Temple volunteers prepare meals for first responders on Christmas Day State funds allocated to Oyster Bay shellfish harvesting study
BY RIKKI MASSAND
On Tuesday January 7, New York State Senator James Gaughran, who represents North Shore communities in Senate district 5, announced a $75,000 grant to study the effects of mechanical harvesting of Shellfish on Oyster Bay Harbor. The study will be led by Stony Brook University Professor Roger Flood, an expert in oceanography, who will lead a team of scientists from Stony Brook University including professors Dr. Robert Wilson, Dr. Malcolm Bowman, and Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz. The group of researchers has expertise in oceanology and marine geology, sediment dynamics, coastal ocean and estuarine dynamics. Their one-year project study in Oyster Bay Harbor will commence in March 2020.
According to Senator Gaughran, the respected Long Island scientists will study the environmental and water quality effects of mechanical harvesting of shellfish on Oyster Bay Harbor. The team will begin with collections of data and measurements on sediments, shellfish, and other parameters “to analyze the impact of mechanical harvesting of shellfish, a technique for shellfish harvesting,” Professor Flood said. The results will be used to inform stakeholders of the best practices for shellfish harvesting in one of the region’s most vital and productive areas.
Members of Temple Or Elohim, A Community Reform Congregation with the meals they prepared for first responders who worked on Christmas Day.
Members of Temple Or Elohim, A Community Reform Congregation prepared meals and desserts for first responders who are working on Christmas Day and then delivered them to local police precincts and hospitals.
Rabbi Judy Cohen-Rosenberg, the temple’s spiritual leader, has long championed the effort. The tradition continued this Christmas morning at Temple Or Elohim in Jericho, which earlier this year combined with Community
Reform Temple of Westbury, the congregation Rabbi Judy led for nearly 27 years.
In keeping with that tradition, about two dozen volunteers gathered at the Temple on Christmas morning with their home-cooked meals and assembled them in packages to be delivered.
“When we consolidated, I wanted to make sure this was a project we could all embrace,” Rabbi Judy said. “Clearly, we have in a very, very beautiful
way. “We are going to be able to go to about twelve different places, across Nassau and Suffolk, and bring holiday cheer and appreciation to all the people who have to work on a very special holiday.”
In addition to local police precincts, volunteers delivered the meals to Nassau University Medical Center, North Shore Hospitals and several veterinarian offices, among others.
“Protecting and preserving our treasured bays on Long Island is essential to ensuring their vitality for generations to come. Following years of calls for an independent study to comprehensively examine the full impact of mechanical shellfish harvesting on Oyster Bay Harbor’s water quality, environmental sustainability, and pristine ecology, I am proud to fund this independent study and welcome the forthcoming results from experts Drs. Flood, Wilson, Bowman, and Bokuniewicz,” Senator Gaughran explained this week.
The senator’s news comes up after Town of Oyster Bay officials and local mayors discussed potential remedies and programs for the Bay at the Town Board’s July 30 meeting (reported in the Advance and News Journal on August 2, 2019).
Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino thanked Senator Gaughran for securing the State funds of $75,000 needed “to see this study through.”
See page 18
School Board special meeting
The Syosset School Board will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. on January 22 at the South Woods Middle School, 99 Pell Road, Syosset.
Casino trip planned
The Catholic Daughters of the Americas of Hicksville will be hosting a bus trip to the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino (formerly Sands) on Tuesday, January 28.
The cost will be $43 per person, which includes the driver’s tip. There will be a $35 give back for slots play.
Please arrive at 8:30 a.m. Return will be
approximately 8:30 p.m.
Parking: # 999 So. Oyster Bay Road (on the street in the dead end)
Reservations: Call Barbara at (516) 9355576
Please make checks payable to “CDA”. The first to pay is the first on the bus, etc.
Donation to family of fallen Nassau police officer
Alex Barnuch of David Lerner Associates and GLIRC Executive Director Sue Fitzpatrick present the check to Eddie Sholl’s good friend NCPD Lt. Mayser Aljader, while NCPD Sgt. Brian McDermott, NCPD Officer Kevin Glenn, NCPD Officer Rick Rothwell, NCPD Lt. Tim Cosgrove, NCPD Ret. Inspector John Gisondi, Port Authority PD Officer Maysam Aljidar, Officer Dan Dugan & Lt. Greg Meyers look on with approval.
The Greater Long Island Running Club and David Lerner Associates were pleased to present a check in the amount of $2500 to benefit the family of Nassau County Police Department Sgt. Edward L. Scholl at a fundraiser held at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh on January 4.
Sgt. Sholl, 46, a resident of Plainview who grew up in Levittown, died after being electrocuted Friday, Aug. 16, while repairing a washing machine at his home.
Sholl served as an instructor at the Nassau County Police Academy. He began his career in law enforcement in 1993 with the New York City Police Department were he worked until 2005 when he joined the Nassau County Police.
The $2,500 is still another use of the proceeds of the annual David Lerner Associates Long Island Police Appreciation 5K Run at Eisenhower Park, which this year will be held on Thursday evening, June 4.
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Our Service Directory is sure to bring results. Call 516-294-8900 for rates and information.
Syosset resident teaches tech skills, safety and integration
BY RIKKI MASSAND
It’s a busy world in 2020, but on Long Island’s North Shore there’s time and a helpful neighbor to take care of your “tech” needs. Syosset resident Wendy H. Weiss has reimagined her career, coming from a corporate background in the city to offer local expertise for learning all the latest in gadget use, software and technological conveniences for on-the-go, active businesses and professionals.
For over 20 years Weiss worked for S&P Global selling data as the firm had contents of information on publicly held companies including their financial reports. Prior to her startup consulting and client-based business Tech Time Weiss worked for a number of banks and software companies in New York City.
Weiss and her late husband had two sons who were educated in the Syosset Central School district: first at A.P. Willits Elementary, then at Harry B. Thompson Middle School and Syosset High School. They graduated from the district in the mid-2000s. Weiss’ older son attended SUNY-Geneseo and then the University at Buffalo for law school while her younger one went from Syosset High to an undergrad program at University at Buffalo. After starting
out as a couple in east Queens and moving to Syosset with her husband of 32 years, Wendy Weiss currently lives at the Hidden Ridge development.
“I raised my kids out here and my husband was a tax partner in a CPA firm. The children and him were my life, and now they are grown up and living in the city. My sons are on their own and very devoted to me, but about two years ago I expanded my social circles and learned about some things I had in common with new people I met. One of them became my friend; she was teaching Canasta (a card game) to several women living in Manhattan. I started to hear about some folks who received new iPads and gadgets and had no idea of how to use them,” she said.
In January of 2018 Weiss started a new position with JP Morgan Chase in Manhattan. But her passion for starting a new business would soon take over, and after a few months she decided the corporate career was no longer for her. “I was about to start off another phase in my career and at a good company, almost a dream job. Then I said to myself, ‘this doesn’t seem to be the right fit’ because I wasn’t going to do that anymore. I thought of entering the work of nonprofits and their realm,” she says.
Weiss’ next stop was the Jewish National Fund in its Planned Giving
department. For the next eight months she worked in the JNF with its donors as the organization liked the potential with her background in sales and finance. While this new job transition continued, Weiss considered what business she could develop on her own.
Market Evolution
Through referrals from the Canasta teacher friend, Weiss began teaching technology basics to some clients -mainly people living in Manhattan -at their homes, usually two or three nights a week for about one hour per session.
“With new technology there’s a market instantly as people need to learn how to use their devices. Think of buying a new car today -- it’s all digital and computer functions. They have to set it up for you, connect Bluetooth and music to it. There is more and more that people don’t know. So I would go to people’s homes in Manhattan after work and show them how to use their iPhones and iPads -- that’s really how it began,” she said.
A bonus of working for New York corporations such as S&P Global allowed Weiss to have “everything at her fingertips” for software, as they provided an iPhone with Salesforce and other applications. Weiss noted the access to company people with
legal expertise and useful databases. “There was a database I used -Bigdough -- with institutional data and investor contacts, and of course I used LinkedIn,” she said.
On February 1, 2019 Weiss left her position with the Jewish National Fund to devote “all of her time” to her startup Tech Time. She planted the seeds for the entrepreneurial endeavor in the year prior to that. Weiss credited Tech Time’s initial success to connections with new people and the rapport she has with clients.
A contributing factor and motivation for Weiss was that her husband was very technology-savvy. In the last few months of his life, in 2017, he created an Excel spreadsheer for her to keep track of some valuable home-life records and information from banking and investments to user ID’s, passwords and websites for various accounts, credit cards, health plans and insurance policies.
“I am 100% paperless -- I don’t get one statement. He would send me the bills through this Excel sheet so I learned the online banking and other processes very quickly. This spreadsheet that he created is something I can customize and help people create. It’s for everybody and this organized data helps in working with elder care attorneys and See page 8
Chanukah celebration on Brush Hollow Road
Rabbi
Young ladies in front of the menorah.
having fun celebrating Chanukah
The Brownstein family brought Chanukah joy to seniors.
Mendy and Devorah Brownstein and family, from Chabad Learning Centers in Jericho, East Norwich, Syosset, Westbury, came to Brush Hollow Rd in Westbury, to bring
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On display at the Jericho Public Library
Artwork from the Student Art Exhibition at Farmingdale State College will be on display through the month of January.
Irish Family History Forum to meet
On Saturday, January 18, the Irish Family History Forum will present Susan Jaycox Murphy, who will give a talk on “Cemetery Research: Eternity Is Not Forever.” Cemetery research can be rewarding for family historians, providing them with information that they cannot find anywhere else. Discoveries can include missing children, unknown relatives, dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths, relationships, group associations, friends, and even photographs. Susan Jaycox Murphy will discuss the law, the practices of cemeteries, what can be found in cemetery research, where we can find records and what can be done to preserve family memorials.
The schedule of events for the meet-
ing will be: 10:00 a.m.: Kathleen McGee: Irish Civil Registration of Marriages 10:30 a.m.: Refreshment Break Meet and socialize with other members. Ask the Experts This is an opportunity to meet one-on-one with an experienced genealogist to ask a basic genealogy question.
11:00 a.m.: Featured Speaker: Susan Jaycox Murphy
Meetings are free and open to the public. Light refreshments are served. Meetings are held at Bethpage Public Library 47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage. Information: contact Pat Email: programs@ifhf.org Website: www.ifhf.org
See what's happening at your library!
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Syosset resident teaches tech skills, safety and integration
From page 3
estate planners. I work with them and they send me into their clients so they can incorporate such spreadsheets into their will,” Weiss explains.
The marriage of technology and finance are just one way of helping people with convenience and user-friendly applications. Part of Weiss’ job, she says, involves cybersecurity for individuals and small businesses she works with. The data breach of local school districts Valley Stream and Mineola are one example she says tech consulting offers her insights into.
Weiss tells her clients to be aware of phishing and potential scams, and remember “don’t click on the link” when something appears in their inbox, as a text, or any unexpected ‘ping’ on a device. Beyond offering caution, best practices are engaging and informative. Weiss’ knowledge of new uses of devices often surprise the audience or individual she is working with.
“The average person will focus mainly on their email use and texts, but every new version Apple comes up with is detailed on their website and online. The ‘usability’ often goes beyond consulting with clients about their latest devices and purchases and setting up new files and folders on a laptop or iPad. With every new iPhone and software upgrades to devices from manufacturers, there are more features and functions -- the iPhone now has a scanner for documents or images and it can really help people with clients and in business development,”
she said.
Tech with a Personal Touch
Weiss says the foundation of her technology teaching and the 1:1 approach is rooted in trust and relationship building. She first joined the Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce and attended its Triple Chamber networking night at the People’s United Bank on Tuesday, October 15 (reported on in the Advance and News-Journal on October 24). There, Weiss was introduced to members and directors from the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce as well as the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce. She spoke with Alan Goldberg, president of Water Solutions of Long Island and networking and membership committee chairman of the Syosset Woodbury Chamber, and soon Weiss became a new member of the organization based in her hometown.
Needs of clients range from transferring data, setting up files and new devices and software to basic plans for keeping passwords for accounts and websites in one, central digitized location. Weiss said many clients keep a “jotted down” paper list of passwords and hardly ever have a substantial backup for their records. In many other cases, there’s one of the two spouses who keeps the records and the other is left clueless if they need to have immediate access for files and accounts.
“I thought I would focus Tech Time to helping people with iPads and smartphones, but clients call me for them to set up GoogleDocs, networks, sharing
files and folders. It’s expanded so I work with some small NYC businesses including a real estate company. I do social media for another Plainviewbased company, and I am teaching classes. Things come about as I do a lot of networking, and what you see is what you get -- I’m a straight shooter,” she said.
Local Connections and Presentations
One hot topic Weiss has raised at her seminars is “Hidden Gems of the iPhone.” She said when she assisted Chamber of Commerce members including Chamber Board members Alan Goldberg and Syosset attorney Ken Robinson, both were astonished to learn about the scanner function on their iPhones, a valuable tool for work purposes such as contracts and legal information.
At a December class she led at the Orchard Estate of Woodbury, 900 Woodbury Road, Weiss provided “tech tutoring” to members of the Gerontology Professionals of New York (GPNY) networking organization. Networking remains one of the biggest draws for both clients and professional organizations, as Weiss is active with the National Aging in Place Council (NAICP) networking organization.
At the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce holiday party at BNB Bank of Woodbury December 12, Weiss announced that she recently hosted a technology seminar at the Yale Club in Manhattan and earned a good number of contacts and clients there. Other venues she presented at last year include in
Commack at Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, the Commack JCC, Hamlet at Commack community and the Meadowbrook Pointe spa/condominium development.
“I am very big on cold-calling. Since going full-time with Tech Time in February 2019 I made a list and called the Yale Club -- I asked to speak with their activities coordinator. They passed on my name and info and eventually in June one of the senior alumni at the Club called me. We met over lunch and made it happen,” she explained.
Weiss also taught a class for the Rotary Club of Syosset Woodbury after Alan Goldberg connected her to Carolyn Palladino, community liaison for Excel at Woodbury Rehabilitation and his fellow membership coordinator for the Syosset Woodbury Chamber.
Keeping local perspectives and vibrant community connections have led to other opportunities. Weiss’ brochure, business card and contact information can be found at Syosset’s U Break I Fix (106 Jackson Avenue) as the store often refers people. If a customer drops by U Break I Fix to repair a cracked screen on their phone, for example, Weiss and Tech Time can be who they seek out for help with applications or better feasibility with functions and devices.
For more information, call Wendy Weiss at 631-837-3119, email info@techtimetutor.com or visit her website, techtimetutor.com.
This Week at the Syosset P ublic Library
Thursday, January 9
from 9:30–11:30 a.m.
Seniors of Syosset Drop in Session
Presenter: Mid-Island Y JCC
These are drop-in hours. This is not a lecture. Come anytime between the office hours listed.
Come meet staff from “Seniors of Syosset” a new program of the MidIsland Y JCC, offering services to help older adults to age-in-place in Syosset. Funded through New York State Office for the Aging, Seniors of Syosset is a Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community program. This new program, known as NNORC-SOS for short, will offer social work support, community health nursing, volunteer-based transportation to local medical appointments and shopping, and other activities and services, including some right here at the library! Whether you are a senior in need of support, someone who wants to volunteer helping the community, or just someone
who wants to learn more, we hope you will drop-in and get involved! Free. No reigstration required.
Thursday, January 9 at 2 p.m.
The National Gallery in London
Presenter: Ines Powell, art historian and educator, Metropolitan Museum of Art
The National Gallery was founded in 1824 when the British government bought 38 paintings from the heirs of the art collector John Julius Angerstein. Presently the National Gallery has a permanent collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.
Free. No reigstration required.
Friday, January 10 at 2 p.m.
A Lecture on “West Side Story”
Presenter: Jack Schnur, retired videotape editor CBS
This lecture will explore the back stories and details associated with one of the industry’s most iconic and memorable films. Video clips will be shown.
Free. No reigstration required.
Thursday, January 16 at 2 p.m.
Saving Oyster Bay’s Historic Cemeteries Presenters: Zachary N. Studenroth & Kurt E. Kahofer, Burying Ground Preservation Group
From the ancestral Underhill Burying Ground in Lattingtown to the long-abandoned Schenck Family Cemetery in Syosset, the Town of Oyster Bay contains many sacred and historic burying grounds. Zachary Studenroth
and Kurt Kahofer will share their experiences resurrecting the Schenck Family Cemetery. Come and learn how you might help, and share in their passion for saving these vulnerable historic sites. Refreshments served. Free. No reigstration required.
Programs will take place at the Syosset Public Library. 225 South Oyster Bay Rd. Syosset. For more information, go to www. syossetlibrary.org
Place an ad in our Classifieds for reasonable rates and prompt results. Call 294-8900 or visit us online www.gcnews.com to request information & rates Litmor Publishing's Community Newspapers
Syosset teen named Student of the Quarter by Nassau BOCES
Alffredo Brucculeri (center) of Syosset is congratulated on being named Student of the Quarter by (from left) Barry Tech Assistant Principal Dr. William Poll and Principal Peter Dalton.
Photo by OCONNELLPHOTOS.COM
Alffredo Brucculeri from the Syosset CSD was named Student of the Quarter at Nassau BOCES Barry Tech career and technical education high school, where he is studying Construction Electricity. Alffredo was honored for his grades, attendance, work ethic and preparedness. Students of the Quarter have taken the initiative on class projects and are role models for their fellow students, in both the classroom and the workplace.
This Week at the Jericho Public Library
Art on display in January
Farmingdale State College Student
Art Exhibition will be on display in the Gallery/Meeting Room.
Friday, January 10 at 2:00 p.m.
Movie: “Downton Abbey” (Drama/Romance)
The continuing story of the Crawley family, wealthy owners of a large estate in the English countryside during the early twentieth century. Starring Matthew Goode, Alice McCarthy, Maggie Smith.
Rated PG. 2 hours, 2 minutes.
Sunday, January 12 at 2:00 p.m.
Matt Zale Rockin’ the 60s
Matt Zale loves the Beatles and the many British invasion bands they influenced. Join us when Matt performs music from The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman’s Hermits, Peter and Gordon, the Dave Clark Five and others. It will put a smile on your face as you remember the music of the 60s.
Tickets required. Non-ticket holders will be seated as space allows.
Monday, January 13 at 2:00 p.m.
Art Lecture: Revisiting Rembrandt 350 Years Later with Louse Cella Caruso Museums across the globe are honoring Rembrandt van Rijn celebrat -
ing his art and his life. Rembrandt was a painter, etcher, print maker, draftsman, lover, fighter, genius and debtor. Revisit this renowned artist with different eyes.
Tuesday, January 14 at 2:00 p.m.
TECH SMART sponsored by County Executive Laura Curran Technology scammers have evolved and are getting savvier and more successful. This program is focused on cyber threats and scamming—phishing, identity theft, viruses, ransomware, malware and social engineering. Participants will learn how to protect themselves.
Thursday, January 16 at 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Movie: “Judy” (Biography/Drama/Romance)
Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts. Starring Renee Zellweger, Rufus Sewell, Jessie Buckley.
Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 58 minutes.
Programs will take place at the Jericho Public Library: 1 Merry Lane, Jericho.
For more information, go to www.jericholibrary.org
January 10, 2020
Where to Go in 2020: Experts Offer Ideas Worthy of Your Bucket List
BY KAREN RUBIN
TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM
Many different experts are offering their suggestions and predictions as to where to travel in 2020. You can get a real sense for yourself at this year’s New York Times Travel Show at Javits Center Jan. 25-26. Here are some ideas:
Lonely Planet Reveals Best Travel Destinations for 2020
Global travel authority Lonely Planet unveiled its top 10 countries, cities, regions and best-value destinations for next year with the release of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020
Best in Travel 2020 is Lonely Planet’s 15th annual collection of the world’s hottest destinations and journeys for the year ahead. This edition places particular emphasis on the best sustainable travel experiences for 2020 — ensuring travelers will have a positive impact wherever they choose to go.
Bhutan — the kingdom set to become the first fully organic nation by 2020 — claims the coveted spot as the number-one country to visit in 2020, while England places second and North Macedonia takes third.
Lonely Planet’s number-one region for 2020 is the Central
Seeing Budapest, Hungary by bike. Budapes is one of Lonely Planet’s “best value” cities for 2020 © Eric Leiberman/ goingplacesfarandnear.com
Asian Silk Road, which is now more accessible than ever before, thanks to visa improvements for the majority of the world’s citizens, along with massive transportation and infrastructure investment. Le Marche, Italy comes in second, followed by Tohoku, Japan Number-one city Salzburg, Austria will be pulling out all the
GOING PLACES NEAR AND FAR
stops for the centenary of its worldfamous festival of music and drama next year, while Washington, DC,
See page D2
GOING PLACES, NEAR & FAR....
Where to Go in 2020: Experts Offer Ideas Worthy of Your Bucket List
USA is second-ranked, with Cairo, Egypt in third place.
Elsewhere, Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara , Hungary’s Budapest and India’s Madhya Pradesh are Lonely Planet’s top three best-value destinations for 2020.
Each year, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of staff, writers, bloggers, publishing partners and more. The nominations are then whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions, 10 cities and 10 best value destinations. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor.
For Best in Travel 2020, Lonely Planet’s experts have also selected the best New Openings, New Places to Stay , New Food Experiences , and Sustainable Trips for Families, as well as devoting an entire chapter to the best ways to Travel Well www.lonelyplanet.com/bestin-travel features tips and videos on visiting each destination, as well as a chance to win a Silk Road adventure for two. The top 10 cities can also be explored for free with Lonely Planet’s Guides app.
Top 10 Countries: Bhutan, England, North Macedonia, Aruba, eSwatini, Costa Rica, The Netherlands, Liberia, Morocco, Uruguay
Top 10 Regions: Central Asian Silk Road; Le Marche, Italy; Tohoku, Japan; Maine, USA; Lord Howe Island, Australia; Guizhou Province, china; Cadiz Province, Spain; Northeast
Argentina; Kvarner Gulf, Croatia; Brazilian Amazon
Top 10 Cities: Salzburg, Austria; Washington, DC, USA; Cairo, Egypt; Galway, Ireland; Bonn, Germany; La Paz, Bolivia; Kochi, India; Vancouver, Canada; Dubai, UAE; Denver, USA
Top 10 Best Value: East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia; Budapest, Hungary; Madhya Pradesh, India; Buffalo, USA; Azerbaijan; Serbia; Tunisia; Cape Winelands, South Africa; Athens, Greece; Zanzibar, Tanzania
Lonely Planet, a leading travel guidebook publisher, can be found on lonelyplanet.com, mobile, video and in 14 languages, 13 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks and more.
“At Lonely Planet we seek to make a difference in people’s lives by spreading the power of travel. We firmly believe that travel has a significant positive impact on people’s lives and outlooks and is a force of positive change.”
From Australian Surfing to Tech-Free Tonga, Virtuoso Reveals Top 10 ‘Wanderlist’
Experiences for 2020
NEW YORK– Virtuoso®’s selection of inspired experiences – deemed Wanderlist®-worthy thanks to their “trips of a lifetime” status – will have even the most seasoned travelers reaching for their passport. The 2020 Virtuoso Luxe Report, an annual survey of its global luxury travel network’s 20,000 travel advisors around the world, highlights insights and observations for
travel in the year ahead. Acclaimed as a trend predictor, the Luxe Report captured advisor recommendations for the ten most unusual and exciting experiences for 2020.
Virtuoso’s must-have travel experiences are:
Surf Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach, whether a pro or first-timer. Bondi is just outside the city center and extremely popular with locals and visitors alike. Serious surfers hang out at the southern end of the beach, while novices occupy the northern stretch, where waves are often smaller.
Head to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics, taking place July 24 to August 9. Japan continues to trend in 2020, finding itself on two Luxe Report lists for global and emerging destinations. Beyond the Games, travelers will be enamored with Japan’s gorgeous scenery, dynamic cities, culinary delights and cultural heritage.
Witness the Great Migration in Tanzania and Kenya, where millions of zebras, wildebeest and antelope traverse the landscape in search of food and water while attempting to elude predators such as lions and crocodiles.
Live like a local for a month (or more) in Italy, the Luxe Report’s top global destination of 2020. As authenticity is one of the year’s top trends, travelers can immerse themselves in the lifestyle of this beloved country. Rent a villa. Find a favorite espresso or wine bar. Learn the language. Master the cuisine or just savor it.
Support the Bahamas after the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian, which severely damaged Grand Bahama
and Abaco islands in Septem -added benefits, VIP treatment and exclusive access. To find an advisor, visit www. virtuoso.com/travel-advisors
World’s Greatest Travelers List of 8 epic Travel Adventures for 2020 (Also Known as ‘The 2020 Travel Bucket List for the Jaded Traveler’)
By Bill Chalmers & Pamela L. Chalmers, GreatEscape Adventures
Los Angeles, USA – Getting a kick taking an adventure used to be easy: visit South Atlantic’s remote St Helena, scuba dive Mexico’s underground river Cenote, hike up Mount Etna. Been there. Nowadays, travelers looking for the next great adventure rush must: traverse Karakorum Highway, spend a night at Everest Base Camp, or swim with jellyfish in Palau. Done that. But for those of us who have ziplined across the Grand Canyon, hiked Tasmania’s Overland Track, and are frankly sick of sand in every orifice after Burning Man. What’s next?
You may be among the World’s Most Interesting People, but for jaded travelers who have supposedly done everything and have nothing left on their Bucket Lists, here’s your what’s next eight over-the-top adventures from The World’s Greatest Travelers. 1. A long way to go to maybe be eaten alive! But, head to Cape Town, South Africa and go cage diving with Great White sharks. Come face-to-face
with the world’s meanest badest coldest predator along the shark-abundant shores of South Africa. You will be sunk in a cage and given a poker stick for protection. Chances are, you’ll be okay. You’ll probably even see whales and dolphins too—being the smart mammals, they are always interested in watching stupid human tricks.
2. Bike from sea-to-sea across a country. No, not across Canada (9,525+ km), but the more manageable country of Nicaragua that is only 568 km (352 miles) from the Pacific Ocean’s San Juan del Sur to Pearl Lagoon on the Atlantic Ocean side. The amazing 13-day mountain bike expedition will take you to volcanoes, colonial towns, national parks, rainforests and lakes, as you share the road with trucks, cows, horses, pigs, and chickens. Do it now before the Chinese slice the nation in two ala Panama!
3. For the culinary daredevil in you, while you are in the geographic neighborhood, take in the wild-west of food: a pop-up jungle-to-table extravaganza in the Bolivian Amazon basin along the Beni River. Once every few years, local “back to nature” chefs converge to prepare exotic semiillegal outside the villages dishes like: crocodile fillets in a coca leaf broth, grilled giant tapir meat served with a cocktail of fermented kecho fruit and cacao beans with a spicy chili pepper
GOING PLACES, NEAR & FAR....
twist, paiche (a really big fish—a carp really) served with figs and spicy-sweet beetle larvae. They might also conjure up a purplish fungue—that may or may not have hallucinogenic effects, along with steamed giant river turtles. Caiman sushi anyone?
4. I took this serendipity challenge last year and ended up in Madagascar— pre-plague outbreak. Take the 24-Hours to Anywhere Challenge: It is our belief that with today’s growth of regional air carriers that you can be anywhere in the world in 24-hours. So, pick a destination furthest away geographically from you and attempt to get there in 24-hours.
On a bet, I recently went from the San Francisco Bay Area to Antananarivo, Madagascar—17,599 kilometers away! SFO to IST (12:55 hours), then IST-ADD (5:30 hours), followed by a flight between Ethiopia (ADD) and Madagascar (TNR) (4:50 hours). I got to Madagascar in 23 hours and 41 minutes—but I did do it on the night we changed clocks! Tip: Bring a really good multi-media playlist.
5. We humans have gazed in wonder at the night skies before words hit paper; and you don’t have to be an astrophysicist to wonder what’s up. Night-sky travel (aka astrotourism) are great adventures to take. We suggest two spellbinding panoramas to be found: 1) Head to the Canary Islands international observatory at Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma
Discovering a village on stilts on Inle Lake, Myanmar during the 2019 Global Scavenger Hunt. Where will they go this year? Participants vying to win the title “Greatest Travelers” don’t know until they get the call to get to the airport © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
for some sensational light pollutionfree heavenly viewing. Or 2) for some really deep dark-sky space stargazing at a gold-certified Dark Sky Reserve, head to NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia where you can sleep out under the cloudless skies of Africa for a look at infinity…or at least some amazing celestial sights.
WRITER’S CORNER
6. With age comes experience, and over the years we have suggested how to get higher highs: a lost weekend at an infamous Vegas dive bar, visiting a Bolivian pop-up cocaine bar, a Laotian opium den and how best to enjoy Peruvian ayahuasca. For this year’s vibe adventure, forget BC Bud, Emerald
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There is something especially delightful about winter!
BY CLAIRE LYNCH
The cold winter months are here and Long Island is transformed into a winter wonderland. It’s the perfect time to frolic outdoors then head inside for some cups of hot chocolate. Snow showers and snow angels abound. Winter has lots of milestones - lots of memorable moments with family and friendsand it also has many historic moments. Many famous people were born in this season.
Thomas Edison’s work and his winter retreat
Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven children. When Edison was seven his family moved to Port Huron, Mich. Edison lived there until he went out on his own at the age of 16. He had very little formal education as a child. His mother taught him reading, writing and arithmetic, Always a very curious child, he taught himself a lot by doing his own independent reading. Edison began working at an early age which was common at the time. At 13 he took a job as a newsboy, selling newspapers and candy on the local railroad that ran through Port Huron to Detroit. He spent
much of his free time reading scientific and technical books. Edison also had the opportunity to learn how to operate a telegraph and by the time he was 16, he worked full-time as a telegrapher. He traveled extensively and worked in a number of cities throughout the U.S. before arriving in Boston in 1868.
It was in Boston that Edison changed his profession from telegrapher to inventor. He received his first patent on an electric vote recorder, a device that was intended for use by elected bodies such as Congress to speed the voting process. This invention wasn’t a success, however. In 1869 Thomas Edison moved to New York City. He worked on inventions related to the telegraph and developed his first successful invention which was an improved stock ticker called the “Universal Stock Printer.” (nps.gov) From this invention the money he got enabled Edison to set up his first small laboratory and manufacturing facility in Newark, N.J., in 1871. During the next five years, Edison worked in Newark inventing and manufacturing devices that greatly improved the speed and efficiency of the telegraph. At this time he married Mary Stilwell and started a family. In 1876 Edison sold his Newark man-
ufacturing business and moved his family and staff of assistants to the small village of Menlo Park, 25 miles southwest of New York City. Edison established a new facility containing all the equipment necessary to work on any invention. This research and development laboratory was the first of its kind anywhere. It was the model for the future Bell Laboratories. After Thomas Edison’s wife, Mary, died in 1884 he spent less time in Menlo Park and chose to live in New York City with his three children. One year, while vacationing at a friend’s house in New England, Edison met Mina Miller. The couple was married in February 1886 and moved to West Orange, N.J. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were friends and in 1885 they went to Florida looking for land to build a winter escape for their families. Edison became one of our earliest Florida snowbirds. He bought 13 acres of property in Fort Myers in 1885 and a year later his vacation home was completed. The Edisons named their winter home “Seminole Lodge” and Edison spent every winter there until he died in 1931. Henry Ford bought the property next door and called it “The Mangoes.”
Those Comfortably Delightful Fireplaces
On a cold winter’s day my family and I decided to start a fire in the living room fireplace. My brother-in-law, Don, placed some logs strategically in the fireplace and lit a match to start it. It caught on quickly and in short order the room was feeling comfortably warm. The pine candle we had lit in the living room smelled good, too, and it all created a certain ambiance. As I curled up on the couch reading a library book that I had taken out recently I saw that my four-year-old cat, Bette Davis, was curled up in her bed. She looked as comfortable as could be while she enjoyed a catnap but also kept an ear attuned to what we were up to. If someone laughed out loud spontaneously at a joke Bette lifted her head and looked around to see what the commotion was all about. This
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Turning 66 in 2020? Consider Filing for Benefits This Month
BY TOM MARGENAU
I write a column similar to this one every January. But I don’t mind plagiarizing myself, because it contains a very important message for people planning to retire in 2020.
January is a critical month for the hundreds of thousands of potential Social Security beneficiaries who are reaching 66, their so-called full retirement age, in 2020. The important message: All of them should at least consider the possibility of filing for their benefits this month, even though they may not be reaching their retirement age until later in the year.
Please note that if you want to delay filing for your Social Security benefits until 70 to get a 32% “delayed retirement credit” added to your monthly benefits, then you should forgo the procedure discussed in this column.
But if you are not interested in that strategy and plan to start your benefits at 66 in 2020, then, as I said, you may want to consider filing for benefits in January.
The reason for this early filing timeframe has to do with some quirky and complicated features of Social Security’s earnings penalty provisions. Those provisions generally keep seniors who are still working off of Social Security’s rolls until they reach that magic full retirement age.
The law essentially says if you are over 62 but under your full retirement age and still working full time, you are not eligible for Social Security. Specifically, the rules require that the SSA deduct $1 from any retirement benefits you might be due for every $2 you earn over $18,240 in 2020.
However, the rules say that once you reach your full retirement age, you are due full Social Security benefits even if you are still working and no matter how much money you are making.
Let’s follow an example. Let’s say Ed was born in July 1954, which means he’ll reach his full retirement age of 66 in July 2020. And let’s further say Ed generally makes about $80,000 per year, and he plans to continue working indefinitely. Based on the earnings penalty rules I briefly outlined above, Ed figures he must wait until July (his full retirement age) to begin collecting his Social Security benefits. As I said, at that magical point, the earnings penalty rules no longer apply, and he can get his Social Security. And prior to that, he’s making way more than the $18,240 income threshold.
But here is why Ed should check into applying for Social Security in January. Congress set up a more lenient earnings threshold for the year you reach your full retirement age. Specifically, it says you can earn up to $48,600 between Jan-
uary and the month you reach your full retirement age and still get Social Security benefits. And even if you earn more than $48,600, you lose only $1 from your benefits for every $3 you exceed that threshold.
Ed is going to make $40,000 between January and June (i.e., before he reaches the magic age of 66). And that’s under the $48,600 threshold for 2020, which means Ed is due benefits beginning in January. He does NOT have to wait until July to apply for his Social Security checks.
There is a bit of a catch. By starting his benefits in January, Ed will be accepting a slightly reduced amount. (Benefits are reduced roughly one-half of 1% for each month they are taken before full retirement age.)
If Ed’s Social Security benefit at full retirement age is $2,500 per month, let’s look at his options.
Ed’s first option is to wait until July to start his Social Security benefits. He’ll get $2,500 per month for six months, or $15,000 for the year 2020.
Ed’s second option is to file for Social Security in January. Starting his benefits slightly early, his monthly rate is reduced to about $2,400. That comes out to $28,800 in total benefits for the year 2020. The downside to option two is his ongoing monthly benefit rate will be $100 less than what he would have been getting in option one. But because he’d be getting about $13,800 less in 2020 benefits in option one, it would take Ed a long time to make up that loss with his extra $100 per month in ongoing benefits. If I were Ed, I’d choose the second option.
Even if Ed was going to make more than the $48,600 income threshold between January and June, he only loses $1 in Social Security benefits for each $3 he exceeds that amount. So he probably still comes out ahead by filing in January.
Here is a quick example using that scenario. Let’s say Ed will make $60,000 between January and June. That’s $11,400 over the $48,600 limit. And onethird of that excess, or about $3,800, must be deducted from his 2020 benefits. But he would still get $25,000 in benefits for the year. That’s still way better than the $15,000 he would be due by waiting until July to file for his Social Security.
Please note that this strategy might not work if you are earning far above the $48,600 limit -- especially if you turn 66 much later in the year.
I know these rules are complicated and the math in the examples above might be difficult to follow. But my overall message is easy to follow: If you’re reaching age 66 in 2020, talk to a Social Security representative sometime this month to find out if it’s to your advantage to file for those benefits in January.
One word of caution: Many read-
ers in the past told me that when they tried to file in January, Social Security Administration representatives told them they could not do so. Sadly, far too many SSA agents are unfamiliar with how these rules work. If you run into
the same problem, ask to speak to a supervisor.
If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has the answer. Contact him at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. COPYRIGHT 2020
There is something especially delightful about winter!
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black cat with large green eyes, with four white paws and a large patch of white on her chest is definitely attached to my family. It seems that if my family and I are chatting in the kitchen, Bette wants to be in the kitchen. If we hang out in the dining room, there she is lying in a corner of the room or sitting next to one of our chairs. When she moves from her cat bed in the living room she likes to lie right in front of the fire on the wooden floor. We don’t put the cat bed on the floor in front of the fire because it’s an open fireplace not a gas or electric fireplace.
When a few hours later the fire from logs started to abate one of us leaned down and added another log. Bette seemed fascinated by the machinations of the fireplace - and at our attempts to be warm and comfortable on winter days when the thermometer reads 34 degrees. Winter routines are different from summer routines and I always know that it’s winter whenever I hear the crackling of a log in a fireplace. Winter - it’s a most wonderful time of the year!
We got Bette from a non-profit animal shelter on the south shore of Long Island. She and two other kittens and their mama were brought to the shelter in a box during a snowstorm in Queens in February 2015. The four of them had been abandoned and thanks
to the efforts of the Good Samaritan they were saved, nurtured, checked by a veterinarian and placed with families. We saw Bette grow from a three-pound kitten to a 13-lb. cat and now, as an indoors-only cat, she enjoys our family and living in our home. That kitten with the boundless energy has mellowed out a bit.
Wood Frogs Hibernate in Winter
Most animals hibernate during the cold winter months using their thick fur coats or layers of fat. Tiny wood frogs don’t have that, though so how do they do it? I never knew much about the wood frog but it turns out that you can find it as far south as Alabama and as far north as Alaska and northern Canada. It’s the only frog that lives in the wild north of the Arctic Circle. How does an amphibian survive the harsh winters of those frozen lands? It freezes. Scientists working in Alaska found that local wood frogs can freeze their bodies at least 60% for up to seven months. This is enough to stop their hearts from beating and blood from flowing through their bodies.
The tiny frogs don’t just freeze and thaw all at once. They prepare for it in a very systematic fashion. In early autumn, when the temperatures drop to freezing at night but thaw during the day, the frogs follow a similar pattern. This allows them to convert the glycogen stored in their liver into
glucose. Since they don’t completely thaw during the day, much of the glucose released remains stored in their bodies. By the time winter rolls around, most frogs have gone through 10-15 freeze-thaw cycles allowing them to accumulate large amount of glucose inside their cells. When the ice melts, the frogs thaw and it is an amazing thing and they are still alive. It is the high levels of glucose in the frogs’ cells that keep them alive throughout the long, cold winter. When spring arrives, the wood frogs thaw out and hop away. Frogs may look fragile but they certainly are not. They are actually very hardy animals. (neatorama.com)
It’s “Sugaring Time” in Upstate NY
I read a book recently by Susan Wiggs called, “The Goodbye Quilt” which was published in 2011. In its pages she gives a great fictional description of sugaring time in upstate New York.
Wiggs writes: “After the riot of color (in autumn), the trees lose all their leaves and appear to die. It is then, in the dead of winter, that the maples are most productive. If you tap deep enough into the tree, sinking a metal tube into its most hidden heart, you’ll discover a gush of life.
The sap is drained through the tube, collected in covered buckets and boiled in huge vats to make maple syrup.
Who the heck thought of that? I wonder. At some moment in the unre-
Where to Go in 2020: Experts Offer Ideas Worthy of Your Bucket List
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Triangle Kush and Colorado Wedding Cake, take a Jamaican Ganja tour. Turned up bright, the tour will take you and other like-minded and budtended friends to Rastafariland, with highlights including: Nine Mile, the boyhood home and final resting place of reggae superstar Bob Marley; Ocho Rios to relax and hike in nature; along with several plantations…aka ganja farms. Pick up is around noon, munchies and rum included, but hotel drop off time is vague.
7. Give peace a chance: start travel podcasting and make some faux press credentials, then head to Damascus and interview the loneliest man in the world: Syria’s Minister of Tourism. From 8 million tourists and 40% growth in 2011, to the nasty civil and chemical war, mostly, behind us, Syria is open for business again. You can visit one or two restaurants still open and err,
ruins. Their catch phrase: “Syria … come see for yourself“. We know the UN Weapons Inspectors did. A few travel-related glitches though: all legal border crossings are closed, no FAAapproved commercial flights into or out of Damascus, those beach-side cabanas along the Mediterranean beaches are now refugee tents, and crime might be down, but war crimes are up. Sure, it is dark tourism at its finest, but so too is visiting Venice and Barcelona these days. We double-dare you!
8. Take A Blind Date with the World – really! – by joining the 2020 edition of The Global Scavenger Hunt This real-life Amazing Race-like event is for savvy globetrotters who want to test their travel IQ in a competitive setting where they will circumnavigate the globe in 23-days visiting ten countries as a participant in the annual travel adventure competition that crowns The World’s Greatest Travelers. Not for anal Type-A planners though, because you
membered past, someone walked up to a leafless maple tree, hammered a tube into its center, harvested the sap and rendered it into sweet syrup. What a random thing to do.
One thing I’d guess - whoever thought it up wasn’t a college graduate. She - I’m quite certain it was a she - was probably a mother. An ancient Algonquin desperate housewife. At the end of a long winter, her kids were probably bored and cranky from being cooped up in the longhouse, chasing each other and driving her crazy with their noise. They had no idea supplies had run low, that the men hadn’t done too well on the latest hunt. Pretty soon, the kids’ war whoops and giggles would turn to whining. Yelling at the older kids to keep the younger ones away from the fire, the woman strapped on snowshoes made of hide, with gut laces, and trudged out to into the deadening cold to look for food.
How did she know about the secret inside the maple tree? Maybe the deer clued her in. during the starving season, the hungry animals stripped the bark from the trees as high as they could reach. Maybe the woman, her vision sharpened by desperation, noticed the glistening ooze from the flesh of the trees. Maybe she touched a finger to the sticky dampness, tasted a faint sweetness on her tongue. And the rest was history. An industry was born … the children feasted on boiled cornmeal magically sweetened with an elixir from the sugar maples.”
won’t know which country you are going to until you actually get to the airport! It’s the ultimate magical mystery tour. Their 2020 event takes place between April 17 and May 9, 2020. Applications now being accepted. I dare you…
The title of The World’s Greatest Travelers and free trip around the world to defend their titles in the 2021 event await the travelers worthy enough to win the 16th edition of the world travel championship. The date for the 23-day 2020 Global Scavenger Hunt is April 17-May 9, 2020. Event participation is open but limited; the $25,000 per team entry fee includes all international airfare, First Class hotels, 40% of meals, and special event travel gear. All travelers are interviewed for suitability and single travelers are welcome to apply. For additional information visit GlobalScavengerHunt.com, or contact GreatEscape Adventures Inc. at
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Susan Wiggs, a Harvard graduate, is a former math teacher who has written lots of novels. She lives in Washington State. In fact she lives at the water’s edge on an island in Puget Sound. In good weather, she commutes to her writers’ group in a 21-foot motorboat. Most of the themes of her books focus on the strong bonds of family.
Where to Go in 2020: Experts Offer Ideas Worthy
of Your Bucket List
310-281-7809.
(See full coverage of the 2019 Global Scavenger Hunt at goingplacesfarandnear.com)
Where To Go In 2020: US Tour Operators Reveal Top Travel Trends For 2020
The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) released results of its annual travel trend and forecast survey of the association’s active tour operator members naming Italy the most popular destination for travelers in 2020.
The top five “hot” destinations for next year also included France, which ranked second; followed by Spain, Greece and the United Kingdom (tied for third); Ireland and Japan (tied for fourth), Germany tying South Africa for fifth.
USTOA tour operator members also identified their top five off-the-beaten path or emerging destinations that they see gaining popularity in 2020: Egypt, Croatia and Colombia tied for first. “Egypt topping the list is the epitome of a destination comeback story,” added Terry Dale, President and CEO of
USTOA. “It reinforces a strong return in popularity and demand among travelers, after several challenging years.” Making the list for the first time, Slovenia was named second, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, and Morocco and Ethiopia (tied for fifth).
On the domestic front, USTOA members forecast California as the most popular U.S. destination for clients in 2020. New York came in second, with Florida and Nevada tied for third, followed by Arizona, and Alaska and Hawaii (tied for fifth).
Arts and culture was cited by survey participants as the top travel category driving sales in 2019, wildlife and nature followed in a close second. Local immersion, small groups/small ships and uncharted destinations were named by Active Members as the top three travel trends projected to grow the most over the next five years.
Members were also asked to name the destinations/sites that travelers should see now, with some sense of urgency before overcrowding, climate change or other factors impact the experience.
Antarctica was named first, followed by Machu Picchu in Peru,
and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Venice, Italy (tied for third).
When asked about potential threats to traveler confidence in the year ahead, the presidential election year topped the list. Recession was named the second global risk that could impact potential growth in 2020, followed by global financial instability in third.
For more information on USTOA, visit www.ustoa.com, call 212-599-6599, or email information@ustoa.com
Representing nearly $19 billion in revenue, the member companies of U.S. Tour Operators Association provide tours, packages and custom arrangements that allow 9.8 million travelers annually access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value and freedom to enjoy destinations and experiences across the entire globe. Each member company has met the travel industry’s highest standards, including participation in the USTOA’s Travelers Assistance Program, which protects consumer payments up to $1 million if the company goes out of business.
New York Times Travel Show to Showcase Latest Global Travel Trends, Jan 24-26
The 2020 New York Times Travel Show–now in its 17th year–will open with a Trade Day exclusively for over 11,000 travel industry professionals and media on Friday, January 24; Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26 will be open to an expected 23,000 consumer travelers, as well as to travel professionals and media. The three-day showcase will feature global
cuisine tastings, cultural performances, travel book signings, one-on-one conversations with travel experts and special discounts and offers for consumers of all ages from over 750 exhibitors.
The New York Times Travel Show is the largest and longest-running trade and consumer travel show in North America, featuring the Travel Industry Conference, Consumer Seminars, Meet The Experts Pavilion and an interactive Exhibition including more than 750 exhibitors representing travel to all seven continents, positioned within 16 pavilions (including Adventure, Africa, Asia, Australia/South Pacific, Canada, Caribbean, Cruise, Europe, Family, Global, Latin America, L.G.B.T.Q., Mexico, River Cruise, Travel Products, and U.S.A. Pavilions). In addition to discounts and special offers, the show provides educational seminars and live entertainment for families, individuals and couples and seniors. Join the conversation and follow @NYTTravelShow for the latest Travel Show news. More information at https:// nyttravelshow.com.
© 2020 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
Location, location, school district, but what are
BY PHILIP A. RAICES
So you have now made a conscientious decision to look to either upgrade or downsize and you have certain perimeters that will satisfy your specific “needs and wants.”
There are times when a wife, significant other or husband is very adamant about what they want in the home and have a list of pre-requisites that they are searching for; whether it be as simple as an eat-in- kitchen, gas heat, new appliances, or something more substantial like a new kitchen and bathrooms, new roof, new utilities, etc, or whatever you feel is most important to you and your family. You already know what towns and neighborhoods that you would like to reside within as well as the specific school district that you decided upon for your children to go to.
However, even when downsizing, I have always recommended to still buy into the best schools for the money you are spending because, this will always provide better value and above average appreciation in the future, when and if you decide to sell again. Even when those who are considering renting, should be very cognizant of the best school districts for the “biggest bang” for their buck, within the pricepoint that they can afford.
Many times people aren’t willing to consider trade-offs from the get
go, because we always want as much as we can get for our money and that is understandable. Maybe the home you want needs a lot of work and you aren’t willing to go through a gut renovation. But if you want to derive the most optimum situation, buying an “ugly duckling” to turn it into a beautiful “swan” as long as the budget is available. Moreover, you will be building in value and appreciation right from the start. Buying into another homeowner’s renovations is another path that can be taken as long as you can appreciate what they have completed and to what level of renovation they have gone to. Also, you need to determine whether or not it aligns with your particular tastes; especially when your wife or significant other is very demanding and picky; because it’s always about “happy wife, happy life.”
some will take a step back and get more “realistic” about their specific, “needs and wants” to come to a more pragmatic and logical approach. Unless you have a blank check or are paying outright for your purchase one needs to be very careful when buying their first and even their second or vacation home.
season to consider purchasing a tradeup or higher priced home, especially right after a snowfall ,when there are less people going out in that kind of weather.
In my professional opinion people should first consider siting down in the evening and make up a “wish list” (champagne tastes and sometimes beer pockets) and at the same time the most important things that you absolutely desire in the beginning and are not willing to trade-off; but in the long run
Upgrading and renovating a single or multi-family home, homeowner association, condo or coop, can either be an arduous and complicated process if not planned out or you can have a more pleasant experience when one does their homework and “crosses the tees and dots the “I”s when adding those items that you had originally traded off and then deciding what to add, since you now want to add what was missing from your “wish list.” Some price-points are now still at an all-time high from the implosion in 2008, while others; due to our wonderful S.A.L.T. tax has put a kibosh on the prices of higher end homes in the “blue states” with taxes of $20,000 and higher, have definitely softened and gone down. New homes with all the “bells and whistles” are taking one or more years to secure a prospective buyer; however, this is the most opportune
Wordsmiths Wanted
Being in the financial position to get those trade-offs many times, can be accomplished more easily in the winter than at any other time of the year. However, there are times the process of trading off one important item for another can be a very crucial factor in your decision making; to enable you to realize and to conclude what is really important and not stand on ceremony in desiring everything, as opposed to those things that are important like the location, location and your school district!
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 also as a Certified International Property Specialist. He can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email, at Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate. Com to answer any of your questions, concerns or suggestions for ideas for his column.
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EMPLOYMENT
HELP WANTED
EXPERIENCED
RECEPTIONIST & CLERICAL PART TIME
SEASONAL POSITIONS
Located in Franklin Square Call 516-358-9455
Fax resume 516-358-9483
Email: ed@loturco.com
JOB OPPORTUNITY:
$18 50 P/H NYC $15 P/H LI $14.50 P/H UPSTATE NYH.
If you currently care for your relatives or friends who have Medicaid or Medicare, you may be eligible to start working for them as a personal assistant. No Certificates needed. 347-462-2610 or 347-565-6200
REAL ESTATE FIRM EXPANSION MANAGER
First Century Funding, Inc. (Jericho, NY), specializing in residential and commercial lending is looking for a Real Estate Firm Expansion Manager to work on a real estate business expansion plan, to negotiate and to structure real estate deals.
2 years Real Estate Law or Business Experience, including experience in real estate marketing, real estate legal transactions and analysis. Detailed Social Media knowledge. Strong people management. Master’s Degree in Law or Business is required. Ability to speak foreign languages preferred, but not required. Please send resume to: lawfirm.nyc.usa@gmail.com
EMPLOYMENT
SITUATION WANTED
ELDER CARE COMPANION:
30 years experience, certified. Live in or out, will drive for errands/appointments, etc. Excellent references. Please call 718-915-7683
ELDER CARE:
EMPLOYMENT
TAX PREPARER PART TIME
Franklin Square Experience needed Retirees welcome. Call 516-358-9455
Fax resume 516-358-9483
Email: ed@loturco.com
SITUATION WANTED
CARING, RESPECTFUL AND RELIABLE CAREGIVER AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY. 15+ years experience. Able to care for patients with various illnesses. Prepare meals and do light housekeeping. Flexible working arrangement. Excellent references. Please call Mary 516-689-4770
COMPANION/CAREGIVER AVAILABLE
Honest, Reliable, Friendly, Experienced Polish Woman is available for Companionship with Elderly. Housekeeping, laundry, meals, errands. Speaks English. Has own car. Call or text 516-589-5640
Mature woman available to take care of elderly person 3 days/week daytime hours or night time hours and sleep in. Light cooking. Local excellent references. Own car available. Please call Luisa 516-485-9215 or 516-451-1781. Leave message.
HEALTH AIDE:
Certified Aide seeking to provide private duty care to Garden City or local area resident. Available Monday through Friday, part time or full time, flexible hours, exceptional references.
Call Annmarie 917-586-7433
HOME AIDE/COMPANION
available for immediate hire. 19+ years experience with focus on Dementia, Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s disease. Extremely reliable. Able to do light housekeeping. Driver’s License. References available upon request. Please call Verona: 347-455-7564
HOME HEALTH AIDE/CNA
Experienced woman seeking Full Time Live In Position. Willing to do light housekeeping, running errands. Licensed drive w/ own car. References available.
Call Joy 516-902-1867
IRISH LADY AVAILABLE to care for sick or elderly full time any days. Experienced in all phases. References and car available. Garden City references. Please call 516-437-1285
EMPLOYMENT
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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
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TAG SALE
MOVINGESTATES SALE
Saturday, January 18, 9-2pm 73 Second Street, Garden City (Between Cathedral & Cherry Valley Ave.)
Furniture, glassware, antiques, rugs, clothes, outdoor furniture, jewery, Decorative items, art, tools. NO EARLY BIRDS
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
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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
CLASSIFIEDS Call 294.8900
MARKETPLACE
WANTED TO BUY
LOOKING TO BUY!
Oriental items, clothing, art, old & modern furniture, estates, jewelry, silver, glassware, dishes, old photos, coins & stamps, flatware, comic books, action figures.
Call George 718-386-1104 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
AUTOS WANTED
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!
SERVICES
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
HOME IMPROVEMENTS
AMBIANCE
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
*Handyman & Remodeling
*Kitchen Installations
*Furniture Assembly
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*Minor Electrical & Plumbing
25year GC Resident Lic & Ins H18E2170000 Call BOB 516-741-2154
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
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 NEW STUDIO APARTMENT
Conveniently located in North New Hyde Park. Private entrance, own thermostat, ample parking, includes all.
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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
SERVICES
HEALTH SERVICES
FAMILY CARE
CONNECTIONS, LLC
Dr. Ann Marie D’Angelo PMHCNS-BC
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Advanced Practice Nurse Care Manager
Assistance with Aging at Home /Care Coordintion
Nursing Home & Assisted Living Placement
PRI / Screens / Mini Mental Status Exams
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516-248-9323 www.drannmariedangelo.com
901 Stewart Ave, Ste 230 Garden City, NY 11530
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)
MICHELANGELO
PAINTING & WALLPAPER
Interior, Exterior, Plaster / Spackle, Light Carpentry, Decorative Moldings & Power Washing. Call: 516-328-7499
PARTY HELP
LADIES & GENTLEMEN
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
SERVICES
TUTORING
SPANISH TUTOR:
CERTIFIED SPANISH TEACHER EXPERIENCED IN ALL LEVELS OF SPANISH including AP Spanish and College Level Courses. Experienced with all levels of Chaminade Curriculum and Exams. Excellent references provided upon request.
Phone: 516-655-8194 OR Email: mmiller@emufsd.org
CLEANING
C & A CLEANING SERVICES
Cleaning services for Homes, Apartments, Offices. Experienced. Excellent References.
Free Estimates Call:
Carolina 516-858-9257 Abraham 516-680-0509
SERVICES
CLEANING
CLEANING SERVICE: Houses, Apartments, Offices. Excellent references. Own transportation, Experienced. Call Dinora 516-435-7167
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
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
Wow, we made it to the year that people with bad vision dream about: 2020. New Year’s is the time that we look to the future and try to create a new vision of ourselves. In our mind’s eye, we see ourselves healthier, happier and leading more productive lives. The pursuit of gardening can help with all of those visions.
There are many ways that gardening can help. Many studies have found that being outdoors is healthier than being indoors. Planting new flowers that will make your home prettier will make you happier. Planting and tending a garden is good aerobic activity. Growing vegetables will help you keep an optimistic view of life. Eating healthy foods that you grew yourself will make you stronger. The list goes on and on.
To help your garden and landscape grow better and healthier this year, I have a few suggested
Garden Resolutions A GREENER VIEW
BY JEFF RUGG
resolutions. Start by attending gardening classes at your local county Extension office, arboretum or botanic garden. These classes will help you find and grow plants that will thrive in your yard. They will better equip you to do a better job maintaining your landscape.
Join your local garden club. I know meeting new people can be intimidating, but the new you gets out more often than the old you. I have given talks at many garden clubs, and they are all filled with friendly people who want to help newcomers feel welcome and who want to help new gardeners with their garden questions.
After you learn about new plants, you can increase the size of your flower beds and decrease the size of your lawn. This will help you have more flowers and vegetables and less work mowing the grass.
Resolve to get ahead of gardening problems and not wait for weeds to get out of hand. Use more mulch in the flower beds to decrease weeds, save money on weedkillers and protect the environment from useless weedkiller applications. It will also conserve water and decay into a better garden soil.
At the same time, resolve to find out what disease or insect is affecting your plants before polluting your yard with poisons that are used for treating something else. Using fewer pesticides is beneficial to your landscape and your pocketbook.
Resolve to mow the grass at a higher height. The longer leaves will support a bigger root system. More roots means the grass plant will need to be watered less often and will fight off weeds better.
A healthy lawn not only looks good but also provides the safest surface for kids to play on. It also cools the air around it, fights soil erosion and filters dust out of the air.
Grow some extra vegetables that can be given away. You will be happy that you did. You can learn more about growing food for your neighbors at https://gardencomm.org/PAR. This is a program called Plant a Row for the Hungry. It has helped contribute more than 20 million pounds of fresh vegetables to food pantries. Resolve to order more catalogs from mail-order gardening websites.
And lastly, resolve to enjoy your garden more by eating outside more often, strolling through the yard to smell the flowers (without pulling any weeds) and
having at least one party with family and friends over to enjoy the garden.
Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2020 JEFF RUGG DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE
CLASSIFIEDS Call 294.8900
Money and Relationships: How Financial Literacy Can Help ASK CARRIE
Dear Readers: If I were to ask couples to name the top three things that keep them together, I don’t imagine that shared knowledge and interest in their finances would make the list. Yet money is often cited as one of the main causes of divorce. A recent survey by Policygenius found that 1 in 5 people say their partner is financially irresponsible. And these people are over 10 times more likely to break up over money issues than people who say their partner is good with money.
I always recommend that couples get to know each other financially at the beginning of their relationship, but that really is just the start. A relationship can be a lifelong journey, and your financial togetherness is an important part of it. There are bound to be gaps in each partner’s financial attitudes and know-how, so, to me, it’s essential for every couple to not only discuss their priorities but also increase their financial knowledge along the way. Because financial literacy is also a lifelong journey.
I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a few couples lately whose own experiences demonstrate how being financially aware and informed can bring people closer together. I thought you might be interested in their stories. (Of course, I’ve changed their names.)
30-somethings Consider a Prenup Jessica and Aiden, both in their late 30s, were recently engaged. Both had growing careers, and each had already
BY CARRIE SCHWAB-POMERANTZ
accumulated some assets. One of them had a considerable number of employee stock options. While they had been together for a couple of years and already had a reasonable knowledge of each other’s financial attitudes, marriage made them look more seriously at both their individual and joint financial futures. The big question was: Did they need a prenuptial agreement?
They met with a financial advisor to talk about the pros and cons. Their advisor helped them understand that a prenup isn’t only about what could go wrong but also about helping them figure out positive ways to work together. Because, big picture, creating a prenuptial agreement takes a willingness to be completely open and honest about everything -- what you own, what you owe and how you want to live your financial lives together. That takes absolute trust.
They talked about what assets they’d share and what they’d keep separate; how they’d handle current and future debts; if one or the other would take the financial lead; and, finally, what they’d do if they were to ever split up.
Talking about a prenup not only helped them answer some important questions; it pointed out some holes in their financial knowledge. While Jessica and Aiden ultimately decided they didn’t need a formal prenuptial agreement, talking through it brought any concerns out in the open and made them feel they were on the right financial track -- together.
Second Marriage Presents Financial Challenges
When marrying for the second time, John, age 60, and Cynthia, age 55, knew they had to deal upfront with how much they were willing to marry their finances. Each had a home and invest-
ments, and Cynthia had two kids to consider. Plus, one of them had considerably more assets than the other. As you can imagine, these circumstances brought up not just financial issues but also emotional issues, which can be especially complex when marrying again later in life.
They really had to put everything on the table, share their feelings and reveal any uncertainties about the financial particulars involved. For instance, would they consider all assets acquired before the marriage separate and those acquired after marriage joint? Would they sell their current homes and move into a new one? The kids and estate planning were a particular concern. Cynthia said it was hard at that time in life to let go of some patterns and attitudes, but having a mutual understanding of how they wanted to handle their finances was absolutely essential. And they agreed to not only listen to each other but also learn from each other’s experiences. That takes a tremendous amount of openness -- and togetherness.
Longtime Partners Need to Break Old Patterns
According to an article on Phys.org, the financial literacy gap often widens in long-term relationships. That’s what happened to Laura and Alex. Alex, an accountant, just naturally handled all their finances. They’d been together since they were quite young, and Laura at first didn’t seem to care. In fact, she wasn’t really interested. But as the years went on, Laura began to feel too dependent on Alex as well as resentful. There were really two problems: Alex had to relax some of his control, and Laura needed to be willing to learn. It was difficult at first, but once Alex agreed to include Laura in more fi-
nancial decisions and Laura began to understand more about their income, savings and investments, the air was cleared, and each felt more confident in the other.
A Financial Plan Helps at Every Stage of a Relationship
Every couple has unique financial challenges, but one common way for all couples to get on the same page, learn together and solve their financial problems together is to have a financial plan.
When it comes to financial literacy, a financial plan can be an outline for understanding some basic concepts. That’s because it deals with your complete financial picture: goal planning, cash flow, budgeting, debt management, saving, investing, insurance, taxes and estate planning. Ideally, you will work with a financial planner, although an informal plan that you and your partner create yourselves can also increase your financial knowledge and give you financial direction. And it’s something couples can revisit over time to make sure they’re still in agreement.
Make a Year-End Date to Renew Your Financial Commitment
The end of the year is a traditional
time to look back at what we’ve accomplished and look forward to achieving new goals in the future. Why not make understanding more about your finances a mutual goal for you and your partner? You can think of it as increasing your financial literacy or as a way to fulfill your dreams. Either way, you’ll be doing it together -- and that’s the most important thing.
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, Certified Financial Planner, is president of the Charles Schwab Foundation and author of “The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances After Fifty.” Read more at http://schwab.com/book. You can email Carrie at askcarrie@schwab. com. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax, legal or investment planning advice. To find out more about Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2019 CHARLES SCHWAB & CO. INC. (MEMBER SIPC) DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS. COM
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Movies & Book Discussions at the Jericho Public Library
Thursday, January 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Movie: “Hustlers” (Comedy/Crime/Drama)
Inspired by the viral New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.
Starring Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles
Rated R. 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Tuesday, January at 2:00 p.m.
Movie: “The Quiet One” (Documentary/Music)
A behind-the-scenes look at the
highs and lows of the life and career of Bill Wyman, founding member of the Rolling Stones and renaissance man of rock and roll.
Starring Bill Wyman, Suzanne Accosta, Tony Chapman Not rated. 1 hour, 38 minutes.
Tuesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m. Talk About Books: An Evening Book Discussion with Fran Cohen
“Becoming” by Michelle Obama
This deeply personal memoir of former First Lady Michelle Obama reveals an engaging, powerful life filled with accomplishments and meaning. Listeners are welcome!
Friday, January 10 at 2:00 p.m.
Movie: “Downton Abbey” (Drama/Romance)
The continuing story of the Crawley family, wealthy owners of a large estate in the English countryside during the early twentieth century. Starring Matthew Goode, Alice McCarthy, Maggie Smith.
Rated PG. 2 hours, 2 minutes.
Thursday, January 16 at 2:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Movie: “Judy” (Biography/Drama/Romance)
Legendary performer Judy Garland
arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts. Starring Renee Zellweger, Rufus Sewell, Jessie Buckley.
Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 58 minutes.
Wednesday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. Movie: “Ad Astra” (Adventure/Drama/Mystery) Astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe. Starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga.
Rated PG-13. 2 hours, 3 minutes.
Monday, January 27 at 2:00 p.m. Movie: “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” (Documentary/Biography/Music)
With one of the most memorably stunning voices that has ever hit the airwaves, Linda Ronstadt burst onto the 1960’s folk rock music scene in her early twenties. Starring Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton.
Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 35 minutes.
Programs will take place at the Jericho Public Library: 1 Merry Lane, Jericho.
For more information, go to www.jericholibrary.org
Education that leads to purpose
Welcome to Friends Academy, an extraordinary college-preparatory Quaker school for children age 3 through twelfth grade. Since 1876, Friends Academy has been educating some of the finest students on Long Island.
Today’s research-rich parents make it a priority to consider all of their child’s educational options by comparing online profiles, studying school websites, and touring classrooms and campuses. They know that Long Island options include not only their local public schools, but also parochial and private schools.
One of the finest private schools in New York state, Friends Academy blends an outstanding academic program with its Quaker mission of equity, integrity, and service. This unique education allows Friends Academy to attract an incredibly diverse community of students from over 50 school districts across Long Island.
All are welcome! ADVERTORIAL
Friends Academy students experience:
• An unparalleled college prep program that sends its graduates to the finest universities in the U.S.
• Small class sizes, where students receive individualized attentionThe most diverse, well rounded and academically prepared student body on Long Island
• A welcoming community of scholars, artists, athletes, coders
• Master teachers who care deeply about each student
• Quaker values of integrity, equity, and service that are woven throughout a rigorous academic program
• A beautiful 65-acre campus that rivals college campuses
• Outstanding Sports and Performing Arts program & facilities
• Advanced Robotics and STEM curriculum
Call the Friends Academy Admissions Office at 516-393-4244 to learn more or attend one of the school’s upcoming Open Houses. Find out how your child can join the unequaled Friends Academy community and be prepared for the finest colleges and a career and life beyond school.
RSVP at www.fa.org/admissions or call 516-3934244 to experience Friends Academy for yourself at the following Open Houses:
Students in Grades 6-12 Tuesday, January 14th at 8:30 am.
Students, age 3 through Grade 5 Thursday, January 16th at 8:30 am.
Free musical performances at libraries in January
The Town of Oyster Bay has announced that its Department of Community and Youth Services will be offering free musical performances during the month of January 2020 at local libraries throughout the Town. This is a continuation of the 2019-2020 Distinguished Artists Concert Series, which will continue to run monthly through May 2020.
“The Town’s Distinguished Artists Concert Series has proven to be one of our most popular and enduring programs, as residents flock from all across the Town to see the free musical and dance performances scheduled each month for the enjoyment of our residents,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “I invite residents to take advantage of these four wonderful performances offered by the Town for free at local libraries throughout the month of January.”
Upcoming performances for January 2020 include:
• Bay Big Band – Pop Goes the Bay Big Band on Sunday, January 12, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. at the Farmingdale Public Library.
• Just 60’s - The Stories…The Songs! on Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. in the Massapequa Public Library.
• The History of Rock & Roll – A Trip Down Memory Lane Featuring the Music of the 50s, 60s, and 70s on Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. in the Hicksville Public Library.
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 further information, please call (516) 7977900 or visit www.oysterbaytown.com.
Long Island Blues Winter Hockey special tournament
The Town of Oyster Bay has announced that the 10th Annual Town of Oyster Bay Long Island Blues Winter Classic will take place on Saturday, January 25. This special event showcases LI Blues hockey players with special needs enjoying a game they love verse three other teams from the tri-state area. The public is welcome to attend and admission is FREE. The tournament will consist of six games that will take place throughout the day between the four teams.
“The LI Blues is an inspiring hockey program in which children and young adults with developmental disabilities play ice hockey in a wonderful setting,” said Supervisor Saladino. “This LI Blues organization brings all the fun of playing ice hockey to athletes with special needs, and this Winter Classic Tournament is the perfect way to highlight their inspirational stories. Three other teams, the Connecticut Storm, the New Jersey Dare Devils and the Nova Cool Cats will be participating and the Town welcomes these teams to the Town of Oyster Bay. We invite residents to come to this event and cheer on the LI Blues.
Their commitment and dedication to the sport is uplifting.”
“The LI Blues organization is pleased to again be partnering with the Town of Oyster Bay to present the LI Blues Winter Classic,” Skip Theiss of LI Blues Special Hockey said. “We are very proud of our program which adapts the game of hockey to make it fun for players with special needs. The LI Blues Winter Classic is an outstanding piece of that program and we are thrilled to have it at the state-of-the-art Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center.”
The LI Blues Winter Classic is just one of the many special events held at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center. The facility offers public skating sessions, and serves as home to hockey clubs, figure skaters and special events throughout the year. The Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center is located at 1001 Stewart Avenue, adjacent to Bethpage Community Park.
For more information about the LI Blues Winter Classic and other programs at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center, please visit www. oysterbaytown.com or call (516) 433RINK.
Strong Minds. Kind Hearts.
NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court
Nassau County
HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE HOLDERS OF DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES MORTGAGE
LOAN TRUST, SERIES 2007AR3 MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES
SERIES 2007-AR3, V. PETER BOUDOUVAS, ET AL.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated March 08, 2018, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau, wherein HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE HOLDERS OF DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES MORTGAGE
LOAN TRUST, SERIES 2007AR3 MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES
SERIES 2007-AR3 is the Plaintiff and PETER BOUDOUVAS, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). 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 January 28, 2020 at 11:30AM, premises known as 9 LONDON ROAD, SYOSSET, NY 11791: Section 12, Block 356, Lot 12 and 33:
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING NEAR HICKSVILLE, TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 14596/2013.
James J. Keefe, Esq. - Referee RAS Boriskin, LLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590,
Attorneys for Plaintiff. SYO 4335 4X 12/27,01/03,10,17
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING BY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 246, Article III, Section 246-18-E of the Code of the Town of Oyster Bay, notice is hereby given that the Zoning Board of Appeals has scheduled a public meeting, which will take place in the Town Hall Meeting Room, Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay, New York, on JANUARY 16, 2020, at 7:00 P. M., to consider the following appeals:
BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
APPEAL NO. 20-13
SYOSSET
GLEN & DEBORAH
SWIRSON: Variance to construct second story addition having less side yard setback and aggregate side yards than permitted by Ordinance; also encroachment of eaves and gutters.
E/s/o Ketchams Rd., 234.24 ft.
S/o Birchwood Park Dr., a/k/a 133 Ketchams Road, Syosset, NY
JANUARY 6, 2020
BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK
SYO 4336
1X 01/10
NOTICE OF NAME CHANGE
Notice is hereby given that an order granted by the Supreme Court, Nassau County, on the 13th day of December, 2019, bearing Index Number 001233/19, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 240 Old
Country Road, Mineola, NY grants me the right to assume the name of Tammie Bonkyung Kim. The city and state of my present address are Syosset, NY; the month and year of my birth are December, 1979; the place of my birth is Oka, Tamuning, Guam (USA); my present name is Bon Kyung Koo.
SYO 4337
1X 1/10
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING BY THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 246, Article III, Section 246-18-E of the Code of the Town of Oyster Bay, notice is hereby given that the Zoning Board of Appeals has scheduled a public meeting, which will take place in the Town Hall Meeting Room, Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay, New York, on JANUARY 16, 2020, at 7:00 P. M., to consider the following appeals:
BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
APPEAL NO. 20-12
JERICHO
DHARMINDER SINGH: (A) Variance to construct two story addition, pergola and portico exceeding maximum building coverage than permitted by Ordinance. (B) Variance to construct second story addition having less roof pitch than permitted by Ordinance.
W/s/o Wayne St., 135.69 ft. S/o Key Pl., a/k/a 104 Wayne Street, Jericho, NY
JANUARY 6, 2020
BY ORDER OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK
JNJ 7930
1X 01/10
State funds allocated to Oyster Bay shellfish harvesting study
From page 1
“Oyster Bay Harbor is home to some of the most pristine waters in the region and my administration has been doing more than ever before to further improve its water quality. Through massive seeding initiatives and a new hatchery, we have bolstered the shellfish population while supporting our local marine economy. This study is an important step in better understanding the impact of shellfish harvesting,” Saladino said.
After participating in dialogues with Supervisor Saladino and other local officials last summer, Bayville Mayor Bob DeNatale followed developments regarding the Bay environs carefully. He applauds Senator Gaughran for securing New York State funding to study the various practices of harvesting oysters in Oyster Bay.
“It’s critical to establish the health of the Bay and its ability to furnish oysters for future generations,” he said.
That local perspective was seconded by DeNatale’s colleague Charles Goulding, mayor of Oyster Bay Cove, who commented, “Oyster Bay is an
invaluable New York State resource for all the oysters and clams so many of us enjoy. It is important to verify that we are harvesting all of our shellfish in a sustainable way.”
Dr. Flood noted that there have been consistent complaints that the harvesting techniques being used will prove detrimental to the Bay’s environment.
“Our study in Oyster Bay Harbor will provide new detailed information about how mechanical shellfishing techniques impact the seafloor and on how any resuspended sediments get redistributed within the harbor. While no one study will be able to provide all of the needed answers, we expect that our project will provide some important guidance for management decisions in Oyster Bay Harbor and in other similar settings,” he said. Heather Johnson, executive director of Friends of the Bay, commented on the outlook of her nonprofit organization in Oyster Bay and related environmental groups, “hopefully the hydraulic dredging study will provide some insight on the subject, and it will be done with input from all stakeholders.”
Sold Price: $1,068,000
Date: 12/11/2019
4 beds, 2 Full/1 Half baths
Style: Split
# of Families: 1
Lot Size: 103x124
Schools: Jericho
Total Taxes: $19,032
MLS# 3172327
3 Crocus Drive, Syosset
Sold Price: $1,380,000
Date:12/03/2019
5 beds, 3 Full/1 Half baths
Style: Colonial # of Families: 1
Lot Size: 64x144
Schools: Syosset
MLS# 3157905
Sold Price: $970,000
Date: 12/16/2019
5 beds, 3 Full/1 Half baths
Style: Colonial # of Families: 1
Lot Size: 99x140
Schools: Jericho
Total Taxes: $24,854
MLS# 3169822
Sold Price: $715,000
Date: 12/06/2019
Style: Condo
MLS# 3138358 1 Erie Court, Jericho
3 beds, 2 Full/1 Half baths
Schools: Jericho
Total Taxes: $19,010
High Pond Drive, Jericho
