January 4, 2023 North Massapequa

New York Blood Center Declares Blood Emergency

Help Needed - @ New York Blood Center has issued a blood emergency. The blood supply has dropped from 5 days to a 2-3 day supply, and 1-2 day supply of type O; NYBC warns this could signal more severe shortages in the weeks ahead. Please sign up to donate at a convenient donation location near you: smarturl.it/NYBC_Urgent

Did You Know?

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Massapequa Singer Performs

At Long Island High School For The Arts Student Showcase

Robert Morana from the Massapequa UFSD, who is attending Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA), demonstrated his formidable talents during the school’s recent student showcase.

Robert sang “Words Fail,” from the Tony Awardwinning musical Dear Evan Hansen, before an enthusiastic audience from across the Island. “We could not be more proud of our brilliant and talented students,” said LIHSA Principal Laura Vega. “We applaud them for their commitment, determination, and the hard work they put in, day in and day out, to hone their respective crafts. The showcase is a wonderful opportunity to share the impressive work of both students and staff, while bringing joy to members of the Long Island community.”

Helping You Help Others

By Noelle Lambert

The Charity of the Month for January is Pal-O-Mine Equestrian

Pal-O-Mine

Equestrian is a local non-profit organization that began in 1995 as a therapeutic horseback riding program for individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. They grew from having two programs, eight horses and 80 students per week to 11 programs, 25 horses and 400 students per week - and they continue to grow today! “Our mission has been, and continues to be, to provide a comprehensive therapeutic equine program using horses to facilitate growth, learning and healing,” said Lisa Gatti, Founder and CEO of Pal-O-Mine Equestrian. “We proudly serve individuals with disabilities, those who have been abused or neglected, the military and the impoverished.”

Their location in Islandia offers an unequaled setting for equestrian activities, with a 20-stall barn on 13 acres, handicapped accessible bathrooms, a 100’ x 120’ indoor arena with state-of-the-art-footing and a rider hoisting system, 3 outdoor riding arenas, classrooms, accessible playground, a greenhouse and a wellness center. They offer the following programs:

Lessons: This program provides quality adaptive riding and unmounted lessons that benefit individuals with cognitive, physical, emotional and mental disabilities. Each one of their riding instructors excels in their field and continues with training and certification throughout their careers.

Equine Assisted Learning: This program incorporates horses experientially for educational and emotional growth and learning. Using unique approaches to create positive and constructive learning experiences for children and adolescents who are at risk of failing in the traditional academic setting, this program has changed the lives of countless individuals.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: This follows a model designed by EAGALA,

Inc., the leading international EAP training and certifying organization.

Currently, Pal-OMine Equestrian has 7 Licensed Mental Health Professionals and 11 Equine Specialists who are certified in this model. Groups that are participating focus on the following issues: grief, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, substance abuse, addiction and codependency.

Speech & Occupational Therapy: Clients respond well to therapy incorporating activities with animals, and a variety of therapy goals can be addressed using this treatment strategy. Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists run this program to provide therapy services with the assistance of wonderful animals.

Military: For more than four thousand years, horses have been an integral part of warfare. Today, horses are still playing an important role in war, this time in the recovery of military veterans who have suffered emotional and/or physical injuries. This program is an EAGALA designated Military Program and offers individual, group and family sessions to help people heal.

Corporate Leadership: The way individuals interact and react with horses is very similar to the way they interact with their clients, customers, peers and work groups. People interpret horse behavior/emotions through the lens of their personal perception. How they interpret horses can often be a metaphor for their work, attitudes and relationships. Pal-O-Mine Equestrian is proud to offer a Corporate Leadership program.

For more information about this organization and all they offer, please call 631-348-1389 or visit www.pal-omine.org. Don’t miss next week’s article to learn about how you can get involved and help others in your community.

Oyster

to deliver

collected by the

Stores to

the U.S. Marine Corps, which then distributes the toys to children and families in need. Supervisor Saladino thanked Chamber members for their generosity and commitment to putting a smile on the faces of children in need through

Toys for Tots this holiday season and also recognized former President of the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce and longtime 7-11 business owner Patricia Orzano for her tireless efforts to host this initiative every year.

Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Councilwoman Laura Maier joined the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce

toys

Chamber, its member businesses, and 7-Eleven

ASL Graduates Promote A Lifelong

Massapequa High School’s American Sign Language program has led many graduates to successful careers, and current students learned about the possibilities during an alumni panel.

A group of 11 graduates, who attended in person and virtually, spoke to sophomores, juniors and seniors in Melanie Smith’s and Patricia McCarthy’s ASL classes. The alumni

who spoke included current college students who are enrolled in sign language programs and those using it in various professions, including as an audiologist, interpreter, speech pathologist and teacher.

The alumni panel included graduates from 2004 to 2022. Ms. Smith and Ms. McCarthy said they were asked to share their experiences in working

with the deaf community.

Massapequa’s World Language department offers ASL to students beginning in ninth grade at the Ames Campus through college-level courses at the main campus. The alumni panel has been an annual tradition for more than 20 years to give students an insight into career possibilities and help them establish connections.

Massapequa High School American Sign Language teachers Patricia McCarthy and Melanie Smith introduced an alumni panel to current students. Photo courtesy of the Massapequa School District

Successful Donation Drive

On Monday, December 19, 2022, Noelle Lambert and The Bryn Elliott Team concluded their Holiday Donation Drive, which ran for four weeks and had drop-off locations throughout Long Island. The drive brought in countless donations, all of which were given to a local non-profit organization, the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless (LICH).

“It was such a great experience and people didn’t hold back,” said Noelle Lambert, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “I received calls, texts and emails from people who heard of the drive and wanted to donate, many of which ended up giving so much that they couldn’t bring it all into a drop-off location in one trip. Although it’s a very sad reality that many individuals are experiencing homelessness and other hardships right here on Long Island, it was really refreshing to see our community come together and do something about it.”

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless strives to end homelessness on Long Island, and to alleviate the issues associated with homelessness and poverty for homeless and at risk persons in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The organization’s distribution center where the donations were brought is located at 600 Albany Avenue in Amityville,

and is also known as their boutique. People in need can make an appointment to come to the boutique and leave with clothes and other items, such as non perishable food and personal care products for free. LICH is here to work directly with people in need, as well as with case managers, shelter staff members, school employees, church members and the like who are helping these individuals.

”This organization does so much good and it was a pleasure to contribute towards their important mission,” said Bryn Elliott, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “So many people have clothing and miscellaneous items that they aren’t using, while others are in real need; it’s just a matter of coordinating a collection. However, it’s clear that the holiday spirit helped our drive quite a bit. I want to express how thankful we are to all who donated, as well as for the businesses that allowed us to use their locations for the drive, which includes USA Auto Body in East Patchogue, The Fish Store in Bayport, Long Island Media Group in

Farmingdale and Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Smithtown and Farmingville.”

“We are so very grateful for this drive that Noelle and The Bryn Elliott Team put together,” said Bailey Riekkinen, Community Engagement Specialist at LICH. “The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless will continue to advocate and serve until we achieve our mission of ending homelessness on Long Island. In 2022, we referred over 700 households for permanent housing through Coordinated Entry, a system that ensures the most vulnerable Long Islanders are prioritized for permanent, affordable housing. Affordable housing is scarce on Long Island, and we are consistently working hard at connecting Long Island’s most vulnerable to the available resources. Additionally, we received and distributed over 10,000 pounds of food and toiletries along with countless clothing items to locals that are homeless and at-risk on the streets and in shelters through our boutique and pantry.”

Together we can make a true difference in our community.

If you would like more information about starting a donation drive with the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, please contact Bailey at 631.464.4314 x125. For more information about LICH and all they offer, visit www. addressthehomeless.org or call 631.464.4314.

Diet And Mental Wellness

Nutritious diets have long been touted as essential components of healthy lifestyles. Many people have a tendency to view diet as something that’s purely physical, associating the foods they eat with how they look and how much energy they have. While accurate, it doesn’t paint the full picture of just how big and positive an impact healthy diets can have on overall health.

In regard to healthy diets, it’s hard to dispute the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods and, as a result, includes lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. The diet is so healthy that the World Health Organization even recognizes it as a healthy, sustainable dietary pattern. Long touted for its ability to promote heart health and reduce risk for heart disease, which the WHO notes is the number one cause of death across the globe, the Mediterranean diet has also been found to protect against cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Each of those benefits makes the Mediterranean diet worthy of consideration at the very least, but the benefits of this approach to eating don’t stop there. In fact, people unfamiliar with the Mediterranean diet, or even those who subscribe to it, may not realize that the diet can have a positive effect on mental wellness.

A 2015 study published in the scientific journal

Ageing Research

Reviews found that strong adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 40 percent reduced risk for cognitive impairment. Another study from researchers in Spain found that older adults who supplemented their Mediterranean diets with extra olive oil or nuts had superior cognitive function, including better memory and thinking skills, than those who ate low-fat diets. Reasoning, attention and language were better among the former group as well.

In addition to improving cognitive function, the Mediterranean diet also

may improve mental wellness by reducing adherents’ risk of developing depression. A 2013 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging found that people who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely were nearly 99 percent less likely to develop depression that those who followed the diet the least closely.

While diet is often thought of in physical terms, the Mediterranean diet can benefit mental wellness while also helping people maintain healthy weights.

Noelle Lambert & Bryn Elliott

Massapequa High School’s Mindfulness Matters course has grown into one of the most popular electives, helping students develop lifelong skills and strategies that foster a positive mindset. The halfyear English class uses “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” as its foundational text.

Students selected 12 quotes from the book and wrote them on index cards, which will serve as a mindfulness guide for them for years to come.

Teacher Lisa Davi said that on one side of each card, students wrote a quote, and on the other side, they wrote what that quote means to them. They could also add drawings and images that reflected the quotes.

Every student was asked to choose three quotes for each of the four

agreements, and the four cards were bound together with a metal ring. During classes on Nov. 21 and 22, students shared their cards with peers. Ms. Davi said that they were encouraged to then bring their cards home for Thanksgiving recess and spread the concept of mindfulness with their families.

Tina Farrell, curriculum associate for English language arts and library media, said that this is the third year that Mindfulness Matters has been offered at Massapequa High School. There are 140 presently enrolled from grades 10-12. She added that the reason it has grown so quickly is because of positive word of mouth from students who have taken the course and the appreciation for the lifelong skills and strategies they have developed.

MINDFUL

- Massapequa High School’s Mindfulness Matters course has grown into one of the most popular electives, helping students develop lifelong skills and strategies that foster a positive mindset. Pictured: Superintendent Dr. William Brennan and Curriculum Associate for English Language Arts and Library Tina Farrell, right, joined Massapequa High School Mindfulness Matters teacher Lisa Davi and students to celebrate the publishing of their quote cards based on the four agreements. Photo courtesy of the Massapequa School District

TO place an ad in the CLASSIFIED section, cal 631-226-2636, press “2”

A sales representative will be happy to assist you

TO place an ad in the CLASSIFIED section, cal 631-226-2636, press “2”

A sales representative will be happy to assist you

TO place an ad in the CLASSIFIED section, cal 631-226-2636, press “2”

A sales representative will be happy to assist you

TO place an ad in the CLASSIFIED section, cal 631-226-2636, press “2”

Call The Classifieds 631-226-2636 Ext. 276

TO place an ad in the CLASSIFIED section, call 631-226-2636, press “2”

A sales representative will be happy to assist you

TO place an ad in the CLASSIFIED section, call 631-226-2636, press “2”

A sales representative will be happy to assist you

PSEG Long Island Cautions That Metallic Balloons Can Be Hazardous

PSEG Long Island is reminding customers that balloons released into the air can become entangled in overhead electric equipment and cause a host of problems.

“Safety is PSEG Long Island’s No. 1 priority. That’s why we’re cautioning customers to please hold onto their metallic balloons,” said John O’Connell, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Transmission and Distribution Operations. “Though they’re festive, fun and look nice, we want the public to be aware that metallic balloons also conduct electricity. If they get loose and come into contact

with a power line or other electrical equipment, that could lead to power outages, fire and, possibly, injuries.”

To mitigate these risks, PSEG Long Island encourages the public to follow these safety guidelines:

• Metallic balloons and other decorations should be kept clear of overhead power lines and equipment, and never purposely released into the air.

• All balloons with helium should be secured to weights that prevent them from floating away.

• To properly dispose of a Mylar balloon, safely puncture

it in several places to release the helium, and discard it in the trash.

• NEVER touch a power line. Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon, toy or anything caught in an overhead power line. Report it by contacting PSEG Long Island at 800490-0075 so a specially trained crew can safely address the issue.

To see a video of metallic balloons coming into contact with electrical wires, visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jxgGYDccsQ4

TINA DEVITA

Cell: 631-860-1943 Tdevita@kw.com

STEVEN DECILLIS

Cell: 516-551-7309 sdecee@aol.com

Sold 43 Homes in 2022 • Over $30 Million in Sales Volume:

Copiague | 139 Cambridge Drive*

Massapequa | 219 Park Lane

Wantagh | 3000 North Jerusalem Road

Massapequa Park | 72 Charles Avenue

Levittown | 30 Birch Lane

Seaford | 4032 Clark Street*

Bethpage | 17 Sussex Lane

Farmingdale | 34 Tudor Road

Seaford | 3975 Anne Drive

Massapequa Park | 311 Atlantic Avenue

Dix Hills | 340 Everard Street

Wantagh | 2525 Sycamore Avenue

Great Neck | 37 Brompton Road, 6A

Farmingdale | 9 Birch Place

Massapequa Park | 320 Grover Avenue*

Uniondale | 43 Marvin Avenue

Massapequa Park | 93 3rd Avenue

Massapequa | 122 Harbour View Drive

Massapequa | 84 Cedar Shore Drive*

Hicksville | 62 Froehlich Farm Road

Huntington | 2 Berrywood Drive

Massapequa | 21 Surrey Road

Massapequa | 180 North Suffolk Avenue

Bethpage | 245 Evergreen Avenue

Coram | 655 Middle Country Road, 8D2*

Massapequa | 109 Euclid Avenue

Bethpage | 226 North 6th Street

Massapequa | 161 Southampton Drive*

Massapequa Park | 20 Surrey Lane

Huntington | 8 Royal Oak Drive

Merrick | 3005 Holiday Park Drive

Freeport | 531 Ray Street, 6

Glenwood Landing | 8 King Street*

Kings Park | 18 Ardmore Place*

Woodhaven | 89-40 Woodhaven Boulevard

Merrick | 2962 Holiday Park Drive

Great Neck | 15 Hillpark Avenue, 2M

Great Neck | 11 Wooleys Lane, 1C*

Lindenhurst | 85 Orchard Street

East Northport | 8 Elmay Place

Maspeth | 60-24 56th Drive

North Bellmore | 1481 Bellmore Avenue

Bellmore | 411 Midwood Avenue

2022 Honoree in REALTrends + Tom Ferry

America’s Best Real Estate Professionals

Elpis Hardiman, Lic. R. E. Salesperson O 516.795.3456 | M 516.732.5713 elpis.hardiman@elliman.com | elliman.com