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Syosset Advance (2/28/20)

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VALENTINES FOR SENIORS New Chamber board

Seniors residing at Orchard Estate of Woodbury, a Benchmark assisted living and memory care community, received a very special gift this Valentine’s Day. Girl Scout Troop #3372 of Jericho-Syosset handmade Valentine’s Day cards for each of the community's residents, spreading love and cheer throughout the community.

Free children's shows at libraries

The Town of Oyster Bay's Children’s Magical Music & More program will continue its 2020 season with performances this March at local libraries throughout the Town.

Town Councilwoman Laura Maier stated, “March’s Children’s Magical Music & More schedule features four performances at libraries across the

Town. This program has proven to be an extremely popular monthly event throughout the year for parents. I encourage all families to come down to one of the scheduled free performances and join in on the fun, free entertainment for children of all ages around the Town of Oyster Bay!”

The scheduled performanc-

es for March 2020 include:

• The Jester Jim Show on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 3:45 p.m. at the Plainedge Public Library- Jester Jim performs his amazing beatbox intro, as kids and adults alike are glued to his every move, as this is not your ordinary juggling show!

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Amanda Johnson, owner and lead designer of Syosset-based Balloons by Amanda, is a new Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce board of directors member for 2020, announced along with colleagues in the local business community at the Syosset Woodbury Chamber’s annual Installation Dinner, held on January 27 at Lisbon Café. There, Amanda was sworn in for her first board term with the Chamber by Syosset native (SHS Class of 2012) former five-year Syosset school board trustee and Nassau County Legislator representing District 18 Joshua A. Lafazan.

Balloons by Amanda offers professional balloon decorating service. With over 20 years of experience, Amanda Johnson creates versatile balloon structures can span wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, express humor or elegance, with colors and motifs that “will carry the attendees/ audience’s eyes all over the event space.”

“Our motto is ‘If you celebrate it, we decorate it!’ Everybody smiles when they see balloons, and people want and need unique decor that has that WOW factor! I love that I can walk into a totally empty room, and when I leave, it’s a party!” she says.

While working for a local-

ly-owned event business in the 1990s Amanda fell in love with the magic of balloons. She saw firsthand how a simple bouquet of balloons could completely transform the mood of a table, and soon she was sharing her balloon creations with family and friends all over Long Island’s North Shore. In an interview with the Advance and News-Journal, Johnson explained her services and talents and how she makes a difference with every design.

“Balloons are not only transformational, but they can tell a story. They resonate with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Balloons can convey a variety of messages, ranging from cheery little pick-me-ups to our major rites of passage like a birthday, wedding, engagement, baby shower, Sweet 16, bar/bat mitzvah, or celebration of life,” she said.

Amanda earned her Certified Balloon Artist (CBA) accreditation by passing multiple knowledge tests on the principles and elements of design, color theory, and business practices, plus a four hour practical exam on techniques and skills, that included an in person interview. The Qualatex CBA program is the only certification for balloon professionals in the world. Amanda regularly attends industry events

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Celebrate Purim with TOB Chabad

The Town of Oyster Bay Chabad will be hosting a community-wide celebration including a magic show, face painting, balloon animals, cotton candy, temporary tattoos, crowning ceremony, bubbles, games, dancing, music and more!

Event will take place on Tuesday, March 10 at 4:15 p.m. At 678 Woodbury Rd, Woodbury

NY, followed by reading the Megilla and recounting the miracle of Purim. This program is free of charge.

Also featured will be music, drinks and hamantashen. Celebrating the joy of Purim will be an experience to be remembered.

For more information and to register for free, visit us online at Jewishtob.org

Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast

The Glen Cove Hicksville Syosset Chapter of the Mercy League will be hosting a Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast on Saturday, March 28 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (last order taken at 9:30 a.m.)

The meal will include pancakes, scram-

bled eggs and a beverage (coffee, tea, juice, soda or tea).

The event will take place at Applebees, 938 S. Broadway, Hicksville. Tickets are $13

For more information, place contact mercyleague.copresidents@gmail.com

Syosset Woodbury Rotary welcomes Chocolate Works

Rotarian Carolyn Paladino, Jo Ann Cave, Rotary President Bob Mittleman

The Syosset-Woodbury Rotary Club welcomed Jo Ann Cave, independent owner and operator of Chocolate Works, as a guest speaker at a recent club  meeting.

The Chocolate Works franchise concept is the brainchild of second generation chocolatier and owner Joe Whaley, a West Point Graduateand veteran of the Iraq War, whose family has been crafting and selling high quality gourmet chocolates for over 40 years.

Chocolate Works is one of the largest suppliers of chocolate gift products to corporate customers in the U.S. and around the world.  They work with

businesses of all types to create custom items like chocolate business cards, logos and uniquely molded novelties.  Their motto is, “If you can dream it, we can create it.”  With two floors at their Plainview location, they can accommodate kids' birthday parties, ladies' night out, workshops, networking parties and showers. Chocolate Works is located in the Plainview Shopping Centre (at 371 South Oyster Bay Road).

The Syosset-Woodbury Rotary Club meets on Tuesday afternoons at The Lisbon Café, Jericho Turnpike, Jericho.

One River School of Art to host Family Day

On Saturday, March 7, starting at 10 a.m. One River School of Art + Design at 150 Woodbury Road will host its Family Day, featuring a guided gallery tour, art scavenger hunt and hands-on art projects for families with children ages 3 through 7.

One River School Director Cassandra Basile spoke with the Advance and News-Journal this week to explain the enrichment activities planned for Family Day as well as outreach, educational initiatives and overall goals of the new creative arts learning studio and facility which opened in Woodbury last year.

“One River School services the community by providing a transformative arts education experience for kids, teens and adults. We do this by being open year-round for weekly classes that students can enroll and begin in at any time -- flexible scheduling -- as well as during the summer with special summer camp programming that we offer for kids and teens. We have one of the only animation-centered digital art classes available to kids in the community, integrating technology with artistic concepts, which is a big differentiator for us,” she said.

Maintaining ‘open’ opportunities for arts educational classes and programs

at the school allows busy working families in Syosset, Woodbury and Jericho or as far as the South Shore and central Suffolk County to come to One River School of Art + Design on the schedule that best suits both children’s activities and parents/guardians’ availability. Basile says families from the North Shore stretch of Roslyn to Huntington find convenience and introductory arts classes to be the right fit, always at the right time.

“Being able to start an arts program at any time is another huge factor for area families as many parents and grandparents must juggle the afterschool activities from sports to dance and theatre. With us, kids can begin a three-month period with arts education because they have interests in drawing or sculpture we are flexible -- hopefully families joining us at Family Day can visit our studios and learn about what makes One River different and how we can really open children’s minds to different ways of making art, especially with our ability to introduce them to cool contemporary artists,” Basile said.

Many North Shore, Long Island and tristate area students in New Jersey and Connecticut share the commonality of coming from a background that enables

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Former Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce President Charo Ezdrin, Esq. (Chamber President from 2017 through 2019) with Cassandra Basile, director of Woodbury's One River School of Art + Design at 150 Woodbury Road, pictured at the Syosset Woodbury Chamber February meeting. The March 19 monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce will be hosted by One River School, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Every successful business, big or small, knows that “Marketing” is the key to growing a business. However, many companies, especially small businesses, can’t afford this type of talent. For example, what’s the best type of advertising for a small business (local newspapers, direct mail, T.V., social media, etc.) LET’S MEET!

My name is Carl and I can be reached at (516) 558-7082 Need

Every successful business big or small knows that “Marketing” is the key to growing a business. However, many companies, especially small businesses can’t afford this type of talent.

Perspectives in Men’s Urological Health

Join us for an informative lecture on urological conditions related to the bladder, the kidneys and prostate. Treatment options for these conditions including the new minimally invasive options for BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) will also be discussed.

Jeffrey Schiff, MD

Attending Urologist

7:00 pm program

Tuesday, March 3

NYU Winthrop’s Research & Academic Center 101 Mineola Blvd, Mineola

Admission is free, but seating is limited. Please call (516) 663-8300 for reservations.

NYU Winthrop Hospital

Suozzi

On view at the Syosset Public Library

Photo from the “Water and Bodies” exhibit

Syosset High School Photo Club

Exhibit on display starting March 2, 2020

The Syosset High School Photo Club will be exhibited in the library’s art gallery starting March 2. A reception will be

held on Sunday, March 8 from 2:304 p.m. Open to the public. This show is a collective work from about twenty Syosset High School photo club students ranging from grades 9-12. The exhibition is titled “Water and Bodies”.

This Week at the Jericho Public Library

Friday, February 28 at 2:00 p.m.

Lobby

Showcases by Donald Sadowsky in the Gallery through March.

Thursday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m.

Movie: Ford vs. Ferrari (Action, Biography, Drama) American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

The Exceptional Events of 1969 with Evan Weiner, Journalist, TV Pundit, Radio Commentator & Podcaster Milestone events of 1969 include the landing of the first man on the moon, the introduction of the artificial heart, the Stonewall Riots, the Miracle Mets World Series victory and the last public performance by the Beatles. You may also remember the introduction of such classics as “Sesame Street” and “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. Evan Weiner will take us down memory lane in this interesting program.

Through March 29

Art On Display: Manhasset Art Association: “Through Our Eyes” in the Gallery Models and sculptures in the

Starring Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal. Rated PG-13. 2 hours 32 minutes. Programs will take place at the Jericho Public Library: 1 Merry Lane, Jericho. For more information, go to www.jericholibrary.org

The Lois Kirschenbaum Team

Tara Matchton, CBR

Real Estate Salesperson

Lois Kirschenbaum Team

Gold Circle of Excellence

c.516.641.2652

taramatchton@danielgale.com

Elyse Gropper, CBR

Real Estate Salesperson

Lois Kirschenbaum Team

Silver Circle of Achievement

c.631.404.7108

elysegropper@danielgale.com

Jill Landow, CBR

Real Estate Salesperson

Lois Kirshenbaum Team

Sterling Circle of Accomplishment

c.516.993.0975

jilllandow@danielgale.com

Lois Kirschenbaum GRI, CBR, SRES

Associate Real Estate Broker

Lois Kirschenbaum Team

Gold Circle of Excellence Charter Member

c.516.526.7425

loiskirschenbaum@danielgale.com

Running Club presents check to National Cancer Initiative

Pictured here at the Jonas Chiropractic office in Syosset, Jon DeGorter of Jonas Chiropractic Sports Injury Care (left) and and Karen Dchackner, GLIRC’s director of the 10K Run (right), present the check to National Cancer Initiative Board member Dr. Margaret Cuomo.

The Greater Long Island Running Club was pleased and proud to present a check in the amount of $2000 to the National Cancer Initiative out of the proceeds of the 2019 Jonas Chiropractic Sports Injury Care Aspire 10 Kilometer Run.

The check was presented on February 21st at the Jonas Chiropractic Sports Injury Care office in Syosset.

The 2020 Run will be held on Saturday, March 28, starting and finish-

ing at the H.B. Mattlin Middle School in Plainview.

The National Cancer Initiative (formerly HeritX), is the global research and development organization that is focused on preventing inherited cancer.

“Typically, when people think about cancer research they think about finding cures, but the goal of this nonprofit is prevention, specifically for people with the BRCA gene… The potential here is transformative.”

This Week at the Syosset P ublic Library

Thursday, March 5

from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Seniors of Syosset Drop In Sessions Presenter: “Seniors of Syosset” of the 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! `

Thursday, March 5 at 2 p.m.

Technology and the Constitution

Presenter: James Coll, adjunct professor of American and Constitutional history at Nassau Community College and Hofstra University and a retired

NYPD detective

This lecture will focus on how the Supreme law of the land (many of its clauses written in the 18th century) has been applied to new technology. Our discussion will include some speculation about how our courts might continue to blend the document’s original text and modern reality in the future.

Friday, March 6 at 2 p.m.

From Streaming TV to the Oscars: How Netflix is Disrupting the Entertainment Industry

Presenter: Brian Rose, professor of communications, Fordham University

From its start as a DVD rent by mail service, Netflix has systematically changed the rules of the media business. Its introduction of streaming in 2007 led to the decline of the video rental store and dramatically increased the use of broadband Internet. With an ever increasing budget of over $15 billion per year, service to 190 countries, and 150 million subscribers, this presentation will examine how Netflix is primed to become the dominant source of leisure time entertainment throughout the world.

Programs will take place at the Syosset Public Library.   225 South Oyster Bay Rd. Syosset. For more information, go to www. syossetlibrary.org

Litmor Publishing Corp.

Memory Care Like No Other

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia takes both heart and science – knowing what expert approaches to take, and providing such care with compassion. This is what we do every day at The Bristal at Lake Success. Our community is dedicated 100% to state-of-the-art memory care, built upon a solid foundation of success caring for seniors at our family of assisted living communities across the tri-state area. We’ve also developed an alliance with Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institute, initiating opportunities for advancements in dementia care. Altogether, this means peace of mind for you, proven memory care for your loved one, and the freedom to share and embrace every moment. Come visit a truly extraordinary community where memory care is everything: The Bristal at Lake Success.

Free musical performances at local libraries

The Town of Oyster Bay's Department of Community and Youth Services will be offering free musical performances during the month of March 2020 at local libraries throughout the Town to continue the 2019-2020 Distinguished Artists Concert Series, which will continue to run monthly through May 2020.

Councilwoman Walsh stated, “The Cultural and Performing Arts (CAPA) Division of the Department of Community and Youth Services has worked tirelessly over the years to bring our residents the finest entertainment possible, providing a wide spectrum of music, comedic and dramatic programs to suit every taste. The Distinguished Artists Concert Series is a great example of this, and I encourage residents looking to expand their cultural palette to take advantage of these free concert held each month at local libraries.”

Upcoming performances for March 2020 include:

• Napoleon Revels-Bey – Al Andalusia to Dizzy, the Old and New World Connection Through the Roots of the Clave on Sunday,

March 8, 2020 at 2 p.m. at the Locust Valley Public Library.

• The Golden Chords – A Tribute to the Music of Bob Dylan on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at the Jericho Public Library (tickets required for performances at Jericho Public Library as space is limited, tickets available at the library beginning on February 12, 2020, for more information call 516935-6790.)

• Lee Glantz – A Tribute to the Music of Cole Porter on Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at the Syosset Public Library.

• The Chamlins – Cabaret Couple featuring the Songs of the Ladies of Tin Pan Alley on Sunday, March 29, 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) 797-7900 or visit www.oysterbaytown.com.

Legislators hold winter wear clothing drive

donated.

Nassau County Legislators Arnold W. Drucker (D - Plainview) and Joshua Lafazan (Woodbury) are supporting the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless through their ongoing winter wear donation drive. Legislators Drucker and Lafazan collected more than 70 coats, hats, gloves and scarves that were donated by attendees of their joint tax grievance workshop at Syosset Public Library on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

“This tremendous display of generosity has gone a long way toward assisting the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless in providing immediate assistance to those in need as part of its multi-faceted Continuum of Care,” Legislator Drucker said. “Legislator Lafazan and I are deeply grateful to everyone for their contributions and encourage you to continue supporting

this outstanding organization in the coming months and years in their mission to end homelessness on Long Island.”

“Legislator Drucker and I have the distinct privilege of representing tremendously generous and deeply compassionate communities, and the results of this winter wear drive illustrate that beautifully,” Legislator Lafazan said. “We are both proud to support the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless and its essential mission to ensure no Long Island is without safe and secure shelter at any time.”

Anyone interested in making a winter wear donation can contact Legislator Drucker’s office at 516-571-6216 or adrucker@nassaucountyny.gov or Legislator Lafazan’s office at 516-571-6218 or jlafazan@nassaucountyny.gov for details.

Nassau County Legislators Joshua Lafazan (Woodbury) and Arnold Drucker (Plainview) with some of the winter wear that was

February 28, 2020

Mount Rushmore, Finale to 6-Day Wilderness Voyageurs

South Dakota ‘Badlands & Mickelson Trail’ Bike Tour

It’s our last day of the Wilderness Voyageurs six-day “Badlands and Mickelson Trail” bike tour of South Dakota, when we would have biked back a portion of the Mickelson Trail that we cycled yesterday before visiting Mount Rushmore. But as luck would have it (and it is actually lucky), it rains as we leave Deadwood. It is lucky because the rest of our rides have been glorious and we did get to complete the 109-mile long Mickelson Trail, in addition to riding through Badlands National Park and Custer State Park. Our guides, James Oerding and John Buehlhorn, offer us alternatives and the group agrees that instead of doing the Mickelson 18 miles from Dumont to Mystic (the same trail we did yesterday but downhill) we go directly to Mount Rushmore and see if the weather dries out.

Mount Rushmore is such a familiar American icon, it may be a cliché. But seeing it “in person” makes you rethink what it is all about.

The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, wrote “Let us place there, carved high, as close to heaven as we can, the words of our leaders, their faces, to show posterity what manner of men they were. Then breathe a prayer that these records will endure until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away.”

Borglum also wrote, “The purpose of the memorial is to communicate

the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.”

The National Park Service offers this about Mount Rushmore National Monument: “Majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota, tell

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum wrote of Mount Rushmore, “The purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

the story of the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. From the history of the first inhabitants to the diversity of America today, Mount Rushmore brings visitors face to face with the rich heritage we all share.”

The NPS posits that Borglum “selected these four presidents because from his perspective, they represented the most important events in the history of the United States. Would another

GOING PLACES NEAR AND FAR

artist at that time, or perhaps a modern artist choose differently? As you read more about Borglum’s choices, think about what you might have done if the decision was up to you.”

I stumble upon a 15-minute Ranger talk in the Sculptor’s Studio about Gutzon Borglum, the carving process and the lives of the workers - how they dynamited away 90 percent of the

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GOING PLACES, NEAR & FAR....

Mount Rushmore, Finale to 6-Day Wilderness Voyageurs South Dakota ‘Badlands & Mickelson Trail’ Bike Tour

Continued from page D1

stone, leaving just 3 to 6 inches of material to chisel off by hand, how they hang a weight to where the nose should be and create the facial features from that reference point.

The Ranger stands in front of a model of how a completed Mount Rushmore was envisioned by Borglum. Who knew there was more? I’ve always taken for granted that what we see was all that was meant to be. The model shows that it would have had their jackets down to their waist and hands.

To see the scale of the sculpture, it is hard to contemplate the challenge of blasting away all that rock and carving that stone. But we learn that getting this project underway was a challenge unto itself.

South Dakota historian Doane Robinson is credited with conceiving the idea of carving the likenesses of noted figures into the mountains of the Black Hills of South Dakota in order to promote tourism in the region. But once sculptor Gutzon Borglum was selected, the organizers had to get permission from the federal government and the state to do the carving. Senator Peter Norbeck (the man who created the Needles Highway through Custer State Park) and Congressman William Williamson were instrumental in getting the legislation passed to allow the carving. The bill requesting permission to use federal land for the memorial easily passed through Congress. But a bill sent to the South Dakota Legislature faced more opposition. Apparently, the idea of

tourists trapsing through their wilderness (traffic!) did not have universal appeal.

Robinson’s initial idea was to feature heroes of the American West, such as Lewis and Clark, Oglala Lakota chief Red cloud and Buffalo Bill Cody. But Borglum wanted the sculpture to have broader appeal, so chose the four presidents, who would each symbolize an important aspect of American history. (That might be why Robinson was not chosen for the 12-member commission to oversee the project.)

Early in the project, money was hard to find, despite Borglum’s assurances that Eastern businessmen would gladly make large donations. He also promised South Dakotans that they would not be responsible for payingfor any of the mountain carving. Borglum got Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon on board, but only asked for half of the funding he needed, believing he would be able to match federal funding ($250,000) dollar for dollar with private donations.

Borglum worked on the project from 1927, the presidents’ faces were carved from 1933-1939, with his son, Lincoln. Meanwhile, in 1929, the stock market crashed; in 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt placed Mount Rushmore under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.

In March, 1941, as a final dedication was being planned, Gutzon Borglum died. This fact, along with America’s impending involvement in World War II, led to the end of further carving on the mountain. With the money – and enthusiasm –running out, Congress refused to allocate any more funding. On October 31, 1941, the last day of work, Mount Rushmore National Memorial was declared a completed project.

The Ranger explained that the death of the artist raised an ethical issue for anyone who would take over the work. “The

country had moved on. They were not as interested in presidents as they were in the 1930s; when Mount Rushmore was a shrine to democracy. And what if the new artist made a mistake?”

I can see now how Mount Rushmore was a cautionary tale for the Crazy Horse Memorial (which we had visited just two days before) and why sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who worked on Mount Rushmore before being tasked to do Crazy Horse, refused any federal funding. He instead created a foundation and funded the project with private donations and admissions. As a result, some 70 years after Ziolkowski began his work – in contrast to Mount Rushmore - his grandchildren are continuing to carve the memorial and realize his full vision.

I walk the Presidential Trail (just 0.6 miles long, 422 stairs, weather permitting) to get up close and personal with the mountain sculpture and perhaps glimpse some of the area wildlife.

Some 3 million visitors come to Mount Rushmore each year.

Among the activities offered: the Junior Ranger program (booklets are available at the information desks for ages three to four, five to twelve and 13 and up), and the Carvers’ Café, Ice Cream Shop and Gift Shop.

Also: Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Heritage Village (10 - 30 minutes, free): Explore the history of the Black Hills and the American Indian tribes who have populated this land for thousands of years. Located next to the Borglum View Terrace for 2019, this area highlights the customs and traditions of local American Indian communities. Open 10:30 am to 3 pm, early June through mid-August, weather permitting.

Youth Exploration Area (10 - 30 minutes, free): Explore the natural, cultural and historical aspects of Mount Rushmore

Park Service Ranger gives a talk about how Mount

came to be, and what sculptor Gutzon Borglum originally intended © Karen Our Wilderness Voyageurs “Badlands & Mickelson Trail” bike tour finishes where it started, in Rapid City, South Dakota (c) Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com.

Tourists from all over the world flock to Mount Rushmore, an enduring national symbol © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Rushmore

with interactive programs. Located at the Borglum View Terrace for 2019. Open early June through early August.

Self-Guided Tour (30 - 120 minutes; rental fee): Rent an audio tour wanr or multimedia device to hear the story of Mount Rushmore through music, narration, interviews, historic recordings and sound effects while walking a scenic route around the park. Available at the Audio Tour Building across from the Information Center (rentals available inside the Information Center during the winter months). The tour and accompanying brochure are available in English, French, German, Lakota, and Spanish.

(During our visit, the Visitor Center and amphitheater where programs are presented are closed for construction.)

It had been gray and drizzly when we first arrived making the monument look dull, but as we leave, blue sky breaks through and for the first time, I realize that George Washington has a jacket.

(Just recently, the last living Mount Rushmore construction worker, Donald ‘Nick” Clifford, who worked on the monument from 1938-40, passed away at the age of 98.)

(Mount Rushmore, 13000 Highway 244, Keystone, SD 57751, 605-574-2523, www. nps.gov/moru/index.htm)

Even thought the weather has cleared up just as we are leaving Mount Rushmore, because it is a getaway travel day, the group decides not to bike (the trail James suggests is impractical because it requires the guides to take off the roof racks in order to fit through the tunnel). We decide instead, to go straight to Rapid City, our departure point, for lunch before we all go our separate ways.

GOING PLACES, NEAR & FAR....

Our last lunch together, is at Tally’s Silver Spoon (best Reuben sandwich outside of NYC!) – just across the street from the historic Alex Johnson Hotel, where I began my South Dakota odyssey in Rapid City a week ago.

What I love best about Wilderness Voyageurs’ “Badlands and Mickelson Trail” bike tour are the varied experiences: Badlands – fossils – Circle View Guest Ranch – Black Hills - Crazy Horse – Custer State Park – stone spires – wildlife – buffalo - Blue Bell Lodge – Mount Rushmore – biking the 109-mile long Mickelson rail trail – and the camaraderie of fellow cyclists.

Guided bike trips are not cheap, but what I look for is value for money – my test is whether I could reproduce the trip for less out-of-pocket, to make up for the decided increase in convenience of having the itinerary already plotted out. I found Wilderness Voyageurs excellent value – in the services provided, wonderful accommodations (especially the guest ranch and the lodge), dining, creating an itinerary that was idyllic, entrances to attractions (Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore), and also considerate, superb guides, a relaxed, unpressured atmosphere (“You’re on vacation!”). The destination, South Dakota, is quite sensational and unexpectedly varied – spectacular scenery, nature and wildlife, fossils (!), culture and history – a microcosm of North America, really. Indeed, it is an ideal destination for international visitors to plunge into the American frontier west mythology of the past, but more interestingly, to see the American West as it is today. And frankly, even if I rented a bike and paid

for shuttle services, I couldn’t have duplicated the itinerary, or the camaraderie, or the expertise and care.

Wilderness Voyageurs started out as a rafting adventures company 50 years ago, but has developed into a wide-ranging outdoors company with an extensive catalog of biking, rafting, fishing and outdoor adventures throughout the US and even Cuba, many guided and self-guided bike itineraries built around rail trails like the Eric Canal in New York, Great Allegheny Passage in Pennsylvania, and Katy Trail in Missouri.

Wilderness Voyageurs, 103 Garrett St., Ohiopyle, PA 15470, 800-272-4141, bike@

Wilderness-Voyageurs.com, WildernessVoyageurs.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

Women’s History Month and writer Shirley Jackson

Any high school student or college student who has had to read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” probably remembers that short story well. Its characters and its plot have a way of standing out in one’s mind. Did you know, however, that it took Shirley Jackson just one afternoon to write that short story?

Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco, Calif., on December 14, 1916, and spent her childhood in nearby Burlingame where she began writing poetry and short stories as a young teenager.

Her family moved east when she was 17 and Shirley Jackson attended the University of Rochester. After a year, in 1936, she withdrew and spent a year at home practicing writing, producing a minimum of a thousand words a day.

She entered Syracuse University in 1937, where she published her first story, “Janice,” and was soon appointed the fiction editor of the campus humor magazine. After winning a poetry contest at

Syracuse she met her future husband, the young aspiring literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman. Together they founded a literary magazine called “Spectre” with Hyman as the editor.

Shirley Jackson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Stanley graduated the same year, in 1940. They moved to Greenwich Village where Shirley wrote every day while they both worked at odd jobs.

She began having her stories published in “The New Republic” and “The New Yorker” and the first of their children was born. Altogether she and Edgar had four children, daughters Sarah and Joanne, and sons Laurence and Barry.

In 1944 Shirley Jackson’s story “Come Dance With Me in Ireland” was chosen for “Best American Short Stories.”

In 1945, Stanley Hyman was offered a teaching position at Bennington College in Vermont, and they moved into an old house in North Bennington where Shirley wrote while raising children and running a household. (shirleyjackson.org)

Her first novel, “The Road Through

The Wall,” was published in 1948. That same year “The New Yorker” published Jackson’s story, “The Lottery,” which generated the largest volume of mail ever received by the magazine commenting on the story. Some readers weren’t sure if “The Lottery” was fiction or non-fiction. It is fiction and it’s possibly the most wellknown short story of the 20th Century.

In 1949, the Hyman family moved to Westport, Ct., so Hyman could commute to his new job on “The New Yorker” staff, and Shirley’s second book, “The Lottery, or The Adventures of James Harris,” which is a collection of short stories, was published.

Their house was often filled with visiting poets, artists, composers and writers, and National Book Award-winning author Ralph Ellison spent months living with the Hyman family while he finished writing “Invisible Man.”

In 1951 Jackson’s succession of Gothic novels began with the publication of “Hangsaman” and “The Summer People” was chosen for “Best American Short Stories.” That year the Hymans moved

back to North Bennington where they would remain for the rest of their lives.

In 1952, “The Lottery” had its first of several adaptations for TV. Jackson continued to write short stories for popular magazines and in 1953 “Life Among The Savages,” the first of two humorous family chronicles, was published. “The Lottery” was adapted for stage.

In the next few years Shirley Jackson published “The Bird’s Nest” and “Witchcraft of Salem Village” which was a non-fiction juvenile volume.

“One Ordinary Day With Peanuts” was chosen in 1956 for “Best American Short Stories” and also that year, the film version of “The Bird’s Nest,” “Lizzie,” was released. During the late 1950s Jackson published “Raising Demons,” the second family chronicle, “The Sundial,” and the one-act play “The Bad Children.”

Shirley Jackson’s best-known novel, “The Haunting of Hill House,” came out in 1959. Many people regard it as the

Hike up the short Presidential Trail for a wonderful view of Mount Rushmore © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Politicians Have Not Stolen Social Security Money

I give lots of talks about Social Security. I’ve given thousands of them over the past 45 years. And at almost every one of those presentations, inevitably, somebody in the crowd will get up and make a statement that begins with these words: “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with Social Security!” And then they will go off on some rant, spouting lies or half-truths. Lots of times, it’s something they’ve been telling themselves for years. Or more recently, it’s some garbage they picked up on the internet.

I don’t mind the bombastic behavior because once I get a chance to respond, it gives me the opportunity to set the record straight. I can tell that many in the audience follow what I am saying and agree with me. But I almost never convince the guy who is on his soapbox. His misplaced beliefs are just too firmly rooted in his psyche. And I even sort of understand that. For example, if you’ve spent your whole life being absolutely convinced that the Earth is flat, and then someone shows you proof that the world is round, it might take a while before that knowledge sinks into your brain.

There are countless examples of these “what’s wrong with Social Security” rants. But today, I only have space to cover one of them. And it is, by far, the most common rant of all. It goes like this: “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with Social Security. If politicians had kept their cotton-picking hands off the Social Security trust funds, we wouldn’t have any problems today!” The implication is that presidents, or members of Congress, have stolen Social Security money and used it for other purposes. Many will go a bit further and say, “It all started with LBJ. He took Social Security money and put it in the general funds of the government!”

Here are the facts. And let’s start with President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Back in the 1960s, his administration was running up huge deficits because of all the spending on the Vietnam War. But LBJ came up with a clever way to mask that deficit spending. He saw that the government kept a completely separate set of books for the Social Security trust funds. And those funds were running big surpluses. So Johnson, wily and crafty politician that he was, decided to combine the two sets of books.

On the one hand, you could say his reasoning made sense. I’m sure he told his staff something like this: “It’s all government money. So we should simply add up all government money together.” On the other hand, he was obviously doing this for one reason only: to use Social Security surpluses to hide his growing Vietnam War deficits.

BUT HERE IS THE IMPORTANT POINT EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND. All of this budgetary mischief was just bookkeeping tomfoolery. John-

son didn’t take one nickel out of the Social Security trust funds. He merely combined the Social Security books with the general government books on paper.

In fact, it’s a practice that continues to this day. In effect, the government keeps two sets of books. One set combines the Social Security funds with the general funds. When politicians want to demonstrate to people that they have the overall budget under control, they pull out the “unified” budget books. If other politicians want to scare you with gloom and doom stories of fiscal recklessness (usually to push their agenda of drastic cuts to federal spending), they would show you the “operational” budget that did not include Social Security surpluses.

But again -- and I can’t stress this enough -- this is just bookkeeping shenanigans. Social Security resources were never touched.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

And those “resources” lead me to the other part of the “politicians stole Social Security money” debate.

To understand that story, you have to understand how Social Security is financed. Every single day, about $2 billion in Social Security tax receipts flows into the Treasury Department in Washington. That is two BILLION dollars! And that is EVERY DAY!

So what happens to that money? It certainly isn’t buried in a “lockbox!” (Remember those silly promises from several presidential campaigns ago?) It would be absolutely ludicrous to take $2 billion out of the nation’s economy every single day and lock that money away. It would be the federal equivalent of someone burying his or her life savings under a mattress.

Also, the money itself does not go directly into the Social Security trust funds. Again, it makes absolutely no fiscal sense to deposit billions of dollars of cash into the federal equivalent of a Social Security piggy bank.

Instead, just like monies in any trust fund in the country, Social Security tax receipts are invested. But unlike all other public and private trust funds, Social Security money does not end up in the stock market or other private markets. Why not? It’s a matter of scale. Whereas other trust funds might have a few million or even a few billion dollars in assets, the Social Security trust funds hold trillions of dollars. In fact, Social Security makes up about one fourth of the entire federal budget -- and you simply do not take 25% of our country’s federal budget and dump it onto Wall Street. Can you imagine the effect that would have on the private markets? The federal government, via the Social Security trust funds, would be the major stockholder of Apple, Amazon, Chase Bank, Philip Morris, ExxonMobil and others. I can’t even imagine all of the conflicts of interests associated with those deals.

So instead, every nickel of Social Security money is invested in U.S. Treasury

notes. It’s surely an awkward marriage, but a marriage it is nonetheless. It’s like the federal government is lending money to itself! But the system has worked that way for about 80 years now. The Social Security trust funds currently hold about $2.8 trillion in government securities. If you want to see a listing of the trust fund holdings, just go to the Social Security website, select “Menu,” and click on “Actuarial Resources.” On the Social Security Actuary homepage, click on “Trust Funds” and then on “Investment transactions” and “Investment holdings.”

So, the Social Security trust funds do not hold cash. They hold Treasury notes. If you have some treasury notes in your

portfolio, what is the government doing with your money? It is spending it. Do you think the government has stolen your money? Of course not. You think of it as an investment. The same holds true for the Social Security trust funds, just on a much larger scale. Politicians haven’t stolen a dime of Social Security money. It’s all invested. And just as your treasury bonds pay you interest, the Social Security trust funds are credited with interest on an annual basis -- about $80 billion per year in recent years.

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

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New-York Historical Society Leaps into Election Year with Exhibitions Showcasing

NEW YORK, NY – As election year 2020 begins, the New-York Historical Society launches a series of special exhibitions that address the cornerstones of citizenship and American democracy. Starting on Presidents’ Day Weekend, visitors to Meet the Presidents will discover how the role of the president has evolved since George Washington with a re-creation of the White House Oval Office and a new gallery devoted to the powers of the presidency. Opening on the eve of Women’s History Month, Women March marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment with an immersive celebration of 200 years of women’s political and social activism. Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic explores the important roles state constitutions have played in the history of our country, while The People Count: The Census in the Making of America documents the critical role played by the U.S. Census in the 19th century—just in time for the 2020 Census.

To encourage first-time voters to learn about our nation’s history and civic as they get ready to vote in the presidential election, NewYork Historical Society is offering free admission to these exhibitions to college students with ID through 2020, an initiative supported, in part, by The History Channel. This special program allows college students to access NewYork Historical’s roster of upcoming exhibitions that explore the pillars of American democracy as they prepare to vote, most of them for the first time.

“The year 2020 is a momentous time for both the past and future of American politics, as the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, coincides with both a presidential election and a census year,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical. “This suite of complementary exhibitions showcases the ideas and infrastructure behind our American institutions that establish and protect our fundamental rights to make our voices heard and opinions count. We hope that all visitors will come away with a wider understanding of the important role each citizen plays in our democracy.”

Meet the Presidents (February 14 – ongoing)

A special permanent gallery on NewYork Historical’s fourth floor features a detailed re-creation of the White House Oval Office, where presidents

Pillars of

have exercised their powers, duties, and responsibilities since 1909. Visitors to New-York Historical can explore the Oval Office, hear audio recordings of presidential musings, and even sit behind a version of the President’s Resolute Desk for a photo op.

The Suzanne Peck and Brian Friedman Meet the Presidents  Gallery traces, through artwork and objects, the evolution of the presidency and executive branch and how presidents have interpreted and fulfilled their leadership role. Highlights include the actual Bible used during George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 and a student scrapbook from 1962 chronicling JFK’s leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Meet the Presidents is curated by Marci Reaven, vice president of history exhibits, and Lily Wong, assistant curator

Women March (February 28 – August 30)

For as long as there has been a United States, women have organized to shape the nation’s politics and secure their rights as citizens. Their collective action has taken many forms, from abolitionist petitions to industry-wide garment strikes to massive marches for an Equal Rights Amendment. Women March celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment—which granted women the right to vote in 1920—as it explores the efforts of a diverse array of women to expand American democracy in the centuries before and after the suffrage victory. Women March is curated by Valerie Paley, the director of the Center for Women’s History and New-York Historical senior vice president and chief historian, with the Center for Women’s History curatorial

American Democracy

team. The immersive exhibition features imagery and video footage of women’s collective action over time, drawing visitors into a visceral engagement with the struggles that have endured into the 21st century.

The exhibition begins with the many ways women asserted political influence long before they even demanded the vote. Objects and images demonstrate how they risked criticism for speaking against slavery, signed petitions against Indian Removal, raised millions to support the Civil War, and protested reduced wages and longer days. A riveting recreation of an 1866 speech by African American suffragist and activist Frances Harper demonstrates the powerful debates at women’s rights conventions. Absence of the vote hardly prevented women from running for political office: one engaging item on display is a campaign ribbon for Belva Lockwood, the first woman to argue before the Supreme Court, who won around 4,000 votes in her own presidential bid.

Multiple perspectives on the vote, including African American and

working-class activism, are explored, upending popular assumptions that suffragists were a homogenous group. The 19th Amendment is hailed as a crucial step forward, but recognized as an incomplete victory. One photograph shows an African American women’s voter group in Georgia circa 1920, formed despite wide disenfranchisement, and another shows women of the League of Women Voters who sought to make suffragists’ goals real with legislation that addressed issues such as public health and child welfare. A digital interactive monitor invites visitors to explore the nuances of voting laws concerning women across the entire United States.

Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions  (February 28 – May 31)

America has been singular among nations in fostering a vibrant culture of engagement with constitutional matters and the fundamental principles of government. Featuring

See page D6

New-York Historical Society Leaps into Election Year with Exhibitions Showcasing Pillars of American Democracy

Continued from page D5

more than 40 books and documents from the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Foundation’s collection,  Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic illuminates America’s continuing debates on the role and limits of government and the fundamental rights of all citizens. From the early days of the American Revolution, to the American Civil War, to the eve of World War I, the rare and early printings of state and federal constitutions trace defining moments in American history and are testaments to our nation’s continuing experiment in self-government and the relentless quest for improvement.

Among the highlights on view is a rare example of the original Dunlap and Claypoole 1787 printing of the U.S. Constitution—one of few surviving copies. Manuscripts, such as the first known description of the Great Seal of America from 1782 and a certified 1802 handwritten copy of the 12th Amendment that altered the system for electing the president and vice president are also on view. The Choctaw Nation Constitution of 1838, written by members of the tribe forcibly relocated from Mississippi to Oklahoma, combines American constitutional forms with traditional practices in an effort to preserve self-government and prevent further violations of their fundamental rights. The Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836) sanctioned slavery and led the United States to

initially decline Texas’ requests for annexation; the inclusion of slavery in the Missouri Constitution of 1820 also led to a bitter fight in Congress to deny Missouri admission to the union. The progressive Louisiana Constitution of 1868 of the Civil War Reconstruction period prohibited segregation of schools by race. Kansas was the first of more than 30 states to prohibit alcohol with the Kansas State Prohibition Amendment of 1880, eventually leading to national Prohibition through the 18th Amendment in 1919. The Wyoming Constitution of 1889 declared that “male and female citizens” could exercise all rights equally, including the right “to vote and hold office”—three decades before federal ratification of the 19th Amendment. The bilingual New Mexico Constitution of 1910—Constitution of the State of New Mexico/Constitucion del Estado de Nuevo Mexico—guaranteed that all laws, including the constitution, would be published in both English and Spanish for at least 20 years.

This exhibition is the first public viewing of these selected historical documents together, and after its run at New-York Historical, it travels to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (June 12 – July 5, 2020

The People Count: The Census in the Making of America (March 13 – June 7)

What does it mean to be counted? As the 2020 Census kicks off, The People Count: The Census in the Making of America from the David M. Rubenstein

Americana Collection provides an in-depth look at the origins and story of the U. S. Census from 1790 through the 1800s, using 30 books and manuscripts that reveal the critical role the Census played in the development of the country. America became the first country to count its inhabitants for reasons of governing, as it dictates the number of House of Representatives seats that each state gets. In the 19th century as the country grew, so did the stakes of the census process, which further drove our nation west—and to war with itself.

The People Count pays particular attention to the problem of the ThreeFifths Compromise, the censusrelated clause in the Constitution that regarded slaves equal to 60% of freepersons. Unable to vote, enslaved people unwittingly added to the political representation of slaveholders. Displayed in the exhibition is the 1860 census, which counted 3.95 million slaves, an eighth of all Americans, and uncovered that in 10 years the North had gained 41% more people while the South grew by only 27%. On view are printings of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Ninth Census—Volume I, The Statistics of the Population of the United States, the 1870 census, when there was no longer slaves to be counted for the first time in nine censuses.

Programming

Historians and scholars engage in a slate of related conversations, lectures, and intimate salons throughout the

winter and spring. Black women and the 19th Amendment (March 12), older women in American history (March 19), and the life of Harriet Tubman (April 14) are among the topics explored during Women March. Programs that focus on the spirit of the law and the separation of powers (April 30), foreign influence in the 2020 election (May 2), and the presidents vs. the press (May 21) illuminate the presidency and the importance of the Oval Office. Scholars discuss power, politics, and madness (February 22) and the enduring constitutional vision of the Warren Court (April 25), among other programs focused on civics.

Family programs that take place on select weekends throughout the exhibitions’ run bring history to life for young visitors. One of the highlights is International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, when families can make crafts and meet historical interpreters portraying famous and little known leaders of the women’s rights movement.

The New-York Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street), New York, NY 10024, 212-873-3400,  nyhistory. org

Herman Hollerith’s Punched Card Tabulator. Scientific American, vol. 63., no. 9. New York, 1890. Courtesy of David M. Rubenstein

Women activists with signs for registration, 1956. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Frances Albrier Collection. © Cox Studio
Choctaw Nation Constitution of 1838 / The Constitution and Laws of the Choctaw Nation Park Hill, Cherokee Nation: John Candy, 1840. Photo credit: Ardon Bar-Hama
Rembrandt Peale.  George Washington (1732–1799), 1853. Oil on canvas. New-York Historical Society, Bequest of Caroline Phelps Stokes

Women’s History Month and writer Shirley Jackson

“quintessential haunted house tale.” That novel has twice been adapted for feature films.

In 1961 Jackson received the Edgar Allan Poe Award for “Louisa, Please,” one of the few such awards she ever received during her lifetime. The following year her novel “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” was included in the year’s “Ten Best Novels” by Time Magazine.

In 1963, director Robert Wise released “The Haunting,” the first film adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel, to excellent reviews. Jackson was invited to join the teaching staff at the famous Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, which is east of Middlebury, Vt., and she reviewed children’s books for the “New York Herald Tribune.”

In 1965 Jackson was awarded the Arents Pioneer Medal for Outstanding Achievement from Syracuse University. On August 8, 1965, Shirley Jackson died unexpectedly of heart failure. She was 48 years old.

The following year, Stanley Edgar Hyman published the anthology, “The Magic of Shirley Jackson,” plus a collection of her short stories and three previously-published novels.

The plot of “The Lottery”:

“The Lottery” takes place on June 27, on a beautiful summer day, in a small New England village where all the residents are gathering for their traditional annual lottery. Though the event first appears festive, it soon becomes clear that no one wants to win the lottery. Tessie Hutchinson seems unconcerned about the tradition until her family draws the dreaded mark. I won’t reveal the ending of the short story.

Shirley Jackson was recognized for her use of contrasts in the unfolding of the story. As “The Lottery” progresses, Jackson gives clues to indicate that something is not right. Readers have certain expectations but the story has many twists and turns. Usually winning a lot-

tery is a good thing but not in this case.

As Joyce Carol Oates has written, there is a certain slow-gathering momentum in “The Lottery.” Even though the story is short and to the point with about 3,700 words, it’s a page turner - we want to know what happens next.

About “The Haunting of Hill House”: The author decided to write “a ghost story” after reading about a group of nineteenth century “psychic researchers” who studied a house and reported their supposedly scientific findings to the Society for Psychic Research.

What Jackson discovered is their “dry reports was not the story of a haunted house, it was the story of several earnest, I believe misguided, certainly determined people, with their differing motivations and background.” Excited by the prospect of creating her own haunted house and the characters to explore it, she started researching.

Shirley Jackson later claimed to have found a picture of a California house she believed was suitably haunted-looking in a magazine. She asked her mother, who lived in California, to help find information about the house.

According to Jackson, her mother identified the house as one the author’s great-great-grandfather had built. He was an architect who had designed some of San Francisco’s oldest buildings.

Jackson also read many different volumes of traditional ghost stories while preparing to write her own. “No one can get into a novel about a haunted house without hitting the subject of reality headon; either I have to believe in ghosts, which I do, or I have to write another kind of novel altogether.” (Paula Guran)

Jackson sketched floor plans of downstairs and upstairs of Hill House and a rendering of the exterior.

Shirley Jackson’s legacy: In 2007, the Shirley Jackson Awards were established with the permission of Jackson’s estate. They are in recognition of her legacy in writing, and are awarded for outstanding achievement in the literature of psycho-

logical suspense, horror and the dark fantastic.

The experts say that Shirley Jackson wrote in two different styles. She could write about ordinary domestic life with humor and she could easily write a horror story in the Gothic style. As a master of the psychological horror genre, Jackson influenced Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Joanne Harris and other writers.

In 2014, Susan Scarf Merrell published a thriller called, “Shirley: A Novel,” about Jackson, her husband, a fictional couple who move in with them and a missing girl. The story goes: “When a young graduate student and his pregnant wife - Fred and Rose Nemser - move into Shirley and Stanley’s home in the fall of 1964, they quickly fall under the magnetic spell of their brilliant and unconventional hosts.” It goes on.

Susan Scarf Merrell is the director of the Southampton Writers Conference and an assistant professor in the MFA program in Creative Writing & Literature at SUNY Stony Brook.

Since at least 2015, Jackson’s adopted home of North Bennington has honored the famous author’s legacy by celebrating Shirley Jackson Day on June 27, the day the fictional story “The Lottery” took place.

Jackson was busy as a housewife in the 1950s even when she was busiest writing stories. She drove her four children to and from school and did chores around the house then wrote her stories on her Royal typewriter.

About writing and raising children, Shirley Jackson wrote: “All the time that I am making beds and doing dishes and driving to town for dancing shoes, I am telling myself stories.”

Shirley Jackson’s son, Laurence Jackson Hyman, was a writer, editor, publisher and jazz musician in his early 20s when his mother passed away. He has said that his mother’s mastery as a writer is now widely accepted. “She kept her words to a minimum,” he noted, trying to explain the unusual power of

her writing. “She never uses an adjective and or an adverb unless she needs to. Yet always you have this feeling: that at any moment, something terrible might happen.” (theguardian.com)

People often ask him how she could both write a story as dark as “The Lottery” and the lighter magazine pieces she produced to support her family. “But I don’t find that strange at all,” Laurence said. “The answer is abundantly simple. That’s what fiction is.

“She was a writer, and a good one can use a variety of styles … My mother wrote about seemingly placid situations in which everything appears to be in place, and everybody is happy; the sky is blue and the birds are singing. But underneath … well, there is always this tremendous tension.”

In Sonoma, Calif., in 1978, there was a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society organized by the local school district. Presentations were given at dozens of schools, hundreds of students participated in a “Real Woman” essay contest and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa. Women’s History Month in the U.S. grew out of this special event.

A few years later, the idea had caught on within communities, school districts and organizations across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week.

In 1981, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution establishing a national celebration. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March.

In addition to writer Shirley Jackson, I can think of lots of other women who should be recognized during Women’s History Month for their many contributions to society.

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PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT Holy Spirit thou who made me see everything and showed me the way to reach my ideals. Thou who gave me the divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me, and thou who art in all instances of my life with me. I thank thee for everything and confirm once more that I never want to be separated from you no matter how great material desire may be, I want to be with thee and my loved ones in Your perpetual glory. Thank You for your love towards me and my loved ones. Pray this prayer for 3 consecutive days. After 3rd day your wish will be granted no matter how difficult it may be. Promise to publish this dialogue as soon as your favor has been granted. (D.M.F.)

MARKETPLACE

A.T. STEWART EXCHANGE CONSIGNMENT SHOP ********************

TURN YOUR TREASURES INTO CASH!

Come to Consign/Stay to Shop!

109 Eleventh Street, Garden City 516-746-8900

Antiques-FurnitureJewelry-SilverMirrors-Lamps-ArtworkChinaCrystal-Collectibles Tuesday-Friday 10-4 Saturday 12-4 (10% Sr. Discount Tues) All proceeds benefit The Garden City Historical Society Email: store@atstewartexchange.org Like us on Facebook & Instagram

MARKETPLACE

INVITED ESTATE SALES BY TRACY

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

MARKETPLACE

PRIVACY HEDGES SPRING BLOW OUT SALE. 6’ Arborvitae (cedar) reg. $179 NOW $80 Beautiful, nursery grown. FREE installation/ FREE delivery. Limited supply! ORDER NOW! 518-536-1367 www.lowcosttreefarm.com

VINTAGE SHOP

Cool old stuff in Vintage Shop for home and boat. Great Prices! Wilson’s Dry Dock. For info call: 516-662-2821

128 Shore Road, Glen Cove, NY

WANTED TO BUY

ANTIQUES

Objects of art, sterling silver, old oriental rugs, estate jewelry, old judaica or entire estate. Call Mark 516-331-1582

FREON WANTED: We pay CA$H for cylinders and cans. R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals. Call 312-361-0601 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

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

RARE RECORD COLLECTIONS WANTED: Autographs, memorabilia, obscure artists. All sizes / categories. House-calls, drop-offs. All About Records 396 Rockaway Ave #E Valley Stream Charles 516-945-7705 groupssound@aol.com

TOP CASH PAID: JEWELRY FURNITURE- ART, etc... Please call 718-598-3045 or 516270-2128 www.iBuyAntiquesNYC.com

TAG SALE

INVITED ESTATE SALES BY TRACY JORDAN

TAG SALE

Tuesday, March 3,2020 9:30 a.m. 215 Brixton Road Garden City, NY 11530

Basement and garage, tools, artwork, barware, mid century furniture, elliptical machine, handbags, and thousands of pieces of jewelry-making accessories including charms, beads, pins, and chains enough to open your own store! Visit www.invitedsales.com for pictures & details!!

MARKETPLACE

TAG SALE

TAG SALE GARDEN CITY Saturday, February 29th 9am to 4pm 4 Barnes Lane

Entire 5 floors of home filled with 1001 items new through vintage.

Set of Lenox china, interesting & unusual items, global treasures. Every room filled. Charming Kitchen set, Women’s Clothing, Furs, lots of goodies.

PLEASE JOIN US !!

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

DOG & PUPPY SITTER: BOARDING & DAYCARE provided in my home for small dogs up to 25 lbs. Love and attention all day. Reliable. Call Rose 516-735-1911

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOS WANTED

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

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

REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

APARTMENT FOR RENT

GARDEN CITY BORDER

APARTMENT: Avail 4/1 NO FEE. Huge, Bright 1BR, 1Bath Apt $1,635.00 + Electric. Gated Parking available. Laundry Room, Air Conditioning, Hardwood Floors, LIRR. www.gcbapts.com Voice or text: 516-524-6965

VACATION RENTAL

ATLANTIS, BAHAMAS TIME SHARE RENTAL

July 4-11,2020 Corner Unit 2BR, 2BA Lockout Sleep 8 on the Atlantis Marina. 7 nights $3,200

1BR Premium Unit $1,750 1BR Deluxe Unit $1,550

For more info call: 516-742-3176

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

HOMES

FOR SALE

GARDEN CITY

FOR SALE BY OWNER

Estates Brick, 5 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, Wood Floors.

2 Car separate Garage, Sprinkler System. On 1/3 acre near Schools, LIRR, St. Paul’s. $1,399,000. Call 516-680-0047

OUT OF TOWN REAL ESTATE

SEBASTIAN FLORIDA (East Coast)

Beach Cove is an Age Restricted Community where friends are easily made. Sebastian is an “Old Florida” fishing village with a quaint atmosphere yet excellent medical facilities, shopping and restaurants. Direct flights from Newark to Vero Beach. New manufactured homes from $114,900. 772-5810080; www.beach-cove.com

SERVICES

JACK’S CUSTOM FRAMING

We can frame anything! Quality Care & Workmanship

Thousands of frames to choose from!!

Over 30 years in business! 92 Covert Ave, Stewart Manor 516-775-9495

ATTORNEY

STEPHANIE A.

D’ANGELO, ESQ.

Elder Law, Wills & Trusts

Asset Preservation, Estate Planning, Probate & Estate Administration/Litigation 901 Stewart Ave, Ste 230 Garden City, NY 11530 516-222-1122 www.dangelolawassociates.com

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

*Finish Carpentry

*Minor Electrical & Plumbing

25year GC Resident

Lic & Ins H18E2170000 Call BOB 516-741-2154

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

SERVICES

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

MASONRY

All types of stonework

Pavers, Retaining Walls, Belgium Block Patios, Foundations, Seal coating, Concrete and Asphalt driveways, Sidewalks, Steps.

Free Estimates

Fully Licensed & Insured

#H2219010000

Boceski Masonry Louie 516-850-4886

HEALTH SERVICES

FAMILY CARE

CONNECTIONS, LLC

Dr. Ann Marie D’Angelo

PMHCNS-BC

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Advanced Practice Nurse Care Manager

Assistance with Aging at Home /Care Coordintion

Nursing Home & Assisted Living Placement

PRI / Screens / Mini Mental Status Exams

Medicaid Eligibility and Apllications

516-248-9323

www.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

SERVICES

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

TUTORING

PRIVATE TUTORING FOR GRADES K-6

Give your child a helping hand!

Licensed NYC/NYS Dept of Education teacher available to tutor students grades K-6. Contact Audrey Sullivan, M.S.Ed 347-628-8872 (voice/text) seguenow@aol.com

SERVICES

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 SERVI

SERVICES

CLEANING

PROFESSIONAL HOME & OFFICE CLEANING

You’re just one call away !! from a clean home or office. Thorough and Professional Cleaning at affordable rates! Call today for Free Estimate Anna: 516-360-8340

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

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

Last Hope Part of the Chewy.com Rescue Program

If you haven’t tried Chewy.com yet for your pet food and supply purchases, this is a great time to check them out. Last Hope is now part of their rescue program. For each new customer that makes a purchase, Last Hope will receive a $20 donation. Click on the ad below or go directly to the Last Hope page at https:// www.chewy.com/rp/5941

Workplace Coaching Helps Employees and Companies AT WORK

Most people think they are good communicators. But if you ask them if they think most (SET ITAL)other(END ITAL) people are good communicators, they respond, “No, most people are not good communicators.” So says Scott Warrick, labor and employment attorney, human resource professional and author of “Solve Employee Problems Before They Start: Resolving Conflict in the Real World.” This seems to be the way most people think: They hold an attitude of “I do everything better than everyone else.”

Warrick wrote the book after 15 years in the human resources field and 25 years in employment law. As both an employment lawyer and human resources professional, he is called into companies to coach and resolve employee conflicts, ranging from poor interpersonal skills, bad attitudes, negative communication styles, belligerent personalities, control and mistrust issues, and poor management abilities.

high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to control the ego and emotions does Warrick proceed to “Verbal ‘Jeet’ Skills.” He named the process after the Chinese word “Jeet,” which translates to “the way.” A skill set known as “EPR” helps guide human resources professionals in how to employ “empathic listening” (understanding the employee’s perspective), “parroting” (to ensure an understanding of what was said) and “rewards” (validating the employee’s opinion before sharing his thoughts for resolution). Validation is required to show that everyone’s opinion should be respected even though, in the end, the company may not agree with the employee.

likely to experience accidents, physical assault, combat, disaster, or to witness death or injury.” Further statistics show approximately “7 or 8 out of every 100 people (or 7-8% of the population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives. About 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small portion of those who have gone through a trauma. About 10 of every 100 women (or 10%) develop PTSD sometime in their lives compared with about 4 of every 100 men (or 4%).”

When an employee shows continual anger, Warrick refers the person to a psychiatrist who will determine if a brain scan is in order.

If the person continues to display anger or anxiety and cannot be retained by the company, Warrick’s goal is still to help. According the National Center for post-traumatic stress disorder, “about 6 of every 10 men (or 60%) and 5 of every 10 women (or 50%) experience at least one trauma in their lives. Women are more likely to experience sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Men are more

Email career and life coach: Lindsey@LindseyNovak.com with your workplace problems and issues. Ms. Novak responds to all emails. For more information, visit www.lindseynovak.com and for past columns, see www.creators. com/read/At-Work-Lindsey-Novak.

COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS. COM

As a coach, he is responsible for speaking the truth to troubled or problem employees while maintaining respect for the person who may be difficult or disrespectful. Sometimes, the truth hits hard, especially for employees with a low emotional intelligence level, but Warrick has developed a procedure to put the employee at ease and open his or her eyes to the problem as the company sees it. He is also faced with the assignment of advising the company when an employee is not capable of adapting to appropriate behavior.

Warrick first interviews the problematic employee using a coaching and problem-resolution system by creating shortcuts to known systems that seemed overwhelming to those administering them. A coaching session begins with the simple sentence, “I understand there’s a problem.” He asks the employee to describe the situation in his or her own words. While listening to the person’s response (sometimes a couple of times so the person is able to fully explain the issue), he assesses the person’s emotional intelligence level. A high level of emotional intelligence means the person is able to control his or her ego and emotions, which means they will not verbally attack or retreat by withdrawing and holding back. When an employee behaves at the emotional level of a child, Warrick uses role-playing to help the person see another perspective.

Only if the employee displays a

EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE

Will Past Money Mistakes Hurt the Future?

Dear Mary: My husband and I are looking to buy our first home, and I’m a little nervous about applying for a mortgage. During my single days, I got myself into a heap of trouble with credit card debt and filed for bankruptcy. Since then, I’ve been extremely careful about spending and saving, but I’m still worried about what my past recklessness has done to my credit. Even worse, I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell my budget-conscious husband about it. What can I do to make sure this doesn’t ruin our chances of getting a home? -- Donna

Dear Donna: You need to face this head-on. Get free copies of your credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com, take a deep breath, and share it with your husband. Many lenders look at patterns of behavior, so if you can show at least six months of on-time payments, you may be in a lot better shape than you think. Ask a mort-

gage banker to review both of your credit files and advise you on what you can do now to improve your creditworthiness. Check out the myFico website to get your credit scores. While you’re there, click on “Education” to learn how credit scores are determined. The sooner you and your husband see this challenge as “us against the problem” not “us against each other,” the sooner you’ll be sending out change-of-address notices!

Dear Mary: Our beloved dog, Bella, is getting older, and we’re concerned about safeguarding her health. She recently had surgery that cost us $3,000. While the vet assures us she’s fine now, we want to make sure we don’t get hit with another huge bill. Of course, we’ll do everything we can to keep Bella healthy, but we simply can’t afford thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses. What can we do? -- Pat Dear Pat: Plan ahead by stashing

money into a “Bella account.” Call to learn your vet’s policies regarding emergency services like hours, fees and discounts for cash payments. Find out what constitutes a true emergency and what can wait until the office opens.

Look into alternatives such as the humane society or university vet clinics that offer thriftier alternatives for shots and routine care. For Bella’s wellness checks, keep an eye out for reduced-veterinary-service clinics sponsored by government agencies or pet stores. Should Bella face another serious situation, I hope you will have time to get a second opinion. You might want to look into pet health insurance. Just keep in mind that most pet health insurance policies exclude preexisting conditions. And they have high deductibles and copays, too. If I were you, I would ask my veterinarian which pet health insurance company he

or she uses for his or her personal pets. That should tell you a lot! I wish you many more wonderful years with Bella!

Dear Mary: For the past two years, I’ve watched the steady decline in value of one specific stock I own. My father has been hounding me to sell it so I can claim it as a loss on my tax returns, but I’m not sure how that works. And isn’t it wiser just to ride it out until the company improves its financial situation instead of dumping everything? I hate to sell it and then see the value go up shortly afterwards. Who’s right here? -- Blake

Dear Blake: You are both right. If you sell the stock at a loss, your losses are tax-deductible when you itemize. But if you don’t need the money right now and you believe in the future of the company, you might want to hang on. The stock could rebound. In the meantime,

even though it looks like you have lost a lot, the truth is you haven’t really lost anything until you actually sell the stock. Still, as you are learning, investing in the stock market is not for the faint of heart. Making sure you only invest money you can afford to lose will help to make the crazy ups and downs of the market a more enjoyable ride.

Would you like more information? Go to EverydayCheapskate. com for links and resources for recommended products and services in this column. Mary invites questions, comments and tips at EverydayCheapskate.com, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a lifestyle blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”

COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS. COM

Cantiague students enjoy a special treat

Lisa Palmeri, reading specialist at Cantiague Elementary School, recently got her children into the winter spirit with a cozy classroom. A fireplace was projected onto a smartboard and there were snowflakes floating through the room (that were from a projector).

The students read articles about the origins of s'mores and then had the chance to make some. The students enjoyed the wintery activity.

The students enjoyed the treats.
This wintery activity was a blast.

One River School of Art to host Family Day

From page 3

them to pursue an education and a career that they truly want. According to Basile, there is power in that opportunity to explore various talents, abilities and interests. Developing creative arts, problem-solving and critical thinking skills through arts exploration and activities can help transition budding students into careers from medicine and finance to law and engineering.

“Skills that you learn in One River’s arts education can take a person as far as they want. We talk a lot about how students currently in-school, from early grades through high school, will eventually work in careers that don’t exist today. They are going to be in new, integrative roles -- there’s empowerment with a creative education as I am sure students of theCoder School of Syosset and Roslyn too would entail having a broader background and immersive experience can open up doors that you didn't even know existed,” Basile said.

The current focus of STEAM education and concepts include critical thinking, problem-solving and allowing students to find and develop their own creative voice.

“Several parents speak with One River School about photorealism and wanting their children to look at objects and copy them visually, as a conventional definition of talent. But for us we want the techniques of drawing, oil painting and watercolor work and representation of an object -- for us it is also equally if not more important to talk about creative vision and creative voice, giving weight and value to what it is the artist wants to say,” Basile said.

One River School of Art + Design is cognizant about how many young artists and art students halt the artistic expression within themselves “because they don’t have something to say, or because they feel what they will say isn’t valuable.”

One River School promotes its role as validation, encouragement and inspiration to all artists and art students who have something to say, “and teach them

the skills needed to be able to say it. That is as important as learning math, science, technology and coding skills,” Basile says.

She explained the influence and relatability of students learning about today’s artists who are living, working and continuing to evolve, and not having instruction and arts experiences just harken back to more formal, academic-based arts history courses involving the study of Michaelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and their period of the Renaissance up to Impressionism and Modernism.

“Although they are incredibly important and significant artists we also want to talk about artists that address ideas and societal concepts the modern world reflects on from climate change to identity, race, gender -- artists that we talk about in our programs are dealing with this and we are happy to bridge that gap. One River School helps in bringing more New York City-based arts education into the suburbs,” Basile said.

Family Day Exposure

The March 7 Family Day will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., organized with a tour of the 150 Woodbury Road studio and gallery. Participating children will receive activity books including a scavenger hunt and other creative activities. Breakfast items including bagels and coffee are included for this free event.

“From breakfast the attendees will move on into our artmaking workshops, which again are free, and will last up to an hour. Children up to age 7 will be able to create original artwork based off of artists’ displays they see in the gallery including cityscapes, buildings, grasses, sky. We will talk about horizon lines and perspectives and kids will primarily work within collage and painting instruction,” Basile explains.

Further details of the March 7 Family Day and One River School’s unique and innovative art classes and educational programming for both children and adults are available online at Woodbury.OneRiverSchool.com.

Cassandra Basile grew up in California and was introduced to artistic expression through drawing at a young age, led by her father and grandfather’s influences and encouragement.

“I learned how to draw from them and I soon understood that was something I could learn and become good at. It was empowering for me, and I ended up studying art in California before eventually moving to New York to attend graduate school,” Basile said.

She attended California State University, Northridge in southern California and earned a bachelor’s degree in Art, Art History and Studio Art. She then attended a graduate program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, studying Contemporary Art Theory in New York City. Her educational path provided a strong foundation in art theory, art history and art-making.

Basile now lives in Suffolk County with her husband and young son, and her husband is a native Long Islander. Prior to One River School opening last year, Basile worked at Pratt Institute as assistant director of digital content marketing. She also spent a decade working in creative organizations and education companies, including with The College Board in Manhattan and Kaplan Test Prep, in capacities of community outreach, event planning, and marketing. Basile was also a teacher with Junior Achievement of New York from 2014 to 2016 and a juror for Scholastic’s Art and Writing submissions for grades 7 through 12.

“My whole focus has been on bringing people closer to art and helping them find their creative voice -- something in which I’ve found great power in and love to do, and sharing that with other people is so exciting within the arts,” she said.

Hosting Next Chamber of Commerce Meeting

The next general meeting of the Syosset Woodbury Chamber will take place on Thursday, March 19, at the One River School of Art + Design at 150 Woodbury Road, beginning at 5:30 p.m. An artists’

exhibit “BKNY: Street View” by Joan Reutershan is also currently on display at One River School of Art + Design. At its March 19 meeting the Chamber will learn more about this collection and hear from Reutershan during a special guest lecture with Q & A.

Basile attended the February 20 Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce meeting held at Syosset Public Library and welcomed attendees to learn more about the art instruction and applied technology at her school. Assistant Director Maggie Avolio, a 2019 MFA graduate from SUNY-Stony Brook, represented One River School of Art + Design with a table and information for the community at the Chamber of Commerce’s Syosset Street Fair September 15, 2019 and following up, she attended the November 21, 2019 Chamber general meeting held at Excel at Woodbury.

“We have been active with the Chamber since summer 2019. We had only been open for a few months at that point and we focused on getting the school up and running. Since becoming involved with the Syosset Woodbury Chamber we are more connected and more engaged with leadership in Syosset Woodbury. It’s so important as our school is built on word-of-mouth and referrals. We did see some families enroll after learning about the school at Street Fair last September. Maggie said this was an awesome experience meeting with the community, explaining programs to prospective students and drawing our raffle. Also she met many of our current One River students at Street Fair, and the positive feedback validated participation in the Syosset Street Fair for us. The Chamber 100% helps us to encompass the community we are in and we’re trying to reach. We’re really, really excited to host the Chamber on March 19,” Basile said.

More information on the host business and venue and its programming for both children and adults are available online at Woodbury.OneRiverSchool. com or call 516-268-3566.

Free children's shows at libraries

From page 1

• Ballet Long Island presents “Peter and the Wolf” on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. at the Locust Valley Public Library- This classic tale is presented as a ballet, complete with costumes, music, scenery, and everything else needed to give the audience the experience of live theater!

• Rolie Polie Guacamole on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library- Rolie Polie Guacamole is a

family-friendly band that plays original tunes and classic covers with vibrant harmonies and humor galore.

•  Keith Leaf - The Light Show on Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at the Hicksville Public Library-  Keith Leaf’s amazing light-up variety show will delight audience members of every age, as this fun and energetic performance includes varied circus skills and juggling props – like balls, yo-yo’s and clubs. Prepare to come and be mesmerized!

The Children’s Magical Music & More series is co-sponsored by the Cultural and Performing Arts (CAPA) Division of the Town of Oyster Bay’s Depart-

ment of Community & Youth Services and the participating libraries. For further information, please call (516) 7977900 or visit www.oysterbaytown.com.

About to hit a milestone?

Share your life accomplishments with your neighbors! Put your engagement, wedding, or baby announcement in the paper, (and it's free of charge for subscribers!) Email editor@gcnews.com

LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court

Nassau County U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF OWS REMIC TRUST 2015-1, Plaintiff, vs. KRINAN JAGDA, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on January 16, 2020, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the CCP (Calendar Control Part Courtroom) in the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on March 24, 2020 at 11:30 a.m., premises known as 201 Miller Place, Syosset, NY 11791. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 12, Block 457 and Lot 20. Approximate amount of judgment is $643,587.14 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 9034/13. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Mortgagee's attorney, or the Referee.

Joseph Ray Bjarnson, Esq., Referee

Roach & Lin, P.C. FKA

Peter T. Roach & Associates, P.C., 6901 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 240, Syosset, New York 11791, Attorneys for Plaintiff

SYO 4346

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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF SRK INSURANCE AGENCY LLC

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 02/07/2020 Office located in NASSAU County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 17 humphrey Dr Syosset NY 11791. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

SYO 4347

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NOTICE OF NAME CHANGE

Notice is hereby given that an order granted by the Supreme Court, Nassau County, on the 3rd day of February, 2020, bearing Index Number 0001100-20, 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 MICHAEL ALTINEL. The city and state of my present address are WOODBURY, NY; the month and year of my birth are November, 1972; the place of my birth is Flushing, NY; my present name is MAYKIL ALTINEL.

SYO 4348 1X 02/28

New Chamber board member a leader in celebrations

From page 1

like FLOAT (an international education conference and competition) and the World Balloon Convention so she can keep up to date on the latest trends and techniques.

Syosset Fire Leadership, Community Service Roots

Besides her regular roles and volunteerism at Chamber events, Amanda brought out her Penelope the Penguin balloon costume for the Holiday Lighting Spectacular held on Sunday, December 8, 2019 in Syosset’s downtown, posing with local children, officials and community groups for fun photos. In addition she donned the Penelope outfit for the Syosset Fire Department for its Children’s Christmas party, also an unpaid donation of her time and costuming.

“I did that because it’s so important to me and these balloon decorations to be out there for people to enjoy them,” she said.

Early this year Amanda Johnson is also celebrating the 30-year anniversary of when she first met her husband, who’s known by local Syosset and Woodbury children as “Fireman Ken.”

A 48-year volunteer member of the Syosset Fire Department, its past chief, and a former Nassau County Police Medic who retired from that role in 2002, Ken Johnson is a fire inspector and currently the Fire Education and Prevention officer for Syosset Fire District, providing fire education/awareness to the community in this key role since 1992.

Ken’s grandfather was an ex-fire chief of the Hicksville FD in the 1940s. In 1950 his father, Frank Johnson, joined a group of individuals from Levittown who banded together to address to provide fire protection services to the rapidly growing Levittown community at the dawn of major suburban sprawl. Due to the efforts of those charter members, the Levittown Fire Department became a reality.

Frank Johnson was an active Levittown FD member until his passing at age 83. Sons Ken and Bob Johnson followed in these big foot steps joining

At the December 8, 2019 Syosset Woodbury Chamber's Holiday Lighting Spectacular on Jackson Avenue, Amanda Johnson of Balloons by Amanda poses in her Penelope the Penguin costume with her fellow directors of the Chamber, Tricia Shannon of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Syosset office (center) and new Chamber Vice President Danielle Delgrosso, vice president at Roslyn Savings Bank, a division of New York Community Bank.

the Levittown FD as soon as they each turned 18. Bob continued his service with the Hicksville FD and now with the Harrisburg, PA volunteer FD.

The family’s generations of community service-above-self came to Syosset with Ken. He is also a two-time Fireman of the Year, receiving much distinction from Syosset FD for his dedication and devoted service. Ken Johnson has also received four Medals of Valor (two golds, one silver and one bronze medal) awarded by the Nassau County Fire Commission.

“Ken started working with the county at the Fire Training Academy while still in high school then after five years he moved over to the Police Department and the Medic position. He worked mainly in the 6th, 8th and 2nd precincts. In later years he worked at Nassau County Medical Control, providing telemetry services for all EMS providers in the Nassau County 911 system and providing telephone based medical instructions to anyone calling 911 for a medical emer-

gency. He ended his career at the Nassau County Fire-Police Emergency Medical Services Academy,” Amanda Johnson explained.

Since the early 1990’s Ken Johnson has run the annual Syosset Fire Prevention Day. While his wife is now a Syosset Woodbury Chamber director, Ken has been the official ‘Santa Claus’ for the Chamber Holiday Lighting Spectacular on Jackson Avenue every year since the local tradition started 22 years ago.

Amanda met Ken during a Super Bowl XXIV party at the Syosset Fire station, just days after the tragic crash of Avianca Airlines Flight 52 crashed in Cove Neck on January 25, 1990. He was heavily involved in emergency response and recovery efforts.

“We ended up meeting that evening and I was amazed. Ken was seen by everyone around as this ‘hero person’ and to me he soon became this ‘real person’ -- Ken is just an amazing person. HE IS a bonafide hero,” Amanda Johnson said.

Syosset Real Estate Market Conditions

• Median sales price

$740,000

Demographics

287 Carriage House Drive, Jericho

Sold Price: $1,225,000

Date: 02/13/2020

3 beds, 3 Full/1 Half baths

Style: Condo

Schools: Jericho

3173996

1 Marian Lane, Jericho

Sold Price: $792,000

Date: 01/16/2020

3 beds, 3 Full baths

Style: Ranch # of Families: 1

Lot Size: 120x114

Schools: Jericho

Total Taxes: $12,987

MLS# 3173423

71 Meadowbrook Road, Syosset

Sold Price: $750,000

Date: 02/07/2020

2 beds, 2 Full baths

Style: Ranch # of Families: 1

Lot Size: 63x230

Schools: Syosset

Total Taxes: $20,310

MLS# 3172294

Sold Price: $625,000 Date: 09/17/2019

3 beds, 3 Full/1 Half baths

Style: Condo

Schools: Syosset

Total Taxes: $17,335

MLS# 3145656

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