The Garden City News (8/29/25)

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G ARDEN C ITY’S G OLDEN J OCKEY

Garden City’s Junior Alvarado continued his record setting year with a tremendous ride aboard Sovereignty in Saratoga to win the Summer Classic, The Travers Stakes. on August 23rd. The pair also won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy this year. See page 20.

Trustees welcome Deputy Treasurer, approve budget adjustments

At its August 14th meeting, the Garden City Village Board of Trustees appointed Richard Cassar of West Hempstead as the new Deputy Village Treasurer. He will work directly under Village Treasurer Irene Woo, who introduced him to the Board before the appoint-

ment vote.

“Richard graduated from Long Island University-C.W. Post in 2008 with a degree in accounting, and he’s worked in various public and private accounting positions over the last 15 years. Most recently he worked for the Village of East Hills.” He comes to us ready to

tackle a lot of the governmental finance work we have to do in our Finance Department, and the team is very excited to welcome Richard here,” she said. Cassar attended the meeting and was invited by Mayor Ed Finneran to stand so the Board and public could greet him.

See page 34

As Labor Day and the close of the 2025 Garden City Pool season approach, the Village Board of Trustees and Assistant Superintendent of Recreation and Parks Andy Hill reviewed ongoing capital projects and facility upgrades at the August 14th Board meeting. Hill also paused to thank staff for their efforts during another successful summer at the community pool.

“We have some kids (employees) that went off to college already and many others are high school students who are starting to play fall sports, but I want to especially thank our senior members and staff down there that have kept the Pool/ Community Park ticking over. I have not been able to be there as much as I was in 2024, but they really haven’t missed a beat. It’s a team effort down there but without those guys it would not be as successful an operation as it is – I would like to publicly thank every employee,” Mr. Hill told the Board.

Tree and Stump Removals

Hill reported that 4TS Premier Land Services of Bohemia completed significant tree and stump removals identified by Village Arborist Joe Umana.

“So far, so good. The majority of the ‘priority removals’ Joe highlighted have now been taken care of. The crew is hopeful that by the end of the year they’ll have worked through the list Joe made,” he noted.

In May, the Board awarded 4TS the contract for removals on an “as-needed” basis, based on unit cost. Deputy Mayor Judy Courtney asked Hill about the total number of stumps removed to date. Hill said he would follow up with Arborist Umana to provide those figures.

Courtney also inquired about smaller stump removals using equipment the Board had approved. Hill confirmed the new machine is in use.

“They have been working through as many in-house removals as they can, and they LOVE that piece of equipment. A lot of members of the public also see it as an amazing piece of equipment, and it’s really helped Joe Umana get through the work we

See page 33

Photo by Ed Rotondo

It’s hard to believe that the summer of 2025 is coming to a close this weekend with the Labor Day holiday. But although we may not want to believe it, there’s been a touch of coolness in the evenings, and the sun is already starting to set a bit earlier each day, so much as we’d like to hang on to this lovely season, all things must move on.

For the kids, September triggers mixed emotions. It’s a time of great excitement as they make new friends and explore new subjects at school. But on the opposite side of the coin there’s homework and following school schedules - not much fun.

Just as the kids are moving on in their education, the village also needs to move along this fall. It’s hard to

believe that 30 years have passed since the acquisition of St. Paul’s, but here we are. We hope that this will finally be the year when a decision is made.

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With the return of the fall sports season we’d like to welcome coaches and parents to submit items about their kids’ teams if they’d like to be featured in our pages.

We ask that teams limit the number of photos for ordinary games to about five or six so that we can fit it all in the paper. Please include captions for your photos. All material can be sent to editor@gcnews.com and the deadline is noon on Wednesdays.

We look forward to featuring your kids’ athletic achievements!

New turf field at St. Paul’s

To the Editor:

Garden City’s Trustees  have approved adding a new playing field- constructed with artificial turf, AT, instead of traditional grass. The location is adjacent to the playground near Stewart Ave.  It will be used mainly for lacrosse and soccer. We already have an artificial turf field at Community Park -- near the GC Pool. with lights for evening play.  The plan is to start construction soon and to complete the new field installation later this year or early in ‘26. The advantages of AT are obvious -- including advocacy by some GC sports fanatics -- renting the field to out of town teams to generate revenue. And is there a true need for the second -- and even a third AT field? And how is “need”measured?  What are the long term plans for new fields? Each new field costs over $1 mil., --excluding lights and maintenance. I feel strongly that our Trustees should rule out night lights at St Paul’s for the foreseeable future!

I wrote a letter a month ago to the GCNews outlining the many risks to users of artificial turf fields.  These dangers range from inhaling “forever” chemicals, to joint or ACL and skinburn injuries to players-in high air temperatures. I am writing today  to ask whether we are rushing into this idea without fully discussing these risks. I believe a town hall meeting will bring into the open  the pros and cons of artificial turf and the need for this addition. How about an open discussion by the Board?

I  know the Board has approved funding, and some purchasing of materials for the job. Hopefully it’s not too late. I am suggesting a postponement of the plans to allow for fully airing the risks by: the Board of  Trustees, families of players and leaders of our sports programs. I wonder, how aware, today, are the parents of our kids? Or are some oblivious?

Andy Hill, Recreation Superintendent, was kind enough to

recently walk me through the planned location of the new addition. Neither he nor anyone else has brought up the question of the potential  for poor positioning of the new field. Specifically, will there be adverse effects from the proximity of the new field to the simultaneous demolition of St. Paul’s, as well as any risks of the closeness to the children’s playground very nearby. Construction debris and car and truck traffic could also be harmful risks nearby.

And if a town park is built on the site of the St.Paul’s Main Building, how does that blend- in with our beautiful 40-acre playing field?

An intangible risk is the spoiling of the beauty of our 40-acre field and the adverse effects of potential nightlights on nearby homes on St. Paul’s Place and Hampton Road.

Importantly, I believe that residents should be  shown a rendering of how the new field, its full fencing and roughly 60 foot high light stanchions, will look when completed. There is no rendering now. I do understand that nightlights are not on the 2025 plans but could be in 2026-27. The desire, by our “sports lobby” is definitely there, in my view. Finally,  I recognize  that sports activities are healthy,valuable and  important to the thousands  of GC children who use them, and the fact that sports are keys to why Garden City is so attractive for families to choose to settle here. I only request that we “look before we leap” and not be guilty of my favorite measure of poor management practice:  “Ready- Fire-Aim.”

George M. Salem

Respect views of residents

To the Editor:

I’m one of the neighbors on Princeton Street that have raised public awareness about the detrimental impact of the subdivision of 111 New Hyde Park Rd that is on our doorstep.

By eliminating this property from the temporary moratorium is a true

See page 35

GC High School ranked #2 on Long Island

Garden City High School has been ranked No. 2 on Long Island, No. 16 in New York State and No. 147 nationally by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025 annual list of nearly 18,000 public high schools across the country, released on Aug. 19. These 2025 rankings reflect an improvement over the school’s already outstanding 2024 standings, placing Garden City High School among only 11 Long Island schools in the top 50 in New York State.

The 2025 “Best High Schools” edition evaluated schools based on college readiness, curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiencies and performance, underserved student success, and graduation rates. Garden City High School excelled across the board: 92% of students took at least one AP exam, 81% passed an AP exam, 99%

are proficient in math and reading, 98% are proficient in science and the school has a 100% graduation rate, earning an outstanding overall score of 99.18 out of 100.

“This ranking affirms the sustained commitment to excellence that defines Garden City High School, reflecting the dedication of our staff, the talents of our students, the support of our community and our ever-striving push to keep getting better,” said Garden City High School Principal Mr. Kevin Steingruebner.

“I am so proud of our students, teachers and staff for their commitment to excellence,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha. “This recognition is a reflection of their hard work and the strong sense of community that makes Garden City a place where every student can grow and succeed.”

Garden City High School has been ranked No. 2 on Long Island, No. 16 in New York State and No. 147 nationally by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025 annual list of nearly 18,000 public high schools across the country, released on Aug. 19.

ARLENE CONIGLIARO

and a

Having owned and sold eight homes herself, Arlene understands rsthand the excitement—and the challenges—of moving, and she uses that knowledge to guide her clients with con dence and care.

Her clients say it best: they praise her deep market knowledge, smart staging ideas, and unwavering availability. They describe her as professional, patient, personable, and fun to work with—the kind of Realtor who makes even a crosscountry move during a pandemic feel seamless. Many call her a “dream come true Realtor,” appreciating her insight, commitment, and the genuine care she brings to every deal.

Arlene’s passion for real estate, paired with her dedication to the community through Mercy Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, has built a career founded on trust, satisfaction, and success.

Contact Arlene today and discover why her clients call her not just their Realtor —but a neighbor and friend for life.

Photo courtesy of Garden City Public Schools
With more than 30 years of experience helping buyers and sellers across Garden City, Long Island, the Hamptons, and New York City, Arlene Conigliaro brings unmatched expertise
personal touch to every transaction.

Home Happens Here

Expanded Cape located on a picturesque street within the West Babylon School District. Versatile home perfect for a growing household or those seeking the benefit of a legal two-family setup with proper permits.

• Bright open layout

• Newly updated kitchen

• 2 bedrooms and full bath, Living Room and Dining Room on 1st Floor

• Bedroom, full bathroom, living room and eat-in-kitchen on 2nd

• Partially finished basement

• Wood deck off dining room

• Private yard Offered at $639,000

Aprigliano Susan Bashian Andrea Bharucha
Breslin
Chmil
Albertson
Atticka Ellis Bill Eckel
Theanne Ricci Elise Ronzetti Sharon Redmond
Tony Leondis

Cathedral hosts f if th annual PEACE Camp Day

On Friday, August 15, the Cathedral of the Incarnation joyfully welcomed the PEACE Afterschool

Program’s Summer STEAM Camp for their fifth annual PEACE Camp Day and Barbecue.

The day began with a refreshing morning yoga practice under the

Cathedral Tent, followed by tie-dye t-shirt making, games, and races. During a delicious barbecue lunch, the children were treated to fascinating stories about the Cathedral’s rich history.

is to reduce educational inequity and drug abuse by providing enrichment opportunities for children in our community.

The program operates year-round, offering:

In the afternoon, campers proudly showcased what they had learned over the summer—martial arts, science, art, dance, robotics, and more. Their energy and excitement reflected a season full of creativity, discovery, and growth.

To prepare the students for a successful school year, each child received a brand-new backpack filled with essential supplies. These generous donations came from Cathedral members, local Rotary Clubs, and other supporters. With backpacks in hand and smiles on their faces, the children happily boarded the Cathedral bus to return to camp at the end of a full and inspiring day.

About P.E.A.C.E. Afterschool Program

P.E.A.C.E. stands for Partnerships in Education to Avoid Criminal Justice System Entry. Their mission

• After-school support with free homework help, character development, academic enrichment, and community service projects.

• Summer STEAM Camp, blending science, technology, engineering, art, and math with sports, field trips, swimming, daily clubs, and career exploration.

Through workshops and engaging activities, PEACE equips children with the confidence and skills they need to thrive academically, socially, and personally.

The Cathedral is proud to partner with PEACE Afterschool, one of many local organizations we work with to support our neighbors.

For more information about service opportunities, events, or programing, please visit incarnationgc. org.

Kids showcasing what they have learned.
Volunteers for the day included.(left to right) Lisa, Diana D., Chris S., Fr. Eddie, Deacon Denise and Fr. Cam!

GCPD warns about ongoing mail thefts

The Garden City Police Department is alerting residents to the ongoing trend of mail thefts throughout the Village and Nassau County. These incidents, occurring at various times throughout the day and night, target residential USPS mailboxes, leaving many residents vulnerable to identity theft and financial loss.

Commissioner Kenneth Jackson reports that thieves are employing a method involving an improvised tool covered in a sticky substance that is able to extract mail from mailboxes. This technique allows them to retrieve envelopes and packages. In numerous cases, the stolen mail contains checks which the thieves wash out to substitute new amounts and recipient names before cashing them. In some instances, stolen postal keys have also been employed to unlock mailboxes. Commissioner Jackson urges residents to remain vigilant, stating, “If you observe anyone who is not a postal worker removing mail from a mailbox, please notify the Department immediately.”

To protect themselves and their personal information, the Garden City

Police Department recommends the following precautions:

• Use Secure Mail Options: Place outgoing mail in receptacles inside the Post Office or hand it directly to your mail carrier. Residents are advised to avoid using the mailbox at the 6th Street Garden City Post Office, or any other mailbox located outside a County Post Office, as these have been targeted by thieves on multiple occasions.

• Avoid Sending Cash: Never send cash through the mail, as it poses a significant risk of theft.

• Opt for Secure Checks: Utilize checks that are difficult to alter.

• Use Black Gel Pens: When writing checks, use black gel pens, as the gel ink bonds better with the fibers of paper checks, making it more difficult to wash off or alter.

Timing Matters: Place your mail in a mailbox as close to the collection time as possible to minimize the risk of theft.

• Inspect Mailboxes: If you notice any sticky substances on a mailbox, do not drop your mail in it. See page 33

Are you thinking of selling your home?

Let Jen Sullivan Guide you. Whether you are downsizing, or searching for your dream home, allow Jen’s experience, passion, and results to work for you. Reach out any time. 516.361.7190

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Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Founding Agent of Long Island Member of the Luxury Division jennifer.sullivan@compass.com M: 516.361.7190

G a r d e n C i t y J e w i s h C e n t e r

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

• Sundays-only Religious School begins September 7th

• Rosh HaShanah services: September 22nd and 23rd

• Yom Kippur services: October 1st and 2nd

• High Holiday children’s services 168 Nassau Boulevard, Garden City NY 11530 www.gardencityjewishcenter.org email: info@gardencityjewishcenter.org

GCJC is a member of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Melted Ed and Cousin Dan to play at GC Pool

Local duo Melted Ed and Cousin Dan will perform at the Garden City Pool on Sunday, August 31, at 2 p.m. Come down to the pool and say goodbye to summer while listening to some old favorites as well as their original music. The pair will also be playing at Prost (652Franklin Avenue) on Friday, September 12.

Holiday week sanitation collections

Residents are reminded that there will be no garbage pickup on Monday, September 1.

The holiday week collection schedule will be as follows: Western half of the Village (west of Rockaway Avenue): Garbage - Tuesday and Friday; Rubbish - Thursday, September 4 Eastern half of the Village (east of Rockaway Avenue): Garbage - Wednesday and Saturday; Rubbish - Thursday, September 4

Residents scheduled for recycling on Monday, September 1, are asked to put their recyclables out on Labor Day.

Garden City schools host new teacher orientation

From August 19–21, Garden City Public Schools hosted its new teacher orientation, welcoming the district’s newest educators. Throughout the program, attendees explored the district’s mission and values, learned about the teaching goals and experiences the district strives to provide students, and received important information on policies and procedures.

Nanine McLaughlin, assistant superintendent for human resources and leadership development, greeted the group and introduced them to key district leaders, followed by a welcome from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha. The orientation also included workshops, school tours, bus tours and opportunities for new staff to meet with their building principals and coordinators at their respective schools.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a talented group of educators to Garden City,” said Dr. Sinha. “I look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on our students and community.”

The district welcomed:

Sean Brady – English teacher, Garden City High School

Ildiko Brancaccio – reading teacher, Homestead School

Zachary Downing – special education teacher, Garden City High School

Danielle Dunne – business teacher, Garden City High School

John Esposito – music teacher, Garden City Middle School

Elissa Frein – speech pathologist, Hemlock School

Amanda Lee – physical education teacher, Locust School and Hemlock School

Autumn Majorana – science teacher, Garden City Middle School

Olivia Maynard – social studies teacher, Garden City Middle School

Christina Nugent – special education teacher, Stewart School

Elizabeth O'Callahan – special education teacher, Stratford School

Brigid Olson – special education teacher, Stratford School

Shannon Roberts – special education teacher, Garden City High School

Gabriella Schettino – elementary education teacher, Hemlock School

Emma Wieland – elementary education teacher, Stratford School

Garden City Public Schools newest teachers took part in orientation.
Photo courtesy of Garden City Public Schools

Garden City Real Estate Market Information

39 Chestnut Street

RECENT REAL ESTATE SALES IN GARDEN CITY

Date: 08/26/2025

Sold price: $2,225,000

4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 half bath

Architectural Style: Colonial

Property Size: .26 acre

Annual taxes: $27,698

MLS number: 845782

The Seller’s Team: Pamela Doyle and Scott Wallace, Daniel Gale Sothebys Intl Realty

The Buyer’s Team: Stephen and Laura Baymack, Compass Greater NY

This recently updated four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath Colonial offers the ideal combination of space, style, and casual elegance. Situated in a highly sought-after location, this home is perfect for both entertaining and everyday living. As you approach, a charming front porch leads you into a sun-filled living room with a cozy wood-burning fireplace. The formal dining room, featuring updated built-in cabinets, provides a refined setting for elegant meals. The spacious, newly renovated gourmet kitchen is truly the heart of the home, with custom white cabinetry, luxurious quartzite countertops, and a large center island. It seamlessly flows into a bright breakfast area and cozy den, all bathed in natural light from skylights and French doors that open to a private, tree-lined backyard with a beautiful brick patio – ideal for outdoor relaxation. The first floor also includes a convenient powder room, laundry room, and mudroom. Upstairs, the expansive primary bedroom suite offers a private, updated bath and generous walk-in closet. Three additional spacious bedrooms and a beautifully updated full bath complete the second floor. The partially finished basement offers a versatile recreation room and ample storage space, providing endless possibilities. This home features rich hardwood floors, detailed trim and moldings, and an open, airy floor plan that enhances both flow and function. Every inch of this property has been thoughtfully designed to provide both comfort and style. Whether hosting special gatherings or enjoying quiet evenings at home, this home offers the perfect backdrop for your lifestyle.

38 Jefferson Stret

Date: 08/15/2025

Sold price: $1,950,000

4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 half bath

Architectural Style: Tudor

Property Size: .21 acre

Annual Taxes: $21,506

MLS number: 846853

The Seller’s Team: Suzanne Weis, Compass Greater NY

The Buyer’s Team: Laura Carroll, Compass Greater NY

Magnificent brick Colonial, located on a gorgeous tree-lined street in the west end of the village, offers everything your heart could desire! Built in 1929, the entry foyer welcomes you to a formal living room with wood-burning fireplace, built-in cabinetry and windows facing three sides giving this room plenty of sunlight. Adjacent formal dining room features 2 original corner cabinets with both rooms offering beautiful oak floors bordered with a walnut inlay. Gourmet kitchen offers bespoke cabinetry, high end stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, breakfast area and center island with additional seating. Adjoining sun-drenched great room offers a cathedral ceiling, plenty of windows and French doors leading to spectacular outdoor space. Powder room and spacious mudroom adjoining the attached garage and driveway entrance, complete the first floor. The second level features a primary suite with cathedral ceiling, sitting area, 2 walk-in closets and a lovely bath with stall shower. 3 additional nicely sized bedrooms, laundry and updated hall bath with tub and shower complete the second floor. Full walk-up attic offers plenty of storage. Full basement features an extended space with high ceilings ideal for a home gym. The home offers a wonderful floor plan for today’s living. The outdoor space features a blue stone patio, expansive green space, meticulous landscaping and mature privacy plantings making this the perfect home for entertaining. IGS, CAC. Convenient to LIRR Stewart Manor train station, shopping & dining.

This informational page is sponsored by Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Houses featured on this page were sold by various real estate agencies

Women’s Health Care of Garden City committed to personalized care

John L. Gomes, MD, founded Women’s Health Care of Garden City in 1995. It has remained an independent private practice, providing personalized obstetrical and gynecological services.

He employs the technical advances of conventional medicine with an integrative approach to navigate women through difficult pregnancies into the menopausal years. He treats a wide variety of OB/GYN conditions and is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care.

All tests are conveniently done on the premises, and a dedicated, compassionate staff is on call 24/7.

He is committed to excellence in patient communication, education and support, as many patients come with anxiety associated with past experiences and future concerns.

Dr. Gomes received his undergraduate degree from Brown University, and his Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University.

He is both Board Certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Women’s Health Care of Garden City is located at 1000 Franklin Avenue, Suite 200, Garden City.

NCL welcomes Class of 2031

The National Charity League, Inc. (NCL), Garden City Chapter proudly welcomes the Class of 2031! The chapter is thrilled to invite this new class of mothers and daughters into its community of leadership, philanthropy, and cultural enrichment. It looks forward to building meaningful connections, serving local organizations, and carrying on the NCL tradition of fostering strong, compassionate leaders.

the table, blending traditional values with modern expertise. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned investor, we are dedicated to providing personalized service tailored to your needs. When you choose our Mother/Son team, you gain a partner who truly understands the importance of long-term success and building a legacy for generations to come.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025 | 7PM

CHRISTINE AND MICHAEL TIEDEMANN

Net Proceeds will Benefit BREAKTHROUGH T1-D (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) www.breakthrought1d.org

Garden City real estate, reimagined.

Stephen Baymack

Laura Baymack
Lauren Grima Lic. RE Salesperson Principal Agent
Pedro “Pete” Diaz
Guendjoian Lic. RE Salesperson Principal Agent Laura Carroll
Athena Menoudakos
Alexander G. Olivieri
Patrick M. McCooey
Maureen Lagarde
Kathleen McCarthy
Alexandra Parisi
Assoc. RE Broker Founding Agent
Lauren Canner Lic. RE Salesperson Laura Carroll Team
Catherine Anatra
Menoudakos Team
Demetrios Arnidis
RE Salesperson McCooey Olivieri Team
Kathy Thornton
Jennifer Sullivan
Danielle Nero Lic. RE Salesperson Laura Carroll Team
Daniel Niebler
RE Salesperson Baymack Team
Kate Russo Lic. RE Salesperson Laura Carroll Team
Julie Whicher Lic. RE Salesperson Baymack Team
Christina M. Hirschfield Lic. RE Salesperson Laura Carroll Team
Susan Gillin Lic. RE Salesperson Jen Sullivan Team
Adrienne McDougal
RE Salesperson Laura Carroll Team Frank Morabito
RE Salesperson
Diaz Team Amanda Keller
Carroll Team
Carroll Team
Denice Giacometti Lic. RE Salesperson McCooey Olivieri Team
Mairead Garry Lic. RE Salesperson McCooey Olivieri Team
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Alyson B. Esposito
RE Salesperson Laura Carroll Team
Chelsea Costello Lic. RE Salesperson Laura Carroll Team
Matthew Heaney

List this summer with the #1 brokerage in Garden City.* Reach out to connect to a Garden City agent.

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4

Corsets, Petticoats & Patience: Fashion of the Past

A lady's cream camisole will be on display.

This pink chemise will be part of the exhibit.

So why DOES it take ladies so long to get ready? In olden days (i.e., 18th and 19th century), the daily routine of

from the 1800s

dressing was not as simple as throwing on a T-shirt and pair of jeans. Before a lady could even pick out what dress to wear, she had to first start with a chemise and drawers (aka “bloomers” or underwear). Since bras were not invented until about 1914 (and consisted of two hankies tied together and hung by a ribbon), women wore chemises, kneelength cotton, or linen undershirts, followed by cotton drawers. After this, ladies put on garter belts to hold up the stockings and then shoes or boots. Huh?! Yep, footwear was put on before going any further, because once you put on the corset (a bra-like girdle), it was difficult to bend at the waist. Fashioned out of whale bone, steel or reeds, tightened with lacing or hooks, corsets shaped the figure and provided support. (Think back to the movie, “Gone With the Wind.”)  A lady then donned a ruffled corset cover to smooth the lines of the body.

Not done yet. Next came petticoats, loose-fitting undergarments made from cotton, silk, or tulle. In addition to being practical, providing an extra layer of warmth and disguising the shape of the leg (modesty), they helped to support and shape the skirt. Ladies may have worn six or more layers of petticoats under the skirt, which could weigh as

much as 14 pounds! The last step, before donning the dress or skirt, was a bustle or pad to enhance the derriere (at the back of the skirt).

Hard to imagine all this. But you can do more than that; you can SEE these garments for yourselves at The Garden City Historical Society’s “Fashion Through the Ages” Clothing Exhibit. Our third such Exhibit will be held October 18th – 30th from 12:00-3:00pm daily at no cost to the public.

Additionally, the Society will host a Special Preview Reception on Friday, October 17th, from 4:00pm – 7:00pm, at the Museum located at 109 Eleventh Street in Garden City. We will have a featured Speaker – Marianna Garthwaite Klaiman, Independent Textile Scholar. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at the A.T. Stewart Exchange within the lower level of the Museum, online through Eventbrite and at the door the evening of the event. As you peruse the exhibit, enjoy light refreshments.

You will recall that Alexander Turney Stewart, founder of Garden City, made his fortune in “dry goods” (aka textiles and clothing). Stewart opened this country’s first department store –aptly named the Stewart Department Store -- on Broadway and 10th Street in New York City.

Let your voice be heard!

Is there an issue in your community you want to discuss? Want to respond to something you saw in our paper?

Then write a letter to our editor and bring it to everyone’s attention! Send your letter to editor@gcnews.com and we’ll publish it for you!

Ladies “drawers”

LAUREL LINKS COUNTRY CLUB

2675 Laurel Trail

Come tour this fully furnished 6,000 sq ft home on the golf course, featuring a chef’s kitchen, 4 bedrooms (3 en-suite), multiple living areas, and a 3-car garage. Outdoor highlights include a heated saltwater pool, hot tub, pergola, and balcony with golf views.

Offered at $3,600,000. Owner/Agent.

OPEN HOUSES: Friday–Monday, 11am–1pm

Here we are at the “end” of summer. Although when school starts next Tuesday (September 2), there will actually be 19 more days before the autumnal equinox (a/k/a fall) and I plan to enjoy every one of those 19 days! Nonetheless, the calendar moves on and below you’ll find some snippets of information covering Labor Day, back-to-school safety tips and other news flashes.

I always look forward to the fall and fully expect the Board will continue to push forward on many fronts, including: keeping our eye on and encouraging positive potential development at the Coliseum grounds; traffic safety; capital projects to improve our Village infrastructure; closely studying the subdivision issue during our recently imposed moratorium; and the future of St. Paul’s…amongst a host of other issues of import. Thank you always to you…for your support, your input – whether a yay or a nay – and our shared love of GC!

Second St. Paul’s meeting with BCI

Representatives from BCI will discuss the results of the recent St. Paul’s Survey and outline some of their recommendations from the Recreation Department Master Plan at a sec-

ond public meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at Village Hall and via Zoom.

Labor Day Weekend

DWI Patrols

This Labor Day weekend, the Garden City Police Department, along with various other Police Departments throughout Nassau County, will participate in the STOP DWI Enforcement Initiative, which targets intoxicated and drugged drivers. This initiative will be enhanced by funds provided by the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board, STOP-DWI NY, and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. According to Police Commissioner Kenneth Jackson, the Department will be deploying additional patrols to monitor Village roadways and strictly enforce all DWI and impaired driving laws in an effort to prevent tragedies resulting from DWI-related crashes.

cle crashes during the 2023 Labor Day weekend, and 36 percent of the crashes involved a drunk driver.

Ongoing Mail Thefts

priority to collect your delivered mail from your mailbox as soon as possible to reduce the opportunity for theft.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 490 people died in vehi-

Vinny Muldoon - Owner and Garden City

The Garden City Police Department is alerting residents to the ongoing trend of mail thefts throughout the Village and Nassau County. These incidents, occurring at various times throughout the day and night, target residential USPS mailboxes, leaving many residents vulnerable to identity theft and financial loss. Commissioner Jackson reports that thieves are employing a method involving an improvised tool covered in a sticky substance that is able to extract mail from mailboxes. This technique allows them to retrieve envelopes and packages. In numerous cases, the stolen mail contains checks which the thieves wash out to substitute new amounts and recipient names before cashing them. In some instances, stolen postal keys have also been employed to unlock mailboxes. Commissioner Jackson urges residents to remain vigilant, stating, “If you observe anyone who is not a postal worker removing mail from a mailbox, please notify the Department immediately.”

To protect themselves and their personal information, the Garden City Police Department recommends the following precautions:

• Use Secure Mail Options: Place outgoing mail in receptacles inside the Post Office or hand it directly to your mail carrier. Residents are advised to avoid using the mailbox at the 6th Street Garden City Post Office, or any other mailbox located outside a County Post Office, as these have been targeted by thieves on multiple occasions.

• Avoid Sending Cash: Never send cash through the mail, as it poses a significant risk of theft.

• Opt for Secure Checks: Utilize checks that are difficult to alter.

• Use Black Gel Pens: When writing checks, use black gel pens, as the gel ink bonds better with the fibers of paper checks, making it more difficult to wash off or alter.

• Timing Matters: Place your mail in a mailbox as close to the collection time as possible to minimize the risk of theft.

• Inspect Mailboxes: If you notice any sticky substances on a mailbox, do not drop your mail in it.

The Garden City Police Department is working with the U.S. Postal Service on measures that may be taken to reduce mail theft. The Garden City Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our residents. By taking these proactive measures, we can work together to prevent mail theft and protect personal information. For more information or to report suspicious activity, contact the Garden City Police Department at (516) 465-4100.

Light It Up Gold

The gazebo will be lit with gold lights the month of September for Light it Up Gold for Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Residents are invited to attend the ceremony Wednesday, September 3 at 6:30 p.m. on the Village Green.

Back-To-School Safety Series Part 2: Bus Stops

This is part two of a four-part series of articles by the Garden City Police Department addressing Backto-School Safety Issues. In last week’s article, we addressed safe driving practices. If you missed last week’s article, a copy was placed on the Village website. This week’s article will cover school bus safety. Parents, grandparents, guardians, and teachers are encouraged to use this article to help teach children about school bus safety.

Bus Stops:

• Hold your child’s hand and walk together to and from the bus stop each day. Research has shown that you should hold their hand on the sidewalk and in parking lots until your child is at least eight years old. Furthermore, until they are 10 years old, you should hold their hand while crossing the street.

• Stay with your child at the bus stop. If you cannot stay with your child, arrange for another trusted adult to accompany them.

• When waiting for the school bus, have the children stay orderly and stand back from the curb.

• Meet your child at the bus stop after school; never wait on the opposite side of the street. Talk to your child about what they should do if you are delayed and cannot meet them as usual.

• Discuss with your children what they should do if they accidentally get on the wrong bus or miss their regular bus stop.

• When children get off the bus, they should use the handrail and look

@Oldworldqualitycorp

• Retrieve Mail Promptly: Make it a

See page 33

Mayor Edward Finneran

Vehicle theft

On August 20, a vehicle was reported stolen from a driveway on Wilson Street. It was later tracked and recovered in Queens.

Crash investigation

Following a two-car crash in Parking Field 7N on August 20, Garden City Police arrested a 62-year-old male for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident with injury, driving with a revoked license, and eight additional license suspensions.

Suspended registration

A Stewart Avenue motorist was charged on August 20 with driving with a suspended registration and operating an unregistered auto.

Stolen check

On August 20, a check placed in the mail was reported stolen, altered, and cashed.

Elevator scare

That same day, Garden City Police and Firefighters responded to a business for a report of a person stuck in an elevator. Firefighters found the elevator empty but malfunctioning, and placed it out of service.

Motorist violations

On August 20, a Washington Avenue motorist was charged with unlicensed operation and driving with a suspended registration.

False medical alarm

Officers responded to a residence on August 20 for a medical alert activation and determined it had been set in error.

Cooking smoke

Also on August 20, GCFD and GCPD responded to a restaurant fire alarm, which was activated by cooking smoke.

Contempt arrest

Upon investigation of a domestic incident that occurred on August 18, Garden City Detectives arrested a man on August 21 for allegedly violating the conditions of a court-issued order of protection. He was charged with Criminal Contempt.

Not a stickup

On August 21, Garden City Police responded to a bank hold-up alarm activation and determined it was set in error.

Suspended registrations

Motorists on New Hyde Park Road, Washington Avenue, and in Parking Field 7N were charged on August 21 with driving with suspended registrations and uninsured operation.

Faulty detectors

On August 21, GCFD and GCPD responded to one fire alarm activated in error and another triggered by a faulty detector.

Tinted windows

A 2nd Street motorist was charged on August 21 with unregistered operation, uninsured operation, and tinted windows.

Suspended reg, no insurance

A New Hyde Park Road motorist was charged on August 22 with driving with a suspended registration and uninsured auto.

Lost dog reunited

On August 22, Officers used the Department’s chip reader to identify the owner of a lost dog.

Defective truck

Also on August 22, a New Hyde Park Road truck operator was charged with defective brakes and tires.

Generator leak

On August 22, Garden City Police assisted firefighters who responded to a residence, making safe a leaking generator.

Mirror damage

On August 22nd, a mirror on a vehicle parked on Meadow Street was reported damaged by unknown means.

Unlicensed operation

A Cherry Valley Avenue motorist was charged on August 23 with driving with a suspended registration and unlicensed operation.

Faulty sensor

GCPD and GCFD responded on August 23 to a 7th Street building for simultaneous fire and burglary alarms. They determined a faulty sensor had triggered them.

Aggressive driving

Also on August 23, a Clinton Road motorist was charged with multiple aggressive driving violations including speeding, tailgating, and unsafe lane usage.

False alarms

That same day, GCFD and GCPD responded to alarms set off by cooking smoke, vaping steam, and candle smoke.

Suspended registration

A New Hyde Park Road motorist was charged on August 23 with driv-

ing with a suspended registration and unlicensed operation.

Registration and insurance?

On August 24, a Stewart Avenue motorist was charged with driving with a suspended registration and uninsured operation.

CO alarm

Officers assisted Firefighters on August 24 at a residence for a carbon monoxide alarm. After investigation, the home was deemed safe.

Hit and run

Also on August 24, a gray sedan reportedly left the scene of a collision with another vehicle on Clinton Road.

Excessive speed

On August 24, a Stewart Avenue motorist was charged with unlicensed operation and excessive speed.

Suspension charges

A Rockaway Avenue motorist was charged on August 24 with driving with a suspended license and registration.

Fraudulent bank activity

On August 25, a victim reported fraudulent activity on her bank account, along with an attempt to open another unauthorized account using her personal information.

Multiple charges

A Clinton Road motorist was charged on August 25 with driving with a suspended registration, suspended license, and uninsured operation.

Medication collection

Also on August 25, thirty pounds of medications collected through the Department’s Drug Take Back Program were disposed of properly.

Overweight trucks

On August 25, two New Hyde Park Road truck operators were charged with driving overweight vehicles.

Fire alarms

That same day, GCFD and GCPD responded to multiple alarms: one from construction debris, another set in error, one triggered by hair spray,

See page 33

Junior rides to victory, again

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ED

Garden City’s Junior Alvarado continued his record setting year with a tremendous ride aboard Sovereignty in Saratoga to win the Summer Classic, The Travers Stakes. Although the heavy favorite, Sovereignty still had to contend with several tough competitors and needed an excellent ride from Alvarado to add the Travers trophy to his mantle of 2025 wins that includes the Kentucky

Derby, Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy. They also made history by becaming the first horse, trainer and jockey to capture all four!

Sovereignty, with Alvarado in the saddle, will continue training under the watchful eye of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and target the Breeders Cup Classic on the West Coast at Del Mar Racetrack on November 1st . The Classic is the annual culmination of thoroughbred racing internationally and will bring together the top horses of the year

to compete in the $7 Million Longines Breeders Cup Classic. A victory in the Classic should put Sovereignty at the top of the class.

Alvarado is originally from Venezuela and currently resides in Garden City with his wife Kelly and three children, Adrian, Adalyn and Axel. He has been riding in the US since 2007, accumulating more than 2,200 victories and has been on a roll since 2022, winning 18 Grade 1 stakes races in the past three years. Junior’s fabulous 2025 season got off to an ominous start with a shoulder injury in March. But with hard work, tremendous family support and a competitive drive, he came back in five weeks to pilot Sovereignty to a tough Kentucky Derby victory over a sloppy track. The Derby win set off a year of solid performances for the duo that will hopefully end with another trip to the winners circle in November.

Junior Alvarado celebrates on his way to the winners circle.
Sovereignty with Junior aboard crosses the finish line.
The Alvarado family in the winners circle.
Junior Alvarado hoists the Travers Cup!
Junior Alvarado on Sovereignty in the winners circle.

Personal Trainer Provides  Science-Backed Fall Prevention & Improved Balance Formulas

Last Tuesday, August 26, at its end of August lunch meeting, Rotarians heard exercise and personal trainer Ahmed Ahmed, CMSS, CPT, reveal science-backed formulas to become fallproof and to  improve our balance.

Ahmed is the founder of Lotus Fitness located in the Omni building on Earle Ovington Blvd., Uniondale.  He is also a weekly columnist in The Garden City News, where he provides a variety of wellness tips.  At Tuesday’s Club meeting, Ahmed’s emphasis was on falling, the fear of falling and achieving better balance.  Ahmed said one of the leading causes of injury and loss of independence, especially for older adults is falling.  Even the fear of falling can keep people from enjoying the activities they love and deplete confidence as well.

Ahmed shared easy-to-follow formula to help us feel steady on our feet. There are 3 simple, practical strategies to improve our stability, react faster if we lose our balance, and move with more confidence in our day-to-day life.  To improve stamina, foot strength is of paramount importance plus strength of leg muscles and achieving the “battery life” of our feet and legs.

Ahmed distributed forms to attending Rotarians to complete indicating their specific concerns.  The forms were followed up with emails containing tech-

niques to address listed concerns.  what a bonus for all in attendance!  Plus, if you are concerned about falling or achieving better balance, visit Ahmed’s Lotus Fitness at www.ltusfitnessny. com; call for further information at 646-415-2349, and check out Ahmed’s weekly exercise tips and improved

healh techniques within in his column in The Garden City News.

Rotary & Kiwanis Sponsor Joint Donation Project To Benefit the INN

The Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club and the Kiwanis Club of Garden City will run a joint donation project to

Garden City PTA News

benefit the INN located in Hempstead, NY.  These service organizations will collect articles of clothing at the Garden City Library from September 8 through September 14.

A donation bin will be located inside the library to the right of the circulation desk.  The much-needed items that the INN has requested (especially, but not limited to  men’s) include jeans … sweatshirts … belts … shoes … boots … sneakers and shirts.

Library hours starting Septembers 7 are: Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Thursday 9:30 a.m.–9 p.m. and Friday–Saturday 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

The mission of the INN is to provide a broad variety of essential services to assist those challenged by hunger, homelessness and profound poverty.

Rotary and Kiwanis will appreciate your support of this much needed project.  Club volunteers will pick up donated items from the library and deliver to the INN by September 14.  For questions, please contact Randy Colahan: randy.colahan@gmail.com.

Upcoming  Speakers for September

September 9: 7255 District Governor Lydia Wells to report on vision for this Rotary year.

September 23:   John Borroni, P.C. Superintendent of Public Works, Inc. Village of Garden City, to report.

To reserve for upcoming lunch meetings ($40 each person payable aet the door), visit mineolagardencityrotaryclub@gmail.com.

The Garden City PTA looks forward to inviting everyone back to school on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. There is so much to look forward to this year, including the return of the Homecoming Parade and pre-game festivities! Save the Dates below and be on the lookout for more information across our social media handles and emails all year long. Save the Dates!

Fall sportswear sale begins Monday, August 25.

• September 1 - Labor Day

• September 2 - First Day of School

• September 4 - HS Back to School Night

• September 5 - HS Senior Photo Makeup Date

• September 9 and 10 -Middle School Picture Days

• September 10 - Middle School Back to School Night

• September 12 - Hemlock School Picture Day

• September 15 - Hemlock Back to School Night

• September 16 - Locust Back to School Night

• September 17 - Homestead/ Scope Back to School Night

• September 17 - UPK Back to School Night

• September 17 - Stewart Back to School Night

• September 18 - Stratford Back to School Night

• September 25 - Stratford Picture Day

• September 29 - Stewart Picture Day

• September 29 - Homestead Picture Day

• September 30 - Locust Picture Day

• September 30 - Renew or Join the PTA by 9/30 for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card!

• October 7 - GC UPK HCC Roslyn

Spirit Week 2025–2026

Homecoming is Saturday, September

Attention students!

20.

Calling all creative, organized, and spirited GC PTA members to help plan Spirit Week and Homecoming festivities!

Join the GC Spirit Committee! Planning meetings start soon! Email spiritday@gardencity pta.org to get involved now! Let’s Connect! Website: www.gardencitypta.org Facebook/Instagram/X: @gardencitypta

To get real time informationturn on notifications! Join the conversation and invite your friends.

Graduated from school? Have an outstanding GPA? Made the honor roll or Dean’s List? Scored an internship or study abroad opportunity? We invite you to send details of any of these things and more, along with your name and contact info, to editor@gcnews.com for a chance to be seen in our paper!

From left: Rotarians Althea Robinson, Randy Colahan, Rotary chair, Rotary/ Kiwanis INN donation project; Meg Norris, PP/Vice President; Diana O’Neill, Club President; Ahmed Ahmed, guest speaker; and Diane Marmann, PP and Asst. District Governor.

QUALITY COUNTS.

#1 IN NEUROLOGY & NEUROSURGERY

#1 IN CARDIOLOGY, HEART & VASCULAR SURGERY

#1 IN PULMONOLOGY & LUNG SURGERY

#1 IN GERIATRIC MEDICINE

We

Better

GC Community Church Men’s Breakfast

The men of Garden City Community Church (GCCC) meet for a breakfast fellowship every first Saturday of the month. All men of all ages of the church are welcome for a time of gathering to enjoy each other’s company. It is a “no pressure” time to spend with each other. Only twice did the men invited a female guest to their breakfast: Rev. Lynn Sullivan, upon her retirement, and Rev. Bonnie McDougall Olson.

Rev. Bonnie shared her time with the men in a very meaningful reflection on what the men’s breakfast is all about. Instead of paraphrasing her thoughts, we completely quoted her letter to the congregation:

Dear Friends, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. Psalm 133:1

“Well, it was more like pancake syrup than precious oil that flowed and no one let it run down on their clothes either! It was the August men’s breakfast meeting at the Carle Place diner. The invitation is open to any men in the church or their friends to gather for a shared meal and fellowship together. It’s a tradition that goes back to the 1990’s and two prior diners. Attendees can vary from week to week but there’s always a solid core of guys willing to forfeit sleeping late on a Saturday once a month to show up for breakfast at 8 a.m. As George Bashian told me, “Here, the guys can order the kind of breakfast that they can’t get at home!”— in other words, the kind of food that requires an extra notch on your belt! Although, I did spy two orders of oatmeal with fresh fruit…

While pancakes and syrup can be enticing, the real draw is not about the food but the fellowship—“the unity” they share as the psalm above says. If anyone buys the falderal that men do not form and maintain meaningful friendships like women do, they need to drop in at the Carle Place diner on the first Saturday of the month.

There is no topic-driven agenda for these breakfasts. They tried that when COVID interrupted their gatherings and they had to meet on Zoom, but soon found it wasn’t their “cup of tea.” Talking, hearing about each other’s lives and stories, asking and giving advice, current events and “guy”

talk was and is the menu. To borrow another diner metaphor, “nothing is off the table.” Every breakfast opens with a prayer of thanks, but these are not prayer breakfasts by any means, that is, if you are looking for a lot of “religious” laden conversation. What you will see is a group of men who care about each other, who would ask about you if you weren’t there...who’d drive you if you didn’t have a ride, and pass you that extra sugar before you asked for it…who’d joke with and about you like the two of you were back in high school together. You’d see a kind of communion that gives hope to all of us that with all the brokenness, with all the bad news we are flooded with every

day, there is also genuine goodness to be found. I was blessed to have been invited as their “special” guest to witness it. I will always remember it.” Thank you.

Pastor Bonnie

GCCC is a place where all can find a special home whatever one’s interest is. There is a room for all, and it’s a matter of coming to the Sunday worship service and find out what a welcoming place it is.

Whoever you are, wherever you are on your life’s journey, you are welcome at GCCC. It has services, events, projects, and programs for all ages. Regular church services are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m., in-person and live-streamed. To get information regarding its virtual

See what's happening at your library!

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

and in-person worship services and programs, visit its website at www.theGCCC.org.

GCCC is part of the United Church of Christ. It is an Open and Affirming congregation that welcomes people of all ages, races, physical and mental ability, social & economic status, gender identities, and sexual orientations to participate in the life of its  community. GCCC is located at 245 Stewart Avenue between Whitehall Blvd. and Kensington Road. For more information, email churchoffice@thegccc.org or call (516) 746-1700. And as previously mentioned, you may also visit our website, www.theGCCC.org.

Men’s Breakfast with Rev. Bonnie

Adult Services at the Garden City Public Library

Monday Movies

Monday Movies presented by the Friends of the Garden City Library at 1:30 p.m.:

September

September 8 - “Same Time Next Year” - 1978, 119 Mins.

September 15 - “Rocky” - 1983, 120 Mins.

September 22 - “Yentl” - 1983, 133 Mins.

September 29 - “Rudy” - 1983, 114 Mins.

October

October 6 - “Field of Dreams” - 1989, 107 Mins.

October 20 - “Strangers on a Train”1951, 101 Mins.

October 27 - “Phantom of the Opera”2004, 103 Mins.

Summer Reading Club for Adults

Color Our World

June 20–August 31, 2025

Join us for our 2025 Adult Summer Reading Club!  The theme this year is “Color Our World” and we plan on having a colorful summer!

Register online at LibCal at https:// gardencitypl.libcal.com. Registration continues through July 31, and the review cards deadline is August 30. For additional information contact Adult Services at (516)742-8405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@gardencitypl.org.  Be sure to come to the Reference Desk and you will receive a complimentary bag filled with fun things.

Each time you read a book, we ask that you fill out a review card (provided in your bag). Return it to the box on

the Reference Desk for a chance to win a prize.  The more you read, the better chance you have to win.  At the end of the summer, we will select review cards randomly and award prizes!

For additional information contact Adult Services at (516)742-8405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@gardencitypl.org

August/September Programs

Yoga with Kimberly

• Tuesday, September 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

• Tuesday, October 7, 14, 21, 28

• Tuesday, November 4, 11

7–8 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room

Kimberly Mercadante is back with her popular Yoga Series! Join her for a Yoga Class for beginners and more. All are welcome! This is a series of twelve classes continuing through November. To register, please register online at LibCal at https://gardencitypl.libcal. com/. For additional information contact Adult Services at (516)742-8405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@gardencitypl.org.  Programs may be canceled due to weather, power outages, lack of registration, or other unforeseen circumstances. If contact information has been provided for registration, a direct attempt will be made to notify participants.

Learn to Crochet and/or Knit with an Experienced Instructor - Lupe Velasquez

• Wednesday, September 10 & 24

• Wednesday, October 8 & October 22

• Wednesday, November 5 & 19

7–8 p.m. in the Small Meeting Room

Even though it’s only September, it’s never too early to start preparing for the holidays!  Crafter, knitter and crocheter Lupe Velasquez will be on hand

to teach, help and suggest projects to do.   The class is scheduled on alternating Wednesdays in September, October and November. You may register once for the entire series.

Please register online at LibCal at https://gardencitypl.libcal.com/. For additional information contact Adult Services at (516) 742-8405 ext. 5236 or email speakingofbooks@gardencitypl. org.  Programs may be canceled due to weather, power outages, lack of registration, or other unforeseen circumstances. If contact information has been provided for registration, a direct attempt will be made to notify participants.

Fall Programming

Additional information on fall programs will be forthcoming.  We are currently planning programs such as Chris Buchman’s fall grow bags, a lecture on improving health and longevity, Bingo, Chairobics and Strength Training, and more to come. We look forward to seeing you in the Fall.

Museum Pass Information

Print From Home for Some Passes!

Check Out A Museum Pass This Summer!

Through the generosity of the Friends of the Garden City Public Library, the Library offers free passes to select museums and cultural institutions. Reservations can be made via LibCal, which requires a Library card and a PIN. Please visit the Circulation Desk to verify or create your PIN. Once you have a PIN, you can make your reservations from home or at the Library.

You can make a reservation to borrow a Museum pass from one of the member institutions in our Museum

Pass Program. Some museum passes are now available to print from home, including the Vanderbilt Museum located at 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport. If you do not have access to a printer, the Library will be happy to print the pass for you. These passes will be good for one day only. Please note that not all museums participate. For a list of printfrom-home passes, visit the Library website, www.gardencitypl.org.

Passes for the following museums still need to be picked up at the Library: 9/11 Memorial & Museum, NYC (2 adults & 2 children); MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art), NYC (5 visitors); the Long Island Children’s Museum, Garden City (2 adults & 2 children) and the Empire Pass, which allows entry of the vehicle when the card is presented at most New York State Parks, Department of Environmental Conservation forest preserve areas, boat launch sites, arboretums and park preserves.

The following Library Museum Pass rules remain in effect.

Museum passes are available only to Garden City Public Library cardholders in good standing who have signed the Museum Pass User Agreement. Museum passes may be reserved in advance and must be checked out by an adult (18 years and older) family member.

Reservations will be taken up to one month in advance of the desired date, subject to availability on a firstcome, first-served basis. Reservations can be made in person at the Reference Desk or over the phone at 516-742-8405 x5236.

Additional rules and information are available at the library.

It's What's Happening for Young Adults Through the Library

Join us for Teen Gamers on Sept 5!

Enjoy games and snacks at Teen Gamers, which will be held on Friday, September 5 at 3:30PM. Play tabletop board games, Magic: The Gathering, and video games on our Nintendo Switch consoles while having snacks and drinks with friends. This program is for tweens and teens entering Grades 6-12 in Fall 2025 only. Registration is required online via LibCal (gardencitypl.libcal. com). Teens who complete an online survey after the program can receive community service for participating in this program.

Teen STEAM Workshop

Back by Popular Demand! Join us for Teen STEAM Workshop: Make Ice Cream with Chris Buchman on September 13!

Join us for Teen STEAM Workshop: Make Ice Cream with Chris Buchman on Saturday, September 13 at 3PM. Teens made ice cream during one of the summer’s Teen STEAM Workshops, and it was so popular, the Library has brought it back for September! Teen STEAM Workshops are for teens entering Grades 6-12 in Fall 2025. Registration is required online via LibCal at https:// gardencitypl.libcal.com beginning Tuesday, September 2 at 10AM. Teens who complete an online survey after the program can receive community service for participating in this program.

Safe Babysitting Workshop

Learn about Safe Babysitting at the Intro to Safe Babysitting Workshop on September 11

Join us for this Babysitting Workshop

program, Intro to Safe Babysitting, on Thursday, September 11 at 4PM. This program is for tweens and teens in Grades 6-12. We will be using the Intro to Safe Babysitting curriculum from Safe Sitter® as well as a presentation on food allergies a Girl Scout created for her Gold Award. Registrants must bring a doll to practice diapering. Registration is required online via LibCal at https:// gardencitypl.libcal.com beginning Tuesday, September 2 at 10AM. Teens who complete an online survey after the program can receive community service for participating in this program.

Upcoming and Ongoing Library Programs for Tweens and Teens

These programs are for tweens and teens in Grades 6-12 unless otherwise noted. Registration is required for these

programs on LibCal at https://gardencitypl.libcal.com unless otherwise noted.

Teens who complete an online survey after specific programs can receive community service for participating. Registration is live online at https:// gardencitypl.libcal.com for the following programs:

Thursday, September 4 at 4PM: Tweens and Teens Yarn Group (Grades 4-12)

Friday, September 5 at 3:30PM: Teen Gamers (Grades 6-12)

Registration begins Tuesday, September 2 at 10AM online at https:// gardencitypl.libcal.com for the following programs:

Tuesday, September 9 at 4PM: Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12)

See page 28

News from the Children’s Room

Upcoming August Library Programs

for Children

These programs are for children ages birth through Grade 5. Registration is required. Visit https://www.gardencitypl. libcal.com to register for August programs. Programs may be canceled due to weather, power outages, lack of registration, or other unforeseen circumstances. If contact information has been provided for registration, a direct attempt will be made to notify participants.

Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 3:30PM STEAM Maker Space - Grades 2-5.

Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 10:30AM STEAM Preschool Building - 6 months to 5 years (not in kindergarten).

Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 4:00PM STEAM Fun Club - Grades K-2.

Thursday, Sept. 4 at 4:00 Tween and Teens Yarn Group - Grades 4 to 12.

Monday, Sept. 8 at 10:30AM Toddler Storytime - 18 months to 3 years.

Monday, Sept. 8 at 11:30AM Mixed Age Storytime - birth to 5 years (not in kindergarten).

Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 10:30AM Mother Goose Storytime - birth to 17 months (non-walkers).

Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 11:30AM Preschool Craft ages 3 years to 5 (not in kindergarten).

Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 3:30PM STEAM Maker Space - Grades 2-5.

Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 10:30AM STEAM Preschool Building - 6 months to 5 years (not in kindergarten).

Thursday, Sept. 11 at 10:30AM Mixed Age Storytime - birth to 5 years (not in kindergarten).

Thursday, Sept. 11 at 11:30AM Mother Goose Storytime - birth to 17 months (non-walkers).

Friday, Sept. 12 at 10:30AM Play Hooray - birth to 5 years (not in kindergarten).

Saturday Sept. 13 at 1:30PM STEAM Making Some Ice Cream - Grades 3 to 5.

Unattended Child Policy

It is Library policy that all children under age 11 must be accompanied by a parent or designated responsible person while in the Library. Also, if the young child is attending a Library program, we require the parent or designated responsible person to remain in the Library throughout the program and meet the child upon completion of the program.

It’s What’s Happening for Young Adults Through the Library

Tweens and Teens Fall 2025 Program Information Coming Soon!

The Tweens and Teens Department is gearing up for Fall programs! Check our website (www.gardencitypl.org) and LibCal (gardencitypl.libcal.org) for upcoming events or stop by the Library at the end of August to learn more about fall Library programs for Grades 6-12.

Ongoing Take-Home Community Service Opportunities

Looking to volunteer? Check out some of our –ngoing take-home community service opportunities for tweens

and teens in Grades 6-12. Please check at the Library for more information on each of these opportunities; all volunteer projects should be submitted at the Library with a Volunteer Form, which can be found outside the Tweens and Teens Room.

• Ongoing: Bookmarks for Community Service - No registration required. Up to 20 bookmarks can be submitted per volunteer monthly.

• Ongoing: Kindness Cards for Community Service - No registration required. Up to 10 cards can be submitted per volunteer monthly.

Library Board to meet

There will be a regular meeting of the Board of Library Trustees on Monday, September 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the large meeting room on the lower level. Further details will be posted when available on the Library’s website, www.gardencitypl.org.\

A Decline in Las Vegas: What

Does it Mean?

It may not be the most important story of the year, but the recent downturn in business in Las Vegas may tell us something about the economic issues facing the United States and the world, but also about the American consumer.

An article this week in the Las Vegas Review-Journal sets forth some of the negative tourism statistics.  Visitor volume in Las Vegas is down 7.3 percent from 2024, room occupancy declined 2.1 percent and the price of an average room went down 5.5 per cent. Airport passenger traffic is down 7.6 percent.  Revenue per available room, which takes into account gaming and non-gaming revenue, is down 7.6 percent.

Not without reason, some of this decline is being blamed on national and international economic policies. For example, it is said that visitors do not want to come to Las Vegas  from abroad because of President Trump's immigration policies or on account of resentment of United States tariffs.  Canadians in particular are said to be angered by trade and other tensions with the United States and President Trump’s expressed desire to annex the country.  Lower domestic visitation is blamed on an uncertain economy and a shaky job market.

I am not the biggest customer of Las Vegas, last there for a few days in December meeting up with relatives from California. Nevertheless, it seems to me that, while global tension and an uncertain United States economy are indeed factors in the Vegas decline, the business and casino community need to take some customer-friendly steps for the city to maintain its place as one of the premier tourist destinations in the United States.

Not that many years ago, Vegas was viewed by many as something of a bargain, at least for customers who were reasonably cautious when they visited the gaming floor.  You could stroll around the luxurious themed casinos on the Strip,  visit free attractions like the Bellagio gardens and fountains, check out the lions at the

MGM and the volcanos at the Mirage

Most of the year you could go for a swim or hang out in the huge pool maintained by most of the resorts. Buffets at many casinos were a great bargain with a wide variety of offerings at a relatively low price.  Parking was generally free and there were often good deals at rooms, which sometimes were available free ("comped") to steady but not affluent customers.  Gamblers might not win, but free drinks were plentiful, particularly if you tipped the servers.

Currently there is much less of a feeling that Las Vegas is a good deal.  Many buffets and some of the better attractions have been cut back or closed, although not at the Bellagio.  Drink and food prices have risen sharply.  Although some nice new venues have been built, show prices have risen sharply.  Free drinks at the casino do not seem as plentiful.

Perhaps most egregiously, hotels now impose a resort fee on rooms, which can run $40 or $50 per night plus tax. Free parking has dramatically been cut back. At least on the Strip, unfavorable rule changes have been made at many blackjack and roulette tables that make it harder to eke out a profit.  There is a sense by some that there is gouging in Sin City.

There is something of a specific lesson here about American consumers.  Unlike in other countries, in Europe and elsewhere, which tend to be very protective of workers, the American economy is consumer focused.  As a result, American consumers are pretty demanding and expect low prices, convenience, and a good customer experience.

Right now, for all its drawbacks, Las Vegas remains an American original and could easily bounce back.  But while domestic and international economic and political factors play a role, the business community has to remember that their overall success depends on a perception that they are consistently delivering good value to the customers coming through their doors.

Advertise in our papers!

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

The Garden end, Saturday, on Tuesday,

GCPD: Back to School Safety Series - Part 3

This is part three of the four-part series of articles by the Garden City Police Department addressing Back to School Safety Issues. We addressed Safe Driving Practices and School Bus Safety in the previous two articles. If you missed either of these articles, you can stop by the Garden City Police Department and pick up a copy. This week’s article will cover Pedestrian/ Bicycle Safety. Parents, Grandparents, Guardians, and Teachers are encouraged to use this article to help teach their children about Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety.

Back to School “Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety”

Pedestrian Safety:

• Children should not walk while talking on a cell phone or texting.

• Students walking to or from school should always use sidewalks when available and walk on the inside edge of the sidewalk farthest away from traffic. If a sidewalk is unavailable, pedestrians are encouraged to walk in a single file as close to the edge of the roadway as practical. You should also walk against the traffic flow so that oncoming cars are visible.

• Research has shown that until your child is at least eight years old, you should hold their hand on the sidewalk and in parking lots. Furthermore, you should hold their hand until they are ten years old while crossing the street.

• Teach your children to be defensive and NEVER assume that a

driver sees them.

• Always LOOK in all directions before crossing the street, LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT again. NEVER run into the street. When crossing at an intersection, check for vehicles turning the corner.

• Avoid crossing the streets at mid-blocks, especially when parked cars may obstruct vision. Cross at stop signs, traffic signals, crosswalks, or where crossing guards are present.

• When crossing a street, NEVER assume a green light or WALK signal means it is safe to cross the street. Remember; LOOK LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT again before crossing.

• Remove earphones when preparing to cross the street. You may not be able to hear approaching traffic.

• Only follow others across the street once you have checked for yourself that it is safe to cross.

• Walk the route to school with your child and discuss safe practices. Teach your children about traffic laws and encourage them to ask questions when unsure what to do.

• Stay visible when it is dark or in bad weather by wearing light-colored or reflective clothing.

• Crossing guards are posted near schools to assist children and others in crossing the street safely. Disregarding the signals and directions of crossing guards is dangerous and a violation of New York State Law.

Bicycle Safety:

• Persons riding bicycles are

Beach Bash Promenade draws record crowds

Continued from page 28

will host their Ribbon Cutting event. Please join us at 5:30 p.m. as it welcomes a new neighbor at 919 Franklin Avenue, next to The Tap Room. The Chamber is also thrilled to announce a return to festivities with a reimagined Homecoming Celebration on Saturday, September 20. Soon thereafter, golf enthusiasts will be pleased to learn the Chamber will be presenting The Ryder Cup Festival! Following the promenade format, but elevated to the level of the Belmont Festival, Seventh Street will be trans-

formed from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Friday, September 26, to a golf party that may prove to be the event of the decade! The Chamber encourages all residents to get into the spirit and wear the colors of the American or European teams! Sponsorship opportunities for businesses, residents and local teams will be available soon!

For more information on the Chamber of Commerce, calendars of events and ribbon cutting information, please visit www.gardencitychamber. org or call 516-746-7724.

Do you have grandchildren?

Enter our “World’s Most Beautiful Grandchildren” contest! Just send in your grandchildren’s photos and a brief description of the child (or children) along with your name and address to editor@gcnews.com

subject to the same laws as motorists.

• All bicyclists and passengers under the age of fourteen are required to wear approved bicycle helmets when riding a bicycle.

• Regardless of what the law requires, the Garden City Police Department recommends that ALL operators and passengers wear bicycle helmets. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “In the majority of bicycle deaths, the most serious injuries are to the head, highlighting the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet.”

• Teach your children how to ride a bicycle and practice riding in a safe location without cars. It is essential for children to learn how to signal, turn, slow down, and stop without falling. Hand signals for bicyclists are the same as for motorists.

• Teach your children to be defensive when riding and NEVER assume a driver sees them.

• Bicyclists should carefully look in all directions for vehicles, other bicyclists, and pedestrians. They should also take extra care when nearing intersections or driveways where vehicles may be turning.

• Children should walk their bicycles across intersections.

• Bicycles should be ridden in bicycle lanes when available or as close to the right edge of the roadway as practical in the same direction as traffic.

• Ride your bicycle in a single file only.

• Never use a bicycle to carry more people than it was designed to carry, and never ride anyone on the handlebars.

• Wear bright-colored clothing when riding a bicycle and ensure the bike has proper reflectors.

• DO NOT ride a bicycle while wearing earphones, talking, or texting on a phone. It is illegal to wear more than one earphone while riding a bike.

• A bicycle must be equipped with the following:

Brakes that are capable of making the tires skid on dry-level pavement. A bell, horn, or other device that can be heard at least a hundred feet away; sirens and whistles are NOT permitted.

• Bicycles driven between a halfhour after sunset and a half-hour before sunrise must be equipped with a white front headlight visible in darkness for at least 500 feet and a red taillight visible for at least 300 feet.

• When purchased new and/ or driven at night, a bicycle must have reflective tires or wide-angle spoke-mounted reflectors. The reflectors must be colorless or amber for the front wheels and colorless or red for the rear wheels.

The Garden City Police Department encourages residents to incorporate these safe practices into their lives to make this school year safe. Please read Part Four of the Back-to-School Series “Stranger Danger” in next week’s paper.

It's What's Happening for Young Adults Through the Library

From page 26

Wednesday, September 10 at 4PM: Teen LEGO Club: Bookends Challenge (Grades 6-12)

Thursday, September 11 at 4PM: Intro to Safe Babysitting Workshop (Grades 6-12)

Friday, September 12 at 3:30PM: Teen Creative Hour (Grades 6-12) Saturday, September 13 at 3PM: Teen STEAM Workshop: Make Ice Cream with Chris Buchman (Grades 6-12)

Ongoing Take-Home Community Service Opportunities

Looking to volunteer? Check out some of our ongoing take-home community service opportunities for tweens and teens in Grades 6-12. Please check at the Library for more information on each of these opportunities; all volunteer projects should be submitted at the Library with a Volunteer Form, which

can be found outside the Tweens and Teens Room.

Ongoing: Bookmarks for Community Service. No registration required. Up to 20 bookmarks can be submitted per volunteer monthly.

Ongoing: Kindness Cards for Community Service. No registration required. Up to 10 cards can be submitted per volunteer monthly.

Ongoing: Friendship Bracelets for Community Service. No registration required. Up to 10 bracelets can be submitted per volunteer monthly.

September 22, 2025-December 19: Fall Creative Arts Book Submissions for Community Service. No registration required. Up to five pieces of writing and/or art (sized 8.5 × 11 inches) can be submitted per volunteer.

September 22, 2025-December 19: Holiday Recipe Cards for Community Service. No registration required. Up to five recipe cards can be submitted per volunteer.

August 29, 2025

Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park Production of TWELFTH NIGHT Opens Revitalized Delacorte in Central Park

BY KAREN RUBIN TRAVEL FEATURES SYNDICATE GOINGPLACESFARANDNEAR.COM

After 23 months and $85 million, the beloved Delacorte Theater has reopened, renewed and revitalized for its 63rd season, but preserving what was always best about the iconic experience of the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park: a sense of excitement, shared joy and community, the delight to be dazzled at the creativity of making something spectacular out of a simple open-air stage, and the enchanting backdrop of the Belvedere Castle on a rocky cliff, framed by trees.

The star-studded Public Theater free Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT which will run through Sunday, September 14, is the ideal choice among the Bard’s canon to reopen this New York City cultural icon.

But the performance begins with Shakespeare’s quote “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”- famous lines that are not even from TWELFTH NIGHT but from “As You Like It.” But the quote serves to pay homage to Joseph Papp, the founder of the Public Theater and the Delacorte, who began offering free Shakespeare in the Park from a truck and planted his cultural flag on this pastoral patch to claim the site and the culture for the people.

“This theater belongs to you, the people of New York,” writes Oskar Eustis, the Public Theater’s Artistic Director, in the Playbill.”We hold it in trust for you, to serve you. The culture belongs to all of us....We are,

The exuberant gender-bending curtain call of the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT at the reopened, revitalized Delacorte Theater in Central Park © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com

together, celebrating what makes us human.”

TWELFTH NIGHT is the perfect selection with which to return Free Shakespeare in the Park to Central Park, with its theme of immigrants – refugees who escape death after a shipwreck – who have to remake themselves to survive as strangers in a strange land, and its gender-bending plot. The production, brilliantly conceived by the Public’s Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director Saheem Ali, also stays true to Joseph Papp’s racial blindness – race is erased, irrelevant, while the cultural tapestry of New York is for all to enjoy and appreciate. Joseph Papp, the Public Theater and the Delacorte were “woke” before that was a term, and certainly before the crusade to demean, de-legitimize, and eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion from our culture and society, when it took 60 years to make DEI part of our cultural fabric.

“It’s been one year and 11 months since we closed The Delacorte for much needed renovations that have made the most beautiful theater in the world even more beautiful, safer and infinitely more accessible, and more sustainable, more comfortable and more ready than ever to serve the people of New York,” Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director for the Public Theater, writes in the Playbill. “This is a palace for the people, an infinitely precious New York landmark that money can’t buy, that isn’t gated or reserved for the wealthy, that is the common property of the whole city...

“In the time that The Delacorte has been closed, American democracy has undergone perhaps the greatest challenge it has faced in the last 150 years. ... the reopening will certainly help the fight to maintain the vision of America I know we all share, an America that belongs to everyone, where our diversity is our

strength, where the common good makes all of us better off, where what we share is infinitely more important than what separates us.

The Delacorte Theater is not just a stage. It’s a platform for democracy. A gathering place. A commons. A celebration of what public space can be when it’s shaped by values we all share: access, community, inclusion, and joy.”

The Delacorte has stood as one of New York City’s most iconic and democratic cultural institutions for over 60 years. It was founded on an audacious premise: the richest of cultural jewels presented for free, in a form that New Yorkers’ could identify with and find relevant to their own experience. Since the Delacorte opened in 1962, during JFK’s “Camelot” era, some 6 million people have enjoyed over 160 productions.

A hallmark the Public Theater productions of Shakespeare are the creative ways of preserving the original but making the 400-year old-English plays accessible, relatable and relevant to contemporary society.

This production is a rollicking fun farce, crisply directed by Saheem Ali, and brilliantly performed by a star-studded cast who seem to be enjoying the experience as much as the audience:

Among the fascinating devices: “What You Will” - the backdrop of open letters that let you see out and performers walk through – is the subtitle for “TWELFTH NIGHT,” which director Ali has honed in on as the “heart of the show... Shakespeare lands these twins on a strange land”

Continued on next page

GOING PLACES, NEAR &

Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park Production of TWELFTH NIGHT Opens Revitalized Delacorte in Central Park

Continued from previous page

where they have to survive. “That’s an immigrant story. Someone coming from somewhere else and seeking a better life, a different life,” he writes in the Playbill.

The interjection of Swahili spoken by Viola and Sebastian makes very clear and real that Viola and Sebastian are immigrants – refugees – in a strange land with a strange culture, having escaped death during a shipwreck, and having to reinvent themselves in order to survive.

Also, the line “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” becomes a kind of mantra.

The music and song throughout the play – so unexpected, but provides such an atmospheric, ethereal backdrop for the mythic Illyria– is composed by Michael Thurber and performed by “gender-defiant” singer-songwriter Moses Sumney as Feste – who has the audience transfixed.

Besides an outstanding cast, brilliantly directed, the creative staging is a marvel – indeed, the most significant improvements to the Delacorte are technical, allowing sets and actors to rise out of the floor, with a kind of sleight of hand that adds to the magic and enchantment – if you look away for a moment or are looking in one place rather than another, all of a sudden the scene is changed.

The flamboyant curtain call is itself a coup d’gras, a final slap to the Trump/ MAGA WhiteChristoFascist anti-woke crusade, in which the performers dance out in androgynous costumes worthy of the Met Gala.

People always delight in the stars that grace the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park stage and TWELFTH NIGHT is no exception: The star-studded cast, who clearly are enjoying their roles as much as the audience, includes real-life siblings Lupita and Junior Nyong’o playing the twins, Viola and Sebastian, Sandra Oh (Olivia), Peter Dinklage (Malvolio), John Ellison Conlee (Sir Toby Belch), Khris Davis (Orsino), Peter Dinklage (Malvolio), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Andrew Aguecheek), Daphne RubinVega (Maria), Moses Sumney (Feste), b (Antonio), Joe Tapper (Sea Captain/Priest), and Ariyan Kassam (Curio/Ensemble), and a marvelous ensemble of Dario Alvarez, Jaina Rose Jallow, Valentino Musumeci (Chinna Palmer (Ensemble), Sandra Oh (Olivia), Precious Omigie, Nathan M. Ramsey, Jasmine Sharma, Kapil Talwakar, Julian Tushabe, Adrian Villegas, Ada Westfall, and Mia Wurgaft.

TWELFTH NIGHT is cleverly staged, featuring scenic design by Maruti Evans, phenomenal costume design by Oana Botez, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Kai Harada and Palmer Hefferan, music composition by Michael Thurber, hair, wig, and makeup design by Krystal Balleza, prop management by Claire M. Kavanah, fight direction by Tom Schall, choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie. Karishma Bhagani serves as the Swahili dialect coach. Delacorte Veteran Buzz Cohen serves as the Production Stage Manager and Jessie Moore and Luisa Sánchez Colón serve as the stage managers.

The renovation of the 1,864-seat amphitheater dramatically improved

the accessibility, sustainability and production facilities, and was funded through a mix of public and private support, including $42 million from the City of New York through the Office of the Mayor, New York City Council, and Manhattan Borough President’s Office; and another $1 million allocation from the New York State Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell.

The $85 million spent on the Delacorte renovation was only a part of the $175 million “Forever Public” fund-raising campaign intended to preserve all that the Public Theater does to promote the arts and access to theater and establish a Fund for Free Theater endowment. These free Shakespeare in the Park performances are what the Public Theater is most heralded for, but the Public Theater does much more to promote the arts and access to the arts.

At its six-venue Astor Place home at 425 Lafayette Street, the Public produces world premiere plays and musicals “giving voice to a diverse range of new and established artists, leading and framing the dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day.”

In addition to Free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte in Central Park, the Public produces theater throughout the boroughs with its Mobile Unit, bringing free performances to correctional facilities, senior and recreation centers, parks with little or no access to the arts; working with partner organizations around the city, community members participate in workshops and classes, attend performances and join in the creation of participatory theater; some 700 shows are presented each year at Joe’s Pub at

Building Muscle Later in Life

The older we get, the more we should focus on muscle mass and not just the number on the scale. In her later years, I watched my mom shrink from a weight of 175 to 120. With her weight loss came difficulty in walking and balance, a result of losing muscle along with all that weight.

A research study in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases looked at the relationship between muscle and fat tissue in older adults (65 and over) and the connection to all-cause mortality. They found that the more muscle older adults had, the lower the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. And older adults with the highest amount of fat mass didn’t have a significantly greater risk.

The key is focusing on maintaining

and improving muscle mass instead of focusing on reducing fat mass -- or the number on the scale.

A similar study on the impact of body composition changes on risk of all-cause mortality in older adults, published in Clinical Nutrition, found that muscle loss was related to an increased risk of death of older adults.

In addition, research has found that body mass index guidelines are different for older adults. Rather than having a body mass index of less than 25 (18.5 to 25 is considered normal), older adults may need to have a slightly higher BMI -- 27 to 30 -- to reduce mortality. In the study “BMI and all-cause mortality in older adults: a meta-analysis” that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that even at a BMI of

33, there wasn’t an increase in all-cause mortality. However, a BMI of 20 or below showed a 28% increase in rates of mortality.

Weight loss in the elderly can be a concern, especially if someone is not getting adequate protein and resistance training to preserve muscle with weight loss. Researchers have found an association between eating protein throughout the day and higher muscle mass in adults. Most of us -- whatever our age -- tend to get our protein in our evening meal and less at breakfast or lunch.

The bottom line is the first line of defense for older adults staying healthy is keeping their muscle mass -- taking a walk or swimming or lifting a few weights.

the Public, giving support to thousands of artists; and the emerging Writers Group, BIPOC Critics Lab and multiyear residences provide support for artists at all stages of their career, offering opportunities for development from idea to full production.

There are five ways to access free tickets for TWELFTH NIGHT: Distribution in Central Park, In-person lottery at The Public Theater, Distribution across all five boroughs, Digital lottery with TodayTix and Standby line in Central Park.

Also, you can become a member of the Public Theater with a donation of $600 or more to be able to reserve two seats. (To keep the majority of seats free and available for New Yorkers, only a limited number of seats are available for members to reserve.)

You can become a Supporter with a gift of $100 or more which provides benefits including early access and discounted, no-fee tickets to the Astor Place season, dedicated customer service, discounted food and drink at Joe’s Pub and The Library. For a limited time, gifts are being matched by the Howard Gilman Foundation

To learn more, or to make a contribution, call 212-967-7555, or visit publictheater.org. The full performance calendar and complete distribution details can be found at publictheater. org. (The Delacorte Theater in Central Park is accessible by entering at 81st Street and Central Park West or at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.)

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

Run, don’t walk, into the new age

Discussing the generation gap - and the difference between Gen Zers and Baby Boomers - has its place and I am the first to admit that I am a Baby Boomer through and through.

As a teenager in the 1970s I never could have envisioned using a Roomba, a GPS or even Google maps. Give me a good old-fashioned paper map and I can easily drive from one place to another. I am more comfortable with using a paper map than a GPS and an upright vacuum over a Roomba.

Whoever heard the word Roomba before 2002? That’s when that autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner, was first introduced to the general public.

Fifty plus years ago no one knew what Swiffer mops and Swiffer dusters were. Now they are common household items and their commercials seem to be everywhere. Tablets and Netflix weren’t everyday topics because Netflix wasn’t even available until 1997.

The only Smartphone I knew about when I was a teenager was the rotary dial phone in our living room that very smartly connected my friends and me so we could chat and make plans to get together.

Gen Zers grew up with Smartphones and social media whereas Baby Boomers like me grew up with TV at home and our entrance into the world of computers was shall I say slow? When computers were first available to the general consumer I was wary. My foray into the world of personal computers was taken with baby steps although looking back, I see how enormously useful they are.

Gen Zers, on the other hand, were pretty much surrounded by computers. Internet connectivity is the name of their game and they make using Smartphones, computers and social media look so natural. I am envious, I admit that.

Most Baby Boomers never heard

the term “digital tools” until we were well into our 20s. And then a new era dawned. What on earth was a digital tool and how would I ever use it? This Baby Boomer took baby steps but that’s okay because once I caught onto to the new technology, I was off and running.

At barbecues and parties when I mention some of these things I must sound like a dinosaur to those Gen Zers who are present but I don’t mind when these examples of the generation gap arise. I proudly wear my Baby Boomerism like a badge of honor because I’ve weathered some storms and come out ahead.

As actress Rue McClanahan often said, being 50+ doesn’t mean someone has to lose their sense of humor or zest for life. She always emphasized that maturity brings added layers to a person.

Bea Arthur, who starred along with Rue McClanahan on “The Golden Girls” TV show, once said, “I’ve always believed that age is just a number. It’s about how you feel inside and how you choose to live your life.”

Of course the younger kids don’t want to hear these thoughts and platitudes from either Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur or any other “Golden Girl.” - They are too busy making their plans for the future. Still, when I like to get them going it’s easy to bring up various things they’re probably unfamiliar with.

The payphone is a good example. In the not-too-distant past payphones were very common. They were seen all over. They came in handy when making phone calls and Smartphones hadn’t been invented yet.

You could step into a public phone booth, deposit some coins and make a call. Gen Zers may scoff and laugh saying that payphones and public phone booths are extinct - which isn’t exactly true because some countries such as Australia still have some - but they pride themselves on being high tech

people. Anything that has an “old fashioned” ring is frowned upon.

One thing about Gen Zers is they like new, modern things but my friends and I say there is a time and a place for good old-fashioned things. Many of us Baby Boomers worked to help make a difference in the world. Lots of Gen Zers place importance on that but we also like traditional values, stability and nostalgia. We sure like nostalgic things and not just at Christmastime.

Where Gen Zers and many Baby Boomers differ is in welcoming new technology. They tend to welcome it with open arms and this Baby Boomer is always leery of the latest thing coming along. Once we’ve tried it and gotten used to it we see the place for technology in our daily work lives and at home but at first blush we are skeptics.

Even laptops looked like something from out of space and I’m wary of electric vehicles because even though they conserve on gasoline the idea of a battery freezing during winter doesn’t appeal to me. No, thank you.

Gen Zers are quick to pick up on my skepticism about new-fangled gadgets

but our discussions always prompt lively debates. I see things my way, they see things their way and sometimes we come to a consensus. Other times each of us walks away content in the knowledge that we are right and that’s okay, too.

I respect the creativity, tech savviness and overall problem-solving abilities of many of the Gen Zers I meet almost daily but I also cherish the good old-fashioned traits of the Baby Boomers who are in my life. Many of them possess a certain stick-to-itiveness that Gen Zers can only envy.

Many of the older Baby Boomers I know have really showed me what loyalty and dedication - to family, to a job and to community - is all about.

I like to think that I straddle both worlds but the truth is I dip my toe into the world of Gen Zers then retreat to the comfort of my Baby Boomer world. That’s what I am used to - and that’s what my brothers, sisters and cousins are, too. It’s how we grew up and while I welcome the new technology, I have to say that for now we will take nostalgic things over texting any day of the week.

or swimming or lifting a few weights. Overall health is more important than a low BMI. Eating protein at every meal and resistance training are key to staying healthy as we age.

Q and A

Q: What are sprouted foods and are they healthier than other foods?

A: Any food that starts out as a seed will sprout before it becomes a plant. Sprouts are a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals. Sprouts don’t actually contain more vitamins and minerals than their fully-grown forms, but they are more available to our bodies during

digestion. That’s true with grains like wheat that are sprouted and cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli or cabbage. It’s best to let professionals do the sprouting as the conditions for growing sprouts are also ideal for bacteria to flourish. Raw sprouts should be washed well before eating. Sprouted grain can be used in bread that is baked..

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian with SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, and the current president of the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRD.

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

Happy (Belated) Birthday to Social Security

Doesn’t it just bug you when you miss the birthday of a close friend? That happened to me when I recently missed the 90th birthday of someone who (well, actually something that) has been a big part of my life for the last half century. I’m talking about the Social Security program that turned 90 a week or so ago. Former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act on Aug.14, 1935.

I forgot to wish it a happy birthday in last week’s column, so I’m going to make up for it today by once again sharing a little history of our nation’s bedrock social insurance program.

Most people recognize that the concept of a national social insurance system in America grew out of the economic crises that followed the Great Depression and out of the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as president in 1932. His “New Deal” programs were enacted to help bring the country out of the economic depths of that time. And of course, Social Security was one of those programs. (By the way, Social Security programs had been in existence in many countries around the world long before FDR introduced it in the United States.)

But it’s not like our country was initially willing and eager to welcome this new kind of government-run old age pension system. And opposition didn’t just come from expected sources like conservative Republicans, almost all of whom vehemently opposed the bill. Most employers and even many unions just didn’t think the federal government would be able to finance and manage such a huge and comprehensive program.

Of course, many people were involved in making Social Security happen. But one often-overlooked person deserves a great deal of credit. And that was Frances Perkins. She was FDR’s Secretary of Labor. And it was her perseverance and powers of persuasion with not only labor leaders, but also with members of Congress, that finally took Social Security off the planning table and onto the floors of Congress as actual legislation in January 1935.

But once there, the bill didn’t exactly breeze through Congress. In fact, on March 20, 1935, The New York Times ran a story headlined, “Hopes Are Fading for the Social Security Bill.” Then FDR stepped in. He called the leaders of Congress over to the White House and gave them a pep talk. Not long afterward, those members of Congress swallowed their doubts and passed the Social Security bill by a substantial 372-33 margin.

Then the bill bogged down in the Senate with various members of the upper body trying to tack on amendments (such as making the program voluntary rather than compulsory). Eventually, all these issues were ironed out, the bill passed, and FDR signed the Social Security Act on Aug. 14, 1935.

Speaking of that original Social Securi-

ty law, many readers always tell me that we should take Social Security “back to its roots.” They think too many “goodies” have been tacked on to the program over the years and that we’d be better off with “good old-fashioned original Social Security.”

I always tell these folks that if they really mean they want only the original Social Security law, then all we would have is retirement benefits for people 65 and older who were totally retired. That’s it. Period. Nothing else!

So that means we would have no early retirement benefits at age 62. Those millions of people getting early retirement benefits could kiss their checks goodbye under the “back to basics” plan.

It would also mean we would not pay benefits to anyone 65 and older if they were still working. The original Social Security law required that you must be completely retired to collect benefits. So tough luck for all the working seniors out there under the original plan.

Oh, and there would be no extra bonus for people who delay taking benefits until a later age. Millions of seniors currently plan to work until 70 to get a bonus of up to 32% added to their checks. Back to basic plans would turn off that incentive to delay retirement.

There would be no benefits for spouses, widows or widowers. And if a young worker dies and leaves small children -- tough luck. No government benefits for them. (Actually, these benefits were quickly added to the program in 1939 before any regular monthly benefits were paid. But still, they were not part of the original Social Security Act.)

And there would be no disability benefits. So, if you have a heart attack at age 55, well then, that’s just too bad. You would just have to wait until you are 65 to collect your Social Security, assuming you live that long.

I could go on and on. There are tens of millions of people getting Social Security benefits today who would not qualify for anything under the original Social Security law.

Some people call these extra benefits “goodies” added to the original Social Security law, I would make the point that Social Security expanded over the years not because Congress was looking for ways to hand out freebies to freeloaders, but because there were legitimate needs that people had and that a caring and compassionate society needed to provide for its citizens. That’s why today we have Social Security benefits for working seniors, for spouses and widows, for orphaned children, for divorced spouses and disabled workers. And despite all the nonsense rumors, today’s Social Security program does NOT pay benefits to dead people or to people living here illegally.

And finally, let me get back to Social Security’s 90th birthday and make this point. For all the 50-plus years I have been asso-

ciated with the program (I started working for the Social Security Administration in 1973), people have been telling me that Social Security is doomed to failure. And my mentor was a guy who started working for Social Security in 1936. And he said that back then, everyone was telling him that the program wouldn’t last. In other words, for 90 years now, people have been predicting the program’s demise. Come on, you doomsayers! I mean, how long does the program have to be around

Continued on page 7

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

The Pros and Cons of the Historic Low Interest Rates of 2020–2022

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks across the globe slashed interest rates to historically low levels. In the United States, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark federal funds rate to near zero (0.00%–0.25%) in March 2020 and kept it there through much of 2021 and into 2022. This unprecedented monetary policy was aimed at stimulating economic recovery during a period of deep uncertainty. While the strategy succeeded in certain areas, it also generated unintended consequences that continue to reverberate years later.

This article explores the benefits and drawbacks of the low interest rate environment of 2021–2022, highlighting both the short-term gains and longterm complications.

The Pros of Historic Low Interest Rates

1. Economic Stimulus and Recovery

One of the key goals of low interest rates is to boost economic activity by encouraging borrowing and spending. Following the COVID-induced recession, these rates provided a vital cushion. With borrowing costs low, businesses were able to take out loans to maintain operations, invest in infrastructure, and retain employees. Consumers also had an incentive to spend, which helped revive sectors like retail, housing, and manufacturing.

2. Cheaper Borrowing for Consumers

Low interest rates significantly reduced the cost of financing big-ticket items. Mortgages, auto loans, personal loans, and credit card APRs dropped, making it easier for consumers to access credit. Homeowners took advantage by refinancing their mortgages, often cutting monthly payments and freeing up income for other uses.

In fact, 2021 saw a housing boom in part due to mortgage rates dropping below 3%, spurring a rush of home purchases and refinancing.

3. Boost to the Stock Market

Low interest rates often lead investors to seek higher returns in equities and other risk assets. During this period, the stock market soared, with indices like the S&P 500 reaching all-time highs. Tech companies in particular benefited, as future earnings are more favorably discounted in a low-rate environment. This created substantial wealth effects for investors and supported consumer confidence.

4. Support for Government Borrowing

With rates near zero, the cost of government borrowing decreased substantially. This allowed governments to run massive fiscal stimulus programs—such as direct payments

to citizens, enhanced unemployment benefits, and business relief funds—without immediately ballooning debt service costs. The ability to finance such initiatives at low interest allowed for a faster recovery.

The Cons of Historic Low Interest Rates

1. Inflationary Pressures

Perhaps the most significant downside was the rise in inflation. Combined with supply chain disruptions and pent-up consumer demand, low interest rates contributed to excessive liquidity in the economy. As a result, inflation surged in 2021 and reached a 40-year high by mid-2022, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) climbing over 9% at its peak in June 2022. This erosion of purchasing power disproportionately affected lowerincome households, who spend a greater share of their income on essentials like food, housing, and transportation.

2. Asset Bubbles and Housing Affordability

While low rates fueled a housing boom, they also inflated home prices, creating affordability issues for first-time buyers. In many markets, double-digit annual price increases far outpaced wage growth. This pricing out of potential buyers further exacerbated wealth inequality, as homeowners saw their equity surge while renters were left behind.

Beyond housing, inflated asset prices raised concerns of speculative bubbles in everything from stocks to cryptocurrencies and tech startups, many of which saw valuations soar without corresponding profitability.

3. Over-Leveraging and Corporate Debt

Easy access to cheap capital led many companies to take on high levels of debt. While some used this leverage for productive investment, others engaged in stock buybacks or speculative expansion. The long-term sustainability of these debts came into question once interest rates began rising in 2022–2023. Highly indebted companies, particularly in speculative or unprofitable sectors, began facing defaults and bankruptcies.

This issue has since spilled into the broader economy, including rising commercial real estate vacancies and instability in regional banking sectors tied to such debt.

4. Distortion of Risk and Capital Allocation

Low rates distorted market signals, making risk assessment more difficult. With yields suppressed, investors chased returns in increasingly risky assets, often ignoring fundamental valuation metrics. This misallocation of capital led to inefficiencies in the economy and made the eventual tightening cycle more painful.

For example, the boom in venture capital funding during this period supported a flood of startups—some with weak business models—that struggled to survive once financial conditions tightened.

5.

Difficulty in Reversing Course

Another downside of ultra-low interest rates is the challenge of reversing them without causing disruption. When the Federal Reserve began raising rates in 2022 to combat inflation, it triggered volatility in financial markets and exposed weaknesses in sectors dependent on cheap borrowing. The rapid rise in rates strained banks with long-dated bond holdings and hurt companies and consumers with variable-rate debt.

The economic soft landing became harder to engineer, raising fears of stagflation or a hard recession.

Conclusion: A Double-Edged Sword

The historic low interest rates of 2021–2022 were an extraordinary response to an extraordinary crisis. On one hand, they helped avert a deeper recession, stabilized financial markets, and supported millions of businesses and households. On the other, they laid the groundwork for significant imbalances—chief among them high inflation, housing unaffordability, and excessive risk-taking.

As central banks now navigate the consequences, the experience underscores the delicate balance between monetary stimulus and longterm stability. The policy lessons of this period will likely influence monetary decision-making for years to come.

In hindsight, while the benefits of ultra-low rates were immediate and visible, the costs emerged more gradually and have proven more persistent. As inflation cools and interest rates normalize, the debate continues: did the benefits outweigh the risks, or did the medicine merely delay and deepen the eventual correction?

Only time will tell.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can now search at your leisure for properties at:

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EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE

How to Clean and Care for Wood Floors to Keep Them Looking Beautiful

Of all the choices in home flooring, wood stands out for many as the most beautiful. Wood is durable, coordinates well with any decor and most real estate agents agree it improves the home’s value at resale. Knowing how to protect and clean wood floors is essential -- and surprisingly easy.

AS IT HAPPENS

To protect the finish and keep wood floors beautiful -- either solid wood or engineered wood -- it is essential to take care of messes as they happen. That means spills, water drops, dry messes, what have you. Spills and messes happen but make sure they don’t remain for more than a few minutes.

After cleaning up the spill with a paper towel or cloth, give the floor a final damp rinse with a slightly water-dampened cloth or mop. Make sure you dry the area well with a microfiber cloth to prevent streaks. Do not allow any amount of water to sit on wood flooring for any length of time if you can help it.

DAILY

Sweep with a soft bristle broom or vacuum your wood floors daily to remove dust, dirt, crumbs and debris. Even minute debris when allowed to sit and to be walked on will dull the finish and eventually cause noticeable wear and tear.

WEEKLY

Using a good dry dust mop, go over wood floors once a week to remove the buildup of dust -- especially the dust bunnies that accumulate along the edges.

Make sure you move area rugs to get any bits of dirt and dust that find their way under rugs and mats.

SEASONALLY

When you are diligent to tackle messes as they happen, sweep or vacuum daily and dust mop weekly, mopping finished wood floors is necessary only a few times a year. An easy way to remember is to do this at the start of each season. Yes, seriously! Four times a year is a good schedule.

Never flood wood floors with cleaning solution or water. Never use a sopping mop on wood floors. Excessive water can damage every type of sealant on wood floors and will eventually cause them to buckle.

WOOD FLOOR CLEANERS

When it comes to wood floor cleaners, you can spend a fortune on commercial products -- or you can make your own for pennies.

Caution: Only use floor cleaners on finished or “sealed” wood. Don’t know

what you have? Do this test: Put a drop of water on the wood. If it sits on the surface, that wood has been sealed. If it soaks right in, the wood is unfinished. Do not apply cleaner of any kind to unfinished wood. Just keep it swept and well-dusted. The key to making your own wood floor cleaner is similar to the commitment of a physician: First, do no harm. The trick is making a product that will clean well without harming the finish of your floors, even when used repeatedly over many years.

HOMEMADE FLOOR CLEANER

This all-purpose cleaner is ideal for finished wood floors, both solid wood and engineered wood.

1 part alcohol (rubbing, denatured, vodka, gin)

4 parts distilled water

2 or 3 drops Blue Dawn

Example: 1/4 cup alcohol, 1 cup distilled water, 2 drops Blue Dawn. Or 1/2 cup alcohol, 2 cups distilled water, 4 to 6 drops Blue Dawn.

How to Curb the Urge to Splurge

Mix this up in a spray bottle each time you clean the floors, or you can make it up ahead. The recipe multiplies well. No rinsing is required. Be sure to label clearly and keep it out of the reach of children. Sweep or vacuum the floor. Spray the cleaner in a small area, scrub well with a mop fitted with a cloth or soft sponge and immediately wipe the area dry with a microfiber cloth.

The secret is to spray, scrub and wipe dry immediately. If you do not want to do this on your hands and knees, I recommend O-Cedar ProMist MAX Microfiber Spray Mop. It sprays the cleaner from its removable bottle that lets you make your own cleaner. It has a large surface mop and machine-washable microfiber pad, which makes scrubbing wood and other types of floors a breeze. The O-Cedar mop is available on Amazon as well as other stores such as Target and Walmart.

For more on this topic including resources go to EverydayCheapskate.com/ cleanwoodfloor.

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

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

When it comes to compulsive tendencies, there’s no question I received more than the standard allotment.

I can sit down fully intending to watch the evening news and end up owning a pasta machine. I can stop by the mall to just look around and come out with three outfits I’ll never wear, a gift I’ll never give and several things for the house. I can glance at a mail-order catalog and in the time it takes to dial

the phone, Adirondack chairs and matching windsocks are winging their way to my front door.

Why? I see what I like and WHAM! Something goes off in my head insisting that I need it right this minute, I’m entitled to it and pity the poor soul who tries to prevent me from having it.

While my compulsive tendencies will forever be part of my personality, thankfully I have found ways to quiet them and make them my allies.

SELF-PARENTING

When tempted to give in to my impulsive desires, I ask if I’d accept this behavior from my children. Visualizing me having a temper tantrum is a disgusting image that brings me to my senses.

SLIPPERY PLACES

Stores, television shopping channels, slick, compelling advertisements and mail-order catalogs are “slippery places” for me. Just going there sets me up to fall flat on my face. If I stay away, I avoid temptation. When I have a specific need, I plan my route through the store, make my purchase and get out of there as quickly as possible. I’ve programmed the TV to not stop at shopping channels, and I make sure a trash can is close to the mailbox.

MAKE SPENDING DIFFICULT

For me, carrying a credit card or checkbook is just too convenient and potentially lethal. Instead, I carry only enough cash to meet my anticipated needs for the day. This forces me to plan ahead and helps to avoid a compulsive purchase.

SELF-TALK

When confronted with temptation, I talk to myself: “If this weren’t on sale, would you still buy it?” If the answer is no, and it usually is, I pass. “Why don’t you just go home and think about it?” I rarely return. “Don’t you already have something that will do just as well?” I usually do. “You don’t have to buy this just to prove you can; no one really cares.” Reality check.

THE SAVING ANTIDOTE

I’ve found that saving money is the best antidote for overspending. For me, saving money produces a similar euphoria brought on by spending. The difference is that saving never leaves feelings of remorse and guilt the way overspending does.

THE ROOT CAUSE

The unrelenting desire to acquire things is often a mask disguising the real issues. Discovering that my compulsive tendencies

were rooted in my need for approval allowed me to deal with that issue effectively.

By reading good self-help books on compulsive behavior, talking about the subject and seeking help from wise counselors, I’ve discovered why I do the things I do. That has allowed me to take the steps necessary to change.

If you suspect you have a problem with compulsive spending, go to www.debtorsanonymous.org and take the self-test. This site will help you find the kind of help you need to get a grip on your compulsive behaviors and free you to make some necessary changes. Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https:// www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

Week of August 31 - September 6, 2025

If you’ve stood outdoors on any clear night, you’ve likely seen a “star” drifting lazily across the sky. If you’re like many stargazers, you watched it for a few minutes ... and were surprised to see it gradually fade from view. What you saw, of course, was a satellite, one of the thousands now orbiting our planet.

What puzzles many is why they disappear. One may wonder if the satellite’s light has burned out ... but of course, satellites don’t carry lights. They are so high above us that they’re still in sunlight while we are in darkness, and that’s what illuminates them. So when one appears to fade from view, we know it has drifted into the Earth’s shadow. In other words, it just drifted from the daylight side of our planet into the nighttime side.

We can see the Earth’s shadow at other times too. One is during a lunar eclipse, when the full moon (also the Earth’s natural satellite) drifts into this shadow, causing the lunar surface to darken for a few hours. The next lunar eclipse we’ll see from North America will occur on March 3 of next year.

Another way to see the Earth’s shad-

Watching Nighttime Rise

ow happens every day, and I’d be willing to bet that you’ve seen it but didn’t know what it was.

The next time you’re outdoors during late afternoon with clear sky and a fairly low eastern horizon, face east as the sun sets in the west. Low over the eastern horizon, you’ll begin to notice an immense purple arc stretching from south to north, bordered on top by a beautiful fringe of pink.

Early morning skywatchers can see it too, but in the opposite direction. Not long before sunrise, face west and you’ll notice this purple arc as it slowly sets behind the western horizon.

Most of us have seen this phenomenon in the evening but dismissed it as simply haze or pollution. Not true. This is the shadow of the Earth being cast through our atmosphere. As the sun sets in the west, this shadow rises higher in the east.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Earth has a shadow. It’s a solid body that blocks sunlight, just like every other solid object in our environment. The difference is that this shadow is big. Really big!

As the sun sets, we’re standing on the boundary between daytime and nighttime. Sunlight continues to illuminate

Every day, it’s possible for skywatchers to see the Earth’s shadow.

the atmosphere above us to the west and produces the sky’s light blue color. Our opaque world blocks sunlight from reaching the air to our east, so that part of the sky appears a darker blue or purple color. Between the darker and brighter parts of the atmosphere lies a fringe of pink -- also known as the “Belt of Venus” or the “anti-twilight arc,” illuminated by the reddened sunset light that’s passing through the atmosphere.

LOST IN SUBURBIA

Let Them Eat Cake

If I’d had any choice in the matter, I certainly wouldn’t have planned to have two kids’ and my husband’s birthdays only weeks apart. The first two just kind of worked out that way. The third was completely out of my control.

The problem with all these occasions has nothing to do with gifts or parties.

It’s about the cake. Or, more accurately, cakes.

Lots and lots of cakes.

Naturally, no one wants to share a birthday celebration, which means we have to do a separate cake for each birthday. Everyone likes the same cake, so we end up with three very rich, very chocolatey chocolate fudge and buttercream cakes every week for three weeks. Each cake lasts a week, so we basically start a new cake just as we finish the previous one. While this may sound like heaven for some people, for me it’s a disaster. It

Continued from page 5

before you accept the fact that it is here to stay? It has been updated often in the past

decades to adapt to changing times. And it will be reformed again (like-

is the ominous end of my summer beach body. It is ...

The Enemy of the Thighs.

Of course, I don’t have to eat all the cakes. Or even have more than one slice of each cake. But they call to me from the kitchen.

“Forget your thighs. Pay no heed to your hips.”

It’s the siren cry of the bewitching baked goods. And I am under their sugary spell.

“You know, you could just throw it out after a day or so,” said my husband as I complained about my predicament while simultaneously shoving forkfuls of cake into my piehole.

“But that would be a waste of money,” I replied. “And I need to save money to pay for the liposuction I’m going to need after I eat all this cake.”

He shook his head. He was immune to the call of the cake. And so was my son.

I decided it couldn’t really be about willpower. Surely it was a genetic issue and my extra X-chromosome was the one that weakened my resistance to cake.

As I worked my way through cake No. 2, I wondered how people who work at bakeries deal with being around cake all day. I thought that maybe they developed a sugar immunity from prolonged exposure. I decided to ask the Cake Boss that question if I ever ran into him.

Meanwhile, back in cake central, I boxed up the cake and brought it back into the kitchen to lie in wait until the next time I passed by and it called out to me.

But as I crossed the threshold into the kitchen, the thigh gods intervened. With the large cake box in front of me, I didn’t notice the dog lying on the floor at the door to the kitchen, and I tripped over him, tossing the cake box across the room like a chocolate shot put. The cake landed

SOCIAL SECURITY AND YOU

in the next several

more to

But a basic social insurance program is always going to be part of what makes us a civilized society. Happy Birthday again, Social Security! If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand

If the evening air is particularly clear, this phenomenon will appear most prominently for a few minutes after sunset. Within the next half hour, though, it will become more diffuse as it ascends higher in the sky.

And there it is: You’ve just watched nighttime rise!

Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com.

upside down, and when I went to retrieve it, I discovered that the whole thing had collapsed onto itself and was no longer a chocolate cake. Now it was a chocolate pancake.

My husband walked in and saw me picking up the upside-down cake box from the floor.

“Well, it looks like you solved your cake problem,” he said.

I put the cake pancake back on the counter and shook my head.

“Don’t be silly,” I replied as I grabbed another fork from the drawer. “It ain’t pretty, but it still tastes great!”

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

COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

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Being mindful of one’s diet is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Certain foods, and particularly many desserts, are not exactly synonymous with healthy eating. Thankfully, many chefs and home cooks experiment with different ingredients to make sweets a little bit less indulgent. Take for example, chocolate mousse, which can be delicious, but a tad heavy when loaded with dairy. However, “Vegan Chocolate Mousse” is made with avocado at the base. That’s notable because avocado contains heart-healthy fats that make the dessert a little better for you than more traditional alternatives.

Enjoy this recipe, courtesy of “Les Dames d’Escoffier new York Cookbook: Stirring the Pot” (American Palate) by Silvia Baldini & Sharon Franke.

Makes 4 servings

2 large ripe avocados

1⁄2 cup unsweetened cocoa

6 to 8 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄4 teaspoon coarse salt

1⁄2 cup fresh berries, for topping

1⁄4 cup walnuts, crushed, for topping

1) Add avocado, unsweetened cocoa, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, vanilla, and salt to a food processor and puree until creamy. Divide mousse into 4 cups; top with fresh berries and crushed nuts.

A healthier take on dessert

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

GCPD: Back to School Safety Series - Part 3

This is part three of the four-part series of articles by the Garden City Police Department addressing Back to School Safety Issues. We addressed Safe Driving Practices and School Bus Safety in the previous two articles. If you missed either of these articles, you can stop by the Garden City Police Department and pick up a copy. This week’s article will cover Pedestrian/ Bicycle Safety. Parents, Grandparents, Guardians, and Teachers are encouraged to use this article to help teach their children about Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety.

Back to School “Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety”

Pedestrian Safety:

• Children should not walk while talking on a cell phone or texting.

• Students walking to or from school should always use sidewalks when available and walk on the inside edge of the sidewalk farthest away from traffic. If a sidewalk is unavailable, pedestrians are encouraged to walk in a single file as close to the edge of the roadway as practical. You should also walk against the traffic flow so that oncoming cars are visible.

• Research has shown that until your child is at least eight years old, you should hold their hand on the sidewalk and in parking lots. Furthermore, you should hold their hand until they are ten years old while crossing the street.

• Teach your children to be defensive and NEVER assume that a driver sees them.

• Always LOOK in all directions before crossing the street, LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT again. NEVER run into the street. When crossing at an intersection, check for vehicles turning the corner.

• Avoid crossing the streets at mid-blocks, especially when parked cars may obstruct vision. Cross at stop signs, traffic signals, crosswalks, or where crossing guards are present.

• When crossing a street, NEVER assume a green light or WALK signal means it is safe to cross the street. Remember; LOOK LEFT, then RIGHT, then LEFT again before crossing.

• Remove earphones when preparing to cross the street. You may not be able to hear approaching traffic.

• Only follow others across the street once you have checked for yourself that it is safe to cross.

• Walk the route to school with your child and discuss safe practices. Teach your children about traffic laws and encourage them to ask questions when unsure what to do.

• Stay visible when it is dark or in bad weather by wearing light-colored or reflective clothing.

• Crossing guards are posted near schools to assist children and others in crossing the street safely. Disregarding the signals and directions of crossing guards is dangerous and a violation of New York State Law.

Bicycle Safety:

• Persons riding bicycles are

Beach Bash Promenade draws record crowds

will host their Ribbon Cutting event. Please join us at 5:30 p.m. as it welcomes a new neighbor at 919 Franklin Avenue, next to The Tap Room. The Chamber is also thrilled to announce a return to festivities with a reimagined Homecoming Celebration on Saturday, September 20. Soon thereafter, golf enthusiasts will be pleased to learn the Chamber will be presenting The Ryder Cup Festival! Following the promenade format, but elevated to the level of the Belmont Festival, Seventh Street will be trans-

Continued from page 28 Enter our “World’s Most Beautiful Grandchildren” contest! Just send in your grandchildren’s photos and a brief description of the child (or children) along with your name and address to editor@gcnews.com Do you have grandchildren?

subject to the same laws as motorists.

• All bicyclists and passengers under the age of fourteen are required to wear approved bicycle helmets when riding a bicycle.

• Regardless of what the law requires, the Garden City Police Department recommends that ALL operators and passengers wear bicycle helmets. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “In the majority of bicycle deaths, the most serious injuries are to the head, highlighting the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet.”

• Teach your children how to ride a bicycle and practice riding in a safe location without cars. It is essential for children to learn how to signal, turn, slow down, and stop without falling. Hand signals for bicyclists are the same as for motorists.

• Teach your children to be defensive when riding and NEVER assume a driver sees them.

• Bicyclists should carefully look in all directions for vehicles, other bicyclists, and pedestrians. They should also take extra care when nearing intersections or driveways where vehicles may be turning.

• Children should walk their bicycles across intersections.

• Bicycles should be ridden in bicycle lanes when available or as close to the right edge of the roadway as practical in the same direction as traffic.

• Ride your bicycle in a single file only.

• Never use a bicycle to carry more people than it was designed to carry, and never ride anyone on the handlebars.

• Wear bright-colored clothing when riding a bicycle and ensure the bike has proper reflectors.

• DO NOT ride a bicycle while wearing earphones, talking, or texting on a phone. It is illegal to wear more than one earphone while riding a bike.

• A bicycle must be equipped with the following:

Brakes that are capable of making the tires skid on dry-level pavement. A bell, horn, or other device that can be heard at least a hundred feet away; sirens and whistles are NOT permitted.

• Bicycles driven between a halfhour after sunset and a half-hour before sunrise must be equipped with a white front headlight visible in darkness for at least 500 feet and a red taillight visible for at least 300 feet.

• When purchased new and/ or driven at night, a bicycle must have reflective tires or wide-angle spoke-mounted reflectors. The reflectors must be colorless or amber for the front wheels and colorless or red for the rear wheels.

The Garden City Police Department encourages residents to incorporate these safe practices into their lives to make this school year safe. Please read Part Four of the Back-to-School Series “Stranger Danger” in next week’s paper.

formed from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Friday, September 26, to a golf party that may prove to be the event of the decade! The Chamber encourages all residents to get into the spirit and wear the colors of the American or European teams! Sponsorship opportunities for businesses, residents and local teams will be available soon!

For more information on the Chamber of Commerce, calendars of events and ribbon cutting information, please visit www.gardencitychamber. org or call 516-746-7724.

IN MEMORIAM

Burton William Allen

March 28, 1924 – August 20, 2025

Burton William Allen, 101, of Garden City, New York, passed away peacefully on August 20, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.  Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on March 28, 1924, he was the son of the late Frank Allen, Sr., and Frances Allen, and the younger brother of the late Frank Allen, Jr.

A proud veteran of the Second World War, Burton served with distinction in the 8th Air Force of the Army Air Corps. As a tail gunner aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress, he flew 38 combat missions over Nazi Germany, participating in some of the war’s most critical strategic campaigns. On one mission, his plane was shot down behind enemy lines, and he was subsequently rescued by the Belgian resistance.  He was awarded multiple air and combat medals and a Purple Heart —a testament to both his courage and sacrifice.

After the war, Burton married the love of his life, Barbara, with whom he shared 51 devoted years before her passing in 2005. Theirs was a love story for the ages. Together, they traveled the world before adopting and raising their two children, building a family rooted in love and laughter.

Burton’s professional life reflected his commitment to service. He became a Bureau Chief for the State of New Jersey, overseeing quality assurance for all state-run hospitals. Barbara also broke barriers as one of the first women hired into management at IBM in the 1950s. Their partnership was one of mutual support, accomplishment, and devotion to family.

While Burton’s career and wartime service were extraordinary, his greatest passion was always his family. He could be found coaching Little League games, navigating the surf at Long Beach Island with his children, or leading a joyful conga line at family weddings. To his children and grandchildren, he remained a steady source of strength, wisdom, and humor—the rock they could always count on.

Burton is survived by his son, Hunter, and his wife, Victoria, along with their children Carter, Tess, and Declan; and his daughter, Jenny, and her wife, Karen Kalat, along with their children Jackson, Susan, and Hunter. He will be missed dearly and remembered fondly by all whose lives he touched.

A viewing and funeral service was held Saturday, August 23, at Fairchild & Sons Funeral Home in Garden City.  Interment will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC.

IN MEMORIAM

John W. Sapanski

John W. Sapanski, 94, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 17, 2025.

Born to the late Mary Alice and Walter, he was raised in Marine Park, Brooklyn. There John showed an early love of learning, sports, and family. He studied finance at CUNY but paused his education to serve as a corporal in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After returning, he married his beloved wife, Betty, in 1953, completed his degree, and moved to Garden City, where they raised their seven children. He later earned advanced studies, including his MBA, from Baruch College and Brown University while working full time.

John began his career in 1949 as a runner at Dime Savings Bank of NY, eventually becoming president and COO in 1981. In 1988, he moved to St. Petersburg, FL, where he served as president and CEO of Republic Bank until retiring in 1999. He continued contributing to the banking industry as a board chairman and trustee until 2020, leaving behind a legacy of integrity and warm leadership.

Outside of work, John loved traveling with Betty, often bringing their large family along, including memorable trips to Italy and Poland to explore their heritages. He also enjoyed gardening, cheering passionately for New York sports teams, and researching genealogy, which resulted in two family history books. Above all, John cherished his family.

He was preceded in death by his wife

of 69 years, Elizabeth “Betty”, and their eldest son, John, and his brother Walter. He is survived by his children Lorraine Reis, Margaret (Edward) Dienst, Lawrence (Robin Loweth), Kenneth (Kathleen Hyatt), Richard (Catherine Sniado), Arlene (Dennis) Ricotta, and his daughter-in-law, Patricia Norell; his sister, Alice McGarry; his 20 treasured grandchildren; his 25 precious great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews, and many great-nieces and great-nephews.

John will be remembered for his devotion to family, boundless curiosity, quiet faith, and his deep, easy laugh that brought joy to all who heard it. His legacy will live on in the many lives he touched.

Have you lost someone?

If you would like to post an obituary for a loved one, simply send a short biography of them with (if desired) their photo, details of their funeral/visitation services, and/or any donation requests to editor@gcnews.com, or call our office at 516-294-8900 to inquire.

Burton William Allen
Sapanski

Village reviews recreation projects, praises pool staff

From page 1

could not have done without it,” Hill said.

Facility Renovations, Turf Field Plans

Bids for the Cluett Hall floor and stage renovations were opened on August 14. Hill said references and low bids are being reviewed before formal action is brought to the Board.

He also updated trustees on the potential installation of a new synthetic turf athletic field at St. Paul’s. Hill met with LanTek, the turf contractor, about fencing and safety netting to control unauthorized use.

“I know the village wants to make sure we include safety netting, fencing, and things aimed at making sure we deter people who are not supposed to be using the turf from using the turf –which has its own challenges in an area which is so open. In the next couple of

From page19

and another by burnt food.

Suspended license

On August 25, a Stewart Avenue motorist was charged with driving with a suspended registration and suspended license.

Uninsured operation

Also on August 25, an 11th Street motorist was charged with driving with

days, LanTek will send me some examples of what they designed for other areas and I will happily share them with the Board. I think we are close to where we need to be with investigating the turf field now, and if we’re ready to go by the end of August then they will be ready to start a project by the end of October – weather permitting, the project can be finished by the end of the year,” Hill explained.

HVAC Projects and Other Updates

Plans to install new HVAC systems at the St. Paul’s Fieldhouse and Cluett Hall are also moving forward. Contractors Denis O’Reagan Electrical and Energy Mechanical Corp. are preparing final cost estimates.

“Denis O’Reagan has the specs of what is needed to power the systems, so now it is just a matter of him giving the village the quote on what the electrical

would cost and we need to evaluate if it is within our budget to move forward,” Hill told the Board.

Trustees also approved a maintenance bond for the Grove Street Park Tennis Courts reconstruction project by Stasi General Contracting of Westbury. The $194,650 bond guarantees the con-

tractor’s work for 18 months from August 14.

As part of the consent agenda, the Board approved the purchase of a mechanic’s truck from Altec Industries Inc. for $114,439, under a Sourcewell contract. The vehicle will replace Village truck No. 802.

Ongoing mail thefts

From page 7

• Retrieve Mail Promptly: Make it a priority to collect your delivered mail from your mailbox as soon as possible to reduce the opportunity for theft.

The Garden City Police Department is working with the U.S. Postal Service on measures that may be taken to reduce mail theft.

THE OFFICE CAT

a suspended registration and uninsured operation.

SUV theft

An SUV was reported stolen on August 26 in the vicinity of Atlantic Avenue and Norton Avenue. Officers later tracked and recovered it in Suffolk County.

Stolen check

On August 26, a victim reported that a check placed in the mail in June had

been stolen, altered, and cashed.

Truck tickets

An 11th Street truck operator was charged on August 26 with driving in a non-commercial zone and having defective lighting.

Multiple alarms

That same day, GCFD and GCPD responded to fire alarms activated by construction dust, a faulty sensor, and burnt food.

The Garden City Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our residents. By taking these proactive measures, we can work together to prevent mail theft and protect personal information.

For more information or to report suspicious activity, please contact the Garden City Police Department at (516) 465-4100.

Bus strikes overpass

On August 26, Officers responded to 6th Street after a bus struck a train overpass. Police say the driver was charged with disobeying bridge clearance signs. No injuries were reported.

Low hanging lines

Also on August 26, GCFD and GCPD responded to Old Country Road to safeguard an area where a truck had struck low-hanging utility lines.

before stepping off the bottom step. The Pupil Transportation Safety Institute advises that more and more vehicles are passing stopped school buses on the right shoulder – where the door is located.

• Remember, clothing can get caught. Jackets, sweatshirt drawstrings, backpack straps, scarves, and loose clothing may get caught on bus handrails or doors. This could be dangerous while getting on or off the bus.

• Children should take five giant steps straight out from the school bus door and out of the danger zone.

• Teach your child to make eye contact with the bus driver and wait for the driver to signal them before they cross in front of the bus.

• The Pupil Transportation Safety Institute reports that 84% of School Bus fatalities occur outside the bus.

• Remind your children to look both ways for traffic before crossing the street. Never assume cars will stop for

the bus.

• Never go back for anything you left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus.

School Bus Behavior:

• Enter and exit school buses in an orderly manner, using handrails where provided.

• After getting on the bus, go directly to your seat and remain seated, facing forward.

• Students need to listen to the bus driver for special instructions or information.

• Speak quietly and politely to the other children near you.

• Do not jump up and down, fight or tease other passengers, or be unruly. These activities can distract the bus driver, and they may not be able to give proper attention to driving.

• Keep aisles clear.

• Keep heads, hands, arms, feet, and other objects inside the bus at all times.

• Never run or throw items inside the bus.

• Help keep the bus clean and in good

condition. Report any unsafe or unsanitary conditions to the bus driver.

Motorist Reminders:

• Remember, if you are approaching a school bus from the front or behind and its yellow lights are flashing, the bus is preparing to stop.

• It is illegal – and very dangerous – to pass or overtake a stopped school bus when emergency red lights are flashing. These flashing lights mean the bus is either picking up or discharging students.

• If the bus’s red lights are flashing, you must stop and remain stopped until the red warning lights are off. This includes school buses that are on the opposite side of divided highways, on multiple-lane roadways, in parking lots, and on school grounds.

• The first-time fine for illegally passing a school bus ranges from $250 to $400, plus a $93 surcharge, 5-points on your license and/or 30 days in jail; subsequent violations carry fines ranging from $600 to $1,500, plus a $93 surcharge, 5-points on your license and/or up to 180

days in jail.

• Be advised that many buses are now equipped with cameras, which may result in violators receiving tickets for passing a stopped school bus.

• The Garden City Police Department encourages residents to incorporate these safe practices into their lives to make this school year safe.

Sanitation Collection - Holiday Week

Residents are reminded that there will be no garbage pickup on Monday, September 1, 2025. The Holiday Week Collection Schedule is as follows:

Garbage:

Western Half of Village: Tuesday and Friday

Eastern Half of Village: Wednesday and Saturday

Rubbish:

Entire Village: Thursday, September 4

Recycling

Residents scheduled for recycling on Monday, September 1 are asked to put their recyclables out on Labor Day

From page18

Trustees welcome Deputy Treasurer, approve budget adjustments

Budget transfers and appropriations

The Board approved several municipal budget transfers at the meeting. Among them:

$100,000 moved from the village’s Contingency account into Litigation to cover ongoing legal expenses for firms Cullen & Dykman and Sive, Paget & Riesel P.C. related to the casino proposal at the Nassau Hub by Las Vegas Sands Corp.

$511,923 transferred to Road and Paving Repairs to complete work outlined in the 2024–25 contract. Of that total, $477,018.80 came from the LED Street Lighting Project and $34,904.86 from the South Avenue Crosswalk project.

$60,174 moved from Contingency into Sanitary Sewers – Maintenance of Plant to clean up the area around the Meadow Street Pump Station.

$29,832 transferred from Contingency into Personnel – Materials & Supplies

to write off expired masks purchased during the pandemic. “These were unused masks and they’ve expired,” Woo explained.

$29,204 shifted from Contingency into Central Garage to cover repairs for the damaged canopy at the Village Yard.

$3,300 transferred from Insurance Reserve – Liability Premium into Insurance Reserve – Workers’ Compensation Insurance to account for a difference between the estimated and actual 2025–26 assessment.

In addition, the Board approved the appropriation of $27,092 from the Reserves for Compensated Absences into the Termination Payout account, following the retirement of employee Angella Ciolino** after 20 years of service.

Training Conference for Auditor

Treasurer Woo also informed the Board that Village Auditor Adam Lipke will attend the New York Conference of Mayors Fall Training School, co-host-

ed with the State Comptroller’s Office, from September 15–19 in Lake Placid.

Woo noted the program will provide “great courses” for municipal finance professionals. The cost of approximately $2,200 will be covered by the Finance Department’s Travel & Training budget line. The Board unanimously approved the request.

Building Department update

Superintendent of Building Giuseppe Giovanniello reported July 2025 activity:

• 184 building inspections conducted

• 187 permits issued

• 20 complaints addressed

• 82 certificates of occupancy issued

• $240,000 in revenue collected

He also updated trustees on a“pre-walkthrough meeting” at Fire Station No. 2 (Edgemere Road and Stewart Avenue), held just prior to the August 14th meeting.

“It was a mandatory site walkthrough in order to bid on the project.

FOR SENIORS

Garden City’s Senior Center is open. Please visit the Senior Center Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for further information on activities and events!

BINGO at the Senior Center

Wednesday, September 10, at noon

To register stop by the Senior Center front desk or call (516) 385-8006.

Afternoon Book Club

Join us for our Afternoon Book Club, which will be meeting at the Senior Center on Thursday, September 18, at 1:00 p.m. The title of the book is “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett. All are welcome.

Fitness Sessions with Cathy

Beginning on Thursday, September 18, Cathy will be back at the Senior Center for an 8-week session of cardio, resistance training and work with a small Pilates ball (please bring your own 2-3 lb hand weights). The class is $48, please register using Community Pass or see Felicia at the Senior Center.

Zumba Gold

Beginning Tuesday, September 30, Andrea will be back teaching Zumba Gold, at the Senior Center from 10:3011:15. Registration forms are available at the Senior Center and the Recreation Office. The 8 week session will cost $65, please register using Community Pass or see Felicia at the Senior Center.

Neil Diamond Experience

A trip to The Argyle Theatre in Babylon to see the “Neil Diamond Experience”, and Lunch at La Famiglia. Saturday, Nov 1st, recreation bus leaves

at 11:15, lunch at 12:30 show at 2:30.

*Please note the seats are balcony seats, there are stairs involved. Tickets are $70, checks payable to the “The Argyle Theatre” and $50 cash for lunch, both payable at time of registration. To register, please stop by the Senior Center front desk. Space is limited. Deadline is August 27.

Computer Classes

THERE ARE STILL A FEW SPOTS AVAILABLE! Computer classes will resume at the Senior Center. We are offering two one-on-one 20-minute sessions between 11:00–1:00 on Thursdays, September 4 and September 25. Please call the Senior Center to reserve your time slot. (516) 385-8006. Bring your laptop, iPad, iPhone, Android phone, etc. To register, please stop by the Senior Center front desk or call (516) 385-8006.

Shades of Ireland

If you are interested in the “Shades of Ireland” trip scheduled for next April 30–May 9, 2026, through AAA Member Choice Vacations, stop by and pick up a brochure at the Senior Center. We will have another Travel Presentation at the Senior Center on Wednesday, October 1, at 11:15. For more information, please contact Maureen Wind at (516) 873-5136 or email her at mwind@aaanortheast.com.

Health Talk: Stop the Bleed

On Tuesday, August 26, at 11:00, NYU EMS Long Island will be at the Senior Center presenting, “Stop the Bleed”. To register, please stop by the Senior Center front desk or call (516) 385-8006.

We had a very good turnout with 23 contractors showing up – it was very well-received as far as the contractors asking us questions, with some contractors sharing their comments and opinions. The village will be opening bids on Thursday, September 4th, so we will be reviewing those bids coming in. We’re hoping to get good numbers (quotes) to move this project along,” he said.

Trustee Vinny Muldoon noted that more bidders mean more competitive pricing. Giovanniello added that some contractors were already familiar to the village, and others had been attracted through the NYS Contract Reporter posting.

“There’s a few that have done work for the village or are doing work for the village currently,” he responded.

Village Attorney Gary Fishberg added that bid documents typically require contractors to show experience with similar projects, ensuring qualifications will be vetted.

Trip to Engeman Theatre to See “Come From Away”

Wednesday, September 24

SOLD OUT: Wednesday, September 24, we will be heading to the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, to see “Come From Away”. Show is at 2:00, the Recreation bus will leave at 12:30 from across the street from the Senior Center. Register at the Senior Center front desk, $65 make checks payable to “John W. Engeman Theater”. DEADLINE: September 12.

Open Ping Pong

Join us on Tuesday afternoons, at the Senior Center from 1:00–3:00 for Open Ping Pong. This is a drop-in program, bring a friend!

Chair Yoga

Chair yoga schedule for Tania at the senior center.  9:15–9:45 Meditation, 9:45–10:45 Chair Yoga class. July 29 will be

Tania’s final Tuesday class. Cathy will teach chair yoga on August 19. Tania will return in the fall on Thursdays.

Chess 4 Community

Join us for Chess 4 Community’s Play and Learn at the Senior Center, every other Friday 3:00–4:00. This program will resume in the fall, dates to be announced. All ages and levels are welcome. No registration is required, just stop by and play!

Senior

Center Lunch Group

Join our Senior Center Lunch Group at 12:30–3:30 on Wednesdays, or, if you miss your pool friends, join the Garden City Pool Chat Group at the center, on Thursdays beginning at 1:00–3:30. For both groups, coffee and tea will be served, just bring your lunch and chat!! Also, call to inquire about our two book clubs, one meets on Thursdays during the day and the other on Wednesday evenings.

Seniors Duplicate Bridge Results

The winners of the Monday, August 26, 2025 games: North / South:

1st Place: Athena Philippides and Carol Cook

2nd Place: Joan Kiernan and Claire Burns East / West:

1st Place: Carrie Flapan and Dian Kendrick

2nd Place: Rudy Kaiser and George Salem

From page 2

display of the lack of synergy within our village departments.

The GC Board of Trustees should be respecting the views of all residents carefully, as we have a vested interest in the village.

We elected this board last March 2024, believing in their collective campaign promises, that they would serve the residents, not to please the dictates of a select group with a hidden agenda. I ask what is our true vision for this village, over development or protection against urbanization?

It’s not too late to reconsider and include 111 NHP Rd in the temporary moratorium. Be the Board of Trustees that “Gets Things Done”.

Survey: Why demolition

To the Editor:

For some the results of the recent survey were surprising, for others unclear given the haze created by Trustees and preservation supporters that to no avail sought to snatch preservation victory from the jaws of defeat. (the rather peculiar mythical “71%” mathematical gyrations contained in 2 letters in GCN on p. 2, 8/15/25). However, such letters have been totally rebutted by SEVEN different letters appearing in last week’s paper. As cofounder of FDEM and former comember with G. M. Salem I appreciate his clarification on his own view of the recent survey (last week GCN p.36 ). His letter, among the 7, examines the impact of the survey as a demonstration of the residents’ dis-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Email: Editor@GCNews.com

approval of all 3 preservation options (based upon Trustee Muldoon’s low ball cost estimates). The letter adds to the growing list of free standing (no group think) individuals who have weighed in on the meaning of the survey results. (see last week letters by J. Kumpel, J. Apostolides, T. Ryan, D. MacLeod, B. Orosz and G. Kane).

The challenge in calculating support for demolition is not attributable to apathy (statistical reliability was achieved), but relates to the flawed survey content, lack of instruction by the Board in the survey as to how any preference for demolition could be expressed and resident frustration over that deliberate lack of instruction. Moreover, the lack of credible and timely posting “support information” for Westerman based cost estimation by Trustee Muldoon may well have confused folks especially when the BOT’s survey only instructions blithely said it could be completed in 20 minutes. As background, rather than coherent presentations by a qualified cost estimator instead there was a blitz of irrelevant videos.

So I respectfully differ with Mr. Salem’s singular assessment of a “guessestimate 50%” for demolition. Why do I disagree--no information whatsoever was provided for demolition which no doubt suppressed the vote for demolition. The survey deliberately was designed by the Board only to appeal to those favoring preservation and neglected the Poll results of 39% demolition and some reasonable %? of those favoring facade. So the Board through its own contrivances created

another class of respondents i.e. those who didn’t respond, not out of apathy, but thinking there was no listed choice to respond to at all that they desired. A survey is supposed to be designed to address the entire population and this was NOT that at all. Consequently there are additional “nonvotes” constituting responses which must fall into the demolition column. Clearly, all things considered, demolition prevailed even with only the low ball preservation costs under consideration and had more realistic costs been presented by the BOT before or during the survey surely the meager pro-preservation vote would have further dwindled. And of course many residents simply said do not want to pay for any preservation iterationend of story. Obviously no one wrote “ I will not pay for demolition”.

Despite the BOT’’s fixation on the Save the Building mantra residents continue to be consistent with past expressions of the aversion to spending precious taxpayer funds on a costly and unnecessary diversion of money better used to maintain our existing infrastructure and supplement existing facilities and activities rather than embark on a lengthy uncertain journey to attempt a project no other municipality of our size would seriously risk contemplating. At the Town Hall at min.28-29 Mayor Finneran said that the result of the Oct. 23 Poll was that residents would not fund demolition. This is a serious misinterpretation because that Poll was an exploratory non binding vote to provide the BOT with direction to explore choices. It was not a pay or no pay for it

Environmental Tip of the Week

Spotted Lantern Fly

Over the past several years spotted lanternfly (SLF) has become an unwelcome but frequent visitor to the East Coast, including Garden City. While pretty to behold with spotted, colorful wings, these insects feed on the sap under a tree’s bark. This can be detrimental to the tree causing reduced growth, wilting and/or dead branches and oozing. Unfortunately, SLF will often then secrete “honeydew” into the tree, which is partially digested sap. This honeydew may attract other unwanted insects and can lead to the development of a fungus called “sooty mold.”

What can we do to deter and eliminate SLF?

Joe Umana, GC Village Arborist, has shared suggestions in the Garden City News. Please contact him at 516-465-4076 or jumana@gardencityny.net to confirm your SLF identification and discuss next steps. Various plants serve as hosts throughout the SLF lifecycle. Tree of Heaven plants are a preferred host. Other favorite host plants include grape vines, maples, and fruit and nut trees (apple, black walnut, plum, cherry, peach).

One of the preferred methods of killing SLF is to

vote at all. The totally false impression that demolition was “ litigated” out of the discussion was rebuked when, at a raucous 11/7/24 BOT meeting, then Mayor, Judge Flanagan, reminded then Trustee Finneran that such was not the case. The poll was always represented as “non-binding”. Yet this “litigated” fallacy has continued to be offered in a lame defense of preservation as the only choice. It pervades the push by the BOT for what they want--the #27 survey we got. What is true is that the previously labelled “loser”, demolition, actually remains the real choice as demonstrated by the survey results. Maybe that is why the current BOT crafted the #27 survey trying to avoid it being any factor at all?

Perhaps Nobel Laureate Poet Bob Dylan’s words say it best;

“For the loser now will be later to win, For the Times They Are a’changing.”

“Get out of the new road if you can’t lend a hand”

And from All Along the Watchtower:

“No reason to get excited

The thief he kindly spoke

There are many here among us

Who think that life is but a joke

But you and I have been thru that

And this is not our fate Let us not talk falsely now

The hour is getting late.

Demolition must be strongly considered if not flatly declared and mandated as the direction to proceed.

“squish” them, but SLF are quick jumpers! Other suggestions include spraying them with a 50-50 mixture of dish detergent and water, as well as adding vinegar to this solution. Commercial products and services may also be available.

A recent project by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) has undertaken an agroecological project, seeking natural and agricultural remedies for SLF infestations and preventative measures. Of great interest is their recent study in which milkweed, a favorite of monarch butterflies, appears to possibly both deter and kill SFL. More formation can be found on their website www.projects.sare.org

Prepared by the GC EAB. See gardencityny.net for details.

How to Create a CommunityPass Account!

Three simple steps to create a CommunityPass account:

• Create an account through this link:  https://register.capturepoint.com/GCRecandParks

• Verify your residency with 2 proofs of residency (ID and utility bill) by email (gcrec@gardencityny. net) or stop by the Cottages (108 Rockaway Avenue)

• Log in to your new account and hit the “Click Here To Register” button to find the type of Membership or Class you want to sign up for.

Stay Up to Date On All Things Recreation!

Follow our new Instagram and Facebook “GardenCityRecreation” for all Recreation content! Any questions regarding programs or facilities can be directed to our new Recreation email, GCRec@gardencityny.net .

Community Park Tennis News!

The summer court fee is $36 per court per hour all day long.  Senior Citizen rates of $32 per court per hour are still in effect at the designated times. Community Park tennis courts will open at 8 a.m. each day for the summer season.

The Garden City Pool Sponsor

We would like to welcome Hofstra University as one of our sponsors for the 2025 season. They are sponsoring the movie night series, and also sponsored the Party Under the Stars Night on July 26.  Thank you Hofstra University.

We would also like to thank Mollie’s Fund for providing our patrons at the pool with sunscreen and materials on sun safety.  It is greatly appreciated, Thank you Mollie’s Fund.

Upcoming Programs

Flag Football is coming back!  Outdoor sessions on Friday from 9/19–10/24 from 4:30–5:30 p.m. & an Indoor session from 11/7 - 12/19 from 4:30–5:30 p.m. at the St. Paul's fields and the St. Paul's Fieldhouse.  There will be 30 minutes of Clinic and 30 minutes of Games!  Run by Pioneer!  Girl's Volleyball ClinicSessions starting Monday's 9/22-11/3 & 11/17-12/22 from 6p – 7p at St. Paul's Fieldhouse!  Run by Pioneer! One-Off Multi-Sport Camp Days for September 23 and 24 from 9–12 p.m. at the St. Paul ’ s.  Run by Pioneer!

Pastel Workshop with Arleen Rueth Urban PSA

Have you ever had the desire to challenge your artistic skills?  Perhaps you enjoyed drawing as a child and never seriously ventured to explore your hidden talent.  Perhaps

you have painted and wish to advance your current skills.  Arleen Rueth Urban PSA has been offering her pastel class at Cluett Hall for decades to accommodate the beginner as well as the seasoned artist through her expertise and skillful teaching. She will guide you through her years of drawing experience to master your skills and create the very best you can be as an artist.  Arleen is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and a seasoned professional portrait artist.  Her commissions are in the homes of families both locally and abroad.  She is the winner of numerous awards including the international Elvis Presley award held annually in Graceland, where her portrait of the “King” hangs permanently at his home.  She has painted portraits of many famous subjects throughout the country, including the late Barbara Walters.

On the first day of the program, a list of supplies will be distributed to the students.  Arleen will then demonstrate her skills in pastel.  She will transform an ordinary photograph into a skillfully executed rendering.  Students will learn throughout the course, basic drawing skills, the aspects of color, composition, perspective, and all the elements of a good painting.  Although pastel is her recommended choice of mediums, her extensive skill as an artist can assist anyone in any medium they wish to explore in her class.  Hints from drawing from the right side of the brain are utilized weekly as Arleen will critique the students works and suggest endless hints of how to make each painting the very best it can be.

Arleen will accept all levels of expertise from very beginner to the seasoned artist.  It has been noted that artists can add ten years to their life expectancy due to the positive passion that art can have on those fortunate enough to make it part of their lives.  So don’t hesitate, sign up for this wonderful local art program, and become the artist you wish you had always been.

Yoga Class

We will be hosting a brand new yoga program for adults at Cluett Hall in the fall.  Classes will be held on Saturdays from 8 a.m.–9 a.m. starting September 6!  More information to come!

Garden City Recreation and Parks 2025–26 Dance Conservatory Schedule

For information only, registration will begin in early September, date TBD.  Classes begin September 22.

Monday:

5:00–5:55: Jazz for Grades 7 and 8 7:00–7:55: Jazz for Grades 9–12

Tuesday:

4:00–4:55: Ballet/Jazz for Grades 2 and 3

5:00–5:55: Jazz/Lyrical for Grades 4–6

6:00–6:55: Lyrical for Grades 7 and 8

8:00–8:55: Adult Dance Combo for Ages 25–60

Wednesday:

11:15-12:00: Senior Citizen Combo (takes place at the Senior Center) for Ages 60–90

2:00–2:55: Creative Combo for Ages 3.5-5 years old

4:00–4:55: Ballet/Tap for Grades K and 1

5:00–5:55: Jazz/Tap for Grades 4–6

7:00 –7:55: Lyrical for Grades 9–12

Thursday:

4:00–4:55: Creative Combo for Ages 3.5–5 Years old

5:00–5:55: Jazz/Lyrical for Grades 2 and 3

7:00- 7:55: Ballet for Grades 9–12

Friday:

4:00–4:55: Ballet/Hip Hop for Grades K and 1

5:00–5:55: Jazz/Hip Hop for Grades 2 and 3

6:00–6:55: Jazz/Musical Theatre

for Grades 4–6

Saturday:

10:00–10:55: Ballet/Hip Hop for Grades K & 1st

11:00–11:55: Creative Combo for Ages 3.5 – 5 Years Old

1:00–1:55: Jazz/Hip Hop for Grades 7 and 8

3:00–3:55: Tap for Grades 7–12

Tennis Ultimate Workout

Registration for the 2025 fall session of the Ultimate Workout begins on Tuesday, September 2. Tennis Ultimate Workout:  12 sessions – 1. 5-hour classes ** FEE: $350.

(A fun way to drill for an experienced tennis player!)

Adult Tennis Lessons - Fall 2025

Registration for the Fall session of our Adult Tennis Lesson program begins on Tuesday, September 2. Our ten-week sessions will begin the week of October 6.

You must be a resident of the Inc. Village of Garden City to register. Program Fee: $295 per course  (10 sessions)

Legends win

East Meadow Tournament

The Garden City Legends U9 soccer team recently won the East Meadow Tournament (4-0) in the boys’ first ever games together.
Team members: Ben Porto, Charlie Haunss, Max Flecker, Gianmarco Parente, Alessio Calma, Matthew Connors (not pictured), Brendan Barry, Luca Giuzio, Walker Schrubbe, Conor Debusschere, Christian Gough
Coaches: Steve Porto, Dave Barry, Bob Flecker

Garden City Aces win East Meadow Tourney

The GU11 Garden City Aces kicked off their 2025–26 campaign at the East Meadow Summer Tournament this past weekend. With new players, a bigger field, and new rules to adjust to, the Aces went into the weekend looking to use the tournament as a tune-up for the season. However, they accomplished much more than that. Playing their first game together with six new players on the roster, the Aces won an evenly matched 1-0 victory over Atlantic United by converting a late penalty kick for the

game winner. After a well-deserved snack break, the Aces continued to gel and dominated the play against a physical South Shore Futbol Club with a 3-0 victory.

The Aces returned for day two of the tournament notching their third win playing a fun match against their friends on the Garden City Galaxy. With the championship on the line, the Aces rallied together in the summer heat to record their fourth win of the weekend, beating host East Meadow by a score

of 3-1. Over the four matches, the Aces tallied 10 goals for and only one goal against and received positive contributions from every player on the field. Steady goaltending from Emelia Grogan (three clean sheets) was helped by lock down defensive play by Elizabeth Hughes, Lena Murray, Anna Ringh and Stella Sparacello.

Goalscoring came from every area of the field with Ali Atteritano, Amelia Bacich, Hailey Bennett, Helen Houston, Ashley Rodriguez-

Perez and Brooke Volpe finding the back of the net. Addison Bowen, Julia Gonzalez and Isabelle Rothschild provided constant offensive pressure and playmaking throughout the matches. From the very first game of the weekend, the girls came together both on and off the field as a true team supporting each other and having fun. Congrats on the tournament win and good luck on a great upcoming season!

Addison Bowen goes to goal!
Ali Atteritano leads the counterattack!
Another shutout for Grogan!
Aces - Tournament Champs!
Helen Houston digs in!
Izzy Rothschild battles for the ball!

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Mary Krener
Fortune Heaney Lisa Heaney
Lynn Puccio Cheryl Trimboli Scott Wallace
Arthur Anderson Jessica Brantuk Ann Collins
Claudia Galvin Rene Blair
Christine Cudahy Manager
Linda Mulrooney Eileen O’Hara Diane Piscopo
Daureen Hausser
Stephanie Marchan
Aimee Escher
Matthew Minardi
Kathy Lucchesi Susan MacDonald Brigid Marmorowski
Patricia Dickson Marianne Imperial Ryan Mullins
Oliver Grandison
Wyndham

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