Baldwin Herald 05-15-2025

Mothers take the lead in annual 5K

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Early last Sunday morning, before the Mother’s Day brunch crowds filled local restaurants, over 70 women laced up their running shoes and gathered at Baldwin Park for a 3.1-mile-long celebration of the holiday.

Now in its third year, the Run Like a Mother 5K, led by Meadow Elementary School PTA member Sophea Sainsurin, offers participants not only a fun, pressure-free workout, but also a chance to connect with other women and celebrate their collective strength.

Aiming to empower young men at Baldwin Middle School Tie into Excellence inaugural ceremony held to promote leadership and personal development

By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Baldwin Middle School recently held its inaugural Tie into Excellence empowerment ceremony, building upon the school’s Young Men of Excellence program — an extracurricular initiative promoting leadership, academic focus and personal development among its male students.

Launched in September 2023, the program, catering to boys in the sixth through the eighth grades, addresses the growing pressures they face,

including those fueled by social media and peer expectations, which could negatively affect their self-esteem and mental health. The initiative equips students with the tools necessary for emotional intelligence, strong character and ambition, according to school officials.

“Middle school is an incredibly impressionable time for young men — the experiences they have during these years often shape the course of their young adult lives,” Erica Taylor, the school’s principal, said.

“It is essential that we fill their hearts and minds with the tools

of ambition, strong character and emotional intelligence.”

The ceremony featured several professionals and community leaders who shared their personal stories and offered advice. Speakers included Johnathan Harewood, Baldwin alumnus and guidance counselor intern; Anthony Mignella, the school district’s assistant superintendent for instruction; entrepreneur Bryant K. Postell; Tyrone Greaves, PepsiCo operations manager; and Eric Banks, a physical education teacher in Westbury.

Their messages focused on

perseverance, decision-making, imagination and academic commitment.

Greaves shared how he grew up in a tough neighborhood and aspired to play professional basketball, but he suffered a sports injury, which derailed his hopes. However, instead of letting that setback define him,

Greaves pivoted, eventually finding himself as an operations manager at PepsiCo. He spoke to the students about the importance of perseverance and long-term vision.

“Your friends may change, but you will have your studies,” he told them. “You then say, ‘I

“This event gives mothers the ConTinuEd on PAgE 4 ConTinuEd on PAgE7

Alice Moreno/Herald

The Run Like a Mother 5K, led by Meadow Elementary School PTA member Sophea Sainsuri, brought together women a chance to connect with others and celebrate their collective strength.

Baldwin students compete at Stony Brook Hackathon

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Baldwin High School students recently took part in the second annual CEWIT High School Hackathon, held at Stony Brook University which brought together more than 90 students from 13 Long Island school districts to compete in a full day of coding and problem-solving challenges.

The hackathon, hosted on April 10 at the university’s Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT), featured 23 teams working with Java, Python, and AI tools. Students were placed in teams of four and received support from Stony Brook undergraduate and graduate mentors throughout the day. At the conclusion of the event, teams presented their projects to a panel of interdisciplinary judges.

Baldwin’s participants were selected from the AP Computer Science A course. Students representing the district included 10th graders Braylon Ashby, Sanaya Halyard, and Judel Hyppolite, along with 12th graders Theodore Martinez, Isaiah Ramsey, David Orlep, and Lucas Lautan.

Their participation supports the district’s Baldwin 2035 initiative, which focuses on preparing students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The CEWIT program aligns with these goals, with research areas that include robotics, wireless networks, cybersecurity, virtual reality, computational genetics, and other emerging fields.

Krupa D’Souza, a Baldwin academy teacher who advised the students, said the event was a positive learning experience to the Herald.

“The hackathon was set up to provide a fun learning environment and experience for students. Our students had a smile on their faces the whole time

they were attempting different challenges,” she said. “They had helpful mentors who were assisting students as needed. The judges were very nice and spent a good amount of time with each team listening to their accomplishments and asking questions.”

The event also provided participants with meals and refreshments, as well as giveaways such as backpacks, t-shirts, and gloves. Prizes, including restaurant gift cards and university merchandise, were donated by on-campus and industry partners. Additional support came from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, which helped students prepare for their presentations.

“We’re very happy to report that we’ve grown from six schools to 13,” Derek O’Connor, Workforce Devel-

opment Manager at Stony Brook University said in a news release. “Some schools brought one team, others brought two. We’re seeing more interest, and hearing that even students in middle school are starting to think seriously about their futures in tech. This event helps give them an opportunity to work with real-world problems and develop their skills.”

“I’m incredibly proud of our Baldwin STEM/Engineering Academy student for representing us at the 2025 CEWIT Hackathon, demonstrating innovation, determination, and forward-thinking,” Gabriella Franza, assistant director of Instructional Programs at Baldwin, said. “Their dedication to shaping the future through technology and teamwork is truly inspiring.”

UNIONDALE SCHOOLS

Seven Baldwin High School students participated in the annual CEWIT High School Hackathon at Stony Brook University

board of education

Thomas Smyth is seeking your re-election vote

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time as a trustee on the Baldwin board?

A: I’m proud that our district has become such an example to the rest of the country. Our Academies, our reimagined classrooms, our MANY dual credit college courses that we offer.... so many wonderful things have happened in our district over the last six years while I’ve been on the Board. I cannot take credit for these initiatives, but I’m happy to have been a small part of those efforts carried out by our incredible Superintendent and her outstanding staff.

Q: What steps have you taken or plan to take to ensure communication between the board and community?

A: I will be looking into the possibility of sending more frequent reminders to the community about our meetings. Mailing a calendar to every household and posting information on our website and on our giant digital announcement board does not seem to be doing the trick.

Q: How do you see Baldwin schools evolving over the next three years, and what’s your vision for that future?

A: With the recent announcement that our longstanding assistant superintendent for instruction will soon be taking the reins as our new Superintendent, Baldwin’s future is so bright that, “..I

Susan Cools is seeking your re-election vote

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time as a trustee on the Baldwin board?

A: In my 9 years on the board we have implemented programs, curriculum, and experiences for our students that are unique to Baldwin. I am very proud to be a part of that.

Q: What steps have you taken or plan to take to ensure communication between the board and community?

Q: How has your experience as a trustee shaped your understanding of the district’s needs?

A: My experience as a trustee has given me an in-depth education and understanding of how a school district works. It takes the efforts of so many wonderful people to create the first class education that all our kids are gettingas evidenced by our county-leading graduation rate of 99%.

Q: What motivated you to seek re-election, and what unfinished priorities do you hope to accomplish?

A: I was motivated by the wish to continue working alongside my wonderful fellow Baldwinite trustees to assure that our district maintains its high standards of excellence.

A: Communication with the community is always a challenge because you have to reach not only the people with kids in the schools, but everyone else as well. I think that the very visible digital sign on Grand Ave is very useful as all driving on Grand Ave can see the information there. We also do a mailing titled the Baldwin Beat that goes to all homes. Our district also works hard on making sure that our website and social media are up to date with pertinent information.

Q: How do you see Baldwin schools evolving over the next three years, and what’s your vision for that future?

A: Baldwin School District has a 99% graduation rate and that includes all students. Obviously we are accomplishing what many other districts aspire to. I see our district continuing on this very successful trajectory while always looking at new and innovative ideas.

Q: How has your experience as a trustee shaped your understanding of the district’s needs?

A: Being on the board has helped me to really understand the inside workings of what it takes to run a School District. From funding to staffing to programs.

Q: What motivated you to seek reelection, and what unfinished priorities do you hope to accomplish?

A: I am seeking re election so that I can be a part of the continuation of things that are being started such as the Capital Projects that will happen here as a result of our community passing a bond last year that will enable us to do some much needed, very large building improvements.

Moon magic brings Gillen, Kim to Garden City

Museum of the Moon installation at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City brought Rep. Laura Gillen, a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, together with Firefly Aerospace CEO Jason Kim and Adelphi University students for an event celebrating STEM education and highlight the exhibit.

Firefly Aerospace is a leading space technology company designing launch vehicles, lunar landers and orbital vehicles for government and commercial space missions.

“Long Island is home to exceptional educational institutions, such as Adelphi University and Hofstra, in addition to some of the best K-12 schools in the nation,” Gillen said in a news release on the April 24. “Mr. Kim’s success with Firefly has done so much to inspire young Americans with Blue Ghost’s

imagery of the Earth and the moon, including views of a breathtaking total eclipse and a lunar sunset seen from the moon’s surface. It was an honor to welcome Mr. Kim to New York’s Fourth Congressional District and join him to encourage our students to pursue careers in STEM and space exploration.”

Kim previously testified in front of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee on the importance on commercial space providers in continuing America’s dominance in the space sector.

Before joining Firefly Aerospace in 2024, Kim supported hundreds of satellite missions in support of national security, NASA, and commercial missions, in addition to serving seven years in the United States Air Force.

— Jeffrey Bessen

THOMAS SMyTH

SuSAN COOLS

Courtesy Gillen office

Jason Kim, Rev. Michael T. Sniffen and Rep. Laura Gillen at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City.

More than 70 women celebrate strength

gift we so rarely give ourselves: time, space and recognition,” Sainsurin, 44, said. “It reminds moms they’re not alone — that they’re supported and seen, and that they deserve to take up space in powerful, beautiful ways.”

The event, which began in 2022 with just 20 women — inspired by runs with the same name in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and elsewhere— grew out of what Sainsurin described as a collective desire to reconnect with health and community in the wake of the pandemic.

“The inspiration came from a moment we all shared — post-pandemic life, where so many of us felt like we had lost touch with our wellness and ourselves,” she said. “That one run became a moment for us to feel seen, strong and celebrated. And from there, Run Like a Mother, Baldwin edition, was born.”

The first year, the race came together quickly. A small group of mothers had been supporting one other through a local wellness challenge when someone suggested ending it with a 5K. Sainsurin mapped out a route in Baldwin Park, and the group showed up at sunrise with nothing but printed shirts, finishers’ medals and motivation.

“We didn’t have sponsors or fancy signage — just determination, sisterhood, and the drive to show up for our-

selves,” she recalled. “That first leap, stepping outside our comfort zones together, was the biggest challenge — and the most beautiful part.”

This year, Sainsurin said, the feeling was different. “Today was emotional for me,” she wrote to the Herald. On this Mother’s Day, 70-plus women and their families woke up to complete a 5K — some for the very first time. Some ran with their daughters, others with their

A Forgotten American Treasure

Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac appeared from 1732 to 1758. Amongst other information, it provided pithy sayings and proverbs, many of which have withstood the test of time.

“An empty bag cannot stand upright.”

“Anger is never without a reason, but seldom a good one.”

“Anoint a villain and he’ll stab you: stab him and he’ll anoint you.”

“An old young man will be a young old man.”

“Don’t think to hunt two hares with one dog.”

“Eat few suppers and you’ll need few medicines.”

“Great almsgiving, lessens no man’s living.”

“Happy’s the wooing that’s not long a doing.”

“He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas.”

“If your riches are yours, why don’t you take them with you to the other world.”

“Lost time is never found again.”

“The noblest question in the world is, what good may I do in it?”

“They who have nothing to trouble them, will be troubled at nothing.”

“The sleeping fox catches no poultry.”

“The tongue is ever turning to the aching tooth.”

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mothers. It wasn’t just about the run — it was about showing up, together, for something meaningful. There was something incredibly powerful about watching women of all ages take it one step at a time — literally and figuratively. There is strength in every stride, and power in every woman who chooses to begin.”

The event has expanded to include official race bibs, goodie bags and other celebratory details, thanks to a volunteer “Fun Committee” led by Katisha Brown. This year, Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 2210 volunteered, and local bakery Pastel Cupcakes donated custom mini cupcakes.

“It warms my heart to be part of creating something meaningful for the women participating in this event,” Brown wrote. “We pour a lot of love into every detail — from the food and beverages to the thoughtfully curated goodie bags that promote self-care.

“What began as a way to move our bodies has become a way to move our hearts,” Brown added. “We care deeply for everyone in our lives, and through this event, we’ve made the intentional choice to care for ourselves, too.”

Despite its growth, Run Like a Mother remains intentionally low-cost and

inclusive. “There are no proceeds, and that’s by design,” Sainsurin wrote. “As moms, we’re constantly being asked to fundraise — for schools, sports and every cause in between. I wanted Run Like a Mother to be different. A space where moms could show up and feel celebrated without being asked to give more than they already do.”

Sainsurin, a four-time marathon finisher, said she chose Mother’s Day intentionally, as a day to reframe what it means to be honored.

“Let’s be honest — organizing a 5K on Mother’s Day raises a few eyebrows,” she said. “I hear it every year — and I get it. But here’s the thing: Mother’s Day shouldn’t just be about mimosas and pancakes. It should also be about celebrating our strength, honoring our health, and reclaiming the time we often give away to everyone else.”

And for the women of Baldwin, that message is catching on.

“So yes, we ‘work’ on Mother’s Day,” she said. “We breathe hard, we laugh harder, and we cheer each other on at every step. And afterward? We still brunch — only now we’ve earned the extra mimosa.”

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Alice Moreno/Herald photos

this year’s event marked three years at Baldwin park.

Yanique Clarke cheers as she reaches the finish line.

baldwin

VALENTINA KESABIAN

Clarke Senior Lacrosse

IT’S BEEN AN IMPRESSIVE rise for Clarke’s girls’ lacrosse program since it endured a winless 2022 campaign, and Kesabian has been a major part of the turnaround. Last spring she helped lead the Rams to 10 wins, scoring 26 goals and earning All-Conference honors in the process. This season, both the third-year attack and the team continued to flourish. Kesabian finished with 39 goals and 13 assists, and Clarke won 12 of 15 games.

GAMES TO WATCH

Thursday, May 15

Softball playoffs: First round at higher seed ...................TBA

Boys Lacrosse: Freeport at Kennedy .........................5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Elmont at Lawrence ..........................5 p.m.

Baseball: Elmont at West Hempstead .......................5 p.m.

Baseball: Roosevelt at Uniondale .............................5

Baseball: G.N. South at V.S. Central ..........................5 p.m.

Friday, May 16

Boys Lacrosse: Garden City at Carey....................4:30 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Oceanside at Farmingdale................5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Plainedge at South Side ...................5 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse: Massapequa at Syosset ...................5 p.m.

Saturday, May 17

Softball: Nassau quarterfinals at higher seed ................TBA

Monday, May 19

Softball: Nassau semifinals GM1 at higher seed ...........TBA

Tuesday, May 20

Softball: Nassau semifinals GM2 at lower seed.............TBA

Baseball: Nassau Class A quarterfinals GM 3................TBA

Baseball: Nassau Class B semifinals GM 2 ...................TBA

Baseball: Nassau Class AAA play-in games ...................TBA

Nominate a “Spotlight Athlete”

High School athletes to be featured on the Herald sports page must compete in a spring sport and have earned an AllConference award or higher last season. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.

HERALD SPORTS

Baldwin’s pieces fall into place

By DYLAN BUTLER sports@liherald.com

Tim Clancy spent a good chunk of the regular season trying to move the puzzle pieces around, looking for the perfect fit for the Baldwin boys’ lacrosse team.

He’s done just that, at the perfect time.

The Bruins enter the stretch drive 11-4 overall, 10-3 in Nassau Conference 3. They won three straight games before a 12-5 loss to Kennedy May 8.

“It was a pretty young team, and we’ve really come a long way from the beginning of the season up until now,” Clancy said. “At this point, I feel like we’ve kind of found our identity and moved some guys around and figured out who can do what for us. We’re in a nice little groove. We’re playing well right now and we’re in pretty good shape.”

Clancy said it was after a 7-5 loss to Clarke on April 10 that he realized the puzzle pieces needed to be shifted.

Senior Preston Kirchner, who has scored 47 of Baldwin’s 132 goals, was moved from attack to midfield to have a greater impact in all three phases of the field.

“He’s a scorer, but at the same time, he’s good on defense, he’s great on the faceoff wing,” Clancy said. “He’s the best ground ball guy on the team, and he’s great in transition and pushing the ball. Having him in all three phases of the game, as opposed to just focusing on offense, really turned things completely around for us.”

Junior Mahlik Henry has also been solid, emerging as the faceoff specialist while also standing out as a defensive midfielder.

“He’s that classic utility player who you just kind of throw in there to say, hey, just go get the ball, get it up to the offense and do those in-between-thelines things for us,” Clancy said.

The other moves were putting junior Elijah Iles, a starter on close defense, on the wing for faceoffs to help win ground balls and moving Garris Williams from

Derrick Dingle/Herald

Junior Garris Williams (12 goals, 11 assists) made the move from midfield to attack as part of the Bruins’ lineup shuffling.

midfield to attack.

Since that move, the junior has flourished. He has 12 goals and 11 assists. He scored twice in a 7-5 win over East Meadow on May 5.

“We knew that we had the athletes and the ability,” Clancy said. “We kind of just had to figure out where everybody was going to fall.”

In the cage, Dwight Lindsay has thrived in his first season as the starter.

The senior, who was behind a two-year starter and just picked up a goalie stick on the junior varsity, has 139 saves on the season.

“He’s been a brick wall, he’s super athletic, and he’s been great on the clear,” Clancy said.

Clancy is unsure if the Bruins will be one of the 10 teams to make the Class B playoffs this spring. But a year after just missing the cut, it would be a great reward for the work his team put in this season.

“Their eyes are on the prize and just trying to win as many games as possible,” Clancy said. “And then the chips fall as they may.”

A necktie represents ‘a powerful symbol of growth’

can, and I will show you!’”

Postell emphasized the power of resilience and creativity, urging the students, “If you try something and fail, it’s not a failure but a learning experience.”

Each student was presented with a blue or gold necktie, symbolizing a step toward maturity and responsibility.

“The tie is more than just a piece of clothing — it is a powerful symbol of growth,” André Poprilo, director of fine and performing arts for Baldwin, explained. “It represents a rite of passage — a step forward into maturity, leadership and purpose.”

Assisting students in learning how to properly fasten their neckties were mentors Ralph Hernandez, head of security for Baldwin; Michael Butler, social studies supervisor; and Ron Woodall, Baldwin Middle School guidance counselor.

The middle school also offers an empowerment program for female students, called the Girls Loving Ourselves, or GLO Club, which holds structured sessions on self-esteem and leadership. Like the Young Men

Courtesy Baldwin school district

BALDWIN HERALD — May 15, 2025

Chalk S. State crashes up to bad judgment

By AINSLEY MARTINEZ amartinez@liherald.com

Second story in a series on the Southern State Parkway.

Ana Marte, 67, said that a fatal car accident on the Southern State Parkway in January changed her life.

Her grandson Anthonie Marte, 23, was severely injured in a one-car crash shortly after 11 p.m. on Jan. 12, in the eastbound lanes not far from Exit 30, near Farmingdale and Massapequa, according to the New York State Police.

Investigators said that the car in which Marte was a passenger, a black 2016 Dodge Dart, was traveling at a high rate of speed and weaving between lanes before the driver lost control and crashed into a tree.

Two rear-seat passengers, ages 23 and 21, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Jaden Dsouza, 19, of College Point, Queens, and Marte, of East Elmhurst, Queens, who was in the front passenger seat, were both extricated from the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital in serious condition.

Marte’s grandmother said he suffered major head injuries, and she still takes care of him daily, feeding him and giving him pain medicine. He is slowly recovering, with doctors’ appointments and physical therapy. “He’s like a baby again,” she said. “He doesn’t want to go outside because he’s scared, and all he does is sleep.”

Marte does not remember the accident, his grandmother said.

Dsouza was later charged with one count of driving while ability impaired by drugs, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree assault and aggravated vehicular homicide, police said.

Crash data from the New York State Police shows a fluctuating, but persistent, pattern of accidents on the Southern State Parkway over the past six years, with the number of fatal crashes in a year reaching as high as six.

Crashes resulting in serious personal injury in Nassau have remained relatively low throughout the period, with no more than two reported in any given year.

While most incidents are non-fatal, serious crashes often involve an added risk: intoxication. Speed and distraction remain consistent contributing factors, but impairment by drugs or alcohol increases the potential for deadly outcomes.

“It’s on the driver for the most part,” State Police Capt. Mike Rhodes said. “If they’re inattentive, if they’re speeding, if they’re not following the vehicle and traffic law, they do not understand the severity of what could happen.”

Rhodes oversees 56 state troopers and eight sergeants, many of whom patrol the 25.3-mile long Southern State. Most accidents, he said, occur during peak congestion, at around 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Crash data from the state police show a fluctuating but persistent pattern of accidents on the parkway over the past six years, with fatal crashes increasing in 2024.

In 2019, there were 3,127 crashes on the Nassau County stretch of the parkway, including six fatalities. That number dropped to 2,331 in 2020, but rose again in subsequent years, reaching 2,716 in 2022 and 2,725 in 2023. In 2024, state police recorded 2,549 crashes and five fatalities. Thus far this year, there have been 328 crashes and one fatality.

“A lot of these things, they hit every single age category,” Rhodes said.

To combat the persistent problem, state police focus on enforcement and outreach. Not every traffic stop results in a citation; many serve as opportunities for education.

Personal injury attorney Stephen Cohen said that in his more than five decades of handling lawsuits, most of those that involve accidents on the Southern State involve intoxicated drivers.

Cohen, a partner at the law firm Cohen and Jaffe, in New Hyde Park, said that speed, intoxication and reckless driving continue to be the common factors in the region’s most serious accidents.

“I don’t believe road design is an issue at all,” Cohen said. “Posting more signs to slow down isn’t an answer, because when somebody is either speeding or just intoxicated, they don’t really care what the sign says.”

Many collisions during rush hour, he explained, stem from traffic congestion and insufficient braking distance. “People are gliding along, and they hit a certain spot, and all of a sudden they weren’t prepared, because they’re going 70 miles an hour,” Cohen said. “So you

see a lot of rear-end collisions, not necessarily death-related.”

Fatal crashes, he noted, often involve younger drivers, high speeds and intoxication or impairment.

“You don’t see fatalities at 11 o’clock in the morning,” Cohen said. “You just don’t. You may see them at 4 in the morning. When your ability to observe is not sharp because of either impairment or intoxication, the car is going to go airborne. And if there happens to be a tree there, that’s the next thing you’re going to hit.”

In his practice, Cohen said, the firm represents victims or passengers, but not intoxicated drivers.

Under state law, he noted, lawsuits require plaintiffs to meet the “serious injury” threshold defined in insurance law. In cases involving fatalities, death, families must petition a Surrogate’s Court to appoint a representative for the estate before filing a lawsuit. That process can take over a year, he said.

Insurance coverage limits often dictate how quickly a case can be resolved. “If somebody has — let’s say, the responsible party — has a $100,000 policy, that case is going to be over in two seconds,” Cohen said.

Efforts to reform wrongful death laws in New York have repeatedly stalled, despite advocacy from legal organizations.

Despite changes in laws and vehicle technology over the years, Cohen said, the root problems remain unchanged.

“It only seems to get worse because cars are faster than they were 20, 30 years ago,” he said. “There’s more people drinking or doing some sort of drugs. And that’s what you see in all horrific accidents.”

Additional reporting by Mohammad Rafiq.

Accident data from the New York State Police

2019 – Total: 3,987

(3,127 Nassau, 860 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 2 (Nassau)

Fatal: 8 (6 Nassau, 2 Suffolk)

2020 – Total: 2,977

(2,331 Nassau, 646 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 3 (2 Nassau, 1 Suffolk)

Fatal: 9 (6 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)

2021 – Total: 3,566

(2,782 Nassau, 784 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 1 (Nassau)

Fatal: 9 (6 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)

2022 – Total: 3,552

(2,716 Nassau, 836 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury:

5 (1 Nassau, 4 Suffolk)

Fatal: 13 (5 Nassau, 8 Suffolk)

2023 – Total: 3,500 (2,725-Nassau, 775-Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 1 (Nassau)

Fatal: 6 (3 Nassau, 3 Suffolk)

2024 – Total: 3,405 (2,549 Nassau, 856 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury:

2 (1 Nassau, 1 Suffolk)

Fatal: 15 (5 Nassau, 10 Suffolk)

2025* – Total: 426 (328 Nassau, 98 Suffolk)

Serious personal injury: 0

Fatal: 3 (1 Nassau, 2 Suffolk)

* To date

Tim Baker/Herald

Water providers are tested in taste contest

By CHARLES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

What’s the best-tasting tap water on Long Island?

That was the question posed to students at Farmingdale State College during the Long Island Water Conference’s 37th annual drinking water tasting contest, held during National Drinking Water Week.

The conference, also known as LIWC, is made up of members of public and private water suppliers across Long Island. According to LIWC Commissioner Robert McEvoy, the event has taken place at the Farmingdale campus for the past four years, sparking student interest in water quality.

“It draws in a lot of the students,” McEvoy said. “They’re interested in where the water comes from, and if there’s any variance in taste. We also try to promote tap water as being the most regulated and tested, even more so than bottled water.”

The finals, held on May 7, featured 16 Long Island water providers competing for the title of best-tasting drinking water in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Students, faculty and staff on campus participated in a blind taste test, sampling water from each provider and casting their votes.

The Oyster Bay Water District won the Nassau County competition, while

the Greenlawn Water District took the top spot in Suffolk. Both districts will advance to the New York State Regional Metro Tap Water Taste Contest in New York City in August, where they will compete for a spot in the statewide competition held later that month at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

LIWC representatives at the event also took the opportunity to educate attendees about the water supplied to their homes, and assured them that Long Island’s drinking water remains of high quality.

McEvoy, who is also a commissioner

and the chairman of the Oyster Bay Water District, said that frequent testing is conducted by the state Department of Health to ensure the water’s quality.

“It’s safe, it’s highly regulated and it’s extremely affordable,” McEvoy said. “It’s something that should be utilized by the public, and it’s a far greater value than bottled water.”

Michael Rich, a commissioner and the secretary of the Oyster Bay district, has taken part in the competition for the past 10 years, educating the community about local water supplies.

“It’s great to come out to the commu-

nity and have everyone get involved with local water,” Rich said.

He noted that most people aren’t aware of where their water comes from. On Long Island, drinking water comes from an aquifer system, a naturally formed underground storage area.

In an aquifer system, unwanted chemicals are capable of seeping into the water supply. The LIWC urges residents to dispose of hazardous household waste properly at designated town drop-off sites and never pour it down drains, into storm sewers or on the ground.

“Anything that we put on the ground will ultimately find its way into the aquifer,” Rich stated.

Lawn irrigation, he said, accounts for much of Long Island’s water use. He urged residents to follow odd/even watering schedules, watering on days that match their house numbers. He also highlighted the importance of leak detection, noting that undetected leaks can waste hundreds of thousands of gallons each month, making it vital for both residents and water providers to monitor and address them.

Rich added that it doesn’t take much water to maintain a healthy lawn.

“You don’t have to water your lawn for a half-hour a day,” Rich said. “You’ll get the same results 15 minutes a day, so we try to stress that.”

For more information on the local water supply, visit liwc.org.

Attend Hofstra’s Virtual

GRADUATE OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, June 7, 2025 10 a.m.

At Hofstra University, graduate students grow the seeds to advance in their career. Hear from representatives across 200 programs that include business, communications, education, engineering, health sciences, nursing, and psychology, and learn all the ways your success can sprout at Hofstra University. Your future awaits.

For event details and to RSVP, visit hofstra.edu/visit

Charles Shaw/Herald

Oyster Bay Water District Secretary Michael Rich, second from right, and Treasurer Nick Niznik offered samples to students during the Long Island Water Conference’s annual water tasting event at Farmingdale State College.

BALDWIN HERALD — May 15, 2025

Engines and family fun at Baldwin Chamber Car Show

The Baldwin Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Car Show on Saturday, May 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station. Attendees gathered to admire a wide variety of exotic and vintage cars, turning the train station into a hub for automobile enthusiasts. The event featured dozens of classic makes and high-end models, drawing families, collectors and community members.

— Hernesto Galdamez

Maureen Lennon/Herald photos Baldwin Chamber of Commerce President Victor Sookdeo with his son Vitan at the annual Car Show at the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station.

Julio Arroyo, right, owner of a 2021 Vanderhall, stands with his friend Andy Rodriguez, owner of a 2022 Civic Si in a warm, peach-coral color.

Showing off the American spirit.

The Baldwin LIRR station was flooded with vintage and modern vehicles.

Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

Cardinals in the Vatican have selected Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Prevost, 69, who has adopted the papal name Pope Leo XIV, is the first pope from the United States. The conclave, comprising of 133 cardinal electors, reached the required two-thirds majority in just over a day, signaling their decision with the traditional white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney on May 8.

Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, and received a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he took his first vows in 1978 and his solemn vows in 1981. He earned a master’s degree in divinity in 1982 from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He has spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming a naturalized Peruvian citizen and serving as Archbishop of Chiclayo. In 2023, he was appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, an important role in overseeing the selection of bishops around the globe.

Upon his first appearance as pope on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV greeted the thousands assembled with the words, “Peace be with you” in Italian and Spanish.

AP News reported that Pope Leo XIV was formerly the leader of the Order of St. Augustine, formed in the 13th century as a

community dedicated to poverty, service and evangelization.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to continue efforts toward modernization and inclusivity within the Catholic Church.

As well-wishes poured in from global and local leaders, The Most Reverend John Barres, Bishop of Rockville Centre, said: “With my brother bishops, the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, I give thanks to the Almighty God for the gift of our new Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

“As the 267th Successor of Saint Peter, we pray Pope Leo XIV will receive every grace to strengthen the Church in unity and peace, preach Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and confirm the Faith.

“With years of global missionary experience in Peru and leadership in his Augustinian community here in the United States, we pray, too, that his evangelizing pastoral charity and wisdom will guide the mission of the Church he now serves as Supreme Pontiff.”

County Executive Bruce Blakeman said: “Congratulations Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope and proud son of Chicago. His election marks a new chapter of hope, unity and spiritual leadership for Catholics around the world.

“As we celebrate this milestone, we pray for Pope Leo XIV as he begins his sacred mission to guide the Church with wisdom, compassion and strength.”

Courtesy Press Office of the Holy See

After a conclave that lasted just over a day, Robert Francis Prevost, 69, from Chicago, was selected as the next pope. He selected the papal name Pope Leo XIV.

BALDWIN HERALD

A bipartisan effort to protect IVF access

Gillen leads push for bill safeguarding fertility treatments, hoping for congressional momentum

By HERNESTO GALDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com

U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat representing New York’s 4th Congressional District, and Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, of the 17th District, have reintroduced a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting access to in vitro fertilization across the country.

The Access to Family Building Act, which Gillen is shepherding with support from Lawler and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, seeks to federally codify the right to access IVF services. The legislation is in response to growing concerns that reproductive technologies like IVF are being threatened by recent state-level legal developments and court rulings.

During a virtual press conference on May 7, Gillen emphasized the importance of ensuring legal certainty for families relying on reproductive technology. Infertility, she said, is a widespread issue affecting Americans of all backgrounds, and she called for Congress to act swiftly to protect the procedure.

“We believe, like most Americans do, that the right to start and grow family through IVF should be protected,” Gil-

RichnerLIVE

len said. “The Access to Family Building Act will simply ensure that IVF remains accessible to families in every state.”

Lawler echoed Gillen’s sentiments, sharing his own family’s experience with fertility challenges. He reaffirmed his support for protecting IVF access, calling it a nonpartisan issue with widespread public backing. Lawler also referenced other related legislative efforts he supports, including tax credits and insurance mandates to reduce the financial burden of IVF treatments.

“Access to IVF should not be a partisan issue,” he said. “We want to help people through this journey and certainly make sure that their right to IVF is protected.”

The press event also featured Barbara Collura, president and CEO of Resolve: The National Infertility Association, who stressed the emotional and financial toll of infertility and the need for guaranteed nationwide access to IVF.

“There are so many challenges that our communities face in building their families,” Collura said. “Our goal is to reduce and eliminate those barriers. We know firsthand that our communities want to know that IVF is protected in all 50 states.

and Herald Gives Back

On April 8th the Herald and RichnerLIVE hosted the Top Lawyers of Long Island Awards Gala at the Heritage Club of Bethpage. The WE CARE Fund, the charitable arm of the Nassau County Bar Association, which supports a range of local nonprofits was the evening’s charity beneficiary and the recipient of $2000.

From left to right: Herald publisher and CEO Stuart Richner; RichnerLIVE executive director Amy Amato, Elizabeth Post, Jeffrey Catterson and Sandy Strenger of the Nassau County Bar Association.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IVF accounted for nearly 3 percent for U.S. births in 2022, with over 91,000 babies born through assisted reproductive technology.

Democrats that year introduced the Right to Build Families Act, to protect access to IVF and other fertility treatments amid concerns after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The bill was blocked by Senate Republicans.

The lawmakers emphasized the bipartisan nature of the new legislation, with Gillen noting that Republican support like Lawler’s is vital to passing it in the current Congress.

When the Herald asked about the path forward, both lawmakers said they planned to advocate within their parties and with the congressional leadership to advance the bill through committee and onto the House floor.

The legislation comes amid renewed national attention to IVF following recent court rulings in states like Alabama, where embryos created through IVF were legally recognized as children, prompting clinics to suspend services due to the legal risks.

“I think it’s really important to dem-

U.S. Representatives Laura Gillen and Mike Lawler announced bipartisan legislation to protect nationwide access to in vitro fertilization at a virtual press conference on May 7.

onstrate that this is not a partisan issue,” Gillen said. “This is an easy one for us to agree on. We want to support couples and individuals who want to bring a child into the world. IVF may be the only way that they can do that.”

Herald file photo

Focusing on

Yourconnectionmind-body

A balanced life starts with your emotional fitness

Some people think that only people with mental illnesses have to pay attention to their mental health.

But the truth is that your emotions, thoughts and attitudes affect your energy, productivity and overall health. Good mental health strengthens your ability to cope with everyday hassles and more serious crises and challenges. Good mental health is essential to creating the life you want.

It’s always important to take stock of your mental well-being and its connection to overall health. Just as you brush your teeth or get a flu shot or other immunization, you can take steps to promote your mental health. A great way to start is by learning to deal with stress.

How stress hurts

Stress can eat away at your well-being, like acid eating away at your stomach. Actually, stress can contribute to stomach pains and lots of other problems, like headaches, insomnia, overeating, back pain, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, irritability, vulnerability to infection, and poorer brain functioning.

Stress also can lead to serious mental health problems, like depression and anxiety disorders. If you think you have such a problem, get help. Of course you can’t magically zap all sources of stress. But you can learn to deal with them in a way that promotes the well-being you want — and deserve. You can figure out ways to cope better with whatever comes your way. And decades of research suggest which steps are most likely to work.

The evidence

The concrete steps mental health professionals suggest are not based on guesses, fads or advice from grandma (though she probably got a lot right). They represent hundreds of research studies with thousands of participants, often conducted over decades and backed by major universities or government agencies.

This research shows that how good you feel is to a fairly large extent up to you. No matter how stressful your situation, you can take steps to promote your well-being.

Focus on self-care

In order to maintain and strengthen your mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a balance between your daily responsibilities and the things you enjoy. If you take care of yourself, you’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges if and when they arise.

Taking care of yourself includes pursuing activities that naturally release endorphins and contribute to feeling good. In addition to physical exercise, endorphins are also naturally released when we:

Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what you do can help build self-esteem.

Practice self-discipline. Self-control naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts.

Appeal to your senses. Stay calm and energized by appealing to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Listen to music that lifts your mood, place flowers where you will see and smell them, massage your hands and feet, or sip a warm drink.

Engage in meaningful, creative work. Do things that challenge your creativity and make you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for it — things like gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something.

Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about the things you’re grateful for. Meditate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as you go about your day.

Limit unhealthy habits like worrying. Try to avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive mental habits — negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

Sometimes it all seems too much to handle

Keep your ‘thought life’ healthy and your stress level low

Life gives people plenty of reasons to be stressed.

Relationship problems, child-rearing issues, job woes and a lack of money are just some of life’s complications that can weigh people down — and cause health problems.

In today’s society, stress and change often are thought of as the same thing. Stress is a physiological and psychological response to a change in a situation the body and mind find to be overwhelming.

With the fast pace of work and home, being constantly inundated with technology and still wanting to have time to connect with those around you, life can feel overwhelming and stressful at times.

“It’s difficult to stay healthy and energized when stress is a daily reality,” says Dr. Greg Wells. “Chronic stress can damage your body, threaten your mental health, put a strain on relationships, and take the joy out of life.”

But there’s no reason to surrender to stress, Wells, author of “The Ripple Effect: Eat, Sleep, Move and Think Better,“ says. He suggests some techniques that can help you have a healthier “thought life” and recover from chronic stress.

Move your body. Rhythmic, repeated motion is particularly soothing to the mind and body. A long walk, cycling, swimming, or running will all work, but any kind of movement relieves tension, improves circulation and clears your mind.

Get into nature. Head to the garden or the park to lower your blood pressure, strengthen your immune system, reduce tension and depression, and boost your mood. “It’s stunning how good it is for your health to be in nature,” Wells says. “And I recommend you leave the cell phone and earbuds at home.”

Practice yoga or Tai Chi. Therapy, yoga and Tai Chi are good ways to decrease stress and anxiety, increase energy and boost the immune system. They also give you more staminaand improve the quality of your sleep. Have perspective. Don’t be so quick to conclude that you “can’t handle” a stressful situation. “This is truly a mind-over-matter opportunity,” Wells says. “Believing that you are strong and resourceful actually makes you stronger and more resourceful.”

Change the nature of your response. Research indicates that taking an active, problem-solving approach to life’s challenges relieves stress and can transform it into something positive. If you withdraw, deny the problem, or spend all your time venting, you’ll feel helpless. Instead, be determined to make a change, put effort into it, and plan for better results.

Practice slow, deep breathing. Start applying the power of deep breathing each day. It will make a huge difference. Wells recommends you start small by taking three deep breaths each time you sit down at your desk — in the morning, after breaks, after lunch and so on. It will help you become more patient,

Block time for single-tasking. Each day, schedule time in your calendar for focusing exclusively on one task. This task should be something that is important to you. “People love to talk about multi-tasking, but while doing several things at once might make it seem as if you are working hard, it’s an illusion,” Wells says. Your body and mind are not designed to work that way and it causes extra stress.

“Ultimately, it’s important to remember that your thoughts have a strong influence over stress levels,” Wells says. “What you choose to think about, or not think about, dictates how your body and mind react to everyday life.”

Photo: Stressful experiences are a normal part of life, and the stress response is a survival mechanism that primes us to respond to threats. Some stress can be considered positive; but when a stressor is negative and can’t be fought off or avoided — such as layoffs at work or a loved one’s medical crisis — or when the experience of stress becomes chronic, our biological responses to stress can impair our physical and mental health.

Photo: Everything starts with the mind. Thoughts, beliefs, emotions and models of reality all influence and affect your biological chemistry. The words that you say to yourself have more of an impact on your health and well-being than you realize.

Could it be depression? Your ‘bad mood’

may be something else

Being unhappy isn’t the same as being depressed. Depression is a term often used loosely to describe how we feel after a bad week at work or when we’re going through a breakup. But major depressive disorder a type of depression is much more complicated. There are specific symptoms that determine whether it’s depression or the sadness we all sometimes experience in life.

Determining if persistent, unshakable dark feelings are a result of depression can be the first step toward healing and recovery.

Hopeless Outlook

Major depression is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel about life in general. Having a hopeless or helpless outlook on your life is the most common symptom of depression.

Other feelings may be worthlessness, self-hate, or inappropriate guilt. Common, recurring thoughts of depression may be vocalized as, “It’s all my fault,” or “What’s the point?”

Lost Interest

Depression can take the pleasure or enjoyment out of the things you love. A loss of interest or withdrawal from activities that you once looked forward to sports, hobbies, or going out with friends is yet another telltale sign of major depression.

Another area where you may lose interest is sex. Symptoms of major depression include a decreased sex drive and even impotence.

Increased Fatigue/Sleep Problems

Part of the reason you might stop doing things you enjoy

is because you feel very tired. Depression often comes with a lack of energy and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue, which can be among the most debilitating symptoms of depression. This could lead to excessive sleeping.

Depression is also linked with insomnia, as one might lead to the other and vice versa. They can also make each other worse. The lack of quality, restful sleep can also lead to anxiety.

Anxiety

While depression hasn’t been shown to cause anxiety, the two conditions often occur together. Be aware of the symptoms.

√ Nervousness, restlessness, or feeling tense

√ Feelings of danger, panic, or dread

√ Rapid heart rate

√ Rapid breathing

√ Increased or heavy sweating

√ Trembling or muscle twitching

√ Trouble focusing or thinking clearly about anything other than the thing you’re worried about

Uncontrollable Emotions

One minute it’s an outburst of anger. The next you’re crying uncontrollably. Nothing outside of you prompted the change, but your emotions are up and down at a moment’s notice. Depression can cause mood swings.

Getting Help

Recognizing that you’re depressed is essential to getting the right help.

Depression affects millions of people, but there are varying treatments available, from lifestyle changes to medications. No matter the path of treatment you choose, asking for professional help is the first step to getting back to feeling like yourself again.

Depression is a very treatable condition. Psychotherapy (talk therapy), medications or a combination thereof can be very effective in managing symptoms. Mental health professionals can work with individuals to find the right therapy based on symptoms and severity of the depression. Also, it may take some time to find the right medication or treatment; therefore, people are urged to remain patient and hopeful.

The sooner action is taken, the more quickly the condition can be addressed.

Photo: It’s normal to experience feelings of sadness and grief from time to time. But when these feelings are prolonged or interfere with daily life, it may be time to seek professional help.

Alcohol and cancer — what will you do?

In a recent Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” public health poll, 51 percent of metro area residents said they would consider drinking less as a result of the advisory by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, linking alcohol use to certain types of cancer.

According to the Surgeon General’s advisory, alcohol consumption contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year in the United States. Studies show alcohol use increases the risk for breast, colorectal, liver, and esophageal cancer, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box.

The poll, sponsored by Four Leaf Federal Credit Union, has sparked a debate over the benefits of reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, highlighting the tough road ahead for public health experts trying to shift behaviors. Although 58 percent of respondents agree that alcohol can lead to overeating and smoking, fewer than half—46 percent—said they believe it increases the risks of cancer. Meanwhile, 58 percent believe there is a safe level of alcohol that can be consumed without raising one’s risk of cancer.

“Alcohol is a carcinogen, so the more alcohol a person drinks — particularly over time — the greater their risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer,” said Adhi Sharma, MD, President of Mount Sinai South Nassau. “It would be prudent to add the cancer risk to the warning label, which could have a dual effect of reducing alcohol-related accidents as well as a range of serious health complications, such as liver and heart disease, stroke, depression, and brain damage.”

Studies show that alcohol may increase cancer risk by disrupting cell cycles, triggering chronic inflammation, damaging DNA (which controls cell growth and function), and elevating hormone levels, including estrogen, which plays a role in breast cancer development.

“As a hepatologist and gastroenterologist, I remind my patients

that while complete abstinence is the safest path, reducing consumption (no more than 1 standard drink for women and no more than 2 for a man), staying hydrated, avoiding binge drinking, and supporting liver health with a balanced diet might help mitigate some of alcohol’s toxic effects,” said Pruthvi Patel, MD, Associate Program Director of Outpatient Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai South Nassau, and Associate Professor of Medicine (Liver Diseases), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “But there’s no completely safe level when it comes to cancer risk.”

According to the American Association of Cancer Research’s 2024 Cancer Progress Report, 40 percent of all cancer cases in the United States are associated with modifiable risk factors like alcohol consumption. The Surgeon General affirmed in the advisory that, “The largest burden of alcohol-related cancer in the United States is for breast cancer in women, with an estimated 44,180 cases in 2019, representing 16.4 percent of the approximately 270,000 total breast cancer cases for women.”

Adding the cancer risk warning to alcohol labels may be the inspiration some need to quit drinking alcoholic beverages, as 54 percent of poll respondents say they generally trust warning labels on food and beverages. Seeing the warning in print could provide the motivation for the 20 percent (of those who said they drink alcoholic beverages) to act on their desire to cut back on alcohol.

“I strongly encourage everyone to make it a priority to consider whether they should reduce the amount of alcohol they drink,” said Aaron Glatt, MD, Chief of Infectious Diseases and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau. “Additional benefits of drinking less include lowered blood pressure, weight loss, a healthier complexion, sharper mental clarity, balanced mood, reduced anxiety, and better liver function.”

Mount Sinai South Nassau has provided behavioral health and substance use disorder services to Nassau County residents for more than 50 years. The hospital is committed to providing the highest-quality treatment and support to children, adults, and

A recent Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” public health poll revealed that 51 percent of metro area residents said they would consider drinking less as a result of the advisory by former U.S. Surgeon General, linking alcohol use to certain types of cancer.

families with a wide variety of symptoms and diagnoses, from substance abuse to anxiety and depression to attention deficithyperactivity disorder and more.

The hospital counseling centers offer outpatient, in-person, and telehealth services in Baldwin and Hempstead; they accept a variety of payment options and use a sliding scale for uninsured patients. Treatment is provided in English and Spanish, as well as in more than 100 other languages via interpreter services. Call (516) 3775400 to schedule an appointment.

One Healthy Way Oceanside, NY 11572 • 877-SOUTH-NASSAU (877-768-8462) • www.mountsinai.org/southnassau

Health memos are supplied by advertisers and are not written by the Herald editorial staff.

Mount Sinai South Nassau is Improving Health Care on the South Shore

The new Fennessy Family Emergency Department at Mount Sinai South Nassau doubles the size of our previous emergency department, o ering 54 private exam rooms with clear lines of sight for physicians, nurses, and support sta . Our new emergency department also o ers a separate triage area, dedicated areas for children and behavioral health patients, and has been designed to reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes.

The Fennessy Family Emergency Department is located within the new Feil Family Pavilion, opening later this year, which will have 40 new critical care suites and nine new operating rooms, designed to support the most complex surgeries on the South Shore.

To learn more visit www.mountsinai.org/feilpavilion

Baldwin junior honored by Nassau County comptroller

Baldwin High School junior Gavin Sparks received a Certificate of Recognition in Math, Accounting and Finance from Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips for his academic performance and interest in the three subject areas.

The award is presented to high-achieving Nassau County high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated strong academic records and a clear interest in mathematics, accounting and finance. Students must be nominated by school faculty or administrators and submit an essay to the comptroller’s office outlining their interest in the subjects and career goals.

Sparks was nominated by his school counselor, Meghan Schlosser.

“Congratulations to Gavin Sparks on

his recognition of his outstanding achievements as \[an] all-around exceptional Baldwin High School student,” Neil Testa, principal of Baldwin High School said. “We are proud to see him among the Nassau County Comptroller award recipients and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Comptroller Phillips described the award recipients as future leaders, innovators and problem solvers. She noted that skills in math, accounting and finance are essential across both the public and private sectors, particularly in the work of the comptroller’s office, which manages county finances, audits agencies and ensures government transparency.

— Hernesto Galdamez

Crime watCh

Petit LarCeny

An unknown individual stole items at the CVS location at 1829 Grand Ave on April 23 at approximately 12:15 a.m. according to Nassau County Police.

CriminaL misChief

An unknown individual damaged a bathroom sink and mirror at Coes Neck

Park at 1240 Coes Neck Road in Baldwin on April 18, according to Nassau County Police.

Dwi

Franco Pajeotte, 41, of Brooklyn, was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Roosevelt on April 19 at 62 E. Centennial Ave., according to Nassau County Police.

Courtesy Baldwin School District

Baldwin High School junior Gavin Sparks was awareded a Certificate of Recognition in Math, Accounting and Finance from Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips.

Community unites to clean Brookside Preserve

By AIDAN WARSHAVSKY Correspondent

The famous words, “spring cleaning,” seem to reverberate throughout discussions this time of year. For many, it is a tradition that allows you to tidy up while parting from belongings that aren’t desirable, but for the South Shore Conservation Society, it is a time to give back to the community.

The Brookside Preserve spring cleanup near North Brookside Avenue and Sunrise Highway is one of many events organized by the South Shore Conservation Society and the Green Army. Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, as well as Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé joined them on May 3.

The cleanup, in honor of Earth day, was postponed from April 26 due to bad weather.

The preserve is a 22-acre freshwater preserve purchased from New York City by the county in 1989, and is managed by the South Shore Audubon Society.

New signage posted by the county at the entrance to the preserve reminds visitors to pick up after themselves and respect their surroundings. Moreover, they’ve added trash receptacles, as well as sought the aid of the county police department to close the gate to help safeguard against mischief and vandalism in the preserve after dark.

Griffin, whose district includes Freeport, highlighted the importance of maintaining preserves such as Brookside.

I I’m doing something for myself and my community, from the heart.”

MARIcelA RMAIDA

Freeport

The 20 “cleaners,” mostly residents of Freeport village, picked up a wide assortment of wrongfully discarded items, including beer bottles, chip bags, cigarette butts, and even a tent with a full fixing of bed dressings that had long been forgotten. The group managed to fill 10 bags of garbage, which they discarded in a truck-sized dumpster provided by the county.

For village residents such as Maricela Rmaida, it isn’t just picking up trash; it is giving back to her community.

“I’m doing something for myself and my community,” Rmaida said, “from the heart.”

“It’s so important,” she said. “This preserve should be a place the whole community comes. Get this to be a preserve the community can really enjoy.”

For the conservation society and the Green Army, members said they are a family with a shared passion for helping to fulfill the needs of the community.

“We’re all aligned with the same values,” Erica De Vargas, the conservation society’s president said, noting that the group began, “wanting to make beautiful spaces like the Brookside preserve a place for families to come and just enjoy nature and because we are aligned with those values, I want to be a part of it.”

Erica de Vargas, Jasmine Pena and Jose Cuevas, all core conservation society members, noted in a text a “deep commitment” to their tradition of cleaning the Brookside Reserve, and it’s something they take “a lot of pride in.”

When asked about the tradition of maintaining Brookside Reserve, their shared text was, “It’s an opportunity for people across generations to come together with a shared purpose. You see familiar faces during each clean up, as well as new ones joining in.”

Aidan Warshavsky/Herald Freeport residents Melanie Rmaida, left, and Maricela Rmaida picking up debris at Brookside Preserve on May 3.

STEPPING OUT

Young imaginations shine

Little Learners Art Lab at Long Island Children’s Museum is filled with year-round creativity

By Danielle Schwab

Long Island Children’s Museum transforms into a colorful hub of creativity for some of its smallet visitors, every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Its Little Learners Art Lab welcomes young artists — and the grownups with them — for a handson art adventure designed to spark curiosity and imagination.

Whether it’s painting, planting or playing with textures, sessions offer an inviting space where toddlers and preschoolers can explore the world through art. This is more than about creating something beautiful — it’s about growing minds and nurturing self-expression.

“We try to infuse in all of the themes different mediums, exposure to different artists and different approaches to art,” says Ashley Niver, the museum’s director of education.

Each week, children are introduced to artists, techniques, and styles through engaging projects and materials, led by museum educators. Parents and grandparents are welcome to join in the fun, making it a bonding experience that’s as enriching for adults as it is for kids. Through these immersive projects, the tots explore their creativity and even make new friends.

“Around a third of our visitors are under the age of five. It’s important for early childhood development to have activities that are process-focused to give them that expressive freedom [to create],” Niver explains.

In each class, young learners are encouraged to ask questions, try new things and take the lead in their creative journey. The program mixes play with gentle guidance, helping children explore big concepts in age-appropriate ways.

The activities act as a gateway to talk about new concepts for young learners as they discover the world around them, combining inquisitive thinking with instructional supervision. On the schedule, May 22, families can explore the lifecycle of a plant while decorating terracotta pots during Art In Bloom. Kids will plant seeds in those pots and take their tiny gardens home to watch, water and nurture as litle sprouts grow into blooming plants.

That’s followed by Crystallized Creations on May 29. The salt-based art project allows kids experiment with textures and observe how salt and paint interact — adding a rocky twist to their creativity.

“Science isn’t just happening behind the scenes. It can

‘Murr’ goes solo

Get ready to laugh — and laugh you will. Prepare for an unforgettable night filled with comedy, chaos and wild antics as Impractical Jokers’ James “Murr” Murray hits the stage on The Errors Tour. Known for his outrageous pranks, laugh-out-loud moments and unpredictable humor, Murr brings the party to you with a show packed full of hilarious stories, ridiculous mishaps and plenty of jaw-dropping moments. With his signature style of comedy and a few unexpected surprises, Murr will have you in stitches from start to finish. It’s surely a non-stop ride of comedy, antics and pure fun you won’t want to miss. For more than a decade, Murr and his lifelong Friends — Sal, Joe and Q — have been making audiences laugh across the country, and now he’s bringing the laughs to you. Murr Live is hysterical — of course, interactive — stand-up comedy, in true Impractical Jokers style. Hangout with Murr as he tells funny stories, shows off his own personal never-before-seen videos from Impractical Jokers and plays Jokers “live” on stage with the audience.

• Weekly Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-noon

• Admission: $18 adults and children over 1 year old, $16 for seniors, free to members and under one year; additional fees for theater and special programs may apply

• For more information, visit licm.org or call (516) 224-5800

happen when you’re mixing paint and looking at changes in color or how, for instance, the salt disperses the paint pigment,” Niver says.

Other sessions examine techniques like pointillism or even introduce self-portraits in a thoroughly kid-friendly approach.

“When the parents see these ‘sticky moments’ for younger kids where they’re ingrained in these memories and these experiences, they are right there for the ride,” Niver adds.“They’re going through it with their children, and seeing their children light up and experience joy and learning of these new concepts connects the parents to the activities.”

Of course, art doesn’t have to happen in a classroom or museum space, it can also be done right at home! Niver encourages families to use these classes as an accessible way to bring the creativity back to their households.

“We want to give the opportunity for parents to incorporate making art in easy forms at home that may be less daunting for them,” Niver says.

And often, the youngsters can try materials and methods they may not have access to elsewhere. The sessions offer an introduction to new media as well.

“We also try to balance with materials that maybe they wouldn’t be exposed to normally at home. We could bring in easels one day and have the kids do canvas painting,” she adds.

The fun doesn’t stop when class ends. The museum’s exhibits and upcoming events are often tied into the weekly themes. So, when the class concludes, there’s plenty more to explore!

For example, in celebration of National Zoo and Aquarium Month, in June, kids can make majestic underwater creatures using recycled materials and bubble wrap. This is a creative “sneak peek” teaser what’s to come as the museum prepares to open its newest permanent exhibit, “Saltwater Stories,” in October.

Accessibility is another important component of the museum’s approach to arts programming. Little Learners Art Lab provides families with high-quality early childhood education at a fraction of the cost of private art classes or specialized preschool programs, according to the leadership team. The program’s affordability ensures that all children in the community have access to enriching artistic experiences that contribute to cognitive, social, and emotional development.

“Our whole point is to bring people in, and celebrate and cater to the audience that is coming to us daily, and that is the early childhood audience,” Niver says.

“We hope that for years to come families will bring back other children in their family, as their family grows, and continue to value the museum.”

Photos courtesy LICM

Kids and their adult partners play and create together at the Art Lab. Artistic inspiration involves developing young motor skills as everyone fully engages in the moment.

Friday, May 16, 7 p.m. $65, $55, $45, $35. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny. com.

and Chad Hoopes

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Artistic Directors David Finckel (piano) and Wu Han (cello) have assembled a scintillating collection of works that reveal the joy and depth of the chamber music literature. Starting as frequent collaborators, Finckel and Han have been married since 1985. As a duo, they began to tour regularly while retaining residencies in New York. In this program, volin sonatas from the Baroque and Classical eras are performed by the young virtuoso Chad Hoopes, followed by Mendelssohn’s invigorating Second Sonata for cello and piano, a gem of the Romantic era. The art of romantic music hits a high point in the concluding work, in which all combine for a trio by the founder of Czech music, Bed�ich Smetana.

Sunday, May 18, 3 p.m. Tilles Center, LIU Post campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or tillescenter.org or (516) 299-3100.

David Finckel, Wu Han

Your Neighborhood CALENDAR

Garden Days Garden lovers, green thumbs and spring seekers: Old Westbury Gardens’ beloved Garden Days return. Four vibrant days are filled with plants, programs, and purpose, highlighted by the much-anticipated Plant Sale Preview Party on Friday evening. On May 16 (6–8 p.m.), guests are invited to sip, shop and stroll through the gardens during this exclusive first-look event, featuring live music, sweet and savory treats, and early access to a lush array of rare perennials and signature plants grown right here on Long Island. The two-day plant sale runs May 17–18, (10 a.m.-4 p.m.), where shoppers can select from a curated selection of garden favorites with expert guidance from the Gardens’ horticulture staff. Addition highlights include a panel discussion, Guided walks and garden tours and spring celebration chamber concert.

•Where: 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury

•Time: Ongoing, May 15-18

•Contact: Visit oldwestburygardens.org/2025garden-days for full schedule and ticket details

Hug a happy tree

K&A Tree Service offers free tree inspections throughout Long Island. Tree professionals will visit in person to inspect tree and provide free advice to help treat your tree right and make it happy.

•Time: Ongoing

•Contact: (516) 208-3131

On Exhibit

Nassau County Museum of Art’s latest exhibition, the original “Deco at 100” coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) that publicly launched the movement. The direct follow-up to the well-received 2023 exhibit, “Our Gilded Age,” it comparably links the period’s signature innovation in the decorative arts, Art Deco, to the fine arts. On view through June 15.

•Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor

•Time: Ongoing

•Contact: (516) 484-9337 or nassaumuseum.org

‘Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!’

The beloved musical adventure, ripped from the pages of Mo

Jon Lovitz

Comedy legend Jon Lovitz brings his signature wit and unforgettable characters to the Paramount stage for a night of nonstop laughs. Best known for his Emmy-nominated run on SNL and roles in hit films like “A League of Their Own” and “The Wedding Singer,” Lovitz has been a staple of comedy for over 30 years. He got his start acting in high school productions, developing his skills at the University of California, Irvine where he earned a B.A. in Drama. He also studied acting with Tony Barr at the Film Actors Workshop. At the advice of Tony Barr, Jon decided to concentrate solely on comedy. From there his trajectory took off. He began taking classes with the famed improv comedy group The Groundlings in 1982. One year later, Jon got his first acting job on the television show “The Paper Chase: the Second Year.” Two years followed and then he was accepted into The Groundlings main company. In March 1985 The Groundlings appeared on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” where Jon premiered his character “Tommy Flanagan of Pathological Liars Anonymous. SNL and numerous other offers followed and Jon was on his, working non-stop since. Along with his comedy, Jon is well known for his distinctive voice. It has served him will in his varied TV and film career. He is one of the few performers to start as an actor and then become a stand-up comedian who successfully headlines venues nationwide. Jon’s humor is unique, which is attributable to his quirky personality, and he is sure to entertain. $59.50, $49.50, $39.50, $29.50.

Willems’ beloved award-winning, best-selling children’s books, is back on stage at Long Island Children’s Museum. Willems’ classic characters Elephant and Piggie storm the stage in a rollicking musical romp filled with plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense perfect for young audiences.

•Where: Museum Row, Garden City

•Time: Also May 17 and May 20-22, times vary

•Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800

LIMEHOF Summer Band Camp

High school vocalists and musicians can participate in the Summer Band Camp Program. Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, LIMEHOF, hosts its first All-Star Band Camp for high school students in grades 9-12. The week-long program runs from July 28 through Aug. 1, 9-11:30 a.m. each day and concludes with a final concert on Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. $350 fee. To apply, email student’s name, age, specific instrument or vocalist, and contact information to Tom Needham. Deadline is June 1.

•Contact: (631) 689-5888, info@limusichalloffame.org

MAY 17

Spring Fling Dog Walk

EPIC Family’s South Shore Guidance Center encourages everyone and their four-legged companions to participate in the annual walk for mental wellness. With face painting, games, raffles, and more. Free t-shirts while supplies last.

•Where: Cow Meadow Park, Freeport

•Time: 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

•Contact: p2p.onecause.com/ springfling2025

Art Explorations

Converse, collaborate and create at Nassau County Museum of Art. Kids and their adult partners can talk about and make art together. Enjoy reading and play in the Reading Room, and contribute to The Lobby Project, a collaborative art installation. Registration required.

•Where: 1 Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor

•Time: noon-3 p.m.

•Contact: (516) 484-9337 or nassaumuseum.org

Concert of Contrasts

Join the Long Island Choral Society and Music Director Michael C. Haigler for their final concert of

Arts & Crafts Festival Baldwin Civic Association brings back its Arts & Crafts Festival to the Baldwin Community Garden. Vendors, live music and more are expected to keep the good vibes going.

•Where: 1980 Grand Ave.

•Time: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tunes with Musically Inclined

Baldwin’s favorite band, Musically Inclined, performs at Baldwin Public Library for. Enjoy gospel, funk and jazz.

•Where: 2385 Grand Ave.

•Time: 2-3 p.m.

•Contact: baldwinpl.org

In concert

•Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.

• Time: 7 p.m.

•Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com

the season. “From the Sublime to the Ridiculous”, offers the beautiful melodies of Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes as well as the ridiculous antics of P.D.Q. Bach’s Liebeslieder Polkas. Liebeslieder translates as Love Song and this concert will give two very different visions of musical expressions of love. Act I features Brahms lush waltzes, scored for 4-hand piano and sure to elicit emotions and romantic memories through its lush melodies and sublime poetry. Act II presents P.D.Q. Bach’s interpretation of love songs through energy driven polkas scored for 5-hand piano in such a manner as to create chaos, musical mayhem, visual hijinks and some seriously bad puns. $20, $10 youth. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at door.

•Where: Garden City Community Church, 245 Stewart Ave., Garden City

•Time: 7 p.m.

•Contact: lics.org or call (516) 652-6878

Spring Book Giveaway

Baldwin Public Library Spring Book Giveaway for all ages and interests returns. Bring your own bag; extra bags avaible if needed.

•Where: 2385 Grand Ave.

•Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

•Contact: baldwinpl.org

Sands Point Preserve’s reserve’s historic mansions and waterfront grounds are the backdrop for the latest edition of its unique chamber music series, “Amami in primavera” (Love me in Spring).”

A trip to Italy is a good idea any time of the year, but spring is the best. There is love in the air and new life everywhere. With a little Puccini, Donizetti, Verdi and more, it will be a “bel pomeriggio di Musica (a beautiful afternoon of music).” duoJalal ensemble-in-residence featuring Kathryn Lockwood, viola and Yousif Sheronick, percussion, with violinists Karla Donehew Perez and Rebecca Fischer, and cellist Raman Ramakrishnan, are joined by vocalist Abby Brodnick. With wine reception following. $56, $45 members.

•Where: 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point

•Time: 3 p.m.

•Contact: sandspointpreserveconservancy. org or call (516) 571-7901

Having an event?

Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.

State restructures NUMC board in budget deal

Hospital leadership calls changes ‘immoral’

By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com

New York lawmakers have approved a $254 billion state budget package for fiscal year 2026, carrying several provisions affecting Nassau University Medical Center, including a state “takeover” of the hospital system.

The newly approved Nassau Health Care Corporation board structure, passed on May 7 by the legislature, shifts control away from Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman to Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Democrats. The restructured board — overseeing NUMC in East Meadow and the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale — will include 11 members, with a majority appointed by the governor, who will also designate the chair. The county executive will lose approval authority over the corporation’s chief executive.

Appointments to the board could be made as early as June.

The corporation has long faced scrutiny and accusations of financial mismanagement, despite the hospital system serving all patients, including the uninsured and undocumented, regardless of their ability to pay for medical care.

But significant financial improvements were reported in 2024, with the hospital system ending the fiscal year with nearly $80 million in its cash reserves, up from $28 million in December 2023. Additional financial reports showed that revenue increased by $6.2 million in November 2024, while operating expenses were down by $1.7 million, compared with 2023.

Key

changes to the NHCC Board, effective June 1

Appointments:

■ 6 by the governor, including:

■ 1 upon recommendation of the Assembly speaker

■ 1 upon recommendation of the Senate temporary president

■ 2 by the Nassau County executive

■ 2 by the majority of the Nassau County Legislature

■ 1 by the minority of the Nassau County Legislature

■ The governor will designate the board chair

■ The county executive will no longer have approval authority over the chief executive of the Nassau Health Care Corporation

The state legislature has approved changes to the Nassau Health Care Corporation, which will shift control away from County Executive Bruce Blakeman and provide oversight to Gov. Kathy Hochul and other Democratic lawmakers.

In late-April, the hospital’s current medical board strongly opposed the state’s plan before its approval last week, stating in a letter to Hochul and the state legislature, that the changes “strip the hospital of its autonomy and replace its leadership with political appointees,” according to a news release.

Dr. Irina Gelman, the current chair of the NHCC board, also rejected the state’s decision in a statement shared with the Herald on May 7.

“The state’s hostile takeover of Nassau County’s only public safety-net hospital is unprecedented, immoral and dangerous,” she said. “This disparate targeting of only NHCC and none of the other public benefit corporations in New York state, is indicative of the moral turpitude of Albany using the employees, patients and most vulnerable of Nassau County’s residents as political cannon fodder. By continuing to put politics, any politics left, right or center, before the needs of the people that work and seek care at Nassau Health Care Corporation is deplorable.”

Gelman also brought up a December 2020 study by Alvarez & Marsal, a management-consulting firm, outlining various models the hospital system could implement “to address NHCC’s precarious financial condition.” One of those models proposed “a continuing but minimal inpatient medical/surgical footprint with the full suite of current inpatient behavioral health services.”

The assessment added that “a second collocated behavioral health hospital (Article 31) license would be needed to provide inpatient psychiatric beds at current levels.”

“Both the state’s overreach of power, as well as the proposed 19 story behavioral/ health facility in the middle of Nassau County must be of critical concern to all Nassau County residents,” Gelman said, in reference to the pro-

posed changes outlined in the 2020 study. “The notion that a state appointed board would have a higher rate of success in managing this critical care facility from Albany is a logical fallacy, given the abysmal record New York State has with their own SUNY hospital facilities.”

The legislation passed on May 7 also included provisions that allow the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a public benefit corporation that assumed financial oversight of the hospital system in 2020, to impose additional control over NHCC. The hospital system filed litigation in December, accusing NIFA of gross negligence and abuses of power.

Additionally, the bill, which can be read on the state Senate’s website, calls for a study to look into “the modernization and revitalization of the Nassau Health Care Corporation.” It directs the NHCC to explore ways to strengthen NUMC and the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility.

The study would examine health care delivery trends, the hospital’s financial history and projections, infrastructure and capital needs, community health disparities, available inpatient and outpatient services, regional service capacity, operational efficiency and care qual-

The approved provisions, including a restructuring of the board, may be made as early as June 1. NUMC, seen above, is the largest public safety-net hospital in Nassau County.

ity, and student training and job placement outcomes. The study should be completed and provided to NIFA no later than Dec. 1, 2026.

“If NUMC’s outgoing leadership had put half as much effort into fiscal management and patient care as they’ve put into politics and propaganda, the hospital wouldn’t be in crisis,” Gordon Tepper, the Long Island spokesman for Hochul said in an email to the Herald. “Their focus has never been on fixing NUMC; it’s been on protecting their own interests. What we are seeing now is a long-overdue intervention to protect patients and save the institution from those who failed it.”

Assemblyman John Mikulin, a Republican who represents parts of East Meadow, said in an emailed statement he voted “no” on the state budget.

“Unfortunately, this year’s state budget of $254 billion did not deliver for New Yorkers,” he said. “There were several policy decisions included in the FY2025-26 Enacted Budget I could not support, chief among them was the state takeover of the Nassau University Medical Center. NUMC plays a vital role in the Nassau County community and should remain under local control, not Hochul control.”

Public Notices

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE

SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU

U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee, for Residential Asset Securities Corporation, Home Equity Mortgage Asset-Backed PassThrough Certificates, Series 2006-EMX1, Plaintiff AGAINST Patrick Christopher; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered January 30, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive,

Mineola, NY 11501 on May 28, 2025, at 2:00PM, premises known as 3368 Bertha Drive, Baldwin, NY 11510. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Baldwin, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, Section 54. Block 551 Lot 51. Approximate amount of judgment $1,390,389.93 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 603298/2023. Foreclosure auction will be held “Rain or Shine”

Brian J. Davis, Esq., Referee LOGS Legal Group LLP Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792

Dated: April 10, 2025 153078 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT. NASSAU COUNTY. KAROLYE CUNHA, Pltf. vs. DMTJ HOLDINGS LLC, et al, Defts. Index #609878/2022. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered March 27, 2025 I will sell at public auction on the north front steps of Nassau Supreme Court, 100

Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY on June 11, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. prem. k/a 788 Dean Drive, Baldwin, NY 11510 a/k/a School District 2, Section 36, Block 511, Lot 13. Approximate amount of judgment is $5,198.61 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale. PETER L. KRAMER (516)510-4020, Referee. BRONSTER, LLP, 156 West 56th Street, Ste. 703, New York, NY 10019. File No. 307580.192. #102263 153366

Courtesy Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul

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Beautiful Briarcliff Area

This stunning 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath Colonial is the kind of home that turns heads and captures hearts. From the moment you step inside, you're greeted by soaring 9-foot ceilings, rich hardwood floors, and detailed wainscoting that adds warmth and character throughout. The showstopper? A 22-foot-wide

Redoing a basement, Part 3

Q. We bought our home three years ago, and are finally ready to finish our basement to make a family room, guest bedroom and a bathroom while enclosing our laundry. Right now it’s just a big open space with a lot of columns. The ceiling is low, and we’ve had estimates to cut down the basement floor. It seems like a lot of money to do all these things at once, but we understand that we need to do it before the prices for materials, as we’ve been warned, go a lot higher. We want to know what needs to be done if we want to lower the floor, take out two columns so our recreation room is bigger, and put in a bathroom. Is there any way to save money?

A. This third column ties together the previous two to state that, basically, you get what you pay for, and sometimes less. I explained that basement bathrooms may not be allowed to have a bathing fixture, tub or shower, depending on the municipal requirements, and that many communities also won’t allow a bedroom in a basement, for safety reasons. I also outlined the process for figuring out beams so that columns can be removed, and that while “guessers” may save you some money up front, repairs can erase the savings.

Now we’re up to lowering the basement floor. “Saving money” and “lowering a basement floor” should rarely be in the same sentence, except for when writing an answer as to why. In general, you want more living space, structurally sound and waterproof. Both of those needs are hard to achieve if any part of the process is left out.

It’s always best to gain the most amount of interior space, and I can often tell when either saving money was the focus or amateur work was done when I see a foundation wall projecting into the basement like a concrete bench. To avoid this look and to get the most use out of the space, you have to start with knowing where the underground water table is. Unless you dig a hole or order a soil-boring test from a professional company, you may soon find out why the floor wasn’t lower to begin with. This test could save you great expense.

The process of correctly supporting the exterior concrete foundation walls is called “underpinning.” The excavation can be done from the interior side of the foundation wall if the exterior isn’t accessible. Either way, the underpinning process must be done in sections, not all at once. There would be complete collapses of walls and floors above if entire foundations were removed at one time. When this is done, it usually causes tremendous damage, possible death and news coverage.

Engineered sections, with waterproofing to the exterior, have to be planned. The old sections are carefully cut out, and then replaced several feet apart before the next sections are removed. Good luck!

© 2025 Monte Leeper

Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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Local voices matter, and the RAPID Act listens

Last month, a handful of Nassau County town supervisors stood in front of a firehouse on Barnum Island and took the low road, whipping up fear, distorting facts and conflating fallacy and fantasy with reality to try to block progress. Their target was the Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment, or RAPID, Act, a new state law designed to streamline the approval process for large-scale renewable energy and electric transmission projects.

The RAPID Act creates a more efficient and transparent process for reviewing the major infrastructure projects we desperately need. If we’re serious about clean energy, grid reliability and energy security, this is our path toward resiliency and sustainability. It’s good for consumers and developers because the streamlined process reduces costs, making investments in the grid more affordable. Unfortunately these days, facts don’t seem to matter much to some. But here are the facts.

Before the RAPID Act became law in April 2024, New York state had a patchwork of laws that made siting energy

projects difficult, confusing and expensive. Today there is a clear, easy-to-follow, streamlined system under the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission. The new system saves time and money, increases consistency, and gives communities a meaningful voice from the very beginning.

Here’s how it works.

Before even submitting an application, developers are required to consult with local officials. Throughout the process, the public is invited to comment. Each project must have meaningful community outreach in which residents are invited to participate, along with ORES.

Tfor clean, reliable energy.

The reality is that most projects comply with local laws almost entirely, and the few disputes thus far have largely been resolved through mutual agreement. Waivers aren’t done casually. They must be fully justified. And towns can challenge them. As of last month, only five towns in the entire state had appealed such rulings, and all five rulings were upheld.

here have been over 50 energy project siting hearings across the state.

To date, there have been over 50 hearings across the state. That’s not secrecy. That’s real public engagement. Your comments have been heard, as have developers — who often modify projects in response to public feedback.

Another fallacy is how the RAPID Act treats local laws. It did not create new authority for the state to waive local laws — that ability has been part of the siting process in New York for decades. The act was designed to make those waivers less likely by addressing points of conflict early. And the law allows ORES to waive those laws only when they are unreasonably burdensome and conflict with the state’s goals

If that sounds like a heavy-handed state bulldozing towns, you might want to check the script the town supervisors are reading from, because it’s fiction. What we saw last month was not thoughtful concern for our future infrastructure needs. It was a political strategy that assumes that every environmental policy from Albany is a threat, every clean-energy initiative a conspiracy and every step forward something to block. Lumping everything together and crying foul to whip up outrage doesn’t benefit the New Yorkers that we public servants are here to serve. Meanwhile, our infrastructure is aging, and doing nothing is no longer an option. The RAPID Act moves us forward. It helps make sure our homes have power during extreme storms. It helps reduce pollution. It helps create good-paying jobs in clean energy. That

should be something we can all get behind.

If the supervisors want to sit down and talk seriously about how to improve the process, our door is always open. But yelling about non-existent dangers doesn’t help anyone. It misleads the public. It slows progress. And it makes it harder to build the kind of energy future Long Island deserves and desperately needs.

We believe in transparency, community input and in building a future in which Long Island is stronger, safer and cleaner. The RAPID Act is a big step in that direction.

It’s time to stop the political games. Time to stop pretending that doing nothing is somehow safer. I know firsthand that Long Islanders care about their communities, and the environment. They’re smart enough to see through rhetoric designed to instill fear, and they deserve better: They deserve leadership that tells the truth about the very real needs and demands of our infrastructure and its impacts on growing our economy. As I’ve said in countless hearings and committee meetings, the RAPID Act isn’t about taking power away from towns. It’s about keeping the lights on, making sure everyone has a seat at the table, and making sure we’re ready for the future.

Let’s move forward together.

Rory Christian is chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission.

Companies that produce packing waste must recycle it

Consumers have changed our shopping habits across New York state. The transition to online shopping has significantly increased plastic, paper and cardboard packaging waste. Those materials go to Reworld, which takes our trash, and are turned into ash. The ash needs to go somewhere, but where?

On Long Island, most of the ash goes to Brookhaven Landfill, but that clock is ticking. The Brookhaven facility will soon reach its capacity for ash, and that means it will close in the next few years, leaving towns such as Hempstead and North Hempstead with no ash-disposal options on Long Island. As packaging waste increases, recycling rates remain lackluster, which adds to our solid-waste burden. The good news is that we can reduce packaging waste and increase recycling rates to help address this challenge. Citizens Campaign for the Environment

chairs a statewide coalition of environmental leaders, local governments, stakeholders and elected officials who have joined to back state legislation called the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. This important bill is urgently needed.

p ass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act!

New York is experiencing a solid-waste crisis, with skyrocketing costs to municipalities, abysmal recycling rates, and plastic pollution littering our communities and waterways. Our state generates more than 17 million tons of municipal solid waste annually. Long Island is responsible for 1.6 million tons per year, 205,000 tons of which go to landfills off Long Island, and 1.4 million tons are sent to waste-toenergy facilities, resulting in 400,000 tons of ash that must be landfilled. There is currently no plan to manage this ash once the Brookhaven landfill is closed. The one wise choice everyone agrees on is to reduce our waste stream, and this legislation would do just that.

The financial burden of managing recyclable waste falls on local taxpayers. Municipalities are struggling with

recycling costs and outdated infrastructure that significantly limits the volume of materials that are recycled. It is estimated that local governments statewide spend more than $200 million each year to keep local recycling programs going. That is not sustainable.

The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act would revolutionize New York’s approach to solid waste by shifting the responsibility of managing plastic, paper and packaging waste to corporations, not taxpayers and local governments. Those that put packaging into the waste stream are best positioned to reduce the amount of packaging that’s created in the first place.

The measure would require large corporations to reduce consumer packaging by 30 percent in 12 years, increase post-consumer recycled content in packaging and invest in new reuse/ refill infrastructure. The bill includes strong oversight and enforcement provisions to ensure that corporations comply.

Other states, including California,

Colorado, Maine and Oregon, have passed such laws, and similar policies have been in effect in parts of Europe and Canada for over 30 years. Where fully implemented, recycling rates exceed 70 percent, and the cost of consumer goods has not increased one penny.

It is time for corporations take out their own trash! Each year, companies ship billions of products with excess packaging, exacerbating the solid-waste crisis, yet they bear no responsibility for managing the waste they create. This sensible legislation promises to save money for municipalities and taxpayers, remove toxic substances from packaging, increase recycling and require producers to reduce waste.

We need to modernize New York’s recycling system and make producers take responsibility for managing their packaging waste. We need the governor, the State Senate and the Assembly to support this critical bill and get it signed into law this year. Every year we do nothing is another year we waste money, and allow our solid-waste management problem to grow.

We can do this!

RoRY CHRisTiAn

Adrienne Esposito is executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

We must restore Musk’s cuts of the 9/11 health fund

it is essential that Congress do all it can to fully restore the World Trade Center Health Program. I commend Long Island Congressmen Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota for leading a bipartisan effort to undo the damage, intentional or not, to this program by Elon Musk’s chainsaw cuts of government health programs.

During my years in Congress, no issue was more vital or intensely personal to me than ensuring that all of the surviving victims of the attacks of Sept. 11 — police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, construction workers and civilians — receive the care they require and deserve for the illnesses caused by the toxins they breathed in at ground zero in the days, weeks and months afterward.

It wasn’t until several years after 9/11 that evidence emerged of a growing number of blood cancers and lung and breathing disorders suffered by 9/11 first responders and nearby residents and students. The concern was bipartisan. Democratic Representatives Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney and

ARepublicans Vito Fossella and I were the original prime advocates. We introduced legislation in 2005 and again in 2007 to establish and fund a 9/11 illness detection and treatment program.

ed a rare and fatal blood cancer after working together at ground zero. The chances of this being a coincidence were infinitesimal. And there were countless similar situations.

session, our efforts paid off: Zadroga passed both the House and Senate.

TToday we know that more people have died from 9/11 illnesses than from the attacks, but in those early years, the numbers of victims weren’t yet especially high, and there was no proof of direct linkage to 9/11, which made it difficult to generate strong interest or support outside the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations.

hey’re causing many of the 9/11 doctors and experts to be terminated.

Soon enough, however, there was too much evidence to ignore. Anecdotally, I would see FDNY and NYPD neighbors who had worked at ground zero wearing oxygen masks as they watched their kids’ Little League games or stopped by 7-Eleven for coffee. Those scenes were repeated across Long Island and the entire downstate region, and there would eventually be victims among rescue workers who had come to New York from almost all 50 states. To make our case, we asked 9/11 heroes to visit Congress to make direct appeals to individual members. I particularly recall NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly sitting in my Washington office telling me about two cops who contract-

The enormity of what was becoming a 9/11 health crisis could no longer be denied. In 2008, we thought our legislation — named the Zadroga Bill, after James Zadroga, who was believed to be the first NYPD officer to die from a 9/11 illness — would be included in a large year-end package of legislation agreed on by Congress and the White House. Unfortunately the combined tumult of a Presidential election and a stock market collapse prevented it from coming to a vote, and there was no opportunity to salvage it.

After close but disappointing nearmisses over the next two years, primarily because of opposition from Republicans in Southern and Western states, I and others fought furiously to get Zadroga passed. I had no tolerance for opposition from the crowd who primarily represented states and districts that received disproportionate levels of federal assistance at the expense of donor states like New York, which effectively subsidized them. Finally, on Dec. 22, 2010, the last day of the congressional

Unfortunately the bill had a five-year limit, so we had to wage the fight again in 2015. This time the struggle wasn’t as difficult, and Zadroga was extended. But then, in 2019, we learned there were many more victims than expected, and the fund was running short. With the bipartisan support of Democrats like then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and House Republicans like then Whip Steve Scalise and Representatives Doug Collins and Mike Johnson, Zadroga was extended to the end of the century. I was proud to be with President Trump when he signed this legislation at a ceremony on the White House lawn.

Now the fund is seriously threatened by Musk’s misplaced cuts, which, probably made unknowingly, are causing many of the 9/11 doctors and experts to be terminated, including program Director Dr. John Howard.

Though the White House has promised to fully reinstate the program, so far it has not been done. Victims are being denied necessary testing. This insanity must end. Our nation’s commitment to the victims of 9/11 must be honored!

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.

The new state budget is a victory for Hochul

merica is fixated on picking winners and losers. We use that term every day, applying it to sports, the stock market and every other field of endeavor. I heard it during the trial of O.J. Simpson, and I remember hearing it as far back as the 1960s, when, following a massive snowstorm, some parts of Queens were the last neighborhoods in New York City to see snowplows. Winners and losers are proclaimed extensively in politics, because politicians are tested on an almost daily basis.

Which leads to a discussion of the long-delayed New York state budget. Over the years, when there was an agreement between the three leaders — the governor, the leader of the State Senate and the Assembly speaker — they would all show up at a much-heralded news conference, at which each would take credit for some portion of the budget bill. For the past few years, that practice has changed, because the only person who has been taking the

media spotlight is Gov. Kathy Hochul. Before talking about winners and losers, it’s worth looking at this year’s budget process. The new spending plan budget is the latest to be finalized since 2010. Since the April 1 deadline, there have been 11 legislative extensions, which assures state employees that they can collect their paychecks.

LCould the governor have refused to delay the passage of an agreed-on budget and submitted her own spending plan on a take-itor-leave-it basis? The answer is yes. During the administration of Gov. David Paterson, the courts decided that if the Legislature can’t agree on a budget by March 31, the governor can force a vote on his or her own plan with no further delays.

cation, housing, mental hygiene and tax reform. When the dust settled, the two leaders got their asks, but the governor got the lion’s share of what she proposed back in January.

ooking to next year’s election, she set aside money for every region of the state.

But in the spirit of harmony, succeeding governors have chosen to go through the arduous process of countless meetings and formal extensions until all of the parties sign on to a final accord. This year, Hochul made it clear that she had a long list of priorities, and had no plans to give in on them. She presented the Assembly and Senate with a long list of programs covering criminal law, edu-

With an eye on next year’s election, Hochul set aside money for every region of the state. She addressed subway crime, and sided with the state’s district attorneys on their demand for reforms that will allow them to prevent the dismissal of pending cases. Taxpayers can anticipate expansion of childcare tax credits and many other goodies, including $400 checks for families on limited incomes. School districts will get a hefty increase in education aid, and students won’t be unable use their cellphones from the first school bell to the last.

During a typical give-and-take that is part of the negotiating process, each of the parties shows some willingness to bend on their key issues. But this time, the governor stuck to her guns and yielded on very few issues. Facing what could be a very tough re-election campaign next year, Hochul dug in on almost every proposal she made and

gave little ground, which added to the delays. Albany insiders were surprised at her insistence on winning on so many issues, but she has powers, and used them.

An outsider might wonder why budgets take so long these days, compared with the process 20 and 30 years ago, when spending plans were adopted days and weeks before the deadline. Once upon a time, the state budget was strictly a numbers game. The leaders would promote their pet programs, and possibly sneak in a new program or two. But in the late 1980s, the leaders began to introduce items that were controversial and had little to do with the budget. Wrapped up in one big bill, these nonfiscal items would pass, because the members would have no choice but to swallow the whole document.

Is there a chance that state budgets will once again become just a numbers package? That’s highly unlikely, because all of the leaders have developed an appetite for inserting proposals in the budget that would have no chance of passing as stand-alone bills.

Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. Comments about this column? jkremer@ liherald.com.

Established 1994

Incorporating The South Shore Reporter

The Baldwin Citizen

Hernesto Galdamez

Editor

2

Phone: (516) 569-4000

Fax: (516) 569-4942

Web: www.liherald.com

E-mail: baldwineditor@liherald.com

HERALD

aWelcoming home your freshman

s college dorm rooms empty across the nation, millions of parents are preparing for a significant homecoming. Your freshman is returning — perhaps changed, certainly tired, and undoubtedly with more laundry than you thought humanly possible. This transition marks the beginning of a new chapter in your family story, one that requires delicate navigation, open communication, and occasional deep breaths as you adjust to your evolving relationship.

The transformation that occurs during college’s freshman year is nothing short of remarkable. The timid student who needed reminders about deadlines may return with strong opinions about political systems you’ve never discussed. The picky eater might come home raving about kimchi or curry. The once-shy teenager might stride through your door with newfound confidence and independence. Your child has spent months making independent decisions, forming new social circles, and discovering aspects of themselves that may surprise you — and them.

What parents sometimes fail to acknowledge is that we’ve changed, too. We’ve adjusted to quieter evenings, reclaimed bathroom counter space, and perhaps discovered new routines or even aspects of our identities that had been subsumed by active parenting. Your student’s return disrupts not just their new normal, but yours as well.

The first summer home represents uncharted territory for both generations. Your student has grown accustomed to complete autonomy — deciding when to eat, sleep, study and socialize without consultation or explanation. Meanwhile, you’ve maintained a household with certain rhythms and expectations. Within the first few days of your college student’s homecoming, have a detailed conversation with them about expectations to prevent misunderstandings.

letters

We have to be cautious while supporting sustainability

To the Editor:

What routines did they develop at college? What do they need to feel comfortable at home? How will household responsibilities be shared? This opens the door to compromise rather than confrontation.

For many freshmen, college is their first opportunity to define themselves beyond their family context or high school reputation. They’ve experimented with new identities, beliefs and social circles. Coming home can feel like stepping backward, especially if you still see them as the person they were before they left.

This identity navigation works both ways. Your student may struggle to integrate their college self with their home self. They might seem different with college friends than with family. They might challenge family traditions or political views that once went unquestioned. These explorations, while sometimes uncomfortable, represent healthy development and should be met with curiosity rather than defensiveness.

Don’t be surprised if your student spends the first week home sleeping extraordinary hours, eating everything in sight, or displaying emotional volatility. Freshman year is physically and emotionally exhausting — particularly its conclusion, with final exams, packing and goodbyes to new friends. The transition home often reveals the school year’s toll. Students maintain a frantic pace during the semester, running on adrenaline and caffeine. When they finally reach the safety of home, their bodies and minds demand recovery time. Parents should view excessive sleeping or emotional sensitivity as necessary healing, not regression or laziness.

The social landscape for your adult child has likely shifted dramatically as well. High school friendships that once seemed permanent may have drifted. New romantic relationships may have formed. Your student might spend little

As communities across New York and the nation explore ways to transition to cleaner energy, there is growing momentum behind battery energy storage systems, particularly those using lithium-ion technology. However, we must not let the promise of sustainability blind us to the inconvenient truths of our present reality. The concept of a circular battery economy — in which batteries are reused, repurposed, and ultimately recycled to recover key materials — is a commendable goal. Yet we are far from achieving it. Our current

time at home as they reconnect with local friends or process the changes in these relationships. Alternatively, they might seem isolated if their primary social connections now exist at school. Both scenarios require your patience and understanding.

And while your instinct might be to recreate family traditions exactly as they were before, this summer presents an opportunity to develop new ways of connecting that honor your student’s developing adulthood. Ask them to teach you about their newfound passions. Take them to places that were once offlimits — a sophisticated restaurant, an art exhibit — that signal your recognition of their maturation. When they share stories about college experiences, practice active listening without immediately offering advice. Questions like, “How did you handle that?” communicate respect for their problem-solving abilities and invite deeper conversation. There’s a poignant truth most parents discover during this first post-college summer: Each homecoming from now on will be temporary. Your child’s primary residence increasingly exists elsewhere — in dorms, apartments and, eventually, their own home. The full nest you’ll experience this summer will empty again, with each cycle of departure becoming more permanent.

This realization, while sometimes painful, also brings opportunity. The time-limited nature of these summers encourages making the most of the moments you share. Rather than focusing on the inevitable goodbye at summer’s end, embrace the gift of time together, even if it seems fleeting.

What awaits in these summer months is a delicate dance of holding close and letting go — a choreography that, when performed with grace, becomes the foundation for a relationship that will sustain you both long after the last box is packed for sophomore year.

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Fighting for Nassau University Medical Center’s future

when you show up at the doors of Nassau University Medical Center, there’s only one thing on your mind: Will I get the immediate care that I need?

For thousands of Nassau County residents, NUMC serves as their safety-net hospital. It is one of the only facilities equipped to treat third-degree burns, and maintains designated centers for stroke, hypertension, diabetes and vascular disease. It’s particularly well equipped to treat cancer patients, rare and advanced infections and autoimmune disorders, as well as tackling the increasing number of mental health and substance-abuse cases.

This advanced treatment is only possible thanks to NUMC’s highly trained medical staff. The facility also functions as a teaching hospital with numerous educational affiliates, training the next generation of providers to continue offering the gold standard of care. As a newly elected state senator rep-

resenting parts of Nassau County, and as an alumna of the County Legislature, I came to Albany to fight tooth and nail for the unique needs of our community. NUMC’s years of financial disarray, mismanagement by its board and longoverdue infrastructure upgrades directly jeopardized its own future, and the reliability of care for county residents. We knew that swift action needed to be taken. That’s why I immediately went to battle for provisions that actually deliver what NUMC needs: financial guardrails, community input, and future investments in the facility.

iproudly secured $50 million for future infrastructure upgrades, earmarked for release with the completion of the board’s financial plans. With these elements, NUMC’s final budget language will take into account the realities on the ground, while balancing the need for reforms from within.

led the charge to ensure that nine of the 11 board appointees will be county residents.

I led the charge to ensure that nine of the 11 NUMC board appointees will be county residents, as a way to preserve the irreplaceable voices of those that it serves. At least one of the board appointees will be made by the Senate majority leader, an important measure to ensure that state-level appointees are fairly balanced. The final state budget language that I negotiated will also require ample input from the community itself on the future of the hospital as the new board puts together future spending plans, further prioritizing the voice of Nassau residents in this process. Finally, I

Letters

infrastructure for battery recycling is still in its infancy, and the environmental and economic costs of lithium extraction remain extraordinarily high.

Lithium mining is not benign — it consumes vast amounts of water, devastates ecosystems, and often occurs in regions with poor labor and environmental protections. Meanwhile, the lack of cost-effective and widely available recycling facilities means that today’s lithium-based storage systems could become tomorrow’s toxic waste problem.

Until we have robust recycling infrastructure, updated fire and safety codes, and enforceable end-of-life regulations for BESS, policymakers must exercise caution. Approving large-scale lithiumbased projects now, without these safeguards, risks trading one environmental crisis for another.

Sustainability must be more than a buzzword. It requires full-cycle accountability — from cradle to grave and, ideally, cradle to cradle. Let’s not build the clean-energy future on the unstable foundation of unresolved waste and extraction.

These are my beliefs as a private citizen, and do not reflect the official stance or opinion of the Village of Sea Cliff.

BrUCE KENNEDy Glen Cove Sea Cliff village administrator

We must urge Israel to cease its military campaign

To the Editor:

I am not a Jew, but I am a Zionist, in that I support Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign state.

I regard Hamas as a terrorist organization guilty of a barbaric attack on Israeli civilians in October 2023 as well as vicious repression of the people it purports to represent. Hamas must free all hostages immediately and unconditionally.

But the time has come for American Jews and gentiles alike who share these views to publicly urge the Israeli government to cease its military campaign in Gaza. Our voices can be powerful — if we exercise our moral duty to speak out.

Even if Hamas has inflated the death count, it is incontestable that many thousands of non-combatant Palestinians, including children and aid workers, have been killed in Israeli strikes. It is likewise certain that civilian suffering, already acute, is intensifying as a result of Israel’s two-month-long blockade of food and medicine deliveries to Gaza. And any escalation of the war is sure to further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages, accord-

The budget also incorporates an additional $500 million, allocated by the Senate, to the Distressed Hospital Fund. Upon NUMC’s adherence to the Department of Health’s Corrective Action Plan, it will qualify to access a portion of the $1.5 billion aimed at enhancing its financial management and long-term strategic planning.

As a state senator, I know firsthand how important NUMC is to our community and the thousands of patients it serves, many of whom will have nowhere else to turn if this hospital fails. To me, the success of the hospital is personal. It’s where my grandmother sought medical care and ultimately took her last breath. It’s where my high school best friend received treatment for a rare form of cancer. The brave staff at NUMC looked after them with dignity and compassion, as I know they have

done for countless others in their darkest moments.

We know what’s at stake if the hospital’s course is not corrected, including for the more than 80,000 emergency patients that are treated there annually, and the 270,000 patients overall who seek care at NUMC, 70 percent of whom come from minority and low-income communities. Many of them are my constituents.

Now the behaviors that put NUMC in this position to begin with are over. A system that has long been riddled with nepotism, and a misguided fiduciary responsibility, which has left the staff and patients in a state of constant uncertainty, is coming to an end. Now it’s the good people of Nassau County who will have a direct say in the future of our beloved hospital, who will help shape its future financial plan, who will be responsible for keeping the needs and interests of the community at the center of its operations, and who will breathe life back into this system.

I am very proud to have won a budget deal that centers Nassau County in the future of NUMC, and charts a path forward that will ensure the financial solvency needed for it to continue caring for our residents.

Siela Bynoe represents the 6th State Senate District.

Framework by Tim Baker

ing to the Israeli forum of families of the hostages.

There’s nothing antisemitic about opposing Israel’s disproportionate response to Hamas’s atrocities. Indeed, this stance should rest firmly upon the

core Jewish values of rachamim (mercy and compassion) and chesed (loving kindness).

Alex Candon and her briefly airborne daughter, Lilli, at the L.I. Marathon — East Meadow

sieLa BYnoe

KEVIN J. KELLEy Atlantic Beach