HERALD east meadow
Jordan Vallone/Herald Serene and Grateful Entertainment, also known as SAGE, is a Levittown-based nonprofit that champions music and art therapy as tools for individuals recovering from addiction. Above, Andrew Kase, its LGBTQ+ outreach director, Sean Mullady, its founder, and Danielle McNicholas, its therapeutic director.
With SAGE, finding hope after addiction through art and music
By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com
Feelings of joy, strength and resilience radiated throughout the East Meadow Public Library, as Serene and Grateful Entertainment, or SAGE, hosted a creative showcase, highlighting the talents of musicians, poets, artists and more. SAGE is
SAGE, a nonprofit organization that champions music and art therapy as tools for individuals recovering from addiction, was founded by Sean Mullady, with the same name of his son, Sage Mullady, who died in 2022 from a drug overdose.
“It was devastating,” Mullady said. “I didn’t have any coping skills. I’d always been a functioning addict, but when that happened, I com-
pletely spiraled out of control. Long story short, one day I woke up, and I was like, ‘I’m either going to have an act two in life, or I’m going to go down in flames.’”
Mullady went to St. Christopher’s Rehabilitation Inn in upstate-New York.
“I found a higher power, you know, I found God, and started getting clean,” he said at the event on March 29. “But what I realized that there was a void that needed to be filled with music and art. And that’s where SAGE comes in.”
After leaving rehab about three years ago, Mullady, who is originally from Oceanside, began working on building what would become SAGE. The nonprofit is based in Levittown but regularly engages in workshops and
Kiwanis Club food drive stocks pantries
By JOSEPH D’ALESSANDRO jdalessandro@liherald.com
As winter ends, students from East Meadow High School’s Key Club revitalized their local food pantries following the successful Thanksgiving food drive of last year.
The collection occurred outside the ShopRite in Uniondale on March 21 and 22. Community members donated nonperishable goods to support local families in need. Volunteers accepted sealed food items and ingredients as well as gift cards to help purchase perishable items such as dairy products, fresh meat and vegetables.
The proceeds from the drive went to regional food pantries including St. Brigid’s Parish in Westbury.
The parish’s pantry received the donations shortly after the drive concluded, about a dozen large boxes packed full of longlasting goods — exactly what they need to last through the coming months, according to Yanira Chacon, director of parish outreach.
“We’ve been in relationship
with the Kiwanis from East Meadow, I believe, for about 20 years,” she said. “This is very refreshing that we know that there are families who are not from Westbury and they are concerned about the needs that others may have. They grow themselves by helping others and by being aware that there is need around us.
“Always, when you do something for the others, it comes back to you double,” she continued, “so all the time that you can do something good for anybody else, to help people there are in need, the blessings will multiply to yourself.”
Through the annual food drives, a new generation of givers are fighting back against growing food insecurity on Long Island, Chacon said.
“We are open five days a week the whole year,” she said. “We always have a lot of families… we always need donations.”
Anne Lederer, the director of the social ministry at St. Raphael Parish, received 20 boxes of donations for her parish’s food pantry from the Kiwanis Club.
“They had a whole pickup
DECA competitors earn spot on global stage
More than a dozen students from W.T. Clarke High School’s DECA in East Meadow competed at this year’s DECA States competition in Rochester, held from March 4-6.
Students competed in events focused on marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Through activities such as preparing written projects and completing impromptu role plays, DECA’s competitive events allow students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations, helping them develop skills that prepare them for both college and future careers. These events are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards within the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism.
While attending the New York State Conference, students also took part in a variety of leadership and career development academies that help equip them with the skills needed for success beyond the classroom.
As a result, Clarke will send 13 underclassmen to Atlanta, Georgia, from April 25-28 to compete at DECA’s 76th annual International Career Development Conference as they placed in the top three in numerous categories. Congratulations to Clarke’s DECA students for their excellence in the following categories:
■ Penelope Hawkes and Marissa Martin – Fourth Place in Sports & Entertainment Marketing TDM
■ Shreya Satpathy – First Place in Financial Consulting
■ Adiba Zaman – Second Place in Professional Selling: Marketing
■ Minah Cho and Nusaybah Kabir – Sixth Place in Business Services Operations Research
■ Nathan Laurette, Jake Thakkar, Kieran Reynolds –Fourth Place in Sports & Entertainment Operations Research
■ Sofia Barbarisi, Ethan Follick, Ava Ruperto – Sixth Place in Career Development Project
■ Ruhi Patwal – First Place in Start-up Business Plan
Clarke’s DECA chapter, led by chapter advisers
Joseph Pavia and Carol Kelly, also had an additional 46 top 10 overall placements. More than 25,000 high school students, teacher advisers, business professionals and alumni are scheduled to gather for several days of DECA excitement.
The district wished Clarke’s DECA chapter the best of luck at this year’s national conference.
–Jordan Vallone
Courtesy East Meadow Union Free School District
W.T. Clarke High School’s DECA chapter in East Meadow will compete at DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia from April 25-28.
An ‘egg-stra’ Easter at Stew’s Leonard’s
It was another year of an “egg-stra” special event at the East Meadow Stew Leonard’s on April 1. The store hosted its annual Easter Egg Hunt Egg-Stravaganza, geared towards families with children ages 8 or younger.
Easter eggs filled with candy and other prizes could be found all throughout the store. There were several beloved characters, such as the Easter Bunny, that helped make the egg hunt just a tad more magical.
Five lucky children walked away with an egg that had a special ticket inside, redeemable with customer service for a grand prize: “a WOW Easter Basket,” bursting with extra treats.
The Easter Egg-Stravaganza was completely free to the community and got children and families out and having fun — and putting their egg hunting skills to the test — a few days before the actual holiday.
For more on upcoming holiday events, which take place all year long at Stew Leonard’s, visit StewLeonards. com/Stew-Leonard-Events/. The East Meadow store is at 1897 Front Street, East Meadow.
–Jordan Vallone
Mackenzie Murphy, 4, from East Meadow, with her friend McKenzie Lantz, 5, from Farmingdale.
Christopher and Alexander Medina, 2-year-old twins from East Meadow, had a blast picking eggs out of the pasta aisle.
Tim Baker/Herald photos Valentina Gonzalez, 2, with her brother, Luca Gonzalez, 4-months, both from Wantagh, met the Easter Bunny.
Ryan Dergosits, 4, from Levittown, with the Easter Bunny.
Stew Leonard’s employees Dona Seal and Kevin Canto joined in on the fun.
At Stew Leonard’s, children set out to collect eggs around the store. Angelia Martinez, 6, from Levittown, showed off her finds.
4
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IBeing
t is an early weekday evening in Chelsea, and I get confirmation from the conductor on the southbound “W” train that their stops include Prince Street.
Once above ground the goal is to head for Greene Street, thinking I am better than Google Maps and know where east is. I don’t. So double back to Greene after going two blocks in the wrong direction across Broadway.
Wait, is this a throwback to my writing about “being seen?”
I let this go for a while, just to be sure that it’s not imagination or something even more paranoid. My companion assures that it’s very evident, we are dressed in business casual, lugging parkas and backpacks. This is not our scene to crash or otherwise.
Headed to a fundraising event, a celebration of creativity with salon show, light bites and personalized shopping — it is an event I gave an immediate RSVP when first publicized. Rarely in SoHo yet I see it as a new experience, never factoring in that I will have just finished a full day of teaching the concepts of direct marketing to college students with their eye on the spring recess to come.
“I’m outta here,” I finally whisper behind the photographers taking pictures of the models and beautiful people. We gather our belongings, thank the coordinator at the door and head out to the fresh air, an unexpected 70-degree early evening in a spring that can’t make up its mind.
This is a lovely venue, and there is the direction to the stairs and lower level in which the promised light bites are fortified by a wine bar and soft hightop chairs. But just then reality steps in.
At first, I watch young models being corralled by a sales representative who determines how they will ascend and descend the stairs for interested patrons. There are waiters serving white wine on silver trays. A bartender approaching and serving others. But no one is acknowledging me. No one.
I’m not amused by the way things went, but for the first time in a long time I’m not suffering from FOMO either. There will always be places in which one will fail to be seen if left to first impressions. But I’m not discouraged about the future. It’s the 740-something to Huntington — after Raising Cane’s chicken fingers and fries. So much for wine and small bites.
A contributing writer to the Herald since 2012, Lauren Lev is a direct marketing/ advertising executive who teaches marketing fundamentals as well as advertising and marketing communications courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology and SUNY Old Westbury.
L auren L ev
ELIZABETH POIROT
WEST HEMPSTEAD Senior Lacrosse
ONE OF NASSAU COUNTY’S most prolific scorers, Poirot shares the Herald’s 2026 High School Lacrosse preview cover with Seaford’s Brian Falk. Poirot earned Honorable Mention
All-County honors last spring after dominating the scoresheet for a second straight season and helping the Rams to 11 wins. As a junior, she racked up 77 goals to go along with 38 assists. This after in 2024 the dynamic attack scored 74 goals and had 25 assists.
games to watch
Friday, April 10
Softball: Plainedge at Mineola 10 a.m.
Softball: Plainview at
Softball: Roosevelt at Malverne
Softball: Kennedy at Bethpage
Softball: Floral Park at South Side
Softball: East Meadow at Farmingdale
Baseball: Kennedy at Calhoun
Baseball: Long Beach at South Side
Baseball: Glen Cove at Hewlett
Baseball: Garden City at MacArthur
Boys Lacrosse: Wantagh at North Shore
Girls Lacrosse: Oceanside at Wantagh
Girls Lacrosse: Plainedge at Lynbrook 11 a.m.
Girls Lacrosse: West Hempstead at Elmont 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 11
Girls Lacrosse: East Meadow at Plainedge 9 a.m.
Softball: V.S. Central at V.S. South 10 a.m.
Softball: North Shore at Hewlett 10 a.m.
Softball: Freeport at East Rockaway 10 a.m.
Softball: Massapequa at Oceanside 10 a.m.
Softball: Elmont at West Hempstead 10 a.m.
Girls Lacrosse: Locust Valley at Seaford 2 p.m.
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 year. Please send the following information: Name, School, Grade, Sport and accomplishments to Sports@liherald.com.
HERALD SPORTS
Jets take flight with new coach
By ANDREW COEN sports@liherald.com
East Meadow softball charts a new era this spring with a longtime assistant coach and former standout Jets’ player looking to bring the program back to championship heights.
Becky Mattia, an All-State third baseman at East Meadow in the early 2000s, assumed the head coaching position of her alma mater after 14 years in the dugout as an assistant coach.
“It means the world to me as I’m so lucky that I get to coach where I went to high school,” said Mattia, who was part of a coaching staff that led East Meadow to two state championships and six county titles. “I feel very blessed because I was under two really good head coaches in Stu Fritz and Frank Baglivo.”
Mattia inherited a team that went 8-8 on Conference IV and fell to Division in the first round of the Class AA playoffs with a largely young roster.
The Jets’ pitching staff is led by freshman Grace Moone, who has made strides after earning varsity experience as an eighth grader. Moone recorded eight strikeouts in East Meadow’s season-opening 16-0 romp at Herricks on March 21.
Junior shortstop Gabi Shephard is another pitching option Mattia can turn to when needed who is the team’s leading hitter batting close to .600. Shephard is also one of the team’s top base runners with electric speed.
“She’s very consistent,” said Mattia of Shephard , who went 2-for-2 at the plate in a 17-5 loss at Hicksville on March 23. “She gets on base and she will make her way to third base pretty quick as she is very smart on the bases.”
Sophomore catcher Ali Barnwell has emerged as one of the team’s top hitters after a strong freshman season both on offense and behind the plate. Barnell knocked in a run in the Hicksville loss.
Senior first baseman Katelyn Coffey produced plenty of power last year and Mattia is hoping to get her back in the lineup soon after she suffered an ACL injury during soccer season in the fall.
Gianna Ventura, a senior center field-
er, is another veteran leader on the field who can get her way on base as a top bunter and slasher to go along with strong base stealing abilities.
East Meadow entered the week 1-3 overall and 0-2 in Conference II. The Jets visit Farmingdale Friday for 10 a.m. first pitch and then head to Catholic League power Kellenberg Saturday for a challenging non-league game at 11 a.m.
The Jets are assured of a postseason spot for the Class AA playoffs and Mattia
is hoping a challenging conference schedule will prepare them well for key games in May.
“This conference is not easy as every game is a battle so it will be a good test for us and hopefully gets us ready for the playoffs,” Mattia said. “Our expectations are to just keep getting better and better and better because I want us to be playing great softball at the end of April and beginning of May.”
Paul Grassini/Herald
Senior center fielder Gianna Ventura is a key to East Meadow’s offese at the top of the lineup.
Premier Business Women of Long Island Awards honor top female leaders and innovators
By Abbey Salvemini
The room at The Heritage Club at Bethpage was filled with energy, ambition and a shared sense of purpose on March 25 as business leaders gathered for the 2026 Premier Business Women of Long Island Awards. This annual event honored outstanding women who are not only achieving success within their respective industries but also driving innovation and meaningful change across them.
At the heart of the evening was a clear and resonant message: women are no longer waiting for opportunities to be granted; they are creating their own paths and redefining leadership on their own terms.
Amy Amato, executive director of corporate relations and events at Richner Communications, set the tone early in the night, encouraging attendees to “take a look around this room” as a reflection of progress. She also emphasized the significance of the occasion. “Tonight is about celebrating the incredible women who are leading, building and shaping our community,” she said.
She added that the event is part of a broader mission to create spaces “where women don’t just sit at the table, they own the room,” reinforcing the evening’s theme of empowerment and visibility.
She praised the honorees not only for their professional achievements but also for their role in transforming their industries. “You are not just leaders in your field, you are redefining them,’ she said.
Stuart Richner, CEO of Richner Communications, echoed that statement, reflecting on the company’s history and his mother, Edith Richner, a co-founder who once stood alone as the only woman at the table nearly six decades ago. “If she were here tonight, she would be incredibly proud to see a room filled with such accomplished, driven and inspiring women,” he said.
The evening also highlighted the importance of giving back, with proceeds supporting Baby Essentials of Long Island, an organization dedicated to helping families in need provide safe and healthy starts for their children. Richner emphasized the organization’s mission to assist parents facing financial hardship and other challenges, adding a deeper sense of purpose to the celebration.
The honorees themselves brought the evening to life, sharing personal
stories of resilience, leadership and determination that resonated throughout the room.
Among them, Carol Gomes was recognized in the Healthcare and Wellness category, highlighting her leadership as CEO and COO of Stony Brook University Hospital. Reflecting on what it means to be a woman in business today, she described it as a sense of empowerment and the confidence to lead with strong conviction.
“We are nowhere near where we need to be; we’re making progress, but there are still many opportunities to advance women into higher leadership positions,” she said.
Ana Ludemann, MBA, was honored in the Financial Services category, celebrating her success in a competitive, male-dominated industry. Now a vice president and wealth management financial advisor, she built her career after arriving in the United States in 2014 with just $100. Her journey underscored the importance of perseverance and mindset.
“If you work hard and do right by people, there is no way you will not succeed,” she said, adding that resilience is defined not by obstacles, but by how one responds to them.
Honorees in the Insurance and
Rising Stars Under 40, Evelyn Gellar and Jillian Kashuba of Forest Hills Financial Group, echoed the evening’s central themes. Together, they emphasized that while women are increasingly supporting one another and rising into leadership, challenges remain — particularly around work-life balance and equitable opportunities. Their message was clear: building networks and lifting each other up is essential to sustaining momentum in a competitive industry.
Another highlight of the evening was the recognition of the Power Team award, which honored a group of women from St. Joseph’s University. Among them, Jessica McAleer Decatur, Vice President of marketing and communications, reflected on the significance of the recognition and the responsibility that comes with it.
“To follow in the footsteps of these pioneering women is deeply meaningful. As part of the next generation of women leaders, I hope not only to carry forward their legacy, but also to inspire the next generation,” she said.
Throughout the evening, the room buzzed with energy and camaraderie as powerful women mingled,
exchanged stories and shared insights across industries. The atmosphere reinforced the idea that success is not achieved in isolation, but through collaboration, mentorship and a shared commitment to lifting others along the way. Conversations extended beyond individual accomplishments, focusing instead on creating lasting impact and opening doors for the next generation of women leaders.
The event also celebrated the sponsors and partners whose support made the evening possible, including Forest Hills Financial Group, Long Island Contractors Association, and our centerpiece sponsor, St. Joseph’s University. Their involvement underscored the Long Island business community’s ongoing commitment to fostering diversity, inclusion and opportunity. As the evening ended, the message remained clear: progress is underway, and the future of women in business is being shaped through the shared determination and collaboration of everyone present.
To learn more, see additional photos and view the complete list of honorees and sponsors, visit richnerlive.com.
Tim Baker/Herald
Premier Business Women honorees enjoy the gala dinner with their guests.
President & CEO Carol Allen from People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union with her award in Banking Leadership.
Donna M. DiSclafani from Prager Metis CPAs with her award in Accounting.
Lisa Burch from EPIC Family of Human Service Agencies receives her award in Community Impact.
President of SCO Family of Services
Suzette Gordon walks to stage to accept her award.
Co-founders Jill Kofler and Janis Hoffman from Mindful Therapy accept their award in Healthcare & Wellness.
St. Joseph’s University honorees with their Power Team award.
Dr. Maria Conzatti from Nassau Community College with her award in Education.
Vanessa M. Gordon from Grassi receives her award in Accounting.
CEO Charlene Jackson from Thompson Economic Development Services, accepts her award in Entrepreneurship.
CEO-COO Carol Gomes from Stony Brook University Hospital, accepts her award in Healthcare & Wellness.
Evelyn Gellar from Forest Hills Financial Group with her award in Insurance.
Rising Star Jillian Kashuba of Forest Hills Financial Group wins the Hotel Collections raffle.
Honorees Ana Ludemann and Nicole Stefanakos read the Herald commemorative edition with their guests. Honorees received a Herald crystal award.
An eventful ‘pawpooloza’ at Parkway
By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com
A fourth grader’s inspiration turned into a weeklong, schoolwide effort to support animals in need, as students participated in “Pawpooloza: A Week of Paws and Purpose” last week at Parkway Elementary School in East Meadow.
After reading “Chi Chi’s Story,” the student was moved by the idea that animals can be mistreated and wanted to take action. “Chi Chi’s Story” is about a dog who was abused and physically thrown out. The goal of the week was to make “tails wag” — the student who spearheaded the weeklong even realized how hard and expensive it is to take care of just one animal. And so, what began as a personal response quickly grew into a larger initiative, as she developed a detailed plan and enlisted the help of her classmates to bring the event to life.
The result was Pawpooloza — a week centered on helping animals, building teamwork and celebrating kindness. The student-led effort included a kickoff assembly, themed activities, a schoolwide parade and a donation drive benefiting the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter.
As part of the initiative, the student also created a mission statement to guide the effort: “The mission is to help animals get what they need to feel comfortable in their temporary home. We are going to try to donate as much as we can to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter. We are also going to have a fun week learning about and supporting animals.”
The week began with a student-organized assembly, where participants introduced the initiative and shared its purpose. Representatives from the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter also spoke with students about pet safety and responsibility, and therapy dogs were on hand to engage with the audience.
Throughout the week, students took part in a variety of themed activities. They dressed as their favorite animals,
created posters to raise awareness about animal care and adoption, and learned chants to build excitement for the culminating event.
The week concluded with an indoor parade, where students wore team colors, carried their handmade posters and chanted as they made their way through the school. Along the parade route, they dropped off donations they had collected throughout the week. The items were later displayed together, showcasing the collective impact of the school community.
Beyond the activities, Pawpooloza highlighted the power of student leadership and the importance of giving young people a voice. What started as one student’s idea became a shared effort, bringing the school community together in support of a meaningful cause.
Janine Farinella, the assistant principal, with Aaliyah L., Sophie H., Isabella T. and Amelia Garcia, Parkway’s principal.
Tim Baker/Herald photos Third-grade students proudly showed off their posters.
Kiara B., Yiannis L., and Avery B. waved as they paraded in the school.
Parkway Elementary School’s ‘Pawpalooza’ concluded with a parade inside the school, where students wore team colors and showed off signs they made.
Local parishes around East Meadow see rising need for food
truck full of items,” she said. “We took almost a whole day to put on our shelves, so we were very, very appreciative of everything that they brought.”
According to Lederer, the pantry regularly feeds almost 300 people monthly spread between about 100 families.
“It’s an ongoing process with the food pantry,” Lederer explained. “It seemed like the shelves were fully stocked, and then all of the sudden the number of people that are coming in in need of food has increased. When you get a group like the Kiwanis that gives you so much food, it keeps us well stocked for a while.”
A person can come to the pantry monthly and receive one or two bags to fill with food, depending on the size of the family, plus a gift card to a grocery store to purchase perishable items.
“When you see so many people who are struggling… you can help them by giving them food so they can use the money for other necessities, for paying their bills, for paying their rent, making sure their lights are on, their car is running,” Lederer said. “It’s a very fulfilling job.”
Many of the young people who staffed the food drive were members of the Key Club, a young people’s division of the nonprofit Kiwanis Club. Other volunteers came from other groups, including the East Meadow Little League.
Steve LaSala is the commissioner of the East Meadow Little League and an avid contributor to the Kiwanis Club’s charitable
events, from pancake breakfasts to Thanksgiving dinners to toy drives and holiday events.
“I just think it’s great that the kids in the neighborhood, or high schoolers come down and help,” he said.
“These kids sincerely look like they want to do something good to their community, and I think that’s great… that part makes me happy as a parent and also as someone who likes to help their community as well.”
The Kiwanis Club of East Meadow participates in community events all year long. For more information about upcoming events and how to donate, visit k03823.site. kiwanis.org.
Alice Moreno/Herald Photos
Members of the East Meadow Kiwanis Club, Key Club and other local groups came together for a two-day mission to feed families in need.
Shreya Satpathy, 15, hands out flyers to community members.
Tracy Rudd, left, Kiwanis Club President Donna Goldstein and Catherine Razzano worked hard to make the seasonal food drive possible.
Association hosts state transport chief
By NOAH PERETZ nperetz@liherald.com
The Long Island Association hosted state Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez as a guest speaker last week. Dominguez spoke about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s fiscal year 2027 executive budget and policy proposals for the DOT.
Appearing at LIA headquarters in Melville on March 31, Dominguez explained that Hochul’s administration matched the federal funding for New York state’s transportation needs from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021 with a five-year, $35 billion plan. Hochul added $800 million to the plan last year to offset the cost of tariffs and inflation.
“Our federal dollars are expiring on Sept. 30, which presents a unique challenge,” Dominguez said. “We need to make sure that we are positioning New York for the next level of transportation funding.”
She detailed Hochul’s proposed spending plan, which totals $260 billion. Federal funding is down 11.4 percent, or $10.3 billion, and state operating funds have increased by $157 billion. The state is expecting $17 billion more in state revenue over the next two years than earlier estimates.
“The governor is committed to economic growth and making sure there is a social safety net, and funding that social safety net across the board without increasing taxes,” Dominguez said. “In sum, the 2027 Executive Budget successfully balances two simultaneous realities that we have real momentum here in New York, and addressing the volatility that we know is ahead.”
The budget plan includes automated work-zone speed enforcement with new
speed cameras. Dominguez noted that some drivers have been speeding at over 100 miles per hour through work zones, according to the cameras.
The budget proposes deployment of the cameras on non-controlled-access highways, like Sunrise Highway. It also proposes protections for highway maintenance workers against violent assault.
Dominguez also touched on Hochul’s plan to lower the cost of car insurance.
The plan proposes changes to the state’s auto insurance laws that will punish perpetrators of staged car crashes.
The spending plan also includes funding for filling potholes on main roadways. “We are on a blitz statewide addressing potholes,” Dominguez said. It proposes investments of $107 million for paving on Long Island, including 50 miles of the Northern State Parkway and 35 miles of Sunrise Highway.
Action Long Island representative Michael Rodin suggested more improvements he wanted to see. “We want to make sure public transit is a part of the DOT’s agenda in the future,” he said. “We want roads to be able to accommodate buses as well as more cars — a lot of people take public transit to work.”
When the presentation was open for questions, Dominguez addressed a concern about independent contractors’ coverage under the anti-assault provisions in the budget. “The worker assault provision covers state employees as well as independent contractors,” she said.
“We need to make sure elected officials understand that transit and the lives of transit workers are important, so they fund initiatives to help these efforts and these people,” Marc Herbst, executive director of the Long Island Contractors Association, said. “If we don’t ask, they don’t respond.”
Noah Peretz/Herald
DOT representatives, including Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, center right, made a presentation to the Long Island Association.
Students earn top honors at regional skills conference
Students from Nassau BOCES career and technical education schools — Barry Tech, GC Tech and Long Island High School for the Arts — earned top honors at the New York State Regional SkillsUSA Conference held recently at Suffolk County Community College.
Eight students took first place, 14 placed second and 17 came in third place overall.
The regional conference is part of a national series of events sponsored by SkillsUSA to help develop a competitive, skilled workforce. During the event, students competed in timed, hands-on contests aligned with their programs of study, as well as leadership and professional development competitions. Students who succeed at the regional level advance to the State Conference in Syracuse, with top performers moving on to the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta in June.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry leaders working to prepare high school and college students for careers in the workforce. The program establishes industry standards for job skills training and promotes community service, and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as a successful employer-driven youth development model.
Among the local honorees from Bellmore-Merrick, East Meadow, Levittown, Wantagh and Baldwin school districts were: Aidan Lehmann, East Meadow, Automotive Service Technology Competition, GC Tech Automotive Technology; AndaLucia Navetta, Wantagh, Digital Cinema Competition, Long Island High School for the Arts Film and Digital Media; Isabella Bonano, Levittown, Action Skills Competition, GC Tech Medical Assisting; Anthony Cruz Ramos, Baldwin, Pin Design Competition, Barry Tech Animation & Digital Media Skills; Tagan Moran, Levittown, Digital Cinema Competition, Long Island High School for the Arts Film and Digital Media; Liam Mugford, Baldwin, Carpentry Competition, Barry Tech Carpentry; Robert Fekete, Bellmore-
Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts Film and Digital Media
students Kingsley Ngitngif, Syosset; Alessia Surolich, Valley Stream; and Tagan Moran, Levittown; and AndaLucia Navetta, Wantagh, along with Nassau BOCES Board member Fran Langsner and Susan Bergtraum at this year’s SkillsUSA Regional Competition.
Merrick, Job Interview Competition, Barry Tech Carpentry; Caeli Mugno, Levittown, Extemporaneous Speaking Competition, GC Tech Esthetics; Anthony Rampino, Bellmore-Merrick, Criminal Justice Competition, Barry Tech Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement; Sarah Wallis, Levittown, Employment Application Process Competition, GC Tech Esthetics; Matthew Rivas, East Meadow, Quiz Bowl Competition Team, GC Tech Automotive Technology; Matthew Silvestro, Levittown,
Quiz Bowl Competition Team, GC Tech Construction Electric.
A vital regional resource, Nassau BOCES provides a range of programs and services for students of all ages, including career and technical education, special education and adult learning, while supporting school districts across Long Island.
—Jordan Vallone
Courtesy Nassau BOCES
teacher Robyn Morgan celebrates with
News briefs
‘Supercharging’ businesses with State Sen. Steve Rhoads and East Meadow Chamber
State Sen. Steve Rhoads hosted a workshop on March 19 titled “Supercharging Small Businesses with AI,” bringing together local entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders for an evening focused on innovation, efficiency and growth.
Held at the East Meadow Fire Department headquarters, the workshop was presented in partnership with the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce, the Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs and the Long Island Small Business Development Center.
The event drew a strong turnout, with small-business owners eager to explore how artificial intelligence can help them operate more efficiently and stay competitive in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace. Attendees received hands-on guidance on using AI to streamline administrative tasks, strengthen marketing strategies, enhance financial analysis and save time. They also learned how to craft effective prompts, safeguard sensitive data through responsible AI use, implement AI-driven marketing and SEO strategies, plan social media content in minutes, create visuals and develop standard operating procedures with AI support.
“This workshop was about giving our small businesses real tools they can use right away,” Rhoads said. “The response from the community was incredibly positive. Whether business owners are just
State Sen. Steve Rhoads hosted a workshop on March 19 titled “Supercharging Small Businesses with AI,” bringing together local Chamber of Commerces.
getting their feet wet with AI or have fully embraced the technology, this program offered something for everyone — from practical tips for beginners to advanced strategies for those already integrating AI into their operations. It was rewarding to see people leave with actionable skills they can implement immediately to grow their businesses.”
Participants engaged in interactive demonstrations and left with strategies they could implement to strengthen their operations and expand their reach. Many attendees highlighted the value of learning how to integrate AI into everyday
business functions without needing advanced technical expertise.
“AI is no longer a luxury for small businesses — it’s a powerful, accessible tool that helps owners save time, make stronger decisions and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market,” said Brandon DeFeo, a business adviser at the Long Island Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale State College. “The goal of the SBDC, and of the Supercharging Small Business program, is to empower entrepreneurs with the knowledge and support they need to confidently embrace these technologies and use them to grow.”
“The Chamber extends its sincere appreciation for this tremendous AI training sponsored by Senator Steve Rhoads and led by Brandon from the SBDC, with valuable insights from Lionel Chitty of the Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs,” said Ross Schiller, president of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce.
“We commend the senator’s forwardthinking commitment and action in bringing a clearer understanding of emerging artificial intelligence technologies to our local businesses — an effort that is both timely and impactful. Members of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce, alongside three other chambers, gained valuable knowledge in AI search capabilities, practical applications and business analysis. This program provided meaningful, hands-on learning that will help our business community stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape while empowering them to operate more efficiently and make smarter decisions.”
The event also provided an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to network, share ideas and connect with regional business support organizations committed to helping them thrive.
Rhoads said he remains committed to supporting small businesses by providing resources, education and opportunities that foster long-term economic growth across the community.
— Jordan Vallone
Courtesy Office of State Sen. Steve Rhoads
Bessent, Blakeman tout Trump’s tax cuts
By JULIA CAPITELLI jcapitelli@liherald.com
To promote President Trump’s economic agenda, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited Long Island and took part in a panel discussion with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and business executives from across the county.
The March 30 discussion, at the county legislative building, focused on three aspects of the Working Families Tax Cut Act: the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime pay, the creation of so-called Trump Accounts and the higher cap on the income tax deduction for state and local taxes. Under the law, parents can open and contribute funds to accounts for their children under age 18. As part of the pilot program for the accounts, children born during Trump’s term will receive $1,000 from the Treasury Department.
“It’s something that’s going to help every family in America,” Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor, said of the program.
The law includes an increase in the state and local tax deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000. It also allocates roughly $170 billion to carry out the administration’s immigration and border objectives, and raises the federal debt ceiling to $5 trillion.
“That’s the American way,” Bessent said of the tax cuts. “Work harder, keep more of your money.”
The SALT deduction avoids double taxation and allows certain taxpayers to reduce their federally taxable income. To offset the cost created by this and the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime, the law cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and reduces food assistance and clean-energy incentives.
Panelists shared their perspectives on the law, mostly as it relates to their businesses. Michael Serao, exec-
A.
utive vice president and chief administrative officer of First Central Savings Bank, claimed that Trump Accounts could help students build financial literacy.
But much of the discussion focused on the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime, and the SALT deduction. “I am surrounded by hardworking people, who come into the diner and tell me how happy they are about their tax returns and about how much more money they are getting back,” Gus Tsiorvas, owner of the Embassy Diner, in Bethpage, said.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, the average tax refund this year is roughly 10 percent higher than it was in March 2025. “This means more discretionary spending here in Nassau County,” County Comptroller Elaine Phillips said, “which allows
Bruce not to raise taxes.”
Blakeman reiterated his assertion that Nassau is “the safest county in America where we haven’t raised taxes one penny in four years.”
In a statement about Blakeman’s use of taxpayer resources to campaign as everyday costs escalate, Democratic County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said the Bessent visit was “as shameless as it gets.”
“Nassau residents aren’t stupid — they feel the squeeze every time they fill up, check out at the grocery store, or pay a bill,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “The cost-of-living crisis is real, and it’s being driven directly by the disastrous tariffs and global instability coming from the same out-of-touch allies in Washington [Blakeman] continues to stand with.”
Come learn about local disability rights pioneer Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. and explore over 125 artifacts highlighting the fight for equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
The museum provides an inclusive, fully accessible experience for all visitors and is the perfect place to spend a fun and educational day with your family. School field trips and group tours welcome.
Courtesy Nassau County
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and several business executives discussed President Trump’s economic agenda on March 30.
BRUCE
BLAKEMAN NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE
STEPPING OUT
‘Rent’ star Adam Pascal returns to reimagine the jukebox musical
By Iris Wiener
When Adam Pascal pulls into Long Island these days, it’s not just a commute; it’s a homecoming layered with memory, coincidence, and creative possibility. This spring, the Tony-nominated performer-turned-director from Syosset is channeling all of that into “Feels Like the First Time: The Foreigner Musical.”
The new production premieres April 17 at the Little Theatre on Long Island University’s Brookville campus.
The project, created in collaboration with the legendary rock band Foreigner, marks the launch of LIU’s New Works Initiative and Pascal’s tenure as the university’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence. But for Pascal, the journey to this moment is anything but typical.
The path to directing the show began not in a rehearsal room, but at a backyard barbecue.
“Tom Dunn [Tilles Center’s creative producer, executive/artistic Director and Dean of LIU’s College of Arts and Design] lives across the street from my sister. I first met Tom and his wife at a barbecue,” Pascal relates. “Tom said, ‘We’re doing this thing. Do you want to direct it?’”
From there, the pieces quickly began to align. A previous version of the musical had been developed, but Pascal and the team — including book writer Stephen Garvey and arranger David Abbinanti — set out to reshape it into something fresh: a high-energy, heart-driven story set in the 1980s, centered on three families whose lives collide when a rock star arrives for a backyard concert after an MTV contest win.
“We wanted to create something that was fun and that had heart, that understood its purpose using Foreigner’s music,” Pascal says.
That purpose, however, comes with a unique creative challenge. The musical weaves iconic songs into an original narrative — a process Pascal describes as both complex and deeply collaborative.
“You’re creating a story, and in many ways building a scene backwards,” he explains. “You have these lyrics that were never written to be narrative in that way, so you have to do a lot of reverse engineering.”
Still, that creative freedom is part of the appeal.
“We get to reimagine these songs,” he adds. “They’ve now become narrative storytelling songs.”
The new musical features a company of 26 performers, primarily LIU students — a fact Pascal calls fortuitous.
“The combination of this process, this particular show, and this university … it couldn’t have been a better melding of all things.”
For Pascal, working with students isn’t just about mentorship — it’s personal, as he has two sons the same age as the young cast. His directing style reflects that perspective, blending instinct, experience and a focus on emotional authenticity.
“I approach it from a much more naturalistic and real place. I’m trying to orchestrate a picture and to get them to use their emotions in a physical way.”
That lived-in approach comes from decades in the industry, which includes roles in Broadway’s “Aida,” “Memphis” and “Something Rotten,” besides the iconic“Rent.” However, Pascal quickly points out that he was never formally trained.
New Works Initiative, an incubator for developing and refining new theatrical works by both emerging and established writers.
• Friday through Sunday, April 17-19 and Thursday through Sunday, April 23-26, varied times
• Tickets are $43.82, $17.82 students; available at tillescenter.org/events
• Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, LIU Post, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville
“My approach can only be [described as] a layman approach. I’m fortunate enough to now have 30 years of experience making musicals.”
And yet, for all his Broadway credentials, Pascal is candid about the challenges facing the industry today — particularly the financial barriers that make developing new work increasingly difficult in New York City.
“We all have to change the mindset about working in New York,” he says bluntly, pointing to rising production costs and systemic issues. Instead, he sees projects like “Feels Like the First Time” as part of a larger shift — one that prioritizes creativity, collaboration and accessibility over tradition and expense.
“I want to take the power out of Broadway’s hands and put it back into the hands of people who make theater,” he states.
That philosophy is evident in the show’s development process, which Pascal praises for its efficiency and clarity of vision.
For LIU students like Anna Frost, being part of that process is nothing short of transformative. A senior serving as dramaturg for the show, Frost is deeply embedded in the rehearsal rooms, helping to shape the evolving script.
“It is so exciting for me to work on a show which is in development,” she says. “I get to work with a living, breathing text.”
For her, the experience underscores the importance of new work in today’s theatrical landscape.
“There has to be new art that is relevant to what is happening now,” she adds. “Getting to be a part of something that will be history is really cool.”
Pascal agrees and hopes the students recognize the significance of their involvement.
“They’ll forever be connected to this show as the first people that played these characters,” he says. “If the show becomes a hit, they’ll always have that on their resume.”
That sense of legacy resonates deeply with Pascal himself, particularly given his return to Long Island. He remains deeply connected to his roots, and optimistic about its potential as a hub for theatrical innovation.
“There’s no better place for it,” he says of LIU. “They have the facilities, the desire and the proximity to the city.”
As for what’s next, Pascal continues to develop new musicals through his production company, including an adaptation of “Ruthless People.” He’s also set to direct “Our Little Secret: A True New Musical” in Toronto. For now, “Feels Like the First Time” offers something that feels incredibly meaningful — -a chance to build, collaborate, and rediscover the spark that started it all.
Or, as Pascal might put it, to make it feel like the first time all over again.
Mike DelGuidice
Local favorite Mike DelGuidice returns to the Paramount stage with his popular residency, delivering the high-energy, feel-good performances that have made him a hometown standout. Backed by his powerhouse band, DelGuidice brings the music of his idol, Billy Joel, to life with passion and precision, celebrating decades of iconic hits in a rousing, crowd-pleasing show. A multi-instrumentalist who grew up immersed in music, DelGuidice’s deep knowledge of Joel’s catalog ultimately led to sharing the stage with the Piano Man himself, touring around the world. Alongside Joel’s beloved classics, he weaves in his own original songs, showcasing the songwriting that has earned him a devoted following. Whether performing on stage or connecting with fans through his “Live on the Porch” series, which brought audiences together during the pandemic, DelGuidice continues to share his love of music in ways that resonate far and wide.
Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, 8 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.
Fleetwood Macked
Eighteen years ago Fleetwood Macked set out to provide audiences with the truest live Fleetwood Mac experience as possible and haven’t stopped since. Much of the realism comes from the New York-based band’s history. Husband and wife musical team Hillary and Michael Epstein (Stevie and Lindsey) and friends Tracy Wells, Jay Novas, Phil Weiss and Andrew Nadien (Christine, John and Mick) have made great music together in various incarnations that finally all came together with their mutual love of Fleetwood Mac. They are and have always been professional touring rock musicians, which also adds to the authenticity of the sound of the band. Fleetwood Macked live brings audiences the passion, depth, heart, and the musicianship Fleetwood Mac’s music requires. Out of love and respect musical liberties are not taken, songs are recreated just as Fleetwood Mac intended them.
Friday, April 10, 8 p.m. $48. My Father’s Place 1221 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn. Tickets available at mfpproductions.com.
Photo courtesy Jack Roman
Adam Pascal, left, with Tilles Center’s Executive and Artistic Director Tom Dunn, is launching LIU Post’s
the Porch” series, which brought
“Feels is
Your Neighborhood CALENDAR
APR 10
‘Dog Sees God’
Hofstra University’s Department of Drama and Dance presents Bert V. Royal’s edgy comedy. The unauthorized continuation of the Peanuts comic strip, reimagines its characters as teenagers dealing with various contemporary issues including, identity, substance abuse, and relationships. When CB’s dog dies from rabies, CB begins to question the existence of an afterlife. His best friend is too burnt out to provide any coherent speculation; his sister has gone goth; his ex-girlfriend has recently been institutionalized; and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any sort of solace. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity collide and careen toward an ending that’s both haunting and hopeful. $15 general admission, $10 for seniors and Hofstra alumni.
• Where: Hofstra’s Joan and Donald Schaeffer Black Box Theater, Joseph G. Shapiro Family Hall, Hempstead
• Time: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; also April 12, 2 p.m.; April 16-April 19
• Contact: hofstra.universitytickets.com
Family theater
Long Island Children’s Museum stages “Pete the Cat,” the charming musical based on the book series by Kimberly and James Dean. Life is certainly an adventure for Pete, no matter where he winds up. So the minute the groovy blue cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole family rocking. That is, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class during the last week of school, it turns out Pete is the perfect pal to help him out. Together, they set out on a mission to help Jimmy conquer second grade art, and along the way, they both learn a little something new about inspiration. $11 with museum admission ($9 members), $15 theater only.
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; also April 14-15
• Contact: licm.org or call (516) 224-5800
Seasonal Sprouts: Flowers and Trees
Bring the kids to Old Westbury Gardens to discover the wonders of nature with a one-hour guided tour through the gardens and woodlands, featuring nature-themed games and hands-on activities. This week, children explore plants big
Micky Dolenz
APR
14
ASL Basics In honor of National ASL Day, teens teach sign language at the library.
• Where: 1886 Front. St.
• Time: 4-5 p.m.
• Contact: EastMeadow.info
Bestseller book chat East Meadow Public Library holds another session of its Bestseller Discussion Group. The topic is “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick.
• Where: 1886 Front St.
• Time: 2 p.m.
• Contact: EastMeadow.info
APR
17
Asbury Short Film Concert
This national touring showcase returns to the Madison Theatre. See a diverse, focused lineup — in many cases featuring up-and-coming filmmakers — of short films you generally won’t find on the big screen. These films, including Oscar and film festival winners, cover all genres.
• Time: 8 p.m.
Micky Dolenz celebrates the 60th anniversary of The Monkees with a special tour honoring the band’s enduring legacy and timeless sound. In this nostalgic and high-spirited performance, Dolenz takes audiences on a musical journey through The Monkees’ rise to fame, performing their biggest hits in chronological order while sharing personal stories from his decades in entertainment. As the last surviving member of the beloved group, Dolenz brings both heart and history to the stage, paying tribute to bandmates Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith, while celebrating the fans who helped transform a fictional TV band into a global sensation. A true entertainment veteran, Dolenz’s career spans decades and disciplines — from his early days as a child star on “Circus Boy” to his work as a singer, actor, director and radio host. In recent years, he has continued to keep The Monkees’ music alive for new generations, including a solo tour performing the group’s 1967 album “Headquarters” in its entirety. This is sure to be a heartfelt, hit-filled evening that blends music, memories and a lasting connection to one of pop culture’s most iconic acts.
and small, learning how they grow and change with the seasons. Each session includes a simple planting or craft project for children to take home and continue their learning. Registration required. $22 adult, $20 seniors 62+ (member discounts available).
• Where: 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury
• Time: 11 a.m.-noon
• Contact: oldwestburygardens.org or call (516) 333-0048
APR
11
“A Dream Is A Wish”
The enchanting “A Dream Is A Wish” princess concert returns to the Madison Theatre with new adventures and Disney Classics. Families are invited to sing along to all their favorite Disney songs including “Let It Go,” “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” “Part of That World,” “ A Whole New World,” and many more. Enjoy a magical journey and maybe even meet your favorite princess! Breakfast and tea ticket options also available.
• Where: Madison Theatre, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
• Time: Varied times, also April 12
• Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444
Performance Poets Association
The Performance Poets Association meets the first Saturday of every month at the East Meadow Library. Each meeting features powers, followed by open mic.
• Where: 1886 Front St., East Meadow
• Time: 1 p.m.
• Contact: EastMeadow.info
APR
12
Steps Towards Healing 5K Run/Walk
Take a healing journey during this upcoming 5K Walk/Run. Proceeds to go to parents, siblings and families in need of free grief resources.
• Where: Eisenhower Park, Field 2
• Time: 8:30 a.m.
• Contact: Visit Events.EliteFeats.com
Boater/Jet Ski Certification Class
Get set for your water adventures at the certification class at Allstate in East Meadow. There is a fee to attend. Registration required.
• Where: 1576 Front St., East Meadow
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
• Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Contact: NYBoatingSafety.com
Celebrate Holi
Families are invited to Long Island Children’s Museum to celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors. Originating in India, this Hindu festival marks the end of winter and the arrival of the colorful spring season. During this joyous holiday, families eat sweets, dance to traditional folk music and throw colorful powder made from flowers called gulal. Wear white clothes you don’t mind getting messy!
• Where: 11 Davis Ave., Garden City
• Time: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Contact: licm.org or (516) 224-5800
APR
13
The Salad Garden
Get ready for the spring season at this gardening workshop at East Meadow Library. Paul Levine shares tips and tricks on how to cultivate a garden.
• Where: 1886 Front. St.
• Time: 2-3 p.m.
• Contact: EastMeadow.info
• Where: Madison Theatre, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444
APR
19
Juried Art Show
East Meadow Library hosts its Juried Art Show. Submissions are due by April 13. $5 per piece entered. Visit EastMeadow.info to sign up and submission guidelines.
• Where: 1886 Front St.
• Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• Contact: EastMeadow.info
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.
Public Notices
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION
WESTBURY UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOWNS OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD AND HEMPSTEAD COUNTY OF NASSAU WESTBURY, NEW YORK
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to a resolution of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF WESTBURY UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOWNS OF HEMPSTEAD AND NORTH HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW
YORK, adopted July 1, 2025 a public hearing of the qualified voters of the Westbury Union Free School District, County of Nassau, Westbury, New York will be held in the Auditorium of the Westbury High School, One Post Road, Old Westbury, New York on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM for the purpose of reviewing the proposed budget and for the transaction of such business as authorized by the Education Laws of the State of New York. A copy of such budget statement may be obtained by any resident of the school district, upon request, starting April 28, 2026 at the Administration Office, Two Hitchcock Lane, Old Westbury, New York. AND FURTHER NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN that, said vote and election by registered voters of the Westbury Union Free School District, Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead, County of Nassau, Westbury, New York will be held in the election districts described in the following paragraphs on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 and the voting shall be held between the hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM in the schools designated in said paragraphs for the following purposes:
(a) To vote upon the annual District budget for the 2026-2027 school year and to authorize the levying of the tax upon the taxable property of the District for the foregoing purposes
(b) The election of two (2) members to the Board of Education, each for a full term of three (3) years commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2029. The two (2) present incumbents are Robin L.
(c) To vote upon such other propositions as may properly come before the meeting and conduct other business as authorized by law.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, a copy of such budget or statement may be obtained upon request by any resident of the school district during business hours beginning April 28, 2026, except Saturday, Sunday or holidays, at the Administration Office, Two Hitchcock Lane, Old Westbury, New York and at each schoolhouse in the District in which the school is maintained during the hours of 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (prevailing time) at the principal’s office in each of the following schools and the Westbury Memorial Public Library: Westbury High School, One Post Road, Old Westbury, New York Westbury Middle School, 455 Rockland Street, Westbury, New York
Drexel Avenue School, 161 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, New York Powells Lane School, 603 Powells Lane, Westbury, New York Park Avenue School, 955 Park Avenue, Westbury, New York
Dryden Street, School, 545 Dryden Street, Westbury, New York Westbury Memorial Public Library, 445 Jefferson Street, Westbury, New York Westbury School District Website - www. westburyschools.org
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Real Property Tax Law Section 495 requires the District to attach to its proposed budget an exemption report. Said exemption report, which will also become part of the final budget, will show how the total assessed value of the final assessment roll used in the budgetary process is exempt from taxation, list every type of exemptions granted by statutory authority, and show the cumulative impact each type of exemption, the cumulative amount expected to be received as payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and the cumulative impart of all exemptions granted. In addition, said exemption report shall be posted on any District bulletin board maintained by the District for Public
Notices, as well as on the District’s website.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, petitions containing at least twenty-five (25) signatures of qualified voters nominating candidates for the office of Member of the Board of Education shall be filed with the District Clerk at 6 Hitchcock Lane, Old Westbury, NY between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM not later than Monday, April 20, 2026; said petitions must also state the name and residence of each signer, and must state the name and residence of the candidate.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, applications for absentee ballots may be applied for at the Administration Building during school business hours Monday through Friday, excluding holidays or on the Westbury UFSD website no earlier than April 20, 2026. If the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than May 12, 2026. If the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter by the Office of the District Clerk, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than Monday, May 18, 2026. Absentee ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots shall have been issued will be available in the Office of the Clerk of the District during school business hours on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election, excluding Sundays, and on Saturday, May 16, 2026 between 9:00 AM and l2:00 PM and at the polling places on election day. Any qualified voter present in the polling place may object to the voting of the ballot upon appropriate grounds for making his/her challenge and the reasons therefore known to an Election Inspector before the close of the polls.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to Section 2018-e of the Education Law, applications for early mail ballots may be obtained at the Office
of the District Clerk during all days in which the District is in session. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than April 20, 2026 and by May 12, 2026, if the early mail ballot is to be mailed to the voter. If the early mail ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter at the Office of the District Clerk the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than May 18, 2026. No early mail voter’s ballot will be canvassed unless it has been received by the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00pm on May 19, 2026. A list of all persons to whom early ballots have been issued will be available in the Office of the District Clerk’s office during office hours on or after May 13, 2026 until May 18, 2026, except on Saturday May 16, 2026, between 9:00am and 12:00pm. A challenge to an early voting ballot may not be made on the basis that the voter should have applied for an absentee ballot.
The district has been divided into election districts as follows:
ELECTION DISTRICT NO. 1 consists of all the area lying between the eastern side of Post Road and Post Avenue, south and west of the North HempsteadOyster Bay Town Line, north to Brush Hollow Road, Union Avenue to School Street to Old Country Road and north of Old Country Road. Voting and registration in this election district shall take place in the WESTBURY MIDDLE SCHOOL, 455 ROCKLAND STREET, WESTBURY, NEW YORK.
ELECTION DISTRICT NO. 2 consists of all the land lying to the west of Post Avenue, Westbury and Post Road, Old Westbury, east of Ellison Avenue and north of Old Country Road. Voting and registration in this election district shall take place in the DREXEL AVENUE SCHOOL, 161 DREXEL AVENUE, WESTBURY, NEW YORK.
ELECTION DISTRICT NO. 3 consists of all the land known as New Cassel, Town of North Hempstead, which lies east of School Street between the Long Island Railroad and Union Avenue and Brush Hollow Road; also that which lies between Grand Boulevard and the eastern boundary of the district, north
of Old Country Road and south of the Long Island Railroad. Voting and registration in this election district shall take place at the PARK AVENUE SCHOOL, 955 PARK AVENUE, WESTBURY, NEW YORK.
ELECTION DISTRICT NO. 4 consists of all the land known as New Cassel, Town of North Hempstead, which lies south of the Long Island Railroad and north of Old Country Road, east of School Street and bounded on the northeast by Grand Boulevard. Voting and registration in this election district shall take place at the DRYDEN STREET SCHOOL, 545 DRYDEN STREET, WESTBURY, NEW YORK.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Military Voters who are not currently registered to vote may apply to register as a qualified voter of the District by contacting the District Clerk at 6 Hitchcock Lane, Old Westbury, NY, by telephone 516-874-1828, or email: districtclerk@ westburyschools.org to receive an application to register as a qualified voter of the District for the Annual Meeting on May 19, 2026. The Military Voter may indicate their preference for receiving the registration application by mail, by facsimile or electronic mail (email). The application to register must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 P.M. on April 23, 2026. The register of voters prepared and filed in the District Clerk’s office shall include the names of all military voters who submit a valid military voter registration. A military voter means a qualified voter of New York State who is in actual military service and will, therefore, be absent from the District in which he or she is qualified to vote on the day of registration or election or is discharged from military service within 30 days of an election or a spouse, parent, child or dependent of the military voter if a qualified voter of New York State and a resident of the same school district as the military voter, or military personnel residing on a military base within a school district in New York State for a period of 30 days immediately preceding the election.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Military Voters who are qualified voters of the District may obtain an application for a military ballot by contacting the District Clerk at 6 Hitchcock Lane, Old Westbury, NY, by telephone 516-874-1828, or email: districtclerk@ westburyschools.org.
The application for a military ballot must be received by the District Clerk by no later than 5:00 P.M. on April 24, 2026. The Military Voter may indicate their preference for receiving the application for a military ballot by mail, by facsimile or email. Military ballots will be mailed or otherwise distributed no later than April 25, 2026. Military ballots must be received by the District Clerk (1) before the close of the polls on election day and showing a cancellation mark of the U.S. postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the U.S. government or (2) by 5:00 P.M. on election day and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereof, with a date which is ascertained to be not later than the day before the election. A list of all persons to whom military ballots shall have been issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the said Office of the District Clerk during regular office hours, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., until the day of the Annual School District Election and Vote.
NOTICE OF REGISTRATION
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that; personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law and has voted at an Annual or Special District Meeting (election) held during the prior four (4) calendar years, he/she is eligible to vote at this election; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he/ she is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. Qualified residents of the District shall be
permitted to register for school district meetings and elections at the Office of the District Clerk, located at 6 Hitchcock Lane, Old Westbury, NY from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Wednesdays when school is in session beginning with the first day of student attendance in September and ending with the last day of student attendance in June, and from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on regular business days during the months of July and August. The final date to register for the Annual Meeting to be held on May 19, 2026 is Thursday, May 14, 2026 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Board of Registration shall meet, with the District Clerk, on Thursday, May 14, 2026 between the hours of 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law, to add any additional names to the Register to be used at the aforesaid election, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register, provided that at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of said Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such election for which the register is prepared, at the following places:
ELECTION DISTRICT NO.
1
WESTBURY MIDDLE SCHOOL 455 Rockland Street, Westbury, New York
ELECTION DISTRICT NO.
2
DREXEL AVENUE SCHOOL 161 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, New York
ELECTION DISTRICT NO.3
PARK AVENUE SCHOOL 955 Park Avenue, Westbury, New York
ELECTION DISTRICT NO.4
DRYDEN STREET SCHOOL
545 Dryden Street, Westbury, New York
Immediately upon completion of said register, it shall be filed in the Office of Clerk of the District, where it shall be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District between the
hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM on each of the five (5) days prior to the day set for Annual Meeting excluding Sunday and including Saturday, May 16, 2026 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM and at the polling place(s) on election day.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law of the State of New York, The Board of Registration and the District Clerk will meet in the WESTBURY MIDDLE SCHOOL, 455 Rockland Street, Westbury, New York (for Election District No. 1 as hereinbefore set forth) and the DREXEL AVENUE SCHOOL, 161 Drexel Avenue, Westbury, New York (for Election District No. 2 as hereinbefore set forth) and the PARK AVENUE SCHOOL, 955 Park Avenue, Westbury, New York (for Election District No. 3 as hereinbefore set forth) and the DRYDEN STREET SCHOOL, 545 Dryden Street, Westbury, New York (for Election District No. 4 as hereinbefore set forth) on May 14, 2026 between the hours of 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM for the purpose of preparing the REGISTER of the School District for meetings and elections held subsequent to the Annual Meeting held on May 19, 2026. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to a rule adopted by the Board of Education in accordance with Sections 2035 and 2008 of the Education Law of the State of New York, any referenda or propositions to amend the budget or otherwise to be submitted for voting at such election, that are not required by law to be included in the legal notice for the vote, must be filed with the Board of Education at the Administration Building, Two Hitchcock Lane, Old Westbury, New York on or before April 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., must be typed or printed in the English language, must be directed to the Office of Clerk of the District, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District; and must state the name of each signer. Any proposition may be rejected by the Board of Education if the purpose of the proposition is not within the power of the voters, or where the expenditure of the monies is required by
Bolling and Rodney A. Caines.
Public Notices
the proposition, if the proposition fails to include the necessary specific appropriation.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR VOTING AT ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETING
A. A person shall be a citizen of the United States.
B. Eighteen or more years of age.
C. A resident of the district for a period of thirty days or more next preceding the election at which he/she offers to vote.
D. Must be registered to vote in Nassau County or School Elections.
Beverley Cathnott
District Clerk
Board of Education
Westbury Union Free School District
BEING IN THE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF WESTBURY, COUNTY OF NASSAU, STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 611237/2017. Paul L. Meli, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 159004
Dated: January 30, 2026
During the COVID-19 health emergency, bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of sale including but not limited to, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing (at least 6feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale. 158906
Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead County of Nassau Westbury, New York 159406 To Place A Notice Call 516-569-4000 x232
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-1, ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-1, -againstTITO MOLINA, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on September 18, 2025, wherein WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-1, ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-1 is the Plaintiff and TITO MOLINA, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on April 16, 2026 at 3:30PM, premises known as 213 BELMONT AVENUE, WESTBURY, NY 11590; and the following tax map identification: 10-183-133. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND
LEGAL NOTICE REFEREE’S NOTICE OF SALE IN FORECLOSURE SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff - againstWILLIAM MONGE AKA WILLIAM R. MONGE, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on April 8, 2025. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the North Side steps of the Nassau County Supreme Court located at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, N.Y. 11501 on the 16th day of April, 2026 at 2:00 PM. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Levittown, near Hicksville, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York.
Premises known as 47 Squirrel Lane, Levittown, (Town of Hempstead) NY 11756. (SBL#: 45-228-14) Approximate amount of lien $379,179.73 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale.
Index No. 612397/2022. Jane P. Shrenkel, Esq., Referee. Davidson Fink LLP
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 400 Meridian Centre Blvd, Ste 200 Rochester, NY 14618 Tel. 585/760-8218 For sale information, please visit Auction.com at www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF THE TRUMAN 2021 SC9 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. DEBRA GELORUM, ET AL., Defendant(s).
Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 18, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on April 28, 2026 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 1845 Grant Avenue, East Meadow, NY 11554. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at East Meadow, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 190 and Lots 27-30. Approximate amount of judgment is $473,454.30 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 615219/2022.
Oscar A. Prieto, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 231516-1 159098
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF NASSAU, US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST, Plaintiff, vs. ROBERTO TRISTAINO, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on February 18, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction on the front steps on the north side of the Nassau County Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on May 5, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., premises known as 539 Adelphi Street, East Meadow, NY 11554. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau and State of New York, Section 50, Block 154 and Lot 660. Approximate amount of judgment is $348,193.33 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 608499/2023. Frank M. Scalera, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 231032-1 159307
LEGAL NOTICE
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NASSAU
WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR MFRA TRUST 2016-1, -againstVLADIMIR C. PUNTO A/K/A VLADIMIR PUNTO, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Nassau on April 28, 2025, wherein WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR MFRA TRUST 2016-1 is the Plaintiff and VLADIMIR
C. PUNTO A/K/A VLADIMIR PUNTO, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction RAIN OR SHINE at the NASSAU COUNTY SUPREME COURT, NORTH SIDE STEPS, 100 SUPREME COURT DRIVE, MINEOLA, NY 11501, on May 4, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 839 WINTHROP DRIVE, EAST MEADOW, NY 11554; and the following tax map identification: 50-437-24.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDING AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING AT EAST MEADOW, TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD, COUNTY OF NASSAU AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 611656/2021. Leslie Feifer, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 159289
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT, Town of Hempstead, County of Nassau, State of New York, on the 30th day of March 2026, subject to permissive referendum as provided for by the General Municipal law. An extract of the resolution is as follows: The WANTAGH FIRE DISTRICT has by appropriate resolution established a certain capital reserve fund designated as the Capital Reserve Fund, established pursuant to Section 6(g) of the General Municipal Law, in an account for deposit of said Capital Reserve Fund entitled, “The Wantagh Fire District, Section 6(g)
General Municipal Building and Grounds Capital Reserve Fund”; and; in which account is sufficient funds to accomplish the purposes herein after set forth, namely, the 2026 Informational Technology Infrastructure Upgrade Capital Project, including repairs and replacement of Informational technology systems, including by not limited to computers, servers, access control systems, fuel management systems, camera equipment as well as incidental expenses, advertising, engineering fees, labor, materials, inspections, delivery and attorney’s fees, in order to maintain the efficiency of the Wantagh Fire District in the discharge of their duties in preserving the lives and property of the residents of the community and the said project is deemed in the best interest of the residents of the Wantagh Fire District. The resolution further provides that there be transferred from the present Capital Reserve Fund entitled, “The Wantagh Fire District, Section 6(g) General Municipal Building and Grounds Capital Reserve Fund” of the Wantagh Fire District a sum not to exceed an additional Twenty-Six Thousand ($26,000) dollars to the previous resolutions for One Hundred Twenty-Four Thousand ($124,000) dollars for a total project amount not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand ($150,000) dollars and the District Treasurer is authorized to effect such transfer from time to time as necessary for the project. This resolution is subject to a permissive resolution and shall not take effect until thirty (30) days, as provided by the General Municipal Law.
Dated: March 30th 2026
By order of The Board of Fire Commissioner Brendan J. Narell Superintendent 159476
LEGAL NOTICE ASSESSOR’S NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF THE FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLL THE ASSESSOR OF THE COUNTY OF NASSAU HEREBY GIVES NOTICE that he has completed the 2026/2027 final assessment roll, which
will be used for the 2027 levy of Town and County Taxes in the Towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and the City of Glen Cove and the City of Long Beach, and for the 2026/2027 levy of school taxes in such Towns and in the City of Long Beach. A certified electronic copy of the roll was filed with the Department of Assessment on April 1, 2026. The electronic roll may be examined on public terminals located in the offices of:
DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENT
NASSAU COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING
240 OLD COUNTRY ROAD, FOURTH FLOOR MINEOLA, NY 11501 where the same will remain open for public inspection for fifteen days.
Dated this 1st day of April 2026.
JOSEHA A. ADAMO Assessor, Nassau County 159474
LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE BOARD OF APPEALS Pursuant to New York State Town Law Article 16, New York State Public Officers Law Article 7, and the Town of Hempstead Building Zone Ordinance, NOTICE is hereby given that the BOARD OF APPEALS of the Town of Hempstead will hold a public hearing in the Town Meeting Pavilion, Town Hall Plaza, One Washington Street, Hempstead, New York on 04/22/2026 at 9:30
A.M. & 2:00 P.M. to consider the following applications and appeals:
THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 9:30
A.M.
201/26. EAST MEADOW - Leon Petroleum LLC (BP Station # 20723), Renewal of grant to maintain one detached, double-faced, illuminated ground sign with price signs thereon; overall size 128 sq. ft.; overall height 18’; setback 10’ from Hempstead Tpke. & 9’ from side property line., N/s Hempstead Tpke., 339.65’ E/o Bly Rd., a/k/a 1955 Hempstead Tpke. THE FOLLOWING CASES WILL BE CALLED STARTING AT 2:00 P.M.
223/26. - 232/26. EAST MEADOW - Shake
Shack New York LLC, Install non-permitted, double-faced, illuminated, directional sign over 2 sq. ft. per face stating “drivethru” in conjunction with proposed Shake Shack (sign F); Install non-permitted, doublefaced, illuminated, directional sign over 2 sq. ft. per face stating “thanks for swingin’ by” in conjunction with proposed Shake Shack (sign G); Install nonpermitted, canopy sign stating “order here” in conjunction with proposed drive-thru window; Install 2nd non-permitted, canopy sign stating “order here” in conjunction with proposed drivethru window; Install non-permitted, detached clearance bar with the words “drivethru” mounted atop; Install non-permitted clearance bar in conjunction with the proposed drive-thru with the words “drivethru” mounted atop; Install non-permitted, detached, illuminated menu board sign in conjunction with proposed drive-thru window; Install 2nd non-permitted, detached, illuminated menu board sign in conjunction with proposed drive-thru window; Install nonpermitted, detached, illuminated preview board sign in conjunction with proposed drive-thru window; Install 2nd non-permitted, doublefaced, illuminated directional sign over 2 sq. ft. per face stating “drive-thru” (sign N)., S/E cor. Hempstead Tpke. & East Meadow Ave., a/k/a 1902 Hempstead Tpke. ALL PAPERS PERTAINING TO THE ABOVE HEARING ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT THE BOARD OF APPEALS, TOWN HALL, 1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550.
This notice is only for new cases in East Meadow within Town of Hempstead jurisdiction. There are additional cases in different hamlets, towns and villages on the Board of Appeals calendar. The full calendar is available at https://hempsteadny.go v/509/Board-of-Appeals
The internet address of the website streaming for this meeting is https://hempsteadny.go v/576/Live-StreamingVideo
Interested parties may
held an event at the East
on March
Participating artists remark: ‘There’s life after active addiction’
ConTInuEd fRoM PAGE 1
programs across Long Island and New York state, as well as holding events open to the public — such as the creative showcase in East Meadow.
In rehabilitation centers, Mullady combines music and storytelling, which he feels resonates with those who attend his programming.
“I do these workshops where I speak my story, and then I also play music, which is very interesting — usually people don’t have both,” he said. “Usually, you either have the music, or you have somebody lecturing. It’s not really combined. That’s what I did, I combined the two, and it’s amazing. People seem to get a lot out of it. I always say it’s a lot more fun than a hepatitis lecture.”
Andrew Kase, SAGE’s LGBTQ+ outreach director, said Mullady’s approach is unique.
“I have had my own journey through recovery, and I’ve been in a bunch of facilities, and what Sean and SAGE do is something, and I think it really brings hope to all the patients inside,” Kase said. “It basically shows people there’s life in
distributed.
recovery. There’s life after active addiction.”
Over the course of two hours in the East Meadow Public Library’s community space, attendees experienced dozens of performances that included music, poetry and comedy that spoke to healing and renewal. An art exhibition near the stage
Public Notices
appear at the above time and place. At the call of the Chairman, the Board will consider decisions on the foregoing and those on the Reserve Decision calendar and such other matters as may properly come before it. 159467
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURTCOUNTY OF NASSAU HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTEUM MORTGAGE ACCEPTANCE
CORPORATION, ASSETBACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-4, Plaintiff, AGAINST JESUS A. AVELARLEMUS, et al. Defendant(s) Pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale duly entered on December 2, 2025. I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the North Side Steps of the Nassau Supreme Court, 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 on May 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM premises known as 629 Oxford
Street, Westbury, NY 11590. Please take notice that this foreclosure auction shall be conducted in compliance with the Foreclosure Auction Rules for Nassau County, and the COVID 19 Health Emergency Rules, including proper use of masks and social distancing. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Westbury, Town of North Hempstead, County of Nassau and
State of New York. Section 0011, Block 00219-00 and Lot 00090-00094. Approximate amount of judgment $630,018.13 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment. Index #607755/2023. Steven M. Feinberg, Esq., Referee, Aldridge Pite, LLPAttorneys for Plaintiff40 Marcus Drive, Suite 200, Melville, NY 11747 159531
THRIVE, a community center for healing and recovery on Long Island, tabled at the event for anyone interested in learning about services it provides.
showcased drawings and paintings created by individuals in recovery. With exhibition tables and resources available, the showcase embodied Mullady’s hope that life after addiction can be both meaningful and beautiful.
“It’s almost like an extravaganza of art,” Mullady said of SAGE’s events. “There’s just a little bit of everything for everyone. Every song isn’t about recovery because the people are the recovery.”
At the event, Danielle McNicholas, SAGE’s therapeutic director, said a big part of the organization involves providing instruments to those in recovery.
“New people coming in might’ve sold their instruments in their active addiction,” she explained. “We like to give a few instruments away at every SAGE event.”
At the event in East Meadow, two guitars were distributed to musicians.
“It’s a such a beautiful thing, because a lot of times, people that are struggling with addiction, especially if they are musicians, they’ve sold a lot of their instruments, and they’ve kind of lost their mojo,” Mullady said. “I give them a platform where they can step on stage, get their juices flowing. I try to give people a professional space where they can share their stuff and feel like a rock star again. I would say 99 percent, if not 100 percent, of our performers are all in recovery,
which is an amazing feat.”
SAGE’s events are attended by people in recovery, the family members of performers and often just members of the general public, especially in spaces like a public library. Concert spaces will be filled with families and children, which brings a lot of hope and light to the event itself, Kase said.
“I’ve been working in the field for a while,” Kase said. “I tell people this message: The opposite of addition is connection. It’s always a beautiful mess, but there’s always so much love. Every single one of our shows, we always grow.”
As Mullady likes to say, SAGE puts “the fun in dysfunctional.”
“There is usually such a negative stigma attached with recovery,” Mullady said. “I feel like the public perception of that is changing — people are much more accepting, because I don’t think there’s a family in the United States that isn’t somehow affected by this disease. So, I feel like SAGE is really doing its part.”
“I think there’s now so much more awareness and education when it comes to addiction, and we’ve been slowly chipping away at the stigma,” Kase added. “It’s not perfect, of course, but we’re doing our part and we’re helping out.”
To donate and learn more about SAGE, its offerings, workshops and upcoming events, visit SAGESite.org.
Jordan Vallone/Herald Photos
SAGE
Meadow Public Library
29, showcasing the talents of musicians, artists, poets and more. Above, the stage was set ahead of the event’s kickoff.
At the event in East Meadow, tables were lined with informative resources and T-shirts were
Sean Mullady, at the microphone, lost his son to addiction in 2022. A former addict himself, he found healing through music, which led to the creation of SAGE.
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How much extra money does a home cost these days?
Q. I saw a billboard and several TV commercials for something called “Let Them Build, NY,” and was wondering what you could tell me about it. The commercial said that there is an extra $82,000 spent on housing, per home, just due to government red tape. Is this true, and is anything being done about it?
A. There is plenty of finger-pointing in the construction industry, on top of the current cost increases due to tariffs, war and subsequent delivery costs due to higher fuel prices. But long before there were these current issues, government officials began, at every level, to either increase enforcement of existing regulations or to add regulations on top of what was already fairly complicated and burdensome.
Many years ago I was very active in the American Institute of Architects, to the point of being vice president of the Long Island chapter. I left them when I realized that they did not want to have the backbone to challenge, as a professional group, the regulations that cause construction and building design to become out of reach for a large segment of our population. In the years following, I daily encountered the thousands of building owners who never even attempted to comply with building regulations, basically skirting the entire permit process altogether because of the added expense.
The first and foremost expense is caused by the delays in getting through the approval process. There are so many reasons for the slowdown that it will take several columns, at 500 words apiece, to get through the long list of problems. If you ask a government official, they will point to the design professionals who “just can’t seem to get the regulations right” in their drawing submissions. I have often listened as officials complained to me about inadequate drawings being submitted. In all fairness, it is a two-way street, because the communications from officials back to the architects and engineers is often incoherent or incomplete.
When a plans examiner uses phrases like “demonstrate compliance” or “incomplete submission,” they are contributing to the problem, not solving it. Instead of pointing to specific sections of code and explaining the very specific problem, they communicate in generalities that are useless and cause a lot of extra work and discussion among the people trying to move a project forward. The phrase “If you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem” applies here.
I remember when a plans examiner would mark up and discuss specific drawings, and some even went the extra mile and pulled out their code books. In the era of computers, the internet and the “portal,” building officials often abbreviate and confuse both the professional and the customer by not pointing out that “the wording on Sheet 3 in the upper right-hand corner should state…” The lack of specifics creates lots of back-and-forth, delays and cost to the owner for the delays. Rent and taxes still need to be paid during the delays.
More to follow.
© 2026 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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Did I ever tell you about my grad school?
Rosemary and I and our son Sean recently visited the University of Notre Dame. In many ways it was a homecoming.
Rosemary, her mother and her sister graduated from St. Mary’s College, adjacent to Notre Dame, in the days before it accepted female students. Her father and two brothers are Notre Dame grads. Our daughter Erin and I graduated from Notre Dame Law School, and Sean earned his MBA from Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business. Sean is now an affiliated scholar at the university’s Liu Institute for Asian Affairs, and regularly lectures on Asian geopolitics and economic policy at the institute and the Mendoza School. When I was growing up as an IrishCatholic kid in blue-collar Queens, Notre Dame embodied Irish-Catholic immigrant success in becoming a part of the American fabric and achieving the American dream. That success was exemplified by Notre Dame’s fabled football teams, which dominated college
football during that era. Of course, there was and is more to the university than football. Notre Dame was founded at a time of severe anti-Catholic bias in the country, led by hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Know Nothing movement. There also was anti-Catholic bias in academia well into the 20th century, which Arthur Schlesinger Sr. described as “the anti-Semitism of intellectuals.”
My wife and I visited a university you may have heard of to watch our son in action.
Notre Dame, though, went beyond being a defensive religious fortress to making Catholic thought a part of American life, along with full acceptance of other religions, with open debate and finding common ground encouraged. Striking that balance can be difficult, but it is still working. Religious freedom was on display on the campus last year, when pro-Hamas demonstrations did not devolve into the antisemitic violence that occurred at other universities, such as Columbia. Students were given prescribed locations and time periods for demonstrations, and those who ignored them were arrested. The result was intelligent debate without violence.
Rosemary and I visited this year to meet with some of Sean’s academic colleagues and watch him in action. We
ialso walked around the campus, taking in iconic sights like the Golden Dome and rekindling old memories. On our first morning, we met with Frank Pomarico and his wife, Eileen. A Queens native and a graduate of St. Francis Prep, Frank was the captain of Notre Dame’s 1973 national champion football team, coached by the legendary Ara Parseghian. Frank and Eileen live in South Bend, and are amazingly friendly and interesting. It was a great way to start the day.
Then we walked over to the law school to meet with Diane Desierto, a professor of international law and human rights, a native of the Philippines, a friend of Sean’s and a true scholar. Desierto updated me on the state of the law school (all good), her strong belief that law students should be exposed to all sides of issues and that legal education must include a moral component.
We had lunch with Josh Gobel, a good friend and a longtime member of the South Bend Police Department who now works in the Notre Dame P.D. in various key capacities, including protecting visiting dignitaries, such as Supreme Court Justice Amy Cony Barrett — who
attended the law school at the same time as Erin. Great conversation with Josh, as always.
After a visit to the campus bookstore, Rosemary and I joined Sean at the Morris Inn on campus for dinner with Michel Hockx, a Chinese scholar and a professor at the Liu Institute, where Sean had just finished teaching a class. Hockx, who is originally from the Netherlands, has been teaching at Notre Dame for 10 years, and has worked with Sean on various projects. After dinner, we all walked to the Mendoza School to watch Sean give a lecture to a group of students preparing to visit Japan.
He discussed the intricacies of Japanese political, cultural and economic development since the end of World War II, the country’s relationship with the United States and the threats it faces from China. My biased opinion? A thoughtful, virtuoso performance. (He must have gotten it from Rosemary, who was a teacher.)
The next day we flew back to New York. Rosemary and I went home to Seaford, and Sean to his apartment in Manhattan — all three of us with new Notre Dame memories to share. And yes, Notre Dame football is still great. Go, Irish!
Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.
Will there be a blue wave this fall?
Is this the year of the blue wave? Will it be a modified one or a total rout? Is there any chance of a red wave? Not likely. But, once again, we are facing a year in which the U.S. House of Representatives, and perhaps the Senate, are up for grabs, and the early odds favor the party that’s out of power.
We often refer to political prognosticating it as “reading the tea leaves.” But tea leaves are no longer the best way to pick winners and losers. There are now so many more sophisticated ways to handicap the races, some of which we have been used for years and others that are brand new. The media is dominated by daily polling announcements, and if you give the polls any credence, they spell bad news for President Trump and the candidates of his party.
Poll after poll, whether from the left or the right, seem to indicate that this may be a very bad year for Republicans.
You know that things look bad for them when Fox News consistently announces polls showing that everyday Republicans and independents are slowly moving away from long-favored party candidates. In addition, wellknown commentators such as Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson are predicting only bad things for the party come November.
i’ve seen many waves, red and blue, which are part of the ups and downs of politics.
The newest form of political projections is occurring on such outlets as Kalshi and Polymarket. On Kalshi, people trade contracts on the outcome of real-world events. They are deep into gambling on sports events, but lately have also been involved in betting on political events. Polymarket is built on a crypto platform. People bet on “yes” and “no” shares that reflect the feelings of the bettors and their inkling to pick winners. Both platforms have become highly controversial. Demands are being made for them to be regulated by Congress, but that won’t happen soon.
If you want to find more reliable trends, pay attention to what’s going on in Washington and around the country. This year, more than 30 Republican
members of the House have announced that they won’t seek re-election. Some are campaigning for Senate seats and others are running for governor, but the vast majority of the retirees have announced that they’re eager to spend more time with their families, the age-old excuse to get out of Washington.
At last count, there were 35 House seats up for reelection that were tilting toward the Democrats. If the blue wave is really going to happen, most of those seats will go to the Democrats. In 2025 the party won major races in Virginia, New Jersey and New York. This year, a number of Democrats have had upset wins in races for state House seats in districts that Trump won in 2024 by wide margins. If these victories are any indication of the national trend, it’s all bad news for the Republicans.
Up to a few months ago, there was little or no talk about Democrats having any chance to take over the U.S. Senate, but the latest polls seem to show a tightening of the races in Maine, North Carolina, Texas and Ohio. If Democrats can
pull off any upsets in these key states, Jon Ossoff can hold on to his seat in Georgia and a newcomer can win in Michigan, the party’s chances of capturing the Senate will improve remarkably. One of the more disturbing factors for Republicans is the fact that Trump hasn’t made any strong statements about his desire to see his party stay in power. He is promoting various ideas about how they can win at the ballot box, but any federal effort to take the power to oversee voting away from the states will likely be struck down as unconstitutional.
Having reached an advanced age, I’ve seen many waves, both red and blue. They sometimes last two years, and occasionally continue for four years. The swings back and forth between parties are part of the ups and downs of politics. So if it turns out that the Democrats have a great year, they’d better handle their newfound power very carefully, because two years can pass very quickly.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm. Comments? jkremer@liherald.com.
Local News Day now means more than ever
Somewhere on Long Island tonight, a village board will vote on a zoning variance, a school district will finalize a budget or a contractor will win a bid. None of it will lead the network news or trend on social media. But it will matter — to the family whose street gets rezoned, to the teachers whose contract is on the line, to the taxpayers footing the bill.
In most cases, a Herald reporter will be in that room. But in too many communities across the country — and increasingly in our own backyard — that reporter’s chair sits empty. And when no one is watching, things have a way of going sideways.
April 9 is Local News Day, a national moment to recognize what local news does, why it matters, and what we lose when it disappears.
Local news isn’t the shouting matches on cable or the partisan warfare that passes for national political coverage. Local news is the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Hewlett High School science fair. It’s the Nassau County budget hearing that will affect your property taxes for the next decade, the obituary that captures a neighbor’s life, and the investigation that stops a bad idea before it becomes law. At Richner Communications — publisher of the Long Island Herald — we’ve been doing this work since 1964. Sixty-two years, three generations, over 100 local employees, nearly 30 weekly newspapers.
The Founding Fathers understood the stakes. The free press is the only indus-
Your opinion Matters
try they considered important enough to protect by name in the Constitution. But we are failing that promise. Since 2004, one-third of all American newsrooms have closed. There are 43,000 fewer local reporters and editors working today than there were then. New York alone has lost nearly half its newspapers, and a quarter of the state’s counties now have one or no local news sources. Digital-only outlets have not filled the void.
Today, more than 2½ newspapers shutter in America each week. The consequences are documented and dire: Communities without local news see lower voter turnout, higher taxes and measurable increases in corruption, political polarization, and even toxic environmental emissions.
Wealth is no inoculation from this trend. The Scarsdale Inquirer was founded in 1901 and served one of the wealthiest communities in America for 123 years. It closed without warning in January 2024. The Westchester village — mirroring the demographics of many Long Island communities — still doesn’t have a newspaper over two years later.
Compounding this problem is the rise of artificial intelligence, which can now manufacture articles, quotes, and entire “news sites” that look authoritative and cost almost nothing to create. That means the news environment has only grown harder to navigate. Trusted news brands, with reporters who actually live and work in the communities they cover, are more important than ever. It’s the reason that we at the Herald use A.I. as a tool to support, not replace, the report-
ers you know and respect.
And yet the climate for news in America has rarely been more hostile than today. The United States now ranks 57th in the world in press freedom — labeled “problematic” by Reporters Without Borders, placing us alongside countries we’re accustomed to lecturing about democratic norms. Arrests of reporters and editors in America nearly tripled between 2023 and 2024. A national shield law for reporters has failed to pass Congress twice. Right now, the Pentagon is aggressively curtailing press access, a policy that flies in the face of a functioning democracy. The temperature in Washington sets a tone, and that tone travels — all the way to the reporters covering Long Island’s myriad municipal entities.
The Herald has always believed that local news is worth fighting for. It’s why we helped found the Empire State Local News Coalition, which won a first-of-itskind state tax credit for local newspapers. That legislation is already helping newspapers survive that might otherwise have gone dark, meaning that thousands of New Yorkers who might otherwise have lost their only trusted local news source still have one.
Every community gets the local news it deserves — which is to say, the local news it supports. If you want a paper that shows up, you have to show up for it. On Local News Day, make that decision. Subscribe. Advertise. Tell your neighbors. The Herald has been here for over a century. Whether we’re here for the next one is, in no small part, up to you.
opinions Washington must start solving problems
The American people are fed up.
The chaos at our airports was awful, the Department of Homeland Security has not been fully funded during these very dangerous times, and the people are demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement live up to the standards of all other federal law enforcement agencies. They are sick and tired of the endless blame game. All across America, people are demanding that politicians put partisanship aside and work together to fix the very real problems we face.
The anger and annoyance are real. And frankly, I agree.
That’s why I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation to immediately reopen DHS while advancing common-sense reforms to ICE. Alongside my Problem Solvers Caucus co-chair, Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who served as an FBI agent for more than 15 years, I am trying to cut through the dysfunction, isolate the problem areas where negotiations have stalled and work together to actually get something done.
Our solution is common sense: fund the parts of the DHS where there are no disagreements, like disaster response and cybersecurity, and institute real reforms to ICE that most Americans have been hungering for. It only makes sense to hold ICE, a federal law-enforcement agency, to the same safety and accountability standards of every other bureau in the nation.
Calling us ‘Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats’ doesn’t help.
That means body-camera and officer-identification requirements, higher training standards, a crackdown on roving patrols and limitations on agents wearing masks. The legislation would also lay out stronger warrant requirements and rules governing activity in sensitive locations to ensure that enforcement resources are focused on the “worst of the worst.”
It seems simple, but Congress has been in a political standoff that perfectly exemplifies what’s wrong with Washington. Let me explain.
The budget for the DHS is $97 billion. $87 billion of that funds everything from the TSA agents at our airports to Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster responses, cybersecurity units and the Coast Guard. The remaining $10 billion funds ICE.
Framework by Tim Baker
Democrats have been saying for weeks that they will fund the $87 billion that doesn’t go to ICE right now. That would have ended the airport disaster, paid our TSA agents far earlier and kept the core functions of DHS operating. We would not vote to fund the other $10 billion for ICE, however, until there were real reforms.
While Republicans resisted at first, there was eventually enough consensus among both Democratic and Republican members of Congress to at least reopen the non-ICE agencies of DHS. But just as bipartisan negotiations in the Senate were making progress, President Trump intervened with a directive to his party: “No deals with the Democrats.”
To be precise, he outlawed deals with the “Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats.”
That’s outrageous. Once again, that’s politics getting in the way of progress. Finger-pointing has been all too prevalent.
I have built my career on finding common ground for the common good. It has always been my philosophy that I’ll work with anyone, regardless of political party, to get things done for my constituents. As co-chair of the biparti-
san Problem Solvers Caucus, I’ve worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle the nation’s toughest issues. Just a few months ago we passed legislation out of the House that extended health care tax credits to prevent skyrocketing premiums for millions. Unfortunately, then as now, the president got in the way, changing the debate from bipartisan health care wins to Venezuela and Greenland before the Senate could close the deal.
I represent a district that voted for Trump and for me. My constituents aren’t interested in partisan talking points — they want results. They want safe airports, secure borders, a functioning government and a lower cost of living. And they want their elected officials to work together to deliver.
People are concerned that the Department of Homeland Security has not been in the game. They’re outraged about the illegal and immoral behavior of ICE. And they’re frustrated that politicians are too busy pointing fingers to solve our problems.
We don’t have to choose between security and accountability. We can do both. We don’t have to accept dysfunction in Washington. And we certainly don’t have to tolerate political games when real people are being affected.
Tom Suozzi represents the 3rd Congressional District.
