides of the ring system. At their widest, the Saturnian rings appear “open” when the planet lies in the part of its orbit that corresponds to its summer or winter -- that is, when its poles are tilted toward the sun and Earth. This last occurred in 2017, and Saturn appeared spectacular. Right now, however, the ring system is tilted edge-

LOST IN SUBURBIA

BY TRACY BECKERMAN

After 33 years of marriage, my husband and I have finally figured out why we sometimes have trouble communicating: He can’t read my mind.

I know. I was shocked too. But there it was. And the sad fact was, I was enlightened over a bag of garbage.

One morning I came downstairs to find a bag of garbage sitting near the back door, exactly where I had left it the previous night (the garbage, not the door).

Incensed, I called my husband, who’d already left for work.

“You left the garbage next to the door!” I accused him.

“What garbage?”

“The one I left for you next to the door.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that,” he said. “I didn’t notice it.”

“How could you not notice it?” I asked him. “You would have had to

on to our line of sight. Why is this notable? Because, while these grand rings are nearly 180,000 miles wide, they are less than a mile thick. And that means that, in their current orientation, they appear quite thin. In fact, the ring plane will lie almost directly along our line of sight during the second half of November, nearly causing the rings to vanish.

Don’t worry, though; they’ll be back. Over the next few years, we’ll see them begin to “open up” once again, reaching their maximum exposure to us in 2032. In fact, by the end of this year, they should become more obvious through a small telescope.

In the meantime, skywatchers viewing with a small telescope will need to be satisfied by Saturn’s relatively tiny and nearly featureless yellow disk, along with its largest and brightest moon, Titan, which frequently appears with even the smallest of instruments as a tiny “star” nearby, as do several of its smaller moons that orbit the planet. Check out an app called Gas Giants, which will allow you to pinpoint the positions of Saturn’s moons for any time and date. If you don’t have your own scope, call your local planetarium, science museum or amateur astronomy club to see when their next “star party” will be so you won’t miss this unique view of Saturn.

Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com. .

2025 CREATORS.COM

The Psychic Wives Network

physically move it to open the door.”

“I don’t know, honey. I was in a hurry. I guess you wanted me to take it out?”

“No. It was a reminder that today is garbage pickup day, and you needed to bring the cans to the end of the driveway.”

“And I would know this how?” he wondered aloud.

“BECAUSE I LEFT THE GARBAGE NEXT TO THE DOOR!” I explained.

It made perfect sense to me, but my husband said he couldn’t possibly have known this unless he could read my mind. I was flabbergasted. Clearly, if there was a bag of garbage next to the door, anyone with half a brain would realize it meant it was a reminder for garbage pickup day ... assuming, of course, that you were Nostradamus or the Long Island Medium.

Thinking about it, I realized that we’d had other situations in which I expected him to do something with-

out my telling him to do it, and then, surprisingly, he didn’t do it. Then, of course, I’d get mad that he didn’t do it, and he, of course, wouldn’t have the slightest idea why I was mad because I never asked him to do it in the first place.

Follow that?

Honestly, though, I had always figured that while he might not actually be able to read my mind, my husband had a pretty good idea of what I was thinking most of the time. When we were dating, he realized that I wanted to get married without me actually saying so ... although I think the pictures of engagement rings I left on his desk might have helped. And then there was the time when I wanted to have a baby. He picked up on that one just as soon as I waved the pregnancy test stick with the big plus sign on it under his nose.

I suppose the fact that he always seemed to know what I wanted had less to do with being able to read my mind

and more to do with knowing how to navigate the marital waters so he didn’t sink into the irate wife abyss.

After consulting my crystal ball, I decided I might be better off simply asking my husband to do things rather than expecting him to telepathically figure it out. Satisfied with this radical new approach to my marriage, I went off to the bedroom to put away some new clothes I had just bought. As I was trying on a new swimsuit, my husband walked in.

“Wow! You look fantastic in that!” he exclaimed.

He may not be psychic, but he’s certainly no dummy.

Tracy Beckerman is the author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Barking at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble,” available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble online! You can visit her at www. tracybeckerman.com.

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

Saturn returns to the night sky on Sunday, Sept. 21.

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Fall means many things: leaves changing color, cool breezes and plenty of apples to pick. When an afternoon spent at the local orchard provides a bounty of apples, people can turn them into flavor-packed treats.

1 package (17.3 ounces) puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cream (egg wash)

2 to 3 firm apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala) or pears (D’Anjou or Bartlett) cored and peeled

1⁄2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, almonds, wal-

1) Place 1 sheet of the puff pastry on a work surface and roll out any creases. Cut the pastry into fourths. Place the four pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

2) Place the second sheet of pastry on the work surface. Cut the pastry into eight strips lengthwise and then cut in half horizontally to make 16 strips. 3) Brush the edges of each of the 4 squares with the egg wash and then place a strip of pastry on each edge to make a border.

Sweet apple flavor in every bite

Orange-Glazed Apple Tarts

This recipe for “OrangeGlazed Apple Tarts” from “Small Sweet Treats” (Gibbs Smith) by Zac Williams is a fall treat that blends apples (or pears) with the bright flavors of orange and cinnamon.

Serves 4

nuts, pecans, or pine nuts

1⁄4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄2 cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)

Vanilla or seasonal ice cream, or whipped cream

Brush the edges again with egg wash, and score the edges every 1⁄2 inch to decorate the border.

4) Thinly slice the apples or pears. Place the fruit slices on the pastry, within the border, in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle lightly with nuts, sugar and cinnamon.

4) Bake the tarts on the middle rack of a preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 375° F for an additional 10 minutes. The fruit should be cooked and the pastry

golden brown and puffed. Remove from oven.

5) While pastry is baking, heat the marmalade and rum in a small saucepan just until the marmalade has melted. As soon as the

pastries are removed from the oven, brush the tops with the warmed marmalade to form a glaze. Cool to room temperature and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

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Bethpage kicks off year with Back to School Bash

PTAs and SEPTA lined the fields with booths full of school spirit gear, raising funds for programs that directly benefit Bethpage students.

On Sept. 12, the Bethpage Union Free School District turned the sports fields at Bethpage High School into a festival ground for its annual Back to School Bash. The evening gave families from all five schools a chance to reconnect, swap summer stories and dive headfirst into a new year.

Food trucks offered everything from empanadas to ice cream, while

families spread out at tables to eat and catch up. Younger students darted between face painting, karaoke and the night’s biggest draw — Foam Long Island. Two giant cannons blasted out mountains of suds, and before long a sea of kids (and a few adventurous parents) were happily soaked.

Older students claimed the football

Many food trucks were on site to satisfy any craving – serving everything from chicken to empanadas to ice cream, and more.

The biggest hit of the event was Foam Long Island, which sprayed soap suds over a portion of one of the fields for students to play in.

field, where a DJ kept the beats rolling. They tossed footballs, practiced cheerleading stunts and lounged in groups, making the most of the warm September night.

Meanwhile, PTAs and SEPTA lined the fields with booths full of school spirit gear, raising funds for programs that directly benefit Bethpage students.

The Back to School Bash has become a September tradition families look forward to all year, and once again, it delivered. By the end of the night, the fields were full of laughter, music and yes, plenty of soapy shoes.

Photos courtesy of Bethpage Union Free School District

Older students gravitated to the football field, where a DJ kept energy high.

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Reviving Hope: A Breakthrough Approach to Treating Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

"Several years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatments. I'm now in remission and blessed to still be here, but I was in so much pain. My feet and hands were constantly burning - a tingling sensation, almost like when your leg or arm falls asleep," shared Mary of Westbury.

Mary was suffering from Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN. While chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, they are not exactly discriminating in what they destroy. The smaller nerves, specifically those in your hands and feet, are some of the first to be harmed. Those suffering from peripheral neuropathy have described this pain as “burning,” “tingling,” “like walking on sharp rocks,” or like Mary explained, that fuzzy, tingling pain you experience during paresthesia (the technical term for when a limb “falls asleep”).

"Standing all day was not just a challenge, it caused me physical agony. Keeping up with my busy schedule - forget about it. I couldn't even go for walks on the beach." Mary, like so many others, was prescribed Gabapentin to help with the pain and told there was nothing anyone could do. In their words: “There is no treatment for neuropathy.”

Fortunately for Mary, where Western medicine fails, Westbury Acupuncture tends to

National Board-Certified Acupuncturist, has been blending the time-tested science of acupuncture with modern, medical technology to design a real solution for peripheral neuropathy that doesn’t involve invasive surgeries or prescription medications with uncomfortable side effects.

These Renew Nerve Ⓡ protocols, specific to Westbury Acupuncture and its network of certified providers, actually treat neuropathy versus attempting to mask its symptoms.

"Acupuncture is incredible at restoring blood flow and stimulating damaged nerves. It’s been used for centuries to treat peripheral neuropathy and similar conditions” tells Jae Won. “We take our treatments a step further by integrating ATP Resonance BioTherapy Ⓡ , which targets specific nerves in the body using microcurrent. ATP Resonance BioTherapyⓇ is

treatment stimulates the blood vessels to grow back around the peripheral nerves and provide them with the proper nutrients and energy they need to repair and recover.”

ATP Resonance BioTherapy Ⓡ was originally designed by NASA to speed up healing and recovery. “To have access to this kind of technology has been life changing for our patients” shares Sariah, one of the incredibly compassionate Patient Care Technicians at Westbury Acupuncture. “We even have people asking if they can take the equipment home, so we’re working on developing some at-home options for our less mobile patients.”

After only four weeks of treatment, Mary is already seeing incredible improvement. "I've taken the handicap placard off my rearview mirror and I'm finally back to walking on the beach. I can't wait to see how I feel at the end of my program! I used to think that

the neuropathy pain was just the price I have to pay for still being alive. Jae Won has really given me hope for a better life!"

Jae Won L.Ac and the staff at Westbury Acupuncture have a 90% success rate in reversing peripheral neuropathy, and not just that caused by chemotherapy. They also have tremendous success in treating diabetic neuropathy and neuropathy of undetermined origin, otherwise known as idiopathic neuropathy. “I watched my grandmother suffer with neuropathy during her final years and it broke my heart when she was told there was nothing they could do. This condition is one of the main reasons I went into medicine. Since then, I’ve been on a quest to help people truly thrive in their golden years.”

The number of treatments needed to allow the nerves to fully recover will vary from person to person and can only be determined after a comprehensive consultation and detailed neurological evaluation.

If you or someone you love is suffering from peripheral neuropathy, call (516) 500-8281 to schedule.

For new patients, an initial consultation is complimentary. Simply visit www.WestburyAcupuncture.com for more information and to take advantage of this offer.

Classes resume at Plainview Old Bethpage schools

Classes resumed across the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District on September 2nd for the start of the 2025-2026 school year. A wave of enthusiasm greeted students at each school as teachers welcomed them back, ready to start a new year of learning after the summer break.

“Welcoming our students, faculty, and staff back for a new year and fresh start is exciting,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary O’Meara. “We are focusing on shared learning experiences about AI, executive functioning skills, and positive behavior supports for families and faculty.”

Students got down to business on their first day back at Stratford Road Elementary School.

Attention students!

Graduated from school? Have an outstanding GPA?

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Some of the school’s youngest students were greeted by staff at Pasadena Elementary School.

Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy Principal Dr. Heather Dvorak spoke with seniors ahead the first bell on their last first day of high school.

Students arrived fresh from their summer breaks at Old Bethpage Elementary School.

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